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Up Next! The Annual Driver Safety Meeting
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When: Sunday, November 10th at 1:15PM
Where: Tropicana in AC. Shuttle service from Atlantic City Transportation Center (aka Hansen's) at 12:45PM & 1:00PM, with return.
Why Attend?
- Receive excellent and up-to-date safety educational content.
- Enjoy lunch sponsored by the Trop!
- This annual session is geared specifically for drivers.
- Share and network with fellow drivers.
- Receive giveaways from our casino partners.
- Learn from the best! Bob Crescenzo, VP of Loss Control at Lancer Insurance will be your presenter.
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GNJMA Scholarship Award Recipients
GNJMA was proud to present our first annual Scholarship Award recipients at the October 10, 2019 Annual Meeting at Resorts Hotel and Casino.
Congratulations to Gage Baker (Wolf's Bus Lines) and Erica Catanoso (Steel Pier). Gage is an Accounting major at Shippensburg University and Erica is enrolled in a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at George Washington University.
Our annual Golf Scholarship Program helps to fund this program. 2020 scholarship applications will be accepted January-March 2020. Get more information on the
GNJMA Scholarship Program.
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One Member's Quest to Fight Human Trafficking
Manny Cabegin, Risk Control/HR Manager at
Sheppard Bus, shared with GNJMA that they have rolled the
Busing On The Lookout information out to over 500 of their employees. "All trainers and managers are certified on the BOTL/TAT courses and we have all new employees and trainees take the online BOTL course. We provide the wallet cards and dash stickers as well and all Sheppard locations have the posters up." Kudos to Sheppard Bus for making a difference!
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Trans-Bridge Lines Selected by LV Phantoms
Trans-Bridge Lines was selected as the Official Transportation Provider for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Service for the Phantoms began on Wednesday, September 25, with Trans-Bridge escorting the Phantoms to Scranton for an exhibition game versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The driver expertly maneuvered the Trans-Bridge luxury gold motorcoach which included a matching trailer for the team's equipment.
The 2016 Prevost H3-45HEX premium motorcoach features a Volvo engine, 33 leather seats and is equipped with 12 TV monitors, DIRECTV®, Siriusxm®, Blu-Ray DVD, Saucon Elite WiFi, USB and standard outlets and in-seat headphone connections. All seats have cup holders, footrests and removable snack trays. The motorcoach includes a galley-style area with cooler and microwave as well as lavatory.
President Tom JeBran said, "We are committed to providing the Phantom players with premium motorcoach service with all the amenities and comforts they need while playing away games. We are proud to be a local company working together with a local sports franchise. Our drivers are safe, courteous and reliable - the Phantoms are in superb hands with them." Read the full press release.
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GNJMA Joins NJ Coalition Build
The NJ Coalition Build,
sponsored and co-hosted by GNJMA, the New Jersey Attorney General's Human Trafficking Program, New Jersey Motor Truck Association, Truckers Against Trafficking, Busing on the Lookout, and Kean University was held
Thursday, September 26, 2019 at Kean University in Union, NJ. The half day event brought together law enforcement and leaders from the greater NJ bus and trucking industries for training and building sustainable local relationships in the fight to end child exploitation and human trafficking. Attendees learned about the realities of domestic sex trafficking and the critical role the truck and bus industries play in combating this heinous crime.
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Pictured: Eric Heitmann,Director Gov's Office of Hwy Safety; Tom Bednarz, NJMVC Director Commercial Bus Unit; Joseph Costello, State Programs Manager FMCSA NJ; Steve Choborda, Manager, NJDOT Multimodal Services; Pattie Cowley, GNJMA Executive Director; Annie Sovcik, Busing on the Lookout Director; Ester Goetsch, TAT coalition building Director.
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Pictured: Jim Rutherford, Rockland Coaches-Coach USA; Pattie Cowley, GNJMA; Michelle Petelicki, Panorama Tours
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News Release from Prevost
As Prevost continues to expand and enhance its pre-owned coach division, the company has called on Roy Furo, National Sales manager for the Volvo 9700, to also handle pre-owned coach sales in the northeast region.
Roy joined the Prevost team in 2017 and boasts 16 years of industry sales experience. "In addition to helping grow Volvo 9700 sales in North America over the past 2.5 years, I am excited to take on an additional role as Pre-owned Sales Manager in the Northeast," says Furo. "I have worked in the Northeast Region for over 16 years and I am eager to assist in moving some of Prevost's pre-owned inventory." Read the full press release.
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Member Communications
If you have news you'd like to share about your company or one of your employees, or
if you are interested in being in our Member Spotlight, please contact us
with photos, links and let us know what you would like to highlight.
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| Also, please feel free to add your team members to our mailing list! Our communications will keep everyone on your team up-to-date on industry trends, membership benefits, and important dates and events. Click the button below! Sign-up for GNJMA News! |
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URGENT: HOS Comment Period Ends October 21, 2019
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Ray Martinez Departing FMCSA End of October
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Ray Martinez will be leaving his position at the end of October.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, which encompasses FMCSA, announced Oct. 10 that Martinez will be leaving his post, although he will remain with DOT. In his new position, he will oversee redevelopment construction taking place at the agency's John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass. The Volpe Center, a hub for transportation experts, focuses on infrastructure and innovation. Read more...
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Access ELD Trainings and Webinars from FMCSA
FMCSA has created and posted two interactive ELD training courses to provide a refresher to help ensure that motor carriers and drivers subject to the ELD rule, and ELD providers, are prepared for the December 16, 2019 deadline for full conversion from AOBRDs to ELDs. Topics include data transfer methods, the difference between ELDs and AOBRDs, and how to address technical issues or maintain device compliance.
Q&A Session Recordings
In August, FMCSA held a series of live question and answer sessions on ELDs. Recordings of one of each of these sessions are available below.
ELD and eRODS Enforcement Training
Access this interactive training course for a peek into one of the ways FMCSA and State enforcement personnel are trained to use ELDs to review hours-of-service data and determine violations.
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NYCT Announces Graduated Fines
MTA New York City Transit announced that the fines associated with bus lane violations captured using a new automated bus-mounted camera system will be subject to a new graduated fee structure starting at $50 and going up to $250 for repeat bus blockers. Cameras mounted on buses serving the M15 Select Bus Service route will begin capturing real-time violations starting October 7, 2019.
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DOL Approves Final Overtime Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule to make 1.3 million American workers eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
"For the first time in over 15 years, America's workers will have an update to overtime regulations that will put overtime pay into the pockets of more than a million working Americans," Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella said. "This rule brings a commonsense approach that offers consistency and certainty for employers as well as clarity and prosperity for American workers."
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ABA Government Affairs and Policy Update
The ABA September update on government affairs, activities and new initiatives includes information on the following:
Legislative - Congress
Regulatory - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
U.S. Forest Service
National Park Service
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Port Authority Tolls Set To Increase
Despite our collective efforts, the Port Authority proposed toll increase will go forward. Amid record-setting use of its facilities and with major redevelopment projects underway across the region, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approves the first inflation-based adjustments to the agency's tolls, fares and fees since 2015.
The cash toll rate at all Port Authority crossings will increase from $15 to $16, as of Jan. 5, 2020. The adopted proposal also eliminates the E-ZPass discount for out-of-state accounts. In addition, there will be changes to PATH's fare structure with the PATH base fare remaining at its current $2.75 for a single trip, but reducing the discount for PATH multi-trip fares.
The increase is in line with the inflation-adjusted schedule mandated by the PANY/NJ's Board of Commissioners in 2008 and reaffirmed in 2011.
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REAL ID Act
The REAL ID Act will begin to be enforced nationwide on October 1, 2020.
Children under 18 will not be required to have a REAL ID for access, but the traveling companion will need acceptable identification.
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Clearinghouse Registration is Now Available
How to register for the Clearinghouse?
Download instructions to register as a:
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Ad Campaign Uses 30,000 Toy Cars to Get Drivers to Take the Bus
An ad campaign from Swedish public transport company Västtrafik uses toy cars to illustrate the impact of removing 30,000 cars from the road. The toy car installation, which was built to show the insanity of bad traffic - and the impact of people taking the bus instead, coincides with a promotion offering two weeks of free bus transport. Read more...
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Notice of Public Hearing and Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Rules
The NY Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing to update provisions of the Traffic Rules to conform with Local Law 175 of 2018, which requires sight-seeing bus operators to apply for on-street Bus Stop Permits from DOT and to update the parkway permit rule to allow heavier vehicles on the Belt Parkway.
When and where is the Hearing? DOT will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule. The public hearing will take place at 1pm on November 8, 2019. The hearing will be in the DOT Bid Room at 55 Water Street, Concourse Level, New York, NY 10041. The entrance to the Bid Room is located on the southeast corner of 55 Water Street facing the NYC Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza.
Read more...
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Seeking Better Deals on Healthcare Insurance
Information and choice are driving efforts to make sure employees at New Jersey's small companies have access to healthcare insurance.
New Jersey employers, the state government and insurance providers are taking more creative approaches to make health insurance accessible to employees of small companies, as businesses wrestle with rising premiums and try to balance employee benefits with corporate profits.
Read more...
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Congestion Pricing Schemes Gain Steam
New York state legislators voted in March to impose the country's first congestion pricing program in New York City beginning in 2021. Now Chicago's new mayor, Lori Lightfoot, said she is considering a congestion pricing system, too.
Read more...
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November 10, 2019 - Annual Driver Safety Meeting - Tropicana
March 9-10, 2020
- Sponsor Appreciation Dinner, Spring Association Meeting & Motorcoach Professional Awards - Tropicana
Save-the-Date!
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Member Alerts are sent out to our Members as needed.
All alerts, as well as past newsletters, can be accessed via our website
member portal
(Member Info/Documents/Member Alerts)
with logon credentials.
Here is a sampling of what has been sent recently:
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Thank You To Our Sponsors!
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Download our logo above to display proudly on your website.
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Contact: Pattie Cowley, Executive Director | Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association
This email is being sent to you as a benefit of your company's GNJMA membership.
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