Transloading is a common term in supply chain logistics, and every shipper needs this service for the successful shipment of their freight, especially across international waters. 

In this article, we show you what transloading is, what it isn’t, and why you need it. We also show you the best transloading company around. 

What Is Transloading?

Transloading is the transfer of freight from one mode of shipment to another while the shipment is en route to its final destination (s). 

Say, for instance, you run a chain of restaurants at various locations. You then need to ship some spices from somewhere in the UK to your restaurants in the US. Your shipment would have to through various shipping modes, and maybe various carriers as well. Your supplier would load your spices into a truck that takes your shipment to dock or airport, where your freight is unloaded from the truck and loaded into the next mode of transportation. 

When your freight lands in the US, it most likely still has a long way to go before it reaches your restaurants. But the ship obviously can’t bring your spices to their final locations, so they’re unloaded and loaded into a truck that takes them to your main warehouse. This brings your spices closer to your restaurants. 

After you then unload your spices in the warehouse, they are deconsolidated into smaller sizes, depending on the need of each restaurant. Finally, you can have trucks load them all up from your warehouse and unload them at your various restaurants, their final destinations.

From the UK to the US, your shipment was loaded into one mode of transportation and unloaded from another until it got deconsolidated, and the units got to their various final destinations. That is what transloading is.  

Why is Transloading Important?

When you hear the word “logistics,” it is easy to forget the complexities the encompassing word hides and how much time, effort, and money goes into it. Many of the products we use were made in foreign countries. You can use these products because logistics made it possible. 

Transloading is right at the heart of long-distance logistics, especially those involving the crossing of international borders through cargo ships or planes. Without it, there simply would be no other way to ship our freight using over one mode of transportation.  

What Transloading Isn’t

They aren’t beyond forgiveness when a person confuses some terms in logistics with others. After all, the field is filled with a lot of terms that are very similar up to a point, and completely different from that point onwards. Examples of such terms are transloading, cross-docking, and intermodal. How is transloading different from intermodal and cross-docking?

Transloading vs Intermodal

Intermodal shipping is moving freight using over one mode of transportation. This is very similar to transloading, but the difference is that loading and unloading are not involved in intermodal.

In intermodal shipping, your freight is loaded into a container, which is placed on the chassis of a truck. The truck takes your container to the next mode of transportation, where the same container is simply lifted and placed on the next mode of transportation. The major difference between transloading and intermodal is that freight remains in a container for most of the haul.

Why then would you prefer intermodal shipping that transports your freight in one container to transloading where your freight risks being damaged during loading and unloading? The answer is that your freight can’t remain in containers forever. At some point, you still have to unload them from the container and load them into trucks that will take them to their final destination.

So, the question isn’t so much about which is better as much as it is about which one to use at each phase of transporting the shipment.

Transloading vs Cross-docking

In transloading, shipment may sometimes spend time in warehouses where it awaits the next mode of transportation. But cross-docking differs from transloading in that the former requires no warehousing or any other form of storage. This is because the shipment is being loaded into another mode of transportation as soon as one is unloading it from one. Cross-docking has a quick turnaround, and it is often reserved for perishable items. 

Transloading With Total Connection

A lot of things could go wrong during transloading. If the transloading company entrusts your shipment to the hands of incompetent employees, there’s no telling how much damage they could do to your freight. Although you may claim your damages through insurance, this is would take time and involve some paperwork.

You don’t want to get it wrong before you eventually get it right with the transloading company of your choice. We, at Total Connection, can handle your shipping and transloading needs.

Total Connection not only cares about your business, but we also care about your freight. And we handle every freight unit delicately. Forget about ever having to file for those time-taking claims when you entrust your freight to us. We guarantee safety and security for your freight.

Our efficient facilities can be at your service as soon as you contact us through the brief quote form below.

Liquid materials are very important to the survival of any economy. No economy can do without bulk liquid materials, such as fuels, foods and their additives, industrial chemicals, and many more. But if there’s anything that sits right at the heart of these bulk liquids, it is liquid transport services.

For the rest of this article, we introduce you to what liquid transport services are before listing some of the common liquid transport services there are.

What Are Liquid Transport Services?

Liquid transport services are those services and the processes involved in the transportation of various bulk liquids from shippers to the consignees. These services mostly revolve around bulk liquids and how to ship them commercially in the most effective, efficient, and safe manner. 

The services that liquid transport providers offer are crucial to the economy of any nation. For instance, liquid fertilizers are needed for farms, and chemicals are needed to make just about any consumer product. Oilfield and petroleum chemicals are required for the production of energy for the population. Even sewage and liquid wastes have to be moved. And liquid transport service providers are right at the heart of all these.

That’s what liquid transport services are. But before we go too far, let’s ensure we’re all on the same page as to what bulk liquid means.

What is a Bulk Liquid?

A Bulk liquid is any liquid material that is up for commercial transportation. You could have a full tank of water somewhere, but it still wouldn’t be called a bulk liquid because commercialization has not yet been involved. And in the transport business, commercialization only comes in when a large quantity of the liquid is being transported in bulk containers or tankers.

How Liquid Transport Services Work

There are three major categories that things on our planet belong to, and they are solid, liquid, and gas. Gases can’t be transported until they are liquified, so that leaves us with just two means of bulk transportation: solid and liquid. 

Transporting bulk solids and dry bulks is relatively easy because the materials take their own shapes. Liquids, on the other hand, take the shape of whatever container in which you keep them. This means, if there’s a leak somewhere in the container, the liquids are prone to escaping. Spillage is also a common problem for bulk liquids transports. The high reaction rates in liquids also make them tricky to transport. And with each complication comes an inherent danger. 

Considering all these complications and accompanying dangers, it is easy to see why most entities in the transport/shipping industry avoid offering liquid transport services. 

Thanks to these complications, liquid transport services have various ways of operating. However, some processes apply to most liquid transport services:

1. Proper Inspection

Everything involved in the transportation must first be inspected, including the tanker, the bulk liquid itself, and the environment. As for the tanker, it must first be inspected for cracks or dents. It must also be clean, as impurities could lower the integrity of whatever bulk liquid it transports.

The liquid inspection comes into play when you need to be sure you’re transporting the right chemical in the right tanker or container. Matching the wrong liquid with a tanker could be dangerous. You could lose the liquid, the tanker, and even lives.

The environment where a liquid is being loaded or unloaded must also be inspected to ensure that it’s safe. Loading or unloading a flammable liquid in an area where there’s likely to be a spark, for instance, is a disaster waiting to happen.

2. Tanker/Container Testing

Apart from the inspection, the tanker should also undergo a testing process that helps to ascertain that it is durable enough to bear chemical loading. One way to test a tanker is by pressurizing it. 

3. Loading and Unloading

The loading and unloading processes of bulk liquids are also other crucial parts where things could go wrong. Pump-loading a liquid that should only be compressor-loaded is a disaster waiting to happen. And at the very least, efficiency will be sacrificed.

Common Liquid Transport Services

Thanks to the various kinds of liquids and their potential uses, there are numerous liquid transport services. In fact, many liquid transport service providers tend to specialize in just a few of these services. 

The services include:

1. Hazmat Transport Service

Hazmat stands for hazardous materials. And as the name suggests, they are liquids that are considered inherently dangerous. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) classifies these materials into nine, including flammable liquids, explosives, and poisons. And most of the classes have liquids that perfectly fit in. 

Hazmat transport services are peculiar because the US Department of Transportation has a lot of regulations surrounding them. Considering how dangerous these bulk liquids can be, this isn’t surprising. 

In addition to training every staff member how to handle hazardous materials, for instance, the service provider also has to keep up with the ever-changing rules. As a result, hazmat transport service providers often prefer to concentrate on shipping hazmat materials.

2. Chemical Transport Service

We need chemicals in various industries to make lots of consumer products, making chemical transport services indispensable. 

One of the most commonly transported chemicals in this category of liquid transport services is plasticizers. Plasticizers are additives added to plastics to imbue them with certain characteristics that enhance the performance of the plastics in their applications.

3. Food Grade Transport Service

Bulk liquid food materials also have a transport service that caters to them specifically. The materials that belong to this category include edible oils, sweeteners, and many more. 

There is also a sub-category here that is dedicated to kosher transport service. This is reserved for the shipping of bulk liquid food items that have Jews as their end-users. The reason we have this is that Jews must not eat some kinds of foods. But they would be indirectly eating these foods if a tanker that was used to ship their food was previously used to ship a food item they must not eat. Hence, the need to dedicate tankers to shipping Kosher foods, or at least kosher-washing a tanker before use.

4. Petroleum and Oilfield Chemical Transport Service

Petroleum and oilfield chemical transport services could easily fit into the chemical and hazmat transport service categories above. But it has peculiarities that make it stand out from those categories. Some of the peculiarities are the flammability and high demand for the liquids. That’s why it isn’t unheard of that some liquids transport services focus on this alone. 

Bulk liquids that pass through this service include fuel of all kinds, and oil field chemicals, such as surfactants.

5. Liquid Fertilizer Transport Service

This service focuses on the chemical fertilizers that go into feeding the world. These chemicals include fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides. 

6. Sewage and Liquid Waste Transport Service

Change is constant, so they say. So is waste. We generate waste every time and someone has to do the dirty work of transporting them to their proper disposing systems. This is where sewage and liquid waste transport services come into play.

How Bulk Liquids Are Transported

Liquid transport services rely on various options to carry out their bulk liquid transportation. Each has its strengths, weaknesses, and capacity limits. Examples of these bulk liquid transportation methods are:

1. ISO Tanks

ISO tanks are standard containers that are layered on the interior with protective materials and are made with a stainless steel exterior. The design protects the tanks from deterioration or corroding from the transport of various hazardous and non-hazardous liquids. 

Examples of liquids that can be transported in ISO tanks include oils, petroleum, and fuels. ISO tanks often have capacities that range from 5,000 gallons to 11,000 gallons.

2. Flexitanks

Flexitanks are collapsible tanks made from polyethylene layers. Because of their nature, only non-hazardous chemicals can be shipped in flexitanks. 

Flexitanks come in various sizes and are inexpensive. On the downside, however, they can only be used once and do not take kindly to being under-loaded or overloaded.

3. Drums and Barrels

Drums and barrels come in various kinds, including steel, fiber, and plastic. They are often used to transport food items and hazardous materials. 

Drums and barrels can hold anything from 20 to 250 liters of bulk liquids, depending on the size. 

4. Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC)

IBCs are similar to ISOs but smaller. They are called intermediate bulk containers because they have a capacity range that sits in between that of ISO tanks and barrels. One IBC can hold from 200 to 1,250 liters of bulk liquids, for instance.

The Best Liquid Transport Service

While it is common that some liquid transport services often focus on specific services, the experienced ones are able to combine various services and still excel at them all. A perfect example is Total Connection.

Total Connection is a third-party logistics provider that has mastered various liquid transport services, such as hazmat, food-grade, chemical, petroleum, and fertilizer bulk liquid transports. 

But if there’s something we do better than providing efficient liquid transport services, it is our customer service. With 24/7 customer support and a pool of experts always ready to assist you, we were able to satisfy hundreds of customers, including many Fortune 500 companies, and we continue to do so.

You too can bring your business on board the seamless liquid transport ship by filling up the brief quote form below.

Understanding Chemical Shipping Claims: A Shippers Guide

Receiving chemical shipping claims may be an unfortunate norm at the end of the carrier. So, they already know how to handle them when they arise. But as a shipper/consignee, you may not have experienced it a lot of times. This means you may not know how to file the chemical freight claim, which is understandable. 

That is why we have curated this article to help you understand chemical shipping claims and how to file them. We also describe the laws that back you when making your claim, and the mistakes to avoid to ensure your claim is approved.

What Is A Chemical Cargo Claim?

A chemical cargo claim is a demand for financial compensation by a shipper or a consignee from a carrier in the case of chemical cargo damage or loss during transit. The party that makes the claim is called the claimant. The claimant has the right to request refunds or compensation 

However, the shipper must have evidence that the damage occurred while the cargo was still in the custody of the carrier, and not afterward. This delayed discovery often makes a concealed damage claim tricky because the claimant’s evidence that the damage was the fault of the carrier must be very solid.

1. Shortage Claim

You file a shortage claim when you receive a lesser chemical quantity than you ordered, and it must be filed as soon as observed. A chemical shortage claim could be a result of leaks or spills in transit. 

2. Concealed Shortage Claim

The concealed shortage claim is similar to the shortage claim in that it also deals with a chemical shipment that is lesser in quantity than ordered. It is also similar to other concealed claims in that it is tricky to prove that the carrier is responsible for it. As a result, you might face some resistance from the carrier to process the claim. 

3. Refused Claim

This claim is filed when you are not satisfied with the chemical cargo you’ve received. It could be because it is the wrong chemical or it was delayed longer than necessary. 

When you refuse a shipment, the carrier has to return the chemical to its terminal where it then decides what to do with the shipment. 

Common Causes of Chemical Cargo Claims

Damages, shortages, and other types of claims that pervade the chemical shipping industry have some of the following common causes:

1. Equipment failure

An equipment failure is often a major cause of many claims, as the failure isn’t usually discovered until some significant damage has been done. 

Apart from equipment failure, the use of wrong equipment could also result in catastrophic situations. For instance, you should not use a pump for unloading a chemical cargo that should only be unloaded through a compressor. And this is why carriers invest in the right equipment for bulk liquid loading and unloading.

2. Product Contamination

The causes of contamination are numerous. It could happen during loading, unloading, or the use of the wrong equipment. Another possible cause of product contamination is the unintentional mixing of the product chemical with another chemical. This could happen when the shipping trailer was not properly cleaned after the transport of a previous chemical before shipping another chemical.

3. Product Loss Due To Leaks And Spills

A leaking tank might not be discovered until the truck gets to its destination, only for the truck driver to discover that there is a cargo shortage at delivery. This kind of claim almost always ends up in the favor of the shipper/consignee, as the shortage is obviously the fault of the carrier.

What Are Your Rights As A Shipper To File A Cargo Claim?

When you receive your freight in an unsatisfactory condition, what rights back you to file a claim? Are you going to argue back and forth with your carrier until someone bends? Or is there a legal ground on which you can build your cargo claim to get back what’s yours?

As a shipper/consignee, the laws that offer you the right to make cargo claims against a carrier are summed up in the Carmack Amendment. 

The Carmack Amendment

The Carmack Amendment was passed in 1935. It is the law that describes your rights, duties, and liabilities, as well as those of your carrier, in situations of cargo loss, damage, or shortage. This law covers all commodity shipments between states.

According to the Carmack amendment, shippers have up to 9 months after the reception of the damaged chemical cargo to file claims. Lawsuits have a much more delayed deadline of two years and a day. But when a claim is to be filed, the carrier must:

• Notify the carrier through a written or electronic mode of communication
• Include facts and pieces of evidence that identify the chemical cargo. An example is the freight invoice.
• Also, include facts and pieces of evidence that pin the liability of the claim on the carrier. This could be the bill of lading marking the chemical cargo as being damaged, and the pictures of the damaged cargo you took.
• Demand an amount of money that covers the damage and nothing more. Be careful to not bloat this amount, as it could cost you the claim.

The Carmack Amendment holds the carrier liable for any shipment damage during transit unless the carrier provides proof of negligence. Another way the carrier can escape the responsibilities of the Carmack Amendment is when any of the following exceptions come into play:

Exemptions from the Carmack Amendment

There are five exemptions from the Carmack Amendments:

1. The Act of God

The carrier can hide under the “Act of God ” banner when the product damage was caused by a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or a hurricane. However, this defense becomes void when the natural disaster was foreseen. 

2. The Act of War

The “act of War” exemption from the Carmack Amendment takes hold when the product loss, damage, or shortage was caused by military forces who are against the United States. But since there has not been a war on our American soil for a long time, this defense has not been used very often. 

3. The Act of Default Shipper

The Act of Default Shipper is an exemption that carriers can take refuge in when the damage is from the shipper/supplier of the product. 

4. Public Authority

Governments make policies and decisions that affect lives all the time. When any of these decisions or policies directly affect the shipment, the carrier is excluded from the Carmack Amendment. Examples of these policies or decisions are trade embargoes and road closures.

5. The Inherent Vice of The Product Being Shipped

Products often have inherent properties that may propel them to spontaneous damage. The carrier has to take precautions and make use of equipment to ensure that such products are in good condition on delivery. But, if despite these, the products still end up damaged, the carrier may be excluded from the Carmack Amendment.

Steps To Filing A Cargo Claim

Filing a cargo claim is a straightforward process. Note that “straightforward” doesn’t necessarily translate to “easy.” The steps you need to take to file a cargo claim are:

1. Always Test The Chemicals For Purity As Soon As You Receive Them

Checking the purity of your chemical cargo as soon as you receive it should be the first thing you should do. Only when you do this will you discover a significant quality drop early enough to file a strong damage claim. Although the Carmack Amendment gives you a window of 9 months to file this claim after your receipt of the chemicals, the earlier you file the claim, the faster the process. 

2. Mark The Bill Of Lading As Damaged And Take Pictures Evidencing The Damage 

A claim without evidence is no claim. As soon as you notice a drop in purity or damage in your chemical cargo, mark your bill of lading as damaged and take a picture for evidence. But you aren’t to return the damaged chemical cargo just yet. It should be with you for the duration of the claim. 

3. Pay Freight Charges

Don’t withhold the freight payment because you aren’t satisfied with your chemical cargo. This could slow down the claim process drastically or even void your claim completely. Instead, pay for the freight charges despite your dissatisfaction. If your claim is right, you will get your claim’s worth. 

4. Notify Your Broker Or Trucker In Writing With Your Intent To File A Claim

You have 9 months after the delivery of the damaged chemical cargo to make your trucker know you’re filing a claim. And you have to notify them by writing to them or through any electronic means. The earlier you notify them, the faster the claiming process starts. 

5. Gather The Documents And Send Them To Your Broker Or Trucker

After notifying your broker or trucker of your intention to file a claim, the next thing to do is to send copies of your documents to them. These documents should include:

• Bill of lading

The bill of lading is a document that lists all the necessary details of the chemical cargo, and the carrier gives it to you. It is also this bill of lading that determines the claiming rules that would take effect when cargo is transported across state lines. Assume a cargo sets out from Mexico, passes through the United States, before arriving in Canada. Although each country has various regulations as regards claims, the origination of the bill of lading would be Mexico, and this is the country whose rules you would follow as regards claims. However, you’re not just to send the trucker your bill of lading as you received it. You have to mark your cargo as being damaged.

• An invoice showing the full value of the cost of the damaged goods or repair invoice

This is so that all parties involved can be sure of exactly how much is at stake during the claim. Remember that this invoice should not include the profit you may have lost from not using the damaged chemical cargo. Instead, it should only contain the exact cost of covering the damage, shortage, or whatever you think is wrong with your chemical cargo.

• Evidence of freight invoice paid

Pay the freight bill and keep the evidence of payment.

• Picture evidence of damage

In addition to your documents, send the trucker the pictures you took evidencing the damaged chemical cargo. The pictures would be referred to while the investigation of your claim is ongoing. 

6. Keep the damaged cargo safe

While the claim is yet ongoing, make sure to keep the chemical cargo safe. Don’t tamper with the cargo while it is in your custody or you may be tampering with your claim.

After you must have made your claim intentions known to the carrier and having sent the necessary documents, you wait for the carrier to make their move. The carrier has 30 days to legally notify you of the reception of your claim. This acknowledgment isn’t an agreement to settle you, however. It just means you and the carrier have agreed to look into the claim.

Mistakes To Avoid When Filing A Chemical Claim

When you file a chemical cargo claim, you’re telling the carrier they made a mistake. And you’re not only asking them to admit it but to also pay for it. But just like you, your carrier hates losing money to things like this. Hence, they push back. But if your claim is strong, there’s almost no way for them to wiggle out of it from their end. Unless an error comes from your end. These errors are reasons why your freight claim could be denied.

So, here are some mistakes you need to avoid when filing a chemical claim: 

1. Do Not Sign The POD Before Inspection

The first thing you should do as soon as the chemical cargo arrives at your warehouse is to inspect it for damages. Otherwise, if you signed the Proof of Delivery (POD) and later found out that the cargo has been damaged, you would have no claim. This is because signing the POD means you have agreed that you have received the chemical cargo and you are satisfied with what you received.

2. Do Not Alter Or Dispose Of The Product In Any Way

As soon as you discover the damage, shortage, or any other thing that warrants a claim, leave the product as you received it. Do not alter, dispose, or expose the product to more damage because it could void your claim, and you go home with nothing for your claim. 

3. Do Not Make A Claim For More Than The Damaged Goods Are Worth

This is a common mistake many claimants make. Filing claims is not a means of making more money, so you should never make a claim for more than the actual worth of the damaged chemical cargo. We advise you to invite technical experts who can help you with your calculations. Claiming more than the damage is worth is another cheap way to void your claim.

4. Do Not Move The Products Being Claimed From The Final Destination Warehouse

Also, avoid moving the product very often, as it could increase its exposure to damage.  Just keep the claimed product somewhere in its destination warehouse where it doesn’t interrupt your business and it isn’t exposed to potential damages.

5. Do Not Discard Any Documents Pertaining To The Shipment

Remember those documents we asked you to send to your trucker informing them of your intention to file a claim? Keep your copies of them. Insurance companies may need to refer to it while the claim is ongoing. 

6. Do Not Refuse To Pay Your Freight Bill

Refusing to pay the freight bill could weaken the stance of your claim. Because even the freight has a deadline for payment, which you would be defying when you refuse to pay your freight bill.

7. Don’t Obstruct The Carrier’s Attempt To Mitigate The Claim

Carriers are within their legal rights when they offer to mitigate the value of your claim. This allows them to reduce the financial loss to the barest minimum. They may do this by re-delivering your chemical cargo or any other means that could ensure that the claiming process goes down without hurting any of the parties too deeply. 

But when you refuse your carrier the right to mitigate the value of the claim, you would be handing them a strong legal ground to reject your claim.

Conclusion

By now, we hope you already know about your rights as a shipper when you receive a chemical cargo that is unsatisfactory. You should now know how to file an undeniable cargo claim. But this is not a skill you would need to master if you just shipped your chemical cargo Total Connection.

Total Connection is a third-party logistics company that specializes in the shopping of chemical cargo of all kinds from everywhere to anywhere. When you transport your chemical freights through us, we adopt a “no-excuses” policy that ensures that we deliver your products to you in the best condition possible. Without excuses, of course.

You can forget about filing chemical cargo claims when you do business with us. Start by filling out the brief quote form below, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Proper liquid bulk tanker loading or unloading is crucial to the quality maintenance of chemical products. And if things go wrong here, the consequences are usually catastrophic.

The tanker loading and unloading process often includes the inspection of the truck, trailer, and equipment, and verifying that the right tanker is unloading the right chemical product into the right storage tank. It also requires an expert level of competence by the driver to pay attention while the process is ongoing and spot potential issues before they develop.

In this article, you’ll learn the proper loading and unloading process of a bulk liquid tanker. But first, check out important tips on how to remain safe during the process.

Safety Tips for Loading and Unloading A Liquid Bulk Tanker

Safety should always be the foremost thing during the loading and unloading of any chemical. That is why the driver should always wear the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This includes:

• Eye protection
• Long sleeve shirt
• Gloves
• Full-length trousers
• Safety shoes 

The Loading Process of A Liquid Bulk Tanker

Various chemicals have varying loading procedures, depending on the nature of the chemical. For instance, some chemicals require pumps for unloading. Using compressors for these chemicals could have dangerous consequences. The same thing goes for the use of pumps for chemicals that require compressors. There are even times when both pumps and compressors must be used to achieve the most effective results.

There are two loading types for truck tankers. The first is top-loading, and the other is bottom loading. Top loading is the traditional type, whereby a hose is connected to the manhole at the top of the truck trailer. Bottom loading passes chemicals into the tank through valves and fittings underneath the truck trailer.

The difference between top loading and bottom loading of chemicals into a truck trailer is that bottom loading is safer for loading fuel products. Loading from the top might increase the agitation and sloshing of the bulk fuel product. This could lead to the formation of more vapor than necessary. Vapor is bad, especially when it comes from flammable liquids because you can’t see it with your eyes but the slightest spark could set off. Bottom loading, however, does not agitate the liquid fuel product as much.

Steps to Load Bulk Liquid Into a Truck Trailer

Before we proceed, note that the steps here are not exhaustive. Some steps may differ or may be included, depending on the nature of the chemical being loaded. However, you’ll find that the loading procedures here are more geared towards inflammable bulk liquid. 

Without wasting more time, here are the generic steps to take when loading bulk liquids from storage tanks into truck trailers.

Before Loading

As a driver, these are the steps you should take before loading the bulk liquid product into the truck tanker:

1. Do your inspection. Go round your vehicle as you do a thorough inspection. See if all the pieces of equipment you need for the loading process are complete. Confirm that there are no defects on the equipment, such as leaks, broken springs, misaligned axles, and so on. If there is any odor, look for the source and try to stop it. 
2. Check all the trailer compartments to be sure that they are completely empty. The last thing you want is the mixing of some products you don’t want to mix. This shouldn’t be a problem, however, if the vehicle has been taken to the wash station before this shipment.
3. Confirm that you’re about to load the right chemical. And if the chemical is hazardous, ensure that your truck trailer has all the necessary labels. Also confirm that you have brought the right trailer for the right chemical, such as an in-transit heat trailer for temperature-sensitive bulk liquids.

Loading Procedures

These are the loading steps when loading a liquid bulk tanker:

1. Position your trailer on the proper loading spot. Make sure it is positioned in such a way that the drop tube goes vertically into the tank and reaches as far down into the tank as it can to reduce turbulence. 
2. Turn off the engine of the truck. Every other piece of electrical equipment, such as the radio and lights, should be off too. This precaution is most necessary if you’re loading a flammable liquid because the slightest spark could set off a fire.
3. Check to see if all compartment valves are closed if you’re loading into a compartmentalized tank trailer.
4. For the loading of combustible liquids, connect a grounding interlock to the truck. The grounding interlock connects the truck to the ground so that static charges can flow into the ground where they pose no risk of igniting the chemical. Do this before you open the dome cover.
5. When loading into a compartmentalized truck, only the compartment being filled should be open. Others should remain closed.
6. You’re all set for loading. But just before loading, use the tip of the loading spout to touch the truck some few feet away from the loading hatch to ground any static charges. Again, this step is important for the loading of combustible chemicals.
7. Set the meter stop, if there’s one, to the desired quantity to avoid overfilling. Remember to leave some vacant space (outage) for liquid thermal expansion.
8. Open the loading valve so that product flow starts. Start with slow loading for the following chemicals:
   1. Kerosene
   2. Jet fuel
   3. Turbine fuel
   4. Diesel fuel, and
   5. Heating oil. 

This is because these liquids are likely to generate static electric charges in pipes and the initial turbulence when the chemical hits the bottom of the truck could be dangerous. To be safe, slow the loading to about 120 gallons per minute or less for the first 6 inches of the compartment.

9. Never go too far away from the loading truck while loading is ongoing. Avoid any form of distraction. Your full attention should be on the loading process.
10. Close the loading valve when the truck trailer is filled, but leave the drop tube in the tank for a few minutes to allow for complete draining. 
11. Close the dome cover.
12. Repeat these steps for every other truck trailer compartment you’re loading. Reposition the truck if necessary to make sure all compartments are properly filled.
13. Disconnect grounding interlock.
14. Take a walk around your truck once again to verify that every used equipment has been returned to its proper place and everything is as it should.
15. Drive the truck away from the loading spot and report all malfunctions, if there were any, to your supervisor.

The Unloading Process of A Liquid Bulk Tanker

Just as it is with loading, the unloading processes of chemicals often differ depending on the chemical. It is then the responsibility of the carrier to know all the required unloading procedures for whatever chemical product it chooses to transport. 

Once again, what we have are the generic steps to unload bulk liquid from truck trailers into storage tanks. The steps are not exhaustive, and the liquid bulk carrier should know when to take additional steps to suit the chemical they’re unloading. 

Steps to Unload Bulk Liquid Into a Storage Tank

These are the steps to take when unloading a liquid bulk tanker into a storage tank:

Before Unloading

1. Park your delivery tanker at the proper unloading spot and turn off the engine. Position the truck at the optimal position to deliver your trailer content into the storage tank.
2. Turn off every other electrical equipment in the truck.
3. Take a walk around the truck as you inspect the truck, the delivery tank, and the unloading equipment. Ensure that nothing is out of place. Ensure that the unloading equipment is clean and in proper working conditions. 
4. Create a perimeter by demarcating the unloading area so that no one wanders too close. 
5. Confirm that the chemical you’re unloading matches the tank you’re unloading into. 
6. The storage tank must have been unambiguously labeled to avoid confusion. Otherwise, do not unload into this tank until call dispatch. 
7. Confirm that the tank can hold all the products you’re delivering. 
8. Fill up every necessary paperwork before you start unloading. 

Unloading Procedure

1. Attach the unloading hose after you uncap the discharge connection. 
2. Confirm that all receiving valves are closed before you attach the discharge hose to the appropriate receiving line and the right tank.
3. Only the tank receiving the product should be open while other adjoining tanks should be closed.
4. For chemicals that are prone to releasing vapor, attach a vapor recovery system.
5. You’re set to unload your chemical product into the storage tanks. Open the internal safety valves of tank compartments being unloaded into the storage tank. To be safe, only unload from a maximum of two tank compartments at once. Every other valve should remain closed.
6. Open the discharge valve as carefully as you can and check for leaks. 
7. Stay close as unloading is ongoing. As the driver, your attention should be on the unloading process. Avoid distractions and be on a constant check for leaks, vent overfills, and other potential issues.
8. Make sure to drain all the products in the tank. Leaving products in the tank is unlawful and has consequences attached.
9. Close all the valves you opened before unloading. Sometimes, these valves may shut accidentally before the compartment has been completely drained. So, make sure all the valves you opened haven’t already closed.
10. After closing the valve, drain residual products from the fittings and hoses into the storage tank.
11. Return all the fittings and hoses to their rightful places.
12. Fill up all paperwork that verify that you’ve unloaded all the products.
13. Close caps and manholes. 
14. Carefully drive your truck away from the delivery spot.

Conclusion

The loading and unloading of a liquid bulk chemical are simple tasks. The generic procedure includes inspecting the truck, trailer, and equipment. You then verify that the storage tank and the truck trailer are for the right chemical. Then comes the opening of necessary valves in the right order, and closing them after unloading or loading. And finally, paperwork filling.

However, things could quickly go wrong under the watch of an incompetent bulk liquid carrier. An error as simple as unloading a chemical into the wrong storage tank could lead to product contamination. Using a pump unloader instead of a compressor is another error on the long list of things that could go wrong with bulk liquid loading and loading. The worst part is that these errors are usually costly and may lead to one or all of the following:

• Loss of lives
• Loss of properties
• Reduction in product quality
• Product waste
• Waste of money, time, and resources

But you can avoid these unfavorable consequences when you transport your bulk liquids with Total Connection.

Choosing Total Connection as Your Liquid Bulk Carrier

You can avoid bulk liquid carrier issues when you choose Total Connection as your liquid bulk carrier. 

Total Connection is a third-party logistics company that deals in all kinds of bulk liquid transport for all industries, including agric, construction, and oil and gas. We tailor our services to your needs so that you too can have access to the best bulk chemical shipping solutions. What you get is:

• Product safety at all times during transit.
• Round-the-clock customer service with access experts for your chemical shipping needs.
• Flexible services that allow you to make late orders and cancellations on short notice.
• Affordable costs.
• Massive insurance cover in the very rare case of accidents.

You only need to fill up the brief quote form below to contact us. 

Bulk Liquid Transport 101: A Complete Guide To Bulk Liquid Transport Equipment

The success or failure of any bulk liquid transport heavily depends on the kinds of equipment used. And so we wrote this complete guide to bulk liquid transport equipment to give you a good grip of what pieces of equipment you should expect to see when your carrier comes to load or unload your bulk liquid freight.

In this article, you’ll learn

• What bulk liquids are
• What bulk liquid transport equipment are
• Bulk liquid transport accessories
• Factors to Consider for Safe Transport of Bulk Liquid
• Key Questions to Determine the Optimal Bulk Liquid Equipment
• Bulk Liquid Transport Equipment FAQ

What is Bulk Liquid?

Bulk liquid, or liquid bulk cargo, is a liquid transported in large volumes in tanks on ships, cargo planes, or trailer trucks. The carrier vessels transporting these liquids must have the necessary equipment to load and unload them safely, and also to keep them pure during transit. Examples of bulk liquids are:

• Vegetable Oils
• Essential Oils
• Chemicals like polymer additives and coating additives
• Rubber
• Oilfield chemicals
• Liquefied natural gas (LNG), and many more

What Are Bulk Liquid Transport Equipment?

Bulk liquid transport equipment comprises those tools and accessories that are used to aid the transport and storage of bulk liquid cargoes. Common examples of bulk liquid equipment and accessories are:

• Tank trailers
• Chassis
• Hose
• Center/rear unloader
• Heat coils
• Catwalk
• Pump
• Compressor
• Vapor recovery system
• Scully System
• Camlock fitting, and more.

And in this article, you’ll learn about these types of equipment and how they contribute to safe and secure bulk liquid transport.

Bulk Liquid Transport Equipment: Tank Trailer

A tank trailer, or a bulk tanker, is a tank that carries bulk liquid freight, such as gas, acids, agrichemical products, and hazardous materials, in a trailer pulled by a freight truck. The tanks are usually cylindrical. 

The cylindrical shape of the tanks eases the loading and unloading of the liquid content of the tanker. There are, however, some that come in other complex shapes with hoppers and valves that make unloading easier and faster.

Another peculiarity of tank trailers is most have their insides fitted with baffles. Baffles help to reduce the agitation of the liquid content during transit. They are very useful in preventing the full weight of the bulk liquid from destabilizing or tipping the trailer over.

What are the Types of Bulk Liquid Tankers?

Tank trailers have two major categories, depending on the content they transport or their structures. The types of bulk liquid tankers according to their structures are:

• General-purpose tank trailers
• General-purpose tankers with heat coils
• Pneumatic tank trailers
• Vacuum tanks
• Rubber lined tank trailers
• Aluminum tank trailers
• Compartmentalized
• Fiberglass reinforced plastic tanks, and
• ISO tanks

And the tanker types according to their bulk liquid content are:

• Petroleum tankers
• Food grade tankers
• Petrochemical tankers
• Hot product tankers, and 
• Corrosive tankers.

Tank Trailer Types By Structure

Tank trailers come in various structures which make them suitable for various shipping conditions. The common types are:

1. General-Purpose tank trailer

The general purpose tankers are used to transport bulk liquids that don’t require special care or procedures when transporting. They are the usual steel tankers that can transport liquids such as water and juice. 

2. General Purpose tankers with Heat Coils

General-purpose tankers with heat coils are a step ahead of the mere general-purpose tankers. As the name suggests, the heat coils help to raise or maintain the temperature of temperature-sensitive bulk liquid content during transit. Another name for these tankers is in-transit heat trailers.

The heat coils in general-purpose tankers run through the underbelly of the tank. Hot liquid is then run through this network of coils to heat the bulk liquid. 

3. Pneumatic tank trailer

Pneumatic tank trailers are tanks that have a series of hoppers on their underbellies. Each hopper connects to a valve the chemical content of the tank unloads through. They also have manholes for loading the tank.

Pneumatic tank trailers are best for draining the tank of the bulk liquid content during unloading. This is its major advantage over cylindrical general-purpose tank trailers which have only one outlet and are prone to having heels under inclined unloading conditions.

Although pneumatic tank trailers are mostly used for the transport of dry bulk cargo, such as sand and cement, they are also effective for liquid bulk cargo.

4. Vacuum tank trailer

The vacuum tank trailer has two important parts: the tank and the pump. With the pump, the tank trailer can suck the bulk liquid from underground or any other location into the tank. The most common use of vacuum tank trailers is in the transport of septage, industrial liquids, sewage sludge, and animal waste. 

5. Rubber Lined Tank Trailer

Rubber-lined tankers transport bulk corrosive chemicals. Butyl rubber lining is the most commonly used material for this purpose because of its corrosion and thermal expansion resistance.

Thanks to the durability and thickness of rubber-lined tank trailers, they can last for years before they need to be replaced. 

6. Aluminum tank trailer

Aluminum tank trailers are trailers that transport petroleum and petrochemicals. With their lightweight, you can carry more volumes of bulk liquid before reaching the tanker weight limit in your state or country.

Aluminum tankers also have low operating costs, as they don’t consume a lot of fuel and don’t corrode. 

7. Compartmentalized tank trailer

Compartmentalized tank trailers have compartments in them that allow bulk liquid tanker carriers to ship different chemicals at once in separate compartments. 

Care has to be taken, however, when picking liquids to ship in adjacent compartments. For instance, the various chemicals in the various compartments of a trailer truck must have similar transit temperature requirements. Otherwise, temperature bleeds from one compartment to another could happen, potentially affecting any of the chemicals.

8. Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Trailer

Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) tanker trailer is a trailer of choice for most food-grade bulk liquids and corrosive chemicals. FRP tankers are also used to transport hazardous materials (HAZMAT). 

9. ISO tanks

ISO tanks are built according to the standards of the International Standard Organization for the shipping of most bulk liquids, including hazardous and non-hazardous ones.

Tank Trailer Types By Tank Content

The content of a tank is another way to classify it, as there are trailer tankers for specific purposes. And each type has tools and equipment articles that make it suitable for the kind of bulk liquid it carries. 

The types of tank trailers according to their content are:

1. Petroleum tankers

The DOT 406 gasoline tanker transports gas and other fueling chemicals, such as propane and oil. And because of the flammability of the contents of petroleum tanks, they must have HAZMAT endorsement before they travel on the road. 

2. Food grade tankers

Food grade tank trailers transport eatables. These trailer tankers are designed to keep their bulk liquid content in the most sanitary situations during transit. And they are usually steel tankers.

3. Petro-chemical tankers

Petrochemical tankers, also known as DOT 407 trailers, transport bulk liquid crude oil products to and from refineries and oilfields. Some of the bulk liquid content of petrochemical trailer tankers are surfactants, friction reducers, and other oilfield exploration and production chemicals.

4. Hot product tanks

Hot product tanks often have in-transit heat systems that help them keep products at a required temperature during transmission. These tankers are general-purpose tanks with heat coils or in-transit heat tankers.

5. The corrosive tanks

Corrosive tankers carry chemicals, such as acids, which can corrode the walls of general-purpose tanks. These tankers must also possess HAZMAT  endorsement because of the toxic and corrosive nature of the bulk liquids corrosive tankers carry.

6. Agricultural tankers

Agricultural tankers transport agrochemical bulk liquids, such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to agricultural sites. Depending on the type of agricultural product being transported, HAZMAT endorsement may be necessary.

Tank Trailer Handling Procedures

The proper handling procedures of a tank helps to ensure safe bulk liquid transport. It also mitigates the risks of disasters or losses to any of the parties involved in the transport of the liquid freight. And just like the carrier, you also have a part to play in these tank trailer handling procedures:

1. Loading and unloading

The first thing to know about the loading and unloading procedures of any tank trailer is that only well-trained professionals should handle it. Both the shipper and the carrier must have a person each at the loading and unloading sites to ensure that everything goes according to plan. 

These people can confirm that the bulk liquids being loaded or unloaded are the right ones. The individual from the sipper’s end must also confirm that there has been no significant reduction in the quality of the bulk chemical freight during transit. All these have to be in place before you proceed with any loading or unloading activity.

Before loading, the carrier has to wash the tanker until it is clean, without odor, and dry. Also, the carrier should go around the tanker trailer to confirm that nothing is out of place before hooking up the hose for loading. And as soon as the loading is complete, every valve, dome, or opening should be closed. This is to prevent the wastage of bulk liquid products during transit.

There are two major methods of loading and unloading bulk liquid from a tanker: compressors and pumps. Unloading through a pump requires that the dome is open. Keeping the dome closed while the pump is running could force the pressure to damage the walls of the tanker. Conversely, close the dome when unloading through a compressor.

During loading and unloading, extra precautions have to be taken to ensure that there are no leakages. A drop of a strong acid could cause anything from 1st degree to 3rd-degree burns.

2. Labeling

The law mandates the labeling of any trailer that carries hazardous materials. The labels help anyone recognize the kind of content the trailer is carrying so that they can take necessary precautions. And according to the FMCSA, all hazardous materials fall into nine major classes, with each class having its label.

The nine classes of hazardous materials according to the FMCSA

3. Tank washing

Tank washing is the responsibility of the bulk liquid tanker carrier, and it must be done before every shipment. The only time when tank washing is not required is when a tanker is transporting the exact type of chemical it has most recently unloaded. Otherwise, the carrier must drive the tanker to a tank wash station for washing. 

At the tank washing station and after every thorough wash, they give each tank driver something called a wash slip. The wash slip is evidence that the tank has been thoroughly washed at the right facilities and is without risk of mixing chemicals from different shipments. It contains details of the wash type, the time, and the date of wash. Always ask to see the wash slip when the driver comes to load your bulk liquid product.

There are different washing facilities, depending on the tank trailer type. And each facility provides different wash types. The four common wash types are:

• Regular Wash
• Caustic Wash
• Kosher Wash
• Food Grade Wash

Proper washing prevents the accumulation of heels in the tanker. Heels are material residues after unloading. When heel accumulates in a trailer, it forms heel plaques that could be hard to wash off completely, And besides destroying the tanker, it makes shipping other bulk liquid products in the trailer risky. Getting rid of heels attracts additional charges by the wash station.

<<Average Tank Wash Cost Table Goes Here>>

Bulk Liquid Transport Equipment: Chassis

Drop frame tank chassis are long decks that tank trailers sit on. These chassis are usually low to the ground with a low center of gravity. Thus, providing better stability for the tank sitting on it while reducing the risk of content shifting or toppling at tight turns. 

Bulk Liquid Transport Accessories

Apart from the major equipment, bulk liquid transport would be almost impossible without the necessary accessories. Some of these accessories are:

1. Hose

The hose of the trailer tanks is used to run fluids in and out of trailer tankers. One end connects to the trailer while the other connects to the loading or unloading tank. 

2. Loading and Unloading Accessories

Many accessories make up the loading and unloading system of a tank trailer. Examples of these accessories include:

• Butterfly valves are quarter-turn valves that regulate liquid flow by stopping, stopping, or slowing the flow. Like butterfly valves, gate valves also regulate the flow of liquid. One difference between these two is that butterfly valves can be used in limited space settings while gate valves can’t. Another type of valve used in the loading and unloading of bulk liquid is the emergency valve. The emergency valve is used to halt liquid flow in emergencies. 
• The sight glass is a level sensor through which an operator can observe the level of the bulk liquid in the tank.
• Delivery elbows are used to unload liquid from a tank into underground storage tanks. 
• Other loading and unloading accessories include testing equipment, dome lids, and API adapters.

3. Heating Coils

Heating coils are hollow tubes that run on the underbelly and the side of in-transit heat trailers. When the liquid freight needs to be heated, hot liquid is run through the coil to heat the liquid freight. The source of the heat is often the engine of the truck itself. 

4. Catwalk

Catwalks help operators to get to the top of their trailer tankers. A task that would be otherwise impossible because of the height and cylindrical shape of trailer tankers. With a catwalk, operators can have a safe place to stand and walk as they work on the trailer tankers.

5. Pump

Pumps are used to suck bulk liquid products out of tanks. They are very effective for all kinds of liquids except the corrosive ones. This is because the insides of a pump comprise metals that could corrode when corrosive liquids come in contact with them.

6. Compressor

Air compressors are used to blow liquid products out of tanks and through a connected hose. Just like pumps, air compressors work for a wide variety of bulk liquids. But you should never use air compressors with flammable liquids.

7. Vapor Recovery System

During loading and unloading of some chemicals, such as petrol, the release of vapor is almost unavoidable. During loading, the vapor could take up space in the upper part of the tank. And during unloading, the vapor could escape into the environment. But whether in the tank or the environment, we need to get rid of the vapor.

The vapor recovery system of a trailer truck helps to recover unwanted vapor before it gets into the environment. This system can also be used to extract vapor from the tankers to keep the liquid freight pure and safe for transport.

8. Scully System

The Scully system on a trailer tanker ensures the safety of the vehicle and those around it by detecting retained product, preventing overfills, and grounding the vehicle so that it is safe to unload. The Scully system also provides a means of verifying the identification information.

9. Camlock Fittings

The Camlock fitting, also called the cam and groove coupling, allows you to easily connect and disconnect hoses without the use of tools. It is a safe means of attaching a hose with no risks of accidental decoupling which could lead to waste of the liquid freight.

Factors to Consider for Safe Transport of Bulk Liquid

The safe transport of bulk liquid products relies on three major factors: volume and weight requirements, pump or compressor needs, and temperature requirements. When all these three are well-considered and planned for, the chances of successful bulk liquid transports are already high. 

But how exactly do these three factors contribute to the safety of your bulk liquid freights?

1. Volume and Weight Requirements

The volume of your bulk liquid freight helps the carrier know what tank trailer size, or how many trailers to bring. You and the carrier should be clear on the volume requirements so that miscommunications don’t lead to losses for you or the carrier.

And although we don’t often mention the weight of the tank trailer as much as volume, it is still very important. Because according to the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), the gross weight of any vehicle on a commercial road must never exceed 80,000 lbs. Because of this limit, the volume of a very dense liquid you would carry at once in a trailer tanker would be lower than the volume of light liquid. But just to be safe, never load more than 45,000 lbs on the truck at once.

2. Pumps and Compressors

Pumps and air compressors are two main methods of loading and unloading bulk liquids into and from tank trailers. Pumps suck the liquid out of the tank while air compressors rely on pressure to force out the liquid from the tank. 

However, you have to be careful to not use air compressors for flammable liquids. It could cause static electricity to build up and cause a spark. Instead, pumps are better for loading and unloading flammable liquids. But pumps are not perfect as well. They can corrode, making pumps useless for corrosive liquids. 

There are also some cases where we use both methods to force the liquid out. This is common when dealing with highly viscous liquids. Here, the air compressor forces the liquid toward the pump. The pump then sucks it out.

3. Temperature Requirements

The temperature requirement of every bulk liquid should be known and taken into consideration during transit. Otherwise, the shipping of temperature-sensitive materials under the wrong temperature conditions could lead to revenue losses on the part of the shipper and the carrier. 

Knowing the temperature requirements of bulk liquids is mostly important for the shipping of liquids like oils and molten naphthalene, which solidify at low temperatures. Unloading these liquids in their solidified states could require extra cost and labor. So, it is best to communicate the in-transit temperature requirement of a bulk liquid with the carrier to help them know what tanker types and equipment to bring to the party.

Some trailers are equipped specifically for transporting temperature-sensitive chemicals. Some make use of steam, while others have in-transit heat systems. While in-transit heating systems only maintain the temperature of the bulk liquid, steam heating systems can help raise their temperatures.

Key Questions to Determine the Optimal Bulk Liquid Equipment

These questions would help reduce ambiguity between you and your carrier. Your answers to these questions give the carrier a better picture of what equipment to ship your bulk liquid product with. Some of these questions are:

• What bulk liquid do you intend to transport?
• Is the freight hazmat?
• Is the freight temperature sensitive?
• What volume are you transporting?
• Can the loading facility accept a center or rear unload trailer?
• Does the tanker truck need special connectors?
• Is a pump or compressor required for unloading?
• Can the customer accept air compressor offload?
• What pressure can the tanker unload at?
• Does the product require a rubber-lined trailer?
• Are there any prior content restrictions we need to be aware of?
• Will you require a dropped trailer?
• Do you need any extra hoses for loading or unloading?
• What are the pre and post-wash requirements?

Besides these questions, go through these tips on how to find a reliable chemical tanker capacity. 

Bulk Liquid Transport Equipment FAQ

The frequently asked questions about bulk liquid transport equipment are:

Why Do Tanker Trailers Have a Cylinder Shape?

The cylindrical shape of tank trailers makes the unloading of bulk liquid products easier. Also, cylindrical tanker trailers have a lower center of gravity, higher stability, and are easy to wash.

How much liquid does a tanker truck hold?

The volume a tanker truck can hold depends on the size of the trailer. With that said, the US Department of Transportation has an 80,000 lbs gross weight limit for tanker trailers. And to be on the safe side, limit the weight of your tanker to about 45,000 lbs.

Summary

The transport of bulk liquids could be a hassle without the right equipment. Using the wrong equipment could lead to excessive loss in revenues. That is why it is important to always communicate with your bulk liquid carrier to avoid these losses. But the challenge is how to transport your bulk liquids with all the right equipment to maintain product quality and safety without having to spend a fortune. Total Connection has a solution to this.

Total Connection

Total Connection is a third-party logistics company that has had almost three decades to build experience and expertise in bulk liquid transport. And in that time, we have improved our services and perfected the bulk liquid supply chain of all of our clients.

You can trust Total Connection for the best solutions customized to your business needs and budget without compromising quality or efficiency. In addition, we have an extensive network of partnerships with which we can secure the best deals and products for your company. And our expert array of staff is always ready to support your liquid bulk transport.

Thanks to these, we successfully ship over 10,000 liquid bulk loads per year for the hundreds of companies that have entrusted their bulk liquid transport to us. They have never regretted it. You too can be a part of them and learn not to lose sleep over your shipments when you contact us by filling out the quote form below:

Choosing the right liquid bulk carrier for your bulk liquid freight could be one of the best business decisions you would ever make. Get it wrong, and you would be tossed into potentially business terminating losses and debts. But how do you know what carrier to do business with? There are hundreds of them out there. How do you filter the best ones out of the lot?

This blog is an effort to provide you with useful insights into how to choose the right liquid bulk carrier. It contains some important factors you must consider when your company finds itself in need of a liquid bulk carrier.

10 Factors To Consider When Choosing A Liquid Bulk Carrier

When deciding on what liquid bulk carrier to partner with, here are some important factors you need to consider:

1. Safety History

The safety of your bulk liquid freight is most likely your topmost priority. So, if you must partner with any liquid bulk carrier, it makes sense that it cares about your bulk liquid as much as you do. One of the ways to do this is to do your research on the carrier’s safety history.

During your research, find out if the carrier has had any safety issues in the past. Determine what caused the issue if they had any, and see if the carrier has done anything to prevent the issue from reoccurring. If the carrier has failed to safely ship your kind of bulk liquid freight in the past, you may want to proceed with caution when doing business with such a company. 

2. Experience

Like in any other business, experience plays a huge factor in its success. This is because there are some mistakes, lessons, and methods that only experience can teach. Even expertise grows with experience. 

The length of time the bulk liquid carrier company has been operating could give you an insight into how experienced the company is. And the more experienced the company is, the higher the chances it has transported your kind of bulk liquid material in the past, and transporting yours might not be a problem. 

We aren’t saying, however, that you should always ditch a 3-year-old liquid bulk carrier for a 30-year-old one. That a company is experienced doesn’t excuse it from all errors, after all. Rather, we’re saying experience should be one of your determining factors when choosing a bulk liquid carrier or for your liquid material.

3. Procedures/Safety Protocols

You can know a good liquid bulk carrier from the way the company avoids or handles potentially disastrous situations. For instance, if the company follows its safety protocols religiously, it tells you how much they care to avoid or handle unfortunate situations like contamination, spills, claims, and more. Such a company would not be caught unprepared when such situations pop up. 

You can request these documented procedures from the carrier. But if a carrier fails to provide it, it may be that it doesn’t have it or it doesn’t follow it. Either way, be extra careful if you have to partner with such a company. 

4. Authority

Your carrier must firstly be licensed to operate, but that is not even the major factor to consider. The more important thing to consider here is if your carrier is authorized or licensed to transport your kind of bulk liquid. If you intend to transport hazardous materials, for instance, does your carrier have the necessary certifications and documentation to execute it? The same goes for all other liquid bulks, including food-grade liquids, oils, and more. If the carrier does not have the necessary certifications, avoid doing business with this company.

5. Insurance

Let’s not beat around the bush here. Avoid liquid bulk carriers that have no insurance coverage at all costs. Because if an accident involving your bulk liquid freight happens, you would not only lose precious production time, you would also have wasted money and resources.

There are times when some accidents are completely unavoidable. In these situations, your carrier would need its insurance company to step in and cover any loss incurred. But with no insurance coverage, all losses belong to you and the carrier.

Also, find out the size of the carrier’s insurance coverage. You might be taking an unnecessary risk by transporting bulk liquids worth hundreds of millions with a carrier that only has insurance coverage of up to tens of millions. If a disaster happens with your freight, the carrier, and its insurance company would not be able to help you out. And if you must partner with such a carrier, limit the amount of the bulk liquid products you put in its care.

6. Coverage

You should also ask your potential liquid bulk carrier if they operate along your trade lane. Otherwise, tell them a polite “thank you” and hang up the phone. Because there’s no way the carrier could get your freight to you if its coverage doesn’t include your trade lane. 

In addition, it is generally helpful to stick with carriers who have wider trade lane coverages. The reason for this is that as your business grows, you might need to expand your supply network. But if your carrier’s trade lane is limited, this might limit your supply network expansion as well. Then you would need to go through the hassle of looking for a new carrier with a wider trade lane coverage to do business with. 

7. Equipment

A liquid bulk carrier having the right equipment to transport your kind of bulk liquid product is also a reasonable factor to consider. This is due to how various chemicals have various shipping conditions. And you want to be sure that your carrier has the necessary equipment to keep your bulk liquid freight at an optimum condition during transit. 

Some types of oils, for instance, solidify to fat at temperatures as low as room temperature. And if you’re shipping such a liquid, your carrier needs to have an in-transit tanker truck, or what you would have is fats instead of oils on delivery. 

8. References

Finally, get references from other customers. This factor can be your most trustworthy source of information. Because, unlike the carrier, customers don’t have the burden of selling the carrier’s company to you. The carrier’s words might be packaged in a way to get you to want to do business with it. But their customers can give you pure and untainted insights into what the services of the carrier are like.

There are several ways you can go about this. You could pick a potential carrier and contact their customers about the carrier’s services. You could also reach out to other businesses that are similar to yours (not your direct competitors) to find out what carriers they use and how good their services are. Or you could go to public online forums or social media to see what people are saying about your potential career. 

Now, you have to be careful to know how to filter out the true customer reviews from the false ones. And have it at the back of your mind that a carrier doesn’t need to have a clean slate with every single one of its customers before you do business with them. Some customers are outrightly unreasonable. 

9. Offers and Benefits

One more feature you need to consider are the benefits and offers the carrier has for you. Are the services of the carrier flexible enough to accommodate emergency cancellations or deliveries? Does the carrier have ways to get you the best deals with your supplier?

10. Customer Support

How long does it take for the carrier to respond to complaints? The best carriers have 24/7 customer service coverage. This way, you can make orders, inquiries, and cancellations without interrupting your company’s production cycle.

11. Budget

This goes without saying. While some carriers are dubiously and overly cheap, others are overpriced. You can get quotes from some liquid bulk carriers and compare them to see which one suits your budget the most.

Conclusion

When you consider these 11 factors, you are on your way to choosing a reliable liquid bulk carrier for your bulk liquid products. However, avoid the temptation to consider each of these factors in isolation. This may lead you on an endless search for the “perfect” liquid bulk carrier. Rather, find the carrier that checks all of your most important boxes and stick with it. The best carriers often end up remaining on the list after you’ve considered these options. And one of such carriers is Total Connection.

Total Connection is a reliable liquid bulk carrier with the expertise and experience to ship all kinds of bulk liquid products. We offer the best services at the most reasonably affordable prices. You can sleep with both eyes closed knowing that your bulk liquid freights couldn’t be in safer hands. And our expert staff are always available to offer you the most reliable solutions that aren’t generic but customized to your specific needs and budget.

You can also join hundreds of companies that have their businesses in our books when you fill out the quote form below. We’re available round the clock to attend to you.