Andrew Dye is part of our governmental relations and legal team at Webster, Chamberlain & Bean. Andrew has held several jobs on the Hill involving Government Relations, including as a Staff Assistant for Congressman Denny Rehberg and as a fundraiser and government liaison for the Friends of the National Arboretum. He received his J.D. from Suffolk Law School in Boston, MA and clerked at the Board of Zoning Appeal while attending law school. He will be monitoring all legislative activity on the Hill and is looking forward to working with members of CVTA to further their ability to train students.

By John W. Hazard, Jr.

The Affordable Care Act marches on and brings with it new taxes, regulations and mandates in 2013 and 2014. The law will not reach full implementation for several years, but its momentum for change continues to increase. As of January, 2013, we have a host of new taxes and a warning that we need to prepare for 2014. John Hazard, of Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, will present a brief summary/update of the law in a talk on April 5th at 10:15 a.m. Developments to be considered: Capital gains tax increases; hike in Medicare Payroll Tax; increase in “floor” of AGI [to 10%] for deduction of medical expenses on personal income tax return; elimination of tax deduction for employer-provided retirement RX drug coverage in coordination with Medicare Part D. Also, as of January 2013, ObamaCare imposes a $2,500 cap on Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions. The cap is to be indexed to inflation every year after 2013. The U.S. Senate voted 79-20 last week to repeal a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices. The so-called “medical device tax” became effective in 2013 and may not survive since the Senate vote made clear a surprising bi-partisan support. The Medical Device Manufacturers Association claims the tax has already cost affected manufacturers almost $400 million. The lopsided vote was, however, only for an amendment to the Senate budget, a rarely approved item these days, so more formal legislation will be needed to eliminate the tax.

There will be a hand-out at the presentation and time for Q & A.

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The recording and handouts of the Professional Truck Driver Institute’s driver training records management webinar presented November 27, 2012, is posted to the PTDI website at http://www.ptdi.org/insights/index.aspx?cat=standard8 (near the bottom). Please allow two-three minutes for the recording to download. 

All examples and other resources at Insights from Schools with PTDI-Certified Courses are provided by schools to assist other schools.  They are arranged by PTDI Certification Standards 1-9, which are detailed in Section 3 of PTDI Certification Standards and Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Courses.

PTDI plans to present a webinar on creating and using lesson plans in late spring 2013.

Below is a press release announcing  schools whose courses were recently recertified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI).  It went to trade publications and organizations today.

Delmar Cengage, who maintains the PTDI website gratis, is updating the Schools section at www.ptdi.org.  The list of schools is also downloadable here.  The next regular update will be May 2013.   

For a brief overview of the required PTDI Curriculum Units and Minimum Hours of Training, please see http://www.ptdi.org/errata/CURRICULUMATAGLANCE.pdf   A Checklist for Quality Courses, which is based on the standards by which schools with PTDI-certified courses must adhere, can be found at http://www.ptdi.org/errata/Checklist%20for%20Quality%20Courses.pdf

If you are a carrier we hope that you will hire graduates of PTDI-certified courses as well as encourage schools to certify their courses as meeting industry standards.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2013

                                                                                 Contact: David Heller, PTDI Program Director

703-647-7015 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fierce Competition Motivates Driver Training Programs to Seek

PTDI Course Certification

Alexandria, Virginia – With truck driver training programs facing growing competition, companies like SAGE Corporation continue to seek PTDI course certification as the qualifiying edge they need. PTDI recently recertified courses at two Sage Technical Services’ locations in Idaho: Caldwell and Coeur d’Alene.

According to Barbara Blake, western regional director for the SAGE Corporation, SAGE first sought PTDI certification in the early 1990s. “We wanted to take those first schools to the next level,” Blake explained. “Particularly for our independent schools, we needed to get our name out there and get established. PTDI was important to our entire company at the time. PTDI makes good business sense, especially in some of our locations where the competition gets fierce — it gives us that one step up. And we get so many referrals from PTDI.”

During its more than 20-year history, six of SAGE’s 24 driver training programs have obtained PTDI course certification. “In those areas where these schools operate, we’re going above and beyond what our competitors can offer,” Blake said. “The savvy consumer following due diligence will go online to research programs. When they see the PTDI logo and identify it with that school, it provides that extra level of confidence.  Back in 1994 when I started in this industry, that wasn’t the case.”

Seeking PTDI certification has been “a progressive business decision over the years,” Blake said, based on the program’s geographic location. “We felt that in particular locations, PTDI made sense, giving us that advantage over the competition, especially in areas where a lot of over-the-road carriers are hiring from PTDI-certified programs.”

When consumers call around asking about specific truck driver training programs, Blake said, “One question they ask is, ‘is your school offering a PTDI-certified program?’ When we can say we do, it really does make a difference.”

As the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) continues to work toward adopting federal safety regulations, Blake said she sees the industry being very supportive of putting safe drivers on the road. And that bodes well for PTDI. “The industry is concerned about the public, their drivers and their freight, and their customers. Safety is very different than it was in 1994 when I started here. PTDI has absolutely been a part of that.”

During her tenure with SAGE, Blake has been through the PTDI certification and recertification process many times and has served on PTDI team visits to review programs at other schools. What Blake has found is that, “The PTDI certification process makes you look at what you’re doing to ensure you’re moving forward, changing what you need to change, and that you’re really doing what you say you’re doing.”

In addition to their programs benefiting from the process, Blake said, “The public is benefiting because our drivers are generally safer. We know they’ve gone through thorough training.”

She envisions the schools will continue to apply for recertification for these reasons, as well as to help them move forward into the future. Plus, she noted, “Once you get that certification, you hold onto it. It’s a big challenge and we’ve met it, and we’re excited about that.”

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• American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA)
   
• American Trucking Associations (ATA)
   
• Arizona Trucking Association
   
• Commercial Driver Training Foundation, Inc. (CDTFI)
   
• National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS)
   
• Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI)
   
• Truckload Carriers Association (TCA)
   
• Women in Trucking

Cheryl Hanley is the President of United Truck Driving School based in San Diego, CA. with four campuses serving Southern California. She graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science and a Secondary Teaching Credential.

CVTA welcomed Cheryl to her first meeting in 2003. Since then she has served on the Motor Carrier committee culminating in her Chairmanship of that committee. She has participated in the Performance-Based Test development, Entry-Level Driver taskforce and the renovation of the Instructor Certification materials. Ms. Hanley also participated in numerous federal matters that have been addressed by CVTA and other transportation organizations.

Her previous endeavors have included a network of five specialty retail stores selling microwave ovens, and taught in cooking schools, a gift business featuring ‘Teddy Bear’ Bread loafs in a variety of flavors shipped nationwide and home remodeling.

Cheryl was the coordinator of a children’s program at a large church and supervised and recruited 129 volunteers to teach and work on a weekly basis. She taught seminars and training meetings for other children’s workers at conferences in Southern California. She was on a team of four people to plant a church and develop programs and staff to aid in development of the church in the community.

Currently, Cheryl is serving on the Commission of Alpine Camp and Conference Center, a youth camp in the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. She served as the President of the Children’s Christian Ministry Association for several years.

Cheryl and her late husband have two children.