What are the benefits of being a member?
Membership offers valuable advantages tailored to individuals at every stage of their non-emergency transportation journey, providing access to our extensive Members Only library. For newcomers, it serves as the ultimate blueprint, guiding you through crucial steps before purchasing your first vehicle. Established companies benefit from a wealth of resources, including in-depth sales tutorials, innovative tips, and out-of-the-box strategies to boost revenue. The content covers a range of topics, from enhancing profits to implementing driver and dispatcher award programs. Additionally, members gain access to practical tools such as sample service agreements and broker lists.
Furthermore, as our valued members enjoy discounts on all services, your drivers will receive an exclusive QR code offering significantly reduced prices for nominating fellow drivers and dispatchers. This exclusive benefit ensures that recognizing excellence within your team is not only a rewarding experience but also a cost-effective one.
Additionally, always keep in mind that driver retention is as crucial as any other aspect of your business. Our wide array of awards serves as an infinitely more cost-effective way to keep your recruiting costs down. It’s more prudent to invest a few dollars occasionally in certificates of appreciation or achievement than to spend hundreds of dollars on employment ads and training costs. Not only does this approach boost morale within your team, but it also provides valuable content for your marketing materials. How great would it be to highlight the fact that your company has never missed a quarter without one of your drivers being recognized by an independent association for achieving the highest level of customer service within the industry?
Why join? To summarize, membership will increase your profits, cut costs, and boost morale. Lastly you will enjoy exclusive discounts and receive reduced rates for nominations. To see our complete library click here. Jump to Resources Tab.
A Journey of Service: Unveiling the Story Behind the Christopher Buell Spirit of Service Award
My name is Christopher Buell, and like many who embark on a journey into the world of non-emergency transportation for the first time, I had virtually no knowledge about the industry. I acquired my first NEMT business from two individuals who had successfully operated a 3-van operation. They each drove one van, keeping the third as a spare. They only had one exclusive client, Hospice of Arizona, which provided 100% of their transports.
In reality, the business wasn’t what had been presented to me. I believed I was purchasing a business where my new company would always be the «preferred provider» for Hospice of Arizona. Unbeknownst to me, I discovered that Hospice of Arizona had engaged two other vendors, including the vice president’s son. While the former owners enjoyed favor with Hospice, the organization held no affinity or loyalty to me.
I thought I was buying a profitable company, but the reality was I bought a potential debt bomb, given that I had three vans and enough work for half of one van. After reality settled in, I began frantically looking for new business, and at the end of four years, I had gone from three working vans to 11 vans, a full-time dispatcher, and nearly $800,000 a year in pre-inflation revenue.
However, life had other plans for me, and I would eventually sell the business and get a divorce, opting for a normal job. At this moment, I found myself working for JB Hunt as a truck driver, hauling oversized freight for the oil fields. After four years of grinding away, where I had achieved many awards, JB Hunt was thinking about promoting me into dispatch, and I couldn’t have been happier with the direction of my career.
One fateful day, while driving on my regular permitted route along with my two escorts who ensure I don’t clip any wires, I accidentally tore down a $50,000 fiberglass internet cable. After many hours of dealing with cops and insurance companies, it was ultimately determined I would not be cited as I hadn’t actually done anything wrong, and I was free to go about my day.
Close to the end of the day, the pilot cars or escorts that I was with and I decided to stop for the night. I safely followed my «High Pole» into the truck stop, where my load proceeded to catch numerous electrical wires, breaking something like 8 telephone poles in the process. This particular accident, only a few hours after my first accident, was enormously expensive. Again, after many hours of dealing with police officers and insurance companies, it was determined I would not be cited as I had not done anything wrong again. At this time, I had the title of being involved in the most expensive accident in JB Hunt’s history where the driver did not get fired.
However, my spirit was broken, and the writing was on the wall; I knew I would be fired very soon for the next mistake I would eventually make. Therefore, rather than wait for my eventual firing, I decided to quit my job, move to Little Rock, AR, and try to start another non-emergency transportation company.
The successes that I had achieved with my second NEMT company came faster and were more profitable than my original company. But the good times were not meant to last again, and after four years of much success, I decided to shut down my second business and then embark on a journey where I would live and travel abroad but offer my services as a freelancer, consultant, and student of this industry.
The Christopher Buell achievement trophy pays homage to our service and the non-emergency transportation industry by having a wheelchair represented with the phoenix rising from it. For anyone who gets into the non-emergency transportation industry, they are not being given a life of comfort but rather a life of service. Our trophy celebrates the resilience and fortitude of individuals who triumph over life’s challenges by consistently delivering exceptional service and providing the highest level of customer satisfaction.
The Alliance serves as a testament to my commitment to empower individuals, providing them with the knowledge and resources needed to navigate the complexities of this industry and thrive.