NPTC President and CEO Gary Petty writes a regular column in Fleet Owner Magazine, in addition to online articles in Fleet Owner Newsline, that focus on leaders, private fleet companies, best practices, and unique features which make private fleet trucking a competitive advantage in corporate transportation.. Reaching more than 100,000 subscribers, three-quarters of whom are private fleet professionals, these publications highlight expert management practitioners and successful business models of leading private fleets.

Gary Petty | gpetty@nptc.org | Private Fleet Editor for FleetOwner Magazine
Gary Petty has more than 30 years of experience as CEO of national trade associations in the trucking industry. He has been the president and CEO of the National Private Truck Council since 2001.
The Sausage FleetMagazine Column
In 1948, a hog farmer named Bob Evans found trouble trying to get quality sausage for customers at his 12-stool restaurant named The Sausage Shop, located in the tiny village of Gallipolis, OH. So he began making his own…_x000D_
Patience is KeyMagazine Column
Chris Trice is an exceptionally good truck driver. But he is also an uncommonly good person. Delivering tires and automotive parts with exemplary levels of service and safety for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations for the past several years as a contract driver with CPC Logistics, Trice was chosen as an NPTC National Driver All-Star last year…._x000D_
Boosting SafetyMagazine Column
Cutting-edge issues such as sleep apnea and CSA compliance will headline next month’s eighth annual National Safety Conference sponsored by the National Private Truck Council. Hundreds of private fleet safety professionals will gather just outside of Washington, DC, for the meeting, which will be held Sept. 15-16 at the Hyatt Dulles in Herndon, VA…_x000D_
Hall of Fame DriverMagazine Column
As one of the country’s great industrial giants, Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) operates the largest agricultural transportation system in the world. The company deploys its own private fleet of barges, a private railroad, and a private truck fleet known as ADM Trucking…_x000D_
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Tire RunsMagazine Column
Based in Findlay, OH, the Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has operated a private truck fleet for more than 50 years, using a major brand full-service leasing company for its 17 sleeper-berth tractors…
In-Cab SafetyMagazine Column
Each year, the National Private Truck Council Safety Committee holds its Summer On-Site Meeting at a member company to demonstrate innovative safety systems and technology. In 2011, the meeting will be held…
Higher StandardsMagazine Column
A small grocery store named Meijer opened for business in little-known Greenville, MI, in 1934. From this Depression-era beginning, Meijer launched the first “supercenter”…
Milk RunsMagazine Column
Based in Buffalo, NY, Upstate Niagara is a dairy cooperative owned by 400 dairy farms ranging in size from about 50 to 3,000 cows and producing some of the highest quality milk in the country…
Identifying Fleet ValueMagazine Column
Last year, NPTC officially launched one of the most dynamic private fleet management tools ever to enter the marketplace. The Private Fleet Assessment Program (PFAP), sponsored as a joint venture by NPTC, Schneider National and Optima Associates…_x000D_
Raising the BarMagazine Column
Next month, the National Private Truck Council unveils a new and expanded version of its Private Fleet Management Institute (PFMI), a robust training opportunity that provides private fleet professionals the tools and resources they need to unlock…._x000D_
Delivering the Safe WayMagazine Column
As one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America operating one of the top two-dozen largest private fleets in the country, Safeway Inc. has an extensive network of distribution, manufacturing and food-processing facilities…_x000D_
Blue-Ribbon ServiceMagazine Column
Orscheln Farm & Home is a leading Midwestern retailer serving rural and suburban customers with 154 retail store locations throughout nine states in the country’s heartland. These locations are serviced from a single distribution point…
Class ActMagazine Column
For the past 17 years, the National Private Truck Council has offered a highly regarded professional certification program for private fleet professionals (the only one of its kind in the United States)…
Going Private in MexicoMagazine Column
In the spring of 2007, Gates Corp. had a special challenge. It was becoming apparent that the company’s manufacturing locations for power transmission and fluid power products in Mexico were becoming major suppliers for domestic distribution in the United States…
New Playing Field Lies AheadMagazine Column
All eyes of the trucking industry are fixed on the CSA 2010 regulations scheduled for full implementation in November. New rules and higher standards of safety will come into play…
A Driver’s True ValueMagazine Column
True Value Co.’s private fleet consists of 310 leased tractors, 776 trailers, and 342 full-time drivers traveling 27 million mi. per year. Working out of 12 distribution centers…
Benchmarking SuccessMagazine Column
In today’s cost-driven environment, private fleet “justification” has, for all practical purposes, become a per-run, per-day drill event for managers of even the most proven and long-standing fleets. National benchmarks to measure how well an individual private fleet stacks up…._x000D_
Family-Focused FleetMagazine Column
Founded in Aurora, Ind., in 1890 by Colonel John J. Backman, Aurora Casket Co. has grown into the largest privately held casket manufacturer in the United States and is still owned and run by the Backman and Barrott families. The company’s original factory location…
World-Class Private FleetsMagazine Column
After assisting several private fleets this past month through the new Private Fleet Assessment Program (PFAP), Optima Associates reports that the resource continues to elevate private fleet performance. Of those private fleets that have completed the assessment…_x000D_
Focus on FleetsMagazine Column
Today’s private fleet professional continues to function under immense pressure to deliver exceptional performance. Managers are expected to be leading edge, with new solutions and innovative ideas geared toward optimizing fleet operations. In this demanding climate…_x000D_