Transport is an essential aspect of everyday living. You need to move from one place to another; you also need to move goods.
Suppose you require to transport water to your construction site or you’re in the water supply business. You’ll need a water cartage tank to accomplish that. Since water isn’t your everyday luggage that you only require to haul and tie up for transport, you require special attention to make transit possible without any safety concerns. This begs the question—what safety tips should you adopt when securing water cartage tanks for transport?
Here are some tips:
- Use The Right Vehicle
Many vehicles are available, each ideal for different transportation needs, but what is the ideal vehicle for ferrying water?
Water transportation vehicles, which are called truck tanks, should have a flat deck to allow the water cartage tank to settle appropriately. No surface should be higher than the other; otherwise, the tank might tip over, causing accidents.
Your ideal truck tank should be big enough to accommodate your water cartage tanks. The tank’s height should not exceed that of your vehicle. With excess height, there’s a possibility of reduced stability, which might cause tipping over.
Lastly, you want to check the carrying capacity of your vehicle. It should be able to hold the weight of your cartage tank when empty and full. The tank’s total weight shouldn’t be equal to or more than the vehicle’s maximum carrying capacity. It should be less, allowing some extra room. Failure to, you might experience hitches during transit; your vehicle might struggle to run.
It’s also advisable to check your state’s maximum carrying capacity of the vehicle. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of the law.
- Drive At An Average Speed
Like any other vehicle, speed is crucial during transportation. However, water transportation is more or less special. Water isn’t solid; therefore, you must be careful as you drive. Excessive speeding or sudden brakes might cause the water to move back and forth. As a result, you’ll likely experience sudden force on one side of your vehicle, affecting your driving. The water cartage tanks might shift in position; tipping over is possible. Here, the main solution is ensuring the driver drives at a constant average speed.
However, besides controlling speed, there are a few tips you can adopt. One of them is ensuring your chosen water cartage tank has baffles on its inside. These baffles reduce and prevent the sloshing of your water tank. In the end, you’ll maintain stability during transit even if you have to brake suddenly.
The other tip is ensuring your tank is at full capacity. There’s minimal back-and-forth water movement at full capacity, unlike when the tank is partially full. As a result, you won’t experience additional forces during transit, affecting your driving.
- Secure The Tank Properly
Securing the water tank on your vehicle is an essential step you shouldn’t forget. Failure to do so may cause your tank to tip over or move about, causing accidents. How should you secure the tank?
Most water cartage tanks have legs with one or two holes at their corners where you’ll insert mountain pins and bolts. These accessories will ensure your tank is secured in place. However, it’s best to tighten the bolts for maximum safety.
As you put in place mounting pins and bolts, ensure they’re of the right size regarding length. You don’t want the bolt length to be longer than needed and end up pressing against the surface of your cartage tank. Doing this repeatedly and for prolonged periods might damage your tanks, which is undesirable.
- Ensure The Vehicle Is In Good Condition
The safety of your water cartage tanks also depends on your vehicle’s condition. Suppose the brakes aren’t working, and there’s a need for them as you drive in the rain. The high speeds will lead to sloshing. In addition, your vehicle might hit another. Due to the excessive force, the water in your tank might forcefully move forward, exerting excessive pressure on the vehicle on one side. Such an occurrence could make the vehicle lose direction and steer in the direction of the force.
Therefore, before transit, ensure all parts are working as they should; this includes the joint sections of the tank. They shouldn’t be too thin, and neither should they have rust. Otherwise, the bolts can come off in case of excessive force.
Conclusion
Cartage tanks are the ideal means for carrying liquids. During transit, a lot could go wrong regarding safety. Therefore, you must take the necessary precautions; these are discussed herein. It’s in your interest that you implement these safety tips for your sake and those of other road users.
