Progress is inherently good, but it often requires some form of adaptation in order to fully benefit from it, and in the case of the new Ford F-150, with its (almost third of a ton) lighter aluminum construction, that will have to come from the body shops that will be doing the repair works on these trucks once they’re out and about.
What’s actually worrying is that “less than 10 percent of the more than 30,000 independent repair shops in the U.S. are certified and meet training and equipment requirements to work with most aluminum auto-body parts,” according to Darrell Amberson, chairman of the Automotive Service Association.
Bloomberg spoke to Amberson, who added that in the case of the F-150, the repair work would be carried out in-house by some of the dealerships, while other independent garages would handle the rest. In order to be one in the latter category, a shop needs special tools, certification and training.
Moreover, buyers will really see how expensive these types of specialized repairs can be when whatever damages they need repairing are not covered by insurance. This and other factors could bring residual values down as well.
So, if there was ever a good time to think about opening an aluminum panel repair shop, now would be it…
By Andrei Nedelea
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