An editor’s letter from the AI front

I hope this missive finds you and the rest of our tank truck family in good health.

It’s been three months since we last spoke, and my long, cold winter included chilling treks to Green Bay, Wisconsin, amid a polar vortex that sent temperatures plummeting, and Arlington, Virginia, in the frozen wake of the most snow to bury the region in years. As someone who’s spent most of his life in Southeast Texas, I wasn’t sure I’d survive these travails, but two elements sustained me: a newly procured winter wardrobe (though I might try a scarf next time, too) and the heart-warming interactions I enjoyed with people I encountered along the way.

While camped in Wisconsin, I covered family-owned LCL Bulk Transport’s centennial jubilee at storied Lambeau Field, where I visited with the affable Hans Schaupp, LCL president and past National Tank Truck Carriers chairman; immersed myself in the food-grade hauler’s rich history; and witnessed the power of relationships in fueling sustained success. And in Washington, I was fortunate to again join ATRI President and COO Rebecca Brewster, ATA COO Dan Horvath, and two America’s Road Team Captains as judges for NTTC’s Driver of the Year Contest. All eight finalists are elite tank truckers and human beings, so picking one winner was painful—but the experience united us.

“It was great to see these drivers outside of their trucks; learn what they do, where they live, who they work for; and spend time with their families. It’s cool to be around the best of the best and meet people you otherwise wouldn’t because they come from all over,” said David Price, United Petroleum Transports executive vice chairman, who attended the event before convening with Bulk Transporter for this year’s Chairman’s Interview.

I also spent many hours these past months pondering the evolving role of tanker technology. Amid a frigid freight market and tariff-fueled planning whiteout, many carriers prioritized optimization over expansion, and advanced technologies are increasingly capable of delivering measurable efficiency gains. BeyondTrucks is helping private fleets prove their worth with AI-powered dispatching, and TrueTMS and TankTroniks are streamlining tank wagon operations with a fully integrated software/hardware solution. But stops at Trimble’s Insight Tech Conference and the Intermodal Tank Container Association’s symposium provided a sobering reminder that AI rewards come with all-new risks. Bad actors can subvert AI for nefarious ends, like creating fake documents and automating cloned-voice calls; and it’s already difficult enough to know what’s real and what’s not in a world fraught with altered images, partisan rhetoric, and competing narratives, making direct connections—between people and systems—more essential than ever.

That’s why I was encouraged to learn TrueTMS and TankTroniks are keeping drivers in mind in their technology development, BeyondTrucks CEO Hans Galland prioritizes retaining top talent over raising capital, and LCL is still putting people first 100 years later. They recognize the enduring value of real-world kinship—which I plan to soak in at NTTC’s 2026 Annual Conference, where like-minded tank truck professionals come together for invaluable education, updates, and trust-building conversations.

I only pray the sun shines warmer upon those Baltimore docks.

If our paths should cross while stationed there, I implore you to say hello. Or, if you prefer, put pen to paper and write a letter. I’m feeling nostalgic. Until then, keep the hearth burning bright. I’ll join you when my current business concludes—or the spring thaw finally finds us.

Your devoted editor. BT