Features of transportation of liquid cargo are complicated by the need to use specialized transport, which must comply with the standards adopted for the substance being transported. At the same time, it is important to have information about whether the cargo is food or chemical, and in the latter case, to determine its danger. For hazardous liquids, transport is used that has increased strength and has certain markings. When working with it, you must obtain special permission.
Some food products require maintaining certain conditions of temperature and pressure, so delivery is carried out by specialized transport.
Transportation of liquid cargo by road is carried out using tank trucks or tank containers. A tank container is a tank enclosed in a rigid frame with standard overall dimensions. A tank container is a separate transport unit that can be moved from one type of transport to another without the need for transfer to other types of containers, which significantly facilitates the delivery of liquid cargo in multimodal schemes.
Transportation of liquid cargo by tank trucks is carried out under the following temperature conditions:
- Natural mode — without heating or cooling.
- Isothermal mode — containers with heat-insulating layers that allow you to maintain the original temperature of the product for a long time.
- With steam jacket — provide heating of the liquid during transportation or before draining it for liquefaction (for example, for bitumen).
- With autonomous heating — ensure the maintenance of a uniform temperature along the entire route.
Rules for the transportation of liquid cargo
In order to avoid the catastrophic consequences of transporting liquid cargo, their physical and chemical characteristics, storage conditions, methods of neutralization in the event of a spill, as well as first aid methods when exposed to the transported liquid are included in a special safety data sheet. The driver must have this document while traveling along a given route.
If the liquid is dangerous, it is subject to the rules for the transport of dangerous goods, which include obtaining approval for the vehicle and driver, permission to travel and drawing up a special route.
- Only fully serviceable vehicles are allowed for the transportation of liquid cargo, and the containers must not have rust, cracks, or through holes. The drain mechanism must also be in good condition, and there must be a working sealing gasket on the loading hatch cover.
- Loading and draining of liquids is carried out in accordance with the rules for carrying out loading and unloading operations adopted for each type of transported goods.
- During the transportation of liquid cargo, the driver is obliged to comply with road safety rules. It is prohibited to suddenly accelerate and brake, to overtake when the vehicle speed is more than 30 km/h, to leave the vehicle unattended and to allow strangers into the cab. When transporting dangerous cargo, the driver must be aware of the rules for its neutralization and first aid in the event of dangerous situations.
- If international transportation of liquid cargo by road tankers is carried out, it is necessary to bring the documentation in accordance with ADR (European Agreement on the Transport of Dangerous Goods).
To avoid unforeseen situations when transporting liquid cargo, you should contact a professional logistics company, especially if we are talking about dangerous cargo, since only experienced specialists can correctly fill out documents, develop a route and obtain all the necessary approvals.
