Truck Equipment holds MVP status for more than five years. You may have seen this symbol on our email signatures and various other forms of communication, but what does it mean? The National Truck Equipment Association's (NTEA) "Member Verification Program (MVP) recognizes eligible companies in the work truck industry for outstanding business practices and successful implementation of quality standards," according to the NTEA website.
In order to gain MVP status, a company must first be an association member. Candidates must then provide proper documentation proving they meet or exceed a set of criteria. Once a company qualifies, MVP status is given for a three-year term. When renewing, members must document compliance again, ensuring their ongoing commitment to professionalism, industry knowledge, and high performance. NAFA Fleet Management Association began endorsing the program in 2011.
Truck Equipment, Inc. has held MVP status for eight years, and must meet the following criteria requirements:
Register with the National Highway Travel Safety Association (NHTSA)
Must have five certification labels - final, altered, and intermediate labels
Minimum of $1 million in product liability insurance with proof of adequate financial responsibility
20 percent of shop employees, up to a maximum of 15, must be certified, not just trained. Examples of certifications include ASE, Certified Welder, Certified Installer, Machine Operator, Hydraulics, etc.
Company has a written safety program as required by OSHA and provide only the table of contents, a copy of a safety meeting agenda or employee sign-in for safety talk
Internal quality system with four main parts: order management system, truck check-in checklist, final inspection checklist and customer delivery checklist
One hour of training per employee per year (maximum 250 credit hours). Having a wide variety of training including sales, safety, installation, forklift operator, production, product training, etc.
Environmental policy (optional) - for companies that bid governmental municipalities and other companies that require a sustainability policy as part of their bid packages
Post-sale customer follow-up (optional) - as part of a strong customer satisfaction process, many companies have an after-sale follow-up to improve customer relations
MVP recipients may be distributors/upfitters, manufacturers that upfit, and manufacturers. MVP companies are located in the United States and Canada and are represented by more than 250 companies. You can learn more about the MVP program by visiting the NTEA website.