An online management, education and information resource for fleet and transportation managers is offering a series of management courses through efleetmgmt inc.

Designed specifically for fleet dispatchers, managers and other transportation professionals, the Transportation Management Training Series (TMTS) will consist of 35 online courses covering equipment, maintenance, financial management, human resources, safety, logistics and compliance.
An initial 12 courses are available online now at efleetmgmt's web site at www.efleetmgmt.com. Titles include Fleet Budgeting That Works, Utilizing Activity-Based Costing for Fleet Operations, Implementing an Internal Fleet Security Plan and Building an Effective Fleet Safety Program.
According to efleetmgmt President Lisa Deyo, continuing education will help fleet employees keep pace with their rapidly changing and competitive industry. "Today's managers can't exist in an 'education silo.' They have to possess financial management and human resource skills and understand safety and compliance issues. And they need to know how transportation fits within the overall strategic direction of the organization."
The availability of online courses gives an affordable option to fleets with limited budgets that recognize the value of providing continuing education for their employees, Deyo says. "In tough economic times, one of the first things to be cut is education and training. Many fleets don't have the financial resources or can't spare the manpower for someone to travel to a distant site to get training. By being able to take these courses through any computer that has Internet access, they can get training at a fraction of the cost of having to travel, plus they won?t have to take time away from their work and their duties.
"In addition, fleet personnel can stay on the cutting edge in performing the safe and efficient management of their fleet operations and be more effective in their jobs," Deyo says. "This can be a steppingstone for people to move up in their transportation departments."
The fleet safety course's topic areas include controlled substance and alcohol policy, accident and incident management, hours of service and fatigue management, and managing equipment and inspections. "This course helps them focus on the areas of their operation that are at risk and need to be addressed in a safety program," Deyo says. "And it gives pointers to get employee buy-in to ensure the program's success."
The TMTS curriculum is being developed by efleetmgmt's advisory board, which includes some of the top names in the transportation and logistics field, according to Deyo.
Courses cost $79 each and fleets signing up for multiple courses for several employees will receive discounts, according to Deyo.
Each course takes about two hours to read and test online. Online discussion forums will be set up for students to exchange ideas about course content, while members of efleetmgmt's advisory board will be available to answer questions about the courses.
For more information about TMTS, call (540) 399-1010 or email at info@efleetmgmt.com. A link to the TMTS is available at the efleetmgmt web site.