On this episode of Solera Innovation Labs, Don interviews Rochelle Thielen, Executive Vice President of Partnerships at Honk, a company that utilizes a network of approved towing partners to provide on-demand roadside assistance, much like Uber and Lyft. Listen to Don and Rochelle break down the inefficiencies of the state of roadside assistance today and how technology and exceptional customer support can change the roadside game.

OEM certification programs have been around for a long time. In fact, Toyota began the first OE certification program for repair facilities more than 20 years ago. So why are we hearing so much about these programs in recent years?

On the podcast, Don and Matthew dig into the challenges and opportunities of the electric vehicle market and help listeners gain better insight into these exciting innovations to make informed decisions.

It seems like everyone is talking about vehicle telematics these days, but who actually knows the ins and outs of this complex topic? We’re in the studio with Michael Flanagan, founder and CEO of Xtract, a connected claims platform for telematics crash data to get his take on this new development in data.

On this episode of Don’s Drive-In, Don brings back a friend of the show, Kristen Felder, CEO of Collision Hub, to recap the SEMA show that took place in Las Vegas early November. Kristen and Don dive into the show’s events and some of the hot ticket items at the convention.

In this episode of Don’s Drive-In, CREF’s Director of Development, Brandon Eckenrode, discusses the organization’s recent survey of the collision repair industry and the job outlook for new technicians.

The number one challenge in the automotive industry is the shortage of skilled technicians. Half of all technicians are over the age of 50, and fewer technicians are entering the industry and bringing with them crucial technical and computer science skills. There’s a heavy burden on automotive educators to train the upcoming workforce and ensure they’re prepared for their first job in the bays.

Cybersecurity can seem like a complex issue. We all know we need it; however, the installation and upkeep of all that high-quality software is pretty daunting. Luckily, we have some practical tips for shops and business of all sizes—and budgets—to follow for safe and secure business operations.

Vehicle diagnostics. Pre- and post-scanning. Calibration. What are we really talking about when we use these terms? We brought in an expert to help explain the hot topic of vehicle electronics.

In this episode of Solera Innovation Labs, Gethyn Davies, an expert in bodyshop development from Audatex UK, shares shrewd business tips with Don Mikrut for shops looking to make incremental gains on each repair job.