Learning Curve Vol 11,No April 2023

eNewsletter Vol 11, No. 3, April 2023

The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund (SCF)

is a nonprofit charity working to support over -the-road truck drivers through multiple missions including both financial assistance and preventative health and wellness programs – all free to drivers and their families. SCF helps to provide financial support in the form of household living expenses for drivers who have become sick or injured, causing them to be out of work. In an effort to be proactive in preventing some medical illnesses, SCF also offers an assortment of health and wellness programs at no cost to drivers or their employers. These health and wellness programs include a CDC approved Diabetes Prevention Program, vaccination vouchers, smoking cessation, health challenges, monthly health articles, and more.

Since 2008, St. Christopher Fund has been able to pay over $4.4 million in living expenses for more than 3,600 drivers. In addition, nearly 1,000 drivers have received a vaccination at no cost, over 110 have quit smoking through the Rigs without Cigs program, and countless more have benefitted from free health and wellness education through radio and podcast segments, virtual classes, recorded education videos, and more. To learn more about these programs, please visit truckersfund.org or reach out to the Health & Wellness Manager, Lindsey Bryan by phone (865-544-8145) or by email at health@truckersfund.org.

SCF Helps Drivers Like You!

"This fund helped us to save our home. We are so grateful and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! May God bless St. Christopher Truckers Fund in abundance is our prayer. Thank you so much."

Driver with Heart Attacks

"I don’t know if you all realize what you truly do for people or not, but not only are you helping me and my kids during the worst time of our lives, you’ve shown me that they’re still good people in this world and have given me a reason to believe again."

Wife of a Deceased Driver

"I am so grateful for this truckers fund! They are truly a blessing to me and saved me from being homeless. I thank this wonderful organization for all they have done and will urge all my trucking family to donate!"

Driver with

Cancer

President’s Message

It was great to see everyone at our Conference in beautiful North Carolina. The place where the Wright Brothers successfully took the first plane to air and the birthplace of Krispy Kreme donuts! What a great State.

Lorie Latigo, President, NAPFTDS

Our Conference was a resounding success. We had an incredible turnout, with professionals from all over the country coming together to share ideas, insights, and best practices. Thank you to the presenters for sharing your expertise and passion with us. With your help, we will build stronger truck driver training programs and increase the skill and knowledge of new drivers. The conference feedback we received from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. We are already looking forward to the Regionals later this year and next year’s conference. If you have never had the opportunity to attend, I hope this will be your year!

Thank you to the Motor Carriers and Vendors who sponsor our Association and this conference with participation and meals. You help keep the conference fee affordable; we sincerely appreciate it. The conference provided an opportunity for our Associate Members to showcase their products and services. Participants had access to the latest technologies, innovative equipment, and other products that could help them become safer, more efficient, and more effective. Thank you to the vendors for hauling simulators, materials, and goodies to support our schools and conference. Thank you to all the motor carriers who participated and regularly hire our students. Your dedication to empowering the next generation of truck drivers is commendable, and we look forward to a continued partnership with you.

On behalf of the entire Association, I would like to extend our sincere congratulations to all our members who retired over the past year or will in the coming months. Mary Beth McCollum for twenty-six years of service, including seven on the Board of Directors and nine on the Executive Board as Secretary. Paul Foster for nine years of service, including the Board and past President. Also, Ken & Joy Wehmas for twenty-five dedicated years as an Associate Member. We are grateful to you all for your hard work and dedication throughout your careers. Your contributions to entry-level driver training across the country have been invaluable, and we are honored to have had you as members of our Association.

As we move forward, I want to remind all our members that we are here to support you in any way we can. Whether you want to connect with fellow professionals, enhance your training program, or strengthen relationships with Carriers and Vendors, NAPFTDS is here to help. Our Association will continue to work tirelessly to advance the interests of our members and truck driver training. If you are on Facebook, I invite you to like our page and join the members-only group, NAPFTDS Members. This is a great place to ask questions and get to know one another. You will also find us on LinkedIn; we hope you will follow along.

Finally, thank you all for entrusting me with the honor of serving as your President and supporting the NAPFTDS. I look forward to working with all of you to achieve our goals and to provide the next generation of truck drivers with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in this critical industry. I look forward to seeing you all soon. Best wishes,

Coming Events ...

• Region 6, October 2-3, 2023, Marion Technical College, Co-Hosts Richard Monroe/ Kirk Abercrombie

• Region 3 & 5, October 23-24, 2023, Hawkeye Community College, Host Celeste Turner

• Region 4, November 8-10, 2023, Del Mar College, Host Lynette Cervantes

What a great venue and town we enjoyed for our 33rd Annual Conference. I hope to see each of you at a Regional Meeting coming up this fall.

By Martin Garsee

Our sponsors make it possible to have great food at our event. Thanks again to all of our sponsors. Without you, we would not have the great time that we have.

Congratulations to our new Board Members: Donnie Tulk, Vice President; Rob Behnke, Treasurer; John Thorpe, Secretary; Lesley Vincent, Carrier Member; Jill Schultz, Vendor Member; Lynette Cervantes, Board member; Nikole Willing, Board member and an appointed interim Board member, Michael McCarthy to complete Donnie Tulk’s term. Welcome ALL!

I left the conference and traveled to the Mid-America Truck Show in Louisville, Kentucky. That is an overwhelming event with so many vendors from around the world. It was good to see many people that I have known through the years. I was able to meet and connect with new companies. I met the new company Truckers fund.org that promotes truckers health and wellness with free services. They are highlighted in this newsletter.

I also had the opportunity to meet Jennifer Hedrick, the replacement for Ellen Voie as President of WIT, effective March 2023. I was able to spend time with both, wishing Ellen Voie the best in future endeavors. NAPFTDS looks forward to continue working with and supporting WIT.

I was able to see the new Kenworth 100th year anniversary truck that will be given away in December 2023 for Transition Trucking. Let’s submit nominees for this contest. FASTPORT has challenged us with 100 entrees for this year.

CVTA has formed an ELDT Taskforce which is addressing the schools that self-certified and are listed on the TPR that do not meet the guidelines of ELDT. I am part of that task force along with other CVTA board members. We have met with several FMCSA employees including Administrator Robin Hutchison to discuss this. They are in the process of implementing and enforcement of ELDT. As they reveal the details I will let you know.

Have a great summer, hopefully each of us will have some down time to relax and recharge.

In This Issue ...

• The St. Christopher Truckers Development & Relief Fund

• President’s Message

• Coming Events

• Executive Director Report

• Conference ‘Thank you to Worker Bees’

• Conference Presentations, Reception, Exhibitors, General Session, Banquet and Guests of Honor

• RADIO NEMO Education Station

• Thank you Partners

• 2023 Transition Trucking Nomination OPEN

• Welcome New and Re-Elected Board Members

• NAPFTDS Committee Happenings

• Contact NAPFTDS

• Board of Directors

Reception

Food

New & Old Friends

Reception

Wisconsin Groups

New Friends …

Old Friends

Reception

TENSTREET

Advanced Training Systems LLC

L3-Driver Training Solutions

J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

Ruan Truck & Trailer Sales

Virage Simulation

Exhibitors

Doron Precision Systems, Inc.

Simulator Systems Intl

Bumper to Bumper

Kelly Anderson Group

Help Change a Veteran’s Life

The 2023 Transition Trucking Nomination period is now OPEN!

THE AWARD

Military Veterans who began their truck driving careers after January 1st, 2022 can qualify for the prestigious 2023 Transition Trucking Driver for Excellence Award. The winner will receive a new Kenworth T680 Next Generation truck, and the runner-ups will receive $10,000 each.

Your school or organization can nominate up to 5 deserving veterans, and you can nominate a driver in just 7 easy steps.

While hundreds of applicants compete for this unique award each year, being recognized alone can mean a lot to drivers! We encourage you to take the time to recognize the hard work of drivers you know by submitting nominations below.

NOMINATE A VETERAN

Thank you Banquet Staff

Education Station is an in-depth conversation about not only the state of driver training but also the training of those responsible for creating the next generation of truck drivers. Methodologies, theories, and hands -on-approaches are all part of a wide-open conversation with educators, recruiters, executives, and, yes, truck drivers about how we create a workforce skilled in handling all aspects of the transportation industry. It can be heard every Friday at 8 am CT as part of The Dave Nemo Show on SiriusXM Road Dog Trucking 146.

Sponsored by

Whether talking the classroom or the road, Education Station aims to go beyond the bromides and platitudes of teaching and actually dig into often contradictory ideas and radical approaches to making sure the future of driving isn't one filled with shortages.

During its first year, the segment has talked approaches to veteran hiring, accommodation of special-needs students, crafting effective syllabi, and government programs designed to create more effective trainers. The discussion is detailed, comprehensive, and goes with the passion of the guest. If you have love of both teaching and trucking, then Education Station is the destination for you.

Paul

The many friends … Family!

You Will Be MISSED! You are Family ...

NAPFTDS 2023 Partners

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

‘Truck Driving … It’s Who We Are?’

PLATINUM PARTNER

driving-tests.org

GOLD PARTNERS

Advanced Training Systems LLC

Doron Precision Systems, Inc.

J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

Schneider

Tenstreet

TMC

Virage Simulation

SILVER PARTNERS

Covenant Logistics

CRST

Driver IQ

FASTPORT

Kelly Anderson Group

L3-Driver Training Solutions

Melton Truck Lines

FASTPORT

Bumper-to-Bumper

Roehl

Ruan Truck & Trailer Sales

Seaboard Foods LLC

Simulator Systems Intl

Stevens Transport

TransForce Group

Werner Enterprises

Committee

Carrier-Donnie Tulk, Chair. The Committee grew at the annual conference this year by 5 members (2 schools and 3 carriers). Items discussed: 1) Be very pronounced about how much industry knowledge NAPFTDS members have. 2) Approach someone up the chain at the carriers and tell them how valuable it would be for them to join NAPFTDS. 3) Know the associate member cost and let potential carrier members know that it could be a low cost solution for them to get highly trained student drivers. 4) Give non-member recruiters that come into our schools a hard copy of the carrier outreach postcard. As Chair, I am looking forward to a great 2023!

Conference/Nomination-Martin Garsee, Chair. The committee continues to search for a 2024 location for annual conference. Any ideas, please email Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org.and we will check it out!

Education-John Thorpe, Chair. A great meeting was held on the Education committee at the annual conference. With new blood and ideas, I am anxious for 2023. Our first committee meeting is May 9. If you have any interest in being on the Education Committee, please contact John Thorpe, john.thorpe@centraltech.edu or Crissie Moffet cmoffet@napftds.org.

Marketing/Social Media-Kelly Carey, Chair. NAPFTDS website re-design is scheduled to be released by the end of April, first of May. We would also like to promote followers on NAPFTDS social media: Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. Right now there is approximately 246 followers on Facebook and 46 on Linkedin. The committee is promoting Facebook to reach 500 and Linkedin to reach 200 …

Please remember to like our … Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NAPFTDS and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/napftds/ and Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-association-ofpublicly-funded-truck-driving-schools/ The accounts are now linked and posts will appear on both!

We are looking to grow our digital presence and reach a larger audience with our mission of education and this is one way we can do so. Please send any content to Marilyn Surber, marilyn.surber@tenstreet.com

If you have suggestions for the marketing committee, or you would like to become a member of the committee please contact Kelly Carey kcarey@worwic.edu or Crissie Moffet cmoffet@napftds.org.

Membership-Dan Zdrojewski, Chair. The Membership Committee remains busy processing applications and making contact with potential members. The annual NAPFTDS conference always puts a buzz in the air and the email inquiries start to flood in. Since the start of the year, the Membership Committee has received a steady stream of applications and requests for more information. The Membership Committee has reviewed 13 applications for membership in a short 3 month period. We have fielded many emails and phone calls from prospective members. There is a lot of interest in NAPFTDS from all parts of our industry. Our current membership stands at 186 with 152 Full Members, 2 Affiliate Members and 32 Associate Members. The value of NAPFTDS is second to none. Many more training providers, companies, organizations, and institutions have started to become aware of us and our value. It is truly an exciting time for NAPFTDS. If additional information is needed, please reach out to me at zdrojedr@matc.edu or Crissie Moffet at cmoffet@napftds.org.

Regionals-Missy Blair, Chair. The Region Committee is looking for 2023 Host and/or Co-Host. Region meetings are from August through December. If your school is interested, please contact Crissie Moffet (cmoffet@napftds.org). We do have 3 regions with a host Region 3 & 5 is October 23-24, 2023. Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo, Iowa; Region 4 is November 8-10, 2023, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas and Region 6 is October 2-3, 2023 co-hosted by Marion Technical College-Florida, Ocala, FL/North Florida Technical College, Starke, FL. The Committee is still looking for hosts in Region 1 & 2 as well as Region 7. So … find out what it is all about and show off your campus by hosting a region meeting in 2023! Do you want to host a regional meeting in 2023? Contact Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org or call 316-4253297.

Regulatory-Jill Schultz, Chair. Welcome Carl Borleis, Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence and Gina Stumborg, Waukesha County Technical College to the Regulatory Committee. At our committee meeting, during the annual conference, we discussed how to expand the committee’s reach to better serve the membership. Currently, the regulatory committee informs members of changes and proposed changes to federal laws, regulations, and policies related to truck driver training. Currently, this is done via Learning Curve updates and Board meeting minutes. We welcome any and all ideas.

The National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS)

is an organization for the promotion of public education for the transportation industry. Through membership, educators can network with other truck driving schools across the country to provide the highest quality, most cost-effective, and up-todate training available.

Contact us:

Martin Garsee, Executive Dir., NAPFTDS Martin.garsee@hccs.edu

713-718-8203 (O) 713-304-8324 (M)

Rob Behnke, Treasurer, NAPFTDS rob.behnke7787@fvtc.edu

920-996-2889 (O)

Tina Frindt, Technical/Finance Assistant tfrindt@napftds.org

570-688-5710 (M)

Crissie Moffet Admin Assist to the Board cmoffet@napftds.org

316-425-3297 (O)

Welcome 2023 Board members

Mission Statement

The National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools, Inc. is an organization established for the promotion of safety, professionalism and quality education within the transportation industry.

Lynette Cervantes, Donnie Tulk, Lesley Vincent, Nikole Willing, John Thorpe, Jill Schultz and Rob Behnke And Interim

Michael McCarthy

NAPFTDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2023

President

Lorie Latigo Lone Star College Transportation Insti.

Vice President

Donnie Tulk Tulsa Tech

Secretary

John Thorpe Central Tech

Treasurer

Rob Behnke Fox Valley Technical College

Board Member

Tiffany Howard Louisiana Technical & Com College System

Interim Bd Member

Michael McCarthy Seward County Community College

Vendor Member

Deborah Quackenbush Virage Simulation

Vendor Member

Jill Schultz J.J. Keller & Associates Inc.

Carrier Member

Bill Buechel Schneider

Board Member

Lynette Cervantes Del Mar College

Board Member

Kelly Carey Wor-Wic Community College

Executive Director

Martin Garsee Houston Community College

Board Member

Missy Blair Pima Community College

Immediate Past President John Rojas

Board Member

Celeste Turner Hawkeye Community College

Carrier Member

Lesley Vincent Melton Truck Lines

CVTA Representative

Cindy Atwood CVTA Representative

Board Member

Dan Zdrojewski Milwaukee Area Technical College

Board Member

Nikole Willing Central Tech

New Members in 2023

Full Members

• Aims Community College, Greeley, CO

• Cloud County Community College, Junction City, KS

• Florida Gateway College, Sanderson, FL

• Ft Scott Community College, Pittsburg, KS

• Midland College, Midland, TX

• Southeastern Community College, Burlington, IA

• Walla Walla Community College, Walla Walla, WA Associate Members

• Kelly Anderson Group, Neosho, MO

• Freymiller, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK