Herring Tankers - updated

Among the more unusual cargoes travelling Atlantic Canada's highways is herring. During the fishing season,the small fish are pumped from fishing boats directly into tank trailers and trucked away to fish plants.

Kenworth with set-back axle, is starting to load herring into its tank trailer. The trailer appears to be a former fuel tanker.

The trailers are usually not new - they are often older fuel or milk tankers, re-purposed to carry fish. They are top loaded with the fish, and a certain amount of salt water in a slurry form. On arrival at the fish plant the cargo is dumped from gate valves installed on the back of the trailers.  The trucks do not require any pumping gear, so that any available tractor can be called upon to haul herring in season.

There is considerable variety in trucks and trailers waiting to load. A very nice looking Pete with a stainless steel jacketed trailer joins some rougher looking rigs.

Not all herring ride in the comfort of tanks, some have to travel in fish boxes, lashed down to a flat bed.

 Once each box is loaded by means of a pump chute from the fishing boat, the lids are put on and tied down. There is a fair amount of sloshing around in the boxes, which must present a bit of a challenge for the driver of this fine looking Peterbilt.

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