The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is pleased to share an important new benefit designed to support one of the biggest challenges facing our industry today: access to affordable, quality healthcare for your team. ASA is launching the ASA Healthcare Program…
The United States House Appropriations Committee voted 35-28 last month to advance House Republican’s Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, (LHHSE) and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. This bill largely aligns with the strategic workforce development plan…
On July 1, 2025, the United States Senate passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) on a 51-50 vote. Vice President J.D. Vance provided the tiebreaking vote. The U.S. House must approve the Senate’s version before the bill can be…
North Dakota has decided to buck a trend in the way states approach automotive insurance issues. Most states discourage auto insurance companies from directing their policyholders to certain auto body shops. In other words, they cannot prevent their policyholders from…
Rising healthcare costs, intense competition for skilled technicians, and the unique health risks associated with automotive work are making a strong employee benefits package more important than ever for attracting and retaining qualified employees. Industry research reinforces this trend. According…
We all know that healthcare costs can add up quickly. In 2025, the average family health insurance premium through an employer approached nearly $27,000 total, with workers contributing an average of $6,850 via payroll deductions. Comprehensive total medical costs for…
A service advisor gets buried, so you answer the phones. A technician needs a decision, so you stop what you are doing. A customer has a concern, a responsibility falls between two positions, or a process breaks down and once…
Most auto shop owners didn't start a business because they wanted to spend their days studying financial statements. They enjoy solving problems, serving customers, building a team, and watching their business grow. Unfortunately, that often means the financial side of…
Most auto shop owners pay close attention to financial signals. We watch sales, car count, profitability, and cash flow because those numbers help us understand how the business is performing. What many owners miss is that long before a financial…
In 1956, the United States government created the Highway Trust Fund, a federal accounting mechanism funded through excise taxes, with the majority of its revenue coming from what is commonly known as the “gas tax.” The trust fund is divided…
Most auto shop owners know they need to delegate more. They know the business cannot keep depending on them to answer every question, approve every decision, and carry every detail in their head. So, they try to hand things off.…
Auto shop owners are starting to recognize something important: Time doesn’t come back, by working harder. It comes back when the business stops depending on the owner for everything. That’s what many owners begin to see when they focus on…
The Federal Register recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled Accountability in Higher Education and Access Through Demand-Driven Workforce Pell: Pell Grant Exclusion Related to Other Grant Aid; and Workforce Pell Grants. Through…
Auto shop owners talk about time like it’s something they don’t have enough of. More hours. More breathing room. More space to catch up. But in most shops, time isn’t lost because the owner is disorganized. Time is lost because…
As auto repair shops grow, many owners find that the role they once played no longer fits the needs of the business. Early on, jumping in, fixing problems personally, and being involved in every decision works. Over time, however, that…
Every January, shop owners say the same thing: “This year will be different.” They set goals. They make resolutions. They promise they’ll work fewer hours, hire better people, or finally step out of the day-to-day. And by February, most of…
Most independent shop owners didn’t open their business because they loved financial statements. They opened it because they loved problem-solving, fixing vehicles, and helping people. Yet sooner or later, every owner faces a hard truth: Your financials aren’t a side…
Paul Barry, Executive director, (left) of CIECA and Roy Schnepper, AMAM, Butler’s Collision, Roseville, MI, (right) and recent past chairman of the Automotive Service Association (ASA) received the lifetime achievement award from CIECA on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at the…
