July 10, 2018
Buses for Barletta:
An invitation to UMA members

You are invited to attend a luncheon in support of Rep. Lou Barletta on Monday, July 23, 2018 in Philadelphia. The "Buses for Barletta" event will take place from 11:45 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Society Hill. The cost to attend is a $500 individual contribution. The luncheon is being hosted by the United Motorcoach Association, the National School Transportation Association, the Pennsylvania Bus Association, the Pennsylvania School Bus Association, and Prime Policy.

View an invitation here for complete details and please reply to Owen Taylor at Prime Policy if you will attend.
EXPO
Do you have what it takes to join our UMA All-Star band?
UMA is looking for musicians from within the ranks of our wonderful bus and motorcoach industry who’d be interested in forming a UMA member All-Star band to play at our EXPO, January 6-10, 2019, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The All-Star Band will play during general sessions at EXPO.

If you are interested, please let us know by emailing  info@uma.org . Tell us what instrument you play and if you would like to be considered to lead the group.

EXPO hotel reminder: Be wary of contact by third parties

We would like to alert all attendees that you may be contacted by an unauthorized housing company who is not working with UMA, nor is recognized by UMA. They have been identified as promoting discounted rates for the 2019 UMA Motorcoach EXPO. These packages are often misleading, have unusual restrictions, deposits, and cancellation clauses and are NOT ENDORSED by UMA. One particular company engaging in this activity is Exhibition Housing. Exhibition Housing is NOT affiliated with UMA. 

Remember, your best bet is to book your room in the UMA block using the information on the EXPO website so you get the best rate at our nearby hotels.
Operation Safe Driver Week Starts July 15

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week will take place July 15-21, 2018. Traffic safety personnel will be on the lookout for unsafe driving behaviors by commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and passenger vehicle drivers as we work toward zero deaths on our roadways.
Unsafe driver behaviors by CMV drivers and passenger vehicle drivers continue to be the leading cause of crashes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) “ Large Truck Crash Causation Study ” cites driver behavior as the critical reason for more than 88 percent of large truck crashes and 93 percent of passenger vehicle crashes. For details go to the CVSA website .
AWARDS
Are your marketing practices noteworthy?
The Motorcoach Marketing Council is accepting applications for the 2019 Motorcoach Marketer of the Year Award! The award winner will be honored at the 2019 UMA Motorcoach EXPO in Fort Lauderdale.

If you'd like your company to be considered for the award or if you would like to submit an application for a colleague, go to the following link: buff.ly/2IMknLz . 2019 could be your year!
bmn LOGO REVISED
Bus & Motorcoach News is mailed twice monthly to all UMA members. In addition, it's available online 24/7 at www.busandmotorcoachnews.com and by email, on a schedule you choose! Invite everyone on your staff to stay informed about the industry by signing up for email updates from  Bus & Motorcoach News .  Sign up here. You can choose daily or weekly updates!
MILHOUSER
'I've got a bridge to sell you, but the clearance is low'

Bus & Motorcoach News | by Dave Milhouser | June 28, 2018

My new boss Jim and I were on a sales trip in western Pennsylvania. Jim only lasted a few months, and I don’t remember his last name.

He had been a punt returner for University of Maryland, so it’s likely he didn’t remember it either.

We had driven a demo to a major bus line and were trying to convince the owners that Eagles were the best buses for them.

Jim was nonplussed when I insisted on pulling the bus into the garage, since it was clear that it was going to be a tight fit. The coach was well over 11 feet high, and the door that was originally 12 feet high had lost some of its majesty when the garage floor was resurfaced.

Motorcoach Minute: Chris Riddell on marketing do's and don'ts

The latest UMA podcast is focused on marketing practices and features industry expert Chris Riddell of the Motorcoach Marketing Council. In this installment of The Motorcoach Minute, Chris shares with host Steve Valley what to know and what to avoid when building a successful marketing plan.

For a full list of prior Motorcoach Minute podcasts, go to Bus & Motorcoach News online.

What’s next in NYC? Bounty hunters stalk idling vehicles
New York, NY – Motorcoach drivers have likely never thought of New York City as particularly friendly. Congested traffic, unpredictable taxis, clueless pedestrians, and scarce parking are commonplace.

It is now a little less friendly.

The city is now paying average citizens to turn in commercial drivers for allowing their engines to idle while parked by a curb for more than three minutes — or a mere minute in a school zone.

“Bounty hunters” will earn 25 percent of the fines imposed, which range from $350 to a maximum $2,000 for repeat offenders. To date, the city's Department of Environmental Protection has received more than 200 citizen complaints that led to 61 summonses, 20 of which were sent to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.

Time-stamped photos or videos are all the evidence needed to file a complaint with the city. The office’s judges have so far upheld the tickets, imposing fines of $350 each, with the tipster rewarded $87.50 each time. A compendium of idling regulations across the country can be found here .

2019 Motorcoach EXPO:
The future of the motorcoach industry!
INNOVATE - EDUCATE - CELEBRATE
RETAINING GOOD WORKERS
Upgrade benefits to retain high performing employees
Is your company plagued by employee turnover? Slashing benefits and requiring longer hours for the same pay might look good on your bottom line--until reality hits and your company can't keep experienced employees. When it comes to creating an engaged and loyal team, penny-pinching may not pay off, but offering benefits that employees value can be cost-effective in the long run.

The Society for Human Resources Management, SHRM studies ways companies can leverage benefits to retain and recruit the best employees. Looking at a challenging labor market, forward-thinking companies are already focused on providing flexible working benefits, retirement and savings benefits, and upgraded leave policies over the next five years to remain competitive. Two key points of a recent SHRM report focus on what is of value in today's workforce and what younger workers are looking for.

  • HIGH VALUE/MODEST COST: Leave and health. The types of benefits that are most likely to be altered to meet the needs of a changing workforce are those that employees value most highly. Health care benefits, retirement and leave benefits are all highly valued by employees, so enhancements to them could go a long way in helping improve an employer’s value proposition. Employers can often leverage flexible work practices with little to no additional costs and are therefore also a good option for HR to look to boost talent retention. This may be especially true in relation to high-skilled workers or workers in industries with access to information and communications technologies that enable flexible work practices such as telecommuting, remote working and flexible hours.

  • FLEXIBILITY: Valued by younger employees. Millennial and even Centennial workers will have an increasingly significant influence on the types of benefits organizations offer. Millennials and their younger Centennial counterparts face unique generational challenges such as high levels of student debt and more difficult financial circumstances. These and other factors are likely to influence the importance they place on various benefits. Their comfort with technology may also mean that they will fully expect more flexible working options from their employers. As these generations come to dominate the workforce, and as Baby Boomers retire, their preferences will shape the types of benefits organizations offer. Benefits such as student debt repayment assistance or educational assistance may grow more popular. Yet HR will need to continue to balance these offerings with the mandate from their leadership to control the costs of benefits.
Motorcoach Industry Calendar

JULY 2018

AUGUST 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018

OCTOBER 2018

NOVEMBER 2018

DECEMBER 2018
  • 5-6 UMA Safety Management Seminar, NTSB Training Center, Ashburn, VA, Hotel TBA - save the date! www.uma.org/safety

JANUARY 2019
  • 4-6 IMG Maintenance and Safety Forum, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • 6-10 UMA Motorcoach EXPO, Fort Lauderdale, FL #UMAEXPO19 www.motorcoachexpo.com

FEBRUARY 2019

MARCH 2019
  • 11 GNJMA Sponsor Appreciation Dinner, Emeril's Chophouse, Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, PA http://www.gnjma.com/
  • 12 GNJMA Spring Association Member Meeting & Motorcoach Professional Awards Luncheon, Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, PA http://www.gnjma.com/

AUGUST 2019
  • 6-9 IMG Strategic Alliance Meeting, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
YOU ARE UMA
Remember, as a UMA member you have the power of discounts on the best products and services, access to relevant education, targeted professional resources, and colleagues all over the map. Remember to consult your member directory when you need help on the road, access to more vehicles to meet demand, or services out of your area. We are UMA! Want to find other members to do business with? Use the online directory.

Reach the UMA staff by calling (703) 838-2929 or by email at info@uma.org. We love to hear from our members!