legality of transporting gas cylinders?

[cell]

more of a legal than safety question: what is the legal situation regarding putting oxy/acetylene tanks in the back of your pickup and driving somewhere? I just bought an 80 cu ft setup and the guys at the welding shop didn't say anything to me as I loaded them into my pickup, so my assumption is that you don't need any sort of license.

http://cell.dreamhosters.com/photos/box-blade-trailer-hitch/.slide_IMG_0749.JPG

[phila.renewal]

I always thought that's why bottles needed DOT stamps on them.

I do the same. I drive basically a jeep and nobody at my gas supplier blinks when I strap the bottles in the back (only inert gasses -- nothing flamable "indoors").

[Sandy]

I live in the republic a kalifornia, one of the more stringent. No restrictions on the individual. Any load has to be "secured", naturally.

[tapwelder]

I do the same. Just strap argon, acetylene or oxygen is my truck. However, my propane dealer will not fill a tank 100lbs or greater unless you have a way to carry it upright.

[rustywrangler]

LWS just threw it in my trunk when I picked up my welder. Ford Focus. Nothing said about transporting. I think I paid a $5 state gas transport fee.

[DDA52]

It is truly sad that our society has devolved into one that upstanding working men have to worry about licensing when transporting tools.:mad: Haul them and don't worry about it.

[tresi]

I guess it varies by by state but if you have one tank of each gas strapped to a welding truck in a legal fashion it's considered a tool of the trade. If you're carrying several cylinders from the LWS to the shop it's best to see if they deliver.

[DDA52]

Actually, it doesn't really vary at all...esp on the US highways. All highway transpo of cylinders is controlled by the USDOT regs. I used to know how many you needed before a placard was required, but I can't seem to find it. It seems like it was four of each of the big guys would need a hazmat placard and hazmat endorsement on the drivers lic. Manifests also needed in placard situations. The total volume used to be what they looked at. No idea what it is now. For anyone hauling a couple of cylinders, there were never any stipulations as regards placards and such.

[calweld]

As far as I know, it's 1000 pounds, gas plus cylinders, before the Hazmat rules come into effect.

[DDA52]

Hazmat transpo rules go by gas volume. Container weight has no bearing. I found one of my old hazmat manifests. It had gas volume in cu.ft. as the last column...no container weight.

FWIW, it may be 1000 cuft. Four 250's of whatever is 1000 cuft. I'm guessing of course. Also, each individual gas is a seperate category. No combining allowed. The list I have has 12 different categories and then gas, fuel oil, diesel, etc.

[David R]

All I know is "Tanks must be secured and upright". This means not in your trunk laying down. Some LWS are easier on you than others. I keep mine in a rack strapped in on the truck. Used to just load them in the truck with caps on the tanks.

If you get into a wreck, that is just like ONE BIG Bullet. Just the tank, not to mention the gas.

David

[MAC702]

All I know is "Tanks must be secured and upright".
Says who?

[David R]

Says who?

New York State Department Of Transportation.

:)

I checked this out when I built my trailer last year. When I put together my truck this year, I used the same method as on the trailer. 2 1/2" 1/4" wall square tubing and Truck type rachet straps.

David

[MAC702]

New York State Department Of Transportation.

Thanks for specifying the jurisdiction of your statement.

[gnm109]

Acetylene should be carried upright but I don't see any benefit of carrying argon or oxyen upright since they contain only gas.

I guess you could even carry acetylene tanks lying down so long as you wait a couple of hours before attempting to weld with them. That would let the acetone settle back down in the cylinder.

When I pick up gas cylinders I strap them lying down in the back of my covered pickup so they won't roll. No one at the LWS ever said anything about that....guess it's OK. I think they are safe so long as you have the safety cap screwed on to protect the valve when you are transporting them.

[Hammack_Welding]

I have my oxy bottles laying down on my service truck, and the Acetylene standing upright. I have never seen any law in GA about the situation or heard of anyone running into trouble. As far as an individual or welding truck was concerned. I have to drive 45minutes to an hour to get to my LWS and I usually lay them down in the back of the pick (WITH SAFETY CAPS ALWAYS) and bind them down. I have never had anyone of the guys there mention anything about it. In fact they usually lay them down when they put them in. I generally don't lay my acetylene bottles over when using but I have never heard of a problem when they were empty or full transporting them layed over. (Not to say that it couldn't have been a problem just that I have never heard of one.) But as GNM mentioned earlier I unload them into the cage at the shop and they sit until i need them so they have time to settle before being used.