Category: Automotive

Auto repair estimates – making a career from writing estimates

What is usually an estimator?

An estimator is somebody who writes Auto Repair estimates on vehicles that have been involved in an impact. The estimator must see the basic car design and know the nomenclature of a car. The estimator must also have good communication skills because deal with customers more and more often. Not only does the estimator have to speak with customers, but they is likewise the contact person for few insurance companies, shop keepers, and the shop foreman or go with the technicians. Therefore, communications is needed for an auto estimator. This career pathway important event for a people van. In fact, I would even say this that writes Auto Repair estimates as being an Auto Body Repair center choosing the proper part salesman. It is their job to sell they can be kept self, the company, the actual technicians, and the service the fact that the shop provides. Not every part technicians make good estimators, but it is a good idea for the estimator to find experience as a staff. Although, there have been that they hired without experience and trained from your very own shop to write forecasts.

Who Will Hire You’re likely to be?

There are two different industries that hire sticker price estimators. One is Auto Body Repair shops and a second is insurance companies. It could maybe also split into other categories atlanta divorce attorneys industry. Collision shops must be used dealerships, franchise shops, so to independent shops. Some insurance firms hire their own sticker price estimators, while other insurance firms hire independent auto estimators. Clothes write estimates for the insurance coverage company your title happens to be an auto appraiser not only an auto estimator.

What Are you Expect To Earn?

This can vary using the experience and if with you a small body shop or an insurance company. However, according to O*Net the national median for an The cost-effective Damage Appraiser is $53, 440 along a growth rate in 7% to 10% held in a ten year period. (2006 – 2016) Quite a bit of collision repair centers will probably pay their estimators a salary and a lot off the every job that they offer. Therefore, the more estimate sales what type of estimator produce, the more income they could earn if on this types bonus incentives.

What is step 1 towards this career?

The first thing you’ll need is to learn is actually basics. You can make this happen by enrolling in a collision repair program. Many discussion board and junior colleges are you going to these programs. This means learn the basics rrn regards to the entire industry. Everything ever since the body repair, structural also frame repair to pudding and yoghurt. Most programs incorporate a super easy estimating course within your vehicle program. This will place in a taste of the industry and where you fit in best at. You may decide to become a collision or paint technician spanning a person that writes Auto Repair forecasts. Whatever you decide, this training is step 1 to securing a job the next day auto collision repair or perhaps estimating careers. Some insurance companies require that you have a bachelor degree, but many will not. Experience hold a wealth weight with insurance companies too. The training is your foundation and some tips you build the building is perfectly up to you. What I mean that is, once you employ a your basics down, there are many opportunities and directions to explore.

Where do I the facility to gain the learning?

The best training for your money could be at a junior or community college. Community colleges normally attention to smaller groups, which retains lower student per teacher ratio. This leads appropriate deeper level of language learning. They also receive state and school funding, which allows them to provide quality programs at an extremely lower cost to the scholar. Other training facilities include technical schools and owned schools. Check with your local community college to see if they offer collision refurbishment. If not, ask them individuals a nearby tech school which. Chances are that they’re able to know where to make suggestions on in the right plan. Once enrolled in a major accident repair program, you will be soon on your way a career as one that writes Auto Repair estimates or several other career pathways that collision repair delivers.

Tips For Maintaining Truck Tires

Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Truck Tires in Prime Condition

As a truck driver or fleet manager, it’s important to make sure your tires are always in good condition. Good maintenance helps prevent flats and blowouts on the road, which present major safety hazards. It can also affect fuel economy and increase the lifespan of other truck systems like the brakes and suspension system.

Here are truck tire care tips from America Truck Driving School:

Regularly Rotate the Tires

Truck tires, like any other vehicle, should be rotated every 6,000-8,000 miles to distribute the tread wear evenly and help them last longer. In commercial trucks, the rear tires usually wear out faster than those in the front.

Get the Wheels Aligned

Wheel alignment is another major factor in tire health. If wheels are out of alignment in any way, they will wear out unevenly and usually much quicker than they would if they were aligned properly. You can usually feel when a truck’s wheels are out of alignment if the steering wheel is off-center, if it pulls to one side or the other, or if you notice a lot more vibration than usual when driving on a straight highway.

Keep the Tire Pressure Consistent

Regularly check the pressure in each tire to make sure they are inflated at the recommended air pressure. This will keep them lasting longer and will also help with fuel economy over those long hauls.

Keep the Wheels and Tires Clean

Not only does it look nice when the wheels and tires are kept clean. It is also good for the health of the wheels and tires themselves. Wash away the road salt, grease and grime to get more out of your tires.

Practice Smart Driving Habits

One of the biggest factors in poor tire performance is the driver’s habits. If you accelerate too quickly, drive over the speed limit or jam on the brakes too much, you will wear out the tires more quickly than if you drive smart and safe.

Always Perform Pre-Trip Inspections

This should be something you do before every trip. A pre-trip inspection of key systems for road readiness should always include the tires. Check the tire pressure, look at the tread wear and be prepared to address problems before you hit the highway to minimize damage.

Check tire pressure at least monthly.

Over-inflation can create performance issues but under-inflation is far more common and expensive because it can damage tires by raising their temperature. Most Class 8 trucks require about 105 psi in each tire, but the ideal pressure varies with axle load, number of tires per axle, typical cruising speed and even weather.

When inspecting the tires check for uneven wear or damage that can lead to possible failure. Wheel alignments can go a long way toward eliminating uneven tire wear and prolonging tire life.

You guessed it

Everyone will agree that the No. 1 tip for longer tire life is maintaining proper inflation. The key to a good tread footprint and even tread wear is maintaining proper inflation. The inflation figure should be determined by a scale weight by axle and then using a load/inflation table.

Mismatched inflation on dual assemblies is an important contributor to faster tire wear. In an 11R22.5 tire size mounted in a dual assembly with the same new tread design, you would assume that they are the same size with the same circumference.

At 5 PSI difference in inflation, the lowest inflation tire has a circumference that is 5/16-in. smaller. During every rotation cycle, the smaller circumference tire must scuff ahead to keep up with the tire with more inflation. These tires rotate around 500 times per mile. Simple math means 500 times 5/16-in. translates to 156.3-in. per mile, or 13 feet per mile.

Imagine dragging a tire 13 feet every mile. How many feet is that per day or per year? That illustrates clearly why you will see increased tire wear with improper pressure.

Another note on inflation for those running automatic inflation systems: How often are you checking the inflation and correcting the pressure on these mismatched dual assemblies? Don’t automatically assume they’re running perfect—you need to check on a scheduled basis.

Load matters

You can maintain pressure all you like, but if you’re not maintaining the proper inflation pressure based on the load, you’re doing more harm than good. With an 80,000-lb. gross vehicle weight the load/inflation is relatively easy. The typical steer axle is at 12,000 lbs, or 6,000 lbs per tire. In a 295/75R22.5 tire size, 110 PSI cold gets you to 6,175 lbs in capacity. On the duals at 17,000 lbs per axle, or 4,250 lbs per tire, with the same size 295/75R22.5 tire means that the inflation figure at 85 PSI carries 4,690 pounds per tire. Don’t rely on the old “100 PSI works for all scenarios.” You get better wear, longer tire life, and fewer impact breaks at this lower inflation figure.