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The national Tankfix service developed into a business expecting a £4 million turnover this year out of the in-house needs of Tankfreight to refurbish, modify or service its fleet
• A unique network of workshops specialising in the modification, maintenance and refurbishment of all parts of road tankers has been established in the UK.
The new network — Tankfix — already includes 10 depots at Heckmondwike in Yorkshire, Immingham, Urmston, Widnes, Lincoln, Derby, Chepstow. Purfleet, Greenwich and Southampton. More are planned to follow. To date, although there are hundreds of independent garages throughout the UK which can deal with particular engineering and maintenance aspects, no one network has been organised which offers a full, specialised and standardised service for the road tanker industry.
Over 20,000 road tankers in the UK carry a variety of liquids, powders and gases for the petroleum/LPG, chemicals rinks industries. All re uire re gular maintenance and many will at some stage need major modification. For example, tanks can he stretched and reclad, while tractive units need to be specially prepared for transporting petroleum products. Broadly speaking, the key Tankfix services can be categorised into: E tank refurbishment, stretching and customisation; E discharge equipment fitting; E hydraulic engineering; O auto electrical;
o preparation and testing of tanks to comply with SI 1059 keg 7:
Olivery/painting;
• servicing and breakdown recovery.
The national Tankfix service has been developed out of an in-house need which began in 1980. As Tankfreight (a member of the National Freight Consortium) — today the UK's largest haulier of bulk liquids, powders and gases — grew, it became both sensible and cost-effective to consider the introduction of an internal workshop to deal with its 600-strong road tanker fleet. The company was finding that, in addition to being expensive, it could not easily locate suitable garages, to totally modify, refurbish or service its vehicles. In fact, as many operators still do today, the company was having to return tractors and tanks to the manufacturers for engineering work who, in all . honesty, are not really interested in this . area of business.
The organisation therefore invested a
substantial amount into a site in Heckmondwike, Yorkshire — still the flagship of the Isankfix network. From a fleet of 600 and a handful of depots in 1980, Tankfreight has grown to be almost 1,000 vehicles and 32 depots strong today. Naturally the need for more workshops has increased and today's 10 sites are now run by 160 automotive, electrical and mechanical specialists. What was a single site turning over just under £140,000 in 1980 is now a national network expecting a .E4 million turnover in 1987.
Most of the depots have been developed during the past 18 months as Tankfix recognised a clear gap in the market for an organisation to offer its specialised service externally and independently of all tanker operators. The depots have recently tested external marketing, successfully dealing with organisations like Rolls-Royce, THF, East Midlands Airport, John Hudson Fuels, Fuel Fast, Wistech and Effluent Services. This has resulted in 9% of its .22.4 million 1986 turnover coming from nonTankfreight work.
By considering a realistic alternative to replacing a tanker costing typically up to 20,000, an operator could look to proper professional refurbishment for as little as 212,000! Tankfix's general engineering and tank refurbishment work includes adapting new and used tanks to meet legal specifications including ADR, IMCO SI 1059 Reg 7 and Pet Regs (Petroleum Spirit Regulations).
Total refurbishment, inside and out, of any type of road tanker or demountable tank is also quite normal, as is the uprating of vehicles to 38 tonnes by the addition of a third axle and/or tank stretching. Other typical work in this area includes relagging and cladding of tanks in aluminium, stainless steel and GRP for a variety of load carrying duties.
Tank remounting is particularly applicable to petroleum spirit distributors. Existing tanks can be remounted on to new chassis; chassis can be converted to meet current petroleum regulations; and existing spirit tanks can be totally refurbished to meet the most stringent requirements.
Discharge equipment and pumps for tractors and trailers from Drum, Hammond, Blackmer and other suppliers are fitted under one roof at Tankfix. In addition, as UK agents for Volvo Hydraulics the workshops even fit hydraulic :ranes and compactors to various cornnercial vehicles. Ancillaries such as fifth suzies, mudwings, and catwalks ire everyday fitments.
Auto electrical work and a 24-hour breakdown recovery and servicing facility are the other key areas while painting is increasing in importance. More and more companies are becoming conscious of the image and advertising benefits of correct, professional and attractive livery. An example of the Tankfix facilities is the new six-bay, low-bake paint preparation and spraying centre at Heclunondwike. Dunlop, Texaco, Waste Management and Hansa are just a few of the vehicles which have been painted by Tankfix. Shot blasting; painting in various finishes such as two-pack epoxy, single-pack polyurethane and two-pack acrylic; treating new and existing units; varnishing and sign-writing are all carried out by Tankfix.
As competition in the road tanker industry develops and cost-effectiveness increases in importance, Tankfix is convinced that the niche it is serving will prove to be the right one. In addition to looking to operators to consider ad hoc and fleet maintenance agreements, the company believes that even manufacturers could turn to it for the modification, upgrading or customisation of new tractors and tanks. Indeed, a few manufacturers have already turned to the company.
To help operators understand the new concept, Tankfix has issued an open invitation to anyone interested in visiting its workshops. The company is also planning an open day at its Heckmondwike site in late February, when visitors will be able to see for themselves the typical quality and range of facilities plus substantial
investment which Tankfix has dedicated to the future of the road tanker industry. Anyone interested in receiving further information on the open day should contact Steve Clark, Tankfreight Ltd, Copthall Bridge House, 1 East Parade, Harrogate HG1 5LN; tel: (0423) 506181. by Workshop correspondent