Shops in Crisis? The Tech Shortage: A Special Report: Part II
In our August issue, we began an in-depth look at an issue that has been described as one of the automotive aftermarket’s biggest hurdles: attracting qualified technicians and preventing an industry-wide shortage that, some insist, is inevitable. While most experts agree that a shortage does exist, it appears to be centered at the highest, most
Newest Spin: Modern Balancing Technology More Precise Than Ever
Since the 1970s, static balance has been at the head of the list among proving-grounds engineers. But, those machines had to take a back seat for decades as the complexities of vehicle suspension multiplied. Dynamic balance – the wave of the future – probably corrected more vehicle flaws than tire/wheel issues. Today, vehicle component technology
Shops in Crisis? The Tech Shortage
You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it. Perhaps you’ve experienced it. It’s ‘The Tech Shortage,’ the most critical personnel issue facing businesses involved in automotive repair, including tire dealers. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Or is it? Facts are facts. Perception is quite another thing. In this two-part series, we will define the
Risk and Readiness: Lessen Your Liability By Knowing the Limits of Big Tires and Wheels
Just when we thought tire sizes had reached their low-profile limit, just when we thought tire widths were shrinking engine-bay requirements, we started learning how little we actually know. SUVs and light trucks became the “spotlight” ride of the 1990s and 21st Century. In 1996, Ford introduced the Expedition, and later, the Lincoln Navigator, and
Same But Different: Commercial Light Truck Tire Features Changing; Customer Concerns Steady
A decade ago, you could cover 80% or more of the commercial light truck tire market with six sizes, all of them 16 inches. “That is changing,” says John Soule, manager of Michelin brand light truck tires at Michelin North America (MNA). “We are now in the middle of a sizing transition that is bringing
Tread Talk: Worn Tires Have a Lot to Say – If You Know How to Listen
What happens when you turn on your TV set? Within 30 minutes, some health nut is telling you to listen to your body. “Your body will tell you what to do,” says an artificially tanned head on a rippling, hard body. Trouble is, our bodies are crying out for pizza, desserts and other cholesterol-choked foods.
Eye on Possibility: Out-of-the-Box Thinking Can Transform Your Image, Sell the Experience
Buying new tires has been called one of the most negative purchases a consumer can make. Did you ever invite the neighbors over to see your new washer-dryer combo? Unlikely. Same holds true for tires. While independent tire dealers can do little to polish the image of tires, they can do an awful lot to
Information Overload?: New Data Collection Tools Can Help Dealers – But at a Price
When a telephone installer in Canton, Ohio, leaves his service truck, his boss back at headquarters knows. If the installer moves more than 100 yards from his truck, the boss knows that, too. If that installer checks out his son’s baseball game, the boss can ‘see’ the company’s service truck parked at the ball field,
Gun Control: Compressed Air Can Be a Deadly Weapon in the Wrong Hands
Did you ever grab the air hose to clean off your workbench? Did you feel a little embarrassed when you were engulfed in a cloud of choking dust? Lots of us have, including me – when I was a kid. That’s when the older guys started telling me stories about the dangers of compressed air.
Quick Fix: With Inflation-in-a-Can, ‘Temporary’ is the Operative Word
Even for the most skeptical motorists, inflation-in-a-can is a valid answer to experiencing a flat tire at the wrong time in the wrong place. But there are many caveats that must be followed explicitly when connecting a can of sealant and quite a few psi to the valve stem. Most important is that it’s only
On the Road – Still: Fuel Prices, Vehicle Cost Not Stalling RV Tire Market Growth
About 8 million U.S. households now own at least one RV. That’s a whopping 58% increase since 1980. Putting it another way, 376,700 units (motorhomes and towables) were shipped in 2005, up 1.8% from 2004 numbers. Even more impressive is the 15% gain in RV ownership from 2001 to 2004. The trend is unmistakable. All
Moving Marvels: Tire Innovations: A Look Back, a Step Forward
From the four full-ply poly bias tires of the early to mid-1960s to the carbon-fiber-enhanced radials complete with Kevlar belts and multiple compound tread designs of the 21st century, we’ve come a long way in a relatively short time. A glance in the rear-view mirror shows that our great industry has been foolish at times