Stay at the top of your game — sharpen your skills

Like finances, time is typically a limited resource. However, investing time and money in education has the potential to become a tenfold return on both. Education is often treated like a commodity — one that is important to manage. Successful fleet managers must stay educated to remain informed about industry developments. New products, technologies and management strategies are constantly brought forward in the industry. Time challenges often direct fleet managers to look toward the electronic frontier for training and information. Certainly, there are vast, high-quality online resources including webinars, product resources and technical training. These learning platforms are valuable and respected. However, it’s important not to eliminate the hands-on experience and in-person interaction aspects of education. Choosing the right event, delivered in the right format is critical to getting a time and money return on investment. Next year includes several industry-related events providing fleet managers an abundance of educational opportunities. Events that offer the most exposure to face-to-face education, peer networking and industry connections are important.

Understanding opportunities
The Work Truck Show^® 2019, Green Truck Summit, Fleet Technical Congress, and Manufacturer and Distributor Innovation Conference provide direct interaction with industry leaders, product experts and educators. These robust events showcase hands-on experiences with the latest truck equipment and technology. Limited financial resources and time constraints are sometimes hurdles fleet managers face when considering attending trade shows. Management may require justification and follow-up information when approval to attend is necessary. The ability to communicate to management about the organization-wide benefits of out-of-office education and interaction with peers is invaluable. Successful fleet professionals will seize these opportunities, and then build on their advocacy efforts to attend trade shows with timely post-show reports to management. A thorough benefit explanation and information sharing after a trade show could help to solidify future attendance for fleet managers.

Looking toward 2019
Plan now to attend Work Truck Show, Green Truck Summit, Fleet Technical Congress, and Manufacturer and Distributor Innovation Conference (sessions begin March 5; exhibit hall open March 6–8 in Indianapolis, Indiana). Each event’s education content is customized based on direct feedback. This is a chance for a hands-on experience with new equipment and direct interaction with product specialists from over 500 companies. Fleet professionals have the opportunity to examine best practices, talk and learn from other fleet managers, experience emerging commercial vehicle technologies and establish new peer networks. For more information and registration options visit worktruckshow.com/fleets.