If 2020-2021 was known as the Pandemic Years, 2022 for the TTSAO (Truck Training School Association of Ontario) has to be known as the Year of Change. Everything changed from conferences to Presidents and new members joined the team.
The pandemic brought uncertainty to everything and that included in-person events. The TTSAO normally holds their annual conference in February each year but due to the regulations behind meeting in person the event was changed to July 2022. Many thought we couldn’t fill the room having a conference in the middle of Summer, but the conference committee pulled it off even using a hockey theme for the event. Well done Conference Committee.
The conference included giving awards to a number of people. Past President Kim Richardson won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to the organization. Mike Millian of PMTC won the President’s Award for sharing his expertise. Caroline Blais won the Industry Award for her dedication to the industry as she retired from a life long career in transportation. Doug Graves of Zavcor won the Instructor of the Year Award for his tireless work as an instructor.
Philip Fletcher was named the new President of the TTSAO and is the first full time person to do so. He brings industry knowledge from his days as a driver to instructor and is now President of the organization he has been a part of for a long time. He immediately began putting together partnerships with various organizations for students and even opened up an online store for the group.
We have had a number of new members join us over the last year as truck training facilities exploded to record numbers. The TTSAO Board continues to work closely with regulatory bodies to make truck driver training safer and seamless when it comes to testing and licensing. The best way to keep up to date with all of the Board’s projects is to sign up for the TTSAO Newsletter each month where the Board has updates on the meetings. Sign up here!
The Year of Change 2022 will have more changes as we move into 2023 and celebrate 30 years as an organization. The conference is returning to February 2023 and you can learn more and register here. We hope any changes to your life were positive for 2022 and we thank you for your support and dedication throughout the years.
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is a veteran in the transportation industry with over 40 years in the industry in a variety of roles from driver to fleet supervisor and more. Today he is a media specialist in the industry producing a number of programs for the trucking industry such as his trucking podcast The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers at www.theleadpedalpodcast.com
Disclaimer: This article is written and based on the opinion of the author and is for general information only