Professionals in Automotive Service Since 1940

ST. JOHNS, FL (September 29, 2015) – The heavy duty/commercial vehicle industry recently announced agreement in a Memorandum of Understanding (HD MOU) between the Commercial Right to Repair Coalition and the Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA), where original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of heavy duty vehicles would provide service information to independent service providers by way of their OEM technical websites. To assist in managing the understanding, search and feedback related to this cooperative effort between HD OEMs and independent HD service specialists, the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) was asked to expand its scope with the addition of heavy duty to its similar service already being provided to the light vehicle industry. “The HD MOU is a perfect fit for NASTF and its mission,” said Charlie Gorman, Immediate past Chairman of NASTF. “NASTF provides the framework for communication and cooperation by making existing services available to H ... read more

On Saturday, September 26 during the ASCCA Team Weekend ASCCA recognized several members and a chapter for their outstanding service to the association. Each award winner was nominated by an ASCCA member. Membership Committee Chair, Mary Kemnitz presented the following awards. Included below are the award winners in the categories of Chapter of the Year, Sponsor of the Year, Rising Star, and Volunteer of the Year along with the words used to describe why each should be considered for the award. ASCCA 2015 Chapter of the Year – Chapter 24, San Diego Hard working chapter with great events and consistency, they are what most chapters aspire to be. They are always on top of their game, being very structured, and very organized. Chapter 24 is one of the leading chapters in the state. Chapter 24 San Diego is also heavily involved at the State level with several members on the Board of Directors, several members serve on various state committee's and the curre ... read more

In 2010, both the States of California and Washington enacted legislation that will require brake pads sold or installed in both states to have reduced levels of copper and other heavy metals. The legislation was enacted due to claims by environmental groups and regulators that as brake pads wear down, copper and other metals are deposited on roadways where they are washed into streams and rivers. Copper is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic species. The new brake rules for California and Washington State will place significant compliance requirements for the entire distribution system from the brake pad manufacturers down to installers. While Washington State is in the process of finalizing their rules, California has not yet begun the development of their rules to implement the requirements. However, the laws have several similarities and it is hoped that California’s Department of Toxic and Substance Control will adopt much of Washington’s regulatory scheme. Lea ... read more

What you need to know about telematics and protecting consumer choice within the automotive service industry. The ASCCA Public Relations committee is encouraging all ASCCA members to begin engaging their customers in a consumer education campaign on Telematics. A flyer has been developed by the Committee for you to use in your shops. Learn more: http://www.ascca.com/blog/engage-your-customers-on-the-issue-of-telematics

Legislation to increase California’s minimum wage died in the State Assembly just one day after a poll conducted by the California Wellness Foundation found that 68 percent of Californians support it. Senate Bill 3 (Leno) would have increased the minimum wage to $13 an hour over the next two years. Despite the fate of the bill, the poll indicated that proponents of the measure had gained considerable ground in recent months. Senate Bill 3 was introduced on the heels of Assembly Bill 10 (Alejo), legislation signed by Governor Brown in 2013 that increased the minimum wage from $8 an hour to $10 an hour by January 1, 2016. If signed into law, SB 3 would have punished California’s small business owners who are already struggling to afford the skyrocketing costs of workers' compensation, energy use, and the Affordable Care Act. Auto shop owners in particular are a ... read more

The State Legislative Bill Report details various bills that ASCCA is tracking. If you have any questions please contact ASCCA at[email protected]Bill Report July 14, 2015

The ASCCA Public Relations committee is encouraging all ASCCA members to begin engaging their customers in a consumer education campaign on Telematics. A flyer has been developed by the Committee for you to use in your shops. Consider displaying these flyers and even attaching them to your customer invoices. The intent is to engage your customer in a dialogue with you so you can inform them of what Telematics is and the potential risk it presents to their right for privacy. You can take this opportunity to inform your customer that through your association you are advocating on their behalf in an attempt to protect consumer privacy. Click here to view the flyer

As of July 2015 the ASCCA TeamTalk email address has changed. HOW TO POST MESSAGES If you are an authorized participant on TEAMtalk, send an email message to the following email address - [email protected] and it will go to everyone on the list. Hit "Reply to all" when replying to messages. If you have not been authorized yet, or if you are sending from an e-mail address different from the one you subscribed with, the message will be bounced back as undeliverable. If you change e-mail addresses, your posts will be bounced. In case of an email change email [email protected] and your email address will be updated. **For more information please visit http://www.ascca.com/resources/ascca-teamtalk

ASCCA Celebrates 75 Years from ASCCA on Vimeo

We are pleased to announce competitive dental and vision plans exclusively available to ASCCA members. Here are some key components to the offering: It doesn’t matter if you currently have these plans in place or not, everyone can enroll. The initial launch of the program will be effective July 1st. Shop owners decide if they want to contribute toward some of the premium, all of the premium, or offer it voluntary to the employees where they pay the full cost. Includes a nationwide network of dentists. These plans are eligible for Section 125 where the employees’ cost can be deducted pre-tax from their paychecks. Only one person in your business needs to enroll. There is a billing fee of $10 per group per month. CoreMark can include these plan options inside their custom enrollment booklets they prepare for clients. These booklets illustrate the complete benefits package including necessary disclosures as required by the Affordable Care Ac ... read more