ATMC Announces Call for Entries for 2011 Training Awards
ATMC will honor outstanding or innovative training programs designed for service or support in the transportation industry through the awards program, which is open to any person or entity providing training in the industry.
Sallas Auto Repair Shop Educates Women and Students about Caring for Cars
Sallas Auto Repair in Kansas City, MO, is passionate about cars and educating drivers about how to care for their cars. After years of witnessing several women be ripped off by other auto repair shops, Sallas began “car care clinics” to educate drivers about caring for their vehicles.
Integrity, Family Atmosphere: Formula for Success at Marshall Motors
As a shop owner, hiring a new technician can be daunting task: finding the right recruiting avenues, narrowing down the applicants and, then, hopefully, making the right choice. But for Thom and January Marshall, siblings and co-owners of Marshall Motors in Dallas, the process takes a unique turn to ensure the right person is hired for the job.
Bosch ESI[tronic] 2011/2 Update Greatly Expands General Motors’ Coverage
Bosch has issued a major update to its industry leading ESI[tronic] automotive database software. The 2011/2 update, which is available now, dramatically increases the repair shop’s capabilities of servicing General Motors vehicles, and the update has added thousands of new codes and data parameters in the program’s Snaplist, including more function tests, more OBD controls and more diagnostic trouble code information than ever before.
Bosch Battery Chargers Keep Batteries in Top Charge
Compact, versatile new battery chargers from Bosch can be first aid for that exhausted battery involuntarily parked in the driveway, as well as return or keep automotive batteries in top operating condition. Vehicles today are often equipped with a multitude of battery-stressing, power-robbing accessories such as a GPS navigation unit, high fidelity sound system, and many other electrical conveniences.
Shop Owner Sees Major Shift in Industry Over Last Five Years
Jay Thatcher, owner of Thatcher’s Auto Center is Superior, WI, says his customers now demand more dependability, performance and fuel efficiency from their vehicles. The shop currently does about 70 percent maintenance and 30 percent repair work. Five to 10 years ago, it was mostly repair work. “Customers have discovered that if they maintain a vehicle today it will go and go. It also costs less over the life of the vehicle to keep it well maintained than to repair it,” Thatcher told a local reporter.
New Bosch A/C Refrigerant Handling Systems Offer Speed, Accuracy, Reliability and Automated Operation
Bosch’s new ACS 620 and ACS 625 Digital A/C Refrigerant Handling Systems are fully automated, accurate and user friendly, and are fully compliant with the J2788 standard. Featuring a swivel control turret housing with an LCD display and easy-to read gauges, the new R134a refrigerant recovery/recycle/recharge systems are equipped with a large 6 CFM vacuum pump, an easy-access refrigerant filter for quick maintenance and patented manifold assembly that increases machine uptime – and therefore shop revenue.
Online Journalist Tackles Question of ‘Why Does My Car Repair Cost So Much?’
Tom Torbjornsen, maintenance editor for AOL Autos, has readers ask him all the time about how the price of an auto repair is determined. In this article, Torbjornsen covers the three main criteria used in pricing a repair – labor rate, cost of parts and shop overhead.
Sleek New SmartLift Trio Superstructure Raises Technician Productivity
The world’s best-selling inground lift has a sleek new superstructure that increases technician productivity with three key developments: greater drive-through clearance, improved lift-to-vehicle clearance, and extended arm reach. Rotary Lift recently unveiled the patent-pending SmartLift Trio superstructure at the NADA Expo.
Direct Mail Campaigns: Targeted Marketing Strategies Yield Great ROI
For repair shop owners, advertising was once as simple as buying a large advertisement in the local Yellow Pages. Those bulky directories were the best way for customers to locate a shop when they needed repairs.