October Update
In the following update I am dealing with 2 items that have surfaced:
a) Registration costs for those folks that will join the Convoy for short periods, and,
b) Insurance needs.
a) Registration costs
In a recent comms note to you I stated that the registration cost is $100.00 per HMV. This includes the HMV, its Driver and Co-driver and any chase vehicle and its passengers. So, if you have 2 HMVs that you plan to bring – it’s $200.00. This registration fee is meant to cover a registration package for the HMV, the Driver and Co-driver (some mandatory items and some goodies) and some other items.
Some folks are asking if we might consider a reduced amount for those who are joining for a day or 2.
Well, we’d rather have you joining the Convoy than not – and here is a way to cover our basic costs for the mandatory items.
For those folks that plan to register now for 1 or 2 or 3 days and for those folks that “drop in” for a day or so, you can either pay the $100 and get a full registration package or pay
$30.00 per day per HMV and you get a basic “registration” kit for you and your MV.
Each of us will see that after 3 days, it makes sense to pay the $100 – and you get the full registration package. This is also how we will address any short-term "drop-in" participants. We will NOT accept to have someone joining for the day or even part of a day without being a current MVPA member and not officially joining this Convoy. There’s too much at stake to have one person, unknown to the Convoy team, inadvertently cause a problem for the rest of the Convoy.
Several folks have already sent me their $100 checks and thanks for this. If you have sent the $100 and you plan to join for 3 days or less, I will contact you to confirm your intentions.
The checks are still to be made payable to MVPA Historical Archives, and sent to me at the address shown at the end of this note.
Click here to download a current list of stopping points. Please use this list to calculate the number of days you plan to join the Convoy.
I hope this will help. Please don’t hesitate – get registered! As we work more and more with each town that we’ll stop for lunch and dinner at, the obvious question comes out – how many trucks and people are confirmed? I need YOUR information to answer that question properly!
b) Insurance needs
We've had some members asking the question: "What insurance do I need on my HMV?" and "What does the MVPA Chapter Insurance do for me while I am on the Convoy"? Well, I'll answer these questions here.
For your HMV and your chase vehicle (if applicable), please check with your Insurance Agent to make sure that you have enough insurance to cover your assets (yes, I know – assets – which is quite relevant here. J) This needs to be your discussion with your insurance company. The needs vary State by State – so I will not recommend an amount of liability insurance. I further recommend that you talk with your Insurance Agent about a “personal umbrella” insurance policy that covers your assets. If you already have such an "umbrella policy", you may want to increase its value for the period of time you plan to join the Convoy. Again – TALK TO YOUR INSURANCE AGENT!
As a part of your final registration at the time you and your vehicles join the Convoy we will require you to show us PROOF of insurance (not the amount – that’s your business) for your vehicles – the same as you would if a Police Officer asks you for this info.
For our Convoy participants joining us from outside the US, please talk with your insurance agent in your home Country to determine what personal and liability insurance you need for yourself and your HMV.
The MVPA and the Affiliate Insurance covers us once we stop our HMV. The entire TMC’09 Convoy is an MVPA "event" – but while we are driving, our auto insurance covers us.
I hope that this addresses your insurance concerns.
Final comments for now:
a) Registration costs for those folks that will join the Convoy for short periods, and,
b) Insurance needs.
a) Registration costs
In a recent comms note to you I stated that the registration cost is $100.00 per HMV. This includes the HMV, its Driver and Co-driver and any chase vehicle and its passengers. So, if you have 2 HMVs that you plan to bring – it’s $200.00. This registration fee is meant to cover a registration package for the HMV, the Driver and Co-driver (some mandatory items and some goodies) and some other items.
Some folks are asking if we might consider a reduced amount for those who are joining for a day or 2.
Well, we’d rather have you joining the Convoy than not – and here is a way to cover our basic costs for the mandatory items.
For those folks that plan to register now for 1 or 2 or 3 days and for those folks that “drop in” for a day or so, you can either pay the $100 and get a full registration package or pay
$30.00 per day per HMV and you get a basic “registration” kit for you and your MV.
Each of us will see that after 3 days, it makes sense to pay the $100 – and you get the full registration package. This is also how we will address any short-term "drop-in" participants. We will NOT accept to have someone joining for the day or even part of a day without being a current MVPA member and not officially joining this Convoy. There’s too much at stake to have one person, unknown to the Convoy team, inadvertently cause a problem for the rest of the Convoy.
Several folks have already sent me their $100 checks and thanks for this. If you have sent the $100 and you plan to join for 3 days or less, I will contact you to confirm your intentions.
The checks are still to be made payable to MVPA Historical Archives, and sent to me at the address shown at the end of this note.
Click here to download a current list of stopping points. Please use this list to calculate the number of days you plan to join the Convoy.
I hope this will help. Please don’t hesitate – get registered! As we work more and more with each town that we’ll stop for lunch and dinner at, the obvious question comes out – how many trucks and people are confirmed? I need YOUR information to answer that question properly!
b) Insurance needs
We've had some members asking the question: "What insurance do I need on my HMV?" and "What does the MVPA Chapter Insurance do for me while I am on the Convoy"? Well, I'll answer these questions here.
For your HMV and your chase vehicle (if applicable), please check with your Insurance Agent to make sure that you have enough insurance to cover your assets (yes, I know – assets – which is quite relevant here. J) This needs to be your discussion with your insurance company. The needs vary State by State – so I will not recommend an amount of liability insurance. I further recommend that you talk with your Insurance Agent about a “personal umbrella” insurance policy that covers your assets. If you already have such an "umbrella policy", you may want to increase its value for the period of time you plan to join the Convoy. Again – TALK TO YOUR INSURANCE AGENT!
As a part of your final registration at the time you and your vehicles join the Convoy we will require you to show us PROOF of insurance (not the amount – that’s your business) for your vehicles – the same as you would if a Police Officer asks you for this info.
For our Convoy participants joining us from outside the US, please talk with your insurance agent in your home Country to determine what personal and liability insurance you need for yourself and your HMV.
The MVPA and the Affiliate Insurance covers us once we stop our HMV. The entire TMC’09 Convoy is an MVPA "event" – but while we are driving, our auto insurance covers us.
I hope that this addresses your insurance concerns.
Final comments for now:
- We will stop in Rochelle, IL, instead of DeKalb, IL on Saturday, 20 June’09. This city is gearing up to make us very welcome!
- We have about 30 registered & paid MVs and their keepers! Thanks to all. If you haven’t already, please get me your registration payments.
- We have some stopping points offering reduced-cost lodging and free meals and camping for us. We are starting to have some no-cost and reduced cost fuel being offered. Our team of Volunteers and the extended team of City contacts are working hard to minimize our "out of pocket" costs of fuel, food and lodging. I will soon begin to present the list of towns and agencies and sponsors that are contributing here!
- YOU will need to begin securing your hotels / campsites before the end of this year. We’ll help you with a list of hotels & campsites – and their prices.
- We have contacted several of you that offered to act as Contacts for us at our Stopping Points. Thanks for your help here.
- I personally need some help from some of you in the following areas:
· Someone with radio experience to help manage the radios each day (distributing
them, getting them charged, minor repairs). 3 to 4 folks will make the work easy.
· Someone with radio / HAM experience to help manage our contacts with the ARRL
(HAM radio guys – this is your organization).
· Someone to help me with preparing the March Units for the next day. That will
include preparing and giving a brief "drivers meeting" talk and assign our MVs to
their March Unit for the next day. 2 or 3 people helping here will make this job go
quite easy.
· … if you can help in some way (even if you’re not sure how!) – Please let me know!
Keep getting your MVs ready to roll and take care for now!
Terry A. Shelswell, P. Eng., MVPA # 13957
Director - MVPA 2009 Transcontinental Motor Convoy Project
terry.shelswell@inergyautomotive.com
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