"Helping Today. Thinking Tomorrow" highlights the National Truck Equipment Association's (NTEA) objectives and accomplishments for its members and the industry that are summarized in the recently published 2007 Annual Report: State of the Association.
"The Association continues to serve as a key resource to the work truck and trailer industry, offering programs and services that will help advance industry growth and offer members benefits to strengthen their business", said Jim Carney, NTEA executive director.
As the NTEA continues to expand its membership and industry services, it has achieved many successes and accomplishments. Among the most recent achievements and successes are:
* NTEA.com Redesigned: The goal of redesigning www.ntea.com was to build even greater connectivity between suppliers, distributors and their customers. New features include site-wide search; the ability of users to create and change their own user ID and password; and a members-only "Networking Directory" that shows a list of all company contacts, job titles, addresses, and phone and fax numbers. Additional new features will be added in the near future.
* North American Truck Equipment Industry Outlook and Strategy Report: The NTEA commissioned Acclaro Growth Partners to conduct a major marketplace study to determine factors shaping the industry, how the industry is changing and what the implications are for truck equipment firms. This important resource is a critical planning tool for all industry firms to ensure successful growth and development.
* Work Truck Show: Continuing to serve as the industry's leading event, the 2008 Work Truck Show boasted more than 7,200 attendees, a record-breaking 538 industry suppliers and 40 educational sessions. Dozens of new products were unveiled amidst the 450,000 sq. ft. of equipment displays. As the show expands, so does the recognition of the event. The NTEA has support from 15 leading trade associations and on-site coverage from 85 trade media editors representing numerous publications.
* The Member Verification Program (MVP): The Program recognizes members that have implemented sound business practices and met certain regulatory standards demonstrating their commitment to excellence. To date, 363 companies have achieved MVP status and the program keeps growing.
* iLumen Financial Benchmarking Tool: The NTEA joined iLumen Financial Network in offering members a computer-based financial benchmarking service. It allows firms to input their data and then access a proprietary financial dashboard to see how their operations have performed over time and in comparison to other businesses in the industry. This valuable tool is being underwritten by the NTEA for the first 100 companies who sign up participate. (An estimated $395 value)
* Washington, DC, Action: The NTEA secured specific provisions for the work truck industry in the comprehensive energy bill signed into law in December 2007.
The energy law mandates significant fuel economy provisions for motor vehicle manufacturers. As a result of the NTEA's efforts the law includes language addressing the unique concerns of final-stage work truck producers. The NTEA is continuing its efforts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to secure regulatory relief for companies required to file quarterly early warning reporting (EWR) data; filed comments with NHTSA on a proposal to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 403/404 on platform lighting requirements and requested that NHTSA increase the safe-harbor weight limits for the cargo carrying capacity labels.
To read more about the accomplishments, programs and services of the NTEA, you can download a free copy of the NTEA 2007 Annual Report: State of the Association by visiting www.ntea.com and click on Association, Member Resources, or call 1-800-441- NTEA (6832).