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Tracy Raimer, ILA President
Des Plaines, Ill. — One of the largest regional associations serving the luxury ground transportation industry will throw open its doors on the morning of July 12 when the Illinois Limousine Association (ILA) hosts a new membership breakfast and networking event at Tiffany’s Restaurant & Cafe.
The complimentary event, which begins at 8:30 a.m., aims to introduce those who are not familiar with the ILA to its purposes, objectives, regulatory concerns, current members, and leadership. With a strong networking focus on the morning meeting, it is suggested that all new and prospective members bring business cards to make as many new business contacts as possible.
As the meet-and-greet breakfast precedes ILA’s monthly open board meeting, those present for the new-member event are also invited to stay and see what the association is all about, hear about its recent efforts on behalf of the local industry, and meet up with the board and current members alike.
Paula DiBiasi, ILA Secretary/Treasurer
The association has been concentrating on new-member outreach to keep growing its active numbers and make all Illinois-based companies, or even those that do a lot of work in the state, more aware of the value in ILA membership. It has been holding new member events throughout 2017, and ILA Secretary/Treasurer Paula DiBiasi of Chicago Coachworks says that they tend to yield a handful of new member sign-ups every time.
As a bonus incentive, all current members who bring a non-ILA-affiliated operator working within the state to the new-member meeting will receive a $50 discount on their next dues payment.
The next open board meeting will be August 2.
RSVP to the new member breakfast and networking morning by going to goo.gl/fE75m7. Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information about the ILA.
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Jeff Conly, ALA PresidentScottsdale, Ariz. — The Arizona Limousine Association (ALA) is pleased to announce that it is holding its first-ever Casino Night fundraiser on Saturday, July 29, from 7 to 10 pm.
Located at Certified Benz and Beemer, the event promises to not only be a lot of fun, but will also serve to support the association.
ALA President Jeff Conly of Vitesse Worldwide is looking forward to the fundraiser, and feels that it’s not only an opportunity to fill the association’s coffers but also a good way to get new members involved.
“The Casino Night is a new activity designed to raise money for our education program and lobbyist fund,” says Conly. “It’s really a great opportunity for area operators to see what the association is all about while having a good time.”
The event is $50 per person ($75 per couple), and includes food, two drinks, valet service, and $2000 in casino chips. In addition to table games like black jack, craps, poker, and roulette, there will be a 50/50 raffle and a live auction for prizes.
Current sponsors for the night include familiar industry names like Create-a-Card, Driving Results, SoCal Penske, Hudson Group, DriveProfit, FASTTRAK, Livery Coach, Chosen Payments, and Chauffeur Driven.
Visit azlimousineassociation.com for more information.
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Peter Pantuso, ABA PresidentWashington, D.C. — The American Bus Association (ABA) supports the findings made by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in its congressionally mandated report titled “Improving Motor Carrier Safety Measurement.”
The report details how the U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) should overhaul its Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) carrier rating system to make it more fair and accurate in its assessment of motor carriers’ safety risk.
"We agree with many of the findings of this long-awaited report," said ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso, CTIS. "This (CSA) program as a whole is a valuable tool, but as we have repeatedly noted, one in need of improvement."
The study, required by the FAST Act, evaluates the Safety Measurement System (SMS) that FMCSA uses to pick out motor carriers—both passenger and property carriers—it deems at greater risk of being involved in crashes. ABA has long believed the current system uses a flawed methodology because it doesn't take into consideration when an accident is not the driver's fault, compare like carrier operations (i.e. buses to buses), or what a company has done to enhance its safety.
According to the report, NAS found the current SMS implementation defensible, being fair and not overtly biased against various types of carriers, to the extent data from [the Motor Carrier Management Information System] can be used for this purpose. That information system is a collection of data from crashes, inspections, and other sources.
However, NAS also affirms ABA’s position that elements of the SMS can be improved upon, as much of what is now done is “ad hoc and based on subject-matter expertise that has not been sufficiently empirically validated," according to the panel.
The FMCSA now has 120 days to develop a corrective action plan to address the recommendations made in the report, and implementation of the plan will be overseen by both the U.S. DOT Inspector General and Congress.
"We believe the panel's recommendations to improve the implementation of the SMS and quality of the data, is the correct way to move forward," Pantuso said. "We welcome the opportunity to work with the FMCSA as they develop steps to address the identified deficiencies and improve safety."
ABA will be partnering with the California Bus Association for its Bus Industry Safety Council West event October 17 in Alpine, Calif. The ABA Annual Meeting & Marketplace 2018 will head to Charlotte, NC, January 26-30, 2018.
Visit buses.org for more information.
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