U.S. tankers are constructed and operated under strict regulations. Companies use a communication network of telephone, telex, and satellite systems to locate its tankers. On board the ships, crews follow strict safety measures, minimizing loss of personnel and product. Automatic collision avoidance systems track approaching ships, alerting a tanker to an obstruction on its course. There have been many developments in improving the tanker operations to reduce the frequency and amount of oil spilled.
Improvements have been made in tanker design and now discharge of oily water is now illegal.
In the past, after oil tankers discharged their cargo, they pumped sea water into the oil storage containers to provide ballast for the return trip. When the ship arrived at the loading port, this oily ballast was discharged into the ocean and crude oil was pumped into the ship's containers. Now new tankers have segregated ballast tanks. These ships have tanks that are solely used for ballast and water and oil are kept apart. New tanker design also requires ships to have double-hull construction in accordance to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.