PRINCETON, NJ - One of the primary goals of NAFA Fleet Management Association is to elevate the status of the fleet management industry.  To accomplish that goal, NAFA has been working on securing partnerships and endorsements of its Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) program to establish it as the standard of excellence within the industry.  With the announcement of an endorsement agreement between NAFA and the NTEA (Association for the Work Truck Industry), that goal is one step closer to fruition.

The agreement between NAFA and the NTEA lets each association cross-promote the value of their organization's certification programs to mutually benefit the membership of both organizations.  The NTEA has agreed to endorse NAFA's Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) and Certified Automotive Fleet Specialist (CAFS) programs; while, NAFA has agreed to bring awareness to the benefits of the Member Verification Program (MVP) developed and administered by the NTEA. 

"In endorsing NAFA's programs, NTEA joined the long list of organizations that are lending their support to The Center for Professional Fleet Certification (CPFC)," said NAFA's Executive Director, Phil Russo, CAE. The Center (www.fleetcertification.org) is an alliance of fleet industry associations, entities, and universities formed to advance the fleet management profession by establishing standards of excellence through the CAFM and CAFS programs created by NAFA.

"The agreement we entered into with NAFA strengthens the link between two organizations that have served the work truck and fleet industries for decades," said Jim Carney, Executive Director of the NTEA. "We constantly seek opportunities to build alliances with other industry associations to enrich the value we offer our member companies. To this end, we are endorsing two NAFA programs that promote the efficient and informed purchasing of work trucks, and are pleased to work with NAFA to further promote our Member Verification Program."

NAFA's CAFM program is the oldest, largest, and most widely acclaimed professional certification program in the fleet management industry.  The program is comprised of a two-tiered system, which covers the eight disciplines of fleet management (Fleet Information Management, Maintenance Management, Professional Development, Vehicle Fuel Management, Asset Management, Business Management, Financial Management, and Risk Management). Successful completion of any of the three CAFS learning streams (containing four disciplines) will earn the candidate the designation of Certified Automotive FleetSpecialist(CAFS). Successful completion of the upper tier, which is only possible after completing one of the three CAFS learning streams, will earn the candidate the Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) designation.

NTEA's MVP status promotes the production and sale of work trucks by companies that take significant steps to implement specific business and quality standards and quality processes, and to comply with certain applicable federal regulations. Companies that achieve MVP status differentiate themselves through demonstrated commitment to professionalism, industry knowledge and high performance standards.

In addition to the NTEA, the CAFM program is endorsed by the National Conference of State Fleet Administrators (NCSFA), Rocky Mountain Fleet Management Association (RMFMA), and the Florida Association of Governmental Fleet Administrators (FLAGFA).  Initial Advisory members include U.S. Government Services Administration (GSA)/FedFleet Advisory Council, International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA), National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), State of Ohio, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  In addition, several colleges and universities offer college credit for the CAFM program including Ferris State University in Michigan, Ranken Technical College in Missouri, and the Community College of the Air Force.