PATTERSON, Calif. — Patterson High School (PHS) became the national epicenter for high school commercial driver’s license (CDL) education during this year’s Train the Trainer event June 1-2. As the PHS CDL coordinator and co-founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association (NGT), I had the privilege of hosting the annual event — which drew dedicated educators and administrators from across the United States, including California, Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina — right here on our campus.
Preparing the Next Generation of Professional Drivers
We designed NGT’s Train the Trainer experience specifically for educators and administrators who want to build, strengthen or launch high-quality trucking and logistics pathways for high school students. As home to one of the most established and respected high school CDL and Supply Chain & Logistics programs in the country, Patterson High School served as the ideal host site.
This training was tailored for:
- High school CDL instructors looking to refine their teaching methods;
- CTE teachers and program directors expanding their career pathways;
- School administrators exploring the launch of new CDL or logistics programs; and
- Community college instructors partnering with secondary school pipelines.
What Makes “Train the Trainer” Different?
“Train the Trainer” is not a standard conference or lecture-style event; it’s a hands-on, real-world professional development experience led by educators who are actively running a successful high school program.
Instead of sitting through standard lectures, participants spent the two-day event learning the ins and outs of the NGT curriculum model — a framework we have developed and refined here at Patterson High School over the past 10 years.
Participants spent valuable time learning the intricacies of the NGT curriculum guide. This turnkey guide outlines exactly how to implement the NGT training module, comes fully broken down into weekly and daily lesson plans, and is provided completely free of charge to NGT member schools.
During this year’s intensive event, I worked directly with participants to:
- Provide practical guidance on program launch, including building advisory boards and fostering industry engagement;
- Explore curriculum and classroom instruction strategies fully aligned with Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) standards;
- Deliver hands-on simulator integration training to show exactly how simulation supports student safety and skill development;
- Lead a full tour of our comprehensive Patterson High School Supply Chain & Logistics Pathway; and
- Facilitate national networking so instructors from across the country could share best practices.
Key technical training highlights included our hands-on Distracted Driving Labs — where we taught instructors how to incorporate golf carts to demonstrate the dangers of distraction to teens — and in-depth training on how to best utilize simulators as part of a CDL program.
Expert Insights and the Standout Alumni Highlight
The two-day event featured an elite lineup of speakers dedicated to expanding the skilled trade pipeline:
Patterson Joint Unified School District (PJUSD) Superintendent Dr. Reyes Gauna welcomed attendees and emphasized the critical role K-12 districts play in solving the national driver shortage.
Enrique Allen Mar, Founder of Sim Experts, provided technical expertise on leveraging technology to accelerate student driver confidence and safety.
Adding to these program insights, Glenn Ecalne, our PHS supply chain instructor, gave attendees an incredible tour of our supply chain program. This program operates as an actual working warehouse, where our students gain real-world experience by handling and managing all the school supplies for the entire school district.
Furthermore, we focused deeply on driver wellness as a pillar of professional excellence.
Participants learned how to incorporate the Project 61 “Five Axles of Health” curriculum into their classrooms. This groundbreaking, video-based series is now available entirely free to any truck driving school or trucking company as a vital tool for making our industry healthier. The critical educational resource was made possible through a generous grant from the Trucking Cares Foundation.
Without question, the absolute highlight of our annual event for me was the presentation by the alumni of our PHS trucking program. Attendees from across the nation were thoroughly impressed and inspired by these young graduates. They carried themselves with immense maturity, standing out as true young leaders who perfectly embodied the safety-conscious, reliable and sharp qualities required of a modern professional driver. Seeing them share their firsthand experiences provided living proof of the ultimate value, viability, and transformative impact of high school supply chain pathways.
On a personal note, this event was deeply fulfilling for me. My greatest joy is not only being able to teach the next generation about an industry I love so much, but also having the opportunity to work alongside and collaborate with my colleagues from across the nation — a connection I describe as truly a blessing.
Recognizing Our Partners
This event would not have been possible without our amazing industry partners. I want to extend a huge thank you to our meal and snack sponsors: Sim Experts, Samba Safety, and Frito-Lay.
Upon completion of the event, all participants received an NGT Train the Trainer Certificate of Professional Development Recognition. By equipping educators with a proven, decade-old curriculum blueprint, NGT and Patterson High School have provided districts nationwide with the exact tools needed to prepare their schools to train the next generation of professional drivers.
Missed the Event? Bring the Training to Your School
If your school missed this annual event, there is still time to participate in the NGT Accelerate Training Program. To ensure your pathway is successful from Day 1, I will provide a multi-day, one-on-one personalized training directly at your facility. Availability for this on-site program is highly limited.
If you are interested in bringing this elite training to your district, reach out to me directly at [email protected].
Dave Dein is co-founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association and the former truck driving program coordinator and instructor at the Patterson High School Supply Chain and Logistics Training Center in Patterson, California.
With a career spanning over three decades in the trucking industry, Dave has worked as a driver and a manager. He is also the founder of Faith Logistics, a nonprofit truck driving school ministry dedicated to providing career opportunities through trucking.
For the past 27 years, he has been a dedicated educator within the Patterson, California, Joint Unified School District, holding both multiple and single-subject teaching credentials.
His commitment to shaping the next generation of trucking professionals has earned him significant recognition, including being named the 2025 California and Region V Teacher of the Year.
