"Cash for Clunkers": Contact Congress
from Automotive Service Association
 ASA urges all members of the automotive industry to contact their congressional representatives to support a repair option if a "Cash for Clunkers" provision is included in the upcoming Economic Stimulus Package. Click here to send a letter to your representatives and senators. For more information on this subject, see the January issue of AutoInc. magazine. Thanks so much!
Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light: How Are You Going to Start 2009?
from AutoInc. Magazine
 The truth is the market is not "tough," it is just presenting a different set of challenges. There is always business, it just takes a different imagination. The reality is "business has not stopped." There is always business, but there is not always people seeking how to do the business. When people lose their ability to think on their feet, they will be paralyzed in a transitional market. All the business market is doing right now is going through a correction. That doesn't mean business has stopped; it just means people need to slow down at the yellow light and adjust. More
U.S. Auto Sales Drop in 2008, Recovery Unclear
from The Associated Press
After a year in which U.S. auto sales tumbled 18 percent and GM had its worst year in nearly a half-century amid slack demand fueled by a terrible economic outlook and growing job worries, automakers are reluctant to predict when a recovery might occur. An even sharper sales decline in December alone means that record high rebates and low-interest financing deals will stick around until at least February. More
Electrical 101
from ABRN
Diagnosing electrical system faults seems to pose one of the biggest headaches for many technicians. But more and more vehicle systems are going electronic, and the ability to handle these types of repairs is going to have a direct impact on your wallet. Maybe it's because you can't see it, maybe it's because you don't quite understand it. More
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Product Showcase:
URG Offers Quality Recycled Parts Search Engine
 United Recyclers offers body shops and mechanical repair shops the ability to search used parts for cars and trucks. Each URG member provides quality assurance to the product. The result is a nationwide label that delivers consistently high quality parts and maximizes consumers, collision center, and estimator confidence. More info
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Putting Your Best Face Forward
from AutoInc. Magazine
We were astounded by the number of entries we received this year for the 11th annual Top 10 Automotive Repair Web Sites honors. When we realized how hard the job of choosing only 10 was going to be, well, it was certainly an event to celebrate. More
UAW Members Headed to Detroit to Discuss Revising Auto Contracts
from The Detroit Free Press
UAW negotiators from factories across America began arriving in Detroit this week to begin preparing for negotiations with Detroit's automakers, which are under pressure from Congress to bring their labor costs in line with those of foreign automakers in return for federal aid. The preparations among the UAW leadership from GM, Ford and Chrysler facilities nationwide are expected to last at least three days. More
Running Steady
from Las Vegas Review-Journal
Some people don't have the option of buying a replacement vehicle. They're forced to make repairs rather than take on a big monthly payment. That makes automotive repair shops a little more recession-proof than the 20,000 car and truck dealerships in America.
"Business has been a little better than the last two years," said John Sain, owner of National Auto Service Center, an ASA member in Las Vegas. "People still have to get their cars fixed. They can't buy (new) because their credit is shot and they don't want to create more payments and insurance is high." More
Carmakers Plan for Disruptions in Parts Supply
from ABRN
Toyota and Honda, Japan's two largest carmakers, might modify their "just-in-time" manufacturing system to avoid disruptions in production caused by possible supplier bankruptcies. General Motors and Chrysler are battling to restructure after they were given $13.4 billion in emergency federal loans to keep them operating through March. Detroit's woes could lead to a "supplier shock," crippling U.S. production at Japanese and other foreign carmakers, according to the Center for Automotive Research. More
Steel Industry, in Slump, Looks to Federal Stimulus
from The New York Times
The steel industry, having entered the recession in the best of health, is emerging as a leading indicator of what lies ahead. As steel production goes — and it is now in collapse — so will go the national economy. That maxim once applied to Detroit’s Big Three car companies, when they dominated American manufacturing. Now they are losing ground in good times and bad, and steel has replaced autos as the industry to watch for an early sign that a severe recession is beginning to lift. More
More Women’s Career Choice a 'Wrenching' One
from The Associated Press via Worcester Telegram
Roxanne Amiot wanted to study fashion design, so she decided to go to Bullard-Havens Technical High School in Bridgeport, Conn. But after completing the exploratory program, where she was able to take classes in any of the trades offered at the Bridgeport school, she discovered she liked the automotive field much better. Women comprise 25 percent or less of workers in male-dominated occupations such as auto service or auto repair. More
Dashboard Devices Bows Car Computer
from TWICE
Market newcomer Dashboard Devices will unveil a $2,700 in-dash double-DIN computer for the car at the 2009 International CES that reads aloud the users’ email and has other advanced features. The computer series, called the ENV, is slated for spring production and will be sold initially through computer resellers and then to CE car audio retailers, said the company. More
OSHA Approves New Respirator Noncompliance Regulation
from the Automotive Service Association
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has approved the regulation to amend the Remedy for Violation of Requirements to Provide Personal Protective Equipment and Train Employees regulation currently in place. Specifically, this proposal clarifies that "noncompliance with the personal protective equipment (PPE) and training requirements in safety and health standards may expose the employer to liability on a per-employee basis." More
Japanese Auto Sales Sank to 34-year Low
from The Wall Street Journal
Japan's domestic auto sales fell last year to their lowest level since the mid-1970s as recession squashed already weak consumer demand during the last few months of the year. Sales of new cars, trucks and buses slid to 3.212 million vehicles last year, down 6.5 percent from 2007, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers' Association. That marked the fifth straight year of decline, taking sales to their lowest level since 3.133 million vehicles were recorded in 1974. More
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