Benefits

NATMI Certification – Why Pursue It?

Our focus is on improving fleet workforce performance and productivity

The North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) exists to improve the performance and productivity of the professionals directly responsible for effective fleet and driver performance – Safety Directors, Maintenance Managers, and Commercial Driver Trainers.

Through its training and professional certification programs, NATMI helps transportation professionals develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to:

  • reduce vehicle accidents
  • reduce employee injuries
  • control costs associated with vehicle maintenance
  • recruit and retain qualified drivers
  • avoid fines through proper regulatory compliance, and
  • present a favorable public image

The investment required to participate in NATMI professional development programs is minimal in comparison to the savings a company can realize through improved operations.

Benefits to the Applicant:

Certification is a formal means of establishing a professional reputation, a process for improving your work performance and advancing your career.  Certification measures your professionalism against objective standards respected industry-wide.  Certification means you have been tested against a standard and have succeeded.  The process of certification is designed not only to measure your current level of competence but improve your performance and take you to a new level of ability.

Here are just a few ways you can benefit:

Improve your managerial/technical competence

Advance your career

Establish a professional reputation

Gain international industry recognition

Improve your job performance

Earn a credential recognized in courtroom testimony

Benefits to the Employer:

While enhancing an individual’s professional standing in the industry is important, the real value of certification is performance improvement.  Not only does NATMI certification set recipients apart from their peers, it helps them do their jobs better, which increases their value within the company, improves the company’s operations and makes the highways safer for the public.

From a survey of Certified Directors of Safety, recipients stated that NATMI training and certification directly enhanced their ability to:

Lower the company’s accident rate (86%)

Achieve a lower occupational injury rate (83%)

Control costs associated with accident litigation (100%)

Comply with regulatory requirements (87%)

Also, Insurance companies take NATMI certification into account among other factors in setting premiums.

…don’t just take our word for it

“I feel I should take this opportunity to thank you for your program.  I believe it has been a great help as we strive to mold our safety team at A. Duie Pyle.

“Over the past few years we have brought a number of experienced drivers off the road and into the office to help with our safety efforts.  The structure of the NATMI program has helped these men tap into their experience in a meaningful and constructive way as they learn the foundation and reasons behind many of our company’s programs, policies and procedures.

“Our Loss Prevention team has successfully reduced both vehicle accidents and work related injuries by more than 40% over the past five years.  I firmly believe that the NATMI program has helped our group work as a team and has positively contributed to our success.

“NATMI has been good for our company, and is good for the industry.”

Peter L. Danneker, CDS
Director of Loss Prevention
A. Duie Pyle Companies

“I have been in trucking for 20 years and specifically Safety for the last 10. Over the years I have attended many different courses, yet none has impressed me as much as this one. Many courses teach you about safety and safe practices, however none that I have attended or investigated for content deal with the biggest hurdle of all, which is how to achieve approval and buy in from the owners and senior management of the trucking company.

“Those who take it will experience an advantage in knowledge and expertise at the highest level available. The material provided deals with every safety related issue that may occur. But not only that, it teaches you to “think outside the box”. The material is top notch and current to all the changes in legislation. The instructor was extremely knowledgeable and very skilled in presenting the material.

“One other advantage I gained in taking this course was the networking. I had the opportunity to meet other Safety Managers from across the country. We all have agreed to keep in touch and help one another out whenever possible. Without a doubt I believe that all Safety Managers would benefit from this course.”

Brian Botham, CDS
Manager Safety & Driver Resources
MacKinnon Transport Inc.

“I believe certification has helped in others knowing I have credibility in the areas being discussed.  Several state safety council members, various accident reconstruction companies and insured’s have asked for guidance from me in obtaining their CDS certification. One and all perceive it to be a worthy goal. Because of the excellent guidance given in the Motor Fleet Safety Supervision, Principles and Practices text, I am better able to identify where the holes exist in a safety program.”

Paul Cunningham, CDS
Safety Representative
Great West Casualty Company

“Certification gives a more developed employee. Companies not pushing certification are missing an opportunity.”

Mike Connelly, CDS
DM Bowman

“The knowledge and insights I gained from being involved in the NATMI certification program have 1. Given me increased confidence in performing my job, 2. Increased my network base through new contacts, 3. Enhanced my credibility and 4. Instilled within me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.”

Richard Beck, CSS, CDS
Division Safety Manager, Safety Leader
Ruan Transportation Management System

“I had no actual credentials to back up my experience until I completed my qualifications for my CDS from NATMI. My CDS from NATMI gave me a credential that legitimized my experience and helped me to become a more valuable member of the company’s vehicle fleet department. I’m living proof that NATMI certifications are well worth the effort to earn.”

Lou Frangella, CDS
Division Vehicle Manager
CSX Transportation

“The course-work required was a great preparatory foundation for the real world applications…The CDS certification has definitely helped me in establishing my professional credentials and credibility both within my company and with federal/state regulators…I highly recommend certification for anyone seriously interested in pursuing transportation safety as their profession.”

Alex Guariento, CDS
Director of Safety
Greyhound Lines, Inc

“My CDS certification enables me to serve as an expert witness in accident cases with little or no challenge to my status as an expert witness by opposing attorneys. It also helps me establish credibility when making presentations to groups outside my own organization when these groups know nothing about my background or experience.”

Walt Weiss, CDS
Principle
J&W Safety Consulting