What Center for Transportation Safety does

Center for Transportation Safety (CTS) is a privately held, U.S.-domiciled commercial motor vehicle driver training services company founded in 2000 in Denver, Colorado and currently operating from Parker and Greenwood Village, Colorado. It delivers on-site CDL and safety training to corporate and government fleets, including Class A and Class B novice programs, defensive driving, close-quarter maneuvers, rollover prevention, Train the Trainer, DOT compliance/CSA, and custom-built safety courses aligned with FMCSA Entry Level Driver Training requirements. A wholly owned academic arm, CTS Driving Academy, extends the curriculum to community colleges under partnership arrangements, with four active Ivy Tech Community College sites in Indiana running 160-hour programs at a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio.

The company monetizes exclusively through professional services revenue across three streams: corporate/fleet training, custom-built safety programs, and CTS Driving Academy partnerships, with pricing quoted per engagement and contractor instructors billed at $225/day plus $50 per diem. Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (on-site delivery to client locations nationwide), a channel-partner model via educational institutions, and light digital marketing through social media, newsletter, and earned local news coverage. The company has changed hands three times since 2009 (PHH, Element Fleet Management, Driving Dynamics) before being acquired in November 2021 by President/Owner Jim Paterson, a 20+ year CTS veteran.

The core technology is operational rather than software-based: a proprietary SITE Foundations DDC curriculum, mobile simulators used alongside client vehicles for the Train the Trainer program, and curriculum that can be customized to client policies, FMCSA regulation changes, and incident ratings. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no application, and no API; the offering is a human-instructor-led, in-person service with FMCSA-registered training-provider status serving as a regulatory precondition.

Name

Center for Transportation Safety

Legal name

Center for Transportation Safety

Website

https://drivingcts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Driver Training Services

NAICS

Automobile Driving Schools (611692), Support Activities for Road Transportation (4884), Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Driving & Heavy Transport (CDL) (EDAOANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation & Fleet Safety (DOT, Driver Safety) (EDABAEAM), Driver & Technician Training, Certification & Workforce Management (THAIANAJ), Fleet Safety Management (Policies, Monitoring, Incident Prevention) (TLABAIAC)

Keywords

• Commercial driver training
• CDL training services
• Defensive driving courses
• Fleet safety training
• DOT compliance training

Headquarters

HQ city

Parker

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. CDL Training Services: Professional training services for commercial motor vehicle operators including corporate/fleet driver training, novice CDL programs (Class A and B), defensive driving courses, and custom safety courses delivered on-site at client locations.
2. Custom Safety Training Programs: Tailored training programs designed to address specific organizational safety concerns, industry requirements, and organizational goals. Includes flexible delivery formats (in-person, online, or blended) with expert instructors and interactive learning.
3. CTS Driving Academy Partnership: CTS manages DOT Motor Carrier Licensing and Compliance, instructors, administrative personnel, equipment, and required insurance for partner educational institutions. Revenue derived from institutional partnerships offering CDL preparation courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Center for Transportation Safety provides commercial motor vehicle driver training services, including corporate/fleet CDL training (Class A and B), defensive driving, custom safety programs, and Train the Trainer programs delivered on-site at client locations nationwide. Through the CTS Driving Academy, the company partners with educational institutions to offer FMCSA-compliant CDL preparation courses with a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio.

Product overview

Center for Transportation Safety operates as a commercial motor vehicle driver training service offering two core offerings: Corporate/Fleet Driver Training delivered on-site at client locations, and CTS Driving Academy which partners with educational institutions. The portfolio includes specialized courses (Close Quarter Maneuvers, Defensive Driving, Train the Trainer, Custom Built Safety, DOT Compliance and CSA, Rollover Prevention) and novice CDL programs for Class A, Class B, and Class B-to-A upgrades. All programs are designed to meet or exceed FMCSA regulations and reduce organizational risk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate/Fleet Driver Training On-site CDL training and safety programs for commercial fleets designed to elevate existing workers to CDL drivers, enhance fleet safety, and ensure FMCSA regulatory compliance.
• CTS Driving Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• Maintained high percentage of success rate since 2014 through CTS Driving Academy program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ivy Tech Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ivy Tech Community College to offer CDL driver training programs at multiple Indiana campus locations (Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, Lawrenceburg, Bloomington). CTS provides curriculum, instructors, equipment, DOT licensing, and insurance while the institution provides facilities and student recruitment. The program maintains a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio over a 160-hour course.
• Indiana Motor Truck Association (IMTA)minorOthersIndustry association membership providing networking and advocacy resources for transportation companies. CTS maintains membership as part of industry engagement.
• Truckload Carriers Association (TCA)minorOthersIndustry association membership for truckload carriers and transportation safety training providers. CTS maintains membership for industry representation and professional development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CRST International: Major truckload carrier with its own CDL training programs and partnerships. Competes with CTS for driver pipeline and corporate training clients.
• Schneider National: Large trucking carrier that runs its own CDL training academy. Competes for CDL candidate supply and offers internal driver development; broader logistics footprint than CTS but overlaps in CDL training.
• TMC Transportation: Flatbed carrier that runs in-house CDL training (CTS's Director of Training previously worked there). Overlaps with CTS in CDL instruction and fleet safety programs.
• Prime, Inc. Large trucking and logistics company operating a CDL training academy (Prime, Inc. CDL Training Centers) with multiple U.S. campuses. Overlaps with CTS in novice CDL and academy delivery.

Direct peers

• Roadmaster Drivers School: National private CDL training school network offering Class A and B novice programs. Competes with CTS's CTS Driving Academy for individual and institutional CDL students.
• J. J. Keller & Associates: Major DOT/FMCSA compliance and training provider offering ELDT-compliant CDL training, safety courses, and compliance content. Overlaps heavily with CTS's regulatory training and corporate compliance offerings.
• National Tractor Trailer School: Private CDL training school with multi-state campuses offering ELDT-compliant Class A programs. Comparable to CTS's novice CDL offering and academy partnerships.
• Smith System: Long-established provider of fleet driver safety training, collision avoidance, and behind-the-wheel coaching. Competes directly with CTS in corporate on-site defensive driving and CDL safety programs.
• Driving Dynamics, Inc. Previous owner of CTS and a direct competitor offering fleet driver safety training, defensive driving, and risk management services to corporate clients. Closest one-to-one comparable given shared product set and customer profile.

Emerging players

• SafetySkills: Online EHS and fleet safety training provider covering DOT, defensive driving, and workplace safety topics. Competes with CTS's custom safety course and online/blended delivery formats.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/drivingcts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJvwXaKIBPg3PReAEO0ZRfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/drivingcts
• Instagraminstagram.com/drivingcts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Transportation Safety