I cut my writer’s teeth in the newspaper business.
Early on in my career, Alabama’s attorney general made a major push on municipal government to eliminate meetings not open to the public. Generally, a body charged with governing the public is prohibited from meeting “secretly.” There are a few exceptions, but there are not many circumstances where a “closed meeting” is okay.
The state’s principal legal officer made it clear to newspapers that in order for this effort to do as intended, publishers had to be vocal in challenging closed meetings when and if they happened. He warned that failure to do so would cause the push to lose momentum and weaken the focus on stopping the practice.
Newspapers mostly responded the same way they had for years; whining about it locally in print, at civic meetings and in coffee shops. Few official complaints were filled. Not much changed. Illegal meetings, while never prevalent, are still illegal but still take place.
The aftermarket has a similar opportunity facing them with its recent victory with regard to right to repair. A lot of time and money got behind the effort, and the investment paid off. The aftermarket scored a major win in having access to the same data as OEs.
While not yet legally binding, the agreed upon Memorandum of Understanding grants the independent aftermarket access to diagnostic information for all vehicles built after model year 2009 weighing more than 14,000 lbs.
This includes wiring diagrams, information locating sensors, the ability to reflash and reset onboard computers, as-built VIN to OE part number information and any specialized tools required to complete vehicle diagnostics.
That is significant, just as the investment the aftermarket now needs to make in its capabilities will be significant.
Having access to this data is one thing. Actually taking advantage of it is another.
The people behind the heavy duty aftermarket’s push to get this access are due a “thank you.”
By all means, drop them a nice email or thank you card. Buy them a drink at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, or spot them a $10 chip on the blackjack table at The Mirage. They’ve earned all of that.
But the best way to thank them is to invest in the technologies needed to help your businesses take advantage of the opportunity in front of you.
Maybe that is in the form of upgraded or new equipment.
It almost certainly will mean some of your staff will need training.
The worst thing the aftermarket can do is not make the capital investments needed to maximize the benefit, and show the OEs that the aftermarket wasn’t prepared for the next step and taking this push to the next level.
Going headfirst into putting this to work in your business gives the Commercial Vehicle Right to Repair Coalition even more teeth when it launches another push to get access to telematics data, access to data for lighter-weight vehicles, access to OE-level training, or something else.
The aftermarket only “wins” its right to repair by taking 100 percent advantage of 100 percent of the opportunities.
