The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word TANKERS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
T
A
N
K
E
R
S
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TANKERS mean?
TANKERS noun- A tank ship, a vessel used to transport large quantities of liquid.
- A tank truck.
- A fuel tanker, petrol tanker, road tanker.
- A tank car
- Member of a tank crew, or of an armoured unit.
- A longboard.