The Transpacific tanker has bottom loading capability and is fitted with sonic sensors that disengage the pump if the safe fill level is reached, which removes the risk of overflows and environmental incidents.

This, coupled with pneumatic tank vents, is important because it allows a single operator to complete loading without needing to access the top of the tanker to dip compartments. This removes the risk of working at heights.

The tanker is fitted with BPW axles and suspension as well as lift-up lead axles and anti-lock braking to limit maintenance costs.

The Western Star prime mover is equipped with roll-over protection structures to protect drivers in the event of a rollover.

Transpacific North Queensland workshop manager Charlie Laws said the tanker had been designed to exceed the stringent safety requirements of the company’s mining customers and to ensure the company’s staff could safely navigate the tough terrain of minesites.

“The customised B-Double tanker was produced in response to a risk assessment audit conducted by a team of drivers, safety specialists, workshop personnel and site managers,” he said.

“The group assessed the potential risk to our staff who operate in these tough conditions and then made design changes to the truck to eliminate those risks.

“The result is our latest customised B-Double tanker combination, which is testament to our commitment to a safety-first approach and to tailoring the delivery of our services to meet our clients’ needs.”

Laws said another safety feature was forward-facing in-cab cameras to improve road condition monitoring and automatically save footage in the event of an incident.

“Capturing footage provides the added benefit of being able to review and understand the terrain and conditions faced by our drivers and is then used to improve operational procedures and driver training,” he said.

“A specially designed integrated GPS and maintenance management system is also installed, which provides continuous reporting on all elements of vehicle operation.

“This sophisticated system also tracks the physical location of all vehicles on computers in the office and provides email alerts when the vehicle crosses a ‘geo-fence’, which allows us to monitor the progress of drivers in remote regions.

“The GPS system and internal maintenance, training and management systems are independently audited and have resulted in the business achieving HVAS [Heavy Vehicle Accreditation System] fatigue, maintenance and mass management certification.”

The customised Holmwood Higate tanker joins a fleet of eight B-Double tankers servicing minesites in the north and western Queensland.