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MARKETING & SUPPLY A unique Polar spec brings added efficiency to Altom Transport's distribution business CASE STUDY: ALTOM TRANSPORT financial stability—all are enviable traits that belong on the list. But ultimately, says Thomas Warren, Jr., it's about helping customers solve problems and secure their own reputations as premier businesses. "A lot of that 'premier' status comes from doing W your job really well—delivering on time, being dependable, being reliable—so you're in a position to do something truly special when the opportu- nity comes," says Warren, vice president of opera- tions at Altom Transport, a petroleum and chemi- cal carrier based in Summit, Ill. Last year, when opportunity came for Altom's oldest and perhaps closest customer, Warren turned to Polar Tank for assistance. A FAMILY BUSINESS Altom got its start in 1970 as the dedicated car- rier for the Al Warren Oil Co., a family-owned distributor of gasoline, diesel, and heating oil in the Chicago area. Al Warren ran the fuel busi- ness, and his son, Thomas Warren, Sr., handled the trucks. The fleet expanded, diversified, and became a standalone business unit specializing in bulk chemical and petroleum transportation. Today, the Altom operation is one of the nation's leading fuel and chemical carriers, with 250 power units and 450 tank trailers. Its customers include Fortune 500 companies throughout the United States and Canada. Altom also manages the dedicated fleet for Al Warren Oil, including 45 tank wagons. "We pro- vide on-site fueling, on-site tanks, 24-hour auto- mated fuel sites, bulk fuel delivery—just about anything a trucking company or municipality will need," says Warren. 20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 HAT DISTINGUISHES A PREMIER TANK FLEET? Performance, safety, sharp-look- ing equipment, professional drivers, Those needs are changing as fleets take on vehi- cles that use urea-based diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to reduce engine emissions. Because the on-road distribution network for DEF is still developing, fleets want the conve- nience of filling their vehicles' tanks on site. But the 275-gallon and 330-gallon totes that DEF comes in are unwieldy. The empties either need to be dis- posed of or stored until they can be collected. Bulk DEF storage or on-site refilling are better options, but would involve a separate delivery in addition to the fuel and chemicals the fleet gets from the distributor. Warren had an idea to deliver DEF and diesel fuel on the same vehicle. "Our Warren Oil fuel trucks make 10 to 15 stops a day, and two or three of those customers will require DEF as well," he says. "If we could provide DEF and diesel fuel at the same time, we could offer a unique service that would both appeal to our customers and increase the productivity of our distribution business." A UNIQUE SOLUTION Warren worked with Polar Tank to develop a cus- tomized straight truck capable of delivering bulk DEF and fuel at the same time. More than 90 percent of Altom Transport's tanks are Polar, a relationship that goes back nearly 30 years. "They know our spec," he says. "They know our priorities. Polar was my first call." It started with "us just kicking around the idea with our rep at Polar," Warren explains. "We knew what we wanted to accomplish from an operations standpoint. Polar stepped up with the expertise to turn our pencil sketch into a cost-effective vehicle that would deliver the performance we expect." The result is a tank wagon with a 1,000-gallon stainless steel 406 tank for DEF and a 3,500-gal- NPN Magazine n www.npnweb.com