The Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) awarded Mark Johnson, Teamsters National Training Director, with their Lee J. Crittenden Memorial Award on March 2 as part of the Truckload Carriers Association’s Annual Convention. The award is given to a person who exemplifies the overall mission of the PTDI. 

Johnson, a Teamster since 1965, first began work in the driver training field in 1992 when he was assigned as training director for the Alaska Teamster-Employer Service.

He has served as the National Training Director since 2004. In that time, Johnson has built alliances between training programs across the country, expanded the program to address the needs of more workers in a variety of industries, and developed a communication structure to share information about training between locals and other union affiliates.

The PTDI has benefited from Johnson’s experience since he joined their board in 1999. For the past two years he has worked on PTDI’s Standards Review Task Force including a review of entry-level standards.

“It is an honor to be recognized by your peers on national commercial vehicle driver training matters,” Johnson said. “The award shows the respect the trucking industry has for the Teamsters. What has guided me is not political differences or union verses nonunion but the best way to improve the safety and quality of all commercial vehicle operators.”