What Williams Tank Lines does

Williams Tank Lines is a for-hire bulk petroleum transportation carrier headquartered in Stockton, California. Founded in April 1976 by Michael and Marlys Williams, the company operates a fleet of over 175 late-model Peterbilt trucks and trailers from 11 terminal locations — nine in California and two in Nevada — delivering petroleum products across the Western United States under ICC licensing. The company employs between 251 and 500 people and is structured as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). It serves more than 300 customers ranging from major oil companies and independent jobbers to individual businesses, making it one of the largest for-hire bulk petroleum carriers in California.

The company's technology stack is operational rather than platform-oriented. Core capabilities include GPS-equipped vehicles integrated with dispatch software for real-time fleet visibility, onboard computers tracking driver logs, productivity, and safety, an inventory management system that auto-generates orders based on customer usage patterns, electronic filing of order documentation, and delivery scheduling tools. Four dispatch centers — two operating 24/7/365 — coordinate the fleet. Drivers carry hazardous-materials certification with mandatory biennial recertification, supporting safety compliance in regulated fuel transport.

Revenue is generated through transaction fees on bulk petroleum delivery services, with pricing quoted based on distance, volume, and service requirements rather than publicly disclosed rates. The go-to-market is direct sales targeting petroleum industry customers; there are no third-party distribution or reseller channels. Customer segments are stratified by buyer type — enterprise oil majors, mid-market independent jobbers, and SMB end users — and the company offers integrated inventory and electronic-filing services as embedded differentiators beyond pure haulage.

Name

Williams Tank Lines

Legal name

Williams Tank Lines Inc.

Website

https://williamstanklines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Williams Tank Lines is a Stockton, California-based for-hire bulk petroleum transportation carrier operating 175+ trucks across 11 California and Nevada terminals, serving over 300 customers including major oil companies and independent jobbers throughout the Western United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bulk Petroleum Transportation Services: For-hire bulk petroleum carrier providing transportation services for all types of petroleum products. Revenue generated through delivery charges based on distance, volume, or per-transaction basis. Services include 24-hour delivery and ICC licensed transportation throughout the Western United States.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Williams Tank Lines is a for-hire bulk petroleum carrier transporting all types of petroleum products for major oil companies, independent jobbers, and other businesses using a fleet of more than 175 ICC-licensed tanker trucks and trailers across the Western United States. Deliveries are coordinated 24/7/365 from 11 terminals and supported by GPS-integrated dispatch, inventory management, electronic filing, and delivery scheduling systems.

Product overview

Williams Tank Lines operates as a bulk petroleum transportation service offering a unified logistics platform centered on petroleum product delivery. The core service is bulk petroleum transportation across the Western United States, supported by integrated technology modules including Inventory Management, Delivery Scheduling, Trucking Communication (GPS and dispatch integration), Onboard Computers for driver and vehicle tracking, Electronic Filing, and Dispatch Services across four locations. These modules work together as an end-to-end transportation management system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bulk Petroleum Transportation For-hire bulk petroleum carrier service delivering all types of petroleum products 24/7 across the Western United States using a fleet of 175+ ICC-licensed tanker trucks and trailers, serving major oil companies, independent jobbers, and other businesses.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Kenan Advantage Group: North American bulk transportation specialist for chemicals, petroleum, and food-grade products. Closely comparable to Williams Tank Lines on product mix (liquid petroleum), dedicated fleet model, and technology-enabled dispatch, with a substantially larger geographic footprint.
• Trimac Transportation: Bulk trucking carrier serving chemicals, petroleum, and dry bulk across North America. Comparable to Williams Tank Lines in for-hire petroleum hauling, terminal-based operations, and safety/fleet management practices.
• Miller Transporters: Mid-sized bulk petroleum and chemical carrier serving the Eastern U.S. and Gulf Coast. Comparable to Williams Tank Lines in long-haul petroleum tanker operations, driver training rigour, and relationship-based service to major oil and chemical shippers.
• Quality Distribution: Formerly the largest U.S. bulk tank carrier focused on chemical and petroleum products. Directly comparable to Williams Tank Lines in liquid petroleum hauling, ISO container logistics, and intermodal integration with major oil and chemical shippers.
• A&R Transport: Bulk liquid transportation carrier with petroleum and chemical hauling. Comparable to Williams Tank Lines in for-hire bulk tanker operations and customer mix across oil majors and independent distributors.
• Groendyke Transport: One of the largest for-hire bulk carriers in the U.S. specializing in petroleum, chemical, and food-grade liquids. Comparable to Williams Tank Lines in core tank-truck petroleum hauling, with an overlapping customer base of major oil companies and a similar focus on safety-trained HazMat drivers.
• Ruan Transportation Management Systems: Family-owned dedicated and for-hire bulk carrier with a strong petroleum and chemical hauling practice. Comparable to Williams Tank Lines in private/ESOP-style ownership, dedicated bulk liquid fleet, and emphasis on shipper technology integration.

Regional players

• Bulk Transport Services East: Regional bulk liquid carrier focused on petroleum and chemical products in the Eastern U.S. Comparable to Williams Tank Lines in dedicated liquid petroleum hauling and major oil company customer base, but operating in a different geographic region.

Broad incumbents

• Superior Carriers: Large bulk trucking subsidiary within a broader logistics platform, focused on liquid and dry bulk. Comparable to Williams Tank Lines in petroleum tank truck service but operates at significantly greater scale and as part of a multi-modal portfolio.
• Schneider National: Large publicly-traded trucking and logistics provider operating bulk, intermodal, and dedicated services. Comparable to Williams Tank Lines only in the bulk petroleum segment, but competes for the same major oil company shippers and uses similar GPS-integrated dispatch technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Williams Tank Lines