Companies are defined by their reputations – in other words, their brand equity.  Although it’s hard to put a dollar value on it, a reputation is a company’s most precious commodity.  It can take years to build your brand and stake a claim in your customer’s minds, but only one mistake to send it crashing down.

JOHN SIMMS
Vice President

Independent contractor models in the transportation industry continue to come under attack from both states and federal government. While attending the April Meeting of the Machine Haulers Association, they discussed at length just how important it is to protect this business model from unfairly being targeted. Some examples are as follows:

RENEE KUHS
Compliance Attorney

When I talk to employers about 5500 filing requirements, more often than not they tell me their accountant files their 5500 filings and they are compliant.  These employers are no doubt referring to the 5500 filing requirements applicable to their 401(k) or retirement plans.  While I don’t practice in this area, it appears that the financial institutions which service 401(k)s and retirement plans are very familiar with this highly regulated area and have adapted by providing their clients with all the services they need to comply, including filing the 5500s filings associated with these plans.

Transportation companies who have controlled their driver turnover (one of the biggest wicked problems in the industry) recognize that closing the back door is as important as opening the front door.  If you are going to be successful in retaining drivers, then you need to understand the reasons drivers are leaving their jobs, both at your company and at your competitors’ companies. 

BOB GREG
Boardman & Clark LLP

Would you be prepared for a compliance review if the FMCSA or State Patrol came into your facility today?  With the new auditing process, compliance reviews aren’t the same as they used to be.

ANDREA TARRELL
Marketing Coordinator

Social media is a hot topic on anyone’s list these days. But would you trust Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to get information about your health care needs?  A third of healthcare consumers in the United States report they regularly do this, according to a recent study by the PwC Health Research Institute.  

DON JERRELL
Associate VP

I was asked to put together a “short” article for the ATA S&LPMC’s informer magazine on what drivers will need 10 years from now, and initially it seemed fairly simple.  More Pay, Better Hometime, the usual.