Washington Way: Counterfeit Parts Seem Cheap But Have Very High Cost
Counterfeit motor vehicle parts have a substantial negative impact on vehicle parts suppliers in the United States. Counterfeit parts are ones which bear a registered trademark but were not produced by or under license from the registered trademark owner. Therefore, use of the mark violates the trademark owner’s rights. Not only do counterfeit parts divert
Washington Way, President’s Agenda Daunting, But Is It Workable?
No matter what your political persuasion, no one can accuse President Bush of backing off or slowing down now that he has been re-elected. The debris from the inaugural parade and the many inaugural balls had barely been swept away before the administration began pushing its second term agenda. Many of these programs, such as
Washington Way: Battle Over Heavy Duty OBD Repair Info Continues
In early 2003, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) decided to extend to heavy-duty vehicles the on-board-diagnostics information access rules then applicable only to automobiles and light duty vehicles. These access rules specify the information which the vehicle manufacturers have to make accessible from within the OBD system on their vehicles and from outside the
Washington Way
Finding and retaining good service technicians and other employees has become an increasing problem in the parts and service aftermarket. There just aren’t enough competent individuals available and the cost of salary and benefits for all employees keeps increasing. Small firms, in particular, may have problems because of the ever-increasing costs of competitive salaries and
Like Rodney, The Aftermarket Often Gets No Respect
This is the exasperated lament of comedian Rodney Dangerfield, the bungling, bug-eyed comic, as once again his inept and often flamboyant behavior leaves his antagonists merely shaking their heads. The aftermarket too may often feel like uttering “we just don’t get no respect” from the regulators and legislators who are often very knowledgeable about the
Washington Way
Occasionally the rebuilding industry needs to sit back and review what has occurred over the past few years to get some perspective on events that loom on the horizon. This is especially true in the legislative and regulatory arena where past successes or failures often foreshadow future events. The beginning of a new year and
IRS Addresses Phantom Incomes And Ghost Core Values
Sometimes patience and perseverance pays off. Over eight years ago my client, the Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), learned that the Internal Revenue Service had issued new internal guidelines directing how rebuilders must value their core inventories for tax purposes. Of particular concern to the industry was the way IRS wanted a rebuilder to value
Why Your Beliefs About Right To Repair May Be Wrong
As Americans, we assume a lot and take even more for granted. For example, we assume that absent natural disasters we will have sufficient water and electricity for our needs and that the telephone will always work. We also assume that if we buy a piece of land and record the deed, that our ownership
Proposed Rule is Improvement But Still Not Perfect
Aftermarket parts and service providers, including rebuild-ers, are being increasingly stymied by their inability to obtain vital diagnostic and repair information about the vehicles or parts they are servicing. Whether the information is totally unavailable, provided only after much searching or inquiry or available but uneconomically priced, the effect is to deny the provider the
Complying With Clean Air Laws Is Heavy-Duty Proposition
Heavy-duty engine rebuilders have a long and welcome nonhistory with Federal and state clean air agencies. At their inception, the major agencies
Washington Way
OSHA MSD Rules Make Workplace Safety Rules Even More Confusing Small shops aren
Washington Way: Revolutionary Or Evolutionary? Changes To Heavy-Duty Engines Are On The Way
Revolution! The very word suggests radical change, violence, upheaval and catastrophic damage. We most often associate revolutions with politics, in which one group or one locality takes action to separate itself from another. But revolution also refers to events or activities that by their very nature change the way we live, think or act. For