Marriott Marquis Houston
Houmq Aerial 7556 Hor Clsc

Bulk City: Tank Truck Week heads to Houston

Sept. 12, 2022
National Tank Truck Carriers hosts the 2022 edition of the industry's largest gathering in North America Sept. 18-21 at the Marriott Marquis, and George R. Brown Convention Center

National Tank Truck Carriers’ 2022 Tank Truck Week is packed with more speakers, new mock cargo tank inspections, and the return of the Safety and Security Council’s awards banquet—in addition to the usual content, including an exhibit hall filled with the latest tank truck equipment and technology, and numerous educational sessions.

Fortunately, this year’s Houston, Texas, location provides plenty of capacity for what Ryan Streblow, NTTC president and CEO, deemed the greatest content the association has delivered at the industry’s premier event in North America. Tank Truck Week is slated for Sept. 18-21 at the Marriott Marquis Houston and George R. Brown Convention Center.

“There is a lot of content and a lot of exhibits jammed into three incredibly valuable days for our organization and the industry,” he said.

See also: Time to commit to the tank truck sector

The tank truck industry’s trade association welcomed 749 attendees at 2021 Tank Truck Week last October in Dallas while still emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. Streblow expects more than 1,000 industry stakeholders this year, with the potential for more walkup attendees in “arguably the epicenter” for the sector.

GRB Exhibit Halls A and B, with a combined 221,250 square feet, will play host to 69 exhibitors (as of late August), including a who’s-who of tank trailer manufacturers, longtime industry suppliers, and innovative newcomers. “Many of them will be presenting new technology, and we’re not just talking safety technology or telematics, we’re talking about technology as it pertains to the trailers, and the power units, and the technology behind the scenes, working through processes within a carrier’s operations,” Streblow said.

The floor also will feature “forward-leaning” equipment in the form of a Class 8 battery-electric truck. “Quantix partnered with Peterbilt to obtain the first two Peterbilt 579EV (electric-vehicle) units,” Streblow explained. “We’ll have one of those units highlighted at Tank Truck Week, so I’m excited to see it. They’ll also conduct an EV session to educate folks on how they got to that point, what hurdles they had to go through, what’s the application, and what are the things they need to be cognizant of. EVs and alternative fuels are creeping into the industry, so it’s good to be incorporating that content into our meetings to help educate the industry, bring in the subject-matter experts, and allow them to make the right decisions for their operations.”

The general and 21 educational sessions will focus on critical workforce safety and development concerns, and spotlight emerging technologies, tank cleaning and maintenance, insurance, and more, Streblow said. Special presentations include the most detailed review yet of tank truck driver benefits and compensation, with Cottingham & Butler for the first time breaking out key market subsets, including chemicals, and energy services; a Task Force Movement update from former Congressman and U.S. Army veteran Patrick Murphy, who chairs the collaborative effort to transition veterans into trucking; and a champions panel featuring reigning North American safety champions Service Transport Company—which is headquartered in Houston—and Lacy’s Express, and Tank Truck Driver of the Year Thomas Frain of Highway Transport.

In addition to Murphy, keynote speakers scheduled each day of NTTC’s first trip to Houston in eight years include retired Air Force Col. Nicole Malachowski, Transportation Security Administration assistant administrator Neal Latta, and Department of Labor assistant secretary Brent Parton, who will discuss the newly approved tank truck driver registered apprenticeship program.

Finally, along with embedding segment committee meetings and a Political Action Committee reception, NTTC will recognize members who received Grand awards in its competitive safety contest, and personnel safety contest winners; and reveal the Safety and Security Council’s two safety professionals of the year. 

“It’s a full schedule,” Streblow said.

The 2023 edition of Tank Truck Week is scheduled for Oct. 8-10, 2023, at the JW Marriott and Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind.

2022 Tank Truck Week schedule

Sunday, Sept. 18

  • 3-4 p.m.: Safety and security council meeting
  • 4-5 p.m.: Nominating committee meeting (committee members only)
  • 5-6:30 p.m.: Young executives committee meeting

Monday, Sept. 19

  • 8:30-9:30 a.m.: Workforce development committee meeting
  • 9:45-10:45 a.m.: Dry bulk committee meeting
  • 11 a.m.-noon: Energy services committee meeting
  • Noon-1:30 p.m.: Lunch at Marriott Marquis
  • 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Chemical and food committee meeting
  • 2:45-4:45 p.m.: General session: “2022 Tank Truck Driver Compensation and Benefits results” and “Task Force Movement,” featuring steering committee chair Patrick Murphy
  • 3:30-4 p.m.: Mock cargo tank roadside inspection
  • 4:30-6:30 p.m.: Exhibit hall open
  • 4:30-6:30 p.m.: Act 1 grand opening reception

Tuesday, Sept. 20

  • 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Cargo tank test and inspection workshop
  • 8:30-9:30 a.m.: Educational sessions: “OSHA Update,” “43 Key Seconds to Re-energizing Your Safety Culture and Protecting Your Employees,” “Trucking Litigation in Texas: Welcome to the New Wild, Wild West,” “Autonomous Truck Demonstration,” and “Speed Inhibitor presentation”
  • 9:30-10:30 a.m.: Budget and finance committee meeting (committee members only)
  • 9:45-10:45 a.m.: Educational sessions: “Atmospheric Testing for Tank Entry Applications,” “The Mongoose Method: Tactical Training in Litigation Defense,” and “FMCSA Pre-employment Screening Program”
  • 11-11:30 a.m.: Mock cargo tank roadside inspection
  • 11 a.m.-noon: Advocacy committee meeting
  • Noon- 2 p.m.: Exhibit hall open
  • Noon-1:30 p.m.: Lunch in exhibit hall
  • 2:15-4:30 p.m.: General session: “NTTC Champions Panel,” “Tank Truck Registered Apprenticeship,” featuring DOL’s Brent Parton, and “Keynote Address,” featuring TSA asstistant administrator Neal Latta
  • 4:30-6:30 p.m.: Exhibit hall open
  • 4:30-6:30 p.m.: Reception in the exhibit hall

Wednesday, Sept. 21

  • 8-9:30 a.m.: Exhibit hall open
  • 8-9:30 a.m.: Breakfast in exhibit hall
  • 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Cargo tank test and inspection workshop
  • 9:30-10:15 a.m.: Educational sessions: “Preparing for and Surviving Permit-Required Confined Space Inspections,” “The Trucking Industry’s Stand Against Lawsuit Abuse,” and “How to Maximize Fleet Technology Uptime”
  • 10:15-11:15 a.m.: Executive committee meeting (committee members and past chairmen only)
  • 10:30-11:15 a.m.: Educational sessions: “Rolling Strong: Truck Driver Health and Wellness,” “Developing an Electronic Hazard Communication Standard,” “Tank Trailer Gasket Selection: Making the Right Choice,” “What Not to Do: A Mock Deposition for the Trucking Industry,” and “Tank Wash Audit Form Roundtable”
  • 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Keynote speaker: Retired Air Force Col. Nicole Malachowski
  • 12:15-1:45 p.m.: Exhibit hall open
  • Noon-1:30 p.m.: Lunch in exhibit hall
  • 2-3 p.m.: Board of directors meeting
  • 3:15-4:15 p.m.: Tank cleaning and maintenance council meeting
  • 6-9 p.m.: Annual safety and security award banquet (invitation only)
About the Author

Jason McDaniel

Jason McDaniel, based in the Houston TX area, has more than 20 years of experience as an award-winning journalist. He spent 15 writing and editing for daily newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, and began covering the commercial vehicle industry in 2018. He was named editor of Bulk Transporter and Refrigerated Transporter magazines in July 2020.