Inside Our Intake Grading: What the Inspector Looks For

The visual scan

Bottle clarity, color, evidence of crystallization. A bottle that has cleared of prior product to obvious chemistry is a different proposition than one with a residual stain. Some discoloration is harmless; some is a flag for the wash recipe.

Cage straightness, rust on welds, corner protector integrity, valve seat condition. A bent cage is repairable; a corroded valve seat usually means a swap from the parts pool.

The label review

The placard on the side of the cage is the prior-contents declaration. If it is missing, faded, or covered, the tank goes to a holding area until we can establish prior contents. We do not guess and we do not accept verbal contents declarations from drivers.

The decision tree

• Bottle intact + cage straight + prior contents documented and acceptable → routed to Wash or Reconditioned line.
• Bottle intact + minor cosmetic issues → Bottle Tight grade or sold as-is for non-regulated service.
• Bottle stress-cracked or compromised → routed to disassembly and grind line.
• Prior contents unacceptable or undocumented → segregated, customer notified, return at our cost.

Why the rigor matters

A reconditioned tote that ends up in the wrong service is a bad outcome for everyone — buyer, seller, regulator. The 90 seconds at intake is what prevents almost all of those bad outcomes. We would rather reject 1% of incoming inventory at the gate than let one wrong tank reach a customer dock.