NATM Hosts Annual Membership Meeting

By Elizabeth Moore, NATM Tracks Editor

The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) held their annual membership meeting virtually on Feb. 18, 2021. The Association works to improve the safety of the nation’s roadways through its Compliance Verification Program (CVP) to ensure federal compliance of light- and medium-duty trailers under 26,000 lbs. GVWR. The membership meeting is usually held in person during the NATM Convention & Trade Show but was moved online due to the cancellation of the show. The event serves as a chance for members to discuss the Association’s successes and programming over the year. Topics covered included the financial health of the Association, membership benefits, marketing initiatives, educational programming, and the Association’s strategic planning.

Membership Types

With the Dealer Affiliate Program established and growing, NATM is once again looking to broaden membership opportunities to bolster trailer safety and education. The Association has proposed a new NATM membership type to be

voted on by the entire NATM membership in early spring. More details to come!

Membership Benefits

Even with all the obstacles 2020 presented, NATM continued to push forward to provide key benefits to members, including resources that could be utilized immediately in response to COVID-19. The Association brought members regular updates regarding changing regulations surrounding essential businesses, workplace safety, and available relief mechanisms. In addition, the Association:

• Created the Guidance on Workplace Safety for COVID-19

• Created a COVID-19 Resource Center on www.NATM.com

• Sent a letter to Vice President Pence outlining the experience of NATM members during this outbreak

• Partnered with Marsh and McLennan Agency to bring a weekly webinar series

As a result of the pandemic, NATM cancelled the 2021 Convention & Trade Show that was to be held in Nashville, Tenn. in February. The cancellation of the show was not only a disappointment, but also a financial detriment to many businesses as the NATM Convention & Trade Show serves as a major sales and marketing opportunity for suppliers and service providers to the light- and medium-duty trailer industry. To create additional business opportunities, NATM created year-round sponsorships for NATM’s webinars, new member program, and Trailer Safety Week—set for June 6-12. To view current sponsorship opportunities, visit page 28.

Despite the dramatic shift in programming to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the Association launched new, and improved, existing benefits. In 2020, NATM launched an Association Health Plan, an Association 401(k) program, the online NATM Resource Library, and added monthly training for the compliance team. To find out details on the Association’s Affinity Programs, turn to page 64.

The NATM Online Resource Library has informational articles and resources spanning across many categories, including: business administration/HR, technical, membership/marketing, the Compliance Verification Program (CVP), and a section

for trailer-user information. On-demand webinars will also be housed in the Resource Library for members’ easy access. New articles and resources are regularly added to the Library as NATM continues to expand the breadth and depth of information available to members. This Resource Library is an exclusive NATM Member benefit; go to www.ShopNATM.com and create a log-in to access the Library.

Members also receive exclusive social media benefits through NATM’s pages. Currently, three social media campaigns are running on these pages. “Women Crush Wednesday” gives member companies the chance to show off women in manufacturing. “Where in the World is Your NATM Decal?” highlights compliant trailers in their “natural habitats.” Lastly, the “Combatting Workforce Issues” campaign shows how NATM members are tackling the workforce shortage amongst other challenges. To get social with NATM, visit www.NATM.com/get_social. For more information on these campaigns, turn to page 38.

Affiliate Benefits

For the past few years, NATM has sought out ways to further the mission of trailer safety, and the Dealer Affiliate Program, launched in 2019, is another way for the Association to support compliance, safety, and education. In 2020, the Association expanded Dealer Affiliate benefits with the publication of the NATM Dealer Compendium which is full of educational content that helps trailer dealers access key information quickly.

Modeled after the NATM Guidelines for trailer manufacturers, this resource guide is over 300 pages long and contains information on: state towing, brakes, safety chains, and license plate laws; tire recordkeeping requirements, and information of CDLs, FET, GVWRs, and EWR. The Dealer Compendium also provides education on the importance of selling compliant trailers and information on how to sell compliance to end-users. Helping dealers understand and communicate these tricky topics to end-users is a win for the entire industry and for the safety of the nation’s roadways!

Trailer Safety Week

Trailer Safety Week was first introduced to the industry in the summer of 2018. Since then, this awareness campaign aimed at generating knowledge surrounding trailer safety has grown significantly. In 2020, NATM extended the reach of Trailer Safety Week by 56 percent over 2019 with 235 companies signing on as allies. Thanks to the support of Trailer Safety Week Allies, NATM’s reach alone was over 90,000 people during last year’s safety week and was even featured on a major news station in Salt Lake City.

Allies are sent an official TSW Communications Kit a month prior to Trailer Safety Week. This kit has everything from precrafted social posts and blog posts, to ready-to-use graphics, and banner ads for websites. Promoting the company’s involvement with Trailer Safety Week is a breeze with this jam-packed kit. The information can even be customized to include content specific to each Ally’s products and services that promote trailer safety.

NATM also debuted two additional levels of commitment to Trailer Safety Week: Champions and Partners. Champions’ support of Trailer Safety week exceeds that of Allies, and as such, they earn greater promotional opportunities. Partners take the next step further with content development and resource sharing. Partners must conform to specific standards and requirements. To learn more about any of these opportunities and to sign up visit www.TrailerSafetyWeek.com/interest.

Compliance Verification Program (CVP) Update

The Compliance Verification Program (CVP) is one of the key benefits for trailer manufacturer members. Trailer manufacturing members undergo a consultation every two years which features an extensive checklist of items intended to ensure trailer manufacturing members have the processes in place to build trailers in accordance with federal safety regulations and industry best practices. The compliance team holds monthly meetings to ensure the consultants are not only up to date with changing trends but to consistently interpret and enforce the CVP for all members. NATM also updates the CVP regularly. Recently, tire recordkeeping and component capacity enforcement were updated. The compliance team is also looking into updating lighting, VIN label, and spare tire requirements. These updates and changes help better ensure members are in compliance with federal regulation.

Government Affairs Update

Government affairs advocacy is an important part of the Association’s work to help keep roadways safe and contribute to industry success. At the membership meeting, NATM’s Government Affairs Representatives, K&L Gates, gave a brief overview of the new Administration and the potential impact these changes could have on the industry.

2021 ushered in the new Biden Administration and with it, a number of changes in Congress as well as on Committees. The inauguration of President Biden means that Vice President Kamala Harris will break all ties on votes in the Senate. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) ascended to the role of Majority Leader. With the even split, the work of the new Senate will be contingent on power sharing agreements and cooperation with his minority counterpart, something last experienced in 2001 when the Senate was briefly 50-50. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is now Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, who will have jurisdiction over highways, shipping, transportation security, interstate commerce, economic development, and technology. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) continues his efforts on the Committee as the Ranking Member.

In addition to changes in leadership and shifts in the governing majority, the new Congress will add over 60 new Members to the rank and file. Many of these Members will be joining the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee where they will have a voice on issues important to NATM’s members. With the Highway Reauthorization Bill expiring in 2021 and continued drumbeats for infrastructure investment, it is expected that President Biden and Congress will seek to make bold decisions in this area. NATM has already begun engaging in these discussions and will continue to promote its legislative agenda.

Future Association Plans

NATM established a strategic plan in 2019 with three focus areas: supporting industry growth, being the recognized leader in trailer safety, and maintaining the integrity and raising the value of the Compliance Verification Program. Due to the pandemic, the NATM Board voted to extend the program through 2022 as many plans were derailed as a result of the pandemic. To get the latest information on NATM’s Strategic Plan, flip to page 24.

2020’s efforts have laid the groundwork for exciting new benefits and programming to be launched this year. NATM created a committee working on a special project to develop an online training program to improve trailer safety—more information to come soon. The Association will also be launching materials and guidance to create or improve an in-house quality management system. This new program will help members streamline processes, cultivate a commitment to quality output, and help create mechanisms to support consistency as labor shortages and turnover continue to plague the industry. The compliance committee is also vetting additional changes to the Compliance Verification Program, helping to expand enforcement and ensure the Association is diving deep enough into various items to adequately ensure compliance to federal regulation. And, soon, the NATM Resource Library will be expanded to include an online store to include decal purchases as well as increased content much of which will be offered for free to members.

NATM is also planning several webinars to be released throughout the year. Webinars that are to be scheduled include topics such as increasing trailer payload, trailer technology trends, a government affairs update, and more. The Association is beginning work on the 2022 Convention & Trade show set for Feb. 1-3 in sunny Tampa, Fla. To learn more about the events NATM is hosting, visit www.NATM.com/natm-events.