NAFA is continuing in its mission to provide the tools and solutions fleet managers need in an ever-changing environment.

As we head toward the end of the year, there a number of initiatives under way at NAFA. One has been our Fleet Policy Workshops that took place in Indianapolis on October 7-9. Fleet policy is hugely important in today’s environment, given the fast-changing landscape that includes regulatory requirements, technology advancements, as well as corporate governance and sustainability trends. This is why NAFA has been making a big push in helping our members and the industry understand the importance of creating sound Fleet Policy directives that provide effective risk management for their staff and organizations, and we look forward to continuing to offer these workshops in the future.

New eLearning courses

As I write these words, we are in the midst of launching our new eLearning courses in each of our nine fleet disciplines. This means we’ll have a course in each of the eight CAFM modules as well as one for sustainability. The sustainability eLearning module and another on asset management will be the first that will launch, and these new eLearning courses are based on new guidebooks we introduced for each discipline.

One of the main benefits of the eLearning system is that it allows people to learn at their own pace and it looks at different learning styles and speeds, making it optimized for best adult learning practices. The eLearning modules also included multi-media, with pop-up videos as well as interactive exercises and quizzes, all designed to maximize engagement in an online learning environment.

Additionally, once an individual signs up for these courses, they can go back and review the content again, plus the eLearning modules are also designed so they can be easily and consistently updated instead of having to redo and completely update voiceover presentations as was typical in the past.

This means that if a new technology is introduced, a new fuel type, or maintenance practice, we can quickly adjust and update the eLearning modules to stay current and reflect these new developments. These modules are also designed to be mobile optimized, so, they can be accessed and followed anytime, anywhere, adding flexibility for today’s busy fleet professionals and those looking to become CAFM certified.

100 Best Fleets Update

Regarding our 100 Best Fleets program, we recently completed our webinar series for 2024 and still have several roundtable events that take place across North America. In many cases, these roundtables feature 100 Best Fleet winners, allowing the audience to gain insight into how those fleets operate, engage with them and take away practices that they can apply to their own organizations. Moderated by Mike Brennan, these events continue to prove highly popular and as we look to 2025, we are going to be launching a live event in Boston in December, signifying the opening of next year’s 100 Best Fleets contest. We always like to mix up this program a little and while we will still have categories for corporate and government fleets, we will also have opportunities for fleet management company fleets (FMCs). This will enable FMCs to review the fleets that they work with and be recognized for their skills and expertise in that area. We’re also introducing a special award in memory of Tom Johnson, who originally founded the 100 Best Fleets program. This award will highlight service excellence of a particular individual to the industry, and we’re looking forward to being able to recognize specific professionals for their outstanding contributions to the fleet sector.

Further recognition

Our Automotive Technician of the Year award continues to be a popular contest, and in November, the winner will be recognized at the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Training Managers Council Awards (part of industry week at AAPEX in Las Vegas), providing another opportunity for these individuals to be recognized for their skills and contributions.

We’re very excited in continuing our efforts to provide effective and relevant programs and solutions, both to our members and the industry, and we look forward to a busy and productive 2025, including our Institute & Expo in Long Beach, California, April 28-30. We look forward to seeing you there!