Liquip International has partnered with Liquip Victoria and Tieman Tankers for a cutting-edge fuel tanker build destined for Western Australia, and the end result has arrived at Liberty Rural.
The 27.5m pocket road train joins three similar 26m units in the fleet, and is one of the 40-plus trailer combinations integrated with Liquip’s Swift delivery system.
The pocket road train features Liquip’s Swift delivery system with dual underslung hose reels on the lead tanker and a Liquip manifold and transfer line. The follower trailer is also configured with the Swift system.
The unit will carry approximately 79,000 litres of diesel out of the Coogee Terminal in Kwinana and will deliver to Liberty Rural’s depots and customers throughout WA in Merredin, Corrigin, Katanning, Albany and Busselton.
Liberty Rural National Operations and Fleet Manager, Darren Karslake, says the Liquip Swift systems already implemented across the fleet have been working really well, and he is certain this new set-up will be no different.
“The real benefits the Swift system brings are around the safety and environmental space,” he says. “We can maintain ‘no product to ground’ as a result of not having jumper hoses to continuously connect and disconnect. At the same time, the system creates a very ergonomic benefit for our drivers which considerably reduces the likelihood of injury as well as improving delivery times.”
Liberty Rural operates in all states of Australia except for Tasmania, with over 100 vehicle configurations ranging from rigids to triple road trains. Liberty Rural provides fuel and lubricants solutions to its customers which range from primary producers to equipment transport operators.
The Swift delivery system was designed and manufactured in Australia to suit the country’s harsh environments. When Liquip was designing the system, one of the key objectives was to ensure it would be built in such a way that it is self-intuitive and easy for drivers to operate, whilst being simple for the industry to maintain and service. Taking feedback on board from the industry, Liquip focused on incorporating as many functions as possible into the Swift delivery system for easy driver operation.
Drivers at Liberty Rural who have completed operator training have commented on the user-friendliness of the system. In his experience with the Swift system, Liberty Rural Operator, Clinton McNally, says it is simple to understand and very easy to operate.
“To get familiar with the system, it probably takes about half an hour of playing with it at first,” he says. “It’s pretty self-explanatory and is a very intuitive system.”
The Swift system has also improved Liberty Rural’s delivery times, as there is far less manual setup and maintenance required when pumping fuel.
“The Swift system is integrated into each of the trailers which all have multi-pinned data cables to talk to each other,” Clinton says. “You can dial up the amount of litres you want to deliver and be accurate within the litre – you don’t have to deliver a bit, stop and check, and then slow down when you get close. So, you’ll be able to pump in as many litres as you need to into a tank or wherever it’s going, and it will stop right on the dot.”
Critical to Liquip’s product sale is also its aftersales support and service. Petroleum, Aviation and Mining Supplies (PAMS) – also known as Liquip West Coast – has been a distributor for Liquip International’s tanker, terminal, aviation and mine site refuelling products for close to a decade. PAMS understands the WA market and is renowned for its extensive knowledge, exceptional customer service and stockholding to support the region’s requirements.
“Liquip’s simple implementation and aftersales service is second-to-none,” Clinton says. “They’ve always been awesome. If there are any questions, or if you don’t know how to use the system, they’re quick to come and show you. They also have a quick start guide that is really easy to follow and simple to use.”
In addition to Liquip West Coast’s distributorship of the Liquip product in WA, Liquip’s aftersales servicing support in the region has been strengthened following a recent partnership between Tieman Tankers and Liquip Victoria (Fuelcraft). Towards the end of 2023, Tieman Tankers and Liquip Victoria combined their extensive knowledge and industry know-how to manage Road Tanker Repairs (RTR), a premium tanker service centre in WA. RTR has a dedicated focus on supporting Tieman Tankers in the region and this extends to offering aftermarket servicing on Liquip International components and systems.
From mechanical servicing, regular hydrostatic and vent testing, and Safe Load Programs (SLPs) for minor and major accident damage repairs, RTR offers on-ground support to keep tankers on the road.
With great stock availability and aftersales service, Darren says Liquip has the customer covered in this area.
“There has been no issue with product accessibility for new builds, as parts are available very quickly,” he says. “We have had full support from Liquip for any aftersales service. Liquip’s Swift is a very good system that we will continue to fit to our fleet where the need arises.”
Fast fact
A pocket road train is a Western Australian term to describe an A-double designed to operate in the 27.5m length allowed for B-doubles in Western Australia.
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