It seems like just a few months ago, I wrote about a thing called telematics. If you remember, I tried to convince you that it was coming and that we should not ignore it because it would be here before we knew it. Sound familiar? With all the other things you have to think about in your work and personal life, I’m guessing you’ve probably long since forgotten it.

Well, guess what? In that short period of time, it has arrived and is in place. Insurance companies are using it to evaluate our driving habits, OEs are using it to communicate with our vehicles, and repair facilities are using it to retain customers. I’m not writing to say I told you so, but rather as a heads-up that things are changing at an unbelievable rate.

Just this week, I saw a press release from the Consumer Electronics Show about a driverless car. Yes, you read that correctly. A driverless car! In case we’ve all forgotten, most accidents are caused by driver error. Take away the driver and guess what you get? Fewer crashes. This is both good and bad: less work, but bigger, more intense repairs when crashes do occur.

I bring this up to further prove that we need to be training and ready to change. We used to be able to say that we could leave that to the next generation of repairers, but not today. The average body shop owner is 56 years old, and most of us will be working for another 10 years. Think about how much new stuff can come down the pike in that time. We have to stay on it or we’ll get left behind.

We’re lucky in that we have I-CAR, ASE, ASA, SCRS and many other partners to help us on our journey. The important thing is to buy into being part of the journey rather than staying on the sidelines and watching it happen. We at BodyShop Business will be here to provide you with all the information and new technology as it comes to market.

Stay tuned. It will be a heck of a ride – even if no one is driving!