Greg Price, president of United Petroleum Transports Inc and former chairman of the National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC), and John Conley, NTTC president, said this week that the tank truck industry has the capacity to move ethanol as current demand requires.
"Ethanol is becoming a larger and larger segment of our business," Price said. The comments came at the Platts Refined Products Storage and Transportation conference October 15-16 in Houston TX, where biofuel handling dominated the discussions, particularly ethanol.
Price and Conley agreed that the tank truck industry also has the ability to grow in order to meet future demands for ethanol and other alternative fuels.
At the same time, the two noted the need for terminal efficiency to improve drivers' responsibilities at the loading racks. Real-time protocols can alleviate wait times and reduce the chances for errors, such as accidental product mixing, Price said. Conley and Price both emphasized the importance of providing drivers with comfortable waiting areas and other means of improving drivers' experiences at the terminals, which can impact driver retention and ultimately help ease driver shortages.
Conley also advised shippers to ensure that shipping papers include an indication of the package type for bulk shipments. Terms such as "1 tank truck" or “1 cargo tank," or "1 TT" are being accepted.
Bulk Transporter will have further coverage of the meeting in upcoming issues.