Trucking has traveled a rough road lately, but Tankstar USA Inc. chief Jack Schwerman thinks the bumpy stretch could pave the way to opportunity. Now, coming off a tough year that saw business squeezed while fuel and insurance costs soared, Tankstar is looking to rebound and even expand a bit. The firm is a longtime player in the tank truck world, where carriers haul basics in bulk such as dry cement, plastic and chemicals ranging from the gasoline that powers cars to the phosphoric acid that cleans computer chips and must be delivered in ultra-clean tanks. But bulk carriers also have their peculiarities. Some haul dangerous material.
Insurance is expensive.
Tankstar has been rolling along in this business for decades. The company's roots as Schwerman Trucking date to 1913. It's one of the oldest trucking companies in the state, said Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association president Tom Howells. Deregulation had begun, the recession had hit and Schwerman was carrying a truckload of debt at high interest. The firm was in default on its loans and running in the red.