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One Good Turn Deserves Another

I recently had the pleasure of presenting at the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving School's (NAPFTDS) national convention in Phoenix, Arizona. What made this extra special is this was where I attended my very first NAPFTDS conference just six years prior. In 2016, I attended the conference with little more than the idea of creating one of the first high school trucking programs in the nation. Before attending, I was extremely apprehensive about how well this idea or myself would be received, but almost immediately those fears were dispelled. The membership of this organization warmly welcomed me, and the outpouring of support resonated with everyone I met and that support continues today.

The CDL program we created at Patterson High School is a direct result of the support of NAPFTDS and is a testament to the caring nature of this wonderful industry. Thank you to the NAPFTDS organization, members, and association sponsors for all that you do!

Just as our high school program has benefited from the support of others, the Next Generation in Trucking Association is now on a mission to “pay it forward”. Our goal is to raise the needed funds to create a professionally packaged boxed curriculum that can be given out to schools to assist them in starting CDL programs and provide the necessary resources to ensure their success. To learn more about how you can play an active role in supporting a training curriculum for the next generation of truckers, please drop us a line.

Dave Dein

Co-Founder, NextGen Trucking Association

CDL Coordinator/Instructor, Patterson High School

Lindsey with Jermaude, a future flatbed truck driver for Melton Truck Lines. Shared with permission.

Profile Of A Future Driver That Makes Me Smile

I recently attended the Solera conference in New Orleans and met a future trucker who was currently working at the hotel where the conference was held. He is scheduled to start with Melton Truck Lines in the first week of June. He shared a few things that I wanted to pass along to you:

"When I was in high school, I never heard about trucking. The only thing we ever heard was college, college, college. I have had every job out there—Walmart, Target, hotel event staff and my first job was Dave and Buster’s for $8.50/hour," said Jermaude. "I started researching jobs that I didn’t need a degree for and discovered trucking and I found a grant to pay for my training. I have a lot to offer an employer and I want to be a part of something bigger than myself. I have had so much customer service experience and I want to use those skills as a truck driver, see the country, and have a physical job."

Jermaude is 22 years old and told me that his friends all discuss how much student loan debt they have and how it runs their life and he is thankful that isn’t his story. In the same breath, he said he is ready to move out of “his momma’s house.” The smile on his face showed and he is excited to start a career path in the trucking industry. This meeting put a smile on my face too.

Lindsey Trent

President & Co-Founder, Next Gen Trucking Association

NGT IN THE NEWS

Dave Dein, Co-Founder of Next Generation in Trucking Association | BCB Live Interview, May 20, 2022.

How can companies appeal to the younger demographic as active job seekers? Listen to Lindsey Trent along with Bruno Stanziale, CEO of GoToro, as they break it down. Check out our post on LinkedIn.

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