New Private Fleet Assessment Program Launched

Nashville, TN – The Private Fleet Assessment Program, a web-based management resource designed to help private fleets on their journey to world class performance, has been launched by the National Private Truck Council (NPTC), Optima Associates , and Schneider National, Inc.

According to Gary Petty, President and CEO, NPTC, the new Private Fleet Assessment Program represents the next generation of the organization’s annual benchmarking study, used by a majority of private fleet managers to gauge the cost effectiveness and overall operational excellence of their fleets.

“As the national association for private fleet professionals, the NPTC has long recognized the responsibility we have to provide members with the information and resources needed to remain successful in this fiercely competitive marketplace,” says Petty. “The new Private Fleet Assessment Program we’re unveiling takes that information and insight to a much higher and more sophisticated level in an interactive and dynamic way. It is the most comprehensive fleet assessment program on the market today.”

The power of the Private Fleet Assessment Tool lies in combining the expertise, industry knowledge and firsthand data of NPTC, Optima Associates (a national continuous improvement consulting firm that has helped many private fleets enhance their operations) and Schneider National (the nation’s largest truckload carrier and a leading provider of transportation and logistics services), and delivering the assessment capabilities in a single web-based tool.

“While each fleet has its own performance characteristics, there are common dimensions influencing the outcomes and success of each fleet,” says Steven Hirt, President, Optima Associates. “We collaborated with the NPTC and Schneider to develop a program that measures 40 different attributes contributing to a fleet’s overall performance. The transportation planners and fleet owners we’ve previewed the tool with find the insight into fleet management best practices and the customized suggestions for improvement for their individual fleet to be invaluable.”

The Private Fleet Assessment Program is a web-based tool that evaluates private fleet performance and targets improvement opportunities for private fleets in “Eight Pillars” of scoring: safety and fleet organization, network planning, customer management, fleet management, information management, driver management, continuous improvement and financial management.

Fleets navigating the program visit the Optima website, enter key operating information, and assess their performance against some 40 qualitative and quantitative attributes. Fleet performance is scored against world-class standards that were derived from hundreds of industry benchmarks and subject matter experts. Not only does the fleet receive a report comparing its performance to world-class standards, but it receives a set of detailed recommendations to help it improve performance.

In addition to identifying opportunities for improvement, this model can also provide a sliding scale of the impact of proposed changes – the “what if” scenarios that have been too complex to thoroughly consider up until now. The Private Fleet Assessment Program is expected to aid fleets in sharpening performance, driving out costs and enhancing efficiency.

One private fleet currently testing out the program is finding value in the unique methodology of the Private Fleet Assessment Program. According to Gary Strausbaugh, Vice President of Transportation of Mennel Milling Company, one of the country’s leading producers of flour used in a majority of cake mixes, cookies, crackers and other snacks, “the systematic way in which the Program captures and scores relevant data gives a private fleet a realistic picture of how it stacks up against best-in-class standards.”

“We know firsthand how critical it is to have accurate and timely information when making decisions about a fleet,” says Todd Jadin, Senior Vice President, Dedicated Operations, Schneider National. “We’re impressed with the Private Fleet Assessment Program’s ability to quickly and accurately pinpoint both the areas where a fleet is doing well and areas needing help or improvement. Even more impressive and meaningful is that the tool then goes the extra mile and gives a roadmap on how to improve performance and what steps are necessary to achieve their organizational objectives.”

“Private fleet justification exercises are a fact of life at many companies—more so perhaps in tough economic times,” says Harry J. Haney, III, Associate Director of Logistics Operations for Kraft Foods, Inc. “The Program helps managers get a true handle on the right metrics to make the best case for their operations.”

NPTC members are invited to take the basic level assessment free of charge. The complete assessment, however, requires payment of a fee. For more information on the Private Fleet Assessment Program, visit www.nptc.org, or call Serena Porter at NPTC at (703) 838-7960.

About the National Private Truck Council
Founded in 1939, the National Private Truck Council is the only national trade association exclusively representing the interests of the private truck industry and corporate/business private truck fleet management. NPTC is the premier marketplace of information, networking and skill building for private fleet professionals as it leads in shaping the future of corporate transportation.

About Optima
Optima Associates, Inc. is a strategic and continuous improvement consulting services firm, founded in 2003, specializing in operations, continuous improvement, risk management and asset management consulting services. Optima Associates provides consulting services to a large base of manufacturers, private fleet, administrative and medical facilities, and to more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide. Optima Associates is headquartered in DePere, Wis.

About Schneider National, Inc.
Schneider National, Inc. is a premier provider of transportation and logistics services, enhancing the standard of living worldwide. The nation’s largest truckload carrier, Schneider serves more than two-thirds of the FORTUNE 500 companies and offers the broadest portfolio of services to small, medium and global shippers across the globe. The company’s transportation and logistics solutions include van/truckload, dedicated, expedited, bulk, western regional, intermodal, transportation management, freight brokerage, air/ocean freight forwarding, customs house brokerage, transloading and distribution, supply chain management, supply chain advisory services, and freight audit and payment (Europe).

Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Schneider National has provided expert transportation and logistics solutions for more than 70 years. A $3.7 billion company, Schneider National employs 21,400 transportation and logistics experts worldwide, including operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit schneider.com.

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