Liangshan, Shandong. Liangshan Big Shark International Trade Co., Ltd. has finished inspection and loading for a batch of custom fuel tank trucks. The vehicles are bound for an open-pit mine in southern Mali to deliver diesel fuel across the site. Founded back in 2016 within Liangshan's well-established special vehicle industrial cluster, the company serves mining operators, construction contractors and fuel traders across Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East and South America. It exports brand-new and fully refurbished used heavy equipment, including dump trucks, tractor heads, fuel tank trucks, concrete mixers, different types of semi-trailers, excavators and truck cranes.
The cooperation started with an online inquiry from the buyer early this year. The client's existing tankers struggled a lot in Mali's rainy season. On slippery laterite roads, low chassis would scrape against the tank body, and unstable fuel sloshing created obvious safety risks. Zhang, the project manager who oversaw pre-shipment checks on site at the workshop, said the buyer was not looking for an off-the-shelf tanker. What they really needed was a tough build that fits local terrain and comes with easily sourced spare parts. After five rounds of discussion, they settled on a HOWO 6x4 chassis with lifted ground clearance, a three-compartment tank fitted with anti-surge baffles, emergency shut-off valves and flow meters that local service shops in West Africa can calibrate.
Mr. Diallo, the client's project lead, shared his thoughts after reviewing the final acceptance footage remotely. He recalled a previous unpleasant experience: tankers bought from another supplier failed local transport authority checks after arrival, and the required modifications held up the whole site schedule for six weeks. That was the main reason they reached out to Big Shark. Our team mapped out the tanker configuration following Mali's local transport rules ahead of production. Once delivered, these trucks will keep drill rigs and loader fleets supplied with diesel at the mine.
Hydrostatic pressure testing, pipeline leak detection, chassis fastener review and safety marking were all carried out at local workshops in Liangshan. The client's team could not travel to China due to tight site schedules, so we shared test videos, refurbishment clips and full vehicle photos step by step. All inspection papers and certificate of origin were sorted out, with digital copies sent in advance to their customs broker. The client later added three dump trucks and one lowbed semi-trailer. These extra units went through the same inspection workflow and were booked onto the same vessel. Original shipping documents will be handed over once the vessel departs.
Over the years, the team keeps up with changing import rules country by country and adjusts vehicle specs to match local requirements for markets such as Algeria, Tajikistan and Nigeria. Whether clients choose new or pre-owned machines, they are welcome to arrange factory visits and test drives. Remote verification packages are also available for buyers who cannot come in person. Apart from fuel tanker shipments, the company keeps taking bulk orders of heavy equipment for mining, road construction and fuel haulage projects worldwide.
