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<\/p>\nFor tanker fleets, technologies are available to Address almost every type of accident. But sometimes it\u2019s the simplest solutions that work best.<\/p>\n
Rollovers, jackknifes, and rear-end collisions: these are what nightmares are made of for tanker fleet operators. Fortunately, safety technologies have arrived on the scene that address most of the common causes of collisions. But some work better than others.<\/p>\n
Jade Transport now spec\u2019s all of its trucks and trailers with disc brakes, which can shorten stopping distances and provide better braking performance. The spec\u2019 is becoming more common, as several truck OEMs have standardized discs. But not everyone is convinced the performance advantage is worth the cost of investment.<\/p>\n
Fleets divided on discs
\nGino Mella, co-owner of Milton, Ont.-based G&D Tank Repair, points out the cost of a brake job is about triple for discs compared to drums, even though brake jobs are required less frequently. And they also cost more to purchase.\u201dSmaller fleets are not leaning towards disc brake applications because of the cost issue and they feel drum brakes, as long as the drivers are keeping that ( following) distance on the road, are sufficient to do the job,\u201d Mella explained. Besnik Gasi, area manager for Trimac, agrees with that assessment. \u201cDisc brakes offer excellent braking control,\u201d he acknowledges, but he adds \u201cour drivers prefer drums.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maintenance intervals on drum brakes are easier to predict, Gasi adds, and Trimac failed to see a reduction in its total cost of ownership when running disc brakes on a portion of the fleet. Drivers, meanwhile, reported drum brakes performed better on downhill grades. While the jury is still out on air disc brakes, fleets we spoke to agree that a focus on driver behavior can help prevent crashes, and more are utilizing video to do this. Jade Transport puts new drivers through an extensive orientation, which includes the required viewing of safety videos.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get a pretty good grip on a guy by the time he\u2019s done orientation,\u201d says Sheldon Jonasson, driver services, safety and training manager with Jade Transport. \u201cWe go through close to five days of training here. Then we send them with a driver to cover product handling.\u201d Trimac has begun installing in-cab cameras to monitor driver behavior, and uses the videos generated on-highway for coaching. Gasi said the company tried three in-cab camera platforms before deciding on the DriveCam by Lytx system.It protects drivers from false accusations,\u201d he says. \u201cThe commercial driver is always at fault until proven innocent. We also saw it as a personal coaching benefit. If we have a bad hire, someone who drives aggressively, I don\u2019t need the DriveCam to tell me that. My onboard computers will detect lane departures, following distance, hard braking, and speeding.<\/p>\n
We want to focus on the people that were not bad hires \u2013 that are professional drivers \u2013 but how do we provide coaching to them? \u201cTraditional methods of calling them in for a safety meeting or doing a ride-along a couple of times a year are no longer sufficient, Gasi explains.\u201dHere is a system that will give you feedback immediately, and give us an opportunity to recognize drivers when they were in a near-collision (that they avoided),\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Trimac has recognized drivers who have prevented collisions through skilled driving. Jade Transport is still considering deploying in-cab cameras. Other fleets are opting for collision mitigation systems, which can detect potential crash events and then apply the brakes to prevent them \u2013 or to reduce the severity of the impact.<\/p>\n
These systems, available from all truck OEMs, use cameras, radar, or a combination thereof, to monitor following distances, lane-keeping, and even adherence with speed limits.<\/p>\n
But Gasi says he doesn\u2019t feel the technology is yet ready for primetime, and prefers relying on in-cab cameras. \u201cWe are waiting for the technology to work better,\u201d he says of today\u2019s collision mitigation systems. \u201cWe have had false positive brake events that could\u2019ve been
\nvery dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have nice, clean equipment, it\u2019s easier to see stuff like minor cracks. Guys don\u2019t mind getting a little closer to the truck if they\u2019re not getting covered with dirt all the time,\u201d he says. \u201cAll our trucks are hand washed. They\u2019ll brush the axles, but the trucks themselves are all hand washed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mella agrees cleanliness is a vital part of any tanker fleet safety program, especially in barrel applications. \u201cA proper internal wash and dry every time you go in is going to cost you, maybe $100 to do a proper dry,\u201d he points out. \u201cIn the tanker industry, water droplets can be the start of pitting in the interior of the barrels. If they\u2019re not drying tanks properly, there can be a reaction there, it creates the onset of pitting, which gets to the point where the barrel is no good. Now you put it out of compliance because there\u2019s too much pitting and instead of having a trailer worth $100,000, it\u2019s now worth $30,000 because it can\u2019t be used for HazMat.<\/p>\n
Safety in the yard and the shop
\nWhen your headquarters is in Manitoba, navigating the yard can be as hazardous for drivers as being on the road. Even when on foot. To prevent injuries in its yard, Jade Transport keeps drums of wood chips readily available to be spread on the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe sand the yard, and we\u2019ve got all kinds of chips in drums,\u201d says Sheldon Jonasson, driver services, safety and training manager with Jade. The company also spec\u2019s the safest equipment it can, to reduce the risk of injury while handling product.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe switched all hoses to lock fittings,\u201d Jonasson says. \u201cThat prevents the hoses from coming undone while drivers are loading. And you don\u2019t have to use straps or wires to lock it, they lock automatically.\u201d In the shop, reducing injuries is a matter of following clear policies and procedures, according to Gino Mella, co-owner of G&D Tank and Trailer, a Milton, Ont.-based tanker repair center.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, we micromanage all the safety aspects of the business,\u201d he explains. \u201cYour technicians have to come to work with a sound mind and have common sense \u2013 that\u2019s really what it boils down to.\u201d Mella says today\u2019s technicians have available to them all the tools required to do any job safely, as long as they choose to use the right equipment for the job. For example, when working under a trailer, use an axle stand to support the trailer and not a regular jack.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t become complacent, Mella warns. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on more now, is you\u2019re getting a workforce that is not focused, or not following procedures and protocols,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re getting complacent.\u201d To prevent this at G&D, the company has monthly safety meetings where all technicians are encouraged to bring up issues and concerns they\u2019ve witnessed in the shop \u2013 without singling anyone out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an open discussion done during break time when everybody is available and focused,\u201d he says. \u201cEveryone has to understand why or how to do something, so everybody has an understanding of what\u2019s done. We keep minutes recorded and left as an open book for everyone to see. It\u2019s sitting there in the lunchroom for everyone to look at. You have to be open with all the issues and everybody has to know about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mella would like to see more formalized training for tank technicians. \u201cTraining is very valuable,\u201d he says. \u201cThere is no training body that trains technicians on tanker trailers.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Technologies and Techniques for Tanker Fleet Safety For tanker fleets, technologies are available to Address almost every type of accident. But sometimes it\u2019s the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":5396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6994","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology"},"yoast_head":"\n