It's a Team's Life
Safe Haven?
Definition of a safe haven FMCSA 397.5:
You are allowed to leave your vehicle unattended in a safe haven. A safe haven is an approved place for parking unattended vehicles loaded with explosives. Designation of authorized safe havens is usually made by local authorities.
We need a safe haven to park for an extended period of time when hauling Explosives 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3. Once we are in an approved safe haven we can both go to sleep. Hence, this is one of the definitions of an unattended vehicle. If we are not in a safe haven the following rule from FMCSA must be followed,
“A motor vehicle is attended when the person in charge of the vehicle is in the vehicle, awake, and not in a sleeper berth, or is within 100 feet of the vehicle and has it within his/her unobstructed field of view.â€
One of the odd rules we must follow is when we fuel our truck loaded with explosives we must tell the fuel desk clerk what pump we are on and that we have explosives. The wiser desk clerks will acknowledge this and go on with their duties while the new clerks have different reactions. Some clerks think I am joking, others want to know if they should run and hide, and others ask why I am telling them this information. All of the different reactions are handled in a professional manner to either reassure them or to let them know I am not joking. We have never had a problem fueling and are aware of a few cites where we are not allowed off of the interstate and with that saying cannot purchase fuel.
While there are many rules that we have to follow when hauling explosive we have found explosives to be one of the safest loads we haul. There are procedures to follow when our truck is being loaded, where we can park, how to fuel the truck, what routes we have to follow, and then the rules to follow when unloading. This may seem like a lot but in reality, but the rules are simple to follow.
One of the reasons Department of Defense (DoD) loads are our favorites is due to these regulations. The freight is handled in a professional manner, the containers are secured in our truck, and our paperwork is perfect. When we leave a base we are confident that our freight is secure, we know where we are going, and if stopped our paperwork will handle scrutiny by the Department of Transportation (DOT) officers.
We have found that safe havens are varied all over the country depending on the base infrastructure. The safe haven is usually in a remote part of the base and we often wake to birds singing and look out our windows to see deer grazing. One safe haven we spent the weekend in had a local coyote that would case the area before disappearing. Molly our old Cocker Spaniel was still alive and I wonder if he wasn’t eyeing her as a tasty morsel. Needless to say she was kept on a lease and near us at all times.
We have found over the years of hauling explosives we like the constant challenge of working with bases and one of our constant challenges is to find the commercial gate. Most bases do not appreciate a truck placarded with explosives trying to enter the main gate. Another challenge is traversing the country and staying on a hazardous carriers route. We always have printed directions, but the unexpected can happen and we are always looking for signs saying we are not welcome, follow HazMat route around the city. We are always thrilled when we get to a base that has a safe haven where we can stay with the truck. Some bases have safe havens and will not allow us to stay. Our big brothers and sisters, the tractor trailer folks drop their explosive laden trailers and take the truck to another area to spend the night. We on the other hand must call a taxi and spend the night in a hotel, which is not nearly as comfortable as our truck. We are always learning while hauling HAZMAT about how to perform our job better and to stay abreast of the rules and regulations.
Bob & Linda Caffee
Leased to: FedEx Custom Critical 

TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO
Expediters 6 years been out here on the road 11 years
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle; 

Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;

Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;

Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.