TAMPA, Florida—Matthew Brian Hitchcock, CEO of MBH Trucking, tried to contain his emotions on stage. In this endeavor only, he was not successful.
His company’s outstanding safety success was simply too overwhelming.
The Webberville, Michigan-based bulk hauler claimed National Tank Truck Carriers’ North American safety championship in the Sutherland division Thursday during the 2025 NTTC Annual Conference at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street hotel—fulfilling a long-held dream for MBH’s proud founder.
“My life-long ambition has been to leave behind a legacy,” Hitchcock said on stage.
“Thank you to National Tank Truck Carriers, and everyone at NTTC and Heil Trailer, for helping me make that happen.”
MBH was one of three companies that secured Heil trophies in the 2024 North American Safety Contest. Trimac Transportation collected its fourth crown while competing in the Harvison division, and LSP Transport—the first private fleet to win four years ago—emerged in the new private-fleet division. “EnTrans and Heil Trailer truly appreciate the opportunity to sponsor the North American safety award for the past 35-plus years,” said Ryan Rockafellow, CEO of Engineered Transportation International, the parent company of Heil and Polar Tank Trailer. “Safety is at the core of our culture at EnTrans, and sponsoring this award aligns perfectly with our values. We believe that a strong safety culture is the foundation of a strong organization. It’s not just about policies and procedures, it’s about people.
“Every individual, every team, and every company represented here has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting what matters most—our employees, our communities, and our industry’s future. This award is more than just a recognition. It’s a celebration of those who lead by example, set new standards, and continually raise the bar when it comes to workplace safety.”
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MBH, a chemical hauler Hitchcock started in 1998 after growing up in a trucking family, prevailed with an accident frequency of 0.00 in Class 9 of the Sutherland division, which includes for-hire carriers who covered less than 15 million miles last year, edging out fellow Grand award winners Crossett (Class 6), Wynne Transport Services (Class 7), Newman Carriers (Class 8), Ee-Jay Motor Transports (Class 9), Glendenning Brothers (Class 10), Ventura Transfer Company (Class 10), and Lacy’s Express (Class 10) for its first safety championship.
“Our company is made up of a lot of family members and a lot of dedicated people,” said Hitchcock, a recent past chairman of the Michigan Trucking Association who still sits on the MTA board and NTTC’s board of directors. “Our safety manager [Susan Sanderson] has been in trucking 40 years … and my sons [Rick, Jordan, and Ryan] have dedicated their whole lives to this industry.”
Trimac, which traces its roots to 1945, secured safety championships in 2002 and 2007, when there still was only one division; and again in 2019 in the Harvison division, which is for carriers who traveled more than 15 million miles. The Calgary, Alberta, Canada-headquartered company earned is fourth trophy with an accident frequency of 0.196 in Class 1—the largest classification—while going up against Western Dairy Transport (Class 2), Ergon Trucking (Class 3), GenOx Transportation (Class 4), and Modern Transportation (Class 5).
“Wow, what an honor,” said Alex Guariento, Trimac vice president of safety.
“This is validation for all the hard work, the skills, and the professionalism of our front-line employees—our drivers, mechanics, and front-line managers. And let’s not forget the families who support them in what they do, with long hours, long days, and very hard work. This is also validation of our socio-technical approach. We try very hard to give our drivers the confidence to speak up when they see something that isn’t right without fear of retribution.”
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LSP, a subsidiary of LiquidPower Specialty Products with fleet operations based in Bryan, Texas, earned its first Heil trophy in the Sutherland division in 2020—two years before NTTC debuted its private-fleet division. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company supplanted Gemini Motor Transport, the primary fuel hauler for Love’s Travel Stops—which claimed the first two private-fleet championships—with an accident frequency of 0.180, beating Gemini (Class 1), CLI Transport (Class 2), Casey’s Services Company (Class 3), Cato, Inc. (Class 5), and Chevron Phillips Chemical (Class 5).
“As an organization, we’ve made a huge commitment, both financially and with people, around safety, and it’s a commitment we don’t take lightly,” said Jake Politakis, VP of supply chain. “Within LSP Transport, we’ve made a lot of changes in the last couple years around bringing up our assets. We’re really proud of our assets, all the training that goes into this, all the long hours, and all of the preparation; and then, also on the planning side, making sure we’ve brought the right sophistication to our processes to set our operators up for success in the field.
“Ultimately, that’s where the rubber meets the road.”
Every contestant was rated on five critical factors, including accident frequency, as determined by DOT recordable incidents; safety record improvement; vehicle maintenance, driver training, and controls; personnel safety; and other contributions to the cause of highway safety, particularly as it applies to the tank truck industry. This year’s judges were David Heller (Truckload Carriers Association), Robyn Kinsley (The Chlorine Institute), Charlotte Dreizen (Plastics Industry Association), and Bill Reese (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance).
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Previous Heil trophy winners (since the contest split into multiple divisions) include:
- 2014: Tidewater Transit, Harvison; Wynne Transport, Sutherland
- 2015: Miller Transporters, Harvison; Carbon Express, Sutherland
- 2016: Groendyke Transport, Harvison; GLS Transport, Sutherland
- 2017: Gemini Motor Transport, Harvison; G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation, Sutherland
- 2018: Groendyke Transport, Harvison; Tandet Logistics, Sutherland
- 2019: Trimac Transportation, Harvison; G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation, Sutherland
- 2020: Suttles Truck Leasing, Harvison; LSP Transport, Sutherland
- 2021: Service Transport Company, Harvison; Lacy’s Express, Sutherland
- 2022: Tandet Logistics, Harvison; Harmac Transportation, Sutherland; Gemini Motor Transport, private
- 2023: Groendyke Transport, Harvison; G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation, Sutherland; Gemini Motor Transport, private
“Safety stands as a cornerstone in our industry, and this award recognizes companies and individuals who have excelled in their safety practices,” said Ryan Streblow, NTTC president and CEO.
Look for more on the 2024 NTTC North American safety champions in an upcoming special edition of Bulk Transporter.
