Large Radioactive Container - what is it?

We saw this on an interstate in the USA. You may have to scroll right on the photo to see it. There is a large container that is kind of like a triangle except flat on top with a protrusion. It was marked radioactive and is suspended way back of the truck cab. I assume this is due to radioactivity. The load was oversized (over one lane in width). There were actually two trucks like this.



Just curious, anyone know what it is?

Mods, I wasn't sure where to post this, so if it should be somewhere else, please feel free to move it.

I've got no idea but it would have creeped me the hell out seeing that on the road. I'm always worried I'm going to see a nuclear missile convoy and freak out. Radioactive stuff scares me. Probably because I know nothing about it.

reply to post by ikonoklast


Have you tried calling the transporter, Miller Transfer?

If they transport it like that, it has to have public access of information about it?

Just a wild guess would be it is for
a medical center or hospital - radiology.
It would freak me out too but most likely
its safe unless there were an accident
of some kind that caused it to leak.
I moved from an area once due to
nuclear waste being transported
right thru town.

Originally posted by Domo1
I've got no idea but it would have creeped me the hell out seeing that on the road.

It creeped my wife and son and me out too. We just got close for long enough to snap a couple photos and then got away from it as quickly as we could. I figured there was a reason that the load was kept pretty far away from the driver.

I,d say the trailer is shaped like it is so that the weight is distributed evenly over a huge number of tyres. I think its far more likely to be the way it is for weight, far more than it is for radioactivity I would imagine.

edit: That bad boy looks like its running on 50 tyres !!

The truck is a 65 Ton Flat and Depressed Well 9 Axle.

From Miller Transfer

It is part of their specialized trailers services, and they have hazmat certification.

EDIT: It may be an 11 axle, 80 ton, multi-axle trailer.

The task was to move a transformer and reactor from a rail yard in Berryville, VA. to a power plant substation in Purcellville, VA.

Source...

I believe what you saw here was the reactor itself being transported to the new power plant.

There is one important question given the shape of this isn't like what I normally saw when I was on the road running next to these. Did you see escorts or odd looking panel vans running with it? If not, there wasn't an escort and this is a large cask for transport of radioactive waste. low level stuff and really no concern at all. Medical waste and that sort of thing. Gloves.....scrubs....etc. If it had escorts, it may have been waste of the source material, although still no threat. even crashing, they don't leak or break open.

It certainly wasn't weapons related or anything like that though. I've seen several of those convoys over the years and you don't see the container itself....they are enclosed within a trailer with 2-4 escort vans OR they look like a military parade if it's a real warhead they are moving....Those are something to see. I've seen two of them in Wyoming back before 9/11 with Humvees and Apache gunships flying overhead for escorts.

reply to post by NowanKenubi


No, I actually figured I might get more of a straight answer here. But I did check out their website. It says they transport lots of equipment for the nuclear industry and can transfer radioactive Low Specific Activity (LSA) materials.

According to this Sandia National Laboratories page on Low Specific Activity, that could be anything from uranium or thorium ore to water with tritium concentration up to 0.8 TBq/liter to radioactive solid waste.

The trailer(s) looked a lot like this photo from the Miller Transfer site:



But the load was a different shape. I don't think it was a full reactor due to size and shape, but I suppose it could have been a small reactor. For each of the Miller Transfer trucks there was a smaller truck in front and behind. But they looked like ordinary wide load warning escort trucks.

You do realize that you are now under survelience for photographing this, don't you.....

Seriously be careful taking pictures.

My first though, and I may be on to something here, is that the government or military probably transport items through public highway systems by covering up what they are actually carrying. What I mean is, if they're transporting something they don't want the public to see, just cover it up and slap some HAZMAT stickers on the side.

Who would be curious enough to attempt to look into something that has a radioactivity sticker on it? I wouldn't, that's for sure. Or, maybe it is some sort of containment vessel to transport nuclear waste or something. That doesn't seem all that safe, but I remember seeing a video of someone with a geiger-counter next to a big-rig, and the device was going crazy.

So radioactive material is obviously transported on public highways, but is that really what we are seeing here? Is this some type of nuclear device? It is a very weird looking containment vessel imo. I am curious to go back and read through what you guys have to say.

reply to post by liejunkie01

We thought about that, that maybe we shouldn't be taking photos. But if they are going to drive two huge, strange looking trucks carrying large weird containers marked radioactive through a major metropolitan area during the beginning of rush hour escorted by wide load escort trucks with flashing yellow warning lights, I don't think it's very secret. And I doubt we were the only ones who pulled out a cell phone and snapped a photo.

I am a photographer and unless the
laws have been changed, citizens have
a right to take photos in any public place.
The roads are public, right? So no worry
there, Also I highly doubt you were the
only people that saw it and were curious.

reply to post by ikonoklast


Here's Miller Transfer's website, if you wish to ask them.

www.millertransfer.com...

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


I kind of suspect that if I called them and started asking specific questions, that might be crossing the line that could draw unnecessary attention. I'm just curious, I have no desire to create a problem for myself or anyone.

www.hss.doe.gov...



Check this site for radioactive containers
and transport.

reply to post by ikonoklast


nuclear casks come in a variety of shapes depending on load and material, i wouldnt worry to much about the load they are normally low yield and are not weapon (explosive) type materials, the casks are tested to destruction and back again so no worries there to, if you go to you tube and search there for nuclear cask testing you will see just how tough these containers are, and example

Wee Mad