I-CAR Collision Reporter - The Online Journal
Platinum™ and Full-Time at 18, Aluminum Tech Says Shop ‘Kept It Fun’ During Her Apprenticeship
07/15/2024 by I-CAR
Shortly before her May 2024 high school graduation, Emma Chambers made one of the biggest decisions of her young life. The talented volleyball player walked away from the chance to qualify for a sports scholarship and go to college. This cleared the way for an equally big decision: to concentrate on her budding career in collision repair and accept a full-time position at Andy’s Auto Body Collision Repair in the small southeastern Illinois town of Vandalia. She first came to the Gold Class® shop as an apprentice in June 2023 midway through a two-year auto body program at her high school.
Innovative Mega Recon Shop Embraces I-CAR Gold Class® Standard
06/04/2024 by I-CAR
Drawing on a manufacturing background, mega recon shop CEO/founder Kyle Al-Rifai is a disruptor, working outside collision repair conventions to optimize efficiencies, employee satisfaction, and customer value. His one-stop, 140,000-square-foot shop in Broken Arrow, OK, caters to car dealerships, car rental companies, and other fleet operators. One established industry standard he does find relevant to his innovative business is I-CAR Gold Class. Read how Al-Rifai is disrupting collision repair processes while creating an award-winning, best-place-to-work environment for employees.
ADAS Calibrations Part of a Proper, Complete Repair
05/01/2024 by Joel Dufkis and Kurt Fenzel, I-CAR ADAS experts
The rapid expansion of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) has shown promise in reducing collision frequency and severity, yet distracted driving is on the rise. April's designation as Distracted Driver Awareness Month serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by distractions such as cell phone use. Ironically, the increasing reliance on ADAS has led to some drivers becoming less vigilant. Customers often assume their repaired vehicles' ADAS will shield them, even during moments of distraction. This underscores the critical responsibility collision repairers bear in precisely calibrating ADAS to factory specifications.
Master the Basics to Advance Your Welding Skills
04/25/2024 by Blake Baker and Ed Valle, I-CAR Trainers, Program Delivery
A lot is changing in welding equipment, materials, and techniques; but even if you’re up to speed on these trends, you’ll be at a disadvantage if you haven’t mastered the simple basics. These are the fundamentals that have guided generations of welders, going back to the day of traditional MIG welding equipment. Yet, we see these well-established basics being overlooked by many of the structural technicians we work with.