Rental operators from across Maine gathered on April 27 to receive the latest guidelines directly from an officer of the Maine State Police.
The ARA of Maine’s spring meeting, hosted at Kennebec Equipment Rental in Fairfield, Maine, included dinner from local favorite Sonny’s Pizza, a facility tour and guest speaker Trooper Shane Northrup.
During his presentation, Trooper Northrup provided a review of current and new Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, and offered tips on how to stay compliant and avoid violations. Attendees agreed that the speaker was informative and reflected his organization’s openness to questions and consultations.
“With ever-changing laws coming down from the federal level, it was nice to get clarification on new changes and the enforcement,” says Dan Morris, general manager of Kennebec Equipment Rental, who serves on the ARA of Maine board of directors and was the event’s host. “Unlike other law enforcement, the DOT guys aren’t necessarily pulling us over for any wrongdoing — it is to simply check to make sure we are following necessary laws. We can call on them any time to go over questions we have on site to prevent unnecessary time loss on a delivery.”
“Shane was highly engaging, informative and made the information easy to understand. He made it clear that Commercial Vehicle Enforcement is always open and available to answer questions. He provided his cell number and email so members can reach out to him any time to discuss concerns,” says Elizabeth Lurvey, office manager, Mainely Events, Biddeford, Maine, and ARA of Maine president.
Troy Greenleaf, president, General Rental Center, Old Town, Maine, and an ARA of Maine board member, says he appreciated the tour of Kennebec’s facility as much as the speaker’s material. “The meeting was great overall. I enjoyed the tour; Dan was a gracious host. The food was good, the remodeled store area was very nice, and Trooper Northrup gave a great presentation. He made it very casual and comfortable for us while still giving us a very thorough, professional presentation,” he says.
Morris says that while the business education component of the evening was important to touch on, the peer interaction is always the star of the show at ARA of Maine gatherings.
“Like with any other ARA [American Rental Association] event, networking is a huge component for me,” he says. “Even though the majority of attendees are competitors, it helps to know who we can send customers to for things we don’t have. The DOT portion might not need to be offered yearly, but every couple of years or so as the laws change, to stay on top of them.”