Question for tankers

That would be 2 hands and 2 feet or any combination of those that makes 3. Chins, elbows, knees don't count and their use is strongly discouraged.

 

You do get used to it...just never get too comfortable with it.

I too am terrified of heights where there is hard surface at the end of the fall. You know the old addage...it's not the fall that kills you...it's that sudden stop at the bottom.

I've hauled cars, and the thing that got me the most wormy was the walk down the decking after I loaded one up on the head rack. I did get used to it, but I never got over my fear of heights. Just respect the fact that you're scared to death and you should be fine.

My job is hauling pneumatic tankers...been doing it for a while now, and the plants all have safety cages that lower onto the top of the trailer so as to get your dome lids open and closed again once you're loaded.. Still gets me wormy. One hand is for the truck and one is for me...sometimes both hands are for me.

I've recently changed jobs and the new company has remote switches on the trailers to activate air valves that open the dome lids...I never have to leave the ground. They're even talking about making them remote to the tractor so you never have to leave the drivers seat to open and close your dome lids. Talk about super nice.

Safety is getting a serious first place in line at this new company with the driver in mind when it comes right down to it.

To say I'm impressed is an understatement.

 

We had a driver fall back in January of this year and he was killed. Was found on the ground by another of our company divers. From the log entry, apparently he was on the ground for about 30 minutes before anybody bothered to stop and see what was wrong. This was at the Oro Grande cement plant just northwest of Victorville, Ca. Since then, Robertson's Transport has installed automatic covers on all their powder trucks (which is what I drive now, but started out on bottom dumps). In addition, they installed wires along the tops of the Beall pneumatic trailers used to haul the cement powder in and have provided safety harness equipment that is mandatory to use whenever a driver goes up on top of the trailers. Those who don't use the harness run the risk of being written up and suspended if Robertson's finds out. Anyway, the driver was employed by my company for about three years so he knew what he was doing. Just be careful and follow all the rules that they have established.

dave