eNewsletter Vol 10 No 3 June, 2022
By Ashley
77 year old comes out of retirement to earn his CDL A retired corporate pilot is proving that age is just a number by enrolling in a Georgia technical college to earn his commercial driver’s license (CDL). Bill Nichols, 77, recently enrolled in the CDL program at Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) located in Bainbridge, Georgia. This marks his first time enrolling in college.
According to SRTC, Nichols spent 35 years as a corporate pilot before retiring. However, after seven years of retirement, Nichols decided he wanted to try his hand at driving trucks and is now on track to earn his CDL. Nichols says that he heard about trucking companies having a tough time hiring drivers on the local news and thought he could help out. “I think that older folks like me should consider coming to college and starting a new career. It is a challenge and it is interesting. This college has fine instructors, and CDL is an amazing course. I would highly recommend for anyone to look into this! The pay is good, you get to see the country, and a company pays you to do it!” Nichols said. “I have seen the United States from the air. Now I am going to go see it from the road,” Nichols said. 77-year-old Bainbridge native Bill Nichols is a college student for the first time in his life. 42 years ago, he studied under a flight instructor to earn his pilot’s license and went on to enjoy a 35-year career as a corporate pilot. Seven years after retirement, he decided to pursue his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) because he heard about the 18,000-person driver shortage on the local news. He reasoned that he could help fill that gap and enrolled in the Commercial Truck Driving program at SRTC-Bainbridge. Mr. Nichols said that he likes to stay busy. Currently, he lives and works on the 122-acre farm that his father bought in 1949, trains new pilots as a flight instructor, and restores classic automobiles in his spare time. When he isn’t in class, Nichols lives on his family farm and keeps busy training new pilots as a flight instructor and restoring classic automobiles.
President’s Message Hello NAPFTDS Members It was great seeing everyone in Scottsdale. I have heard nothing but positive comments from everyone who was able to attend our annual meeting. It was so nice seeing everyone in John Rojas, President, NAPFTDS person instead of a video call. I was able to partake in many great discussions about programs and the challenges everyone is experiencing. I would like to say thank you for a Great Job to Martin, Crissie, and all of the convention committee for the hard work they put in for things to go so smoothly. The implementation of ELDT this past February had a little bit of a bumpy road the first few weeks but things definitely leveled out. NAPFTDS schools are thriving because of ELDT, in many cases, classes are booked for the next 3-7 months. Public schools have a great opportunity to expand their programs if given the support. Employers and school districts are knocking on our doors daily for assistance and many of us are having trouble attracting new instructors and purchasing new equipment. Great problems to have! Unfortunately, ELDT has also created some major problems with companies that have registered on the Training Provider Registry that are not providing training standards in accordance with FMCSR regulations. Many of these companies have never had anything to do with the trucking industry in the past and suddenly became experts in curriculum and training. Currently, there are over 17,000 approved training providers registered. We will continue to press FMCSA to implement a sustainable oversite process on these establishments. I had the opportunity to attend the CVTA Spring Conference in Omaha Nebraska. They had a great conference and I would like to say great job to Cindy and the entire CVTA Team for the great agenda. Most notably, I want to say congratulations to Martin Garsee for receiving the Final PTDI – Lee J. Crittenden Award FOR exemplifying the service and dedication to quality truck driver training. Great Job Martin!
In This Issue ... 77 year old comes out of retirement to earn his CDL • President’s Message • Executive Director Report • Coming Events • NAPFTDS Committee Happenings • Sleepy Truck Tech Taking Shape in Houston Lab • Board Election Results • Conference pictures • The Dave Nemo Show • Martin Garsee Crittenden Award • Board of Directors •
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It was so good to see so many of our members at the Annual conference in Scottsdale. There were nine new members and/or first time attendees at this conference. All shared great networking and great information experiences. Most schools are completely full until the fall. The conference was like a family reunion that you had missed for several years. Many of our members have known each other for years and communicate often to exchange ideas.
By Martin Garsee
The Association looks forward to another great year and seeing many of you at the regional meetings this fall which are listed below in ‘Coming Events’ as well as our 2023 Annual Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. A big thank you goes to all of our Partners and Meal Sponsors for their support in making this annual conference a success! Advanced Training Systems LLC L3-Driver Training Solutions Tenstreet LLC Covenant Logistics FASTPORT Mike Byrnes & Associates, Inc. Stevens Transport Advanced Training Systems LLC FASTPORT Schneider Stevens Transport Werner Enterprises
Platinum—Driving-Tests Gold Doron Precision Systems, Inc. Schneider TMC Transportation Silver CRST Karls Transport Ruan Truck & Trailer Sales TransForce Group Meal Sponsors Contract Freighters Melton Truck Lines Seaboard Foods LLC TMC Transportation
J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. Simulator Systems Intl Virage Simulation DriverIQ Melton Truck Lines Seaboard Foods LLC Werner Enterprises Covenant Logistics Ruan Truck and Trailer Sales Simulator Systems Intl Virage Simulation
Coming Events ...
I attended the CVTA conference in Omaha. This was their second in-person conference since COVID, and they had good attendance. Their schools are full as well, with many owners opening additional locations. Bob Costello, with ATA predicts there will be many years ahead of us of driver shortage. While that is not good for the supply chain, it is good for the schools. We agreed that there are things that we would like to see updated in ELDT in the future and will work on several initiatives. While I was at the conference, I was presented the Lee J. Crittenden Award from PTDI and Cengage. This was for 2020 but we all know nothing happened in person in 2020. I am honored to receive this award. Many recipients of this award have made a great impact on training. Thank you to PTDI and Cengage for this honor.
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Region 1 & 2 meeting, TBD, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ
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Region 3 & 5 meeting, September 27-28-29, 2022 Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, WI
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Region 4 meeting, TBD, Tulsa Tech/Central Tech, Tulsa/Drumright, OK
Region 6 meeting TBD, Tallahassee Community College. • Region 7 meeting TBD, Community College of Baltimore County •
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2023 33th Annual Conference, Asheville, NC, March 27-29, 2023
Committee Happenings …
Carrier-Donnie Tulk, Chair. Committee Members: Celeste Turner-Hawkeye Community College, Joseph Lackey-Florida State College at Jacksonville, Cheryl Freauff-TMC Transportation, Missy Blair-Pima Community College, Richard Radcliffe-Victor Valley College, Greg Doiron-Fletcher Technical Community College, Lorie Latigo-Lone Star College, Lesley Vincent-Melton Truck Line. In our meeting at the conference the committee determined that it would be better to give an email blast of the post card a personal touch; therefore, each member will be emailing the post card out to the companies that recruit from their school who are not current Associate members of NAPFTDS. Conference/Nomination-Martin Garsee, Chair. Committee members: Mary Beth McCollum, Tina Frindt, Rob Behnke and John Rojas. After a long 2-year pandemic, I think everyone enjoyed the conference in Scottsdale. This year, NAPFTDS had the Dave Nemo Show present, Jimmy Mac and Summer were a pleasant addition to the conference. All the presentations went well and the networking was at an all time high. Now, the work begins on the 33rd Annual Conference being held in Asheville, NC, March 27-29, 2023. Education-John Thorpe, Chair. Committee Members: Nikole Willing-Central Technology Center, Jill Schultz-J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Robert Ramirez-Texas State Technical College, Carl Borleis-Minnesota State, Diana Lucero-Central New Mexico Community College, Jennie Cruse-Northwest Louisiana Tech Com College. We had a good meeting at the conference with some new faces. Looking forward to starting our Lunch & Learn sessions again. 2022 is proving to be an exciting year! Marketing/Social Media-Kelly Carey-Chair. Committee Members: Mike Stricek-Doron Precision Systems, Joe Kobs-Schneider, Andrea Keller-Schneider, Jessica GriffinTallahassee Community College and Rob Behnke-Fox Valley Technical College. Congratulations to Kelly Carey in accepting the Chair position for this committee. Congrats! The Marketing committee is a tool for the Association and its members to use when communicating on specific training or industry information. Please remember to Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NAPFTDS The committee has great plans to upgrade our Website and expand our social media presence in the near future…stay tuned! 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 Rob Behnke @ behnke@fvtc.edu . Membership-Dan Zdrojewski, Chair. Committee Members: Lorie Latigo-Lone Star College, Kerrie Wilson-Southern Regional Technical College, Donnie Tulk-Tulsa Tech, Dave DeinPatterson Unified School District, Lesley Vincent-Melton Truck Lines, Deborah QuackenbushVirage Simulation, Juan Hernandez-Texas State Technical College, Jay Banick-Western Dakota Technical Institute, Terrence Henry-Schneider-East Region. The Membership Committee remains busy processing applications and making contact with potential members. The value of NAPFTDS is second to none. Many training providers, companies, organizations, and the committee will work with them to entice future members. It is truly an exciting time for NAPFTDS! Our Current Membership is comprised of 149 Schools and 31 Associate Members = 180 Strong! Any member wishing to be a part of the above working committees, please contact Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org or call 316-425-3297.
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Committee Happenings (cont’d)
Regionals-Mary Beth McCollum-Chair. With the help of my fellow board members at conference, we now have hosts for all 7 regions. Regions 1 & 2 will be combined, hosted at Pima Community College; Region 3 & 5 will be combined, hosted at Chippewa Valley Technical College; Region 4 will be co-hosted by Tulsa Tech and Central Tech in Oklahoma; Region 6 will be hosted at Tallahassee Community College and Region 7 will be hosted by The Community College of Baltimore County-Hunt Valley. Please look for more information by email blast and/or Association News on the website, napftds.org. Regulatory-Jill Schultz-Chair. The regulatory committee informs members of changes in federal regulations or policies that affect truck driver training. Regulatory highlights for April and May 2022 include: • Speed limiters. FMCSA is accepting public comments until June 3, 2022, on the use of speed limiters on commercial motor vehicles. • Ohio ELDT exemption request denied. FMCSA has denied the Ohio Department of Education’s (ODE) request for an exemption to the entry-level driver training (ELDT) rules. In the petition for an exemption, ODE stated that its theory and behind-the-wheel curriculum for Class B, Passenger, and School Bus instruction meets or exceeds the ELDT requirements.
CDL drivers transport feed
from the feed mills to our farms and pigs between farms and to the plant. There’s a place for you at Seaboard Foods. Home every day. Contact: Glenn Rose glenn_rose@seaboardfoods.com
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Sleepy trucker tech taking shape in Houston lab Government agency interested in tired driver science to prevent deadly crashes KPRC 2 Investigates looks into the safety risks involving drowsy driving. Joel Eisenbaum reports.
HOUSTON – The problem of sleepy drivers is so pervasive, and such a threat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now studies the problem. The National Highway Traffic Administration estimates there are about 100,000 drowsy driver related accidents reported to police. Those accidents result in approximately 800 deaths and 50,000 injuries. “You’re talking about 80,000 pounds going 60 miles per hour. That’s just got bad news written all over it,” said Jack Russell, a veteran trucker and truck driving instructor at Houston Community College. HCC operates the largest truck driving school of its kind in the United States, and while alertness and readiness is a core safety item taught at the school, there is no surefire way to ensure truckers are fit to hit the road each and every time. That problem is age-old and the solution has proven to be elusive, but an accident investigation firm in Clear Lake, Texas, called ATA Associates has partnered with a company in Hungary, called PharmaFlight, to measure 600 driver biometrics to determine the fitness of overthe-road truckers before they hit the road. “It’s the importance of having a certified test program, having a way to ensure drivers are as healthy as we can determine them to be,” said Bob Swint, CEO of ATA Associates. PharmaFlight has developed similar testing protocols for the aviation industry. A prototype of the test, which consists of a telemetry equipment that can fit into an oversized briefcase, took about 10 minutes to administer. A host of electrical leads are attached to various body parts of the test subject.
Processing time took about an hour during a demonstration test. Results yield alertness and fitness metrics compared to the group as a whole. The formula for determining a particular driver’s readiness is proprietary. Importantly, the methodology and results used have not yet been peer-reviewed. But the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has shown interest in the work happening at ATA Associates, and recently attended a video conference call to hear an initial presentation about the testing technology. Swint envisions that one-day trucking companies will use a portable version of the testing equipment, perhaps daily, to monitor drivers’ road readiness. 6
2022 Board Election Results
Kelly Carey is the Director of Transportation at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury, Maryland (Board Member Elect). Being able to serve on the Board of Directors for NAPFTDS will be a rewarding and exciting experience. NAPFTDS has been an asset to me as a director and I look forward to serving other colleges and make a difference to the membership.
Donnie Tulk (Board member re-elected) My vision for NAPFTDS as an organization is to continue to be on the forefront of working with local, state and federal legislators in regards to changes in legislation or regulations when it comes to training entry-level truck drivers. As a NAPFTDS ambassador, I will do my part in recruiting new members, whether, full, affiliate or associate members.
Dan Zdrojewski (Board member re-elected) My vision for NAPFTDS is to continue growth and sustainability, improve the awareness of NAPFTDS in keeping the value of membership with the Association. I strongly believe NAPFTDS will help with all challenges and continue to lead the way into the future for its members and our industry.
Other Board Announcements … Rob Behnke, Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI, has been appointed by the President as the Interim Treasurer. Former Treasurer, Tina Frindt, has been appointed as the Technical/Finance Assistant, reporting to Rob Behnke and the Executive Board.
Michael McCarthy, Seward County Community College, Liberal Kansas has accepted an Interim Board Position for one year.
to all Board Members! 7
Golfing Event Left to Right: Paul Foster, Travis Willing, John Thorpe and Dan Zdrojewski
And what is this ball for? Left to Right: Martin Garsee, John Frey, John Rojas and Chuck Wirth
Left to Right: Mike Stricek, Lesley Vincent, Diana Lucero and Mark Rothwell Oops, I missed!
Is this how you swing? 8
2022 Conference Presenters Brad Bentley
Kevin Burch Dave Dein
Tina Frindt Martin Garsee Kevin Lewis AAMVA Martin Garsee, Brad Bentley and Kevin Burch
Rich Clemente FMCSA Virtual
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Our Partners who Exhibited at Conference!
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Reception
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Reception
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Dave Nemo Show Interviews
The Dave Nemo Show was sponsored by
The Dave Nemo Show, talent ‘Jimmy Mac’ and Summer Harless-Media Relations, interviewed the following individuals: Kevin Burch, MTS; John Rojas, President NAPFTDS; Martin Garsee, Executive Director, Rob Behnke, Treasurer; Brad Bentley/Dave Harrison-FASTPORT, Dave Dein, Patterson United School District/Next Gen; Diana Lucero, Central New Mexico Community College. 14
Ken Wehmas 515-360-2322 Ruantrucksales.com
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2022 Committee Meetings
Membership
Carrier
Education
Marketing/ Social Media
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Lunch on the Patio
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More Lunch on the Patio
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Martin Garsee Receives Lee J. Crittendon Award at the Spring CVTA Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.
Rob Behnke receives a Truck Rodeo award for NOT BEING PRESENT at the Truck Rodeo at Region 4 in October at the Central Tech Campus. (Ask Rob or John Thorpe about this award)
Martin Garsee from the Houston Community College and current Executive Director of the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools was presented with the 2020 Lee J. Crittendon Award by the new Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) Chair, Brad Ball. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Martin waited two years to finally receive this award. The recognition, sponsored by Delmar Cengage Learning, is given to a person who exemplifies the overall mission of PTDI, for which Lee Crittenden was a staunch supporter until his death in April 1998. PTDI continues to raise the quality of truck driver training courses by supporting the industry and our schools.
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Banquet
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Banquet
Andrea Keller, Schneider, received the evening’s giveaway given by Advanced Training Systems … a $100 Amazon gift card!
Tina Frindt, 22 years of service to NAPFTDS Board of Directors awarded with a plaque of Appreciation. Tina has been a fixture with the Association and will continue serving the Board as a Technical/Finance Assistant.
Andrea … spend well! Thank you for Advanced Training Systems for the gift of this giveaway!
Thank you Tina for your diligent service to the Association!
Embassy Suite’s Hospitality Staff Special thanks to Melissa, Ellen, Claudia, Loran, Shelley, Berna, Amado and Keyvan
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Networking and Just havin Fun!
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. 24
NAPFTDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022 President
Vice President
Interim Treasurer
Secretary
John Rojas Del Mar College
Lorie Latigo Lone Star College Transportation Insti.
Rob Behnke Fox Valley Technical College
Mary Beth McCollum College of Southern Maryland
Executive Director
Martin Garsee Houston Community College
Immediate Past President
Paul Foster
Board Member
Board Member
Carrier Member
Missy Blair Pima Community College
Kelly Carey Wor-Wic Community College
Bill Buechel Schneider
Board Member
Interim Bd Member
Vendor Member
Vendor Member
Board Member
Tiffany Howard Louisiana Technical & Com College System
Michael McCarthy Seward County Community College
Deborah Quackenbush Virage Simulation
Jill Schultz J.J. Keller & Associates Inc.
John Thorpe Central Tech
Board Member
Board Member
Carrier Member
Board Member
CVTA Representative
Donnie Tulk Tulsa Tech
Celeste Turner Hawkeye Community College
Lesley Vincent Melton Truck Lines
Dan Zdrojewski Milwaukee Area Technical College
Cindy Atwood CVTA Representative
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2022 Board of Directors, Scottsdale, Arizona. Front Row: Donnie Tulk, Kelly Carey, Deborah Quackenbush, Bill Buechel, Lesley Vincent, Jill Schultz and Dan Zdrojewski. Virtual Mary Beth McCollum
Back Row: Michael McCarthy, Martin Garsee, Missy Blair, Tina Frindt, Celeste Turner, Paul Foster, Lorie Latigo, John Thorpe, John Rojas and Rob Behnke.
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) 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) 26