Starting new job in Ops with chemical tank co. Please help me learn what I need to know.

Be prepared to reschedule deliveries. If a driver is going to be late because of weather, construction, traffic jams or a loading delay, don’t push him. it’s a lot cheaper to reschedule a delivery time than to clean up a wreck.

 

Beyond hazmat the type of work they do can make a huge difference on how things operate. If it’s primarily a dedicated terminal and the product is the same you might not even have to worry about assigning the right trailer for the the load. Where I am now for instance is all dedicated, and the trailers are parked at the customer. I don’t even assign trailers to a specific load. I dispatch them, give the driver who works overnight preloading my list and he loads them up. Most of the time the plant has already started loading trailers before he even gets there. In that sense it’s a piece of cake.

If it’s a terminal that runs a lot of system freight like where I was before then it can be a bit more tricky. Some customers require certain types of trailers, washes, or even restrict prior products. I had one customer that had a list of acceptable prior products and the previous 3 loads hauled on that trailer had to come from that list.

If there’s a couple of pieces of advice I can offer, it’s to rely on your more experienced drivers to help with things you don’t know, and be honest with your customers. The drivers might not have much or any experience with the office side of things, but they know what customers require what equipment and how long it takes to do things. Some customers may only take 45 minutes to unload and others may take 4 hours. You won’t know this, they will. When you screw up, which you will, own it. They may not be happy because you fumbled a load, but they can’t say you tried to hide it from them or blame it on someone else. I’ve seen that cause more dispatchers to get in trouble than anything else.

 

Another thing to consider is the revenue side of things since you did mention load planning. If your drivers are company or O/O and if they are paid % keep that in mind when dispatching. Don't dump all the cheap freight on the O/O's and expect them to be happy, and dont dump all the short hauls on the Company drivers etc. Try to keep things balanced so everyone works and earns around the same.

 

Even dedicated operations will have different trailers for different applications/products.

The best advise I can give is learning about using cleaned tankwagons according to their prior products.

I once sent a trailer to haul Methanol after an oil base 'Brite stock' which isn't too bright.

This as one of three 6000 gal transfer shipments transferring from one local shipper to another. Happened a lot, a terminal waiting on their tanker would get some from another company, usually a payback for the opposite move somewhere else in the country.

This load was held pending the lab results. Enough base oil was cleaned from the pores of the stainless to drop the clarity 0.005 points. Finally, after getting an new ETA on their ship and knowing that a million more gallons would arrive before midnight they decided to take it...

Otherwise we would be hoping it was clean enough to sell for windshield deicer to offset the claim charges.

Matlack had a retired guy with a filter pack to clean up screw ups. I spent a weekend with him filtering the floating skins out of a load of formic acid that a Georgia terminal loaded after a load of latex. Filter to another clean unit, Caustic washed the original and filtered it again back into the first wagon and re-delivered.

Far as I know there are still a couple former set-up BC Molten sulfur trailers, abandoned by Provost [who bought out BC] in Krajack's Keasbey yard. Last time I cruised by they were still there been sitting since the steam was shut off in the late 80's...

Gotta learn who knows their stuff 'cause it is easy to have a costly screw up...

I helped burn up a Matlack MC307 with an acid that really needed a lining...the last reference in the NTTC product book [the one we didn't read] mentioned the need for a lining in the 307...next day after they cleaned it, the wrapper skin ended in a ragged line where the side meets the bottom [what bottom it was gone!] and the interior barrel had holes you could drop bowling balls thru.....

 

You have your own in house tank wash’s ...?

I personally think the tank wash’s are the worst part of chemicals....... plan on lots of time for tanks to washed between loads. Swapping them out sounds nice but takes a lot of trailers.......

 

Almost all hazmat chemical loads are LLD and LUL, and drivers often have to wait for the lab to approve batch or load samples and then issue a Certificate of Analysis (CofA), so plan on those stops taking over an hour.

Drivers will need to be issued whatever PPE is required by the plants, which usually consists of a hard hat, steel-toe boots, chemical-resistant gloves, goggles or a face shield, and flame-retardant clothing. Some may require a respirator, chemical suit, hi-viz vest, or fall protection. They will also be required to complete site-specific orientation courses at the facilities or at the local Safety Council.

Empty hazmat trailers that have not been washed out must display placards and the driver must carry proof of last contents, typically a copy of the last BOL. Plants will often require this documentation before they will load a trailer. It is absolutely imperative that you get a copy of the plant's "product compatibility chart" that way you know whether one product can be loaded on top of another or a washout will be required. Drivers will also be required to carry a copy of the orange Emergency Response Guide.

Also, if your drivers unload using truck-mounted pumps, those will have to be washed out periodically.

Flammable commodities should NEVER be pressured off with air because the introduction of oxygen into the trailer can create the risk of fire. Flammables can be pressured off with nitrogen, or pumped off.

It is a good idea to use secondary locking devices on all fittings, and some plants will require it. If the driver is using air or nitrogen to unload, the Chicago (crows-foot) fittings should be secured by metal safety pins. Camlock fitting ears should be secured by velcro straps, plastic half-collars, or metal safety pins if the fitting has holes for them.