Visitors to the NAFA Fleet Management Assn.'s 2009 Institute & Expo, to be held April 25-28 at New Orleans' Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, will be able to take advantage of the CAFM Boot Camp that debuted just last year. NAFA is a non-profit professional society that serves the needs of members who manage fleets of automobiles, trucks and a range of specialized mobile equipment.
The Boot Camp enables fleet managers training in the Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) program to gather information, take exams and receive test results the next day. The second installment of the Boot Camp will add Certified Automotive Fleet Supervisor (CAFS) programs as well.
Members of NAFA's certification board and active CAFMs will moderate the Boot Camp, which will review concepts in the certification curriculum, provide participants enrolled in the CAFM or CAFS program the opportunity to reinforce their expertise and obtain assistance for problematic concepts.
The CAFS certification program, new this year, is open to workers within a fleet department, including technicians, assistants and others in fleet-related positions who wish to enter into a fleet management career.
The CAFS was created when NAFA split the CAFM designation into an upper and lower tier. Each tier covers four of the eight fleet management disciplines required to earn a CAFM. Fleet information management, maintenance management, professional development and vehicle fuel management are part of the CAFS tier while asset management, business management, financial management and risk management comprise the CAFM tier.
Successful completion of the lower-tier program earns the participant the CAFS designation. Successful completion of all eight disciplines earns the participant the CAFM designation.
Attendees enrolled in the CAFM or CAFS programs may take their test on Friday, April 24 and then attend Boot Camp sessions on the disciplines they haven't passed and then be re-tested on Wednesday, April 29, if necessary.