Making a choice of the right fuel tank trailer to buy would require you to establish the kind of work that you want to do and product you want to haul. This is a very important step to consider before proceeding on to other considerations.

One of the common features of fuel tank trailers that a potential buyer should look at closely is the versatility. The work that you want to do with your tank trailer may change quite often.

You want to have a trailer that will handle such dynamics from time to time. Again, it is important to look at the design that come with different types of fuel tank trailers.

Fuel tank trailers have different capacities, From 20 m³/cbm, 30 m³/cbm, 40 m³/cbm, 50 m³/cbm, 70 m³/cbm. Each type use different number of axles, such as 2, 3, 4 axles.

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Know the common capacity, dimensions and specs of fuel (petrol, diesel) tank trailer

 

There are many kinds of sizes and specs. Therefore, you need to know more parameters of the tank trailer to meet your demands.

There are many specs in the sheet, you will know what is each fuel tanker compartment sizes/capacity? How many liters does a fuel tanker hold or what is petrol tractor trailer tanker capacity?

30 m³/cbm Oil/ Fuel Tank Trailer
Gross vehicle weight 40 T/tons
Outer size 10500x2500x3750mm
Empty weight 9 T/tons
Payload 30 T/tons
Design Pressure 0.02MPa
Design temperature 50℃
Carrying liquid Fuel, petrol, diesel
Material Carbon Steel, stainless steel, aluminum

are optional

Volume 30, 35 m³/cbm
Compartment 2, 3, 4
Seal end Steel, stainless steel, aluminum 6.0mm
Bottom safety valve 4-inch stainless steel, aluminum

each compartment 1 discharge valve

Frame Made of Q345 steel
Suspension Steel spring-rigid suspension or air suspension
Tire 825R22.5, 11R22.5, 12R22.5 (8 pcs)
Axle 2 units
Axle brand 13 T/tons BPW/FUWA

 

38 m³/cbm Oil/ Fuel Tank Trailer
Gross vehicle weight 45 T/tons
Outer size 10500x2500x3750mm
Empty weight 9 T/tons
Payload 36 T/tons
Design Pressure 0.02MPa
Design temperature 50℃
Carrying liquid Fuel, petrol, diesel
Material Carbon Steel, stainless steel, aluminum

are optional

Volume 36, 37, 38 m³/cbm
Compartment 2, 3, 4
Seal end Steel, stainless steel, aluminum 6.0mm
Bottom safety valve 4-inch stainless steel, aluminum

each compartment 1 discharge valve

Frame Made of Q345 steel
Suspension Steel spring-rigid suspension or air suspension
Tire 825R22.5, 11R22.5, 12R22.5 (12 pcs)
Axle 3 units
Axle brand 13 T/tons BPW/FUWA

 

40 m³/cbm Oil/ Fuel Tank Trailer
Gross vehicle weight 50 T/tons
Outer size 11000x2500x3750mm
Empty weight 9 T/tons
Payload 40 T/tons
Design Pressure 0.02MPa
Design temperature 50℃
Carrying liquid Fuel, petrol, diesel
Material Carbon Steel, stainless steel, aluminum

are optional

Volume 40, 41, 42 m³/cbm
Compartment 2, 3, 4
Seal end Steel, stainless steel, aluminum 6.0mm
Bottom safety valve 4-inch stainless steel, aluminum

each compartment 1 discharge valve

Frame Made of Q345 steel
Suspension Steel spring-rigid suspension or air suspension
Tire 825R22.5, 11R22.5, 12R22.5 (12 pcs)
Axle 3 units
Axle brand 13, 16 T/tons BPW/FUWA

 

45 m³/cbm Oil/ Fuel Tank Trailer
Gross vehicle weight 55 T/tons
Outer size 11800x2500x3750mm
Empty weight 10 T/tons
Payload 45 T/tons
Design Pressure 0.02MPa
Design temperature 50℃
Carrying liquid Fuel, petrol, diesel
Material Carbon Steel, stainless steel, aluminum

are optional

Volume 43, 44, 45 m³/cbm
Compartment 2, 3, 4
Seal end Steel, stainless steel, aluminum 6.0mm
Bottom safety valve 4-inch stainless steel, aluminum

each compartment 1 discharge valve

Frame Made of Q345 steel
Suspension Steel spring-rigid suspension or air suspension
Tire 825R22.5, 11R22.5, 12R22.5 (12 pcs)
Axle 3 units
Axle brand 16 T/tons BPW/FUWA

 

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It would be an additional provision during your purchase to be able to include it later on when the need arises.

Prior to making your purchase, look on at future technologies. This is another important aspect to put in place when buying a petroleum or oil tank trailer. Don’t be ignorant of the technologies that exist and those coming up in this industry.

Stay informed of what is happening in the market so that you don’t end up with devalued equipment. To avoid this, it is important for you to keep updating your specifications for the type of tank trailer you need.

The industry keeps changing into new directions and therefore, you must ensure that you have learnt everything that is needed.

In this article, you will learn about key specifications for different fuel tank trailers highlight on the important considerations that you should make prior to purchasing them.

Next is a comprehensive fuel tank semi-trailer buying guide to follow.

 

1. Know What Liquid You Want to Transport

 

Different fuels have different requirements hence the material used for building a petrol, diesel and edible oil tank trailer will be different. Different fuels have different chemical and physical characteristics that go a long way into determining the choice of tank trailer to make.

  • Petrol and Diesel.Tank trailers used in the transportation of petrol and diesel are usually made of carbon steel. A carbon steel tank trailer is a low-cost construction and most importantly, it is easy to process. You can also choose stainless steel and aluminum alloy tank trailers. However, the cost for these two options will be high.
  • Edible oil. This is usually transported in an aluminum alloy tank trailer because it can avoid contaminating liquids. The trailer made of aluminum is also of big advantage when it comes to clean-out. Again, the body is completely encapsulated using insulation materials that help in minimizing the loss of heat. More than that, it is a lightweight construction offering effective volume capabilities unlike steel trailer constructions that tend to be somehow heavy.  
petroleum tank trailers

Petroleum tank trailers

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2. Choose the Right Specifications

 

  • Tank thickness– The thickness of the tank is very important. A thicker tank is always recommended especially when large volumes of fuel are to be transported. The material thickness used in the construction is a huge determinant on the service life of your tank. Making a replacement is something you don’t want to do quite often. Therefore, the thickness should be one that will last for quite some time. You need to stuck your odds together in your favor. The thickness of the material used in the construction of the trailer determines its durability. Manufacturers tend to cut corners with this requirement in order to save on the material at the expense of your tank performance and durability.  Therefore, insist on 1/8-inch thickness for aluminum tank trailer, 12-gauge for steel trailers and 14-gauge if you are going for a stainless-steel tank trailer. 
  • Tank Capacity – You can choose it according to the tank’s capacity. This will be dictated by the amount of fuel you want to transport to meet your needs. If your needs are too high, chose a trailer that will help you make few trips and meet the desired quantities.
  • Tank Shape – There are different tank shapes. These include circle, ellipse, and rectangular shapes. Their height of gravity ratio is 1:0.79:0.65. This way, you can choose the exact specifications you need. You can make a choice by considering a reduction in the length of the trailer and an increase in the capacity or one with a lower center of gravity. A fuel tank with a lower center of gravity enhances stability hence making a choice of the right shape can help you achieve this.
ellipse tank trailer

ellipse tank trailer

 

3. Safety of tank trailer

 

You need to make sure that your fuel tank trailer is resistant to impact. Some of the important checks to confirm in line with this requirement is the quality of the emergency valve.

In case of an accident the emergency valve should stay intact and ensure that the oil is not leaking.

Another safety features to check is the electrostatic eliminating device because static electricity produces sparks that won’t go well with a fuel tank trailer.

electrostatic eliminating device

electrostatic eliminating device

Make sure that your tank is tested for pressure. Enquire from the manufacturer if they do tests for leakages on the tank trailers. There is a chance that they do.

Go farther than that to know whether they use  (SPC) or the 100% leak testing at 5 psi. It is not a wise decision to accept the SPC.

You will be involving a lot of risk. What the SPC means is that, testing is usually done through a number of random samples that are pressure tested to establish the state of the trailer.

There are no guarantees with an SPC process. In that case, it is important to do a thorough leak testing at 5 psi in order to do away with the risk of getting a trailer with a pinhole.

Don’t allow the manufacturers to give you a mere talk when it comes to this requirement. Instead, make them test the tank thoroughly. Again, on safety issues, be sure about the coating made.

In many geographical locations, road salt and that existing in sea air around coastal regions is one of the biggest hazards to metal fuel tank trailers.

Therefore, establish the type of coatings that have been used to protect the tank trailers from these elements. Make sure you get tanks coated with rust resistant enamel paint or powder coated to prevent rust due to salty conditions.

 

4. Quality of Tank Production and welding

The type of tank production and welding standards applied determines whether the tank is solid enough to be used for fuel transportation. Confirm whether there is an adequate testing procedure and accountability system for the tank trailers.

Track down to establish whether the source of raw materials of the trailers is of a quality. Find out the reputation of the dealer’s supplier. This will help you be sure of the quality of tanks you are purchasing.

It is so because there are many small steel mill industries whose raw materials do not meet the recommended industry standards. This could be a big compromise on your part that could endanger your operations.

Establish the weld types used for the tank trailer construction. Most people tend to overlook this aspect but it is a key factor in establishing the life of your new tank. Look at the flanges and see the type and quality of welding done.

Much of the stress transfers and vibrations are carried by these welds on the flanges. The problem with this is that, you may not realize how much important it is with a considerable amount of wear and tear.

tank trailer product line

tank trailer product line

In fact, you may end up realizing that there was something unusual with the weld after the warranty has long-expired.

By just looking from a distance, all the welds look just okay but TIG welds tend to be a lot stronger compared to MIG welds on aluminum.

How do you identify a proper weld? Well, it doesn’t matter the material chosen for your tank trailer. The welds should be seen to hold the pieces together.

This is the only way you can be sure there will not be leaks to be worried about. A picture at a close range should be able to give you a clear view.

What you should be after is to see a convex weld that is ¼ inch wide. It should be continuous without any porosity. More than that, it should have a good deep penetration into the material. This should guarantee good quality fuel tank trailers.

 

5. Robust Design of tank trailer

 

A good design can increase the controllability and service life of your choice tank. In that case, straightness of the tank is an important thing to look at.

It ensures that the center of gravity is located at the center line hence increasing the tank’s stability. This helps in reducing the probability of rollovers.

It is important to note that parallelism of the axles increase the controllability of your fuel tank. Therefore, choose your tank on these lines to get good services from it.

Insist on getting the mechanical drawings of the tank trailer. Many manufacturers and operators will tell you that it is important to get a detailed design of the trailer especially the fit.

It can be a nightmare just to have this feature installed. It can end up costing a lot of your money and time and continue to extend your downtime. There is something more to check other than just having to hang a can on the frame.

Make sure that the ports line up. The cap should in the right position and the straps should be of the right length. The only way to ensure you have a tank that has everything fitting well is to study the design carefully.

You can get the drawings faxed to you or send via email. Spend several minutes to confirm the measurements of the type of tank trailer you have identified.

This will go a long way to save you a lot of frustration, time and money. If you can’t get drawings, it won’t be something worth the risk. Just keep off.

crude oil tank trailer

Robust Design

 

6. Cost Competitive Supplier

 

You definitely would want to buy a fuel tank trailer from a supplier who is not only concerned about making the sale but rather help you until you get satisfied with what you are buying.

Therefore, it is important to conduct your market research and see who would be the best supplier for your tank trailer.  Here is how to choose a good supplier:

  • Field study.Read reviews and feedback from reliable online sources and establish the reputation of each of suppliers in your list. Based on the information provided, you should be able to come up with the right choice of tank for your use. Compare the options you have out there in the market. If you have room to accommodate a tank trailer 10 inches longer, you can choose to installer a bigger size in order to reduce the number of refueling stops. Look at the tank trailers with fuel caps or ports in your desire position. You should have a say on where these go. Make sure that the supplier has options of having locking fuel caps, visual gauges, fuel heaters, sending units a number of straps in place.

There are many variations when shipping fuel tank trailers. If you want more than one trailer, you can consider shipping both at the same time. As a bonus, you can save a lot on freight charges.

The shipping cost of two tank trailers is usually the same or maybe slightly higher than making payment for one shipment.

  • Make a trial order. With a trial order, you will be able to establish a number of things. First, how does your chosen tank trailer look? Regardless of the type of tank trailer you purchase, it should appear great at the time of doing so. It shouldn’t have scratches, dents, paint drips or scrapes. The look of the tank should be the first sign that the manufacturer is proud of their work.

 More than that, you will be able to get details about shipping. Your tank trailer should get to you at a time as promised by the supplier.

Even though your supplier is not in a position to control what happens to it after leaving the dock, you should ask them to give you a confirmation of the tracking number and the shipping details.

This will provide you with an independent report of when it was picked up and its location at a particular point in time so you can track the progress.

 

Conclusion

 

There you have it. Ask yourself what could be of importance to know prior to purchasing a fuel tank. Listed here are the main things to look at. What you need is not just a metal container installed with a fuel cap.

They are not the same, especially when you consider all these elements. You can’t make your decision based on the price alone. Buying a fuel tank trailer is just when buying anything else.

It is therefore important to factor in everything else to avoid other hidden costs that may show up later. If you don’t confirm the quality of your product, you may end up using a lot of money at the end of the day.

Use this guide as a benchmark tool for your purchase and don’t go for anything less than that.

Reference:

Tank Trailer Guide Book – Learn All about Fuel, Oil, Pneumatic Tanker Trailers

Fuel tank

Fuel Truck Tank Design

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