what does it take to drive a water truck?

When I was laid off a freight job during a strike, my local sent me to a road construction company. I drove a small tank straight truck for dust control. My only mistake was thinking that I had to keep moving to earn my pay. The result was that the haul road became slippery, the earth movers were broad-sliding, and equipment operators were shaking their fists at me. I quickly learned that on construction it is permissible to simply hang around. I also learned that if it looks like rain in the morning, we will sit in our cars until it sprinkles. Then, the foreman will send us home and we will be paid for eight hours.

 

I think the hardest part is getting under the stand just right so the chute goes in the tank instead of over the side .

 

I drove down to a creek and filled the tank using a gas powered pump.

 

I hate pulling under those over head tanks. What I've learned to do is carry a can of spray paint with me. Once I find the sweet spot, I spray a mark on the ground as a guide. After the first load, you're golden for the rest of the day.. But give me a hydrant and I'm a happy camper...

 

Be aware that as the truck empties the slosh will have more effect . A half full truck is more likely to roll than a full one due to more weight going to one side in corners . If you stop and there is a vehicle behind you , hold your brake . After the water surges forward when stopping it will surge back and could move the truck backward if the brakes aren't applied .

 

Very good points. Since I'm contracted to the Forest Service, we have baffle requirements that we must meet. We must have baffles front to back and side to side with no greater than a 48" open space between them..

 

I drag a water bottle man. It's not a bad gig at all and I work 70 a week and I am PAID for 70 a week lol, that's the best part of it .

I definitely prefer full over 1/2 full or any other version. Tank surge can open your eyes quickly if you know what I mean. The worst part of it honestly to me is the places I have to take it. I drive off road a LOT and some of these dirt/gravel roads are maintained better than state highways but others look like something that can make big foot wince.

Just take your time with it, NEVER hit the brakes in a turn if you can possibly help it, slow in fast out is the way to go aka brake before the turn and accelerate through it. We are always at least 105k when loaded and it's a daycab mack so it's all saltwater weight. You don't want that trying to push you through a turn, it can get ugly quick.


Last but not least, get ready to see some crappy trucks hahahaha. It was plain culture shock coming from OTR where you work 100, log 70, and get paid for 40 in a mint truck to working 70 and getting paid 30 hours of OT (I love OT) but doing it in a 2 year old truck that looks like it's 200 years old.


Either way, good luck.

 

Holy smokes, what are you pullin?.. That has to be close to 20K gallons..

 

Closer to 10K gallons. Allow (Call it) 15K empty weight on the truck, and your load masses out at 95K. Divide that by 8 and you are a hair under 12- which suggests to me that the tank is a 12K gallon capacity tube.

 

It's a 130 bbl salt water tanker. Depending on what wells I am pulling I may be sitting just over 90 but there are several that the water weight per gallon is absolutely stupid. I think my companies record for O/W tickets was just under 106k.

The DOT man hangs out in the middle of town quite regularly and makes his monthly quota off of us local drivers hahahha. If we have a load, it's a guaranteed ticket for him but the company covers them all because there is no way to move what we have to move without running overweight on every haul.