Abbey Logistics Group has recently unveiled the latest additions to their extensive vehicle fleet, introducing 25 state of the art bulk powder tankers, bringing cutting edge, industry-leading technology to Abbey's customers. Abbey has joined with a number of customers, including British Salt and Tata Chemicals, to ensure that the tankers are the finest example of tanker technology available.
Steve Granite, Managing Director of Abbey Logistics Group described what Abbey and their partners have achieved with the new tankers."Safety is a crucial factor in any logistics operation, and we believe the introductions we've made will become the new industry standard in the future. From inception to completion the development process has taken 6 months, with an unwavering focus on making the new tankers the safest they can be to protect the driver, the public and the environment throughout the process. In addition to the new safety features, the tankers will also be able to deliver a significant improvement to payload."
Abbey Logistics Group Commercial Director, Dave Coulson, believes that the new tanker will also offer enhanced service capability for customers. "Having the safest powder tanker on the market means there are greater opportunities for customers who previously wouldn't have considered us for bulk powder transport. There is simply no safer powder tanker on the market and I'm confident our customers will be delighted about the new technologies we've incorporated."
Each of the new technologies used in the design of the powder tankers targets an area which is of higher risk to operators, the public or the vehicle to ensure that the risk is negated to the greatest extent possible.
During the loading and unloading phases of bulk powder transportation, there is increased risk to the driver, the stability of the load and also to any personnel in the immediate vicinity of the trailer. By implementing extensive safety systems, Abbey has reduced the potential for injuries and damage to parties throughout this process. A full scope reversing camera specifically designed for enhanced low light usage provides a greater field of view, making it easier to spot potential obstructions and prevent collisions. Other improvements in this area include the incorporation of ultrasonic reversing sensors which detect the distance to loading bays, which provide data to a system which automatically brakes the vehicle if a collision is possible. Accompanying these two technologies are visual and audio warnings directly into the cab for the driver to monitor.
Another potential risk for drivers comes when accessing the tank top of the vehicles during the loading or unloading of the payload. For Abbey, the introduction of equipment specifically designed to minimise harm to the driver whilst atop the tanker has been crucial. Before a driver begins to climb the tanker in order to access the tank top, they will apply a full safety harness, which utilises arrestor gear to dampen the fall if a driver was to slip or trip.
When drivers are on the ground for discharging purposes, they will now have access to an emergency shutdown system, which can also be operated by untrained persons. This emergency shutdown will allow any person to immediately shut off the discharge from a single point, for situations when a burst discharge pipe or overflowed silo causes problems.
Stability is another key consideration for the new tanker design, with anti-topple protection preventing tipping tanks from raising unless the stabilising feet are fully seated or extended to the ground, making the vehicle steady.
It's also crucial that the tankers have stability when on the road, so the design incorporates vehicle stability control, which uses a series of sensors to constantly assess the stability of the tanker, applying brakes intermittently if there is excessive speed or unusual movement from the vehicle. Preventing an incident whilst in transit is vitally important and this new system will help safeguard against traffic collisions.
Abbey's introduction of the safest powder tanker on the market has certainly raised the bar for other logistics providers, with the customer and safety of those operating and using the tankers set to benefit.