The inside of a tanker truck looks different to what you might expect
Published on Aug 24, 2025 at 4:02 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Aug 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
The inside of a tanker truck probably doesn’t look anything like what you would expect it to.
Tanker trucks are one of the most prominent vehicles on the road right now, and carry various liquids, but mostly gasoline or diesel fuel.
You might think that inside their massive trailers, it is just a simple, large space filled to the brim with whatever fuel they are carrying.
However, it is a little bit more complex than that, and in fact, there is far more to these trucks than meets the eye.
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What is inside a tanker truck?
Inside a tanker truck is a very interesting affair.
There are, in most large trucks, for instance, very sophisticated features to stop the contents from splashing around.
Baffles are installed inside each tank, spread throughout the interior, and they act as barriers.
That prevents liquid from rushing all the way from one end to the other.
A huge surge in liquid without any baffles could cause serious damage to the tank and potentially lethal consequences.
Trucks could jackknife or turn over without this extra assistance.
Clearly, there is a lot of thought that goes into the design of these monsters.
A tanker must have a tough and durable design
The tanker itself must be durable and resistant to leaks to carry its cargo safely.
Partitions throughout the interior hope to reinforce it and strengthen it overall.
Some in the UK, for example, are designed to be divided into six compartments.
Each type of liquid is safely sealed in the compartments, allowing various types to be carried at once.
Emptying and refilling the trucks is another thing that designers have to think about as well.
Various valves help to regulate the flow of the liquids, but operators must also wear the appropriate PPE.
Chains at the back are an external safety feature, helping to prevent static electricity from building up around the tank.
On the face of it, fuel tankers might seem like quite basic vehicles, like a certain James May’s Crosley CC.
However, as we can see, they are in fact very complex.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a leading heritage steam railway in England.
