President’s Message
I hope the first quarter of 2024 has been successful and happy for you personally and professionally.
Lorie Latigo, President, NAPFTDS
I look forward to “Rolling into the Biggest Little City Reno,” catching up with and learning from you all at our 34th Annual Conference. The full agenda, diverse content, and networking opportunities make it a fantastic opportunity for anyone involved in truck driving education.
The ‘Committee Happenings’ is new to the Learning Curve for 2023. These committees comprise a Chair (current board member) and member volunteers. The Conference agenda allows committees to meet and share ideas on what members want to see in the coming year. Please attend the committee meetings at the annual conference, or better yet, become a committee member. If you cannot get to the big Conference this year and are interested in serving on a committee, we would also like to hear from you. The Committees meet virtually each month.
The Marketing/Social Media Committee is doing great things under the leadership of Joe Kobs of Schneider. I hope you will take a minute to read their update and like our pages.
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NAPFTDS
• Linked-in https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-association-of-publicly-funded-truck-driving-
In This Issue ...
• FMCSA Grants for Truck Driver Training! Application deadline 4/19/24!
• President’s Message
• Coming Events
• Executive Director Report
• 2024 Board Nominees & Absentee Ballot-deadline extended to April 2, 2024!
• New Members
• Committee Happenings
• 2024 Partnerships
• 2024 Hunting for Region Hosts!
• 2024 Partnerships & Meal Sponsorships
• 34th Annual NAPFTDS Conference, Apr. 21-24, 2024, Reno, NV
• Board of Directors
• Contact NAPFTDS
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By Martin Garsee
The Annual Conference is almost here! We are hoping for perfect weather in beautiful Reno, Nevada, but no matter what the weather is for the conference we will have a great time of learning and networking with fellow attendees.
Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) has been in effect for over two years. There are some things that we would like to see changed and have been working with FMCSA to get it done. Patrick Nemons with FMCSA will be there to give us updates on progress made and changes we can expect to see in the future. We will have Dave Heller with Truckload Carriers (TCA) speaking about the initiatives that TCA is working on. We also will have Ian Grossman the President and CEO of AAMVA speaking and several “regulars” Richard Clemente, Kevin Burch and Brad Bentley.
We will have vendors with their latest and greatest items, and carriers that hire our student’s will be there to interact with, what a great opportunity! Please thank our vendors and carriers for their generous support of our Association.
We are stronger as a group with our collective knowledge and experience that we bring to the conference. We cannot accomplish all that we need to do without working together. See you soon!
Coming Events
• 34th 2024 Annual NAPFTDS Conference, Reno, Nevada, April 21-24, 2024.
• ON THE HUNT FOR 2024 REGIONAL HOSTS!
Contact Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org or call 316-425-3297.
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...
Board Nominees
Absentee Ballot voting has been extended to Tuesday,April 2, 2024.
If you cannot be at Annual Conference and you have paid your 2024 membership dues, an absentee ballot can be done!
Click here forAbsentee Ballot
Missy Blair, Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona. Missy is, in no order of importance, a Class A CDL holder, higher education leader, veteran of the United States Air Force, facilitator, amateur photographer, former Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach, wife, and mom. Missy was named one of the 2019 Top Women to Watch in Transportation by Women in Trucking for her work on Pima Community College's Autonomous Vehicle Driver & Operations Specialist certificate program and for her efforts to encourage women to join the trucking industry. Missy has been Pima Community College's Center for Transportation and Logistics' manager/academic director since 2014.
Tony Diaz, Amarillo College, Amarillo, Texas. Tony is passionate about his work with Amarillo College as a Program Coordinator and has been with Amarillo College for 17 months. Prior to that, Tony worked in the Trucking Industry in administration for 15 years. There, he went from Dispatch to Assistant Operations Manager and then into safety. Tony has been part of new startups and dispatch programs. Tony started out driving a truck over 27 years ago. When Tony went into management, he focused on creating a culture where the drivers were put first; figured if the drivers were doing great, then our customers would be doing great.
Harvey College, Chicago, Illinois. Donna Elicke is currently with City Colleges of Harvey. She has been in the transportation industry for over 24 years, working with OliveHarvey for 18 years as a CDL vocational lecturer and currently as a Training Specialist.
Donna is responsible for training new onboarding CDL Instructors, writing class syllabi, and safety training for the transportation department.
Donna has a passion for the transportation industry as she comes from a family of truck drivers and has been in and out of trucks since the age of six years old, becoming a driver myself in 2000 and now on the
David Inman, Northeast Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma. David is a native of Vinita, Oklahoma and an Alumni of Northeast Tech. He attained a Class A CDL in 1997 and has L, P, S, T, X Endorsements. David began as an Instructor at Northeast Tech in 2015 and moved to the CDL/Truck Driver Trainer in 2020 and started our Truck Driver Training program from the ground floor using my lifetime experience is a perfect fit for me with this program.
Chris Koetters, John Wood Community College, Quincy, Illinois. Chris Koetters is an instructor of transportation services for John Wood Community College (JWCC) in Quincy, Illinois. After being a student and spending years on the road, in 2021 he came back as in instructor of the entry level driver training program as well as managing the day-to-day operations with fellow instructor Phil Steinkamp. When not at JWCC, he is a part-time driver for Blue Creek Trucking who is under the authority of DOT Foods.
Celeste Turner, Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo, Iowa. Celeste has been in the trucking industry since the 80’s. Also dispatched 15 drivers and negotiate outside carriers to haul the product - which was loading 25 trucks at our plant, 50 trucks a day at a cold storage that we used. Her secretary, and drivers, along with Celeste were considered a separate entity for the processing plant, so she had to keep accurate books. She has been with the college for 8 years, managing the Regional Transportation Training Center. She has written programs for CDL Class B, School Bus, Drivers Ed, Drivers Ed instructor class, Woman in Basic Automotive, Construction Equipment Operator I and II, and Hitch Haul and Steer class.
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Board Nominees-carrier
Bill Buechel, Schneider, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Bill’s entire 31-year professional career has been in the trucking industry and with Schneider. His experience has been in operations, dispatch, utilization, customer service and driver recruiting.
Schneider has been a long-standing member of NAPFTDS. As a 4-year carrier board member of NAPFTDS, I fully understand that highly trained safe drivers are the lifeblood of our business as well as our industry. He also understands the level of expertise NAPFTDS schools bring to training tomorrow’s drivers. As such, Schneider has maintained either a Silver or Gold Member status as well as supporting regional meetings. We have also put great energy into building long lasting and consistent relationships with the vast majority of member schools. This includes regular scheduled visits from our extensive field recruiting team no matter the level of demand for drivers. We know that good relationships remain consistent no matter the economic conditions.
Bill personally wishes to continue serving on the board because he is passionate about the trucking industry and know that it all starts and ends with training new quality drivers. Bill also believes that he has a lot to contribute to the Association with his 31 years of trucking experience. In his 14 years in driver recruiting, He has personally visited well over 100 publicly funded and private school locations in almost every state of the country.
Tom Pietrzak, Werner Enterprises, Omaha, Nebraska. Tom has been in the industry for 25 years, all of those with Werner Enterprises. Tom began his driving career with Werner in 1998 after graduating from truck driving school. For 15 years he drove both regionally and 48 states during which time he accumulated well over one million safe miles. Tom trained new drivers and found this to be extremely rewarding. also drove in Truck Driving Championships and represented Werner at many Truck Shows. This exposure gave him the desire to do something in the industry outside of the truck. In 2013 Tom transitioned to recruiting and became Werner’s Northeast Regional Field Recruiter. About five years ago he was promoted to his current position, General Manager of Field Recruiting. As such, he is responsible for the field recruiting team throughout the country. As part of his job, Tom travels extensively and has visited truck driving schools in 43 states.
Tom’s experience, involvement and exposure to the industry gives him a well-rounded perspective. He believes this would enable him in assisting NAPFTDS achieve their goals. Being able to serve on the NAPFTDS Board would be a welcomed challenge. Betsy Waltrop, Freymiller, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Betsy has been in the trucking industry since 1998. She began her career as a payroll clerk, moved to recruiting, and in 2023 was promoted from Director to VP of Driver Resources. Betsy currently oversees Recruiting, Orientation, Student Training (finishing program), Independent Contractors, Second Chance Program, and Retention for Freymiller. Over her career, she has worked for refrigerated, flatbed, and van carriers. The majority of her career has been with Over-the-Road, irregular route carriers, but she also spent 5 years working with an LTL carrier.
Betsy has worked with carriers who have had start-up student training programs as well as carriers who depended mostly on student recruiting to fill empty seats. Betsy still takes time to visit Oklahoma Career Tech Schools like Central Tech and North East Technology Center as helping new students as they begin their transportation industry career is a passion
Board Nominees-vendor
Brent Lauber, Kelly Anderson Group, Neosho, Missouri. Brent Lauber's career trajectory is a testament to his adaptability and dedication, marked by over a decade of impactful work in the transportation industry
As a proud member of the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools, Brent actively contributes to the Education Committee and more recently, the Membership Committee. His involvement extends to the American Trucking Association and both the Missouri and Arkansas Trucking Associations, where he is not just a member but an active volunteer, especially noted for his contributions to the Arkansas and Missouri Truck Driving Championships over the past seven years. Brent's leadership skills and forward-thinking approach are particularly highlighted by his role as a founding member of the NextGen Trucking Association. This position underscores his commitment to not only participating in the present environment of the trucking industry but also shaping its future. To summarize, Brent Lauber is a professional whose career is defined by a smooth transition between industries, a deep commitment to technical education, and an unwavering dedication to the advancement of the transportation industry. His contributions and leadership continue to influence and shape the industry, making him a valuable asset and an inspiring figure in his field.
Deborah Quackenbush, Virtual Excellence, LLC and Virage Simulation, Port Orange, Florida. Deborah Quackenbush is a market expert in the implementation of driving simulation for training all types of drivers for close to thirty years. Throughout her extensive career, she has developed a far-reaching network of professional colleagues and has worked closely with businesses, governments, educational institutions and communities to further safety and education for all roadway users.
In November 2011, Deborah joined Virage Simulation as their business development consultant/director for the United States. Her wealth of experience in product and business development and strong passion for road safety make her a great addition to the Virage team and an ideal liaison to Virage end users in the United States. Ms. Quackenbush is an active member in several association. She has been a subject matter expert contributor on several research projects and served on several national committees charged with writing standards for performance in education, training, and assessment areas. In 2021, Ms. Quackenbush was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS), dedicated to the development of quality truck drivers for the trucking industry.
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New Members ...
Full Members
• Southeastern Community College, Burlington, IA
• Aims Community College, Greeley, CO
• Midland College, Midland, TX
• Ft. Scott Community College, Pittsburg, KS
• Walla Walla Community College, Walla Walla, WA
• Cloud County Community College, Junction City, KS
• Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, WI
• State Fair Community College, Sedalia, MO
• Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program, West Lafayette, IN Associate Members
• Kelly Anderson Group, Neosho, MO
• Freymiller, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK
• Navistar-International Used Truck Center, Lisle, IL
• Smithfield Foods, Laurinburg, NC
• Wilson Logistics, Strafford, MO
2024 Region Hosts: Hunting for Regional Hosts for the 2024 season. Regionals can run from August through midDecember. These meetings are held in our seven regions so that more instructors, staff and administration are able to attend. Network with members and showcase your school! Interested, contact Missy Blair, Region Chair at mlblair@pima.edu or Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org or call 316-4253297 with your interest.
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Committee Happenings …
Want to be a part of a working committee, please contact Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org.
Carrier-Donnie Tulk, Chair. The Committee is still reaching out to several carriers and keeping the dialogue going and are excited for annual conference! 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. We need to make sure that all members know who our associate members are and to thank them for all that they do!
Conference/Nomination-Martin Garsee, Chair. The Conference is set for Reno, Nevada, April 21-24, 2024 at the Grant Sierra Resort. The conference information in this this issue. The Committee is also looking into 2025 Annual Conference locations. Any ideas, please email Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org
Education-John Thorpe, Chair. The Education Committee is currently engaged in a collaborative effort to gather insights and best practices from various schools across the nation. The goal is to develop a comprehensive Train the Trainer program specifically tailored for new Truck Driver Training Instructors. By leveraging the collective expertise and experiences of different institutions, we aim to create a training guide or book that encompasses a wide range of effective instructional strategies, teaching methodologies, and industry insights This initiative underscores our commitment to enhancing the quality of instruction in the truck driver training sector and ensuring that new instructors are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in their roles. Through this collaborative endeavor, we seek to establish a standardized framework that will benefit both educators and students alike, ultimately elevating the standards of truck driver training nationwide. We would like to utilize the conference in Reno to gather the bulk of this information.
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-Joe Kobs, Chair. We have seen growth in our social media platforms to include LinkedIn, Facebook, and the NAPFTDS Website. We launched a conservatively priced, paid campaign on LinkedIn from January 31st to February 8th to drive interest, both to the website and the shortly upcoming annual conference. When looking at our overall growth from Ja uary 1st of this year to now, we have seen this effort drive interest to our website welcome page, home page, and the conference page. We are seeing views staying relatively static with strong time spent on the pages, and a low bounce rate away from our website. LinkedIn followers grew 167% or by 48 followers, page views grew by 61%, and our content consistently updating Membership Spotlights is seeing strong traction. For those that haven’t already, please consider sending in any testimonials or comments for visibility on our pages. Content is king! Let us know what you’d like to see. Please remember to like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NAPFTDS and Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/ national-association-of-publicly-funded-truck-driving-schools/ If you have suggestions for the marketing committee or you would like to become a member of the committee please contact Crissie Moffet cmoffet@napftds.org
Membership-Dan Zdrojewski, Chair. The Membership Committee remains busy processing applications and making contact with potential members. We are looking forward to the annual conference in April which always creates a huge buzz for NAPFTDS. The Membership Committee continues to process applications for membership, fielding emails and phone calls from prospective members, and spreading the awareness of our Association. There is a lot of interest in NAPFTDS from all parts of our industry. Our current membership stands at 140 Full Members, 2 Affiliate Members, and 30 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.
Regionals-Missy Blair, Chair. The Region Committee is hunting for 2024 hosts for all regions. Region meetings are from August through December. As you can see from this edition of Learning Curve, the regional meetings are an important part of how we serve our membership. If you'd like to host one, or if you have any questions about being a regional host, please contact Missy Blair, Regional Committee chair, at mlblair@pima.edu or Crissie Moffet at cmoffet@napftds.org, 316-425-3297.
So find out what it is all about and show off your campus by hosting a region meeting in 2024! Contact Crissie Moffet, cmoffet@napftds.org or call 316-425-3297.
Regulatory-Jill Schultz, Chair. The regulatory committee informs members of changes and proposed changes to laws, regulations, and policies related to truck driver training. The following are highlights for December 2023 through March 2024.
TPR shows providers under review. FMCSA has started populating its list of ELDT providers that are under review. The list can be accessed via the Training Provider Registry website.
CDL testing exemption requested. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has applied for an exemption from the CDL skills testing requirements. The exemption would allow the tester, at their discretion, to continue testing an applicant who fails the pre-trip inspection or basic vehicle controls segments of the CDL skills test and allow the applicant to come back at a later date to retake the failed segment(s) only.
CDL changes proposed. FMCSA has issued a proposal intended to enhance flexibility of the CDL program. Proposed changes include:
• Expanding an applicant’s ability to take the CDL skills test in a state other than their state of domicile; and
• Requiring that third-party knowledge examiners be subject to the training, certification, record check standards, and auditing and monitoring requirements currently applicable to state knowledge examiners.
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34th Annual NAPFTDS Conference
April 21-24, 2024
Reno, Nevada
If you haven’t registered for Annual Conference ...
Our 34th Annual 2024 Conference is in Reno, Nevada.
Theme: ‘Rolling into the Biggest Little City Reno!’
Hotel is the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, 2500 E. 2nd St., Reno, NV 89595
The award-winning Grand Sierra Resort features nearly 2,000 hotel rooms and suites, the largest casino floor in northern Nevada at 100,000 square feet, and the best entertainment and nightlife offerings in Reno.
Located minutes from the Reno-Tahoe International airport and in the heart of the Truckee Meadows, GSR is ideally positioned to explore all the region has to offer while providing everything you need in one convenient location. Whether you are visiting on vacation, attending an event or conference, or seeking the best in entertainment, dining and gaming, welcome to the grandest destination in Reno!
Lodging Rates:
Saturday, April 20, 2024 rate: $269.00
Sunday, April 21, 2024 rate: $199.00
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, April 22, 23, 24 , 25 rate is $69.00
Each reservation will have the following added to their room:
$30 resort fee, 13% tax, $2 daily tourism fee & $1.99 housekeeping daily gratuity per day.
Reservation cutoff Deadline: Saturday, April 6, 2024 midnight Pacific time
Reservations call: 1-800-648-5080 or passkey Link HTTPS://BOOK.PASSKEY.COM/GO/PFTDS
Parking: Complimentary Self and Valet Parking
Registration Fees:
• $550 Member Registration Fee
• $700 Non-Member Registration Fee
• $150 Spouse Registration Fee (Includes ALL meals)
• $75 Spouse Banquet Fee ONLY
Online Registration is preferred:
34th NAPFTDS Annual Conference - National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools
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Meal Sponsorships are greatly appreciated and keep conference costs down!
Interested ...please contact Crissie Moffet at cmoffet@napftds.org or call 316-425-3297.
Remaining MEAL Sponsorships
-recognized at conference and posted at the event also pre and post Learning Curve
$4000 – Lunch Sponsor (April 22)
$1500 – Afternoon Break Sponsor (April 22)
$4000 – Reception Sponsor (April 22)
$4000 - Lunch Sponsor (April 23)
$2500 – Morning Breakfast Sponsor (April 24)
Meal Sponsorships
Thanks to thoseAssociate Members who have supported the conference with meal sponsorships.
Banquet
Monday,April 22
Breakfast Werner Enterprises
Afternoon Break TMC
Tuesday,April 23
Breakfast Advanced Training Systems
Morning Break KellyAnderson Group
Afternoon Break Seaboard Foods
Virage Simulation & Bumper to Bumper-Easy CDL
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Bee an active Meal Sponsor!
Bee an active Meal Sponsor!
Sunday, April 21, 2024
3:00 – 5:30 Board Meeting
Monday, April 22, 2024
7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast
‘Rolling into the Biggest Little City – RENO!’
Grand Sierra Resort - 2500 E. 2nd St.
Reno, Nevada, April 21-24, 2024
7:00 – 7:30 Conference Registration Set-up
7:30 – 8:30
Conference Registration
8:30 – 11:30 Vendor Set-up
8:30 – 10:00
Defensibility – Security Training
~ Sean Grigsba, Undersheriff, Kay County, Oklahoma
10:00 10:15 Break & Vendor Displays
10:15 – 12:00
12:00 – 1:00
Defensibility – Security Training cont’d
~ Sean Grigsba, Undersheriff, Kay County, Oklahoma
Lunch & Vendor Displays
1:00 – 1:30 NAPFTDS President’s Welcome & Introduction of Attendees
~ Lorie Latigo, President, NAPFTDS
1:30 – 2:15 TCA Update
2:15 – 2:45
2:45 – 3:00
3:00 – 3:30
3:30 – 3:45
6:00 – 8:00
~ Dave Heller, TCA
Presentation of Board Nominees
~ Lorie Latigo Nominating Committee, President NAPFTDS
Break & Vendor Displays
Vendor Recognition and Presentations
~ Facilitator, Board Member
Treasurer Report
~ Rob Behnke, Treasurer and Tina Frindt, Finance/Technical Assistant
Reception: Welcome to all attendees!
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
7:15 – 8:15
7:45 – 8:15
8:15 – 9:15
9:15 – 9:45
9:45 – 10:00
10:00 – 10:30
10:30 – 11:15
11:15 – 12:00
12:00 – 1:00
1:00 – 2:00
Breakfast
Registration, Vendor Displays
Committee Meetings
~ Facilitated by Board Member Chairs
Committee Chairperson’s Update
~ Facilitated by Board Member Chairs
Break & Vendor Displays
Transition to Trucking
~ Brad Bentley, FASTPORT
ATA Initiatives
~ Kevin Burch, Martin Transp., Governmental Affairs
ELDT Task Force with Andrew Poliakoff and Kyle Hayes, CVTA
~ Moderated by Martin Garsee, NAPFTDS
Lunch & Vendor Displays
AAMVA Presentation
~ Ian Grossman, President/CEO, AAMVA
2:00 – 2:15 Break & Vendor Displays
2:15 – 2:30 FMCSA Office of Safety Updates
~ Philip Thomas III, Deputy Assoc. Admin. Office of Safety Programs
2:30 – 3:30 ELDT Oversight
3:30 – 4:00
~Patrick D. Nemons, Dir. Office of Safety Programs, FMCSA
Board Nominee Vote – 1 per Full and Associate members
~ Lorie Latigo, President NAPFTDS
6:00 – 7:30 Banquet
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
7:30 – 8:15 Breakfast
8:15 – 9:45 FMCSA Update
9:45 – 10:00
10:00 – 11:00
11:00 – 11:30
1:00 – 2:00
~ Rich Clemente, Transportation Specialist, FMCSA
Break & Vendor Displays
Executive Director Report/Open Discussion -Relevant Topics & Concerns in the Training Industry
~ Martin Garsee, Executive Director NAPFTDS
Membership Evaluation of Conference and wrap-up
Final Board meeting
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2024 NAPFTDS 34th National Conference
A G E N D A
Agenda is subject to change by the NAPFTDS Board
WELCOME TO Nevada THE SILVER STATE
