Your GNJMA Member News for November!

REMINDER: The Annual Driver's Safety Meeting is tomorrow! Click here for more information...

Member Headlines

Bailey Coach Sponsored Veterans Trip to Gettysburg

Bailey Coach sponsored veterans trip is scheduled for this Friday, November 9th to Gettysburg.

The day will begin with breakfast at the York Expo Center and depart for Gettysburg. Approximately 400 Veterans and guests will be attending this year's event! View their detailed itinerary of the day's events. Way to go!

Tap Into M&S Parking - A Member Benefit

Did you know about the summons management program with M&S Parking which is available to you? M&S Parking fights NYC parking tickets.

M&S Parking significantly reduces the cost of parking tickets and GNJMA members receive 13% discount.

The program is has been very successful: GNJMA members have saved $315,000 or 85% of total fines in 2018.

Contact Tony Terranova at 732-219-8611 or email aterranova@msparking.com.

Members On The Move

Industry partner and friend, Jeff Goldwasser has been hired by Amaya-Astron Seating as their U.S. & Canadian Sales Representative.

Jeff, a long-time member of GNJMA, grew up in the motorcoach market working in his family coach and tour company in New York. He covered the U.S. & Canadian markets for National Seating, helping them to bring the three-point belted seat to market. He also represented LaFrance Fabrics, Schoepf Fabrics and Morbern Vinyl, in the transit, rail and coach markets.

Amaya-Astron Seating is now a Silver Sponsor of our Association. He also currently sits on the ABA Foundation Board, the Board of the Bus Association of New York ans the Museum of Bus Transportation Board in Hershey, Pa. Contract Jeff at 551-482-1608 or by e-mail at interiors@jeffgoldwasser.com .

Fall Events Follow-Up

Our Fall Golf Outing, Meet & Mingle, Group Leader Marketplace & Annual Meeting were held October 10-11th at Bally's in Atlantic City. Please look for our newsletter in the mail which will highlight the events.

Two surveys were sent out after the meeting: Marketplace Survey and Annual Meeting Survey. Thank you to our members and partners who participated. Two respondents will be selected to win VISA gift cards, just for participating!

A special thanks to Rich Eckelson and Bally's for a hosting our event. We also want to thank our event sponsors. Click here for a listing of event sponsors. Your support means the world to us!

Lastly, thank you to our Board of Directors for their continued support in time and commitment. The Board nominated and voted to elect the officers for 2019. They will remain the same: Tim Stout, President; Tom Taylor, Vice-President; John Gillispie, Treasurer and Michelle Petelicki, Secretary.

Welcome New Members!

The following organization joined the GNJMA since our October newsletter. Please join us in welcoming our newest Allied member!

Association Background Checks - Contact: Dave Shields

A deep discount is offered to all GNJMA members for background checks through Dave. Log-in to the member portal at www.gnjma.com to access this new member benefit!

Industry Information

Funding Provides Veterans (and Spouses)

With Free CDL Training

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright announced on September 19 that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded $138,397 to Northampton Community College through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant program.

The grant will enable Northampton Community College to offer free commercial truck driver training to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard and Reservists, as well as their spouses and children, who reside in Northampton, Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, or Lackawanna counties. The grant will cover full tuition for the training program. The only cost to students will be the permit cost and the Hazardous Material Threat Assessment. Read more...

GNJMA Supports Efforts in NYC

The " Fix NYC" report , issued by the Regional Plan Association in January 2018 year referenced buses "have negative impacts on street congestion, road safety and air quality". Following the Bus Operators meeting in NYC in March, hosted by BANY, an effort started to "form a coalition" in NYC to advance specific issues facing bus operators such as layovers, tickets, summons, and congestion (now impacting HOS) to name just a few. GNJMA Board members, member-at-large and our Executive Director attended both the March meeting and a recent meeting on October 16th to discuss the formation of a formal coalition called BUS4NYC.

The meeting was organized by BANY and the presentation focused on privately operated buses in NYC as part of the solution, not the problem, to maintain an ongoing NYC dialogue, on "exemption of fees" for buses if and when congestion pricing becomes a reality, and possibly reverse some rules and regulations affecting buses, such as "idling" tickets.

Today BUS4NYC is "ready to roll". Please follow the link here for more information from the organizers and/or to get involved: BUS4NYC.

Things You Can and Can't Do

Under New Jersey's New Paid Sick Leave Law

With the exceptions of per diem healthcare workers and businesses with a collective bargaining agreement in place, employers of all sizes must start providing paid sick leave to all of their employees effective Monday, October 29, 2018.

A lot of confusion still surrounds the law, so in the interest of helping members understand their options, here's part of what you have to do, as well as some things you can and cannot do under the law. Read more...

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Announces Appointees to Human Trafficking Advisory Committee

October 11, 2018 - WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced the appointment of 15 members to DOT's new Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking.

"Members of this committee have extensive experience in combating human trafficking, and the Department looks forward to receiving their recommendations and reports," said Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

The committee, required by the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, consists of stakeholders from trafficking advocacy organizations; law enforcement; and trucking, bus, rail, aviation, maritime, and port sectors, including industry and labor. The committee will submit recommendations to Secretary Chao by July 3, 2019. Click here to read full announcement.

UMA Safety Management Seminar

United Motorcoach Association (UMA) has asked us to share information with our members about their Safety Management Seminar scheduled for December 5-6th at the National Transportation Safety Board Training Center in Ashburn, VA.

This seminar is open to all. Pricing:

UMA members: $295
Non-members: $465

Here's the link to the details and the full agenda: https://www.uma.org/safety/.

Stay Up-to-Date on Upcoming DOT Rules

Regulatory activity from the U.S. Department of Transportation may have slowed in recent years, but significant new rules-many affecting the motorcoach industry-are still in the works.

Rules for Lease/Interchange (FMCSA is looking for input by 11/19th), Diabetic Drivers, Military Veteran Licensing and more are in the works. Please take a minute to get updated on the regulations pending. Follow link below.