CollisionCast

Vehicle complexity, including the growing average number of replacement parts — up by 15% — and lightweight parts that more often need to be replaced instead of repaired, means repair times are longer and the labor required for this is more specialized. This has increased severity. Meanwhile, claims frequency is down. In this CollisionCast episode, John Barbagallo, strategic advisor for fleet safety and compliance telematics firm SambaSafety, talks about some of the reasons for that, as well as the driving behaviors defined by insurers as high-risk. SambaSafety just released its 2025 Driver Risk Report. Click here to learn more.  

A paint booth is essentially a large air mover. The freer air can move in and out, the better off you'll be. But if a booth is imbalanced, the air can be turbulent and dirty, and that creates more work to sand out and polish dirt nibs. In this CollisionCast episode, sponsored by Accudraft Paint Booths, Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht sits down with Jeremy Winters, content and marketing at Accudraft, to talk about the importance of having the right amount of airflow for each refinish coating.  

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, formed in 1949 by what is now known as Mental Health America. This year, its campaign theme is "Turn Awareness into Action," which celebrates "the progress we've made in recognizing the importance of mental health — and challenging us to turn understanding into meaningful steps toward change." In this month's FenderBender magazine feature, Andy Tylka, owner of TAG Auto Group in Indiana, understands these challenges firsthand. And he's working hard to ensure that his employees have the mental health resources they need, with no shame attached. We followed up with him for this CollisionCast to learn more about how he's helping not only his employees but their children, and the automotive industry at large, see how there should not be a stigma around mental healthcare.

Join this episode of the CollisionCast, in which Mike Brockway, owner of Dabler Auto Body & Collision Repair in Salem, Oregon, talks with Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht about some of the challenges facing the collision repair industry today, including pushback from insurers on certain line items, and how he plans to meet the challenges in the coming months.

Beginning in May, 3M is rolling out its new Front Office Collision Repair Training course. Intended for repair planners/estimators, adjusters, collision repair shop managers and owners, the focus of the three-day course is on foundational processes in the body repair and paint shop areas. FenderBender Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht talks with the two who developed the course, 3M Digital Performance Manager John Ascheman and Application Engineer Specialist Ryan Marrinan. The course is aimed at helping these front office professionals better understand the repair process and promote accurate repair plan/estimate writing and communication to insurance claims for higher quality repairs. Listen now to see what your personnel can learn in the new course! For more information, go to www.3MCollision.com/Learn.  

In this CollisionCast episode, sponsored by AMAROK, Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht sits down with AMAROK Enterprise Development Manager Jackson Skey to talk about how improving your collision repair shop's security can be a turnkey solution that can give your customers peace of mind their vehicle is being cared for. It can even save time and reduce vehicle damage because vehicles may not need to be jockeyed around just so they can be stored inside each night.  Join us as we uncover how easily a system can be installed to get your shop on the road to higher security and productivity. To learn more about AMAROK, click here!

Women are not well represented in collision repair, and there's one organization that aims to support women in this male-dominated field. Liz Stein, vice president of strategic initiatives at Certified Collision Group and current WIN chair, and Cheryl Boswell, CFO and partner for DCR Systems and a past WIN chair, discuss the importance of WIN and its impact.

Following OEM procedures closely is needed not only to ensure proper calibrations of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS,) but can also help seed up works in process (WIP.) Hear how the co-founders of Lightning Auto Service advocate for proper procedures and some steps they've taken to reduce friction with insurers. Check out some of the resources they've made available here. 

Caliber Collision doesn't just combat the tech shortage with their Technician Apprenticeship Program (TAP); they're also changing the lives of active-duty service members by giving them a smooth transition not only to the collision repair industry but also to civilian life. Andrew Vaccaro, director of apprenticeships at Caliber Collision, discusses Caliber's work in their Changing Lanes initiative.

Focus Advisors is a mergers and acquisitions firm specializing in the collision repair market and helping MSO owners achieve maximum value through a strategic exit. President Chris Lane and Senior Associate Madeleine Roberts Rich join the CollisionCast to discuss how collision repair business owners can help prepare for a sale.

An Abra location in Minnesota participated in a program that gives hands-on collision repair experience to public school teachers so they can apply what they learn to their own teaching. Danyell Wendland, an Abra operations manager, discusses how the program went and what the goal was.

Donald Trump has long been an EV critic. How might his newly close ties to Elon Musk influence his position on EV policies and regulation? And how might proposed tariffs affect the auto parts supply chain? For insight, we talk with Abey Abraham, managing principal at consulting firm Ducker Carlisle, where he leads the company's automotive and materials practice.

There are many ways to pay for the things you need in your shop, including financing. Paul Knowlton, an automotive service and collision repair equipment sales executive from Huntington National Bank, sat down with FenderBender to discuss why someone should consider financing, even if they have the cash on hand.

As insurers tighten their purse strings and adopt more stringent policies, shop owners must navigate this evolving landscape with adaptability and resilience. As Tiffany Menefee, president of Pronto Body Shop in El Paso, Texas, notes in her December column, by focusing on strong customer relationships, meticulous documentation, and strategic business practices, repair shops can weather the storm and continue to thrive. She joins the CollisionCast to talk more about this and how shops can partner with what some may see as an unlikely ally, the personal injury industry, who also face some of the same challenges but have more influence to help change the industry.

Weeks after the recent Longshoreman strikes, we had a conversation with Ryan Mandell, director of claims performance for Mitchell International, Inc. He discusses how these events are impacting the collision repair industry and how to prepare for more logistical complications that may arise.

According to Drew Bryant, owner of DB Orlando Collision and monthly FenderBender columnist, one of the most persistent and damaging myths in the world of auto repairs is that insurance companies are on the consumer's side. In his October column, he talks about the illusion of trust and how collision shop owners and consumers must work together to demand fair treatment and high-quality repairs. In today's episode, Drew talks about empowering our customers and enhancing the quality of our industry.  Check out Drew's column here and Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!

Like many professionals, you probably thought about gathering the knowledge you gained during your time in the collision industry and passing it on to the next generation. If you want to know more about that transition, listen to Brian Pierce, the head of the collision repair program at Rosedale Technical College in Pittsburgh. He has valuable insights into being and becoming an instructor.

Tom Wolf, director of strategic accounts and OEM aftersales at PPG Automotive Refinish, joins the CollisionCast to discuss why it's important to research refinishing considerations that may affect ADAS. It's a step that should be undertaken during repair planning, and PPG is one of the sponsors of the inaugural FenderBender and ABRN Best Repair Planner/Estimator Award. Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!  

The industry is constantly evolving through technology, often lacking the training or educational tools to maintain success, along with facing a shortage of young professionals entering the field.    Collision repair associations across the country help meet those needs.    For this CollisionCast, we speak with Megan Mueller, the founder and president of the Mountain States Collision Repair Association (MSCRA). She is also the co-owner of Ozzie's Body Shop in Loveland, Colorado. She shared insights into the formation and vision of the association.  

Mary Mahoney, vice president of the Replacement & Leisure Division at Enterprise Mobility, and Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions, join the CollisionCast to talk about recruiting for the collision repair industry and the Collision Engineering program. The Collision Engineering program will be the primary beneficiary of the upcoming Crash Champions Golf Outing, Dec. 5 at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, California.  In the past year, Crash Champions has hosted more than 25 Collision Engineering students as apprentices in its Skills Training Education Program (STEP) at its repair centers throughout the U.S. For more information on the Collision Engineering program, go to https://www.beacollisionengineer.com. For more information on Crash Champions' STEP, go to https://step.crashchampions.com And for information on how you can join in the golf tournament or be a sponsor, go to https://crashchampions.com/2024-Golf-Outing. Check out more episodes here!  

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) made an impact at the recent American School Counselor Association (ASCA) conference, where school counselors considered alternative career options for the students they guide.

The I-CAR Academy curriculum is designed to prepare entry-level technicians for a collision repair career. I-CAR Director of Product Management Jesus Guerrero talks about how the Academy, with guided hands-on learning and gamification in five foundational learning areas, helps new hires become productive technicians.

AI is making an impact across all sectors of business, including Collision Repair. FenderBender speaks with Ryan Taylor, the founder and CEO of Body Shop Booster, to learn more about what he is doing to develop AI for collision repairers and how AI can impact the industry.

As the world is forced to adapt to climate change, it should spark interest among collision repairers on the matter of hail repair. FenderBender speaks to Dr. Stefan Liess, a climate researcher from the University of Minnesota, and Mo Kayeni of Elevated Hail Repair to learn more about the future of hail and whether collision repairers are up to the task.

In this episode, the team at Ratchet+Wrench, a sibling publication to FenderBender, interviews Sara Fraser of Haas Performance Consulting to dispel the myths about Gen Z workers and discuss five traits that make them among the best workers in the workforce.

Drew Barnes and Heather Sebben of the North American Council of Automotive Teachers discuss what NACAT is and how it serves the automotive industry. They are approaching their 50th anniversary of operation and plan to celebrate it at their annual conference this summer.

Data security and privacy may seem hard to achieve, but there are solutions to those issues in collision repair. Pete Tagliapietra, the managing director and founder of DataTouch, explains what data pumps are, how they operate, and what DataTouch is doing about it.

How shops approach repair planning is often not optimal for where collision repair is headed, with added repair cost and complexity. Although much of repair planning is currently focused on identification through the pre-scan, it needs to move to data-driven repair recommendations, says Sam Poradish, director of automotive intelligence at asTech, one of the sponsors of our inaugural Best Repair Planner/Estimator of the Year Award.

The tech shortage is impacting many trade industries, including the collision repair industry. Eddie Hightower, the senior vice president of sustainability and social responsibility at Caliber Collision, shares how their Technician Apprentice Program (TAP) is making a difference in addressing the issue not only for their repair centers but also across the industry in the U.S.

If something is expensive to buy, it's likely even more expensive to repair. This certainly applies to EVs. Kevin FitzPatrick, the senior vice president of North America operations at Opus IVS, explains why this is the case and how quickly one should get certified to repair them.

The Women's Industry Network provides great networking and connection opportunities for women in the mail-dominated collision repair industry. WIN 2024 Conference Chair Blair Womble and member Kim Frasher talk about what attendees can expect at the conference, May 6-8 in Newport Beach, California. For more information, check out the website at thewomensindustrynetwork.site-ym.com. Check out more CollisionCast episodes here!  

The first impression of your business often starts with your phone call-handling process. In this episode, FenderBender Columnist Drew Bryant, owner of DB Orlando Collision Center, expands on his February column and talks about why it's essential to implement a call auditing process that is regularly reviewed by the administration against defined standards. Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!  

Events out of your control can happen that will keep your shop closed, such as storms, fires, and more. You may be covered to repair your building and replace its contents, but how will you keep the business afloat if you are unable to operate? David Willett, the chief underwriting officer at Spark Underwriters, shares how shop owners and operators leave themselves exposed to loss without this coverage.

As new-car dealerships pull back from collision repair, are you developing relationships with local car dealers to ensure their customers come to you when they need your services? FenderBender Columnist Drew Bryant, owner of DB Orlando Collision Center, expands on his January column and talks about what makes for a relationship that's beneficial to both the dealer and independent collision repair shop. Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!

Check out MORE CollisionCast episodes online here!

 In this CollisionCast episode, Sam Poradish, director of automotive intelligence at asTech, talks about how AI can be used to increase quality and efficiency of collision repairs. With machine learning, the data gathered from millions of scans and hundreds of technicians can now be used to guide a technician down the appropriate repair path in mere seconds.  

Accudraft's Jeremy Winters rejoins CollisionCast to give some education on a topic of vital importance to any shop that paints cars: lighting.

FenderBender columnist Drew Bryant joins the show to expand on his May column about how referring to your employees as "team members" helps engender a culture of respect and accountability.

Accudraft Content Creator Jeremy Winters joins CollisionCast to discuss the differences in direct vs. indirect heating of paint booths and what shop owners need to know.

Industry expert Chris Maimone rejoins CollisionCast to discuss when to perform quality control checks during a repair and what to look for in each one to ensure safe, quality repairs are being performed every single time.

In this crossover episode with FenderBender's sister publication Ratchet + Wrench, Ratchet + Wrench editor Chris Jones talks with HR professional Deanna Baumgardner of Employers Advantage LLC about how beneficial it can be to get feedback from employees and how to encourage that feedback.

FenderBender columnist Drew Bryant joins the show to take a closer look at his April column and explain how to overcome resistance and build in accountability when trying to implement new processes in your business.

FenderBender columnist Greg Lobsiger joins CollisionCast to discuss his May edition of "Shop Profits" on the importance of knowing your shop's cost per hour. Greg explains how costly it is to have processes interrupted and how to keep your shop's "conveyer belt of cash" moving right along.

Shop owners face a myriad of external challenges today that can have a downstream impact on quality. Chris Maimone rejoins CollisionCast with a few reminders: Control what you can control, and fall back on your standards to weather any storm.

FenderBender columnist Greg Lobsiger breaks down his April column "The Cashflow Fix" in greater detail, helping shop owners understand in greater detail where their profit is coming from.

NABC Executive Director and collision repair marketing whiz Debby Robinson joins the show to discuss how community relations can help get your shop become top of mind to potential customers and also do some tangible good to your shop's hometown.

Columnist Greg Lobsiger joins CollisionCast to break down his March column, asking if owners really know what their break even point is and how to increase their profits.

FenderBender columnist joins CollisionCast again to discuss his March column in greater detail and breakdown how brain chemistry might play a role in how you implement processes at your shop.  Check out the March edition of "Due Process" here.

Dave Dunn of Dave's Auto Body, the 2023 Best Workplaces winner in the large shop category, joins CollisionCast to share a bit more about why his shop was chosen for the award and how he's managed to build a successful business overall. For more, check out the feature story on Dave's Auto Body from FenderBender's Best Workplaces issue.

FenderBender's own Greg Lobsiger joins the show to go more in depth on his February column, "Estimating for Higher Gross Profits." Check that out here before diving into our conversation.

In this episode new FenderBender columnist Drew Bryant introduces the topics he'll be writing about each month as well as giving some background on his career and what he's learned in more than a decade of running a successful shop.