It is one simple photo but it emphasizes an important point about loading tankers. Ideally, the goal is to load US-made, NFPA 1901-compliant tankers at a minimum fill rate of 1,000 gpm. That means setting up the source to supply that amount of water....usually from a pumper. When faced with multiple empty tankers at a fill site, the better practice (our opinion) is to load one at a time unless you can load two....meaning each at the 1,000 gpm target rate. This does not occur very often and usually only in the case of having a big body pump capable of achieving a 2000 gpm flow. We have seen this done just a handful of times during our 100+ drills.

So....what does the photo show? One tanker being loaded and one all "connected up" and ready to load once the first one is done. The photo was from our May seminar in Catawba County, NC. The source could support about a 1300 gpm loading operation....so the "load one/connect two rule" applied and worked out just fine. Also....just about every tanker used cam lock fittings on the fill connections....made for a smooth operation.