Should You Consider Fleet Repair Work?

As vehicles become more advanced, understanding ADAS is no longer optional for collision repairers. In this episode, we explore the purpose behind the Lightning Auto Service ADAS Calibration Guidebook, a free educational resource designed to help technicians, repair planners/estimators, shop managers, and students navigate the growing complexity of vehicle safety systems. The guidebook breaks down ADAS fundamentals, calibration requirements, repair-event triggers, quality control processes, and OEM-compliant documentation into practical, real-world lessons. We'll discuss why proper calibration knowledge matters, how repair decisions impact vehicle safety, and what shops can do to stay ahead as technology continues to evolve. Whether you're new to ADAS or looking to strengthen your repair planning and calibration expertise, this conversation offers valuable insights into the skills and knowledge modern repair professionals need.

If you're already using an artificial intelligence assistant, you know how useful they can be — and what their limitations are if they're not fed the proper prompts. Travis Bainbridge describes Collision CoPilot as an AI add‑on for auto body and collision repair shops, that embeds collision‑specific playbooks, laws, and reference data into the AI assistants you already use. He is the founder and CEO of BainbridgeAI, a company building purpose built AI platforms, he says, for industries where generic tools fall short. A former body shop owner with over 30 years in collision repair, Johnston has focused on streamlining estimating, insurer negotiations, and reducing administrative burdens for shop owners and technicians. For more information, contact Travis at [email protected] or go to collisioncopilot.com/.  

One possible solution to fill bays during slow times is fleet work. Whether you service a fleet of last-mile delivery trucks, the local HVAC company, rental cars, or a trucking company, they can be a source of lower profit margin but high-volume, fast production work. ServiceUp Chief Operating Officer Andy Klobnock joins CollisionCast to talk about the nuances of fleet work and how his company's platform directly sends repair jobs to the shops and manages all customer communications, including coordinating vehicle drop-offs and pick-ups.

In this episode, Partly founder and CEO Levi Fawcett explains how Partly is using a repair-specific AI model to help collision repair shops improve estimate accuracy, reduce administrative work, and make better parts procurement decisions. Rather than replacing platforms such as CCC, PartsTrader, or CollisionLink, Partly works alongside them, analyzing estimates, OEM repair procedures, vehicle build data, and shop preferences to identify missed operations, parts, and documentation requirements. Fawcett describes the platform as a "second set of eyes" that can assist with everything from blueprinting and supplement creation to parts basket optimization, photo annotation, and insurer communications.  For more information, go to partly.com.  

Are your painters truly protected? Are your waste streams compliant? Or are you relying on assumptions that could expose your business to fines, liability, and unnecessary costs? In this episode of CollisionCast, Jay Sicht sits down with KPA compliance experts Stephany Birkholz and Zach Pucillo to discuss a new data-driven approach to collision repair safety and environmental compliance. They break down how wearable VOC monitoring badges, hazardous waste testing, and laboratory analysis are helping shops move beyond industry rules of thumb and make decisions based on real-world exposure data. The conversation explores everything from respirator selection and cartridge change-out schedules to paint booth filter testing, sanding dust analysis, oil-water separator compliance, and the regulatory requirements many shops overlook. Stephany and Zach also share real-world examples of how testing has helped shops avoid OSHA headaches, uncover costly waste-handling mistakes, and better protect their employees. If you're a shop owner, manager, painter, or safety professional, this episode offers practical insights into reducing risk, improving compliance, safeguarding technician health, and potentially saving thousands of dollars in disposal and enforcement costs. Key topics include: Why respiratory protection remains OSHA's most-cited issue in collision repair How VOC air monitoring works and what it reveals Determining the right respirator for your operation Hazardous waste testing for paint booth filters, sanding dust, and oil-water separators Common compliance mistakes that can lead to costly fines How data can help defend against future liability claims Unexpected discoveries about respirator cartridge life and employee exposure Tune in to learn how today's leading shops are replacing compliance guesswork with measurable data and creating safer workplaces for the technicians they depend on every day. For more information on KPA, go to kpa.io.   

ADAS, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, calibrations have become a routine part of collision repair, but misconceptions about when they’re required can lead to missed procedures, unnecessary work and added risk. In this episode, Isaac Aronson, Product Manager at OEC and a former automotive technician with nearly two decades of hands-on experience, shares why repairers shouldn’t rely on a clean scan or past experience alone. He explains how current OEM repair procedures can help shops identify calibration requirements, improve repair planning and documentation and avoid costly surprises.

While Josh Sorel started posting to social media to share his achievements with his wife, he now reaches tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and Facebook with his channel, Josh Refinish. He sits down with Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht to talk about his refinishing career — now beginning his 23rd year — in which he shows his techniques and test-drives new spray guns, and various prepping devices, including the Stat-Gun. And tune in to hear tips on enhancing your social media presence. Check him out on Instagram or Facebook.

Claims are down across the country, but Shey Knight, CFO of Autosport Bodyworks in Opelika, Alabama and FenderBender columnist, has some strategies to share on how he approaches the collision repair business. He is not only a 40-year veteran of the industry; as an insurance producer, he has a different perspective than most. Check out his recent column on the subject here.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS, have aided driver safety and prevented or lessened the severity of collisions. At the same time, they require specific procedures to ensure they’re working as designed post-collision. What is the shop’s liability, and how can an operator lessen that risk? In this episode, we're joined by Rebekah Cooper of The Cooper Firm, a nationwide catastrophic injury and wrongful death law firm, based in Marietta, Georgia; and Sean Preston, founder and managing attorney of Coverall Law, specializing in legal services for the collision repair industry and headquartered in Wareham, Massachusetts. This podcast does not constitute legal advice and is provided only for informational purposes. Find contact information for Rebekah here and for Sean here. And look for the article on this same subject with Rebekah and Sean in the August issue of FenderBender magazine.

As more customers turn to AI chatbots and search engine reviews to decide where to bring their car after an accident, if your shop doesn’t have a strong digital brand, you’ve lost a customer before they’ve even had a chance to walk through your door.  In our July case study in the magazine, Noah Brown interviewed Megan Fulkerson, founder of 3P Marketing, on how to build a strong online presence and attract more customers. In today’s episode, Megan and host and FenderBender Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht expand on why marketing needs to be a priority for your business. For more information on 3P Marketing's services, visit 3Pmarketing.com.