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The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM), known as the resource for safety and compliance for the light- and medium-duty trailer industry, has published the 2020 edition of the Guidelines. This massive document takes the guesswork out of meeting federal requirements governing the manufacturing of trailers under 26,000 lbs. GVWR and is a benefit of NATM membership.
Building trailers to meet the federal regulations outlined in the NATM Guidelines is not optional. It is required by law and enforced by law enforcement every day on the nation’s roadways. But it can be very time-intensive for trailer manufacturers to research the numerous federal rules, regulations, standards, and accepted industry practices that govern trailer construction. NATM addresses this by compiling the Guidelines for Recommended Manufacturing Practices for Light- and Medium-Duty Trailers. The document consists of over 400 pages of laws, regulations, rules, standards, and industry best practices. This information is gathered from resources such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, the Traffic Safety Administration, the Maintenance Council, and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association amongst others. The Guidelines is updated annually by industry experts that stay abreast of changing regulations and who vet the addition of recommendations and best practices. Members report substantial time savings by utilizing the Guidelines, particularly on the topics of lighting and reflectors, VIN and data plates, gross vehicle weight ratings, and state brake requirements. While the Guidelines focus on U.S. regulations, many may have an interest in Canadian compliance. For more information, visit Transport Canada’s website at www.TV.GC.ca/en/transport-canada.html. In recent years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has increased its enforcement activity concerning the compliance of motor vehicle manufacturers, including trailer manufacturers. NHTSA has placed particular concern on meeting tire recordkeeping requirements, which includes both manufacturer records as well as the provision of TIN cards to dealers, distributors, and purchasers. This is only one of the many requirements outlined in NATM’s Guidelines. NATM assists its trailer manufacturing members in avoiding costly fines and decreasing liability related to trailer compliance through the NATM Compliance Verification Program (CVP). The NATM CVP is an unbiased, third-party audit of the trailer manufacturing process and uses the Guidelines as the backbone for the program. The CVP provides biennial on-site consultations to trailer manufacturers and technical assistance throughout the entire process to ensure companies are manufacturing trailers consistent with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and other industry best practices. Once a trailer manufacturer has successfully passed the Compliance Verification Program, the company is able to purchase NATM Decals and market their company’s dedication to fulfilling their safety requirements by participating in an unbiased, third-party audit of their trailers. While participation in the NATM Compliance Verification Program is an additional, voluntary cost for manufacturers, there are economic benefits of participation. “The first-year sales saw a 20 percent boost and blew past the forecast over three years for the sales improvements for revenue targets for the existing trailer product. We will continue to use up the [NATM] labels we have in stock, and then order more,” said Pete Dixon, Engineer at Karcher North America, Inc., regarding the benefit of being a member of the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. For more information about how the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers can assist your trailer manufacturing company, visit www.NATM.com, email NATMHQ@natm.com, or call (785) 272-4433.
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Your 2021 NATM membership renewal notice was mailed to the attention of your accounts payable department in November. For international members, invoices were emailed. You have the option to renew your membership online at www.NATM.com. Log into the Members Only section to view and pay the invoice. Should you decide to pay online, please advise accounts payable to disregard the notice. Your membership login credentials are below. Pay Membership Dues Online Instantly:
Troubleshooting Online Payments: No Invoice When Logging In? Thank you for attempting to renew your membership with NATM online! Did you try logging into the Member’s Only portal to pay, only to find that there are no open invoices attached to your account? Are you seeing your main contact’s first and last name instead of only your company’s name? Then unfortunately your computer is remembering the wrong credentials! When logging in, you should only see your company’s name. To ensure that your computer accepts the new credentials sent to main contacts in late November, please try the following:
Correct: When using the correct credentials, your business name will be seen.
INCORRECT: If you are seeing an individual’s name, then your computer is remembering old credentials. Please use a different browser or clear your computer’s cookies.
Membership dues must be paid no later than January 31, 2021. If dues are not received by Jan. 31, the member company will be considered delinquent and all membership benefits will be terminated until paid per the NATM Bylaws.
Thank you for your continued support of the Association. Please don’t hesitate to contact Meghan Ryan, NATM Assistant Director, at Meghan.Ryan@natm.com if you have any questions or concerns.  Join NATM’s leadership, staff, and your fellow members for the 2021 Annual Membership Meeting from the comfort of your own desk! On February 18, 2021 at 1 pm central, NATM members are invited to attend a virtual meeting to learn about what their Association has accomplished in the last year, its plans for 2021, give feedback on programming, and vote on Bylaws amendments.
Members will hear from NATM’s board president, members of the staff, government affairs representatives from K&L Gates, as well as our affinity program partners throughout the meeting. With an agenda to be circulated in January, members can expect to learn about upcoming changes to the compliance program, advocacy efforts in 2020 and areas of focus in 2021, newly released member benefits as well as upcoming programming in the works as part of the NATM Strategic Plan. The Association will also be polling attendees about potential programming and benefits changes. NATM wants to hear from the industry to guide the work it undertakes – let your voice be heard and register today! The NATM Board will also be recommending changes to Bylaws, including adding a new membership type, that attendees will vote on during the meeting. There will also be time throughout the meeting to answer members questions, making it easier than ever to interact with your Association. Please join us February 18, 2021 at 1 pm central, register now! Once registered, please add @gotowebinar.com to your whitelist or address book to ensure you receive the login credentials for the meeting. *The NATM membership meeting is only open to Association members per the NATM Bylaws. Registrations from non-members will be denied.   On November 9th, NATM launched its first annual giving campaign – NATM Feeds America – an opportunity for the industry and NATM to join together in giving back to charitable organizations. For 2020, NATM chose to support Feeding America, an organization that works nationwide to provide meals to those in need. With 98.7% of all funding going directly into programming, Feeding America is able to turn each dollar donated into 10 meals.
With more than 54 million Americans expected to face food insecurity this year as a result of the pandemic and wildfires, feeding our neighbors is more important than perhaps it has ever been. As a new wave of COVID-19 continues to debilitate the country and with schools choosing to go remote this winter, it is estimated 18 million children will face food insecurity – many of whom rely on school for meals. When NATM launched this campaign in early November, the Association set the goal of raising $5,000 from members and promised to match that first $5,000 dollar for dollar. In less than 36 hours, the trailer industry showed up and exceeded that goal. The fundraising bar was then raised to $8,000 and just 10 days after launching the campaign, the industry again exceeded the goal. We’re asking for your help to raise $11,000 and create 100,000 meals for those in need. NATM will contribute the promised $5,000 creating an additional 50,000 meals. Help NATM Feed America today! To thank our members for giving back, the company that collectively contributes the most will be covered in NATM’s marketing of the campaign, both in print and online via various industry publications, and receive a free full-page ad in Tracks. And, for every $100 donated, you get one entry into a drawing for a free full Convention registration – the more you give the more entries you get! The 2021 membership renewals are hitting inboxes, which is the perfect time for the Association to reflect on how membership dues are critical in supporting the actions, services, and educational programming that NATM provides for its members and the light- and medium-duty trailer industry. NATM is constantly evaluating costs and benefits to ensure your annual membership investment is being met with valuable returns.
In 2020, membership dues allowed NATM to:
NATM’s commitment is to its members and ultimately to trailer safety. Supporting NATM members’ ability to grow and prosper, while also contributing to the safety of the nation’s roadways, is what drives the Association’s work. Your support of this mission and your feedback along the way is vital to NATM’s success. NATM looks forward to continuing this important work in the coming year! 2021 NATM Membership Dues Your 2021 NATM membership renewal notice was mailed to the attention of your accounts payable department in November. For international members, invoices were emailed. For 2021, Membership Dues are remaining the same:
You have the option to renew your membership online at www.NATM.com. Log into the Members Only section to view and pay the invoice. Should you decide to pay online, please advise accounts payable to disregard the notice. Your membership login credentials are below. Pay Membership Dues Online Instantly:
Membership dues must be paid no later than January 31, 2021. If dues are not received by Jan. 31, the member company will be considered delinquent and all membership benefits will be terminated until paid per the NATM Bylaws. Thank you for your continued support of the Association. Please don’t hesitate to contact Meghan Ryan, NATM Assistant Director, at Meghan.Ryan@natm.com if you have any questions or concerns. It’s time to begin the process of selecting 2021 NATM Committees. NATM Committees are responsible for guiding the work of the Association to ensure NATM continues to meet member needs and stays on the forefront of industry trends. Committee members are invaluable to the success of the Association.
Sign up before November 18th to help guide NATM in 2021! With 9 committees across a number of content areas, there is sure to be a committee that matches interests and the amount of time a member can invest. NATM understands there are many demands on member time. Our team of talented staff work to ensure committee member time commitment is as minimal as possible. Still, in order to be an Association by and for its members and best serve the industry, we need the help of industry members just like you. In 2021 the 9 committees are:
If you are interested in learning more about NATM committees or signing up, click here! We look forward to working with our members on making 2021 another great year!  Verifying compliance with federal regulations and industry best practices is no small feat. NATM member trailer manufacturers’ commitment to safety deserves public recognition. While NATM continues to market the value of the compliance decal in a number of different ways, we would love to know: where in the world is your compliant trailer?
NATM is looking to collect photos of trailers with the NATM decal in your everyday life – sitting at a job site, hauling a boat to the lake, at the campground, or wherever it may be! The “Where in the World is Your Compliant Trailer” social media campaign posts will have the manufacturer of the trailer tagged, a photo of the trailer being featured, as well as a direct link to the member’s directory listing on NATM.com. Photos and a brief description of where the picture was taken can be submitted to decals@natm.com. Recognize NATM members that help America work and play safely by submitting a “Where in the World is Your Compliant Trailer” post today!
Kay Deever - Administrative AssistantKay received her bachelor’s in political science and government at Kansas State University and her Master’s in Biblical studies with an emphasis in program management at Colorado Christian University. Her past experience with the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation in Kansas and the American Holistic Nurses Association will serve her well in her role as administrative assistant.
Reach out to Kay with questions regarding Decal orders, Trailer Safety Product orders or general questions about the Association.  The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM), known as the resource for safety and compliance for the light- and medium-duty trailer industry, published its first edition of the NATM Light- and Medium-Duty Trailer Dealer Resource Compendium.
Known as the Dealer Compendium, this document will launch Sept. 1, and is free to all NATM Dealer Affiliates. The Compendium is full of educational content and materials that will help trailer dealers access essential information quickly and easily in one place. The document includes state laws, helpful trailer safety information, as well as resources NATM Dealer Affiliates can pass along to their customers. Modeled after the NATM Guidelines for trailer manufacturers, this resource guide is over 300 pages and contains information on:
The information featured in the Compendium is gathered from resources such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration amongst others. The Compendium will be updated annually by NATM Staff and Committees that stay abreast of changing regulations and vet the addition of the document’s contents. The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) has been committed to trailer safety for more than 30 years. While NATM has long worked with trailer manufacturers, industry suppliers and service providers, trailer safety can only be improved through dealer interaction and consumer education. The NATM Dealer Affiliate program is an opportunity to unify the trailer industry to improve trailer safety. In addition to granting access to NATM’s publications such as Tracks magazine, the NATM Insider, dealers receive hard copies of safety resources to distribute to customers. For more information about how the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers can assist your dealership, visit www.NATM.com, email NATM Assistant Director Meghan Ryan at Meghan.Ryan@natm.com or call (785) 272-4433.  NATM is thrilled to be heading to Nashville, Tenn. for the 33rd Annual Convention & Trade Show being held February 23-25, 2021. Make plans
to join your peers in the light- and medium-duty trailer industry at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center! NATM has been closely monitoring COVID-19 and is working with the Gaylord to create proper protocols for all attendees. Safety is our top priority, and we will ensure the correct steps are taken to protect all attendees as much as possible as we continue to plan the event. Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center Situated in the heart of Nashville, the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center allows you to hit all the high notes of Music City both under their roof and in the surrounding area. Catch a show at the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium, then return to the nine acres of lush indoor gardens and cascading waterfalls. A full-service spa is also offered for a more relaxing way to unwind. When it's time to refuel, indulge in Mexican, Italian and Japanese restaurants followed by a frozen yogurt or gelato dessert. The discounted NATM rate for the Gaylord is $230 per night. Gaylord Opryland suites offer many special amenities including bay windows, balconies with patio furniture and plenty of space to relax on your trip. The resort offers room options that allow you to relax and unwind in comfort. Atrium View rooms offer unrivaled views of one-of-a-kind atriums that host tropical environments with waterfalls, fountain shows and fish ponds. Nashville – Something for Everyone Voted one of the Top 15 cities in the United States in 2019, Nashville offers a unique experience for all of its visitors! Much more than a honky-tonk town — though if you’re after energy-packed nightlife and live music, you won’t be disappointed. From the historic Grand Ole Opry to new James Beard Award-winning restaurants, industrial-chic hotels to cowboy-boot shops, there’s plenty to enjoy in Music City. The sound of Nashville reverberates from the city’s downtown core where visitors from all over the world converge with the business and government district. Running smack in the middle is Lower Broadway where world-class live music 365 days of the year and never charge a cover. In the area “North of Broadway” are historic buildings reimagined into music attractions, boutique hotels, art galleries, and chef-driven restaurants, and “South of Broadway” are newly constructed hotels, eateries, music venues, and attractions. Wherever you go, there is plenty of fun to be had around Nashville’s incredibly walkable downtown. Nashville’s connection to music is unequaled, and its reputation as Music City has been consistently proven for over 200 years. Welcome to the city where music is written, recorded and performed every single day. Welcome, to Music City. |
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