From School to Superior Carriers

Rest of the first week

Wed we went back to Progress Energy the same place we delivered to on Tuesday. It was a big electric generating plant. We were hauling transformer oil with the customer unloading it into a trailer. I got to drive the empty tank back to the yard.

Thursday we started later since our pick up wasn't until 4:00. Met at the yard around 11:00 and spent 4 hours doing nothing but driving around the hard then backing into tight holes both blindside and 60%. Ed even had me do a blindside back on a gravel road around the side of the tank repair facility. It was a big help and makes me feel better about truck stop backing in the future. At 4:00 we went to a plant and picked up 45,000 lbs of glue. At this facility you had to back up a hill and into a building. There is a mailbox and gate on the right that makes it real tight. Also once the trailer gets inside the building you cannot see and have to rely on the workers there to get lined up under a ceiling hanging delivery system. It took Ed about 5 pullups to get in there.

Once we left the plant we pulled over and I got to drive my first loaded trailer. It is a lot different and you really need to get into the fuel pedal to keep from having to downshift going up hills. It is almost like learning to drive the transmission all over again. I did OK but need more time in the seat under load to get used to it. Ed called it a "heads up" since the training protocol doesn't include loaded tanks until week 3.

Friday we met at the yard at 5:15 AM and delivered our load about 3 hours away. We did an air unload. That involves hooking an air line to the fitting on the dome lid and using the trucks air compressor to pressurize the tank to force the product out the hoses. First time I had done that so I learned the proper order to hook up the hoses and air pressures to use. After we drained the tank they brought out 3 350 gallon tanks of water and glue waste. They used a fork lift to lift them over the tank and I stood up top and opened a valve on each one to drain them into the tank. We took that back to the glue plant where they pumped out the tank.

Once we got back Ed had me attempt to back into the building. I set up and had it going in but got close to the gate. I was about to pull up a little to get a little more room for the tractor to clear the gate when a car pulled up and Ed told me to pull back down to where i set up initially to let him in. The second attempt my setup wasn't as good and I was close to the mailbox. He had told me I would only get two shots so he took over and backed it in. I think I could have gotten it the first time If I hadn't had to set up again.

I got to drive the empty back to the yard. All in all it was a good first week and I look forward to the weekend off and new adventures starting Monday.

 

The airline is connected to a fitting on the top of the tank with a pressure gauge that is designed for that purpose. The compressor pumps air directly into the tank. We wait until we have 15 to 20 lbs of pressure before opening the valves. They are located on the bottom of the tank so the pressure on top forces product out the bottom.

 

I read your PM but can't reply until I have 50 posts. I am training out of the High Point NC terminal.

 

Monday we started around 8:00 AM. We ran two loads of waste water from out tank wash around 30 miles to a facility that handles it. This week I am driving any time the tank is empty. Next week I will be driving the full ones as well. After lunch we went and picked up another glue load. I got a chance to back into the warehouse and did better. I still didn't make it on the 2 shots he gave me but I got closer than the first time. My shifting is getting much better. I also drove the loaded trailer back to the yard. I am actually starting to like the surge. Its sort of fun the way it pushes you down hills. Makes you think more when you drive because you have to always account for it.

Tuesday we started at 5:15 AM and aired off our glue load about 4 hours later. On the return trip we carry waste water back to the glue plant. I got to drive back. It was a very light load and you couldn't tell anything was in the tank. Got another chance to back into the plant and I made it this time. Finished up today around 4:00.

Today we took a load of polymer to a waste treatment plant. It is some pretty nasty slimy stuff. Its nickname is "snot" because it strings up when you pull hoses apart. Our tank wash won't even clean it. The company pays another tank wash to clean tanks after they haul this stuff. It was a pretty easy air off but had to be done with 2 " hoses so it took a bit longer. After dropping the tank to be cleaned and getting our fittings cleaned we went to pick up a loaded tank from a paint plant. This one is a pain in the butt to get to. It requires a blindside back around a building down a narrow drive. There is a building to the right and a curb to the left. Problem is the curb drops off down a hill so if you run your tandems over it you will roll the trailer over and down the hill. Its about 50 yards and then you have to hit one of two slots and line the dome lid up with the hoses overhead.