A Message From The President

By: Dan Reid, President/Managing Member, Grove Transit 

See Y’all in VEGAS at Mobilize 2025!!!

If you haven’t already done so, you should head straight to your nearest internet connection and register for the premiere conference for motor vehicle For-Hire ground transportation operators.  If you have paying passengers in your vehicles, then you need to join us in Vegas. Register today for TTA’s Mobilize 2025: https://bit.ly/3K3sbh4. Rooms at the fabulous Paris Hotel are under $200 per night for the conference.

We have lined up industry experts to share their knowledge and expertise on a wide range of important and informative topics critical for all fleet owners to grow and operate your business.  Here’s just a sample of the great topics we have lined up:

• What your company and your driver need to do when an accident happens. 

• The reality of when claims go to court. 

• Micro-transit and how to get into that business.

• How Policies & Procedures can work to ensure passenger safety

• Scaling success in NEMT.

• 5310 Funding, what is it and who do you get in on it?

• Making the affiliates model work for on-demand and NEMT

In addition, we have a winning line-up of featured speakers that include an industry update from Matt Daus, Paul Miller will present TTA’s Advocacy Agenda and accomplishments, and Bill Rouse will sit down with Uber and possibly local regulators to discuss how they made an unlikely relationship turn into a winning strategy for all parties.

TTA Updates

• Good news for members operating under the employer/employee model.  The current Administration announced this week that they were putting the so called “white collar” overtime rules on the backburner, indicating that no action on this item is expected soon.  The more burdensome rules of the prior Administration would have required employers to pay overtime to four million workers currently exempt.

  
  

• More good news!  The Treasury Department has provided a first look jobs that will qualify for new tax deduction “no tax on tips”.  Included in the list of qualifying occupations in the Transportation & Delivery category are:  parking and valet attendants, taxi and rideshare drivers and chauffeurs, shuttle drivers, goods delivery people, personal vehicle and equipment cleaners, private and charter bus drivers, water taxi operators and charter boat workers, and rickshaw, pedicab and carriage drivers.

  
  

• The Transportation Alliance is now overseeing and sponsoring the Resource Information Center.  This member benefit, formerly provided by the TLPF, has been shifted to TTA to maintain continuity of the benefit for our members.  Included with this benefit is access to the RFP Database in the member’s section of TTA’s website, and up to 5 hours of consultation with industry expert Steve Yaffe.

TTA Advocacy in Action

Even though things seem to have slowed down in Washington, TTA’s Government Relations Committee under the guidance of Paul Miller continues its work.  Recent and ongoing projects include:

• Our ongoing efforts to make sure local operators are given priority consideration when transit agencies seek to use federal funds to create micro-transit projects.

  
  

• SAFE RIDES Act of 2025 – a bill we are seeking to introduce to enhance passenger safety and driver evaluation standards.  Our bill would require fingerprinting background checks, drug and alcohol testing, and tamperproof in-vehicle cameras for all ground passenger transportation services, including, taxicabs, limousines, NEMT, TNCs, and app-based rideshare services.

  
  

• Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill – I will be submitting a letter on behalf of TTA addressing a variety of issues we would like to see taken up during the discussions on the Reauthorization Bill.   Included in this list are the above referenced action items, securing protection for independent contractors, addressing needed changes in the NEMT industry, and supporting the continuation and expansion of FTA Section 5310 Grants for the Elderly and People with Disabilities.   In addition to submitting the letter, TTA member, Bill George met with Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves to give him a tour of ZTrips operations and discuss why many of the points outlined above are necessary.

Open Houses

We had a successful year of Open Houses (6) in 2025.  Many thanks to the Gauer’s at VIP Taxi & HealthLift in Phoenix, Driverge Vehicle Innovations in Akron, OH, BraunAbilty in Winamac, IN, Tom Arrighi and AA Metro in Bridgewater, MA, Frédéric Pregent of Taxelco in Montreal, CA, and Kelly Milan with Sunshine Rides in Grand Junction, CO.   All those who were able to attend one or more of the events were treated to unique opportunities to network, learn, and share tips and practices with fellow operators.  Stay tuned for information about the 2026 Open House program.

Online-Networking and Education

We have had a great year with our three Steering Committees, Business Development, Operations, and Safety and Loss Control.  We all owe a big thanks to committee co-chairs Bill Rouse (LA Yellow Cab), Alan Currie (Sunshine Rides), Devo Bavishi (Ace Taxi), Cheryl Horan (Green & Yellow Cab), Lauren Payne (Tristar Transportation), Bill George (ZTrip), and James Blain (PAX Training), and a round of applause to all of you who participated this year.  Don’t forget, we still have 2 more meetings for each group before Mobilize. 

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