The Pneumatic Tanker Thread

Gotcha.

 

another interesting part of the day.

so, we're getting loaded at the cement plant. And they ask what you want it to weigh gross, without you in it. Well there's two of us, so I say 79,500 or so. That should put us right at 80k.

In colorado you get 36k on a tandem and 20k on a single (of course, the single has to be able to support that) and if you dont go on the interstates, colorado will let you gross 85k. But of course you still have ot make axle weight. (36x2 plus the usual 12k is 84k unless you have a heavy front)

So, this other guy is getting loaded from the other silo. I look over and see his gross scale. It's 96,000. Im like aren't you heavy? yeah, he replies, but I'm permitted for the extra weight.

But what about axle weight?

Oh, hell I don't pass a scale

hmmmmmmmmmm, now ok, I can see that.
but, if you have an accident? guess who's going to jail being 10 to 15k over?

yeah, i'll take my 79,500 for minus a few dollars.

 

day 4. sucked, 11.5 hours and literally nothing accomplished. People should listen to me, I'm not an idiot. It played out exactly like I said it would.

Have two loads tomorrow, but have a old old yard tractor (pre-DEF, little tiny day cab pete (i'm not a small guy)), even has a stick. what's that? been two years since I drove a stick. with no blower, so hopefully the sites blowers work. should be interesting.

 

I'm laughing that pre def is old old. Hell the truck I drive is pre pre def and I prefer it to this new pos that won't run and spend lots of time in the shop. You'll get used to the Pete daycab and it won't be that bad.

 

I like my pre-def. Granted it is a 2017 glider but no def for me

 

well it was an exciting couple days.

first load, completely plugged the line. I mean completely, I mean back into the air line and aerators. (when I do something I do it right). AFter a few times of trying the tricks I decided I was making it worse and called in. They sent out an expert guy. (who is like half blower expert, half mechanic). It took us hours and we finally ended up doing what I was going to do originally. Take everything apart (from the standpipe back) and let the powder go everywhere to clear it out. Took hours, I was totally covered. (cement is heavy). Expert guy said it appeared that one of the pod valves was leaking product. So the line was probably full before I even hooked up (just from driving). So, not my fault.

2nd day solo (with different trailer). it works. TAKES FOREVER. 2 and a 1/4 hours to unload. both times. Another guy came with fly ash after I had started, he hooked up and finished before I even got to the 3rd pod. I had him look at what i was doing and he's like "nope, that's right, just a crappy trailer". I"m sure the aerators are plugged or not working, of course someone just dumped it and didn't write it up. I hate truckers, really. So back to teh shop yet again to switch out. So I got the job done but it took hours longer (plus the trip to the shop and back). I"m really tired already of doing 12 hour days for about 8 hours of work.

Monday (with yet another new trailer), we shall see.

 

Ran into a similar issue once when they took away my big tank (that I'd had since it was brand new mind you) for a "dedicated customer" and gave me someone's sloppy seconds. We had 5 hopper trailers at Beelman. I had 3 hoppers with working aerators and the other 2 nothing. One set of aerators were so plugged up that the blower pop off would go off if I tried to push air to just that hopper. Finally got the clay unloaded out of it after 3.5 hours (took me just over an hour with my good trailer), took it back to the yard and told them I wouldn't leave with it until every aerator was replaced (yep, even the working ones), and was a decent trailer after that. Never did quite live up to my old one though.

 

If the discharge line had product in it before you opened a hopper valve, then when you first opened the line valve (after pressurizing the tank) it would've blown that product down the line, or the blower popoff would've opened if it was already plugged up.

Sorry you had a rough few days. Has anybody ever taught you how to suck a plug back into the tank?

 

a what?

nope. Would be happy to learn

 

so, yesterday actually went pretty well. Did my two loads (although had to start early), nothing went wrong, was a little slow (because I was afraid of plugging it), but whatever it got done. So got done early and though "hey, i'll go get loaded for tomorrow (tuesday) and then I won't have to get up so early to run an hour away to load up. Then i'll just load at the end of the day again.

nooooooooooooo, i had to do 3 loads today. (so my pre-load plus two more)
ugh. Still was going pretty well until my hot air line (from blower to trailer) explodes. Luckily it happened right as I closed one product valve (pod) and was building tank pressure again. Shut down and switched out to the on site blower (which works but doesn't do the volume and hey it's not my fuel). Of course I parked too far away to use that line so had to unhook everything and move the trailer. Anyway, it got done.

So I park at a remote yard. (which is the only reason I really took the job). So I say "hey, I need someone to send up another hot air hose." it's not a crisis today but it will be tomorrow because there are 3 of us that deliver to this concrete plant but I'm the only one with a tractor blower.

Uhhhh, I only have two mechanics. Yeah, i don't need a mechanic, i need a standard hose. It fits in a car trunk. Anyone coming north tomorrow? anyone live north? anything?

uhhhh, could you drive the truck down here? yeah, after 10 hours and take another hour down in rush hour traffic in a 70 foot long vehicle that gets 5mpg????????? and then another hour back. Yeah, no, not doing that.

you could fedex the thing for less than this costs. There are end dump drivers who domicile in the main yard who are working out of this concrete plant. They could bring the hose up tomorrow morning, drop it off if I"m not there and I'll get it when i'm there. nooooooooooooooooo, that's too easy.

all trucking companies are the same.