President’s Report Tracks President’s Report By Greg Snyder, CAR MATE Trailers, Inc.
With 2015 coming to a close, I would like to take this time to refl ect on NATM's many successes this year. As a member of this Association for over 15 years, every year I seem to say that this year was better than the last, and this year was no different! I was impressed once again and will tell anyone that this year really was even better than the last! NATM has achieved much during this last year, and it is important to celebrate that our hard work has paid off.
NATM continued its work in the fi rst quarter of this year to exclude ST Tires from the US Department of Commerce’s tariff on foreign tires. NATM’s comments noted that the vast majority of ST tires are not produced in the United States and thus there was no detrimental effect on the domestic tire manufacturing industry as the United Steelworkers Union had alleged existed in the passenger vehicle and light truck tire industry. In April, the Department of Commerce ruled to exclude ST Tires.
In February, NATM hosted its annual Convention & Trade Show in New Orleans. We had a sold-out trade show, robust sponsorships, and positive reviews from the attending members. The technical forums and workshops were packed, and for the fi rst time ever, the Association had
an online mobile application for attendees to use to navigate the schedule, location of events, booth information, as well as sponsor information. We even closed the show in true Mardi Gras fashion: with a parade!
NATM hosted its annual Regulatory Roundup in May and this year invited Bruce York, Division Chief, NHTSA Offi ce of Defects Investigation and Leo Yon, Safety Defects Engineer, NHTSA Early Warning Reporting Division, to discuss Early Warning Reporting and Recalls. For the Capitol Hill Visits, attendees scheduled 40 one-on-one visits with staffers and
4 November/December 2015
legislators. Multiple teams reported that the staff members and legislators that they met with remembered NATM and its goals of improving the safety of the industry, which shows that our annual visits are working.
SAFELY TOWING A TRAILER
National Association of Trailer Manufacturers Promoting Trailer Safety
For the last few years, NATM has educated legislators and staff about doubles towaway, and this year we saw our hard work pay off on June 25th, when Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), introduced companion bills referred to as the “Safe & Effi cient Trailer Delivery Act” in the House and Senate that would permit light- and medium- duty trailer manufacturers to deliver unladen trailers to their dealers in tandem combinations. Rep. Jenkins was joined in the effort by Representatives Steve Stivers (R-OH), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Jackie Walorski (R- IN), Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Collin Peterson (D-MN). Sen. Moran was joined by Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Pat Roberts (R- KS) and James Inhofe (R-OK).
These pieces of legislation, H.R. 2904 and S. 1692, represent a
common sense policy that would benefi t manufacturers, dealers and consumers, while decreasing the number of vehicles on the road and standardizing policy nationwide rather than forcing manufacturers to navigate a complicated patchwork of state laws. NATM has advocated for this policy in recent years and continues to push for its adoption.
NATM’s government affairs advocacy events also included three NATM member companies hosting roundtables and plant tours. My own CAR MATE welcomed US Congressman Glen “GT” Thompson, (PA-5). Big Tex Trailers hosted Rep. John Ratcliffe
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