Tank truck carriers made their voices ring out in the Golden State.
Ryan Streblow, president and CEO of National Tank Truck Carriers, said more than 400 industry stakeholders attended NTTC’s 2022 Annual Conference & Exhibits in April at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in San Diego, Calif.—and nearly half were for-hire carriers eager to engage in industry improvement.
“I was especially pleased with the turnout of our carrier and fleet members,” Streblow said. “Approximately 40% of our attendees were private-fleet and for-hire carrier members, with 60% being suppliers to the industry. And when you’re closing in on a 1:1 ratio, those meetings can be highly impactful.”
Other leadership changes for 2021-22 included Herb Evans (Eagle Transport) moving to first vice-chair, J. Ward Best (Atlantic Bulk Carrier) going from secretary to vice-chair, David Price (United Petroleum Transports) transitioning from young executives committee (YEC) chair to secretary, Marshall Franklin (Highway Transport) coming in as the new YEC chair, John Whittington (Grammer Logistics) sliding from nominating committee chair to advocacy committee chair to replace Bill Usher, Jr. (Usher Transport), and Kevin Jackson (Liquid Cargo Group) taking Whittington’s former position with the nominating committee.
Along those lines, NTTC’s workforce committee secured approval from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for the first professional tank truck driver registered apprenticeship program; Bob Costello, American Trucking Associations’ chief economist, presented what Streblow said was a “surprisingly positive” tank truck update; and NTTC’s political action committee (PAC) hit $100,000 in donations for the second straight year (see below).
See also: Tank truck industry takes ‘big step’
The industry’s business owners and executives, along with operations, safety, and maintenance professionals, next convene for 2022 Tank Truck Week, which is slated for Sept. 18-21 in Houston, Texas. After last year incorporating elements previously delivered during Board of Directors, and Safety and Security Council meetings, Streblow said NTTC will continue to tweak the event’s schedule to better serve carriers and suppliers, and promote interactions, including elevating Tank Cleaning and Maintenance Council content.
“It’ll be a game-changer for Tank Truck Week,” Streblow said. “It brings in that operational and maintenance side, which is so critical to making sure the individuals involved in our industry are up to speed on processes and solutions that allow them to better serve their customers and run their operations.”
The 2023 Annual Conference is May 20-23, 2023, in Boston, Mass.
PAC reception
NTTC raised $43,000 for its political efforts and presented Usher with its inaugural advocacy award during this year’s reception. “I’m incredibly grateful to be part of an organization that has such committed individuals, and the support they gave at this meeting was unbelievable,” Streblow said. “It’s impressive how these folks continue to step up on a regular basis.”
Usher followed in the footsteps of his father, industry legend Bill Usher Sr., serving as advocacy committee chair for more than a decade. Along with Whittington taking his place, members elected Hans Schaupp (LCL Bulk Transport) as the committee’s vice-chair. Going forward, advocacy chairs will serve two-year terms. “Bill Usher did a great job laying groundwork over the years, and changing how we approach our advocacy efforts,” Streblow said. “And now we’ve got a great one-two punch coming in to elevate his work.”
