Tankers and Spray Rigs

A tanker truck is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquefied loads, dry bulk cargo or gases on roads. A spray rig is a large vehicle designed to spray herbicides or pesticides on fields. Both tankers and spray rigs carry large amounts of chemicals.

Big volumes applied also means big volumes spilled. Well, maybe.

Any time a large amount of chemicals are transported, they run the risk of contaminating the areas they pass over or park on. Spills and leaks occur even in the best of maintained equipment as all equipment will eventually break. Petroleum, herbicide and pesticide leaks and spills can contaminate surface water, ground water and soils. Contamination of surface water, ground water and soils can occur quite quickly when large quantities are being transported.

Large trucks typically have capacities ranging from 5,500 to 11,600 gallons of petroleum. Large spray rigs can transport between 6,000 to 10,000 gallons of pesticide and herbicide. In order to reduce the threat to the environment, most new models of tanker trucks and spray rigs have compartmentalized tanks so that if a rupture occurs no all of the material is spilled only a small section leaks out. A smaller leak greatly reduces the risk to the environment.