just got my hazmat

Uh, how did you get your HM if you are still waiting for your background check to come back? Sounds kind of bass-ackward to me.

As far as your nervousness goes, it will pass with experience. Just remember, the most important thing is to STAY CALM, as long as you are calm, your brain will keep working. And your trainer will help you when you first begin, to keep you out of trouble. So, good luck, keep it shiny side up, dirty side down and hope to catch you out there sometime.

 

Shhhhh, don't ammounce your haz-mat that loud. They might want you to pull haz-mat now.

 

You look ready to pull a fuel tanker smoking monkey. Whaddya say?!

Seriously, if you are a smoker and pulling HM, just be smart about it. Don't be like a guy I knew who crossed the scales here (in Erie,MI) with a lit butt in his mouth and 1.4 placs on his trlr (those are fireworks,BTW).

I think he works in dispatch now, or maybe safety...

 

The best advice I can give on tankers is just slow down. When you see an exit speed limit drop down 5 mph under that and more if you can. I don't mean for you to crawl along but just take it easy. The most accidents with tankers are rollovers and almost every one of them could have been avoided by just slowing down. If your hauling smoothbore or half loaded compartments you'll have to adjust for the surge. Stop 10 feet behind the white lines at an intersection or anywhere the surge might push you into traffic. Start learning the best defensive driving you can come up with if you're hauling gasoline or like product. I like the Smith System.

 

Great post GH. My only experience with surge came in the jumpseat of a friend's W9; he pulls a MI milk tanker (8 axles!), it was 3/4 full (of course, smoothbore) and the road was slightly icy. When that surge hit the front of the tank it pushed us about 20 feet.

And I agree, the Smith System is a great safety tool, as long as it's taught right, and then implemented.

 

You're right about the system. It has to be used and backed by the company. Before I retired we had ride alongs for the shift once a quarter. The driver trainer was also the Smith coordinator and the senior driver. The ride along wasn't a test, it was a friendly upgrade to get the skills at the top again. We hauled alot of gasoline and we did it safer and quicker than most companies. One truck in one shift would haul over 74,000 gallons in the city. Every driver liked that system because it meant no accidents which meant more money!

 

Question for Wallbanger.....I don't have enough posts to PM you, so this is my question since your from Michigan too.....


I'm currently in school in Fenton and will be done on July 6th. I will have my class A with airbrakes and X and T endorsements. I wanted to go to work for TMC, but they said they are not hiring north of M59 for regional or OTR. I was just wanting to hear from someone from the metro detroit area that can suggest some good companies to drive for. I would love to drive flatbeds because they pay the best (from what I hear) and find a regional route (I have a family and would like to be home on the weekends if I could. Local would be the best but everyone says you need at least 6months under your belt.) Any suggestions to someone just starting out?
Thanks.

 

If you are just out of school and heading for tankers you will have a lot to overcome. Not meaning to scare you off or anything like that, you can do it, but it creates some very different scenarios.

Did you learn to float gears, or clutch? Personally I think floating is the way to go for tankers. Once you get used to it you can do it smoother than clutching. The second you change the momentum of the truck the slosh is going to start. That means going up a hill and you downshift the stuff is going to feel like you are being pushed forward then pulled backward, yes, going UPHILL. Everytime you touch the brakes on a downhill you will feel it move. When you change gears (floating) you back off the pedal and pull it into neutral, then wait for it to hit, then slide it into gear and and go, then you try to get it out of gear and wait for the next one, then back into gear and so on. Basically you try to keep the liquid to the back of the tank under acceleration. If you try to get it into gear while the product is coming forward you could blow a driveline, or at least make some really nasty noises from the tranny.

Multi hole tanks are pretty easy (I think so anyway). The stuff doesn't move as far so you get this little shimmy sitting at a light instead of a tidal wave up your #&^.

The first time I pulled out after getting loaded at a customer I came to a red light and could have sworn someone just rearended me. I locked the brakes and got out and looked behind me. There wasn't another soul on the road except me looking like an idiot.

There are some perks driving tanks. Most towns don't want chemical companies downtown, lots of them don't want you on their roads in their town at all. Most of the time you just have to pull into an unloading platform or back under a shed. Usually a couple of hoses is all the manual labor needed.

If you need any more info just ask. I'd be glad to help as much as I can.

Dave (Crash)
Tidewater Transit