NAFA Connection

NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA News
Canadian Fleet Management Seminar:
Offered in Both English and French!
September 14-16, 2008
Four Points by Sheraton Montreal Centre-Ville
Montreal, QC, Canada
 
Still time to register - a few seats still available!
NAFA's Canadian Fleet Management Seminar is offered bi-annually in Canada, featuring Canadian-specific content. The last Canadian seminar, held in Toronto in June 2006, was a great success, attracting fleet professionals from across Canada. This seminar is the most comprehensive course of its kind, covering key areas of fleet management accurately and in-depth. Topics include policies and procedures, risk management, acquisition and disposal, and maintenance.
 
Register Now! To register today, visit www.nafa.org/cfms and download a registration form. An exam application is available at www.nafa.org/exams. Please note that a separate registration for the exams is required to gain access to the testing area. For more information about this seminar, to view brochures or the registration form, or to make a hotel reservation, click here.
 
CAFM participants: CAFM Testing Available after the Seminars. After attending the AFMS (or both the FMS and AFMS) exam fees will be waived when you take the test on Monday, October 20! Last CAFM testing for 2008! For the Oct. 20 testing, applications are due by September 19, 2008. For a registration form or to register online, go to www.nafa.org/exams.
 

 
NAFA's Fleet Management Seminars have provided fleet professionals with the most comprehensive information and training in the industry. Whether you're a fleet manager with less than five years of experience and the FMS is for you; a seasonsed industry professional who would like to enroll in the AFMS; or you're a CAFM participant - don't miss out on these savings! 
  • Enroll in NAFA's October Fleet Management Seminar or Advanced Fleet Management Seminar by September 19 and save $50.
  • Enroll in the October FMS and AFMS and SAVE with the package enrollment price; a $200 savings!
  • Enroll in the AFMS and take the CAFM test for FREE!
Fleet Management Seminar
October 15-17, 2008
Hilton New Orleans Riverside
New Orleans, LA
 
This FMS will be the last one for 2008 so make sure to mark your calendars! Because of the incredible interest in our seminar program and the limited number of seats, we encourage participants to pre-enroll now for this Seminar.
 
 Advanced Fleet Management Seminar - NEW!
October 17-19, 2008
Hilton New Orleans Riverside
New Orleans, LA
 
The AFMS is an upper-level course for those who want to learn more in-depth information on fleet management's eight disciplines. Open to all fleet management professionals, the Advanced Fleet Manager Seminar is recommended for fleet managers with five or more years of experience. Register Now for the October FMS or AFMS! Click here for forms and details.
NAFA's 2009 Institute and Expo is one of the largest fleet management events in the world. It's only eight months away, so available and select spaces are going fast! Reserve your space and become an I&E sponsor today!
 
I&E Sponsorship packages are designed with your maximum return on investment in mind. We have designed valuable sponsorship packages that consider budgets of all sizes. From pre-event marketing exposure to extensive on-site visibility to post-event press coverage and extensive online visibility, sponsoring NAFA's 2009 Institute & Expo is the ideal way to reach the largest gathering of fleet managers this year. Take advantage of the networking opportunities – the I&E is a great place to not only find new customers but also build long-standing relationships.

To reserve your space, contact Janet Williams, jwilliams@cmgexpo.com, or 703.934.4700.  Save the dates: the 2009 I&E takes place April 25-28, 2009 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. Show dates are Sunday and Monday, April 26 & 27, 2009.

NAFA is constantly looking for ways to improve its Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) program and contribute to the success of its candidates. As issues arise, or ideas are brought to the table, NAFA's Certification Board evaluates them to determine how the CAFM program can be improved.
 
For instance, NAFA traditionally provided only 'Pass' or 'Fail' status for each of the eight exam modules tested by a candidate. Many recent candidates, however, stated they would like more detailed feedback on their performance. As a result, the Certification Board implemented a new process in June in which candidates receive not only an overall number grade for every test taken, but also a list of any competency areas in which they achieved less than 70 percent correct. This will allow candidates to concentrate on areas of weakness and ultimately succeed in the challenging and rewarding NAFA CAFM program.
 
Click here for more information on NAFA's CAFM program.
 
NAFA would like to recognize Bill Hockridge as the new sales manager at Durham Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Oshawa, Ontario. Prior to this career move, Hockridge was employed with Conlin Pontiac Buick GMC. 
 
"Durham Chrysler Dodge Jeep is located right next to one of the world's busiest highways, the 401, and I look forward to taking us to the next level of serving the fleet industry," Hockridge said.

With over thirty years of industry experience under his belt, Hockridge received NAFA's 2007 Outstanding Chapter Service Award and has been an active NAFA Affiliate. He served on various committees for events including NAFA's annual conferences that were held in Toronto and is currently the Chair of the Chapter Affiliate Committee for the Ontario Chapter.  Hockridge will oversee the fleet department at Durham Chrysler Dodge Jeep.

On-Board Communications, Inc.

Headline News
Automotive manufacturers have found creative ways to make older models more fuel efficient. With gas on a recent rise, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and Nissan are seeing an incline in consumer interest from just making a few changes.

"Eight cylinder engines on most manufacturers trucks with active fuel management are cutting back to 4 cylinder," said NAFA Affiliate Bill Hockridge, Sales Manager for Durham Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Ontario. "Fleets are certainly looking for fuel efficient vehicles and have been for a few years, but equally important is driver comfort and safety."

Ford Motor Company aims to please consumer interest with a proposal for sustainability to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions while providing comfort and safety. Ford plans to include weight reductions of 250 to 750 pounds and new fuel-saving transmissions as well as aggressively developing plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technology.  The plan also called for adding more diesel engines with the goal of making their sport utility vehicles and F-150 series with a mid-displacement clean diesel engine.

Ford has taken prior models like Escape, Mercury Mariner, Mercury Milan, Fusion, and Explorer and enhanced their miles per gallon. The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid delivers 34 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

"The big win and fuel economy gains also come with increased horsepower," said Jennifer Moore, Corporate News Manager Public Affairs for Ford Motor Co. "The new 2.3-liter (in the Ford Escape) produces 171 hp, an 11 percent increase in power output versus the 2.3-liter engine it replaces."

Ford also implemented a new optional six-speed automatic transmission, paired with the 2.5-liter. The pairing contributes up to a six percent increase in fuel efficiency.

Other automakers have also strived to make fuel efficient modifications. Chrysler gave their 2009 Avenger and Sebring four-cylinder model a 1 mpg improvement. In addition, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander were also revamped to provide fuel efficiency. General Motors 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt XFE got 36 mpg on the 2008 model but now gets 37 mpg on the newer model. 

"Cobalt XFE and Cobalt SS are nearly sold out in dealer showrooms," said Ed Peper, GMNA vice president of Chevrolet. "Our dealers are asking for many more Cobalts than we can build."

GM made enhancements to their full-size pickups and SUVs XFE (Xtra Fuel Economy) models which include the Chevy Silverado, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Sierra and GMC Yukon. These models with fuel efficient adaptations are available on 2WD vehicles equipped with the 5.3L V-8 and six-speed transmission. They achieve 15 city and 21 highway mileage ratings versus comparable non-XFE models' 14/20 ratings.

"In addition to the XFE models, GM already offers hybrid versions of the Tahoe and Yukon that achieve up to a 50-percent improvement in city fuel economy and coming in the first half of 2009 are the Silverado and Sierra Hybrids," said Gary White, GM North America vice president and vehicle line executive for full-size trucks. "

GM also enhanced the mpg for their Pontiac G5, Pontiac G6, Saturn Aura and Saturn Astra; all of these vehicles are listed as getting over 30 mpg on the highway.
 
If you are purchasing older models that were redesigned for better fuel efficiency let NAFA know. Contact Tina Perrotta, NAFA Communications Assistant, at tperrotta@nafa.org.

With today's fuel and environmental concerns, more and more automotive manufacturers have developed specific plans to implement fuel efficient and eco-friendly adaptations into their upcoming models.
 
 Chrysler is on an eco-friendly trend by planning to make 50 percent of their vehicles capable of running on alternative fuels by 2012.  The company is currently working on a gas-electric two-mode hybrid model of 2008 Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen.
 
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. developed the Nissan Green Program 2010 which is specifically focused on reducing CO2 emissions and accelerating recycling efforts. Under this program Nissan plans to launch a gasoline-fueled car that runs 100 kilometers on three liters of fuel. They also plan to expand availability of Flexible Fuel Vehicles, launch an electric vehicle, develop a hybrid vehicle and accelerate development of plug-in hybrid technology.

Nissan recently announced their plans to make all future models equipped with a fuel efficiency gauge to give drivers more information on how their driving style directly relates to fuel economy under the Green Program 2010 mid-term environmental action plan.

Ford plans to introduce EcoBoost under their sustainability plan, which is a direct injection turbo charged gasoline internal combustion engine that will deliver up to 20 percent improved fuel economy and 15 percent reduced greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to the larger displacement engine.

"The first EcoBoost engines will make their debut next year, first on the Lincoln MKS, then the Ford Flex," Moore said. "The engine technology will be widely applied across the line over the next five years. We have also announced acceleration efforts to leverage our global resources and will be building a B car for the 2010 model year (the Fiesta) and are shifting several of our plants from truck and SUV production to be tooled to build smaller, more fuel efficient cars."

General Motors will invest more than $500 million in the U.S. to build the Chevrolet Cruze, an all-new global compact car. The vehicle will be built at GM's Lordstown, Ohio plant. The Chevy Cruze will be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show this year.

U.S. Automakers are falling behind their foreign counterparts in the fast-growing area of providing ecologically oriented features in car navigation and telematics systems, according to iSuppli Corp.

Automakers are developing eco-friendly driving solutions that range from an indicator on the instrument cluster that gives ecological driving advice, to sophisticated real-time driving pattern comparisons via a car's telematics system. OEM and aftermarket navigation systems now are also providing eco-friendly, fuel-efficient paths as part of route calculation.

Car makers including Audi of Germany, Fiat of Italy, Kia of South Korea and Honda and Nissan of Japan now are offering and developing a variety of such solutions. However, these efforts aren't being matched by their competitors in Detroit.

"Compared to Europe and Asia, the North American market is behind the curve," said Phil Magney, vice president, Automotive Research, for iSuppli. "Detroit is largely focused on powertrain technologies, such as hybrids or battery-powered electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt, and less interested in putting fuel-saving tips into the infotainment system or gas pedal. North American OEMs have yet to announce an eco-friendly technology that operates through a navigation route or that notifies users of inefficient driving."

With the rising emphasis on fuel economy and increasing consumer awareness of the environmental impact of their activities, the U.S. auto industry risks being left behind in this key area, Magney warned.

The ARB joined forces with the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to celebrate the opening of a Clean Trucks Center and invite truckers to apply for funds to replace their dirty diesel vehicles with new clean models.

Ninety-eight million dollars comes from Proposition 1B, the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality and Port Security Bond Act initiated by Gov. Schwarzenegger and passed by voters in November 2006.
 
The $98 million dollars is ARB's first installment of Prop 1B funds for port vehicles, and is leveraging $145 million from the Ports to help truckers who frequently service the area acquire clean diesel or liquefied natural gas (LNG) models with far lower emissions.  The program is expected to greatly aid in compliance with ARB's drayage truck regulation, adopted in December 2007, which requires modernization of the port truck fleet.

The Indianapolis Department of Public Works announced agreements with the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township and several communities to include  installation of diesel oxidation catalysts on diesel vehicles and equipment in their fleets.  These agreements are part of the City's Municipal Fleet Diesel Retrofit Initiative.  Initiated through federal grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and settlement funding, the city has worked to retrofit heavy-duty diesel vehicles and non-road equipment from fleets owned by several Marion County municipal entities including the cities of Indianapolis, Lawrence and Speedway and the Hamilton County Highway Department.

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium, with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, has awarded Johnson Controls-Saft a contract valued at $8.2 million. The contract will focus on the development of lithium-ion battery systems for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and over the course of two years will seek to validate the commercial feasibility of lithium-ion technology for mass market PHEVs.

"We are working on the development of the complete PHEV system, which includes high energy capacity cells, battery management electronics, control software and an efficient thermal management system, all optimally packaged for safety and efficient integration into the vehicle," said Mary Ann Wright, who leads the Johnson Controls-Saft joint venture and is vice president and general manager for Johnson Controls hybrid battery business. "Specifically, key goals for this PHEV contract are to optimize cell and battery system design for 10-mile and 40-mile electric range vehicles."

USABC, whose members are Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation, awarded Johnson Controls-Saft a similar contract in 2006 focused on lithium-ion battery systems for hybrid electric vehicles. USABC is one of several technology development consortia of USCAR, the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC.
The number of people who died on the nation's roads dropped again last year, reaching historically low levels. In 2007, the overall number of traffic fatalities fell to 41,059, the lowest number since 1994. In addition, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.37, the lowest fatality rate on record. The Department collects crash statistics annually from 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to produce annual reports on fatalities and injuries.
 
"As these new statistics show, we are making progress, but far too many of our friends, neighbors and family members are still getting killed or seriously injured," Secretary Peters said.
 
Peters noted that motorcycle safety continues to be a problem. Motorcycle fatalities now account for 13 percent of all fatalities. In 2007, the number of motorcycle riders or passengers killed on the nation's roads increased 6.6 percent over hte previous year, Peters said.  She added that the Department will continue its efforts to combat impaired driving, increase safety belt use and improve motorcycle safety.
 

ARI, Automotive Resources

SPOTLIGHT ON LEGISLATION
 
 
Minister of Industry Jim Prentice has announced new funding for 54 Canadian research projects that are exploring a wide range of advanced technologies to make future automobiles more efficient, safe and environmentally friendly.  The announcement was made at the AUTO21 2008 Conference in London, Ontario.
 
The Minister highlighted that Canadian researches are committed to delivering results, and the Government of Canada is proud to be investing in these rewarding projects.  As the auto sector is vitally important for the Canadian economy, the Government investing in these research projects is a part of the plan to raise the competitiveness of Canada's auto industry.  Also as part of the auto sector, the Government has introduced an auto strategy, provided tax incentives, and introduced mandatory fuel consumption standards. 
 
The Government of Canada is investing $9.5 million over two years for these projects through the Networks of Centres of Excellence Program.  An additional $10.5 million is being provided by 240 private and public sector organizations, including automakers, parts suppliers and materials companies.  As a result of this investment, key research and development will be conducted that will keep Canada ahead in the automotive industry.
 
 
A Senate committee has scheduled a congressional hearing on bus safety for September 18.  The Senate Commerce Committee hearing will review the safety of over-the-road buses and the effectiveness of current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations governing bus safety in preparation for the reauthorization of the Federal motor carrier safety programs during the next Congress.   Several bills to address motor coach safety have been introduced in both the House and Senate.

GPS Insight

ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) recently commended Galva Holstein Ag, LLC for installing the first blender pump in the state. The station, located at on Market Ave in Galva, started pumping multiple ethanol blends in mid-August.

Blender pumps are the newest way for consumers to fill up with ethanol in Iowa. The pumps can be set up to offer traditional ethanol blends, such as E10 and E85, as well as mid-level blends like E20, E30 and E50.  Galva Holstein Ag will offer ethanol blends of E10, E30, and E85.
 
"At this point, the mid-level ethanol blends – E20, E30, E40, etc. – and E85 are only for use in flexible fuel vehicles so that is the customer base," said Lucy Norton, Managing Director of Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. "Many retailers are moving toward blender pumps, and we are aware of at least 10 currently that have ordered the pumps for installation this fall."
 
Blender pumps are becoming more popular in the Midwest. In January the Kansas Department of Agriculture launched a pilot program that allowed fueling stations to install blender pumps after modeling their program to similar ones in Minnesota and South Dakota.
 

 

Renewable Energy Group announced it has scalable commercialization technology capable of refining and producing large volumes of high quality algae biodiesel.
 
REG has implemented technology to refine the oil from a variety of algae strains and produce algae biodiesel exceeding ASTM standards. REG pre-treated and produced high quality algae biodiesel at the pilot scale level with results that will lead to commercial production. With available feedstocks and additional algae oil production partners, REG can augment current pre-treatment and production of algae biodiesel in continually increasing volumes as part of their current continuous-flow, commercial-scale process technology.  

REG is planning to initiate additional partnerships for commercial-scale production of algae biodiesel at volumes comparable to those from other vegetable and animal feedstocks now in use.  As part of the commercialization process, crude algae oil is cleaned and refined using REG's pretreatment technology. It is then converted to biodiesel using a system similar to that in current commercial-scale biodiesel production process. Despite algae oil's distinct processing challenges, REG has produced algae biodiesel which exceeds ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 quality specifications.
Researchers have found a way to convert ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen efficiently by using a new catalyst that makes hydrogen from ethanol with 90 percent yield, at a workable temperature, and using inexpensive ingredients.
 
Umit Ozkan, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State University, said the new catalyst is less expensive than others being developed because it does not contain precious metals, such as platinum or rhodium. 
 
"Our research lends itself to what's called a 'distributed production' strategy. Instead of making hydrogen from biofuel at a centralized facility and transporting it to gas stations, we could use our catalyst inside reactors that are actually located at the gas stations," Ozkan said.

The catalyst is a dark gray powder made from calcium which is covered with even smaller particles of cobalt and tiny granules of cerium oxide. The process starts with a liquid biofuel being heated and pumped into a reactor where the catalyst spurs a series of chemical reactions that ultimately convert the liquid to a hydrogen-rich gas. Ozkan and her co-workers recently presented the research at the American Chemical Society meeting in Philadelphia and are now studying how to use the same catalyst with other liquid biofuels.
Google.org announced the RechargeIT initiative that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and oil dependence by accelerating the adoption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. As part of this initiative, Google.org awarded $1 million in grants and announced plans for a $10 million request for proposals to fund development, adoption and commercialization of plug-ins, fully electric cars and related vehicle-to-grid technology.
 
Google has also partnered with A123Systems/Hymotion to convert a small fleet of hybrid cars into plug-ins and published preliminary performance data at www.rechargeit.org. The experimental fleet of plug-in Prius models has averaged 74mpg to date, compared with 41mpg for the test fleet of non-plug-in Prius hybrids.
 
In addition, a partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car has created the Google Fleet program which is designed to support alternative commuting through a free car-sharing program that will be offered to Google employees. The program will eventually expand to include 100 plug-ins as they become available.
Ford Motor Company has created the first soy-based foam seat cushions wrapped in 100 percent recycled fabric, the first in the automotive industry.

The cushions will be placed in the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner, Ford Mustang, F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.  Ford showcased its industry-leading work with soy foams in 2003 on the Model U concept, which featured soy-based seat cushions as well as a soy-based resin composite tailgate.

Now, Ford's Plastics Research team has formulated the chemistry to replace a staggering 40 percent of the standard petroleum-based polyol used in seating materials with a soy-derived material.   Most automakers today use 100 percent petroleum-based polyol foam.  Each vehicle contains an average of 30 pounds of petroleum-based foam in its seat backs, seat cushions, armrests, instrument panels and headliners.

Naylor, LLC

NAFA Online Store
Get the most from your NAFA membership, by taking advantage of substantial discounts on all products in our online store. These discounts are available to members and ffiliates only. To download a catalog of current products, click here.
 
Discount! Order now and SAVE!
Save up to 25 percent on NAFA's Fleet Information Management Guide & Fuel Management  Guide:
 
  
Fleet Information Management Guide
This Guide is designed to help you understand the basics of data networking systems. Quickly grasp the key elements of information management without extensive training or experience to save you time, resources and headaches down the road. Topics include information infrastructure; computer software; researching the Internet; telematics; security, backup and recovery; and ergonomics. ORDER TODAY!

Fuel Management Guide
 This guide provides an in-depth look at all areas of fuel management from a fleet perspective, including topics like environmental issues, alternative fuels, emerging technologies and hybrid vehicles. With ever-growing fuel costs, this guide is a must-have for every fleet professional! This CD includes conventional and alternative fuel and is written from the perspective of both in-house and commercial fuel programs. Order today! Please note that this product is currently in production and expected to be published September 2008.
Career Corner
Space is provided in each issue of FleetFOCUS for companies and organizations to advertise career opportunities in the fleet industry. This space also allows members to market themselves to potential employers. Listings must be 200 words or less. Links to complete job descriptions on the company's own Web site are suggested. Please note all of the materials a candidate must supply in order to be considered for the position (e.g., resume, salary history, municipal application, etc.). To take advantage of this service, e-mail your ad to Patrick McCarren at  pmccarren@nafa.org.

New Job Postings This Issue

 
 
Job Wanted Listings Provide New Networking Opportunities!
 
Are you looking for a new job or a motivated, hard working employee? NAFA's Job Wanted Listings is a new and exclusive benefit for members and affiliates who are looking to make a career change. At the most recent Board meeting, the Trustees approved this new opportunity to assist both NAFA members and NAFA affiliates with career changes. PLEASE NOTE: This new and exclusive benefit is FREE!  To take advantage of this service, e-mail your Job Wanted posting to Patrick McCarren at pmccarren@nafa.org.

Resume Bank

NAFA maintains a file of fleet managers' resumes that are provided to employers who don't choose to publicly announce job openings. If you would like NAFA to have your resume on file, mail it to Maureen Smith, NAFA, Inc., 125 Village Blvd., Suite 200, Princeton, NJ 08540, or fax it to 609.452.8004. Resumes can also be emailed to Maureen Smith at msmith@nafa.org.

NAFA has a number of fleet-related job openings on the Jobs Wanted/Available page (click here).
 

GPS North America

theSales.NetWork

NAYLOR (CANADA) Inc

Naylor, LLC

Chapter Highlights
Click here to view the Industry Calendar
 
September is a busy month for NAFA Chapters! Chapter meetings will take place including:
 
September 4
Alabama Chapter: Tour of Auburn and Luncheon
Location: Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center, Auburn, AL
Contact: Jim Barker, jbarker@cityofgadsden.com, P 256.549.4705, RSVP by Sept. 1
 
September 9
Midwest Chapter: Business Meeting/Annual Golf Outing
Location: Bent Tree Golf Club, Council Bluffs, IA
Contact: Bob Eggerss, bob.eggerss@pioneer.com, P 515.270.3676, RSVP by Aug. 29
 
September 10
Old Dominion Chapter: Golf Outing
Location: The Crossings Golf Club, Glen Allen, VA
Contact: Fran Genovese, frang@chemtreat.com, RSVP by Aug. 31
 
September 10
San Francisco Chapter: New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. Tour and Luncheon
Location: NUMMI Plant, Fremont, CA
Contact: Dave Snow, dave.snow@faf.sccgov.org, P 408.299.2357, RSVP by Aug. 27
 
September 14-16
Canadian Fleet Management Seminar
Location: Four Points Sheraton Montreal Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec
Contact: Gladys Reyes, greyes@nafa.org
 
September 16
Mid-America Chapter: Annual Golf Outing
Location: Paradise Point, Smithville, MO
Contact: Steve Adams, steven.adams1@ge.com
 
September 16
Southwest Chapter: Topic: Auction Sales - Live and Video
Location: Manheim Texas Hobby Auto Auction, Houston, TX
Contact: Jackie Austin, jackie.austin@shell.com, P 713.241.6639, RSVP by Sept. 9
 
September 17
Tri-State Chapter: Annual Safety Seminar and Golf Outing
Location: Sharon Woods Golf Course, Cincinnati, OH
Contact: Craig Jones, cjones@arifleet.com, P 513.241.2573, RSVP by Aug. 27
 
September 17-19
Sunshine State Chapter: Fall 2008 Conference with FLAGFA
Location: Plaza Resort & Spa, Daytona Beach, FL
Contact: Ralph Tack, ralph.tack@swfwmd.state.fl.us, P 352.796.7211
 
September 18
Chicago Chapter: 2008 Sports & Leisure Outing
Location: Poplar Creek Country Club, Hoffman Estates, IL
Contact: Mark Kurth, mark.kurth@leaseplan.com, P 847.481.3016, RSVP by Sept. 5
 
September 23
Ontario Chapter: Annual Ride and Drive
Location: Canada's Wonderland Theme Park, Toronto
Contact: Bill Hockridge, billhockridge@durhamchrysler.com, P 905.404.0525
 
September 29
New England Chapter: 4th Annual AltWheels Fleet Day
Location: Staples World Headquarters, Framingham, MA
Contact: Karen Kearns, karen.kearns@gtech.com, P 401.392.2060, RSVP by Sept. 10
 
Membership Benefits You

Members Benefit You:

Welcome New Members and Affiliates Who Joined in August!
 
Which new colleagues and suppliers might you benefit from? Welcome new NAFA members and new NAFA affiliates; click here to view.
 

You know the value of membership best, and we want others to experience the same benefits of NAFA that you do! We encourage current members and affiliates to share the benefits of NAFA with friends and colleagues, and invite them to join. Let them know we are the premier association and we're all about fleet!
 
"NAFA is an organization of shared ideas, of people that care about what they do and are very helpful. It's a wonderful home for us in the business," said Elaine Schwartz, Senior Sourcing Process Leader, Verizon.

Those participating in the 2008 Membership Drive between now and Nov. 30 will earn a $10 coupon good toward any NAFA product – as long as your name is in the SPONSOR line on a new application. You will also have a chance to win a free registration to the 2009 Institute & Expo in New Orleans, April 25-28, 2009. Up to five lucky participants will win this prize!

For each new fleet manager, a NAFA member recruits between June 1 and Nov. 30, 2008, one ticket will be entered in a drawing to win a free I&E registration. Be a promoter and spread the word! To get Membership Drive details, download applications and review ideas on how to get started, visit www.nafa.org/2008drive. Winners will be announced January 2009, and up to five free registrations will be awarded.

Free and open to all, NAFA's Fleet Technician Service Resource website is designed to assist fleet managers in identifying the educational resources needed by their service technicians. Because NAFA recognizes, encourages and promotes the certification of automotive service professionals by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), the website is organized according to ASE's testing categories.

By clicking on each of the categories, you or your service technicians can see a selection of the most useful books, videos, CDs and other resources designed to prepare technicians for the ASE test in that category. ASE measures the skills of automotive service professionals through its national certification program through which ASE-certified technicians prove their technical competence to themselves, to their employers and to their customers.

Visit today at www.nafa.org/ase and www.asenafa.org.

e-Communities offer members the chance to reach colleagues and share ideas when they need to -- anytime, anywhere! These virtual neighborhoods allow members to easily e-mail others within that community with specific fleet questions. As a subscriber to e-Communities, you will be able to:

  • view real-time activity between other subscribed members within the group(s) you subscribe to.
  • share your knowledge and assist a fellow member in need, access lists of subscribers for each group and access a history of inquiries posted to e-Communities.

Some of the topics include alternative fuels, disaster relief, fleet maintenance, global fleet, law enforcement, and many more! Come be a part of NAFA's community!

To visit e-Communities, please click here.