Roll Into Compliance: Helping Dealers Understand Their Role in Trailer Safety
| Session 1 Recap - Sales Team | Session 2 Recap - Beyond The Build | Session 4 Recap - Line to Lot Panel |
NATM Dealer Summit Session 3 Recap
Session 3 of the 2026 National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) Dealer Summit started with a sweet treat. Thanks to session sponsor Kenda Americana, attendees were treated to cinnamon rolls as they prepared to “roll into compliance” for Summit Session 3 — "Protecting Your Dealership: Compliance, Tire Recordkeeping and Documentation." NATM also thanks LaVanture Products Company, the overall Education Summit Sponsor, for supporting education throughout the 2026 NATM Dealer Summit.
To start, NATM Technical Director Scott Crimmins took the stage alongside Nathan Uphus, Director of Sales for Felling Trailers, to give dealers an inside look at the NATM Compliance Verification Program (CVP), the federal requirements manufacturers must meet, and where dealers fit into the process.
For many dealers in the room, it was an opportunity to better understand what happens before an NATM Decal ever makes its way onto a trailer.
What Does the NATM Decal Mean?
The CVP has been mandatory for NATM Trailer Manufacturer Members in the United States since 2012 and is central to NATM’s trailer safety efforts.
Every two years, NATM conducts a compliance verification consultation with participating manufacturer members to review their processes and trailers against applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), industry standards, and other program requirements.
Manufacturers that successfully complete the consultation are eligible to display the NATM Decal, signifying their commitment to safety and successful completion of an NATM compliance consultation.
Crimmins walked dealers through what actually happens during a CVP, from the documentation review to the physical inspection of trailers. Uphus added the manufacturer's perspective, giving attendees a better understanding of what preparing for and participating in a CVP looks like from the other side of the process.
That perspective was especially valuable for dealers. While manufacturers are responsible for building federally compliant trailers, dealers are an important link between the manufacturer and the end user. Understanding what manufacturers are required to do — and why — helps dealers recognize potential issues, ask better questions, maintain appropriate records, and provide better information to their customers.
Where Compliance Gets Complicated
The presentation then moved into some of the areas frequently reviewed during a compliance consultation.
Crimmins discussed tire identification number (TIN) recordkeeping and tire registration, including the flow of information between tire suppliers, trailer manufacturers, dealers, and consumers. Attendees also learned about VIN labels and tire placards, required documentation, GVWR, lighting and reflectors, conspicuity tape, and rear underrides.
The session gave dealers a closer look at details that can be easy to overlook when walking around a trailer on the lot.
For example, something as seemingly simple as the location of a VIN label matters. Lighting requirements can change depending on the width of a trailer. Conspicuity tape requirements depend on both width and GVWR, and its placement matters. Tire information has recordkeeping requirements that continue through the distribution chain.
These are the kinds of details Crimmins and NATM's compliance team look for every day, and giving dealers an opportunity to understand them was one of the goals of the session.
Decal or No Decal?
After spending the session learning about compliance, it was time to put the room to the test. Attendees were given decal paddles and shown photos of different trailers. Based only on what they could see in each photo, they had to decide: Decal or No Decal?
Paddles went up around the room as dealers voted on whether each trailer appeared compliant enough to earn an NATM Decal. After each vote, Crimmins walked through the answer and explained what attendees should have noticed in the photo.
Some examples were straightforward. Others sparked debate.
That was part of the fun — and the point of the exercise.
Instead of simply hearing about reflectors, lighting, labels, conspicuity tape, and other requirements, attendees had to start looking at trailers the way a compliance consultant does. The activity generated questions and conversation throughout the room and gave dealers a chance to immediately apply what they had just learned.
From the Classroom to the Trade Show Floor
The conversation didn't end when the session did. 
On Thursday, Dealer Summit attendees had another opportunity to see the CVP from a completely different perspective when exhibiting NATM Member Brian James Trailers underwent its CVP recertification right on the NATDA Trailer Show floor.
Attendees were invited to stop by the Brian James Trailers booth and watch Crimmins in action as he conducted the consultation.
It created a natural continuation of the Summit session. Dealers first learned how the program works, heard directly from both NATM and a manufacturer that participates in the process, tested their own knowledge through the Decal or No Decal activity, and then had the opportunity to see an actual CVP taking place.
For NATM, giving dealers that understanding matters. Dealers interact directly with trailer buyers every day, and the more they understand about the safety and compliance processes behind the trailers on their lots, the better prepared they are to recognize concerns, communicate with manufacturers, and answer questions from their customers.
NATM appreciates Scott Crimmins and Nathan Uphus for sharing their knowledge and giving dealers a closer look at a program that is such an important part of NATM and its commitment to trailer safety.
| Session 1 Recap - Sales Team | Session 2 Recap - Beyond The Build | Session 4 Recap - Line to Lot Panel |
The NATM Dealer Summit focuses on education to help dealers strengthen their businesses, build partnerships, and address industry challenges. The summit aims to provide valuable insights, meaningful discussions, and actionable ideas for attendees, covering leadership, compliance, and the industry's future. It's an opportunity to extend the educational experience valued by NATM members to a broader audience at the NATDA Trailer Show.