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How to Pre-Trip the trailer's internal valve?

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by tscottme, May 29, 2019.

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  1. May 29, 2019 #1
    tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

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    Is there some practical way to test that the internal valve on Polar 5,000 and 7,000 gallon trailer will open and seals when shut after a trailer is loaded with product?

    The shipper where trailers are loaded,as part, of there loading procedure, will load a small amount of product and verify internal valve is working by openin the external valve and looking for leakage. After loading trailer is sealed. When I pick up a loaded and sealed trailer I check seal numers and seal integrity and security of all openings.

    However, I have picked up loaded and sealed trailers only to find when I begin to pump open the internal valve at the receiver that the hydraulic pump is low on fluid or there maybe be a leakage in the hydraulic system so that the pump handle moves as easily as when the valve control is in the closed position. How can I test at pick up the internal valve will open intead of discovering the problem at the receiver 1 or 2 thousand miles away from the shipper? I'm not sure it is good to pump open the internal valve, with the external vlave closed on a loaded and sealed trailer. That seems like a recipe for creating a spill or plugging the product dishcarge opening.

    Also, if I find myself at a receiver and the hydraulic hand pump isn't working well, is there an alternative way to open the internal valve? On our trailers there is a pin that extends below the internal valve housing that retracts as the internal valve opens. Is it possible to use a jack CAREFULLY palced below that "witness pin" which pushes on the pin and open the internal valve from the outside.

    I will start carrying oil and tools to service the hydraulic hand jack when necessary.
     
    tscottme, May 29, 2019
    tscottme, May 29, 2019
    #1
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  3. May 29, 2019 #2
    kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I wouldn't open the internal valve until I was ready to unload. Asking for trouble there. I always carry some extra hydraulic oil but rarely had to use any.

    I have had to pump the handle to whole time I was unloading, just to keep the valve open. Sometimes you just do whatever you need to.

    You can usually tell by the feel of the pump handle when the valve starts to open so whenever I picked up a empty trailer I always checked to make sure it opened.
     
    kemosabi49, May 29, 2019
    kemosabi49, May 29, 2019
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  4. May 29, 2019 #3
    scythe08

    scythe08 Road Train Member

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    *edit* you never touch the internal valve once it's been loaded, closed, and sealed!* I've never had one fail reroute or at a customer unless the product froze inside it or made a little dome above it.


    This will be an interesting thread. Whenever I pick up an empty clean trailer , I test the hand pump and the internal valve. If there is any issues I immediately call dispatch and ask them to send me somewhere. 9 out of 10 times it's because people damage the plunger because they think they have to pump a couple more times after the valve opens.
    We had a customer in Midland that had an operator that was notorious for doing this on purpose. Nobody touches my equipment unless I'm there and even then I ask if I can do it. I've had operators bust off camlocks, drop dog ears into the tank, crush washout cap seals, crack poly fittings on hoses because they would just drop the ends on the ground.

    I carried a spare emergency handle(the break off one by the front drivers side fender), but other than that, I've never had a internal valve failure. I've had a few that dribbled product and those were written up and fixed when emptied and washed.
     
    scythe08, May 29, 2019
    scythe08, May 29, 2019
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  5. May 29, 2019 #4
    ChicagoJohn

    ChicagoJohn Road Train Member

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    I've gotten to a receiver only to find the hydraulic line is broken from the pump to the valve. I used a car tire jack, 2 2x4 and a 4x4. It worked and I unloaded.
     
    ChicagoJohn, May 29, 2019
    ChicagoJohn, May 29, 2019
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  7. May 30, 2019 #5
    scythe08

    scythe08 Road Train Member

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    I cant picture how you got the valve open like that. Can you edumucate me?
     
    scythe08, May 30, 2019
    scythe08, May 30, 2019
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  8. May 30, 2019 #6
    slim shady

    slim shady Road Train Member

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    Im hooked to a tanker like @ChicagoJohn is referring to.
    Ill take a picture later when its stops pouring rain.
     
    slim shady, May 30, 2019
    slim shady, May 30, 2019
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  9. May 30, 2019 #6
    Suspect Zero

    Suspect Zero Road Train Member

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    It's never going to stop. I'm so sick of thos #### rain, I've spent more time wet then dry lately.
     
    Suspect Zero, May 30, 2019
    Suspect Zero, May 30, 2019
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    slim shady and ChicagoJohn Thank this.
  10. May 30, 2019 #6
    wsyrob

    wsyrob Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    You just set the Jack up under those pins that rise when you pump open the internal valve with the hydraulic.

    Carry hydraulic oil. We were told in training that motor oil will work in one of those Jack's in a pinch.

    Checking the Jack is part of a pretrip on an empty trailer. If it's preloaded let someone know because a preloader didn't do his job.
     
    wsyrob, May 30, 2019
    wsyrob, May 30, 2019
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  11. May 30, 2019 #7
    ChicagoJohn

    ChicagoJohn Road Train Member

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    I carry coolant, that also works.
     
    ChicagoJohn, May 30, 2019
    ChicagoJohn, May 30, 2019
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  12. May 30, 2019 #8
    slim shady

    slim shady Road Train Member

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    Not all our tanks have these, some have dual pins and some have ome pin.
    All our hydraulic pumps are filled with anti freeze
    20190530_091733.jpg
     
    slim shady, May 30, 2019
    slim shady, May 30, 2019
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  13. May 30, 2019 #9
    Suspect Zero

    Suspect Zero Road Train Member

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    Sorry about the multiple posts earlier, not sure what the heck happened there.
     
    Suspect Zero, May 30, 2019
    Suspect Zero, May 30, 2019
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  14. May 30, 2019 #10
    scythe08

    scythe08 Road Train Member

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    Oh ok, totally makes sense now. My first tanker company have those valve check prongs or whatever they are. But the next one didnt and my current company, we rear load and unload. I was taught to use coolant as well. Never had to though, I got lucky
     
    scythe08, May 30, 2019
    scythe08, May 30, 2019
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