Hi, please help me with some infomation if your able. How do i pump out a tanker? Is there a main type of tanker. What are the most important things to know about tankers? Thank you.
The most important thing to know about tankers is that they are best left to people who know what they are doing.
There is no main type of tanker; every tanker is designed for a certain group of products,
First of all do you have 2 main groups; Dry and wet.
Dry tankers are used for powders and granules and come in belly tanks and tipper tanks, the products can be discharged via compressed air or with gravity.
Belly tanks are mainly used for cement and calcium type of powders and animal feed. Tipper tanks are more versatile but cannot tip on unsteady grounds.
Wet tankers or liquid tankers are designed with the product in mind and come in: back, rear, bottom or top discharge, mono or multi compartments, heated, cooled, pressurised, vacuum, food, non food, chemical, class 7, ADR etc
The discharge can happen by pressurising the product (push it out) gravity or pump it out.
You can have many different types of pump: displacement, rotary, screw, and electric, hydraulic or engine driven.
So while there is no simple answer on your question, there is one main thing with a tanker, if you pump it empty you need either to pressurise or to vent a tanker to avoid a vacuum what will cause the tanker to collapse or to damage the structure.
(This can also happen if you wash a tanker hot and shut all the lids and vents)
A tanker looks easy but there is more to it than what meets the eye.
Hi as above post said depens on what type of tanker,i used to do drainage ,what we has to do was pull up at dumping site conect hose to valve at back of truck, put it into 4th gear stick the pto on push the red button,wait for pressure to build up open the valve then take a BIG step away from the truck just in case something went wrong,once see another driver get covered in human crap and p…s on a nice hot day.
It depends what sort of tanker your refering to i drive bulk tankers delivering food stufs oils syrub ect pumping or blowing depending on the load,its not rocket science but you would need training on them venting the tank is really important when pumping a load where are you from
Whatever you do, open the vents or the manlid before you start pumping…
Honestly mate there are so many different kinds of Road Tanker it would be impossible to give you decent insructions on all of them.
Best idea is make sure you know how to work it before you set off, Good Luck.
Al
And the best one to learn your mistake on is a top discharge lift tank, if you get any leaks there are no valves to close, the only thing you can do is release the air pressure while you ask for your P45 
It wasn’t me, but it was quite alarming to watch 
Dogtanian:
What are the most important things to know about tankers? Thank you.
They are expensive when it all goes wrong!
Thank You!
stag10:
meant to put a link
youtu.be/2WJVHtF8GwI
It is impressive, it has been posted before, but imagine the phone call.
Well Boss
It is very easy to do though, no illusions necessary
When you get to a site that wants their own guys to work up on the top of the tank, whilst you stay in your cab, make sure you double check yourself that the vent is open, otherwise a 45 minute soon turns into a 3 hour tip!
Thanks for replies i have an interview next week for experienced tanker driver, im hoping to waffle my way into a job. Cheers.
I am sure that any new employer will give you the training you need. Even if it is only refresher training.
As has been said on here already, that there are too many types of tanker for even the most expirenced driver to know how they all load/unload without some training.
Good luck.
fodentanker:
I am sure that any new employer will give you the training you need. Even if it is only refresher training.
As has been said on here already, that there are too many types of tanker for even the most expirenced driver to know how they all load/unload without some training.
Good luck.
Thanks dude, thats my thinking as well. Will let you know what happens.
Dogtanian:
Thanks for replies i have an interview next week for experienced tanker driver, im hoping to waffle my way into a job. Cheers.
Tell them you drove a milk tanker, never used a pump only tipped it, cip’ed it and drove it. 
Dogtanian:
Thanks for replies i have an interview next week for experienced tanker driver, im hoping to waffle my way into a job. Cheers.
Well, if you get the job, don’t forget to film every job you do then post the results on here, there’s a good chap!
If they do a driving assessment with a loaded tanker, keep your foot on the brake when you stop, because the wave in the tanker will throw you forwards more than you think.
The trick is to do everything fluently and no abrupt movements.
There are certain products ( chemicals and solvents ) which cannot be blown i.e.pressurised and must be pumped or gravity discharged. Some products are pressurised by nitrogen to discharge but the customers staff will be in charge and petrol must only be discharged by gravity. You will need to know about safety equipment as well as some you will need a protective suit some you will need goggles some a face mask and others a full breathing equipment. I am not trying to put you off only trying to explain the different things which you may come across to add to what as already been posted. DO NOT try to take short cuts as I lost a very good mate who was very experienced tanker driver when he tried to discharge his load and was not suited up correctly and his discharge hose split and he attempted to close the valve and was covered and that was the end for him.
sammyopisite:
There are certain products ( chemicals and solvents ) which cannot be blown i.e.pressurised and must be pumped or gravity discharged. Some products are pressurised by nitrogen to discharge but the customers staff will be in charge and petrol must only be discharged by gravity.
And don’t try to pressurise a semi elliptical tank, it quickly goes pear shaped, well not quite that shape, it just splits open
To be honest if the company are asking for experienced men and you try to bull them, they will catch you out as soon as you open your gob. I could show you the basics in an hour, have you proficient in two days, but after 30 years I still find new things to complicate matters 