Prevent Cooking Oil Nightmares - Vacuum It Away!

It is a well-known fact that food service establishments such as bakeries, restaurants and supermarkets must adopt certain practices when addressing the proper disposal of grease to biodiesel refineries in order to convert this waste material into a usable product. Certain measures are put into practice to prevent the spilling of this substance into municipal sewage systems which could in turn pollute waterways.

The owners of vacuum trucks have become involved in the hauling of this cooking byproduct so that these processed fats and oils are properly removed and transported to treatment facilities for further processing. So keeping the environment safe and healthy necessitates the use vacuum trucks.

The Increasing Grease Predicament

Without a law to regulate the disposal of grease or used cooking oil, restaurants and cooking facilities could improperly dispose of these materials into the sewer system. If allowed to continue, sewer lines would eventually clog up and sewage would back up into residences located nearby. In addition, the septic waste could run into storm drains and from there into rivers, lakes and streams, creating environmental and health problems. This result could adversely affect an entire community.

The Solution - Grease Traps

Food service facilities, restaurants and some residences are required to set up grease traps which are devices that remove this cooking byproduct. Instead of disposing of this substance directly into the sewage system, this device is installed to segregate the oil from solid materials and wastewater. Fats and solid materials remain in the trap while the treated wastewater runs through into the local sewage system. The minimum capacity of this device is 750 gallons according to the regulations of the Grease and Oil Control Program. All food facilities should know about the importance of adequate maintenance and installation of their grease traps and ensure that this problem is properly handled.

The Disposal - Vacuum Trucks

When food facilities are using oil removal devices to prevent materials from going directly into the sewage system, management must be sure that the device is properly maintained and regularly serviced at least 4 times a year, depending on the usage and the size of the trap. It is strongly suggested that restaurants and food facilities contact grease haulers to vacuum this cooking byproduct that has accumulated in the trap and dispose of it by way of treatment facilities. It is imperative that these devices be frequently cleaned to avoid fats and oils from escaping from the device and inadvertently entering a sewer or storm drain system.

Fats, oils and greases that are pumped from the trap are transported to a treatment facility or a biodiesel refinery. They are processed and refined to become bio-fuel or converted into animal feed. All transporting must be done by a licensed liquid waste hauling company. They need a certificate of registration from the Department of Food and Agriculture to allow them to perform this vital function.

The disposal of cooking byproducts into sewer systems and storm drains cause public and environmental health concerns. Instead of clogging the sewer lines, why not vacuum the grease away and prevent a slimy contamination nightmare!

Christopher M. Hunter is an expert in commercial specialty trucks. To find out more about Vacuum Trucks, go to the main website at: http://www.vacuumtrucksales.net/home.

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Prevent Bucket Truck A/C Problems With Proper Maintenance!

Comfort while operating any vehicle is very important. For bucket truck operators, it helps retain focus on the job being done rather than individual comfort needs. When the A/C unit fails, it causes physical discomfort for the driver. It causes time and money to be spent: time for the repairs of the cooling system to be done and money in the form of not only the repair cost but the value of the time lost while the bucket truck is being repaired.

Since the owners and operators of bucket trucks most likely do not know how to fix such problems, the best solution is to avoid the problem completely by regular preventive maintenance to the A/C unit of the truck. Following are some helpful ideas and tips on how to properly maintain the bucket truck cab's cooling system.

Problem Detection

It should not be difficult to detect the symptoms of a failing cooling system inside a bucket truck. A clogged A/C drain could cause wet carpeting inside the cab during hot, humid days. It is important to check if the drain is working correctly by looking underneath the vehicle. Also, it is actually very normal for there to be some fluid underneath the vehicle when it is initially parked and turned off. The time to be concerned is when there is NO dripped water underneath the truck when not operating; that could indicate that the cooling system is not working properly. Below are some other air conditioning problem indicators.

Sound- When the fan is turned on and unusual sounds are heard, it may indicate some debris in the fan blower.
Smell- When the A/C system is turned on, if it smells musty or unpleasant, this may indicated that mold or mildew is growing inside of the evaporator.
No A/C- When there is no cooled air coming out of the vents, it could indicate a frozen evaporator in the Air Conditioning system.

Problem Resolution

Once the difficulty has been identified, there are certain trouble-shooting items that can be done to correct the problems that are listed below.

Condenser - The air conditioning condenser resembles the radiator and is actually located just in front of it. The hot refrigerant circulates through the condenser; the air flows through the condenser's cooling fins to cool the heated air. Check the condenser regularly to make sure that it is free from debris and properly working. Due to its location at the front of the vehicle, debris can restrict the air flow and prevent the refrigerant from cooling the heated air.
Preventing Mold and Mildew - When the bucket truck is parked, switching the A/C recirculation off can prevent or reduce mold and mildew from building up. If a recirculation switch is not available, when the engine is shut off turning the cooling system away from the maximum air cooling (Max Air) position can be helpful. If this problem continues in spite of the prior attempts and there still remains an unpleasant odor during A/C operations, the only remedy to eliminate the smell is taking the truck to the service department for evaporator cleaning.
Drive Belt - The drive belt is located under the hood; this is one of the very important components of the truck's cooling system. This simple belt causes the compressor to turn every time the engine is turned on. The compressor maintains the circulation of the refrigerant through the system. It is recommended that the belt should be checked periodically to make sure that it is in good shape and free from any obvious wear or cracking. The drive belt should be replaced with a new one when any damage is detected. If the belt becomes too worn or damaged, it could cause the belt to slip or break which would stop the compressor from turning and shut down the air conditioning system.

Severe failures and costly repairs for the truck's air conditioning unit can be prevented by some simple maintenance mentioned above. Don't let problems happen that could be avoided by some basic upkeep on that important A/C unit and avoid being left out in the heat on a hot summer day!

Christopher M. Hunter is an expert in commercial specialty trucks. Click here to find out more about Bucket Trucks.

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5 Suggestions to Prevent Fuel Theft

There are two types of fuel theft, one from a thief that acts alone or with a group and raids the tanks of parked trucks, the second is incremental fuel fraud from within the company where employees use inventive tactics to steal diesel unnoticed. The first can cost a manager anywhere from 500 to 1500 euros a truck in one night and the second will cost 1500 per truck for the entire year. Here are five investments in time and money, when used in conjunction, greatly reduce the risk of fuel theft from occurring.

1. Maintain clear accounting of your fuel expenditures:

Thieves are ingenious and there are always ways to steal small incremental amounts of fuel. Managers can stop this fraud is to have clear accounting procedures by keeping historical driving records of their vehicles compared against their overall expenses at the filling station. This is one strategy that is quite time-consuming and sometimes difficult to prove due to how different terrains and cargo can influence the rate of fuel consumption.

2. Use an anti-fuel theft device:

Fuel theft is usually achieved with a siphon, so the easiest way to combat fuel theft is with an anti-siphoning device that fits onto the inside of your tank entrance or by having a locking gas cap. These two ways limit the ability to siphon diesel, but will not deter the more determined thief armed with a drill to make a hole in the fuel tank or tear apart the fuel valve of your truck. As a further countermeasure, reinforced tanks and valves have been developed, but to limited effect.

3. Park vehicles in secure parking zones:

For fuel theft, the general idea is that trucks at rest are at danger, so when going for the long haul, one must be vigilant for thieves using the cover of night to siphon fuel. These places can be guarded by security officers, CCTV cameras, should be well lighted and guarded by reinforced fencing. While this solution may seem easy, it is also expensive, which secure trucking oftentimes costing as much as a hotel night. In Europe, there is a simple portal for finding a place to park your vehicle with variable search elements and easy navigation on the website at Truck Inform http://www.truckinform.eu/

4. Use background checks and employment tests on all prospective drivers:

For any company, this is an absolute must and seems pretty clear, but many companies don't have the capability to test properly. Job knowledge tests are important to gauge the ability of the driver, but the best way to be informed about the drivers reactions to different situations is a situational judgement test, whereby a multiple choice answer is given by the test taker in response to a question that can gauge the morality and decision-making of a prospect. Lastly, given the ability of an employer to make a background check, take this possibility as the first step in eliminating future employees that could end up stealing diesel or more.

5. Use telematics to constantly monitor your fuel level:

This solution uses the relatively new field of telematics or machine to machine (m2m) communication to prevent fuel theft. A GPS-enabled device collects data on total fuel added at refilling, the amount consumed per trip and any special incidences where there is considerable loss of fuel. This allows the manager to stop fuel theft stemming from employees by objectively monitoring fuel consumption and also to stop fuel theft with an alarm that sends an SMS of the trucks location so the manager can immediately send police or security forces. While there is no sure-fire way to combat fuel theft, these tips will be sure to lower the risk of loss from diesel theft and the repair damage associated with it.

To find out more about telematics and how it can stop fuel theft while saving you money, making fleet management simpler and reducing fuel consumption, visit http://www.stop-fuel-theft.net/

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