gas haulers?

Depends on how big the fire is , once my extinguisher is used up its time to run.

 

Well, you might as well just run cause that fire extinguisher wont work on a tire fire.

 

If the tire fire is on the trailer and the situation hasn't reached the critical phase, you might be able to drop the trailer and pull the tractor out from under it.

I caught on fire several times ... one was an engine fire caused by a starter hanging up, there was excess oil all over the engine block from an in-frame that had just been performed and the mechanics did not clean up properly. When the starter started getting hot, caught the wires on fire, set the oil on fire and anything else that was combustable ... I got that one out with the fire extinguisher. Tried to get the mechanics to clean the engine off after their work had been completed, but they said they were backed up with work and would get it tomorrow. If I had had any sense, I would have pulled it under the wash rack and hit it with a high pressure hose ... but I didn't.

Another time I had just left the shop and they installed a defective relay valve on the rear axle of the trailer which eventually caused a brake fire and excess grease caught fire also. First noticed it at a stop light where there appeared to be a glow under the trailer. I started calling for help from the CB and was lucky enough to get a highway patrol trooper on the horn who just happened to be monitoring 19 ... and he got in front of me blocking all intersections with his bubblegum machine going so I would not have to come to a stop, that kept the flames blowing in the wind away from the tank until I got to Sutherland Avenue where there was a fire station. The firemen came over the radio and told me to roll the windows up before I had even came to a stop in the intersection, they had two fire trucks spraying me down from the right and the left. The steam just rolled out from under that truck for about 5 minutes. I crawled up under the truck and backed the brakes off completely on the rear axle and proceeded to deliver the load. Luckily this was about 20 years ago ... had the same thing happened today, I doubt I would have been released to deliver the load.

 

You are supposed to be looking for things like "excessive grease" on your pretrip. Removing fuel for a fire is one of he best ways to avoid/fight one.
As for fighting one each case would be different. At a rack we normally have a 1" high pressure water hose for cleaning spills in each bay. Would easily handle tire fire. Elsewhere it would just depend on circumstances.

 

You are absolutely correct and I DO try to be perfect on catching things before they become a problem ... trouble is, I ain't perfect. I have made the mistake before of assuming that mechanics would do their job correctly and clean up anything flammable near to something that might get hot ... but, I have learned that they make mistakes also, so I make it a habit of checking up after them. Two such instances as described above are two too many. 27 years of hauling gas has at least taught me at least that much.

BTW, I couldn't imagine driving under a loading rack with a tire on fire to use a garden hose to put out a tire fire. At the very least, that would get me kicked out of every terminal in Charlotte and most likely set the fire alarms off on the rack and get foam dumped on everyone and everything.

Stay Chilly
John

 

No one said to drive under rack. Hoses can be unrolled and taken to fire you know. lol You are correct about mechanics. Have to watch some pretty close while others you know have always done it right.

 

If a tire catches fire I'm droppin and haulin.

Of course it depends on severity, but most likely i'd drop the trailer.

 

Had a brake catch fire once. I dropped the trailer and pulled out. It finally put it's self out before the fire department showed up. Fixed the issue and rolled on.

 

Lets see.....would you ask a fireman with no gas training to go deliver to a station...nooooo....so don't ask me to start putting out fires.