CAM's 1998 Annual Conference
Toronto, November 23 - 24, 1998
Last month, we sent you a Conference brochure and the program both by fax and mail. Before the fax was completely sent, or the glue was dry on the envelopes, we started to receive our first registrations. Don't miss this great information and networking opportunity. We'll look at leadership, customer service and financial planning, as well as government contracts and the relocation services industry. Then, on Tuesday evening, Ken Dryden, one of Canada's leading sports figures, will address the association on team building. The conference has something for everyone to take home: management techniques, profitability and cost-effectiveness enhancers, industry outlooks, association news, and perhaps just a little bit of fun. Check it out on the web at www.mover.net. Fax or e-mail us, and tell us you are coming.
Certified Moving Consultants Course
CAM has circulated six chapters of the newly updated Certified Moving Consultant (CMC) course to members of the board for comment, editing and the addition of Canadian content. The remaining three chapters will be distributed as they become available. The new CMC course will then be amended to reflect these changes.
Canadian Firearms Act
The regulations to implement the new Firearms Act came into effect on October 1st, 1998. They apply specifically to all Canadian carriers engaged in the transportation of firearms. A guide to the Firearms Act may be obtained from the Canadian Firearms Centre (CFC) enquiry line at 1-800-731-4000, by e-mail at canadian.firearms@justicex400.gc.ca or on the web.
Hours of Service
Last spring, CAM participated in Transport Canada's effort to modernize the Hours-of-Service regulations. Several proposed solutions remain on the table. A few elements of interest to movers include a "reset" period of 36 hours (or more) after which a driver's hours in service return to zero, and new combinations of on-duty and off-duty time which add up to 24 hours, so that the work cycle now agrees with the clock, and remains constant from day to day.
Truck Safety
In the House of Commons, Federal transport minister, David Collenette, tabled a report on commercial vehicle safety in Canada that confirms what trucking associations across Canada have been saying for the past decade - truck safety is improving despite the fact that adoption of the National Safety Code (NSC) for trucks has been plagued by provincial inconsistency.
The report, prepared by Transport Canada, looked at commercial vehicle safety for the years 1985 to 1995 and, according to David Bradley of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), "trucks as a group are the safest vehicles on the road."
Tax Changes
Recent news from Michigan indicates that all businesses operating in Michigan may be subject to the Single Business Tax (SBT). Revenue Administrative Bulletin (RAB) 98-1 lists the activities that are subject to SBT, and CAM can obtain this for you. In addition, a growing number of states (New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, Massachusetts) have begun or increased action regarding collection of what are known as franchise taxes, gross receipts taxes or single business taxes. CAM will monitor these actions which amount to double taxation in some instances.
1999 Membership Campaign
The campaign for the 1999 membership year has begun in earnest. In late October, we mailed you an 1998 Annual Conference brochure, information on the association and an invoice for 1999 membership. There are some important activities that CAM has to do in 1999 including:
- Representing movers in various government forums - vehicle impoundment, hours of service, government contracts
- Ensuring that we have true coast-to-coast representation as well as world-wide recognition
- Making our logo a recognized mark of quality
Ensure your fellow movers are aware of the association and the importance of its work.
News Items
Don't forget that this is your newsletter. If you know of any newsworthy event, let us know.
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