Jason Sheets is now working in an executive role with the National Association of Independent Truckers, which offers leased owner-operators and independents through membership access to an array of business services and other benefits.
In recent times, Sheets said in a brief interview at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, the association’s been hard at work building out and refining for an expected September release an NAIT smartphone app through which truckers who are members can perform a variety of personal and business tasks. Among them: access to business records, maintenance locators, a healthcare concierge for doctor and pharmacy searches, telemedicine online consults and much more.
The intent is to enable quick and easy access to all NAIT membership benefits programs (membership comes for $11 monthly).
Sheets hopes to be able to square the vicious circle of unaffordable health insurance by greatly reducing owner-operators’ costs in actually accessing coverage, and affordable prescriptions through telemedicine.
New options for health insurance, too, remain a focus of the association through its long-running Truckers Insurance Exchange private marketplace (accessible by members and nonmembers alike). Newer somewhat longer-period short-term medical plans, TIE rep Marc Ballard emphasized, are becoming increasingly affordable and are available outside of the Affordable Care Act’s typical end-of-year open enrollment periods.
NAIT’s new app is set for release as early as next month.