Training for certification with, for instance, Tesla, requires a new and open minded attitude. The concept is so different that most are inclined to reject the process.

The investment of both time and finances, while getting certified, will be well worth the effort as you can bring in twice the revenue a steel-bodied vehicle can bring. That’s just a starting point, in most cases, its triple the amount.

Since the aluminum repair market is still in its early stages, there are many shops and local groups that are holding clinics or workshops to educate customers and insurance companies. These types of workshops are popping up all over the US and can and quite often are including representatives from places like Tesla or others that are manufacturing these aluminum vehicles.

These workshops strive to really drive home just how serious the need for repairers is and just how important it is to know the risks in taking the vehicle to a shop or technician for repairs that they just aren’t equipped or educated to do.

If you take the time now to position yourself in these latest technologies, you can be certain that you can and will secure your position in the community as the go to expert in all things aluminum. Not a bad title to sport.

Fortunately for you, we offer courses on how to work with aluminum and are very much on the cutting edge of these changes. Our mission is to produce the best technicians available and give you every opportunity for success. If you are not already a student, give us a call so that we can discuss your future. Your choices and your dreams determine the rest of your life. If the collision industry is fascinating to you, as it is for many, this is the right place to put the ball in motion. Our staff are highly trained and experienced and can make this learning experience the best you have ever had.

Paying attention to your demographics and the amount of aluminum vehicles available to work on will let you know how demanding the need is for those technicians that can work on them. Still, even if it is slow now, it will increase. Take this time to get into classes and prepare yourself.

Another suggestion is to study nearby dealerships and watch their sales of aluminum-bodied vehicles. Next, you will want to gauge the local competition, i.e. other PDR technicians or shops. Dealerships are going to begin to demand work or repairs to be done on these vehicles and if possible, you need to get your foot in the door. The only way to do this is to get the education and certifications by car manufacturer’s giving you permission to work on their manufactured vehicles.

Programs such as Tesla are provided for the collision repair industry and will educate you on what you need to be able to work on their vehicles. This process will be the same for all such vehicles. Each manufacturer has its own set of requirements that must be followed.

Shops and dealerships everywhere are having a very difficult time finding qualified technicians. Pretty much, if you are trained and certified, your prices are your own. You can really stand to make quite a bit of money if you position yourself well.

Referring back to Tesla, they have a unique bonding process for paneling and structure components. They take a combination of speed and patience. If you mess up, you mess up the additional panels you’re connecting to. It has to be done right the first time which requires a trained eye to make sure the lines and fit are right.

In order to make true strides in this industry of collision repair, you need to further your knowledge and stay ahead by capitalizing on trends not yet widely known or understood by other technicians in the industry.

You need to study and learn as much as you possibly can and make adjustments where needed. Learn from your past mistakes, be observant when watching others and continually strive to improve your techniques.

Applying yourself to your future opens doors to gaining much more work. As I’ve spoken about before, the industry is shifting and shifting fast. Aluminum is the new black and you need to make yourself fully aware of the differences this will mean to your personal business. If you are shrugging off the inevitable, then you are setting yourself up for failure.

Many body shops are making the changes needed to accommodate the changes and it may be in your best interest to see who is and go visit them. Get their ideas on where they are going with the changes and what they think it will mean to their future. I can’t imagine that they would kick you out because you are genuinely curious. Find out what the best time to stop by is and go and check it out.

Aluminum is the future so begin to focus in this direction. Some shops have been set up for quite a while because they only work on high-end cars, which means they have been dealing with the aluminum issues for a while. Even as far back as 2008 since that is when European cars such as the Mercedes S Class have been using aluminum paneling.