From an article originally published in American Shipper magazine Feb. 2010
Roger Goose
The flexitank has come a long way since its earliest days in the mid-1970s when U.K. shippers began experimenting with moving liquids in heavy duty rubberized bladders to South Africa and Australia. The tanks were expensive, about $5000 apiece, but they were marketed as reusable, explained Roger Goose, EPT’s vice president of logistics, in an interview.
In the early 1990s, the rubber tanks were replaced with those made of thermo-plastic (PVC) materials. The tanks became much cheaper, retailing to shippers for about $1,850 each.
Chemical shippers became the earliest users of flexitanks for the transport of non-hazardous liquid shipments. However, these shippers generally didn’t like the task of fitting the tanks into the containers. Companies that sold flexitanks started offering “supply and fit” services.
Chemical shippers also became more interested in flexitanks because of their much lower tare weight compared to a container load of filled metal drums. A 20-foot container can handle 80 drums of about 4,400 gallons, compared to 6,000 gallons in a containerized flexitanks. In addition, the disposal of the drums had become an increasingly high-profile environmental issue for chemical companies.
In late 2001 newer and cheaper flexitanks made from multiple layers of thin polyethylene entered the market. “Now flexitank transport has truly become a one-way, disposable market,” Goose said.
Goose, a 30-year flexitank industry veteran, said many flexitanks today are made cheaply overseas and quality is sometimes questionable.
EPT manufacturers the BIG Red flexitanks in its Michigan plant, taking advantage of high-tech automotive technology. In addition to the improved quality control, EPT officials said manufacturing costs went down by 25 percent to 30 percent compared to sourcing from overseas.
Flexitanks are still only used for transporting non-hazardous liquid commodities. Products often shipped in flexitanks include food additives, vegetable oils, latex, and lube and pharmaceutical grade mineral oils.
One of the fastest growing segments of flexitank users are wine shippers. The flexitanks offers them a cost-effective alternative to shipping cased goods or intermediate bulk containers, Goose explained.Read the entire article . . .
Advertisement
