Growing pains are always symptoms of growing industries. The car fleet industry is no exception. To tell members of the industry that there are problems which cry out for solution is simply to dwell upon the obvious. There will be no effort to do that in this column.

What will be: done, however, is to ask why something has not been done about what we at AUTOMOTIVE FLEET believe to be the Number One problem facing the ear fleet industry today: The lack of trained personnel and the lack of steps taken by the industry for the training of its future leaders.

Many problems have been dealt with - and dealt with successfully - by industry leaders since the birth of the car fleet market immediately after World War II.

Whether it was lease contracts, types of leasing, used ear disposal, buying of ears, maintenance problems, financing, insurance, safety, warranties or other problems common to the industry, individual members banded together and worked toward a common solution. In a great majority of the cases, the results were of benefit to the entire industry.

But what about the training of personnel? What has the industry done to improve the over-all professional ability of its new members? There can be no denying the tremendous benefits given to individual members and the industry as a whole by associations such as NAFA, AALA and CATRALA. But this effort is more for those already in the field, those who have received some basic: knowledge of the industry.

Let's take the case of John Q. College Graduate. He has learned enough about the ear fleet industry to know that it is a young, vital and booming industry. He believes there is a future for him in the field. Yet, to whom does our John Q. College Graduate turn for guidance? Where does he go for his graduate school training in the car fleet industry?

In the last 20 years what has the industry as a whole done to educate John Q. College Graduate? What has the industry done about the young men who want to learn the market, who want to become a vital part of this growing business? Up until now, the answer is nothing.

We at AUTOMOTIVE FLEET believe it is time that the industry leaders, the leaders of NAFA, AALA and CATRALA, begin considering the initiation of some type of training program, some type of course, for those who want to get started in the field.

We in the industry take pride in our men of knowledge. To list the 20 or 30 men of prominence in the industry would be to leave off the names of another 20 or 30 of equal importance. We in the industry know the ability of these leaders to teach to those selected few the intricacies of the car fleet market.

Perhaps this instruction would be in the form of a summer school course. Perhaps the instruction would be through the establishing of courses at a well-known university. Perhaps this instruction would be through the benefit of grants at local universities. Perhaps such instruction would be through on-the-job training of recipients carefully selected by a panel of industry leaders.

Whatever the method, whatever the means, it is time that the industry did something about this lack of training.

The car fleet industry is growing at a rate of 17 to 20 per cent each year. Such a growth means more positions, more job opportunities, more room for advancement. Yet, where are the future leaders of tomorrow coming from?

This is a question that every industry member should ask himself. If a ready answer is not available, then we at AF believe it is time that the entire industry take definite steps toward finding an answer.