As a wordsmith, I view word salads as especially unsavory. Either say what you mean, or please, stop speaking. So, for me, 2024 is the year most of my fellow Americans decided to send Vice President Kamala Harris back to her favorite coconut tree, or California—or anywhere but Capitol Hill—preferably not to be seen again in four years.
And her resounding rejection holds even greater implications for truckers.
The exits of Harris and President Biden clear the way for Trump 2.0, and this time President-elect Donald Trump is bringing with him a host of interesting new allies, including his picks to oversee the Department of Transportation (former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy from Wisconsin), Environmental Protection Agency (former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin from New York), and Department of Energy (Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright)—all choices that bode well for trucking overall, and the tank truck sector specifically.
American Trucking Associations is particularly bullish on Pete Buttigieg’s presumed successor as transportation secretary.
“Roads and bridges are our shop floor,” Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO, stated in November. “We know Congressman Duffy understands that, and the opportunity now before us to improve our transportation network by reducing congestion, investing in truck parking, enhancing highway safety, and supporting the development of innovative technologies. He is an exceptional choice to lead the Department of Transportation.”
See also: Will trucking be great again? It’s a toss-up
Combined with easing inflation, long-awaited cuts to interest rates, and improving freight conditions, 2025 promises to at least “return to normal”—and potentially usher in the first real post-pandemic upswing.
But before we peer too far ahead, let’s look back at the road recently traveled.
As advisory firm Tenney Group predicted back in January, transportation mergers and acquisitions surged in 2024, and tank truckers were no exception, with Kenan Advantage Group, Heniff Transportation Systems, and Quantix among the most active buyers. This year even saw another previously publicly traded tank truck company, Service Transport Company, go private, following Florida Rock and Tank Lines last year. Intellistop remained in the news, even as government agencies continue to drag their heels on advancing the adoption of potentially life-saving transportation safety devices, and technology companies like BeyondTrucks, Gravitate, and TrueTMS bolstered their bulk-focused software offerings.
Those are only a few of the stories Bulk Transporter covered in 2024. So, for a more thorough examination, here’s a look at the Top 15 most-viewed articles and galleries on bulktransporter.com over the last 12 months:
1. Lease-purchase abuse: Bad-actor carriers a bulk problem, too
Bulk Transporter examined the potentially negative impact of lease-purchase abuse on the tank truck industry in June, and the issue continued to generate interest as more people learned about the Super Ego lawsuit.
This site-leading article had over 7,000 views as of December 2024.
2. G&D/Hoffman celebrates employees, safety success
Users appreciated this story highlighting G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation’s million-dollar employee appreciation event so much they kept going back for more. The Illinois-based carrier also made the news for celebrating its third National Tank Truck Carriers North American safety championship—despite the devastating impact of a tornado.
See also: Top tank truck stories from 2023
3. Crown jewel: EnTrans’ Juarez plant sets standard for tank trailer production
Heil Trailer and Polar Tank Trailer parent Engineered Transportation International showcased its Juarez, Mexico, manufacturing operation—the most prolific tank trailer production facility in North America—in this Bulk Transporter exclusive. EnTrans also turned industry heads with its mission to revitalize a vintage tank wagon.
4. Sprint’s new La Porte headquarters unlocks full array of bulk transportation supply chain services
The most impressive tank truck terminal in the U.S. now belongs to Sprint Transport, which also generated headlines with the opening of Trident Tank Wash.
5. Full speed: Industry throttles up after Tank Truck Week 2024 wrap
The presidential election edition of NTTC’s Tank Truck Week produced plenty of noteworthy storylines and images. For a deeper dive, check out the November/December digital version of Bulk Transporter magazine.
6. Tank cleaning quandary: An essential bulk service confronts its existential crises
Tank trailers aren’t water bottles. You can’t throw them away after they’re used. But it’s growing increasingly difficult to reuse them as well. Check out this award-winning industry outlook for more on tank cleaning challenges.
7. Glendenning sisters: Bailey, Brena chart clean course for father’s bulk company
Bailey Glendenning Stark, one of the brightest minds in NTTC leadership, now runs Glendenning Brothers, with help from her sister, Brena Ingersol.
See also: Top tank truck stories from 2022
8. Mergers and acquisitions to surge in 2024, per new Tenney Group report
Trimac Transportation was one of the most active tank truck carriers in the M&A market last year. Heniff and KAG stole the show in 2024.
9. Championship pedigree: Familiar faces claim NTTC’s 2023 safety championships
The usual safety suspects dominated NTTC’s North American Safety Contest this year, with Groendyke Transport, G&D/Hoffman, and Gemini Motor Transport adding hardware to their trophy cases.
10. Quality Carriers secures domestic ISO tank patent
Quality Carriers expanded its intermodal expertise in 2024, most impressively securing a U.S. patent for its innovative domestic tank container design. The bulk hauler also forged a new chassis trailer partnership with Kalyn Siebert.
11. Kraft Tank up and growing in La Porte, Texas
Kraft Tank Corporation opened a 56,000-sq.-ft. Houston-area super shop in August in a move that also transformed its new GM into a tour guide.
12. Linden joins Groendyke Transport
New Jersey-based tank truck carrier Linden Bulk Transportation landed with Groendyke in one of the most intriguing deals this year.
See also: Top tank truck stories from 2021
13. On whose authority? EPA asserts right to regulate DOT-governed activities
As if tank truckers aren’t heavily regulated enough, EPA now is exerting its influence over transloading—once the exclusive domain of DOT. And this update to the Multistar Industries case didn’t go industry’s way.
14. Heniff Transportation acquires ISO tank services provider TechnoPort
This acquisition by Heniff, which expanded its services overseas for the first time, attracted the most attention. But Heniff CEO Bob Heniff stayed busy all year long, with further activity including the additions of Combo Group, Weinrich Truck Line, and the Hagen Johnson Group, and expansion of transload and warehouse services.
15. AJA Tanks satisfies customers with tailor-made tank trailer maintenance, modification services
Augie Quintero has satisfied Houston-area carriers for years. Now the entire country is learning more about AJA Tanks’ founder and president.
