Preparation is the key to success when working a tankerman job, which starts before and after you clock in or out every day. “You just have to make sure you have everything you need…because if you don’t have it, you can’t have it,” says Shaun, an AccuTRANS tankerman.
At AccuTRANS, our passion is positioning employees for success at home and work, helping guarantee they’re prepared to minimize stress.
What are our top preparedness tips? Learn the importance of filling up your gas tank, bringing frozen water and shade, and meal prepping in advance in our blog:
Fill Up Your Gas Tank On the Way Home
One of our top tips for anyone working a tankerman job is to fill up your gas tank on your way home from each job.
Filling up your tank is especially important because of the nature of being an AccuTRANS tankerman. As a tankerman, you are on call, and you can’t always anticipate when you will have to go to work, so there’s peace of mind knowing your tank is full.
You also must consider that the 24-hour logistics center may dispatch you to any part of your area of responsibility. Filling up your gas tank on the way home ensures you aren’t scrambling to find an open gas station en route.
When you are called in, arriving on time is critical to being the face of the company, delivering excellent customer service, and ensures a successful shift when loading or offloading product.
Freeze Your Water Bottles and Bring Shade
Whether you step onto a barge in Texas, Alabama, or Louisiana, the steel deck reflects and retains heat, and the water surrounding the barge also reflects the sun.
Having enough drinking water helps keep you cool, hydrated, and refreshed. Hydration should be a priority for everyone working a tankerman job because failing to hydrate jeopardizes your health.
We recommend freezing water bottles overnight to bring on the barge. These bottles will serve two functions: not only will they replace the need for ice bags to keep your food cold, but as they melt, you can also use them for drinking. This way, you will have a nice cold drink that will cool you off and ensure you remain hydrated.
Shaun explained the importance of cooling off and protecting yourself from the elements, “Make sure you stay hydrated and bring shade with you to stay out of the sun if it’s going to be during the daytime, or if it’s raining, you want to stay out of the weather.”
“In the wintertime,” Shaun elaborated, “you want to make sure you have plenty of clothes to stay warm because it gets cold. Just because we live in South Louisiana doesn’t mean that it’s going to stay hot.”
Meal Prep On Your Days Off
When you work a tankerman job, it is also crucial to meal prep on your off days. We recommend considering some things.
“Make sure you have everything you need, like food and snacks,” Shaun continued, “because once you’re out there, you’re out there.” We advise people working AccuTRANS tankerman jobs to prepare sandwiches wrapped in paper towels to keep them from getting soggy.
It is also important to bring healthy snacks to maintain your energy levels. Things like pieces of fruit, jerky, trail mix, nuts, protein drinks, and protein bars are all excellent quick options to ensure that you are in tip-top shape when working.
Meal prep also minimizes stress. By having your meal ready beforehand, you can wake up and ease into the day without worrying about what you will eat. In these situations, people often resort to fast, unhealthy meals and snacks.
These snacks and meals can be costly in the long run and hamper your performance on the barge. If possible, we advise prepping a whole week in advance.
Learn More Expert Tips that Position Each Person Working an AccuTRANS Tankerman Job for Success
Preparation is essential to every tankerman job because part of what makes being an AccuTRANS tankerman so exciting is that you never know what to expect because the conditions and location of your job change constantly. At AccuTRANS, we go above and beyond to support each employee in living out and achieving our core pillars: Grit, Heart, Thought, Hunger, and Health.
From trainees to seasoned employees, we always ensure the AccuTRANS family is prepared for a successful transfer. Learn more tips or browse open tankerman jobs now.
