Wikipedia Draft:NorthAmerican Transportation Association

= NorthAmerican Transportation Association = The NorthAmerican Transportation Association (NTA) is a Transportation and Logistics Association that promotes transportation safety and education, and that provides small and independent trucking fleets with tools to succeed in business and comply with Federal, State and local regulatory agencies.

Overview
The NorthAmerican Transportation Association (NTA) is a safety, educational, transportation and logistics services provider based in Carson City, Nevada. The NTA is a Nationwide Association with thousands of members and a mailing list of over 450,000 mostly small trucking fleets and independent owner-operators. One of the main goals of the association is promoting a drug-free environment and encouraging maintenance and operation of commercial motor vehicles in a manner that safeguards and protects the health and safety of the general public. NTA’s also aims to provide the Independent Trucker and small private fleets with the tools needed to survive and thrive as small business owners, and to help the Motor Carrier maintain compliance with Federal, State and local regulatory bodies and authorities.

Background
The NorthAmerican Transportation Association was originally founded by Wayne Schooling in 1989 under the name of Southern California Owners & Operators Consortium, which only did drug testing in California. The organization gained popularity with local municipalities for it's high standards for drug testing.

In 1991, Schooling changed the name to NorthAmerican Transportation Association to reflect a larger representation of its membership and as a way to help small, independent truck drivers obtain the necessary safety training, equipment, and business tools to succeed in the Transportation industry. Greater than 90% of all trucking companies in the United States are owned by independent contractors or small trucking fleets, so the need for comprehensive education, safety and business services in this highly-regulated industry is always needed. In addition to providing safety consultation, Schooling writes for transportation-related publications on topics such as transportation industry safety, current and forthcoming legislation and industry trends.

Certifications and Contributions
Over the years, the NTA has accumulated certificates from the Department of Transportation's Transportation Safety Institute, and has contributed to Transportation Industry Professional Associations including the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), the UIIA Equipment Interchange Association, the Transportation and Logistics Council , and the California Trucking Association.

Main Categories of Membership Resources
The NTA provides information and services for Transportation industry professionals, broken down into several categories of resources:


 * Financial: Business Loans, Freight Broker Bonds, Factoring;
 * Driver Safety Management: Drug and Alcohol Testing as required by the FMCSA, Background Checks, CSA Management, DAT Load Board, Electronic Logging System and Fuel card;
 * Insurance Services: Occupational Accident Insurance, Truck Insurance and California Dental Insurance;
 * NTA News:  Hi-Way Hi-Lites , a subscription based email newsletter, the NTA NEWS Blog, covering breaking transportation news, and Wayne’s World , a monthly column in 10-4 magazine.
 * Directory of 1099 Independent Contractors for marketing and commerce purposes;
 * Members Portal: where NTA members can utilize the vast NTA Knowledge Base and learn about current legislation and up-to-date analysis of industry trends which affect business and compliance;
 * Truck Shows: NTA is a major sponsor of 10-4 Magazine Charities which puts on the Truckin’ For Kids Truck Show every September in Irwindale, CA