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Heavy-Duty & Medium-Duty Collision Repair Conference Topics Confirmed

Posted by Jennie Lepore

The HD Repair Forum conference focuses educational sessions on topics and issues supporting the betterment of the heavy-duty and medium-duty collision repair industry. Opportunities for industry engagement, networking, and business leadership are supplemental assets of the event. 

The HD Repair Forum’s only planned conference for 2023 takes place at the historic Hilton in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Collision repairers, insurers and appraisers of vehicles ranging from class 4 –8 will join OE and component manufacturers as well as equipment and service providers for this unique opportunity to hear up-to-date information on heavy-duty and medium-duty vehicles and their repair challenges in today’s market.

Session topics for this year include finding and growing technicians, new vehicle technology, motorcoaches, emergency vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles, ADAS systems, marketing your business, adapting to the shifts in the collision industry post-covid, and much more. The complete agenda will be released next month. 

“Direct access to peers, business partners, and industry education is a valuable takeaway for our constituents,” explains Brian Nessen, co-founder of the HD Repair Forum. “Important conversations and solutions to this industry’s challenges are made during the HD Repair Forum, and we are looking forward to providing the industry with this valuable time again in 2023.”

Registration for the event is now open. Early bird discounts and group hotel rates are available for a limited time. To access registration and gather more information go to hdrepairforum.com/event-registration/

For more information on the HD Repair Forum and industry resources sign-up for our e-communications

Companies and organizations interested in sponsoring the industry’s only collision-focused event may reach out to Brian Nessen, BrianN@hdrepairforum.com or Jennie Lepore, JennieL@hdrepairforum.com.

About HD Repair Group

HD Repair Group offers a dedicated source of focused-information for those involved in collision repair work of heavy-duty, medium-duty, commercial, and non-commercial vehicles in classes 4 – 8. This community is where industry stakeholders, such as shop owners, company executives, managers, technicians, estimators, and others can network with industry peers and find the latest news, tips, trends, and best practices in the heavy- and medium-duty collision repair marketplace. The HD Repair Group serves this industry in numerous ways including hosting conferences, distributing a monthly e-newsletter, hosting webinars, videos, social channels, and more. 

Learn more or sign up here to get connected today!

HD Repair Forum Opens Registration for 2023 Collision Conference

Posted by Jennie Lepore

On April 18th & 19th, 2023, members of the heavy-duty and medium-duty collision repair industry will travel from all parts of North America to hear the latest information on collision industry trends and how technology is redefining the industry.

The two day conference returns to the historic Hilton in downtown Fort Worth, Texas and will follow a similar format as in years past, with presentations and panel discussions involving OEMs, repair experts, insurers, and other collision industry leaders. Unique to the event are a diverse set of focused learning tracks, providing more in-depth information on topics that address the industry’s repair demands and business growth opportunities.  

Similar to previous Heavy-Duty Repair Forums, the advisory board plays a critical role in developing the agenda, speakers, and content. Rodney Rowland,  Body shop manager at Lakeside Trucks in Wisconsin, “I’ve been attending the HD Repair Forum since its inception in 2018. It has become the place for the leaders in the industry to gather to share knowledge, identify trends, and drive improvement for the entire  industry.”

The HD Repair Forum is the only collision-focused event for heavy-duty and medium-duty repairers, making it a must-attend event for collision shop owners, managers, lead technicians and estimators. These stakeholders and other industry partners including executives from OEMs, insurance and appraisal companies will also not want to miss this exclusive, once-a-year in-person opportunity to gather information, network with peers and business partners, and better equip their business for the  challenges experienced by everyone in the market. 

Registration for the event is now open. Early registration discounts and group hotel rates are available for a limited time. To access registration and gather more information go to hdrepairforum.com/event-registration/

Companies and organizations interested in sponsoring the industry’s only collision-focused event may reach out to Brian Nessen @ BrianN@hdrepairforum.com or Jennie Lepore, formerly Lenk, @ JennieL@hdrepairforum.com.

HD Repair Forum Fall Conference to Tackle Industry’s Biggest Challenges

Posted by Jennie Lepore

The Fall HD Repair Forum will take place September 26th and 27th and it will address the industry’s biggest challenges including staffing issues, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electric vehicle repair information, new model vehicle technology advancements, and more. The complete agenda can be found here.

The advancement and adoption of electric vehicles and ADAS continues to evolve. As their presence and complexity in the industry grows, it is the HD Repair Forum’s mission to make sure the heavy-duty and medium-duty collision repair industry is prepared to handle and repair these vehicles for safe and proper repair.

Taking the stage in September is a well-known list of companies, organizations, and industry experts who will provide education, training, and insight on these key topics. Organizations represented include: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, Big Rig Alignment, Ford, Great Dane, I-CAR, the RV Dealers Association, Penske, Progressive and many others.

The HD Repair Forum will take place alongsideTMC’s 2022 Fall Meeting and National Technician Skills Competitions, which offers attendees a chance to participate in both events. Those involved in heavy-duty & medium-duty collision repair looking to prepare yourself, your team, and your business for growth and success should make plans and head to Cleveland.

For more information on the organization, event educational sessions, and industry resources sign-up for our e-communications
To register for the event, visit the HD Repair Forum website or go here

HD Repair Forum Advisory Board Welcomes New Members in 2022

Posted by Jennie Lepore

For the past five years, stakeholders in the heavy-duty and medium-duty collision repair industry have met annually at the HD Repair Forum to discuss the greatest challenges impacting this market. Leading the conference’s focus and direction and the industry’s requests for progress is the HD Repair Forum’s advisory board; a diverse group of collision repair facility owners, managers, and executives from across North America.

This year the advisory board welcomed four new board members; Jamie Cole, President and Owner of Ace Truck Repair, Randy Johansson, Body Shop Manager at Rihm Kenworth, Bernie Obry, General Manager of Coach USA- Perfect Body, and John Spoto, Director of Collision, Premier Truck Group.

“We are very fortunate to add four dedicated individuals to our strong group of board members. Their experience and perspective sheds additional light on the industry’s challenges and drives the industry toward solutions and best practices,” explained Brian Nessen, HD Repair Forum President and Co-founder. “We are grateful to these forward-thinking and passionate individuals. It is their leadership alongside industry peers and supporting partners that is driving the industry’s progress.” 

The upcoming Fall HD Repair Forum will take place alongside the American Trucking Associations© (ATA) Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) 2022 Fall Meetings in Cleveland, Ohio. The two-day conference, taking place on Monday and Tuesday, September 26 & 27th, will address the industry’s call for staffing solutions; updates on repair demands from vehicle technology developments; repair information on substrate and material advancements; the need for industry connection, and much more. 

Collision repairers and industry stakeholders serving the heavy-duty and medium-duty repair markets, including tractors, trailers, RVs, buses, and delivery & emergency vehicles, are invited to join in on the educational sessions, conversations, and opportunities presented at the Fall HD Repair Forum. This includes shop owners, shop managers, estimators, fleet managers, dealer repair shops, commercial vehicle manufacturers, insurance providers, and service, equipment, and technology companies.

Early bird registration is available for a limited time. Discounted hotel rates are available to HD Repair Forum attendees at the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at The Arcade, recently ranked “One of the Best Hotel Lobbies in the World.”

Save money and plan ahead! Register at www.hdrepairforum.com/register 

If you would like to receive industry news and event updates for the heavy- & medium-duty collision repair industry, sign up for e-communication here. 

Registration Opens Fall HD Repair Forum

Posted by Jennie Lepore

The Fall HD Repair Forum 2022 conference will take place Monday and Tuesday, September 26th & 27th, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio and will be co-located with the American Trucking Association’s Technology & Maintenance Council’s (TMC) fall meetings.

Attendees of the event will hear presentations and panel discussions that give insight and speak to trends in the heavy-& medium-duty collision repair marketplace. Speakers involved include truck manufacturers, insurance carriers, collision repair experts, and many other collision industry leaders.

The fall event begins Monday with a networking breakfast and vendor fair enabling those in attendance a chance to fuel up for the day and catch up with friends, colleagues, and industry partners. Following will be an agenda filled with educational sessions that speak to industry executives, shop owners and managers, insurance partners, and other company leaders. This year’s sessions and presentations will look deeper at topics involving ADAS repairs, Ford’s e-Transit in the medium-duty market, solutions to the technician shortage, welding newer substrates, and many other key topics and trends.

Also unique to the Fall 2022 program is the organization’s partnership with the American Trucking Association’s TMC Fall Meetings. Registration to the HD Repair Forum’s event in Cleveland will also include access to TMC’s s17 Heavy-Duty Collision Task Force’s meeting. 

The partnership with TMC speaks to the HD Repair Forum’s continuous efforts to work with all stakeholders in the market. ”Collaboration is vital to the success of an industry and we are pleased to partner with TMC this year,“ stated President and co-founder, Brian Nessen. “Hosting a collision industry event alongside TMC provides both audiences with a unique opportunity to attend a wider array of sessions.“

The HD Repair Forum is the only event dedicated to heavy-duty & medium-duty collision repair and is the only place where stakeholders in this market can gain access to available industry specific training, equipment and service providers, receive information on topics that matter most to this industry, and have important and affirming conversations with peers. 

Registration to the HD Repair Forum is now open and access to the early bird rate is available for a limited time. To access HD Repair Forum registration, go to www.hdrepairforum.com/register

For those offering equipment, services, and educational opportunities to this industry, be sure to check out our 2022 sponsorship opportunities. Or to find out how your company can get further involved in the evolution of this industry, please reach out to via email or call 281-819-2332.

Commercial Collision Claim Trends – Q1 2022

Posted by Jennie Lepore

The following data provides benchmarking insights and trends compiled from the PPG ADJUSTRITE® Commercial Estimating system for the 1st quarter of 2022. This data reflects information compiled from both insurance and shop estimates from the United States and Canada. For all metrics, this information excludes known total losses, estimates with only one line item, and estimates <$100. Severity for Q1 2022 averaged $12,499—a 31.4% increase over Q1 2021.

 

The Sales Mix Percent for Q1 2022, shown in Table 1, reflects percentage increases for Parts and Sublet, compared to the same quarter last year.

Table 1.  Sales Mix Percent for Q1 2019 – 2022

 

Referring to the Labor Mix Percent in Table 2 for Q1, you’ll notice there were increases in  Mechanicial and Frame Labor compared to Q1 2021.
Table 2.  Labor Mix Percent for Q1 2019 – 2022

Average Labor Dollar categories, reflected in Table 3, all experienced increases in Q1, relative to 2021—with the exception of Miscellaneous.  Body and Paint had the largest increases.
Table 3.  Average Labor Dollars for Q1 2019 – 2022

The chart for Average Dollars by Quarter shows year over year increases  for Sublet, Paint Materials and Shop Supplies. Shop Supplies had the highest percentage increase, compared to Q1 2021.   

Thank you for your continued interest in following the latest trends for commercial collision claims.

About PPG ADJUSTRITE®:
The PPG AdjustRite Commercial Estimating system is an industry-leading platform in the medium-to-heavy-duty equipment repair and claims industry. This system is a web-based, fully mobile application, driven by a comprehensive database of commercial vehicles and equipment including: tractors, trailers, trucks, boxes, motor coaches, RVs, and buses. To learn more about the PPG AdjustRite Commercial Estimating System, visit www.adjustrite.com .

The PPG Logo and Adjustrite are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. © 2022 PPG Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

Attorneys to Highlight Educational Offerings at the HD Repair Forum

Posted by Jennie Lepore

The HD Repair Forum is excited to bring two collision industry veteran attorneys to next month’s event. Patrick McGuire has spent the past twenty years of his career helping collision repairers avoid wasting their time and money in court. Attendees will leave better prepared to protect their business and assets through this interactive session. Patrick will provide repairers with a series of best practices that will reduce reliability and grow their bottom line in the session, “An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure”.

Cory King is an expert in HR and employee related matters. As wage-hour compliance lawsuits continue to rise, is your business at risk? Cory will provide real world examples of mistakes made that were not only avoidable but preventable. Employee handbooks, hiring and firing best practices will leave attendees armed with knowledge that will undoubtedly serve them for years to come.

Brian Nessen, HD Repair Forum President commented, “We are fortunate to have presentations from two attorneys for this year’s conference. Their insight could save shop owners significant legal fees in the future. Patrick’s and Cory’s collective insight will provide valuable information for repair businesses.

These legal sessions fit perfectly with a robust two-day, multi-session program that includes presentations on the safe handling of EVs, dust mitigation, ADAS updates, calibration, and more. All of which lead to improved productivity and a more successful heavy-duty/medium-duty collision repair business.

To learn more about the HD Repair Forum’s upcoming conference, sign up for our e-communications or to go to: https://hdrepairforum.com/register

A Look at Commercial Collision Claim Trends

Posted by Jennie Lepore

To aid those weathering the uncertainties of how 2021 will impact the commercial collision industry, we at PPG are sharing some benchmarking insights and trends, compiled from our ADJUSTRITE ® Commercial Estimating system, from 2018 thru 2020— including both insurance and shop estimates from the United States and Canada. For all metrics, except severity, the information excludes known total losses.

Severity trends reflect an industry experiencing increased complexity or
year-over-year increases.
In contrast to the approximate 4.7% increase in claim severity from 2018 to 2019, excluding total losses, there was a 2.7% increase from 2019 to 2020. The average claim severity in 2020 was $8,620.
(For all estimates including total losses, there was a 10.4% increase in severity in 2020, compared to 2019, with an average claim severity of $10,288.)

Total parts’ dollars also showed year-over-year increases. For 2018 to 2019, the average total parts’ dollars increased 3.3%. There was a 2.9% increase for 2019 to 2020.

Average total parts ‘dollars per estimate in 2020 was approximately $4,120. Total labor dollars also saw increases year-over-year.

 

 

 

From 2018 to 2019, total labor dollars increased 6.3%, and there was a 3.7% increase in 2020, over 2019. Table 1 provides a 3-year view of sales mix percentages.


Table 1: Sales Mix Percent for CY 2018 – CY 2020

 

 

With labor dollar increases outpacing others, it is critical to review the labor mix percentages over the past three years, which averaged 61.8% body, 3.5% frame, 10.7% mechanical, 0.2% miscellaneous and 23.8% paint.

The 3-year trend saw a move of less paint and body to more mechanical and miscellaneous labor percentages. Table 2 provides a view of each year.

Table 2: Labor Mix Percent for CY 2018 —CY 2020

94.0% of estimates with body labor. The 3-year average percentages of estimates for each labor type were as follows:

    • 7.9% with frame labor
    • 23.9% with mechanical labor
    • 1.2% with miscellaneous labor
    • 71.0% with paint labor.

From 2019 to 2020, there were increases in estimates with frame and mechanical labor, and a decline in estimates with paint, body, and miscellaneous labor. Table 3 provides a view of each year.

Table 3: Percent of Estimates with Each Labor Type for CY 2018—CY 2020
Table 4: Average Labor Dollars for CY 2018—CY 2020
A review of the 3-year trend for average labor dollars shows that all labor types experienced a year over year increase except frame and mechanical labor dollars. Frame labor dollars were flat from 2018 to 2019, however were down 5.4% from in 2020. Mechanical labor dollars increased in 2019 over the previous year, however remained flat in 2020. Miscellaneous labor dollars saw a double- digit increase of 11.5% from 2019 to 2020. Table 4 provides a view of each year.


In the parts count category, the 3-year average for number of parts per estimate is 23, with OEM parts used 95.5% of the time. When comparing average parts dollars for 2020, the OEM average part cost was $247—recycled parts was $1,433, and aftermarket new was $335. The split between repair and replace labor dollars in 2019 and 2020 amounted to 42% for repair and 58% for replace. “Front” was the most often flagged primary impact area in 2020, followed by “Right Front” then “Left Front.”

The 3-year average for sublet dollars per estimate is $711, with the average down 1.5% in 2020. From 2018 to 2020, paint and material dollars showed year over year increases of 6.6% and 5.2% respectively. Average paint and material dollars per estimate in 2020 numbered $547. Average shop supplies per estimate in 2020 was $168, an increase of 6.2% over 2019.There was a larger increase in shop supplies in 2019, over 2018.

Since 2018, the total supplement amount per estimate has continued to rise, increasing by 8.2% in 2019 and 34.8% in 2020. The average total supplement cost was approximately $3,800 in 2020 The percent of estimates with supplements increased from 25.9% in2018 to almost 28% in 2019. Last year saw that percentage drop to 24.2%, with 71.9% of those estimates having only have one supplement. Supplement dollars represented 33 – 34% of severity in 2018 and 2019, while 2020 saw that number increase to 44%.

 

Thank you for allowing us to provide you with insights compiled from our AdjustRite Commercial Estimating system. All of us at PPG Industries wish you the best of success in 2021! If you have any questions regarding our commercial estimating system, feel free to contact Ryan Woolfenden, PPG marketing manager, commercial programs, at woolfenden@ppg.com.

About AdjustRite:
The AdjustRite ® Commercial Estimating system is an industry-leading platform in the medium-to-heavy-duty equipment repair and claims industry. The system is a Web-based, fully mobile application, driven by a comprehensive database of commercial vehicles and equipment including: tractors, trailers, trucks, boxes, motor coaches, RVs, and buses. To learn more about the AdjustRite Commercial Estimating System, visit www.adjustrite.com .