When you travel in a rough neighborhood, the way you show or earn respect is an important ritual. As a young adult, I worked in a warehouse on the east side of...
Popular Articles
Over the course of your automotive career, you’ll run into certain terms and abbreviations that might not make sense. I’m going to list for you the most...
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Hello and welcome once again to Clash of the Classics. This month, we’ll look back to an interesting time in our nation’s history. To some, the 1930s were...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
This past...
So there we were, 4th down and goal, with the ball on the 2-yard line; we were down by 7 with 35 seconds left in the game. I called timeout and brought the...
Okay, I know double-negatives can be confusing, but they can also drive a point home. Like when Yogi Berra tried to explain to the sports writers why the Mets...
In today’s shops, finding a female in the back turning wrenches is still unusual. However, the numbers are increasing. That fact, in particular, is why I was...
The GM 8-speeds have certainly had their share of issues through the years. The problems have gotten bad enough and familiar enough that a class action lawsuit...
Conventional gasoline vehicles used gear trains to provide a torque multiplication and also provide low, medium, and high speeds for the vehicle. Conventional...
Spend some times around a 4- or 5-year-old and eventually — sooner rather than later — you’ll begin to hear the “why” questions:
“Why are we going...
When you think of running a successful business, the image of a tube of toothpaste probably doesn’t come to mind. However, running your business is like a...
As time flies, so do the needs of the industry and the projects for the ATRA team. Most recently, we’ve worked on providing training for students at...
As we move through 2025 and look ahead to 2026, retirees face a rapidly shifting financial landscape shaped by inflationary pressures, geopolitical...
If you’ve been in this profession long enough, you have likely seen some pretty crazy things. Years ago, things were fairly predictable; a seal leak causing...
In horse racing, the term trifecta applies to a bet on a race in which you attempt to pick the first, second, and third place horses in the correct order. The...
With GEARS being a monthly magazine, it’s challenging to write on timely topics. In most cases, with our fast-paced news cycle, it’s only a matter of days...
While talking to my dad this Father’s Day, I heard a few alerts on his phone. After a few beeps, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed me the...
A lot of shop owners worked through tough times back in 2008 when the economy collapsed. And many have had problems finding new technicians in recent years...
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
— Albert Schweitzer
In...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
You might...
In the last issue of GEARS, I presented my thoughts for the graduating class of 2017. I congratulated this year’s graduates and made some observations about...
They say family makes you stronger, and I believe that’s true. I was an only child with a single mom; it was hard sometimes. There were countless days I...
In the August issue of Gears, we covered definitions like flares, bind-ups, and chatters. Shift complaints are challenging, especially when the root cause of...
In April of 2020, I wrote an article about ATRA’s Virtual Training Solutions, VTS platform and how to bridge the gap between the student and the shop. We...
Once, in La Jolla, my wife and her sister were walking among the shops and they encountered Burt Reynolds, the actor from Smokey and the Bandit. He was...
Don’t miss the ATRA Powertrain Expo in Las Vegas at the Paris Hotel & Casino. Here's a small glimpse into what you and your family can experience while in...
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...
Finding people who can rebuild transmissions has been difficult for a number of years. But this is something you may not be aware of until your rebuilder quits...
This issue marks the 100th article I’ve written under the column heading “From the CEO.”
100 From the CEOs… Wow! That’s a lot of articles. Who’d...
Guest Author
I recently had a conversation with my brother-in-law about the current real estate market. He is interested in becoming a real estate broker and is uncertain...
Training isn’t always going to be interesting or fun. Sometimes learning the basics may seem boring or stupid. But they’re necessary if you’re going to...
We’re all aware of the current supply chain issues plaguing our industry. Between the lack of raw materials affecting the availability of rubber, paper, and...
GEARS Staff
Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think that you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” When it comes to business success, this statement has never...
One of the coolest things about working in a transmission shop is that you’ll get to see, and hopefully, work on some pretty iconic rides from time to time...
Over the years I’ve developed a specific reputation with GEARS readers; you see my byline and you figure I’m going to be talking about tech. Not all that...
When you teach a seminar every year in the same city, you get to meet some interesting people, and some of them become friends, like John Bozzi (figure 1) of...
Welcome once again, to Clash of the Classics. This month we’ll head back to 1931 for a look at two of the most beautiful cars ever produced. 1931 was a...
This article is about how important it is to troubleshoot the electrical devices used to shift today’s transmissions correctly. Now, don’t stop reading...
In the last issue of GEARS, Jim Rodd, president of ATRA’s board of directors, predicted that this year’s Expo would be “the greatest Expo ever.”...
The transmission industry, like so many other things, is constantly changing. And that change breeds differing opinions on how to operate a shop. If you put a...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
As we turn...
Over the past two decades (maybe even longer), you’ve heard of the importance of battery and electrical systems testing. Voltagedrop testing goes back for as...
Visit Sonnax High Performance to learn more.
Visit Sonnax High Performance to learn more.
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Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
Most of...
In the early days, the driver controlled transfer case mode and range positions with a shift lever. Newer designs use a transfer case shift motor to change...
Any one that knows me will tell you, I love tools. Every time the trucks pull up to the shop, it feels like Christmas. The best thing about them, they make...
If you haven’t already, the likelihood of your shop performing a repair on an Electric Vehicle (EV) has never been stronger, with approximately 115 new EV...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
This...
Amazing Women in Automotive (AWiA) has had several members who have faced the struggle of the unexpected loss of their business partner. In many cases, it is a...
As a writer for GEARS Magazine, I’ve had the privilege of meeting many successful transmission company owners. I usually write shop profiles about their...
Famous poet Maya Angelou observed, “You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.” So, as we begin ATRA’s next chapter...
There’s one problem that nearly every repair shop has found itself facing: finding good help. More and more high-quality employees are reaching retirement...
Remember when you’d just started on your career path? Do you recall the excitement… the fears and doubts… the dreams?
Every person who’s successful...
Guest Author
Remember the Dodge truck we talked about in the January 2015 issue? The 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 5.9 diesel? This is what happened to the front clutch (figure...
For decades installing updated calibrations for vehicle issues has become a way of life in the automotive industry. The latest stats found that 46% of all...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
In this...
A few weeks ago, I was in Las Vegas for the 2016 Expo. It was a wonderful experience and, even after all these years in the transmission repair business, I can...
Lance Wiggins and Bill Brayton are the recipients of the 2019 Tank-Girdley-Howe Circle of Excellence Award for their outstanding achievements and contributions...
This article originally appeared at IndieGarage.ca (March 21, 2024), published by CHAT Integrated Media Inc. for Canada’s independent automotive aftermarket...
From the 30 minutes I was lucky enough to visit with 24-year-old Miss Terra Malson, I could tell she loved our industry. Since 2017, Terra has been the sole...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about business and life.
Last month, I asked you to...
In the last issue of GEARS, I talked to three students about their experience with the automotive industry and what ATRA can do to help them with a career...
In the August issue of GEARS Magazine, Dennis Madden wrote an article called “The Definitions are the Difference.” In the article, he discusses descriptive...
In this issue of Keep Those Trannys Rolling, we are going to take a look at a 2017 GMC Acadia that was experiencing a harsh/delayed engagement during auto...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature where I share stories, insights, and reflections about business and life.
Internet scams are running...
What a difference a month makes! It doesn’t seem possible that it’s only been three weeks since I first wrote about COVID-19. If you read last month’s...
You might know Steve Bodofsky as the editor of GEARS Magazine but for me he was a dear friend. I met Steve in 1988 while working at AAMCO Inc. in Philadelphia...
ATRA is Breaking Ground on the new ATRA International Business Office, Research and Training Facility in China Grove, TX! Recently the ATRA Board of Directors...
For many of us around the country, Friday, March 13th was the last day of normal operations before we knew restrictions were going to go into place. Over the...
I heard about a local restaurant that prides itself on its great food and hospitality, which results in large numbers of repeat customers. Many of their...
The ATRA Powertrain EXPO offers a unique opportunity for everyone in the automotive industry to come together, exchange ideas, and learn about the latest...
Just saying the words Mission Accomplished inspires a positive feeling and a sense of success. In recent months, I’ve often found myself having conversations...
I’ve spent 36 years of my life so far working in the automotive industry and 24 of those years with ATRA. I am darn proud of this company and what it has to...
ATRA’s annual golf tournament is always a big hit with die-hard enthusiasts who look forward to strolling along the links in the dry Vegas climate. But this...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
Lately...
Over the years, we’ve met a lot of transmission folk who’ve heard the call of the wind and taken to the skies to earn their pilots licenses. For many it...
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2023. Some consider the New Year an opportunity to change bad habits or make new resolutions. For others, it’s both!
I use this...
There have been numerous changes over the years with GM transmissions, including the 10-speed applications. Many changes are known as running changes, which...
GEARS Staff
The ATRA Powertrain Expo, held at the prestigious Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville from October 25th through October 29th, proved to be a remarkable event...
What is the current setting of your ambition?
Are you eager to grow your business? How much? Is there a point where it would grow too much to suit your tastes...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
I don’t...
Like many young people, after graduating high school, Jamie Coffman enrolled in college. The computer technology industry was booming back in 2000, so she...
Every few years Rodger Bland and I set out to learn more about this industry through a series of surveys and focus groups. Since the first What’s Working...
GEARS Staff
For many people, Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. All of the largest hotels and casinos are here. It’s become famous for its ability to...
Were you in the armed services? Which branch? I was in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserves, six years total. I trained at Ft. Polk, Louisiana; Ft...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about business and life.
“I’m having a problem...
Each January we set out to make some new goals or reflect on the previous year or just think about a few changes and improvements we’d like to work toward...
If it’s correct to refer to cyberspace as a place, the internet is a wonderful place. It’s filled with information, funny videos with cats jumping on...
ATRA’s Midwest Chapter has a long and rich history of being one of the most active ATRA chapters and providing members technical training, support, and...
Now is the time of year that we start thinking about what we’ll do differently next year. We make New Year’s resolutions, set goals, and make other...
Up Your Business is an exclusive GEARS Magazine feature in which I share stories, insights, and reflections about real business and life challenges.
To get the...
My major in college was Marketing, which, to my chagrin, required an accounting course to graduate. In those days, the homework assignments required pencils...
The valve body used to be an assembly that got little attention during a transmission RDI (remove, disassemble, and inspect). However, since most late-model...
