After being under the umbrella of the Truckload Carriers Assn. for four years, the Professional Truck Driver Institute is going to strike out on its own again. Ever since the departure of TCA president Lana Batts, a driving force behind PTDI, questions have been raised about the future of the institute.

At its May 3 Board of Directors meeting, PTDI appointed a management committee to temporarily oversee the group's day-to-day operations, and a transition committee to work on the goal of making PTDI a wholly independent organization.
The management committee is made up of three people representing carrier interests, school interests, and PTDI: Kerry Kearl, Crete Carrier Corp.; Mark Johnson, Center for Employment Education and Teamsters national training director; and Bob Rothstein, general counsel for TCA.
The 13-member "Transition Committee" will develop a plan and timetable for independence for PTDI.
"PTDI has spent the last four years rebuilding into a strong organization with national credibility," said Mark Johnson, PTDI vice chairman. "To keep the momentum going, we must now strive for the next level of excellence - autonomy. We owe the Truckload Carriers Assn., much, and are grateful to them for standing by us in our time of need, but now see that complete independence is necessary so that we may better service all segments of the trucking industry, not just truckload."
For more information on PTDI, visit their web site at www.ptdi.org.