Iron Sheepdog has become a sponsor of the National Dump Trucking Association (NDTA). Born out of a shared vision to bring a higher standard to the dump truck industry, Iron Sheepdog and the NDTA hope to grow the association membership and programming.
NDTA is the first organization in the U.S. dedicated to representing the interests of short haul trucking professionals. It strives to become a leading advocate and resource for dump truck haulers, brokers and related professionals.
Iron Sheepdog is a technology platform designed to help dump truck brokers manage their business with tools that dispatch fleets of owned and independent haulers for construction, material and road building projects of any size. Haulers use a mobile app to receive work and get paid.
“Iron Sheepdog and NDTA have a common goal of bringing a fragmented industry together in a way that provides real benefit for the hauling community,” says Mike Van Sickel, CEO of Iron Sheepdog. “With educational resources to help haulers and brokers with everything from compliance to bid support, we admire what the NDTA is doing to elevate the profession. It also complements our efforts to help these small business owners grow and develop their businesses responsibly with tools that help them deliver what contractors, DOTs and others want from this industry.”
Bringing Industry Value
Up until now, it has been very difficult to demonstrate value in dump truck hauling, according to Van Sickel. Made up of a mostly fragmented group of independent haulers and owner operators, there has been no way to measure efficiency or set a standard for the industry.
Iron Sheepdog and NDTA recognize that the hauling community is interested in finding work with reputable businesses and both organizations share a commitment to developing transparent and reliable business practices for haulers.
Setting the Standard
“We’re creating a standard for the industry that doesn’t currently exist.” says Malcolm Smith, CEO of the NDTA. “Our shared goal [with Iron Sheepdog] is to create a level of professionalism in dump truck hauling. Membership in NDTA will represent a level of service and competence that is demonstrated and trackable. It will be a differentiator for this community.”
NDTA membership is tiered, with options for those new to hauling as well as established hauling companies and brokers. The association provides educational resources and eBooks that cover a range of topics; a community portal to facilitate discussion among members; webinars; DOT support; and an extensive network of advisor and professional resources to improve access to jobs.
Over time, Iron Sheepdog and NDTA plan to develop additional programming and member benefits, to include business management support to vendor discounts.
“We created Iron Sheepdog – bringing more than 30 years of experience in the construction industry – to elevate the standard in trucking,” Van Sickel added. “We’re excited to have found a partner in NDTA who is equally committed to changing this industry for the better.”