From truck drivers to business owners, everyone in the trucking industry should prioritize tanker truck safety. Keeping your truck complaint with safety and maintenance standards protects your livelihood and the well-being of those you share the road with. Continue reading this article to learn about fuel tanker truck specifications, annual truck inspections, and DOT hazmat training requirements.
Does Your Vehicle Meet Fuel Tanker Truck Specifications?
You can’t have tanker truck safety if your truck or tank doesn’t meet compliance requirements. While tankers come in many shapes and sizes, your commercial motor vehicle should meet the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for tanker sizes that have been proven safe for transport.
Oil Tankers
The standard oil tanker trailer is 42.64 feet long, 8.2 feet wide, and has a depth of 12.14 feet. Typically the tanker has a thickness of .195 inches. These dimensions meet ISO’s fuel tanker truck specification requirements and promote tanker truck safety.
Front Axle Weight Tankers
The typical front axle weight tanker truck (FAW) is 39.03 feet long, 8.2 feet wide, and 11.15 feet in depth. The ISO tanker truck safety compliant tank volume for FAWs ranges from 396 to 792 gallons.
Water Tanker Trucks
The most common specifications for water tanker trucks are 19.35 feet in length, 7.6 feet wide, and 7.54 feet in depth. To meet ISO tanker truck safety standards, the tank’s volume should be no more than 1,320 gallons.
Follow Annual Truck Inspection Guidelines
No matter what type of cargo you carry in your tanker truck, the Department of Transportation (DOT) requires routine inspections. Each vehicle must undergo annual, two-year, and five-year testing and inspections to maximize tanker truck safety.
Finding an authorized cargo tank inspection facility that offers full-service annual truck inspections is critical to tanker truck safety. You want to make sure wherever you take your truck follows all DOT guidelines. Doing so ensures your vehicle remains safe and experienced, certified technicians handle any issues.
DOT Testing and Inspection Requirements
Even if your cargo tank isn’t used to haul hazardous material, it does need to meet the stands they’re held to. Your truck’s tanker truck safety inspections and tests annually are the External Visual Inspection (V) and Leakage Test (K). Every two years, your tanker truck is required to undergo a Thickness Test (T) to ensure the tank is up to spec. The five-year tests and inspections required by the DOT are Internal Visual Inspection (I), Pressure Test (P), and Upper Coupler Inspection (UC)
DOT Hazmat Training Requirements
Hazmat employers and employees must be trained, certified, and develop and retain records of training status. DOT hazmat training requirements include General, Specific, and Modal sections. To prove you’ve met all DOT hazmat training requirements, your records must indicate training courses for:
- General awareness and familiarization
- Function specific
- Tanker truck safety
- In-depth security training if you work in an industry that requires a security threat plan
- Driver training for any driver whose job functions include handling hazardous materials and operating a motor vehicle
The training records must include:
- Employee name
- Completion date of the most recently completed training
- The training materials used
- Name and contact information of the hazmat trainer
- Certification of Training and testing
How often Does the DOT require Training?
New hazmat employees must complete training courses within 90 days of employment or job function change. New employees may perform job functions before fulfilling DOT hazmat training requirements. Still, they must do so under the direct supervision of a thoroughly trained and qualified hazmat employee to minimize any safety and security risks.
Trained and certified employees must comply with recurrent training schedules every three years.
Ensure Tanker Truck Safety With White Tank & Truck Repair
At White Tank, we specialize in annual truck inspections and testing. Every truck we work on meets fuel tanker truck specifications and DOT regulations. Our R-Stamp welding certified technicians can quickly and effectively repair any tank damages your vehicle has, keeping you out of the shop and on the road. If you want to work with a company that prioritizes tanker truck safety and quality, reach out to White Tank today.
