"Helping Today. Thinking Tomorrow," sums up the National Truck Equipment Association's (NTEA) goals and accomplishments for its members and the industry that are highlighted in the recently published 2006
Annual Report: State of the Association.
"The association has made vast strides in the past year, continuing on its path of becoming an increasingly stronger and effective presence in the work truck and trailer industry," said Robert Green, immediate past president of the NTEA and president of Robert Green Truck in Rock Hill, N.Y.
As NTEA continues to expand its membership and industry offerings, it has achieved many successes and notable accomplishments.
Among key programs and events are:
• Closing the Gap: NTEA's newest product, Closing the Gap: How to Win (and Keep) Customers Through Competitive Differentiation, helps business owners focus on competitive differentiation. It includes survey findings on how members can better understand, measure manage and improve customer service across their entire operation.
• The Member Verification Program (MVP): The Program recognizes members that have implemented minimum business processes and have taken steps to comply with certain government regulations. To-date, 307 members have achieved MVP status.
• Work Truck Show: Continuing its successful run, the 2007 Work Truck Show boosted a record-breaking attendance of more than 9,000 and became the biggest event ever produced by the NTEA. For the first time there were 500 industry suppliers exhibiting on 194,000 net square feet of floor space.
• Light-duty Hybrid Action Group: Representatives for 21 fleets formed an action group to help accelerate the development of cost-effective, light-duty work trucks. The Group continues to look at reducing exhaust emissions while improving fuel economy.
• Truck Product Conference: A record 700 attendees checked out the 2007 model year changes, networked with other industry colleagues and learned about important issues such as the 2007 emissions regulations.
• Washington, DC, Action: The NTEA supported the "Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act" that targets counterfeit manufactured products. This legislation was signed into law and helps to save U.S. jobs and protect consumers. The NTEA also worked with NHTSA to ensure that new Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations did not apply to commercial pickup trucks or medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
• Member Communication: In 2006, NTEA introduced the Work Truck Under the Hood e-newsletter and redesigned the NTEA Insider. Both publications offer the latest news and information with a completely enhanced format that is visually pleasing and user-friendly.
To download a free copy of the NTEA 2006 Annual Report: State of the Association, visit www.ntea.com and click on "Free Downloads," or call (800) 441-NTEA (6832).
Established in 1964, the NTEA is the leading association supporting the $116 billion work truck and trailer industry. The association represents more than 1,700 companies that manufacture, distribute, install, sell and repair commercial trucks, truck bodies, truck equipment, trailers and accessories. Buyers of work trucks and the major commercial truck chassis manufacturers also belong to the association.