The National Tank Truck Carriers Inc (NTTC) Board of Directors announced August 3 that Daniel R Furth has assumed the position of President of the trade association succeeding former President John Conley who has scheduled his retirement for the end of 2013. Furth will be just the fourth president of the NTTC, which was founded in 1945. Conley will serve as the association’s Past President and liaison to its Executive Committee for the transition.
“On behalf of the entire membership, I’d like to commend both the executive committee and transition committee for their combined efforts that have resulted in an orderly succession for the organization,” says NTTC Chairman Hans Schaupp. “We’re extremely pleased to have Dan Furth on board as our next leader given his prior experience in the industry and his many contributions to the NTTC since he joined the team as our vice-president back in 2008. I’d also note that we owe a great deal of gratitude to John Conley who has served this industry well for almost forty years and whose leadership as our president strongly positions the NTTC and its new management team to effectively advocate for the tank truck community well into the future.”
Furth’s tank truck experience began in 1981 when he joined the original Quality Carriers in Pleasant Prairie WI as a teenager in the mailroom. He returned to the industry in 1994 with Montgomery Tank Lines in Plant City FL, where he managed corporate communications, marketing communications, investor relations, and public affairs for the predecessor companies now known as Quality Distribution and Quality Carriers. During that time, he also served as chief of staff to Quality’s chairman/chief executive officer and played an instrumental role in the company’s initial public offering in 1994, its subsequent leveraged buyout by Apollo Management in 1998, and its acquisition of Chemical Leaman Tank Lines also in 1998.
“This new role here at the NTTC is an incredible honor for me both personally and professionally,” says Furth. “I value the support and guidance that I have received from our members and I look forward to working with them as we continue our efforts to implement our strategic plan and strengthen our organization. I also greatly value John Conley’s leadership over our shared time here and I’m pleased that we’ll continue to benefit from his counsel through the end of 2013. The experience of Laura Niel, Fritz Mead, and the rest of our staff coupled with the solid foundation that John built will enable our team to hit the ground running as we pursue the NTTC’s mission of championing safety and success for our many constituents.”
Conley’s tenure at the NTTC has been marked by strengthened relationships with our association peers like the American Trucking Associations, the American Chemistry Council, and many others in the hazardous materials industry. NTTC members also greatly benefitted from Conley’s close, respectful relationships within the regulatory community including FMCSA, PHMSA, and other federal agencies. And, his tireless work on the wetlines issue over the years resulted in favorable Congressional action in the recent highway bill that forestalls misguided regulatory rulemaking that would have negatively impacted the entire tank truck industry.
“The tank truck industry has been very good to me and to my family and I will continue to work hard for our members and to promote trucking safety until I hand in my logbook at the end of 2013,” Conley says. “I never dreamed I would have the privilege of serving as NTTC president when I began my tank truck career as assistant editor of Modern Bulk Transporter magazine in 1972. I knew the first leader of NTTC, Austin Sutherland, and was lucky enough to have worked for Cliff Harvison for 16 years. I believe that Dan, Laura, Fritz, and the entire team are well-positioned to continue our valued traditions while leading the NTTC into the future.”