Rookie Driver takes to the Oilfield Hauling Fuel!!

We love people like you that make idiotic statements like that. Yeah and I bet you'll say you can throw a lit cigarette in a pail of gasoline and it will go out too.

Do you have any idea of the responsibilities a driver of flammable or even combustible have? It against the law to smoke around a truck that is or has been loaded with this material. That means if the truck goes up in flames and you're smoking you're held responsible no matter what. They may look further but I doubt it. We all know that smoking is way down the list of causes or sources of heat to cause a fire, but that's not the point.

 

Try to take advantage as much as you can and learn so if you like you can move up into a bigger truck and better paying job. Out west a gasoline tanker is just like your truck except with a trailer on it. Some states run a truck with a drop axle and pull a 4 axle trailer. I couldn't see if your truck has two or one compartment. Diesel to me was a pain. Every chance we had we would give the load to a common carrier because we just didn't like it compared to gasoline. It's too dirty and messing for us. But our jobs we much different than yours but we did have a few drivers that came over from what you're doing. They all said once they got out of the oilfields they would never go back.

The best advice I can give you is to CYA all the time. Don't worry about other drivers and what they do. We had drivers that smoked while hauling gasoline. Of course if they were caught they got fired. When you're on the road make sure you know as much as you can about the rules and regulations with Hazmat. You can read the little green pocketbook from the FMCSA while you're stuck out on the job. Also try to get yourself a copy of the Code of Federal Regulations 49 parts 100 to 177. The reading on that book is really messed up but there are alot of items you'll find only there. Get all the reference material you can about hauling diesel and gasoline so you'll be covered. Just take your time and get down into a routine. Whatever you do over and over again do it the same way every time. Double and triple check your work. After awhile or even now you'll realize that what you're doing with the product is more important than driving the truck. But you're still expected to know the laws. Good luck.

 

You know, it is refreshing to hear that a new driver found a good job he likes, studied the methods, fits in the mold of a good trucker ( takes the bad along with the good and does not moan and complain ), then gets the job done safely. You will do OK. Keep us posted on your journey.

 

Good, hold your ground when smoking around the truck. One trick you'll learn when you load gasoline with diesel is unload the gasoline last if you can. That way it will wash all that dirty diesel fuel clear of the fittings and hoses. I don't know your set up there but I would make sure I had all the safety devices on the truck incase I needed them. An eye wash station. Plenty of water. Spill pack. Maybe 5 big bads of kitty litter, and another set of chothes. Make sure you wear gloves that meet the requiremnets for fuels. Try to keep the truck as clean as possible. It will reflect what type of person you are.

 

So you took a Chanel #1993 shower!!! I've taken a few 1203 showers over the years and I'm lucky our terminal has a shower. If you did that on our trucks, we wouldn't let you in the cab until you hit the shower. Out on the job site it's a different story.