Private Fleet Management Institute sets a high bar.

NPTC is pleased to announce the 2019 Private Fleet Management Institute (PFMI) scheduled for January 12-16, 2019, at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel in Jacksonville, FL. This Institute has been conducted annually for two decades and is widely praised by participants as a first-class learning experience. For many, it is remembered as “five amazing days” and the best conference ever attended.

Like many attendees over the years, for Jody Sandy, CTP, PFMI was her first event and initial introduction to NPTC. Jody has 17 years of experience as a supply chain expert with Hy-Vee Inc., an Iowa-based grocery retailer with more than 245 store locations in eight states across the Midwest.

The company’s private fleet of 227 tractors and 573 trailers provides differentiated customer service to the stores. Drivers are out and back from their runs each day and are home at night, a strong selling point for driver recruitment and retention. Hy-Vee’s reputation as a great place to work is aided by word-of-mouth “advertising” from drivers who have been with the company for many years. In fact, employee longevity is a company hallmark.

Jody joined Hy-Vee as a summer intern while completing her B.S. degree in supply chain management at Iowa State University. She assumed a full-time position as supply chain analyst after graduation. After serving in progressively more responsible positions, she was promoted to her current position of vice president of supply chain.

Last year, she noticed an article about the institute in a trade press publication and thought it would be a good refresher on the latest corporate transportation practices. “I assumed it would be a useful state-of-industry overview for my purposes, but what I experienced was beyond anything I could have imagined,” she said.

“The institute operates at a very high level. There is great take-away value, in-depth yet practical solutions, and new ideas and practices, which can improve your company’s private fleet and overall transportation network,” Jody said. “I have never learned so much at one event in my entire career. In fact, this is by far the best conference I’ve ever attended.”

The PFMI curriculum consists of the five core disciplines of private fleet management and are also the subjects covered in the CTP examination: finance, human resources, operations, equipment-maintenance, and safety.

The latest developments in technology and data management are featured as well. Typical group discussion topics include rightsizing a fleet’s business model; building KPIs; true fleet versus outside carrier costs; defining customer service; justifying the private fleet; and ROI for active safety technologies.

A faculty of 20 leading private fleet managers, virtually all CTPs, designs the institute program as an interactive learning experience. Attendees are exposed to core disciplines exemplified in best policies, practices, and proven solutions used by successful private fleets.

“You need to know transportation and have industry experience,” Jody cautioned. “Every attendee is expected to be a contributor. The combination of fleet and supplier representatives worked well and added value to every discussion. I found this very helpful.”

An unanticipated side benefit for Jody was earning her CTP designation. She did not register separately for the CTP Exam Prep Workshop or plan to become a CTP. Going through the institute changed her mind, however.

“After learning so much and being inspired by CTP candidates in attendance who were preparing for the CTP exam, I felt motivated enough to go for it,” Jody said. “I studied really hard and practiced writing several case studies.”

She did well enough to be honored at the NPTC Annual Conference as the recipient of Fleet Owner’s Top Graduate Award among the CTP Class of 2018 graduates.

“Hy-Vee is a growing company with a great future,” Jody concluded. “Continuous improvement in transportation will help drive success. Involvement with NPTC produces significant benefits for Hy-Vee and justifies further participation.”