Thinking bout going pneumatic

Carry extra gaskets (every size you might need) and extra ears/pins. Easiest job I've ever had has been pulling a pneumatic trailer.

 

Get good ear protection. PTO air pump and the aerators can make some noise.

 

Your ears are going to be your biggest tool while unloading. You'll get to know your trailers and all their little quirks, most of which will be what they sound like when they do certain things.

It's a job that requires constant supervision from you. As soon as you hop up into the cab, even if it's been unloading for 20 minutes straight without a hiccup, it'll clog, over-pressurize the tank and you won't be there to catch it before it blows the emergency release valve.

I learned almost everything I know through trial and error. Unloading a pneumatic quickly is an art form, almost a dance sometimes depending on the product (you might be bouncing back and forth between product and line valves constantly). It's not something I've heard is ever properly taught to drivers. Companies just assume if you can hook everything up, you can unload the trailer successfully.

Things you'll need:

- Hearing protection (the blower WILL cause hearing damage, even outdoors)
- Duct tape, at least a couple rolls
- Extra O-rings and hose clamps in all sizes (usually 3" and 4")
- Good rubber mallet (spend some cash and buy a good quality one, the cheap ones break easily)
- A dozen rubber bungees (to hold things in place)
- Some sort of small pry bar (or even a decent sized flat head screwdriver)
- Small wire brush

Things you might need:

- Seal cutters (any tank moving across the border will require seals, and a driver might not do you the favour of removing them before you unload and reload the trailer)
- Hose couplers (depends on what you haul and where, but most of the time you'll need more than one line to get the product into the bin)

 

WHAT!!!!!!!!! (Fellow powder pusher here)

 

All good info here.

For plastic seals you can use a knife or side cutters. For cable seals get a pair of cable cutters and for the hammer I find that plastic dead blow hammers work best. The rubber mallet tends to wanna bounce back where the dead blow transfers the shock to the trailer to help loosen the sticky product. I haul flour 5-6 days a week and our company issues us 3 pound orange hammers from harbor freight. They are like $10-15 and have a lifetime guarantee.

 

Going to try a dead blow. Never thought of using one before. I like the upper arm workout from the rubber mallet though, lol.