As the CEO of ATRA, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges our members face every day. We all know that running a successful transmission shop requires two...
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GEARS Staff
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
If you ever find yourself rolling through Kennewick, Washington and you...
There’s an old joke about the Chicken and the Pig wanting to do something nice for the farmer. The Chicken suggests an Eggs and Bacon breakfast. The Pig...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
Technicians are like electricity; they take the path of least resistance during their diagnostic process. The easiest way to gather information is with the...
This September, our industry came together in vibrant San Antonio, TX, for the 2025 Powertrain EXPO—and what a week it was! From the moment the first seminar...
Last month, we looked at stress in the transmission shop – the good, the bad, and the ugly. I made the case that not all stress is bad. In fact, a...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
Marcus Lemonis is a successful entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Camping World, Good Sam Enterprises, and Bed Bath & Beyond. He also stars in a TV reality...
GEARS Staff
I’ve seen many associations and companies put on retreats. I’ve never attended one, but I was curious. Do you become brainwashed and transform? Leave...
GEARS Staff
Technicians spend a lot of time learning how sensors, solenoids, actuators, and circuits work. Technicians also spend a lot of time learning how new tools work...
Running a successful transmission shop requires far more than tools, technical skill, and a steady stream of customers. At its core, a thriving shop depends on...
Hopefully, you’re reading this as you’re making plans for EXPO. This article is a blatant tease and appeal to get you to come to my EXPO Presentation on...
This story is true, but the details have been adapted, and the names changed to protect the “innocent” and the “guilty.”
As you know, much of what I...
GEARS Staff
I was once 25 years old. When I think about it I am sometimes shocked at how fast the time has passed. Looking back I wonder what it would have been like if my...
GEARS Staff
As most shops in ATRA know, I have been producing Rebuild books for many years now. Each book has its own set of challenges. The challenges vary from project...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
In the competitive world of automotive repair, transmission shop owners must constantly find ways to expand their services, improve efficiency, and meet...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
The use of “additives” in ATF has been an ongoing discussion since I started working in the automotive lubrication business in the 1980s. Before 1985...
Sales Expert Don Hutson, a former keynote speaker at ATRA’s Expo, says, “There are very few business problems that cannot be solved by more sales.”
True...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
There are shops you find because of billboards, a radio ad, or an internet search. Then there are shops you find because someone you trust leans across a...
The shop owner offered me a cup of coffee and asked, “How do you take it?”
“Black, no sugar” I replied.
The woman next to me, who was picking up her...
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...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
I just returned from San Antonio, and the ATRA Powertrain Expo felt different this year.
Coming back from one of those giant, overwhelming shows where you’re...
In April of 1946, Esquire Magazine ran the clipped advertisement. (right)
The Phillip Morris company was sure they were offering a good product. Buyers were...
Selling is built into our human experience. From birth, to merely survive, we are faced with the need to gain the cooperation of others. Babies cry to get Mom...
In March as I read the line-up for this year’s SXSW (South by Southwest) music event in Austin, Texas it made me think of the Powertrain Expo. No, they...
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...
For professionals in the torque converter and transmission rebuilding industry, the start of May signals an exciting opportunity to network, learn, and deepen...
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
There’s a certain kind of loyalty found in places like...
Welcome, once again to Clash of the Classics. This month will be a lot of fun as we’ll look at two modern day classics that have become legendary. Today, the...
Guest Author
As the smoke from Fourth of July fireworks settled just two weeks ago, many Americans returned to their routines – some still wondering whether this...
GEARS Staff
In every auto repair buying situation the buyer is concerned about Trust. They want a bargain price, quick, reliable service, and a technician they can...
AIis transforming business models across every sector, and transmission services in the U.S. are no exception. Legacy systems are being disrupted, forcing...
Marcus was eight years old the first time he sensed that something was wrong with money. His parents were arguing in the kitchen – voices raised, bills...
As the 2025 tax season approaches, business owners have a powerful opportunity to reduce their tax liability and unlock valuable credits – if they...
GEARS Staff
Seems our new work vocabulary repurposes or changes the meanings of terms we have used for years. The one I hear most often these days (its meaning depending...
GEARS Staff
Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time talking with shop owners about two things that sit at the center of a successful business culture: being...
Why transparently teaching and sharing financial statements may be the most powerful culture-building tool you’re not using.
If you’ve been in this...
In the fast-paced landscape of modern industry, we often find ourselves obsessed with “The Big Idea.” We lionize the lightning-bolt moments of...
GEARS Staff
As many of you know I sold my shop in April of 2021 and now do only antique transmission repair in my hangar at the Sedalia MO airport. Sourcing parts can be a...
Welcome once again to Clash of the Classics. This month we head back to 1956 for a look at two wagons that captured the spirit of mid-century American optimism...
The UA/UB80E transmission has been in production for over nine years now, and literally, there are just over 5 million of them on the street. These...
Hey everyone! I am thrilled to invite you to the 2026 ATRA Powertrain EXPO! We are heading to the beautiful Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk in San...
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
GEARS Staff
What separates a transmission shop that merely survives from one that shifts through all gears perfectly and thrives? It’s a steadfast commitment to...
Welcome, once again to Clash of the Classics. This month we’ll head back to 1969 to revisit two compact muscle cars that packed serious punch in the late...
During a 10K in Agoura Hills, California, a realization hit me around mile four: for most working adults, running is a luxury. Not because it’s expensive...
I had a conversation with one of my best clients that stopped me in my tracks – not because it was unusual, but because it revealed something he’d...
GEARS Staff
In this issue of Keep Those Trannys Rolling, we are going to take a look at a 2004 Mini Cooper that was experiencing erratic or pulsing ratio changes while...
What defines a truly great organization? Is it a groundbreaking product? The brilliance of the people? The size of the profit margins? While all these factors...
GEARS Staff
What makes a business truly thrive in a fiercely competitive world? Is it record-breaking profits? Is it groundbreaking innovation? While these are certainly...
Guest Author
As Americans live longer, the financial risks associated with aging continue to rise. One of the most overlooked threats to retirement security is the cost of...
GEARS Staff
