Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/556112
www.BoatingIndustry.com 44 | Boating Industry | May 2015 MARKET FOCUS SECTION { TRAILERS & ACCESSORIES } BY JONATHAN SWEET Most people don't spend a lot of time thinking about the trailer when they buy a boat, being understandably focused on find- ing the right vessel to meet their needs. But that only makes it more important for the industry to give the category more attention to ensure safety and compliance with federal regulations that govern trailers. "The consumer doesn't understand it, so it's up to the industry," said Gary Pot- ter, vice president/general manager of EZ Loader and past president of the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. "It's our responsibility to educate the consumer on how important certification is." The National Marine Manufacturers Association offers a trailer certification program that ensures trailer design meets the standards in the NMMA Trailer Cer- tification Handbook. Trailers are certified in the areas of identification plates, capacity ratings, couplings, safety chains, lighting, winches, brakes, registration procedures and conspicuity systems. NATM also has a compliance verifica- tion process to help its members comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. It started as a voluntary program in 2002 but is now required of all NATM members. "All the things that are on the checklist, every trailer manufacturer is required by law to abide by," said NATM executive di- Safety, technology focus for trailer manufacturers Certification and compliance offer dealers, boat builders certainty rector Pam O'Toole Trusdale. "One of the complaints of our members is that everyone says they comply … but there's evidence out there that a lot of companies don't." Making compliance mandatory shows the members' commitment to safety and helps to level the playing field, Trusdale said. "There are different lines of trailers: some are more expensive, some are less, but if it's less expensive because they're cutting corners … they're not competing fairly," she said. "They're competing by breaking the law." When companies are failing to meet standards, it's often not intentional. Instead, it usually results from an inability to keep up with the constantly changing regulations governing trailers. So even those companies that think they are complying may not be, especially if they don't participate in one of the industry programs, Trusdale said. "Our compliance program isn't to catch people doing things wrong, it's to help them do it right," she said. "We give them ample opportunity and advice on making those corrections, but if they don't, we cancel their membership. We just feel that strongly, because essentially if they're not meeting those requirements, they're not abiding by the law." NEW TECHNOLOGY It may not be as flashy as a new boat design but trailer manufacturers are also continu- ing to invest in new technology and designs. For example, Eagle Trailer recently invested in 3D laser scanning tools that have drastically improved how it makes its custom trailers. Instead of the tradi- tional (and time-consuming) method of measuring and fitting a boat on a trailer www.BoatingIndustry.com Certified trailers, like this EZ Loader custom model, are identified with a certified decal.