• Is your equipment ready for CVSA's annual enforcement blitz?
    By David A. Kolman - Monday May 20, 2013
    Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial vehicles in the world, with approximately 14 trucks or buses being inspected, on average, every minute from Canada to Mexico, during a 72-hour period in early June. An annual event, this year's Roadcheck, themed is set for June 4 to 6. That is when the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and its members will be aggressively enforcing compliance with commercial vehicle safety regulations, removing those high-risk carriers from the roads to ensure the public's safety. The theme for Roadcheck 2103 is Enhancing Truck and Bus Safety Throughout North America , and there will be an additional focus on motorcoach inspections and overall traffic enforcement. The CVSA is...

  • Consumers driving less? Research isn’t conclusive and aftermarket prospects remain strong
    By Elliot Maras - Wednesday May 15, 2013
    Americans may be driving less, as noted by a recent report in today’s PTEN newsletter, but that doesn’t mean the demand for aftermarket services won’t continue its upward trend. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) released a report yesterday that has garnered a lot of attention in the automotive industry since it highlights several trends contributing to a decline in driving. ( Read the report .) The most important trend being that the millennial generation drives less than older consumers. The purpose of this PIRG report is to encourage the government to stop spending aggressively on new construction while the existing infrastructure crumbles. PIRG, an organization that claims to support the interest of the consumer...

  • Are your vehicles prime targets for theft?
    By David A. Kolman - Monday May 13, 2013
    The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) recently released the latest annual Hot Wheels - its list of the 10 most-stolen vehicles in the U.S. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center and determines the vehicle make, model and year most reported stolen. For 2011, the most-stolen vehicles in the nation were: 1. 1994 Honda Accord. 2. 1998 Honda Civic. 3. 2006 Ford Pickup (full size). 4. 1991 Toyota Camry. 5. 2000 Dodge Caravan. 6. 1994 Acura Integra. 7. 1999 Chevrolet Pickup (full size). 8. 2004 Dodge Pickup (full size). 9. 2002 Ford Explorer. 10. 1994 Nissan Sentra. Hot Wheels is the only report that examines all theft data without regard...

  • Why do some techs have counterfeit scan tools?
    By Craig Truglia - Tuesday May 7, 2013
    "Thou shalt not steal." I can't remember which commandment that was, but I'm sure many overseas counterfeit manufacturers don’t remember that one either. I am not going to defend the practice of using cloned scan tools. These counterfeits are of lesser quality, can damage vehicles and are just theft by a different name. Yet, I know a lot of people that buy and sell cloned equipment. The question is, why? Many technicians are very proud of their big purchases. The huge toolbox, scan tools, the line of electric power tools and so on. I think buying tools is like buying a sports car. In a sick sort of way, it feels good to spend money on them. It just makes us happy for some reason. So, I don't think people have cloned scan tools...

  • San Mateo limousine fire a sober reminder for the auto industry
    By Elliot Maras - Tuesday May 7, 2013
    The invigorating spring weather has finally arrived. But unfortunately, the limousine fire that killed five women this past weekend on the San Mateo bridge ruined it, especially for those of us who concern ourselves with auto safety on a daily basis. At this writing, the California Highway Patrol was still investigating the limousine fire. Because the accident remains under investigation, not a lot can be assumed about its cause. People are naturally anxious to speculate what caused the accident and what could have been done to save the victims once the limousine caught fire; news stories about the accident on the Internet have drawn a lot of comments from readers. This tragedy serves as an important reminder of the role the...

  • Going to paint school
    By Erica Schulz - Monday May 6, 2013
    I had the opportunity to sit in on a Sherwin Williams Automotive Refinishing training course. Sherwin Williams specializes in manufacturing and distributing a complete line of advanced technology paint and coating systems for automotive and fleet refinishing industries. Students participate in a three-day course, filled with classroom and hands-on experience, to learn the properties, applications and best practices of how to use Sherwin Williams' Genesis line of paints for fleet applications. "We offer training to teach the customer how to properly use our fleet finishes, proper spray gun technique, proper cleaning, proper use for our products and proper paint mixing," Sherwin-Williams training specialist Robert Smith explained to...

  • Put your thumbs down and drive
    By David A. Kolman - Monday May 6, 2013
      I have a number of friends and business associates that believe they’re being more careful when they use the voice-to-text method rather than manual texting while driving. That may seem safer, but new research findings suggest that voice-to-text applications offer no real safety advantage. The study was sponsored by the Southwest Region University Transportation Center (SWUTC) and conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). SWUTC is a part of the University Transportation Centers Program, which is a federally-funded program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration .   Actual driving The first of its kind study was based on the...

  • Who pays for the misdiagnosis?
    By Craig Truglia - Tuesday April 30, 2013
    A couple cars that I serviced the other day got me thinking. One was a 2011 Mercedes ML350 that came to my shop with brake lights that flashed in the wrong spot and set a "brake light failure" notice on the instrument cluster. We diagnosed a bad rear SAM module. It cost about $400 just for the part. However, it turned out that we were wrong with our diagnosis. It didn't need a $400 module, but rather a $16.50 wiring harness. I told the customer that I misdiagnosed it and he owed me nothing for the computer I put into the vehicle and he was happy. Another car was a 2002 Honda Accord that would not go into reverse. The tranny shop sent it to us after rebuilding the whole transmission. Why? The vehicle still didn't go into reverse...

  • Carfax lawsuit proves service reports’ rising role in auto aftermarket
    By Elliot Maras - Monday April 29, 2013
    Last week’s announcement that more than 120 auto dealerships are suing Carfax for antitrust violations points to the important role that vehicle service reports are playing in the automotive aftermarket. The lawsuit claims that Carfax, the leading provider of vehicle service reports, has excluded competition and results in higher used car prices for dealers who furnish the reports to customers, and for consumers who purchase the reports on their own. The dealers are seeking $50 million in damages. It will be interesting to see how the court rules in this case. But in the meantime, no one can question that vehicle service reports are playing a bigger role in the automotive aftermarket, and independent repair shops have to understand that...

  • Business change initiatives
    By David A. Kolman - Monday April 29, 2013
      As part of my job, I do a lot of flying. While waiting at airports and on aircraft, I read books - the hard or soft cover kind. On a recent flight, I read the book, Selfish Altruism: Managing & Executing Successful Change Initiatives . Written by change management consultant Moe Glenner, it examines the often-ignored human element in business change initiatives and offers advice on using personal motivation to produce lasting results. “If we define altruism as ‘for the greater good’ and selfish as ‘me first,’ then even a selfish act can be altruistic,” Glenner says. “Even though an employee could be facilitating a change for a higher salary (selfish), it will benefit the organization (altruistic). “Intent is...