Good Advise for All!

[markafd]

To anyone who takes that hazmat load, always check and secure that load before you close the doors. Case in point last night 0300hrs in Ashtabula Ohio driver pulls into pilot notices trailer leaking and odor calls local VFD they inturn notify HazMat team, we stop the leak and minimize damage but when all said and done they get about a $5000 bill (thats about where any bill starts) and 3 state troopers and 1 deputy going over his truck and paperwork with a fine tooth comb when we left at 0600. All because what appeared to be damage done by a fork lift pushing the pallet forward and puncturing a box containing the material that leaked. "CHECK THE LOAD AND CHECK IT AGAIN" before you leave.

FDCC
Career Firefighter/HazMat team
a ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Good advice!!! Nothing like that has ever happened to me, and it never will now that I renewed my license without hazmat. I could only imagine the nightmare a driver would go thru having someone else's error leak everywhere, and get the bill on top of it.

 

[TeamCaffee]

We had that happen to us in Portland Oregon. Trailer was leaking so we called into dispatch and a HazMat team was sent out. They isolated the trailer as it was some serious stuff and considered shutting down I5. After the team opened the trailer and determined it was not going to burst into fire they had us go back to the shipper. Boy was that a ride waiting for the trailer to burst into fire. The customer would not let the HazMat team into the plant so we had to go back in they unloaded all of the barrels and we went back out to have the trailer washed down. We went into the plant picked up our load less one barrel and off we went. They never looked at our log books or even the truck. As far as I know the customer was billed for all fee's. Must depend on where you are at and the circumstances. Sure never want to go through that again. Where told if we had continued on the trailer would have exploded about the middle of Portland!!

So I always agree check your load when loading and keep checking going down the road. It took some bumps on the road before you could notice there was a problem with our load.

 

[Moot]

I agree. Excellent advise. I would like to add a few things.
Always check the floor for nails and other debris. Whenever possible I would remove drums from pallets and roll them on top of cardboard on the floor. I don't like hauling drums on pallets. I know it's extra work kicking them off but I just don't trust pallets.
The drums usually hang over the edges, boards may be broken and unable to handle the weight and this increases the chances of a spill or leak.

I was involved in a hazmat leak. It was just helium, nothing dangerous, but what a pain. I was successful in avoiding the mini cams. And thus never got my 15 minutes of fame.

 

[LDB]

I'd say it's excellent advise when hazmat is involved and very good advise every other time. It might not be as costly but it could be a huge headache cleaning up a spilled drum of paint or other product too.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[guest]

Thanks for all the info, we will pass that on to all of our drivers.
That was a Good post.




Drive safe

Dave Mayfield
FEDExCC/Roberts Express O/O Since 3/1/1995
C1847,C2045,D3397,D5047

 

[ATeam]

Some drivers put backup and/or other cameras on their trucks. A two-camera system with one camera pointing back from the truck and the other pointing inside the body to view freight would not cost much more than a single-camera system that is for backup only. If you haul HAZMAT and are also thinking about a backup camera system, consider a truck body cam too. Having it provides the ability to visually inspect your freight even if the load is sealed.

 

[davekc]

The easier and safer solution is not to haul it. Only on a rare occassion do we bother with it. Regardless of the carrier, rates are no where near enough to justify the liability of these loads.







Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator