Maintaining what is a 100% Whale Tankers fleet at Enviroco HFS, Industrial Services Manager and former Managing Partner of HFS Liquid Services, Alister Wait, said the new Kaiser-Whale had been specified to ‘continue driving forward’ what was an already successful industrial cleaning services division.

“Given that we service a number of remote locations on land, not to mention the high level of offshore work that we undertake, the Kaiser-Whale represents a truly cost- effective solution as the water it recycles can be used for jetting. As you can imagine, this delivers significant operational, environmental and economic benefits,’ states Alister.

“The acquisition of HFS Liquid Waste heralded the start of an industrial cleaning services operation within Enviroco, and the specification of equipment of the magnitude of the Kaiser-Whale, which represents the best that money can buy, demonstrates the ambitious growth.

With SP Holding having recently revealed a new group structure and corporate identity, the company has taken a hybrid of vehicle types that have been specified to support an ever-expanding service offering that continues to set the benchmark when it comes problem solving through innovation.

The latest fleet newcomers are three jetting vans that SP Holding is deploying to support an ongoing contract with Severn Trent Water. Complete with two integral 1000-litre plastic water tanks, the jetters feature the Iveco 6.5 tonne chassis cab.

Another recent fleet addition, a high volume JetVac tanker with overhead loading boom will also be on display. Complete with a Volvo FES 4 x 2 rigid chassis, the 18 tonne GVW vehicle features a 1600-gallon water/sludge tank.

Commenting on SP Holding’s ongoing decision to specify Whale, managing director, Steve Holding said: “The Whale product can be summed up in one word – fantastic! They are quite simply the best that money can buy and their ability to do the job goes without question. Having tried a number of competitor products in the past, in my opinion nothing comes close to Whale, not only in terms of how well engineered the product is, but the back-up that Whale provides. Their engineers are always dropping into check how things are going and they are very pro- active at making suggestions.”

Wrexham County Borough Council is one of the latest local authorities seeking to utilise the quick change demountable vehicle system that has been jointly developed by Whale Tankers and Econ Engineering – two of the UK’s leading specialist vehicle producers.

Demonstrating its commitment to the body swap concept, Wrexham Council has ordered two Whale/Econ gully emptiers, one of which represents the first 26-tonne vehicle of its kind. The unit – supplied with Whale’s high capacity 10,500-litre high volume combination tank – has been adapted from an existing ACB (Annual Change Body) spreader to accommodate the Whale/Econ QCB system.

In addition, the local authority has ordered a second smaller unit that sees Whale’s 10,500-litre combination tanker fitted to the Mercedes 4200 18-tonne GVW 4 x 4 chassis. Both units not only optimise the speed with which body units can be swapped, they deliver impressive jetting and vacuuming capabilities

Complete with Mistral 400 series exhauster/compressor vacuum system and OCRA 240 high pressure jetting pump delivering 120 l/min at 120 bar, the new Whale/Econ unit uses the same hydraulic system, providing weight savings whilst negating the need for the duplication of hydraulic circuitry.

Having exhibited at the RWM for the first time last year, visitors to the show will get the chance to get up close to a tanker that boasts a number of new performance, and health and safety related features and product improvements.

Complete with an 1800-gallon capacity tank mounted on the 18 tonne MAN TG-M 4 x 2 day cab chassis, GullyWhale Plus is packed with new features that now form either part of Whale’s standard vehicle specification or which can be specified as options.

The most significant of the new features is a radically new operating control system. Capable of interfacing with a manufacturer’s chassis and CANbus system, the new PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) is being deployed to control a number of new key functions introduced to the GullyWhale Plus. The system also has inbuilt capacity for operators to introduce additional functionality in the future, such as vehicle telematic systems etc.

The upgraded PLC supports functions such as a hydrostatic sensor that provides a digital display of the tanker’s capacity level – accurate to approximately .25% – as well as the amount of jetting time that remains at maximum flow.

GullyWhale Plus also incorporates Whale’s already popular anti-vibration gully boom control unit – developed in- house as a means of reducing health and safety concerns surrounding hand-arm (HAV) vibration.

The control system on the MVC is also being deployed to help deliver further improvements, particularly in relation to operator health and safety. For example when jetting, the MVC now features a safe mode start up.

Featured as an option is a new jetting hose meter that is digitally programmable. Operating via two sensors located outside the reel housing, as opposed to running on the reel itself so as to avoid dirt and particulate ingress, a digital display provides the operator with two read outs; one showing how much hose remains on the reel at any given time, the other an incremental measurement of the length deployed down a drain. Tolerant to its working environment and mounted on the reel frame itself, the unit – suitable for retrofitting – is simple and fool proof to operate and accurate to within two metres.

Manufactured and delivered to a stringent production schedule, the new water bowsers feature 2000-gallon stainless steel tanks that have been fitted to DAF FA LF55, 3750mm wheelbase 4 x 2 rigid chassis. Joining Severn Trent Water’s existing fleet of 22 articulated

barrel water bowsers, the smaller rigid tankers have been specified to help better serve properties located in restricted urban areas.

As Severn Trent Water’s Interim Transport Manager, Chris Wand commented: “With the new smaller water bowsers we now have far greater flexibility when it comes to our ability to deliver drinking water and refill bowsers in an emergency.”

In order to improve the versatility with which drinking water is capable of being dispensed to the public, Severn Trent Water and Whale Tankers have developed a bespoke tap bar that is coupled to the tank’s main water outlet valve when operating in the field. The unit features five

2.5″ stainless taps.

Since Whale Tankers, a leading manufacturer of high quality vacuum tankers and jetting equipment and specialist commercial vehicle bodybuilder, Econ, announced their joint working alliance at the CV Show in 2007, demand for the Whale/Econ gully emptier has remained buoyant.

Representing one of the most exciting developments in the municipal equipment sector in recent years, Whale Tankers and Econ have made available a premium product that sees Whale¹s low and medium volume combination tanker units equipped with Econ¹s QCB 2000 (Quick Change Body) system. The 18-tonne and PED compliant demonstrator exhibited on the Econ stand at Londonderry features the DAF FA LF 55.220 4 x 2 chassis coupled with Whale¹s 7000 litre (1540 gallon) joint capacity water and sludge tank.

Supplied with the proven Econ QCB demount system – optimising the speed with which body units can be swapped using a single hydraulic dry coupling break system – the Whale/Econ gully emptier has been designed to optimise weight distribution. This is in part delivered by side mounted pannier tanks that provide 3000 litres clean water carrying capacity.

Complete with Mistral 400 series exhauster/compressor vacuum system and OCRA 240 high pressure jetting pump delivering 120 l/min at 120 bar, the new Whale/Econ unit uses the same hydraulic oil tank, again providing weight savings whilst negating the need for the duplication of hydraulic equipment.

Not surprisingly, the new Whale/Econ gully emptier boasts many of the new features Whale has recently introduced to its GullyWhale Plus MVC tanker. Probably the most significant amongst these new features is Whale¹s anti-vibration gully boom control unit. Developed in-house as part of a blue-sky think tank, the radically redesigned control unit has been introduced as a means of reducing health and safety concerns surrounding hand-arm (HAV) vibration. Also featured is a new, quick acting boom valve that operates 60% faster than was achieved previously.

The new and radically upgraded GullyWhale Plus, featuring an 1800-gallon capacity tank mounted on the18 tonne MAN TG-M 4 x 2 day cab chassis is a Medium Volume Combination (MVC) tanker that boasts a number of new performance and health and safety related features and product improvements. These now form either part of Whale’s standard vehicle specification or can be specified as options.

Also spouting off at Londonderry is the KiloWhale Plus – a high volume JetVac vacuum tanker equipped with the new MK60 high pressure-jetting pump delivering 75 gallons per minute at 2,300psi. Available with many of the new product refinements introduced to the GullyWhale Plus, including the full range of options, the KiloWhale Plus has a 2600-gallon tank coupled with the DAF FAT CF75.310 6 x 4 26 tonne chassis.

Of the new standard features on the GullyWhale Plus, the most significant is its radically new operating control system. Capable of interfacing with a manufacturer’s chassis and CANbus system, the new PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) is being deployed to control a number of new key features and functions introduced to the GullyWhale Plus.

For added flexibility, the system has inbuilt capacity for operators to introduce additional functionality in the future, such as vehicle telematic systems etc.

The upgraded PLC supports functions such as a hydrostatic sensor that provides a digital display of the tanker’s capacity level – accurate to approximately .25% – as well as the amount of jetting time that remains at maximum flow.

Representing a significantly enhanced service offering, tank tests carried out by WHALEInspection are now being trialled using the  latest in-the-field portable computer technology.

The new service aims to replace what has, until now, been a paper driven system, and follows the  Solihull-based manufacturer of high quality vacuum tankers and jetting equipment’s service department having recently introduced myWhaleFleet  – a secure web-based facility that  enables customers to manage their fleets online.

WHALEInspection’s 23-strong team of externally audited Inspection Engineers  are being equipped  with rugged, tablet notebooks to carry out all tank test procedures.

Menu driven and with the use of on-screen  prompts, information collected in real time during  the testing process is now capable of being relayed back to Whale’s 4- strong team of in-house analysis  engineers almost instantly via mobile phone card.

Created as an added value support package from Whale Tankers, myWhaleFleet serves a one-stop shop when it comes to customers gaining access to valuable fleet data, and important regulatory and legislative information.

Mark Warmington, Whale Tankers’ Managing Director commented: “myWhaleFleet does more than simply provide the customer with relevant chassis and body information, as important as this is. The new service serves to help ensure customers meet their regulatory requirements by giving them instant access to full information and certification documentation they need to comply with relevant legislation.”

He added: “Our IT and customer service departments have invested a great deal of time and effort in developing myWhaleFleet and we are confident that it will become a universally used tool amongst our customers. Once again, it supports our ongoing strategy of developing our core business through a process of continuous innovation.”

Launched this month, myWhaleFleet is being actively piloted by a number of Whale’s key customers and can be used to host information relating to vehicles other than tankers, and those not supplied by Whale.

With powerful search and reporting facilities, the service is accessed by customers logging on via Whale Tankers’ home page, or using the website – myWhaleFleet.co.uk. Simply entering all or part of the vehicle’s registration, serial or fleet number on the Vehicle Search page provides a list of vehicles. From there, a menu of separate vehicle and chassis information is displayed in a clear and logical format. From here, the user can then drill down into the site using a series of tabs that cover: manuals, certificates, technical information, service, spares, tank tests and WhaleCare – the latter being the company’s preventative maintenance package.

Each section then provides the user with a wealth of information and a suite of downloadable material, such as regulatory documentation relating to tank tests and type approval, not to mention manuals and handbooks. Within the certificates section, for example, the user can access all CE, PED/PER and tank test certificates should the operator have misplaced them. Also of particular importance are the service and tank tests sections. Whilst customers can view a history of all service work undertaken, they are also alerted as to when tank tests and services are due.

In terms of the future development of the myWhaleFleet, Whale is already working on introducing a parts ordering and procurement facility, not to mention integrating customer online service scheduling and booking.