What should I ask about a tanker trucking company’s washout and cleaning records?
Ask what is logged each time a tank is cleaned: the previous cargo, the next cargo, who washed it, where and when. Then ask to see a sample and any complaint about contamination. Gaps in these records matter because a single mix-up can cost a customer relationship.
Begin by finding out how cleaning works day to day. Does the company use its own wash bay or outside facilities? Who decides which wash is needed between loads, and who signs off? Ask for the written procedure, then pick several recent loads and follow each from the previous cargo to the next one. The record should tell the same story as the dispatch sheet.
Ask about problems. Has any customer rejected a load, reported a taste, smell or residue issue, or asked for proof of cleaning? How was it resolved, and who paid? A seller who can describe a past incident and what changed afterwards is usually keeping better control than one who says nothing has ever happened.
Next, look at dependence. Some tanker work comes from customers with strict cleaning standards, and keeping their trust may depend on one dispatcher or one trained driver. Ask who is trained, how that is recorded and what would happen if they left. Check the condition of hoses, fittings and vents, and ask about waste water handling and what it costs. Your insurer and advisors can tell you what the claims history means.
Key takeaways
- Follow several loads from previous cargo to next cargo through the wash record.
- Ask about any rejected load or contamination complaint, and who paid.
- Find out who is trained to sign off a clean tank.
- Ask what wash facilities cost and whether the company controls them.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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