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Staying compliant in 2026 means keeping pace with a benefits landscape that isn't slowing down. From new legislation and regulatory updates to evolving employer obligations, the details matter, and missing them can be costly. Our 2026 Compliance On-Demand Series is designed to keep you informed, prepared, and confident heading into every quarter. Check out the full recordings of past webinars below! Want to catch us live? Check out our upcoming webinars! ACA Employer Reporting Check out our latest webinar on ACA employer reporting, held right in the midst of the 2025 filing season. We walked through the key requirements for Forms 1094 and 1095 and highlighted common pitfalls, best practices, and practical tips to ensure accurate, complete, and compliant reporting. ERISA Fiduciary Duties This session is on ERISA fiduciary duties for health and welfare plans, designed to help employers understand their obligations as plan sponsors. We reviewed key ERISA requirements, highlight common compliance pitfalls, and shared practical best practices to minimize fiduciary risk. Navigating Employer-Sponsored Coverage & Medicare During this time we discuss how Medicare interacts with employer-sponsored health plans, an increasingly important topic as more employees continue working past age 65. We broke down eligibility and enrollment timing for Medicare Parts A, B, and D, clarify how Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) rules impact group plan coordination, and highlight key considerations such as HSA eligibility, COBRA timing, and employer premium reimbursements. Compliance Checklist & Regulatory Updates In this compliance refresh webinar, we walked through key deadlines, best practices, and 2026 regulatory updates — giving you a clear roadmap for the rest of the year.

Get the facts directly from Dean Croke, DAT's Market Analyst and one of the industry's most trusted voices on freight markets. In this exclusive 10-minute video interview, Dean breaks down: Capacity Exits are Driving Rates Higher — Rates are up 20–25% YoY with supply exits, not demand, driving the increase as trucks have left the market. Government Pressures are Shrinking Carrier Supply — English proficiency enforcement, ELD issues, and thousands of closed CDL schools have pushed carriers out of the market. Diesel Prices are Accelerating Carrier Departures — Cash flow pressure is pushing smaller spot-market carriers out of the industry, which is further tightening available capacity heading into spring. AI is Booming While Consumer Freight Softens — Data center freight is up 18% YoY, but towables are down 15%. Higher spot rates aren't a sign of economic recovery, as the underlying freight demand picture remains unclear. May Could Be the Most Volatile Month Yet — California and Florida produce loads are topping $10K. When Road Check Week collides with Mother's Day florals and peak produce season, there won't be enough trucks to absorb the volume - expect serious rate spikes.

In this session, SMSC Senior Safety Consultant Anne-Marie Naples broke down FMCSA's CSA scoring system, including how violations are weighted and how the seven BASICs help carriers identify specific compliance risks. She also explored why scores matter beyond regulatory compliance and how they can affect audits, insurance costs, and business opportunities. Attendees left with practical strategies for staying ahead of score movement, including regular trend analysis, ELD and telematics utilization, and building a daily compliance culture that drives long-term fleet safety results. Key takeaways and insights... CSA is a data‑driven scoring system used by FMCSA that scores carriers across seven BASICs, using severity, time weighting, and peer comparisons to flag safety risk. Your CSA percentiles directly affect audits, insurance costs, and business opportunities, making them one of the most operationally and financially consequential numbers in your fleet. Monitoring your BASIC trends regularly lets you spot problems early — before a pattern of violations turns into an intervention or audit. Tools like ELDs and telematics aren't just compliance checkboxes. They are proactive safety assets that can drive measurable score improvement over time. A consistent daily compliance workflow, backed by a strong safety culture, is what separates fleets that react to violations from those that prevent them. Click here to the view the presentation.

A leading provider of risk management and employee benefits insurance & consulting services for domestic and international markets. Better Every Day That is our promise to our clients, company, and people. It’s a commitment to challenging conventional wisdom, innovating, and improving how we serve our clients and grow as industry professionals. 3rd largest privately and independently held insurance broker in the U.S. At Cottingham & Butler, we sell a promise – to show up and deliver for our clients during life’s toughest moments. Every day, we pair brilliant ideas with strategy, empathy and hard work that produces results that are the rival of the industry. SEE HOW WE HELPED BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS Trusted Insurance Advisors Cottingham & Butler is a privately-held, national insurance broker, and a leading provider of risk management and employee benefits insurance & consulting services. Property & Casualty Employee Benefits Solutions Captives & Programs Safety Management Services Claims Management Featured Insights Transportation Outlook: Understanding Tariff Impacts on Freight Markets In today's evolving trade environment, Cottingham & Butler is committed to providing transportation leaders with actionable economic insights. Recent tariff policies represent a major shift that will reshape freight patterns, client relationships, and business planning for trucking companies nationwide. Our analysis highlights several critical economic signals transportation executives should monitor when developing strategies for the coming 12-18 months. Articles FMCSA Is Changing How DataQs Appeals Work: What Motor Carriers Need to Know Articles Understanding CSA Scores and Their Impact On-Demand 2026 Cottingham & Butler Collegiate Sales Invitational Articles VIEW ALL INDUSTRY NEWS & EVENTS “The relationship that we have, and have always had, with Cottingham & Butler is trust. We listen to them, and they haven’t steered us wrong yet. Without Cottingham & Butler, it’d be hard for us to be where we are today.” David Freymiller | CEO, Freymiller People Who Make A Difference What makes Cottingham & Butler so special? It’s simple – our people. Our team is made up of extraordinarily talented individuals who consistently prioritize the success of our clients and their teammates, working to achieve the very best in everything they do. EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES

We help clients lower their total cost of risk by challenging the status quo, solving complex business problems and delivering creative insurance solutions. Our technical expertise and proprietary programs, combined with our commitment to client service is the foundation of the value we bring to our clients every day. Article Mastering Your Resume: A Guide for College Graduates Read More On-Demand Webinar OSHA Reporting and Recordkeeping Compliance Updates Read More Article Managing a "Hard" Insurance Market Read More Case Study Leveraged best practices and good loss experience to return $80,000 year after year Read More Article HR’s Role in Mergers and Acquisitions Read More Article Coverage Basics: Cyber Insurance Read More Case Study Providing a Better Open Enrollment Solution Read More Case Study A 33% Decrease to Health Insurance Spend in 3 Years Read More Article Bond Producer vs. Surety Advisor: Beyond the Bond Read More

Cottingham & Butler Mastering Your Resume: A Guide for College Graduates Up Published on Written by: Page View January 1, 2024 Cottingham & Butler As you prepare to transition from college to the professional world, creating a compelling resume is key for landing your dream job. Your resume serves as your personal marketing tool, showcasing your skills, experiences, and qualifications to potential employers. Here's a complete guide to help you master and maximize your resume as a recent college graduate: Start with a Strong Heading: Open your resume with a clear and professional heading that includes your full name, contact information, and optionally, your LinkedIn profile URL. Make sure your email address is professional and avoid using nicknames or unprofessional handles. Craft a Compelling Personal Statement: Follow your heading with a brief personal statement that highlights your career goals, key skills, and what you bring to the table as a candidate. Tailor this section to the specific role or industry you're targeting and keep it brief but impactful. Highlight Your Education: As a recent graduate, your education section should be prominently featured on your resume. Include the name of your institution, the name of your degree, your major/minor, graduation date (or expected graduation date), any academic honors or awards you've received, and optionally, your GPA. Showcase Relevant Experience: Next, outline your relevant work experience, internships, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities. Focus on experiences that are directly related to the job you're applying for and use action verbs to describe your accomplishments and responsibilities. Quantify your achievements whenever possible to demonstrate tangible results. Be sure to list the most to least recent. Emphasize Transferable Skills: Highlight transferable skills gained through your coursework, internships, and extracurricular activities that are applicable to the job you're seeking. These may include communication skills, leadership abilities, problem-solving capabilities, and teamwork. Include Additional Sections as Needed: Depending on your background and experiences, consider adding additional sections to your resume, such as relevant coursework, certifications, professional affiliations, athletics, clubs and organizations, language proficiency, or technical skills. Only include sections that elevate your application and are relevant to the job you're applying for. Proofread and Format Professionally: Before submitting your resume, thoroughly proofread it to check for any spelling or grammatical errors. Additionally, ensure that your resume is formatted professionally and consistently, using clear headings, bullet points, and an easy-to-read font, but also don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. Keep your resume length to one page whenever possible. Seek Feedback and Revise: Don't hesitate to seek feedback on your resume from trusted mentors, career advisors, or other professionals. Incorporate their suggestions and revise your resume accordingly to ensure it’s polished and effective. Submitting and Sharing Your Resume: Once your resume is finalized, it's time to submit it to your potential employer. Follow the application instructions provided in the job posting, whether it's through an online application portal, email, or mail. Additionally, consider sharing your resume with your network of contacts, including family, friends, professors, and alumni. Networking can often lead to valuable job opportunities and referrals. By following these tips and strategies, you'll be well-equipped to create a standout resume that effectively showcases your strengths and accomplishments as a recent college graduate. Good luck on your job search journey! Discover exciting career opportunities at Cottingham & Butler today! Whether you're seeking a full-time position or internship opportunity, we're always eager to welcome talented young professionals like you to our team. View All Posts TAGS: Article Cottingham & Butler Upcoming Events IN-PERSON August 26-27, 2026 2026 Transportation Summit The Cottingham & Butler Transportation Summit brings together over 550 trucking executives for two days of high-impact networking and insights designed to drive your business forward. Join us August 26-27, 2026 in Schaumburg, IL to discover cutting-edge strategies, connect with industry leaders, and gain proven frameworks that will help you go ALL IN and drive measurable growth. Register Now! Register Now! IN-PERSON June 23 - 25, 2026 NATMI Training & Certification According to NATMI, recipients who enrolled in a NATMI training and certification lowered their organization's accident rate by 86%, achieved a lower occupational injury rate by 83%, and controlled costs associated with accident litigation by 100%. The cost of participating in NATMI is minimal compared to the company’s day-to-day operational savings. The Certified Director of Safety (CDS)/Certified Safety Supervisor (CSS) course is designed to help safety personnel attain a greater professional knowledge base that should, in turn, provide greater confidence to improve operations, prevent and control injury and damage, as well as the ability to provide strong representation such as during a court case. Register Now! Register Now! IN-PERSON May 31, 2026 Cottingham & Butler/Guignard Company Happy Hour Attending the CFMA Construction Financial Management Association Conference in Phoenix? Don’t miss the chance to relax and connect with fellow industry professionals at an exclusive evening hosted by Cottingham & Butler and Guignard Company. Register Now! Register Now! View All Events Connect with a C&B Representative Today!