THERE is huge anticipation for the National Tank Truck Carriers’ 66th Annual Conference & Tank Truck Equipment Show in Las Vegas April 27-29.
How huge? The NTTC room block at the Bellagio sold out, forcing the NTTC to work with the hotel to add more room nights.
This year’s Annual Conference features an exciting program for membership, including the following highlights:
• The selection of the first recipient of the prestigious William A Usher Sr Award, recognizing the tank truck industry’s professional driver of the year. The award is sponsored by NTTC member Baldwin & Lyons, Inc. and the grand winner will be selected from eight champions representing nearly 21 million collective accident-free miles in their tank truck driving careers.
• A keynote address on Monday, April 28, at 9:15 am by widely recognized hero and pilot Captain Chesley B (Sully) Sullenberger III. Sullenberger has been dedicated to the pursuit of safety for his entire adult life. While he is best known for serving as Captain during what has been dubbed “The Miracle on the Hudson,” Sullenberger is an aviation safety expert and accident investigator, serves as a CBS News Aviation and Safety Expert, and is the founder and chief executive officer of Safety Reliability Methods Inc, a company dedicated to management, safety, performance, and reliability consulting.
• A state of the industry presentation from ATA Chairman Philip L Byrd Sr, president & CEO of Bulldog Hiway Express.
• The presentation of the NTTC’s Outstanding Performance Trophy, recognizing the performance of the industry’s top fleets sponsored by Heil Trailer International.
• An economic update from ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello discussing the continued progress of trucking’s most robust segment.
• Expanded Advocacy programming including the annual NTTC PAC golf event and the Centurion Campaign’s exclusive bash for 2013-2014 NTTC PAC donors sponsored by PeopleNet and TMW.
• A spouse/guest welcome reception on Sunday and tour/activity after Monday’s keynote.
• The ever-popular ACT1 grand finale reception to be held on the Bellagio’s Grand Patio overlooking an 8½-acre lake with its world-famous fountains.
Sullenberger’s presentation at the Opening Breakfast on April 28 is entitled: “Preparing for Excellence: Leading Your Team to Success.”
He knows a little bit about that. Sullenberger has drawn worldwide attention since gracefully landing an Airbus A320 on the icy Hudson River on January 15, 2009, after a flock of geese jammed the plane’s engines.
Just minutes after US Airways Flight 1549 took off, Sullenberger knew the flight was in trouble. With no assurance that the plane he was piloting—now nothing more than a 70-ton glider—would be able to clear Manhattan’s skyline if an attempt was made to return to LaGuardia Airport, he made the quick decision to put it down in the Hudson and saved the lives of 155 passengers.
In a book he later wrote, Highest Duty, he wrote, “I had to be certain we could make it” to LaGuardia because “it would rule out every other option.” If it failed, it could kill “who knows how many people on the ground.”
In a 2009 Newsweek column, he described the episode as “the most harrowing three minutes of my life.” In the aftermath, he suffered insomnia. He returned to flying, then retired from US Airways in 2010.
His life became pretty crazy. He signed a two-book deal for $3 million, was honored at the White House, appeared in many network television interviews, served as the grand marshal of the Rose Parade, was honored along with the crew of Flight 1549 by the National Air And Space Museum in Washington, and became a sought-after figure on the national speaking circuit.
Earlier this year, the captain, crew, and survivors celebrated the fifth anniversary of the event.
Sullenberger’s efforts that day underscore the inordinate value of a strong commitment to safety and operational excellence—two essential traits shared by successful tank truck operators across North America.
Named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME magazine, Sullenberger speaks about timeless management principles—including his credo of “leadership by personal example”—and the lessons from his life that prepared him to handle the unprecedented crisis presented by the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
A 40-year accomplished pilot, instructor and aviation safety expert with over 20,000 flight hours, he discusses with audiences how education, teamwork, preparation, and creating a culture of safety can improve any organization. A focused, unflappable and deliberate leader, Sully’s sound decision-making ability and strong personal commitment to improving an industry have helped him to emerge as a model by which others measure success.
As founder of Safety Reliability Methods, a consulting company dedicated to management, safety and performance, Sullenberger also serves as Aviation and Safety Expert for CBS and is a contributor to CBS News. In collaboration with DuPont Sustainable Solutions, Sully developed and was featured in a multi-award winning video training program, Miracle on the Hudson: Prepare for Safety, which helps employees increase their commitment to safety and transform their organizations’ safety culture.
Highest Duty became a New York Times best-selling book and he followed that with Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America’s Leaders (May, 2012) in which he embarked on a personal quest to meet with distinguished Americans from diverse fields with varied styles of leadership but who all embody the credo of “leadership by example.”
Following Sullenberger’s speech, exhibits open at 10:30 on Monday, followed by the Advocacy Committee meeting at 10:45, and the Safety Committee meeting at 11:45. The Membership & Board of Directors meeting is from 2:30-4.
On Tuesday, the general session at 8:30 is “Economic Outlook: Focus on the Tank Truck Segment” by Costello, followed at 9:15 by “State of the Trucking Industry,” by Byrd. ♦