A Customer-Focused Approach to Liquid Waste Disposal
Putting the customer at the heart of everything, Universal Tankers has a proven track record of delivering liquid waste disposal solutions with a level of professionalism and consistency that stands out from many of its industry peers.
Trusted by some of the industry’s largest portable accommodation providers, Universal Tankers is a FORS and Defence ERS Gold accredited specialist in the removal and disposal of liquid waste. With capabilities spanning everything from disposing of liquid waste through septic tanks, sewage treatment plants, pump stations, grease traps, food processing by-products, food waste, and blocked drainage, the organisation is the partner of choice for organisations requiring a single-source solution capable of handling any and all of their liquid waste needs.
Over the past 20 years, Universal Tankers has proven itself an incredibly reliable provider of liquid waste disposal solutions, having built lasting relationships with an ever-growing customer portfolio. Reportedly, this has overwhelmingly been as a result of the firm’s ability to deliver professional, reliable, and responsible services with an emphasis on collaboration, the customer journey, and effectively in taking the stresses away from key customers.
Taking a glance at the fleet, Universal Tankers has an expansive tanker fleet of circa 100 tankers, including a number of specialist vehicles for specific liquid waste or non-potable water requirements. The fleet is then backed up by a nationwide depot network, including 20 strategically located depots around the UK to ensure strong regional coverage and rapid response times no matter where in the UK a customer resides.
To ensure efficient operations and elevated vehicle uptime, Universal Tankers takes a modern approach to scheduling and fleet management to ensure that workloads are properly balanced, resources are coordinated efficiently, and contingencies are always in place should unforeseen events occur (particularly breakdowns or emergencies); such efforts are bolstered by access to backup vehicles and cross-depot support to ensure minimal disruption to operations.
Unsurprisingly, Universal Tankers’ solutions have also been in high demand within the market, with recent years consequently seeing a huge uptick in investment as a means of laying the foundations for future growth. In particular, this has included the opening of a new depot in Avenmouth, the introduction of 20 new specialised tankers to the fleet, the recruitment of 13 new drivers, expansion of the operational and sales teams at the Stokesley depot, and ongoing technology investments (including that of an enhanced CRM system) all within the last 12 months.
In particular, investment into personnel and technology is seemingly a core area of focus for Universal Tankers, with the firm stressing the value of such investments in ensuring a consistently high quality customer experience. Offering further information into such investments, particularly in terms of targeted technology investments, a spokesperson for Universal Tankers shared:
“Universal Tankers has made targeted investments in technology to strengthen visibility, efficiency, and reliability across our supply chain. We utilise an enhanced CRM system to centralise customer data, streamline communication, and ensure accurate, real-time job tracking from enquiry through to completion. This allows our teams to respond quickly to customer needs while maintaining a high level of service consistency.
“Our transport operations are supported by digital planning and scheduling tools, enabling efficient route optimisation, improved fleet utilisation, and reduced turnaround times. These systems help us dynamically allocate resources based on demand, ensuring fast and dependable service delivery. We also leverage telematics and fleet tracking technology across our vehicles, providing real-time visibility of tanker locations and performance. This enhances operational control, improves safety, and allows us to proactively communicate updates to customers.
“Automation also plays a key role in reducing manual processes. From job allocation and invoicing to reporting and performance monitoring, our systems are designed to minimise administrative burden while improving accuracy and speed.
“Combined with ongoing investment in skilled operational staff, our technology infrastructure enables us to continuously refine processes, improve transparency, and deliver a more responsive and efficient supply chain for our customers.”
Technology investments also run alongside efforts to tackle the firm’s carbon footprint, including a concise sustainability strategy to: minimise annual mileage through effective route planning; lower fuel consumption via improved route efficiency and responsible driver behaviour; train and set targets for transport managers to support carbon emission reductions; encourage transport managers to participate in industry events, seminars, and publications to promote best practices; ensure transport managers attend events, webinars, and training focused on low or zero emission vehicles; require transport managers to log and record all relevant activities and initiatives in the Environmental Engagement Document; and maintain a fleet replacement and decarbonisation strategy to support the organisation’s core sustainability goals.
As for the future, Universal Tankers has already laid the foundations for stability and growth, with the firm now plotting a course towards aggressive commercial expansion in the coming years. In particular, we expect to see a sizeable increase in the size of the fleet over the next five years, with the firm aiming to double turnover during the same period, but with the important caveat of ensuring the same standard of service continues to be delivered.
Transport & Logistics Magazine – Driving The Industry Forward
