NATM's 2021 Regulatory Roundup

The NATM Regulatory Roundup & Capitol Hill Visits are scheduled for September 22, 2021. Along with the Convention & Trade Show, this is one of NATM’s most important events of the year. The day of activities is divided into two distinct parts: the Regulatory Roundup which is held in the morning featuring expert presenters, and the Capitol Hill Visits in the afternoon. The Regulatory Roundup is a speaker series that in the past has featured Congressional staffers, officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and experts from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Capitol Hill Visits are meetings with legislators discussing industry needs and educating Members of Congress about the impact of the light- and medium-duty trailer industry on the economy and in local communities.

With continued meeting restrictions, the 2021 event will be a hybrid format with both virtual and in-person meetings with legislative offices. All NATM Members and Dealer Affiliates are invited to participate in the Regulatory Roundup which will be hosted virtually. For those individuals who are interested in what’s happening in Washington, D.C. and within federal agencies, this is the perfect chance to get a feel for the event, which is usually hosted in person, without investing in a trip to the Capitol. As of this writing, the current speaker lineup includes Congressional members and staffers to talk about infrastructure, a NHTSA official, and a speaker from NAM to discuss workforce. To see the up-to-date slate of speakers and sign up to attend, visit https://www.natm.com/events.

Meetings with legislators will happen both virtually and in-person for a small group of attendees. The NATM Government Affairs Committee has established talking points to ensure the needs of the industry are being heard. Talking points for 2021 are as follows:

• Trailers as “motor vehicles” – educating legislators that by definition, trailers are motor vehicles and as such any legislation using the term “motor vehicle” includes trailers – an often-unintentional inclusion.
• Trailer Safety Week – highlighting the industry’s commitment to trailer safety and the need for legislation to direct support to trailer safety efforts.
• Workforce Shortage – highlighting the critical nature of the workforce shortage and asking legislators to look for opportunities to support skills training, improving access to automation, and communicating the challenges presented by increased unemployment benefits.
• Supply Chain – educating legislators about the significant challenges posed by a disrupted supply chain, lack of domestic production for critical components, and the resulting detriment incurred by tariffs.
• Infrastructure Package – as of this writing, a final Infrastructure Package has yet to be passed. The trailer manufacturing industry has a vested interested in a long-term solution to infrastructure spending and investment in roads and bridges, with a specific interest in potential language related to rear and side underride guards.

While in-person attendees have already been selected, members interested in virtual legislator meetings scheduled to occur Sept. 20 – Oct. 1, can sign up online here: https://www.natm.com/events.

If virtual legislator meetings are not workable for you, NATM invites all of its members to host their legislators for a plant tour at any time of year. Plant tours are an easy way to not only showcase member companies and their impact on the community, but are also an opportunity to discuss key priorities for the industry and business more specifically. NATM has invitation templates for members to use, and NATM staff will work with the Congressional office on scheduling, and can help companies prepare for the tour. If you are interested in hosting a plant visit, contact Assistant Director Meghan Ryan at Meghan.Ryan@natm.com or call NATM Headquarters at (785) 272-4433.

For members interested in attending the event in person, the next Regulatory Roundup and Capitol Hill Visits are scheduled for April 2022!