While the NPTC Annual Conference & Exhibition this past April in Nashville was rated the best NPTC event in over five years, Indianapolis 2007 is shaping up to be even bigger and better. All private fleet professionals are urged to join us in Indy April 29 to May 1 for NPTC 2007. Our conference theme is “Racing to the Winner's Circle” and our goal is to break last year's attendance record of 933 and bring in over 1,000 attendees. Hence the rallying cry, “INDY 1000.”
Preparing for NPTC's annual meeting is literally a year-long process. Under the leadership of the Annual Conference Planning Committee, headed by Debra A. Stone, CTP, and 18 other members comprised of Fleet and Allied NTPC members, the committee focuses on identifying 20 key topics for the educational workshops, which will address the most important and pressing issues private fleet professionals face today. These workshops are among the highest rated activities of NPTC conferences.
In addition to the unparalleled educational experience of the workshops, attendees will have the unique opportunity to hear one of America's most respected CEOs describe how important the private fleet has been to his company for more than a century. His name is Dan Jorndt, former President and CEO of Walgreen Co. Mr. Jorndt led one of the largest and most successful major companies in the U.S., a retail giant proud of and dependent upon its private truck fleet. He will address the Conference at the Kick-Off Brunch on Sunday, April 29th, following the Certified Transportation Professional® graduation and recognition ceremony.
The following day also features a senior executive speaker from another NPTC-member company with a successful private fleet. Ned Galbally, former Senior Vice President of Global Operations, BOC, will be the guest speaker at the Driver Hall of Fame Luncheon, where he will explain how BOC built a strong driver retention and safety performance record.
For the Safety Awards Breakfast on Tuesday, May 1st, NPTC has invited FMCSA administrator John H. Hill to speak. The final speaker of the Conference will be Ken Schmidt, Harley-Davidson Executive and Communications Expert, who will wrap up NPTC 2007 with an inspirational presentation at the Tuesday Luncheon.
NPTC 2007 will have a state-of-the-art Exhibit Hall with more than 125 exhibitors showcasing the newest and most innovative products on the market. On Sunday, April 29th, NPTC will honor the largest graduating class of Certified Transportation Professionals® in ten years. As part of this ceremony, the Top Graduate Award will be presented.
The NPTC/Bridgestone Firestone Driver Hall of Fame installation ceremony will take place on Monday, preceded by the F.L.E.E.T Awards recognition ceremony honoring leading private fleet professionals.
An extraordinary evening of entertainment and dancing sponsored by the Allied Committee for the Trucking Industry is planned for April 29th and features the famous oldies-but-goodies rock and roll band “Phil Dirt and the Dozers”.
In sum, NPTC 2007 will be the year's most intense and rewarding learning experience in the private truck fleet industry — chock-full of ideas and solutions invaluable to private fleet professionals.
We look forward to your being one of the “INDY 1000” at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of NPTC 2007.
Gary Petty is President and CEO of the National Private Truck Council. The council's web site is www.nptc.org. His column appears monthly in FLEET OWNER.
