Before we jump into the column this month, I need to start with this disclaimer: I know. I know you’re busy. I know you’re working 60 hours a week. I know your business is understaffed and your people are overextended. I know the stress that comes with thinking about that every day.
But I also know you aren’t alone in your distress. There are hundreds of business owners in the aftermarket deal-ing with the same issues you’re facing. None of them have all the answers; they all don’t know the best path forward for their businesses or the industry. But several have experienced one important realization: they’ve admitted they can’t solve every problem on their own.
Have you?
The independent aftermarket is a surprisingly open and candid industry. Business owners share experiences liberally, and foolproof best practices spread within the distributor community like wildfire.
That’s not the case in other markets. Truck dealers aren’t that forthcoming about their businesses (dealers under the same OEM umbrella are fairly open with each other but there’s little information flowing between brands). National carriers don’t tell the world their secrets for hiring drivers, and you never see the truck makers telling one another how they plan to build their next truck. And the auto market? Fuhgeddaboudit.
The knowledge sharing that happens in this corner of the transportation industry is rare and should be cherished. If you’re not taking advantage of that, it’s time to shake it up. You need to get involved.
Think about the two or three biggest issues facing your operation. Got a couple problems in mind? Okay, great. Was one of them hiring people? If it was, I can think of four industry associations that are working to help recruit talent into the independent aftermarket right now.
