First week on the job

Wait, how did you get asphalt on your butt, did you fall in a schluck puddle? And if it's any consolation ( and I'm not defending the pigs) but at least they aren't throwing the trash out the window. ( I know, how hard is it to take a plastic shopping bag with you. I taught my kids never to throw anything out the window, and on a visit to L.A. last year, I took my son's car for an oil change, and the car was full of wrappers and water bottles. At first, I was upset, but then realized, I must have done my job as a parent, at least he didn't throw it out the window.

 

I guess you load as close to max gross weight as you can without going over and having to offload some product. Some places you use a honemade load gauge that hangs over the dome. Some have mass spectrum analyzer valves which measure density and volume as it flows into tank. Some load on a scale.

What is your trailer's max load capacity in weight? I'm guessing 60k so that shouldn't be a problem.

I'd tell em to load 52000 to 53000lbs if you can gross only 80000lbs. Just make sure you don't load a light density product to that weight and have it overflow because you hit volume max before weight max.

It's been 13 yrs since I hauled asphault, and I rarely did asphault, mostly hauled corrosives. But I think we stood on the rack and positioned the load shoot over the top and loaded ourselves to just about a foot or so from the top. That asphalt loaded high and being as dense as it is never had too much surge either.

Asphault is dirty but pretty easy . Go haul some NaHS(Sodium hydrosulfide) sometime. The density is always changing. It is a refiery byproduct and the only way we got to load it consistently was after our boss bought and had a mass spectrum meter valve installed for the refinery. The refinery was too cheap to install one and we were always too light or too heavy. There was no return line to offload product when we overloaded, so we would wait 3-4 hours without pay until the next empty truck came back. Then out with the hose to transfer some over.

You're lucky you get hourly with overtime.

 

Congrats on the tanker gig, Patty. Once you get it in your blood, it's almost impossible to go back to a van. It is a lot more involved thinking wise, but once you get it down, it's a piece of cake. I've done cryo and oil products for an oil distributor (doing this now), and cannot see going back to a dry van.

Good luck, girl, and stay safe.:smt023

 

When you get nasty, just remember how nice it is not having to put up with lumpers and meat warehouses!

 

Get an old one gallon paint can that has a handle and keep your rubber gloves in that, you can carry them around without touching them or letting anything else touch them when moving from truck to truck or at the end of the day if you put your gear in the car, also stay in the habit of wearing long sleeves. As time goes by you will gradually come home cleaner each night, after awhile you will rarely get it on you. Always check your hoses before starting the pump, you are looking for bulges or end joints that look bad, if you have a bulge on a hose even the smallest, don't use it. I hauled asphalt for four years, pretty good job, we had three refineries close here at home, so not much available around here that pays well anymore, I wish there was.... Good Luck on your new endeavor..