Welding Tank Transport

rodnocker

rodnocker

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2011
Location
Clayton NC
I was wondering about the "legalities" of transporting welding tanks (Oxygen, Acetylene, CO2, Argon...). I was thinking about building something that would insert in my Reese Hitch receiver that would hold one or two tanks and I was wondering if anyone knows anything about if it's legal or not.
 
I wouldnt want it hanging off the back of my truck. Lay down oxygen and CO2/Argon with the heads of the bottle toward the cab. NEVER lay down an acetylene bottle. It can blow up and there will not be enough pieces of you or your truck to know WTF happened.
 
That would be easy if my truck was my DD. However, I usually drive an Isuzu Rodeo. On days that take my tank with me to get exchanged during lunch, it would be nice to have it outside of the vehicle... just in case.
 
I always lay the tanks in the rear seat floor board of my XJ with the cap facing towards the pass side, propped up on the hump. AirGas, where I get all of my supplies/tanks has never instructed me otherwise and I asked if that was legal.

I have never heard that about acetylene tanks. If that is true I will come up with another way to carry them. Maybe weld up a carrier for the rear that can be ratchet strapped in tightly to some solid tie down points.
 
sgtbriangreen said:
NEVER lay down an acetylene bottle. It can blow up and there will not be enough pieces of you or your truck to know WTF happened.
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This is close, but not exactly...
There is nothing wrong with laying down an acetylene tank...it is done thousands of times a day without incident. What you are not supposed to do is use the acetylene without having had the tank sitting upright for ~24hrs...but in reality far less. An acetylene tank is filled with asbestos and acetone inside, shits gotta settle.
Always transport bottles with the valve cover on obviously.
 
braxton357 said:
This is close, but not exactly...
There is nothing wrong with laying down an acetylene tank...it is done thousands of times a day without incident. What you are not supposed to do is use the acetylene without having had the tank sitting upright for ~24hrs...but in reality far less. An acetylene tank is filled with asbestos and acetone inside, shits gotta settle.
Always transport bottles with the valve cover on obviously.
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Yeah, I got caught saying what I have always been told. Quick google search proved me worng. Thanks for correcting me!
 
OSHA requires the tanks to be transported vertically. If you are not on a jobsite, you will be fine.
 
Always keep a cap on tanks and they prob should be strapped down. To anybody wondering what will happen if you use an unsettled acetylene tank, it will spit liquid out the nozzle and not gas.
 
Put em on the roof.
 
The only thing I have been able to find is the following from the OSHA website...

1926.350(a)(4)
When cylinders are transported by powered vehicles, they shall be secured in a vertical position.
 
rodnocker said:
The only thing I have been able to find is the following from the OSHA website...

1926.350(a)(4)
When cylinders are transported by powered vehicles, they shall be secured in a vertical position.
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OSHA could care less what the average "do-it-yourselfer" does, this rule applies only if you are in business or working for a business. When we move cylinders at work, they are capped, chained in a vertical position in a rack.

It is good practice though and OSHA has this rule in place to prevent accidents.
 
I realize who OSHA has authority over. I'm just trying to find out about the legalities of transporting cylinders and that has been the closest that I can find. I prefer not to have them inside my vehicle for obvious reasons but I don't know if it would be legal to have them on a rack that would attach to a receiver hitch on my Rodeo and that is what I'm trying to find out.
 
Our rule of thumb regarding acetylene is to let it stand upright equally as long as it layed down before using it. Been doing it for 15 years now without a problem.
 
rodnocker said:
I was wondering about the "legalities" of transporting welding tanks (Oxygen, Acetylene, CO2, Argon...). I was thinking about building something that would insert in my Reese Hitch receiver that would hold one or two tanks and I was wondering if anyone knows anything about if it's legal or not.
Click to expand...

I think that it would be 'legal' but i don't think that it would be a good idea.
When I am taking empties to the place and bringing them back I just lay them down in the back of my truck. If I am taking them some where to cut something up I'll strap them to the tool box vertically. Just make sure that you transport them with the caps on them. I do believe it is illegal to transport them without the caps. I know that the place I take mine to will not take tanks that do not have caps.
 
That would be great if I used my truck to transport the cylinders, however, I use my Isuzu Rodeo which does not have a bed to lay them in. I'm trying to get them out of the passenger compartment which is why I was wondering about if it would be legal to make a rack that would fit on my hitch receiver. Empty or full, I would rather have them out of the vehicle in case of an accident. I really don't want them banging around with me if I get in a wreck.
 
iirc, the D.O.T. sets the rules for transporting them on road. I'd look there for answers. In the HVAC co. I work for, we try to transport all tanks (Freon, oxy/acetylene torches, etc) upright and secured.
 
witchdoctor said:
i gota ask. why don't you drive your truck on the day you take your tanks with you?
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Well, it needs front end alignment, shocks and a few other things... I don't mind driving it on back roads, in the woods or to take trash to the dump, but I just don't feel overly comfortable with it in Raleigh traffic right now.
 
Every time I take my Argon/CO2 tanks in the guys always "turn their heads" when I load them in the back of my pickup. I have a cap so I cannot stand the bottle up either, but I do have a lot of toolboxes and the like back there so I arrange things so it cannot roll around.
 
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