September 2018 Southeast Edition by Autobody News

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New Lawsuit by State Farm Highlights Legislative Logjam Over PIP Reform in FL by Michael Moline, Florida Politics

Florida’s no-fault insurance system continues to generate fraud, judging by allegations in a lawsuit that insurer State Farm filed in federal court. The suit, filed in the Southern District of Florida on August 1, alleges three clinics cheated it out of $4.7 million. Will suits like these help break the policy logjam that has prevented the legislature from responding to problems with the state law requiring motorists to carry personal-injury protection (PIP) policies?

Not necessarily, according to Sen. Tom Lee. The Thonotosassa Republican’s PIP repeal bill died in committee last session. That was amid wrangling with the House over whether to mandate that drivers carry at least $5,000 in medical coverage. “The problem has to become more painful than the solution for consensus to develop in the legislature,” Lee said in a telephone interview. “It was clear last year that we just weren’t there yet.” Like Lee, Rep. Erin Grall, the Vero Beach Republican who carried See PIP Reform in FL, Page 16

Discussion at CIC Highlights Dramatic Changes Coming to the Industry by John Yoswick

Michael Simon, director of strategic accounts for Bosch Automotive, is the latest to remind the industry that the absence of any dash warning lights doesn’t mean a vehicle doesn’t need to be scanned. “And the diagnostic codes do not point to a repair, only a symptom,” Simon said at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Atlanta in August. “If a doctor takes your blood pressure and your blood pressure is high, what does that mean? He’s got to figure out if it’s hyper-

tension, is it stress in life, or what’s going on. It’s the same thing with codes. What does that code mean? It says something isn’t working right, but it still requires you to diagnose.” In his presentation at CIC, Simon made it clear that he was speaking personally rather than as a representative of Bosch. He said the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in new vehicles today are part of the automakers’ learning mode on the road to autonomous vehicles. “This is the start of the biggest economic and social shift of the last See Discussion at CIC, Page 20

AUTOBODYNEWS.COM

Vol. 9 / Issue 7 / September 2018

ACA Joins Auto Groups Opposing Tariffs in Open Letter to President Trump The Auto Care Association joined a coalition of major auto industry groups representing nearly 10 million jobs in the United States to urge the Trump administration to avoid imposing additional tariffs on imported autos and auto parts. In an open letter to President Trump, the seven auto groups urged the president that, “Raising tariffs on

autos and auto parts would be a massive tax on consumers who buy or service their vehicles—whether imported or domestically produced. These higher costs will inevitably lead to declining sales and the loss of American jobs, as well as increasing vehicle service and repair costs that may result in consumers delaying critical vehicle maintenance.”

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones Says He’s Hoping to Halt Proposed Auto Tariffs by William Thornton, AL.com

On July 18, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones said he and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) are working to craft a “solution” to proposed tariffs on imported automobiles, which they say could negatively impact U.S. jobs. “We hope to introduce that proposal as early as next week, after consulting with our automotive manufacturers and working with our colleagues to grow bipartisan support

for this legislation,” Jones said in remarks on the Senate floor in Washington. “I realize that folks affected by these proposed tariffs are looking for a silver bullet to stop them dead in their tracks. Right now, the only silver bullet in this case is for the President to change his mind and recognize how many jobs are at risk because of these proposed tariffs. Until that happens, we’re going to fight to protect what our states and our workers have earned.” See Hearings on Tariffs, Page 57

Car Crashes Into GA Body Shop... for the 8th Time by Tom Regan, WSB-TV

Business owners are calling for a crackdown on speeding and street racing after yet another car plowed into a repair shop in DeKalb County, GA.

A car crashed into a business on Moreland Avenue. Credit: WSB-TV

Owners Maleek and Michael Parrish told Channel 2’s Tom Regan that this is at least the eighth time in the last few years that a car has hit the shop. The stretch of Moreland Av-

enue, where the business is located, is known as a hot spot for street racing. “I don’t want a guy to get killed actually trying to make a living for his family. But the guys racing the cars don’t even care,” Parrish told Channel 2. The Parrishes came to the shop around midnight after an alarm went off. When they arrived, they discovered that a Dodge Charger on its side had plowed through a wall. DeKalb police cited and released the car’s owner, who walked away unharmed. He told police he had purchased the car a week ago. The owners said that they would like to see more aggressive enforcement of speeding and for guardrails to be installed to protect their business. We thank WSB-TV for reprint permission.

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SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

CONTENTS

Nissan Recalls 105,000 Versas for Deadly Takata Airbags

REGIONAL

NATIONAL

1Collision Network in MN, IL, MA, TN,

‘Will Your Self-Driving Vehicle Need a License?’ . . 4

ABRA Auto Body Adds Repair Center in GA . . . 12 Center Point, AL, Resident Charged With Body Shop Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Classic Collision Repair Chain To Open Location in Augusta, GA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Gerber Collision & Glass Establishes Presence in AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Hyperlocal ‘Airbag Recall: Operation Find & Fix’ Program Launched in South FL . . . . . . . . . . . 6 IGONC Enjoys a Night at the Ballpark . . . . . . . . 8 IGONC’s 2018 ASTE Will Be Largest Show in Years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 NABC Recycled Rides Gifts GA Man With Restored Vehicle at NACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 NCACAR To Host 3rd Quarter Meeting in Fayetteville, NC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 NCACAR, SCACAR Host on Ironclad Estimating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 New Body Shop for Tourist Corridor OK’d by York, VA, Supervisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 New Lawsuit by State Farm Highlights Legislative Logjam Over PIP Reform in FL . . . 1 Sisk - Regional Association Event Announcements: September 2018 . . . . . . . 30 Speeding Car Crashes Into GA Body Shop... for the 8th Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

ACA Joins Auto Groups Opposing Tariffs in Open Letter to President Trump. . . . . . . . . . . 1 Analysis: Red-Light Cameras Don’t Reduce Traffic Accidents or Improve Public Safety. . . 61 BASF Brands Getting a Facelift . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Discussion at CIC Highlights Dramatic Changes Coming to the Industry . . . . . . . . . . 1 Driverless Cars Could Transform Our City . . . . 18 Ford Commits to Spending $4 Billion on Autonomous Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Ford Has To Pay Nearly $300 Million Because Of Fatal Takata Airbags . . . . . . . . . 58 Good News: Your Tesla Model 3 Is Finally Ready. Bad News: It May Take Weeks To Get It Serviced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Attanasio - After the Donation: Retired Marine Pays it Forward as His Mission Continues . . 46 Attanasio - Dylan Maki Has Real Fish Stories

Business Practices ‘Unethical’ and Violation of UTPA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 MSCRA Introduces New Executive Director Dr. Ricki Garrett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MSO Symposium Session Spotlight: What Do I Do Now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Nashville Veteran Celebrates NABC Recycled Rides Gift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Nelson Glass Tools Announces New Glass Bot Quartermaster Tool . . . . . . . . . . . 47 New PPG Videos Display Diversity

Nissan Recalls 105,000 Versas for Deadly Takata Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Senators Want to Sneak Safety Exemptions for Self-Driving Cars Into Law . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Attanasio - To Facebook or Not? Answers

The Complexities of Truck Collision Repair . . . 40

From Experts for Body Shopsto Tell . . . . . . . 42

Trump Administration Seeks to Freeze

Ledoux - 120 Years of Body-Building Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Phillips - All-Female Body Shop Encourages the Next Generation of Auto Body Techs . . . 54 Phillips - The Power of Leadership — Tips on How To Be a Great Leader . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Roistacher - Ask the Auto Body Attorney: September 2018. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

nessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Nissan is also recalling certain 2010–2011 Nissan Versa sedans and 2010–2012 Nissan Versa hatchbacks that have ever been registered in: 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. Nissan dealers will replace the front passenger airbag inflators starting in July 2018, but concerned owners may call Nissan at 800-867-7669. CarComplaints.com has ownerreported complaints about Nissan Versa cars and many other Nissan models. We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.

Judge Finds Lousiana Collision Shop’s

Commitment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 COLUMNISTS

Nissan is recalling about 105,000 Nissan Versa cars to replace frontal passenger Takata airbag inflators at risk of exploding. The metal inflators contain the explosive propellant chemical ammonium nitrate, which degrades over time. A small fender-bender can cause the airbag inflator to blow up and send shrapnel into occupants. Nissan says various areas of the U.S. are affected by the Takata recall. Model year 2011 Nissan Versas and 2011–2012 Nissan Versa hatchbacks are being recalled if they were ever registered in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Ten-

Fuel Economy Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 U.S. Sen. Doug Jones Says He’s Hoping to Halt Proposed Auto Tariffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Uber Drops Self-Driving Trucks Soon After Debut in Autonomous Car Shift . . . . . . . . . . . 4 WAC Meeting Energizes Members. . . . . . . . . . 60 What Is the Future for New, Used Car Sales Claims? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com

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: Michelle Lucas 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. ©2018 Adamantine Media LLC.

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 51 AutobodyLaw.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 AutoNation Collision Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 56 Braman Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Carcoon America Airflow Systems. . . . . . . 31 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Coggin Deland Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Diamond Standard Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Dominion Sure Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 EMS Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 52 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 GYS Welding USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Hendrick Automotive Group. . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Hendrick Automotive Group of Charleston . 64 Hendrick BMW/MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach . . . . . . . 34 Hendrick Kia Cary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Hendrick Kia Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 28-29 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 54 Jim Cogdill Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram . . . 20

Jon Hiester Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Kernersville Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram . . 25 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 55 Launch Tech USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 61 Malco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 32-33 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . 61 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 56 Mirka USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 37 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 61 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Radley Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 RBL Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples . . . . . . . . 30 Rick Hendrick MOPAR Southeast Wholesalers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Riverside Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Robaina Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishes . . . . 5 Smith Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Southside Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 57 Symach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 West Broad Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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autobodynews.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Senators Want to Sneak Safety Exemptions for Self-Driving Cars Into Law by Angie Schmitt, Streetsblog USA

A group of senators led by South Dakota Republican John Thune wants to let companies rush selfdriving cars to market before any federal safety standards related to autonomous systems have been drafted.

A coalition of 65 consumer advocacy and street safety organizations has warned against the bill known as AV START, which would preempt state and local safety regulations of self-driving cars without spelling out any federal safety rules (although it would allow U.S. DOT to draft some). In addition,

the bill would exempt AVs from many safety standards that apply to all other cars. Each manufacturer would get an allotment of 100,000 vehicles to sell for use on public streets within three years. In a letter sent to Senators July 16, the coalition—which includes the American Public Health Association, America Walks and the League of American Bicyclists— demands the addition of public safety standards before the legislation is enacted. But Thune, the Commerce Committee chair who represents one of the most rural, least-populated states in the nation, wants to include the AV START language as a rider to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, which is viewed as a must-pass. The maneuver would prevent debate and an up-or-down vote on AV START as stand-alone legislation. The rush to pass AV START See Sneak Exemptions, Page 10

‘Will Your Self-Driving Vehicle Need a License?’

Act, a pending initiative to centralize rules for testing and then deploying In an attempt to legislate the testing self-driving vehicles. “Have any of these laws changed and ultimately the impending regular use of self-driving vehicles, a lot of anything that is happening on the government entities are weighing in, ground as automakers and others perfrom Congress to individual states and fect their prototypes?” asked session moderator Eric Paul Deneven some cities. nis, a CAR analyst. It prompted attorney “Not really,” said panJennifer Dukarski to ask elist Brian Daugherty, whether the law can keep up chief technology officer for with technology. the Motor and Equipment “It usually doesn’t,” Manufacturers Association. she said, answering her own Dukarski called the pendquestion. ing federal legislation “too Dukarski was among “States and cities slow. It’s not going to get you participants at a session tiare creating tled “Will Your Self-Driving regimes that are so there.” A goal of the bill is to Vehicle Need a License?” at restrictive,” Jennifer avoid a patchwork of state and local laws on self-drithe Center for Automotive Dukarski said. ving cars. Research’s annual ManageCredit: Roger Hart Basically, the bill tells ment Briefing Seminars. In one way or another, 36 states states and cities, “You don’t have to have become involved in overseeing do this, we already have,” said fellow autonomous vehicle testing, particu- panelist Bryant Walker Smith. “States and cities are creating larly on public roads. There are federal agency guide- regimes that are so restrictive,” said lines on matters such as whether self- Dukarski of the Butzel Long law firm driving cars will still need steering in Ann Arbor, MI. She also holds an engineering degree. “In my state, the wheels. Congress is considering the so- little city of Canton is creating its called Autonomous Vehicle START own regulatory framework of how by Steven Finlay, Wards Auto

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Uber Drops Self-Driving Trucks Soon After Debut in Autonomous Car Shift by Mike Brown, Inverse

Uber is pulling the plug on its autonomous trucks just four months after it demonstrated the vehicles shipping freight across Arizona. The ride-hailing firm has shifted plans dramatically ever since one of its autonomous cars killed a pedestrian in March, and the company told Inverse it now plans to exclusively focus on passenger vehicles. Uber bought autonomous truck firm Otto in October 2016, with CEO Travis Kalanick claiming it was part of a shift into services that “serve and elevate humanity.” Uber dropped the Otto branding in May 2017, with plans to use a 64-channel spinning lidar array on Volvo trucks using Uber’s inhouse software stack. The company revealed on March 6 that its vehicles were already moving freight across Arizona, but just 12 days later, an autonomous car killed a 49-year-old woman in Tempe, AZ, leading to an immediate halt of all self-driving vehicle operations. “We’ve decided to stop development on our self-driving truck program and move forward exclusively with cars,” Eric Meyhofer,

and when autonomous vehicles can operate in town.” Overreaching government reaction to new technology is old news, said Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina. He also is an engineer and heads a task force on on-road autonomous vehicle standards. He noted that the island of Nantucket, MA, banned automobiles in their early days. “It didn’t last because people wanted their vehicles,” he said. Daugherty said, “Regulators are struggling. You have a tug-and-pull situation. You have overreach by some people who are swimming outside their lanes.” Session panelists also discussed the inevitability of automakers facing lawsuits if a self-driving car malfunctions, causing an accident. Some of those already have occurred in test situations. A pedestrian was killed in one such incident. Smith said, “It’s safer than the one that’s just failed. That’s historic. In the early days of automobiles, when the original spokes broke, they made them thicker. When steering wheels snapped and speared drivers

head of Uber Advanced Technologies Group, told Inverse. “We recently took the important step of returning to public roads in Pittsburgh, and as we look to continue that momentum, we believe having our entire team’s energy and expertise focused on this effort is the best path forward.” The company is not dropping Uber Freight, its non-autonomous initiative that matches human truckers with shippers in a similar vein to its passenger offerings. Uber Freight continues to grow, doubling its load volume every quarter and tripling the size of its team since launching in May 2017, but the company has decided that it does not need to develop autonomous trucks to remain competitive in the space. Beyond trucks, Uber is planning to gradually return to public roads. It recently started operations in Pittsburgh again in manual mode, following a large round of layoffs for 100 existing operators. As for the employees working on the trucks, Uber plans to move them to other areas of the autonomous car business or offer them relocation or separation packages. We thank Inverse for reprint permission.

in accidents, that was fixed, too. It’s something companies do.” Dukarski touted the self-regulating effectiveness of industry oversight in autonomous car development. She said, “People say, ‘Isn’t that the fox watching the henhouse?’ Maybe it’s time to let the fox do that.” Yet, she noted, work remains in preparing self-driving vehicles for the real world of transportation. She recalled a test-drive mishap in Detroit three years ago on a road that had both lane markers and tar lines. “The vehicle followed the tar lines and almost ran into another vehicle,” she said. As automakers and other companies such as Google’s Waymo continue to develop their versions of self-driving cars, “these vehicles are constantly monitored and upgraded,” Smith said. Dukarski, who had sparred with Smith on some issues during the session, responded, “I couldn’t agree more with that.” We thank Wards Auto for reprint permission.

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autobodynews.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Hyperlocal ‘Airbag Recall: Operation Find & Fix’ Program Launched in South FL

South Florida civic and community leaders, members of the regional Airbag Recall coalitions and seven automakers launched Airbag Recall: Operation Find & Fix, a new intensive, community-focused canvassing program aimed at remedying potentially deadly, recalled airbags in neighborhoods with high concentrations of unrepaired vehicles affected by the ongoing airbag recall. According to the Independent Monitor of Takata and the Coordinated Remedy Program, approximately 1.3 million defective airbag inflators are still in need of repair across the state of Florida. The new, targeted program represents an extension of the Airbag Recall: Operation Find & Fix program launched in Southern California in June 2018. Building on the initial program, the South Florida effort comprises a canvassing operation of unprecedented scale, featuring more automaker participation than any previous airbag recall canvassing effort. Canvassers on behalf of seven automakers including BMW of North America, Daimler Vans USA LLC, FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Company, Mazda North American Operations,

Nissan North America Inc. and Volkswagen of America, Inc., will be going door-to-door to find affected drivers and help them schedule free repairs. The automakers will be targeting drivers with registered, unrepaired vehicles and offering a variety of accommodations to ensure repairs are timely and convenient. These include the op-

risk for serious injury or death is particularly acute in South Florida, as exposure to high temperatures and humidity over time exacerbates the defect in the airbag. While the Takata airbag recalls impact 19 automakers, certain 2001– 2003 Hondas and Acuras and 2006 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series

tion of having the defective airbag replaced right outside the driver’s home or in the parking lot where they work by a mobile repair technician, offering free loaner vehicles while repairs are made and free towing services to and from nearby dealerships. At least 15 people—including three Floridians—have been killed by defective airbags, and more than 220 Americans have suffered injuries, including cuts or lacerations to the face or neck, broken or fractured facial bones, loss of eyesight and broken teeth. In many cases, the fatal airbag explosions were triggered by minor collisions that the drivers should have been able to walk away from. The

trucks pose the most urgent threat and are unsafe to drive. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, defective airbags in 2001–2003 Hondas and Acuras pose up to a 50 percent or higher chance of exploding upon deployment. In February 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued the following statement with regard to 2006 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series trucks: “These vehicles have defective Takata air bags that are an immediate risk to safety. Affected owners are urged not to drive these vehicles and to contact Ford and Mazda immediately to schedule a free repair.”

“Spread the word and save a life,” — John D. Buretta

MSO Symposium Session Spotlight: What Do I Do Now?

“Many, many MSOs, both small and medium-size, are at a cross road. Some know they can sell out, but they don’t like the price. Others are finding no real buyers. Others are still energized to grow and don’t want to get out. Our panel explores some of the alternatives. And the path to resolving hard choices.” - David Roberts, Manager, Focus Bankers This was the kind of insight given by these panelists at the MSO Symposium on Thursday, August 9 in Atlanta, GA:

• Bruce Bares, President & CEO of Certified Collision Group

• Paul Gange, President & CEO of Fix Auto • Jim Keller, President of 1Collision Network

• Michael Macaluso, President of Carstar The conundrum faced by another and much larger group of MSOs

is “What to do next?” and “How do I decide?” These small to medium-size MSOs (multi-shop operators) may not be particularly invested in infrastructure, oftentimes struggle with how to meet the needs of insurers and must fight for market share with competitors and consolidators. Although it may appear that they have diminishing opportunities to expand or sell, the panel explored the opportunities and how successful shop owners overcame those challenges.

*The MSO Symposium is an exclusive event, open only to owners of large yet independent collision repair facilities, OEM representatives, insurance professionals and members of multi-shop operators (MSOs). If you are a supplier of service or equipment to this industry, a limited number of prominent industry sponsorships are available as well.

www.autobodynews.com AUTOBODY

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Local residents can find out if their vehicle has a defective airbag by visiting AirbagRecall.com. If their vehicle is affected, they can use the website to locate a local dealership and schedule a free repair. They can also check their vehicle by using the Airbag Recall app, available for free on Google Play or iTunes. The easy-touse app provides all the same information as the website, plus it allows users to scan license plates directly from their device. Parts for higher-risk vehicles are in good supply at area dealerships. Drivers who might be waiting for replacement parts for their vehicles, or who are not affected by the current recall, are also encouraged to call their local dealer and confirm their contact information is up-to-date so they can receive recall-related updates going forward. “Spread the word and save a life,” said John D. Buretta, Independent Monitor of Takata and the Coordinated Remedy Program. “If a vehicle contains a defective airbag, even a minor collision can be fatal. It’s too easy to fix and too dangerous to ignore. Check your VIN today at www.AirbagRecall.com.”

autobodynews.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

IGONC Enjoys a Night at the Ballpark On July 13, the Triangle Chapter of the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) hosted its annual Night at the Ballpark at the Durham Bulls’ ball game.

The event took place during the Bulls’ “Stranger Things” theme night, so attendees received free 1980s style headbands. The home team defeated the Charlotte Knights 5 to 2. “Several members remarked that this was the best year yet. They really

The Durham Bulls defeated the Charlotte Knights 5 to 2 during IGONC’s Annual Night at the Ballpark on July 13

This year’s event attracted more than 50 association members who enjoyed the game in two air-conditioned suites

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

According to IGONC Executive Director Bob Pulverenti, “This year, we took the event up a notch by renting two air-conditioned private suites with over 50 members in attendance. A dinner was served, including chicken wings, hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza. Our members had a great time enjoying the game, a great meal and conversation with friends, as this is our one annual event that is about socializing and fun.”

enjoyed the suite where they could stay cool and enjoy food and drinks, and the game streamed on to the big televisions,” Pulverenti shared. IGONC believes that association-sponsored events are important to members because “business owners need to be able to get support and share ideas with one another in order to grow,” stated Pulverenti. For more information about the association, visit www.igonc.com.

Center Point, AL, Resident Charged With Body Shop Burglary by Michael Seale, Trussville Patch

A 31-year-old Center Point, AL, man has been arrested and charged with the burglary of an auto body shop. On July 27, deputies were called to an auto body shop in the 20th block of 20th Court NW to investigate a burglary. It was reported that during the previous night, someone had broken into the business and stolen laptop computers. The surveillance system in the business captured images of the suspect as he was committing the burglary. A description of the suspect was provided to deputies working in the area. On July 30, a deputy spotted a man matching the description of the suspect walking in

the 2000 block of Center Point Parkway. The man was carrying a laptop of the type that had been reported stolen. The deputy stopped the man and identified the laptop as the one that had been stolen during the burglary. The suspect, 31-year-old Derrick Gardiner, was questioned by detectives and admitted to burglarizing the business. He was arrested and taken to the Jefferson County Jail to await formal charges. On July 31, detectives obtained arrest warrants charging him with Burglary 3rd Degree, Theft of Property 2nd Degree and Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree. He posted $10,300 bond and was released pending court proceedings. We thank Trussville Patch for reprint permission.

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NABC Recycled Rides Gifts GA Man With Restored Vehicle at NACE

Atlanta, GA, resident John Quinones had struggled with adversity, even while he tried to make a positive impact on the lives of others. A lack of transportation had held him back from the kind of job opportunities he desired. All of that changed August 9 with the gift of a restored vehicle from the NABC Recycled Rides program during the annual vehicle presentation at the 2018 NACE Automechanika Show in Atlanta. Quinones was presented a 2014 Dodge Avenger SE, which will provide him with years of reliable transportation that will allow him to pursue a higher paying job, a new residence and a higher standard of living. The vehicle was donated by Farmers Insurance of Atlanta. The repair work was performed by the Mall of Georgia Ford Collision Center, a Berkshire Hathaway Automotive facility. Partners like FCA donated all of the materials through Troncalli Jeep Chrysler. Quinones, who was nominated by MUST Ministries, was emotional and excited during the presentation. “I can’t believe this day,” he said. “They told me not to get emotional, but I can’t help it. Not only will I be able to get a better job and not

have to walk to work, [but] I can drive to visit my mother for her birthday and go see family in North Carolina. It really is a life-changing experience.” “It is an honor and humbling experience to be a part of each of our NABC Recycled Rides™ giftings,” said Bill Garoutte, president and CEO of the National Auto Body Council. “To help put someone on the road to achieving their career goals and a better life is what this program is all about. We wish John all the success in the future.” NABC Recycled Rides™ is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the inception of the Recycled Rides™ program in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council have donated over 1,700 vehicles valued at more than $24 million. MUST Ministries is a Georgia-based charity that addresses the basic needs of individuals, families and children with facilities in the Cobb and Cherokee counties and programs in other area counties.

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Sneak Exemptions

before safety standards are enacted is proceeding despite the killing of Elaine Herzberg by a self-driving Uber car in Tempe, AZ, this spring. A National Transportation Safety Board report revealed that Uber had programmed the car not to brake in certain situations and that the backup driver was watching TV on her phone at the time of the crash. Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer advocacy group, said the coalition doesn’t oppose selfdriving cars but wants to ensure safety protections are in place before laws legalize sales to the public. “The promise is that these are going to be safer,” he said. “There’s no requirement that these be even as safe as what we have right now. That’s really a problem.” Even Keith Crain, the longtime publisher of Automotive News, thinks lawmakers are shirking their duty to protect the public: “Autonomous vehicles may

provide the opportunity to save even more lives and prevent more injuries. But they must also adhere to the same strict standards that exist today. “It is bad enough that automakers are testing these vehicles on public roads. To even think about manufacturing these vehicles for the public without meeting today’s standards is simply irresponsible.” The coalition has proposed nine changes to the AV START legislation, including a mandate that data recorded in crashes be disclosed, and a requirement that AVs pass a “vision test” showing they can process visual information about their surroundings. Human drivers must also demonstrate that they’re licensed. We thank Streetsblog USA for reprint permission.

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MSCRA Introduces New Executive Director Dr. Ricki Garrett

in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University. Explaining how In August, the Mississippi Collision she got involved with MSCRA, GarRepair Association (MSCRA) an- rett stated, “I had previously worked nounced the appointment of a new ex- with John Morgan Hughes, the executive director: Dr. Ricki Garrett. A ecutive director and lobbyist for resident of Clinton, MS, Garrett serves MSCRA, and he asked me to assume as the alderwoman-at-large for the city. the executive director role, with the “I had previously served as executive approval of the board, so that he could director of the Mississippi Nurses As- focus on legislative issues.” Garrett is sociation and had founded the Missis- excited for the new opportunities that MSCRA members will see sippi Association of Nurse under her leadership. “I Practitioners,” she said. “I think there is tremendous also manage the Mississippipotential for growing the Speech-Language Hearing association and enhancing Association. I served a 12the educational opportuniyear term on the Board of ties for its members,” she Trustees of State Institutions said. “They will see their asof Higher Learning, gaining Ricki Garrett sociation grow and expand valuable educational experience.” In addition to teaching high its benefits, including a new partnerschool English and serving in a variety ship with CARS. There will be more of leadership positions across multiple educational opportunities and an state professional associations, Garrett expanded Southern Automotive Rehas dedicated many years to public pair Conference (SARC). We plan to service in local boards, agencies and expand and enhance the SARC Concommunity organizations. After earn- ference under our leadership and direcing a bachelor’s degree in English tion.” MSCRA’s Board of Directors from the Mississippi University for will host its next meeting on August 14 Women, Garrett went on to earn a to look at the association’s bylaws and master’s degree in English from the discuss priorities for upcoming workUniversity of Mississippi and a Ph.D. shops and the SARC. by Chasidy Rae Sisk

New Body Shop for Tourist Corridor OK’d by York, VA, Supervisors by Andrew Harris, Williamsburg Yorktown Daily

A collision repair and auto body shop will be joining the tourist corridor on Bypass Road in York, VA. Caliber Collision, the largest collision repair company in the U.S., has received approval to construct an auto body repair and painting center next to Comfort Inn. York County’s Board of Supervisors voted 5–0 in favor of the proposal July 19. The business will not provide engine work or oil changes. Rather, services include body and interior repair and painting, Caliber said. ‘If you need their services, you’re probably having a bad day already,’ Caliber Legal Counsel Vernon Geddy said before the board. ‘Their goal is to get you in and out of there as quickly and efficiently and pleasantly as possible.’ Mr. T Tire and Auto currently operates on the property. Mr. T offers vehicle maintenance and tire care services. Two residential buildings sit on an adjacent parcel, and both the homes and Mr. T Tire and Auto will be demolished so Caliber Collision can be constructed.

Carrie Crew, owner of Mr. T, said she plans to reopen the business elsewhere in town. She has yet to find a suitable location. Each building will be demolished, and in their place an 18,635-

day host a Sam’s Xpress Car Wash and gas station. The Board of Supervisors approved the car wash earlier this year. County code requires all work on vehicles to be conducted inside. However, vehicles needing repairs can be stored outside, and the application calls for a parking area in the back of the property. The developers will build a privacy fence to block views from the Wyndham Patriots Place timeshare that is behind the property. Planning staff recommended that the board deny the proposal, saying it is not A Caliber Collision auto body repair shop was approved consistent with the comprefor the site where Mr. T Tire and Auto (pictured) currently hensive plan for Bypass operates. Credit: Andrew Harris, WYDaily Road as a major tourist corsquare-foot shop with two service ridor. Lined with hotels, Bypass Road bay doors and a customer service ofis part of the Tourist Corridor Manfice will be constructed. The property, composed of five agement District, which aims ‘to proseparate parcels, faces Bypass Road vide a positive visual experience for along a front of 150 feet, according those visitors coming into and through the county,’ according to meeting docto meeting documents. The property will be accessed uments. ‘There are good arguments on through a shared driveway with the neighboring property, which will one both sides,’ Tim Cross, the county’s

deputy director of planning and development services, said before the board. ‘The proposed building would be a modern, new, attractive commercial building, and I think aesthetically we can all agree it would be an upgrade over what’s out there currently.’ The county’s Planning Commission previously voted 3–3 on the proposal in April. Cross said five surrounding property owners on Bypass Road said they were in favor of the proposal. ‘This project seems to be an attempt to continue to develop the area,’ Supervisor Walt Zaremba said. ‘I guess tourists, too, have occasional [automotive issues]. The hoteliers almost [unanimously] were in support of this thing.’ Geddy said the shop will employ between 20 and 25 people, with many of the jobs paying more than $60,000 annually. We thank Williamsburg Yorktown Daily for reprint permission.

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NCACAR, SCACAR Host on Ironclad Estimating by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Saturday, Sept. 29, the North Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (NCACAR) and the South Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (SCACAR) will co-host “Foundation to Ironclad Estimating,” presented by Roger Cada of Accountable Estimating, LLC. The training seminar will be held at Blue Ridge Color Company in Duncan, SC, which is also sponsoring the event. According to Josh Kent, director of membership for NCACAR and SCACAR, “This event is for 60 guests only and will be split between the two states. It is first come, first served. Attendees must register online. We’ll have a waiting list if we get too many from one state.” The full-day training session includes lunch and snacks, and attendees will be awarded an AMI credit and certificate at the end of the session. The cost of the training is just $50 per person for association members and $75 for non-members. For more information, visit ncacar.com or scacar.com.

Nashville Veteran Celebrates NABC Recycled Rides Gift

Nearly 300 collision repair shop owners and managers attending the Collision Advice Legacy Group’s Business Council Symposium, sponsored by Axalta Coating Systems, cheered and celebrated with a local Nashville, TN, veteran who received a newly restored vehicle from the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides™ program. The gifting was a much-needed lift for U.S. Army Veteran Ronald Dahl, who received keys to a 2010 Nissan Altima donated by State Farm and restored by Randy’s Body Shop in Paducah, KY, with parts and materials donated by a number of additional NABC members. “As a former shop owner, military veteran and now an industry consultant, it is such an honor and privilege to partner with the NABC, Axalta and one of our members, Randy’s Body Shop, to give back to someone who has served our country. We are thankful to NABC for the opportunity to be a part of such a heart-warming event,” said Mike Anderson, president of Collision Advice. “As a longtime member of the National Auto Body Council, Ax-

Abra Auto Body Adds Repair Center in GA

Abra Auto Body Repair of America recently announced the addition of a new repair center in Athens, GA—its 23rd location in the state.

Located at 1950 Jimmy Daniel Rd. in Athens, the 32,000-squarefoot center comes to Abra from the acquisition of Georgia Square Collision’s business operations in a deal that closed on August 3. The transaction was brokered by John Walcher of Veritas Advisors.

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The team of 24 employees was welcomed by members of Abra’s leadership team in a celebration in early August. “Georgia Square is a great opportunity to add a high-performing team to the Abra family and expand our services beyond the Atlanta metro area,” said Jim Kessler, Abra chief operating officer. Georgia Square Collision is ICAR Gold-designated and has a well-deserved reputation for quality. It was named “Best Auto Body Shop” in Athens for six consecutive years by readers of the Athens Banner-Herald. The center will be known as Georgia Square Collision, an Abra Company for the foreseeable future. “With Abra, the community can expect the same people, quality and service they’ve come to expect,” Kessler said.

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alta is proud to support the Recycled Rides™ program and is especially honored to be part of the celebration at Axalta’s Business

Council Symposium in Nashville, TN. We are committed to helping all of our business partners in their efforts to provide vehicles for the program,” said Troy Weaver, vice president, Axalta North America Refinish. Dahl, who served in the Army from 1982–86, moved to Nashville after he lost his job as a commercial truck driver in Maine. Unable to find immediate employment and housing, Dahl and his wife, Marcia, lived in their U-Haul truck until they received support from Operation Stand Down, which helped provide transitional housing and temporary employment. The Recycled Rides™ gift will enable Dahl

to now expedite getting his commercial driver’s license in Tennessee and find better employment opportunities. Recycled Rides™ is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. “It is an honor and humbling experience to be a part of each of our NABC Recycled Rides™ giftings,” said Bill Garoutte, NABC president & CEO. “This one was very special as it was presented at one of the largest gatherings of independent body shop owners in the United States, and the recipient was shown such a high level of respect and appreciation for his service to our country.” Since the inception of the Recycled Rides™ program in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council have donated more than 1,700 vehicles valued at more than $22 million.

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PIP Reform in FL

the House PIP bill, declined to comment on the merits of the case. “Having worked on legislation that would have repealed the PIP statute, I heard many stories about fraud and abuse,” she said in a statement to Florida Politics. “Whether the allegations in the State Farm complaint amount to fraud is a matter for the courts … (and) a jury of Floridians that have given the facts careful consideration. “While I believe moving to a fault-based system of auto insurance will naturally eliminate or thoroughly reduce fraud, the overwhelming majority of health care providers in this state operate with professionalism and integrity, and this suit shouldn’t be a standalone indicator of all providers’ treatment of the system.” The complaint alleges that three clinics—Health & Wellness Services Inc., Medical Wellness Services Inc., and the Pain Relief Clinic of Homestead, controlled principally by Beatriz Muse and her brother, Lazaro Muse, both of Miami—”orchestrated a scheme to defraud” State Farm. Beatriz Muse’s husband, Noel Santos, also is named. The 59-page complaint alleges fraud, deceptive and unfair trade practices and unjust enrichment. The clinics submitted “false, materially misleading and/or fraudulent bills and supporting records to plaintiffs for services which were not medically necessary, and in some instances were never actually rendered,” State Farm said. According to the complaint, the clinics administered a “predetermined treatment plan” regardless of the patients’ injuries. They failed to adequately examine patients to learn the true nature and extent of their injuries; diagnosed nearly everyone with “nonspecific pain/sprain/strains of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine regardless of their true condition;” and treated nearly everyone with “excessive therapy modalities regardless of the unique circumstances and needs of each patient.” Nearly every patient got an Xray scan, but the results weren’t used in the treatment plan. Patients were 16

re-evaluated “to further the predetermined treatment plan rather than as part of individualized care.” Finally, the clinics submitted documents to State Farm falsely representing that these treatments were medically necessary.

or delaying their claims. Plaintiffs who establish bad faith can recover far in excess of the amounts provided in their policies as an incentive to good behavior by carriers. “There’s probably some room for bad-faith reform, but often what

“As a result of the predetermined treatment plan at the Muse clinics, insureds were not properly examined, diagnosed or treated for conditions which they might have had; insureds were subject to medically unnecessary and sometimes excessive medical treatments; and insureds’ limited no-fault benefits were substantially depleted or exhausted, and therefore not available for appropriate treatment what the insureds may have needed.” The complaint also alleges irregularities involving five doctors listed as the clinics’ medical directors and failure to ensure that clinic staff was properly licensed and that the defendants appointed third-parties as clinic owners on paper to disguise their control of the businesses. The scheme, the complaint alleges, extended back as far as 2007. A complaint in a lawsuit tells one side of a story; the defendants have not yet filed an answer, dockets show. Moreover, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. recently questioned whether the federal courts have jurisdiction, which required an amended complaint from State Farm by August 10. Meanwhile, in the legislature, PIP repeal is likely to come up again, as are efforts to address assignment of benefits abuse and the workers’ compensation system. The legislature has struggled for years to agree on approaches to those issues. Here’s Lee’s diagnosis: “It all got caught up in the same dynamic of special interest groups battling it out over just what constitutes real reform. It all just went down in flames.” He blamed the insurance lobby for trying to “inject” language that made it harder for policyholders to sue carriers for bad-faith in denying

is presented by the insurance companies amounts to bad-faith immunity, not reform,” Lee said. “Without entirely rewriting insurance policies to alleviate the insurance companies of the traditional duty that they have to defend the insured, and to stand in and provide their expertise in helping the insured manage through a liability, you can’t pass the kind of badfaith reform the insurance industry has been proffering. “These are really complex issues. I’ve been working on them since the conference committee on

“There’s probably some room for bad-faith reform, but often what is presented by the insurance companies amounts to bad-faith immunity, not reform,” — Sen. Tom Lee

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

the medical malpractice bills during those special sessions that took place in 2003. Bad-faith was a major issue. It’s just difficult to write statutes that don’t give one side or the other a tremendous amount of leverage to force a settlement.” Toward the end of the session, Lee suggested settling for a hybrid bill to House Speaker Richard Corcoran. “If you like your PIP, you can keep your PIP,” he said. “But everybody who’s willing to move to a mandatory bodily injury (BI) policy can drop their PIP. That would have been a substantial savings for a lot of people.” Around 10 percent of the driving population carry PIP only, Lee said. We thank Florida Politics for reprint permission.

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Driverless Cars Could Transform Our City by Mike Clark, The Florida Times-Union

Jacksonville, like most Florida cities, was built for cars. The Expressway Authority, established in the 1950s before consolidation, put Jacksonville ahead of the curve in providing easy access to this county of 840 square miles. The old streetcars that once traveled along Main Street are a forgotten thing of the past. But now the county is filling up, driverless cars are on the horizon, express bus service is expanding and the benefits of walkability are becoming recognized. Downtown and its nearby neighborhoods are prime locations for a return to the past in which one-person auto rides represent just one way to get around. A special section in The Wall Street Journal explored some of the changes. “As the arrival of driverless cars gets closer, cities are scrambling to get ready,” the article stated. And Jacksonville is at the forefront with

ers sharing the roadways. A trip from the suburbs downtown could begin with a rental bike to a transit station, a 20-minute ride followed by a robot taxi for the final Here are a few of the possibilities ex- mile to an office. plored in the article: In an era of massive information, there would be something like an air traffic control system for ground On-demand public transit You get on an app, request a vehicle travel. The needs of commuters could and it arrives promptly, perhaps with be anticipated by a smart transit system. For instance, enough robot taxis would be sent to a transit vehicle, anticipating the needs. Would these robot vehicles be operated by a governmental unit like the JTA, a private company like Uber or both? The JTA has been testing a driverless vehicle that could be The use of synchronized used as the future of the Skyway. Credit: Florida Times-Union traffic signals can dramatia driver, perhaps not. The key: less cally improve the efficiency of driving. Jacksonville has underinvested waiting. Streets are converted with more in this technology. Is there anything green space, more areas for walkers more frustrating than to be stopped at a light with no traffic entering the and fewer dangers to pedestrians. The transition period could get con- intersection? This frustration is probfused with robot cars and human driv- ably why running red lights is a Jackits driverless car experiments, an attempt to capitalize on the Skyway without having to build expensive new additions.

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sonville tradition. One system can reduce waiting times at traffic lights by as much as 42 percent. There could be less need for parking space since autonomous vehicles could be located away from the Central Business District when not in use. Research shows that a fully operational system of robot taxis could mean that a central city would need just 15 percent of its conventional cars. There are potential downsides, of course. Let’s say a parent takes children to three different afterschool events in one vehicle. Now imagine the kids using three different vehicles including several robot taxis. And how do you pay for this new transportation network? One idea is a user fee or a tax on vehicles on a per-mile basis. The biggest unknown is safety. While many Americans are willing to accept the dangers on our roads, are we willing to accept the same ac-

cidents from robot-driver cars? Other Innovations The Wall Street Journal article imagines several innovations that are technically possible now:

• Smart park benches: Park benches come with sensors to track when and where they are used. They also can include phone chargers and power outlets. • Smart trash bins: Thanks to an internet connection, the trash bins can send alerts when they are full.

• Driverless pizza delivery: Dominos-Ford and Pizza Hut-Toyota are experimenting with a system in which customers collect a pizza from the back seat of a driverless car. Customers liked not having to tip, but there were occasional issues for the driverless cars in finding a place to park in an apartment complex. We thank The Florida TimesUnion for reprint permission.

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Classic Collision Repair Chain To Open Location in Augusta, GA by Joe Hotchkiss, The Augusta Chronicle

Augusta, GA’s emerging high-tech sector has attracted another business—an auto collision repair chain making its first appearance outside the Atlanta area. Classic Collision was expected to open its 22nd location on Wednesday, August 1, at 3069 Washington Rd. The company also plans to open a Grovetown location by next spring. Tracy Bryant will be Classic Collision’s regional manager, based in Augusta. An Augusta native, Bryant had worked for Kendrick Paint and Body, a local repair chain dating back to the 1950s, with six locations in Georgia and South Carolina. After Bryant and Kendrick parted ways and he took a job with Classic, “We both agreed that Augusta needed a good high-quality, high-volume collision center, and here we are today,” he said. The center will be on the former site of a Toyota dealership that Milton Ruben Auto Group bought in 2009 and moved further up Washington Road. In 2011, Jeff Richards, co-owner of area Bob Richards Toyota and Nissan dealerships, bought

the property as an investment. At one point, the property was being touted by developers as yet another potential retail strip for Washington Road.

Classic Collision Regional Manager Tracy Bryant looks out at some of the 30 repair bays being fitted at the business’s new 70,000-square-foot facility on Washington Road. Credit: Joe Hotchkiss, The Augusta Chonicle

But when Classic Collision’s managers saw industry-related “heat maps” showing rising demographics in the Augusta area, the business decided it needed to branch outside of metro Atlanta. “We’re looking for growing markets—markets that are on the

rise,” Bryant said. “Of course Augusta is attractive to Classic because of all the growth with the Cyber Command and [with] the population count as well.” The Army is expected to finish moving its Cyber Command to Fort Gordon by 2020, bringing tens of thousands of people to the area. The military component of the area’s growth also was a contributing factor for Classic to locate in the area. “Augusta and Grovetown are ideal locations for Classic Collision,” said Alan Craighead, Classic’s training coordinator/manager. “The military and high-tech development is booming. With our strong relationships with insurance companies such as USAA and GEICO, who support the military, it makes a great fit.” Bryant said Classic will be the biggest auto collision center in Augusta, both in square footage—at 70,000 square feet—and in revenue. When fully established, the business is expected to bring in about $800,000 a month, Bryant said. We thank The Augusta Chronicle for reprint permission.

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Discussion at CIC

100 years,” he said. “Think about how many businesses and people will be affected by this technology change.” To offer some perspective on the transformation that is likely to occur in the coming decade, Simon reminded CIC attendees what the key new features were of the best-selling car 10 years ago: the 2008 Toyota Camry. “It had some darker wood; the backseats reclined; there was an optional stability system, and I think that was one of the first years where a hybrid version was available,” Simon said. “Now look at the 2018 Camry. The notable features include a bird’s eye view camera with perimeter scan. A pre-collision system that’s not just stopping the car, but stopping the car and trying to swerve out of the way. Lane departure alert and assist is standard. Automatic high beams. And dynamic radar cruise control.” He said the electrification of vehicles has been slower than he expected, but that by 2028, there will be an estimated 120 million electric vehicles on the road. “Next year you will see a lot of [electric] cars with a 300-mile range,” he said. “And charging time is getting better …You can get 180-mile charge in about 20 minutes.” Far fewer people will own their own car, he said, when they can page a driverless vehicle to pick them up. “The car [population] will probably be significantly smaller,” Simon said. “This one study I read said the 250 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2018 will drop to 33 million by 2050.” The number of hours those vehicles will be on the road, however, will increase by 400 percent. Returning to the topic of scanning, Simon said a pre-repair scan of vehicles gives collision repairers the information needed to “design a reliable work flow.” He said a good aftermarket scan tool will “cover about 95 percent of what’s out there,” though he acknowledged that may not include a current model year vehicle when it first hits the road. “In cases where the tool doesn’t cover it, there are companies that

offer services where you are connected to the OE tool,” he said. “You also can partner with shops that may have the OE tool.” Use of Aftermarket Tools Discussed But during the question-and-answer session that followed, trainer and consultant Mike Anderson of Collision Advice challenged Simon’s assertion that an aftermarket scan tool is adequate for collision repairers. He said in his experience, use of an OE scan tool or service is the only way to determine if a vehicle is subscribed to a telematics system like OnStar, and if so, temporarily disable the system during repairs. “If I have a vehicle that’s connected to the internet, and I do not disable that OnStar-type system, it will generate emails to that consumer [during repairs] and I will get consumer complaints,” Anderson said. Chuck Olson of AirPro Diagnostics, which offers remote scanning services, said there are manual procedures to disconnect telematics systems. And Jim Silverman of the Automotive Training Institute said that while he respects Anderson, he is concerned about the concept of arguing for the use of only OE scan tools. “I think everybody in this room needs to think about it: If we promote using only OE scan tools, if we tell the OEs we agree with that, then the next step is using only OE shops,” Silverman said. “They’re going to say only use our shops. I don’t think any of us want that.” During the discussion, Jake Rodenroth of asTech, which also offers remote scanning services, said the industry may be so focused on the issue of scanning that fundamental repair elements are being overlooked. “In our [ADAS] calibration center in Dallas, we are seeing a high failure rate of vehicles that have been repaired in collision shops and brought in for calibration,” Rodenroth said. “In terms of radar cameras and things like that on the front of the car, we’re seeing about a 30 percent failure rate. The vehicles weren’t straight enough for calibration. And we’re also seeing about a 50 percent failure rate on blind spot calibration. As a repair community, we need to check ourselves. We’re still an industry that fights over whether the car is

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

going to get measured or aligned. When you have systems that are pulling reference materials based on the center line of the car, that’s a little bit of an issue.” Also at CIC In other news and discussion at CIC in Atlanta:

• Jeff Peevy, president of the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), was named the new chairman of CIC for 2019. Peevy, who spent 16 years with I-CAR prior to taking the helm at AMI in 2015, currently co-chairs the CIC’s “Education and Training Committee.” He was selected by the previous CIC chairmen to succeed Guy Bargnes, who led the conference in 2017 and 2018.

from the steering wheel or launched projectiles into what would be the interior of the vehicle. “We have yet to test a counterfeit airbag that works properly,” Ruttencutter said. Collision repairers can get more information or report suspected counterfeit airbags through the agency’s website (www.iprcenter.gov).

• Bill Garoutte, CEO of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) said that since 2007, NABC’s Recycled Rides program has resulted in more than 1,700 vehicles being rehabbed and donated to people in need. The program is on track in 2018 to average one car per day. Anderson of Collision Advice said the 294 shop locations that participate in 20 groups he leads for Axalta Coating Systems have committed to repairing and giving away 300 vehicles on a single day next year. Recycled Rides is one of NABC’s initiatives to “exemplify the professionalism and integrity of the collision repair industry.”

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IGONC’s 2018 ASTE Will Be Largest Show in Years by Chasidy Rae Sisk

From Sept. 28–29, the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) will host its 2018 Automotive Service and Technology Expo (ASTE) at the Embassy Suites and Convention Center in Cary, NC. According to IGONC Executive Director Bob Pulverenti, “It is by far the largest show we have had in years, with 19 speakers, 33 classes and more social events, including comedian Kody Steele at the awards banquet.”

Attracting repair shop owners, service advisors and automotive technicians, the ASTE is the largest automotive aftermarket event held in the Carolinas and attracts some of the industry’s top trainers, who will deliver a plethora of information. The 2018 ASTE will kick off on Thursday evening with a reception pre-party at Rally Point, followed by an IGONC Hospitality Suite. The educational portion of the event will commence on Friday morning with a variety of informative seminars. Rick White of 180BIZ will present “Change Is a Given”; ATI’s Jim Silverman will discuss “Effective Succession Planning”; and David Patrick, instructor for the CARQUEST Technical Institute, will focus on “Asian Security Systems Theory and Operation.” Also on Friday morning, GM’s Chris Peace will cover “Duramax 6600 Diesel Engine”; Aaron Stokes of AutoFix and EuroFix will present “ARO Killers – Simple Systems for

Raising Your Average Repair Order”; and ACDC CEO Craig VanBatenburg will teach a seminar on “CAN Bus and Sensors for the Confused.” Dirk Fuchs, ZF Aftermarket technician training manager, will discuss “Volkswagen DSG Transmission”; industry speaker Jimmy Lea will present “You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure”; and “The Digit Shop® Model – 7 Touch Points of Motorist Engagement” will be presented by Uwe Kleinschmidt, founder and CEO of AutoVitals. During lunch on Friday, Carm Capriotto, founder and host of Remarkable Results Radio, will mediate a Technician Town Hall Forum focused on everything related to technicians, including the technician shortage, retaining technicians, training, benefits and more. The panelists for the forum will be Chris Chesney from CARQUEST, Amy Mattinat of Auto Craftsman, Lucas Underwood from L&N Performance and Jim Lasley of Wilson’s Garage. In addition to the continuation of White’s all-day seminar, Friday afternoon will feature seven educational options: “How to Put on a Successful Women’s Car Care Clinic and Brand Your Shop as THE Expert in Your Community” by Mattinat; David Patrick’s “Current Probe Revisited”; Peace’s “Diesel Emissions and the Aftertreatment”; “A Mobile Tech’s Tips & Tricks for Diagnostic Techs” presented by Edwin Hazzard, who owns South East Mobile Tech in South Carolina; VanBatenburg’s “High Voltage Battery Packs”; Fuchs’ “Modern Chassis Technology”; and “Communication and Management: Millennials & Generation Y” presented by Mandee Bradshaw, VP of client acquisition at Management Success. Friday evening will feature the Hotel Manager’s Reception and ASTE Pizza Party, followed by the

NCACAR To Host 3rd Quarter Meeting in Fayetteville, NC by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Thursday, August 16, the North Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (NCACAR) will host its third quarter meeting at the Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) Autobody Training 22

Center. The meeting will feature Mike Cassata’s presentation titled “Insights of a DRP Manager,” and Doug Irish of FTCC will provide a tour of the college’s facility and its collision program. For more information, visit www .ncacar.com.

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

highly anticipated Casino Night, a crowd favorite. The evening will end with the nightly Hospitality Suite. Saturday morning, the final day of the 2018 ASTE, will commence with the option of eight educational presentations. White will present “Marketing on a Shoestring Budget,” while Autoshop Solutions Inc. CEO Danny Sanchez discusses “Building a Winning Culture.” Patrick will cover “Ford EcoBoost Platforms Operation and Diagnosis”; Stokes will teach attendees “How to Grow Your Shop – The Real Reason You’re Not Succeeding”; and VanBatenburg will focus on “Electric Cars: Chevy Bolt, Tesla S, and BMW i3.” As “8 Speed Hybrid Transmission” is taught by Fuchs, Master ASE Certified Automobile Technician Jeff Bly will present “Scan Tool Proficiency,” “Robots Loose in the Streets” will be discussed by Donny Seyfer, executive officer for the National Automotive Service Task Force, and Jill Trotta, senior director of industry advocacy and sales at RepairPal, will present “Price Transparency and the Autocare

Consumer: How to Use it to Your Advantage.” Lunch on Saturday will feature the annual ASTE vendor trade show from 11:45 a.m. until 2:15 p.m., followed by the afternoon’s seminars, which include: White’s “The Customer Says ‘NO!’ Now What?,” Mattinat’s “Increase Your Sales with Women,” Patrick’s “Gasoline Direct Injection: Essential Operation & Testing,” Silverman’s “Fixing a Dysfunctional Courtesy Check Process,” Edwin Hazzard’s “When to Scope and When to Scan,” Fuchs’ “Drivetrain Technology,” “S/P2 President Kyle Holt’s “End the Shortage! Growing Your Own Technicians,” and CARQUEST Instructor Peter Orlando’s “Vehicle Fluids: Lubricant and Filtration Technologies.” IGONC’s 2018 ASTE will conclude on Saturday night with the Hotel Managers Reception, the IGONC Annual Awards Banquet and the evening’s Hospitality Suite. For more information on the 2018 ASTE, visit www.asteshow.com.

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Bruce Roistacher has tried in excess of 100 jury trials in federal and state courts. He is a former NYC prosecutor and has previously represented insurance companies, which can be a great advantage to his automotive clients. Bruce can be reached at Bruce@AutobodyAttorney.com or by phone at 866-Law-MANN.

Auto Body Attorney with Bruce Roistacher

Ask the Auto Body Attorney: September 2018 I want to thank all of the shop owners around the country who have favorably responded to my initial column from last month. If you have a question or concern about any legal issue that may arise in your business, don’t hesitate to contact me at 1-855-Law-Mann or contact Autobody News. Although I can’t give legal advice, I can give a general opinion about your issue and point you in the right direction. In this edition, I want to explain some very basic definitions of terms that you may see me discuss in future columns. You may experience some of the following in your day-to-day business:

1. OEM – This is simply Original Equipment Manufacturer parts and equipment that may be marketed by a manufacturer. However, these parts

are assembled and installed during the construction of a new vehicle. They are in contrast to after-market parts, which are subsequently installed, e.g.., Champion sparkplugs, Kinsler fuel injectors, BMP engine blocks. You have to be careful because many auto parts are sold through multiple brands, causing some vehicles to have non-OEM parts. This area contributes to much of the litigation that is currently taking place, i.e., the State Farm case that I discussed in my prior column. Another topic that unfortunately occurs is the situation where insurance companies short shops on payments regarding OEM vs. after-market parts. Shops should fight back! There have been successful verdicts and settlements around the country on this issue and many others. 2.

CAPPING – Watch out for com-

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

panies capping labor rates and paint materials itemized, such as PaintEx. They may have no legal basis in capping or even outright rejecting your hard-earned payments – they add up! Gamesmanship by the insurance industry is alive and well, i.e., their latest word game is called a calculator. Why, you might ask? It’s simple and means nothing. PaintEx is a presentation that falls under the gaap rule (generally accepted accounting principles). These are the same rules that every insurance company uses every day. PaintEx is only one example of many that insurance companies attempt to reject because it saves them money and at the same time takes money out of your pocket. 3. UNFAIR PRACTICES – Insurance companies will deny, delay and try to defend and use methods such as steering, totaling and negotiating un-

fairly. The insurance companies will keep getting aggressive unless shop owners push back.

4. ASSIGNMENTS – Assignments from your customer, the insured, are crucial to obtain and must be legally sufficient. They legally put you, the shop owner, in the legal position of your customer for negotiating and subsequent litigation with insurance companies, if required. Each state may have their own requirements, which must be followed precisely.

5. SHOP SAFETY – Lately, the entire topic of environmental rules and regulations has become extremely important in your day-to-day business. This is particularly common regarding respiratory protection and hazard communication. My suggestion is to issue written warnings to your employees to create what we call informed consent.

This can later be used as evidence to prove that legal and sufficient notice of any potential danger has been given to your employees. Remember, employee safety is a must and proper safety equipment and environmentally acceptable chemicals have to be used, as both Federal and State agencies may visit your shops for inspection. They have the power to commence legal action against your shop, which could lead to fines and even put your permits or license in jeopardy. 6. TOTALING – In their neverending effort to “tighten the belt,” the practice of totaling, i.e., when insurance companies declare an automobile too damaged for repair when you know that it is repairable. This process obviously saves the companies the expense of parts and labor. The result? You lose business. Insurance companies have long used the method of favoring certain shops, perhaps in your area, to obtain favorable rates. Although it is perfectly understandable that any business has an absolute right to make profits, cut

expenses and costs and deal with certain companies, they can’t do it by illegall and/or unfair means. That applies to small businesses as well as to the largest companies in the world that have faced scandal or criminal conviction, such as Archer Daniels Midland, Bankers Trust, BP, British Airways, GE, International Paper, Samsung, Sears Roebuck and Company, Tyson Foods, VW, Waste Management and many more. Let me be clear: It is my opinion that the time has come that shop owners who have suffered serious financial loss due to any unfair practice by an insurance company begin to take legal action in an attempt to recover their hard-earned gains. 7. TORTIOUS INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – If not criminal, almost every state recognizes the principle of tortious interference with business relations. This concept can be known by different names such as “intentional interference with contractual relations” or a “tort of negligent interference,” depending on the state that your business is in. It happens when one entity inten-

tionally damages someone else’s contractual or business relationship with a third party, causing economic harm. It can also occur if it happens without intent but in a negligent manner. Courts have held that tortious interference of business relations can occur when false claims against the business are made, which can affect reputation that drives business away. Each state requires proof of certain factors, including proof of damages or the harm caused. If proven, there might even be punitive or a punishing award that may increase any judgment rendered. Examples are when insurance companies or appraisers intentionally or negligently comment or publish untrue statements that downgrade a particular shop for another to a potential customer. The aforementioned scenario has been the subject of litigation around the country, and there have been some large verdicts that have been returned against insurance companies.

8. DEFAMATION – Very close and part of the above concept is the area of defamation.

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Reputation is a valuable asset in any business. A damaged reputation can result in significant financial hardship. As previously stated, statements made to a third party about a particular shop—if untrue and actual damages can be proven that are directly related to those false statements—can be used to prove a claim of defamation. States obviously vary. However, the usual requirements are the following: (1) your reputation must be harmed and you must be able to prove it; (2) the statement must be false and you must be able to prove it; (3) you must identify the entity or person who made the statement; (4) you must have suffered provable damages directly relating to the above. The above are only an introduction to some of the most common legal issues that have wound up in our courts, and many have involved insurance companies and/or their appraisers. If you feel that you have been the victim of any of the aforementioned actions by an insurance company and have suffered damages directly related to their actions, you should consult an experienced attorney for legal advice. See you next month!

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In Reverse with Gary Ledoux

120 Years of Body-Building Changes The first auto body designers and builders represented what was already an old established craft. People had been traveling in wheeled carriages for hundreds and hundreds of years. But at the dawn of the 20th century, they would be powered not by horses or some other draft animal, but by some sort of motive power. It mattered little to early body builders if vehicles were propelled by a gasoline engine, electric power or steam. Their task was to create a conveyance that would carry people—period. The body builders contended that if the carriage designs of the late 1800s were good enough for horses, they were good enough for engines. And so it was that wood was the first automotive substrate. One of the earliest references to an automotive body comes from the story of a doctor in Youngstown, OH. In June 1895, Dr. Carlos Booth experienced a runaway situation with his wagon and team of horses. Not wanting to experience that again, he designed motor vehicle and commissioned a local shop to build it. Among its many features was a “body designed to hide the engine and the mechanisms of the vehicle.” (This is perhaps the earliest reference to an automobile body that served primarily as an aesthetic portion of the vehicle.) He is purportedly the first doctor in American to make house calls in a motor vehicle. It’s unknown if his car ever needed body work. A short time later, in 1897, a car named the Hugot hit the street with a wicker body. It was certainly lightweight. The bad news was it couldn’t take much of a hit. The first U.S.- built auto to use a steel body (in the midst of a world of wooden bodies) was the 1901 Eastman Steamer. The first to have an aluminum body was the 1902 Marmon. Both the Eastman and Marmon were built with all-wood frames to which metal panels were pinned. For the most part, cars were primarily made of wood or wood and some steel. The wooden body panels of

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

those early cars restricted body designers. Wood can only be steamed and bent into simple curves. When applied to wooden frames, the body panels of one make of car looked pretty much like those of any other make. When sheet steel and aluminum came along, this sameness in appearance started to change. If you think using adhesives to hold car bodies together is something new in the 21st century, think again. Body engineers used caseinbased glue to hold early wooden body members together on the Cadillac, Columbia, Locomobile and Peerless from 1898 to 1904. Casein is a chemical found in milk, which is highly water-resistant. Many people point to 1979– 1980 as the beginning of the age of the unibody car. However, in 1916 the Ruler Auto Company manufactured 3,000 unibody vehicles dubbed the Ruler Frameless. Body members were fashioned into tubular form to give metal the rigidity it needed to do without a frame. The engine and suspension members rested on a platform. In October 1919, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association held the first “Closed Car Salon” auto show featuring only closed-body vehicles. Open-body vehicles were the norm of the time, but more and more were closing them. Oddly, many people did not like closed-body vehicles and considered them too ostentatious, not unlike “riding around in a display case.” The enclosed body, largely made of wood, was a cabinet-maker’s work of art. However, building it was arduous and time-consuming. The final product was not light, silent, nor especially durable. But it gave rise to the need for body technicians. The growing use of stamped metal parts would soon speed the process of coach-building. By the 1920s, some wood and sheet metal was being replaced with a new material—Vehisote. Not unlike the use of aluminum today, Vehisote was lighter weight and more versatile for the growing size of ve-

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

hicle and light truck bodies. The Agasote Millboard Company was founded in England in 1909, producing a sort of fiberboard made from recycled paper and glue formed into 4 X 8 foot sheets under extreme heat and pressure. (This sounds a lot like today’s plywood.) The process was brought to the U.S., and in 1915 various car companies began using the large sheets to create roofs on cars made of both wood and steel. The sheets were also known as “Vehisote,” part of the “Homosote” family of products. Vehisote was a favorite material for building truck bodies in the 1920s. By the 1930s, most car companies were using the body-on-frame car-building format that would last for more than 40 years! But not everyone “got the memo.” In 1940, the Budd Company of Detroit was the first to create what is known today as a uni-

body construction vehicle. Nash Motors was the first automaker to contract with Budd for the new body format. And then there was this: Time magazine of August 25, 1941 reported, “The first plastic car was shown by Henry Ford in Dearborn last week. His plastic, consisting of 70 percent cellulose, derived from hemp, sisal and wheatstraw, with a resin binder, is made of soybeans, wheat, cotton, hides, plus a few imported, now hard-to-get ingredients including cork, rubber, tung oil. The material was supposedly lighter than steel and could withstand 10 times the impact.” It sounds like the “grandfather” of high-strength steel. In 1943, Boeing Aircraft Company designed an automobile slated for post-war production. Its design, not surprisingly, was heavily influSee 120 Years, Page 60

autobodynews.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. HONDA ALABAMA

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

Holman Honda of Ft. Lauderdale

Gwinnett Place Honda

Ft. Lauderdale

800-277-8836 678-957-5151

Freeway Honda

Classic Honda

Birmingham

Orlando

800-987-0819 205-949-5460

888-893-4984 407-521-1115

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 greg_thomas@freewayhondaal.com

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

Jerry Damson Honda

Coggin Deland Honda

Huntsville

Deland

Rick Case Honda

800-264-1739 256-382-3759

800-758-0007 386-626-1811

Davie

678-318-3155

877-544-2249

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

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

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

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

Ed Morse Honda

South Motors Honda

Gainesville

R i viera Beach

Miami

800-232-1098 561-844-8089

888-418-3513 305-256-2240

770-534-0086 678-989-5473

888-205-2564 727-530-1173

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5; Sun 10-3 santosr1@autonation.com

Headquarter Honda Cler mont

Carey Paul Honda

AutoNation Honda Hollywood

800-497-2294 407-395-7374

770-985-1444

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

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

Hendrick Honda Bradenton

Ed Voyles Honda

Bradenton

Marietta

877-706-2021 941-752-2123

800-334-3719 770-933-5870 Direct

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

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

Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach

Gerald Jones Honda

888-792-7189 954-763-7157 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30 rguido@holmanauto.com

Duluth

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

Honda Mall of Georgia

Buford/Gwinnett

Milton Martin Honda FLORIDA

AutoNation Honda Clearwater C l e a r wa t e r

H o l l y wo o d

800-542-8121 954-964-8300 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-5 hernandeze@autonation.com

Braman Honda of Palm Beach G re e n a c re s

888-479-0695 561-966-5185 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@bramanhondapb.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com

Nalley Honda

GEORGIA

Union City

Snellville

866-362-8034 770-306-4646 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-5 hondawp@nalleycars.com

Southern Motors Honda Savannah

888-785-8387 912-925-1444

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

P o mpano Beach

954-425-8244 Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7-6; Sat 7-5; gerardbruno@hendrickauto.com

Augusta

800-733-2210 706-228-7040 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 tdunn@geraldjoneshonda.com

Patty Peck Honda Ridgeland

800-748-8676 601-957-3400 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 pmartin@pattypeckhonda.com

ACURA ALABAMA

GEORGIA

Jerry Damson Acura

Duval Acura

Jackson Acura

Huntsville

J acksonville

Roswell

Savannah

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

FLORIDA

Acura of Orange Park J a ck s o n v 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

FLORIDA

F o rt Lauderdale

Marietta

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

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Southern Motors Acura

NO. CAROLINA

Flow Acura Winston-Salem

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

NO. CAROLINA

Apple Tree Honda

Vann York Automall

Asheville

H i g h Point

800-476-9411 828-684-4400

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

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

Crown Honda Southpoint Durham

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 Charlotte

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

Leith Honda Raleigh

800-868-6970 919-790-8228 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5 parts@leithhonda.com

McKenney-Salinas Honda Gastonia

888-703-7109 704-824-8844 x 624 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 parts@mshonda.com

Metro Honda I n d i 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

NO. CAROLINA

336-841-6200 SO. CAROLINA

Breakaway Honda G re e n ville

800-849-5056 864-234-6481 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 fmarshall@breakawayhonda.com

Hendrick Honda Easley E a s l ey

888-513-5869 864-850-1200 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 christopher.gagnon@hendrickauto.com

Midlands Honda C o l u mbia

877-273-4442 803-691-8585 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com

Piedmont Honda

TENNESSEE

VIR G I N I A

AutoNation Honda West Knoxville Knoxville

800-824-1301 865-218-5461 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 rossd1@autonation.com

Bill Gatton Honda Bristol

800-868-4118 423-652-9545 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-1 hondaparts@billgattonhonda.com

Wolfchase Honda Bartlett

800-982-7290 901-255-3780 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda.com

Norfolk

800-277-2122 757-687-3453

800-849-5057 864-375-2082

Colonial Honda

Airport Honda

Valley Honda Staunton

800-277-0598 540-213-9016 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-5 bwimer@myvalleyhonda.com

800-446-0160 804-672-8811 Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7:30-6:30; Sat 8-5 wbhonda@aol.com

A l c oa

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

TENNESSEE

VIRGINIA

B re n t wood

Falls Church

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

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

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

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

Gary Force Acura

800-868-0082 919-657-0460

Woodbridge

703-690-7777

Chester

Charlotte

Cary

Hendrick Honda Woodbridge

800-564-9836 804-414-1960

Hendrick Acura

Leith Acura

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto.com

Richmond

Checkered Flag Honda

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

TENNESSEE

800-482-9606 757-431-4329

West Broad Honda

VIRGINIA

A n d e rson

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

Hall Honda Virginia Beach

Radley Acura

VIRGINIA

Karen Radley Acura Wo o d b ridge

800-355-2818 703-550-0205 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup.com autobodynews.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Associations Assembling 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.

Regional Association Event Announcements: September 2018 Please see below for upcoming regional automotive association events taking place in September. ASA-CO To Host 2 Training Sessions ASA-CO will hold two exciting training opportunities in September. On Sept. 24 and 25, Greg Marchand will teach “Growing Your Customer Base” at Advance Auto Parts (CARQUEST) in Denver, CO from 6 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. each night. The course will explore the simple things that often get overlooked but can allow a repair facility to increase their customer base. Attendees will learn how to effectively use customer satisfaction, customer referrals, quality control and consistency to increase their customer base in a controlled and profitable manner during this interactive training seminar. On Sept. 26 and 27, Marchand will teach industry professionals

about “Exceptional Customer Handling Skills” in Fort Collins, CO. For more information about either of these training seminars, visit www.asacolorado.org.

ASA-CO To Host 1st Annual Golf Tournament On Sept. 16, ASA-CO will host its first annual ASA-CO Golf “Fore” ASA Green Tournament at the Homestead Golf Course in Lakewood, CO. In addition to a round of golf, the four-person scramble will feature contests, prizes and networking opportunities galore. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Early bird registration is available for $110 per player ($440 for a team of four) until August 31. After August 31, the price is $125 per player ($500 for a team of four). Proceeds from the event benefit ASACO initiatives and its Automotive

Student Scholarship Fund. For more information, visit www .asacolorado.org. ASA-Midwest To Host Leadership Summit From Sept. 7–9, ASA- Midwest will host its 2018 Leadership Summit at Lake of the Ozarks in MO. This event provides an opportunity for association members to share ideas, celebrate accomplishments and renew their commitment to industry excellence. For more information, visit www .asa-midwest.org. PPG’s Robb Power To Teach ASA-OH How To Optimize Performance Through Repair Planning From Sept.18–20, ASA-OH will host a workshop titled “How to Optimize Performance Through Repair Planning,” presented by Robb Power,

senior management of business solutions for PPG Automotive Refinish. Tuesday’s workshop will be held at Ohio Auto Kolor in Columbus, OH, with Thursday’s session taking place at ESC of Cuyahoga County in Independence, OH. During the workshop, Power will explain the impact traditional estimating processes have on collision business work flows, and he will provide detailed instructions and demonstrate the benefits of the Repair Planning Process as well as provide a list of dos and don’ts for successful implementation. The workshop is intended for shop management, estimators, parts personnel and technicians. It is available to ASA-OH members at a cost of $45 for members and $90 for nonmembers. For more information, visit www .asaohio.org.

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St. Louis I-CAR Committee, CREF To Co-host Job Fair The St. Louis I-CAR Committee and the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) will co-host their 2018 Job Fair for the Collision and Automotive Industry on Friday, Sept. 21 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, IL. More than 650 automotive and collision students from local high schools and colleges plan to attend in addition to 650 local STEM students. Last year’s event attracted 1,487 students, and this year is shaping up to be competitively attended. Fees collected over the cost of the career fair will be distributed back to participating technical schools that fill out the paperwork for the CREF Make-Over Grant. For more information, contact Gene Slattery (gene@automotive technology.com) or Shelly Jones (sjones@abraauto.com). CCRE To Host Educational Seminar in Atlanta The Coalition for Collision Repair Excellence (CCRE) will host an ed-

ucational seminar on Sept. 28 and 29 at the Embassy Suites at the Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, GA. The weekend will focus on educational presentations, informative networking and the use and proper implementation of contracts and other documents. Industry professionals who attend can expect to gain an understanding on becoming more profitable in the current collision repair business environment and learn how to increase revenue and profits in order to pay for the high cost of equipment, training and technology. Topics will include state of the industry, contracts and documents, strategies and word tracks, implementing the CCRE process, damage analysis and job costing, time-based vs. value-based services, a roundtable discussion and much more. For more information or to register, visit www.theccre.com. MACA To Host 12th Annual Tailgate Party On Sept. 23, the Midwest Auto Care Alliance (MACA), formerly ASAMidwest as of Sept. 14, will host its

12th Annual Tailgate Party at Arrowhead Stadium. Shop owners, vendors, managers, technicians and families are invited to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers and enjoy a day of food, drinks and fellowship. More information is available at www.mwaca.org or www.asa-midwest .org. ARA To Host 75th Annual Convention and Expo The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) will hold its 75th Annual Convention and Expo on Nov. 1–3 at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando, FL. Sponsored by Hollander, the event will feature more than 30 educational sessions taught by industry leaders. For more information, visit www .araexpo.org. AWAF To Offer Speed Mentoring On Sept. 26, the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation (AWAF) will hold a Speed Mentoring session at Faurecia’s North American Headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI. Attendees will enjoy the opportunity to break

into small groups and spend 15minute mentoring sessions with six executive level women and men discussing key industry topics in an informal setting. For more information, visit www. awafoundation.org. AAAMS 2018 Business Conference To Be Held in Hilton Head Island, SC From Sept. 20–23, the Automotive Aftermarket Association of the MidSouth, Inc. (AAAMS) will host its 2018 Business Conference at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa in Hilton Head Island, SC. This year’s theme is “Sailing into the Future.” The conference will begin on Thursday evening with dinner and a cash bar. Friday will commence with a meeting for the AAAMS Board of Directors, Past Presidents and Past Directors, followed by a Conference Committee meeting and ending with a welcome reception. Saturday morning’s agenda includes seminars on the AAAMS Annual Business Meeting and Business Insurance/HR Services Program UpSee Event Announcements, Page 34

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Tips for Busy Body Shops with Stacey Phillips

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

The Power of Leadership — Tips on How To Be a Great Leader An important aspect of being a great tribute ideas, ask questions and challeader is knowing when and how to lenge how things are,” said Perlman. create what Ken Perlman refers to “If they don’t feel safe, they are going to hold back.” as “psychological safety.” Many of his favorite techniques “Pioneered by Amy Edmondson at Harvard University, psycho- are based on his 30 years of business logical safety is a belief that one will experience. He often shares them in not be punished or humiliated for the course he teaches at USC related speaking up with ideas, questions, to organizational design and creating high-performing teams. He concerns or mistakes,” said said they are easy to put into Perlman, managing director practice and can achieve imat CultureSync and a promediate results. fessor at the University of Perlman began his Guild Southern California (USC). 21 discussion talking about “It’s essential to high perwhat it takes to create an formance.” environment where people During a recent Guild Ken Perlman, 21 podcast sponsored by managing director feel comfortable speaking at CultureSync up and sharing what they VeriFacts, Perlman shared tips on how to be a great leader and believe. A large part of this centers foster an environment of psycholog- on the “rules of engagement.” “Whenever you are part of a ical safety. “As a leader, it’s your job to team or in a group, there are rules of make it safe for other people to con- engagement, whether they are written

Continued from Page 31

Event Announcements

date (IGO Insurance Agency), Website Design and Social Media Program Review (Net Driven), Office Supplies Program Review (Kennedy Office), and Payroll Service Program Review (PrimePay). The afternoon will feature “Trends in the Aftermarket–Near Term and Long Term,” presented by Philip Atkins of Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) as well as Roundtable Discussions facilitated by Atkins. On Saturday evening, AAAMS will hold its President’s Reception, followed by a banquet, awards Ceremony and AAMS Scholarship Live Auction. The conference will conclude on Sunday morning after breakfast with an inspirational message from Pastor Brett Myers of First Baptist Church. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit www.aaamsonline.com/events.aspx. 34

or discussed,” he explained. “Sometimes they are unwritten, and we call them ‘culture,’ and other times they are written, and we call them guidelines.” He suggested implementing the “Family Feud” rule. Similar to the popular game show, Perlman said the Family Feud rule is when every answer an employee shares is honored and respected. “It’s a way of creating an environment that is a lot less risky for someone to speak up,” said Perlman. He also shared information about a research study conducted by Google that was undertaken to learn about their employees and what makes them successful. The study was explained in an in-depth New York Times article written by Charles Duhigg: “What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team.” According

to the article, in 2012 Google studied hundreds of its company’s teams to find out why some were successful and others weren’t. “We had lots of data, but there was nothing showing that a mix of specific personality types or skills or backgrounds made any difference. The ‘who’ part of the equation didn’t seem to matter,” Abeer Dubey, a manager in Google’s People Analytics division, was quoted as saying in the article. “There was no direct correlation between who they put on a project and whether or not that project would be successful,” said Perlman. “What they learned was that it wasn’t ‘who’; it was ‘how.’” Summarizing the study, Perlman said Google found five key elements that separated high-performing teams from lower-performing teams. This included:

Gerber Collision & Glass Establishes Presence in AL

The Boyd Group Inc. recently announced the August 3, 2018 acquisition of two collision repair centers in Bessemer and Birmingham, AL. These centers were previously operated as C & M Collision Center. This operation was founded in Birmingham in 2005. With success in this market, an additional location was opened in the neighboring city of Bessemer in 2016. Bessemer and Birmingham are cities in Jefferson County, the most highly populated county in Alabama, located at the northern end of the state. Both centers are located within close proximity to Interstate 20, the major highway spanning from western Texas to South Carolina. “We are pleased to enter our 24th state with two locations in Alabama,” said Tim O’Day, president and COO of the Boyd Group. “We look forward to introducing Gerber Collision and Glass to Birmingham, the largest city in the state, and the nearby city of Bessemer. As we continue to expand our presence and establish locations in new states, we best position ourselves to serve our customers and insurance providers across the U.S.”

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• Impact: Team members needed to feel their work really mattered and would create change. • Meaning: The work was personally important to the employees and their development. • Structure & Clarity: Employees had a clear idea of their roles and how they were connected to their coworkers to contribute to the greater good.

• Dependability: Team members could be trusted to accomplish their tasks on time and meet the company’s high standard of excellence. • Psychological Safety: Team members felt it was safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of one another.

Perlman said teams that fostered an environment where employees could contribute openly were higher-performing. More recently, a Wall Street Journal article described research showing that “companies that scored in the top quartile on [management asking for ideas from employees and

encouraging employees to try new approaches], [experienced] on average more than five times the revenue growth of companies in the bottom quartile.” “Teams where someone made a mistake and they were punished disproportionally saw lower performance because people were holding back,” he said. “They weren’t sharing the wild idea; they weren’t disagreeing, and you saw a lot more group think and regression to the average opposed to striking out to do something bold and different.” As a result, Perlman encourages leaders to give some leeway to their teams. “You’re asking your employees to do something differently,” he said. “If it was easy and/or safe, they would have already done it. If it’s more complicated or risky, they might have some questions.” When looking at the same situation from an employee’s point of view, Perlman’s advice to those who feel they aren’t in a safe environment with their superiors is to start small. “Simply recognize the answer you want to give and the answer you

think is the right answer,” he suggested. Then he said to offer both: the safe answer and the one that might be different than the way things have been done. “That way, you’re being respectful and acknowledging that you know the answer that is going to end up being the right one, but saying, ‘I think we could do better,’” he said. When talking about exceptional leadership traits, Perlman used the example of “Pep” Guardiola, considered one of soccer’s best players and coaches and the current manager of Manchester City. Perlman shared some of the methods Guardiola used to enable him to achieve excellent results. This included being clear on the team’s goals, deconstructing complexity for them to make the goals simple to understand and enabling excellence by setting and modeling the standards. Perlman also brought up the various types of conflict that can arise and are important to be aware of: 1)

When goal incompatibility exists

2) Differentiation among team members (for example, language, experience or expertise) 3) Task interdependence when people are required to work together

4) Limited resources, which can lead to restraints.

His advice is to do something that he called Flip The Script (FTS). “For people who work together regularly, as someone starts talking we tend to think we know where they are going and we can finish their sentence,” said Perlman. “We actually stop listening and we wait for them to stop talking so we can argue, contradict or correct them.” Instead, Perlman said to stop thinking and just listen. “If you think you know what they are going to say, don’t play that tape that is in your head; listen to the words coming out,” he said. Not only will this help an individual understand what they are going to say, but it will also minimize the risk of missing what they are talking See The Power of Leadership, Page 56

autobodynews.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Industry Insight with John Yoswick

John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and 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.

Discussion at CIC Highlights Dramatic Changes Coming to the Industry Michael Simon, director of strategic accounts for Bosch Automotive, is the latest to remind the industry that the absence of any dash warning lights doesn’t mean a vehicle doesn’t need to be scanned. “And the diagnostic codes do not point to a repair, only a symptom,” Simon said at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Atlanta in August. “If a doctor takes your blood pressure and your blood pressure is high, what does that mean? He’s got to figure out if it’s hypertension, is it stress in life, or what’s going on. It’s the same thing with codes. What does that code mean? It says something isn’t working right, but it still requires you to diagnose.” In his presentation at CIC, Simon made it clear that he was speaking personally rather than as a representative of Bosch. He said the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in new vehicles today are part of the automakers’ learning mode on the road to autonomous vehicles. “This is the start of the biggest economic and social shift of the last 100 years,” he said. “Think about how many businesses and people will be affected by this technology change.” To offer some perspective on the transformation that is likely to occur in the coming decade, Simon reminded CIC attendees what the key new features were of the best-selling car 10 years ago: the 2008 Toyota Camry. “It had some darker wood; the backseats reclined; there was an optional stability system, and I think that was one of the first years where a hybrid version was available,” Simon said. “Now look at the 2018 Camry. The notable features include a bird’s eye view camera with perimeter scan. A pre-collision system that’s not just stopping the car, but stopping the car and trying to swerve out of the way. Lane departure alert and assist is standard. Automatic high beams. And dynamic radar cruise control.” He said the electrification of vehicles has been slower than he ex-

pected, but that by 2028, there will be an estimated 120 million electric vehicles on the road. “Next year you will see a lot of [electric] cars with a 300-mile range,” he said. “And charging time is getting better …You can get 180-mile charge in about 20 minutes.” Far fewer people will own their own car, he said, when they can page a driverless vehicle to pick them up. “The car [population] will probably be significantly smaller,” Simon said. “This one study I read said the 250 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2018 will drop to 33 million by 2050.” The number of hours those vehicles will be on the road, however, will increase by 400 percent. Returning to the topic of scanning, Simon said a pre-repair scan of vehicles gives collision repairers the information needed to “design a reliable work flow.” He said a good aftermarket scan tool will “cover about 95 percent of what’s out there,” though he acknowledged that may not include a current model year vehicle when it first hits the road. “In cases where the tool doesn’t cover it, there are companies that offer services where you are connected to the OE tool,” he said. “You also can partner with shops that may have the OE tool.”

Use of Aftermarket Tools Discussed But during the question-and-answer session that followed, trainer and consultant Mike Anderson of Collision Advice challenged Simon’s assertion that an aftermarket scan tool is adequate for collision repairers. He said in his experience, use of an OE scan tool or service is the only way to determine if a vehicle is subscribed to a telematics system like OnStar, and if so, temporarily disable the system during repairs. “If I have a vehicle that’s connected to the internet, and I do not disable that OnStar-type system, it will generate emails to that consumer [during repairs] and I will get consumer complaints,” Anderson said. Chuck Olson of AirPro Diag-

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

nostics, which offers remote scanning services, said there are manual procedures to disconnect telematics systems. And Jim Silverman of the Automotive Training Institute said that while he respects Anderson, he is concerned about the concept of arguing for the use of only OE scan tools. “I think everybody in this room needs to think about it: If we promote using only OE scan tools, if we tell the OEs we agree with that, then the next step is using only OE shops,” Silverman said. “They’re going to say only use our shops. I don’t think any of us want that.” During the discussion, Jake Rodenroth of asTech, which also offers remote scanning services, said the industry may be so focused on the issue of scanning that fundamental repair elements are being overlooked. “In our [ADAS] calibration cen-

ter in Dallas, we are seeing a high failure rate of vehicles that have been repaired in collision shops and brought in for calibration,” Rodenroth said. “In terms of radar cameras and things like that on the front of the car, we’re seeing about a 30 percent failure rate. The vehicles weren’t straight enough for calibration. And we’re also seeing about a 50 percent failure rate on blind spot calibration. As a repair community, we need to check ourselves. We’re still an industry that fights over whether the car is going to get measured or aligned. When you have systems that are pulling reference materials based on the center line of the car, that’s a little bit of an issue.” Also at CIC In other news and discussion at CIC in Atlanta: See Discussion at CIC, Page 50

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Day Job/Night Job with Ed Attanasio

Dylan Maki Has Real Fish Stories to Tell When Dylan Maki, VP at Maki Body & Glass in Grand Rapids, MN, isn’t landing big DRPs or luring in body repair work by stressing quality and top-notch customer service, he is a professional fisherman who competes in large tournaments nationwide. As Dylan, 25, continues his legacy by taking over the family shop from his father, Brian, who’s preparing to retire, he focuses on his career in collision repair, but he’s also crazy about fishing and the challenges it presents. Earlier this year, Dylan and his fishing partner, Joe Bricko, won the Minnesota State Fishing Championship on Lake Vermilion, which enabled them to compete in the 2018 AIM National Championship Shootout on June 1–2 on Chippewa

Dylan Maki, VP at Maki Body & Glass in Grand Rapids, MN, is a professional fisherman when he’s not running his family business

Flowage in Wisconsin. Only the best anglers out of three states— Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota—get to compete in the AIM Nationals, Dylan said. “They pick the top 10 in each state and by winning the state tournament, we qualified for the championship, and that’s where we wanted to be,” he said. “If you want to be a respected tournament fisherman, you have to get in this one because only 30 boats compete, but there are some of the best fishermen in the country there.” Finishing third in the AIM Nationals, Dylan and Joe caught a total 38

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

of 24.5 lbs. while the winning duo to be ahead of the game too because landed 32.49 lbs, which means that the competition is the best in the Dylan and Joe were only one big fish country. We prepare by getting out away from winning it all. there on the lake before the event to “First prize in this tournament is a new $50,000 fishing boat, and then it’s door prizes for the other top finishers” Dylan said. “It was good to get out there and compete, but you always want to win, obviously.” Chippewa Flowage’s third-largest lake is known as a “walleye factory”—a fish that Dylan has been pur- Dylan and his fishing partner, Joe Bricko, finished third suing relentlessly since he in the 2018 AIM National Championship Shootout on June started angling as a young 1–2 on Chippewa Flowage, WI. Here, the pair poses with Dylan’s parents, Kelly (far left) and Brian (far right) child. “Walleye fishing is challenging practice (also called ‘pre-fishing’) because they’re very versatile,” he and really study the conditions and said. “They can be found in deep where the fish hang out during cerwater and shallow water and know tain times of the day.” how to use infrastructure like trees, Collision repair done right reroots, aquatic plants—you name it. We are always looking at the walleye’s behavior to find out where it might be and learn more about the fish, but they’re unpredictable in many ways. Chippewa is also a very interesting lake that is 10 miles wide in many places with lots of tiny channels, little bays and small islands.” There’s a lot going on for Dylan when he’s not chasing walleye because Maki Body & Glass is always busy. Dylan multi-tasks and steps in when needed. “I’m head estimator and production manager, but when things get jammed, I’ll jump in and help with the production by fixing a bumper or whatever else it takes,” he said. Dylan’s grandfather, Rayno Maki, started the business in 1952, back when the average repair was roughly $350. Today, his grandson knows that to repair today’s vehicles correctly, it comes down to continual training and preparation—just like tournament fishing. “We stress training in a big way, so everyone here is I-CAR-certified because we always want to be at the forefront of this industry,” he said. “With tournament fishing, you have

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

quires an eye for detail and a passion for the art of returning a vehicle back into its pre-accident condition. Fishing requires similar skills, and that’s why Dylan loves both activities, he said. “I get satisfaction from both, and that’s why I love doing them. Doing a good job on a customer’s car is like catching a big fish!” he said. After finishing in third place at AIM National Championship Shootout, Dylan wants to compete again in 2019 and take the top prize home this time. “We are going to have to get better before then so that we can qualify again,” he said. “Right now we are ranked ninth out of 100 boats in Minnesota, but they only take the top five for the Shootout. We will need to have a few really good days to move up, but we’re pretty confident and there’s still plenty of time left.”

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The Complexities of Truck Collision Repair by Susan L. Hodges, Transport Topics

Heavy-duty collision repair is becoming increasingly complex due to a variety of factors, including the conversion from steel to aluminum bodies, the changing componentry and design of trucks and the proliferation of onboard sensors. This added complexity is causing more fleets to consider outsourcing this type of specialized work, industry experts said. “It’s almost like repair shops have to be not only experts in repair, but in finding the repair information, depending on the year, make and model of the truck,” said Joey Fassett, general manager at Al’s Automotive and Truck Service Center in Exeter, N.H. On a typical day when a collision job rolls in, Fassett’s team does an inspection to identify all parts that may have been impacted. “Then we find out what pieces have to be replaced, what work must be done, and everything that goes into it for the insurance estimate,” he said. As Fassett’s team identifies the components, they also plan how to put them back together. “We have to follow all the specs required to make the truck roadworthy again so that everyone is safe,” he said. “Those specs are whatever research and due diligence repair shops do to ensure they’re addressing the right systems, using the right parts and materials, and following procedures in a way that conform to the initial integrity required of each component,” Fassett said. Jim Kolea, president of PennFleet Corp., a collision-repair company in Boothwyn, Pa., cites an example highlighting the importance of accurate repair. “Think about all of the sensors in a truck with crash-avoidance technology,” he said. “If any of those sensors are out of alignment by even one degree, it could cause an accident.” As for one large fleet, PepsiCo Inc. “does not own a body shop,” said Lee Kirby, senior fleet manager at the White Plains, N.Y.-based private fleet operator. “All of our equipment that has body damage is outsourced, and we have many shops we use at different locations we handle.” 40

PepsiCo has about 20,000 heavyduty trucks, Kirby said. “The big item we look for in collision repair is turnaround time or the amount of down time. Other than that, we are agnostic on how repairs get made.”

to be certified to weld on aluminum fleet sends all of its body work out. “We have enough problems get- ladder trucks, and you have to be reting all the mechanical done,” he certified every year.” Adler used to take collision-resaid. Colerain has 14 specialized pair jobs to a nearby truck dealership. heavy-duty vehicles in its fire depart- “But they didn’t know how to do alument alone, including lad- minum,” he said. He subsequently der trucks, pumpers, tankers visited several local repair shops, talkand a decontamination unit. ing to shop owners and examining the “All of our fire apparatus work being done. When a light-duty pickup truck is made of aluminum, and that takes special knowledge ran into a Colerain firehouse in June to repair,” Adler said. “Alu- 2013 and hit a pumper truck so hard minum is not only lighter that it moved the vehicle three feet and lasts longer than steel, it and caused $30,000 in damage, Adler behaves differently,” he said, had it towed to a shop that he now works with regularly. “This shop is noting that aluminum corChris Sterwerf and his father, Dennis Sterwerf, founder of Fairfield Auto and Truck Service, stand next to their rodes rather than rusts and second to none, and that truck was shop's repair-planning computer Credit: Fairfield Auto and still out almost two months,” he said. has different bonding propTruck Service Meanwhile, Johnson Equiperties than steel so the repair Kolea compares the technology protocols are different. ment currently performs repairs on in heavy-duty trucks today to that in “If you’re bolting on a light with Leonard’s Express trucks involved in personal computers. “It’s changing steel screws, for instance, the screws collisions less than 500 miles from almost overnight, but no one is writ- should be stainless steel because Farmington. Work on trucks involved ing repair procedures. We need to stainless doesn’t rust,” Adler said, in more distant crashes is outsourced make sure procedures are out there.” adding that the screws must be coated to shops in those areas. To that end, Robert Braswell, with a sealant to maintain the bond. Now, however, Johnson Equipexecutive director of American Truck- “Welding on aluminum is different ment is building a collision repair ing Associations’ Technology & Main- from welding on steel, too. You have shop at Leonard’s Express. The new tenance Council, said two new TMC task forces have formed to address the issue. “One will deal with turning the wrenches—creating guidelines and best practices to improve safety, quality and reliability of service,” Braswell said. The other group will develop “a 1.8 Million in Ford, Lincoln, Mercury Inventory ory road map of steps in the business Next Day Delivery Available process, showing what a customer Over 150 Years Combined Parts Experience should expect from the beginning to Top 25 Parts Wholesalers in the USA. the end of the repair,” he said. One maintenance director thinks the guidelines are needed. Parts Dept “Most manufacturers have gone Toll Free Fax Line to composite plastic or fiberglass hoods, and the adhesives are different for each one,” said Kevin AdriParts Hours: Mon-Fri 8am - 5:30pm aansen, director of maintenance for Leonard’s Express, a Farmington, N.Y.-based national truckload carrier with about 300 heavy-duty company trucks, and Johnson Equipment Sales and Service Inc., a sister company. Proudly Serving: “Aluminum is another challenge,” Georgia, Alabama, he said. “Some can be straightened, but No. Carolina, you have to watch how you heat it to S. Carolina, straighten it. If a panel is compromised Tennessee & the Florida Panhandle too much, you have to replace it.” Mike Adler, fleet manager for 2089 Riverside Drive // Macon, Georgia 31204 Colerain Township, Ohio, said his

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shop will house a paint booth and frame-straightening equipment, and employ up to six repair professionals. Adriaansen of Leonard’s Express said, “It’s being built to keep as much of the Leonard’s Express collision work in-house as possible, to turn the equipment around quicker and help control costs at the same time.” “With the addition of this shop, we’ll be able to do virtually all our repairs in-house,” he said. Johnson Equipment also does collision work for other fleets, and Adriaansen sees the trend increasing. “If you’re not going to do collision repairs internally, you need to partner with someone who’ll help you,” he said. “More fleets, especially larger ones, are doing this so they can get their equipment back on the road faster and mitigate some costs internally.” So quickly are the components and design of heavy-duty trucks changing that Chris Sterwerf, chief finance and operations officer at Fairfield Auto and Truck Service in Fairfield, Ohio, said large body shops are starting to em-

ploy full-time research-and-repair planners. “Traditionally, shops had one technician to handle a truck from beginning to end,” said Sterwerf. “But now the work is so sophisticated that you need an expert to disassemble and a repair planner to watch and work alongside with a computer, looking up repair information.” “Then the truck is passed on to a structure technician, then to the body department, then to refinishing, and then back to assembly to be put back together,” Sterwerf said, adding that ideally, the person who disassembled also performs the reassembly. Repair information can be hard to find, Sterwerf said. This is partly because manufacturers aren’t required to share it and partly because when the information is accessible, “it may be a lot of mechanical information but very little about collision repair.” Ted Burke, president of Dennis K. Burke Inc., a Taunton, Mass.based fuel distributor, said his company outsources all collision and body work to a network of vendors

scattered across the eight states on the fleet’s delivery route. “I think it’s more efficient to have this expertise outside,” said Burke, whose fleet operates 85 heavy-duty trucks. “We don’t have many accidents that require body work, so it’s not economically feasible for us to build up that kind of expertise inhouse. We only do maintenance work in our shop.” Sterwerf said that in his experience, “many fleets and dealerships don’t have body shops or have tried them and can’t sustain them.” “With the specialized equipment and the cost behind it — a frame machine can cost more than $200,000 and a paint booth can cost upward of $700,000 — you need a volume of work to substantiate those costs,” he said. Sterwerf also said fleets that do their own collision repair take on a lot of liability that can be diversified by outsourcing the work. “Because it’s hard to get repair information, you might not repair the vehicle properly, and that can come back to haunt you,” he said. Peggy Liao, a spokeswoman

for Decisiv, which develops software for the commercial vehicle market, believes fleets could benefit significantly from systems that streamline communication and collaboration between fleets and service providers. “By giving everyone in the service process visibility from beginning to end, you give all parties valuable information about how trucks behave and how to repair them, and you save time and money in the long run,” she said. Liao said Decisiv’s platform integrates with truck management systems to pull up a truck’s service history, warranties, repair notes and manufacturer details and put them all in one place. “And if a truck is broken down on the highway, the platform can gather the truck’s history and telematics information that’s entered into the system and tell you which dealers are nearby with availability of space, parts and technicians,” she said. Meanwhile, TMC’s task forces are starting their work. Sterwerf chairs the HD Collision Repair Guidelines task force. See Truck Collision Repair, Page 60

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Media and Publicity for Shops

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

with Ed Attanasio

To Facebook or Not? Answers From Experts for Body Shops People started jumping off the Facebook bandwagon after it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica was allowed to “harvest” user data without consent from Facebook users, compromising their personal data. Others are gravitating away from social media overall for many reasons and concentrating more on things such as blogs, email newsletters and other forms of original content to attract customers. But, for collision repairers, many have stayed put because Facebook is still a great way to promote their businesses. So, we recently asked Nick Schoolcraft, president at Phoenix Solutions Group, and Angel Iraola, owner of Net Business Consulting & Solutions, if body shops should still utilize Facebook and how to use it for optimum results. ABN: Should body shops still believe in Facebook, even though it has lost momentum recently due to the data breach?

Schoolcraft: The short answer is yes, and the main reason is that today’s consumer has become accustomed to living in a world of increased transparency. As unfortunate as these breaches are to our level of trust, consumers continue to interact with brands even after a breach has occurred. While trust has always been a commodity that is hard to come by, it’s important to understand the way Facebook approaches businesses vs. personal profiles. A personal profile represents you as a human being, while a business page represents your business. However, to have a business page you are required to have a personal profile to manage it. What is important to note is that Facebook cares more about the personal profile data than the data on the business’s page. Most shops don’t realize there is a difference between a profile and a page. This is why it’s critical to seek out an organization that understands the difference between the two and partner with them when diving into the digital marketing space. 42

Iraola: We have changed our customers’ approaches on Facebook and now are relying on other forms of social media as part of a marketing mix, but Facebook is here to stay and a necessary part of any plan we devise for body shops. Some consumers quit using Facebook initially after the breach, but many of them have returned based on our research. They were skeptical about Facebook but later realized that it was still the best way to connect with their friends and associates and find businesses and services quickly and easily. In the meantime, we are adding Instagram and LinkedIn to our marketing plans for our body shop clients, and both are working well. ABN: Maybe the question rather should be “Is Facebook (or any other social platform) the correct platform for your shop?”

Schoolcraft: Exactly. The focus should be placed on better understanding how social platforms can reaffirm your organization’s trust with a collision repair customer. By having a full understanding of which platforms work best for you, your shop will be able to use these tools to attract new customers and deliver growth to your business. Therefore, it is vital that body shops rethink their social strategy and begin developing social media content that is rooted in customer insights [and] aligning with their needs while further accentuating the shop’s customer-first mindset. Unfortunately, shops often misuse channels like Facebook by focusing solely on driving conversions (sales), rather than what the platform was initially intended for: community engagement. Consumers have begun to blur the lines between industries, meaning they expect the simplicity and convenience they encounter in one experience to apply to every experience, regardless of the difference in industries. Because of this, it’s vital that your brand has a presence on the channels that your prospective cus-

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

their current and potential customers in a highly focused and targeted way. You can specify users in a tight geographic area based on their interests, etc., so you don’t have to take a shotgun approach, which leads to more engagement, and you pay only for those people rather than people who may not be in your market.

tomers use. And how you approach your activity on these channels is critical.

Iraola: Some shops are perfect for Facebook, because they support it through their in-house efforts and have a lot of things to post. They perform a wide range of community-related activities and are proactive with their philanthropy and maintain a blog that is connected to Facebook, so they’re posting new items all the time. We also suggest that they purchase Facebook advertising on a regular basis in order to get their name out in front of more people. Some shops think that all they need to do is establish a Facebook page and hope that people will find it on their own, but from our experience, it does not work that way. For a very small amount of money, they can get in front of a significant amount of

ABN: So, the days of businesses posting cute videos and funny photos on Facebook are over?

Schoolcraft: Yes. We have learned that collision facilities should not use Facebook as a tool to showcase their comedic talent or to share recipes, but rather as an outlet to provide information on how they can serve their community, as well as incorporating the differentiators a shop has over its competitors. The reason for See To Facebook or Not?, Page 47

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Trump Administration Seeks to Freeze Fuel Economy Standards by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released their proposed vehicle fuel economy rule called the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021–2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks. It’s the first step in setting fuel economy standards for 2021-2026 vehicles, standards much lower than those created by the Obama administration. According to the EPA, its April 2018 evaluation determined fuel economy standards should be revised for model year 2022–2025 vehicles because current standards are allegedly based on outdated information. The EPA claims it had no choice but to evaluate current standards because the Obama administration “short-circuited” the process and released its final emissions determination just days before leaving office. Now NHTSA and the EPA say they have had time to study the pros and cons of following current fuel economy standards and the available options included in the proposed rule. EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the most recent information and data were used to create a solution that will apply to all states, creating more “realistic standards” that “can save lives while continuing to improve the environment.” Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao also said the new rule creates more “realistic standards” that will bring “newer, safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles” to the roads. NHTSA said a 2018 study shows the newest vehicles are also the safest compared to older models, with crashes in new models resulting in fewer injuries and deaths. According to the Trump administration, “correcting” current fuel economy standards will remove barriers that currently block consumers from buying new safer cars. NHTSA and the EPA claim current fuel standards are a contributing factor to the increasing cost of new cars that now average $35,000, and backers of the new plan claim keep44

ing current standards will add more than $2,300 to the price of a new car. EPA Assistant Administrator Bill Wherum said the Department of Transportation and the EPA estimate the proposed rule could lead to 12,000 fewer fatalities over the lifetime of vehicles built through 2029.

The proposal also claims other benefits of freezing fuel economy standards at 2020 levels, including a reduction of “societal costs” by $500 billion and savings of $253 billion from lower new car prices. In addition to the proposed ruling, the administration says California and states that follow it should not have the ability to set different fuel economy standards than federal rules. Current regulations allow California to set its own environmental standards and a state can choose to follow California’s laws instead of federal regulations. Wheeler said the rule will “create a 50-state solution that will enable more Americans to afford newer, safer vehicles that pollute less.” According to NHTSA and the EPA, the proposed rule will have a minimal impact on fuel consumption and the environment, but it’s estimated there will be a 2–3 percent increase in daily fuel consumption. As for the environment, the government estimates the following:  An increase from 789.11 ppm (parts per million) to 789.76 ppm in atmospheric CO2 concentration in 2100.  A 3/1,000 of a degree Celsius increase in global average temperature in 2100.

 A 8/100 of a percent increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration in 2100.

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Both agencies also claim there will be no noticeable impact to net emissions of smog-forming air pollutants. Those estimates are allegedly based on an average fuel economy rating of 37 mpg for model year 2021–2026 vehicles, compared to the 46.7 mpg for 2025 under the current standards. As can be imagined, not everyone sees the subject in the same favorable light as the Trump administration. A group of 20 attorneys general say they will sue to prevent any drop in standards. “The Trump administration just proposed rolling back limits on car pollution. If the rule is finalized, our coalition of 20 AGs will go to court to put the brakes on this reckless and illegal plan,” said New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood. Underwood said weakening the standards will harm the health of children and seniors while increasing the cost of climate change for every state. Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, said

the proposal will cost the average family hundreds of dollars a year extra for gas, all while increasing air pollution. “The Trump administration’s proposal to slam the brakes on America’s successful Clean Car Standards is a massive pileup of bad ideas,” he said. And one Vermont driver chimed in when told of Trump’s estimates of savings with “societal costs” and administration claims about the minimal environmental impact. “It’s going to save $500 billion in ‘societal costs’? Well, I’d rather pay extra for a fuel efficient car versus one that gets 18 mpg but can order an iced mocha whenever I’m within two miles of a Starbucks. Meanwhile, VT just had the hottest July on record.” NHTSA and the EPA are accepting public comments for the next 60 days to listen to alternatives and ideas from U.S. consumers. We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.

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After the Donation: Retired Marine Pays it Forward as His Mission Continues by Ed Attanasio

Iraq War veteran Josue GuerreroUribe received a completely refurbished 2017 Hyundai Elantra from Allstate and Caliber Collision in Costa Mesa, CA, late last year as part of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides™ program.

Retired Marine Josue Guerrero-Uribe received a 2017 Hyundai last year from Caliber Collision and Allstate as part of NABC’s Recycled Rides program, so that he could help others

A retired member of the Marine Corps Infantry, Guerrero-Uribe was nominated by The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization that enables veterans to continue their service in the community through a wide range of philanthropic activities. With his Elantra, Guerrero-Uribe was able to help more people and pay the gift forward, he said. “When I saw that the people at NABC, Caliber Collision and Allstate were doing such a wonderful thing for me with this car, I knew that I had to use this vehicle to help others,” he said. “It was a blessing and unexpected, so I realized right there that I could use it to further my work with The Mission Continues.” Before he received the Recycled Rides vehicle, Guerrero-Uribe said he was spending countless hours on public transportation traveling to participate in his volunteering activities. “I was taking buses and trains to different events, and then one day I was standing there in the rain and the people at The Mission Continues asked me, ‘How did you get here?’” he said. “When I told them I didn’t have a car, they recommended me to the Recycled Rides program, and then one day I got the call.” Since then, he has logged hun46

dreds of hours to help build sports fields and schools and teach financial management and English classes at various schools and libraries to some of Los Angeles County’s poorest residents with The Mission Continues. Less than 20 years ago, Guerrero-Uribe’s situation was a lot different than it is today. “I enlisted in the Marines in December 2000 at age 23, and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA, and then things happened quickly after that,” he said. “I entered boot camp in January, graduated on Mother’s Day, graduated from infantry school on the 4th of July and then joined my platoon in August—all in 2001. And then 9/11 happened. Everything happened so fast; I never even got a chance to unpack my gear.” To prepare for the aftermath of 9/11, Guerrero-Uribe was sent to the Twenty-Nine Palms National Training Center for one year to get ready for the harsh conditions of Iraq. In March of 2003, he became part of the first invasion of Iraq, but prior to that he was sent to Kuwait to construct “Camp Commando” and its entire infrastructure. “We built everything there; you name it,” he said. “It was just sand when we got there. One day, I remember carrying sand bags up to a

tion with the First Marine Expeditionary Force (1MEF) and Regimental Combat Team-1 (RCT-1) became part of a combat team.

rero-Uribe said. “They told us that we did such a good job in Baghdad that they were attached to Task Force Tripoli to take down the palace,” he said. “We were the first people there, and it was an amazing and heartbreaking thing to see. Here was a huge palace with waterfalls, marble flooring and gold-plated toilets everywhere, and just right outside the walls there was so much poverty and starvation. So much excess while the rest of Iraq was suffering—it was a humGuerrero-Uribe is often interviewed as a spokesperson bling experience.” with The Mission Continues One day in Iraq, Guer“We were the first ones who rero-Uribe jumped off a truck with a went through the middle of Iraq and mortar on his shoulder, landing awkended up in downtown Baghdad,” he wardly and blowing out his hip. “Something in my leg popped, said. “We took over the U.N. building in Baghdad, and it was very exciting. but I just kept going and ignored it,” We were on autopilot at that point and he said. “When I got back to the states, didn’t even know what day it was, but I realized that something was really wrong with it.” we kept moving.” Guerrero-Uribe got his “five secThe next stop was Saddam’s onds of fame” while deployed in Iraq palace in Tikkrit, North Iraq, Guer-

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sniper’s tower, and I thought, ‘Wow, we’re an easy target right now.’ We were the laborers and also did the security 24/7 at the camp.” When the official bombing on Baghdad began, Guerrero-Uribe and his platoon, (Weapons Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines) in conjunc-

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when he and his platoon were featured in “21 Days to Baghdad,” a special produced by the National Geographic Channel. “I’m at the end of it, saying ‘Hi Mom,’ and celebrating while carrying a mortar,” he said. “So, that’s the proof that I was there.” When Guerrero-Uribe’s tour in Iraq ended and he returned to the states, he was suffering from clinical depression and PTSD, among other problems. “Being in Iraq was a huge rush all the time, so when I got home I couldn’t adjust to the 9-to-5 pace of everyday life,” he said. “I had lost my tribe, and I was lonely and became very isolated. I was hiding my pain with pain killers and started quitting jobs or getting fired.” In 2015, he checked into the West Los Angeles V.A. Hospital and started turning his life around. “It saved my life because I didn’t want to admit that I was damaged goods,” he said. “I was headed for a dark place and without the help, I might still be there. They enabled me to reset my life and understand all of the things that I was

hiding from.” Today, Guerrero-Uribe uses his vehicle to deliver other veterans to volunteer at a wide range of charitable projects through The Mission Continues. “I load the car up with vets from the Hollywood Veterans Center, and we go out to places like schools to get our hands dirty and build things,” he said. “There is something going on pretty much every weekend, and it’s a team effort and great therapy.” To continue his mission, Guerrero-Uribe recently submitted a fellow Marine’s name for a car through the NABC Recycled Rides Program. “His name is Mathew Shepherd, and he will be receiving his car this month,” he said. “He hasn’t missed any events and is working on himself, so he is a perfect candidate for a car, just like I was!”

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Iraola: We tell our shop clients that they should still have fun with their Facebook pages, because people still expect that from Facebook to a degree. But, yes—if you post too many funny videos or other trivial content, you might lose your relevance. Keep in mind that collision repair is not an impulse buy and that most people don’t ever wake up in the morning thinking warm and fuzzy thoughts about the experience of getting into a car accident. Your image on any social media should be similar to that of an attorney, a bank or a school where transparency, honesty and full accountability are key, so always take the high road when you post anything on Facebook.

Continued from Page 42

To Facebook or Not?

this is because social media is an element of the collision customer’s purchase journey and should be used that way—as a validating resource, rather than expecting it to be a conversion tool. While a well thoughtout and purposeful social presence can help in converting customers, it should not be considered this industry’s next silver bullet. It’s simply a piece of the overall marketing puzzle. Our research is further validated, as Facebook’s mission is “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”

Nelson Glass Tools Announces New Glass Bot Quartermaster Tool

Nelson Glass Tools, manufacturer of Glass Bot Systems, announces the newest product to their line of tools, the Glass Bot QuarterMaster. This new tool mounts to the outside of the glass part and using a man-made filament, quickly cuts through the adhesive and datum pins. No damage to

paint or moldings for successful R & I’s. The QuarterMaster is simple to use and faster than other methods, and is available in November 2018. Nelson Glass Tools is a northern California based tool manufacturer, specializing in auto glass removal tools. For more information visit: www.glassbot.net.

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What Is the Future for New, Used Car Sales Claims? by Susanna Gotsch, Property Casualty 360

U.S. auto sales for the first six months of 2018 were stronger than many analysts originally anticipated, but were driven in large part by growth in fleet sales while retail sales were essentially flat. Higher interest rates, some pullback by auto lenders, less consumer demand and higher gas prices were among the headwinds faced by the U.S. new vehicle market. However, it still managed to see an increase of 1.9 percent for the first six months of 2018 versus same period in 2017 (car sales fell by 11.8 percent, while light truck sales grew by 10 percent). Most new and used vehicles were financed, with average payments and loan term lengths hitting new highs, according to Experian’s “State of the Automotive Finance Market First Quarter 2018” report. Unfortunately, this means that many more people owe more money on their vehicles than they are worth, and the percent of new vehicle loans with negative equity also remains high, according to Edmund’s 2018 Automotive Industry Trends: Midyear Update. How will tariffs affect pricing? Growing issues with new vehicle affordability have been a key reason used vehicle sales have remained strong both in terms of volume and pricing. Despite significant increases in used inventory from large volumes of lease returns, wholesale and used vehicle prices have remained relatively stable, registering much smaller declines than many analysts had originally feared. The younger age and quality of vehicles coming back as lease returns have led to higher overall used vehicle transaction prices, which according to Edmunds.com, reached an average of $19.7K in Q1 2018 versus $16.7K in Q1 2013. The tariffs imposed by the U.S. on July 6 of this year and the threat of additional tariffs could drive up new vehicle prices even further, potentially slowing auto sales in the second half. The tariffs against China that 48

went into effect in July add a 25 percent border tax to Chinese-made vehicles made for U.S., and U.S.-made vehicles face a new 40 percent tariff in China. The U.S. is still working to determine whether it will impose tariffs on other countries, based on whether imports are threats to national security. About half of parts and vehicle imports come from Canada and Mexico, so any tariffs put on those countries could have severe impacts on U.S. auto sales. If prices on new cars are raised, more consumers might shift to the used market (annually only about 17M new vehicles are sold in the U.S.; in 2018 the U.S. is on track to sell 39.4M used vehicles)—where prices are already up due to more light trucks in the overall volume of lease returns into the used market. While analysts believe increases in new vehicle prices from tariffs won’t necessarily lead to an increase in used vehicle prices immediately, the tariffs would likely lead to lower depreciation rates for used vehicles, a factor that would lead to higher total loss vehicle values over time. Total loss vehicle values remain elevated so far in 2018, as the shift toward a newer, more expensive total loss vehicle population continues. Non-comprehensive total loss vehicle values are up over 3 percent for the four quarters ending Q2 2018 versus a year prior, and vehicles ages 0–6 years now account for 34 percent of total loss volume versus 29 percent in the four quarters ending Q2 2014. Total loss frequency also continues to rise, as the percent of total losses that were older than 15 years of age remains elevated at 15.4 percent, and among vehicle appraisals, total loss frequency increased across all vehicle ages.

Impact on Vehicle Repairs Vehicle repair costs also rose 3 percent in the four quarters ending Q2 2018, with the largest increases occurring among the newest vehicles. Growth in the number of labor hours per claim, the average hourly labor rate, the average number of parts replaced per claim and the average

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

price paid per part are all contributing to higher repair costs overall. Volume share growth in segments like light trucks, European vehicles and newer model year vehicles where repair costs are higher are also contributing to higher cost overall. Yet while both repair costs and total loss costs continue to rise, the industry has begun to see a leveling off in claim frequency. The U.S. economy continues to be strong; unemployment numbers are at all-time lows, and the U.S. has seen registered vehicle counts grow again to nearly 1.3 vehicles per licensed driver, said Michael Wayland in his U.S. sales outlook on autonews .com. However, as growth in vehicle registrations has again surpassed overall growth in U.S. miles driven, the miles driven per vehicle (a proxy for “accident exposure”) have fallen, helping collision and property damage liability claim frequency to also taper. For example, repairable claim

counts (excluding comprehensive) for 2018 through June were up only 0.4 percent from the same period in 2017. Less severe winter and spring weather in many parts of the U.S. has also meant fewer overall losses. A comparison of the share of losses with primary impact of hail or water for the first six months of the year reveal a much smaller percent in 2018 versus several prior years. Comprehensive losses’ share of overall repairable and total loss claim counts fell in both Q1 and Q2 of 2018 compared to prior years. Assuming no major economic event, such as a full-blown trade war or recession, or no major catastrophe such as a Superstorm Sandy or Hurricane Harvey, data from the first six months of the year would suggest that 2018 will see little growth, if any, in accident and claim counts. However, given rising costs and repair complexity, both the insurance industry and collision repairers will remain under pressure to have the See Sales Claims, Page 57

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Ford Commits to Spending $4 Billion on Autonomous Vehicles by Jessica Miley, Interesting Engineering

Ford has signaled its dedication to the development of autonomous vehicles by announcing its plans to spend $4 billion on the sector through 2023. The carmaker has created a Limited Liability Company (LLC) called Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC, which will host the company’s self-driving systems integration, autonomous vehicle research and advanced engi-

Credit: Argo

neering, AV transportation-as-a-service network development, user experience, business strategy and business development teams. The $4 billion budget includes dedicating $1 billion to autonomous driving startup Argo AI. The new company will be based out of Ford’s Continued from Page 36

Discussion at CIC

• Jon Ruttencutter of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) discussed the issue of counterfeit automotive parts. He showed video of tests conducted on counterfeit airbags, in which the bags failed to deploy, deployed late, broke away from the steering wheel or launched projectiles into what would be the interior of the vehicle. “We have yet to test a counterfeit airbag that works properly,” Ruttencutter said. Collision repairers can get more informa50

Corktown campus in Detroit, headed by Sherif Marakby. Marakby will report to a board of directors chaired by Ford’s executive vice president and president of mobility, Marcy Klevorn.

Argo AI To Help Take Ford Into the Autonomous Car Market Argo AI is the brainchild of former Google Self-Driving Engineer Bryan Salesky and former Engineering Lead at Uber Advanced Technologies Group Peter Rander. Ford’s involvement in the group has been public knowledge since February 2017. The latest announcement of additional funding and the formation of the LLC shows that Ford is ready to mean business when it comes to autonomous vehicles. Previous research into the technology was spread across departments, but this latest move to bring all the parts together shows that Ford is moving towards a vision of commercial deployment of autonomous cars. Ford Looks to the Future of Electric Autonomous Cars “Ford has made tremendous progress across the self-driving value chain—

from technology development to business model innovation to user experience,” said Ford CEO Jim Hackett. “Now is the right time to consolidate our autonomous driving platform into one team to best position the business for the opportunities ahead.”

supply chain choreography and inventory leanness that rivals any industrial model in the world.”

Ford’s electric vehicle strategy includes making the charging process for electric vehicles effortless as well as rethinking car ownership models. Ford will also follow Tesla with over-the-air software updates to enhance capability and features of its vehicles as new software is developed. “The evolution of computing power and IT have helped bring great products to customers—from cars to tablets,” Hackett said. “We can now harness this technology to unlock a new world of vehicle personalization,

vehicle businesses. Detroit’s oldest neighborhood will see a new Ford grow out of a 1.2 million-square-foot space. Corktown is expected to house 2,500 Ford employees, most of whom will work in its emerging mobility team. In addition to being a space for Ford and its partners, the site will serve as a mix of community and retail space and residential housing.

Detroit’s Long Automobile History Will Continue With a New Electric Face Ford’s Corktown campus will become a hub for its electric and autonomous

“Ford has made tremendous progress across the self-driving value chain—from technology development to business model innovation to user experience,” — Jim Hackett

We thank Interesting Engineering for reprint permission.

tion or report suspected counterfeit airbags through the agency’s website (www.iprcenter.gov).

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Good News: Your Tesla Model 3 Is Finally Ready. Bad News: It May Take Weeks To Get It Serviced by Russ Mitchell, The San Diego Union-Tribune

As Tesla ramps up its Fremont, CA, factory to escape what Elon Musk called “production hell” with its new Model 3 electric sedan, some customers are enduring their own state of suffering trying to get Teslas serviced.

Tesla service center in Costa Mesa, CA Credit: Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times

Parts shortages, long repair delays and problems getting through on customer help lines have led to scenes of strife at Tesla’s service centers. At the entrance to the company’s Dublin, CA, center recently, an agitated Model X owner was trying to drop his SUV off for repair. A Tesla service agent said he couldn’t leave the car there because the facility was too busy. He could make an appointment to bring it in another time, maybe in a couple of weeks. “But I don’t want to drive it!” said Kaushal Bhaskar, a software engineer from nearby San Ramon who complained he sometimes couldn’t get the passenger door to open, while other times the door would open up all by itself—including once on the Interstate at highway speeds. “This is a safety concern for me!” Another service rep was assisting Mike, the owner of a red Model 3 with door-lock problems who declined to give his last name. He’d lock the car, walk away, and it would electronically unlock itself. That caused him to alter his vacation plans. “I couldn’t take it to Yosemite like that,” he said. The agent said Mike would have to leave the car there awhile: “The amount of cases I’ve got right now is unbelievable.” Service complaints are common at traditional automobile dealers, of course—even for new cars. But weeks-long waits for basic auto repair are rare, and months-long waits 52

for body parts are practically unheard of for all but the most exotic vehicles because spare parts from automakers and after-market manufacturers are stocked in inventory. Spare body parts for repair almost always are made by the original manufacturer, said Bill Hampton, editor of the industry trade publication Auto Beat Daily. But, he said, it’s not surprising that such parts aren’t a top priority right now at Tesla. “When you’re making dramatic efforts to manufacture 5,000 [Model 3s] in one week, you sure can’t say, ‘Hey, some guy in Topeka needs a new hood. Too bad,’” Hampton said. The parts shortage goes well beyond California. In Norway, the third-largest market for Tesla cars after the U.S. and China, some customers told Norwegian media they have been waiting months on body parts for their damaged Teslas. Musk addressed the Norway problem on Twitter on July 5, saying “Norwegians are right to be upset with Tesla. We are having trouble expanding our service facilities in Oslo especially. Can solve quickly with Tesla mobile service vans, but awaiting govt permission to do so.” He has not addressed problems in the U.S. or elsewhere. The Times asked Tesla to make a service executive available to talk about what the company is doing to improve customer service, but it declined. Only Tesla knows the full extent of its quality problems. J.D. Power, which ranks initial vehicle quality, measures all mass-market automakers except Tesla, which declines to provide quality data requested by the market research firm. A Tesla spokesman said in a prepared statement that the company’s own global satisfaction scores for service are above 90 percent. A new parts distribution service was opened this spring in California, the statement said, and while “call volumes have increased dramatically due to the overwhelming excitement around the Model 3, this hasn’t impacted our ability to respond to emergency roadside events.” Tesla has “plans in place” to hire

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

more staff in customer support “in the event they are unable to find their answers” at Tesla’s support site “or in their Tesla account,” the company said. And it plans to open a large new

A tent outside the Tesla factory in Fremont, CA, was pressed into service to ramp up Model 3 production Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

service center in Oslo later this year. Tesla cars have topped Consumer Reports’ owner satisfaction survey for the last two years, the company noted. Jeff Klein, a publishing executive in Northridge, said the hood and front quarter panel on his wife’s Model S were damaged in a March accident. Four months later, the car is still parked at a Tesla-certified repair shop, waiting for parts, while Klein makes monthly payments on

the lease. Klein didn’t need a loaner vehicle. “The general manager said it could take several months, that Tesla didn’t seem to realize that their cars might get in accidents and they had no parts inventory,” Klein said. “Their parts are made to order, just like their cars.” On Tesla online forums, customers complain about long hold times on Tesla’s customer service phone line and waits of sometimes hours to check the status on a car delivery or repair, or to ask for a refund on a car deposit. Some report Tesla doesn’t get back to them at all. Mathijs Kok of Bueren, Germany, said the company promised by phone someone would return his call to correct a windshield problem on his new Model S. No one called him back. The next time he had a problem—this one with unresponsive roadside assistance—Kok emailed the company. He never heard back,

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despite some follow-up reminders. Kok, who said he runs a customer support department at Aerosoft GmbH, a flight simulator software maker, called the email snub “nasty.” “The lack of callbacks was sloppy, almost certainly caused by too much work,” he said. “In a nutshell, it’s damned hard to get in contact and they have lacking procedures to make it possible for issues to be missed and not followed up in time.” Service problems are not new at Tesla. In August, the company’s president for sales, marketing, delivery and service, Jon McNeill, said on the Tesla Motors Club forum the company had “streamlined” customer service “to make contacting the right person at Tesla easier.” Six months later, McNeill quit Tesla to become chief operating officer at Lyft. In June, Karim Bousta, Tesla vice president of worldwide service and customer experience, left, as did David Erhart, senior director for reliability and testing. Tesla’s sales and service approach differs greatly from most automakers, which sell their cars to franchised dealers. Tesla owns and

runs retail sales and service operations on its own. The company’s 74 service centers in the U.S. are complemented by Tesla Rangers, a mobile service program that dispatches service workers to fix some cars on site. The company also has pioneered “over the air” updates, where software updates can be beamed to the car without having to bring it to the dealer. Tesla executives have said this approach lowers Tesla’s capital costs. But accelerating production— to 53,339 cars of three different models in the second quarter, up 55 percent from a year earlier and almost a five-fold increase from the same period in 2015—may be overwhelming Tesla’s service resources. Add to that the wide variety of Model 3 quality problems reported on Tesla customer forums, including broken glass, bad paint jobs, body panel gaps, dead batteries, wind noise, dents, scratches and software problems including door locks and weirdly behaving touch screens. Tesla has one of the most rabidly loyal customer bases of any automaker, of course. The same forums

are peppered with praise for the cars and with Tesla service. And auto reviewers are near unanimous in their praise for the way the Model 3 drives. Consumer Reports relies on customer surveys for its own quality assessments. Mike Quincy, an automotive specialist at the research organization, called Tesla’s quality record “mixed.” “The good news is that the Model S has a new-car predicted reliability better than average,” Quincy said, referring to the mainstay Tesla sedan. “The bad news is that the Model X has proved far worse than average. Too few surveys have been collected yet to evaluate the Model 3.” If Model 3 quality proves subpar and service issues aren’t fixed, it could mean deeper trouble for Tesla as the company tries to go mainstream, according to Karl Brauer at Kelley Blue Book. Early Tesla buyers are “so in love with the car, they’d ignore things most buyers wouldn’t put up with, like delays for repairs or batteries that fail multiple times,” Brauer said. He suggested that Musk spend more time straightening out issues at

Tesla and less time on cave rescue operations or offering to fix water contamination problems in Flint, MI—Musk’s latest social cause. As the Model 3 broadens Tesla’s customer base, it may test the company’s “over the air” service model. At the Dublin service center, Bhaskar’s service rep said a review of his vehicle’s operational data, captured on Tesla’s cloud storage system, showed the door never opened by itself. “But I have seen it with my own eyes,” Bhaskar insisted. (The Times called the Dublin center three times to ask the service manager for comment. No calls were returned.) Bhaskar told the rep he’d take the car home and make an appointment, but wanted a written statement acknowledging the door safety problem. “We’re not putting this on paper,” he was told. “Here, that’s not the way business is done.” The issue was escalated, and after 45 minutes, Bhaskar was allowed to leave his car. He departed in a Mercedes-Benz SUV loaner. We thank The San Diego UnionTribune for reprint permission.

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Shop Strategies with Stacey Phillips

All-Female Body Shop Encourages the Next Generation of Auto Body Techs When Hilary Noack was a teenager, she noticed a flier about a festival in Long Beach, CA, called Ink-N-Iron. At the time, it featured old custom cars, tattoos and music. “I thought to myself, ‘This embodies everything that I want my body shop to be someday,’” she recalled. “I’m going to name it Ink&Iron.” Fast-forward 12 years later, and Noack now operates Ink&Iron body shop in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, which focuses on restorations and minor collision repair work. One of the unique features of her business is that it is owned and operated by women. Plans are in place to expand to other locations in Canada and the United States with the first opening in Detroit, MI, in 2019. Autobody News talked to Noack about her body shop and how she encourages co-op students and apprentices to learn the trade.

Q: A:

Can you share how you started in the auto body industry?

I remember hanging around my dad when I was growing up while he was working on cars and tuning them up. I wanted to buy a car when I was 17 years old, and the only

From there, I transitioned straight into an apprenticeship program at Centennial College in their automo-

ample that women can do it. There was no reason why I couldn’t. Seeing what amazing work they did, how they had to work twice as hard for half the respect and hearing their individual stories of discrimination and how they overcame it was my motivation. I wanted to provide a safe, judgment-free work environment where we could all learn from each other as well as train the next generation of fe(l to r) Audrey Batson, Lindsay Tadros, Emily Noack, male techs. Hilary Noack, Alexandra Chiarore, Olivia DiGianfelice I opened Ink&Iron in and Kimberly Diem Hanh Cao April 2015. I now have an tive division. I began working at 427 apprentice, a licensed technician and Auto Collision, one of the largest body a co-op student who is getting high shops in North America, after com- school credit for helping at the shop. pleting the third and final level of my schooling for the apprentice program. What are your expansion plans? How did you decide to open your shop and employ only women?

I have known that I wanted to open my own shop since I started in the trade, but I knew it would need to be unique in order to stand out from the crowd. It was definitely a goal of mine. When I first started at 427 Auto Collision, I was the only female in the workplace. I was also the only female through all three levels of my schooling. By the time I left the body shop, about a decade later, there were about eight of us. I met some awesome girls and watched them go through the apprenticeship program Hilary Noack opened Ink&Iron body shop in Mississauga, there. I also taught a night Ontario, Canada, in 2015 school course in auto body one I could afford was a 1970 Oldsmo- repair at Centennial College. Later, I bile. It was pretty rusty, and I wanted taught the auto body apprenticeship to learn how to repair it. There was a full-time during one semester prior to body shop nearby where my parents opening my shop. I thought I should start a shop lived, and I asked if I could work there as a co-op student during my last year that was all-female and use it as a of high school. They said yes, and I way to encourage more women to join the trade and set a positive exthought it sounded so cool. 54

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Currently, I am operating one location, but I would like to see my business grow to include more locations in different cities. My goal is to have Ink&Iron locations all across North America! I often get told by girls that they wish there were something similar to what I own where they lived and that they would love to work in a place like this. I like being able to give co-op students and apprentices the experience to work in a shop and teach the skills they need. I think this gives them the confidence to be able to go out into this industry and feel like they belong and have a right to be here. I’m excited to open a location in the Motor City of Detroit next year. My husband, Dan Fournier, is from Detroit, and it’s a really cool city.

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What are some of the challenges of operating an all-female shop?

What is your advice to other shops who are dealing with a shortage of techs in the industry?

I definitely think you get the typical stereotypes and people crying that it’s sexist and women belong in the kitchen, or they bet there are just men who work here and the business is a front for something.

Q: A:

I absolutely agree that there is a shortage of techs. It’s the

What do you enjoy most about running your body shop?

I think it is the ability to do my own thing and plan my schedule. One of the reasons I wanted to be an entrepreneur is the freedom. It’s Monday morning and I’m excited to go to work. I’m here seven days a week, and I’m working on cars that I want to focus on. I love doing this type of work, and I have a good customer base. My job is fun. I absolutely love what I do, which is to provide a place that is a good environment to teach women and encourage the next generation. We’re friends here as well, and we’re all really close. It’s a positive workplace.

take on a co-op student or an apprentice. The apprentice programs offer many benefits. As an apprentice, you are getting paid as if you were a regular employee. There is an awesome incentive in grant money and they often offer grants to the employers too. I know it’s hard because this industry is so fastpaced; you need to get the car done quickly, but people need to take the time to train the next generation. So many people are retiring out of the trade; you have to put that investment into training people.

(l to r) Kimberly Diem Hanh Cao (apprentice), Hilary Noack, Audrey Batson (licensed tech) and Emily Bedford (co-op student)

same up here in Canada too. Everyone is dying for skilled labor, but at the same time, I know a lot of techs either who have zero industry experience or who have maybe taken a course, and no one will hire them. I think that employers need to

What is the benefit of using social media to promote your body shop?

In this day and age, everything is very much going digital, and I think social media is a great tool. We currently have over 6,000 followers on our Facebook page. I found you have to be consistent when using social media and try to post

something every couple of days. It’s a great way to share your work and message. It’s also very visual. People love to see pictures of what you are doing. YouTube is also a great tool to use. I’m planning to make more videos of the repair process. I would love to take a build and film it from start to finish to give people an idea about how the process works. I think this will help educate our customers. What is one of your biggest challenges at Ink&Iron?

Q: A:

One of our challenges is getting people to realize how much it costs to either repair or paint a car. People don’t understand the investment in materials or how much it costs. Sometimes, I have people who come by with the whole side of their car totaled and they ask if they can wait while it is being fixed. I find that we often need to educate customers on the repair process and why it costs so much.

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Continued from Page 35

The Power of Leadership

about. If this can be accomplished, Perlman said the conversation becomes much different and usually is more effective. Wrapping up his presentation, Perlman highly encouraged everyone to connect with his or her most influential leader—let the person who had a significant influence on you personally and/or professionally know why they were influential and thank them. “If you have a chance to do it, make the phone call, shoot them an email or put up a Facebook post. Reconnect with them in some way,” said Perlman. “I’ve yet to be surprised or disappointed by their response.” For more information, email Ken Perlman: perlman@culturesync.net.

www.autobodynews.com 56

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Continued from Cover

Hearings on Tariffs

Jones’ comments occurred as segments of the auto industry are converging on the nation’s capital to lobby against the proposed tariffs. The push is coming at the same time the Commerce Department has two days of hearings scheduled on the tariff issue. In May, President Donald Trump directed the Commerce Department to begin an investigation into whether imported vehicles and auto parts constitute a national security threat. The administration is reportedly considering a 20 to 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles. More than 2,300 comments were collected during the investigation period. Segments of the auto industry, as well as Jones, Sen. Richard Shelby and Gov. Kay Ivey, among others, have made comments opposing the Continued from Page 48

Sales Claims

training and tools to operate efficiently and effectively.

tariffs. Ivey, in a letter to Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross, said Alabama’s auto segment could lose up to 4,000 jobs as a result. Jones said he [remembers] when Alabama did not produce any automobiles; yet the state is now the nation’s third-leading auto exporter. “Now let me be clear—while the United States faces any number of threats from adversaries on any number of fronts, foreign automobiles and auto parts are not a threat to our national security,” he said. “But you know what is a threat? A 25 percent tax on the price of these imported goods.” Auto industry figures say the proposed tariffs would adversely affect American automobiles because many models produced domestically use imported parts, which they say would drive up the cost for consumers. Tariffs would also inspire retaliatory tariffs in other countries,

further impacting American exports, critics contend. Among the activities slated for later this week in the capital: More than 30 vehicles built in the U.S. by international automakers will motorcade past the Capitol and to the Department of Commerce July 26. One of them will be Mercedes’ GLE, made at Mercedes’ Vance plant. Seven auto trade groups are participating in two days of events coinciding with the hearings and have paid for advertisements in publications, including The Wall Street Journal. The ad comes as an open letter to Trump, thanking him for his support of the industry but urging another strategy to protect U.S. jobs. “While we understand that you are working to achieve a level playing field for trade to create more jobs, raising tariffs is the wrong approach,” the ad states. We thank AL.com for reprint permission.

Susanna Gotsch is director and industry analyst for CCC Information Services Inc. Contact her at sgotsch @cccis.com. The information and opinions

presented are for general information only, are subject to change and are not intended to provide specific recommendations for any individual or entity.

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autobodynews.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Judge Finds Lousiana Collision Shop’s Business Practices ‘Unethical’ and Violation of UTPA

Ford Has To Pay Nearly $300 Million Because Of Fatal Takata Airbags

by Staff, WBRZ

by Jay Traugott, CarBuzz

A judge has decided that a prominent capital area body shop’s business practices and advertisements

were in violation of the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act. WBRZ first reported on a lawsuit filed back in May that alleged Owens Collision misrepresented the contract customers signed and held vehicles longer than necessary “to increase non-repair fees.” It also claimed that Owens marked up the

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cost of parts and bills for unreasonable fees. Court records say Judge Todd Hernandez found the business’s refusal to allow customers to view their vehicles while in Owens’ possession “absurd, unethical, unscrupulous and has proven to be substantially injurious to its customers.” In response, the judge ordered that the business allow customers full access to their vehicles during regular business hours. He also said Owens was prohibited from misrepresenting the terms and conditions of its contracts in the future. The judge dismissed the individual claims filed against business owner Greg Owens. We thank WBRZ for reprint permission.

www.autobodynews.com

UPDATED DAILY

Although airbag supplier Takata has filed for bankruptcy, the after-effects of the fatal airbag recalls continue. According to Reuters, Ford has agreed to what’s described as a “socalled economic loss settle of $299.1 million.” This settled amount will

cover various forms of economic loss linked to the faulty airbag inflators, such as claims that vehicles were stated as being safe but really were not, and for cars that people had overpaid for despite the airbags. Many owners were forced to pay various out-of-pocket expenses. Ford isn’t the only automaker that agreed to a settlement, which has now climbed to a total value of around $1.2 billion. Other automak-

Uber Puts Self-Driving Cars Back to Work, But With Human Driver by Shelby Rogers, Interesting Engineering

After being pulled for several highprofile controversies and related deaths, Uber’s autonomous cars are coming back to roadways. Eric Meyhofer, head of Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group, announced in a recent Medium piece that its self-driving cars would return just four months after a fatal accident caused Uber to stop testing. “After the tragedy in Tempe, we launched a top-to-bottom review of our self-driving program with a focus on safety. Today, we are taking a first step towards bringing our selfdriving vehicles back to public roadways in Pittsburgh,” he wrote. Uber is implementing what’s called a Mission Specialist behind the wheel at all times. However, from Uber’s description, the “Mission Specialist” position just sounds an awful lot like any other Uber driver. The only difference is that this driver is behind the wheel of a car capable of being put into an autonomous mode. Meyhofer explained, “We’re starting with cars in manual mode with a Mission Specialist sitting be58

hind the wheel and manually controlling the vehicle at all times. Mission Specialists undergo extensive training to operate self-driving vehicles on our test track and on public roads. The Mission Specialist behind

Credit: UberATG, Medium

the wheel is primarily responsible for maintaining vehicle safety, while a second Specialist in the passenger seat will document notable events.” The company assured readers that they’ve done more than ensuring a human in the car pays attention to their surroundings. They’ve also added real-time driver monitoring to all self-driving vehicles that will send an audio alert to an inattentive Mission Specialist as well as another

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

person monitoring the vehicle’s performance. They added new collision avoidance systems that will remain enabled even when the car is in manual drive mode. Uber’s autonomous cars will also have a front tablet for turn-by-turn navigation with a reconfigured look to make sure it doesn’t distract anyone in the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. “Self-driving technology has the potential to change how we move, reinvent how we design cities and save lives. We recognize our responsibility to contribute to this future, and the essential role that safety plays as we move forward,” Meyhofer wrote. The restrictions placed on the self-driving program seemed to come solely from the pedestrian death in Tempe, AZ, and government restrictions placed on the company in the wake of the accident. At one point, the fate of Uber’s self-driving segment seemed bleak. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey—the man who initially championed Uber’s self-dri-

ers include Ferrari, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru and BMW. The defective Takata airbags have been connected to the deaths of at least 23 people and more than 290 injuries worldwide. The exact problem with the inflators is that they can explode, flinging metal shrapnel at passengers’ faces. A total of 21 deaths took place in Hondas, while two happened in Fords. The settlement Ford agreed to with affected owners takes into account specifics like lost wages, child care costs and vehicle repairs. Ford will also offer free rental or loaner vehicles to these owners as they wait for the necessary repairs. As of July 18, a total of 30 million vehicles in the U.S. still require repairs. The Takata airbag recall was the largest safety recall in auto industry history, affecting roughly 100 million inflators among 19 major automakers. Takata’s bankruptcy happened back in June 2017, but not before it agreed to a $1 billion settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. We thank CarBuzz for reprint permission.

ving technology being brought to the state—banned the company from further testing. Shortly after, Uber fired its self-driving car operators in its Pittsburg and San Francisco locations. One element of Uber’s update seems to be in direct response to the events at Tempe—the driver tracking and alert system. While investigating the Tempe death, officials determined that operator Rafaela Vasquez looked down at her phone 204 times in order to watch television during a 43-minute test drive. The drive ended when Vasquez killed Elaine Herzberg after she stepped in front of the vehicle. The police determined Vasquez had enough time to avoid Herzberg had her eyes been on the road. We thank Interesting Engineering for reprint permission.

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Continued from Page 26

Nissan Recalls 105,000 Versas for Deadly Takata Airbags by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com

2010–2011 Nissan Versa sedans and 2010–2012 Nissan Versa hatchbacks that have ever been registered in: 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. Nissan dealers will replace the front passenger airbag inflators starting in July 2018, but concerned owners may call Nissan at 800-867-7669. CarComplaints.com has ownerreported complaints about Nissan Versa cars and many other Nissan models. We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.

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WAC Meeting Energizes Members by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On July 17, Women in Automotive and Collision (WAC) hosted a meeting at Automotive Technology in Fenton, MO.

A dozen people attended WAC’s July 17 meeting to plan for the group to attend upcoming industry events. Credit: WAC

According to WAC President Shelly Jones, “The meeting was energizing! I enjoy working with this group of people on our common mission. We share ideas, we laugh, and Continued from Page 41

Truck Collision Repair

“The goal is to improve safety for the driver, fellow motorists and 60

we get things done. “A dozen people attended the July meeting, including two new members: Amy Redfield of Redfield Collision and Avery Hodge from Original One Parts. We now have 16 members and seven corporate sponsors. WAC member Jim Earnest, Weber Chevrolet, provided a delicious dinner for the group.” The main focus of the evening was planning for upcoming events that WAC will attend. The group will have a booth at the V8TV Drive-In Cruise on August 16 at Sky View Drive-In in Belleville, IL. “WAC member Kelle Oeste, of V8 Speed & Resto Shop, suggested the event as a great opportunity for WAC to get the word out about the great career opportunities within the automotive and collision industries,” Jones said. “We will be hosting a coloring contest to engage the children and handing out information to

technicians,” he said. “The more we have in black and white, the better.” Fassett of Al’s Automotive and Truck Service Center chairs the HD Collision Repair Roadmap task force. Kolea of PennFleet Corp. is a

SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

120 Years

enced by aircraft design, featuring a 75HP rear engine and an all-aluminum body. It never reached production, but its development underscores the fact that aluminum for cars bodies is not a new idea. In the 1950s, Chevrolet introduced the fiberglass-bodied Corvette. Studebaker would build its Avanti with fiberglass in the 1960s. Around 2006, car makers started combining aluminum bolt-on parts, like doors, hoods or trunk lids with bodies that were otherwise made of steel. It seemed like a unique idea at the time and a great way to save weight to increase fuel mileage—but it was certainly not new. In 1963, the Dodge Polara was available in a special package with weight-saving aluminum front fenders, bumper and hood with a custom hood scoop. The aluminum saved about 150 pounds, less weight for… “the 426 engine and automatic transmission to push down the drag strip or around a NASCAR track.” parents. This fun family event is being presented by V8TV. More information regarding this car cruise and movie night is available at www .v8tvshow.com.” WAC will also host a table at the Enterprise 2018 Golf Classic at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis on Sept. 10. WAC Social Media Manager and Enterprise 01 Group Manager Tricia Belz provided this opportunity. Jones pointed out, “Many of the participants have a vested interest in the industry that we serve, so we hope to reach others that will join us in our mission. This will be a fun day of networking.” WAC’s next meeting will be held on August 21. More information about the group is available at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ wacstl/ (Women in Automotive and Collision) or on Instagram at WAC STLGROUP.

member of both.

Some technicians consider use of “glue” or epoxy to keep pieces of a car together as too new and heretical and something that will never work. If a part is not bolted, riveted or welded together, how will it ever hold? Yet, in 1984 Volvo announced the use of epoxy to tack-weld body parts together, thus reducing the number of conventional spot welds from 4,000 to 500. Granted, body building, bodybuilding material and the way automobile bodies must be repaired have seen some dramatic changes in a relatively short time beginning with the Obama administration in January 2009, and the massive changes made to CAFÉ standards. But changes in the way vehicles are built and the way they need to be repaired have changed many times over the automobile’s history and will continue to evolve.

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New PPG Videos Display Diversity Commitment

PPG has posted two new videos reinforcing its solid commitment to workplace diversity — a key element of the company’s core values and a priority across all PPG Industries’ business units. The new videos are the latest installments in PPG’s Success through Diversity program that focuses on diversity in the PPG workforce. The new videos, each two minutes in length, feature Automotive Refinish team members Cristina Fronzaglia-Murray, PPG director of customer engagement & communications, and Erin Detchon, PPG technical sales trainee, discussing their positive experiences at PPG. The diversity videos are available for viewing on the Automotive Refinish YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/PPG Refinish They join the previously produced Power of Diversity video. For more information about PPG, call (800) 647-6050 or visit www .ppgrefinish.com.

Analysis: Red-Light Cameras Don’t Reduce Traffic Accidents or Improve Public Safety by Staff, The Daily

Red-light cameras don’t reduce the number of traffic accidents or injuries at intersections where the devices are installed, according a new analysis by Case Western Reserve University. Touted by supporters as a way to increase public safety by ticketing drivers who continue through red lights, the cameras actually shift traffic patterns: More drivers tend to brake harder and more abruptly, increasing fender-benders and other socalled “non-angle” collisions. “Once drivers knew about the cameras, they appeared to accept a higher accident risk from slamming on their brakes at yellow lights to avoid an expensive traffic citation— thereby decreasing safety for themselves and other drivers,” said Justin Gallagher, an assistant professor of economics at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve. Gallagher is co-author of a paper posted to Social Science Research Network, commonly known as SSRN, based on an analysis of thousands of collisions over a 12-year span reported by the Texas Department of

Transportation. Researchers focused on data while red-light cameras were operating and again after they were removed (by voter referendum) in Houston—and drew on similar data from Dallas, which still has its redlight camera program.

In Houston, the installation of the cameras led to 18 percent more nonangle accidents, with an estimated 28 percent jump in these collisions in a combined Houston-Dallas data sample, researchers found. While removing the cameras in Houston caused 26 percent more “angle” accidents—such as T-bone collisions, considered among the most dangerous—it’s likely the cameras actually led to more accidents overall, since there are more non-angle accidents, researchers concluded.

“There is no reason to believe that there is a reduction in overall accidents thanks to red-light cameras,” Gallagher said. “Our analysis does not support the case that the cameras improve public safety, which is one of the main justifications used by public officials and law enforcement.” More than 400 communities in the United States—including 36 of the largest 50 cities—have installed the devices, usually placed at busy intersections with a history of accidents. Yet some communities have removed the cameras, including Cleveland, where Case Western Reserve is located, and Houston. The process of using the cameras to issue traffic citations—mailed to a vehicle’s registered owner—has largely withstood legal challenges. But their use has also been heavily scrutinized as mere revenue generators, with most programs administered by out-of-state, for-profit contractors. Tens of millions of dollars were collected from drivers in Houston and Dallas during the years analyzed for the paper. “There is clear evidence that installing a camera reduces the number of vehicles running a red light,” Gal-

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lagher said, “but the predicted relationship between the number of vehicles running red lights and the total number of accidents is ambiguous— and certainly not compelling enough to justify some claims of proponents of these devices.” Data on the types of injuries ocurring in these traffic accidents (fatalities, incapacitating and non-incapacitating, and more minor) failed to provide a case in which the cameras increased the safety of intersections where they’re installed, Gallagher said. In 2015, more than 35,000 people died and 2.4 million were injured in traffic accidents nationally, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While the U.S. Department of Transportation recommends a set yellow-light caution length of 3 to 6 seconds, there is no uniformity among intersections. The study’s co-author was Paul Fisher, a graduate student in economics at the University of Arizona and a 2017 Case Western Reserve graduate. We thank The Daily for reprint permission.

BASF Brands Getting a Facelift

July 24, 2018 - BASF Automotive Refinish is updating its brand images, beginning with new product labels for productivity brand RM®, in Q3 2018. A newly designed logo for economy brand LIMCO®, as well as new labels for both Limco and BASF’s premium brand, Glasurit®, will follow later in the year. “As the world’s largest chemical company, our primary focus is on R&D and innovation,” said Marketing Director Dan Bihlmeyer. “We are also a twenty-first century organization, focused on leading edge facets of business from technology to communications to design. These new labels express BASF’s commitment to market leadership.” Glasurit’s newly designed labels are accompanying its 130th birthday in 2018 and R-M’s newly designed labels are arriving in time for its 100th birthday in 2019. For more information about BASF Automotive Refinish, visit www .basfrefinish.com.

autobodynews.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

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