The National Private Truck Council will hold its annual Private Fleet Management Institute Jan. 17-21, 2009 in Jacksonville, Fla.


The Institute is a five-day intensive educational program offering courses on Fleet Finance, Operations, Safety, Human Resources, and Maintenance and Equipment.

The Institute is an immersion into best practices, benchmarking and operational excellence in the private fleet community consisting of a series of workshops, panel discussions, lectures and interactive formats designed to enhance the attendees' educational experience and ensure their grasp of key private fleet management disciplines.

Sessions will focus on: network analysis; strategic planning; supply chain integration and strategic partnerships; justifying the private fleet through proper costing methodologies; building, enhancing and sustaining a culture of excellence; best practices in customer service; fleet planning; benchmarking strategies to improve the private fleet; and transportation alternatives: integrating the private fleet with dedicated operations.

Data management and integration, fuel economy, backhaul optimization and environmental stability will be featured in multiple presentations.

Financial strategies for the private fleet executive will be another area of concentration, with topics to include communicating private fleet value; accounting procedures; profit center vs. expense center; financial reporting and budgeting; key performance indicators; return on investment measures; and lease vs. buy.

The Institute will also feature an in-depth look at maintenance strategies for the private fleet, including establishing a system for compliance; managing multiple sites; trade cycle strategies; spec'ing for performance and productivity; improving fuel economy; and outsourcing strategies.

Attendees will learn the basics of how to develop an effective safety program and how to prepare for a DOT compliance review.

The program provides an excellent resource for those studying to take the Certified Transportation Professional certification examination scheduled for Feb. 14, 2009 at some 40 locations across the country. In fact, the Private Fleet Management Institute is preceded by a full-day workshop on Jan. 16 to help candidates prepare for the exam.

More info: www.nptc.org