Your Pool Truck Might Be Illegal - Rudy

On this episode of Floc It Friday, Rudy Stankowitz dives headfirst into one of the most overlooked realities in the swimming pool industry: your pool truck may legally qualify as a hazardous materials transport vehicle. Rudy breaks down how everyday pool chemicals like liquid chlorine, muriatic acid, trichlor, cal hypo, cyanuric acid, and even improperly labeled buckets can place pool professionals directly under federal DOT hazmat regulations. From 49 CFR Materials of Trade exceptions to hazmat training requirements, shipping papers, securement rules, placarding, container limits, and chemical compatibility, this episode becomes an eye-opening deep dive into how many pool companies may unknowingly be operating outside federal compliance. Rudy explains why “everybody does it this way” is not a legal defense and why a single roadside inspection could turn a routine service route into a federal violation. 

The episode also revisits Rudy’s alum cyanuric acid removal method and the science behind aluminum complexation with cyanuric acid. Rudy addresses criticism surrounding the process, explaining why the observed CYA reduction cannot simply be attributed to water loss during vacuum-to-waste. He discusses the original research, lab verification by OnBalance, the role of metal complexation, and the parallels between aluminum cyanurate and copper cyanurate chemistry. Rudy also compares aluminum sulfate and lanthanum chloride as phosphate removers, breaking down the chemistry, dosing calculations, pH considerations, and operational trade-offs between the two treatment methods in a way only Rudy can deliver. 

Later in the episode, Rudy shifts into industry news and commentary, discussing Hayward’s gradual discontinuation of legacy ProLogic accessories and what it means for service companies maintaining aging automation systems. He explains why proactive OmniPL upgrades may become a business necessity rather than an option. The show closes with a rapid-fire industry update touching on PoolCorp’s executive leadership transition, Pentair and PoolBrain’s push toward data-driven service automation, the growing divide between tech-driven companies and “memory-based” operations, and the importance of National Water Safety Month. Throughout the episode, Rudy blends technical education, operational reality, and industry forecasting into a no-nonsense conversation about where the pool industry is headed — and who may get left behind if they fail to evolve. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:53

You finish a bucket of stabilizer, you rinse it out, you toss in some sodium bicarb because it comes in a bag and you need some way to carry it around. It's just for the route, right? That's a problem. Welcome to Friday. I'm Rudy Stankowitz. This is the Talking Pools podcast. And today I want to revisit something that we've spoken about a couple of times, maybe in a little bit greater detail than we have in the past, but you know what? This is our first episode of May. Shit's about to get crazy. So I think it's a good time that we cover it. Because if you think the only thing riding around in your truck is chlorine, you're already behind. Because that truck you loaded this morning, that truck with the liquid chlorine, muriatic acid, tabs, cal hypo, alge, maybe a bucket of sodium bicarb, some cyanaric acid, a little metal remover, a case of phosphate remover, maybe a few extra drugs because you had a big day ahead of you. That truck might not just be a pool truck. In the eyes of the United States Department of Transportation, that truck may be a hazardous materials transport vehicle. And no, this is not a Florida thing. This is not a Sarasota thing. This is not some one-off gotcha from an inspector with a clipboard and a bad attitude. DOT is federal. That means these rules apply in Florida, they apply in Texas, California, they apply in Arizona, Georgia, the Carolinas, New Jersey, Ohio, Nevada, Louisiana, everywhere. If you are transporting regulated hazardous materials in commerce on a public road, DOT may have something to say about it. And if you're in the swimming pool industry, you probably are. Before we jump into the topic, we do have questions. I got an email just last night at talkingpools at gmail.com. Please feel free to send any questions there if you have any about any of the shows, even if it's not about this one. I will get it to the correct host to talk about whatever it was you asked on an episode. So this one came from a pool pro and he was stating his opinion, which he believes to be fact, that the only loss of cyanuric acid in the alum cyanuric acid removal method is due to the three to four inches of water lost in a vacuum to waste. I mean, this isn't the first time I got hit with something like this, but think about it. We're getting 30 to 50% drop in cyanuric acid. In order to get a 50% drop in cyanuric acid by draining, you would have to remove half the water from the pool and refill it. You don't lose half the water in a slovac to waste. In reality, you lose three to four inches of water in a slovac to waste. A 10,000 gallon that amounts to roughly 800 gallons of water. Again, not 50%. The math is simple. If you drain out 50% of the water and replace it with fill water, you'll reduce the level by 50%. But you know, whatever. I will say, although the method can be used anywhere at any time with specific temp and chem requirements, draining and replacing water is always the better way to go. Period. I developed this method specifically for those in drought areas with water restrictions in place and where high groundwater levels dictate another approach. So I responded to the email, and nicely, why not? To understand the alum cyanuric acid removal method, you must also have an understanding of metal complexation. But do understand at this point, we've already been proven in a lab. On balance, proved this method to be true. That was the beginning of 2024. In fact, you can find the write-up on that in service industry news. But even before that, my hypothesis got a huge boost with an assist from Marcel DeBrell. She's a chemist. She found the supporting research for aluminum's ability to bond with cyanuric acid and form an insoluble compound in the Russian Journal of Chemistry. Now that was long before the lab confirmation in 2024. And it was really a motivating and exciting discovery. It helped, you know, hey, we're doing something here. You know, it's funny that almost every pool pro, probably every pool pro, accepts that copper can pull cyanuric acid out of solution in complexation, forming copper cyanurate when both your cyanuric acid level and copper level is high. And we know that leaves blotchy purple pink staining all about the walls and floor of the pool. But if copper can do it, why can't we comprehend that aluminum, another metal, could also possibly complex with cyanuric acid, forming aluminum cyanurate, an insoluble compound that gets caught up in that aluminum hydroxide flock and dropped to the bottom of the pool very quickly so that we can then vacuum it out. Of course, this happens without the staining you see with copper cyanurate. So I can say copper cyanurate was the inspiration for this research. I mean, I get it. People don't accept new methods quickly. It's just how we are. Personally, for me, technology. I've not been one to jump on those opportunities the minute they come out. I mean, change is scary, even at a low level. I mean, look what happens when the topic of phosphates come up. I remember when that became a thing. I was in the industry 10 years before that became a thing. So I get it. I mean, the other thing to understand is that, you know, I didn't file a process patent on an aluminum cyanur removal method. I do not have an affiliate deal with an aluminum manufacturer. I mean, I did spend an unmeasurable amount of time calculating, creating, and holding field trials, but I did not, and I have not made a dime on this. It wasn't the goal. I felt bad for the folks on the West Coast that year, and that was the driving factor. I created this solely for the benefit of the industry. And since then, many chemists have looked at my work. I've getting emails on a regular basis, at least I did earlier on, about this process. All of them had nothing but accolades. My black algae research in 2018 was for all the same reasons. I wanted the truth. I thought everybody deserved to know the truth. And again, my goal was in helping the pool pro, not making money off of them in chemical sales. I didn't make a dime. I mean, I did put it together in a book so I could reach a larger audience and get this message out there quicker and on a broader scale. I don't know, maybe that can count, but not really. I mean, whatever. Again, something I did for the betterment of the industry.

SPEAKER_07 7:51

I agree 100%.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

I kind of look at it like this now. Uh the method was proven by On Balance. Since that point, I don't feel I have to defend it anymore. I am still happy to talk about it and share deets. I'm kind of proud of that, not solely because it was proven, but because we had nearly 200 pool pros globally who had volunteered to test on their own dime and report back their findings. That camaraderie, that partnership, that effort, all knowing this was mostly YoHelp California and Oregon, mostly. But of course it could be used anywhere. That was us, the pool pros, at our best, and look what we figured out. Still very moving. God bless the pool pro. So I got another question this morning also about alum. Jason Frick asked me, could I explain the use of alum, aluminum sulfate, as a phosphate remover? I guess the best way to do that is in comparison to the one that we all know and love, which is lanthanum chloride. And what it comes down to between the two really is just where would you like to clean up the schmutz? The active ingredient in phosphate removers is lanthanum chloride. In water, lanthanum bonds with orthophosphate and other phosphate types fairly quickly. As far as the dose goes, it removes phosphate at a one-to-one ratio, meaning one mole of lanthanum to one mole of phosphate, or 3.6 parts per million of lanthanum to remove 2.5 parts per million of phosphate. Yes, right now I am using parts per million intentionally. Lanthanum can also bond with carbonate, so it is important to add your dose of phosphate remover when the pH is on the lower side of the acceptable range, so that way we know we're mostly complexing with phosphate, not carbonate. Lanthanum complexes at this one-to-one mole ratio with phosphate is an in deformed lanthanum phosphate, which is an insoluble compound, which will be removed through filtration and likely some vacuuming. Both lanthanum phosphate and lanthanum carbonate will cloud the water. It is normal to see a slight drop in total alkalinity after a treatment. For phosphate removal with alum, it's a little bit heftier of a dose, but mostly because the aluminum content is what complexes with orthophosphate, and alum is only 9% aluminum. The ratio is also higher. Aluminum phosphate is 3 to 1. That's 3 moles of aluminum to remove 1 mole of phosphate. In a real world scenario, like lanthanum, alum will complex with other things in the water, like cyanuric acid. Aluminum is also more selective, complexing mostly with orthophosphate, not the other types, and is more pH dependent. 6.0 to 7.0 gives you your best result. Still, 3 mole of aluminum is 2.14 parts per million to remove 2.5 parts per million of orthophosphate. That works out to a dose of roughly 2 pounds of aluminum sulfate per 10,000 gallons. Now I said I was using parts per million intentionally. So that 2.5 parts per million, both of those doses are removing, is equal to 2,500 parts per billion. And again, parts per billion is typically how we measure phosphates. So after the addition of alum, we have a two-hour run bypassing the filter media to allow the aluminum sulfate to disperse somewhat evenly, followed by 12 hours of still non-moving water. And again, we're assuming here a pH of 7.0, a water temperature of greater than 70 degrees, and a total alkalinity of 90 parts per million. The aluminum phosphate will be contained in the aluminum hydroxide flock that falls out onto the floor. A portovac is going to be the best way to get that stuff out of there in a slow vac to waste. You're going to need to add water to replace that which you took out during the vac to waste, but the amount is typically nominal. Like I said, two or three inches in a 10,000 gallon pool works out to be only about 800 gallons. The benefit of lanthanum is that it does work at a broader range of pH. It also does not create a monstrous amount of sludge on the floor of the pool, requiring a vac to waste. However, if you have a large amount of phosphates, you're gonna need to dose with lanthanum chloride solution several times. Also, plan on several backwashes to rid the filter of the lanthanum phosphate that it collects. Dose to dose, 0.3 pounds of lanthanum to remove 2,500 parts per billion of phosphate, or two pounds of alum to remove 2,500 parts per billion of orthophosphate. I have no idea the dry weight of lanthanum chloride used in phosphate remover, it can be assumed that this amount varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and you know is probably listed as a proprietary secret. So both alum and lanthanum chloride are challenging to keep in solution for packaging. So if when you buy any of these types in a liquid, if there is any solid precipitated out like a milky chalk at the bottom of the container, you cannot simply just stir it up, shake it up, and be good to go. This sediment indicates that the metal has already reacted with something and it's changed chemically. It's not going to react again, no matter how violently you shake that container. Alum and lanthanum are both metals in a pound-to-pound cost comparison. Lanthanum chloride on average costs about 30 times more than alum. Anyway, those are the questions that rolled in. I hope those answers work for you. Now, DOT. Are they out to get the pool pro? You may not think of pool products as hazardous materials. You think of them as chlorine, acid, tabs, stuff we use every day, stuff that sits on the shelf at the pool store, stuff homeowners throw in the back of their SUV next to the groceries, the soccer bag, and the half a melted iced coffee. But DOT does not care what we casually call it. DOT cares how the material is classified under the hazardous material regulations. And those regulations live in Title forty nine of the Code of Federal Regulations, specifically 49 CFR parts 171 through 180. I've been getting service industry news since I first stepped into this business, and every time it landed, I did the same thing. Flip straight to the horror file. The weird installs, the absurd finds, the stuff only pool pros ever see. Then I'd go back and read the articles. Service Industry News is a twice-monthly trade publication for pool and spa service text, 24 issues a year, emailed free to over 10,000 texts and available on their app. Every issue covers nationwide industry news and real technical content you actually will use. Get your free subscription at serviceindustry news.net. Again, that's serviceindustry news.net.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

Do it now. All right, let's bring it home and give this thing the energy it deserves. Last week we had our first official buzzword drop on Flocket Fridays, and some of you were listening. Most of you? Probably not. And that's okay because this game rewards the ones who are dialed in. The buzzword was body count. Yeah. That one hit a little different, didn't it? And out of everyone who caught it, followed directions and slid into the DMs the right way. No comments, no guessing, no nonsense, we pulled one name at random. Congratulations to Nicole Lind. Nicole, you are officially walking away with a Talking Pools podcast shirt from Revved Up Apparel. Now here's the part where everybody else leans in a little closer. This isn't a one-time thing. We're doing this every other week, all year long. And that buzzword, it can show up on any of our five weekly shows. No warnings, no flashing lights, just dropped right into the conversation like it belongs there. So if you missed it last time, that's on you. But the next one, that's an opportunity. Listen to the episodes, catch the buzzword. DM it to the Talking Pools podcast Facebook page when we call for it. And just like that, you're in the drawing. Simple, clean, and just hard enough to separate the listeners from the noise. Keep your ears open. We'll see who's actually paying attention next time. God bless the pool pro.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

MCSA says shippers and carriers should consult the current 49 CFR parts 100 through 185 for specific hazmat transportation requirements. That means your truck is not judged by your intent. It's judged by what you're carrying, how much you're carrying, what container it's in, whether it's marked, whether it's labeled, whether it requires shipping papers, whether the driver is trained, whether the load is secured, whether the materials are compatible, and whether you are operating under an exception, or pretending one applies when it doesn't. And that's where a whole lot of pool companies get themselves screwed ten ways from sideways. Because the pool industry has been living under one dangerous assumption for years. Everybody does it this way. Let me say this clearly. That is not a compliance strategy. That is how you become the example. Now, the big section every pool company needs to know is 49 CFR six. That is the materials of trade exception. This is the exception that gives small businesses some breathing room when they carry limited amounts of hazardous materials as part of their work. Under 49 CFR 173.6, certain hazardous materials can be transported as materials of trade if they are carried for business use, such as protecting the driver, supporting the operation of a motor vehicle, or directly supporting a business like pool service. But the exception has limits. It is not a magic wand. It is not I'm a pool pro, so I must be exempt. And here is the number that should be tattooed on the inside of every pool service owner's brain. 440 pounds. Under 49 CFR 173.6, the aggregate gross weight of all materials of trade on the motor vehicle generally may not exceed 200 kilograms or 440 pounds. That is not 440 pounds of chlorine. That is not 440 pounds of acid. That's not 440 pounds of just the bad stuff. That is the aggregate gross weight of the materials of trade. And gross weight matters. That includes the product and the packaging. So when you start adding up jugs, buckets, cases, boxes, drums, and containers, you can get to 440 pounds a whole lot faster than your gut tells you. Now, let's make this real. You put two 15-gallon chlorine containers on the truck. Liquid chlorine's heavy, 10 pounds per gallon, give or take an ounce, depending on the strength. 215-gallon containers can already put you at 300 pounds of liquid alone before you even start thinking about container weight. Now, add a bucket of trichlor tabs, a case or two of muriatic acid, calhypo, non-chlorine shock, a few gallons of algeide, add cyanuric acid, add whatever, just in case product lives permanently behind the seat because every pool truck eventually turns into a rolling chemistry closet. Now, you are not just working a route. You have crossed the DOT line. And once you cross that line, the easy version of the rules may no longer apply. This is where the trap closes, because under the materials of trade exception, individual package sizes are also limited. For packing group two or packing group three materials, the limit is generally 30 kilograms or 66 pounds for solids, or 30 liters or 8 gallons for liquids. The packing group 1 materials, the limit is much smaller, 1 pound or 1 pint. So let's talk about the pool truck reality. An 8-gallon liquid limit under materials of trade is a problem if you are running around with 15-gallon carboys or 50-gallon tanks. A 66-pound package limit is a problem if you're carrying a 100-pound drum. And the total 440-pound limit is a problem for anyone carrying a route truck stocked like a mobile distribution warehouse. And before somebody says, Rudy, I'm not delivering chemicals, I'm using them on my own route, that may help you fit into materials of trade as long as you're within the limits. But if you're over the limits, that argument stops being cute. Now, let's talk about the folks who sell and deliver chemicals to homeowners, pool stores, retailers, service companies with delivery routes, chemical subscription programs, the guy dropping off a case of chlorine and a jug of acid to Mrs. Johnson because she doesn't want to come into the store, listen carefully, you may have an even bigger problem. Because once you are delivering hazardous materials to someone else as a product of any size, now you're not merely carrying products for your own use in your trade. You may be functioning as a shipper, a carrier, a private carrier of hazardous materials in commerce. And DOT is not going to care that the customer has a pool. They're going to care that the hazardous materials were offered for transportation, transported by highway, and delivered. That opens the door to shipping papers, package markings, hazard labels, emergency response. Information, training, and possibly placarding, depending on the material, the quantity, and the packaging. This is where pool retailers need to stop thinking like stores and start thinking like hazmat shippers, because DOT Part 172 is where the communication rules live. 49 CFR Part 172 covers the hazardous materials table, special provisions, hazardous materials, communications, emergency response information, training requirements, and security plans. It includes requirements for shipping papers, marking, labeling, and placarding. That means if you are over an exception or outside an exception, you may need the proper shipping description, not chlorine, not acid, not shock, the proper shipping name, the hazard class, the identification number, the packing group, emergency response information, and the paperwork has to be available the way the regulations require. For highway transportation 49 CFR 177.817 says, a person may not accept or transport a hazardous material by highway unless it is accompanied by a shipping paper prepared according to part once the material is accepted from shipping paper requirements. So let's pause right there. If your company is over the materials of trade limits, or if materials of trade does not apply and your driver has no shipping papers, that is not a paperwork oops. That is a DOT violation, and it gets better or worse, depending on how much coffee you've had, because hazmat employees require training. Under 49 CFR 172.704, hazmat employees must receive general awareness training, function specific training, safety training, security awareness training, and in some cases in-depth security training. Recurrent training is required at least once every three years. New hazmat employees must complete required training within 90 days of employment or a change in job function. Now, ask yourself this: who loaded the truck? Who selected the product? Who filled the container? Who prepared the delivery? Who drove it? Who handed it to the homeowner? Who trained them? Who documented that training? Because my guy has been doing this for 20 years is not DOT hazmat training. It's experience. Experience is great, but experience does not satisfy 49 CFR 172.704. And now let's talk about securement because this is where every pool tech who has ever said it's fine, it's wedged in there, needs to pay attention. Under 49 CFR 177.834, hazardous material packages not permanently attached to motor vehicles must be secured against shifting, including relative motion between packages. The same section also says hazardous materials may not be loaded or unloaded unless the handbrake is securely set and reasonable precautions are taken to prevent vehicle motion. That means the back of your truck is not supposed to be a chemical mosh pit. Chlorine jugs bouncing, acid cases sliding, tabs rolling around, buckets tipped sideways, and a cracked jug creating a little chemical soup in the bedliner.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Flocking Friday, starching pool service rolling steady. Captain Kirkle's deck phases locked and ready. What the fuck? It's a fucking Friday. God bless the fool pro, I don't hesitate. Time to make the cast, bitch your ass. God bless the fool pro. What the fuck? What the fuck?

SPEAKER_00 27:07

Hey, we're just made an announcement. And if you're in this industry, really in it, should be paying attention. Because this isn't just about a few disconnected parts. This is about what happens next. Let me ask you something. What would you do if every controller you installed over the last 10, 15 years just stopped? Not all at once, because that would actually almost be easier. No, this is gonna be much slower, worse. One system at a time, one customer at a time, one phone call at a time. Hey, my spa won't turn on. My lights aren't responding. The app it doesn't work anymore. Now you've got to go to answer that call. And here's the reality. Hayward didn't come out and say end of life. They didn't say unsupported, but they told you everything you needed to hear. Accessories discontinued. Remotes going away. Inventory limited. And that Aqua Connect app will review it over time is what they said. You know what that means. Then they point at you very politely toward the future. OmniPL that's not a suggestion, that's the direction. So here's where you are. If your route is full of prologic systems, you're sitting on a slow moving problem. Because when a customer loses control of their pool, their pump, their heater, their lights, that's not a small issue. That's a big one. And when they call you, and they will, they're gonna ask one simple question, can you fix it? And sometimes the honest answer is gonna be no, not the way they want. So now you've got a choice. You can play defense, you can chase parts, patch systems, deliver bad news under pressure, or you can take control of the situation. You can walk into that backyard already knowing this system is aging out. Let's get ahead of it. And that's where the shift happens. Now you're not reacting, you're leading. Now you're not fixing, you're upgrading. That omni PL retrofit kit H L P R O U G P G that's a product number and a half. That's not just a product, that's your strategy. It's faster installs, cleaner jobs, better experience for the customer, and most importantly, it puts control back in their hands. Because this isn't really about equipment, it's about timing. And if you wait until something breaks, you look reactive. They feel blindsided, and the price feels like a problem. But if you get there first, you come off looking like a professional and they feel taken care of, and the upgrade feels like the right move. So let me ask you again, what would you do if all the controllers you've installed suddenly came to a stop? Because this isn't bad news, it's a warning. And guys who hear it early, it turns into opportunity. The folks who don't, you're gonna get the phone calls. So basically, stay ahead of it or get run over by it. God bless the pool pro.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

In an industry built not just on skill but on those willing to teach it, there's a call to recognize the people behind the professionals. The Talking Pools Podcast is now accepting nominations for its 2026 Mentor of the Year Award, honoring those who don't just have the answers, but teach others how to find them. If someone helped shape your path in this industry, now is the time to return the favor. Visit cpoclass.com. Click on the Talking Pools Podcast Mentor Award tab, and submit your mentor's name up until May 15, 2026, because behind every Great Pool professional, there's someone who showed them how to think.

SPEAKER_00 30:50

The Twin's Talking Pools Podcast Mentor of the Year Award is sponsored by Blu-ray XL, title sponsor and revved up apparel silver sponsor. Go to mentoraward.com and tell us who your mentor is.

SPEAKER_05 31:08

Blu-ray XL is the power of minerals working for you. Reduce your overall chemical cost and labor up to 50% guaranteed. Whether you have 20 accounts or 20,000, Blu-ray XL's direct pricing and free shipping to the Fool Trade have you covered. Improving Fool Professionals' profit and work-life balance is what they do. Blu-ray XL, the real mineral purifier. Visit them at Blu-rayXL.com.

SPEAKER_07 31:38

Blu-ray all day. Aquastar's new pipeline cartridge filters, available in two sizes, deliver top-notch hydraulic efficiency along with best-in-class filtration performance, approaching that of DE filters. Uniquely designed open pleat spacing means 100% of the media square footage is usable. And these claims are backed by NSF test results. Designed with a pro's time and comfort in mind, the patented double locking system improves safety and ease of access, making filter cleanings faster than ever before. Available now. Ask your supplier for pipeline filters today.

SPEAKER_06 32:16

That is amazing. I can actually go out and make money doing filter cleanings if you were like this. If they were AquaStar filters out there, then I could be a filter cleaner girl.

SPEAKER_01 32:24

We can do that. Make it happen. Let's make it happen. Todd? There you go. Awesome. Thank you, Jules the Pool Girl. Again, AquaStar Pool Products Pipeline Filters. Super easy, right?

SPEAKER_04 32:37

Jax Magic Products is your industry leader in identifying, removing, and preventing stains. How? With a range of high-performance, eco-friendly products keeping pools safe, clean, and ready to use all year round. The Jax Magic three-step program is a quick and effective way to remove stains and scaling. First, we identify the problem, then our top quality products will remove the discoloration. Finally, our preventative solutions will keep your pool looking like new for much longer. Get helpful tips and check out our product catalog today at jacksmagic.com.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

This section says hazardous materials may not be loaded or unloaded unless the handbrake is securely set and reasonable precautions are taken to prevent vehicle motion. That means the back of your truck is not supposed to be a chemical mosh pit. Chlorine jugs bouncing, acid cases sliding, tabs rolling around, buckets tipped sideways and a cracked jug creating a little chemical soup in the bedliner. No, no. That is exactly the kind of thing these rules are written to prevent. Because the chemistry does not care that you were busy. Acid and chlorine do not care that the gate latch was loose. Calhypo does not care that the lid of the bucket blew off somewhere down the road because you didn't have it on tight enough. Oxidizers do not care that the bucket was basically empty. And DOT does not care that this is how pool guys have always done it. Now let's talk about compatibility. Pool trucks routinely carry oxidizers and corrosives together. Trichlore, dichlor, calhypos, sodium hychlorite, muriatic acid, dry acid, maybe algicides, maybe clarifiers, maybe enzymes, maybe metal removers. Some of these products are not just regulated individually. They become dangerous when they meet each other. That's why segregation matters. That is why container integrity matters, is why labels matter. That is why the safety data sheet should not be a PDF nobody has opened since 2016. And that is why the driver needs to understand what they are actually carrying. Because if a crash happens or a spill happens or a firefighter walks up to that vehicle, the question becomes simple. What is in the truck? How much? Where is the paperwork? Is it marked? Is it labeled? Is it secured? Is the driver trained? Was the company compliant? And that is the moment where we just clean pools becomes a very expensive sentence. Now placarding is another area where people get confused. Not every pool truck needs placards, but some loads might. Placarding rules are in 49 CFR Part 172 Subpart F. Generally Sections 172.560, DOT placarding requirements depend on hazard class quantity and whether the material falls into Table 1 or Table II placarding rules. The danger is not every pool truck automatically needs placards. The danger is assuming yours doesn't. Because if you are carrying quantities that require placarding and you are not placarded, that's a violation. If you placard incorrectly, that can also be a violation. And if you put placards on because you think it makes you look official, but you do not meet the requirements behind those placards, now you may have created a different problem. That is why guessing is not a compliance program. Now let's talk about CDL. Commercial driver's license with a hazmat endorsement may be required depending on the vehicle, the quantity, and whether placarding is required. The key phrase there is depending. Do not let some guy at the supply house tell you you don't need that. Don't let Facebook University tell you only big drugs go. And do not let your ego tell you, I've never been stopped before. That's not the test. The test is whether the load, vehicle, and transportation activity trigger the requirement. And if you're hauling large tanks, bulk quantities or delivery loads, you need to have that reviewed by someone who actually knows DOT hazmat compliance. Now, here is one of the strangest parts for the pool industry. Refilling containers from a tank while the tank remains on the vehicle can create serious regulatory issues. DOT has rules for loading and unloading hazardous materials in 49 CFR 177.834 includes general requirements for loading and unloading, vehicle securement and package securement. So that common practice where a guy pulls up, taps a tank, fills their jerry jugs from the truck, and goes about the day, that serious review. Because once you start transferring hazardous material as part of transportation or delivery, you are not in the just tossed a jug in the back territory anymore. You are in regulated handling territory. Now, think about the homeowner delivery model. A pool store sells chlorine to a homeowner and says, Well, we'll deliver it. Sounds convenient, sounds like customer service, sounds like added revenue, but depending on what is delivered, how much is delivered, who transports it, and how it is packaged, that innocent delivery can become hazardous materials transportation and commerce. If your employee loads the vehicle, drives it to the house, and unloads corrosives and oxidizers and leaves them for a homeowner that and leaves may be performing hazmat functions. That means training, that means proper packaging, that means proper hazard communication, that means secure, that means possibly shipping papers, that means you need to know whether an exception applies before you send the truck, not after. And please don't miss this. The homeowner buying chemicals for personal use is one thing. Your business transporting chemicals to the homeowner as part of commerce is another. The road does not care that the destination is residential. The rules care that hazardous materials are moving in commerce. Let me hit you with you with one that almost everybody in this industry has done at some point. Reusing buckets. Yeah. You finish a bucket of stabilizer, you rinse it out, toss in some sodium bicarb, because it comes in a bag and you need some way to carry it around. It's just for the route, right? No. That's a problem. A real one. Because now you've got a container that says one thing, but it contains something else. And under DOT regulations, specifically the hazard communication rules in INCFR Part 172, that's a violation. Because sodium not because sodium bicarbonate is dangerous It's not. But because the label is wrong. And DOT doesn't regulate based on what you meant to put in the bucket. They regulate based on what the container says is in the bucket. Now, let's play this out. Another tech grabs it, they think it's cyanuric acid, they dose a pool, your chemistry's off. Your numbers don't make sense. You're chasing a problem you created without even knowing it. Worse? Not the end of the world, right? What if there's a spill, fire department shows up, emergency response, they look at the label, they trust it, because that's what they're trained to do. And now they're responding to the wrong material. I know we're talking about cyanuric acid and bicarb here. What if somebody has callhypo in that bucket? An inspector opens the back of your truck, sees a mismatched container, and now you've got a clean, easy, undeniable violation sitting right there in plain sight. No debate. No gray area. Oh well technically it's the citation. And I know what the pushback is. This is how we've always done it. Those cyanuric acid buckets are pretty badass. Yeah. That's the theme of this entire conversation, isn't it? If you're going to reuse a container, you've got two options. Remove the label completely or relabel it correctly. That's it. No shortcuts. No, I'll remember what's in there. Because the moment that container leaves your memory, it becomes a liability. Remember, this isn't about chemistry. This is about communication. Because in the world of hazardous materials, the label is the truth. And if the label is wrong, everything downstream from that is wrong too. And that's how something as harmless as baking soda turns into a DOT violation. Now let's now let's talk about the products. Sodium hypochlorite that's liquid chlorine, often regulated as a corrosive, and depending on concentration, classification, and packaging matter. Uriatic acid, hydrochloric acid, corrosive, trichlor tablets, oxidizer, dichlor, oxidizer, calcium hypochlorite, oxidizer, nonchlorine shock, usually potassium monoprosulfate blends, often oxidizing material depending on formulation. Some algecides may not trigger the same transportation hazard class, but do not assume. Some metal treatments may not. Some phosphate removers may not. Some enzymes may not. But the only safe answer is to check the SDS transportation section and then verify the actual DOT classification, not the marketing label, not the bucket color, not what the salesperson called it, the DOT shipping classification. And if you're carrying mixed products, you need to know the total regulated weight and the individual package limits. That means every pool company should have a chemical inventory policy for vehicles. Not a vibe. A policy. How much liquid chlorine can be on the truck? What size containers? How many cases of acid? Are oxidizers separated from acids? Are containers upright? Are they secure? Are labels visible? Are SDS available? Are drivers trained? Are vehicles inspected? Are old mystery jugs removed? Are dangerous containers prohibited? Are delivery routes reviewed separately from service routes? Because a service truck and a delivery truck may not be operating under the same assumptions. And here's the ugly truth. Most pool companies are not intentionally breaking the rules. They are accidentally inheriting bad habits. Somebody trained them wrong. Or nobody trained them at all. They copied what the last company did. They built the route around convenience. They stopped the truck around efficiency. They grew from one truck to five trucks to 15 trucks without ever asking the DOT question. Then on one day, an inspector stops a truck. Asks it for them. That is the day everything changes because now it's no longer theoretical. Now it's violations. Now it's fines. Now it's insurance questions. Now it's workers' comp questions. It's liability. Now it's whether or not your employee was trained. It's whether your company had a written program. It's whether the spill was preventable. Now it is whether the fire department had proper information. It's whether you were a pool company or an untrained hazmat carrier pretending to be a pool company who didn't have a torque wrench to ensure that the cap on top of the carboy was tight enough. So here's the takeaway. DOT is not just for tractor trailers. DOT is not just for chemical plants. It's not just for freight companies. DOT applies to hazardous materials moving in commerce. And pool companies move hazardous materials in commerce every single day. The good news? There are legal pathways. Materials of trade exists for a reason. Small quantities can often be transported legally if you follow the limits and requirements. But the bad news, you have to actually know the limits. You have to know the package sizes. You have to know the aggregate weight. You have to know when the exception stops protecting you. You have to know when full hazmat rules start applying. And I didn't know is not a shield. It's the opening line of a very expensive story. So before you load that truck tomorrow morning, ask yourself how much hazardous material is actually on that vehicle? Am I carrying more than 440 pounds in total pool chemical weight? That's not just hazard material, that's all pool pool chemical. More than 440 pounds. Does any single bucket have more than 66 pounds of product in it? Are the containers legal? For the exception I think I am using? Are liquids in containers that comply with the materials of trade limits? Are solids within the package limits? Are the chemicals secured against shifting? Are oxidizers separated from corrosives? Are labels intact? Does the driver know what they are carrying? Are we servicing pools or delivering chemicals? Because those may not be the same thing. And if you sell and deliver chemicals to homeowners, ask yourself one more question. Are we a pool store with delivery or are we acting as a hazardous materials shipper and carrier without admitting it? That question may save you thousands of dollars. It may save your company. And in the wrong incident, it may save somebody's life. This is not about panic. This is not about fear. This is not about making pool service harder than it already is. This is about reality. I don't care if this law is not commonly enforced. It's important that you know it because people do get pulled over, vehicles do get checked, fines do get given. Do get given? This is about reality because the difference between just another day on the route and a federal hazardous materials violation may be a few extra jugs of chlorine, a tank that's too large, a bucket that pushes you over the limit, a missing shipping paper, a driver who was never trained, a load that was never secured, a delivery program nobody ever bothered to classify. And whether you knew the line existed or not, the line was always there. Now you know. And the next time you close that tailgate, turn the key, and pull out onto the road. Remember this. You may not be driving a pool truck. You may be driving evidence.

unknown 48:55

Oh my god, bro. Oh hell no, man.

SPEAKER_03 48:58

What the fuck, man?

SPEAKER_00 49:07

But doggy, I'll tell you what. We've got a wave of developments hitting the swimming pool industry that range from corporate shakeups and automation advances all the way to safety campaigns and the continued transformation of what it actually means to operate a pool service in 2026. And if you work in this industry, whether you clean pools, build pools, repair equipment, manage retail, teach chemistry, or own a service company, some of these stories are a bigger deal than they look like on the surface. Because behind the press releases in corporate language, the swimming pool industry is changing fast. And some companies are adapting to it. Others are about to get steamrolled by it. So let's start with the biggest business story of the week. Pool Corps announced a major leadership transition. Longtime CEO Peter Arvin is stepping down. John Watwood will now take over as chief executive officer while John Stokely moves into the executive chair role. The company also postponed its planned investor day event in Phoenix, although it maintained its financial guidance for 2026. Now, for the average homeowner, this probably sounds like corporate wallpaper, but for pool professionals, this matters because Pool Corps isn't just another company. They are the gravitational center of pool distribution in North America. When leadership changes at that level, the ripple effects eventually show up everywhere. Pricing, inventory, product availability, vendor relationships, rebates, technology rollouts, and acquisition strategy. A lot of pool pros ignore financial news because they think it's Wall Street stuff until suddenly their favorite part is discontinued, their pricing changes overnight, their branch inventory disappears, or their distributor starts pushing a completely different product line. That's when Wall Street stuff becomes backyard reality. And speaking of technology, another major announcement dropped this week involving Penter and PoolBrain. The two companies announced a new technology integration focused on operational analytics and data-driven insights for pool service companies. Now let me translate that out of the corporate technobabble and into pool guy English. This means more automation, more remote diagnostic, more customer-facing reporting, more smart equipment integration, and more software tracking every moment happening on a service route. In other words, the modern pool tech is slowly becoming part pool operator, part field technician, and part mobile data node. And some people hate hearing that, but it's true. The days of I think I service that pool Tuesday, maybe, or I know the filter pressure pressure was somewhere around 20, those days are disappearing because customers increasingly expect documentation, photos, alerts, historical tracking, water trend analysis, and communication, not guesses. The companies embracing software and operational systems are gaining efficiency at a rate that's smaller, memory-based operations simply just can't match. And that divide, it's getting wider every season. Now, while service technology continues evolving, the construction side of the industry is sending mixed signals. Latham Group released earnings showing roughly 5% growth despite what many describe as a soft overall pool market. And that's important because post-pandemic pool boom is not what it used to be. During the COVID years, people were throwing money at backyards like they were building private resorts before civilization collapsed. Interest rates were low, people were home, travel was dead, and everybody suddenly wanted a pool. The frenzy has cooled. Builders in many areas are reporting fewer installs compared to peak years. Yet somehow, premium segments of the market continue showing resilience, which tells us something really important. The easy money phase of the industry may be fading, but operational discipline still wins. The companies surviving right now are usually the ones with better systems, better customer retention, better communication, better branding, better follow-up, and tighter financial control. Not necessarily the cheapest companies. And honestly, that should be a wake-up call for every pool pro racing to the bottom on pricing, because if your entire business model depends on being the cheapest guy in town, you don't have a business advantage. You have a countdown timer. Now, while the business side of the industry continues evolving, May also marks another major focus across the country. Water safety. This week, organizations throughout the industry are heavily promoting National Water Safety Month with campaigns centered around drowning prevention, swim education, supervision, entrapment prevention, and barrier compliance. And this matters more than matters more than some people realize because every summer the industry gets flooded with marketing about crystal clear water while not enough people talk about unsafe gates, bad drain covers, missing alarms, improper supervision, and neglected equipment. Pool professionals are often the only people regularly seeing these hazards up close, which means the industry has a choice: be chemical vendors or become safety professionals. The companies that lean into education and safety inspections are increasingly separating themselves from the companies whose entire brand begins and ends with, well, your chlorine was low. Finally, there's another trend quietly moving beneath the surface of all of this. The swimming pool industry is splitting into two very different worlds. One side is becoming increasingly driven by software, automation, analytics, remote monitoring, documentation, route optimization, customer retention systems, and scalable operational structure. The other side still operates almost entirely on memory, handshakes, chaos, paper invoices, reactive scheduling, and we've always done it this way. And here's the uncomfortable reality. The second group doesn't even fully realize the first group is already pulling away from them. This is not just about pools anymore. This is about operational evolution because the companies adapting right now are building systems. The companies refusing to adapt are building stress. And over the next five years, that gap may become impossible to ignore. I'm ready Stankowitz, stay safe, test everything, and pay attention to where this industry is heading. Because whether people realize it or not, the future of pool service is already here.