The largest such vehicles are similar to railroad tank cars, which are also designed to carry liquid loads.
For example, in New Zealand, Sir Robert Waley Cohen, of British Imperial Oil, first proposed use of petrol tankers in 1925[7] and the first (910 litres (240 US gal; 200 imp gal)) tanker from Auckland[8] to arrive in Hamilton was greeted by a brass band in 1927.
The tanks themselves will almost always contain multiple compartments or baffles to prevent load movement destabilizing the vehicle.
Large tank trucks are used for example to transport gasoline, diesel, and liquefied petroleum or natural gas to filling stations.
A common example is vacuum truck used to empty several septic tanks and then deliver the collected fecal sludge to a treatment site.
Another common use is to deliver fuel such as liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to households, businesses, and industries.
Notably, one US manufacturer has built a 3,700 US gallons (14,010 L; 3,081 imp gal) tank truck, fitting it on a single axle.