Bulk Liquid Transport – What Containers to be used?

Freight forwarding companies are responsible to ship consignments from one international destination to another, the consignment can be all sorts of materials, from wood, and clothing, to logs, flowers anything, and even bulk liquid transportation. When it comes to bulk liquid, freight forwarders need to be extra careful with regards to containers used to leave any space for leak or damage.

Depending on the product being shipped and the origin and destination, the freight forwarder has to arrange for the best method of transportation for bulk liquid. What are these bulk liquid products? Let’s find out?

• Heating oil / Vegetable oils
• Petroleum gas
• Molasses
• Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic
• Liquid Resins
• Gasoline / Diesel / Liquefied
• Beverages
• Liquefied sugars
• Sulphur Acid / Nitric Acid
• Chemicals / Solvents
• Liquid Food Products
• Milk and other dairy products
• Hydrogen Peroxide

What containers are to be used for bulk liquid transportation?

Today ISO tank containers are most preferred for transportation of bulk liquid as they are built based on ISO standards and are specially created to carry liquid bulk, whether hazardous and non-hazardous. Such containers are made of stainless steel, are layered with protective material and are cylindrical shaped. The size and dimensions are all as per the ISO standards and can easily carry around 21K to 40K liters of bulk liquid.

Benefits of ISO tank containers

• ISO tank is reliable, withstand extreme pressure and are cost-effective
• It’s covered with a protective layer to protect the liquid from any leakage
• ISO tanks can be used for land, rail as well as ocean transport, they are very much temperature controlled
• It is specifically designed to meet the criteria of carrying the bulk substance
• ISO tank containers can carry more than flexitank, are reusable and don’t contaminate

Some experts compare ISO tank containers to Flexitank as they are also used for a similar purpose of carrying bulk liquid. However, the issue with flexitank is that they can be used only once but they are cheaper when compared to ISOtank and comes in different sizes and according to the requirement one can use the flexitank.

Flexitank vs. ISO tank

Both the flexitank and ISOtank have their own unique advantage and can be alternatively used as per the demand and specification of cargo to be dispatched. However, ISOtank containers are today most preferred by the industry for transporting bulk liquid due to their quality, durability, safety and versatility.