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Houston Community College has come along way in 10 years. After two years ofresearch and development, Van O’Neal beganthe college’s Commercial Truck Driving (CTD)program in January 1995,with just one instructor,four students, and one1978 Kenworth salvagedfrom the college’s dieseltechnology program.
Its location wasn’t any-thing to brag about either.The CTD program began ina dilapidated, deserted ricemill with four acres of broken asphalt for a dri-ving range and a classroom facility that hadstood abandoned for four years. Today, aftermuch hard work the program has become one ofHCC’s most respected programs.
As if these initial obstacles weren’t enough,perhaps the toughest challenge was to convinceschool officials of the need for a truck driver-training curriculum.
“When I first approached the administrationin 1993 with the idea of opening a driver train-ing program, they wanted to know about thedemand for truck drivers,” O’Neal recalled. “Wewere looking for ways to serve the needs of ourcommunity. And one of those needs was trainingfor people to go to work in jobs that offeredgood pay and positive career potential. With thelocal and state demand at an all-time high, pro-
Retreat HighlightsPresident’s MessageRegion 1, 3 & 5ConferencesRules & RigsTCA & NAPFTDS toWork TogetherMosqueda Named to TCA
Houston Community Collegefessional driver training was a natural fit.”
The Roland Smith driving complex —named after a former trustee of the communitycollege system who was dedicated to workforce
development — includeseight classrooms, all ofwhich are wired for voice-data compatibility. It fea-tures computer simulatorsand can handle teleconfer-ences and multimedia pre-sentations. Meeting rooms,a central seminar hall, stu-dent observation deck, stu-
dent lounge, truck wash, drivingrange, and administrative wing, round out thecenter’s amenities.
Perhaps the jewel in the program is a drivingrange equipped to prepare new drivers for alltypes of road conditions. The range is a 24-hour, state-of-the-art facility that includes a10th-mile track, skid pad, and separated dock-ing, backing, and parking areas. Also featuredare simulated rail crossings and traffic controlsystems, plus space to stage other emergencydriving simulations.
Since the program’s inception in 1995, HCChas graduated more than 9,000 drivers whohave been recruited by more than 70 transporta-tion companies. The core course has alsoearned certification from the Professional TruckDriver Institution (PTDI). “We want our pro-gram to reflect excellence in the industry,”O’Neal said.
The course has an average of 140 students.Three daytime shifts, with evening and week-end instruction periods are available as well.After its humble beginnings, the program nowhas a fleet of 30 power units and a staff of 26part- and full-time instructors. They are allroad-proven and average 20 years of over-the-road experience.
In addition to the students enrolled at theRoland Smith complex, the program is alsocontracted to train drivers for several trans-portation companies in the state. During its for-
Winter 2004 Visit our website at www.napftds.org Learning Curve 1
N E T W O R K I N G T H E F I N E S T E D U C A T I O N A L R E S O U R C E S I N T H E T R U C K I N G I N D U S T R Y
Volume 5, No. 4Winter 2004
In This Issue
Featured School
See Page 2------------------------------------------------------Featured School See Page 2---------------------------------------National Convention
Expressing enthusiasm for the March 7-9Convention at the Flamingo Hotel, ArleneKirby, convention co-chair, states, “We
encourage old and new mem-bers to come and help us cel-ebrate 15 years of growth. Ifyou know where any pastmembers are, invite them sowe can recognize their contri-bution too!” She says this inlight of the relationships that
have developed over the years:To many, the Association has become a fami-ly of educators who represent publicly fundedschools throughout the country.
Don Hess, co-chair with Kirby, furtherdescribes the fellowship. “…this is the oneand only time of the entire year that I get tovisit with all of the leaders in truck drivertraining to share ideas, tech-niques, motivational andrecruiting strategies and somuch more. You can sub-scribe to all of the newslet-ters and magazines you wantto, but there is nothing likevisiting with other membersface to face. Without fail, Ileave every convention a better administratorand trainer.”
Kirby and Hess have planned a strongagenda. Members will share their own bestpractices — teaching strategies, use of tech-nology. Forums include: marketing your pro-gram; transportation security and safety; amotor carrier roundtable; the FMCSA regula-tions update; and maximizing the NAPFTDSwebsite.
To register or be a sponsor for this event,
Las Vegas isNational
Convention Site Celebrate NAPFTDS!
15th Anniversary
Monday, MARCH 75:00-6:30 p.m. Board Meeting, Convention Registration, Vendor Displays6:30-8:00 p.m. Reception: Welcome to all attendees!Tuesday, MARCH 88:00-9:30 a.m. Registration, Continental Breakfast, Welcome from Bill Fath NAPFTDS
President, Introductions with Carol Colwell & Tina Frindt9:30-11:45 a.m. Chuck Horan, FMCSA, Chief Enforcement Officer (awaiting
confirmation), Presentation:FMCSA regulations update
11:45-12:00 p.m. Nomination of officers12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch1:00-2:00 p.m. Transportation Security &
Safety, (Speaker TBA)2:00-2:30 p.m. Carol Colwell, Maximizing the
NAPFTDS website2:30-2:45 p.m. Break2:45-4:00 p.m. Motor Carrier Round Table4:00 p.m. Board nominees: presentations7:00 p.m. Recognition DinnerWednesday, MARCH 98:00-8:45 a.m. Continental Breakfast, 8:45-9:30 a.m. Report from Executive Director,
Chuck Collins9:30-10:30 a.m. Marketing your Program to Industry & Students, (Speaker TBA)10:30-10:45 a.m. Break10:45-12:15 a.m. Sharing Best Practices, all attendees12:15-1:30 p.m. Lunch1:30-2:00 p.m. Election of officers2:00-3:00 p.m. New Technology Round Table with Vendors/Sponsors3:15-4:00 p.m. Open Forum: Idea-sharing among membership, vendors, sponsors4:00-6:00 p.m. Final Board Meeting
2 Learning Curve Visit our website at www.napftds.org Winter 2004
Response to ourseven, fall RegionConferences has beenoutstanding. I’d liketo thank each of theregional coordinators for all theirhard work and dedication inputting these meetings together.This year’s coordinators are:Wade Westphal, Dennis Hogue,Dave Gillespie, Sid Allen Jr.,Don Hess, Bob Weining andArlene Kirby. Look for theirreports in both this issue and thenext issue of Learning Curve.
It was my privilege to attend anumber of the conferences, asmany as our budget allowed. Mygoal was to try to have anExecutive Board member at eachevent. Another goal was to get allpublicly funded schools in eachstate to participate in the regionals.We have met that goal in somestates.
I would like to thank all of theboard members and past presidentsfor making the Board Retreat inAppleton, WI a big success.Participants included five pastpresidents: John Hale, VanO’Neal, Chuck Collins, DonHess, and Robert McClanahan;and retired past board memberRuss Hillenbrand. Thanks also goto Chuck Collins and PatSpillane for their hard work inputting this together; Fox ValleyTechnical College for hosting theevent; J.J. Keller for the tour andlunch; and special thanks to Chuckand his wife for their hospitality inproviding brats, cheese, and bever-ages at their house.
Last, but certainly not least,don’t forget the NAPFTDSNational Convention is only a fewmonths away. It will be heldMarch 7-9 at the beautifulFlamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.Keep in mind that Feb. 16 is thecut-off date to qualify for the hotelgroup rate. Many thanks to co-chairs Arlene Kirby and DonHess in planning this big event.
Don’t forget that a registrationform is inserted in this issue. Thereis also a space on the form foranyone who wants to be a conven-tion sponsor. Finally, we are mostgrateful to our loyal sponsors thatsupport our Association.
Talk to you again in the nextLearning Curve!
President’s MessageBill Fath
mative period, at least eight companies visited theprogram to recruit drivers. Now, five times thatnumber seek out graduates, with close to 100% ofthem getting job offers.
Les Findeisen, director of policy for the TexasMotor Transportation Association, believes that asolid training program, like the one developed atHCC-Northeast, is beneficial for safety and eco-nomic reasons. “There’s no doubt, the truckingindustry has an incredible impact on the economyand today provides a tremendous opportunity forthose entering this profession,” Findeisen added.
O’Neal continues to weigh otheropportunities. He is considering the need for an
expanded curriculum to encompass fleet manage-ment, dispatching, safety, and other areas.
“We didn’t build this facility strictly as anentry-level driver training program,” he said. “Wedeveloped it to address the needs of the truckingindustry — and to serve national interests of thisimportant industry as it impacts our daily lifestylesand quality of life for every individual and busi-ness in the U.S.”
Plans are underway to offer continuing educa-tion training for trucking professionals in the areaof extreme driving conditions.
For more information, contact Houston CommunityCollege, 555 Community College Dr., Building B,Houston, TX 77013; 713-718-8200.
Featured School-------------------------------------------------from Page 1
Gillespie Gives His AllCongratulations to Dick Gillespie! He was hon-
ored with the Outstanding Voluntary ServiceAward at the National Truck DrivingChampionship held in Salt Lake City in August.
From Transport Topics: “If there is a legend inthis industry or championships, [he’s] it,” saidTommy Thomas, NTDC committee chairman.“He never fails to give it his all.” Thomas hadmore praise, describing Gillespie as someone thedrivers “know and respect.”
Involved in the championships since 1973,
Gillespie won national championships as a driverin seven different classes. Then, his volunteer workbegan in 1992; he feels that his experience withthe championships made him a better volunteer.
Gillespie is now a part-time teacher in the entry-level and customized training programs at a mem-ber NAPFTDS school, Dakota County TechnicalCollege in Rosemount, MN. There he joins hisbrother Dave Gillespie, who is the program direc-tor at the College.
Dick Gillespie can take pride in this, too: Hehas three million accident-free miles during his 35-year truck driving career!
We Welcome EachSponsor to our2005 NationalConvention
Your contributionincludes space for adisplay booth at receptions. SeeRegistration Form in this issue or
contact Chuck Collins, call 920-739-9786
please complete the form inserted in this issue.Note: February 16 is the cut-off date for the
hotel group rate. Then, mark your calendars andlook forward to some excellent speakers andfeatures! The agenda follows.
National Convention -------------------------------from Page 1
Regions Hold Informative Conferences
Retreat Highlights FROM THE LAND OF THE CHEESEHEADS
What: Region # 1 ConferenceWhere: Bates Technical College,
Tacoma,WAWhen: November 4-6Speakers/Attendees: Included Bill Fath,
NAPFTDS President; LindaNodland, Conway Western Express;Rob Sharpe, Washington TruckingAssociation; Rick Flint, BurlingtonNorthern Sante Fe Railroad; JerryAmato, FMCSA.
What was Discussed: Flint spoke aboutOperation Lifesaver and railroadcrossing certification. Sharpe dis-cussed Highway Watch certification,while Nodland spoke on women intransportation. Additional topicsincluded a DOL Hazmat and CDLupdate, school challenges and teach-ing strategies, shippers’ issues, andstate funding issues. Industry carriersalso held a roundtable discussion.
Notable: Coordinator, Wade Westphalappreciates his advisory committeefor its full support of this conference.
Submitted by Wade Westphal
What: Region # 3 ConferenceWhere: Dakota County Technical College,
Rosemount, MNWhen: October 14-15Speakers/Attendees: Included Jay Sletten,
Minnesota State Patrol; Colonel JohnRogers, American TruckingAssociation; Attorney MichaelGlover; Rick Bayes, WernerEnterprises; NAPFTDS President BillFath; former NAPFTDS PresidentJohn Hale, Bill Wise and TomGierok, Southeast Technical College;Paul Foster, Lake Superior College;Dave Keays and Bob Loughan,Chippewa Valley Tech; and RayRaske and Lynn Marsh, DMACC.
What was Discussed: Sletten spoke onstate regulations including Hours ofService; Rogers discussed theHighway Watch program, and Glovertalked about truck driver instructorand school liability.
Notable: Coordinator, Dave Gillespie saidthe unique subject matter of Glover’spresentation drew audience interest.
Submitted by Dave Gillespie
What: Region # 5 ConferenceWhere: John Wood Community College,
Quincy, ILWhen: September 30 — October 1Speakers/Attendees: Included Kent Price,
GearMaster; Rick Bayes, WernerEnterprises; Angie Simon, accountrepresentative with J.J. Keller;eInstruction, “the clicker guys”;FHA’s Operation Highway Watch;Joyce Simpson, assistant professorwith Quincy University; NAPFTDSPresident Bill Fath, JWCC PresidentDr. Bill Simpson, V.P of InstructionLarry Fischer, Dean of InstructionNancy Schneblin, and FoundationDirector Barb Holthaus.
What was Discussed: The OperationHighway Watch addressed the indus-try’s role in anti-terrorist activities.Simpson presented an extremelyinteresting and beneficial daylongseminar on adult learning styles andstrategies, incorporating informationfrom the “clicker guys” into her pre-sentation. The clicker guys’ demon-strated how teachers can obtaininstantaneous feedback from students.A demonstration on fire science wasalso held.
Notable: “This program was fantasticallywell received,” stated Don Hess. Theconference was very well attended,with more than 40 attendees. The staff
The Mission Statement follows: The NationalAssociation of Publicly Funded Truck DrivingSchools is an organization established for thepromotion of professionalism and quality educa-tion within the trucking industry.
The membership project includes: Phase I—invite all public schools to join as Full Members;Phase II—increase Associate Members; PhaseIII—retention of members. Currently NAPFTDShas 20-30 state captains. Executive DirectorChuck Collins is working to get 50. Herequested help from Board members to lookwithin their states and identify/recruit publiclyfunded schools that may not yet be members.
Russ Hildebrand, past Board member,offered his services as a volunteer on the
With twelve Board members in attendance,President Bill Fath welcomed them to theNAPFTDS Board of Directors Retreat held inAppleton, Wisconsin, August 26-28.
Officials of Fox Valley Technical College gen-erously provided facilities for the Retreat whileTreasurer Pat Spillane made the arrangements.
Board members appreciated a tour and lunch atJ.J. Keller & Associates. Deb Meyer, SalesSupervisor, graciously arranged this at therespected publishing company.
NAPFTDS Secretary Tina Frindt says that shefeels the highlights of Board accomplishments dur-ing the Retreat are twofold: 1) The revised bylawscentering on the updated mission statement; 2) Theideas for member reruitment and retention.
Membership and Recruitment Committee. Heplans to contact 15 states, identifying all thepublic truck driving schools in each state; fol-lowing this, he will invite each school to jointhe Association.
Bob Weining, Don Hess, and ChuckMosqueda join Russ Hildebrand as memberson the committee.
A Membership Benefit Sheet, developed byCarol Colwell, will be used, not only to ignitethe interest of schools and allied industries tojoin NAPFTDS, but also to encourage membersto maintain their memberships. It outlines bene-fits such as website information, member dis-counts, and professional growth opportunities.
With appreciation to Tina Frindt, Retreat Minutes
NAPFTDS MEMBERSHIP PRE-APPLICATIONOrganization/Company: ____________________________________________________
Contact Person: ______________________________________Phone: ______________________________________________FAX: ________________________________________________E-Mail: ______________________________________________Mailing Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FULL MEMBERSHIP ($175): Any publicly funded school orrepresentative employee of that school engaged directly inproviding truck driver training.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP ($350): Any industry orrepresentative employee of that industry which indirectly supportspublic truck driving schools, limited to agencies such as truckingcompanies, insurance companies, publishers, and equipmentmanufacturers interested in the welfare of publicly funded truckdriving schools.
AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP ($250): Limited to administrators orstaff at a publicly funded school interested in the trucking industryor administrators in schools that contract with proprietaryorganizations to provide truck driver training.
THE NEXT STEP: Application for membership shall be made onan application form as may be required by the Board of Directors.A majority vote of the Board of Directors is necessary for theacceptance of an application for membership. All applicants whohave been accepted into the membership of the Association mustsubmit a fully completed and signed application form that, bydoing, signifies their adherence of the Articles of Incorporationand Bylaws of said Association. Membership in the applicableclass shall be complete upon application of the Association,approval of the Board, and payment of the appropriate dues.
Return form to: Pat Spillane, Treasurer, NAPFTDS
1825 N. Bluemound Drive, P.O. Box 2277Appleton, WI 54912-2277
Fax: 920-735-4862 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Questions about membership may be directed to: Chuck Collins, Executive Director, NAPFTDS
Office Phone: 920-739-9786Cell Phone: 920-205-4259
of JWCC would like to thank all ofthose who took time from busyschedules to attend. We hope thateveryone took something useful homefrom the conference.”
Submitted by Don Hess
3 Learning Curve Visit our website at www.napftds.org Winter 2004
Mosqueda Named to TCAChuck Mosqueda, NAPFTDS Board
member and administrator of the commercialdrive education program at Wichita AreaTechnical College, was recently named tothe Board of Directors of the TruckloadCarriers Association (TCA).
According to Mosqueda, the appointmentis a win-win situation for both organiza-tions. He said the TCA would benefit fromWichita Tech’s involvement with trainingtechnologies and in gaining additional per-spective from a training school. He said theNAPFTDS would gain by obtaining currentinformation about national issues within thetrucking community.
“Since the truck companies are the cus-tomers we serve, it is important we staytuned to their needs,” Mosqueda said. “Bystaying involved with the TCA we find outabout the strengths and weaknesses of ourstudents and we can address these matters.”
4 Learning Curve Visit our website at www.napftds.org Winter 2004
EXECUTIVE BOARD, 2004-2005Bill Fath PRESIDENT
Alexandria Technical College1601 Jefferson Street, Alexandria, MN 56308
Ph: 320-762-4453, Fx: 320-762-4919, Em: [email protected]
Arlene Kirby VICE PRESIDENTCollege of Southern Maryland
P.O. Box 910, La Plata, MD 20646Ph: 301-934-7594, Fx: 301-934-7698,
Em: [email protected] Spillane TREASURER
Fox Valley Technical CollegeP.O. Box 2277, Appleton, WI 54912-2277
Ph: 920-735-5799, Fx: 920-735-4862, Em: [email protected]
Tina Frindt SECRETARYNorthampton Community College
1900 Corporate Center Drive East, Suite 100,Tobyhanna, PA 18466
Ph: 570-839-2778, Fx: 570-839-3534, Em: [email protected]
K. Michael O'Connell, CVTA REP.Executive Director & Counsel, CVTAP.O Box 5310, Springfield, VA 22150Ph: 703-728-8600, Fx: 703-642-3033
Em: [email protected] Terry
Southwest Applied Technical College510 West 800 South, Cedar City, UT 84720
Ph: 435-590-4993 Em: [email protected]
Carol ColwellCentral Tech Transportation & Safety Education
3 CT Circle, Drumright, OK 74030Ph: 918-352-2551, ext. 312, Fx: 918-352-4522,
Em: [email protected] Keays
Chippewa Valley Tech620 W. Clairemont Ave., EauClaire, WI 54701-6162
Ph: 715-855-7534, Fx: 715-855-7560, Em: [email protected] Mosqueda
Wichita Area Technical College - Commercial DriverEducation
4141 N. Seneca, Wichita, KS 67204-3103Ph: 316-677-1200, Fx: 316-677-1210,
Em: [email protected] O’Neal
Houston Community College555 Community College Dr., Building B,
Houston, TX 77013Ph: 713-718-8201, Fx: 713-718-8213
Em: [email protected] Raske
Des Moines Area Community College2081 N.E. 54th Ave., Des Moines, IA 50313
Ph: 800-353-7483, Fx: 515-263-8331Em: [email protected]
Phil SteinkampJohn Wood Community College
1301 South 48th St., Quincy IL 62305-8736Ph: 217-224-5362, Fx: 217-224-0740
Em: [email protected] Weining
EMCC Golden Triangle Campus8731 S. Frontage Road, P.O. Box 100,
Mayhew, MS 39753Ph: 662-243-1949, Fx: 662-243-1942,
National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving SchoolsAn association of nonprofit, post-secondary, public schools whose purpose is to
encourage member schools to promote high standards and ethical principles in the creation and/or administration of training programs.
Chuck Collins EXECUTIVE DIRECTORPh: 920-205-4259
REGIONALMAP
NEWSLETTER FOR PROFESSIONALS
NETWORKING THE FINEST EDUCATIONALRESOURCES IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY
Voicing Concern AboutEntry-Level Training
In announcing the beginning of a multi-year review project, FMCSA AdministratorAnnette M. Sandberg stated, “Now is thetime to look at every aspect of our safety pro-gram — how we use it, how we can improveit, and how we can add to it — so we can beready for the future.”
The U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor CarrierSafety Administration then held a series ofsix listening sessions this past autumn. Theagency wanted to get feedback on how itcan best monitor the safety of motor carri-ers and ensure their compliance with feder-al regulations.
Receiving notice of these sessions, andrealizing that they would likely be a goodforum in which to bring up the issue of entry-level training, Michael O’Connell, ExecutiveDirector of CVTA, (Commercial VehicleTraining Association) contacted NAPFTDS.Both Associations are proponents ofimproved training programs, with minimumtraining requirements of major concern.
NAPFTDS Board members agreed thatAssociation representation at the FMCSA ses-sions would be appropriate. Some of theircomments follow.
President Bill Fath: “I feel that we need towork with CVTA, especially on issues likeentry-level drivers and any other issues thatare crucial to the safety of our industry andthe motoring public.”
Past-President John Hale: I agree that thisissue is of the utmost importance. It is mybelief that we should make every effort to bein attendance at all the sessions.”
Phil Steinkamp: “These sessions will be agood place to re-state our position but, thepurpose of these meetings is ‘how to bettermonitor motor carriers’ so we may not get thetype of discussion that we want.”
Chuck Mosqueda: “We need to do what-ever it takes to help inform the FMCSA, sothey can make wise decisions for the safetyand the future of our industry.”
Tina Frindt: “We must be able to offeralternatives to the rules when we are giventhe opportunity to speak. This issue is muchtoo important to ignore.”
Arlene Kirby: “I believe NAPFTDSshould make whatever steps necessary tojoin this group [CVTA] with a unifiedvoice regarding the entry level driver train-ing issue…”
At the time of this writing, NAPFTDSplanned to be represented at three of the sixFMCSA meetings: Van O’Neal in Dallas,TX, Arlene Kirby on the east coast, and BillFath in Chicago.
TCA and NAPFTDS toWork Together
At its September meeting, the NAPFTDSBoard of Directors voted to become mem-bers of TCA (Truckload CarriersAssociation). Although the NAPFTDSmembership type will have no voting privi-leges, it can still play an important role innurturing communications between the twogroups. The Association selected RobertMcClanahan, Past-President of NAPFTDSand Director of Central Tech Transportation& Safety Education in Drumright, OK, tobe its representative to TCA.
McClanahan, after speaking with RichClemente, PTDI Program Director forTCA, reports that Clemente is happy aboutNAPFTDS membership in TCA and islooking forward to working withNAPFTDS on issues that concern us all.
Important notice to those who are not yet members of NAPFTDS
If you are not a member of the Association, and you would like tocontinue receiving the Learning Curve and other benefits ofmembership, please complete the MEMBERSHIP PRE-APPLICATION FORM in this newsletter and return with yourpayment of appropriate dues. While we have generoussupporters, member dues are the backbone of our Association.
Special thanks to our adsponsors in this issue of
Please consider their qualityproducts and services. Forinformation on advertising,
contact Chuck Collins, call 920-739-9786
