00:00:13The Right to Repair Movement
00:11:42The Importance of Right to Repair
00:18:58Industry Advocates for Right to Repair
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Unlock the details behind the automotive Right to Repair movement with Stacey Miller, Vice President of Communications at the Auto Care Association. Have you ever wondered why independent repair shops struggle to fix modern vehicles? Tune in as we explore the impact of advanced technology and wireless data transmission on these shops, and the critical importance of the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act (HR 906). Discover how this bipartisan legislation aims to ensure that both drivers and fleet owners can access high-quality and affordable vehicle repairs and learn why this issue is so vital to the auto care industry and the nation's supply chain.
Also, get ready to challenge your perceptions about aftermarket repairs and parts as we dissect key insights from the Auto Care Factbook. We'll dispel common myths and show how aftermarket parts often meet or exceed original manufacturer standards. With the industry employing 4.7 million Americans and contributing nearly 2% of GDP, the stakes couldn't be higher. Listen as we celebrate the tireless efforts of industry leaders advocating for the right to repair and find out how you can join the movement using the hashtag #righttorepair. Stay tuned for a sneak peek at our next episode, which will update you on right to repair developments beyond the automotive sector.
To learn more about the Auto Care Association visit autocare.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=podcast.
To learn more about our show and suggest future topics and guests, visit autocare.org/podcast
English
United States
SHOW NOTES 🔗
TRANSCRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:13.233 --> 00:00:17.097
Welcome to Auto Care On Air, a candid podcast for a curious industry.
00:00:17.097 --> 00:00:30.164
I'm Stacey Miller, vice President of Communications at the Auto Care Association, and this is Traction Control, where we chat about recent news from the global to the local level and what it may mean to the industry, featuring guests on the front lines.
00:00:30.164 --> 00:00:31.088
Let's roll.
00:00:31.088 --> 00:00:50.561
It's time for a Right to Repair update and if you don't know what Right to Repair is, it's a global movement that really centers around the simple premise that people should be able to fix their own stuff.
00:00:50.561 --> 00:00:51.665
It's your stuff.
00:00:51.665 --> 00:01:13.203
You should be able to fix it right, and this movement really spans a wide range of items, from personal electronics like your cell phone or your laptop, to appliances like your stove or your smart fridge, to agricultural equipment like tractors We've been hearing a lot about John Deere in the Right to Repair news and medical equipment.
00:01:13.203 --> 00:01:27.305
So state legislation is increasing, federal legislation is increasing and the conversation surrounding this movement just keeps exploding over the past couple of years.
00:01:27.305 --> 00:01:34.662
So, whether you own a car or not, the right to repair affects every single person on this globe.
00:01:34.662 --> 00:01:46.165
But we're going to focus here on automotive and then we're going to bring some guests in to talk about right to repair and some of the other industries and what parallels we could draw to our fight in some of the other industries and what parallels we could draw to our fight.
00:01:46.165 --> 00:01:59.040
So the concept of right to repair is extremely true with vehicles and really pertinent One of the biggest purchases a consumer or a driver like you and I is likely to make after buying a house.
00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:10.890
So the average age of a car is over 12 years now and more than 70% of after warranty vehicle repairs occur at independent shops in the automotive aftermarket.
00:02:10.890 --> 00:02:19.497
So what I mean by independent shops is those shops that aren't part of a dealership, aren't attached to a dealership.
00:02:19.497 --> 00:02:35.054
There's nothing wrong with the dealership, but overwhelmingly, drivers like you and I tend to take those cars to those independent repair shops because one they're closer, they're more convenient, it's easier to get in the same day and the prices are considerably cheaper.
00:02:35.054 --> 00:02:46.320
So drivers need access to this wirelessly generated repair and maintenance data from their cars to continue to service them at the shop of their choice.
00:02:46.320 --> 00:03:06.263
All that data that's coming out of your car that says I need an oil change or my transmission is about to fail, that's wirelessly being generated now thanks to the new technology in these vehicles and it's being sent back to automaker and so that way the automaker can tell you, hey, it's time for you to come to the dealer to service your car.
00:03:06.263 --> 00:03:14.632
Meanwhile you may not be thinking, hey, I might be able to get this a little bit cheaper or a little bit easier at an independent shop that's a little bit closer to me.
00:03:14.632 --> 00:03:24.088
So there's a lot of awareness that needs to occur and education to make sure that drivers understand that they still have those choices in independent repair.
00:03:24.729 --> 00:03:37.912
In the end, we don't want manufacturers to force drivers to take their cars to the dealership for repair because that's where repair costs are higher and wait times are typically longer.
00:03:37.912 --> 00:03:40.540
We don't want to eliminate choice.
00:03:40.540 --> 00:03:49.512
We want to allow the choice and make sure that the independent aftermarket, which has always been here for drivers, is always going to be a viable choice.
00:03:49.512 --> 00:04:02.924
So these vehicle technology advancements, while they're really amazing for safety and security, they're really threatening to the livelihood of this massive industry which we call the automotive aftermarket.
00:04:02.924 --> 00:04:08.225
It's an over $500 billion industry and that would eliminate consumer choice.
00:04:08.225 --> 00:04:13.625
It would eliminate competitive prices and that's a real American issue.
00:04:14.425 --> 00:04:32.694
So some of these vehicles, we talk about them being computers on wheels or smartphones on wheels, because some of these late model vehicles have more than 100 million lines of code, which is more than an F-22 Raptor fighter jet Does that not just blow your mind?
00:04:32.694 --> 00:04:44.870
And so this technology requires really specific parts, manuals, diagnostic tools, and sometimes you go to the vehicle manufacturer and they say, hey, these are our proprietary parts or tools.
00:04:44.870 --> 00:04:49.093
And sometimes you go to the vehicle manufacturer and they say, hey, these are our proprietary parts or tools, you have to get them here.
00:04:49.093 --> 00:04:51.177
You know which is wrong?
00:04:51.177 --> 00:05:05.673
That really eliminates the ability of more than over 150,000 repair shops in the US to compete for that business, where they've always been given access to those tools, the types of restrictions that they're having.
00:05:05.673 --> 00:05:10.529
We're going to get to here in just a second via a survey that we conducted.
00:05:10.529 --> 00:05:12.053
That is really astounding.
00:05:13.461 --> 00:05:37.326
So, in response to this issue and you know, this really dystopian future where we may not be able to repair and maintain our vehicles where we choose and at a price that makes sense for us, and maintain our vehicles where we choose and at a price that makes sense for us, especially in these really tough economic times with inflation and such we introduced the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act the Repair Act, that's HR 906.
00:05:37.326 --> 00:05:56.130
It's bipartisan legislation and it makes sure that drivers get access to high quality and affordable vehicle repairs as the technology advances, to make sure that both drivers but also fleet owners and their repairs of choice have equal access to repair and maintenance data.
00:05:56.130 --> 00:06:05.915
Now we talk about vehicles and not just cars, and that's because this bill covers not just the cars and trucks in our driveway.
00:06:05.915 --> 00:06:09.446
We're talking about heavy duty vehicles.
00:06:09.446 --> 00:06:38.704
The semi trucks that deliver the goods and services that keep America running is really, really important to this bill, because these repair and maintenance issues can also affect the uptime of these vehicles and when a semi truck goes down or a fleet can't get service, there are catastrophic effects to the nation's supply chain, which can affect how quickly we get things like medical supplies, groceries and water Really really critical to the trucking industry, to our economy.
00:06:38.704 --> 00:06:50.862
So that's a very, very big part of it, and we do thank Representatives Neil Dunn, brendan Boyle, warren Davidson and Marie Glusenkamp-Perez who introduced this legislation in February of 23.
00:06:51.862 --> 00:06:56.562
Now we've had a lot of progress on this bill, a ton of progress.
00:06:56.562 --> 00:07:00.184
What is happening right now?
00:07:00.184 --> 00:07:01.925
It's kind of crazy.
00:07:01.925 --> 00:07:12.245
When you look up the stats, there are over 16,000 types of legislation that were introduced, this Congress and the Repair Act of one of them.
00:07:12.245 --> 00:07:19.295
So far only 70 of those 60,000 have been signed into law.
00:07:19.295 --> 00:07:29.925
And may that may seem really scary and concerning, we have a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of progress and a lot of momentum which we're going to talk about.
00:07:29.925 --> 00:07:34.779
Our committee specifically has over 2000 bills.
00:07:34.779 --> 00:07:36.305
That's the energy and commerce committee.
00:07:36.305 --> 00:07:41.877
But our committee has the most bills on their plate out of all the committees as well.
00:07:41.877 --> 00:07:52.913
So, despite, despite those astounding numbers just so you get a picture of how much our Congress is dealing with in a limited amount of time there's been a ton of progress.
00:07:53.613 --> 00:08:06.257
So the US House Subcommittee on Innovation, data and Commerce, or also known as the IDC, they approved the Repair Act by VoteVoice during a November subcommittee markup session.
00:08:06.257 --> 00:08:13.593
So we're waiting for that legislation to go before the full house committee on energy and commerce for consideration.
00:08:13.593 --> 00:08:29.391
In addition to that, uh, we've had members send over 80,000 letters to their legislators advocating for, um, the right to repair, and to ask them to co-sponsor the bill and to make sure that they're supporting that bill.
00:08:29.391 --> 00:08:37.150
Uh, we've had support from the FTC with the nixing, the fixed report, which also shares support for right to repair.
00:08:37.150 --> 00:08:42.892
The Biden administration put out a statement um stating their focus on the right to repair.
00:08:42.892 --> 00:09:05.105
And you know, thanks to all of the auto care association members who have taken the time to visit their legislator in our fall leadership days and legislative summit, they've hosted legislators at their place of work to show them what their contributions are to the local economy, and those types of conversations are really what is making the difference.
00:09:05.105 --> 00:09:10.186
Every person we talk to showcases really overwhelming support for this bill.
00:09:10.186 --> 00:09:15.638
We just need a gust of wind to get it to the floor for a vote this September.
00:09:15.638 --> 00:09:17.748
So time is running out.
00:09:18.629 --> 00:09:22.628
We know that many of you who have been listening have already sent those letters to your legislators.
00:09:22.628 --> 00:09:24.634
We are asking you again.
00:09:24.634 --> 00:09:29.091
We've updated that letter with some more urgent language and support.
00:09:29.091 --> 00:09:33.720
Please go to repairactcom If you haven't already send another letter.
00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:40.907
That's the best thing you could do at this point other than continuing to reach out to your legislator personally, inviting them to your place of business.
00:09:40.907 --> 00:09:47.932
And if you need help with that, you can always reach out to our government affairs team and you can reach out to Todd Moore.
00:09:47.932 --> 00:09:55.815
That's T O D dot M O O R E at auto careorg and he can help you schedule a visit with your legislator.
00:09:57.018 --> 00:10:04.058
For those people who think, hey, I really don't want to get involved in politics, this is just not for me.
00:10:04.058 --> 00:10:08.782
This is a bipartisan issue and it's not about what side of the aisle you're on.
00:10:08.782 --> 00:10:23.092
It's really about communicating to your legislator how something like right to repair affects your business, but also affects you personally, and sharing with them a little bit about what your contributions are as a constituent in their district.
00:10:23.092 --> 00:10:30.636
They work for you, so you're providing jobs, you're paying taxes, you're supporting your local community.
00:10:30.636 --> 00:10:45.272
All of that is important for your local legislator to hear, to understand hey, I need to make sure that this goes to a vote and that this passes, because this is going to satisfy the constituents in my district and make sure that they're as happy as possible.
00:10:45.272 --> 00:10:48.356
So we really do really urge you to do that.
00:10:48.356 --> 00:11:05.014
So back to what Repair Act does so, allowing drivers like you and I to control access and to have access and choose where their vehicle gets maintained and repaired.
00:11:05.014 --> 00:11:13.350
It's about freedom the freedom to utilize the most accessible and affordable repair options available.
00:11:13.350 --> 00:11:19.789
Nothing in the Repair Act, like I said earlier, removes the option for a driver to choose a local dealership.
00:11:19.789 --> 00:11:23.118
It allows for open competition, for free markets.
00:11:23.118 --> 00:11:27.111
So that means more innovation, more price reductions.
00:11:27.111 --> 00:11:41.399
The more accessible and affordable car repair is, vehicle repair is, the more drivers are going to actually take and do those repairs and maintenance which make the roads safer for all of us.
00:11:42.485 --> 00:11:47.878
There's some really interesting data in the Auto Care Factbook, which is our annual publication.
00:11:47.878 --> 00:11:55.876
Data in the Auto Care Factbook, which is our annual publication it's our flagship publication that gives stats, impacts and analysis of what's going on in the auto care industry.
00:11:55.876 --> 00:12:02.365
And there's a really astounding number called delayed maintenance, and that comes from our partners at IMR Inc.
00:12:02.365 --> 00:12:12.184
And what we found is that the delayed maintenance number has increased year over year to the tune of several billion dollars.
00:12:12.184 --> 00:12:38.549
That folks are not repairing and maintaining their cars because cost, maybe they haven't found someone that they really trust, they don't have the time, they don't think the repairs are necessary and, as inflation continues and costs continues to be one of those primary factors, that means that we've got more unsafe cars on the road, which can really be scary for any driver that's on the road.
00:12:38.549 --> 00:12:48.489
Right, I would prefer not to be on the road, knowing that there are some folks that haven't changed their brake pads and maybe they're not able to stop that vehicle properly at speed right.
00:12:48.489 --> 00:12:56.591
There are real safety implications to not being able to provide affordable and accessible maintenance and repair.
00:12:56.591 --> 00:12:59.494
So that's point one.
00:13:00.567 --> 00:13:12.034
The other piece that we hear about the Repair Act and we get about the automotive aftermarket is there are lots of misconceptions about the quality of our repairs or the quality of our parts.
00:13:12.034 --> 00:13:27.097
And obviously our technicians are ASE certified, they're trained, they're as passionate as all of them and the businesses that provide the parts are manufacturing these parts to extremely high standards.
00:13:27.097 --> 00:13:28.527
There are studies that show that.
00:13:28.527 --> 00:13:42.572
You know we are manufacturing parts as good, if not better, than the manufacturer and many aftermarket parts actually come from the manufacturer that are manufacturing those OEM parts just under a different label.
00:13:42.572 --> 00:13:48.846
So lots of information there to kind of put in your pocket for any conversations with your legislators on.
00:13:48.846 --> 00:13:53.668
You know why aftermarket is a great choice, why it's a safe choice and why it's a proper choice.
00:13:54.609 --> 00:13:59.971
And nationally our industry is, is massive.
00:13:59.971 --> 00:14:12.716
It is so important to the American economy, right, our, our, um, our industry employs 4.7 million Americans and nearly 2% of GDP in economic activity.
00:14:12.716 --> 00:14:14.817
So we're really critical.
00:14:14.817 --> 00:14:21.841
We're up there with construction, we're up there with healthcare, we're critical to the nation's continued success.
00:14:21.841 --> 00:14:24.241
Right so the Repair Act.
00:14:24.241 --> 00:14:32.945
It provides those shops with rights to that critical vehicle diagnostic data and we want to make sure that there are no restrictions imposed by the manufacturers.
00:14:32.945 --> 00:14:38.715
For all of those reasons and above, I mentioned the commercial sector earlier.
00:14:38.715 --> 00:14:44.410
So it's critically, critically, critically important to fleets, to heavy duty vehicles.
00:14:44.410 --> 00:15:11.916
There are over 9 million vehicles in the heavy duty trucking industry and the United States depends on them to transmit those goods and services on America's highways and byways and those companies rely on the ability to utilize independent mechanics and technicians and aftermarket parts to keep those vehicles on the road, keep that uptime and keep the maintenance affordable and efficient.
00:15:11.916 --> 00:15:19.076
So right to repair is important for everyone and plays a significant role in our nation's supply chain.
00:15:19.677 --> 00:15:26.313
Again, what can you do now is to go to repairactcom and make sure that you send that letter again.
00:15:26.313 --> 00:15:29.594
Congress is on recess right now, in August.
00:15:29.594 --> 00:15:35.892
They will be back in office in September and that's our last chance to get this bill to the floor for a vote.
00:15:35.892 --> 00:15:47.754
So I'm really urging everybody to take the time, send the letter, get educated at repairactcom or autocareorg, and there's additional things that you can do.
00:15:47.754 --> 00:16:00.946
We've got some really amazing companies who've been working with us to educate their employees and educate their end consumers consumers.
00:16:00.946 --> 00:16:14.807
So I want to give a shout out to a couple of those companies who have really gone above and beyond in making sure that their employees know about what right to repair is, how they can contribute to it and getting more folks to speak up, because this is this is a numbers thing.
00:16:14.807 --> 00:16:17.111
We need volume, we need voices to speak up.
00:16:17.111 --> 00:16:25.966
So really big shout out to voices to speak up.
00:16:25.966 --> 00:16:26.749
So really big shout out to CTR.
00:16:26.769 --> 00:16:28.472
They put the right to repair QR code in their email signature.
00:16:28.472 --> 00:16:34.765
Dma Industries they've been posting to LinkedIn about right to repair is important and making their own videos.
00:16:34.765 --> 00:16:36.386
Crp has been sending emails to their employees.
00:16:36.386 --> 00:16:39.788
Srp has been sending emails to their employees.
00:16:39.788 --> 00:16:44.491
Federated has had right to repair on their homepage.
00:16:44.491 --> 00:16:46.073
Thank you so much, federated.
00:16:46.073 --> 00:16:53.979
And both Federated and the Alliance have been placing ads for right to repair in all of the industry publications, urging for support.
00:16:53.979 --> 00:16:59.701
Mpa Motor Parts of America has been sending information to their customers.
00:16:59.701 --> 00:17:06.069
Gpd made a flyer talking about if it's yours, own it.
00:17:06.069 --> 00:17:07.313
So support right to repair.
00:17:07.313 --> 00:17:08.476
Here's what you can do about it.
00:17:08.476 --> 00:17:09.357
So thanks GPD.
00:17:09.357 --> 00:17:13.291
Jasper Engines and Dorman Products.
00:17:13.291 --> 00:17:18.167
They've both been publishing blogs about right to repair Mond and Hummel.
00:17:18.167 --> 00:17:20.373
They did some PR around it.
00:17:20.373 --> 00:17:25.150
They put the QR in their signature, they hosted legislators and made custom shirts.
00:17:25.150 --> 00:17:27.555
So thank you so much, mon and Hummel.
00:17:27.555 --> 00:17:39.150
Medco O'Reilly put this on the front page of their first call portal, which absolutely driving tons and tons and tons of traffic to the letter.
00:17:39.150 --> 00:17:40.693
So huge shout out to O'Reilly.
00:17:40.693 --> 00:17:50.248
Pronto has been putting this in their email and sending it out on their intranet.
00:17:50.248 --> 00:17:51.990
They've been putting it on their shirts.
00:17:52.309 --> 00:18:06.642
Old World Industries, ssf, sunx XL Parts, tpn, again, automotive Parts Warehouse, dynamic Automotive, vypar, autozone, advanced Auto Parts, napa.
00:18:06.642 --> 00:18:08.833
Thank you so, so, so much NAPA.
00:18:08.833 --> 00:18:11.993
Napa ran an entire company campaign.
00:18:11.993 --> 00:18:15.255
They printed all sorts of materials.
00:18:15.255 --> 00:18:18.971
They put them in their offices, they put them in their shops, they sent them digitally.
00:18:18.971 --> 00:18:23.012
Napa has been a huge supporter since the beginning and we can't thank you enough.
00:18:23.012 --> 00:18:26.026
Parts Authority, automotive Parts Associates.
00:18:26.026 --> 00:18:30.535
Hda Truck Pride, fleet Pride, hubvis Auto and Truck Supply.
00:18:30.535 --> 00:18:40.256
Cliff Hubvis on the Auto Care Association Board of Directors has been incredibly supportive throughout all of this and even more.
00:18:40.256 --> 00:18:55.929
Isn WorldPak Specialty Products Company, meineke, bbb, rps, bma, tosco, na Williams, highline, warren, samuel Bywise Auto Parts, smp East Penn 1A Auto.
00:18:55.929 --> 00:18:58.092
Wow, wow, wow, wow.
00:18:58.772 --> 00:19:04.020
The industry's leading companies have been advocating for right to repair and they're not stopping.
00:19:04.020 --> 00:19:12.492
So if you can do something like any of these companies to help contribute to the cause, we really do urge you to do that, and we thank you so much for your support.
00:19:12.492 --> 00:19:21.288
On our next episode, we're going to get some updates on right to repair from other industries and draw some parallels between those industries and automotive, so stay tuned for that.
00:19:21.288 --> 00:19:30.925
For now, now visit us at autocareorg or repairactcom and share with us on social media what you're doing about right to repair using hashtag right to repair.
00:19:30.925 --> 00:19:39.971
Auto care on air is a production of the auto care association dedicated to advancing the auto care industry and supporting professionals like you.
00:19:39.971 --> 00:19:44.218
To learn more about the association and its initiatives, visit AutoCareorg.
00:00:13.233 --> 00:00:17.097
Welcome to Auto Care On Air, a candid podcast for a curious industry.
00:00:17.097 --> 00:00:30.164
I'm Stacey Miller, vice President of Communications at the Auto Care Association, and this is Traction Control, where we chat about recent news from the global to the local level and what it may mean to the industry, featuring guests on the front lines.
00:00:30.164 --> 00:00:31.088
Let's roll.
00:00:31.088 --> 00:00:50.561
It's time for a Right to Repair update and if you don't know what Right to Repair is, it's a global movement that really centers around the simple premise that people should be able to fix their own stuff.
00:00:50.561 --> 00:00:51.665
It's your stuff.
00:00:51.665 --> 00:01:13.203
You should be able to fix it right, and this movement really spans a wide range of items, from personal electronics like your cell phone or your laptop, to appliances like your stove or your smart fridge, to agricultural equipment like tractors We've been hearing a lot about John Deere in the Right to Repair news and medical equipment.
00:01:13.203 --> 00:01:27.305
So state legislation is increasing, federal legislation is increasing and the conversation surrounding this movement just keeps exploding over the past couple of years.
00:01:27.305 --> 00:01:34.662
So, whether you own a car or not, the right to repair affects every single person on this globe.
00:01:34.662 --> 00:01:46.165
But we're going to focus here on automotive and then we're going to bring some guests in to talk about right to repair and some of the other industries and what parallels we could draw to our fight in some of the other industries and what parallels we could draw to our fight.
00:01:46.165 --> 00:01:59.040
So the concept of right to repair is extremely true with vehicles and really pertinent One of the biggest purchases a consumer or a driver like you and I is likely to make after buying a house.
00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:10.890
So the average age of a car is over 12 years now and more than 70% of after warranty vehicle repairs occur at independent shops in the automotive aftermarket.
00:02:10.890 --> 00:02:19.497
So what I mean by independent shops is those shops that aren't part of a dealership, aren't attached to a dealership.
00:02:19.497 --> 00:02:35.054
There's nothing wrong with the dealership, but overwhelmingly, drivers like you and I tend to take those cars to those independent repair shops because one they're closer, they're more convenient, it's easier to get in the same day and the prices are considerably cheaper.
00:02:35.054 --> 00:02:46.320
So drivers need access to this wirelessly generated repair and maintenance data from their cars to continue to service them at the shop of their choice.
00:02:46.320 --> 00:03:06.263
All that data that's coming out of your car that says I need an oil change or my transmission is about to fail, that's wirelessly being generated now thanks to the new technology in these vehicles and it's being sent back to automaker and so that way the automaker can tell you, hey, it's time for you to come to the dealer to service your car.
00:03:06.263 --> 00:03:14.632
Meanwhile you may not be thinking, hey, I might be able to get this a little bit cheaper or a little bit easier at an independent shop that's a little bit closer to me.
00:03:14.632 --> 00:03:24.088
So there's a lot of awareness that needs to occur and education to make sure that drivers understand that they still have those choices in independent repair.
00:03:24.729 --> 00:03:37.912
In the end, we don't want manufacturers to force drivers to take their cars to the dealership for repair because that's where repair costs are higher and wait times are typically longer.
00:03:37.912 --> 00:03:40.540
We don't want to eliminate choice.
00:03:40.540 --> 00:03:49.512
We want to allow the choice and make sure that the independent aftermarket, which has always been here for drivers, is always going to be a viable choice.
00:03:49.512 --> 00:04:02.924
So these vehicle technology advancements, while they're really amazing for safety and security, they're really threatening to the livelihood of this massive industry which we call the automotive aftermarket.
00:04:02.924 --> 00:04:08.225
It's an over $500 billion industry and that would eliminate consumer choice.
00:04:08.225 --> 00:04:13.625
It would eliminate competitive prices and that's a real American issue.
00:04:14.425 --> 00:04:32.694
So some of these vehicles, we talk about them being computers on wheels or smartphones on wheels, because some of these late model vehicles have more than 100 million lines of code, which is more than an F-22 Raptor fighter jet Does that not just blow your mind?
00:04:32.694 --> 00:04:44.870
And so this technology requires really specific parts, manuals, diagnostic tools, and sometimes you go to the vehicle manufacturer and they say, hey, these are our proprietary parts or tools.
00:04:44.870 --> 00:04:49.093
And sometimes you go to the vehicle manufacturer and they say, hey, these are our proprietary parts or tools, you have to get them here.
00:04:49.093 --> 00:04:51.177
You know which is wrong?
00:04:51.177 --> 00:05:05.673
That really eliminates the ability of more than over 150,000 repair shops in the US to compete for that business, where they've always been given access to those tools, the types of restrictions that they're having.
00:05:05.673 --> 00:05:10.529
We're going to get to here in just a second via a survey that we conducted.
00:05:10.529 --> 00:05:12.053
That is really astounding.
00:05:13.461 --> 00:05:37.326
So, in response to this issue and you know, this really dystopian future where we may not be able to repair and maintain our vehicles where we choose and at a price that makes sense for us, and maintain our vehicles where we choose and at a price that makes sense for us, especially in these really tough economic times with inflation and such we introduced the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act the Repair Act, that's HR 906.
00:05:37.326 --> 00:05:56.130
It's bipartisan legislation and it makes sure that drivers get access to high quality and affordable vehicle repairs as the technology advances, to make sure that both drivers but also fleet owners and their repairs of choice have equal access to repair and maintenance data.
00:05:56.130 --> 00:06:05.915
Now we talk about vehicles and not just cars, and that's because this bill covers not just the cars and trucks in our driveway.
00:06:05.915 --> 00:06:09.446
We're talking about heavy duty vehicles.
00:06:09.446 --> 00:06:38.704
The semi trucks that deliver the goods and services that keep America running is really, really important to this bill, because these repair and maintenance issues can also affect the uptime of these vehicles and when a semi truck goes down or a fleet can't get service, there are catastrophic effects to the nation's supply chain, which can affect how quickly we get things like medical supplies, groceries and water Really really critical to the trucking industry, to our economy.
00:06:38.704 --> 00:06:50.862
So that's a very, very big part of it, and we do thank Representatives Neil Dunn, brendan Boyle, warren Davidson and Marie Glusenkamp-Perez who introduced this legislation in February of 23.
00:06:51.862 --> 00:06:56.562
Now we've had a lot of progress on this bill, a ton of progress.
00:06:56.562 --> 00:07:00.184
What is happening right now?
00:07:00.184 --> 00:07:01.925
It's kind of crazy.
00:07:01.925 --> 00:07:12.245
When you look up the stats, there are over 16,000 types of legislation that were introduced, this Congress and the Repair Act of one of them.
00:07:12.245 --> 00:07:19.295
So far only 70 of those 60,000 have been signed into law.
00:07:19.295 --> 00:07:29.925
And may that may seem really scary and concerning, we have a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of progress and a lot of momentum which we're going to talk about.
00:07:29.925 --> 00:07:34.779
Our committee specifically has over 2000 bills.
00:07:34.779 --> 00:07:36.305
That's the energy and commerce committee.
00:07:36.305 --> 00:07:41.877
But our committee has the most bills on their plate out of all the committees as well.
00:07:41.877 --> 00:07:52.913
So, despite, despite those astounding numbers just so you get a picture of how much our Congress is dealing with in a limited amount of time there's been a ton of progress.
00:07:53.613 --> 00:08:06.257
So the US House Subcommittee on Innovation, data and Commerce, or also known as the IDC, they approved the Repair Act by VoteVoice during a November subcommittee markup session.
00:08:06.257 --> 00:08:13.593
So we're waiting for that legislation to go before the full house committee on energy and commerce for consideration.
00:08:13.593 --> 00:08:29.391
In addition to that, uh, we've had members send over 80,000 letters to their legislators advocating for, um, the right to repair, and to ask them to co-sponsor the bill and to make sure that they're supporting that bill.
00:08:29.391 --> 00:08:37.150
Uh, we've had support from the FTC with the nixing, the fixed report, which also shares support for right to repair.
00:08:37.150 --> 00:08:42.892
The Biden administration put out a statement um stating their focus on the right to repair.
00:08:42.892 --> 00:09:05.105
And you know, thanks to all of the auto care association members who have taken the time to visit their legislator in our fall leadership days and legislative summit, they've hosted legislators at their place of work to show them what their contributions are to the local economy, and those types of conversations are really what is making the difference.
00:09:05.105 --> 00:09:10.186
Every person we talk to showcases really overwhelming support for this bill.
00:09:10.186 --> 00:09:15.638
We just need a gust of wind to get it to the floor for a vote this September.
00:09:15.638 --> 00:09:17.748
So time is running out.
00:09:18.629 --> 00:09:22.628
We know that many of you who have been listening have already sent those letters to your legislators.
00:09:22.628 --> 00:09:24.634
We are asking you again.
00:09:24.634 --> 00:09:29.091
We've updated that letter with some more urgent language and support.
00:09:29.091 --> 00:09:33.720
Please go to repairactcom If you haven't already send another letter.
00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:40.907
That's the best thing you could do at this point other than continuing to reach out to your legislator personally, inviting them to your place of business.
00:09:40.907 --> 00:09:47.932
And if you need help with that, you can always reach out to our government affairs team and you can reach out to Todd Moore.
00:09:47.932 --> 00:09:55.815
That's T O D dot M O O R E at auto careorg and he can help you schedule a visit with your legislator.
00:09:57.018 --> 00:10:04.058
For those people who think, hey, I really don't want to get involved in politics, this is just not for me.
00:10:04.058 --> 00:10:08.782
This is a bipartisan issue and it's not about what side of the aisle you're on.
00:10:08.782 --> 00:10:23.092
It's really about communicating to your legislator how something like right to repair affects your business, but also affects you personally, and sharing with them a little bit about what your contributions are as a constituent in their district.
00:10:23.092 --> 00:10:30.636
They work for you, so you're providing jobs, you're paying taxes, you're supporting your local community.
00:10:30.636 --> 00:10:45.272
All of that is important for your local legislator to hear, to understand hey, I need to make sure that this goes to a vote and that this passes, because this is going to satisfy the constituents in my district and make sure that they're as happy as possible.
00:10:45.272 --> 00:10:48.356
So we really do really urge you to do that.
00:10:48.356 --> 00:11:05.014
So back to what Repair Act does so, allowing drivers like you and I to control access and to have access and choose where their vehicle gets maintained and repaired.
00:11:05.014 --> 00:11:13.350
It's about freedom the freedom to utilize the most accessible and affordable repair options available.
00:11:13.350 --> 00:11:19.789
Nothing in the Repair Act, like I said earlier, removes the option for a driver to choose a local dealership.
00:11:19.789 --> 00:11:23.118
It allows for open competition, for free markets.
00:11:23.118 --> 00:11:27.111
So that means more innovation, more price reductions.
00:11:27.111 --> 00:11:41.399
The more accessible and affordable car repair is, vehicle repair is, the more drivers are going to actually take and do those repairs and maintenance which make the roads safer for all of us.
00:11:42.485 --> 00:11:47.878
There's some really interesting data in the Auto Care Factbook, which is our annual publication.
00:11:47.878 --> 00:11:55.876
Data in the Auto Care Factbook, which is our annual publication it's our flagship publication that gives stats, impacts and analysis of what's going on in the auto care industry.
00:11:55.876 --> 00:12:02.365
And there's a really astounding number called delayed maintenance, and that comes from our partners at IMR Inc.
00:12:02.365 --> 00:12:12.184
And what we found is that the delayed maintenance number has increased year over year to the tune of several billion dollars.
00:12:12.184 --> 00:12:38.549
That folks are not repairing and maintaining their cars because cost, maybe they haven't found someone that they really trust, they don't have the time, they don't think the repairs are necessary and, as inflation continues and costs continues to be one of those primary factors, that means that we've got more unsafe cars on the road, which can really be scary for any driver that's on the road.
00:12:38.549 --> 00:12:48.489
Right, I would prefer not to be on the road, knowing that there are some folks that haven't changed their brake pads and maybe they're not able to stop that vehicle properly at speed right.
00:12:48.489 --> 00:12:56.591
There are real safety implications to not being able to provide affordable and accessible maintenance and repair.
00:12:56.591 --> 00:12:59.494
So that's point one.
00:13:00.567 --> 00:13:12.034
The other piece that we hear about the Repair Act and we get about the automotive aftermarket is there are lots of misconceptions about the quality of our repairs or the quality of our parts.
00:13:12.034 --> 00:13:27.097
And obviously our technicians are ASE certified, they're trained, they're as passionate as all of them and the businesses that provide the parts are manufacturing these parts to extremely high standards.
00:13:27.097 --> 00:13:28.527
There are studies that show that.
00:13:28.527 --> 00:13:42.572
You know we are manufacturing parts as good, if not better, than the manufacturer and many aftermarket parts actually come from the manufacturer that are manufacturing those OEM parts just under a different label.
00:13:42.572 --> 00:13:48.846
So lots of information there to kind of put in your pocket for any conversations with your legislators on.
00:13:48.846 --> 00:13:53.668
You know why aftermarket is a great choice, why it's a safe choice and why it's a proper choice.
00:13:54.609 --> 00:13:59.971
And nationally our industry is, is massive.
00:13:59.971 --> 00:14:12.716
It is so important to the American economy, right, our, our, um, our industry employs 4.7 million Americans and nearly 2% of GDP in economic activity.
00:14:12.716 --> 00:14:14.817
So we're really critical.
00:14:14.817 --> 00:14:21.841
We're up there with construction, we're up there with healthcare, we're critical to the nation's continued success.
00:14:21.841 --> 00:14:24.241
Right so the Repair Act.
00:14:24.241 --> 00:14:32.945
It provides those shops with rights to that critical vehicle diagnostic data and we want to make sure that there are no restrictions imposed by the manufacturers.
00:14:32.945 --> 00:14:38.715
For all of those reasons and above, I mentioned the commercial sector earlier.
00:14:38.715 --> 00:14:44.410
So it's critically, critically, critically important to fleets, to heavy duty vehicles.
00:14:44.410 --> 00:15:11.916
There are over 9 million vehicles in the heavy duty trucking industry and the United States depends on them to transmit those goods and services on America's highways and byways and those companies rely on the ability to utilize independent mechanics and technicians and aftermarket parts to keep those vehicles on the road, keep that uptime and keep the maintenance affordable and efficient.
00:15:11.916 --> 00:15:19.076
So right to repair is important for everyone and plays a significant role in our nation's supply chain.
00:15:19.677 --> 00:15:26.313
Again, what can you do now is to go to repairactcom and make sure that you send that letter again.
00:15:26.313 --> 00:15:29.594
Congress is on recess right now, in August.
00:15:29.594 --> 00:15:35.892
They will be back in office in September and that's our last chance to get this bill to the floor for a vote.
00:15:35.892 --> 00:15:47.754
So I'm really urging everybody to take the time, send the letter, get educated at repairactcom or autocareorg, and there's additional things that you can do.
00:15:47.754 --> 00:16:00.946
We've got some really amazing companies who've been working with us to educate their employees and educate their end consumers consumers.
00:16:00.946 --> 00:16:14.807
So I want to give a shout out to a couple of those companies who have really gone above and beyond in making sure that their employees know about what right to repair is, how they can contribute to it and getting more folks to speak up, because this is this is a numbers thing.
00:16:14.807 --> 00:16:17.111
We need volume, we need voices to speak up.
00:16:17.111 --> 00:16:25.966
So really big shout out to voices to speak up.
00:16:25.966 --> 00:16:26.749
So really big shout out to CTR.
00:16:26.769 --> 00:16:28.472
They put the right to repair QR code in their email signature.
00:16:28.472 --> 00:16:34.765
Dma Industries they've been posting to LinkedIn about right to repair is important and making their own videos.
00:16:34.765 --> 00:16:36.386
Crp has been sending emails to their employees.
00:16:36.386 --> 00:16:39.788
Srp has been sending emails to their employees.
00:16:39.788 --> 00:16:44.491
Federated has had right to repair on their homepage.
00:16:44.491 --> 00:16:46.073
Thank you so much, federated.
00:16:46.073 --> 00:16:53.979
And both Federated and the Alliance have been placing ads for right to repair in all of the industry publications, urging for support.
00:16:53.979 --> 00:16:59.701
Mpa Motor Parts of America has been sending information to their customers.
00:16:59.701 --> 00:17:06.069
Gpd made a flyer talking about if it's yours, own it.
00:17:06.069 --> 00:17:07.313
So support right to repair.
00:17:07.313 --> 00:17:08.476
Here's what you can do about it.
00:17:08.476 --> 00:17:09.357
So thanks GPD.
00:17:09.357 --> 00:17:13.291
Jasper Engines and Dorman Products.
00:17:13.291 --> 00:17:18.167
They've both been publishing blogs about right to repair Mond and Hummel.
00:17:18.167 --> 00:17:20.373
They did some PR around it.
00:17:20.373 --> 00:17:25.150
They put the QR in their signature, they hosted legislators and made custom shirts.
00:17:25.150 --> 00:17:27.555
So thank you so much, mon and Hummel.
00:17:27.555 --> 00:17:39.150
Medco O'Reilly put this on the front page of their first call portal, which absolutely driving tons and tons and tons of traffic to the letter.
00:17:39.150 --> 00:17:40.693
So huge shout out to O'Reilly.
00:17:40.693 --> 00:17:50.248
Pronto has been putting this in their email and sending it out on their intranet.
00:17:50.248 --> 00:17:51.990
They've been putting it on their shirts.
00:17:52.309 --> 00:18:06.642
Old World Industries, ssf, sunx XL Parts, tpn, again, automotive Parts Warehouse, dynamic Automotive, vypar, autozone, advanced Auto Parts, napa.
00:18:06.642 --> 00:18:08.833
Thank you so, so, so much NAPA.
00:18:08.833 --> 00:18:11.993
Napa ran an entire company campaign.
00:18:11.993 --> 00:18:15.255
They printed all sorts of materials.
00:18:15.255 --> 00:18:18.971
They put them in their offices, they put them in their shops, they sent them digitally.
00:18:18.971 --> 00:18:23.012
Napa has been a huge supporter since the beginning and we can't thank you enough.
00:18:23.012 --> 00:18:26.026
Parts Authority, automotive Parts Associates.
00:18:26.026 --> 00:18:30.535
Hda Truck Pride, fleet Pride, hubvis Auto and Truck Supply.
00:18:30.535 --> 00:18:40.256
Cliff Hubvis on the Auto Care Association Board of Directors has been incredibly supportive throughout all of this and even more.
00:18:40.256 --> 00:18:55.929
Isn WorldPak Specialty Products Company, meineke, bbb, rps, bma, tosco, na Williams, highline, warren, samuel Bywise Auto Parts, smp East Penn 1A Auto.
00:18:55.929 --> 00:18:58.092
Wow, wow, wow, wow.
00:18:58.772 --> 00:19:04.020
The industry's leading companies have been advocating for right to repair and they're not stopping.
00:19:04.020 --> 00:19:12.492
So if you can do something like any of these companies to help contribute to the cause, we really do urge you to do that, and we thank you so much for your support.
00:19:12.492 --> 00:19:21.288
On our next episode, we're going to get some updates on right to repair from other industries and draw some parallels between those industries and automotive, so stay tuned for that.
00:19:21.288 --> 00:19:30.925
For now, now visit us at autocareorg or repairactcom and share with us on social media what you're doing about right to repair using hashtag right to repair.
00:19:30.925 --> 00:19:39.971
Auto care on air is a production of the auto care association dedicated to advancing the auto care industry and supporting professionals like you.
00:19:39.971 --> 00:19:44.218
To learn more about the association and its initiatives, visit AutoCareorg.
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