Click HERE for AOCA's Bulk Motor Oil Purchasing Guidelines.

Background

Adopted by AOCA over a decade ago, members are expected to abide by AOCA's Code of Ethics which specifically promotes the highest ethical and moral standards of professional conduct in the automotive lubricating industry. Among other standards, members pledge to, "Maintain and service the vehicles of customers efficiently and professionally adhering to the highest standards of service excellence and quality control. Monitor technological developments to assure availability of the highest quality products and most advanced service procedures."

The fast lube industry's record for providing quality motor oil and services is unparalleled. AOCA only recommends the use of motor oil that is OEM-approved; customers' warranties require it and the benefits of using it have been well established. AOCA has every confidence that this high level of integrity will continue.

Position

Under no circumstances does AOCA condone misrepresenting to the consumer the type of motor oil being sold or that a particular kind of motor oil is appropriate for an engine application when, in fact, it does not meet OEM specifications. In accordance with AOCA's governance documents and Code of Ethics, fraudulently misrepresenting motor oil for distribution or installation is considered good cause for expulsion from the association and AOCA can and will take appropriate action.

The integrity of bulk motor oil rests on activities conducted upstream from installers. To ensure bulk oil integrity (i.e.) get exactly what is ordered and represented to the customer-fast lube operators should explicitly follow AOCA's Bulk Motor Oil Purchasing Guidelines adopted and published in 2006. The proactive steps in the Guidelines include product order specificity (brand, viscosity grade, performance level, and quantity), documentation of product orders, and delivery procedures such as measuring the tanks prior to delivery, obtaining written or digital verification from the distributor at delivery that the oil being delivered exactly matches the product ordered, and checking to ensure the distributor's meter-head zeroes out. In the event of an incorrect delivery, the chain-of-custody documentation resulting from following the Guidelines makes it far easier for the installer to obtain corrective action from the distributor.

As of July 2013, the National Conference on Weights & Measures (NCWM) will require a similar level of specificity to AOCA's product ordering guideline for all customer receipts for an oil change. Not all states will adopt NCWM's rules immediately or consistently, but the new standard trend has been set. It is imperative that fast lube operators insist on written documentation or digital scan at the time of delivery or risk vouching for motor oil product quality without appropriate chain-of-custody documentation from distributors.

1. Discover how to increase profitability at our on-target educational sessions
2. At our social and networking events, develop your group of go-to peer advisors who can help you save time and money
3. Get you and your managers out of the daily grind, gain new perspectives and a renewed enthusiasm that you can take back to your shop
4. Stay up-to-date on industry issues and regulations that impact your business
5. Find vendors, products and services at iFLEX and watch your business grow and prosper

Your Tool Kit for Fall Car Care Month.

Connect to vehicle owners with powerful CCNS tools targeted to your specific needs.

• CCNS Articles, Illustrations, photos, video, audio, pdfs, RSS feeds, and more

• CCNS €œPress Releases€

• CCNS €œPromotional Offers€

• CCNS Blog

• CCNS Twitter

• CCNS Facebook

• CCNS You Tube

• CCNS Sponsorship Opportunities

GM forms engineering team to work with NHTSA on Volt after fires

[Read More]

Outrageous bank swipe fees averaged 44 cents per transaction, but now that amount is capped roughly in half at 21 cents.  Although the banking industry spared no expense in their effort to derail swipe-fee reform, the Federal Reserve finalized rules—effective October 1, 2011—that mandate this significant reduction in the amount banks can charge per debit card transaction.  AOCA maintains that this reduction, while a positive improvement, should not be the end of retailers’ and consumers’ fight against unsupportable banking charges. 

According to Donate Life America (DLA), a key goal set by the donation and transplant community in 2006 was achieved this October. The United States can now boast that 100 million Americans -- roughly 42 percent of the adult population --are registered as organ, eye and tissue donors in state donor registries. 

Growth in the number of registered donors is vital because the need for transplants continues to rise. More than 112,000 people are currently waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. Thousands more await tissue transplants to resume their normal lives. Last year, more than 28,000 people received organ transplants, more than 40,000 received corneal transplants and hundreds of thousands received tissue transplants, yet 6,590 died awaiting organ transplants.  A surge in the number of donors is necessary to save more lives. Therefore, as the donation and transplant community celebrates the accomplishment of registering 100 million people, work has already begun to reach the new national goal of registering 20 million new donors by the end of 2012.  Twenty million additional donors would result in saving thousands more lives each year.  The public is encouraged to register by visiting www.donatelife.net.

“At a time when we as a nation have difficulty finding common ground on many important issues, 100 million people have agreed on their desire to save lives by registering as donors. They are hope for all of the men, women and children in need of lifesaving transplants today. For that, we say thank you,” says David Fleming, President & CEO of Donate Life America. “While this achievement speaks volumes about the generosity of human beings, more work needs to be done to motivate Americans to register and save the lives of those in need.”

In 2006, DLA launched the Donor Designation Collaborative (DDC) as a nationwide effort to improve organ, eye and tissue donation rates. A main tactic for achieving the DDC’s goals is ensuring that each state has an effective system for allowing individuals to legally designate themselves as donors. Since the DDC’s launch, there has been a 45 percent increase in the number of designated donors in the United States. 

On average, nearly 8 million people join a state donor registry each year; a majority (97 percent) joins through state departments of motor vehicles (DMV’s).  Therefore, DLA builds strong relationships with many DMV officials throughout the nation to encourage education and training of their staff to help them better advocate for organ, eye and tissue donation.

“I am proud to witness meeting such a milestone in organ and tissue donor history,” says Jesse White, the Illinois Secretary of State. “Our ultimate goal is to see that all Americans become registered organ and tissue donors.”

 As the DDC works to increase the number of donors, the high percentage of registrations through DMV’s poses a new challenge to overcome. The majority of state donor registries were created nearly a decade ago. Once a registry goes through its first driver’s license/ID card renewal cycle (ranging from every 4 to every 12 years depending on the state), new designated donors come from only three sources – first-time drivers, new residents, and current residents who previously elected not to register. This maturity factor decreases the ability to sustain high donation rates through DMV efforts alone-- a fact that necessitates new strategies to promote registrations.

“As we lay the foundation to register an additional 20 million people by the end of 2012, we are developing strategies to overcome the obstacles presented by maturing registries.  We are not deterred by the challenges ahead,” says Donate Life America Chairperson, Helen W. Bottenfield. “Our primary goal is to preserve human life and improve the quality of life for those in need of organ, corneal and tissue transplants.  We will remain focused and find creative ways to reach, educate and motivate those who have not yet registered as donors.”

As of June 30, 2011, data reported by Donate Life America state teams revealed 42 percent of U.S. adults (age 18 and older) are registered as organ, eye and tissue donors.  States with the highest percentage included: Alaska and Montana (78 percent each) and Washington (74 percent).

The public is encouraged to join the 100 million individuals already registered as organ, eye and tissue donors by visiting www.donatelife.net and registering today.

Local Employees Pleasantly Surprise Local Veterans On Friday, December 16, 2011, Rick Breen and Matt Talbert of Rick Breen's Rapid Lube & Wash visited the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home's Annual Christmas Party to distribute gifts to seven Veteran residents. Since 1985, the employees of Rick Breen's Rapid Lube and Wash have taken up a collection to buy the company owners, Rick Breen and Rachel Patterson, a Christmas gift. General Manager, Matt Talbert decided to take a unique approach and do something different as the company celebrates their 27th Christmas together. "Being an Army Veteran, I wanted to do something special for the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home. I talked it over with Rick, who is an Air Force Veteran, himself, and Rachel. We decided to see what we could do," said Talbert. The Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home gave Rick Breen's Rapid Lube & Wash the wish lists of seven Veterans. In addition to the various activities planned for the party, Talbert and other Rick Breen's employees were given the opportunity to distribute gifts to the Veterans. "We bought items on their wish lists and a few extra things. When we were done handing out gifts, I got a chance to thank the Veterans for their service to our Country. It was a rewarding experience, giving back to those who gave so much of themselves for our freedom," Talbert added. The Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home in Monroe is coordinated by Veterans' Affairs and is located at 6700 Highway 165 North. Rick Breen's Rapid Lube & Wash operates four locations in Monroe, West Monroe and Ruston. For more information, please contact Matt Talbert (318) 381-4832 or matt@rickbreens.com

The National Conference on Weights & Measures adopted new rules for engine oil labeling and receipts that became effective in many states on January 1, 2013. These new rules were added to two key sections of the National Institute of Standards & Technology ("NIST") Handbook 130 Engine Oil Rules. Both the "Method of Sale" and "Uniform Engine Fuels & Automotive Lubricants Regulation" sections now include engine oil labeling and receipt requirements.

• Any state jurisdiction that adopts at least one of the sections listed above has the ability to enforce the rules against installers, like fast lubes.
• Most state enforcement will be undertaken by local Departments of Weights & Measures.
• Enforcement authority generally includes the ability to levy fines and shut down store operations until violations are addressed.
• Some states have different effective dates.
• Some states will recognize a reasonable sell-through period for packaged oil with non-conforming labels.
• Some states will recognize the distributor paperwork loophole that is now the subject of an AOCA-proposed amendment with the National Conference on Weights & Measures.

DOWNLOAD TODAY: State by State Enforcement Guide

Make sure your fast lube operation is on top of the latest requirements and get the updated Weights and Measures State Enforcement Guide.  

AOCA Members  

The guide is available for FREE to all active AOCA members. Active AOCA Members can login to the AOCA HOMEPAGE with your username and password. Once you are logged in you can then CLICK HERE to access your copy of the State by State Enforcement Guide today. The guide can be found under Government Affairs in the members only Vault.      

Non-members can purchase the guide by clicking HERE for $250 USD or JOIN AOCA HERE and gain free access. If you are a past member you can login and RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP HERE to gain free access.