Our ability to move goods from one point to the next has rapidly advanced over the last century. As the transportation sector grew, it encountered different adversaries. Some of which gave birth to fascinating inventions. With industrialisation, the UK witnessed the commercial production of advanced industrial material transportation in 1969 – ISO tanks.
As the industrial landscape changed, powder tanks became and have since been crucial for transporting raw materials. With growing demands for dry cargo, the need for more advanced transportation solutions is also rising. Today, the sector is ripe with opportunity and innovation. What more should we expect in terms of innovation in powder tank transportation?
What the Future Holds for Tank Transportation
Technology is advancing pretty fast in every other sector, and tank transportation isn’t spared. We expect the future to be moulded by various technological facets, fluctuating markets, and regulation changes. One factor is the price of fuel. But as the emergence of autonomous vehicles gets closer, you must look beyond when planning for your powder tank transportation business.
Introduction of Self-driving vehicles in tank transportation
Fuel prices have always dictated the transportation sector for more than 100 years. But this will soon be a thing of the past if the tests on autonomous vehicles for tank transportation succeed. While these vehicles are already used in other sectors like mining, they have yet to be thoroughly tested for transporting hazardous substances. But as we already know, it will eventually come to pass.
Enhanced tank transportation safety
As the automotive industry gets new and better feature upgrades, manufacturers of tank trailers are taking centre stage to improve transportation. We expect to witness advanced technologies to boost the safety of dry cargo tank transportation.
New designs will greatly enhance tank aerodynamics to reduce drag, a safety concern for tankers. Another crucial improvement that will be a game changer is the introduction of lighter tanker materials. Currently, tankers are made of aluminium or stainless steel, but we expect the new materials to comprise other steel metal alloys.
Flexible and modular tanker designs
With the rising demand for dry powder by industries, the need for tankers that can carry bigger capacities also arises. We expect the future powder tankers to be modular to enable customisations. This will allow a single tanker to have different compartments for different materials. Tank transportation operators will meet the diverse requirements of customers while maximising operational efficiency.
Introduction of robotics for loading and unloading
Automation is expected to penetrate its way into the tank transportation sector through robots. To improve efficiency and reduce accidents, automation will utilise robots and conveyor belts to move powdered materials.
Some companies have taken strides ahead and are already using this technology. These include Cargill, the American agri-food company, and Tata Steel in the UK. As time goes by, we expect this technology to be fully used in powder tank transportation.
The rise of telematic and predictive analytics
Fleet management is a crucial area for any company in the powder tank transportation business. Through telematics, tank transportation will receive a significant boost to enhance easier monitoring. The technology borrows from the Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced analytics to reshape the maintenance of fleets.
Powered by AI, this technology will also greatly enhance route optimisation. Through telematics, operators will receive real-time feedback on the location of their fleets, speed, and fuel consumption. Coupled with AI, the collected data becomes a crucial resource for predictive analytics.
Policy and Regulation shifts
With the introduction of innovations, everything changes, including laws and regulations. When these advances in tank transportation become a reality, we expect regulatory bodies such as DfT and HSE to restructure their policies to accommodate the changes.
These innovations will eliminate most of the challenges in transportation that call for stringent regulations. With fewer policies to adhere to, the cost of transportation will be lowered, making powder tankers more accessible.
Summary
Powder tank transportation is a key contributor to the UK economy. The sector is advancing fast due to the increasing demand for dry cargo. As technology touches every other sector, stakeholders in the industrial transportation sector should brace themselves for major changes.
These advances will make transportation more efficient, from sustainable tanker materials, better designs, and improved safety features to autonomous vehicles. So, while expanding your powder tank transportation business, keeping up with innovation is essential. That way, adjusting when the time comes will be easy enough.
