The Pneumatic Tanker Thread

Well, I broke my cherry today. Went out for my first training run with a bulk pneumatic tanker today.

Started off a bit ironically, drove 40 minutes at 4am down to the main terminal to meet my trainer, where we picked up a pre-loaded cement powder trailer and drove back to the concrete plant that is about 2 miles from my house. Yeah, i know. So, we hook up, do paperwork and he fires up the PTO and the blower starts roaring. (and yeah, ti's loud, I've already ordered better ear muffs for the hard hat than these useless ear plugs that don't stay in they issued). And he's showing me what to do and such and all of a sudden the roaring stops.
ummm, dude, something is wrong, i don't know what's wrong but a lack of sound is bad.

So by the product valve is still open and he starts closing valves and such. Goes back to the truck figuring maybe the PTO switch jumped out. hmmm, no, still on. Looks below. Hey, there's a small driveshaft and huh, it's only attached on one end. Yeah, broke the yoke coming out of the transmission. (lucky it didn't break on the blower end, would have made a serious mess swinging around like that. )

So, the site has a on site blower, so he shows me how to hook that up (see, great training session) and of course it's plugged, so he shows me some stuff to get it unplugged and that takes a while. (more great training). And then it runs slowly because apparently the on site blower isn't as strong as the truck one.

So we finish, un hook and go off and get another load. (so, learned how to get it loaded at at least one site. They had the big catwalks and in fact he told me do not ever climb on the trailer, instant termination from both the concrete, cement plants and our company. Fine with me, I certainly dont' want to climb up there.

So, after we finish the 2nd load, we go up to get the paperwork signed and there is supposed to be a 3rd load, but the concrete guy says nah, had a bunch of a cancellations, go ahead and cut off here. So, our 4th load did not have a an onsite blower (trainer said), so we got that one pushed to another and basically got to go home early. (it's like 65 deg out and it's friday, I had no issues with this, neither did the trainer).

It was interesting, better than just sitting in a truck all day, bit of an art form I see, going to take a while to get it down, but so far seems good. I go back out monday with the same trainer, no idea what we're doing. He wanted me to drive on the way back so evaluate I"m sure, so I did and showed him a new faster route to get out of town. (oh, that's much better way to do that. yeah, I told you so).

 

Glad you had a eventful first day they want usually be that exciting By all means keep us updated

 

well, i figure it's good training, see how things go when they blow up is always more useful when someone is there who knows what's going on instead of blowing up your first week solo. (like what usually happens)

 

Sounds like a great first day!

 

air cooled is right on no two trailers unload the same. Yesterday the customers in-line that runs over the truck into there silo came loose and I got a Cobb shower. To drying out a trailer in freezing temps. Ice and psi can be dangerous but fun to watch go flying. We have some old trailers so when your discharge line starts leaking you have to figure crap out quick. Can honestly say I look forward to every bulk tank load I get

 

what's a "Cobb" shower?

So for the first runs yesterday he was driving and I"m like "man, this truck rides terrible, even fully loaded" what the hell?

Then I realize the passenger seat isn't an air ride, it's just bolted to the floor.

Later I started driving and I"m like way, this truck rides pretty good. So I told him "man, i drive a lot smoother than you, it's way better now that I'm driving"

ha, he laughed

 

Well Cobb is corn Cobb that's been dried and grounded into fines when the tube came apart i cot covered in tiny pieces of Cobb

 

So what's the best blower size.

 

Look like sand picking up again in West texas I guess rates good for o/O but this leasing company suck need to kiss ### to get load tired of this. So some of us oo are getting to gether to try start a sand hauling company. One of them has a contact with a company but. I have a question how do we come up with the rates they want us to us other companies I don't thing that's good. DOES ANYONE NOW HOW TO GET RATES FOR SAND HAULING.