Rental operators from across Iowa gathered on April 7 to receive the latest guidelines directly from an officer of the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).
The ARA of Iowa’s spring meeting, hosted at Rent-All in Spencer, Iowa, featured dinner, a social hour and special guest speaker Officer Tim McFarland of the Iowa DOT.
During his presentation, McFarland reviewed current and updated DOT regulations, provided a road map for how businesses can adopt changes, and offered tips on how to stay compliant and avoid violations.
American Rental Association (ARA) Region Six director Doug Haas, president and CEO, Crown Rental, Burnsville, Minn., regularly travels to ARA member stores and events across the region and reports that this meeting was consistent with the high quality of networking and rental business education that ARA state chapters are known for.
“The Rent-All store in Spencer is new and it is a very impressive building. Kyle [Van De Berg, purchasing and logistics manager, and an ARA of Iowa board member] provided a tour of the facility prior to dinner. The catered dinner was delicious, and prizes provided by Mi-T-M and ARA were raffled off after the presentation,” Haas says.
“We wanted to have the members come out and take a tour of our new facility,” Van De Berg says. “It was good to see everyone in person again.”
The prospect of seeing Rent-All’s new location coupled with the vital subject matter of the DOT presentation proved to be a big draw for members far and wide.
“We had a couple of rental people attend from Minnesota and another individual travel 4.5 hours one way from Fairfield, Iowa — that’s awesome dedication and support!” says Dave Hehr, president, Contractor Solutions, Des Moines, Iowa, and ARA of Iowa president. “I feel the DOT updates are great for the people that deal with logistics at rental companies. Not only is it crucial for the drivers, but it is also important for the people that are handling the logistics on the phone in the office.”
Van De Berg says he felt the ARA of Iowa brought in the right person to deliver the presentation, saying that McFarland “did a very good job with the presentation; he kept the mood light, was very willing to answer any questions and he stayed afterwards.”
Haas adds that while his operation is located in Minnesota, he took something away from the speaker’s presentation. “DOT rules vary from state to state, so you better be aware of the rules in each state you operate in,” he says.