Penn Tank Lines History:

The company began as a profitable sole proprietorship in 1974 under the current President and CEO, Jack McSherry. Penn Tank Lines was founded as a business which provided a regional bulk petroleum transportation service by tractor trailer in the Middle Atlantic states. Over its twenty one years the company built its growth upon responsive customer service.

Early in its history, the company recognized the value of good asset deployment by using independent owner operators to supply the driver and tractor to perform the company's delivery service. So successful has the concept been that today most of the original independent owner operators are still with the company. The company has developed programs for its operator/affiliates in accounting, loss prevention, sales, marketing, purchasing, maintenance, and operations to improve the measure of operator/affiliates success. In effect, the company has created a franchise-like program for its operator/affiliates which has proven mutually successful for the company and its affiliates.

In September 1995, Jack McSherry sold his sole proprietorship to BMI Transportation of Cleveland, OH (with whom the company had an agency agreement since 1986). At the time of its sale to BMI Transportation, the company was generating $8.5 million in annual revenues.

Due to financial struggles, BMI Transportation gave Jack McSherry the option to buy back the entire operation under his management one year later.    Included in this transaction were BMI’s southern petroleum terminals operating under the banner of “Fleet Transport Company, Inc.”.  Fleet’s long history of service in the south dates back to 1948.  These operations included terminals in  Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee.  On June 16, 1996, Jack McSherry acquired this operation away from BMI Transportation to form Penn Tank Lines, Inc.

Since the primary acquisition, Penn Tank Lines, Inc. has grown through additional  operations most notably through affiliate relationships with smaller carriers. The company expanded its dedicated carrier operations by forming a partnership with Genesis Transportation.  In the beginning of 1997, Penn Tank Lines added dedicated operations with Air Liquide & National Gypsum through the partnership with Genesis Transportation  This relationship has blossomed over the years into a strong dedicated non-petroleum division of Penn Tank Lines which resulted in Penn Tank’s purchase of Genesis in 2007.

Additional affiliate operations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have expanded Penn Tank Lines, Inc. ‘s presence in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Combined with its southern Geography, Penn Tank Lines, Inc. has positioned itself as one of the few carriers in its industry to offer its customer base a transportation solution capable of service throughout the entire Eastern half of the country.