Tieman PBS quad quad B-double.
Image: Tieman Tankers.
In the ever-evolving landscape of transportation logistics, the recent collaboration between Tieman Tankers and Hills Tankers heralds another new Performance-Based Standards (PBS) innovation with increased efficiency.
Tieman Tankers, with its long history dating back to 1953, has once again demonstrated its pioneering ability with the development of a brand-new quad-quad B-double tanker combination. This innovative trailer offers fleets another dependable PBS option for fuel transportation, boasting a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 77.5 tonnes and an estimated payload of 65,000 litres of jet fuel.
Hills Tankers, established in 1960, is renowned for its dedication to reliability and excellence in service in this field. Serving the entire east coast out to the Northern Territory border and Gulf Country in Queensland, it has earned a reputation as a trusted partner in the industry. Now, it adds to all of its abilities with Tieman Tanker’s latest PBS design.
Showcasing the power of collaboration between two family-owned businesses committed to future-proofing their investments and revolutionising tanker equipment, Hills Tankers Director, Andrew Hill, says the delivery of the Tieman PBS quad-quad jet fuel B-double represents a significant milestone in the industry.
“Tieman Tankers is leading the way in PBS,” he says. “The quad-quad B-double has acted as a major change for our operations in the Sydney area. Tieman’s engineering, and communication daily to get these projects up and running, makes everything so easy to deal with.”
The development of the PBS quad-quad jet fuel B-double between Tieman Tankers and Hills Tankers began 12 months ago. At the time, Hills Tankers was chasing a solution for its B-double and single deliveries to different defence locations in Sydney, and Tieman Tankers was capable of providing it.
“Tieman Tankers walked us through the system with their engineering team and their regulatory advice,” Andrew says. “Most people in the industry would be aware that PBS is quite a complex system, but Tieman has a very good in-house PBS department that deals with the route assessments and applications to the point where it just makes our life easy.
“I was pleased with the way they reacted to our requirements. Tieman Tankers has been very flexible and professional – they’re problem solvers.”
A valued benefit of the quad-quad B-double is its flexibility, which allows for seamless adaptation to varying freight tasks. In scenarios where destinations require a complete B-double load, the tanker operates at its full capacity, maximising efficiency and reducing the number of trips needed.
For destinations where a smaller payload is sufficient or there is tighter access, the rear quad-axle single tanker can be uncoupled from the lead B-double, transforming into a quad-axle single tanker with a GCM of 50.5 tonnes and a payload of 41,000 litres of jet fuel. This has been a game-changer for Hills Tankers, offering the company a competitive edge in meeting the diverse needs of its clients.
“It’s the first of its kind for a quad-quad B-double, and it’s been built to suit our purpose and requirements,” Andrew says. “In this particular circumstance, it has a similar payload to an A-double and then a higher mass when we split it up and use it as a single.
“That was our rationale behind having this vehicle. It will spend a fair bit of its life as a higher mass single, and then as a higher mass B-double with a reduced payload comparable to that of an A-double.”
Since being deployed in the fleet, the tanker has improved payloads while reducing fuel economy at the same time.
“The extra volume of the combination when used as a B-double or a higher mass single solves the problem of high traffic, especially in cities,” Andrew says. “The number of loads you can do in a day is much lower nowadays because of slow traffic, but one of the measures you can take to solve that issue is to cart more. This tanker solves the problem, and as a result, it reduces your fuel consumption in terms of kilograms carried over kilometres.”
Hills Tankers COO, Scott Cullen, says the tanker has also given the fleet improved route access, while reducing labour through running costs as well.
“It gives us a lot of flexibility to work as a higher mass single,” he says. “We’ve got access to places with this combination that we can’t get to with a B-double or an A-double. For example, we’ve just launched two Tieman 30m A-doubles on the same task to run to Williamtown and Canberra with 85 tonne out of Parramatta, but obviously we can’t get them in some locations. So, this allows the bigger combinations to run out.
“With a steerable axle on each trailer, it actually has a smaller swept path than a normal 26-metre B-double. It follows closer behind you in metro situations with a higher payload. So, you get better access and payload, which is always a good thing.”
By being able to adapt the tanker configuration based on specific freight tasks, Hills Tankers can optimise resource allocation, minimise costs and enhance operational efficiency, all while maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability.
As Tieman Tankers looks to the future, Director, Colin Tieman, says the quad-quad jet fuel B-double serves as a testament to the transformative power of collaboration and innovation.
“By continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible”, he says, “combining Tieman Tankers’ leading expertise in PBS designs and importantly our one-stop shop for gaining access approval with Hills Tankers’ excellence in delivering fuel safely has paved the way for another first for the road tanker industry.”
77.5T GCM B-double. Image: Tieman Tankers.The post Tieman unveils new PBS quad-quad B-double tanker appeared first on Trailer Magazine.