Cryo companies after all the mergers...who's good to work for?

More demand than supply. Less than 1% of the atmosphere is argon and its produced as a byproduct of nitrogen/oxygen seperation.
We can only store so much product.
Currently a helium and CO2 shortage also.

 

It's ASU production capacity. Argon is only 3% or so of an ASU's production (3% of the atmosphere) and is very energy intensive to purify after being separated from the massive amounts of LOX and LIN needed to make it. Pretty much every foundry, steel mill, and construction site uses a metric ton of argon, too. We've got a couple aluminum foundries with 6-11k gallon tanks.

 

@Dennixx
@Omegon

Please explain the problems/issues behind the shortage of CO2 and helium....?

--Lual

 

HE is not a renewable resource and is in high demand.
CO2 from what I know, as we don't do that product at our plant, is being contaminated w other elements.

 

The CO2 situation is complicated. A good chunk of west coast production was lost when oil refineries and ethanol plants shut down due to covid. I'm told that a huge in-ground source back east is shut down due to contamination. I think supply/demand was a pretty tender equilibrium and it didn't take much to eff things all up.
I work for a small industrial gas supplier in northern California and our closest source is up and down crazily. When they are down my nice cushy home every night gig turns into run my ### off to exotic places like Los Angeles, WA and UT.
They did buy me a new truck with a bigger sleeper, but I still whine like a union member

 

J, it didn't work out unfortunately. Incredibly knowledgeable trainer and I respect his ability and knowledge but a personality mismatch between us. I am NOT saying a single negative thing about J. I definitely don't want any rumors saying otherwise. Not that you would but as we all know in places like linde once someone says you're talking trash there simply is no recovering from it so I make it a point never to talk ill of anyone.

I start with L tomorrow.

Hopefully I succeed with training otherwise I'll just go and do some FedX contracter work.


I've been training for just two weeks and several of those days were single loads and don't completely have everything memorized perfectly yet. And I still ask a lot of questions. How long did it take all of you other Linde drivers to have all procedures down pat. I don't know, maybe I'm not cut out for Linde. We will see. I told them if that is the case then I will willingly give my resignation as soon as requested with no hard feelings.

 

#OMEGON
And all other team drivers.

What are some things you wish your co-driver did and what are some things that drive you nuts.
I want to be respectful and make being out on the road pleasant for both of us.

I'll be new to teaming and I know I need to work on my driving to be courteous to someone in the bunk. I'm used driving alone so I break/take turns a little sharper than I should. Not unsafe just not baby soft.

 

@scott180 --

As the saying goes, "Hang in there, Baby!"

Put another way: "The race goes not to the swift, nor to the strong....but to those who keep running."

Or simply...."persistence pays".

My take is that....given how short the world is for drivers willing to do what you've applied for--Linde will in fact keep you around, until you "get it".

The prevailing wisdom with this training is that one day soon....things will just "click" in your head....and then you'll have it.

At my current fuel position--my training lasted for 5 weeks.

I can't imagine all that you are learning there should take any less.

Past that--I have zero experience with team driving--can't help you any there....

--Lual

 

It's true some aint cut out for the job, nothing to be ashamed of. We just had to let a guy go that was here for 5 straight weeks training and he was not getting anything. He would not make a successful driver.

We have another training now and he is grasping the process in an incredibly short time and will make a great employee.

Most after 2 or 3 weeks it's like the proverbial light bulb goes off in the head and their like..Ohhh yeah.

We've turned guys who we didn't think would make it into successful productive employees so don't discount yourself.

I was over 50 and had 35 years trucking when I started here. My trainer was a pretty good cat. They don't have to train guys but want to kind of give back to the company that's done well by them. He only got a dollar an hour bump to do it.
After training and probation was over I took him and his wife out with me and mine and treated them to a fine steakhouse dinner as a gesture of appreciation.

 

When I was training with Air Products years ago,my wife's favorite story is when I sat up straight in bed and yelled
"You gotta turn the f*****g recycle valve " and went right back to sleep... lol