Tank truck driver shortage?

**Cajun Couple** · 04-28-2021, 04:16 PM

A good friend of mine told me a lot of tanker trucks are sitting idle due to driver shortages. Drivers are pulling flatbeds or van trailers to stay busy and not many even want to bother with the rules and regulations of hauling fuel. Pandemic slowed the need for fuel and drivers went to other types of trucking work. My friend and I both drove for Texaco almost 50 yrs ago hauling fuel but oil companies did away with company trucks and drivers and now the common carriers can't find drivers. Maybe another fuel shortage due to this in the future??

**Second Chance** · 04-28-2021, 06:23 PM

I just read an article on this yesterday - this gives some of the reasons behind a possible fuel shortage this summer:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/busin...age/index.html

Rob

**BobKilmer** · 04-28-2021, 06:26 PM

When I read the CNN article I wondered how this would impact gas versus diesel. If anyone has any insight into how the tankers prioritize one versus the other it would be good to know.

**Cajun Couple** · 04-28-2021, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by Second Chance

I just read an article on this yesterday - this gives some of the reasons behind a possible fuel shortage this summer:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/busin...age/index.html

Rob

Same article my buddy sent to me. We both drove tankers years ago and he was kidding about us coming out of retirement to drive again. New government regulations making it harder for drivers to get hazmat endorsements. No drug or alcohol related charges in the past. Almost 25% of new drivers have this problem. Ought to be something to keep an eye on in a few months.

**Cajun Couple** · 04-28-2021, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by BobKilmer

When I read the CNN article I wondered how this would impact gas versus diesel. If anyone has any insight into how the tankers prioritize one versus the other it would be good to know.

Years ago we hauled diesel to mainly commercial accounts. Usually 7600 to 8000 gallons to truck and bus line fueling locations. Early 80's saw more diesel being hauled to regular service stations. Trailers had 5 compartments and we usually dumped 1 or 2 compartments of diesel and the rest of the compartments with gasoline into the gasoline tanks. The driver must pay attention not to co-mingle and put gasoline into the diesel tanks and vice versa. This is what scares me because the drivers may not be familiar with the locations and make a mistake.

**livinthelife** · 04-28-2021, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Cajun Couple

A good friend of mine told me a lot of tanker trucks are sitting idle due to driver shortages. Drivers are pulling flatbeds or van trailers to stay busy and not many even want to bother with the rules and regulations of hauling fuel. Pandemic slowed the need for fuel and drivers went to other types of trucking work. My friend and I both drove for Texaco almost 50 yrs ago hauling fuel but oil companies did away with company trucks and drivers and now the common carriers can't find drivers. Maybe another fuel shortage due to this in the future??

They had a report on the new this morning about it. There was a spokesperson from AAA who basically said, while there is a shortage of truck drivers, it really may only affect a few stations at a time, and then only for a day or two. We're traveling this summer, and we think we'll be fine. Now, if you have a gas truck that can also run on ethanol, you may be ahead of the game (a bit).

**dually mike** · 04-29-2021, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by Cajun Couple

Years ago we hauled diesel to mainly commercial accounts. Usually 7600 to 8000 gallons to truck and bus line fueling locations. Early 80's saw more diesel being hauled to regular service stations. Trailers had 5 compartments and we usually dumped 1 or 2 compartments of diesel and the rest of the compartments with gasoline into the gasoline tanks. The driver must pay attention not to co-mingle and put gasoline into the diesel tanks and vice versa. This is what scares me because the drivers may not be familiar with the locations and make a mistake.

Years ago my dad was head of township road crew and worked with the sewer dept. There was a college about a mile away from the sewer plant, and one day he gets a call that there's an emergency at the sewer plant. New guy operating the plant, and all he kept saying was he screwed something up. Turns out a driver was making a gasoline delivery to the college, and mistakenly lifted a sewer pipe lid and dumped the gas right down into the sewer system. Thank God none of them smoked, my dad said when they went inside the smell of raw gas was so bad it burned their eyes. Not sure how they ever got it out of there, but man what a catastrophe that could have been.

**Wicked ace** · 04-29-2021, 03:38 AM

Originally Posted by Cajun Couple

Years ago we hauled diesel to mainly commercial accounts. Usually 7600 to 8000 gallons to truck and bus line fueling locations. Early 80's saw more diesel being hauled to regular service stations. Trailers had 5 compartments and we usually dumped 1 or 2 compartments of diesel and the rest of the compartments with gasoline into the gasoline tanks. The driver must pay attention not to co-mingle and put gasoline into the diesel tanks and vice versa. This is what scares me because the drivers may not be familiar with the locations and make a mistake.

I thought that the connections at the tanker, hose and holding tank were different to distinguish between diesel and gasoline.
Also years ago a friend, recently discharged from the Marines, was hired by Mobil to drive a tanker making deliveries. The thought of a collision, fire or explosion had his nerves frayed and he quit driving for them after about a half a year. I think going through the winter months really scared him. He drove a concrete truck for the next 20 years.

**Cajun Couple** · 04-29-2021, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by Wicked ace

I thought that the connections at the tanker, hose and holding tank were different to distinguish between diesel and gasoline.
Also years ago a friend, recently discharged from the Marines, was hired by Mobil to drive a tanker making deliveries. The thought of a collision, fire or explosion had his nerves frayed and he quit driving for them after about a half a year. I think going through the winter months really scared him. He drove a concrete truck for the next 20 years.

Years ago they weren't...you had to make sure the lines from the trailer and hoses were drained properly. The tank covers were colored coded and usually marked with a product code and that was it. I drove tank trucks for about 12 yrs and it wasn't that bad...diesel and Jet A were safer then gasoline. Delivering in the middle of the night in downtown New Orleans when the stations were closed kept me on my toes. We had to collect credit card packets..checks and sometimes cash so I'd bring along my pistol just in case. Company did away with collecting in the early 1980's when they started going over to self serv stations.

**Cajun Couple** · 04-29-2021, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by dually mike

Years ago my dad was head of township road crew and worked with the sewer dept. There was a college about a mile away from the sewer plant, and one day he gets a call that there's an emergency at the sewer plant. New guy operating the plant, and all he kept saying was he screwed something up. Turns out a driver was making a gasoline delivery to the college, and mistakenly lifted a sewer pipe lid and dumped the gas right down into the sewer system. Thank God none of them smoked, my dad said when they went inside the smell of raw gas was so bad it burned their eyes. Not sure how they ever got it out of there, but man what a catastrophe that could have been.

Anything can happen when new or drivers unfamiliar with the dump locations start hauling products. Took me about a year to learn all of the locations we delivered to...this was in the early 1970's and some of our Texaco stations had been opened in the 1930's. We had tank charts for all the different size tanks and some were steel and some fiberglass.