The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) operates the second largest state owned highway network in the United States, with nearly 80,000 center line miles. The NCDOT self-performs a substantial percentage of its maintenance and operation work and is heavily reliant upon its fleet of trucks and heavy equipment for carrying out its mission. Due to audit findings conducted by the North Carolina State Auditor addressing underutilization of commonly used classes of equipment in the fleet. One of the key recommendations of the audit was for NCDOT to provide training for its equipment managers and require that all Division Equipment Superintendents obtain professional certification through the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP).
The National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP) at Michigan State University and its co-consultants, Ferris State University and Trans Tech Management will develop and deliver to NCDOT a comprehensive instructor-led Equipment Fleet Management Training Course appropriate for those charged with managing state DOT heavy equipment fleets and tailored to the specific needs of NCDOT fleet managers. Development of the course will include a literature review and survey of state DOT equipment directors to ascertain the current practices being utilized for fleet management training by peer states. The course, and accompanying participant training guide will incorporate material from the AEMP, Ferris State University course curriculum, knowledge of the consultant team and input from the NCDOT Fleet Management Unit staff. Participants completing this multi-week course will recieve Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) from Michigan State University and will be eligible and well equiped to sit for the AEMP Certified Equipment Manager examination.
