Room to Grow: Wages for new body techs in 2020 remained stable despite national declines, StatsCan says
Toronto, Ontario — The positions once occupied by Canada’s retiring skilled trades workforce are proving difficult to fill, and according to some newly released data from the federal government, no two regions compensate their tradespeople quite the same. Median wages for newly certified journeypersons are down 5.2 percent nationwide from 2019 to 2020, with motor […]
Holiday Plans: Drivers opting for shorter, more frequent road trips, Hankook survey says
Toronto, Ontario — A new survey from Hankook Tire shows that drivers are trying to stretch their gas money as far as it will go, reporting that people are commuting less, but embarking on far more road trips than before. The company surveyed U.S. drivers ahead of the holidays to gauge how their driving habits […]
Light at the End: SEMA report shows most equipment manufacturers experienced growth since 2020
Toronto, Ontario — According to a new report from SEMA, equipment manufacturers have fared well over the past year in spite of supply chain disruptions, with 70 percent of manufacturers reporting sales growth over the past year. While many retailers struggled through the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdowns that followed, the manufacturing […]
Quarantine Queries: AIA Canada releases Consumer Behaviour report on COVID-19 pandemic
Ottawa, Ontario — Alongside the release of November’s Monthly Minute newsletter, AIA Canada has put out a new report as part of its Consumer Behaviour Series that engaged 2000 Canadian drivers on how they were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. AIA Canada president J.F. Champagne delved into the report at length during a webinar on […]
Talks in Turkey: IBIS to host free event next week
Ankara, Turkey — The International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS) will be hosting IBISConnect Turkey next week free of charge. Held Wednesday, October 6, the event will focus on recovery in the post-pandemic era, according to the event agenda. “In 2020 the business world was suddenly thrown into turmoil beyond anyone’s imagination,” wrote IBIS in its […]
Selfish Savings: Disparity in New Brunswick auto insurance rates, savings ‘obscene’
Fredericton, New Brunswick — Something isn’t adding up quite right in New Brunswick as new statistics show that auto insurers in the province saved big during the pandemic, but continued to gouge customers on premium rates. According to the General Insurance Statistical Agency (GISA), insurers charged New Brunswick drivers $197.6 million more in premiums than […]
Castaways: P.E.I. hit by car rental shortage
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island — As Prince Edward Island loosens COVID-19 restrictions, travellers are struggling to find rental vehicles and some are even cancelling their trip because they can’t get their hands on a car. B.C. resident LeeAnna Binder wanted to spend two weeks in P.E.I. this summer, but due to the lack of vehicles […]
The Long and Short of It: Canadian car speculations loom as U.S. inventory dips 50 percent below average levels
Washington, D.C. — U.S. vehicle inventory is down 50 percent, leading to some used cars selling for more than what they sold for when they were brand new. This raises questions on if Canada’s automotive industry will be in the same predicament later this year. Although new car inventory is down only 20 percent in […]
Response Reward: Fix Network World receives three awards for COVID-19 response efforts
Blainville, Québec — Fix Network World has just won an award for their crisis communication efforts during the pandemic. During a virtual Excellence Gala, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) gave Fix Network World the Gold Quill Award for “Recovery & Resilience: COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan.” Fix Network World was given recognition because they […]
Feeble Fleets: Car rental shortage looms in Canada
Victoria, British Columbia — With COVID-19 restrictions lifting, and more people wanting to travel, North America is experiencing a car rental shortage of epic proportions. Craig Hirota, the vice-president of government relations and member services with Associated Canadian Car Rental Operators, says that the pandemic can be to blame for the car rental shortage. “Most […]
