NEW HAZARDOUS GOODS INTERMODULAR SOLUTION CUTS TRANSPORT COSTS

Portable Modular Tanks are completely stackable and double-up as an outdoor warehouse

South African company, Modular Tanking Solutions (MTS), has invented  an environmentally-sustainable transport solution to move hazardous and dangerous fluids by road and rail, cutting costs for logistics firms and their clients, by enabling both return loading and innovative warehouse stacking.  The tanks are manufactured in South Africa by Henred Freuhoff.

MTS’ team of experts in shipping, logistics, and tank fabrication drew on their more than 90 years of experience, to develop the ground-breaking, intelligent intermodal transport and storage solution, that is set to change the face of hazardous fluid transportation for suppliers, transporters and end-users alike.

The new Portable Modular Tanks (PMTs) is a system that facilitates the movement of dangerous goods in an intermodal tank with mechanical legs, which enable it to be lifted or removed with a reach stacker or a forklift. The tank/s can then either be dropped off with the end-user and, even stacked, to form an outdoor warehouse to store cargo. They can also be lifted on a flatbed truck, to create space to load breakbulk cargo on the flatbed for a return load.

“We launched the new PMTs at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town in February, where the product received an exceptional response from leaders and business owners in the mining and logistics sector alike, ” says MTS Sales & Business Development Officer, Giovanna Marcondes.

“They immediately appreciated the enormous cost savings potential of our robust, intermodular tanks and the diversity of ways in which they could be used.”

The patented tanks enable the safe transportation of hazardous and dangerous fluids by both road and rail, as well as cost efficient return loading, since the tanks can either be dropped off with the end-user, or emptied and lifted on the flat bed of the truck, to accommodate a load of break bulk cargo on the return trip.

“As an intermodal solution our tanks ensure there never needs to be any dead legging,” adds Marcondes.

Modular Tanking Solutions inventor and  technical expert, Clint Proctor, who has vast experience working in logistics in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, has worked on the project since inception. Proctor explains that the process starts with the collection of the product from the supplier in PMTs, which are then transported to the end-user. The contents of the PMTs are either off-loaded to existing storage or stored in MTS Portable Modular Tanks.

“Once the cargo is off-loaded, the empty PMT can be raised or placed on the ground to accept return cargo. As with rail transport, return cargo is loaded into the PMTs, which can then be placed back onto the vehicle for the return journey to the source,” Proctor points out.

“The solution has been specifically designed and patented to address the needs of customers who for years have been seeking a transport system that negates the need to handle hazardous goods when changing modes, and which allows for easy return loading, to mitigate soaring transport costs.”

“The logistics sector, which already traditionally operates on thin margins, has been severely impacted by the rising cost of diesel and vehicle maintenance, and is now also faced with the threat of heavy import duties that will drive up the cost of tyres,” Proctor says.

According to Marcondes, the appeal of the tanks to industry players, is their adaptability. “Suppliers and transporters are able to mitigate costs, while also providing a dosing solution, and end-users with an efficient service and the option of storing fluids in our stackable tanks, that double up as an ideal ‘outdoor warehouse’.”

“The solution handles hazardous fluids (including heated) and powdered chemicals and removes the need for costly single use IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) and their associated handling, storage, and environmental challenges. The ‘plug and play’ system allows for complete control, with an interface linked to the client’s stock and financial centres, as well as the remote control of required dosing.”

“We developed this system/ solution, because we’re totally committed to innovation and customer satisfaction. We believe our tanking solution will transform the way hazardous and dangerous fluids and powders are transported, and we look forward to working with customers to ensure that they get the very best out of our solution,” Marcondes concludes.