The Pneumatic Tanker Thread

Vacuum loading

 

Dang. Blowing into a pit is *really* fast when you have swingaways.

 

Dmax66, that's a nice looking truck you got there. When you're unloading, how do you keep how do you keep the air cool enough so that it won't soften the plastic pellets? When I worked at an IM plant, the pellets we ordered would begin to melt at about 400 F.

 

The trailer has an air to air cooler with electric fans on it. Works just like a turbo intercooler. Keeps the air temp below 110. Some of the harder plastics have a higher melting point and don't require a cooler. We also run our blowers at 800 rpm to keep temps down.

 

I was always told that all trailers unload differently, even though they may be the same make and model. I know this trailer I have now, which I've had from new, doesn't unload as good as the last new one I had. And they're identical.


@DMAX66, do you start unloading the front hopper first with plastic, so as not to melt it? Or don't it matter with the cooler?

 

Yes we unload the #1 hopper first so that the top air pipe is not blowing hot air on the plastic. One of the plastics I used to haul called EVA was as soft as a gummy bear and even with a air cooler you could melt it if the #1 hopper was not unloaded first

 

Picture of the air cooler

 

That is absolutely true, no two trailers unload the same. What causes one trailer to unload in record time will cause another to plug up and still another to unload slowly. I used to tell my trainees that pneumatic trailers are like women, each new one comes with a learning curve.

 

Oh my God, I'm gonna pitch a fit soon. Last night, at my favorite stop, I worked for almost half an hour to unhook a hose. The fitting on the end was new about two months ago. It has since been beaten with a sledgehammer to the point of being egg shaped, and almost useless. Nothing irritates me more than seeing someone take a hammer to an aluminum hose fitting.

I carry a wire brush, and brush the fittings before each use. Our other drivers just get a bigger hammer.

On a better note, the owner of the company called today and asked what truck I'd like to replace my current one. I'm really torn between the Western Star 4900ex like I have now, and the new 5700xe. If we'd go with the 4900, itd be a glider with a fresh rebuilt Cat under the hood, with a 13 speed. The 5700 would be a Detroit with an autoshift. Any thoughts?