Terrific Tankers!

Tasty tankers.

Why would the beloved sweet treats company McVitie’s need tankers? To transport delicious melted chocolate of course!

The business, which originated nearly 200 years ago, has 57 Mercedes-Benz tractor units in its fleet.  Additionally it runs seven heated road tankers, which distribute bulk chocolate around the company’s various production facilities.

Each tanker trailer is tri-axle with a 28-tonne payload capacity (that’s a lot of chocolate!) and has features which allow ground level control, eliminating the need for working at height. Milk and dark chocolate can also be separated via different compartments.

Fleet Maintenance Manager Ian Bowater describes the major benefits of the vehicles, “There are many safety features on the Mercedes-Benz trucks, which gives us the operator, and our drivers, ultimate peace of mind. Lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control and advanced emergency braking are to name but a few of the great components."

Delivering chocolate all day – we can think of worse jobs!

Cleaning up with Mercedes-Benz.

CountyClean Group’s canary yellow tankers are easily recognisable! The 24/7 operational waste management company offers assistance in pump services, hazardous waste services, emergency spill and flood response, sewage waste removal, high pressure water jetting, and a waste recycling and disposal facility, amongst other things.

The business serves London and the South of England from three different locations. There are currently eight striking Mercedes-Benz vacuum tankers in its fleet, including five Arocs models and three Actros vehicles with various payloads. A further two 32-tonne tankers and one 44-tonne tanker will be delivered later in 2020.

Operations Director Trevor Beer described the stand-out aspects on the vehicles, “The drivers’ favourite features include the dashboard layout/labelling of controls and the positioning of the dashboard as it is angled towards the driver. Plus the amount of storage space within the cab is a bonus. We also had a tanker arrive recently, which is fitted with MirrorCam –it’s had great feedback! We will be having this feature on new vehicles due later this year too.”

The new vehicle’s MirrorCam has proved particularly useful when it has had to reverse along narrow and overgrown lanes – there’s less chance of the mirrors getting damaged or broken.

Pretty in pink!

Have you ever seen a pink tanker? You have now! City Tippers owns a limited edition Actros 1 6x2 tractor unit which is used to tow a very unique tanker. Can you guess what’s inside the tanker? It’s cement!

Company owner Dean Tiplady started the business four years ago and it specialises in delivering ready mix cement and Ground Granulated Blastfurnass Slag (GGBS) to companies around the North West.  Dean’s wife, Charlotte, runs the successful false eyelash business ‘Tatti Lashes’ and he decided to customise the powder tanker to support her brand; it’s certainly caught the attention of the public.

“It looks really good and stands out from the rest. We have had people spotting the truck and tagging it on social media with many wondering how many eye lashes we can carry in such a big truck (we don’t of course – it’s cement!). It’s been a positive reaction and the talk of the town around here,” said Dean.

It’s not just the livery that has received positive feedback; the vehicle itself has also proved really impressive. Purchased in October 2019, it’s still relatively new and is already a hit with drivers, “The truck is a quality drive with the 630 bhp engine pulling full loads at ease and the added luxury and size makes it a comfortable drive,” enthused Dean.

Special tankers for special projects.

Billy Bowie Special Projects Ltd began in 1992, with only a single truck. Fast forward to today and the company operates more than 100 vehicles, specialising in waste management solutions, vacuum tanker technology, jet/vac combination units, skips, drainage and sewer cleaning.

Originating in Kilmarnock, Scotland, the business now has further depots in Widnes plus North and South Yorkshire and demonstrated its commitment to a cleaner world, by introducing its own recycling centre in Kilmarnock in 2003. The ‘Transfer Station’ processes low hazard waste in an environmentally-friendly manner.

There are 26 Mercedes-Benz models in the fleet, including five Arocs 6x4 26-tonne vacuum tankers and one Arocs 8x4 32-tonne vacuum tanker, which are available for self-drive hire throughout the UK. The remaining four Arocs 8x4 32-tonne Disab/Flexvac (vac loader) vehicles extract liquid and dry waste over long distances and from deep wells.

The livery of the tankers ranges from eye-catching yellow, to the patriotic blue and white stripes of local football team, Kilmarnock F.C. – Billy Bowie is a major shareholder in the club.

“The tankers have proved to be great off the road due to the off-road capabilities and ground clearance,” explains Alisdair Clark, Operations Director at Billy Bowie Special Projects Ltd.

Do you drive an awesome tanker?

We’d love to see it! Share a photo with us and tell us what it’s used for and it may feature in a future RoadStars article.