HD Repair Forum

Registration & Check-In

Networking Breakfast & Vendor Fair

Welcome and Event Overview

Brian Nessen, President, HD Repair Forum

HD Repair Forum Annual Survey & Industry Data

John Webb, Partner, Ten Point Complete

Trends in the HD & MD Collision Repair Industry

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and similar technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Often times, these shifts out pace an industry’s ability to adapt to the change. What changes are expected to take a stronghold in the HD industry and is there anything that can be learned from the automotive industry to better to prepare us? And does preparation translate into opportunity?

Rivian Certified Fleet Network

This brief presentation will discuss Rivian’s new fleet network of 3^rd party collision centers. Rivian representatives will cover a high level explanation of their new Electric Delivery Van as well as the fleet network standards and requirements.

Kelly Logan, Sr. Manager, Collision Repair Program, Rivian
Frank Phillips, Manager, Collision Repair Program, Rivian

Attracting and Retaining Women in Leadership Roles

What brings women into trucking and transportation careers? How can companies advance more women into executive roles and why should they? This presentation will look at answers to these questions, the benefits of gender diversity on leadership teams, and the unconscious bias present in hiring and promoting. 

Ellen Voie, President and CEO, Women in Trucking

Networking Break

Sponsored by Axalta Coating Systems

Panel Discussion: Agreed Price and Challenges in the Claims Handling Process

This panel discussion will dive into the challenges associated with obtaining an agreed price and how parts availability, alternative fuel vehicles, staffing and increasing cost are playing a significant role. Panelists will share their views as to what can be done to improve the process resulting in reduced cycle time and friction for all industry stakeholders.

Bernhard Obry, General Manager, Coach USA-Perfect Body
James Svaasand, Vice President Collision Repair Operations & Development, Penske
Mark Leadem, Director of Commercial Lines Property Damage Process, Progressive
Phil Langley, Vice President - Client Services, SCA

Preparing Your Shop for Electric Vehicles, Scanning, and Calibration

Darrell Amberson, President of Operations for LaMettry’s Collision Centers, a multi-shop operation based out of Minnesota, will share his experience and success with the introduction of EV and ADAS in the automotive industry. LaMettry’s is one of the first shops in the country to build and operate a dedicated scanning, diagnostics and calibration facility. Their early commitment to OEM certification programs such as Tesla have positioned them as industry leaders. Darrell will share insight on preparing your shop for medium duty vehicles, electric vehicles, understanding and navigating safety concerns, facility and staff updates needed to carry out and manage scanning and calibration demands and more.

Darrell Amberson, President of Operations, Lamettry's Collision Center

Industry Awards & Board Recognition

HD Repair Forum

Networking Lunch

Sponsored by Evercoat

Keeping You & Your Business Out of Court

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is an expression that is well-suited to today’s collision repair industry. This session will provide attendees with an overview of the legal principles that govern the day-to-day operations of a shop, including: pre-repair authorizations; insurance claims; liability for OEM procedures; and, post-repair rights and remedies. Learn how and why implementing best practices can help a shop maximize profits and minimize liabilities while, on the other hand, failing to do so can jeopardize the shop’s right to payment and risk getting it embroiled in costly litigation.

Patrick McGuire, ESQ, Law Offices of Patrick J. McGuire, P.C.

Estimating Best Practices

One of the best predictors of a proper and safe repair is a well-researched and well written estimate.  In this session we will discuss estimating best practices – specifically around class 6-8 trucks.  Discover tools, tips and strategies to increase initial estimate accuracy while reducing supplementation and estimate cycle time. Whether your estimates focus on fleet trucks, owner/operator estimates or insurance claims, you can immediately employ these best practices to see improved outcomes for your customers, your technicians, and your business!.  As you can see from the focus of the sessions this year, the complexities of modern truck systems deserve our attention.  Along with estimating best practices for commercial trucks, we will discuss lessons learned and trends observed from the automotive side about the impacts to estimating from vehicle electrification and ADAS.

Jerry Gastineau, Director of Database Development, Mitchell

Navigating Insurance and Claims in the Trucking Industry

Property Damage Appraisers representatives Tom Diehl and Ryan Stokes review alternative solutions regarding insurance and claims within the trucking industry.  Learn about opportunities to lessen claims impact, expedite the process, and ensure you receive honest and fair support throughout the process.

Tom Diehl, VP of Sales and Marketing, Property Damage Appraisers
Ryan Stokes, VP of Sales and Marketing, Property Damage Appraisers

Adhesives Overview: Heavy-Duty Repair

Join David Galvin in a discussion about adhesive chemistry. He will provide those in attendance with an overview of OEM adhesive approvals, and the ins and outs of the composite repair process.

David Galvin, Automotive Application Technician, Norton | Saint-Gobain

Networking Break

Sponsored by Axalta Coating Systems

Galvanic Corrosion: How to Identify and Remedy in Repair Situations

Galvanic corrosion is a problem that can for the most part be avoided. Attend this session and gain a better understanding of what galvanic corrosion is, what causes it, and how to correct it during repairs. This session will also aid in understanding what one should be considering when choosing the correct coatings for repair

Dan Szczepanik, Marketing Director - Commercial Segments, Sherwin Williams

Estimating Best Practices

One of the best predictors of a proper and safe repair is a well-researched and well written estimate.  In this session we will discuss estimating best practices – specifically around class 6-8 trucks.  Discover tools, tips and strategies to increase initial estimate accuracy while reducing supplementation and estimate cycle time. Whether your estimates focus on fleet trucks, owner/operator estimates or insurance claims, you can immediately employ these best practices to see improved outcomes for your customers, your technicians, and your business!.  As you can see from the focus of the sessions this year, the complexities of modern truck systems deserve our attention.  Along with estimating best practices for commercial trucks, we will discuss lessons learned and trends observed from the automotive side about the impacts to estimating from vehicle electrification and ADAS.

Jerry Gastineau, Director of Database Development, Mitchell

Rivian Certified Fleet Network – Deep Dive

Rivian representatives will cover more information about their electric delivery van & new collision center fleet network.  Topics for this session will include: Network Standards, Vehicle Construction, ADAS options & calibrations, and Special Tooling.

Kelly Logan, Sr. Manager, Collision Repair Program, Rivian
Frank Phillips, Manager, Collision Repair Program, Rivian

Leave the Dust Behind

In this session 3M representatives, Todd Mathes and Matthew Aguirre will review regulations in the US on air contaminants and waste disposal. They will also review the current industry and business landscape pertaining to dust extraction and provide a greater understanding of the impact dust has on shop productivity, technician health, and customer satisfaction.

Todd Mathes , Application Engineering Specialist, 3M
Matthew Aguirre, Executive Sales Account Representative, 3M

Industry Networking Reception

Sponsored by Fleetrite

Networking Breakfast & Vendor Fair

Day 1 Recap and Opening Comments

HD Repair Forum

The Demands of ADAS: Scanning, Diagnostic, and Calibration

What is a vehicle scan and why do you need to know? Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is increasing in presence within medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. These new technological features are highly effective in helping make roads safer, but they are also highly sensitive in nature. Even the smallest accident could cause a slight change in camera or sensor angle, thus causing complete disruption to the vehicle’s safety functions. This presentation will underscore the safety and liability concerns involved with vehicles carrying ADAS features, and cover the impacts they have in the collision repair process. This session will also feature a of live demonstration of the scanning and diagnostic process.

Chuck Olsen, Senior VP Automotive Technology Solutions, AirPro Diagnostics
Lee Locklear, President and CEO, Cutting Edge Automotive Solutions
Dario Peruch, Managing Director , TEXA

Fleetrite Stores: Exponential Expansion

Navistar has big plans for this brand.  The growth of stores across North America means greater access to Fleetrite all-makes parts.

Tim Meeker, Director of Product & Pricing, Navistar

ABCs of NGVs: CNG/LNG Technology, Safety, and HD Trends

Natural gas vehicles are out there today and provide an economical, practical, and sustainable solution for heavy-duty fleets of all shapes and sizes to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their ROI. How do they work? What are the similarities and differences compared to conventional liquid-petroleum vehicles? Who is deploying them? Are they safe? Join Paul Sandsted with NGVAmerica for a thorough introduction to NGVs and to understand what potential impacts these alternative-fueled vehicles may have on your repair operations.

Paul Sandsted, Director of Technology and Sustainability, NGVAmerica

Networking Break

Sponsored by Axalta Coating Systems

Electric Vehicles - What You Need to Know & How to Prepare Your Shop and Your Team

The I-CAR technical team, Niel Speetjens & Josh Center will take a close look at Electric Vehicle Technology and the industry-developed best practices for disconnecting and reconnecting high voltage vehicles. In this discussion the I-CAR team will give the audience a solid understanding of how to handle High Voltage Vehicles (EVs) when they arrive at your repair facility, and what key points need to be considered in the repair process

Niel Speetjens, Senior Manager, ADAS/EV Specialty Training, I-CAR
Joshua Center, Senior Associate ADAS/EV SME, I-CAR

Panel Discussion: Considerations for Collision Repair Facility Expansion

This panel of successful collision repair industry veterans will share their knowledge and insight as to the key factors that drove their decisions to add locations or grow their existing footprint. they will provide attendees with the things they learned in the process including the pitfalls or challenges they wish they would have considered. This session will benefit any repairer that is considering expanding their business and how multiple locations can be leveraged to drive down expense and improve efficiency.

Ray Chatfield, Owner, Truck Collision Services
Ed Rietman, Owner, K& R Truck Sales

I-CAR Gold Class: Program Updates & Recognition

Since I-CAR recognized its first-ever Gold Class certified heavy-duty collision repair facility at the 2019 HD Repair Forum, growth and development in HD collision repair education has continued to evolve. During this session, I-CAR will provide the industry with an overview of its current program offering and explain upcoming changes to their education programs specifically to HD collision repair and curriculum.

Nick Notte, Senior Vice President, I-CAR

Networking Lunch

Sponsored by Evercoat

Electric Vehicles– Utilizing Industry-Developed Best Practices

With the help of a simulation electric vehicle, this session will review the separate EV components, explain and simulate the best practices for disconnecting and reconnecting high voltage batteries, and layout the best practices to use with specialty tools and measurement needs, underscoring EV technology and the safety that go hand-in-hand.

Niel Speetjens, Senior Manager, ADAS/EV Specialty Training, I-CAR

ADAS Calibrations and ECU Diagnostics in Commercial Vehicles

The inclusion and implementation of ADAS systems in commercial vehicles is clearly ramping up in North America. This session will take a deeper dive to review what should be known about calibrating advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). TEXA representatives will also provide their insight into what could happen in the trucking industry by observing the evolution of ADAS and its impacts in repair in the passenger vehicle and European markets.

Dario Peruch, Managing Director, TEXA
Fabio Mazzon, Technical Manager, TEXA

Keeping You & Your Business Out of Court

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is an expression that is well-suited to today’s collision repair industry. This session will provide attendees with an overview of the legal principles that govern the day-to-day operations of a shop, including: pre-repair authorizations; insurance claims; liability for OEM procedures; and, post-repair rights and remedies. Learn how and why implementing best practices can help a shop maximize profits and minimize liabilities while, on the other hand, failing to do so can jeopardize the shop’s right to payment and risk getting it embroiled in costly litigation.

Patrick McGuire, ESQ, Law Offices of Patrick J. McGuire, P.C.

Scanning and Diagnostics: Advanced On-Board Computer Systems

This session will cover the advancement of onboard computer-controlled systems in recent years, OEM and aftermarket tools, and the skills needed to deal with these challenges. It will also cover alternative outsourcing strategies that allow you to maintain quality control and turn time while mitigating liability.

Lee Locklear, President and CEO, Cutting Edge Automotive Solutions

Networking Break

Sponsored by Axalta Coating Systems