SWTDT’s Sean A. Williams and the PTDI Safety Summit

Who decides what good CDL training looks like? Federal rules set the minimum. But the people who run truck driving schools, hire new drivers, and write licensing policy all shape what that training looks like in practice.

On September 16, 2026, many of those people met in Dallas, Texas, for the PTDI Training Provider Safety Summit. The summit was hosted by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) alongside the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) Fall Conference.

Sean Williams, President/CEO of Southwest Truck Driver Training (SWTDT), serves as Co-Vice Chair of PTDI. At the summit, Sean and Samantha “Sam” Greenberg of New England Tractor Trailer Training School acted as co-emcee’s, guiding the day’s programs and connecting each discussion to the next. Sean’s role also puts an Arizona family-owned CDL school at the table where national training standards are discussed.

What is the PTDI Training Provider Safety Summit?

The Training Provider Safety Summit was a one-day meeting focused on safer, better-trained commercial drivers. The 2026 summit took place at the Hyatt Regency Dallas.

The summit brought together groups that do not always sit in the same room. That included CDL training schools, motor carriers, state licensing agencies, state education and workforce agencies, and federal regulators from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The main goal was to strengthen compliance with the federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rule. Attendees also discussed how to protect the integrity of the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, the official list of schools approved to provide ELDT.

Topics on the Agenda

The summit agenda covered the issues that affect how new drivers are trained and tested:

ELDT oversight, enforcement, and continuous improvement
The role of state driver licensing agencies and the Training Provider Registry
State certifications and requirements for training schools
ELDT best practices from training providers
Third-party CDL testing governance and oversight
Tools for measuring behind-the-wheel skills
The driver trainee experience, shared by CDL drivers themselves

The 2026 summit was made possible through grant funding that PTDI has is hoping to receive in 2027. The organization hopes to receive it so this critical conversation can continue at next year’s summit.

Several of these topics connect directly to how SWTDT operates.

Who is the Professional Truck Driver Institute?

The Professional Truck Driver Institute is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985. It was created to develop uniform training guidelines for entry-level truck drivers after new federal CDL laws were passed.

For more than 40 years, PTDI has worked with training schools across North America on curriculum and training documentation. After the FMCSA ELDT rule took effect in 2022, PTDI refocused its mission on safety-based training outcomes, research, and education.

PTDI connects four groups that all have a stake in driver training: training schools, motor carriers, insurance providers, and federal regulators. Its board includes CDL school owners along with leaders from carriers like Werner Enterprises and Schneider National.

Samantha speaks at a podium on stage in front of a backdrop of the Dallas skyline at night, as a large audience listens at tables in a hotel ballroom.

Why PTDI’s Work Matters to Students

Students may never deal with PTDI directly. But the standards PTDI helps shape affect what students learn, how they are tested, and how ready they are for their first job.

When training schools, carriers, and regulators agree on what quality training looks like, new drivers benefit. They get training that matches what employers expect and what keeps the public safe.

Sean Williams’ Role as PTDI Co-Vice Chair

Sean Williams is one of three board officers with PTDI. He serves as Co-Vice Chair alongside Samantha Greenberg of New England Tractor Trailer Training School, a third-generation owner of trade schools. Bruce Busada of Diesel Driving Academy serves as Chairman.

At the 2026 summit, Sean and Sam guided attendees through a full day of panels and kept the conversation focused on the summit’s shared goal: better-prepared, safer commercial drivers. The role put him at the center of discussions between schools, carriers, and regulators.

Sean’s hope is that the organization will help “the next crop of students to become safe and successful commercial drivers.” He also points to PTDI’s focus on documentation and safety outcomes as federal oversight increases.

Sean in a navy suit pats Bruce in a dark suit on the back beside a coffee station at a conference event, with attendees seated at tables in the background.

Carrying a Family Standard to a National Stage

Sean’s father, Gary P. Williams, founded Southwest Truck Driver Training in 1999. Gary was a truck driver who believed people deserved to be trained right and treated right. Today, Sean leads the school with that same standard.

Sean’s work with PTDI takes that belief beyond Arizona. The lessons learned from training tens of thousands of students at the Phoenix and Tucson campuses now help inform conversations about driver training across the country.

How SWTDT Puts Summit Topics into Practice

Three of the summit’s main topics already shape daily training at SWTDT’s Phoenix and Tucson campuses.

ELDT Compliance

SWTDT is a registered provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Its Class A CDL and Class B CDL programs both meet all federal ELDT requirements. Instructors deliver the required content and evaluate each student’s proficiency in the classroom and hands-on training.

Third-Party CDL Testing

Both campuses are state-certified CDL skills testing sites. Students test on the same range where they trained, under the same state oversight discussed at the summit.

Behind-the-Wheel Skills

Instructors with professional driving experience work directly with each student on the range. They focus on skills, not just passing a test, and this carries through every program.

Career Services Support

At Southwest, graduates get more than just a certificate. Each one in good standing has access to lifetime job placement assistance. That means, whether you’re looking for your first job or making a switch, Southwest’s team will help you.

What This Means for Students Choosing a CDL School

Not every CDL school is involved in the national conversation about training quality. Leadership in groups like PTDI, the Arizona Trucking Association, and CVTA shows that a school cares about more than passing students through a program.

Students comparing schools can ask a few simple questions:

Is the school listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry?
Does the school offer state-certified skills testing on campus?
Do the instructors have real driving experience?
Does the school support graduates after they earn their CDL?

SWTDT can answer yes to each one.

Training Built on Safety, Led by People Who Care

Southwest Truck Driver Training has been putting Arizona drivers on the road since 1999. The same standards that guide its Phoenix and Tucson campuses now help shape how the industry thinks about driver training.

Ready to take the first step? Talk to our team today.

Raising the Bar for CDL Training: SWTDT at the 2026 PTDI Training Provider Safety Summit