Tank Truck Week is back—and it’s better than ever, according to National Tank Truck Carriers leadership.
North America’s largest tank truck event for owners, executives, operations, safety, and maintenance professionals—which was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic—now will be even bigger, with elements previously delivered during the association’s summer board, and Safety and Security Council meetings.
The newly expanded event is slated for Oct. 10-13 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
“We are immensely excited for it,” said Ryan Streblow, NTTC president. “It’s going to be an extremely busy, robust event that also expands the levels of participation within our carrier and fleet memberships.
“With the enhanced program, we’ll bring in our ownership, and our executive leadership, for those sessions which we historically held during the summer board meeting. That will be the front-end of Tank Truck Week. It will also incorporate a lot of content built around our Safety and Security Council, and in addition to the content, we’ll be recognizing our safety professionals from the North American Safety Contest, as well as those safety professionals who have held leadership roles without our organization during the last year.”
Suttles Truck Leasing and LSP Transport were crowned 2020 North American safety champions in June during the NTTC Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Ind. Demopolis, Ala.-based Suttles triumphed in the Harvison division, which includes for-hire carriers and private fleets whose drivers traveled more than 15 million miles last year, and Bryan, Texas-based LSP won in the Sutherland division, for operations covering less than 15 million miles.
Streblow said NTTC will celebrate their achievements, and highlight all the 2020 Grand Award winners during Tank Truck Week.
“Beyond that, we’ll have a continued operational and maintenance focus, with track sessions built around safety, technology, maintenance, and tank cleaning. And we’ll once again incorporate our cargo tank testing and inspection workshop.”
The workshop, led by FMCSA instructors, is designed to help cargo tank repair technicians, testers, and inspectors comply with current regulations, whether they’re bulk carriers or commercial repair facilities. Each workshop focuses on compliance with U.S. DOT’s cargo tank qualification and maintenance regulations in 49 CFR Parts 107 and 180.
Key sessions will include a supplier panel, with OEM representatives providing critical insights into supply chain challenges, and their resulting impacts on carriers and fleets; and an economic update and forecast from Bob Costello, chief economist and senior vice president with American Trucking Associations.
Finally, NTTC will recognize Heniff Transportation's Terry Kolacki, outgoing chairman of the Safety and Security Council, for his contributions over the last two years. “He’s done an exceptional job leading that council, and helping us make advancements in our safety contest, as well as providing assistance and guidance from the Safety Council on our legislative and regulatory priorities, and influencing additional content, deliverables, and member services through Tank Truck University, our educational arm,” Streblow said.
NTTC will continue to monitor coronavirus impacts, and comply with any local or state health requirements, Streblow added. “We do have a plan in place out there for making sure masks are available,” he said. “We’ll be socially distanced, still, within our sessions, and provide hand sanitizer, so we’ll still take all of the precautions for those who want to attend.”
Streblow also acknowledged the role COVID played in advancing NTTC’s plans for streamlining events going forward.
“It forced us to re-envision what we wanted to see Tank Truck Week become,” he said. “And even though we’re still facing challenges due to COVID, it’s shaping up to be a substantial move for all our carriers, fleets, and suppliers. Our suppliers are huge supporters of our events, and they bought into this 100% from Day 1. Now they have the opportunity to meet contacts high, deep, and wide within their customer base, at one event.
“So I’m really looking forward to it. It will help shape the future of this particular event, and allow us to continue to evaluate and advance Tank Truck Week as a whole.”
Schedule
Sunday, Oct. 10
11 a.m.-5 p.m.: General registration opens
12:30-1:30 p.m.: Energy services committee meeting
12:30-1:30 p.m.: Dry bulk and foodgrade committee meeting
1:45-2:45 p.m.: Chemical committee meeting
3-4 p.m.: Advocacy committee meeting
4-5 p.m.: Nominating committee meeting (committee members only)
3-5 p.m.: Exhibitor registration opens
4-7 p.m.: Platinum and gold sponsor move-in
5-6:30 p.m.: NTTC PAC Reception
Monday, Oct. 11
8 a.m.-3 p.m.: Exhibitor registration and move-in
8 a.m.-5 p.m.: General registration
8-9 a.m.: Budget and finance committee meeting (committee members only)
8-10:15 a.m.: Cargo tank risk management committee
9:15-10:15 a.m.: Executive committee meeting (executive committee and past chairs only)
10:30 a.m.-noon: Workforce development committee meeting
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Lunch
12:15-1:15 p.m.: Young executive lunch and learn
1:30-2:30 p.m.: Board of directors meeting
2:45-4:30 p.m.: General sessions
2:45-3:30 p.m.: OEM supply impacts supplier panel
3:30-4:30 p.m.: Tank truck industry economic update, Bob Costello, ATA
4:30 p.m.: Exhibit hall opens
4:30-6:30 p.m.: ACT 1 grand opening reception in exhibit hall
6:30 p.m.: Exhibit hall closes
Tuesday, Oct. 12
7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: General registration
8-11:00 a.m.: Cargo tank workshop
9:30 a.m.-noon: General sessions
9:30-10:15 a.m.: ATRI update
10:15-11 a.m.: NTTC’s safety professional’s ceremony and safety chairman recognition
11 a.m.-noon: Keynote speaker
Noon: Exhibit hall opens
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Lunch in exhibit hall
1-5 p.m.: Cargo tank workshop
2 p.m.: Exhibit hall closes
2-4:45 p.m.: Safety sessions
2-4:45 p.m.: Maintenance sessions
4:30 p.m.: Exhibit hall opens
4:30-6:30 p.m.: Reception in exhibit hall
6:30 p.m.: Exhibit hall closes
Wednesday, Oct. 13
8 a.m.-noon: General registration
8 a.m.: Exhibit hall opens
8-9:30 a.m.: Breakfast in exhibit hall
9 a.m.-noon: Cargo tank workshop
9:30 a.m.: Exhibit hall closes
9:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Tank wash sessions
9:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Technology sessions
12:15 p.m.: Exhibit hall opens
12:15-1:30 p.m.: Lunch in exhibit hall
1-5:30 p.m.: Cargo tank workshop
1:45 p.m.: Exhibit hall closes
1:45-2:30 p.m.: Safety and security council meeting
2:30-3:15 p.m.: Tank wash Council
3-8 p.m.: Exhibit move-out
