DATE: July 19, 2006

Titan America donates truck to TCC
VA-based cement company partners with Tidewater Community College
 to improve student experience, ease industry-wide driver shortage

NORFOLK, VA—Titan Virginia Ready-Mix, a subsidiary of Titan America LLC, recently donated a ready-mix truck to Tidewater Community College (TCC) to help the college provide a more comprehensive and hands-on experience to students seeking their Class B Commercial Drivers’ Licenses.

The industry-average cost for a ready-mix truck is approximately $150K. Titan anticipates the cost of the donated truck will be completely offset by the added training benefit it will provide to students, whose course completion and subsequent employment may help relieve the truck-driver shortage currently plaguing the industry.

“The driver shortage, if left unaddressed, has the greatest potential to negatively impact our industry’s performance,” says Dan Osborne, Titan Virginia Ready-Mix General Manager, whose findings were featured in the most recent issue of National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s (NRMCA) Concrete InFocus magazine. “Because every truck remaining idle at our plant represents an annual average financial impact of over $400,000 in lost revenue, we’re developing strategies to both recruit and retain good drivers to our industry.”

Tidewater Community College is one of only two community colleges in the state to offer a truck-driving licensure program.

Halfway through the course, Titan plans to interview selected, interested students enrolled in TCC’s program for potential employment.

“We’re very excited to partner with TCC in this new venture,” says Kenya Manning, Titan Virginia Ready-Mix Human Resources Manager. “The market dictates that we use different resources to combat the ongoing driver shortage, and we believe this new avenue for certification and licensing is a win/win for Titan and for those seeking jobs in the Tidewater area.”

Enrollment in TCC’s truck-driver training program rose 114 percent from fall 2004 to fall 2005. Titan hopes to see that number continue to grow.

“The demand for drivers is just huge – we’re doing our best to meet this need, and we plan to accommodate all of the qualified students wanting to enroll in our program,” says Ann Ambrose, Dean of Business, Public Services and Technologies for TCC’s Portsmouth campus. “The plans are to continue to grow the program, and the college is committed to funding and expanding it. We've just hired a new, full-time faculty member – our third so far this year, bringing us to a total of six full-time instructors for this program alone.”

Registration opened Monday, July 17 for TCC's August 21 course, which will be the first class to train on the new ready-mix truck. Interested participants are advised to register early, as only 18-20 students are accepted per course.

For more information or to enroll in TCC’s Class B certification program, call (757) 822-1122.

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