Fuel your truck while running

It doesn't hurt anything. I had a 1994 brand new Ford Ranger, drove it 11 years put 418,000 miles on it and sold it to another guy who is still driving it. Every time I fueled it, I left it running. That includes the 2005 Ford Sportrac and 2008 Ford F150 I had-- no explosions.

 

How do you check tanks at night, a flash light could do the same thing and since I don't smoke, I don't carry a lighter.

 

I used a cell phone the first couple of refuels but I actually use something similar to this, figured LEDs wouldn't produce heat around the fuel like a standard incondecent bulb.

http://www.intrinsically-safe-instruments.com/intrinsically-safe-headlamp.html

 

Shortly after I started at ECL a driver that had about 10 years there returned to work. He had been hauling a super-B of glycol making a night delivery and went to check the compartment level with a lighter. Glycol is not particualrly flammable and even though the trailer had hauled fuel previously, it had been steamed before the glycol load. Well, surprise, surprise, there was an explosion; the flash burned all the hair off the driver's face and gave him some burns that took a while to heal. The explosion also blew the hatch cover off and the driver off the trailer (causing more injuries). It also deformed one of the internal baffles from convex to concave.

Fortunately the driver made a full recovery and other than the baffle being completely opposite of its original configuration, after they put the hatch cover back on, the trailer was fine too. It could have been much, much worse... even though, in theory, nothing should have happened.

 

Holy ####... I thought you were kidding about using your phone to check the tank level.

My phone wouldn't even leave the cab if I were loading, unloading or checking compartment levels. The ONLY light to use is an intrinsically safe one. I've done a lot of electronics installations in refineries and on oil & gas well sites and the same thing applies in those areas.

 

What tanks are you talking about?
Tanker on a truck or stationary tanks in a yard?
My Tanker trailers like in my sig have sensors & lights, so when I'm unloading the sensor will light the bottom light. The (API) or fitting that the hose hooked to has a glass window in it. When there is nothing in the glass, walk the hose & lift it to drain the hose. I never (By workman's comp Law) go on top of the trailer. For above ground tanks I use the LONG dip stick to measure how much is in the tank. If I'm at a bulk plant there is either & computer readout or the plant operator signs off on how much space is left. Not yet have I had to use a flash light. I have a intrinsically safe flashlight that I use when I need to. But I still don't aim it at the or in the fumes & turn it on. Turn away or move to a different area turn it on then move back & use it.

 

It has been a while since I yanked tanks.

 

Interesting,

Our trucks don't have sensors...anything that works. So if we're the least bit worried about over filling our trucks, we have to pop the hatch(s). We don't always empty our compartments on a job. That is why I try to keep my numbers as straight as possible to avoid popping the hatches. So is it really against Comp rules climbing up and checking?

As for above ground tanks, same thing. The tank is about 100'ft tall or more and no sticks. The inside of the tank is marked but you have to use a light most of the time to check.


FYI: this is for diesel only...both green (clear) and red (dyed).