Jeff discusses the role of NATMI and getting "Certified." Also the benefits of Certification.
Join us.
Keeping it Safety Dawg Simple!
Attention, Ontario Trucking Companies. If you are relying on facility insurance, you could be overpaying. Reduce your insurance cost by 10, 000 or more per truck. And good news, we accept drivers with only 1 year of experience. To learn more, just send us text by typing insurance to 365 364 0714.
Jeff discusses the role of NATMI and getting "Certified." Also the benefits of Certification.
Join us.
Keeping it Safety Dawg Simple!
Attention, Ontario Trucking Companies. If you are relying on facility insurance, you could be overpaying. Reduce your insurance cost by 10, 000 or more per truck. And good news, we accept drivers with only 1 year of experience. To learn more, just send us text by typing insurance to 365 364 0714.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 0:01
Hey, on the show This week we have Jeff Arnold from Nat. Meet North American Transportation Management Institute. Let's get right into the show. Welcome the dog on it. Trucking podcast. I'm your host, Chris Harris. Safety dog. And when it comes to trucking safety, the dog is on it. Please, If you would show your appreciation for the podcast by leaving a thumbs up a comment a rating, it would help me so much raise the profile of this show and bring it and make it available to even Mawr listeners, which I appreciate you. Now, let's get on with Arnold. Welcome to the dog on it. Trucking show. How are you?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 0:56
I'm doing great. Thanks. Thank you for inviting me.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 0:58
Well, this is, uh it's wonderful to have guests like you. You know, I've been a proponent. Is that the right word for Nat me for many, many years. And I guess it started with Great West Casualty. The insurance company. Three Canadian arm appear. I got sent down. I actually did My CD s at, um in Denver at the Colorado Trucking Association.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 1:29
Okay, so right here, Locally,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 1:32
way back when? So Jeff, tell us a bit about yourself.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 1:39
So I am the executive director of the North American Transportation Management is to which I have ah, role. I've been playing since 1994. When at the time the organization was under the auspices of the American Trucking Associations, it's, ah, stand alone organization. We we do operate again with the fiduciary responsibility with the Truckload Carriers Association. Um, but I've been overseeing the daily operations of Nat me throughout the U. S. And Canada for Gosh, it's over 25 years now. So time flies.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 2:17
It does. I'm gonna ask you skill testing question. Do you remember the year that not me came to Canada?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 2:28
I believe it was 2006 2005. Somewhere in that time,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 2:35
I don't know why I've got 2005 in my mind, but yes. So it's been, uh What does that make it like, 15 years?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 2:46
I think so. Yeah. Congrats. Time flies. Thank you. Yes, it was. It was a goal of ours for a number of years. In fact, we changed our name to the North. American Transportation Management. Instituted had a different name prior for a number of years in 1997 with the express goal of expanding into Canada and perhaps Mexico. At some point,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 3:11
I was just gonna ask, Is there any, uh, hope or desire to go down to Mexico?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 3:20
Uh, just on both of those counts. We do have to do that at some point. We do have bilingual instructors already. That could do that. And we would just need to sort of a local truck. There is Ah, a an organization called I believe it's Can a car in Okay, Mexico, which is, um, the equivalent of transport? Uh, not transport Canada. Um, but the Canadian Trucking Alliance String or the American Trucking Associations. Same kind of an organization.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 3:58
So you could align yourself with them potentially and expand
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 4:02
absolutely
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 4:03
well during February and March if you need an instructor for Mexico. Uh,
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 4:11
you're on it. Did you speak Spanish? No. Well, that may be a problem,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 4:19
ham, because I love to get away from the Canadian winter.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 4:24
Yes, I understand. While living on and I will happily join, you will have to find somebody who can actually teach the class while
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 4:33
they're Well, if you need any help setting it up, if you actually had to go down to Mexico, you know, during the winter months.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 4:40
Sure, sure. You'll you'll help me out. I volunteer. Absolutely appreciate that. That's your just thinking of us, No doubt.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 4:48
Yeah, absolutely. Speaking of, Ah, Nat made what is not me. And what are some of the benefits of Matt? Me?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 4:59
Yeah, you bet that me is the North American Transportation Management Institute. That's what the acronym stands for. It's leading and certification and training organization for transportation professionals in North America, and we provide internationally recognized university accredited training and certification programs, a professional certification for truck and bus fleet management professional. So we've got five different certification designations that we offer certified director of safety and which is for those who are the full time administrator of safety for their companies. We have a certified director of maintenance and equipment for maintenance directors of trucking companies. And, um, we have AH certified driver trainer designation as well for driver trainers, obviously and, ah, the um, each of the safety in the maintenance designations. Both have a supervisor level designation as well. For the line level supervisor, there's a certified safety supervisor and the certified supervisor of maintenance and quick. And then when there's another certification that we offer in conjunction with the American Trucking Associations, that's the card certify cargo security professionals and, um uh, individuals applying for that go through either us or a t A. That's it.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 6:26
I was going to say there and there's even Mawr, though. Are there not other online courses that are offered through? Not me.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 6:34
Indeed. Yeah, we have a We do have an online institute. Ah, and it focuses primarily on, uh, regulatory compliance, Uh, mostly in the U. S. Regulations. There's also some, uh, workers comp in and human Race Resource is related courses that are on that online institute that we offer as well. And we have a number of professional development courses that go beyond the safety certification and the direct the certification related courses that are just for professional development. So courses like accent investigation, hazardous materials are dangerous goods, transportation and, um, driver retention as well. We also dio we also offer the the CBS a inspection Familiarization course which we do through CVS and partnership with them for those who are interested in that particular program as well.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 7:43
Yeah, because I see a lot of the online. It's not just the certification courses. There's a lot of other educational courses there as well.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 7:52
That's correct. That's correct.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 7:54
But if I wanted to be certified, what would some of the benefits be of achieving my certification?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 8:03
So that's a great question. Uh,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 8:05
well, thank you so
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 8:08
individually from a ah, from an individual standpoint, there's a lot of different benefits. As as, ah, professional in the industry, you are trying to develop a professional reputation and that reputation you may have on your resume. Um, you know, the people who know you know how well you, uh, maybe do your job in the industry people who have a personal understanding of your background. But those who don't people who are I have never come in contact with you may not know necessarily your level of professionalism and your professional background. So the certification offers ah objective third party perspective on your professionalism, which is recognized in courtroom testimony. A lot of our folks who get certified do it because they do expert witness testimony in court cases when there's a vehicle accident, and three, the credentials are often queried in a courtroom testimony and, uh, you know it helps you to establish yourself is, ah, expert witness and, uh, demonstrates your professionalism from in sort of an objective third party standpoint versus just your, uh you know, the what you may proclaim yourself. You know, you've got you've got another outside party that helps provide that credibility.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 9:45
Well, I don't think
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 9:46
from
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 9:47
sorry. I was going to say, I think that's why it's so important that the certification isn't a piece of paper that comes from that Me. It comes from who,
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 9:59
Uh, So we work with the University of Central Florida as third party administrator, and we've been working in conjunctions with University since the beginning. Actually, nappies of organization has been around a long time since 1944 and we actually started as a university program at Penn State. And it's always been associated with universities in that entire history. And our affiliation with university is 1/3 party administer administrator allows us to, uh, have an objective third party, administer the certification exams that grants the continuing education units and certification designations and also oversee the certification process. Um, the advantage there being that when you have 1/3 party university administrator. There could be no question. Is too the credibility of the credential if we were, you know, because we we work in the industry and we have members from all these large, different companies. You know, somebody could say, Well, you know, So once it was a large company, they a lot of money. So that's why you gave that guy that credential who didn't really deserve it, you know, And we say, Look, the university doesn't care what company these people come from.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 11:15
They probably don't even know the companies.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 11:18
No, probably not. And they don't, you know? So they've got they've got no skin in the game, per se on who gets certified, who doesn't. And so you can know that when a certification is issued, it is because somebody either has or has not met the criteria.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 11:32
And I think that's huge. And I mean, you know that I have my CD s certified director of safety. From that and
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 11:39
right,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 11:40
I have had the experience of working with lawyers. Haven't been recognized yet. As an expert witness, I don't know. Well, I don't know if it works the same in the States. I would imagine it does here in Canada. The court has to recognize me as an expert witness because I don't have, like an engineer has an engineering degree that makes him write an expert witness. And so I've several occasions worked with lawyers, but we actually haven't gotten to court yet. My lawyers that I worked for have always one, but I unfortunately never got the court t to say I've been recognized as an expert witness, so that's kind of interesting.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 12:22
Yeah, yeah, a lot of our folks who were consultants seek that expert witness, but it's also good. Just if you're called up to the stand as a safety director to be able to to have that credibility.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 12:34
Well, absolutely. And as you say, it's 1/3 party organisation recognizing your skill set. And let's be honest, it's a great thing on your resume. Absolutely not that we're encouraging people to switch jobs or anything, but it is. It is 1/3 party recognition that, hey, you know what you're talking about.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 12:57
Absolutely. It's 1/3 party when you're applying for the job. If there's if there's ah two candidates, one with the certification one without it may give you the leg up against somebody who's not certified and kind of set you apart. And we've noticed that there's a fair number of companies here in the United States. I can't speak for whether this is true in Canada. Enough. There's a fair number of companies the United States that have made the C. D. S a requirement if you're gonna work as a safety director for their company
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 13:25
I have not yet seen of as requirement. I have seen it under the preferred settings, and I know several companies that if they were to hire you and you don't have it, you're gonna get right because they want their safety director toe have that designation who delivers are How did the students get hooked up with Not me course? Because obviously you're in Denver, Colorado. Not everybody's gonna fly down to Denver to get not me certified.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 13:57
Correct. Yeah. So we work in partnership with state and provincial trucking associations all over the U. S. And Canada. So we've got courses going on in multiple locations at different times a year, different states and provinces, and Ontario Trucking Association puts on courses with that me, um, Atlantic provinces and others do as well as well as some partners that we have in Canada, like a RTs which offers at me training programs.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 14:33
Let's not leave. Oh, Kim, you know, we got to get Kertesz Well, because that's where I facilitated a lot as well was in the Atlantic provinces.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 14:43
Yes, absolutely.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 14:44
And if anybody's listening from the West, wouldn't we like to go west, Jeff?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 14:50
We certainly would. And, uh, you know, be very excited to offer programs in conjunction with either the British Columbia Provincial Association or the or the Alberta. Yeah, we have. We have We have offered them. You know, Berta previously it's been a while. Um, but, uh, today we haven't offered anything in BC, so I'd love to do that.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 15:15
Well, BC, and we'll even Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Sure, they have a lot of trucking companies as well over there. But we have done it in Alberta. As you said in B C. I don't know why we haven't gotten there yet. Be interesting.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 15:33
Yes. If you if you know anybody that wants to get one started there, I will happily put something together.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 15:39
It would be, you know, I'm I'm sure you've heard of humbled down in Colorado, the unfortunate accident that we had up here in Canada with our hockey team headed to the playoffs. Um, there was recently a new lawsuit launched here that is suing the bus company. Uh, because it's one of the survivors of on the hockey team is suing the bus company now, and you probably heard that the truck driver himself ended up serving. He was sentenced eight years in jail. But you know, it's going to be interesting following that lawsuit here in Canada, I wonder if the director of safety for the bus company has any designations what can be presented in court. Just be interested just as a safety guy, you know?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 16:34
Absolutely. Yeah, on we do have, ah, a format of our program that has been designed specifically for the bus industry as well. To we worked with the American Bus Association United Motorcoach at one point and eso you know, if if if their company wants Teoh put something on, we could talk
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 16:55
well, absolutely. I think that's usually important that anybody who uses our highways now in North America that's a fleet. They need to have their safety people certified in something, and I don't know what it's available for busting truck or for bus, Certainly for truck, this is the only thing that means Program is the only one that I'm aware of for North America that's recognized on both sides of the border. What would they, uh, CEO from their perspective, Why should a CEO send their safety person out to get their nat me certification?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 17:36
Yeah, that's sort of the bottom line when it comes to if you want to get, uh, go through the nat me training Well, my my boss report it is the first question that most folks ask when they when they're wanting Teoh apply. And, um, one of the things that we realized early on was that sort of just selling the warm, fuzzy aspect of it to one of the benefits to the individual safety director, um, wasn't necessarily enough to sell the CEO, right? So we did a study on certified individuals and ask the questions around, you know, did not me programs directly enhance your ability to do things like analyze safety data, improve your driver training program, improve your safety program, developing policies and procedures, and and actually more importantly, reducing the frequency of vehicle collisions or preventing employees injuries. And we were really happy to see that in that survey that we did of certified individuals that they said yes. In fact, nappies programs had a direct impact, not sort of an indirect but an actual direct impact on their ability to improve their safety programs to develop policies, procedures, comply with regulations, reduced their frequency of vehicle collisions and prevent employees entries. All of those things. And we we had some great quotes from some of the open ended responses on the survey that said, Our driver retention is improved because of things we learned in the courses were able to reduce, were able to reduce accident loss. We had a reduction in our insurance premiums and lost time act. We had a reduction in hours of service. Violations are little COT. One said that our litigation costs went down on and they said this is because the severity of the accidents went down and all of the departments are working together in a better way and management is more responsive, which you love to hear. That and another, another person wrote that there they reduce their collision frequency and related costs by approximately 55% over a three year period. From the things that they learned in the program,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 19:55
that's huge. Yes, So I mean definite pay back to the CEO. Yeah, it goes back to one of the things that I've often said that the A company gets sorry. Employees do what the company owners want them to do. And when the company owner takes actual steps to say not just verbally but actual steps and money and actions to say, I want to run a safe company. And secondly, complain company, it has a huge impact on the bottom line. Are you aware about insurance in both Canada and States, right at the moment for trucking companies?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 20:42
Ah, well, probably not as well as you are. So
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 20:47
I just wanted you understand? That is a very tough market at the moment. I mean, I don't work in the insurance field anymore, so my my information is very much like yours. Uh, you know, it's 1/3 party, but it is very, very tough. I understand on both sides of the border right now and and, you know, I know that certification cost money. But the payback is you just alluded to is more than a
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 21:24
great investment. Absolutely. For the for the small investment that you make in the program. Um, I mean, if you just even were able to reduce a couple of workers compensation claims or, you know, reduce accident, even one accident, you would more than pay for the course itself and
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 21:45
10 times over.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 21:46
And I was suggest absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, so it's It's definitely a great return on investment,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 21:54
Jeff. What else would should a listener or watcher of this Noel boating at me and the programs that you offer?
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 22:05
I think, uh, one thing I always try to impart with regard to the Nat Me training programs is really what makes that different and that most industry training exists to advance a commercial interest. You know, they're trying to sell a product or or, you know, the training programmes themselves um, usually associated with, you know, other types of programs and products that they're selling. And there's nothing wrong with that. Um uh, but nappy is is is a nonprofit organization dedicated Teoh continuing education. We're really, uh we're designing. We put a lot more effort into instructional design, which costs both time and money. It's not. It kind of eats into the profits. If you're you're trying to do that as a profitable business, to put as much time and effort as we do into the instructional design. Um, and so you know where we believe that the quality of the instructional design and the way that the courses are taught makes a big difference in terms of learner retention and outcomes. And so we really start with an outcome. Focus in mind that we're we design and deliver the courses with the idea that we want to reduce accidents and injuries. So the course content is really built around. How do we achieve that end? And it's very practical. It's not a lot of theoretical. I mean, you've been, you know, the courses. They're based on real life scenarios. We do a lot of role plays and hands on scenarios that people look at Teoh, analyze accidents, analyze injuries and put together um, ideas for programming to arrest them and learning how to use systems and quality management and things like that to apply to safety. And, uh, so that's you know, we really believe that both the design and delivery are critical in maximizing learning and achieving the outcomes. So we put more effort into it than the typical organization would since, uh, since that's really what we're all about.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 24:24
Well, on. The other thing I would offer is well, is that it's a North American based program. However, it is customized for each country. Correct. You know, the hours of service, for instance. I don't know if that mean the states the CD s program, anyways, taxable Canadian hours of service or not. But in the Canadian program, we talk about the hours of service on both sides of the border is one one of the Iraq instead of OSHA in Canada, we talk about worker's compensation or W S I b different names on, and they've all been updated and changed. So just in case Canadians listening, I don't think it's ah, it's an American quarter some, And if Americans listening don't think it's a Canadian course it is. It's the same course, but, uh, slightly different, I guess. Um, how do you describe it? Because it is the same course.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 25:27
Yeah, just yes, it is. So the way I would describe it is the general principles around. Safety management are the same, no matter where you are. I mean, we could be offering it in South Africa, and it would still be the
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 25:41
border meant a
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 25:42
lot of the same content or in Mexico, and it would be a lot of the same content, right? The when it comes to fleet safety, the same kind of principles and practices apply regardless of where you're located anywhere in the world. Um, what's different is regulations, which different is, you know, regulatory bodies that may regulate the industry locally. And so that's where the difference is lying between the programs as we where there is sort of universal concepts, we we are exactly the same. But where there is differences in terms of local regulations. So the way their regulatory bodies were set up, uh, that's where the differences are. And if there's something that doesn't apply in the US that doesn't play in Canada or vice versa, then you know we we keep it, that which does apply in Canada in Canada and that which doesn't in, you know, in the US and vice versa. So that's that's really words. Where the programs differed. The other thing is, you know some of the scenarios. The references are, too. In the US version, it be reference to some, you know, highway in Kansas or something, and a Canadian virgin. It will be, you know, someplace outside Toronto. Or so those air those air, the those of the key differences and how we kind of do it. The'keeper's Cipel's and practices of the same in both. But when it comes to the more specific local regulation and things like that, that's when it gets, you know, customized
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 27:17
and having taken my CD s program in in the States. As they said in Denver, Um, I can It's exact same stories or situational, uh, situations. But the names changed. As you said, the highway name changed or or the city change, but the it's exact same information for the background,
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 27:44
right? Exactly. Yeah. The exercise itself is pretty much the same, but But we've changed the names and faces.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 27:53
We made it local.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 27:55
Exactly.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 27:57
Excellent. Anything else, Jeff that a listener watcher needs to know about, Not me.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 28:03
Yes. If you're interested in finding out more about the certification process in the program, a swell of the other courses that we offer. You can visit our website at nat me dot org's www that in a t m i dot org and all of that is is everything we talked about in this podcast is can be found on the website pretty much too. There's There's in fact, quite a bit greater detail on the specifics of the process of how to get certified and in case listeners air interested.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 28:40
And there are, for some of the courses, pretty rough, right that prerequisites on the that can be found on the website. And of course, I'll put a link to the website in the show notes eso you can just click down below. But the um also the other thing that's on the website are the schedules for different offerings. So whether it's here in Canada or throat the states, the schedule is always up to date and on the Web sites.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 29:12
Yep, that's absolutely correct. And we update the website in real time, so any time of course, is added. We added immediately to the website, so you can know that, you know, if it's not on the website, we don't have anything scheduled. And if it and if it is, you know that, uh, you know, that's what everything is current. That's on there.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 29:31
Yeah, it's perfect. So I'll put that in the show notes. So the link actual Probably put two or three links. One direct to the schedule one direct Teoh, the general website. A couple of different ones. That's great. All right, Jeff, thanks so much for being on the dog on it. Trucking podcast.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 29:52
My pleasure.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 29:53
All right, We'll talk to you again soon, I'm sure. Thanks, Jeff.
NATMI's Jeff Arnold: 29:58
Thank you, Chris.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 30:01
Hope you love the show as much as I did. Please leave us a like a thumbs up. A review, a comment, a rating it so much. And I do really appreciate and join us again next week for another exciting interview.