pressure up & check hoses for leaks?

when I first started working here, I was told I needed to "pressure up and check hoses for leaks before you leave the yard". but I have yet to be told how to do this. and yes I have asked. when I asked the boss, he said "yeah, we probably should do that, but no one does. who told you that?" and got off on another subject. other drivers say "you know your truck, that isnt necessary. who told you that?" or "I've never heard of that. who told you that?" when I ask them how would I do such a thing, they say "don't get me to lying, never heard of it, never done it, have no idea what they talking about"
now I can see where this is a good idea. slip seating, have no clue who's truck has what issues, which hoses leak and used for 'over the top' or 'spills' only, and all drivers have that one special hose used for such special jobs. I'm still slip seating some, but have technically been assigned a truck. seems to be now that I've been assigned one, would be a good idea to check out all the equipment and tools on it, rather than waiting till on a location, have to pull all hoses off to reach, and company get ticked off cause I grabbed one that leaks and now have a mess on his location.
I understand some believe in teaching by 'just get out there and do, you'll figure it out'. I also know I'm not good at such learning. I do better with actual instructions rather than figure it out. maybe I stupid or daft, but works better for me.
if you know how to pressure test hoses on tanker truck please let me know an idea of how this is done. they call them 'vacuum trailers', but the pump will also put on about 30psi of pressure to push off the load. hoses are 3" and 2", various lengths (6-20ish feet), with various fittings connected with cam and groove connectors. I'm sure anyone done water hauling for oil field knows exactly what I'm talking about.
or perhaps who told me this is really taking things to extremes? the reason others drivers and boss cant or wont tell me how this is done is because it really is a colossal waste of time, and not as big of a deal as safety boss is making it out to be?
I dunno, but thanks in advance for any ideas to check this stuff

 

I dunno onboard compressor, unless is part of the pump. getting these people to explain things is worse than pulling teeth. (and that's the nice way to say it!)
is a release valve for pressure or vacuum release, yes. some of the guys use the front 'over the top' loading valve to release pressure or vacuum faster. (but I'm still coming up over loaded sometimes, and have to push it back off; sometimes that 'over the top' hose still has fluid, so I don't use it to release pressure, just vacuum, just in case the hose is full and I'll make a mess if pressured. I just don't have the timing quite right getting loaded yet. I use the single release valve if trailer has pressure on it.)
thanks! I'll have to get some hose end caps. I wasn't sure load with fresh water, or hook onto a tank and test somehow, or just empty w/ air. I'll admit I have no clue what I'm doing!

 

no, they not talking about the breaks or air. they are talking about the hoses used to connect to the tanker trailer for pushing off and loading fluids, not air or gases.
my job is tanker transport, aka vacuum truck. basically, you pull onto location, set pump to vacuum, hook hose to tank, pull on a load, then vent trailer, go to wherever, set pump to pressure, hook up hose, push off the load, vent pressure off the trailer,radio in empty, go to next location. and so on. they are 3 inch and 2 inch pressure hoses. I don't remember right now how much pressure, something like 300psi or something, maybe 250psi. the pressure truck has lot stronger hoses on it, but it goes up to 5000psi. the pump on the general trucks can only go up to about 30psi on the trailer, and around -30 for vacuum. since I'm slip seating still sometimes, I dont know which hoses leak on which trucks. but all keep at least one crap hose for cleaning up oil spills, going over top of tank when tank valve busted, whatever. I was advised to "pressure up and check hoses before leave the yard", cause I got in trouble on one location I grabbed off the wrong hose, and spewed oil everywhere cause of a leak I didn't know about. I have been getting by, not knowing, by looking to find the most used looking longest hose on the trailer, the cleanest short hose, and only using those two hoses for the whole day. have been couple times I've been worried, have had locations where I've had to pull almost every hose to reach backside of tanks. now that I'm supposedly assigned a truck, I'd like to actually test the hoses, and know for sure which are good, which are not.
I think Kittyfoot's idea will work, but I haven't had time to try it out yet. and yeah, I've never seen any of our drivers do this test. most when I was asking would reply: "do what? who told you that? I've never done that. that sounds like waste of time, just hook up, it works or it don't, if it don't, clean up the mess, and use different hose".
these people don't do the air break test, lol. I have never seen one of their drivers do one. I did once, had a major air leak on that truck, was told "don't worry about it, you use the breaks to much anyway". this place is a joke for equipment / trucks.
questions get one of four responses: "don't get me to lying", "I don't know that truck, ask someone else", no answer at all - act like cant hear you, or just ignore you till you go away and ask someone else, or totally wrong info (example: the engine break "button does same thing as stepping on break pedal, don't worry about it. is like when you push accelerate on cruise does same as pushing on gas peddle. is just for convenience being on dash" when I asked which trucks engine break worked and which ones it didn't, that answer was their mechanic, and yes he was serious, lol, he has no clue. I asked because couple drivers told me, "dont use engine break on #XX, it will blow off hoses and you cant lift the hood to put em back, it's messed up on that truck" (not sure what was ment by "blow off hoses", but I'm assuming air hoses, maybe radiator, I dunno? they didnt explain, just said dont use jake break) or "dont bother on #XX, engine break unhooked, the button just for show now", and I couldn't remember which one's they'd said that about, but I wanted to learn how to use engine break. I have given up learning to use engine break, and still have no clue how to go from highway speed to a full stop loaded in less than a half mile without touching the breaks at all. oh well, they can just complain I tearing up the trucks and using breaks to much! but that's another thread, lol)
I'm guessing my cdl is garbage now. I haven't learned what I needed to my first few months out of school, cause I cant get info. no way someone else going to hire me at this point, I wouldn't. newbies hard on equipment anyway, being a chic have to work to prove myself in this field, and not knowing this many months into the game...I wouldn't take the risk if I was company. looks bad on me! but my fault for hiring on where I did. I wanted tanker so badly, I agreed to work for one who'd take a newbie. I should have known something wrong with the picture when everyone I knew said "no way get tanker right out of school". I thought maybe cause was water hauling oilfield, turns out is crappy company. to late now, live and learn eh?
sorry so long, has been a long bad week, and I'm a bit, um, cranky. (no day off in last 14 days, and now not expecting to have day off for another 14 days at least, 12-16 hour days. HOS my skinny white tushy! is getting old fast walking to work in the dark, walking home after dark, and everyone else was in the yard and gone by or before 5pm. other drivers getting min of one day a week off, most getting two or more days off a week. I'm trying so hard to "cowboy up" and prove I can do this job, it's killing me! I know I have no right to be cranky, I am the newbie after all. I'm just tired. sorry)

 

I wouldn't mind the hours, if I wasn't getting twice as many as the other drivers. they get minimum of one day a week off, most get two days a week off. I don't get any days off anymore. haven't for weeks. the long days wouldn't bother me as bad if I didn't know for a fact some of the other drivers are going home between 2-5 pm and I'm still out at 7pm. I know of couple days in last few weeks drivers been let loose at noon. that's just flat not fair. (and then grip at me for overtime? hello?)
is a long story...I was told XX is trying to run me off, and he gets his way, does what he wants, easier than dealing with him. the short of it, when the owner returns from illness, I'm gone. no months of experience. added to the long story, I do not currently have transportation, and doubt I've enough time left to get something for transportation. so I do not expect to find another trucking job. very small town, rural area here.
but thanks. I do appreciate it.

 

mine is local day job, 6:30-7 am to whatever in the evening, it varies, some days busier than others, like any job. I get paid hours, not miles or loads. is cushy in my opinion actually. wasn't sure I'd like it, idea was stepping stone to what I'd think I like to haul, and this is not as difficult as I thought it would be. (tho some I work with are making it very difficult)
I'll get some pics posted of 'my daily view'. in a way is pretty, in a way is desolate and dull, some days just down right nasty, lol. almost all dirt roads, some more interesting than others.
but unfair for me to be out late, others going home average time and getting a day off, then grip at me about overtime. I wouldnt mind the long days, if I wasn't getting double hours of the others. I had 82 hours last week, most the others had around 50 hours. that's what I'm saying. I'm tired. if I was otr, I'd had reset day few days ago. has been daily for the last 25 days. I just want reset 34 hours!
there are a few other water hauler companies in the area, and other trucking companies, jobs, but they are based in neighboring towns, I don't have transportation. which is whole other story and mess to deal with. hoping can last here long enough at least to get transportation to find job somewhere else. but the way it's looking lately, I have doubt. I'll admit I made a mistake signing on with this company, should have found somewhere better to start, but to late now. live and learn.