EVERETT, Massachusetts—Kenneth Tolliver was lucky. He discovered his passion at 10 years old, while riding in a family friend’s milk truck in his small Tennessee town. He cherished those trips, and wanted to know everything about the equipment, and the life. But his initially took him in a different direction, to a job in a steel factory.
So when he finally decided to pursue that childhood dream, and landed his first trucking job with U.S. Express 22 years ago, he was eager to celebrate back home in Adams, Tennessee, where he ran into that old family friend—who wasn’t at all surprised to see the career correction, saying he always knew Tolliver was a trucker at heart.
Now he’s the best truck driver in an entire segment of the transportation industry.
National Tank Truck Carriers on Monday crowned the Hoffman Transportation driver the 2022-23 Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year during a special breakfast ceremony here at the Encore Boston Harbor, where G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation also became the first carrier with two NTTC grand champions.
G&D/Hoffman driver Ron Baird claimed the title for 2020-21.
“I started my career in the tank industry 17 years ago [with Bulkmatic],” Tolliver said after thanking God, his wife Phoebe, and the Hoffman family. “I enjoy and love what I do, I enjoy meeting great people in the tank truck industry, and I have a passion for this industry; and one of my greatest passions is helping new drivers, especially drivers who don’t have any experience in this industry.”
See also: Baird crowned 2020-21 NTTC Tank Truck Driver of the Year
Tolliver, 56, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, now boasts 1 million company-verified, accident-free miles in seven years driving for Hoffman, 3 million accident-free miles for his career, and safety recognitions at all three stops.
But none are bigger than NTTC’s prestigious William A. Usher, Sr. championship trophy.
“He’s a great steward of our industry, and our company, and he’s genuine to the bone,” Jerry Curl, G&D/Hoffman director of operations, told Bulk Transporter. “You can take everything he says at face value.
“He shows up everyday, and he does it right.”
Tolliver, who hauls plastic pellets for Hoffman, emerged from a group of eight champion finalists that boasted a combined 230 years of experience and 21.79 million accident-free miles, an achievement Ryan Streblow, NTTC president and CEO called “simply unmatched in any other segment of trucking.”
The 2022-23 group included Florida Rock & Tank Lines’ Robert Anderson (3.69 million accident-free miles), SWTO’s Jefferson Benjamin (2.5 million miles), Quality Carriers’ David Lepak (2.5 million miles), Kenan Advantage Group’s Richard “Jerry” Locke (3.1 million miles), Cox Petroleum’s Robert “Newt” Newsome (2.5 million miles), Usher Transport’s Dave Powell (2 million miles), and Highway Transport’s Pam Randol (2.5 million miles).
“We are delighted to award Kenneth Tolliver the grand champion title, and we’re proud to recognize his exceptional safety record and commitment to the industry,” Streblow said in a news release. “The Professional Driver of the Year contest is a testament to the importance of safety in the tank truck industry, and Tolliver is a true role model for others to follow.”
The Usher trophy goes to the driver who best demonstrates his or her knowledge of the trucking industry, dedication to safety, ability to communicate the industry’s messages, and overall safe driving record. The judges were Rebecca Brewster (American Transportation Research Institute), Adrienne Gildea (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance), Dan Horvath (American Trucking Associations), Teddy Butler (America’s Road Team Captain), and Jeff Rose (America’s Road Team Captain). Great West Casualty Company sponsored the program.
As the face of the tank truck industry, Tolliver will represent NTTC at safety-focused events throughout the coming year, and work to share NTTC's mission of safety and education with the public.
Previous winners of the Usher Trophy include:
- 2013-14: James Starr, Groendyke Transport
- 2014-15: Bobby Weller, Hahn Transportation
- 2015-16: Darryl Nowell, Eagle Transport
- 2016-17: Todd Stine, Carbon Express
- 2017-18: Paul Emerson, Foodliner
- 2018-19: Barbara Herman, K-Limited Carrier
- 2019-20: Program suspended due to pandemic
- 2020-21: Ron Baird, G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation
- 2021-22: Thomas Frain, Highway Transport
And now Tolliver—a small-town kid from Tennessee—can add his name to this list of tank truck industry giants.
“Tank truckers are in competition with each other, but for things like this, we’re all together,” said Randy Clifford, the outgoing NTTC chairman, and Ventura Transfer Company chairman and CEO. “The winners are the drivers. We’re winners for being in their company. And what a great honor it is to all be together with them.”
Look for more from Bulk Transporter's exclusive one-on-one interview with the newest grand champion in our comprehensive NTTC Annual Conference coverage in the upcoming issue of the magazine.
