1. (a) Personal cleanliness. A hauler shall practice good hygiene, shall be neat appearing, and wear clean clothing and head covering.

2. (b) Checking the transport tank and tractor.

   1. (1) Cleanliness and sanitization. A hauler shall:

      1. (A) clean inside and outside;
      2. (B) close covers and cap outlet valves;
      3. (C) check transport tank in-place cleaning equipment if applicable;
      4. (D) determine if transport tank, pump, and hose have been sanitized;
      5. (E) check for a valid cleaning tag less than two days old.
   2. (2) Tractor and trucks. A hauler shall check to assure that tractor or truck is serviced and ready for day's run.

   3. (3) Equipment and supplies. A hauler shall check to assure that the trucks and tractors have the following equipment and supplies with a check list conveniently located:

      1. (A) sufficient sample bottles or bags properly sanitized;
      2. (B) dippers or sample tubes;
      3. (C) straws and cups;
      4. (D) a standardized pocket thermometer (unbreakable standardized once each six months);
      5. (E) chlorine or other approved sanitizing agent and solution container;
      6. (F) a sample case and sufficient ice;
      7. (G) sanitary gaskets and wrenches;
      8. (H) a weight record book;
      9. (I) a pen or pencil;
      10. (J) paper towels;
      11. (K) a watch (for timing milk agitation);
      12. (L) test papers for checking the strength of sanitizing agent.

3. (c) Driving safely. A hauler shall:

   1. (1) observe traffic rules; and
   2. (2) check for safety of persons, animals, and property before backing transport tank at dairy.

4. (d) Bulk milk pickup and sampling procedures. A hauler shall:

   1. (1) remove milk transfer hose and electrical cord for milk pump from transport tank storage compartment;
   2. (2) insert capped end of milk transfer hose and the cord plug through hose port into the milkroom;
   3. (3) plug in electrical cord to transfer pump (safety precaution: check for grounding; ungrounded circuits are extremely dangerous);
   4. (4) wash hands, using soap and water, and wipe dry with paper towel;
   5. (5) remove port cover from holding tank;
   6. (6) record holding tank thermometer temperature. The hauler shall monthly check the tank thermometer temperature against the temperature taken with the pocket thermometer. The pocket thermometer must be sanitized before use;
   7. (7) reject milk over 45%A1F, and record variance;
   8. (8) be sure agitator has been stopped long enough for milk to become still;
   9. (9) check for off-odors and record in book;
   10. (10) observe surface of milk for foreign matter, icing, foam, etc., and record in book;
   11. (11) check milk quality;
   12. (12) make the decision to reject the milk if it is of poor quality;

   13. (13) measure the milk. A hauler also shall:

       1. (A) remove measuring stick, rinse with hot water, and wipe dry with paper towel. If measuring stick is stored outside of milk tank, the hauler shall wash, sanitize, and wipe dry with sanitary single service towel before using;
       2. (B) carefully insert stick into tank, withdraw, and observe stick measurements. The hauler shall repeat procedure to get two identical measurements and the record measurement weight ticket;
       3. (C) replace port cover;
       4. (D) check stick measurement with tank calibration chart, record corresponding pounds on weight tickets, and then sign. If there is any doubt in the hauler's mind about the correctness of readings or weights, the hauler shall repeat the measuring process;
       5. (E) check the serial number on the gauge and tank against the serial number on the chart;

   14. (14) start agitator and agitate for 10 minutes:

       1. (A) in order for the hauler to obtain an accurate representative sample, the milk in the tank must roll for 10 minutes;

       2. (B) while the milk is agitating, the hauler shall:

          1. (i) remove cap from tank outlet valve, and check for milk deposits or foreign matter, and then sanitize valve; and
          2. (ii) remove cap from transfer hose, sanitize connection, and attach to tank outlet;

   15. (15) sample the milk. A hauler also shall:

       1. (A) assemble sampling equipment, which includes sample bottle or bag, sampling device, sample case, sample form, straws, or cups;
       2. (B) sanitize sampling equipment before each use, if sterile sampling tube or dipper not used;
       3. (C) wash hands before sampling milk;
       4. (D) remove port cover or open tank lid and observe to assure that the milk is completely mixed;
       5. (E) remove dipper or sampling tube from sanitizing solution and rinse twice in milk before transferring sample;

       6. (F) transfer required amount of milk with sampling device to a sample bottle or bag. When transferring milk from sampling equipment to sample bottle or bag, the hauler should use caution to assure that no milk spills back into the tank. The hauler also shall:

          1. (i) be careful not to allow fingers or any contaminating matter to come in contact with lid or mouth of bottle or bag;
          2. (ii) close sample bottle/bag tightly; and
          3. (iii) make sure that sample bottle/bag is properly identified;

       7. (G) replace port cover or close tank lid and place sample in ice container or refrigerated cabinet in tanker. The hauler also shall:

          1. (i) assure that the sample had been cooled immediately and maintained at 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit (avoid freezing) until delivered to laboratory;
          2. (ii) drain excess water from sample case; and
          3. (iii) deliver sample to laboratory promptly;

   16. (16) pump-out tank. The hauler also shall:

       1. (A) open tank outlet valve;
       2. (B) start pump and agitator;
       3. (C) cut off agitator when milk is lowered to a level that will cause over-agitation. (Variances will be observed. The milk level should be decided by producer and field man);
       4. (D) completely pump out tank (no partial pump-outs will be permitted. Partial pump-out may result in flavor deterioration, loss of butterfat, or other problems);
       5. (E) stop pump and disconnect electrical connection when all the milk has been drawn from tank. If pump is left running, it may be damaged; also, it will incorporate air into milk in the tanker); and
       6. (F) disconnect and cap tanker milk hose. The hauler also shall return the hose to tanker compartment;

   17. (17) clean-up tank. The hauler also shall:

       1. (A) observe the walls and bottom of tank for foreign matter or extraneous material and record observations; and
       2. (B) thoroughly rinse entire inside surfaces of the tank with warm water and with outlet valve open;

   18. (18) conduct a predeparture check-up. The hauler shall assure that:

       1. (A) all records are completed;
       2. (B) the sample and equipment are properly placed in transport tank compartment;
       3. (C) floors are clean;
       4. (D) agitator and lights are off;
       5. (E) hose port and milkroom door closed; and
       6. (F) children and animals are away from tanker before starting truck.

5. (e) Arrival at plant, receiving station, or transfer station. At this point, the hauler takes on a joint responsibility with the plant milk receiver in the completion of his total daily operations.

   1. (1) The hauler shall conduct proper procedures involving spotting the tanker. Under this procedure, the hauler shall know where to spot tanker (place, order, etc.) and drive and back cautiously.

   2. (2) The hauler shall conduct proper procedures involving sample delivery and reporting in. Under this procedure the hauler shall:

      1. (A) deliver producer samples to designated place and personnel;
      2. (B) turn in weight tickets to designated place and personnel;
      3. (C) discuss quality defects on route (odors, flavors, high temperatures, icing, etc., with appropriate plant or marketing cooperative representative). If any milk has been rejected, immediate notice must be given to the plant representative who, in turn, will notify the department giving him or her the reasons for rejection;
      4. (D) make arrangements for the next day's supplies;
      5. (E) breakdown, wash, and reassemble pump and transfer hose. Time can be saved by cleaning pump and hose during delivery pump out.
      6. (F) be sure tank has been cleaned, sanitized, and cleaning tag attached.
   3. (3) Milk shall not be stored in the transport tanks for more than two days. The temperature of the milk shall not exceed 45%A1F.

Source Note:The provisions of this §217.25 adopted to be effective October 16, 1986, 11 TexReg 4156.