Full speed: Industry throttles up after TTW 2024

 CHARLOTTE, N.C.—More than 1,000 tank truck industry stakeholders recently descended on the Queen City with the goal of “navigating new horizons,” and they’re moving at “full speed” into 2025 after advancing collective causes with packed committee meetings, informative sessions, and new equipment and technology exhibits here at National Tank Truck Carriers’ Tank Truck Week 2024.

“You can expect NTTC will be aligning your interests with the necessary approach once the dust has settled on the election and we know who is in office, we understand the policies of the Administration, and who we can expect to see in regulatory offices,” Ryan Streblow, NTTC president and CEO, told the trade association’s Board of Directors on Oct. 1 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

“We will adjust our tactics as needed to best serve the tank truck industry.”

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear’s spirited call to action—delivered on the same day port workers walked out, Vice Presidential candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz debated, and Hurricane Helene victims desperately pleaded for more government assistance—highlighted the program’s myriad presentations. Spear spoke for 35 minutes about the pressing issues that keep him up at night—emissions, litigation, and workforce—and then spent 15 minutes taking questions to help fill the void vacated by Fox News co-host Brian Kilmeade, who cancelled his appearance due to the confluence of election-critical events.

“This is—without question—one of the most divisive environments my team and I have ever witnessed,” Spear said. “Every year I say it can’t get any worse, and the next year I’m invited back, and I say, ‘Yeah, it actually has.’

“Budgets are blown, and they get replenished every year without question; there are no performance metrics, no accountability; and you’re really dealing with people who have never worked in a business in their entire lives. So that perspective is really lacking in Washington. That’s where we come in—ATA and NTTC, working together to make certain they understand the importance of this industry, and think of you first before they make decisions, especially decisions that are irreversible.”

Now that the “red wave” is fully upon us, most ATA and NTTC members likely are feeling more optimistic about Washington, especially regarding zero-emission vehicle regulations and timelines. But the overall economic impact of a second Trump presidency remains unclear.

“On behalf of the National Tank Truck Carriers, I would like to congratulate Donald J. Trump on his election as the next President of the United States,” Streblow said after the decision. “We look forward to working closely with the new administration on common-sense solutions that will advance America’s tank truck industry priorities, particularly in enhancing the safety and efficiency of bulk transportation.”

Star-studded tanker affair

Other noteworthy guests included Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration Chief Counsel Melody Drummond Hansen, who addressed attendees Oct. 2 during the annual Safety and Security Awards Banquet at the Westin Hotel; motivational speaker Roger Seip, co-founder of Freedom Personal Development and author of “Train Your Brain for Success;” NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney, who signed autographs at a Wabash event on the JW Marriott Charlotte rooftop; Lindsey Trent, president of Next Gen Trucking; and Usher Transport driver Dave Powell, NTTC’s reigning Tank Truck Driver of the Year.

New Depot Connect International CEO Chris Synek also made his first Tank Truck Week appearance to introduce Spear.

“I joined DCI one month ago, so I’m here to learn as much as I possibly can,” said Synek, who replaced Scott Harrison after previously serving as CEO of Neovia Logistics. “I’m excited to learn more about the industry.”

Deliverables delivered in bulk

Tank Truck Week 2024 also boasted 12 educational sessions covering critical operational, regulatory, equipment, and safety issues, including confined-space entry, roadside inspections, tank trailer cybersecurity, and the growing ISO tank market; 14 meetings, including chemical, advocacy, and workforce committee discussions, and the Tank Cleaning and Maintenance Council’s gathering—which featured an enlightening presentation from Dan Anderson, an industrial hygienist with Trimac Transportation—and the event-concluding banquet, where NTTC recognized Personnel and North American Safety Contest Grand Award winners, and the Safety Professionals of the Year: Chris Pape, Groendyke Transport vice president of safety and training; Jerry Curl, G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation COO; and Brent Bergevin, Love’s Travel Stops executive vice president of transportation.

Lance Hagler, Trimac senior safety director, also welcomed his successor as Safety and Security Council national chair, Groendyke’s Pape, who Hagler said exudes a “a calm wisdom.” Pape responded by saying he’s ready to hit the ground running to strengthen the council’s mission. “Steel sharpens steel,” he said. “There’s a wealth of knowledge in this room—and if we share more, we’ll get better as a whole.”

See also: Groendyke extends lofty NTTC safety record

Finally, more than 80 leading tank truck industry suppliers showed off the latest equipment, technology, and services on 200,000-sq.-ft. of sold-out exhibition space. New products on display included a composite trailer from Australian manufacturer Omni Tanker and EnTrans International distributed by Kraft Tank, a prototype Tank Tech smart tank trailer system from Wabash, innovative rear lighting technology from Mac LTT, and the new AirDrive hydraulic truck blower system from Apsco and DCI.

“I was very excited to come down and see the latest shiny toys,” said NTTC Chairman Ward Best, Atlantic Bulk Carrier vice president.

Trimac boosts tank cleaning safety

Dan Anderson, an industrial hygienist with Trimac Transportation, delivered one of the most interesting presentations at Tank Truck Week after conducting a “Scientific Evaluation of Occupational Health Risks in Tank Cleaning Operations” at select National Tank Services locations. His goal was to identify the correct type of personal protective equipment (PPE) needed for six chemicals, total VOCs, and noise when performing specific tank cleaning tasks—like opening the dome lid, checking for heel, draining it, and washing out and drying the tank—and convey that information to technicians quickly and easily.

“It’s no secret that in our industry we’ve had some deaths over the last few years, and we have regulatory challenges, regulatory expectations, that are very new to our industry that we’re not used to. Nothing is unfounded,” Hagler said. “It’s not that anything is unfair, but those are challenges that we’re not used to facing.

“So we wanted to take more of a scientific approach to safety.”

Anderson joined Trimac last year after more than 20 years evaluating human exposure to chemicals, biologicals, and physical agents in industrial settings, including stints at Chevron Phillips and Lubrizol.

First, Anderson conducted task hazard assessments (TRAs) at multiple locations to determine exposure levels to diphenyl ketone, ammonia, benzene, naphtha, xylene, hexavalent chromium, total VOCs, and noise during various cleaning tasks at multiple NTS facilities using third-party consultants and laboratories to ensure impartiality; and that was no small task itself. Challenges included product variability and mixing, technician and trailer scheduling, and heel-volume differences.

The data collected indicated exposure levels all were below Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists limits; and Trimac processes, procedures, and controls are effective in controlling the contaminant concentrations, ensuring they don’t present a personnel hazard. “The highest readings were in the center of the wash bay, but even those were less than the action levels,” Anderson said.

Data in hand, Anderson was able to accurately identify the correct PPE for each chemical and cleaning task.

Then came the hard part: “How do we communicate this?” he asked.

“That’s really the big question here, because I can talk about all these fancy words, and converse with OSHA and NIOSH, or any of those agencies, but how do I communicate that information to the worker in the wash bay?”

The answer: A visual chart that clearly defines the product, compounds of interest, standard operating procedures, hazards, tasks, and appropriate PPE for each task spec’d with national and international codes. The online guide also includes pictures of the required PPE, part number, manufacturer, and vendor code. “Over time, people will learn what goes together at different stages of cleaning,” Hagler predicted.

Trimac is expanding its TRA site and master list weekly, Anderson said.

Going forward, he plans to continue implementing engineering controls that eliminate or reduce exposure risks, evaluating additional products, and training employees on the use of TRA guidance in PPE selection.

The goal is to “make it easier for workers to do the right thing,” Anderson concluded.

Domestic ISO fleet growing

There are more than 840,000 tank containers circling the globe today, according to the International Tank Container Organization’s (ITCO) 2024 Global Tank Container Fleet Survey, and that number is expected to continue growing in coming years—both internationally and domestically.

Russell Harrison, president of Tank Service Incorporated, estimated there are around 25,000 ISO tanks in the Houston area alone at any given time, and about 20,000 tanks strictly for domestic use in the U.S. and Canada, during his ISO Tank Overview at Tank Truck Week.

That’s compared to approximately 110,000 total tank trailers in those countries.

“If these numbers are accurate, that means about 14% of the liquids that are moved domestically move in ISOs right now, and if the trend continues, it’s certain that number will grow, maybe as high as 20 or 25%,” he predicted. “Time will tell, but they are becoming more and more of a fixture domestically.”

Greg Vinson, Hydera chief commercial officer and vice president of depot network development, recently forecasted the global fleet will include 1.4 million ISOs by 2030. That’s because container manufacturers, primarily based in China, continue to produce far more ISOs than are retired each year. They made 56,600 last year and 67,856 in 2022, according to ITCO’s latest report. “As the world’s population keeps growing, more and more goods are moved around the globe, including bulk liquids,” Harrison said.

ISO tanks already are widely used in other parts of the world, like Europe, Asia, and Australia, and more U.S. carriers, like Quality Carriers, are adding them to their fleets.

The largest tank container leasing companies and operators also have fleets that dwarf most U.S. tank truck carrier fleets, Harrison pointed out. ISO lessor EXSIF Worldwide boasts 71,159 containers, and Eurotainer and Raffles Lease, who are owned by the same company, have a combined 85,000 units.

The top container operators are Stolt Tank Containers (50,855 ISOs) and Hoyer Group (41,600).

Kraft introduces composite tanker

Kraft Tank and its partners introduced the Omni Tanker composite tank trailer during Tank Truck Week. Kraft is the exclusive distributor of the new advanced-composite, “armored thermoplastic” chemical tank trailer built by Australian tank trailer and container manufacturer Omni in a collaboration with Polar Tank—a part of Engineered Transportation International—SAF-Holland, ConMet, and Drōv Technologies, which powers the Tank Ai smart trailer system in Polar and Heil trailers.

The patented Omni technology features a completely seamless inner tank constructed with chemically resistant thermoplastic that boasts a high-strength, carbon fiber composite makeup with a “high-integrity” interface between the materials. The use of lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber composites for the barrel structure helps to maximize the trailer’s payload capacity and efficiency, Kraft said.

“Ultimately, what do you want to do?” asked Brian Pursley, Kraft Tank director of sales, during a demonstration Tuesday inside the convention center’s exhibit hall. “You want to have a trailer that is versatile, safe, and reliable. This trailer provides that. By being able to haul products with an easy-wash out SOP, you’re able to do backhauls and redeploy assets. You don’t have to have a dedicated trailer for one product. The versatility of this trailer is one of its biggest advantages.”

The tank’s thermoplastic interior delivers a thick and flexible layer that provides “exceptional” durability for hazardous cargoes, resulting in minimal maintenance and no need for relining. It can be washed out easily, prevents contamination, and keeps chemical cargo pure, maximizing tank utilization in seasonal peaks.

The composite trailer is equipped with SAF-Holland’s CBX AeroBeam fixed-frame air ride suspension system, providing a design technology built upon the supplier’s weight-saving, cast beam trailing-arm. Axle brake technology includes Haldex disc brakes and brake actuators with ConMet’s lightweight, aluminum PSP7 wheel hub. ConMet’s PreSet Plus system secures the wheels, improves wheel end clamp load, makes installation and hub removal easier, and enhances safety.