The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASPMN) will award up to $20,000 in scholarships to students enrolled in post-secondary automotive programs, the trade association announced. Individual scholarship awards will range from $500 to $2,000 per student and may be used for tuition or tool purchases. Students must be enrolled in a Minnesota-based ASE-accredited […]
ASE, WrenchWay to Present Findings from Technician Survey
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and WrenchWay will host a webinar Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET presenting findings from the 2026 Voice of Technician Survey. The webinar will review results from more than 5,500 responses across the automotive and diesel industries. The organizations will present data on changes in technician sentiment, gaps […]
Auto Insurance Rates Expected to Rise in 2026
After declining last year, U.S. auto insurance rates are projected to rise slightly overall. While most states saw decreases, rates in most expensive states continued to increase. The average annual cost of full-coverage car insurance will increase to $2,158 by the end of 2026, a 1% rise following a 6% decline in 2025, according to […]
EPA Clarifies Right-to-Repair Rules for Farm, Nonroad Diesel Equipment
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued guidance Feb. 2 clarifying that the Clean Air Act allows farmers and equipment owners to repair their own farm and nonroad diesel equipment without manufacturer restrictions. The guidance addresses manufacturers’ interpretations of the CAA’s emission control anti-tampering provisions, which have prevented them from making repair tools available to […]
Crash Champions Launches Technician Training Program
Crash Champions today announced it launched a technician training program that provides digital access to collision repair training modules, with the first participant completing Level 1 certification. Chris Sandoval, a body technician at the company’s Eagle Ranch, N.M., repair center, became the first graduate to achieve Level 1 certification in the program. The company recognized […]
Auto Club Enterprises’ Brian Deephouse Named IIHS Board Chair
Brian Deephouse, vice president and chief actuary at Auto Club Enterprises, was elected chair of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Board of Directors for 2026, the organization announced today. Deephouse succeeds Ginger Purgatorio, executive vice president of claims enablement and excellence at Allstate, who served as chair in 2025. “IIHS has long played […]
John Loftus, Former SCRS Executive Director, Dies at 94
Loftus was the organization’s founding executive director in 1982 until his retirement in 2000. John J. Loftus Jr., the longtime executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists and one of the collision repair industry’s most influential leaders, died Jan. 28 in Santa Clarita, Calif. He was 94. Loftus served as SCRS executive director […]
CCC Intelligent Solutions Names Josh Valdez Chief Product Officer
CCC Intelligent Solutions (NASDAQ: CCCS) has appointed Josh Valdez as chief product officer, effective Feb. 16. Valdez will oversee product strategy, design and delivery at the company. He will focus on developing artificial intelligence applications across CCC’s systems. Valdez most recently served as senior vice president of products at Dayforce, where he managed global product […]
AASP/NJ Sets March 9 Deadline for Young Technician Award Nominations
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) has set a March 9 deadline for nominations for its Sixth Annual Young Technician of the Year Award, which will be presented during the organization’s NORTHEAST 2026 trade show. The award will recognize two technicians with $2,500 each in tools and equipment. Eligible candidates include […]
Quebec Fix Auto Locations Install Paint-Spraying Robots
Fix Auto Dorval A.M. has become the first collision repair facility in Canada to install the PaintGo PG 90E automated paint-spraying robot, with two additional Quebec locations scheduled to add the technology. Fix Auto Décarie and Fix Auto Trois Rivières will follow with installations of the AI-driven system, which automates paint application with programmed spray […]