As many of you may or may not know, 2022 marks NorthAmerican Transportation Association’s 33rd anniversary. This is an exciting milestone for us, and we’re so grateful that thousands of you have trusted your business needs to us over the years. Among the many exciting developments that are scheduled to take place this year, we have decided to relocate our corporate office from Reno, Nevada, to the state Capital, Carson City. This will allow us to have a more dynamic office space, and the ability to serve our members more effectively. Our official move date is March 25, 2022, but we are already in the process of getting things in order to make this transition as smooth as possible. Our new Nevada address is 680 West Nye Lane, Suite 201, Carson City, NV 89703.
Another exciting announcement is our involvement with the Truckin’ For Kids Show & Drags, recently acquired by our friends at 10-4 Magazine. At this year’s charity event, being held on September 11 in Irwindale, California, NTA will be a premier sponsor. We look forward to helping the magazine, and their newly formed nonprofit organization 10-4 Charities, Inc., to raise a lot of money for their chosen cause and, of course, host a fun and exciting show for everyone to enjoy.
In January we officially merged our drug program with Nationwide Testing, creating a larger and more comprehensive program. The main change is that our internal personnel are not handling the testing paperwork, but our members are benefiting from lower prices and expanded testing facilities. We did this because we wanted our members to benefit by saving money and having more flexibility. You can get more details about our new drug testing program at www.ntatesting.com.
These changes have allowed us to pursue new possibilities within the Transportation Industry. The NTA is excited to also launch a new pilot program – The NTA Transport Academy. The Transport Academy will offer comprehensive instruction for new drivers entering the industry, with the goal of setting up ready-to-roll Independent Carriers with the high standards of the NTA. We are currently pursuing government funding from the DOT to totally subsidize full scholarships for those who qualify to become professional truck drivers by the new DOT Standards. In the process, we will also be able to provide our member fleet owners with compliant-ready Independent Contractors to add to their driving force. We hope this will be a win-win for everyone involved.
Next, we are also introducing our new Market Segment Specialization Program (MSSP). NTA’s Business Services is a valuable resource to our members. It is a one-of-a-kind service that no other association provides. As an NTA member, you have access to our vast expertise and experience of the complex issues truckers deal with every day. NTA’s Business Services staff can assist members on such topics as developing their own customers, branding, business loans, the interpretation of the federal regulations, drug testing issues, law enforcement, and protection of their rights under lease agreements.
For intrastate motor carriers, under this one-of-a kind new program, we will help you set up your own customized traffic lanes to the major cities of your choice using our “Wagon Wheel” example with as many leads as you want. We will also customize your very own business introduction letter to help you get set up. Prices start as low as $97.00!
For interstate carriers, under this same new one-of-a-kind program, we will help you set up your own customized traffic lanes to major cites of your choice or by the region of your choice. Regions such as the New England states with CT, ME, MA, RI and VT are available. We can also customize your customers by industry, geographical, or by the Standard Industrial Classification system (SIC).
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statics (BLS) shows that approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years. Only 25% of new businesses make it to 15 years or more. Let us help you to succeed.
Next, provisional data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate that there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12-month period ending in April 2021 – an increase of 28.5% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period the year before. To help combat this epidemic, NTA is now offering Verifique & SwabTek detection kits for the first time. These testing kits can detect narcotics in samples such as pills, powders, oils, edibles, and plant material, as well as items suspected of being drug paraphernalia, such as pipes, vape pens, baggies, and needles, with results in under 30 seconds. The easy and discrete tests are non-confrontational and use a patented dry reagent technology that makes them safe and convenient to use anywhere.
Next, The DOT plans to allow oral fluid as a new drug testing method. A notice of proposed rulemaking to amend the transportation industry’s drug testing program procedures was set to publish in the Federal Register on Monday, February 28. The public will have 30 days to comment. If this proposed rule goes into effect, you can count on NTA to offer it.
The proposal follows the Department of Health and Human Services’ 2019 rule that allowed federal executive branch agencies to use oral fluid specimens as part of their drug testing. Although the rule went into effect on January 1, 2020, each agency is required to go through its own rulemaking process. This latest notice of proposed rulemaking marks the beginning of that process for the Department of Transportation. “This will give employers a choice that will help combat employee cheating on urine drug tests and provide a more economical, less intrusive means of achieving the safety goals of the program,” the notice stated.
If you have questions about any of these new programs being offered by the NTA, feel free to call us at (800) 805-0040 or visit our website at www.ntassoc.com today. Our mission has always been to help you succeed, and that hasn’t changed since our beginning 33 years ago. Like I always say, until next month, “Drive Safe – Drive Smart!”
