Rack Certified? Fuel Hauling

The fuel company that hires you will have you get trained by an experienced driver at the racks. After being trained by a fuel company driver, you may take a short written test and/or watch a fuel terminal safety video and be observed by a fuel terminal rep as you load fuel.

Make sure you have HAZMAT endorsement and get a TWIC card. Some racks don't require TWIC, but it helps. Also read up on the PPE requirements for each fuel terminal.

You basically have to be employed and "authorized" in writing by a fuel transport company before you can get a "card" to access fuel at a fuel terminal.

 

well when i drove for wynne in omaha they sent us in with another carded driver a few times to get to know the rack and when you were comfortable with things the terminal manager would come out and give ya a test to make sure ya knew what you were doing ..have fun wearing that fire suit at bp amoco lol.

 

Just go through a few times with one of your coworkers and make sure you know what your doing. Most places ask you some questions about the loading procedure and what to do if things go wrong, at the least. Was a guy in front of me one day that hooked up to one arm and opened the valves and fuel started pouring into his truck. Something was stuck in there I guess, but he ran inside the terminal to tell the manager instead of hitting the stop button or at the very least closing the valves. Just use common sense

 

Just left hauling fuel. The main mistake every new driver makes is rushing take your time and TRACE your hoses and loading arms before you let it flow. You will get your loading cards while in training. Pay attention not all loading facilities have the same rules. And remember the more cards the more $$$. Even if you dont get a certain card once out of training if your company loads out of there try to get it even if it means slowing down on 1 day. You will make it up in the long run.

 

Dhdkdysjeis

 

Specifically to Shell: Although I had my hazmat certification beforehand, I had to take a refresher course through my company and become certified through the Canada Fuels Association to be permitted to haul fuel. Once this occurred I had to complete online testing though the Shell program to learn the rules and regulations regarding fuel, the specific fuel depot, etc. Once I completed that I had to attend an in-person orientation where the rules were explained again in person and with much authority. Once we finished the orientation we were permitted ten supervised loads at the fuel depot from a senior driver at our company, after which we had to complete a test load under the watchful eye of a Shell employee to ensure everything was being done correctly. After we passed that we had our rack card. Quite an exhaustive and stressful process when I first started.

 

Was it really that big of a deal? I mean I've had to do some training and it stresses me out because I wanted to get it right, but once I did it a couple times I said wow this is what I was worried about? And it turned out to be simple procedures...

 

It's like anything else, get in a routine and do it the same way every time. Been a lot of years, don't know how much has changed, but used to be ground, vapor, caps, arms, internals. And the other way around coming off. If you've been doing tanker, it won't be any big deal.

 

It depends on the rack. Some racks you watch a 30 minute video. Other racks require 5 practice loads with a carded trainer at your company, with the 5th practice load being observed by a terminal operator. Either way its something your company helps you takes care of, not something you're on your own with. I was new to fuel hauling and got 5 cards during my first month in training.