Ray Riley—who peers agree is one of the legends of the tank truck industry—recently called it a distinguished career after 43 years with Miller Transporters, Heniff Transportation, and most recently J&M Tank Lines.
The longtime safety director helped Miller win National Tank Truck Carriers’ Outstanding Safety Performance Trophy, aka the Heil Trophy, in 2007 and 2016.
“There are many members in NTTC who are considered legends—Bill Usher Sr., Shorty Whittington, and Lee Shaffer, to name a few—and I would put Ray Riley right next to them for his dedication and passion for safety in our industry,” said Dave Edmondson, J&M’s vice president of safety and compliance. “Ray has been a both a friend and mentor to many of us.”
Like Edmondson, Riley entered the industry as a driver, joining Miller in 1979. He quickly rose through the ranks to become the company’s safety director. He spent one year with Heniff after its acquisition of Miller, and then joined J&M in 2020.
“Ray not only has become a good friend, he has always presented himself as one of the most professional safety directors in the tank truck industry,” said Griff Odgers, VP of safety for Andrews Logistics. “Ray’s integrity and strong work ethic are second to none. His knowledge, experience and expertise have had a great impact on the direction and success of my career. It is my honor to have become his friend, and I congratulate him on his retirement.
“The industry is losing a true advocate for tank truck safety.”
Riley’s involvement with NTTC dates to the early 1990s. He was actively involved in the association’s Safety & Security Council for many years, serving as a regional chairman and then national chair in 2014-15, and earned NTTC’s Safety Director of the Year award after helping Miller secure its second safety championship in 2016.
“The tank industry had been blessed with Ray’s commitment to safety and education for the past 43 years,” said Jerry Curl, current Safety & Security Council national chair, and director of operations for Hoffman Transportation/G&D Trucking. “As Ray moves to his next great chapter of life, his presence will be maintained throughout the industry for years to come.”
Riley most recently shared his insights on spill response during NTTC’s 2019 Safety & Security Council Meeting. He often spoke about the importance of dispatcher training at Miller, and joined Edmondson and Terry Kolacki—the 2020-21 Safety & Security Council national chair—for a discussion on near misses in 2017.
“Congratulations Ray—you have been a great voice for safety and NTTC, and a great friend to me,” said Dan Athmer, director of safety and compliance at Commercial Transport.
