Industry Spotlight

Happy ‘Tanksgiving’
The tank truck segment attracts many of the industry’s best drivers

Question:
What do you call a truck driver pulling a tanker filled with gasoline in the middle of a gas shortage?

Answer:
The word “hero” comes to mind, or maybe “rock star,” given what happened in late September and early October when regional gas shortages nearly brought Atlanta to its knees. During the mini-crisis, it was not unusual to see a gas tanker truck followed around town by a flock of desperate motorists and then greeted by another 30 or more motorists – many of whom had been waiting in line for an hour or more – at the service station. From the cheers that sounded when the gas started flowing, you would have thought Bruce Springsteen had just jumped on stage and played the opening riff of “Born to Run.”
     Tanker and bulk freight drivers aren’t usually treated like rock stars, but they do tend to deliver material that is vital to the customer, whether it’s chemical products for the manufacturing sector, dry bulk products for the food sector or, yes, fuel for your local gas station. Because tanker products are almost always time-sensitive, deliveries are not only welcomed at the receiving end, they are generally accompanied with a specific appointment time and unloaded immediately.
     “The drivers who seem to do best in the tanker niche are the guys who have been around for awhile,” says Eric Hanson, manger of recruitment and retention at Miller Transporters. “They have experience in flatbed, van or whatever, but they’ve been hesitant to try tankers. Once they try it, however, they say they should have come over to tankers years ago.”
Along with reduced waiting time at both ends of the run, advantages of driving tankers include generally higher pay, no-touch freight and a certain prestige associated with the tanker side of the business. “When you’re an owner-operator and you have specialized equipment such as a tank, you command a higher rate than someone who just has a van or flatbed,” says Hanson, who notes that Miller Transporters’ owner-operators are paid a percentage of the line haul revenue.
     Tanker drivers, however, face several challenges that drivers of dry vans and flatbeds don’t. For example, the tanker driver might have several thousand gallons of liquid sloshing around behind him, which can be intimidating and requires special training and due diligence. In addition, while virtually all tanker freight is “no-touch,” drivers need to have knowledge of the hydraulics, compressors and pump systems required to load and unload liquids and bulk products.
     “Hauling bulk is fascinating, interesting and complex,” says Mike Hinz of Schneider National. Hinz, the former director of Schneider’s Bulk Division and now the vice president of recruiting for the mega-carrier, adds, “We refer to our bulk drivers as ‘delivery specialists’ because it’s not just about getting from Point A to Point B without spilling a drop.
     “There’s the whole issue of loading and unloading liquid from one vessel to another vessel,” Hinz continues. There’s also HAZMAT requirements and security issues. In a sense, they have to be safety engineers, construction engineers, mechanical engineers and transportation engineers. It’s so much more than just driving a truck.”
     For that reason, Hinz says tank truck drivers consider themselves a breed apart. “They are the fabric of America,” he says. “Our most successful guys show sound judgment, they’re very disciplined and they don’t take shortcuts. They check and double-check everything; they are independent-minded, yet they are also team players and leaders. There is a certain esprit de corps among our Bulk Division drivers because of the unique challenges they encounter, challenges that are constantly evolving.”
     “Tank truck drivers drive with their brains,” adds John Jackson, vice president of Bulk Logistics for the Trincon Group. “They are respected by their peers, companies, shippers, law enforcement and the public.  They’re expected to be the best, and they are.”
     Daryl Hopkins of the Tanker Division at Prime Inc. maintains that tanker drivers are among the most skilled drivers in the Prime fleet. “We only have 150 trucks in our Tanker Division, so we’re small compared to our reefer and flatbed operations, but the drivers who come here from one of our other divisions or from another carrier have to take their skills up another just because of the complexity of the job.”
     Hanson of Miller Transporters agrees. “I believe the tanker niche tends to draw a more professional driver,” he says. “You have to be a cut above the average driver.”
     In these uncertain economic times, how does the tanker/bulk segment hold up in terms of freight compared to dry van or flatbed?
     “The bulk side is interesting because we have such a diverse base,” says Kevin Roycraft, vice president of operations at Liquid Transport, a part of the Dana Companies. “We’ve lost some revenue possibilities on the chemicals that go into the house-building market, but the petroleum side has really been booming. That’s driving contractors into the tanker side of the business.”
     “We’re steady to busy right now,” says Hanson of Miller Transporters. “Early in the year, whenever everything was slow, we were slow, too. Then right around May or June our business picked up and we haven’t looked back. We’re picking up some additional work at the end of the year, so next year is looking very solid for us.”
     Alan Lowe, president of the Tanker Division at McIvaine International, says flexibility is a big plus for its tank haulers. The average run at the regional carrier based in Wooster, OH is just over 100 miles, many of them out and back. “You’re not going to be home every night, but you’ll be home most nights,” he says. “We’re a perfect choice for someone who wants to stick fairly close to home, but doesn’t want the monotony of a dedicated run.” Propane and asphalt comprise the bulk of the company’s business – asphalt during the warmer months when road construction peaks and propane during the colder months.
     Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the tank and bulk segment has come under increased scrutiny, including more thorough background checks of drivers. Some experts consider a tanker filled with 7,500 gallons of hazardous material one of the weakest links in the U.S. security net. As one trucking official put it, “If terrorists wanted to do something, a tanker filled with gasoline would be an easy target. For that reason, we want to make sure we have the right guy behind the wheel.”
     Enough said.