Paperwork Organization

When I was first learning bulk airgas, an old timer told me that drivers in our industry have to be proficient at three different jobs to be successful: driving, delivery, and paperwork. A lack of focus on any of these roles can lead to a bad day. This article will focus on all that paperwork.

How Do We Keep All These Papers Together?

How about using a trapper keeper, a binder, or an accordion file organizer with a handle? Availability is definitely not a problem. The trouble is that you system and habit can’t be bought. Every individual has to develop their own. It takes about 30 repetitions of any task to develop it into a habit.

Consider organizing your sections with tabs. Talk to other drivers about their practices, and draw inspiration from what you learn.

Read Before You Roll

Each supplier has specific quality assurance procedures that you have to follow. This is especially important if you are loading after-hours at a do it yourself loading station. Read your instructions.

Read the instructions

‍This is an important habit to live by. As soon as you get your trip paperwork, read the customer instructions every time. What are the requirements? Adapters, seals, CoA, CoC, WQA sticker, tank ID? Yes, you’ve been to this place many times but, you won’t see that something has changed until you see that something has changed.

Tank ID

Always verify the tank number before unloading. Check it against your paperwork. The customer accounts change hands over the years and there will be multiple different numbers on the tank. If you can’t match it up, check the National Board number stamped on the tank plate against your docs.

CoAs, CoCs & Previous Contents

You’ll know if the customer needs a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) or Certificate of Conformance (CoC) by reading their instructions. If they do, be sure it’s in your packet before leaving the plant—a missing cert can delay the offload or get you rejected.

When swapping trailers often or pre-loading for another driver, keep the paper chain intact. Put a copy of the CoA in the trailer so the next driver knows what’s inside and when it was loaded.

If you’re loading a flat trailer, be sure to follow the customer's procedures for sweeping it out and cooling it down.

Snap It or Scrap It

If it’s paper and it matters, snap a photo. Having a printer in your truck can save you a lot of aggravation. I’ve been to loading stations where the printer was down or had a trip change en route, then had to search for a working fax machine.

Before you Shut Down

• Sort today’s paperwork

• File what’s needed

• Trash what isn’t

• Make sure tomorrow’s trip is in order

• An organized cab is a happy cab

Bottom line: paperwork can be irritating and redundant, but being organized makes you feel like a pro and gets you back on the road faster. So tame that stack, read the fine print, and you’ll know what you’re going to do and when and where you will do it.