Innovators: Apex Bulk Commodities
September 2008 Commercial Carrier Journal 43 I n the spring of 2007, the diesel tech-nician program at the San Bernardino Valley College in California was strug-gling. The curriculum was solid, but there was a big problem. They couldn't find anyone to come to class, says Mike Siebert, direc-tor of maintenance for Apex Bulk Commodities, an Adelanto, Calif.-based bulk hauler. The diesel tech program offered 14 classes, but there were only four or five students in each class rather than the 25 students each class could accommodate, says Siebert, who serves on the diesel tech program's advisory commit-tee along with representatives of other local companies that have a vested interest in a steady supply of skilled mechanics. San Bernardino Valley College traditionally had targeted high school seniors. With a little research and talking to principals and guid-ance counselors, Siebert realized that this was the fatal flaw. In San Bernardino County, about 70 per-cent of high school students drop out their senior year. In other words, San Bernardino Valley College's efforts to recruit high school seniors essentially missed more than two-thirds of the potential market and focused on the students who were least likely to choose a near-term vocational career over a college education. San Bernardino County wasn't alone. The Santa Ana school district in neighboring Orange County suffered from an average dropout rate of 60 percent even though some schools in the more affluent areas of the district had dropout rates in the single digits. Siebert researched wages in the area and found that the starting salary for a person with a bachelor's degree averages $43,000 a year in Orange County and $40,000 in San Bernardino County. Meanwhile, a truck driver in the area could pull down $50,000 a year, while a diesel technician could earn $40,000 to $100,000. I have truck washers working for me making $15 an hour, Siebert says. The members of the college's die-sel tech advisory committee also are the members of a broader organiza-tion known as the Inland Empire Transportation Council, which is chaired by Dalton Trucking President Terry Klenske. ( recognized Dalton Trucking as an Innovator in December 2005.) As the coun-cil delved into the problems that both local transportation com-panies and vocational education programs were having finding qualified applicants, it developed the idea of staging a transporta-tion and logistics summit to bring together students, high school administrators, guidance counselors and potential employers. A broad effort made sense as students who had no interest in becoming diesel technicians might find truck driving or railroad dispatching appealing. The council quickly saw the potential for such a summit, but there was the small matter of paying for it. Siebert personally took charge of the fund raising, contacting some of Apex's current vendors as well as others he had come to know over the years. I called up every one of the sponsors, and told them what we were trying to do, Siebert says. He was asking only for $1,000 each, and some gladly pitched in right away. Others were receptive to the idea, but Siebert was having a tough time converting the general goodwill into actual checks in hand. A big investment return That's when Siebert stumbled upon a little-known state program authorized to dole out more than $100 million a year to companies for employee training. By complet-ing a simple one-page application, companies could receive a virtually automatic $75,000 to defray employee training costs. Companies with 100 or more employees innovators Apex Bulk Commodities Adelanto, Calif. Worked to bolster its supply of technicians and drivers by helping to market transporta-tion as a career to local high school students. Reaching out early California carrier helps attract high-school students into trucking By Avery Vise