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Vol. 10 / Issue 5 / August 2019

VT Auto Shop Owner Scores Victory in Campaign Against Short-Pay by Insurers

Speakers at Southern CAA Meeting Discuss “The New Battleground”

by Alan J. Keays, VTDigger.org

By Victoria Antonelli

The Vermont Supreme Court has sided with a body shop in its latest legal challenge to a national insurance company over claims the firm failed to pay enough to cover needed repairs to vehicles that had been in collisions. The case has been working its way through the state’s legal system for about four years, starting in 2015 when Parker’s Classic Auto Works of Rutland brought suit against Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., which is based in Ohio.

Mike Parker, the repair shop’s owner, said Monday he recently got a call from his attorney, Robert McClallen of Rutland, letting him know of the high court’s ruling. “I was like finally, ‘Hallelujah,’” Parker said. The suit against Nationwide was brought by Parker’s on behalf of consumers in instances where the insurer refused to pay the full amount of the repairs the shop made to vehicles. It’s a practice known as short-pay. The Nationwide lawsuit is part of an ongoing campaign by Parker’s See Short-Pay By Insurers, Page 22

SCRS Event Discussion on Insurance Regulation, Workforce Development by John Yoswick

Body shop associations and automakers increased efforts this year to get state legislation that would mandate

the use of OEM repair procedures for collision repair claims. Since these efforts, insurance regulators in some states have shared written statements

relative to any such obligation on insurers. Insurance regulatory agencies in about half of all states have responded to a letter the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) sent out last year asking, among other things, if anything in their state “holds insurers and insurance policies sold in your state accountable to recognize manufacturer documented procedures as a basis for settling claims.” During a SCRS event earlier this year, the association’s Aaron Schulenburg said the written responses See SCRS Event Discussion, Page 44

Scott Simmons from Collision Advice was the first speaker. SimSeveral prominent industry members mons has conducted 50 education took the podium on May 2 to edu- courses already this year and is on cate the southern California Auto- track to complete 70 before 2020, body Association (CAA) attendees he said. During his trainings, Simon the importance of implementing mons stresses the importance of OEM standards—the latest operating from a “negotivehicle technology from ation and cultural change perspective.” manufacturers—and I-CAR “The purpose of my porupdates that prepare technition is to get shops to rethink cians for the future. their approach to training as The evening began with well as how they approach a meet and greet and Italiantheir thought process for nestyle dinner at Craftsman Scott Simmons of gotiations,” he said. Collision in Long Beach, CollisionAdvice Simmons asked the audiCA. Later on around 7 p.m., Melanie Allan, chapter president and ence, “Do we agree that what we’re vice president of business develop- working on is the same as five years ment & sales at Craftsman Collision, ago, last year or even last month?” The crowd of 50 attendees anread the antitrust laws and led the Pledge of Allegiance. See “The New Battleground”, Page 16

Uncertain Times for U.S. Auto Industry by Dave Leggett, just-auto

A new Edmunds report says 2019 has been a year of contrasts for automakers as they struggle to find a new normal amid rising interest rates, waning demand, dramatic growth in the used market and uncertain government policies. “Automakers are fighting a war on multiple fronts right now: Old cars are piling up on dealer lots, a glut of affordable off-lease vehicles are luring shoppers into the used market and even with the Fed anticipated to lower rates in July, higher interest rates are here to stay,” said Jeremy Acevedo, Edmunds’ manager of industry analysis. “Strong economic indicators such as consumer confidence and low unemployment are keeping sales at historically elevated levels, but automakers have also been relying too heavily on fleet sales to keep these numbers up which

isn’t a sustainable model.” According to Edmunds data, new vehicle sales are down 2.4% year-over-year through May and Edmunds analysts maintain their forecast that 16.9 million new vehicles will be sold in 2019. In addition to a deeper dive into sales figures, the Midyear Report also reveals: A strong economy is propping up what could be an even weaker auto market. Unemployment is at 3.6% - the lowest it’s been since 1969. Consumer sentiment is at its highest level of 2019. Elevated inventory levels are setting the stage for attractive deals this summer. Even though inventory dipped below 4 million units in May, analysts say this is still too high given current demand. Interest rates are making it more expensive for automakers to offer bargain-basement deals, but shoppers can expect decent See Uncertain Times, Page 52

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CONTENTS

AUTOBODY REGIONAL

NATIONAL

AASP/NJ’s 8th Annual Race Night Supports

$5 Million in Digital Gift Card Incentives

Four Sentenced for False Claims in Falls Township, PA, Gas Station Mishap . . . . . . . . 11 Mini Dealership Sues BMW Because It Had No Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 New York Tech Instructor Uses Autobody News as a Teaching Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Pennsylvania Senate Passes Bills to Exempt Emissions Testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Philadelphia I-CAR Committee Raises Funds for CREF With Annual Golf Outing . . . . . . . . . 6 Pittsfield, MA’s, Oldest Firetruck a Parade Favorite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Tech Students Receive $20K in Scholarships to Pursue Industry Careers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 VT Auto Shop Owner Scores Victory in Campaign Against Short-Pay by Insurers. . . . 1

Accelerates Response to Takata Airbag Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 AAPEX 2019 to Recognize Exhibitors. . . . . . . . 64 Are We Programming Killer Cars? The Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 CREF Launches #100Floors 75Days Project . . 30 ECS Renews Commitment to CIECA . . . . . . . . 14 Fix Auto USA Annual Conference Celebrates

Anderson - Building Trust Through Online Reviews, OEM Certifications . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Attanasio - Marketing Guru Schools Shops on All Things Google . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Ledoux - An Industry in Constant Flux - A 1970s Perspective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Ledoux - Need Techs? HD Shops Have the Advantage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Phillips-Volkswagen-Audi Collision Program Manager Advises Industry on Reliable Repair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Sisk - Mike Anderson and Impacted Shop Owner Warn Industry of Computer Ransom Scheme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano, Kelly Hall (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Vicki Sitarz Online and Web Content Editor: Alexis Wilson Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes Office Assistant: Dianne Pray

Serving New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2019 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 / (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.comx

Accuvision-3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Launch Tech USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Acura of Westchester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . 62

Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists, LLC. . . . . . . . 19

Long Automotive Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Audi Queens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 52

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . 57

McGovern Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram . . . . . 26

AutobodyLaw.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Mercedes-Benz of Atlantic City. . . . . . . . . . . 43

AutoNation Collision Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Mercedes-Benz of Fort Washington . . . . . . . 43

Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Mercedes-Benz of Paramus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Bical Auto Mall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Mercedes-Benz of West Chester . . . . . . . . . 43

Blowtherm USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Mercedes-Benz of Wilmington . . . . . . . . . . . 40

BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 50-51

Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 59

Cadillac of Mahwah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . 38-39

Central Avenue Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram . 15

New Holland Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram . . . 32

Certified Automotive Parts Association . . . . . . 8

New Holland Ford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Cherry Hill Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram . . . . . 18

New Holland Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealer . . . . . 58

Colonial Automotive Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Northstar Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Courtesy Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Nucar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Courtesy Mitsubishi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 60

Criswell Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram . . . . . . . 10

PPG Refinish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Dent Fix Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

SATA Dan-Am Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Eckler’s Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Schultz Ford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Security Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram . . . . . . . . 7

Empire Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Sikkens Autowave Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . 64

Truck Driving Could Soon Be a Desk Job . . . . . 64

Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Symach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Fred Beans Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Tasca Automotive Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

GM Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 62

GYS Welding USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

U.S. Chemical & Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Healey Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

USI of North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 34-35

VIP Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 54

Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . 65

Infiniti of Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Westbury Jeep-Chrysler-Dodge-Ram-SRT . . 23

Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 63

White Plains Volkswagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Kundert Volvo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Yonkers Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Focus on Family Value(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Ford Stresses Importance of Glass Repairs . . . 62 Jason Bartanen Moves From I-CAR to Collision Hub. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Kelly Hall Joins Autobody News in Sales Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mike’s Body Shop Gives Coast Guard SA a ‘Nearly New’ Vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Mitsubishi to Relocate US Headquarters . . . . . 66 ProCare Collision Announces Rebranding . . . . 11

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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

John Theurer Cancer Center . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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Sacramento County, CA, Says It’s Illegal to Work on Your Own Car in Your Own Garage . . 52 SCRS Event Discussion on Insurance Regulation, Workforce Development . . . . . . . 1 Speakers at Southern CAA Meeting Discuss “The New Battleground” . . . . . . . . . 1 Students at Contra Costa College Receive

Uber Reveals First Fully Autonomous Car in Partnership With Volvo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Uncertain Times for U.S. Auto Industry . . . . . . . 1 Volvo Trucks’ Cabin-Less Self-Driving Hauler Takes on Its First Job . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 WAC’s June Meeting Focused on Generation Z. . 61

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Are We Programming Killer Cars? The Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles Currently, Tesla cars are equipped with the necessary hardware for auOver the past several years, more and tonomous driving, but software upmore autonomous features have been dates are required to fully enable the feature. While it will allow fully auembedded in cars. tonomous driving, it will allow the human driver to take control when the situation calls for intervention. The next generation of autonomous vehicles, however, would not need steering wheels, pedals or transmissions. The advantage of such cars is the possibility of reducing accidents and providing necessary transportation for people who are incapable Currently, Tesla cars are equipped with the necessary hardware for autonomous driving, but software updates of driving. are required to fully enable the feature. Credit: Tesla / However, the downside YouTube is that the necessity for the human agency that sets up A Techopedia article reported the car’s programming to foresee all that even earlier Tesla cars con- possible scenarios and to direct the tained “the necessary hardware for car will inevitably cause some form autonomous driving,” though acti- of harm. vating the ability depended on a software update. The article also en- Self-Driving Cars and the Trolley visioned the difference between the Problem way autonomous cars built today Ideally, drivers avoid hitting anything will differ from the ones in the fu- or anyone. But it is possible to find oneself in a situation in which it is ture. by Ariella Brown, Interesting Engineering

impossible to avoid a collision, and the only choice is which person or people to hit. This ethical dilemma is what is known as the Trolley Problem, which, like the trolley itself, goes back over a century. It’s generally presented as follows:

one person.

You see a runaway trolley moving toward five tied-up (or otherwise incapacitated) people lying on the tracks. You are standing next to a lever that controls a switch. If you pull the lever, the trolley will be redirected onto a side track and the five people on the main track will be saved. However, there is a single person lying on the side track.

child running into the street, which forces the car to hit something but allows it to choose between the child and a van on the road. For a human that should be a no-brainer that protecting the child is more important than protecting the van or the autonomous car itself.

“These are very tough decisions that those that design control algorithms for automated vehicles face every day.” — Chris Gerdes

You have two options: 1. Do nothing and allow the trolley to kill the five people on the main track; 2. Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill

Uber Reveals First Fully Autonomous Car in Partnership With Volvo by Jessica Miley, Interesting Engineering

Uber has presented the latest member of its self-driving car fleet at its annual Elevate conference. The self-driving Volvo XC90 SUV is the first Uber vehicle designed without the need for a driver. The autonomous car was designed in collaboration with Swedish carmaker, Volvo. Uber’s self-driving car program was suspended in 2018 after an autonomous car, under human supervision hit and killed a pedestrian in Arizona. The program is back in operation and Uber says that the new generation of self-driving cars will be hitting the roads in higher numbers from 2020. Currently, they are only being tested on public roads in Pittsburgh. Volvo and Uber Strike in Robo-Taxi War “What it looks like from the outside isn’t much different, but what’s going 4

on inside enables us to run our full autonomy system—things like 360 degrees of camera coverage, 360 degrees of LiDAR and radar,” Uber ATG CEO Eric Meyhofer said at the Elevate Summit. “These give the vehicle everything it needs in order to operate autonomously,” he added. Uber will take the XC90 base vehicle and equip it with its own self-driving system, enabling the possible future deployment of self-driving cars in Uber’s network as an autonomous ridesharing service. An important feature of the XC90 is its comprehensive backup systems for both steering and braking function. The battery system is also equipped with a backup that ensures that the car can come to a safe and complete stop immediately if any of the primary systems fail. Volvo on Board for Safer Roads

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

What Should the Self-Driving Car Do? Chris Gerdes, a professor at Stanford University who has been looking into the ethical dilemmas among self-driving cars, offered a reasonable choice: that of dealing with a

“We believe autonomous drive technology will allow us to further improve safety, the foundation of our company,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive officer of Volvo Cars.

But what would the AI think? Gerdes observed, “These are very tough decisions that those that design control algorithms for automated vehicles face every day.” We thank Interesting Engineering for reprint permission.

2019 and 2021.

Uber Needs High-End Partners “Working in close cooperation with companies like Volvo is a key ingredient to effectively building a safe, scalable, self-driving fleet,” Meyhofer said. “Volvo has long been known for its commitment to safety, which is the cornerstone of their newest production-ready self-driving base vehicle. When paired with our self-driving technology, this vehicle will be a key ingredient in The self-driving Volvo XC90 SUV is the first Uber vehicle Uber’s autonomous proddesigned without the need for a driver. Credit: Courtesy uct suite.” of Volvo Uber is pushing for a driver free future as one “By the middle of the next way for the company to become fidecade, we expect one-third of all the nancially viable. The race is on for cars we sell to be fully autonomous. who will be able to launch an effecOur agreement with Uber underlines tive ‘robo taxi’ fleet first. Waymo, another autonomous our ambition to be the supplier of choice to the world’s leading ride- vehicle development company is testing heavily, despite a lot of push hailing companies.” Volvo and Uber entered a part- back from local communities. nership in 2016 and in 2017. Volvo signed a ‘framework’ agreement with We thank Interesting Engineering for Uber to sell a fleet of cars between reprint permission.

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Philadelphia I-CAR Committee Raises Funds for CREF With Annual Golf Outing by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On June 4, the Greater Philadelphia I-CAR Committee hosted its 4th Annual Golf Outing at the Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester, PA. The event was held in order to raise awareness of the needs of local collision repair educational programs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware as well as to bring indus-

I-CAR CEO John Van Alstyne; Pennsylvania State I-CAR Chair Lisa Ferguson; I-CAR Director of Operations Terry Ticel. Credit: Courtesy of the Greater Philadelphia I-CAR Committee

try business partners together and show appreciation for their ongoing support. PPG was the presenting sponsor for the event. All funds raised will benefit the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF).

“The golf outing went really well,” said Lisa Ferguson, Pennsylvania state I-CAR chair. “We had 100 golfers which represented a diverse group of industry professionals, including vendors, insurers and shops. Another dozen people showed up for dinner after the golf outing for networking with peers and to join us for a good time.”

I-CAR CEO John Van Alstyne; Pennsylvania State I-CAR Chair Lisa Ferguson; I-CAR Director of Operations Terry Ticel. Credit: Courtesy of the Greater Philadelphia I-CAR Committee

Though final numbers are not yet calculated, Ferguson estimates that the 2019 golf outing generated around $25,000. Over the past three years, the Greater Philadelphia ICAR Committee has raised $116,000

for CREF. This year’s event exceeded expectations. “Most attendees have been before and are 100 percent supportive,” Ferguson said. “All the newcomers said they had a great time. We were glad they joined us and hope they come back next year.” The 2019 Greater Philadelphia ICAR Committee Golf Outing featured a helicopter ball drop with the winner receiving 50 percent of the funds raised. This year’s winner donated the funds back to CREF. Hole-in-one grand prizes included a two-year lease on a brand new Mercedes and a roundtrip to the Super Bowl. Ferguson said these types of events are important to the industry because “We need to bring awareness. Schools need help, but so do the instructors of these programs. By getting involved, it provides industry professionals with an opportunity for one-on-one relationships with the instructors. It all ties together. This whole industry needs to get more involved with the school programs that are educating the next generations of technicians.” Earlier this year, the Greater

Philadelphia I-CAR Committee had a booth at the Philadelphia Auto Show to raise awareness of I-CAR and the importance of a proper repair, furthering I-CAR’s goal to raise

A hole-in-one grand prize was offered that allowed the lucky winner to receive a twoyear lease on a brand new Mercedes. Credit: Courtesy of the Greater Philadelphia I-CAR Committee

awareness among the general public. The Committee also plans to host several smaller fundraisers this year. Next year, the Greater Philadelphia I-CAR Committee will hold its Annual Golf Outing on June 8, 2020, at the Penn Oaks Golf Club. For more information on the Committee, please contact Ferguson at: Lisa .Ferguson@calibercollision.com.

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Pittsfield, MA’s, Oldest Firetruck a Parade Favorite by Jim Shulman, The Berkshire Eagle

Independence Day has arrived, and in Pittsfield, MA, the holiday begins with the traditional Fourth of July Parade. In the 1950s and 1960s, the day’s celebrations also included events at Wahconah Park such as the Firemen’s Muster and band competitions, the Gillette brothers’ carnival and, of course, fireworks at night. One of my favorite parts of the parades was the many firetrucks that came from all over Berkshire County and at least three surrounding states. The antique trucks with flashing lights, blaring sirens and loud horns were the best. As a youngster, I once counted the vehicles and there were 36 of them. My favorite firetruck appearing in the parade was one of Pittsfield’s very first motorized vehicles, a 1916 Seagrave firetruck. A few years back I learned this truck was actually built near my home in Columbus, OH. This Seagrave was still used to fight fires in the early 1960s, when I was in high school. A few times, it broke down and had to be towed back to the firehouse on Allen Street.

skilled mechanic, F. Harold Prentiss, was able to retool the two chemical trucks and create pumpers/nozzle trucks for a cost of $2,200 apiece. Totally tearing the trucks apart, Prentiss rebuilt the engines and redesigned the bodies, adding new fenders, running boards, hoods and many other parts. On the truck, which made it to the 1960s, he built a large elevated deck with a powerful nozzle that could shoot water to upper floors of the city’s downtown buildings. The Pittsfield Fire Department used this truck for another 30 years before selling it in 1965 to a firetruck colRetired fireman John Amuso, with Taconic High School lector in Glastonbury, CT. students who worked on restoring the Seagrave firetruck. It then spent the next 13 or Credit: Jim Shulman so years as a parade truck horses that towed steam pumper wag- before being put in storage for 14 ons to the fires. By 1935, Pittsfield years. In 1992, retired Pittsfield firehad a greater need for gas-powered pumpers than it did for chemical tank man John Amuso created a firetrucks. However, the $25,000 price fighting museum in the old England tag for these new trucks was beyond Brothers Department Store on North Street. As a display item, Amuso the city’s budget. The Pittsfield Fire Department’s wanted to include one of Pittsfield’s The firetruck was one of two identical trucks that the city purchased over 100 years ago to fight fires using chemicals held in tanks in the back. It was also initially used to replace

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first firetrucks, and thus located this Seagrave truck. However, the truck was in terrible shape from years of neglect and required a total restoration. Working with the auto mechanics and auto body shops at Taconic High School, Amuso, faculty and students totally restored the truck and located many of the original parts and apparatus. The historic truck was proudly displayed in the museum along with five other fire vehicles. In 1993, he had relocated the museum to North Adams, but sadly, it closed in 1994. The Seagrave firetruck was acquired by the Pittsfield Firemen’s Association and was mostly stored until 2004. Rumors were, the truck might then be bought and turned into a muster truck. To rescue the vehicle and keep it in the Berkshires, I bought the truck, my favorite firetruck from the Fourth of July parades of my youth. I recently donated it to a group of antique firetruck buffs that will assure it remains an important piece of local history and perhaps it will be in next year’s parade. We thank The Berkshire Eagle for reprint permission.

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Pennsylvania Senate Passes Bills to Exempt Emissions Testing

AASP/NJ’s 8th Annual Race Night Supports John Theurer Cancer Center

by Shelly Stallsmith, York Daily Record

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Have a car that is under eight years old? It will no longer be required to pass an annual emissions test if a

package of bills that passed the Pennsylvania Senate does the same in the House of Representatives. Right now, gas-powered cars, vans and light trucks registered in Pennsylvania that are model year 1975 and newer must be tested each year. Since the requirement started in 2011, less than 4 percent of all vehicles failed the test according to a Senate release. Half of the

failing vehicles are under eight years old. In addition to exempting vehicles newer than eight years, the package of bills also changes the emission testing to every two years; removes Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer and Westmoreland counties from testing requirements; replaces tests in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia regions for vehicles made from 1992 to ‘95 and light-duty trucks after 1996; and extend the date for emissions inspection stations to get new equipment from Nov. 1, 2019 to July 1, 2021. We thank the York Daily Record for reprint permission.

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AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

AASP/NJ hosted its 8th Annual Race Night on June 11 at RPM Raceway in Jersey City, NJ. The association will donate $1000 of funds raised to the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack Medical Center which is dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, management, research, screenings, preventative care and survivorship of patients dealing with all types of cancer. According to AASP/NJ President Jerry McNee, “Once again, the popular event brought together members of the AASP/NJ community for a fun evening of racing and social time in support of a good cause. Dozens of racers took to the track to speed along in electric gokarts in a friendly three-race series where they vied for the top spot.” James Moyes of Krehel Auto took first place for the second time with Keith Krehel coming in second and Robert Tallaksen of Robbie’s Automotive and Collision Specialists taking third place. Kre-

hel, AASP/NJ’s Mechanical Chairman said, “It was great to see all these guys in a non-work environment, each having a great time and team building. As far as me coming in second place this year, I per-

Proceeds from AASP/NJ’s 8th Annual Race Night will benefit the John Theurer Cancer Center. Credit: Greco Publishing

sonally guarantee that James won’t beat me again next year, as I won’t invite him. Just kidding.” “AASP/NJ would like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s Race Night and is already looking forward to Race Night 2020,” McNee said. For more information on AASP/NJ, visit aaspnj.org.

Four Sentenced for False Claims in Falls Township, PA, Gas Station Mishap by Kara Seymour, Levittown, PA, Patch

Four Bucks County residents who filed fraudulent claims seeking reimbursement for damage to vehicles that did not occur have pleaded guilty to insurance fraud charges, authorities with the Bucks County District Attorney’s office said. The four people filed the false claims after a June 2017 fuel-delivery mix up at a Shell gas station on New Falls Road, Falls Township, PA. A fuel supplier accidentally filled an underground storage tank for regular gasoline with diesel fuel, causing legitimate damage to a number of vehicles. The gas station has since gone out of business. However, the four charged filed false claims in an attempt to profit from the incident, which garnered significant media attention. Robert Watts Smith, 63, of Bristol Township will serve six to 23 months in the Bucks County Correctional Facility with a concurrent three-year probation. Authorities said he received more than $20,000 from State Auto Mutual Insurance as a result of his fraudulent claims involving multiple vehicles.

Smith pleaded guilty June 20. He will report to jail July 19. In addition to jail time, he also must pay $22,521 in restitution.

Bristol Township resident Shamsideem Aleem Darden, 40, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $19,554 in restitution. He pleaded guilty April 3 in connection with charges stemming from two false claims. In one, he claimed

his Lexus’ engine was replaced as a result of damage from the mix-up. In a second claim, he stated his Cadillac SRX experienced extensive damage. David Brian Schilling, 52, of Falls Township received $13,152 after saying his car needed a new engine. He pleaded guilty March 7 and was sentenced to three years of probation. He also must pay back the full amount he received as restitution. James Christopher Wedul, 45, of Bristol Township, claimed the tainted fuel damaged his Cadillac CTS and received $3,690 from the gas station’s insurance company to cover repairs. Investigators discovered Wedul did not own a Cadillac and instead had a Ford minivan. Wedul pleaded guilty April 18 and was sentenced to three years of probation. He also must pay back the full amount he received. We thank the Levittown, PA, Patch for reprint permission.

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ProCare Collision Announces Rebranding

ProCare Collision, a Texasbased MSO with 30 locations, announced it is rebranding it’s Art’s Paint & Body location to ProCare Collision. This consolidation of brands and alignment is part of the continued MSO’s strategy to bring a unified presence to the San Antonio market. ProCare has owned the Art’s Paint & Body brand for three years. “Our corporate entity has always been ProCare Collision doing business as Art’s Paint and Body,” said Vince Brock, CEO of ProCare. “We are simply dropping the Art’s moniker and utilizing the actual name of the company moving forward.” Parent company ProCare operates multiple brands across Texas including ProCare Collision in San Antonio, AMM Collision in Austin, Texas, and Fogle Collision in Houston. The new name is effective immediately and will be implemented across the company’s services.

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New York Tech Instructor Uses Autobody News as a Teaching Tool by Ed Attanasio

Dan Boyler is a former technician and now a collision repair instructor at Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES in Spencerport, NY. As the industry tries to fill a need for qualified collision professionals, Boyler has dedicated his life to helping his students.

Dan Boyler is a former technician and now a collision repair instructor at Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES in Spencerport, NY. Here, he is working with student Justin Langdon. Credit: Ed Attanasio

Boyler entered the collision repair industry in 1975 at age 16 and hit the ground running, he said. “I was crazy about cars and wanted to absorb as much as I could, so when I got an opportunity to work at a shop, I jumped on it. I became a combination tech and learned how to do the entire process (body and paint) all by myself,” Boyler said. Boyler teaches his students about waterborne paint, plastic welding, VOC rules, aluminum repairs and pre- and post-trip inspections. He encourages good behavior and incorporates life skills such as: showing up for classes, turning their cellphones off and stepping away from their cellphones long enough to have a conversation. “When a student comes into my classroom, I insist that he or she shakes my hand,” Boyler said. “The goal is to make them comfortable when they’re talking to adults, because unless they know how to communicate, they’re not going to succeed in a body shop.” Other than teaching his students the basics, Boyler also wants them to dig into a wide range of different topics that aren’t taught in many auto tech schools. One of the assignments he assigns involves giving his students copies of Autobody News and asking them to comment on one or more articles. “I want them to know about in12

surance relationships (DRPs), waterborne vs. solvent paint, OE vs. aftermarket, recycled or re-manufactured parts and any other news that can affect the industry and their jobs down the road. We talk about the importance of brand certifications, aluminum repairs, autonomous cars, solvent vs. waterborne paint, the impact on the John Eagle case, new metals and processes and more. I make a statement and they have to agree or disagree and justify their position on any topic. Autobody News is an excellent teaching tool and I refer to it often.” Boyler also encourages his students to call upon modern technology to do their research. “I show students how to use platforms like CCC ONE, business publications and YouTube,” he said. “I want them to know how to get the information they need quickly and to know whether or not it’s accurate.”

When students like (l to r) Brandon Veneron and Colin Vorndran complete a two-year program at BOCES 2, they’re ready to be hired as entry-level technicians. Credit: Ed Attanasio

Before any student can graduate, Boyler’s students must create a two-year portfolio that’s comprised of a resume, cover letter, project pictures, writing samples, etc. After their first year, they must show that they can perform a non-structural repair on a panel as well as painting it. During their second year, students start working on customer vehicles; at the end of their second year, they can complete an internship or a coop at a shop, according to the program’s syllabus. Boyler and BOCES 2 have a good graduation rate with a job placement percentage that is better than the national norm, he said. “We have four of seven seniors right now, with four going to work at shops and one who is going on to college. With our connections, we can place all of our graduates, but we

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

won’t do that until we know they are prepared and set up for success. During the last five years, 50 percent of our students have entered the collision repair industry, while others have gone on to college or into the military.” BOCES stands for Board

Second-year student, Gyovannie Rodriguez, refining her application techniques at BOCES 2 in Spencerport, NY. Credit: Ed Attanasio

of Cooperative Educational Services. It’s a public organization that was created by the New York State Legislature in 1948 to provide shared educational programs and services to school districts. It has a great track record with more than 30,000 students from 650 districts and 400-plus

business partners that train and hire graduates, according to the organization’s web site. BOCES 2 services are created when two or more school districts in one specific area decide they have similar needs that can be met by a shared program. By sharing programs that range from auto body repair to computer skills, school districts save money and provide opportunities to pool resources and share costs. This two-year course is designed to prepare the students for an entry-level position in a collision repair facility. The course will use the I-CAR curriculum, in addition to “live” work. A heavy focus is placed on applied literacy, science and mathematics. With retirement in his rearview mirror, Boyler has a game plan for down the road. “I am hoping that one of my former students will come back and take my job,” he said. “I still love fixing cars and watching their faces when they get it. But if someone could step up and continue my legacy here eventually, that would be fulfilling.”

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Tech Students Receive $20K in Scholarships to Pursue Industry Careers

Four students enrolled at a Queens, NY, post-secondary technical institute have been awarded over $20,000 in scholarships to pursue careers as automotive technicians—a highly indemand field that provides a pathway to quality long-term careers. The scholarships were awarded by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA), which represents over 400 franchise new car dealerships in Metro New York, at its annual charity golf outing at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, NY. The four students received $5,000 each to further their education and enter the industry at franchise new vehicle dealerships in the New York area. Since creating the scholarship program in 2005, GNYADA has raised more than $1 million on behalf of automotive education. Funds are raised at the tournament through the generosity of franchise new car dealers, sponsors and others. The recipients are Destanie Greczkowski, of Jamaica, Queens; German Gonzalez, of East Elmhurst, Queens; Oliver Zhou, of Howard Beach, Queens; and Elias Soto of Yonkers, NY. All plan to pursue ca-

reers as auto technicians at new car dealerships in the metro New York area. “They are the future of our industry and it is looking very bright indeed,” said Mark Schienberg, president of GNYADA. “These stu-

Students from left: Elias Soto, German Gonzalez, Destanie Greczkowski, Oliver Zhou and GNYADA Board Chair Jane Millman. Credit: GNYADA

dents have worked so hard to achieve the level of skills that are critical to be in the auto industry. GNYADA and its member dealers are proud to support the education of so many talented young people at Lincoln Tech.” “This is going to change my life and enable me to do what I love,” said Zhou. “In New York, there are so many opportunities—so many dealerships, jobs and opportunities for growth.” “Since I was a little kid, I always

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

loved cars. I had cars under my bed, everywhere,” said Gonzalez. “I’m so glad I found this school. My parents are proud of me because I’m doing what I like.” “I’m so excited to begin my career in an area that I’m truly passionate about,” said Soto. “My particular focus has been in electronics, the high-tech components that are such an integral part of today’s cars. I hope to use that knowledge to build a longterm career at a dealership fixing cars today.” “This scholarship is not just going towards me, it’s benefiting my whole family, my son as well,” said Greczkowski. “That’s more that I can do for him in the future. I hope my son sees me going after what I want to do and that will encourage him to go after the things he loves.” GNYADA represents over 400 new car dealers in NY, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess Putnam and Orange counties. The members of GNYADA support nearly 70,000 jobs and generate nearly $50 billion in economic activity.

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ECS Renews Commitment to CIECA

Electronic Claims Services (ECS) has renewed its commitment to CIECA and the CIECA standards. “We have a long history in the property & casualty and collision repair and glass industries and have been familiar with CIECA’s efforts to encourage industry standards,” said Brett Mulvihill, president at ECS, which is based in Portland, OR. “We joined CIECA as we support open commerce.” Mulvihill said the company has many longstanding relationships with Pacific Northwest companies as well as other clients throughout the U.S. and is committed to supporting these customers with first-class service and support. “Standards simplify the integration process and improve the efficiency of the interactions with our insurance clients, collision and glass repair and the various service providers we work with while facilitating the insurance claim process,” he added. For more information about Electronic Claims Services, visit www.claimsoffice.com/company .aspx. For more information about CIECA, visit www.cieca.com.

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Continued from Cover

“That’s where the OEM repair pro“The New Battleground” cedures, necessary steps and information become so critical, because swered “no” in unison, to which [technicians] and [body shop ownSimmons replied, “If we do business ers] can’t be expected to know how the same way we always have and to repair the vehicle without performexpect a different result, we’re in- ing the OEM procedure research,” he explained. sane.” Simmons then clarified the dif“We have to approach it differference between opinion ently,” he said. “Code is the and judgment when partakway I’ve been approaching ing in a negotiation. it; I’d like to think it’s the “Opinions are based on new battleground.” emotions and emotions have When it comes to apto be removed from the equaproaching vastly new techtion,” he said. “Beating on nology advancements in the industry, Simmons used the Melanie Allan, CAA somebody’s head with Thor’s hammer until they say yes is saying, “we don’t know what SoCal chapter not a negotiation tactic that we don’t know.” president and vice president of busiworks anymore.” “Can a technician be Simmons explained that expected to know how to re- ness development & sales at Craftsman discussions should be based pair a vehicle today? No,” Collision on facts and are comprised he said. Simmons said shops should of “research and information that can be presented and duplicated.” focus on the following four items: This is reflected in the Collision Advice motto, “Learn to Research, Re• Providing training search to Learn.” • Correct tools Learn to use the OEM websites • Correct materials and then use the OEM websites to • Providing instructions

learn how to perform a safe and proper repair, he added. “How and why did we get lost?” Simmons asked. “We started creating things that didn’t exist.” Since Acura writes the building codes for Acura, we must go by Acura’s standards and the same goes for all OEMs, he explained. “Excuses like ‘that’s not the way it’s done’ or ‘there are industry standards,’ based on something that happened in the past, does not make sense anymore,” Simmons said. “What we’re fixing today is not like anything we’ve fixed before, so how can there be a standard on it?” He added that a typical high-end vehicle today has around 100 million lines of code, compared to a Boeing 787 which has about 9 million lines of code. “Now that we’re dealing with codes for advanced vehicle systems, we have to change our repair mindset, which means negotiating from a different position of power,” Simmons said. He then made a comparison between bringing a vehicle to a mechanical shop vs. a collision repair shop.

“If we took our vehicle to a mechanical shop for a repair and there were 15 codes identified in the service bay and when they plugged it into the scanner there were 15 codes, how many lines would we expect to see on that receipt?” he asked. “Fifteen.” Simmons said this is because the mechanical shop would identify each code, what it was related to, have a specific procedure lined up, and follow and provide some form of documentation as to why it would reoccur and how it was resolved. “How many times do we look at our post-scan and make sure every code related to losses has a line item on the sheet to address that it was cleared?” Simmons asked. After not getting much of a response, Simmons explained that if technicians want training on resolving codes and looking at items, look no further than the vehicle, which provides an instruction manual. “I get this question a lot in classes,” Simmons said. “People miss the fact that we’re not creating a receipt during the repair. We’re creating a factual document to substantiate our repair until the vehicle is recycled and

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turned into a coffee table or a chair.” “Don’t say total loss, because even when a vehicle is totaled, it can still come back from the dead and we’re still liable for our repairs,” he explained. “We are liable for repairs as long as the vehicle remains on the road.” Simmons said when he’s auditing repair orders and sheets, he often notices it will read that the scans were cleared but there will be no documentation of the repair actually being fixed. “And the documentation of each code being addressed is vital,” he added. He also reinforced that every DTC, related or not related to the loss, should be addressed by a line item. Simmons explained that the main reason we stop doing something is because someone presents a challenge. “The large majority of the industry associates failing with anxiety,” Simmons explained. “People associate being told no as a failure, instead of looking at it as an opportunity to learn from the challenge.” “We’re stressed because we don’t understand what’s happening to the

car, even though we have the instructions,” he added. “The car tells us where to find that particular documentation and whether the issue is related to the engine, on the mechanical side, body control module, or elsewhere.” The DTC codes found in the scan will direct technicians to the information for that specific code and

debunk the historical methods used by the collision repair industry, according to Simmons.

the operations needed to repair, diagnose and troubleshoot, Simmons explained. According to Simmons, the days of simply saying, “here, do this” are over. “This is because the anxiety level of the individual we’re negotiating with is going to be very high, whether they’re a desk auditor, inspector or supervisor,” he said. Creating a level of trust with people in these positions is imperative. Simmons suggests achieving this by “giving them the coolest information.” New tactics are required, he emphasized. These following conditions

• Is it included in the estimating software labor time? • Is there a pre-determined time in the database? • If there’s not a time, what’s it worth?

• Is it required? Can the argument be substantiated by documentation? • It is included? Does it come out of a resume platform with resources that can be touched on?

“Can a technician be expected to know how to repair a vehicle today? No.” — Scott Simmons

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

“Each of these steps we build on every time by never underestimating our opponent,” Simmons said. “We need to be prepared for every negotiation and the negotiation comes when there’s no opinion or emotions involved.” While continuing to debunk common industry practices, Simmons asked attendees how they transport a vehicle that needs calibration.

Almost everyone said someone in their shop drives the vehicle. “Let me get this straight, I got a vehicle system that is a life or death safety item, we’re not sure if it works so we are sending it to somebody to get it calibrated to confirm functionality,” he said. “And we give it to an employee to drive to the location? Does that make sense?” Simmons insisted the vehicle should be towed. “If we put someone in a vehicle with a system that doesn’t function, it will drive like a nervous 16-yearold bouncing in between the lanes,” he said. “I’ve driven those cars and I can guarantee without the correct calibration, it can feel like it is hydroplaning or out of alignment.” For attendees who wanted more guidelines on how to remove opinion and create judgment, Simmons recommended the website DEGweb.org. He explained that DEG is a resource that can be used to notify the IP’s (information providers) if there are possible errors in the database or provide clarity for the following: missing parts, missing labor from the database, changing labor times and,

or proving something is not included. “They become an umpire— someone who doesn’t have a dog in the hunt,” Simmons said. “For example, if according to an estimating platform something is not included, but someone else is saying it is, DEG serves as the unbiased party that can verify this information. And that goes for all topics, not just advanced vehicle systems.” “Sometimes I’ll hear back from DEG in less than an hour, other times it takes two or three days,” he said. “But once the result is received, the databases of all three estimating platforms are updated with the appropriate change; it is now there for every one of us to benefit from.” Repair facilities and repairers have the power to determine what is necessary and appropriate, said Simmons. “We need to get our labor hours in for the particular operations because it’s going to be a struggle to keep certain items in the database and have the appropriate hours,” he explained. “More and more of these advanced vehicle systems are going to

become standard, so we’ll see faster improvement in the database for those capabilities and items.” Simmons then asked how many attendees have taken Anderson’s ‘Who Pays for What’ survey and encouraged everyone to do so.

shops should create their own packet. “Whether we’re creating a negotiation packet with the carrier or an information packet for the customer concerning repairs, we have a responsibility to present it as fact in order to earn trust,” he said. “There should never be a choice as to how to prepare the vehicle correctly, there’s only a business decision whether or not we bill for it.” Simmons added that the necessary documentation to support the negotiation needs to be provided as well. The CAA meeting had around 50 attendees from across “When we are discussing Southern California. Credit: Victoria Antonelli insurance, no insurance, “The survey acts as a tool to customer, no customer, we have to combine and gather statistics that fall away and realize the insurance show us what collision repairers company has a contractual agreeget paid for in the particular mar- ment with the customer to pay for kets with the particular requests, what’s necessary to repair the vehiranging from mechanical labor op- cle,” he added. “Many of us could be erations, structural operations, alu- DRP related and would, therefore, minum labor operations, refinish have an agreement with the DRP for operations and so much more,” he certain portions of the agreement for explained. “Each area is divided by the business relationship.” carrier and region.” Regardless, Simmons stressed Next, Simmons addressed how that no matter who is paying the bill,

we should not waver the 100 percent focus on repairing the vehicle via the building code written by the OEM. “If we don’t repair the vehicle that way, we don’t have the ability to ensure our customer is safe in the vehicle,” he said. “We want to keep the customers informed on how we do business, so they feel engaged in the entire process.” Simmons then informed the attendees they should have a line entry for every operation when it comes to clearing code. “If our first thought is that we don’t have enough time to ensure everything is right, think about all the time and money we waste when something ends up being wrong,” he said. “We pay for rentals, wait after work, come in Saturdays … that is until our errors kill somebody.” Simmons said for some reason many industry members have a “mental predisposition” that this process is much harder than it actually is. “A simple search in an ALLDATA or OE database will pull up what’s needed to fix the DTC code,” he said. “The software provides the information and instructions on what

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

operations need to be performed and what we need to look up.” However, an auto body shop’s staff does need to be trained on how to ensure that there has been a quality check or audit and provide proof everything has been fixed. For more information, Simmons can be reached by email at scott@ collisionadvice.com. Jake Rodenroth, director of industry and OEM relations for asTech, took the podium next. He started his segment by sharing asTech updates and discussing calibration. “Now that scanning is starting to become more widely accepted, everyone is talking about calibration,” he said. “Another emerging technology is the ongoing wave of electrification.” Rodenroth explained that the electric parts are very different from the powertrains and include scantool supported parts technicians will be exposed to. According to the company website, the asTech device provides service to technicians performing repairs to vehicle electronic networks. “asTech recently serviced its 1

millionth vehicle remotely,” said Ro- help our client FIX the vehicle.” denroth. “We currently service about asTech currently has four cali4,600 vehicles a day.” bration centers and a fifth one in the He added that the company em- making. ploys over 450 technicians across the “I personally believe processes country. and tools will continue to evolve and “We have partnered with several hopefully it will become a little easOEMs, seven of the top ten dealer ier for everybody,” he said. “For exgroups, amongst others, so ample, I think we’re going we can support their body to see quarter panels that we shops,” Rodenroth said. repair, we’re going to do Most industry members ADAS calibration measureknow asTech as a company ments before we paint and that provides remote diagother new steps that will benostics and support, but they come part of our day-to-day also have 75 in shop technibusiness. These new steps Jake Rodenroth, asTech’s director cians that work mostly in create additional challenges of industry and busy, high volume stores, he for all stakeholders, so asTech OEM relations added. wants to help educate the “Our technicians perform all of market on these new processes.” the scans for these stores and shops Rodenroth has also aided sevhave to meet certain metrics in order eral OEMs in writing position statefor us to do that,” Rodenroth explained. ments to help educate others on new He added that 33 cities are also technology, including Chrysler and covered by asTech mobile trucks. Subaru. “Not everything can be done “I’ve worked with several OEMs over the internet,” Rodenroth said. to help them realize that the collision “We want to support those shops industry doesn’t understand the techwith programming needs, wire repair nology they’re putting on the vehiand certain ADAS calibrations that cle,” he said. “The OEMs may have require assistance. We want to truly questions about how to educate the

Kelly Hall Joins Autobody News in Sales Management

tently increased unit sales and sales revenue. Most recently, she spent Autobody News is excited to intro- time at Cars.com in San Diego as duce you to our newest Regional a digital media senior representative where she was responsible for Sales Manager, Kelly Hall. the growth of new acKelly comes with an count sales, while advisextensive sales background ing GM/owner principles in the automotive industry. on best practices. She has been responsible Kelly has the experifor sales development and ence and passion needed client servicing in the field to thrive at Autobody for 15+ years. In addition, News. She is very enthushe has expertise in B2B siastic to begin calling on sales and marketing. Autobody News’ regional and national acSpecifically, she has Regional Sales worked at Riverside Lexus Manager, Kelly Hall counts as a sales representative here. and Tustin Lexus as Fi“I’m ready to start working nance Manager. There she was responsible for selling value-add retail alongside the team and utilizing my options and facilitating the financing skills,” Kelly said. “I am all about growing and of sold vehicles. Then she worked at LoJack Corporation, a stolen vehicle Autobody News is the perfect place recovery system, where she consis- to do just that.” by Autobody News Staff

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bill payer or the customer as well.” Rodenroth stressed the importance of creating awareness. “The position statements were intended to inform shops of the changes and to show customers what technology their vehicle has and what requirements would be needed after a wreck,” he explained. As far as getting paid for electric work without using the position statement, Rodenroth used a 2010 Lexus as an example. “Identify the electric steps, illustrate the steps on a repair order and charge for them,” he explained. “Research every battery disconnect for a service manual requirement. Everybody complains they can’t find Volkswagen’s position statement, but it’s in the service manual, multiple times in fact.” Even if a vehicle was manufactured in 2010, for example, the most recent procedure must be utilized, as it could have changed, according to Rodenroth. “This happens all the time,” he said. “We have to teach estimators how to research this stuff. Don’t creSee “The New Battleground”, Page 32

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Continued from Cover

Short-Pay By Insurers

Classic Auto Works in recent years involving similar claims against other insurance companies for collision repairs. According to Parker’s website, the shop has broken away from a “direct repair program,” that the company says “become subject to insurance company demands such as the repair of parts that should be replaced, using after-market parts, or salvaged parts.” The website added, “In our experience, these practices are done to improve the bottom line of the insurance company and offer no benefit or savings to the consumer. In fact, such actions can adversely affect the safety and value of the vehicle.” In the Nationwide case, Parker sued for a little more than $40,000 in denied payments. The lawsuit listed more than 70 names of people who sought payment for vehicle repairs between 2009 and 2014. In those cases, the lawsuit stated, Nationwide failed “to pay the full

ruled in favor of Parker’s. “With no definition of ‘damage’ in the policy, we construe this term consistently with general principles of the law of remedies, interpretations of the standard collision-insurance policy as a whole, particularly the limitation-of-liability clause,” the decision stated. “We conclude that ‘damage’ here means the amount of money needed to repair an insured vehicle to preaccident condition,” according to the ruling, “not to exceed Mike Parker in a promotional video on Parker’s Classic the value of the vehicle beAuto Works Facebook page fore the accident.” It’s not Parker’s largest victory “Each insured, in consideration of being able to take possession of his yet in his battle against insurance or her vehicle, assigned (Parker’s) the companies over short pays. He preright to proceed against (Nationwide) vailed in 2015 in a three-year fight in order to collect the amount due and against Allstate for $53,000 in a lawowing for repair of the insured vehi- suit he brought on behalf of 70 consumers. cle,” the lawsuit stated. In fact, this is Parker’s fifth lawNationwide, in court records, denied owing the money to Parker’s suit against a national insurance company, and it’s the fifth time he’s won. auto shop. ‘I’m five for five,” Parker said The Vermont Supreme Court, in a recent 14-page unanimous decision Monday. Though, he added, the Nationauthored by Justice Karen Carroll, amount of the repair to the insured.” In each case, Nationwide paid the amount it believed it owed, but not the full amount sought by Parker’s.

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

wide case is the first to make it all the way to the Vermont Supreme Court. Meanwhile, he has four other cases with national insurers still pending, including lawsuits against Progressive and Travelers. And, he said, over the years he has reached several settlements with other insurance companies but can’t talk about those do to confidentiality agreements. Parker said how the Vermont Supreme Court ruling will affect the other cases that remain pending remains unknown. ‘They were all waiting to see what was going to happen,” he said. “They were all hoping we were going to lose this.” Parker started bringing such legal actions against insurance companies for “short pays” several years ago. Since then, some insurance companies have started paying for the needed procedures they wouldn’t have paid for in the past, according to Parker. But, he said, others have taken different actions in response to his actions. “Some insurance companies try to steer away from us,” he said. “They

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

try to get people not to come here.” But Parker said, he isn’t deterred. “Everything we do is necessary,” he said, adding, “This is trying to get what was owed to begin with to bring the car back to pre-loss condition.” McClallen, Parker’s attorney, could not be reached Monday seeking comment. Also, Eric Boron, a Buffalo, New York, attorney, listed in court records as lead counsel for Nationwide, did not return a call Monday seeking comment. Marilyn Miller, executive director of the Vermont Vehicle and Automotive Distributors Association, said Monday she was still reviewing the details of the decision. “I do know this has been something that Mr. Parker has been fighting for,” said Miller, whose organization is a trade association representing the interests of the auto industry, including new and used car and truck dealers as well as auto shops and parts facilities. “I’m impressed that Mr. Parker has stuck with it this long and really saw it through to the end,” Miller said. “I think this is a positive thing,” Miller added, “certainly for independent (auto shops) and for anybody in

the business of repair when an insurance carrier is not willing to reimburse you what is a legitimate parts and labor cost.” In 2017, a jury following a twoday trial in Rutland County Superior civil court also sided with Parker’s in its dispute with Nationwide, awarding the auto shop $41,737. However, Judge Helen Toor later overturned that jury ruling, granting a motion for judgment “as a matter of law.” The judge stated that the insurance policies required the firm to pay “an amount [defendant] determined was sufficient to do the repairs,” according to the high court’s decision. And, that judge ruled, those insured could not sue Nationwide for money that “were entirely within” the firm’s “discretion to award.” The state’s highest court took a different view, ruling in part, that the policies lacked provisions allowing for challenges on how much was sufficient to be paid for a repair. “The trial court interpreted the insurance policy, which was silent on the matter, to only require defendant to pay ‘an amount [defendant] determined was sufficient to do the re-

pairs’,” according to the decision. “We disagree with this construction,” the ruling added. “Just as we will not rewrite an insurance policy in favor of an insured, we also cannot rewrite a policy in favor of an insurer.” And during the trial, the decision stated, Parker provided records for his charges. “Mr. Parker, the owner of the repair shop, testified on direct examination to his experience repairing vehicles and to the billing and repair processes employed in his shop,” the ruling stated. “He compared,” the decision added, “in some respects, the practices employed in his shop to those used by defendant’s claims adjuster.” Michael Pieciak, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, said Monday he didn’t see the decision as precedent setting beyond the policy at issue in the case. The commissioner called it a “classic contract dispute,” in which the policy did not spell out some of the key terms, such as defining the word “damage,” so the high court

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went ahead and did that. Typically, Pieciak said, such terms are laid out in great detail in policies and contracts. “It just so happens in this case it wasn’t that clear,” the commissioner said. Nationwide also contended it was not required to pay both “repair and labor costs” since the policy provided for payment of labor costs under the towing clause but not the “collisioncoverage insuring” clause. Justice Carroll, in the decision, rejected that argument. “Labor is an indispensable component of the cost to make a repair,” Carroll wrote. “Moreover, defendant’s opening statement and the only witness that defendant offered at trial effectively admitted that the policy covers, to some degree, labor costs for making a repair.”

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Tips for Busy Body Shops with Stacey Phillips

Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

Volkswagen-Audi Collision Program Manager Advises Industry on Reliable Repair Collision repairers often ask Scott Wideman, collision program manager at Volkswagen-Audi Group, how to ensure a safe and reliable repair. His response remains the same every time: always research and follow OEM repair procedures. Wideman recently shared his expertise during a Guild 21 podcast hosted by VeriFacts Automotive. Although based in Canada, Wideman said structurally, Volkswagen and Audi vehicles in both countries are fairly identical. During the Guild 21 podcast, he shared information on both brand’s body construction, repair procedures and the impact of new technology. He challenged attendees to think about how these might affect their businesses and day-to-day operations. With more than 25 years of experience in the automotive industry, Wideman is responsible for the col-

lision program development and rollout for Volkswagen and Audi vehicles. In his role, Wideman is focused on working with all stakeholders to improve the collision repair process. He said consumer safety is the top priority. “Our main concern is to achieve a safe, reliable and repeatable repair in the industry,” he said.

Body Construction Wideman discussed Volkswagen’s current Golf A7 platform, which was introduced in 2012 using a manufacturing process called MQB. This allows the car manufacturer to produce automobiles with different platforms on the same assembly line. When examining vehicle structure, Wideman said many car manufacturers are now using mixed materials during the building process. As a result, there are certain repair guidelines that need to

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

be followed, to ensure the car is repaired correctly. One of his concerns as a manufacturer is if a vehicle will be able to withstand a second collision, if it has been previously hit and repaired.

“This is where we see too many compromises,” he said. Using an example of new Jetta, Wideman said there are very specific considerations in regard to the repair, such as heat in any welding operation conducted. “Therefore, it’s a requirement to follow the repair literature to make sure you have the right equipment,

the right welding technology and that you are following the proper procedure,” he said. He also talked about the new Audi Q7 that includes seven different substrates in its platform. “There are going to be definite requirements from the manufacturer on how this car is repaired,” he said. Audi ensures these requirements are being followed and technicians are trained, tooled and have the proper equipment through the car manufacturer’s certified network. Ninety-five percent of attendees who were part of the Guild 21 podcast responded to a survey where they concluded that vehicles are unique and require individual repair plans. Repair Procedures When asked about Volkswagen’s position statement in regard to scanning vehicles, Wideman said the car man-

ufacturer includes this information in the repair literature. “Our major concern as a manufacturer is that not enough repair facilities are researching and accessing the repair literature on a consistent basis,” he said. “A pre-scan is obviously good for repair planning. It makes sense and will lead to a better estimate being written more accurately, and therefore cut out the possibilities of surprises at the end of a repair, which can lead to increased cycle time and vehicle rental time.” While pre-scanning is a logical approach to good repair planning, post-repair scanning is essentially a requirement, according to Wideman, and is found in the repair literature. As he travels to facilities throughout Canada, he often encounters repairers putting on exterior panels that have been plug welded, which does not follow the Volkswagen procedures. With the increasing level of high-strength steel being used on vehicles today, Wideman has serious concerns that the welds could compromise the integrity of the vehicle due to heat. As a result, he said a fundamental step that technicians

need to consider is managing that heat. Wideman pointed to the current generation of Audi A8 to demonstrate the specific methodologies on how a car needs to be addressed. Launched a few months ago, the vehicle uses seven different substrates and includes a carbon fiber rear assembly section that covers the rear seats.

He then offered an example where looks can be deceiving. What initially looked like a rear bumper and taillight casement repair with an Audi R8, ultimately needed a complete rear cradle assembly, because the car took a significant hit. “These vehicles are engineered and designed to withstand incredible forces,” said Wideman. “If this had gone to a facility that wasn’t trained and certified, perhaps that would

have been overlooked.” In this case, if the car happened to be in a second collision, Wideman said the results could be catastrophic and this is something that all stakeholders want to avoid. “There are concerns we have as manufacturers that the cars aren’t ending up at the proper facility,” said Wideman. “That is where we need to work together with all stakeholders to make sure that those vehicles are addressed properly.” New Technology Wideman also discussed the impact of new technology on repairers and the industry in general, especially related to Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). When looking at repair literature today, Wideman said it gives ample warnings about the importance of being aware of the technology included in the car. For example, if a vehicle with the lane assist feature was in a collision and the rear bumper had been removed and then reinstalled, calibration is required. “This is becoming more of a critical step in the repair process for

our vehicles, as well as for multiple manufacturers,” said Wideman. “The way you have been repairing a car a month ago could have changed.” As a result, he stressed the importance of reviewing the repair literature for every repair each and every time. In another example, Wideman said he is often asked why Volkswagen requires a four-wheel alignment as part of the calibration process. The front camera comes as an optional device in these vehicles and Wideman said the thrust angle of the car is absolutely critical to start the calibration process. “If that is not correct, we would have a system that wouldn’t be functioning properly,” he said. “Just one degree of misalignment of that front camera means that at a distance of 130 m, it will be reading the car in front a complete lane to the left.” He encouraged attendees to think about the implications in these types of situations when a consumer is relying on the technology that is supposed to be operational, yet it has not been looked at post-repair. See Reliable Repair, Page 37

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Fix Auto USA Annual Conference Celebrates Focus on Family Value(s) by Stacey Phillips

More than 20 years ago, Erick and Shelly Bickett set out to create a national network of high-performing independent body shops. The collision repair visionaries wanted to ensure it was supported with a unified and branded infrastructure of systems and processes offering the best quality and services. The first locations were established in Denver, Portland, Los Angeles and San Diego in 2011. Rapid expansion soon followed. Fast forward to 2019 and the San Diegobased company now includes over 150 locations in ten states across the country: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Oregon, Minnesota, Nevada and Washington.

“We did and are doing what everyone said couldn’t be done,” said Paul Gange, president and CEO of Fix Auto USA, during the organization’s annual conference. “We took a fragmented industry—independent entrepreneurs with their own ideas, attitudes, desires—and we asked them to come together as one.” In June, more than 275 attendees gathered in Carlsbad, CA, at the Omni La Costa Resort for the 17th Annual Fix Auto USA Conference: Family Value(s). They included Fix Auto USA Franchise Partners and their co-pilots as well as executives representing every collision and insurance industry segment. “Moving forward, we want to continue attracting high-performing, forward-thinking operators who want to stay and compete and be part of something bigger than themselves while we hold them accountable to an unparalleled standard of excellence on behalf of the vehicle owners and insurers we serve,” Gange added. Gange joined Fix Auto USA as president and COO in 2009 and was later named president and CEO in 2016–the same year Fix Auto USA 28

celebrated its 100th franchise location. Today, the company is driving towards the goal of operating over 200 locations.

Over the last three years, Bickett itate the dialogue between our Fix Auto USA franchises and our indus- and Huard built the dashboard with try partners as we work together to the assistance of other franchise partsolve the issues of the industry ners. The dashboard consolidates data points from multiple disparate systoday. “Each of our franchise lo- tems onto one screen and refreshes cations views the next as a the data in real time. ‘collaborator’ versus a ‘competitor’ even if they’re in the same market. So, bringing together our entire family is not only critical to our success, but to our culture,” he continued. “When you have our entrepreneurs—the franMore than 275 attendees gathered in Carlsbad, CA, at the chise partners—working toOmni La Costa Resort for the 17th Annual Fix Auto USA gether towards a common Conference: Family Value(s). Credit: Fix Auto USA objective, the outcome is a (l to r) Erin Tallant, Axalta Coating Systems; “While we further develop our tighter bond that delivers better reHolly Bickett; Erick Bickett; and Jim Ocampo, footprint, we continue to be a top per- sults.” Axalta Coatings Systems. Credit: Stacey Phillips former for our insurance and vehicle Jim Huard discussed the Fix manufacturer partners who are look- Auto Dashboard, which was develDuring the event, VeriFacts Autoing for quality and efficient service oped by Erick Bickett, co-founder of motive co-founder and CEO Farzam for their customers. All of our loca- Fix Auto USA and co-owner of eight Afshar presented Fix Auto USA an tions are owner-operated, and our Fix Auto USA locations, and Huard, award for achieving the highest perculture is that of a family. We truly regional managing partner of three centage of VeriFacts VQ Medallion have one common brand and we de- of Bickett’s locations: Fix Auto Ana- shops of any collision repair brand in ploy a team of Fix Claims Solutions heim, Fix Auto Costa Mesa and Fix the world. VeriFacts’ VQ Medallion (FCS) professionals unlike any other Auto Irvine. represents the highest level of shop rebrand in the industry,” said Gange. Throughout the four-day conference, presentations were given on a wide range of topics to educate attenComprehensive inventory of high quality OEM dees and help them continue to build

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successful businesses. These included building a talent strategy, developing a new generation of estimators and technicians, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and elevating the customer experience through valuesdriven leadership. “The energy and thought leadership at our conference is extraordinary,” said Dennis O’Mahoney, vice president of business development. “It is exciting to facil-

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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pair quality and expertise. This year, more than $50,000 was raised for the Fix Auto USA— Tim Clark Memorial Scholarship, which awards scholarships to those looking to enter the collision repair industry. The scholarship was named

(left) Selvi Rizk, operator of Fix Auto Brea and Fix Auto Moreno Valley, received the Franchise Partner-of-the-Year award. Credit: Stacey Phillips

after Clark, the Fix Auto USA executive responsible for giving FCS’s initial framework and charter. A highly-valued component of the conference’s agenda included recognizing and rewarding accomplishments by franchise partners. This year, Selvi Rizk received the Franchise Partner-of-the-Year award. Rizk operates Fix Auto Brea and Fix

Auto Moreno Valley, both of which are located in Southern California, and also participates on the brand’s Market Leaders Advisory Council. “Being named Franchise Partnerof-the-Year is a distinct privilege and is a career highlight for me,” said Rizk. “I was thrusted into this business ten years ago into the daunting task of turning around a troubled business. I’m happy to have been able to overcome the challenges of the past and focus on a brighter future.” During the conference, Rizk talked about her experience in the industry and becoming a franchise partner. The following awards were presented to Franchise Partners who exemplify Fix Auto USA’s Family Values: Marvic Vila, operator of Fix Auto Daly City and Fix Auto San Francisco – South of Market, received the Vision Award; Operatorof-the-Year was presented to Huard, regional managing partner of Fix Auto Anaheim, Fix Auto Costa Mesa, and Fix Auto Irvine; Rookie-of-theYear was given to Arthur Mercado, operator of Fix Auto Alameda and Fix Auto Castro Valley; and John Kimp-

ton, operator of Fix Auto Springfield, received the Arrow Award. Locations demonstrating market-leading performance and individuals going beyond the call of duty were also recognized. The Best Length of Rental award was presented to Fix Auto Irvine for the second consecutive year; Fix Auto Modesto received the Best CSI award for the second consecutive year; the Best Estimator award was given to Tina Perez from Fix Auto Oceanside and Fix Auto Irvine received the Going Green Top Shop award. For more information about Fix Auto USA, visit fixautousa.com or contact Marketing Manager Jonathan Herrera at jherrera@fixauto.com.

Your leading source for NORTHEASTERN Collision Repair News! northeastern.autobodynews.com

CREF Launches #100Floors 75Days Project

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced it launch a program this summer to provide 100 collision repair schools with new flooring. The #100Floors 75Days project seeks to build relationships between the local collision industry and their collision repair schools by providing the materials necessary to refinish the school’s floors during the summer break. “Collision repair training programs compete with other skilled trades for the next generation of employees,” said Brandon Eckenrode, director of development for the CREF. “Improving the appearance of high school and college collision schools reflects the professionalism of the collision industry and improves the quality of students seeking pre-employment training. Industry members interested in joining the CREF’s supporters, and assisting high school and post-secondary collision school programs and students should contact Eckenrode at (312) 231-0258 or Brandon .Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

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Continued from Page 20

“The New Battleground”

ate a way, follow the manufacturer way.” Rodenroth added that the vehicle could improperly calibrate if every step isn’t followed, so there is no way of telling it’s wrong. That is why following the most recent OEM procedure is especially important. “Not all parts are created equal,” he added. Rodenroth gave an example of an Audi that could not be calibrated and the technicians couldn’t figure out why for several hours. Finally, they came to the conclusion that the glass used for the repair was aftermarket and in the Audi position statement, it states to only use OEM glass. Once the Audi OEM glass was in place, it calibrated the first try. He then began going over the two types of modifications—intentional and unintentional. An example of an intentional modification would be a pickup truck with a lift kit, tinted glass and a bug shield. Examples of unintentional modifications include a quarter panel that isn’t straight because it should’ve been replaced or a bumper cover that was repaired when it shouldn’t have been. “SEMA is coming to our headquarters in Dallas since car modifications are a big concern for them,” Rodenroth explained. “They are bringing three fully modified SEMA vehicles and we are providing three of the bone stock versions, and we are going to do side-by-side measurements to see how tinted glass, brush bars and stuff like that affects ADAS calibration.” He gave another example, this time of a Honda with bumper damage. The shop did their research and discovered that Honda calls for a bumper replacement because the vehicle has a blind spot on board. The shop did their research, copy and pasted the statement into their notes and got the bumper paid for by the insurer. “Calibration is a game of millimeters,” Rodenroth said, reiterating the importance of following OEM service manuals. “If it’s not in spec before we paint, we’ll have a problem in calibration,” he added. 32

Rodenroth gave an example of nicians, and all other positions how an Infiniti being calibrated at a quar- to stay up-to-date with new technoloter tank versus a full tank: at a quarter gies and processes.” Allan then asked how many of tanks there was a one-degree differthe attendees get different emails from ence at the front radar. all the publications, OEs and “That’s huge,” he said. more. “It’s the difference between “I can’t look at these stopping and not stopping.” emails every second of every Rodenroth then deday, so it would be great if I scribed a useful job aide had someone who was willHonda came out with, in ing to gather all of the inOctober 2018. formation, look at repair “It gives the name of Tom McFinch, the system, abbreviation and I-CAR’s southwest procedures as well as artiregional manager cles and think creatively what the system does,” he about how we’re going to deal with explained. “Use those resources.” For further questions, Roden- an issue at hand,” she said. “This roth can be reached at JRodenroth@ person would be the leader in that area and we would meet weekly to astech.com. Following up points that both go over their findings and ideas.” Allan explained that this new Simmons and Rodenroth made, chapter president Allan shared who her hire doesn’t necessarily have to next hire at Craftsman Collision will have an auto body background but would most likely be someone on be and why. “It will be a shop technician who the younger side; a ‘tinkerer.’ Simmons then shared he knows knows his way around repair procedures and can guide the rest of the of two shops that have created similar shop on how to do it; the type of per- positions and even though they’re in son who wants to problem solve and the experimental phase, it has been an read,” she said. “This person will run overall success. The final speakers were Mark scan tools and remind writers, tech-

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Holloway and Tom McFinch from I-CAR. Holloway had just been hired as the southwest regional manager a month prior, so McFinch, the longtime southeast regional manager, led their portion of the presentation. McFinch began by sharing how I-CAR is keeping up with the “technical tsunami” impacting the collision repair industry. “We understand cars are different today than they were last year or five years ago, so we have to figure out how, at I-CAR, to deliver the training technicians need to properly repair these new vehicles,” said McFinch. McFinch stated that 65 percent of shops don’t train their employees. “We have to change and protect our brand by training and properly repairing vehicles,” he added. “At the end of the day, it costs all of us.” Four years ago, I-CAR met with an industry segment advisory council (ISAC) comprised of OEMs, insurance workers, shops owners, collision repair instructors, and volunteers, to figure out what the industry wanted from them as far as training and guidance in this new era.

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Schaller Honda New Britain

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“Over the course of four years we developed an education-based curriculum for what I-CAR needs to look like in the future,” McFinch said. “We reviewed customer feedback, went to OEMs and observed their benchmarks.” I-CAR wanted to understand the different OEM training and guidelines, and then from there update ICAR’s standards. “Based off of DACUMS (developing a curriculum), The Ohio State University developed a protocol book for us that lays out the path for future students,” McFinch explained. He added that the book also details every role available at I-CAR. “We present this book to young people who want to come to our industry,” McFinch said. “They then understand what that path of progression looks like; they need to know where they’re going.” He then began explaining the new requirements for achieving Platinum ProLevel 1 with I-CAR. “If an individual is platinum today, they will be grandfathered in moving forward, as long as each year they keep up with their status so they

can continue to ProLevel 2 and ProLevel 3,” McFinch explained. Gold Class will now be attained at ProLevel 2 and shops that are already Gold Class will be grandfathered in. “At ProLevel 2, it is now required for 100 percent of a shop’s structural technicians, 50 percent of estimators,

The California Autobody Association (CAA) meeting was held on May 2 at Craftsman Collision in Long Beach, CA. Credit: Victoria Antonelli

and 50 percent of refinish and nonstructural techs to be classified as role representatives,” McFinch explained. It is near impossible for a shop to be fully trained when only four out of, for example, 50 technicians qualify as role representatives, according to McFinch. “I’ve heard shop owners say they’re going to send a couple of guys to train and they’ll come back and tell

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

everybody else what’s going on,” he said. “Let me know how that works, I haven’t seen it happen yet.” McFinch said that 100 percent of structural technicians have to be classified as role representatives because that’s the most critical part of the repair process. Failing to correctly repair structural damage is what gets everybody in court, he added. McFinch clarified that if a shop has an uneven number of estimators or non-structural / refinish technicians, the majority will have to be role representatives. The rule of having at least 50 percent of these employees as role representatives also ensures fairness. “We’re looking at it from a standpoint of a shop with 20 guys and only four role reps versus a shop with six technicians and four role reps,” he explained. “The former shop has conceivably spent the same as the latter shop, yet all the guys are fixing cars.” Another way I-CAR ensures fairness is by not allowing any person, including the shop owner, to hold more than two roles. “Being a combo tech isn’t realistic anymore,” McFinch added.

Next, McFinch covered shop level diagnostics. “As we go into the next stages of Gold Class, ten classes will be required for shop level diagnostics that explain why certain technologies and procedures are being utilized,” he explained. “Even if a shop isn’t using calibration, for example, they still have to understand why it’s done.” These courses can be completed by anyone in the facility who is capable of understanding the whys behind what I-CAR is implementing, McFinch explained. “It doesn’t have to be the same person taking all ten courses,” he added. “One person can take three, another person takes five and so on.” I-CAR’s turnover rules have also been updated. “We’re not going to make a shop owner or shop manager suffer every time someone gets fired or leaves,” McFinch said. “Whenever a shop’s Gold Class renews, roster changes will be updated so we know exactly how many people are at a shop.” Annual training for non-role representatives will consist of six vehicle technology specific items.

“A refinisher no longer needs six hours of say a FOR06 class so he can learn how to do repair work on a Ford truck; those days are over,” McFinch explained. “Now, he or she, is going to take vehicle specific technology that’s most likely going to relate to a vehicle that’s coming into the shop soon or is already there and it will be role relevant.” Welding recertification has also changed to better fit with today’s collision repair environment. “As we know, welding recertification is every five years, but it will be changing to every three years,” McFinch announced. “The industry segment advisory council (ISAC) wanted to consider every year, but that would be unrealistic, so we were able to come to a compromise.” The change came about because the welding recertification will now be different from the initial welding test, according to McFinch. “Welding recertification will now be approximately half the cost of the welding test because the instructor is going to come to the shop but is not going to help the technician prep for the exam,” he explained.

“The instructor will sit with the technician, the technician will perform the welds and he or she will then turn the welds in for destructive testing.” If the technician passes the destructive test, he or she will get their recertification. If they fail, they’ll take the full exam again, McFinch added. The recertification test will take about half the time of the full course according to McFinch. “There are automotive companies that do a recertification every two years, so we’re not out of line with every three,” he said. “There is also a vehicle box manufacturing company that makes their technicians get welding recertified every 30 days.” For aluminum structural roles, there must be a separate designation at the collision repair facility for aluminum. If a shop chooses to utilize Aluminum Structural designation, they will be required to have all the structural technicians take the Aluminum certification which consists of two online courses, two hands-on courses and the Aluminum welding certification. I-CAR has also changed its position on where training must come

from. “We don’t care who shops train with, as long as it’s an approved vendor,” McFinch explained. “For example, whether it’s Car-O-Liner, Chief, AkzoNobel, 3M or any of our approved sustaining partners, they’re going to know more about their product than we know about their product.” Payment and recognition for training will be less of a hassle now too. “If a shop is training with a training alliance partner, the technician will take his I-CAR ID number to the training class, put it in the information material which will be sent to I-CAR and then receive credit automatically for that training at no additional cost,” McFinch said. Ford is the only OEM training alliance partner currently; a list of all sustaining partners can be found on www.i-car.com, he added. McFinch can be reached at Thomas.mcfinch@i-car.com and Holloway can be reached at mark.holloway @i-car.com. The meeting concluded around 9 p.m.

Continued from Page 26

Reliable Repair

Using an example of an Audi Q5, Wideman said the OEM repair literature states that if the vehicle has lane assist, calibration is required, even in a minor repair. When calibration hasn’t been performed properly, Wideman pointed out that consumer safety may be affected. “There are significant liabilities as far as not following the proper repair procedures,” he said. Future technology that is predicted to affect repairs includes electric vehicles. “We’re on an electrification push within both brands [Volkswagen and Audi] so it’s important to follow the repair literature to find out what’s required,” he explained. Overall, he said OEM procedures are the standard method of repair. “If we can all come to that baseline that the OEM procedure is the fundamental starting point, then we have a really good platform to move forward,” he said.

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

National News with Chasidy Rae Sisk

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

Mike Anderson and Impacted Shop Owner Warn Industry of Computer Ransom Scheme Over the past few months, Collision Advice’s Mike Anderson has been contacted by over a dozen shops regarding a computer ransom scheme where body shops’ computers and IT systems are hijacked and held for ransom. Unable to access their programs and documents, victims are then contacted by the hackers with instructions on how to pay the ransom, usually in bitcoin. Ryan Cropper, owner of Able Body Shops in Anchorage, AK, stopped in his shop on the Saturday before going on vacation in November 2018. He recalls, “All of the icons looked like Christmas presents and clicking on them opened a message with an email address to contact to unlock them. I contacted IT, and they confirmed my computer was hacked and I’d have to pay a ransom to release it.” Fortunately, the hacker couldn’t access password-protected files. How-

ever, unable to find an alternate solution, Cropper paid $4,000 in bitcoin after IT verified the hacker’s record of releasing victims’ computers once the ransom was paid. Cropper was locked out of his computer system for four days. He shares, “It was a nightmare; I was losing my mind.” “The amount they demand depends on what they find,” Cropper continued. “The hacker was unwilling to negotiate whatsoever. Our hacker came from Russia; we verified that through the IP address.” After his documents were released, Cropper’s next step was figuring out how he got hacked. He learned that there was an open port on his computer that allowed him to access it from his laptop while traveling. “The hacker found the open port and did damage to benefit himself,” Cropper explained. “It didn’t ruin us, but it could have. Our firewalls didn’t stop

it. Now, I have a two-part authentication for remotely accessing my system and that’s key to ensuring we aren’t hacked again.” According to Anderson, “This has happened to a lot of folks. People have open ports and then receive a spam email; once they open it, hackers have access to your computer and lock it down until the ransom is paid. One shop owner heard me speak about this topic and protected himself so he could avoid paying the ransom when he was attacked, but several shops have been forced to pay. These hackers are good at what they do.” So how can shops protect themselves? Anderson advised, “First thing they can do is contact their IT department to make sure their system is secure. Then, make sure they have good insurance so the ransom is covered. Once it happens, it can be solved, but there’s definitely a cost to resolve it.”

Another impacted shop owner who prefers to remain anonymous offered this advice following his experience: “Hire an outside IT company to audit your IT network; you want them to try to penetrate your system to find the faults and loopholes. Don’t tell anyone, particularly your current IT support company, about this audit because you want it to be random. Upon the audit discovery, you’ll find out if you’re getting what you’re paying for monthly from your IT support company, and you’ll learn how quickly and closely they operate and monitor your business. They should see things happening quickly and spring into action by notifying if they are good.” He continued, “You also want to make sure your IT support company is backing up your business onto the cloud on their own along with local offsite backups. Backups should be See Ransom Scheme, Page 42

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From the Desk of Mike Anderson with Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson is the president and owner of Collision Advice, a consulting company for the auto body/collision repair industry. For nearly 25 years, he was the owner of Wagonwork Collision Center, an OEM-certified, full-service auto body repair facility in Alexandria, VA.

Building Trust Through Online Reviews, OEM Certifications I was recently over at my best friend Greg Thompson’s house and his son, Jarrett Thompson, stopped by. Greg had agreed to babysit his grandson so that Jarrett and his wife could have an evening out. Greg asked Jarrett what their plans were and Jarrett said they were thinking about going out to dinner at an Italian restaurant I’ll call “Ernesto’s.” “Oh, you are going to love Ernesto’s,” Greg told Jarrett. “They have the best pizza.” I was there when Jarrett stopped by later that night to pick up his son and Greg asked Jarrett how they liked Ernesto’s. “Dad, we didn’t go there because it didn’t have good reviews online,” Jarrett told him. Ladies and gentlemen, that is all the evidence you need that many people—young people in particular— rely more on online reviews than the word of their own father (or another family member or friend). I mention this because I’ve been thinking a lot about how shops can build trust among customers and poContinued from Page 40

Ransom Scheme

done daily, if not more frequently. Everyone should also be performing onsite external backups to the server and a computer. It’s important to have multiple external hard drives that get switched out daily.” “Make sure you have insurance coverage for cyber-attacks, loss of customers’ information and ransom attacks. This is not something that is blanketed on your insurance policy. You need to discuss coverage for all these items separately,” he urged, adding, “Do NOT rely on technology only. Run your business with good processes and procedures that will allow you to operate in the event of a technology attack and/or the loss of computers and the internet.” Cropper was able to turn the ransom into his insurance company and 42

tential customers. Greg and Jarrett’s interaction is a great example of how online reviews are a great way to start developing that trust. Customers are no longer just choosing the closest shop from the list they were handed by their insurance company. They go online to verify that whatever shop was recommended to them is, in fact, a good choice; therefore, it’s important that you have great online reviews. The whole issue of building trust came up at a recent conference where I was a speaker. Another one of the speakers, Ray Chew of CCC Information Services, went around the room asking shops how they think people feel when they have to find a shop after an accident. Some said anxious, upset, mad, sad, etc. However, everyone agreed that consumers face negative emotions when looking for a body shop. So, our first goal should be to alleviate those negative feelings by building their trust. Having positive online reviews about your shop can help ease customers.

was refunded $3,500, the full ransom amount after paying his $500 deductible, but ransomware is not covered in every policy, so it’s important to check with your insurance company. According to David Willett, general manager of the Automotive Industry at Intrepid Direct Insurance, “This is happening to other industries, but it’s becoming more frequent in our industry. The number of automotive repairers with cyber risk coverage in their garage insurance package is growing but still represents a small percentage. The normal ransomware provision pays for rebuilding the system and database, which can take 30 days or more. It doesn’t reimburse or pay the actual ransom request (usually bitcoin), which offers an immediate fix.” Stay tuned to Autobody News next month for an in-depth look at cybersecurity and how to mitigate these risks with Willett.

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Oftentimes, after the customer comes to the shop, a discussion about insurance company involvement is brought up. We need to stop and make them feel better first—recognize their pain and sympathize with their experience. Then, start to build trust by focusing on why they made the right call by choosing your shop. You might ease your customer by saying, “Okay, I know you’re concerned about whether your Nissan will ever be the same. I want you to know that there are 40,000 body shops in the United States, but fewer than 2,000 have met the training and equipment requirements to be Nissan certified. We’re a shop that has been Nissan certified. In fact, we’ve had advanced training.” That term “advanced training” is important, Ryan Taylor of Bodyshop Booster said. Having the “advanced

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Continued from Cover

SCRS Event Discussion

were “reflective of what we anticipated,” namely that “regulatory bodies don’t have a solid understanding of the repair process and therefore don’t understand” how OEM procedures impact claims settlement. “This really was a mechanism to expose what I think is a gaping hole in the statutes in most states to hold [insurers] accountable for the things we [as repairers] need to do,” Schulenburg said. Responses Often Address Other Issues In one state’s response, Alex Avalos, senior insurance compliance officer for California’s Department of Insurance, said that state’s “insurance laws and regulations are silent on vehicle manufacturer documented procedures.” Would the Department consider it a “reasonable expectation that if an OEM repair procedure or instruction existed, that the claim should cover the associated costs,” the SCRS asked in its letter. “That one would need to be

looked at on a case-by-case basis,” Avalos responded. “Our regulations mandate that insurance estimates allow for repairs to be made in a workman-like manner.”

Dan Caldwell of Nissan said local chambers of commerce can help small businesses have a voice with government on workforce development.

Many of the responses received from insurance regulators focused largely on state statutes related to OEM parts or noted only that the regulatory agencies couldn’t comment on some of what they saw as hypotheticals posed in the SCRS’ letter. But some more directly addressed the SCRS’ primary question. For example, Ian Shapiro, insurance analyst with the Illinois Department of Insurance, wrote that his agency “would consider it a ‘reason-

able’ expectation that if an OEM repair procedure or instruction existed, the claim should cover the associated costs.” However, Shapiro also added that “there is nothing currently written in the statutes that requires an insurance carrier to cover those costs.” Donald Beatty, deputy commissioner for Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance, wrote in his response that standard policy forms insurers must use in his state would not allow an insurer to say costs associated with automaker procedures are not covered, but those forms also “do not require insurers to accept manufacturers’ procedures for repair.” In perhaps even more troubling news for shops and their customers, Suzanne Tipton, insurance deputy commissioner of the Arkansas Insurance Department, wrote that if an insurer directs a shop not to follow OEM repair procedures, that “may be considered to be reasonable” as long as the vehicle “is shown to have been ‘restored to its condition prior to the loss.’” One of the more promising responses the SCRS has received came

from Andy Case, director of the Mississippi Insurance Department’s Consumer Services Division. Case wrote that there is nothing in that state’s laws that mandates that OEM repair procedures be followed, and that the most an insurer is expected to pay under state regulation is the

Kenyatta Lovett said working with local governments on workforce issues can pay off when those officials go on to statewide positions

“lowest amount that such vehicle or glass could be properly and fairly repaired or replaced by a contractor or repair shop within a reasonable geographic or trade area of the insured.” Case went on to say that “if a vehicle manufacturer outlines a specific recommended repair procedure … the Mississippi Department does ask

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that insurers recognize that procedure as it relates to repair methods only.” Schulenburg said overall, however, the responses demonstrate the need for state legislation recognizing OEM repair procedures as “what we have to do as repairers and what insurers are obligated to under their policies.” Copies of the SCRS letter and responses received to date can be viewed at scrs.com/doi-responses/. Speakers Share Idea to Grow Workforce Also during the SCRS meetings held earlier this year in Nashville, TN, a number of speakers focused on public and corporate efforts to improve workforce development in that state. Given the challenge shop owners nationwide face in finding the employees they need, Schulenburg asked the panel to share what they believe small business owners can do to address the situation in their market. Ann Thompson of the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development said her father is a small business owner who has implemented something that she

suggests shops do. “How many of you have some sort of internship program, or an opportunity to let either a teacher or some high school students come into your business,” Thompson asked at-

Andy Tylka, owner of Tom & Ed’s Autobody, said the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program can cover the cost of a student working 200-300 hours in a business

tendees at the event. “That is the best thing you can do. Look around at the different occupations and the different processes that you have, and find some things that are lowskilled where you can get those students in early.” Jon Mandrell, president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Murfreesboro, TN, said that as with many technical and community colleges, his school’s programs

are guided by industry advisory councils. Getting involved with such councils at a local level are a great way for shops to influence curriculum or have an opportunity to speak to students, Mandrell said. He said shops and industry vendors can also help local schools get the current tools and equipment to help students prepare to enter the industry successfully. “Most institutions work closely with alum and donors and talk about funds and scholarships, whereas technical colleges look at how to get that cutting-edge equipment to help us embed things as fast as possible, ahead of the curve,” he said. Dan Caldwell of Nissan acknowledged that as a large employer in Tennessee, his company had some sway in gaining government support for workforce development efforts that are helping create employees with the skills Nissan needs. Even smaller employers have opportunities to create a large “voice” through a vibrant chamber of commerce that acts as an intermediary to communicate to schools and local government the industry’s needs, he said. Kenyatta Lovett, of the non-

profit education advocacy group “Complete Tennessee,” encouraged shops to get involved in government and workforce development even on a local level because statewide programs in Tennessee grew out of local efforts by a mayor who went on to be governor. “Once you articulate this challenge and what role locally-elected officials can play, you’d be surprised how they can become a champion who can move it a long way,” Lovett said. “You never know who is going to become governor next.” An event attendee, Andy Tylka of Tom & Ed’s Autobody, which operates five shops in Indiana, said he recommends shops get involved with Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), a national non-profit organization (with programs in 34 states) working to help young people who have serious barriers to high school graduation or employment. “It’s an elective program in high schools where students can learn soft skills and then get placed in a job, with the government funding 200300 hours for them to work for you,” Tylka said.

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In Reverse with Gary Ledoux

Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News. He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com

An Industry in Constant Flux - A 1970s Perspective The collision industry went through many changes during the 1970s. Industry associations were stronger and industry communications were better than ever. Below are a few predictions made from the past about the future, some ponderings from leaders of their time and a taste of what changed and what remained the same.

Prognostications From Connecticut In March 1970, an unnamed person from the Connecticut Department of Transportation addressed a group of collision industry executives as well as shop owners and predicted the following about the future:

• By 1975, 25 percent of our workforce will be replaced by automation. • By 1980, the typical work week will be 35 hours. • By 1980, everyone will have access to instant communication. • By 1980, most of the population will be working from home rather than from an office. • By 2000, only ten percent of the population of the U.S. will work or need to work. • By 2020, Connecticut will be in what was then known as the North Atlantic Megalopolis—a 150-milewide stretch of real estate from Boston to Richmond, VA. • By 2020, there will be automated roads where one can get into a car and sleep, play cards, or watch television, while the car whisks its occupants to their destination. The Natal Beginnings of Vehicle Autonomy In 1972, the RCA Corporation worked on crash avoidance technology. An experimental system displayed by the company uses a radar unit that sends a continuous signal to the rear of the vehicle ahead. As the distance between the two cars closes, flashers and

audible signals in the following car are triggered. The system could also be tied to the throttle and braking system. RCA estimates that this system will add anywhere from $50 to $100 per vehicle on mass-produced models and should be ready for all cars in ten years. “We can no longer stand still,” said Paul Goldberg, Auto Body Association of America (ABAA) president. “We can no longer, in these times of rapid change, stand content with methods of shop operations designed for the 1930s. We can no longer keep our heads stuck in the sand. The 2020s are quickly moving toward us.”

More Industry Changes An article in a June 1971 trade magazine said the industry has seen more changes in the last five years than it has seen in the previous 20 years. This is because “the industry is populated by so many young, energetic body-men and shop owners and few high-powered leaders.” The advent of these recent changes indicate that the collision industry is still in its infancy, but “adolescence is fast approaching and before you know it, we will have a mature industry.” A mature industry, the article notes, will be exemplified by shops that are free to repair a car properly. Finding New Technicians Today, in 2019, the fight goes on to find new collision techs. During the 1970s, and even prior to that, was no different—the collision repair industry was under fire from politicians about the alleged “high price of auto repair.” Rising Repair Costs Costs were increasing rapidly. In 1960, the average new home cost $12,700 and the average price of a new car was $2,600. However, in

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1970, the average home was $23,450 and the average new car cost $3,450. The American Mutual Insurance Alliance, an industry trade group representing over 100 insurance companies nationwide reports in 1971 that the average auto repair claim in 1960 was $131. In January 1971, it jumped to $276.

Maximizing Productivity Dr. William Baumol, a professor of economics at Princeton University said in a speech at the annual American Insurance Association meeting in 1970 that there is no way to save money in insurance claims through body shop productivity increases. The industry accrues costs that are out of its hands, he added. Number Please Before the advent of the internet, a 1970 Yellow Pages National Usage

study revealed that one in every five adults looks for a body shop in the Yellow Pages annually. From 1997 to 2000, internet business saw meteoric growth, yet the collision industry lagged behind. Early in 2000, Amica Mutual Insurance was one of the first to provide online claims handling. Beware of Javelins In 1970, shops are warned about working on the new model AMC Javelin which will feature “heavygauge steel members” welded inside each door. More Fiberglass In 1970 and before the advent of high-strength steel, Owens-Corning reports the use of fiberglass. The company said fiberglass reinforced plastics will reach an all-time high in 1971 model, US built cars due to it being lighter weight than steel.

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Students at Contra Costa College Receive Sikkens Autowave Training by Ed Attanasio

On June 12, AkzoNobel conducted a three-day Sikkens Autowave training seminar at Contra Costa College (CCC) in San Pablo, CA. Eight second-year students and two fledging painters from local shops completed the training program at Contra Costa College’s Automotive Collision Repair Technology School.

Technical Instructor Chris Hatch at AkzoNobel taught the training classes for the CCC students. Credit: Ed Attanasio

Technical Instructor Chris Hatch traveled from the AkzoNobel Training Center in Orange, CA, to conduct the classes and was delighted to be able to impart invaluable information to the CCC students. “I worked with the CCC students for a total of 24 hours over

three days, so that we could dig a little deeper into all of the important topics. It was a combination of hands-on and classroom instruction. Every student received an AkzoNobel Sikkens Autowave certification upon completion.” First, on day one, we covered basics and fundamentals, where new products and techniques were discussed. On day two, we dealt with spot repairs as well as spraying strategies and on day three, the students learned about things such as color matching using AkzoNobel’s Automatchic Vision digital system that enables shops to precisely measure and match the existing color on any area of a vehicle. They were also introduced to the AkzoNobel Automatchic Smart Search color retrieval software that provides the optimum matching color formula.” “One of the primary goals of this training is to inspire the students, because this is a great industry that can provide careers that are both financially and personally rewarding,” Hatch said. “I could tell that these young people were excited and engaged throughout the entire training, which makes it so satisfying.” Akim Henderson is not a CCC

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

great because it covered everything we need to know and Chris really knows his stuff. I can use this information every day on my job and be a better painter.” The training was coordinated by Laura Salas who graduated from CCC’s Automotive Collision Repair Technology Department in 2010 and was named the school’s dean in 2016. Her full title is Collision Repair Faculty and Automotive Department Chair, a position her predecessor, Peter Lock, held for 36 years. Eight second-year students and two fledging painters Salas was impressed by from local shops completed the training program at the training for its compreContra Costa College’s Automotive Collision Repair hensive approach to painting Technology School. Credit: Ed Attanasio and every aspect of the apcan. Henderson was a high school plication, curing and color matching. “This was Chris Hatch’s first football star and many felt he was headed to the NFL until he was shot time coming here and we’re so dein the chest during a drive-by. After lighted that he did,” she said. “All of working several years as a teacher’s our six, second-year students received aide, he decided to enter the collision certification from Sikkens and now repair industry for better pay and they are on their way to becoming ICAR Pro Level III. In order to reach year-round work. “I have been working at a shop that status, they need to undertake in Richmond for two years now,” some OEM training and this threeHenderson said. “This training was day training qualifies, of course.” student but he was invited to attend the workshop. He is already working for a local body shop; however, he wants to constantly refine his skills and attain as much knowledge as he

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When you repair a BMW, use the parts that are identical to those used in Series production and just as reliable. Choose Original BMW Parts and Accessories. Because you can’t repair your reputation. autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Sacramento County, CA, Says It’s Illegal to Work on Your Own Car in Your Own Garage by Walter Olson, Overlawyered

It’s common for communities to use zoning codes to exclude commercial and industrial uses from residential areas, but Sacramento County, CA, seems extra-zealous about making sure that residents

don’t try to operate auto repair businesses amid homes. While it concedes to residents the right to perform minor auto repairs on their own cars in their driveway or garage, it bans repairs or maintenance in any of the following circumstances:

1. Using tools not normally found in a residence;

2. Conducted on vehicles registered to persons, not currently residing on the lot or parcel; 3. Conducted outside a fully enclosed garage and resulting in any vehicle being inoperable for a period in excess of twenty-four hours. So if you’re thinking of doing fairly minor work on your dad’s or girlfriend’s car, or trying any work that might run into a snag and have to be carried over to the next day — let alone working on a project car as a hobby, as many do — Sacramento County has other plans, and it doesn’t matter whether or not you are creating any nuisance for neighbors. “One commenter on the Grassroots Motorsports forum reported that he’d already been issued a $430 fine for working on his car in his garage.” [Jason Torchinsky, Jalopnik] We thank Overlawyered for reprint permission.

Continued from Cover

Uncertain Times

incentives at least through the summer months until automakers can adjust production. Increasing interest rates continue to create affordability issues for car shoppers. The average annual percentage rate (APR) on new vehicle loans is 6.2% this year. According to Edmunds data, a shopper will spend about $2,000 more in interest on average over the course of a loan in 2019 compared to three years ago. Higher prices aren’t enough to convince car shoppers to break the leasing cycle. Through May 2019, lease penetration hit 32.2%; the highest Edmunds has on record since 2002. Thanks to higher interest rates, the average new vehicle lease in 2019 costs $1,965 more than it did in 2016 and the average monthly

payment is $536, which is $46 more than in 2016. A glut of off-lease used vehicles will continue to put pressure on new car sales as a more affordable option for car shoppers. In 2010, a 3-year-old used car cost on average $8,996 less than a new car; in 2019, a 3-year-old used car is on average $13,535 less. Green car sales are on pace to hit a new record, but automakers still struggle to get EVs to appeal to a wide audience. Edmunds anticipates 700,000 EVs and hybrids will be sold in 2019 and while that will be a new record, the narrow appeal of EVs to affluent males in coastal states limits further growth potential. So far this year, Tesla accounts for 82% of EVs sold and 28.9% of all Tesla’s sold this year were to men in California. We thank just-auto for reprint permission.

www.autobodynews.com

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Truck Topics with Gary Ledoux

Need Techs? HD Shops Have the Advantage Around 50 percent of shop ownMost automotive and HD truck shops—mechanical and collision-reers look to hire an experienced tech; pair shops—need more technicians. however, Holt wants to help the other Over the years, shop owners have 50 percent of shops that do want to sought to hire new techs and have grow their business with entry-level ended up with various results. techs. Since 2002, S/P2 has Car dealerships are open to employing entry-level provided industry-specific techs, but HD shops are the online training in mentoring most willing to take on new and soft skills. S/P2 Careers techs, said Holt. takes highly-skilled workers “Our goal is to connect within the automotive servthe entry-level tech with the ice and collision repair industry and helps place them Kyle Holt, president right shop as their first emwith the right first employer. of S/P2, helps shops ployer,” said Holt. “Not just Now, S/P2 is on a mis- grow their business any shop—a shop where with entry-level they can plant themselves. sion to help shops find, retechs We want to reverse this turn cruit and hire entry-level out after two years trend.” techs. Most entry-level techs have an “42 percent of students that graduate from automotive programs and ideal employer in mind. Below, enter the industry end up leaving in Holt outlines five key points for emtheir first two years,” said Kyle Holt, ployers who wish to employ a new tech. president of S/P2.

Outline an Effective Career Path Nobody wants to be in a dead-end job. Nothing kills enthusiasm more than knowing there is nothing to look forward to. Shop owners should design a path showing entry-level techs where they can go in their career and what they can earn based on training or education they receive. Implement a Systematic Mentoring Program Many times a shop owner will pair a new tech with the most experienced tech; however, this distracts the more adept tech. Instead, look for someone who is knowledgeable yet empathetic. Your expert tech is not necessarily the best teacher. Address the Pay Issue As a tech gains more knowledge and skill, they are worth more and should be paid accordingly. A beginner tech

INFINITI OF NORWOOD

should be aware of how much they can make. Leverage a Free Tool System A toolbox and a tech go hand-inhand. However, buying tools is expensive. Many starting techs cannot afford to cover these costs. Holt said many shops are starting to buy tools for their techs, which is a great idea. Others are giving techs a monthly tool allowance. “I suggest that shops buy and own all of the tools, but makes the techs responsible for them,” Holt said. Practice Patience “People learn at different speeds and in different ways,” said Holt. Don’t expect your entry-level tech to retain a ton of new information in a short amount of time, he said. Be patient and let them learn at their own pace, he added.

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autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Media and Publicity for Shops with Ed Attanasio

Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.

Marketing Guru Schools Shops on All Things Google Nick Schoolcraft, president of Phoenix Solutions Group (PSG), works with hundreds of body shops to set them up for success when it comes to both their digital and customer marketing. Recently, he took the time to share his insights about things such as Google’s mobile first indexing update, the importance of understanding how digital impacts the collision customer, as well as a trend he’s been following called “digital dieting.”

What does it mean when Google releases updates and changes to its algorithm?

Each update serves a purpose. For example, Google released an update called Panda in 2011 to reward websites with higher-quality content. Its goal was to remove search results that lead searchers to sites with poor quality or little content. Also, it focused on filtering sites that were “keyword stuffing.” This update was significant in that it changed how Google ranks pages. It was a clear sign from Google that incorporating practices that didn’t benefit the user, like creating pages with little content to drive better search ranking, would no longer be tolerated. That said, not all updates are bad. For example, Hummingbird, which was announced by Google in 2013, was seen as a complete overhaul of their search algorithm. This update was massive because it started to incorporate natural language processing, which helped Google to match the searcher’s intent with relevant content better, which is why we always suggest writing your website content in simple language instead of focusing on industry-related terms. Hummingbird had minimal impact on search results; however, it was a massive update in how search results are displayed, which signaled Google’s focus on ensuring they deliver the most relevant search results that match the user’s intent.

Q: A:

What is Mobile First Indexing and why is it important?

Starting July 1, Google will start indexing the mobile version of your site as the default index method. In the past, they used the desktop version to help with ranking your website. This change is meant to help mobile users find what they’re

looking for more quickly. Google sees that people are using their mobile devices more often in search, so they’re making a strong effort to address that. More importantly, what a shop owner should recognize is that their digital presence is a reflection of the type of experience a customer will receive when visiting the actual shop. Shops should look at these updates as Google’s way of adapting to their user’s needs. If a shop doesn’t understand, they should consult a digital industry expert like Phoenix Solutions Group to better understand the implications these changes have on their digital presence. These updates happen frequently. To ensure a shop is set up for ongoing success, they should make sure their site aligns with their user’s needs and with Google’s published requirements.

Q: A:

What will your mobile evaluation tell us?

We recognize that a lot of shops don’t have the time to keep on top of all these changes. As digital becomes more of a tactical element of the collision buying journey, shops need to make sure they are delivering at least an “at par” experience. Unfortunately, we find that most shops believe that because their site is responsive or “mobile friendly” they are already prepared. There is a lot more that goes into making sure

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

you perform well with this update. Our evaluation looks at a variety of technical and structural factors to ensure that they are not only mobile-index ready but also they are optimized for the future of search— voice. Google has said that over half of the pages shown in search results are mobile-first indexed. Is this the new standard and why is July 1 significant?

Yes, Google started talking about mobile indexing in 2016 and as you’d expect, an update of this size takes time and planning. The most important fact is that starting on July 1, mobile first will be the default index method.

Does this update have anything to do with the trend you

are following called “digital dieting”?

Not really—”digital dieting” focuses on the overabundance of digital marketing noise in our lives and how people are becoming more intolerant of unnecessary digital interruptions. “Digital dieting” refers to the increase in “unsubscribe” rates and the consumer’s search for more personalized interactions with brands. It’s vital to realize fads will come and go and while technology will continue to play a disruptive role in our future, shops should remain focused on the one element that hasn’t changed since the beginning of time—the value of delivering differentiated customer experiences. This is what PSG has done for nearly 30 years through products like hand signed, personalized post-repair follow-up letters that help shops stand

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out from their competitors, remain top of mind with their customers and build brand loyalty.

What does research tell us about collision repair customers and their online vs. mobile search habits?

This is a hard question to answer, mostly because all body shops aren’t created equal. However, one commonality that we see across all of the 160+ sites that we manage is how people end up at a collision website from search. Using Google Search Console, we find that in most cases, 90-95 percent of shop site traffic is coming through branded keywords terms (i.e., some variation of the shops’ name). This data is significant for a lot of reasons. One, because it affects every type of shop—from the ones who spend a lot of money on SEO to the ones that spend very little. Secondly, these types of searches are indicative of customers who are in the late stages of their purchase decision and already have an awareness of the shop before entering search. This knowledge allows us to help

our customers focus on the things that matter most to collision customers, while others focus on the things that produce a marginal impact. Google Analytics and Google Search Console should be a shop’s first digital reference point, as they will most likely expose a more tactical interaction than the assumed consumption-based interaction of more traditional websites, which should help a shop owner better understand the real ROI of their marketing spend.

What are some additional items a shop can do to capitalize on this new algorithm?

Our suggestions to our customers have always been to make sure your site is keeping up with the shift in expectations, which should start with focusing on what your analytics are telling you. The bottom line is, shops should work with companies that not only understand this industry but apply these latest updates and trends to ensure maximum impact on their business.

Mini Dealership Sues BMW Because It Had No Choice by Jazz Traugott, CarBuzz

Mini is not in the best shape in North America these days. Despite the quality vehicles, prices are high and Americans have been gravitating towards crossovers. Mini only offers one, the Countryman. On top of that, new small car sales have been declining in the US, which is obviously bad news for Mini. Its parent company, BMW, is fully aware of the problem making the decision to allow Mini dealers, who are also BMW dealers, to either downsize or move operations to their BMW stores. According to a new report from Automotive News, however, BMW’s handling of Mini has become the source of frustration and even a lawsuit. The previous chairman of the Mini dealer council, David Peterson, has sued BMW of North America alleging that the automaker breached its dealership agreement by failing to promote and develop the Mini brand. Peterson’s Mini dealership in Louisville, KY, is one of five dealerships in the US that closed recently due to slow sales and low

profitability. Peterson said BMW simply didn’t do enough to properly promote Mini and its vehicle lineup and, in addition, is only providing assistance to some Mini dealers, specifically those who opted to join with the BMW dealers. He alleges “unfair discrimination by BMW,” arguing that its plans place more onerous requirements on Mini dealers wishing to integrate with nonBMW stores compared with those joining BMW stores.” Peterson doesn’t own a BMW store, but rather a Mercedes-Benz franchise; therefore, he had no opportunity to salvage his Mini business. His lawsuit states that “Peterson Motorcars is left with a dealership that is not financially viable and an unusable single purpose facility in which he has invested millions of dollars.” He’s seeking monetary and punitive damage, along with costs and attorney fees. We thank CarBuzz for reprint permission.

www.autobodynews.com

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autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Jason Bartanen Moves From I-CAR to Collision Hub by Gary Ledoux

Furthermore, I’m proud of advancing what I-CAR did with the OE’s and the vehicle-specific training we developed for them. I had a great relationship with all the I-CAR instructors and volunteers—all great people.

After almost 23 years, news hit that Jason Bartanen, I-CAR’s director of industry technical relations, was leaving the organization. On June 17, the industry was stunned when they found out that Bartanen would be You invested time and effort joining the team at Collision Hub— into I-CAR. What was the deone of the most prolific training organciding factor in making the move? izations headed by Kristen Felder. Passion for the collision indusCollision Hub will allow me to try runs in Bartanen’s family. refocus on the technician and “My grandfather opened a body shop in Ishpeming, WI, in 1939, help them excel, and perform correct taught my father collision repair and repairs. This is predicated on two fache passed it along to me,” Bartanen tors. One, Kristen Felder knows what said. “My father was my high school technicians want and need. She is alautomotive teacher and we operated ways connecting with them in person or on social media. She has a smaller Bartanen’s Auto a good feel for the shop’s Body in Oconto, WI. That’s production floor as well as really where I learned colliwhat goes on in the front ofsion repair. I also worked fice. Two, Collision Hub is part-time, while in college, big enough to have an effect at Commercial Auto Body in on the industry, but small Green Bay, WI, where I was enough to be nimble when it a painter’s helper.” Jason Bartanen In 1996, Bartanen went leaves I-CAR after comes to producing new to work for I-CAR as a tech- almost 23 years and products and services. Collinical writer developing train- joins Collision Hub sion Hub can bring product ing courses. This led to a promotion as to market very quickly. The industry is changing rapidly—we all have to technical development manager overseeing all curriculum development. run just to keep up. This, in turn, led to a stint as techniWhat unique opportunity does cal director where he maintained inCollision Hub present to you? dustry relations with shops, OE’s and other stakeholders. Bartanen has Collision Hub will give me been a mainstay in the industry, more opportunity and more speaking at many industry events, conducting training classes at indus- potential to grow. It will be a chance try events as well as local association for me to re-engage with the smaller meetings, and serving as a spokesper- shops that need the most help and son for I-CAR in industry magazine have the fewest resources. articles. What is your new title at ColAutobody News spoke with Barlision Hub and what does your tanen about his move to Collision Hub, and how this will affect him and the in- title entail? dustry. Here’s what he had to say: My new title is director of colWhat is your proudest accomlision industry relations. On a plishment at I-CAR? day-to-day basis, I will be working with industry stakeholders to develop I am proud of the Repairabil- new products and services delivered ity Technical Support Portal through Collision Hub. website. It was the first tool in the inDoes this mean you will be dustry to bridge the gap between competing with I-CAR in the OE’s and technicians. It’s a great way to share information. In addition, it same space? was the first product of its type—deNo—I see what we will be signed by technicians for technidoing as a compliment to what cians—so, the users can relate to it.

Q: A:

Q: A: Q:

Q: A:

I-CAR does. Our training is more focused on certain areas, while I-CAR has a broader approach. Let’s face it … there are only about 8,000 I-CAR Gold Class shops out there out of 35,000 total shops. Many shops are at various levels of training and some have no training at all, so there is plenty of training to go around.

Larry Montanez of P&L Consultants and Mark Olson of Vehicle Collision Experts have each become an integral part of Collision Hub training. We see them all the time in the YouTube videos. How will your responsibilities affect them?

Kristen and Larry focus primarily on education for shop owners and the front office. I will focus on the actual repairs and the

production floor. Mark is versed in many areas and brings his own special expertise to the table.

Do you foresee bringing in more people from the industry? How do you see expansion from here?

Kristen and I have a lot of ideas that I can’t discuss yet. We can expand, if necessary.

A: Q: A:

My end-game is simple: I want technicians to be successful and perform proper, safe and complete repairs. It was my goal at I-CAR and it will remain the same here at Collision Hub. It is what the industry wants and needs.

www.autobodynews.com

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AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Mike’s Body Shop Gives Coast Guard SA a ‘Nearly New’ Vehicle by Ed Attanasio

Mike’s Auto Body’s nationally recognized Benevolence Program has given away 81 vehicles to deserving individuals, families and non-profit organizations over the past 19 years.

Coast Guard SA Austin Stewart and his deserving family celebrate. Credit: Ed Attanasio

Yet again, this MSO with 16 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, gave a deserving family a “Gift of Charity Wrapped in Dignity.” On May 17th, Coast Guard SA Austin Stewart received a refurbished 2014 Honda Accord. In honor of the Coast Guard Chief’s 99th Anniversary,

Mike’s presented the vehicle on the Coast Guard Island in Alameda, CA. Mike’s Sal Contreras and Dane Dearlove coordinated the car presentation. Contreras has been one of the coordinators of the shop’s Benevolence Program since day one, but this presentation stands out in many ways, he said.

Coast Guard SA Austin Stewart received a completely refurbished 2014 Honda Accord as part of Mike’s Auto Body’s Benevolence Program. Credit: Ed Attanasio

“It was a great opportunity to partner with the Chief’s by helping them celebrate their anniversary and thanking them for their service by giving a car to one of their own Coastie family,” Contreras said. “Austin Stewart is a worthy recipient.” Dearlove said he was delighted to be able to help a member of the

Coast Guard with Mike’s 81st car giveaway.

car shows it.” Owner Mike Rose is proud of what his company has achieved for nearly two decades. “It’s been so rewarding presenting cars to deserving families and single parents who are working to improve their skills and become independent,” Rose said. “We are delighted to be associThe technicians, painters and managers at Mike’s Auto ated with the Coast Guard Body’s donated their own time to refurbish the 2014 and to be giving a car to the Honda Accord. Credit: Ed Attanasio recipient.” Mike’s Benevolence Program is a community relations program whose mission is to present refurbished newly-used cars to deserving individuals or organizations. Everything is donated; the cars, parts, paint, mechanical inspections, tires and one full year of insurance. In addition, the body and paint technicians donate their time and talents. The Benevolence car came with gifts in the Upcoming Benevolence presentrunk and one year of auto insurance. Credit: tations will be on Veteran’s Day and Ed Attanasio during the Christmas holiday. For “It was a wonderful day and a great more information about the comevent to be involved in,” Dearlove said. pany’s Benevolence Program, please “There is no doubt that our Alameda visit them at: www.mikesautobody shop does outstanding work and this .com.

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WAC’s June Meeting Focused on Generation Z by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On June 19, Women in Automotive and Collision (WAC) held its monthly meeting at Enterprise Fleet Management (EFM) in St. Louis, featuring guest speaker Kevin Andert, manager of College and Career Readiness

for North and South Technical Colleges. According to WAC President Shelly Jones, “Kevin did a presentation on Generation Z compared to other generations. It was excellent. This is one of those presentations that you wish every collision shop manager or owner could attend.”

Andert provided an overview of the five generations in the workplace and defined Generation Z. Credit: WAC

Guest speaker Kevin Andert, manager of College and Career Readiness for North and South Technical Colleges, taught WAC members about Generation Z. Credit: WAC

During his presentation, Andert provided an overview of the five generations in the workplace and defined Generation Z. He also discussed strategies for overcoming the differences and embracing the strengths offered by each generation. The meeting was hosted by EFM, a recent addition to WAC’s growing list of gold sponsors. EFM Talent Ac-

quisition Specialist Tamara Weidler attended the meeting and shared, “The meeting was very insightful in that we learned a lot about what to expect with

sion repair was evident.” Weidler said those at the meeting heard a testimony from Alex Emge, customer support advisor for EFM. Emge wasn’t making enough money at her previous job, so she decided to study diesel technology while working for EFM as an intern. She eventually landed a full-time job there. This testimony encouraged the young people at the meeting to pursue their passion, Weidler added. WAC’s next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on WednesWAC members gathered for its monthly meeting on day, July 17 at Ranken TechJune 19. Credit: WAC nical College with guest Generation Z, specifically how to ap- speaker Stan Shoun, president of proach them and how to manage them Ranken. Jones predicts, “This will be another informative and fascinating to keep them engaged.” “We were also happy to share presentation. Look for more guest information about services EFM of- speakers at future meetings. There are fers our clients and the type of pro- many organizations that have a mission fessional opportunities that await or hold events, such as job fairs, that young people that decide to pursue would tie into the WAC mission and a technical education,” Weidler said. benefit our members.” “There were many new faces at the meeting and the energy for reaching For more information about WAC and young people to share the opportu- its upcoming meetings, visit: wacstl nity of automotive repair and colli- .com.

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Hours: M-F 7:30-5; Sat 8-3 www.njparts.com autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Volvo Trucks’ Cabin-Less Self-Driving Hauler Takes on Its First Job by Nick Lavars, New Atlas

What would trucks look like if they didn’t need to accommodate a human driver? Volvo Trucks’ Vera vehicle is an exploration of this idea, doing away with the cabin entirely so it can more efficiently tow goods around ports and factories. The freewheeling four-wheeler has just been assigned its first task, and will soon go to work delivering containers to a port terminal in Sweden.

What would truck cabins look like if they didn’t need to accommodate a human driver? Credit: Volvo Trucks

Revealed in September last year, the autonomous Vera is powered by the same drivetrain and battery packs found in Volvo’s electric trucks. It is, however, more electric sled than electric big rig, consisting of four-

wheels and a low-profile body that can be latched onto by standard load carriers and trailers.

Communicating with one another via a control center over the cloud, this could optimize traffic flow, keep operations running smoothly and minimize waiting times. And Volvo Trucks is now set to see how well this works in practice, with Vera receiving its first assignment towing containers from a logistics center in Gothenburg, Sweden,

low noise levels and zero exhaust emissions have an important role to play in the future of logistics, and will benefit both business and society,” says Mikael Karlsson, vice president of Autonomous Solutions

Volvo Trucks’ Vera vehicle has received its first assignment. Credit: Volvo Trucks

Revealed in September last year, Vera is powered by the same drivetrain and battery packs in Volvo’s electric trucks. Credit: Volvo Trucks

Volvo Trucks’ Vera is set to go to work moving containers around a logistics center in Sweden. Credit: Volvo Trucks

The thinking is that one day fleets of connected Veras can scurry around ports, factories and other facilities with large loads on the back.

to a nearby port terminal for distribution around the world. The pilot is a collaboration with logistics company DFDS and will involve short trips with speeds limited to 40 km/h (25 mph). “Autonomous transports with

The thinking is that one day fleets of connected Veras can scurry around ports, factories and other facilities with large loads on the back. Credit: Volvo Trucks

at Volvo Trucks. “We see this collaboration as an important start and want to drive progress in this area. Vera may have a speed limit, but we don’t. Testing has already started and we intend to implement the solution within the coming years.” We thank New Atlas for reprint permission.

Ford Stresses Importance of Glass Repairs In the recent issue of Ford’s On Target newsletter, aimed at Ford and Lincoln wholesalers and the collision repair industry, the automaker details the importance of “proper fixed glass repairs.” Ford Motor Company’s Senior Damageability Engineer Gerry Bonanni was interviewed regarding the proper repair procedure for vehicle fixed glass, and the important role it plays. Bonanni went so far as to say that skipping of a step or not following procedures exactly could result in “catastrophic results.” “The fixed glass of the vehicle plays an important role in the overall strength of the roof and in ensuring a robust repair,” said Bonanni. “Especially the windshield, which provides strength and stability to the vehicle’s structure and affects how it performs in a collision event. Preserving that strength and stability is paramount, as is the proper preparation of the substrate to which the fixed glass adheres. If the fixed glass, such as the windshield, is not seated properly, and the substrate is not prepared correctly, the glass could pop right out 62

during a subsequent collision event, seriously jeopardizing the overall structural integrity and safety of the vehicle.” The article details specific installation instructions for everything from trimming the urethane, use of primer and more. If the vehicle is equipped with a camera, carry out IPMA camera alignment, referring to Section 419-07: Lane Keeping System, Description and Operation, the article states. “Today’s vehicles are specifically designed and constructed to work together in a complex sequence to provide proper functionality and safety in the event of a collision,” said Bonanni. “Ford’s OEM repair procedures—as found in the workshop manual—are the only way to ensure the vehicle’s proper functionality and safety are maintained, providing peace of mind for repairers and customers alike. Unauthorized changes to any one component, skipping a step, or not adhering to the carefully and fully laid out Ford OEM repair procedures can cause catastrophic results.” We thank glassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.

AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

AAPEX 2019 to Recognize Exhibitors

AAPEX 2019 has lined up specialists from the exhibition industry to tour the show floor and select Best Booth Award winners using design, staffing and exhibition best practices as the criteria. AAPEX represents the more than $1 trillion global automotive aftermarket industry and will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5, through Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Judges include: Kimberly Hardcastle, CEM, president, mdg; Dana Freker Doody, vice president, Communications and Strategic Client Solutions, The Expo Group; Nancey Drapeau, PRC, senior research director, Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR); and Carrie Ferenac, president, CNTV. All AAPEX 2019 exhibiting companies are automatically entered into the competition, without the need to sign up to participate. The Best Booth Award winners will be announced Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 3:30 p.m. on the Let’s Tech stage, Level 2 of the Sands Expo.

Truck Driving Could Soon Be a Desk Job by Joann Muller, AXIOS News

On the week on June 17, for likely the first time, a heavy-duty commercial truck drove for 9.4 miles on the Florida Turnpike with no one inside. The “driver” was 140 miles away, operating the rig remotely. The big picture: Automated freight delivery is expected to begin long before self-driving cars are here, and at least a half dozen truck companies are working on the technology, with tests in various stages of development. Starsky Robotics’ Florida demonstration was believed to be the first unmanned, high-speed test of a heavyduty commercial truck on a public highway. Why it matters: The U.S. is experiencing a severe shortage of truck drivers—as many as 175,000 by 2026, according to the American Trucking Associations. Companies like Starsky Robotics hope they can address the shortage by making the jobs less taxing. To make the job more appealing, self-driving truck start-up TuSimple even helped create an autonomous driving certificate pro-

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AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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In all, the human driver operated the truck for just 0.2 miles, or 2% of its journey, says co-founder Stefan Seltz-Axmacher. “It got pretty boring,” he said. Yes, but: Teleoperation relies on ordinary cellular networks that occasionally lead to communication glitches that could potentially delay remote decision-making. For now, Starsky Robotics trucks are accompanied by chase vehicles in case something goes wrong and a human driver needs to jump into the cab to steer a stopped truck off the highway. The bottom line: Automated trucking is getting closer, but the instincts and knowledge of human drivers are still needed, even if the humans themselves aren’t in the vehicle. For more news like this, signup for Axios’ Autonomous Vehicles Newsletter by Muller.

Mon., Wed., Fri. 7:30-5 Tue., Thu. 7:30-7; Sat. 9-3 awright@belknapsubaru.com

Subaru of Keene Keene (866) 832-0013 (603) 757-0013 (603) 719-0932 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:30; Sat 7:30-5 ztheodorou@fentonautosales.com

Flemington (877) 657-2787 (908) 782-1795 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 bseymour@flemington.com www.njparts.com

Liberty Subaru Emerson (888) 782-9493 (201) 261-3261 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6 parts@libertysubaru.com www.libertysubaru.com

Miller Subaru

Lumberton (609) 261-7844 (609) 261-7843 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 dseward@millertransgroup.com

CONNECTICUT Curran Volkswagen Stratford

203-378-6516 Fax: 203-380-3732 M-Th 8am-6pm; F 8am-5pm Sat 8am-2pm parts@curranvw.net www.curranvw.net

MARYLAND King Volkswagen Gaithersburg

Ourisman VW of Rockville Rockville

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

855-417-4511

Flemington Volkswagen Flemington

Fax: 240-499-2488 M-F 8am-5:30pm Sat 8am-5pm

877-NJPARTS 877-657-2787

Hudson Valley Volkswagen Wappingers Falls

rockvilleparts@ourismanautomotive.com

Fax: 908-782-1795 M-F 7:30am-5pm www.njparts.com

www.rockvillevolkswagen.com

MASSACHUSETTS Volkswagen of North Attleboro North Attleboro

240-403-2300

508-695-7131

Fax: 240-403-2398 M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-4pm dprunner@vwking.com www.vwking.com

Fax: 508-695-0321 M-F 8am-5pm Sat 8am-2pm kenr@driveavw.com www.driveavw.com

Ourisman VW of Laurel Laurel

301-498-6050 Fax: 301-498-0157 M-F 7:30am-7pm Sat 7am-4pm julio.cruz@ourismanautomotive.com

845-298-2365 Fax: 845-224-3686 M-F 7:30am-5pm Sat 8am-5pm billsantoro@thepremiercollection.com

Open Road Volkswagen of Bridgewater Bridgewater

908-685-1068 Fax: 908-685-1547 M-F 7:30am-5pm Sat 8am-3pm vwb.parts@openroad.com www.openroadvwparts.com

Platinum Volkswagen Hicksville

516-822-4800 Fax: 516-822-4831 M-F 7:30am-5:30pm parts@platinumvw.com www.platinumvw.com

White Plains Volkswagen Elmsford

888.774.9926 Fax: 914.372.7056 M-F 7:30am-5:30pm w/ Delivery Sat 8am-2pm No Delivery www.whiteplainsvolkswagen.com jmershon@whiteplains volkswagen.com

autobodynews.com / AUGUST 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

$5 Million in Digital Gift Card Incentives Accelerates Response to Takata Airbag Recall

Bitmo, a mobile gifting and payment platform that is transforming the $160 billion gift card industry, has partnered with peer-to-peer safety platform Carma Project to deliver an innovative incentive-based program designed exclusively for accelerating consumer response to automotive recalls. Launched in December in collaboration with Toyota Motor North America, Carma Project aims at addressing the Takata airbag recall. Labeled “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history” by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall continues to impact vehicles built by 19 different automakers, with a projected 70 million airbags expected to be recalled by the end of 2019. Carma and Bitmo have taken a unique approach to building awareness by allowing consumers to earn rewards as Carma “Ambassadors.” Those participants are incentivized for sharing information related to the recall with their friends and family via their social networks. Participants can earn financial rewards by signing up for Carma

Project and sharing Takata airbag recall information with their friends and family. A simple license plate photo or typing a VIN into a recall lookup tool on Carma Project’s website allows involved Toyota, Lexus, and Scion owners to immediately take action and book an appointment for a free Takata airbag fix. Referring individuals can also earn financial rewards for every eligible Toyota, Lexus or Scion that is fixed. Individuals who lookup any vehicle can receive $5 in Bitmo rewards and referring Ambassadors can earn a $55 reward once a recalled airbag has been replaced. To redeem their digital gift cards, participants simply download the Bitmo mobile app, which allows them to save, store and swap gift cards from a list of over 130 retailers including AMC Theatres, Nordstrom, REI, GameStop and Domino’s. Users can even pay using the Bitmo app on their mobile phone. “Word of mouth is incredibly powerful, especially in our increasingly connected digital lives,” said Carma Project Co-founder and CEO Fabio Gratton. “Our goal is to iden-

tify solutions to help people, help people. The power of word-of-mouth advocacy combined with a digital incentive program can motivate people to take action.” “We’ve had great success helping our retail partners incentivize customers to spend more with them using Bitmo. It felt only natural to use the same concept to help this crucial initiative,” said Michael Smallwood, CEO and founder of Bitmo. “Our digital gifting platform makes gifting more convenient, flexible and secure than ever before, making it quick and easy to reward participants in the incredibly important Carma Project efforts. No more waiting for a physical gift card to be delivered in the mail. After downloading the Bitmo app, eligible participants will have their gift appear straight away. It’s this instant reward and ease of use that we hope encourages many more people to participate in raising awareness about the recall.” The program has already delivered over $230,000 worth of incentives. Obtained via PRWeb.

Mitsubishi to Relocate US Headquarters

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Mitsubishi Motors North America officials announced on June 25, 3019, that the automaker will relocate its headquarters to Franklin, TN, from Cypress, CA. Mitsubishi Motors’ move represents an investment in the county of $18.25 million and brings approximately 200 jobs to Williamson County. Since 1988, Mitsubishi Motors North America has been rooted in California. The relocation to Franklin will begin in August and be completed by the end of 2019. All departments will be relocating, including sales, marketing, IT and more. Since 2013, headquarters jobs have grown by 37 percent in Tennessee, the fastest rate of growth among states in the Southeast. For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit: media .mitsubishicars.com. Obtained via globenewswire.com.

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