Whether you are a PDR technician or Body Shop owner, technical change is on the horizon and while it’s healthy to have some natural industry fear, there is no need to curl up in the fetal position hoping and praying that it will never come to fruition. It will and it is even as I write. There isn’t an industry out there that hasn’t had some sort of technical advances that have changed both their industry and total amount of employees. With technology comes job replacement. Either you are on the cutting edge of designing this change or you are on the receiving end of losing your job because of the robotics that have replaced you and five more of your working peers.
What kind of change is coming? Collision Avoidance Systems for one. There are others coming down the pike such as advanced materials, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and driver-less cars. Which I don’t get at all. I’m a bad passenger as it is but imagine how awful I would be if a robot drove me to work or family gatherings. Who do you sue when there is an accident?
The organizations that are a major force in the changes are National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), imagine having to answer that phone. Also, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR). These are the people that know exactly what changes are coming so if you really want to stay in the know, you will need to receive their newsletters. Be informed, this is the only way to stay ahead of the trends.
If you don’t find the information that you seek readily available, contact the school and ask any one of the trainers how or where you can find the information. Our technicians and staff are well informed and if they don’t have an immediate answer, they will get it. Follow me to Part II.
