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NCACAR, SCACAR To Debut Carolina’s Educational Collision Conference by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The North Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (NCACAR) and the South Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (SCACAR) are collaborating on the first-ever Carolina’s Educational Collision Conference on May 18 and 19 at the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC. According to Josh Kent, director of membership for NCACAR and SCACAR, “We have some of the industry’s biggest names speaking at our event with the headline speaker

being Mike Anderson of Collision Advice.” Saturday morning’s educational seminars will kick off from 9–11 a.m. • John Shoemaker, business development manager for BASF, will present “Damage Assessment Documentation.” • Jake Rodenroth, director of industry relations for asTech, will discuss “New and Emerging Vehicle Technology: ADAS and Beyond.” Following lunch, two additional seminars will be held from noon–2 p.m. See NCACAR, SCACAR, Page 15

Class Action Against Allstate Can Continue; Company, Not State, Sets Rates, Appeals Court Says by Dan Churney, Cook County Record

In a split decision, an Illinois appeals panel stripped Allstate Insurance of its defenses against a class action that alleged the company unfairly billed long-term auto policyholders more than it charged new ones. The panel said Illinois insurers can’t protect their rates from lawsuits because their rates are not controlled by the Illinois Department of Insurance. The Jan. 29 ruling was delivered by Justice Judy Cates with concurrence from Justice Melissa

Chapman of Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court in Mt. Vernon. Justice James Moore dissented.

37 YEARS

AUTOBODYNEWS.COM Vol. 10 / Issue 2 / April 2019

WV Reintroduces Bill Requiring New OEM Parts for 1st 3 Years of Vehicle’s Life by Chasidy Rae Sisk

In February, West Virginia State Senator Randy Smith (R) reintroduced his 2018 bill that would require insurers to only use new OEM parts on vehicles from the current model year and the two previous years. Nearly identical to last year’s Senate Bill 308, Senate Bill 49 would prohibit the use of recycled or aftermarket parts on vehicles during the first three years of the vehicle’s life. An amendment to WV Code 46A-6B-3, Senate Bill 49 states, “For all motor vehicles requiring repair by motor vehicle body shops in the year of their manufacture or in the two succeeding years thereafter, and those needed repairs will be paid in whole or in part, by an insurance company, motor vehicle body shops

must use genuine new original equipment parts sufficient to maintain the manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty for fit, finish, structural integrity, corrosion resistance, dent resistance, and crash performance. An insurance company may not require the use of aftermarket crash parts when negotiating repairs of the motor vehicle with any repairer for a period of the current model year plus two years.” West Virginia’s current code allows the use of aftermarket parts on vehicles 3 years old or newer only if the consumer provides written consent. Senate Bill 49 would prohibit such use of aftermarket parts, regardless of whether the customer provides consent in writing. Senate Bill 49 would remove See New OEM Parts, Page 8

Auto Body Parts Association To Host 39th Convention in Ft. Lauderdale, FL by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The ruling favored Illinois residents Jeffrey A. Corbin, Margaret A. Corbin and Anna Tryfonas in their class action complaint against Allstate. They brought the suit in 2016 to downstate Madison County Circuit Court, which is known as a See Class Action, Page 20

From April 30 through May 3, the Auto Body Parts Association (ABPA) will hold its 39th Convention at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, FL. According to ABPA Executive Director Ed Salamy, “We had a tremendously successful event last year in San Diego, and this year’s convention in Fort Lauderdale looks to be even better. We have an impressive lineup of keynote speakers, breakout events and social events that should hopefully help us break another attendance record.” The event will begin Tuesday evening with a welcome reception. Wednesday morning will feature a golf tournament at Jacaranda Golf Club, and the exhibitors’ tabletop set-up will take place in the after-

noon. Attendees can also opt to participate in the Marina and Mansions Boat Tour Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday evening will begin with an NABC vehicle giveaway at 5 p.m., followed by a cocktail reception and then the trade show during the reception dinner.

Thursday morning’s business session will commence with ABPA Chair Chris Northup reading the anti-trust statement and providing opening comments, preceding a “State of the Association” address delivered by Salamy. Two keynote See 39th Convention, Page 10

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APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

11 Cars Broken Into at Caliber Collision in FL

CONTENTS 11 Cars Broken Into at Caliber Collision in FL . . 3 Auto Body Parts Association To Host 39th Convention in Ft. Lauderdale, FL . . . . . . . . . . 1 Family-Owned Master Body Works Is One-Stop Shop in Leesburg, GA . . . . . . . . . 18 FL Cop in Hot Water for Deer-Related Insurance Scam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Florida Bill Moves Forward – Will Impact Auto Glass Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 IGONC Jacksonville Hosts Feb. Meeting. . . . . . 24 Man Says Auto Body Shop Took His Money, Did Not Fix Truck in Ohio County, WV . . . . . . 10 NABC F.R.E.E. Program Teaches Shelby, NC, First

Through The Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Phillips - An Insider’s Guide to Handling Media Interviews During a Crisis . . . . . . . . . 30 Phillips - How Implementing a Lean Process Can Improve a Shop’s ROI & Decrease Cycle Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Phillips - How to Implement an Effective Scheduling Process to Achieve Revenue

Sisk - ASA Washington D.C. Representative

Sisk - ASA Webinar Features ‘G’ Jerry Truglia’s ‘Why a DTC is Not Always Displayed’ . . . . . 42 Yoswick - Survey Finds Trends in How Shops

NCACAR, SCACAR To Debut Carolina’s

Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Educational Collision Conference . . . . . . . . . 1

SCRS Releases Line-Up for 2019 Repairer Roundtable in Nashville, TN. . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 SCRS To Hold Open Board Meeting in Nashville, TN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 TN Officials Warn Residents To Be on Lookout for Flood-Damaged Cars for Sale . . . . . . . . 14 VA Body Shops Busy This Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 VA Teen Arrested in Body Shop Car Theft. . . . . 21 WV Body Shop Owner’s Service Dog ‘Absolutely’ Helps With Everyday Life . . . . . 12 WV Reintroduces Bill Requiring New OEM Parts for 1st 3 Years of Vehicle’s Life . . . . . . . 1

COLUMNISTS Anderson - Moving Beyond Paper QC Process Necessary to Ensure Documented Proper Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Attanasio - Broadly Helps Body Shops Shine Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Attanasio - Mike’s Auto Body Estimator Chases Fame as Stand-up Comic . . . . . . . . 45 Ledoux - Vehicle Safety Equipment

AUTOBODY

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Bob Redding Delivers Legislative Update. . . 54

Are Charging – And Being Paid – for Shop

From GEICO, Hendrick Collision . . . . . . . . . . 10

glaries and investigated the incident, which included a video request. Some of the car owners signed affidavits with their desire to prosecute. The incident report has some information redacted and does not mention what, if anything, was stolen from the cars. NOTE: The use of this article does not constitute an endorsement expressed or implied for Autobody News or any products associated with it. We thank NBC2 for reprint permission.

& Cycle Time Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Responders New Rescue Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Norfolk, VA, Navy Vet Receives New Car

An auto body repair shop was the site of 11 car burglaries the night of March 6, according to an incident report from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Fort Myers, FL. Around 11 p.m., an unidentified suspect or suspects entered 11 customers’ cars, all of which were unlocked, at 2131 Andrea Ln. inside Caliber Collision, the report said. Deputies responded March 7 to a complaint from the auto body repair and paint shop about the bur-

NATIONAL After the Donation: Caliber Collision, Allstate Step Up to Help Army Veteran . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Allstate Sues Auto Glass America & Its Owner . . 4 Class Action Against Allstate Can Continue;

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

REGIONAL

by Emma Green, NBC2

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, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (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: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina 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.

Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists, LLC. . . . . . 34

Kernersville Lexus-CDJR-GM . . . . . . . . . . 57

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 53

Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 59

AutobodyLaw.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Launch Tech USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,8

Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 60

Blowtherm USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Matrix Electronic Measuring . . . . . . . . . . . 15

BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 58

Mercedes-Benz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33

Braman Honda Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts

Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com news@autobodynews.com

Company, Not State, Sets Rates, Appeals

Braman Honda of Palm Beach. . . . . . . . . . . 9

Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Court Says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Braman Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 58

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Mirka USA, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Coggin Deland Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 37

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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

Dent Fix Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

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

Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Prima Welds, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Dominion Sure Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Radley Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Eckler’s Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

RBL Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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

Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples . . . . . . . . 42

Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Rick Hendrick MOPAR Southeast

CSN Collision Centres Conference Focuses on How To Achieve Excellence. . . . . . . . . . . 58 DRIVE President Speaks at YANG’s Memphis Meet-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Elon Musk Promises ‘Fully Autonomous’ Teslas This Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 How 4 Recalls May Impact Your Business . . . . 26

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

Wholesalers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17

Registration Now Open for CIECA Connex 2019 . . 6

Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Riverside Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

GYS Welding USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

HD Repair Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Smith Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Hendrick Automotive Group. . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Southside Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Hendrick BMW/MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach . . . . . . . 36

Spartanburg Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. . . 11

Takata Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Hendrick Kia Cary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Stateline Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram . . . . . 14

The Race Towards Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Hendrick Kia Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 61

Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts

Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Roundabouts Are On the Rise as Intersection of Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Subaru Recalls 783,000 Vehicles for

UAF Accepting Scholarship Applications . . . . . 61 Volvo Imposes Speed Limits on Cars to Reduce Fatalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 28-29

U.S. Chemical & Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Hyundai Motor America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 60

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

West Broad Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Jim Cogdill Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram . . . 26

YesterWreck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Jon Hiester Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Allstate Sues Auto Glass America & Its Owner by Staff, glassBYTEs.com

Allstate Insurance*, one of the nation’s largest writers of auto insurance policies, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Orlando division, against Auto Glass America LLC of Florida (AGA) and Charles Isaly of Arizona. The suit, which was filed just before Christmas 2018, alleges AGA and Isaly directed an “extensive and complex scheme … to pressure Allstate’s insureds into hiring AGA for windshield replacements, obtaining assignments of benefits (AOBs) from insureds, submitting invoices to Allstate for excessive and unreasonable amounts and fil[ing] over 1,400 lawsuits for recovery of excessive and unreasonable amounts.” The 48-page complaint details 10 separate counts against the defendants. Allstate also alleges AGA got insureds to authorize the replacements through high-pressure sales tactics, omissions and misrepresentations that were in violation of Florida law. The complaint states, “The owner and sole member of AGA is the scheme’s mastermind, Isaly.”

The defendants have since responded. “Notwithstanding the Complaint’s length and verbosity, it is little more than a cornucopia of hyperbole and legal conclusions that float freely on a sea of bombast,” says a response by the defendants on Feb. 4, 2019. The response goes

on to say, “Nowhere … is there any reference to a single customer or single transaction or a single claim made on a single Allstate policy for a single windshield replacement.” The response also argues that Allstate lacks standing in its case because allegations center on violations of consumer protection statutes, while Allstate is not a consumer, it suggests, nor are AGA’s customers. In the response, AGA argues “… There is no authority for the

proposition that the consumer-consumer status of an insured extends to the insurer.” In its original complaint, Allstate argued AGA filed more than 1,400 lawsuits against it and that the replacements were performed without notice to Allstate after insureds hired AGA. Allstate contends that AGA billed it, on average, $900 per invoice for the period of January 1, 2015, through September 30, 2018. Meanwhile, the company reports that the average invoice amount for all other glass vendors in Florida during the same timeframe was $350. AGA’s response says that of 1,185 cases identified so far, approximately 600 have been settled on terms favorable to AGA, while the rest remain pending. All were filed before Allstate’s action. A discovery deadline of March 2 has been set for the case with expert reports due Dec. 16 of this year. * The suit was filed by Allstate Insurance Company and three other related Allstate companies. We thank glassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.

VA Body Shops Busy This Winter by Jay Korff, ABC7/WJLA

On Feb. 19, it was so busy at C&G Specialty Auto Repair and Auto Body in Arlington, VA, that it was tough to find an open spot outside. Inside, there was a flurry of activity thanks to the city’s last snow fall. Parts technician Peter Luong said the shop is normally deep in dinged doors. But since January’s snow storm, they’ve been buried in even more busted bumpers. “We are still working on some cars that came in from a couple weeks ago,” Luong said. “People lose their sense of driving. It’s like they’re first time driving.” Yes, bad weather can be good for business. The Feb. 20 forecast was a predictor of just how busy they would be later that week. “I hope it’s not going to be too bad tomorrow,” Luong said. “They’re calling for about 5–8 inches, right?” Luong’s hope is for less rain and more shine. “Hopefully people learn from the last storm and be a little more careful,” Luong said. We thank ABC7/WJLA for reprint permission.

The Race Towards Electric by Chana Perton, CBT Automotive Network

It’s becoming clearer and clearer that we’re at the start of an electric revolution. Fluctuating fuel prices, increased environmental protection efforts and new technology are all pointing toward a bright future for electric cars. It feels like every day there is yet another announcement from a leading brand about its expansion into electric vehicles. It’s only a matter of time before one manufacturer claims the crown and reigns over the market. Among the loudest competitors are Volkswagen, Tesla and General Motors. All three are making names for themselves in the electric market, working hard to edge out the opposition. Volkswagen: An All-or-Nothing Gamble Perhaps the most surprising entry in the electric vehicle race, Volkswagen has set its sights on becoming the manufacturer of electric cars. The decision came soon after the emissions scandal when regulators found that the company used software to 4

fake passing results. Though at first the decision to mass-produce electric cars was born of necessity—if enough were made to balance its ordinary stock, it could circumvent emission standards regardless of how many sold—Volkswagen has embraced the choice and

is investing heavily in electric. It plans to phase out its gas and diesel models by 2026 and go forward solely with electric cars. The company looks ahead to governments legislating tougher emissions legislature and truly believes the future is in electric. When that day comes, it is positioned to have the largest stock available.

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Tesla: Keeping It Cool Tesla has really made a name for itself in the electric vehicle market. It currently stands as one of the most recognizable brands that produce electric cars and technology. It’s at the forefront of affordable pricing for electric and is often hailed for its cool tech and innovative design. That said, Tesla is not without its problems, most recently in relation to the polar vortex that hit the Midwest this winter. When the temperatures dropped well below freezing, Tesla drivers found they had difficulty getting into their cars. Many were surprised to discover their door handles had frozen shut. More seriously, in a message to employees earlier this year, Tesla’s Elon Musk apologized for the need to lay off a number of workers—despite the second profitable year for them—due to challenges facing the company as it fights to build itself up against traditionally fueled competitors. General Motors: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Right now, General Motors is riding a wave of success having announced a great last quarter and year. Part of this is due to a complete restructuring of its operations, which has already begun to shift workers to other plants as the company looks to jettison less popular sedans in favor of trucks and other trend pleasers. As part of the many chances, in January GM announced it would be wading into the electric car market with its Cadillac brand, promising to release fully electric cars biannually over the next few years. That said, the manufacturer is being cautious, saying it doesn’t plan to see returns on the investment for a while, which is understandable given how new this sector is and its current struggle to bring down costs. We thank CBT Automotive Network for reprint permission.

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Florida Bill Moves Forward – Will Impact Auto Glass Shops by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTEs.com

In January, Florida House members introduced a bill known as HB 323. One of its primary goals was to prevent auto glass shops in the state from “offering anything of value” to their customers in exchange for making claims for their auto glass work. In mid-February, the House Insurance and Banking subcommittee approved HB 323 by an 11 to 2 vote. If passed, auto glass shops will not be able to offer things such as cash and gift cards to attract and gain business. According to the bill, such acts would be deemed unlawful and constitute fraud. “ … It shall be a violation if [vehicle shops or their employees] offer a customer a rebate, gift, gift card, cash, coupon, or any other thing of value in exchange for making an insurance claim for motor vehicle glass replacement or repair, including an offer made through a nonemployee who is compensated

for the solicitation of insurance claims,” a section of the bill reads. Some on the committee think moving this bill forward will cut down fraudulent insurance claims. The more insurance claims a state has, the higher the premiums are for insured vehicle owners.

“I have been offered money to fix my windshield in a parking lot and be paid for my trouble, and my windshield is just fine,” said Cyndi Stevenson, House Insurance & Banking Chairwoman. We thank glassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.

Registration Now Open for CIECA Connex 2019

CIECA recently announced that registration is now open for its 11th annual conference—Connex 2019. The event will be held in Charlottesville, VA, Sept. 16—18.

holders. Those who have attended in the past have found that they learn a wide range of strategies to do their jobs more efficiently and get a preview of the future.”

In addition to a 25th-anniversary celebration, there will be a powerful line-up of industry speakers, great networking opportunities and a vehicle gifting by the National Auto Body Council (NABC) as part of its Recycled Rides™ program. One of the highlights this year will be a tour of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). “You won’t want to miss the opportunity to see the autonomous vehicle test track up close!” said Fred Iantorno, executive director of CIECA. “CIECA Connex 2019 is an excellent opportunity to hear about today’s and tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities and to network with other industry stake-

All industry stakeholders (members, non-CIECA members, OEMs, shop owners, etc.) are encouraged to attend. During the event, attendees will: • Hear about current and future industry challenges and opportunities • Gain timely, relevant business and technical knowledge • Network with other members and industry colleagues • Take part in learning opportunities for all industry segments For more information about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.CIECAConnex.com. Early-bird registration and discounted room rates at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel are available now.

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

SCRS To Hold Open Board Meeting in Nashville, TN On Tuesday, April 16, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) will hold an open board meeting from 3—5 p.m. in the Davidson A room at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN.

Everyone wishing to learn more about the association’s industry work is encouraged to attend. The two- hour meeting will include updates from SCRS staff, special presentations and updates from SCRS committees and guests from the industry sharing what they have undertaken on behalf of the membership. The open meeting will be immediately followed by SCRS’ annual election for open seats on the board of directors. The election will begin at 5:15 p.m. and ballot collection will close promptly at 5:45 p.m. This election will fill four (4) open board seats. Candi-

dates include: Incumbents: • Dave Gruskos, Reliable Automotive Equipment (NJ) • Jeff Kallemeyn, Kallemeyn Collision Center (IL) • Tim Ronak, AkzoNobel (CA) New Nominees: • Todd Gillette, Gillette’s Collision Center (WI) • Robert Grieve, Nylund’s Collision Center (CO) • Drue Tomlinson, Don Thorton Collision Center (OK) • Josh McFarlin, I-CAR (CA) The election is open to current designated voting representatives of SCRS member businesses. Members must be present to vote. To join as a member of SCRS to participate in the upcoming election, contact the association office at info@scrs.com. The nominees’ bios can be viewed on the SCRS website.

www.autobodynews.com

autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Continued from Cover

DRIVE President Speaks at YANG’s Memphis Meet-Up by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Feb. 21, the Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG) held a Regional Meet-Up at Alfred’s on Beale in Memphis, TN. The event was hosted by DRIVE Sales and Marketing.

of the absolute best young people in the industry who really want to grow their career and be part of a movement that takes the automotive aftermarket to the next level,” he said. “YANG provides a tremen-

part of AutoZone’s NEXT GEN team, representing all areas of the business. O’Leary noted, “The DRIVE Sales and Marketing team was pumped to host the YANG event and will be participating in YANG Lead-

DRIVE Sales and Marketing President Patrick O’Leary delivered a brief speech to attendees

More than 60 young automotive care industry professionals attended YANG’s Feb. 21 Meet-Up in Memphis

Despite the evening’s inclement weather, more than 60 young industry professionals attended the meeting to enjoy networking, libations, music and raffles. Patrick O’Leary, president of DRIVE Sales and Marketing, gave a short speech. “We’re here tonight with some

dous platform for young people in our industry to get involved, get educated and get engaged with industry trailblazers who want to propel the success of this industry with the next generation of leaders.” More than 90 percent of the attendees at YANG’s Memphis MeetUp were AutoZone employees and

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

ership Days in Bonita Springs in May. It looks forward to supporting YANG and auto care associations in any capacity available to promote the automotive aftermarket’s success and growth.” For more information on YANG and its events, visit www.autocare.org/ yang/

New OEM Parts West Virginia’s requirement for all shops to use “genuine crash parts” to preserve a warranty unless the customer provides written consent and would only apply to repairs that are at least partially paid for by the insurer. The time frame to which this mandate applies has also been slightly altered in the verbiage to include vehicles “in the year of their manufacturer or in the two succeeding years thereafter.” Despite having four sponsors, Senate Bill 308 died in the Judiciary Committee. Thus far, Senator Smith is the only sponsor of House Bill 49, which is currently before the Judiciary Committee.

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NABC F.R.E.E. Program Teaches Shelby, NC, First Responders New Rescue Skills “Vehicle manufacturers are taking advantage of the enormous advances in metallurgy to achieve ever-higher levels of crash safety and are adding more and more safety systems. So although cars are getting safer and safer, rescue is getting more and more complex,” said Mike Canon, director of sales for Hurst Jaws of Life. “With much stronger

In crashes where minutes can spell the difference between life and death, first responders to the accident scene need up-to-date information so they can act quickly and safely. Knowing specifically where and how to efficiently cut, spread or ram during extrication can make the difference in saving precious minutes and lives as well as ensure the safety of first responders. Keeping first responders up to date on the latest new technology in vehicles is a challenge for every local fire department. The National Auto Body Council F.R.E.E.™ program keeps first responders abreast of the rapid changes in vehicle design. High-strength steel, airbags, advanced restraint systems, onboard technology and safety around alternative fuel vehicles are all covered in the program. Hurst Jaws of Life and Municipal Emergency Services (MES), located in Shelby, NC, recently hosted first responders from across the Carolinas at a special NABC F.R.E.E.™ education and guidance program on Feb. 21 at the Hurst factory to help ensure Carolina drivers receive the best prepared response in case of an accident.

metals to contend with, combined with a growing number of hybrid and all-electric high voltage vehicles presenting new hazards to rescuers, vehicle extrication is getting very complicated, and it’s becoming increasingly important that first responders train as frequently as possible on these new vehicles, which can be hard to acquire. By working with the N.A.B.C. and its F.R.E.E.™ program,

we’re able to do exactly that.” More than 25 first responders attended, joining from fire departments in Kitty Hawk, York, Mooresville, Shelby, Gastonia, Steele Creeke, Concord, Durham, Ash, Clover, Rocky Point, New Hanover, Fayetteville and Odell. State Farm Insurance and Allstate Insurance donated the vehicles for the event, and HONK Roadside Assistance donated the towing services. HURST and MES (Municipal Emergency Services, the largest sales and service company in the rescue tool business) supplied the classroom education and extrication demonstration. “Seeing the sophisticated approach to extrication is impressive,” said local State Farm agent Reid Lindsay, who attended the event. “State Farm is pleased to have the opportunity to donate later model vehicles, which first responders have told me is important to their training.” “We’re proud to partner with Hurst Jaws of Life to host this critical education event for first responders from throughout North Carolina,” said George Avery, program manager for the NABC F.R.E.E.™ initiative. “This

was a tremendous opportunity to share the latest information on rescue techniques at the home of the automotive industry’s innovator in rescue technology. Many thanks to all of our partners for their support in making this happen.” The NABC F.R.E.E.™ program provides advanced education and guidance to help first responders practice extrication techniques on advanced vehicles, addressing high-strength steel and composite materials, multiple airbags, onboard technology and changing vehicle design. The vehicles for the program were donated by Allstate and State Farm, and Hurst Jaws of Life is the classroom, education, and extrication demonstration provider. The growing popularity of highvoltage hybrid and electric vehicles and the many safety concerns surrounding these vehicles makes this program a necessity. Alternative fuel systems present different challenges when first responders arrive at the scene of an accident. Electric cars, hybrid cars and natural gas vehicles have fuel systems that pose dangers for first responders if need arises to “cut” the vehicle for rescue.

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Norfolk, VA, Navy Vet Receives New Car From GEICO, Hendrick Collision by Staff, WTKR

A Norfolk, VA, mother recently received a helping hand from GEICO and Hendrick Collision. Jolene Lovett left an abusive relationship in a car that was almost 20 years old. It had 265,000 miles on it.

Jolene Lovett. Credit: WTKR

Two years later, the Navy veteran needed a little help. That’s when GEICO and Hendrick Collision stepped in. The insurance company donates vehicles to the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides

program. Hendrick Collision’s employees volunteered their time and labor to refurbish the vehicle to like-new condition. On Feb. 9, Lovett and her two teenage daughters received the new ride. “I really like to give back to the people who give the most to us,” said Chad Higginbotham, collision center manager. “We are involved with many organizations with veterans and being a big military town, it’s on the list to help out.” Lovett was thrilled. “Amazing ... absolutely amazing,” she said. “I feel very blessed; thank you very much.” Lovett currently attends the Aviation Institute of Maintenance. She is completing her airframe and power plant certification so she can get her license. We thank WTKR for reprint permission.

Man Says Auto Body Shop Took His Money, Did Not Fix Truck in Ohio County, WV by Noddy A. Fernandez, West Virginia Record

A vehicle owner is suing an auto body repair shop, citing alleged breach of contract, fraud and unjust enrichment. Christopher M. Nowak filed a complaint in Ohio Circuit Court against Gary’s Body Shop, Inc. and Gary L. Bitzer Jr. alleging they misapplied the funds provided for his truck to some other purposes. According to the complaint, in March and April 2018, Nowak made several calls and visited the defendants’ shop weekly to check on the status of his truck that was being repaired after a vehicle accident. Nowak claims he made numerous payments in a timely fashion as per the defendants’ requests, amounting to $13,049.40, but the truck allegedly remained stripped down and could not be driven. No other work had been completed. The defendants allegedly misrepresented the status of the work completed on his truck and misapplied the funds that were 10

provided to complete the services as promised. The plaintiff holds Gary’s Body Shop, Inc. and Bitzer Jr. responsible because they allegedly failed to use the funds provided to repair the truck in a diligent, costefficient manner. The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment for damages and for such other relief as the Court deems just and proper, including an award of attorneys’ fees, if permitted. He is represented by Holly S. Planinsic and Jacquelyn J. Cowan of Herndon, Morton, Herndon & Yaeger in Wheeling, WV. We thank West Virginia Record for reprint permission.

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39th Convention presentations titled “Customers and Border Protection Detentions and Seizures of Imported Merchandise for Alleged Counterfeiting and Violating ITC Orders” and “Industry Overview of Accident Data, Trends in Repair, and the Increasing Need for Alternate Parts Use” will be presented by Peter Quinter of GrayRobinson, PA and Greg Horn of Hartford Insurance, respectively. Additional seminars include “Legislative and Regulatory Updates” with Ray Colas of LKQ, “Update on the CCC Program” with Bill Langley and “Introduction to ABPA Board Candidates” with Rob Barkley of AutoNation. Following an awards luncheon, the afternoon’s educational breakout sessions include presentations by CAPA/Intertek, NSF International, PartsTrader and CCC Information Systems. On Thursday evening, attendees will enjoy a cocktail reception and dinner on the pool deck. Friday morning will begin with

a keynote from I-CAR’s Jason Bartanen on “ADAS Technologies and the Challenges in the Collision Repair Process.” After Jeff Schroder delivers “Update on the Car-Part.com Program,” Daniel Morris of Dentons Law Firm will present “One Year In: Navigating the Rough Seas of a New Tariff and Trade Policy.” The remainder of the morning will offer an open mic opportunity and Q&A session before the conference adjourns at noon. ABPA’s 2019 Convention is sponsored by CAPA/Intertek, NSF International, LKQ Corporation, Partslink, Tong Yang Group, DEPO/ Maxzone, Micro Rim, PartsTrader, YY Mirror, APU Solutions, CarPart.com, Express Body Parts, Performance Radiator, Quality Parts Coalition, Diamond Standard Parts, Hella Lights and Kool-Vue Perfect Fit. Two registration package options are available. For more information about ABPA and its upcoming events, visit autobpa.com

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

WV Body Shop Owner’s Service Dog ‘Absolutely’ Helps With Everyday Life by Matt Welch, The Journal

A pair of customers walked into Coty’s Auto Body Shop in Martinsburg, WV, and were greeted by the shop’s owner, Coty Graff. The couple laughed: “We’re not here to see you. We’re here to see Sweet Pea.” Sweet Pea is Graff’s Great Dane/ Pyrenees service dog. Not only does she help drive social media and foot traffic for Coty’s Auto Body, but she also helps Graff live with post-traumatic stress disorder. “She really watches out for me,” Graff said with a smile, sitting in his shop. “Everybody has a bad day now and then, and she knows. If something’s not right, she’ll come over and put her head down on me and just stare at me. She can look through your soul.” After growing tired of studying and working in music in the early 2000s, Graff joined the United States Air Force. He picked Sweet Pea up about three years ago, he said, as a gift from his mother. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, about 11 to 20 out of every 100 veterans—or 11 to 20 percent—who have served in Operations Iraqi Freedom (the Iraq War) and Enduring Freedom (the Afghanistan War) have PTSD in a given year. According to a 2018 Purdue University research study, veterans with service dogs reported a 22 per-

years ago, Graff said his mother called him to tell him she had gotten him a dog and that he could go pick her up at the PetSmart in Charles Town after church. “There was no PetSmart in Charles Town,” he said. So he checked the address. It was Charleston, not Charles Town. But he still made the drive.

though, has been a journey for Graff. He came to Martinsburg after feeling what he described as “burnt out” while working “too many jobs” once he got out of the Air Force. He picked West Virginia on a whim, he said. “I threw a dart at a map and hit the Eastern Panhandle,” Graff said. “I learned a lot of engineering when I was in the service, and a lot of that transferred right into cars,” he said. “Instead of working on airplanes, it’s automobiles.” Graff said Jimmy Porterfield, whose father opened a Studebaker dealership at Coty’s current location in the 1940s, helped him get on his feet there. “When I opened up the body shop, he’d already moved up to Route 9. But he was down here almost three Coty Graff, owner of Coty’s Auto Body Shop in Martinsburg, times a week, checking up WV, shares a moment with his service dog, Sweet Pea, in on me and telling me stories the shop’s lobby Feb. 14. Credit: Matt Welch, The Journal of the place and how he grew Three days later, he took the pup his business here,” Graff said. “He to Ash Wednesday service at Trinity. “I had a big jacket on, and I put the jacket down on the floor and she curled up,” he said. “I was afraid she would make a noise or something when I started playing, but not a sound out of her.” Whether it’s going on walks, playing the organ or servicing cars, if Graff’s there, so is Sweet Pea. “If I’m down working on a car,

“She sometimes barks, but it’s like she’s trying to talk,” — Coty Graff cent higher rate of life satisfaction in addition to increased rates of mental health, resilience and ability to participate in social activities. They’ve also reported having fewer symptoms of PTSD and decreased levels of depression, according to Purdue, which partnered with K9s for Warriors for the study. Graff said Sweet Pea “absolutely” helps with his day-to-day life as both a church organist and business owner in addition to dealing with his PTSD. The arrival of Sweet Pea was unexpected but created a fond memory for Graff. On Super Bowl Sunday three 12

she’ll come over and put her head on my shoulder,” Graff said of the dog, who passed her Canine Good Citizens test with the American Kennel Club. She’s certainly welcome among the church crowd, too. That includes plays, where she recently performed as Donkey No. 1 in Trinity’s Christmas program. “When she was fully trained, she was supposed to start wearing her service vest everywhere. But the minister at Trinity jokes that she’s not allowed to wear her vest at church because she’s not working, she’s worshipping,” Graff said. Getting to where he is now,

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

then sent me a couple cars to get repaired and said, ‘You remind me of me, and I want to make sure you eat at the end of the week.’” Graff still keeps a sign from the original car wash that used to be onsite in his lobby. It reads: “Please put in neutral. No brakes. No hands. No feet. Just relax and enjoy the ride.” Business has been successful, he admitted, and he swore that he’s never had a “bad experience with a customer.” That comes from his willingness to put the customer first, he said. “People come in upset, but it’s for other reasons, so I’ve really educated myself on the processes of this state and go out of my way to follow the steps to make sure the customer isn’t getting cheated. It’s about getting people back into a safe car and making sure that they’re getting treated fairly,” he said. “I understand that when someone shows up after an accident, they’ve already had a bad day. So we work to make it better. It’s about making the experience See Service Dog, Page 21

autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

TN Officials Warn Residents To Be on Lookout for Flood-Damaged Cars for Sale by Staff, Times Free Press

Tennessee officials are warning residents about flood-damaged cars that might be for sale following recent heavy rains and flooding across the state. A news release from the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission— part of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance’s Regulatory Boards—states that scammers often try to take advantage of car-buyers after a flood or natural disaster. “It’s a common practice for owners of flooded vehicles that have been declared total losses by insurance companies to be allowed to retain damaged vehicles,” a news release states. “Instead of sending the flooded car to the junkyard, scammers will attempt to sell flooded vehicles quickly, hoping to stay ahead of computer system updates so that title check systems don’t have time to detect a car’s history. By the time a consumer discovers the vehicle’s history, the seller will be long gone.” The Motor Vehicle Anti-Theft Act of 1996 makes a clear distinction between a “freshwater flood” vehicle —which can be rebuilt—and a “salt-

water-damaged” vehicle—which cannot be rebuilt, the release states. Tennessee titling laws, administered by the Tennessee Department of Revenue, distinguish between “non-repairable” and “salvage” vehicles by the type and extent of the damage. “Operating a flooded vehicle that received non-repairable damage in a storm is dangerous for both the vehicle’s driver and other commuters,” TDCI Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak said in a statement. “We want Tennesseans to be aware of unscrupulous individuals who aim to make money by selling a defective vehicle that’s been disguised as being perfectly good.” The Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission offers these guidelines: » Prior to the sale of a flood vehicle, any person selling a flood vehicle is required by law to disclose such history to the purchaser. Further, once titling that vehicle, the purchaser will receive a branded vehicle title indicating the vehicle’s salvage history. Having such a title will substantially impact the value of that vehicle for further resale. » Anyone attempting to purchase a vehicle in the near future should be on the lookout for indicators of a flood

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

vehicle, such as a musty smell, damp carpets, or mud/silt under the seats, and should attempt to find the vehicle history prior to purchasing. » Use a reputable title check service, such as the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, to check the vehicle history. If you find that it was last titled in a flood-damaged area, you should ask a lot of questions before making a decision. Keep in mind that title check companies are only as good as the information that they collect from other sources. Some of the sources that they collect data from may be delayed in pushing their data to the system. » Remember that a vehicle’s flood history may take up to 30 days or longer to post on traditional consumer reporting sites. As such, the commission recommends that individuals purchase motor vehicles from a licensed motor vehicle dealer, which they can verify at http://verify.tn.gov/. » Because the vehicle could appear to be in very good shape, even if it has significant electrical and corrosion issues, it’s important to always have a trusted mechanic inspect a vehicle before purchasing it. » Be aware that there will be

many recreational and powersporttype vehicles that have been damaged as a result of the recent storms as well. Look for the signs of flooding and saltwater damage before purchasing these units, too. » Keep in mind that there are lawful ways of reselling previously damaged vehicles. “Salvaged vehicles” can be repaired and sold as “rebuilt vehicles” so long as they comply with the applicable laws. The commission requires that licensed dealers provide a disclosure of the vehicle’s history as previously being a “salvaged vehicle” on a commission-approved form. » If you suspect a licensed dealer has sold you a vehicle with a salvage history and failed to disclose it, you may file a complaint. » The Commission is not responsible for collecting or enforcing any refunds from unscrupulous sales but may take disciplinary action resulting in potential civil penalties or suspension or revocation of a dealer’s license. For more information, visit the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission online or call 615-741-2711. We thank Times Free Press for reprint permission.

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NCACAR, SCACAR • Mike Lanza, manager of business consulting services for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes, will present “2025: The Millennial Takeover.” • Keith Manich, director of collision services at ATI, will present “Protecting the Collision Repair Shop Interests in the Ever-Changing Repair Environment.” At 2 p.m., participants with VIP tickets to the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race will take a bus to the Charlotte Speedway, where they’ll enjoy terrace seating, a concert, pit passes, a buffet dinner, drinks and more for just $250. From 3–5 p.m., Anderson will present a seminar back at the Cabarrus Arena for those who opt to not attend the race. Kent will open Sunday’s session with an introduction to vendors and sponsors. Sponsor presentations will be delivered by PPG’s Matt Cremonni, Axalta’s David Rhoad Jr. and Carolina Collision Equip-

ment’s Larry Brolsma. Next, NCACAR President Brian Davies and SCACAR President Sarah Myers-Daniels will provide updates and information on each association. Sunday’s educational offerings will include “The Art of the Appraisal Clause,” delivered by K. Michael

Bradshaw, vice president of operations at K&M Collision and SCRS board member, as well as two seminars taught by Anderson. The conference will also include a vendor expo, providing attendees with an opportunity to meet with vendors and learn about the products

they offer. Vendors will include Carolina Collision Equipment, PPG, Axalta, RMS Tech Spa, Mitchell and AP Digital. Vendor room is still available. Kent shared, “The way we have the event set up, our vendors will have guaranteed traffic through their walk space and by their tables. Vendors will have a 6-foot table with which they can do as they wish. We will also have punch cards made up so that people have to spend a bit of time with a specific number of vendors to be entered into a prize drawing for big giveaways, such as two hot passes for NASCAR and much more.” Sponsorship opportunities are also still available. Kent explained, “A full sponsorship would include a banner, logo on all marketing materials and a 15minute presentation at Sunday’s seminar. We will also have food tables and carts that can be sponsored, which would include the price for the food. The associations will provide a banner to wrap around the carts or food tables with your company’s logo on it. We will also have

a cash bar that can be sponsored.” Those interested in vendor and sponsor opportunities for the event should contact Kent at 704-998-8553 or oregon.josh.kent@gmail.com. The conference will also include a giveaway and Pedal Car Silent Auctions for four customized pedal cars. Proceeds from the latter will benefit a local high school collision repair program. The cost to attend the full conference is just $100 per participant, which includes breakfast, lunch and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day. Individual day passes are available for $70 each. Kent noted, “The purpose of this event is to bring awareness to what we are trying to do as associations and to attract new members. We would like to make this an annual event and see it get bigger and better every year.” To register for the Carolina’s Educational Collision Conference or for more information, visit carolinascollisionconference.com.

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Family-Owned Master Body Works Is One-Stop Shop in Leesburg, GA by Rachel Lord, Albany Herald

Since it opened in 1998, Master Body Works has been family-owned andoperated and, more importantly, focused on moving forward. The fact that the company has managed to do just that while under the direction of a female owner and founder just makes the company’s success that much sweeter.

The expanded and renovated mechanics shop at Master Body Works has been up and running since around mid-February. Credit: Rachel Lord

Starting originally with just paint and body work, Master Body Works President Joyce Duren Weiser said she started putting in alignment machines after a few years of focusing on collision repair. Over the years, Weiser has continued to expand. The business now offers a 24-hour wrecker service with three tow trucks, alignment, tires and mechanical repairs, in addition to paint and body work. “We found that [offering more] allowed our cars to get in and out faster than having to wait to take them to a mechanic’s shop,” Weiser said. Around mid-February, the new, state-of-the-art and expanded mechanics shop in the back of the large building on U.S. Highway 19 was opened, allowing Master Body Works to continue to offer the company’s quality service. “The expansion for the mechanic shop is very exciting, and we did everything top-of-the-line,” Weiser said. “It’s very amazing.” Given its success and recent expansion, Master Body Works’ business model has obviously worked. But Weiser said there were many people in the community who doubted her in the beginning. “I can remember when I put the first alignment machine in, there were comments made around town: ‘Oh, she doesn’t know what she’s doing. That’s so stupid,’” Weiser said. 18

“When I bought my first truck, they made the comment, ‘Oh, she’s so stupid; she doesn’t know what she’s doing.’ At that point, I was the only female in the industry, so I dealt with a lot of that. But we just kept moving forward. It all worked, and now we think we’ve just got something that is amazing.” Weiser said she’s been told that the new mechanic shop is one of the nicest shops south of Atlanta, and it’s the only body shop in the area that offers mechanic work to clients as well. “We’re just capable of doing anything on your car,” Weiser said. “You don’t have to go anywhere else. You [can] come here for [anything from] an oil change to a major take-my-motor-out-and-put-a-newmotor-in. We can do it all. We can do your tires. We’ve got wrecker trucks to come get you if you get stranded or you have a blowout. We’ll bring it straight in and get you going.” For the past 10 or so years, Weiser has run the successful shop with her youngest son, Calvin Duren, as the general manager. “He’s grown up in the business,” Weiser said.

The mother-and-son team of Calvin Duren, general manager, and Joyce Duren Weiser, founder and president of Master Body Works, runs the Lee County, GA, company. Credit: Rachel Lord

And with the expansion of services offered, the number of employees has also grown over the years. The shop originally started with five or six employees and is now at 30. Weiser and Duren said that as far as they know, they are the only body shop in town that offers the kind of benefits they offer. “I’m also proud that all my em-

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

ployees [have] full health care plans, dental and vision,” Weiser said. “They’re totally taken care of. They make the top salaries in the industry. I pay them very well, and guess what I get in return? Amazing employees. [We have] very little turnover, and it just works. It works really well.”

30 percent of the auto industry uses waterborne paints, with the rest using more harmful solvent-based paints. Duren said Master Body Works staff members also repair everything to the manufacturers’ standards, rather than the standards of insurance companies.

“We found that [offering more] allowed our cars to get in and out faster than having to wait to take them to a mechanic’s shop,” — Joyce Duren Weiser “I know it’s cliché, but I feel like pretty much everybody here is family,” Duren said. “We work hard at it, and we’re proud of what we do.” Weiser and Duren also said they make every effort to keep the environment in mind with their work. “We go out of our way to be ecofriendly,” Weiser said. “We use waterborne paints. [We] recycle everything. We run a very clean shop here, so our employees are protected, as well as the environment.” Duren estimated that only about

“There’s a huge difference in repairing a vehicle the way that an insurance company wants to repair it and the way that a manufacturer of that vehicle wants it to be repaired,” Duren said. “So, do we butt heads with insurance companies? Yeah, and the reason we do is that they’re like, ‘Well, this other person down the road will do this.’ I’m like, ‘Well, even though he’ll do that, you’re not supposed to repair this bumper, and here’s a statement from GM right See Family-Owned, Page 25

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Class Action venue favorable to plaintiffs. Allstate, which is one of the country’s largest insurers, is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook. All plaintiffs said their vehicles were covered by Allstate for 20 years. Plaintiffs alleged Allstate had been violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act since at least 2012 by charging its longtime customers higher auto insurance premiums than it charged newer customers. Allstate figured out loyal policyholders would tolerate higher premiums than would new customers, plaintiffs alleged. Further, Allstate allegedly told neither the Illinois Department of Insurance nor existing customers of this practice. Allstate moved to dismiss the suit, citing the so-called filed rate and primary jurisdiction doctrines. Madison County Judge Barbara Crowder refused to dismiss, prompting Allstate to ask the appellate panel to address whether the doctrines served

as defenses to the suit. By a 2-1 margin, the appellate court ruled the doctrines were not applicable. The filed rate doctrine protects public utilities and other regulated entities from lawsuits involving rates if the rates must first be filed and pass muster with a regulatory agency.

agency, which has the appropriate expertise, decide the issue in dispute. In the Allstate matter, the company said the director of the Department of Insurance is empowered to determine if an insurer is engaging in unfair or deceptive conduct. However, Cates concluded, the suit doesn’t allege wrongdoing unique

“The allegations of unfair and deceptive business practices and unjust enrichment come within the experience and conventional competence of the Illinois courts,” — Justice Judy Cates Justice Cates found the legislature decided to leave insurers free to fix rates according to market conditions without approval from the Department of Insurance. As a consequence, the filed rate doctrine is useless for Allstate. “Illinois has embraced open competition in regard to rate-setting for auto insurance,” Cates observed. Under the primary jurisdiction doctrine, a judge can halt court proceedings and let an administrative

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

to the insurance industry, saying the Department of Insurance doesn’t have any specialized knowledge or technical expertise with regard to Allstate’s alleged conduct. “The allegations of unfair and deceptive business practices and unjust enrichment come within the experience and conventional competence of the Illinois courts,” Cates said. Justice Moore disagreed, finding the Department of Insurance does have authority to weigh whether a

rate is improper. “While, under Illinois law, the director and Department of Insurance do not have the power to set insurance rates or pre-approve filed rates, there is a comprehensive statutory scheme whereby the legislature has given the Department of Insurance the power to disapprove rates based on unfair or deceptive acts or practices by those engaged in the business of insurance,” Moore said. Plaintiffs have been represented by the following firms: Mehri & Skalet, and Tycko & Zavareei, both of Washington, D.C.; Law Offices of Thomas E. Kennedy, III, of St. Louis; and Berger & Montague, of Philadelphia. Allstate has been defended by the firms of HeplerBroom firm, of Edwardsville, and DLA Piper, of Baltimore. We thank Cook County Record for reprint permission.

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VA Teen Arrested in Body Shop Car Theft by Staff, InsideNoVa.com

A Woodbridge, VA, teen was charged with stealing a car from an auto body repair shop off Featherstone Road, according to Prince William police. The 16-year-old boy is being held at the county’s juvenile detention center on a charge of burglary, police spokesperson Officer Renee Carr said. A court date is pending.

The teen allegedly damaged a side door to break into the Tan Auto Body & Paint at 14846 Persistence Dr. around 3:45 a.m. on Feb. 20. He reportedly stole a Ford Fusion from inside the business. Officers located the vehicle on Arizona Avenue on Feb. 21. We thank InsideNoVa.com for reprint permission.

Service Dog as less traumatic as possible.” That was something his parents instilled in him as the middle child of five on a farm in western New York. It was also something Porterfield told him. “Jimmy gave me advice all the time, just little things like finding a good supplier and staying with them. Sometimes the price could be a little higher, but he said what you don’t make on the resale, you’ll make in loyalty,” he said. “He told me the same thing with the customers. My attitude toward it is that I can fix cars, but I can’t fix people. So, in repairing a vehicle, I don’t think about the vehicle but the people going back into it.” He put an ad in The Journal for prospective churches seeking a relocating organist and found a match at Trinity Episcopal Church in Martinsburg, where he continues to play the organ to this day. Once in Martinsburg, Graff began flipping houses in addition to playing the organ at church, but his

“heart wasn’t in it,” he said. Once the property at 851 Wilson St. in Martinsburg—the old Porterfield’s shop and car wash—came up for sale, he bought it and began business in 2015. Graff learned enough about working on machines while in the Air Force to decide to give the auto body business a try. Sweet Pea helps with that, too. She greets everyone who comes into the shop with either a solo tail wag or a combination of barks and wags— never meaning to sound menacing, Graff said. “She sometimes barks, but it’s like she’s trying to talk,” he added. “She won’t bite, so it’s like she’s talking to people when they come in.” Sweet Pea is used on promotional fliers and Facebook posts and has her own bed behind the counter at the shop. She even has a jar of dog biscuits she shares with guests’ dogs when they visit. Thank-you cards are scattered on the counter of the lobby, and Sweet Pea’s name is oftentimes included. It’s almost as if she’s co-owner of the shop—or maybe the market-

ing manager, if nothing else. “I have people who come in just to see her,” Graff said. “Thankfully, we’ve been welcomed into the community. The neighbors come in and visit almost every morning, and the women in the area tell me I’m too skinny and bring me food.” Oh, and they bring Sweet Pea even more treats than they do Graff. While Coty’s Auto Body continues to grow with six full-time employees, Graff continues to do his best to serve the local community the best way he knows how—with love. He sponsors athletics and activities at Martinsburg High School when he gets the opportunity. He high-fives frequent guests who stop by, even if they’re not there for an appointment to get their vehicle serviced. And he shares his lifeblood—Sweet Pea— with the community around him. When asked how Sweet Pea has impacted his life with her services, Graff couldn’t hide a smile across his face and replied, “She makes things better. She’s my best friend.” We thank The Journal for reprint permission.

autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

SCRS Releases Line-Up for 2019 Repairer Roundtable in Nashville, TN The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) will host its annual Repairer Roundtable from 8:30—11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 17 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN. The meeting is open to all industry participants and is free of charge. SCRS only requests that attendees pre-register so we can accommodate the audience as best as possible. This year’s presentations will begin with Ann Thompson, director, workforce development at Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development and Kenyatta Lovett, Ph.D., executive director at Complete Tennessee, who will speak

to unique programs in the state designed to drive more graduating high school students toward vocational schools, in addition to adult-oriented support programs designed to help busy adults revisit their career opportunities. All programs are aimed at developing a stronger workforce. The presentation will cover Tennessee statistics, relative to the success of their last-dollar scholarship, programs that allow the opportunity to earn a degree or certificate from a community or technical college. In addition, guests will lead a conversation surrounding the identification and strategic planning process at the state level and resulting steps to make changes that measurably impacted the output of new entrants into the workforce to serve the growing needs of manufacturing and trade-related businesses in Tennessee. The conversations will segue to Dan Caldwell, senior manager of learning pathways for Nissan’s U.S. manufacturing operations. His team serves a population of 17,000, enabling their personal and professional growth in the fields of leadership, engineering and maintenance, and works within the communities they serve to prepare citizens for meaningful careers in advanced manufac22

turing and associated trades. With the highest-producing manufacturing plant in North America in Smyrna, TN, Nissan has an ongoing need to develop and maintain a highly skilled workforce in middle Tennessee. To accelerate its efforts to find and train workers, Nissan and the state of Tennessee joined forces to build a 162,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art education and training facility adjacent to the automaker’s vehicle assembly plant in Smyrna. The public-private partnership of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the state of Tennessee and Nissan was developed to create educational opportunities that are closely aligned with current workforce needs. With a ribbon-cutting ceremony in March 2017, the facility houses a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) campus including fields of study in automotive technology, collision repair technology and welding technology, among others. The project was intended to serve as a “rising tide” to answer the need for new skilled entrants into a manufacturing and associated workforce that couldn’t grow without more technical workers. The challenge was very parallel to the workforce development concerns in the collision repair industry, and Caldwell will highlight the effectiveness of the solution for their needs. Both presentations will culminate with the opportunity for audience Q&A, to explore lessons learned in the strategic planning and implementation processes and applicable information taken from these local initiatives that could be applied at an industry level. The program will then shift gears, welcoming veteran collision repair and consumer advocate Erica Eversman to speak about the newly assumed role of consumer liaison to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The consumer liaison program promotes consumer interaction with the NAIC’s members, the insurance industry and interested parties through the individuals’ dedication and commitment to serving the public interest. The NAIC defines a consumer

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

organization as a national, state or local organization that serves to protect the interests of consumers as they

Other SCRS events taking place during that week in Tennessee include: Tuesday, April 16 3 p.m.—5 p.m. SCRS Board of Directors Open Meeting 5:15 p.m.—5:45 p.m. SCRS Annual Election (SCRS members only)

relate to the regulation of insurance. Their participation at NAIC meetings should represent a consumer perspective and be based on their desire to collect and/or impart information of mutual concern and interest to insurance consumers and regulators. In connection with the Automotive Education & Policy Institute, Eversman

has been approved as a consumer representative for the 2019 session. She will share perspectives from her first NAIC meeting in this capacity and delve into ways in which the collision repair community can better interact with regulatory bodies such as NAIC to advocate for our consumers and raise awareness of critical issues affecting the marketplace. Immediately following the Repairer Roundtable, SCRS will hold the annual Corporate Member Recognition and Industry Awards Luncheon from 11:15 a.m.–12:45 p.m. This event also has no cost to attend, but an RSVP is required. For more information about SCRS or to join as a member to take advantage of the discount pricing, please visit www.scrs.com, call 1877-841-0660 or email info@scrs .com. AUTOBODY

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

IGONC Jacksonville Hosts Feb. Meeting

Roundabouts Are On the Rise as Intersection of Choice

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Numerous local residents winter in Florida—many in The Villages, including some friends of mine. One of them sent me a very interesting article about roundabouts there, and I wanted to share some of the information from that article. Armed with mounting data touting the benefits of roundabouts, experts around the country are persuading communities to do what The Villages has already done: rely on geometry rather than just signs and signal lights to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently. The Villages is home to 35 roundabouts (the first one was installed in 1996), touted by engineers as smart replacements to crash-plagued stop sign intersections or congested traffic signal intersections. Even so, we’re way behind European countries—in France, for example, you would be 25 times more likely to curve through a roundabout than you would in the U.S. The main reason for installing roundabouts is safety. They are safer because they have only eight “conflict points,” compared to 32 for traditional intersections. Typical crashes

by Dave Werner

On Feb. 7, the Jacksonville chapter of the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) held a well-attended meeting that included a presentation from Austin Green of Jasper Engines/Transmissions on big ticket sales. According to IGONC Executive Director Bob Pulverenti, “Selling larger repairs can be challenging, and our members appreciated some advice on how to explain larger repairs to their customers. We are very pleased with the growth of the Jacksonville chapter over the past year. “IGONC’s meetings give our members a chance to connect with each other and our vendors. They are able to learn new things and continue training. With our everchanging industry, it is important for shop owners to be able to connect and to learn of new products and management techniques.” For more information on IGONC, visit igonc.com.

at signalized intersections are either side-impact or head-on; most crashes in roundabouts are simple sideswipes, which are much less likely to result in fatalities or serious injuries. Lower speeds and the lack of left turns in roundabouts cut fatalities by 90 percent and injuries by 75 percent from other types of traffic controls (signals and stop signs), according to Florida DOT and from other sources that I have seen. And, according to the Federal Highway Administration, roundabouts reduce crashes by 35 percent. A look at traffic crash statistics, from the Lake Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization, from a sample of six signalized intersections with six roundabouts in The Villages from 2012 to 2017 reveals the following: • Six signalized intersections: 402 total collisions, 126 injuries, four fatalities, $2.17 million in total damages • Six roundabouts: 68 total collisions, nine injuries, one fatality, $680,500 in total damages As ambitious as The Villages is in installing roundabouts, the heavyweight champ in roundabouts must

Start something special. Our dealership specializes in Honda Genuine parts. When you purchase parts from our dealership, you can rest assured that you are getting the highest quality parts from Honda parts professionals that know your vehicle.

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

be Carmel, IN. That city has more than 100 roundabouts with about 30 more planned. Since the late 1990s, Carmel has been building and replacing signalized intersections with roundabouts because of their safety record, compatibility with the environment, aesthetics and ability to make navigation easier for pedestrians and bicyclists. Since Carmel began the construction of roundabouts, the number of crashes with injuries has been reduced by about 80 percent, and the number of crashes overall was reduced by about 40 percent. Furthermore, less time spent idling and less starting and stopping have led to significant gasoline savings. A city study on 10 roundabouts found an annual average savings of 24,000 gallons (the length of these savings was not stated). And, the average cost of crash damages in 2006 at four intersections found the cost of damages for the two roundabouts was $3,000-$3,500 versus $7,335$13,561 for the signalized intersections. If the above statistics don’t convince you of the benefits of roundabouts, I don’t know what would. Are you on board yet?

Coggin Deland Honda 2677 N. Volusia Avenue Orange City, FL 32763 Parts: Fax:

800.758.0007 386.917.1403

Mon-Fri 7:30am-6:00pm Sat 7:30am-4:30pm

Continued from Page 18

Family-Owned here that says you cannot repair these bumpers.’” Duren discussed an example of a woman in Florida who had paint and body work done on her car. The body shop she used painted over

John Pearson, an employee of Master Body Works, has been with the company for six years. He shows off the shop's state-of-the-art, mechanized tire changer. Credit: Rachel Lord

sensors that notified her if someone was in the lane right beside her. Because the sensors were painted over,

she got in the lane beside her, thinking it was clear, and hit a car. She spun around and a semi hit her headon, killing her. “We have people’s lives in our hand,” he said. “With the technology these cars have, people trust those sensors, and they have to be functioning.” Master Body Works is one of only two I-CAR Gold collision repair shops in the Albany area, according to Duren. “If you’re not an I-CAR-Goldcertified shop, it’s just a matter of time before you make a big mistake,” he said. And much like they always have, Weiser and Duren said they are focused on continuing to move forward. They admitted they are considering a second location in another part of the region and are trying to improve their system in any way they can. “There’s always something you could make better, and that’s just the mentality you want to [have],” Duren said. We thank Albany Herald for reprint permission.

FL Cop in Hot Water for Deer-Related Insurance Scam by Ryan Smith, Insurance Business America

A Florida cop is in hot water after attempting to scam his insurance company over a deer-related accident.

Wadih Ojeil, a deputy with the Orange County, FL, Sheriff’s Office, was arrested for allegedly filing a fraudulent auto insurance claim for $2,230 with GEICO. According to Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Ojeil’s descent into insurance fraud began in July 2018 when he hit a deer with his 2012 Ford Mustang. While the Mustang presumably fared better than the deer in the encounter, it was still damaged. It was also, apparently, underinsured. According to Patronis, after the accident, Ojeil contacted GEICO

and added comprehensive coverage to his existing policy. He allegedly neglected to mention he had just plowed his Mustang through a deer—but he did specifically ask if the added insurance would cover deer collision. The coverage did not take effect until July 9, three days after Ojeil’s fateful wildlife encounter. On July 10, Ojeil filed a claim with GEICO claiming he had hit a deer but allegedly failed to mention that the incident had occurred before he’d added the extra insurance. During a taped interview with fraud investigators, Ojeil allegedly admitted he knowingly filed a fraudulent claim. If convicted, Ojeil faces up to five years in prison. We thank Insurance Business America for reprint permission.

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

How 4 Recalls May Impact Your Business by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTEs.com

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued four recalls with implications for the auto glass industry. The three vehicle manufacturers included in the recall are Nissan North America Inc. (Nissan); a variety of Mercedes-Benz models; and Subaru’s 2018 Legacy, Outback and BRZ models. Mercedes-Benz and Subaru have notified their affected vehicle owners. Nissan More than 340,000 Nissan Altima drivers are affected by the company’s latest recall. According to the NHTSA, Nissan is recalling vehicles that were previously addressed in recall number 17V-040. The administration stated the 2015–2017 Altima’s door latch-lock cable might not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. Glass shop representatives working on the recalled models can assure their customers that the latch-lock cables will be secured in the correct position at no cost. Shop owners can

advise their customers to contact Nissan’s customer service center if they have more questions at 1-800-6477669 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz had two new recalls in February, the first being its 2018–2019 GLA250 and GLA250 4MATIC vehicles. More than a dozen vehicle owners are impacted and may experience a loss in visibility. The administration states the vehicle’s sunroof bonding may allow water to leak into the vehicle. The water leak may reach the vehicle’s electrical components, thus increasing the probability of an accident. Auto glass technicians and owners can assure their customers that the panorama sliding sunroof bonding and the electrical contacts will be replaced as necessary at no charge. Shop owners can advise their customers to contact Mercedes customer service at 1-800-367-6372 if they have further questions.

Subaru Recalls 783,000 Vehicles for Takata Airbags by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com

We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.

Subaru is recalling 783,000 vehicles to replace dangerous Takata airbag inflators in two recalls that include the 2010–2014 Subaru Tribeca, WRX, Legacy, 2010–2011 Subaru Impreza and 2010–2013 Subaru Forester. The Takata passenger frontal airbag inflators contain ammonium nitrate used as the propellant that deploys the airbags in crash impacts, but the chemical can become unstable and explode. Even a minor crash can cause the metal inflators to explode into sharp pieces of metal. Nearly 453,000 of the vehicles are recalled if they were sold or registered in the following states:

Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In a separate Takata recall of the same Subaru vehicles, more than 330,000 are recalled in these areas: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Owners should have received recall notices explaining how Subaru dealers will replace the frontpassenger airbag inflators. For questions, please call the automaker at 844-373-6614.

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Mercedes’ second recall involves its lane departure and steering in its 2018 S450 4MATIC, S560 4MATIC Coupe, S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe, Maybach S560 4MATIC, S560 4MATIC, S63 AMG and S63 AMG 4MATIC Cabrio vehicles. More than 6,000 vehicle owners are affected. According to the NHTSA, the Hands-offDetection system may malfunction, causing the Active Steering Assist system to remain engaged regardless of whether the driver’s hands are on the steering wheel. Mercedes stated it has notified all affected owners of both of its latest recalls. Shop owners can notify their customers that they will update the steering control unit software, free of charge. Subaru More than 71,000 Subaru owners are affected by the company’s latest visibility recall. The company’s 2018 Legacy, Outback and BRZ are the affected vehicles. NHTSA stated that

all models have a software issue that may prevent the audio display system from initializing. This can result in the camera display remaining blank and increase the likelihood of an accident when a driver is in reverse. “If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, Rearview Mirrors,” according to the NHTSA. Subaru stated it has notified all affected vehicle owners of the issue. Shop owners can assure their customers they will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. If customers have additional questions, vehicle shop owners can advise them to contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. This recall’s number is WTZ-85. We thank glassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. H ON D A ALABAMA

FLO RIDA

Freeway Honda B ir m in g ha m

800-987-0819 205-949-5460 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 greg_thomas@freewayhondaal.com

FLOR ID A

Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach

Gerald Jones Honda

Gre e na c re s

Po mpa no Be a ch

888-479-0695 561-966-5185

954-425-8244

800-733-2210 706-228-7040

Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7-6; Sat 7-5; gerardbruno@hendrickauto.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 tdunn@geraldjoneshonda.com

Holman Honda of Ft. Lauderdale

Gwinnett Place Honda

Braman Honda of Palm Beach

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@bramanhondapb.com

Jerry Damson Honda Hu n t sv i l l e

800-264-1739 256-382-3759 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 8-4 Rkeel@damson.com

Classic Honda Or l a ndo

F t. L a ude rda l e

888-893-4984 407-521-1115

888-792-7189 954-763-7157

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 parts@classichonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30 rguido@holmanauto.com

FL O R I D A

AutoNation Honda Clearwater C le a r wa te r

888-205-2564 727-530-1173 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5; Sun 10-3 santosr1@autonation.com

AutoNation Honda Hollywood Hollywo o d

Honda Mall of Georgia 678-318-3155

877-544-2249

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 cdunlap@penskeautomotive.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 gbennett@cogginauto.com

Ed Morse Honda R i vi e ra Be a ch

800-232-1098 561-844-8089

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-5 hernandeze@autonation.com

Headquarter Honda

Braman Honda Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 calvarez@bramanhonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 gphwholesaleparts@hendrickauto.com

Davi e

800-542-8121 954-964-8300

305-266-1915

800-277-8836 678-957-5151

Rick Case Honda Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-4 robbutton@rickcase.com

South Motors Honda M i a mi

888-418-3513 305-256-2240 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda.com

Bu f ord /Gw in n et t

Gain es v ille

770-534-0086 678-989-5473 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com

New n an

678-423-8183

C l e r mo nt

S ne l l vi l l e

800-497-2294 407-395-7374

770-985-1444

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-4 samuel.trapani@henrickauto.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 gperkins@careypaul.com

Nalley Honda Un ion Cit y

Ed Voyles Honda Hendrick Honda Bradenton

M a r i e tta

866-362-8034 770-306-4646

Bra de nto n

800-334-3719 770-933-5870 Direct

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-5 hondawp@nalleycars.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4 Kris.kitzman@hendrickauto.com

Honda of Newnan Carey Paul Honda

877-706-2021 941-752-2123

Milton Martin Honda

GEOR GIA

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 pepe.guevara@headquarterhonda.com

Du lu t h

De l a nd

800-758-0007 386-626-1811

Au g u s t a

Coggin Deland Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 tonyrocha@edmorse.com

Mia m i

G EO RG I A

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 hondaparts@edvoyles.com

ACURA ALABAMA

GEOR GIA

G EO RG I A

Jerry Damson Acura

Duval Acura

Jackson Acura

Hu n t sv i l l e

J a ck so nvi l l e

Ro swe l l

Savan n ah

800-264-1739 256-533-1345

800-352-2872 904-725-1149

877-622-2871 678-259-9500

800-347-0596 912-232-3222

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 8-4 Rkeel@damson.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 Cecil.adams@duvalacura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-6 kmcmillan@jacksonacura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 travis.morrison@southernmotors.com

Rick Case Acura

Nalley Acura

FL O R I D A

Acura of Orange Park J acksonv i l l e

888-941-7278 904-777-1008 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-3 msweeney@acuraoforangepark.com 28

FLO RIDA

F o r t L a ude rda l e

M a r i e tta

800-876-1150 954-377-7688

800-899-7278 770-422-3138

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rubenramos@rickcase.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 byoung@nalleycars.com

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Southern Motors Acura

NO . CA RO L I NA

Flow Acura Win s t on -Salem

800-489-3534 336-761-3682 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-1 www.flowacura.com

G E O RG I A

NO . CARO LINA

S O. C AR OLIN A

VIRG I NI A

Southern Motors Honda

Leith Honda

Midlands Honda

Savan n a h

R a l e igh

C o l umbi a

Norf olk

888-785-8387 912-925-1444

800-868-6970 919-790-8228

877-273-4442 803-691-8585

800-277-2122 757-687-3453

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 angela@southern-motors.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5 parts@leithhonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com

Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7:30-6 honda.checkeredflag.com

McKenney-Salinas Honda

Piedmont Honda

Colonial Honda

G a s to ni a

A nde r so n

Ch es t er

888-703-7109 704-824-8844 x 624

800-849-5057 864-375-2082

800-564-9836 804-414-1960

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 parts@mshonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 swhite@piedmontcars.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-4 rreese@i95honda.com

MI SSI S S I PPI

Patty Peck Honda R id g e la n d

800-748-8676 601-957-3400 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 pmartin@pattypeckhonda.com NO . C A R OL I N A

Apple Tree Honda A sh e ville

800-476-9411 828-684-4400

Metro Honda I n di a n Tra i l

866-882-9542 704-220-1522 Dept. Hours: M-F 6:30-6:30; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 appletreeparts@hotmail.com

Vann York Automall

Crown Honda Southpoint

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3

H i gh Po i nt

336-841-6200

Du r h am

855-893-8866 919-425-4711 Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-11; Fri 7-6 Sat 7-5; Sun 11-5 www.southpointhonda.com

Hendrick Honda C h ar lot t e

800-277-7271 704-552-1149 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 rob.thomas@hendrickauto.com

SO . CARO LINA

Breakaway Honda G re e nvi l l e

800-849-5056 864-234-6481

Checkered Flag Honda

Hall Honda

TEN N ES S EE

Airport Honda Alcoa

800-264-4721 865-970-7792 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6:30; Sat 7:30-5 parts@airporthonda.com

AutoNation Honda West Knoxville K no xvi l l e

V irg in ia Beach

800-482-9606 757-431-4329 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto.com

Hendrick Honda Woodbridge Wood b rid g e

703-690-7777

800-824-1301 865-218-5461

Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 10-4

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 rossd1@autonation.com

Valley Honda

Bill Gatton Honda

St au n t on

Br i sto l

800-277-0598 540-213-9016

800-868-4118 423-652-9545

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-5 bwimer@myvalleyhonda.com

Ea s l e y

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-1 hondaparts@billgattonhonda.com

West Broad Honda

888-513-5869 864-850-1200

Wolfchase Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 fmarshall@breakawayhonda.com

Hendrick Honda Easley

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 christopher.gagnon@hendrickauto.com

Rich mon d Ba r tl e tt

800-446-0160 804-672-8811

800-982-7290 901-255-3780

Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7:30-6:30; Sat 8-5 wbhonda@aol.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda.com

NO . C A R O L I N A

TENNESSEE

VIR GIN IA

Hendrick Acura

Gary Force Acura

Ch a r lot t e

B re n two o d

F a l l s C hurch

800-768-6824 704-566-2288

800-653-6723 615-377-0500

800-550-5035 703-824-5785

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 justin.taylor@hendrickauto.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 jtrail@garyforceacura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-6; Sun 10-5 jimgraf@radleyauto.com

Leith Acura Cary

800-868-0082 919-657-0460 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@leithacura.com

Radley Acura

VIRG INIA

Karen Radley Acura Wo o dbr i dge

800-355-2818 703-550-0205 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup.com autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

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.

An Insider’s Guide to Handling Media Interviews During a Crisis There’s an important question everyone in the collision repair industry should ask themselves, according to award-winning journalist and communication trainer Jeff Ansell: If your body shop or business is accused of transgressions, real or imagined, would you know how to respond to the media? “There is no shortage of badnews scenarios or allegations the collision repair industry could experience, whether that includes allegations of deliberately damaging cars, installing used parts but billing for new ones, or invoicing for phantom repairs,” said Ansell. “The answer is to have the skills necessary to properly tell your story to all stakeholders, especially when the news about your organization is not positive.” During the 16th annual CSN Collision Centres conference held in Scottsdale, AZ, in November, Ansell offered insight on how to confidently communicate with the media during a crisis. This included how to respond to difficult questions, confidently tell a business’s story and frame the media narrative before others frame it. Ansell’s perspective was based on his experience over the years as an investigative reporter and a media and crisis communications advisor. People often ask Ansell why it’s important to be media-trained and rehearse answering questions when all you have to do is tell the truth. Every day, he said, the media, especially social media, sets the public agenda that can impact a business. “A social media onslaught focusing on you and your business can come at you like an avalanche,” said Ansell. Not only will good communication help manage a business’s reputation, he said, but it will also help the problem dissipate more quickly. “Regardless of what the future holds, communication will always be a big part of it,” said Ansell. “What you say and how you say it to the media, customers and employees 30

are very important now, more than ever, because communication these days is beyond instant.” Undercover investigations involving hidden cameras are very common in this line of work and can portray auto repair shops and the

Award-winning journalist and communication trainer Jeff Ansell during the CSN Collision Centres conference in Scottsdale, AZ

people who work in them as incompetent, dishonest and, in some cases, criminals, according to Ansell. “When bad news strikes, the media and the public are quick to make up their minds about you,” said Ansell. “Reporters can show up at your business anytime. How you respond speaks volumes about who you are.” As a result, Ansell shared what he referred to as “the rules of the game” when talking to the media.

to engage in a confession. 10) Don’t be too quick to take your lawyer’s advice when you are dealing with a bad news issue. 11) Don’t repeat negative words that might convince people you are guilty. 12) Don’t make promises you can’t keep. How to Tell a Business’ Story “You never know what questions you might be asked by a reporter—some are straightforward; some are curveball, off-the-wall, leading questions, loaded questions, politically incorrect and uncomfortable questions,” said Ansell. “Knowing the right thing to say during media interviews, especially during stressful times, isn’t easy.” Ansell acknowledged that it’s easy to get angry at reporters or customers, especially when they are aggressive. After interviewing and

training thousands of people over his career, Ansell has observed that when people are put on the spot and the question gets tough, they often experience a physiological default. “When hijacked by a question, we teeter on the precipice of fight or flight,” he said. “Do I stay here and answer this in-my-face question, freeze or flee? Our sole objective is survival, which is easier said than done.” In stressful moments, Ansell said, people tend to hold their breath, stop listening, feverishly ask how to answer the question and fall into every reporter trap. It often becomes an outof-body experience. What can a shop do if it finds itself dealing with bad or controversial news and its reputation is in peril? Ansell said it’s often helpful to tell a story. “If you’re not there, others are See Insider’s Guide, Page 48

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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

Vehicle Safety Equipment Through The Years By the mid-1950s, more than a million Americans had been in car accidents and died on the nation’s roads and highways. The general consensus was that it was all on account of driver error and/or the drivers in question not following the laws. Surely, that must be the cause because, it was thought, cars couldn’t be built any better … could they? Many in the industry thought they were already at the epitome of automotive design and safety—there was nowhere else for automotive technology to go! Automotive writer James Crate wrote in 1993 that from the birth of the automobile up until 1956, the auto had been largely unmolested by federal laws largely because those ideas were left over from the days when horses were the primary mode of personal transportation. The thenmotoring public and the federal gov-

ernment considered the automobile a personal item, much as a horse had been. Thus, it was viewed as an inviolate part of a person’s way of life that should not come under the scrutiny of some government law or entity. That began to change on July 15, 1956 when Congressman Kenneth Roberts, an Alabama Democrat, opened the first session of the first House subcommittee on traffic safety by proceeding directly to the subject of automotive design standards. The auto industry was not ready for Congressman Roberts. They weren’t ready to be asked if the vehicles they were putting on the road might be designed better and safer, to first help mitigate accidents and/or to reduce their severity and save lives. The motoring public, at the time, was apathetic. Even Roberts’ fellow legislators and other federal personnel were apathetic at best and

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

condescending at worst. Roberts was not re-elected. However, during his tenure, he managed to get H.R. 1341 passed, which set safety standards for those vehicles purchased by the U.S. government. At the time, the federal government purchased about 35,000 vehicles a year, a proverbial

“drop in the bucket” in the total scheme of things. But it set a precedent and got people and the government to give vehicle safety and design another look. Coincidentally, this was the same year that Ford tried selling

safety as a vehicle feature. An optional safety package came with seat belts, padded dash and padded sun visors, among other items. (Seat belts would not be federally mandated until 1964.) Fewer than 2,000 of Ford’s safety packages were sold. Since 1956, the federal government has mandated much of the safety technology used in cars today. Left up to their own devices, would carmakers have advanced automotive safety on their own? Consider the following: On Feb. 10, 1885, way before the automobile was even thought about, the first U.S. patent for a seat belt was issued to Edward J. Claghorn of New York. In the patent, it was described as “designed to be applied to the person and provided with hooks and other attachments for securing the person to a fixed object.” They would not be re-

quired for use in automobiles for another 80 years! But seat-belted carriage passengers aside, the earliest “horseless carriage” drivers changed a car’s direction of travel with a tiller, not unlike steering a small boat. It was clumsy and not very practical. So in 1900, the steering wheel was invented, introduced in the Packard. Early cars could only be driven safely during the day because they had no headlights! So, the first automotive headlamps were introduced for use on the 1898 Columbia Electric Car from the Electric Vehicle Company of Hartford, CT. But the new electric lamps were not very popular—the rather fragile filaments didn’t last long bouncing over the rough, early roads, and it was difficult for the car to produce enough current to even power the lamp. Thus, in 1904, a more durable and practical headlamp was introduced— powered by acetylene. (That doesn’t sound very safe?) Vehicle lighting with headlamps, tail lamps, and side lamps, as we know it today, was not used until 1908 and then powered by an 8-volt battery. Side marker lamps

would have to wait until 1968. Center-mounted, high brake lamps would have to wait until 1986. Early cars moved along at not much more than walking speed. But that didn’t last long. To gauge how fast a vehicle was going required a speedometer. The first one appeared in the 1901 Oldsmobile. Ironically, early mechanical brake systems were still rather crude, and cars didn’t stop well. But for the first time, by watching the speedometer, it was possible for a person to judge beforehand how badly they and their vehicle would be damaged if the car collided with something. Shock absorbers also appeared around this time. Early shocks were “knee-action” as opposed to the reciprocating tubular style we are most familiar with today. Dampening the suspension controlled wheel shimmy while traveling along unpaved roads. It also helped drivers better control their vehicle and keep themselves out of ditches and out of the way of oncoming traffic.You might call this the first lane-keep assist system. In 1951, German Walter Linderer and American John Hedrik

applied for patents for early airbags. The bags were largely ineffectual because they could not deploy fast enough, and a system to trigger the deployment did not yet exist—but they had the concept right. An acceptable triggering system would have to wait until 1968 when Allen Breed would submit for a patent for his invention, the first electro-mechanical airbag triggering system. The first airbags sold commercially on a passenger car appeared on the 1973 Oldsmobile Tornado. In 1953, the iconic Chevrolet Corvette was introduced. It was the industry’s first production fiberglass body, which presented some new challenges to the collision repair industry. It was also the first mass-produced American car with a wrap-around windshield, which eliminated a troublesome blind spot at the corner of the windshield, increased the driver’s line of vision and ostensibly made the car safer. The wraparound design was the brainchild of legendary car designer Harley Earl. Interestingly, Harley’s father, J.W. Earl, developed and patented a tilting windshield in 1911, another innova-

tion of its time. Of all the safety equipment ever invented for a motor vehicle, none has been as ubiquitous, been damaged as many times in so many accidents, generated as much income for so many parts suppliers and provided as many labor hours for so many collision technicians as the item invented by Frederick R. Simms. Simms was born in Hamburg, Germany on August 12, 1863. He became a British mechanical engineer, businessman and inventor. He was a personal friend of Gottlieb Daimler and became involved in the company that eventually became known as Daimler-Benz. In association with Robert Bosch, he invented the magneto and started the Simms Magneto Company in New Jersey. The company eventually went on to produce electrical items through the 1940s and later was bought out by the British company Lucas. But by those in the collision repair industry, Simms is not remembered for his achievements in the world of automotive electrics. Simms is known as the inventor of what is arguably the most maligned safety item ever—the automotive bumper.

autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

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.

Moving Beyond Paper QC Process Necessary to Ensure Documented Proper Repairs While working with a shop on some quality control (QC) issues recently, I discovered they were still using a paper QC checklist. It reminded me of the somewhat dated checklist that’s among the forms and tools available for free on my website (www.collisionadvice.com). It’s not that such checklists are bad. They serve as a good reminder of the things that are often not quite right and can result in a needless comeback. But a paper system has become an outdated way to accomplish quality control effectively. I believe shops need to move to an electronic QC process. There are several reasons why. First, there are more and more young people working in shops who have grown up using computers, tablets and cell phone apps. If you hand them a piece of paper, it’s like a step back in time for them. How else, they may wonder, is this shop not staying up to date? Second, we’ve all seen people “pencil-whip” forms, signing or initialing the top item on the list and drawing a line from that right down the rest of the list. They may well have done everything on the form, but perhaps not. Just rapidly filling in all the boxes at the end is no substitute for checking each item at the appropriate time. An electronic system helps make employees more accountable. Third, some of the lawsuits out there related to incomplete or incorrect repairs have raised the industry’s awareness of the need for proper documentation of repairs. An electronic QC process ensures that every step is time- and date-stamped, a record that helps ensure—and document—that things were done properly. That documentation isn’t just important to you as a business owner. It can be equally important to those with whom you have business agreements, such as automakers that certify your shop or insurance companies. An electronic system allows your shop’s quality control efforts to 36

be more easily audited. Several electronic quality control systems are out there. CCC Information Services has “Checklists,” which can be customized and integrated

That highlights how quality control isn’t just about holding employees accountable and ensuring you have a documented process that can be audited and used to demon-

with CCC ONE. (It’s a stand-alone product that can be used regardless of what estimating or shop management system you use.) Shops in the Assured Performance Network have access to that network’s electronic QC system. I’m aware of another program out there called “myQCiQ,” and there may well be others. Using an electronic QC system also makes sense because more of the QC process itself involves electronics, namely, post-repair vehicle scanning. The old paper checklist that asks if the headlights and turn signals are working, or if moldings are missing or loose, was fine in its day, but it is no longer enough. Those things still need to be checked, but there’s no way to ensure all of the vehicle’s safety and comfort features are working without conducting an output and functionality test through a post-repair scan. It’s an absolute must. We all, of course, think of scanning in terms of ensuring the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are functioning. But you’ve no doubt had the experience of delivering a vehicle after a $5,000 or even $10,000 repair that seems just perfect, only to have the customer come back because their seat-warmer isn’t working or their Bluetooth device won’t sync.

strate exactly what was done to that vehicle. A robust QC process also ensures your customer drives away satisfied in a safe vehicle.

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Another great tip I learned from my friend Ray Chew at CCC: Ask customers early in the process what some of their favorite features of their vehicle are. There’s no way any of us can possibly be aware of and understand every feature on every vehicle. By knowing upfront what in particular the customer appreciates about their vehicle, you can integrate checking those features into the QC process for that extra level of attention. Keep in mind that when consumers are asked if their vehicle was fixed right the first time, the industry average is just 82 percent. That really concerns me. That means 1 in 5 cars comes back for a problem. That’s not acceptable. It’s time every individual in this industry takes responsibility for quality. QC inspections must be part of the process—not just at the end, but at every stage of repair.

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Tips for Busy Body Shops

with Stacey Phillips

How to Implement an Effective Scheduling Process to Achieve Revenue & Cycle Time Goals For body shop owners and managers who are still “winging it” when scheduling repair jobs, there is a better way to manage the process and proactively run a collision repair shop, according to Dave Luehr and Ron Kuehn. Luehr, owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, and Kuehn, owner of Collision Business Solutions, teamed up during an Elite Body Shop Academy webinar to teach body shops how to schedule optimum WIP (work in process), create a balanced workflow, optimize a shop’s work mix and create a simple scheduling form. “In today’s collision repair world, old thinking and poor scheduling systems are a recipe for disaster,” said Luehr. “Modern shops can no longer afford to bring in a majority of their week’s work in on Mondays and expect to survive.” When Luehr meets with shop owners and managers to help manage their businesses, his first operational priority is to look at their scheduling process and optimum WIP.

“You can’t implement anything successfully in an environment where you have too many cars sitting around,” he said. “The best blueprinting efforts typically fail because [owners] don’t understand scheduling and optimum WIP.” Why Most Scheduling Systems Don’t Work Many shops across the country schedule jobs based on labor hours, the number of cars or dollars. Although there is nothing wrong with scheduling this way, according to Kuehn, there is a tremendous opportunity to analyze the information 38

available to a repair facility and finetune the scheduling process. Luehr added that the labor hours used to schedule jobs aren’t always accurate due to incomplete estimates. This can create a tremendous amount of instability, not only with scheduling but also with the entire production system.

In a typical body shop, Luehr said, the culture has always been to “grab the keys” for as many jobs as possible. However, that approach often isn’t effective, especially in some markets across the country. “It’s killing people,” said Luehr. “It seriously creates health problems from the amount of stress and chaos that goes on every day in a typical body shop.” Kuehn said some shop owners and managers find comfort in knowing they have a lot of work on the shop floor and premises. However, he said, more often than not, the bigger the parking lot they have compared to the number of technicians, the worse the shop’s cycle time is going to be. Kuehn often calls shop owners like these “wipaholics”—those who don’t mind having too much work in process. Luehr said another main reason most scheduling systems aren’t effective is that shops “push” work through the shop, rather than allowing production to “pull” work from a pool of production-ready jobs. Instead, he recommends determining the needs and capacity of the shop’s production system and bringing in just the right amount of productionready work to feed it.

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Excess WIP has been found to drive up operating costs, leading to poor cycle time, cash flow problems, quality defects and wasted resources. “If your WIP is too high, cycle time can suffer and chaos ensues,” said Luehr. “If it is too low, revenue can suffer.” Kuehn said three key ingredients need to be addressed: a shop’s WIP; monitoring intake and system of repair planning/blueprinting to identify what is needed regarding labor and parts up front; and most importantly, leadership. “Leadership has to set the tempo,” said Kuehn. “You have to come up with a number, then you have to monitor it and see what works and what doesn’t and continue to make modifications to make it better.”

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Learning to Schedule to Optimum WIP Using Little’s Law Luehr also discussed Little’s Law, a mathematical equation for cycle time, introduced to him by Rich Altieri from AutoBody Management Solutions. Using the model of Little’s Law, Luehr said, shops can design their desired cycle time days and then figure out how many cars to ideally have on the property. To calculate optimum WIP, divide the number of cars on the property (WIP) by the daily production units (the average number of vehicles delivered daily). That will tell a shop its average cycle time. For example, if a shop with 10 cars in its production system consistently produces an average of two per day, it translates to a five-day cycle time. In contrast, a shop carrying 20 cars on the property would

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have a cycle time that would double to 10 days on average. Creating a Balanced Workflow When scheduling for production, Kuehn said, most management systems include four dates: arrival; repair start (when a technician is ready to

work on the vehicle and it can hopefully go through the system without stopping); repair complete (when the file is finished, ready to close and the vehicle is completed and inspected); and delivery. “The time between the start or ‘repair time’ and complete time, which you can think of as your manufacturing plant, is where you make your money,” said Kuehn. “The more efficient you can make your manufacturing plant, the more cash velocity [a component of cash flow] you are going to have.” In a perfect world, Luehr said, a

shop should bring in the same number of vehicles per day that are delivered to help maintain optimum WIP. For example, in a shop that repairs 20 cars per week, four would be brought in each of the five days it’s open and four would be delivered each of those five days.

“That would create the optimum workflow that would allow your business to be firing on all cylinders at its most profitable state,” he said. “The bottom line is to monitor intake because you can’t afford to have those cars sitting around,” said Kuehn. “You have an investment in all of those cars and a lot of cash tied up. It’s not just about getting those cars through the shop; it’s also the administration you have that can backlog the shop and your office.” Optimizing Work Mix Wise shops, according to Luehr and

Kuehn, implement “triage” methods and bring in a mix of work each day. Different triage methods can be used based on the number of estimating hours, number of damaged panels, dollars spent and drivable vs. nondrivable vehicles. While many of these methods work well for shops, Luehr said it can often complicate the process. Instead, he recommends using a simple category size triage system using dollars or labor hours. For example: Category 1: $0-$1,499 Category 2: $1,500-$3,999 Category 3: $4,000+ “By overloading your system and not having the proper mix because you have too many small jobs at any one point in time, it will slow down the overall work,” said Kuehn. In other words, to keep all departments running at optimal profitability, he said, a mix of small, medium and large jobs need to be scheduled throughout the week. How to Create a Simple Schedule Form Luehr said a good first step is to cre-

ate a scheduling form to maintain optimum WIP and revenue goals. Every repairable vehicle should be accounted for on the form, regardless of the actual arrival date. If no openings are available, then the shop probably shouldn’t bring in another car, he said. If a loyal customer happens to come in, he said shops will likely agree to repair the car but will have to let the customer know the timeframe. “At least you have a scheduling system that allows you to communicate a little smarter with your customer,” said Luehr. “If you get ahead of schedule, you can always blueprint the vehicle and pull it into production, but don’t force-feed it,” said Kuehn. Luehr said the typical work mix for DRP shops can be determined by pulling historical data from the shop management system, and then space can be created on the scheduling sheet for those vehicles. “You may not know exactly how many are coming in or when, but you can still block out space for them,” he said. “The worst thing that See Scheduling Process, Page 44

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After the Donation: Caliber Collision, Allstate Step Up to Help Army Veteran by Ed Attanasio

Some deserving people receive donated cars to make their lives a little easier, while others use them to get better jobs and improve their situations. For Eboni Strader, a disabled U.S. Army veteran and single mother of two children, her new vehicle has allowed her to continue receiving critical medical treatment, take her children to school, continue her education and work with the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), which serves veterans throughout the entire state. “I work in the executive suite with the Women’s Division. This car has given me the ability to achieve all of this in just two short months after receiving the car. Life was exceedingly difficult for me and my children before we received the gift of this vehicle,” she said. In October 2018, Caliber Collision, in conjunction with Allstate Insurance as part of the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides pro-

gram, presented a completely refurbished 2014 Toyota Corolla to Strader at the sixth annual Military Women’s Appreciation Day at American River College in Sacramento, CA.

Army Veteran Eboni Strader, with her son Isaiah, received a 2014 Toyota Corolla from Caliber Collision in conjunction with Allstate Insurance as part of NABC’s Recycled Rides program last year

More than 200 female veterans and active service members attended the event, which was hosted by VA NorCal and produced in cooperation with Operation: Care and Comfort, The Soldiers Project and the American River College Veterans Resource

Center. “The car changed my life because it removed a lot of stress,” Strader said. “This entire experience changed my life because it made me a better mother, student and employee and has allowed me to gain the freedom and independence I desperately needed. Now I can obtain the medical treatment and care that I desperately need, and it allows me to keep my children enrolled in the current charter school they attend because I can get them to and from school every day.” In 2015, Strader relocated to California to escape a domestic violence situation and start anew. “I got on an airplane with my two children, and we had to leave a lot of our possessions behind,” she said. “We came to seek shelter with a family member in another city but were unable to stay there, and eventually we had to move. We then came to Sacramento, and I sought help from the VA here. I was placed in VA housing for women with SVRC (Sacramento Veterans Resource Center).

“My children and I were housed with them for over a year before I received my own permanent housing through a special program set up for veterans called Hud-Vash. During this time, I was diagnosed with several health issues as well as MTSD. As a disabled veteran, it was vital for me to continue getting the treatment I desperately needed from the VA hospital located at Mather Airfield. “Shortly after receiving housing, my car was repossessed, and I had no other means of getting another car. I had used all the money I had saved up to pay the deposit on our townhome and was unable to afford the $400 car payments any longer. “For a while, I was able to borrow a vehicle to take my children to school until the rear right tire broke off and was slung into oncoming traffic. I then was able to get my case manager to graciously take time out of her day to travel from Mather to pick me up for a couple of vital appointments I had at the VA hospital. I also was given a bus pass, and I ocSee After the Donation, Page 48

autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

National Associations 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.

ASA Webinar Features ‘G’ Jerry Truglia’s ‘Why a DTC is Not Always Displayed’ On Feb. 20, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) hosted its monthly Webinar Wednesday. The webinar featured wellknown industry trainer “G” Jerry Truglia of Automotive Technicians Training Service, who presented “Why a DTC is Not Always Displayed.” Truglia covered how to alleviate issues related to a check engine light that comes on after the vehicle is repaired and how to diagnose and repair DTCs and drivebility more efficiently.

ASA Vice President Tony Molla began by welcoming attendees and introducing Truglia. Truglia began by examining the right way to diagnose DTCs and drivability problems. He noted that the most important tool needed to diagnose DTCs is a generic/global scan tool, but a factory scan tool is not always necessary. He stated, “You’re not going to become an expert in an hour, but we can put some lights on and help each other.” Repairers also need a game plan. Truglia explained, “Information on iATN, Identifix, ALLDATA, Mitchell, Autodata, MotoLogic, or even Google and YouTube can be very helpful in identifying if the vehicle you are working on needs a reflash or has a silver bullet problem. Remember, when looking at a silver bullet solution, always check and test the components and the system before replacing anything.” As he began to explain how to understand the diagnostic process, Truglia noted, “Before we go too deep, let’s get the caveats out of the way. When it comes to diagnosing engine performance, DTCs or driveability problems use a general/global scan tool to expedite your diagnosis. 42

A general/global OBD II scan tool allows us to view information quickly while allowing access to pending DTCs, Monitors, Mode 6, Mode 10 and Freeze Frame, to name a few. You won’t get all that information in the enhanced side of your scan tool, so start with the generic/global side first, and if you need more data PIDs or bi-directional control, switch to the enhanced side. Also, general/global PIDs are the same on every vehicle, whether it’s a GM, Toyota or a BMW. The data PIDs are all the same and easier to understand.” Truglia explained that repairers can get factory scan tool capabilities with J2534 and LSID/VSP, and he encouraged everyone to sign up at nastf.org because “when you replace just about any computer on today’s vehicles, you’ll need that information to get the vehicle back online.” Displaying a slide that showed the modes of the OBD II, Truglia pointed out that this is the powertrain data that everyone has been looking at for years. He emphasized the importance of Mode 6, Mode 9 and Mode 10. “Mode 9 is super important because it gives us VIN information and allows us to see calibration files. Mode 10 will give us information that is stored in computer systems. This information is only erased after the vehicle has passed multiple times in special criteria,” he said. Truglia proceeded to demonstrate how to use the scan tool’s different modes, providing examples of scans and discussing what each of them could mean. Truglia explained, “If a monitor is not ready and you give the vehicle back to the customer without telling them, the client may get their check engine light illuminated again, and they won’t know whether it’s on for something they already paid to fix. I recommend that you print these screens and give them to the customer.” Reminding everyone to use the generic/global OBD II first, Truglia noted that generic scan tools cannot

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

substitute a value like an enhanced tool can. He talked through selecting the correct PIDs that should be viewed, pointing out that generic tools don’t have as many so they are less confusing. Truglia then moved on to discussing scan data fuel trim and the importance of knowing the good and bad limits so imbalances in the engine can be identified. He walked through many examples and explained the different issues that can be identified with this data. He noted, “Why does the number of fuel trim make a difference? Knowing which cell lets us know what and where to look for problems. Most mapping systems use a total of 16 cells, while some others will use a few more for other cells for fuel cut off, power enrichment, and EVAP purge, to name a few. Looking at RPM and map or load,

you can see the difference of how we add or subtract fuel using fuel trim cell data. “If fuel trim is normal, you can see there’s no problem, but don’t forget to look at the monitors so you don’t have a customer problem. Use data to determine what the problem is and which cell the problem is located in. The problem is with the load sensor most of the time. If we don’t have enough voltage at a component, it could be a power or a ground problem right, then we have an issue. These things are sometimes masked so you don’t see a directly related DTC.” Truglia demonstrated how Mode 6 shows the minimum and maximum values. The goal is to have a value in between, which would indicate that the item is working well. “Mode 6 is a quiz that fails a number of times; it then turns into a

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pending DTC,” he explained. “It means that if the item failed enough times in Mode 6, it is escalated to a pending DTC, then on to a DTC. Remember: If it continues to fail as a pending DTC, it will turn into a DTC and cause a check engine light to illuminate. Use Mode 6 to predict what’s going to happen to that vehicle. Go to the test results to figure out which areas have possible concerns.” Truglia went on to explore Mode 10 and looking at permanent DTCs if the codes are already erased. He also stressed the value of looking at relative compression to become alerted to possible mechanical problems. He emphasized, “Never erases DTCs. It’s like pouring Clorox on a crime scene—nothing will be revealed.” Many examples were provided via screenshots as Truglia talked through what repairers should pay particular attention to in specific scenarios. Explaining how to understand O2 – AFR voltage levels, Truglia noted, “The lower the AF sensor voltage, the richer the mixture, while the

higher the voltage, the leaner the engine is running. This is opposite of what we’re normally used to, so take note of that.” Discussing the PIDs that absolutely need to be viewed, Truglia explained that graphing PIDs helps problems stand out. He recommended looking at the LTFT, MAF, MAP, Calculated Load and when checking for a P0420 and P0430 catalyst efficiency DTCs. He recommended graphing the front O2 or air fuel sensor along with the rear O2 sensor at idle, 2000 and 3000 rpms to make sure that the rear O2 sensor does not dither. This efficiency test will uncover a potential issue that causes the P0420 and P0430 DTCs. Regarding time to temperature, Truglia pointed out, “This tells us if the engine is warming up too slowly or too fast. If the thermostat doesn’t open at the right pace, there could be transmission or drivebility issues. Be assured that you need to look at time to temperature.” After providing several more case studies, Truglia advised that CO2 and the ATS Bulleye leak detection tool, along with thermal im-

aging, can be helpful tools for some DTCs and how to find problems. He ended his presentation by reminding participants, “Don’t just look at the DTCs. Look at all of the information that’s available to you. That’s the moral of the story here.” Molla then resumed control of the broadcast and led a question-andanswer session based on attendees’ feedback. ASA will host a bonus webinar on Feb. 27 on “How Engaging with AMi can Increase Profits” with AMi President Jeff Peevy. On March 20, ASA’s Webinar Wednesday will feature Robert L. Redding Jr., ASA legislative representative for the D.C. office. He will provide an update on the 2019 state legislative sessions and shop-relevant items on the legislative agenda. For more information on ASA, visit asashop.org.

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Scheduling Process could happen is maybe one doesn’t show up and then you can bring in somebody else ahead of schedule.” Luehr cautions shops not to be too aggressive when reducing optimum WIP (car count) because it takes time to improve. He recommends decreasing the work in process incrementally while continuing to refine the shop’s systems to avoid losing revenue. Kuehn agrees. “You can’t change your culture overnight,” he said. “Instead, you need to start with a scheduling process gradually and fine-tune the system.” “The ultimate goal is to simultaneously achieve your revenue goals and cycle time goals and adjust to keep your optimum WIP on target,” said Luehr. For an example of Elite Body Shop Solutions’ scheduling form and to watch the free webinar, visit https:// daveluehr.mykajabi.com/scheduling webinar.

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

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Mike’s Auto Body Estimator Chases Fame as Stand-up Comic Ron Bello, an up-and-coming standup comedian, has been working as an estimator at Mike’s Auto Body in Fairfield, CA, since November 2018. Bello, who has 20 years of experience working in retail, took Mike’s Auto Body’s one-week estimator’s training program at its Fairfield facility last year. He knows he has a lot to learn about estimating and the collision repair industry as a whole and is highly motivated and intrigued by the job. “Everyone here at Mike’s has been so great,” Bello said. “My manager in Fairfield (Corey Flies) has been very supportive, and the company is giving me all of the tools I need to succeed in this position. Mike’s is investing in me and everyone here is willing to answer all of my questions, so I know I’m not alone, and that gives me a lot of confidence.”

Confidence is key for Bello as he attempts to break into the stand-up comedy industry—one of the toughest things anyone can do. He hit the stage for the very first time back in August 2018, and after doing 20 gigs in the six months since then, he is hitting his stride. Bello’s influences include George Carlin, Richard Pryor and Robin Williams. He appreciates the challenge presented by doing comedy, he said. “Doing stand-up is very satisfying, but it’s also difficult. I now have 20 minutes of material, and my goal is to eventually do a one-man show, which means I’ll need to have 60 minutes or more of jokes and stories to tell,” he said. Bello’s first gig took place at Compadre’s in Napa, and although he was a little nervous, he got some big laughs and surprised a lot of peo-

ple, including himself. “I told my first joke and the audience started laughing, so I was definitely encouraged and gained

Ron Bello is a fledgling estimator at Mike’s Auto Body in Fairfield, CA, who has dreams of being a successful stand-up comic

momentum. When I was done doing my five minutes, the emcee said that I must have done stand-up before, but it was truly my first time on stage,” he said.

In November, Bello signed up for a comedy competition at Sally Tomatoes in Rohnert Park and walked away as the first-place winner. “They had three judges who were big-time, including Ron Vingh, who does all the booking at the Punchline in San Francisco,” Bello said. “After my set, the judges critiqued my jokes and gave me some helpful feedback about my stage presence and the quality of my jokes. They said they liked my energy on stage and that my punch lines were strong, so that was definitely a great evening I will never forget.” In February, Bello and two other comedians kicked off their “Woke and Broke” tour at the Lucky Penny Theater in Napa with a sold-out show. As he writes more and more jokes and refines his style, he’s pleased and anticipating a bright future. See Stand-up Comic, Page 52

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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.

Broadly Helps Body Shops Shine Online In 2013, engineers Josh Melick and Assaf Arkin founded Broadly, a company that facilitates businesses’ success online through Facebook, Yelp, Google and NextDoor, while living in Oakland, CA. According to Broadly’s website, after years of watching his father’s roofing business struggle to find an effective, simple and affordable solution to market itself, Melick recognized a need in the local business community. He and Arkin set out to find an impactful way for businesses to engage with today’s consumers and thus, Broadly was born. Autobody News recently sat down with Melick to find out how his company is helping auto body shops all over the country grow organically online and bring more business through the door. If the majority of the work comes from the insurance companies, why should shops care about their online presence and online feedback?

In the collision repair industry ... the consumer writes the check, either to the insurer or the shop itself ... in the end, the customer makes the ultimate decision. In today’s modern world, more and more consumers like to look online, and they want to know that their cars are being fixed properly. They have the family mini-van, for example, and they want to make sure that it’s repaired perfectly after an accident before they put the kids back in it. That’s where word-of-mouth comes in. Word-of-mouth is always present—there is nothing new about that—but what has changed in our modern world is how we access it and where we go to find it. It’s not just people talking to people anymore. Although I might talk to my neighbor, they’re more likely looking on NextDoor or Facebook to see where their friends had their cars repaired. I might use my cell phone to search using Google to find shops near me or by my office.

This is the modern world we live in, so shops have to care about it in a way they didn’t before. Ultimately, the insurance company cares about the shop’s online presence too because they want to look reputable and don’t want blowback from consumers. What you do

Josh Melick co-founded Broadly, a company that facilitates businesses’ success online through Facebook, Yelp, Google and NextDoor. Credit: Todd Johnson

with online reviews can seal the deal. But if they’re done incorrectly, they can also kill the deal. If consumers start seeing one-star reviews on Yelp, for instance, the consumer might rebel and say I don’t want to take my car to that shop because I don’t think that they can do a good job on my car. Every business today needs to figure out how to get word-of-mouth happening. That’s where online reviews enter the picture, whether it’s Yelp, Facebook, Google, NextDoor or others. That’s why shops need simple ways to follow their customers, ask for feedback and get it posted in the right spot. That’s why we started Broadly.

Q: A:

your customers. We enable businesses to follow up with their customers automatically. We make it easy for them to capture that feedback and leave that feedback in places that matter, like Google, NextDoor, Yelp, etc. It’s all about doing everything you can to make it easy, because it’s a lot of work to tell someone to go online and write a review about your shop. But if it’s done automatically, it’s much more likely that the consumer will actually do it. Most customers, to their credit, are willing to do that, especially if you’ve done a good job for them, but they will only go so far. Helping them by simplifying the process is the key. At Broadly, we can integrate with the shop’s management system in many cases, making it even simpler.

If a shop gets a one-star review, should the shop respond

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Yes, but your response should always be short and sweet. You’re not going to win any public relations battles by responding to a one-star review online, because in most cases a bad review is caused by a breakdown in communications somewhere. The best way to avoid that is to prevent it from happening in the first place, so that’s why our tools, such as automatic feedback, can catch problems sooner. If you can catch it before it goes online, it’s better for both parties. Once a negative review is out there, it’s not easy to fix, so communicating with the customer during every stage of the repair is the best way to go. If consumers can see that a business responds quickly to a bad review and tries to make it better, that will resonate with them and they will

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usually be willing to accept that. Secondly, once the one-star review is out there, you should definitely respond promptly with a short response. Consumers like to see that because it shows you care. But the best way to deal with it is by picking up the phone to apologize personally and try to find out a way to fix it. Every business wants to make things right, but stuff happens. In the end, it all comes down to volume because if you have one bad review, but most of them are positive, it won’t be a problem.

Q: A:

Is it wise to pay for a high position on Google?

In collision repair, if you have a great presence online and you’ve done it organically, you’re going to get more business through the door whether you pay for advertising or not. First, you should make sure that you have a good image online before you think about advertising. Advertising is the icing on the cake, but not the cake itself, so you need that core organic presence first, and that comes from reviews.

Continued from Page 30

Insider’s Guide going to tell it for you,” he observed. “How we come across in front of the media is critically important and clearly impacts how our story will be told.” This involves being responsive to the questions asked, knowing how to answer them properly and then telling the story. However, if a shop plans to do multiple interviews, he recommended not telling the same story the exact same way with the same words every time. The communications expert also suggested invoking what he called the “value compass,” which can be a valuable tool when the trust in an organization is threatened. This involves looking at the stakeholders’ emotions, asking what would enhance the well-being of the people directly affected, identifying the elements of the spokesperson’s nature and touching on the spokesperson’s standards. “The value compass is the col48

Continued from Page 41

After the Donation casionally took a Lyft if I needed to go grocery shopping. There was one period of time over the summer that my children were home for more than 30 days straight without being able to go anywhere. Thank God for the Dollar General store across the street from our home because I was able to walk there for any crucial items we needed.” Without a vehicle, Strader and her family weren’t able to enjoy California. Once she received the car from Caliber Collision, she was able to take a significant trip with her kids, she said. “One of the greatest gifts I received with the gifting of the vehicle was the ability to fulfill a dream for my children by taking them to Disneyland,” she said. “My children had been through so much; this was something incredibly special for us to do together as a family. With the help of Allstate Insurance and Caliber Collision, I was able to make that dream come true for my children last year

lection of words we would use to describe how we want and need our stakeholders to see us and perceive us when we find ourselves mired in the blinding glare of the media spotlight,” explained Ansell. In a bad news situation, he stressed the importance of showing the business spokesperson is upset, genuine, honest, emphatic and trustworthy. “When bad news happens, show you are among the most disturbed, aggrieved and outraged by what has happened,” Ansell advised. “The idea is to take every question asked, every answer given, the message delivered, and every policy, process and procedure talked about and filter it through the value compass, sentenceby-sentence, action-by-action.” In addition to telling a story, Ansell also stressed the importance of creating messages for the media to report. He said to use simple language and short sentences that are focused, compelling and quotable. Once these messages have been created, the next step is to find a See Insider’s Guide, Page 52

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

during the Thanksgiving break. They gifted my family $400 in gift cards as well as $100 in gas cards. That is a memory my children and I will never forget.

“I want to provide my children with a better life and show them that if you keep trying and believe in yourself, things will get better. From this experience, they have also learned there are wonderful people out there who are willing to help without expecting anything in return.” Strader has resided in a townhouse with her children in the Natomas, CA, area for over a year now. She is a full-time student working toward a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix and is a straight-A student.

Several groups and organizations were instrumental in helping this single mom receive the car, especially her Hud-Vash case worker, Misty Ogsaen, who recommended Strader for the donation, and Caliber Collision field account representative Larry Lane. “When I heard her story, it was inspirational, and once she got the vehicle, I was confident that she would start paying it forward,” Lane said. Caliber teamed up with its industry partners to donate more than 100 cars in 2018 and plans to do the same this year. Recycled Rides is a 12-year-old program in which insurers, collision repairers, paint suppliers, parts vendors and other collision industry companies collaborate to repair donated vehicles for deserving individuals and service organizations throughout the country. The company has repaired about 2,000 donated vehicles.

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Industry Insight

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

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Survey Finds Trends in How Shops Are Charging – And Being Paid – for Shop Supplies Although two-thirds of shops say they use an invoicing system of some kind to charge for such items as clips and fasteners, foams and weldthrough primer, nearly one-third (30 percent) say they simply charge a flat fee for seam-sealer, and more than 1 in 5 (22 percent) say they calculate their charge for seam-sealer with no more than an educated guess.

These were among the findings of a “Who Pays for What?” survey last fall that examined shop billing practices (and insurer payment practices) related to shop supplies and aluminum repair. The survey found that despite a growing increase in the percentage of shops using an invoic-

ing system for supplies—66 percent versus 58 percent in the same survey in 2017—3 in 10 shops still just charge a flat fee for seam-sealer. “Many shops commonly charge that flat fee without researching how much seam-sealer they actually will be using on that particular job,” said Mike Anderson of Collision Advice, who conducts the quarterly “Who Pays for What?” surveys in conjunction with CRASH Network. “I recall a shop in Minnesota that was putting a rear body panel and a rear frame rail on a vehicle, and when they added it up, they had used more than $300 of corrosion protection items, such as seam-sealer, cavity wax and weld-through primer.” The survey found that nearly all shops (96 percent) charge for seamsealer, and 84 percent say they are reimbursed for it most of the time or always by the eight largest U.S. in-

surers. But according to Anderson, the amount being charged is not always correct. “At the end of the day, is the amount you are charging for these items adequate and appropriate? You

bead size,” Anderson said. Calculations such as this can be difficult, but Anderson recommends several tools developed by 3M that can help shops estimate the amount of seam-sealer that will be needed. A

Shops reported which factors they take into account when charging for seam-sealer (adds up to more than 100 percent because shops were permitted to select multiple responses), with number of tubes or cartridges used being the most common factor

have to keep in mind what type of seam-sealer you are using—self-leveling, two-part, sprayable, brushable, etc.—as well as how many tubes you are using based on the length and

comment submitted by a shop manager from Illinois while taking the “Who Pays” survey last fall supports Anderson’s recommendation. “The 3M CRiMP (Collision Re-

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pair Materials Planner) tool really opened our eyes to the materials cost that we weren’t billing for,” the manager wrote. “It also streamlined things during our estimating process so that we can easily produce an invoice that insurers have never disputed.” But even with these types of tools, knowing what to put on the estimate can also require knowledge about the vehicle make. “Keep in mind that all Toyota/Lexus hoods, doors and decklids—as well as the majority of those replacement parts from Nissan/Infiniti—do not come seam-sealed from the factory,” Anderson said. “That may be true of some other manufacturers as well.” Four “Who Pays for What?” surveys are released each year, each focusing on different aspects of the collision repair process. The current survey, which asks shops about their billing practices—and insurer payment practices—related to “not-included” body labor procedures, is open throughout April. Shops can click here (https://www.crashnetwork .com/collisionadvice) to take the current survey before May 1.

More than 700 shops across the country responded to the survey last fall, which found shops are more frequently being paid regularly for certain shop supplies. About 22 percent, for example, said they are paid “always” or “most of the time” for acid

don’t understand what the brushes are used for,” Anderson said. “It’s not uncommon for technicians to use one or even multiple acid brushes to apply seam-sealer—and match OEM texture—or epoxy primer. If you’re using an invoicing system to track

Although the percentage of shops that view their investment in OEM aluminum certification as a “great” business decision has fallen slightly since 2015, the percentage of shops that say they are already seeing a return on their investment has risen

brushes when they are needed as part of the repair. This was up slightly from 20 percent in the two preceding years, and up from just 14 percent in the 2015 survey. But about threequarters of shops acknowledged they have never sought to be paid for such brushes. “I suspect a lot of estimators

and bill for clips, fasteners and other items, you can add acid brushes to that system.” The survey also asked about fees shops may charge for some administrative expenses. The 2015 survey found that less than half (46 percent) of shops responding said they were paid “always” or “most of

the time” when charging an administrative fee for processing total losses, but by 2018, that had risen to 59 percent. The percentage of shops that said they have never sought such an administrative fee has declined from about 30 percent in 2015 to about 25 percent last fall. Just over half of all shops (52 percent) responding reported having at least one annual subscription to an automaker information website to research OEM repair procedures. About 21 percent say they have annual subscriptions for between two and five different OEM information sites, and another 22 percent have annual subscriptions to six or more. The survey also asked shops if or how they charge for the subscription fees for these sites —aside from any administrative fee they may charge to cover their research labor/time. Among the 536 shops that answered the question, most (78 percent) say they do not currently include a charge on their estimate to specifically cover subscription fees. The others (22 percent), however, said they do add a charge for these fees, with about twothirds of those saying they add the

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charge when they need to gain access to an OEM website for which they do not already have an annual subscription. Although the percentage of shops that view their investment in OEM aluminum certification as a

on tooling, training, fees and facility upgrades to become OEM-certified in aluminum repair. Every year since, the survey has asked how satisfied shops are with that investment. Given that the median amount spent by shops in 2015 to become certified

Shops reported their aluminum repair labor rates (structural and non-structural) when working on vehicle makes for which the facility is not OEM-certified; the 75th percentile body rate of $65 indicates 75 percent of shops reported a labor rate of $65 or less, while 25 percent reported a rate higher than $65

“great” business decision has fallen slightly since 2015, according to the survey findings, the percentage of shops that say they are already seeing a return on their investment has risen. The percentage of shops that believe they will eventually see a return on their investment also has grown. Back in 2015, the survey asked shops how much money they spent

was more than $84,000, their views on what return they are seeing on that money seem noteworthy. Last fall, just 23 percent of shops expressed negative feelings about their investment, down from 29 percent in 2016. Although 4 percent still feel it was a “terrible” business decision, the percentage of shops concerned about recouping their in-

Continued from Page 48

Ansell offered an example of a sentence that meets the problem-solution formula criteria and could be used in the case of someone at a shop doing something he or she shouldn’t have been doing: “We are deeply distressed that a customer was treated in this manner and we not only apologize and reimburse the customer, but we also terminated the employee responsible.” “Owning a problem, especially one that’s in the news, requires people to take ownership of their problems,” said Ansell. “Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also makes it go away faster.” Ansell lectures on crisis communications at Harvard Business School and on leadership presence at Duke University. For more than a decade, he was an instructor in an MIT-Harvard public disputes program called Dealing with an Angry Public. For more information, contact Jeff Ansell info@jeffansell.com. For more information about CSN Collision Centres, visit www .csncollision.ca.

Insider’s Guide credible way to introduce them into the interview, regardless of whether the reporter asks about them. Ansell also shared the framework to use if and when shop owners find their business is in the news, and the news isn’t positive. The framework, called the problem-solution formula, consists of one sentence, helps influence how reporters tell the story and can be used with customers too. “In the front part of the sentence, answer, acknowledge, address or frame your problem from your perspective; in the back-end of the sentence, provide whatever solution is at hand,” he said. “Put the problem and solution together in one sentence.” Although it goes against his short-sentence rule, if the reporter uses a quote that mentions the problem, Ansell said there’s an elevated likelihood that he or she will quote the person talking about the solution. 52

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

vestment dropped from 25 percent to 19 percent in 2018. Of those who are upbeat about OEM aluminum certification, 28 percent report already seeing a return while another 50 percent now believe the investment will eventually pay off (that was up from 44 percent in 2016). Shops can take the current “Who Pays for What?” survey (or sign up to be notified about future surveys) at www.crashnetwork.com /collisionadvice. The four different surveys, conducted at one per quarter, each take about 15–25 minutes. Anderson said they can be completed by any shop owner, manager or estimator who is familiar with the shop’s billing practices and the payment practices of the largest national insurers. Individual responses are not released in any way; only cumulative data is released. On the website, shops also can download the results of previous surveys and reports that break the findings down by region, insurer, and DRP vs. non-DRP. The reports also include analysis and resources to help shops better understand and use the information presented.

Continued from Page 45

Stand-up Comic “That was a big night because we taped the show so we could use the footage for promotional purposes,” he said. “In this industry, you have to always be promoting yourself, which is why I do things like podcasts and radio shows to sell my brand. I have been a guest on a podcast called ‘The Grind’ that’s hosted by Hank Hardister, a fellow comic, and on Fridays I often appear on a radio show on KVON (1440 AM) hosted by Barry Martin, which is a lot of fun.” Bello is in a good space right now—happy with his job and delighted with the prospect of excelling as a stand-up comic. “I’ve always wanted to be a comedian, so this is huge, and Mike’s Auto Body is an incredible employer and the best job I’ve ever had,” he said.

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

National Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

ASA Washington D.C. Representative Bob Redding Delivers Legislative Update On Feb. 6, ASA’s Washington D. C. representative, Bob Redding, delivered a legislative update two blocks from the U.S. Capitol to discuss national and state legislation relevant to the automotive industry. Referencing the previous evening’s State of the Union address, Redding mentioned that transportation infrastructure is a big issue. Beginning at the federal level, Redding noted that the SELF DRIVE Act passed last year, which addresses new vehicle technology, autonomous vehicles and how states and the federal government should interact regarding the regulation of these vehicles. He noted that the bill “passed overwhelmingly” in the House and the Senate Commerce Committee; however, an amendment to address cyber security and data access issues was attached, and the bill never reached the Senate floor. Pointing out that the 2018 election flipped the House from Republican to Democrat, Redding stressed that priorities change and require a new beginning. “ASA is pleased with the data access amendment and supports it, but we have to start all over now,” he said. “We’re looking for federal legislation regarding autonomous vehicles soon, and we’ll work to ensure data access and cyber security are addressed.” Redding stressed the importance of being at the table for legislative conversations. “ASA’s goal is to be part of the process, to learn and share with members and leadership, and to be sure we’re at the table when a lot of decisions are made. If you’re not at the table, you’re very likely to be on the menu,” he said. Redding moved on to the variety of bills for the 2019 state sessions, beginning with Missouri. He noted that Missouri has one of the premiere vehicle safety inspection programs in the nation. “In fact, ASA has used it as a template we’d like to see other states follow,” he said. “Almost every year, 54

the Missouri Vehicle Safety Program is attacked in the state legislature. Last year, it was in the form of House Bill 1444, which we fought, but it has been reintroduced as House Bill 451. ASA is opposed to this legislation, and we need to stop it.” While 30 states have had vehicle inspection programs in the past, only 15 states currently have them. Redding said, “We believe these programs are invaluable to the motoring public, and ASA would like to protect the 15 programs in play today [and] see them enhanced and spread to other states. There are many responsible repairers who look up vehicles and inform customers of safety recalls without mandates and regulations, but this piece of consumer education could be wrapped into these safety programs.” Moving along to Massachusetts, Redding noted that Right to Repair was approved in 2013; however, a bill was dropped at the end of 2018 and was reintroduced in 2019 with changes that touch on telematics, expands the Right to Repair legislation of 2013 and includes some data access provisions. He stated, “Data access is the new service information. ‘Data access’ is the catch phrase you are going to see over and over in legislation, at the state and federal level. We need to ensure, in legislation, that it does what automotive repairers need it to do.” Turning to New Hampshire, Redding discussed House Bill 664, which calls for the use of and reimbursement for OEM repair procedures. According to Redding, “This is just the tip of the spear. Multiple states are drafting similar legislation, but this has nothing to do with parts—just OE repair procedures.” Redding then requested complete attention for an “important story of David and Goliath” and delved into Wyoming Senate Bill 0095, which was introduced in midJanuary and attempts to define na-

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

tional certification of aftermarket crash parts. He explained, “Legislation on this subject has been attempted in multiple states with little success, and the NHTSA has rebuked attempts to certify aftermarket parts. The legislation passed within two weeks without enough collision shop input, and it is now being considered by the House.” Redding then spouted off a series of important questions regarding this legislation that need to be considered. “What state agency in Wyoming is fully equipped to evaluate the certification standard of aftermarket parts? Who will determine if these parts meet OEM standards? How does this protect consumers? What value does it offer? Any discussion about aftermarket parts evokes discussion of the quality issue, and

these are important issues that require more than a superficial review. Cheaper and quicker does not ensure a quality, safe repair. ASA opposes the Wyoming legislature and is working to stop the bill from going forward without more review and input from the impacted entities. It provides no protection for shops or consumers,” he said. As the feed wrapped up, Redding announced that ASA plans to provide more periodic updates on legislation at the state and federal levels. “We are dealing with huge issues and want to keep you informed, to work with you. We have found there is strength in numbers, and we need more members to speak up,” he said. ASA will host a webinar on March 20 to further discuss legislative issues impacting the automotive industry. For more information, visit asashop.org.

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Tips for Busy Body Shops with Stacey Phillips

How Implementing a Lean Process Can Improve a Shop’s ROI & Decrease Cycle Time Collision repairers often don’t recog- time at a lower internal cost with less nize the tremendous value of incor- stress on the entire staff.” porating well-defined processes into Autobody News recently reached their body shops, according to Steve out to Feltovich to learn more about Feltovich, president of SJF Business the lean process and why he encourages shop owners and managers to Consulting LLC. Feltovich said that since be- take the steps necessary to implement it into their businesses. ginning to apply lean production principles to the How would you decollision repair environfine the lean process? ment in the early 2000s, he has seen committed shops Lean is a very merealize a multitude of benthodical, reliable and efits for their businesses. holistic approach to busi“The lean process is deSteve Feltovich, president of ness improvement. It puts signed to increase sales and SJF Business customer value at the foreprofitability, improve ROI Consulting LLC front, so everyone wins— and decrease cycle time,” said Feltovich, who works with deal- the customer, the insurance company, ers, independent collision repairers the organization and the supplier. and MSOs to make business improve- What I’ve taught shops for many ments and achieve performance goals. years is to look at lean as customer “It can also help a shop deliver a first. Although the insurance comhigher-quality product in a lot less pany transfers policyholder dollars to

Q: A:

APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

the shop, at the end of the day, everyone is ultimately paid by the customer. There are five principal elements that make lean work: the elimination of waste; teamwork; the efficient use of resources; continuous improvement; and effective communication.

Q: A:

Why do we need a better business model, such as lean?

The reason we need a better business model is that cars have changed; they are not manufactured the same, they don’t function the same and as a result, they can’t be repaired the same. Today’s customers have also changed. They are more educated, more empowered and more knowledgeable. Whether we call it “Lean,” “Six Sigma” or the “Toyota Production System,” it’s just

a label. The bottom line is we need an absolute business transformation bringing in a better business model. Body shops have essentially operated the same way for the last 60 or 70 years. Across the board, everybody has been utilizing the same processes, and there is much waste in the system. The industry as a whole is still plagued by many of these wastes that we identified in the early 2000s. I think the primary reason is that we haven’t trained managers to manage their businesses any differently. We continue to hire managers who have experience in the collision repair industry but don’t necessarily understand how to transform business into a leaner operational platform. What advice do you give shops looking to implement the lean process?

I tell them that you have to become a student in lean. Lean only works when the owner(s) and management team embrace the process improvement and philosophy. Employees are managed differently using the lean process. Rather than dictating to them what you want them to do, you instead bring them into the problems that the business encounters and work together to make improvements. Management becomes more of a facilitator than a dictator of operational processes. Training at the top of the tower is an absolute must. I think that is where most companies can derail— when the top people don’t understand the importance of continuous learning, embracing it enough and fully believing in it confidently before they try to roll it out to the shop floor. That’s where it fails—and fails ferociously in many cases. Many people attend one 20 Group meeting or one lean process training session. I caution those who are first introduced to the lean process that they aren’t going to learn enough in one session to transform their busi-

ness successfully. They can often do more damage than good. You need to attend many sessions and read books such as “The Toyota Way” by Jeffrey Liker. That’s the first book I recommend and the bedrock of beginning to even consider implementing lean in a process improvement way that will be sustainable. Like any well-run business, it takes dedication, time and commitment from the people at the top of the organization. The lean process can often take a little additional effort because shops are undoing the traditional management learning and changing that outdated thinking into more of a process-oriented and continuous improvement philosophy. This requires considerable maintenance from the management team to keep it on track.

Q: A:

How does the lean process differ from other processes?

The lean process differs from traditional managed processes on one key element: There’s a daily obsession with eliminating non-valueadded, wasteful activities from getting

in the way of producing greater customer value. For example, if you have to order parts two or three times on a car because you didn’t do a complete, 100-percent damage analysis with disassembly and discover all of the damage and broken components the first time, then there are wasted activities. They are non-value-added because you were paid to buy or order parts one time and they were ordered two additional times. Wasteful activities can be found in administration, production and paint processes.

Q: A:

How long does it typically take to implement the lean process?

People want to put a timeframe on lean; however, it all depends on how quickly you as a leader can build the culture around it. This includes how quickly you learn it, embrace it, understand it and then communicate it. It really varies and is about getting the team to understand that everyone’s job is to continually improve the business’s processes, so they get better

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OEMs are now looking for their certified shops to have more refined processes in place, such as a front-end sales process, a scheduling process and damage analysis. Some manufacturers are starting to say you can’t get certified unless you have lean practices in place. Whether you understand lean or not, ask yourself if you are doing some of the basic elements of lean that give you a better throughput, higher quality and lower internal costs. Shops that don’t even know what lean processes are and have had no exposure to it are really going to be left behind at some point. Another vital reason is due to the new technology in vehicles. I’ve heard from OEMs that 60 percent of collision repair is going to be related to technology and electronics. This includes cameras, computers, smart wiring, calibration, road-testing and checking for functionality. All of the

See Lean Process, Page 61

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CSN Collision Centres Conference Focuses on How To Achieve Excellence by Stacey Phillips

Astronaut, IndyCar Driver and Vietnam War Survivor Featured at Annual Conference A Canadian astronaut, an IndyCar driver and a Vietnam War survivor were all part of the 16th annual CSN Collison Centres Conference held in Scottsdale, AZ, this past November. Established 16 years ago, CSN Collision Centres is a Canada-wide network of collision repair facilities with 350 locations throughout the country. Each of the collision centers

Kim Phuc, Vietnam war survivor (left) and Ashley Thorpe, national marketing manager at CSN

is hand-picked based on having the highest quality of standards and vehicle repair technology. CSN’s mission is to bring safety, reliability and trust to every Canadian. According to Jay Hayward, vice president of operations for CSN Collision Centres, “Our mission is what drives us to bring the very best service and technology to every repair to make sure our customers have peace of mind.” This year’s theme, “On the Horizon,” showcased a variety of speakers who shared personal and professional advice with body shops through inspirational stories and experiences. “I’m excited about what’s before us—an adventure that allows us the opportunity of continuous improvement and providing everybody a world-class experience,” said Flavio Battilana, CSN’s chief operating officer. Battilana talked about CSN’s recent accomplishments, including the establishment of a new head office, its new insurance partners and new licensees as well as future company plans “on the horizon.” “As we travel toward our horizon, we will encounter both challenges and opportunities, and we will 58

embrace both,” he said. “We will begin to realize that the horizon evolves, constantly moving and creating a different adventure from the one we might initially have planned for, and we will embrace that.” “At CSN, we pride ourselves on being performance-driven,” said Ashley Thorpe, national marketing manager at CSN. “We also pride ourselves on being leaders in the collision repair industry.” Thorpe introduced the keynote speaker, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who she said exemplifies those same traits. “As a 9-year-old boy, [Chris Hadfield] watched Neil Armstrong land on the moon and decided right then and there that’s what he wanted to do,” said Thorpe. “He put in the hard work and was motived to reach his goal, and sure enough, he became the first Canadian to walk in space and the first Canadian to be the commander of the International Space Station and spend 166 days in space. Our theme of the conference is ‘On the Horizon.’ Who better to

None of them were born to be astronauts. Each one of them had to take an impossible ‘over the horizon’ task and fundamentally change their own capabilities and their own perception of what was impossible to try and gain the skills to do this.” To achieve success, Hadfield encouraged attendees to visualize failure. “If you haven’t visualized all of the failures and all of the obstacles that are bound to roll out there in front of you, if you wait Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield talked about achieving until it’s too late, especially excellence. He is pictured with Ashley Thorpe, national the more isolated you are, marketing manager at CSN then your odds of success Hadfield talked about “Achiev- are much diminished … To me, that’s ing Excellence” by paralleling his the absolute best way to deal with what’s beyond the horizon,” he said. experiences with space travel. “Visualizing success is nice … it “The real responsibility of trying to do something brand-new al- doesn’t really help when the actual reways falls down to small individual ality of the problems of the world ardecisions,” he said. “Like Neil Arm- rive. If you truly want to be ready for strong, Mike Collins, Buzz Aldrin whatever challenge you are facing in and the astronauts who walked on your life, what we do professionally the moon … it starts with changing. as astronauts is visualize failure…” speak about being on the horizon than someone who has not only seen the horizon but gone well beyond the horizon?”

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He said they are then able to determine if they are prepared, how to readdress a problem and ensure they are constantly improving. Kim Phuc, a Vietnam War survivor often referred to as the “Napalm girl” or “the girl in the photo,” addressed the audience about “Staying Grounded.” Phuc, who was se-

Attendees had the opportunity to attend a vendor tradeshow with representatives from paint companies, parts and equipment suppliers, information providers and other collision repair companies.

verely burned by napalm when she was 9 years old, is best known as the naked girl depicted in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph taken during the Vietnam War. She shared what it was like when her village was bombed in 1972 and

some of the lessons she learned from her experience, how it changed her life, shaped her values and helped her become who she is today. “Sometimes terrible things can happen to us,” said Phuc. “We are lucky we can learn from our experiences, and it can make us even stronger—that was my first lesson.” In addition to motivational presentations, attendees also had the opportunity to hear business advice related to the collision repair industry. This included a CSN marketing update, an overview of the network’s 2019 business strategy and an insurance panel. Osvaldo Bergaglio, Symach’s president and CEO, gave an overview about the company’s equipment, technology and layout solutions for body shops. The Italian-based company specializes in building and retrofitting collision repair shops worldwide. During his presentation, Bergaglio shared some of the key benefits of Symach’s patented Drytronic technology, the Symach Paint Application Process (SPA) and the FixLine repair process. Tim Ronak, senior services consultant for AkzoNobel, talked about

KPIs, why some are challenging to be evaluated by and what to do about it. After giving an overview of basic statistics and the key components needed to understand KPIs, he said that typically, severity is too variable to actually be used to meaningfully measure performance.

“Like it or not, big data KPIs are being used to make decisions about your business performance whether or not the KPIs are valid,” said Ronak. “Being able to discuss those variables in an intelligent way is crucial for you to be able to deflect a negative critique, especially when it is beyond your control.” Award-winning journalist Jeff Ansell shared his knowledge on how to communicate with confidence.

Following the daytime presentations, Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe, CSN’s brand ambassador, hosted the Evening of Excellence Dinner and Awards Ceremony. Top-performing shops were recognized in a variety of categories, including CSN Dana’s in Fredericton, New Brunswick in the category of Shop of the Year. During the awards gala, Larry French, vice president of sales and marketing at CSN Collision Centres, announced that CSN shop owners and industry partners raised $175,000 for Make-A-Wish Canada. “Our CSN shops have worked extremely hard leading up to the holidays to raise funds that will help children live their dreams through the Make-A-Wish organization,” said French. “I’d like to thank all of them for their passion and commitment and going the extra mile to help kids experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” The next CSN Collision Centres Conference will be held in Quebec City in October 2019. For more information, contact Thorpe at ashleyt@csninc.ca.

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Continued from Page 57

Lean Process scanning of codes and clearing codes are going to be tied to electronics and technology. Therefore, it will be important to have an effective operational process in place to help drive precision and eliminate defects and redundancy. If we don’t, I believe it’s going to be a chaotic mess to try to fix these advanced technological platforms coming our way. We often go out and spend money on a new spray booth or frame machine. Although I’m in favor of purchasing efficient, up-to-date equipment, in a lot of cases we’ll spend our time and effort utilizing advanced equipment with broken processes when we could have worked on our processes and extracted a real return on investment. I believe it’s critical for shops to begin building a new business model based on “lean processes” to remain competitive in the future. For more information, email Feltovich at sjfeltovich@gmail.com.

Elon Musk Promises ‘Fully Autonomous’ Teslas This Year by Jordan Bowen, KCBS Radio

Fully autonomous cars that could pick up passengers and take them to their destinations will be ready by the end of this year, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Speaking on the ARK Invest podcast, Musk said he’s “fully certain” the technology is ready to go. “The car will be able to find you in a parking lot, pick you up, take you all the way to your destination without an intervention,” Musk said, who is known for splashy actions and controversial pronouncements. Developing the last “1 percent” of full autonomy is the most difficult part of the project, he said. Still, the all-electric Teslas will be “feature-complete” by the end of the year, and the tech will be even more reliable in 2020. “My guess as to when we would think it’s safe for somebody to essentially fall asleep and wake up at their destination? Probably towards the end of next year,” Musk said. The entrepreneur said regulators must decide when the au-

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tonomous features will require human oversight and derided California regulators as “overzealous” but characterized federal regulators as “good.”

Last February, the California Department of Motor Vehicles announced new rules for the testing and public use of autonomous vehicles, including protections to prevent the vehicles from being hacked. Support for the technology slipped among those surveyed in the Bay Area, following the killing of a pedestrian by an autonomous Uber vehicle in Arizona. Uber suspended testing of its autonomous vehicle program for several months to address safety concerns. Musk has previously landed in hot water with the SEC for his public pronouncements, suggesting that Tesla had secured funding to take the company private—a claim that later proved false. We thank KCBS Radio for reprint permission.

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The University of the Aftermarket Foundation is accepting applications for automotive scholarships at its Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Central website. The application deadline is March 31, 2019. Interested candidates can view a wide array of scholarship opportunities, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, available from the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and more than 30 industry organizations. Hundreds of scholarships are available for students enrolled in four-year and two-year colleges as well as ASE/NATEFcertified automotive, collision and heavy duty post-secondary schools. By completing a single application online, students can be considered for multiple scholarships for the 2019–2020 school year. To receive information and reminders about the University of the Aftermarket Foundation Scholarship Program, interested parties can text their name and email address to 720-903-2206. For more information visit www.UofAFoundation.com and www.automotivescholarships.com

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autobodynews.com / APRIL 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Volvo Imposes Speed Limits on Cars to Reduce Fatalities by Jessica Miley, Interesting Engineering

Volvo, a car company synonymous with safety, is taking it one step further by introducing speed limits on its cars. In an announcement made March 5, the Swedish carmakers said future models will have a 112 MPH (180 kmh) limit to ensure the optimal use of the vehicles’ built-in safety systems. The move is part of the company’s Vision 2020, which has the goal of ensuring that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020. Volvo’s ambition makes it a safety leader in the industry. Tech Doesn’t Make Good Drivers But Volvo understands that all the technology in the world doesn’t make good drivers. To give them the best chance at achieving their vision, the company is opening up its policies to include driver behavior. Volvo said speeding is one of its main concerns as it moves towards a fatality-free future. “Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. “Because of

our research, we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries and fatalities in our cars. And while a speed limit is not a cure-all, it’s worth doing if we can even save one life.”

Credit: Volvo

Volvo Vows to Continue to Lead the Industry The reduced maximum speed limit is just one idea to tackle the gap between driver and technology. In addition to limiting overall maximum speed, Volvo is investigating using geofencing technology that could possible automatically reduce car speeds when around schools and hospitals. “We want to start a conversation about whether carmakers have the right or maybe even an obligation to install technology in cars that change

their driver’s behavior, to tackle things like speeding, intoxication or distraction,” said Samuelsson. “We don’t have a firm answer to this question, but believe we should take leadership in the discussion and be a pioneer.” Drivers Need to Understand the Dangers of Speed Better As cars become safer and safer, they can often give the driver an inflated feeling of protection, which in turn causes poor driver behavior. Above certain speeds, in-car safety technology and smart infrastructures such as automatic braking and lane-change assist no longer work optimally. Even without these technologies, any car traveling above certain speeds has reduced handling and control, which may result in accidents. In fact, data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration shows that 25 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. in 2017 were caused by speeding. “As humans, we all understand the dangers with snakes, spiders and heights. With speeds, not so much,” said Jan Ivarsson. “People often drive too fast in a given traffic situation and have poor speed adaptation

in relation to that traffic situation and their own capabilities as a driver. We need to support better behavior and help people realize and understand that speeding is dangerous. “ Distraction, Intoxication Next On the List Volvo has identified intoxication and distraction as the other two leading causes of accidents. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a leader in causing traffic accidents despite it being illegal in most parts of the world. Distraction is a new, on-the-rise problem that is often associated with using devices while driving. Volvo vows to tackle these problems and will present its initial ideas in Gothenburg, Sweden on March 20. We thank Interesting Engineering for reprint permission.

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