Great Plains Transport - A company that cares about drivers... NO BS.

So, what's with the message today asking drivers if they have a tanker endorsement? Don't know if I want to pull a tanker plus I don't think tanker loads have the miles of the reefer loads.

 

Probably more likely that they are booking loads that have liquids in those portable plastic containers. I have heard that they require a tanker endorsement.

 

Exactly, liquid hauled in 250 gallon totes require a tanker endorsement. I've hauled temperature controlled apple juice concentrate in totes before.

 

Liquid Totes require a tanker endorsement.

 

I am not a driver with Great Plains.I can answer your question about tanker endorsement.If you haul those totes (plastic containers in a metal frame) you now have to haver tanker endorsement to haul them because of the liquid

 

I hope you were able to avoid the Tragedy on Interstate 78... I live a few miles from the scene, and it was worse than the pictures show... for everyone.

 

That's what I figured, It might've been for totes. There's a lot of good grade shippers that load stuff like liquid starch, sweeteners, etc. that need temperature control or freeze protection.

 

DOT requirement that van and reefer driver have tank endorsement because pulling liquid totes in a box now constitutes a tanker load..

 

I'd have to wonder what genius at FMCSA came up with that rule.

 

There were issues in the past with 1 ton rigs hauling totes and having "issues with stopping" and having accidents involving haz-mat chemicals ... so, they decided totes have many of the same characteristics as tankers in terms of fluid surge, and here we are. 1 tote or 20 totes, the "surge" is not very evident on class 8 vehicles, IMO but the FMCSA sees it differently.