Lynne Domey of Eastern Oregon Rental & Sales was named the lucky winner of a Snorkel S3008P push around scissor lift at the recent 2017 California Rental Association Rental Rally Tradeshow in Las Vegas. Lynne is the fourth person since 2015 to win a Snorkel S3008P at the CRA tradeshow. At the 2016 CRA Rental Rally Tradeshow, Tony Beringer of Baker Rentals & Sales in Costa Mesa, California, was drawn as the winner of the lift.

Howard M. Hodges passed peacefully at his Pebble Beach home on Friday, Dec. 16 surrounded by his loving family and dedicated caregivers. Howard was born on April 9, 1926 in Beaver, Utah to Harold and Nettie Hodges. A year later his parents moved to the Monterey Peninsula where he lived the rest of his life.

Our Annual January CRA RV Campout was again held in Quartzsite, Arizona. We had a great time with seven CRA member rigs and a 20-plus rig circle with all the friends of friends. Friends and camaraderie we had aplenty. This year, the weather was a slight challenge, but it did not detour the fun. The potluck, campfires with a little business, and treasure hunting made for lots of laughs. The future CRA RV Campout was discussed and plans are being made for the campout at Pacific Dunes in Pismo Beach to be held in conjunction with the July 2017 CRA Board meeting. All are welcome, watch for further details. Click on "Learn More" for photos of the Camp Out.

Since starting out in 1945 as a mom-and-pop shop in Sunnyvale, California, A Tool Shed Equipment Rentals has built up its brand over the decades. While the family-owned store is now on its third generation and much larger than they were when the company originated, one thing has stayed consistent throughout: the drive to help out local charities. The rental store now has seven locations throughout Northern California. Originally opened by Robert MacArdell as a surplus store, "The White Elephant" after World War II, the rental stores are now under the leadership of MacArdell’s grandson, Robert Pedersen, who is the president and CEO.

This year, Daylight Savings Time (DST) begins on Sunday, March 12. Most states switch to DST at 2 a.m., although some do not change their clocks. Although losing an hour of sleep might not seem significant, many studies have reported increased accidents on the Monday after DST begins. The classic study by Stanley Coren, a researcher at the University of British Columbia, published in 1996, found that traffic accidents increased to a statistically significant degree one week after the shift to Daylight Savings Time. Conversely, accidents decreased the week after the switch to Standard Time, when they (theoretically) gain an hour of sleep. According to Coren, "The loss of merely one hour of sleep can increase the risk of traffic accidents. It is likely that the effects are due to sleep loss rather than a nonspecific disruption in circadian rhythm, since gaining an additional hour of sleep at the fall time shift seems to decrease the risk of accidents."

CRA's 2017 Rental Rally Tradeshow was held Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, 2017, at the South Point Casino Hotel & Convention Center in Las Vegas. Thank you to the show sponsors and exhibitors for helping make the show a success! Click here for the list of sponsors.

Atlas Copco’s three new walk-behind power trowels — the BG 245, BG 375 and BG 475 — include upgraded features that enhance versatility and safety on a variety of applications, from fine edge to rough surface concrete finishing. The units can be equipped with either a twist pitch or quick pitch for optimal performance on a wide range of jobs. Atlas Copco also designed the trowels with its exclusive QuickStop feature that stops the blade rotation immediately after the operator releases the handles. This results in zero-degree spin that minimizes the risk of injury.

Dynapac Road Construction has appointed Brian Bieller as president and regional general manager for North America to its new company structure. In his new role, Bieller will be responsible for all road construction equipment operations within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and Caribbean.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently added information on rail movements of propane, propylene, normal butane, and isobutane to its monthly petroleum data. These four products make up the majority of hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL) moved by rail. This data adds transparency to market supply and demand dynamics for regions that are a source or destination for these products. Meanwhile, the growth in HGL-by-rail highlights market changes resulting from increased U.S. HGL production. Click on "Learn More" to see the full report.

• April 17, 2017 – Associate Member Liaison Committee Meeting?–San Diego, CA
• April 18 – 19, 2017- CRA Board and Committee Meetings –San Diego, CA

CRA just completed their 2017 Rental Rally Tradeshow at the South Point Hotel Casino and Convention Center. CRA requested feedback from members, whether they attended or not. Here are the results of the survey.