PHOTO: BLACKMER
DISTRIBUTION
A Kane Transport driver is next to the three-inch sliding vane pumps standard on the company’s biofuels delivery trailers.
came to selecting the brand of transport pumps that would be used on their trailers, Bob Kane turned to longtime family friend Jim Determan.
The Kane and Determan families grew up together in the Sauk Centre area and, while the Kanes got into petroleum distribution, the Determans got into the supply of fuel-handling products, with Jim Determan founding the Determan Brownie Inc. distributorship in the 1960s. So when Bob Kane needed the right transport pump for his growing stable of delivery trailers, he knew where to turn. Determan directed him to sliding vane pumps. Since the mid-1980s, TX Series sliding vane pumps from Blackmer have been standard equipment on nearly all of Kane Transport’s 200-plus transport trailers. On the 25 or so trailers that have been specifically marked for the delivery of biofuels, TXSD3E Series (3-inch) pumps have been standardized. A truck fleet as large as Kane Transport’s must follow a strict maintenance and replacement schedule. In general, Kane replaces its tractors after eight years of service with about 12 needing to be replaced each year. The company has found, however, that while the tractors and trailers need to be replaced according to this schedule, not all of the replacement tractors and trailers need new transport pumps placed on them. “We’ve had [situations] where we’ve removed trailers from our fleet, took off the old Blackmer pump, used a rebuild kit and put them back in service,” Pete Kane says. “Af-
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CROWN IRON WORKS COMPANY 2500 West County Road C Roseville, MN 55113 USA call us today 1-651-639-8900 or visit us at www.crowniron.com Additional offices in Argentina, Brazil, China, England, Honduras, India, Mexico, Russia and the Ukraine.
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ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2008