GEARS Staff
Popular Articles
W hen people don’t know what’s going on, they often assume the worst. For 16 years, I drove a delightful little 2003 Thunderbird, but at 142,000 miles, and...
Guest Author
Since 1954, transmission professionals have looked to ATRA for training and specialty services to keep the transmission-rebuilding industry strong and the...
For two years, you’ve had reminders for social distancing and felt the sense of panic after realizing you had forgotten your mask as you approached the local...
So, let’s talk about performance and what it means. First, what’s your objective? Are you racing the quarter mile? Or are you looking at something for the...
My client in China once asked me, “What words come to mind when you think of China?”
I replied, “Culture, History, and Tradition.” Then I asked him...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature where I share stories, insights, and reflections about business and life.
There she was – the...
GEARS Staff
Last year, TCRA chose the warmth of Southern California for its annual seminar program; this year, they’ve moved across the country to another notoriously...
If I don’t struggle, I won’t improve.
As I sat at the big round dining table with my Chinese hosts in Shanghai a few years ago, I struggled with my...
Guest Author
“While you can’t go back and make a new beginning, you can start today to make a new ending.”
– Stephen Covey
Is Your Marketing Obsolete?
What if...
It is with heavy hearts that the TCRA Directors share the loss of Martin Dale Brooks. He passed peacefully at his home on January 9, 2021 at the age of 69...
With help from several people, I’ve been able to piece together the following details and stories about Gene. Most helpful was Gene’s daughter Patty, who...
GEARS Staff
The person who only knows how, may have a job, but the person who understands why, will do it better. “Why?” is a question that can only be adequately...
GEARS Shopper advertising costs $325.00 for a one time insertion ad, (2 1/4 X 3) 2.25 X 3. Larger ads can be placed elsewhere in the magazine and are charged...
When my car’s gears are slipping I go looking for a “transmission expert”, yet secretly I hope that I also find a “Professional Expert.”
And so do...
What do you regularly do when you go online? Let’s be honest, you probably aren’t frequently perusing your doctor’s website in your downtime.
Just like...
With every passing birthday, it seems like I spend more and more time in medical offices and clinics getting poked, prodded, and tested for one thing or...
ATRA’s first-ever Virtual Powertrain Expo took place November 11 – 14, and I have to say, it was a great success! 350 attendees, across 26 different...
“Hey Dad, when I grow up, I want to be ordinary.” My dad was a WWII Marine Veteran, and I would have never said that to him. If I did, we would have had...
GEARS Staff
That small businesses across the country have felt unprecedented pain during the pandemic of 2020 cannot be overstated. Even “essential” businesses like...
GEARS Staff
Once again, ATRA kicked off Expo with its annual golf tournament, always a big hit with die-hard enthusiasts who look forward to traversing the links in the...
“You can’t buy the kind of experience that comes from years behind the wheel or under the hood.” – Ford v Ferrari (2019)
In a town like...
Over the past few weeks, I’ve received numerous inquiries about my last article. I’ve also helped two shops deal with customer complaints that could have...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
This year Expo came a week early, on October 19th through the 22nd. This was our second year in a row at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, at one of the...
“I’ve been looking at various strategies for investing for and with my kids. I’m currently considering Real Estate investments.” This was also on...
Bit by bit over the years, I’ve been renewing and customizing my 2003 Thunderbird. I love this car! For me, it’s what Ford originally called the T-bird:...
During the run-up to the 1848 French Revolution, Fredrick Bastiat, French economist, journalist, and proponent of Austrian Economics, observed, “Everyone...
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”– Henry Ford
For the Wells family of Magnolia, Kentucky...
Chrysler taught its transmissions how to learn. ZF made sure they understood what they were learning — and why.
The Evolution of Clutch Adaptation
When the...
Guest Author
There are two basic ways to grow your company: expanding business with existing customers, or bringing on brand new customers.
This piece focuses on bringing...
GEARS Staff
“What do you do?” That’s the most common “getting to know you” question in America. Just about equal to “Where are you from?” The odd thing is...
An angry customer posts a negative online review about your shop. Their story is blown out of proportion and falsely asserts that your shop ripped them off...
Rule #1: The Customer Is Always Right.
Rule #2: When the Customer Is Wrong, Read Rule #1.
OK, that’s clever, and it’s a good philosophy for running a...
Who would argue over whether we’re living in peculiar times? We’re told to wear masks before entering the bank. Computers ask us to prove we’re not...
There is no shortage of discouraging financial news today. Rather than jumping on the interest rate and inflation bandwagon, let’s reflect on ourselves. As...
It’s another day in the grind. Up before sunrise, coffee to get going, early to the shop.
Turn off the alarm system, unlock the bay doors, check the shop...
Over the past few months, I’ve had conversations with shop owners, software providers, and most recently, with GEARS Managing Editor Rodger Bland. The...
If you ask a typical business owner what keeps them up at night, employee retention is likely at the top of the list. Thanks to record resignation rates across...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about business and life.
The other day, I had the...
GEARS Shopper advertising costs $325.00 for a one time insertion ad, (2 1/4 X 3) 2.25 X 3. Larger ads can be placed elsewhere in the magazine and are charged...
When asked what the number one problem with automatic transmission fluid is, it has never changed or gone away as technology improves and changes. I would have...
To our valued transmission technicians and industry leaders, I hope this message reaches you in great spirits as we move into the holidays and with a...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
At this...
We live in good and interesting times.
If you reside in America, you’re living in the most entrepreneurial country on the planet, where the amount of money...
The solution to a problem as well as new opportunities are all around us but too often they don’t fit the image we expect or we’re so focused on what we...
On a recent lecture tour in Malaysia, I met a “busker”, a street performer who was working in hopes of tips. This man was disabled and had an artificial...
For 18 blissful years, I’ve been a member of the “Heartbreak Hiking Fools.” This is a group of over-55-year-old fitness enthusiasts based in Thousand...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature where I share stories, insights, and reflections about business and life.
I remember this story like it...
GEARS Staff
Everyone in the business world has heard of a mission statement and the importance for a business to have one. But, if you’ve ever looked at some...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
This year, the Torque Converter Rebuilders Association (TCRA) will be in the land of bluegrass… both the famous sod and the home of an amazing category of...
“So, what can I purchase to get a tax deduction?” According to my associate, CPA Kevin Lin, “This is a common question taxpayers ask when they...
GEARS Staff
Steve Bodofsky passed away on April 29, 2019 after a brave battle with cancer. He’s survived by his wife, Diane and daughter Tara who were both at his...
Technically speaking, we’ve been virtual for many years already. I mean, look at YouTube. You- Tube has somewhere in the realm of 842 million keywords. They...
When my son was very young, I once lulled him to sleep by chanting, “I love to learn!” softly, over and over. It was my feeble attempt at using subliminal...
Whenever you get businesspeople together to discuss management strategies, someone’s sure to drag out this old chestnut: The beatings will continue until...
Guest Author
Every year, as we approach the year’s end, I like to look back, not only at the last twelve months but even further back, remembering the events and...
“Not mad knowing that the small retail investors do, in fact, have more power than the institutional investors thought…” remarked Mark Post, Chief Growth...
GEARS Staff
In last month’s article, we shared a detailed evaluation of the Ford F-150’s transmission thermal management system. In that article, we collected...
Technology continues to move forward, and nowhere is that more evident than in today’s vehicles. In this issue, we’re focusing on new technologies and how...
GEARS Staff
In recent past issues, I’ve covered the basic uses and misuses of the Digital Multimeter (DMM). This series will introduce you to the value of the digital...
GEARS Shopper advertising costs $325.00 for a one time insertion ad, (2 1/4 X 3) 2.25 X 3. Larger ads can be placed elsewhere in the magazine and are charged...
Laura Pereira has been my good friend for a long time. I met her while she was doing her undergraduate studies in San Francisco, California. Laura is from...
Expanding Legal Immigration from Mexico Can Keep the US Young… The Economic Benefits Are Significant
If we could find a legal framework to expand Mexican immigration, this can keep the US young and economically vibrant. In the early 2000s, while studying...
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are becoming the norm in modern vehicles, with features like lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature where I share stories, insights, and reflections about business and life. I’ve been working on one of...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
Dear ATRA Expo Attendee:
For all of you who were here last year, welcome back; for those first-time attendees, welcome. Your being here is the reason that...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
Money Matters is a new GEARS Magazine column. Topics appearing in this column will be informative, timely, and selected to address the unique financial...
At the 2015 ATRA Powertrain Expo we covered a lot of topics in the management sessions; many were focused on leadership and employee development. One of the...
Welcome, once again to Clash of the Classics. This month we’ll head back to 1968 for a fresh look at two of my all-time favorite cars, the Pontiac GTO and...
Technical seminars create a unique air of excitement among the participants. With the expectation of meeting fellow comrades, gurus, and new technicians, as...
Thursday
For the folks attending the technical seminars, it was a busy event, with nearly 24 hours of technical training packed into a four-day extravaganza...
In my last article in the January Gears magazine, I introduced Carl’s 7-Keys to Highly Effective Transmission Rebuilder Websites. The article explained what...
In this issue of Fishing for the Facts, we examine a UA80E with a transmission overheating concern in a 2018 Toyota Camry (3.5L). As it turns out, the vehicle...
In the previous issue, we covered how to develop a business culture. There are a lot of phrases to define this, like a mission statement or purpose statement...
Guest Author
GEARS Staff
There’s an old railroad folk song I’ve always enjoyed about the competition between John Henry — “a steel driving man” — and a steam drill. John...
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