D-TEC is a Dutch manufacturer of semi-trailers and one of their specialties is building tankers for transporting, well, nasty and smelly liquids. Think wastewater, non-hazardous industrial waste, sludge, and liquid manure.
In the Netherlands, such tankers often have to drive on bendy, narrow backroads. Frequently maneuvering in (farm)yards also comes with the job. Ordinary, tri-axle semi-trailers just won’t cut it, but luckily the solution can be found around the corner.
Three brand new D-TEC specials, about to be delivered, were displayed at the manufacturer’s open house, held in June 2025. The company started to build tanker semi-trailers for the Dutch market in 1987, yet these days their tankers are also exported to other countries in Europe.
Here’s a D-TEC Multiliner FV2006, demonstrating the cornering skills of its mechanical steering system. A long steel rod connects the first axle unit -which is cable-steered and guided by the tractor’s fifth wheel coupling- to the third axle unit, forcing it to steer in the opposite direction. Effective, simple, dependable, plus tire- and pavement-friendly.
The stainless steel tank has a capacity of 36,000 liters (9,510 US gallons) and the semi-trailer’s factory gross weight rating is 48 tonnes (105,800 lbs). This is some serious manure, to keep things both civilized and on topic.
Another Multiliner FV2006, in the livery of agricultural contractor Kievit. According to the specifications, the pump capacity of the FV2006 is 6,000 liters (1,585 US gallons) per minute. Note that these are not vacuum tank trailers, which D-TEC also builds.
By the way, off-roading is not involved in the task of such tankers. After the liquid manure fill-up at the livestock farm, they bring their cargo to the entrance of a pasture or an arable field, and then dedicated machines finish the job (courtesy of Kievit Deil BV).
The last one, a D-TEC Circuliner SV2006 for transporting by-products (used as animal feed) to farms. The ultra short semi-trailer comes with a conventional tridem and a stainless steel tank with a capacity of 35,000 liters (9,246 US gallons), or simply 35 m³.
The Van Kuijk Groep from the south of the Netherlands has an impressive fleet of D-TEC semi-trailers. In its homeland, the combination as pictured above is rated at a legal maximum gross weight of 46.5 tonnes (102,515 lbs), assuming the Volvo FH 4×2 tractor has an eight tonnes front axle. The key factor here is the rig’s axle configuration, not the wheelbase. So in other words -and to keep it short- making this semi longer won’t change its gross weight rating one bit.
Always fascinated by the technology so common over there on trailers to navigate the narrower roads and corners. It’s all solid axles over here, although I suppose there are some steering ones in special applications. That last super-short rig is something you’d never see over here.
The super-short tanker rig is on the other end of the truckin’ spectrum.
The other day I saw a semi-trailer (groceries, boring!) in front of us doing a right turn at the roundabout in the centre of town – and to my surprise I saw it had one of those steering rear axles on the trailer. We’re pretty much wide-open fairly flat country around here, and I’ve never seen one in action before. Plenty of timber and produce coming straight through town, but I never thought of deliveries to stores. Didn’t think to note who the trailer manufacturer was.
Indeed Peter, they’re also useful/helpful on (city) delivery vehicles. Even single-axle semi-trailers often have a (as in one) counter-steering axle, like the Pacton below. These are typically called ‘city trailers’.
In many circumstances, a semi-trailer cannot be maneuverable enough, regardless its length or the number of axles.
Yes, as once-little towns like mine get more built up there’s less room to swing a trailer around. Our new shopping centre has less space to spare around the loading dock than the old shops had, and I often wondered how drivers managed now. I guess the architects must assume the use of steerable trailers (and very competent drivers) at the planning stage.
It just took me by surprise to see one in action!