Tuesday, November 2:

TPMS at 10: TPMS Service and Maintenance

Moderator: Sean MacKinnon, Director of Automotive Training Development, Tire Industry Association
Speaker: Matt White, Senior ATS & TPMS Instructor, Tire Industry Association

Now that every new vehicle under 10,000 lbs GVWR must have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), tire retailers must adapt to numerous systems with unique service procedures. This lack of standardization is often the source of lost productivity and lower customer satisfaction. As TIA’s Director of Automotive Training Development, Sean MacKinnon is quickly becoming one of the industry’s foremost experts on TPMS service procedures in the field. Over the past few years, he has taught thousands of technicians how to properly service the tires and TPMS on late-model domestic and foreign vehicles. Sean will address key service principles for all types of TPMS and discuss the importance of having quick access to part numbers and relearn procedures. As part of his presentation, Sean will also provide a TPMS overview for every major domestic and import manufacturer.

Tires at 2: Successful Tire Dealers Share Their Secrets

Moderator: Kevin Rohlwing, Senior Vice President of Training, Tire Industry Association
Speaker: Mike Russell, National Account Executive, Federated Insurance

Most small business owners don't think they have a drug or alcohol problem with their employees, and are surprised to learn that 72% of drug users are employed. Where are they employed? They work for companies who don't test! We know that 19% of on-the-job fatalities test positive for either drugs or alcohol, and that abusers are 3.6 times more likely to have on-the-job accidents and 5 times more likely to file workers compensation claims This session will help you understand the steps needed to establish a drug- and alcohol-free workplace – it's not as complicated as you might think!

Wednesday, November 3:

Moderator: Sean MacKinnon, Director of Automotive Training Development, Tire Industry Association
Panel: Ermald Muca, Sales Engineer, ATEQ Corporation; Scot Holloway, General Manager, Bartec USA, LLC; Andy Forsberg, Product Manager, SPX Service Solutions; Matt White, Senior ATS & TPMS Instructor, Tire Industry Association

Without a properly formatted TPMS relearn or scan tool, a technician cannot determine why the TPMS indicator light remains illuminated after the relearn procedure has been completed. The TPMS indicator could be caused by a number of problems, but some type of electronic diagnostic tool will probably be required to remedy the situation. This panel will feature the top technical experts from each of the major TPMS relearn/scan tool manufacturers. They will provide attendees with a quick glimpse of the functions that their respective tools can deliver and then participate in a question and answer session following the presentations. If you have an electronic TPMS tool sitting in a drawer because “it doesn’t work” or are looking to buy or upgrade to a more comprehensive model, this panel is definitely the one to catch.

Truck Tires at 10: Bead Lubricants and Chamber Fires

Moderator: Kevin Rohlwing, Senior Vice President of Training, Tire Industry Association
Speaker: Norm Ball, Training Officer, Director Franchise Business Services, Michelin Retread Technologies, Inc.; Karen Rattray, National Account Manager, Pro Chem, Inc.

Commercial tire service and retreading have basically operated independent of each other for years, but the problem of chamber fires has been linked to certain bead lubricants and release agents. Besides the possible link to chamber fires, the use of these compounds also poses an occupational health risk to employees. This seminar will address the risks of using flammable bead lubricants and introduce extensive research on a new bead lubricant and release agent that is petroleum-free and non-flammable.

Tires at 2: Strong Selling in a Weak Economy

Management at 4: Mastering Management

Moderator: Kevin Rohlwing, Senior Vice President of Training, Tire Industry Association
Speaker: Jeremiah Wilson, Founder & President, ContactPoint

Serving companies small and large all across the United States, ContactPoint has become an industry leader in customer service sales training, coaching, and call recording. This session will help you understand how to communicate more effectively within a business setting, engage in customer service, and put your business ahead of your competitors. Learn skills that will help you separate from the rest of the industry and increase your ability to close every sale. Every manager can find room to grow and improve . . . let ContactPoint show you how to maximize your business and proactively increase your potential.

Thursday, November 4:

Moderator: Sean MacKinnon, Director of Automotive Training Development, Tire Industry Association
Speaker: Carl Wacker, V.P. of Sales & Marketing, Schrader Electronics; Jean-Christophe Deniau, Technical Specialist, Continental Corporation; Matt White, Senior ATS & TPMS Instructor, Tire Industry Association

Everyone knows that adapting to TPMS is going to come with some degree of pain. After all, how do you make sense of a required safety device with service procedures and components that are totally different from manufacturer to manufacturer? As the industry leader in TPMS training, TIA has worked with thousands of technicians and hundreds of tire dealers to discover how retailers can make TPMS a profit center instead of an expense. Join Matt White for this informative discussion on the steps that companies can take from the sales counter all the way to the service bay to ensure that TPMS does not become a burden. By following the guidelines in this presentation, retailers are sure to increase their TPMS component sales and boost profits.

Truck Tires at 10: TMC Radial Tire & Disc Wheel Service Manual

Speaker: Kevin Rohlwing, Senior Vice President of Training, Tire Industry Association

Last year, the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) released the TMC Radial Tire & Disc Wheel Service Manual, a project that took years to complete and is the work of TMC’s S.2 Tire and Wheel Study Group. As the Secretary of the S.2 Task Force that created the Manual for TMC, Kevin played an instrumental role in the development of the content. This seminar will outline the information contained in the TMC Radial Tire & Disc Wheel Service Manual and demonstrate how it can be used as a reference in the field.

Tires at 2: Establishing a Wheel Torque Program

Moderator: Kevin Rohlwing, Senior Vice President of Training, Tire Industry Association
Speakers: Greg Katsis, General Manager, Tenexes - Division of Ryeson Corp.; Geoffrey Connell, Director of Sales, Industrial & Government Accounts, Stanley Industrial & Automotive Repair - Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.; Jim Mueller, General Manager and Quality Manager, Team Torque, Inc.

There has been a lot of attention on wheel torque lately, as service providers are starting to recognize the liability that is created when a tire and wheel assembly is not installed with the correct amount of torque. But, more and more dealers are discovering that there are many aspects to a wheel torque program, so any failure along the line can result in a loose wheel. Kevin Rohlwing is one of the leading experts on wheel torque, and he has enlisted the help of fellow experts to give you a comprehensive look at each component of a wheel torque program. This session will also discuss the latest torque tool technology in addition to the recalibration requirements for all types of torque control devices. If wheel retention is a top priority for your operation, then this session is definitely the place to be.

Management at 4: Effective Marketing and Profitable Sales Growth in the Fleet/Commercial Tire Segment

Moderator: Kevin Rohlwing, Senior Vice President of Training, Tire Industry Association
Speaker: Pat Madigan, National Account Manager-Maintenance, Comdata

For years, tire dealers have struggled to grow profitably in the fleet space. Thanks to new programs available through national partners, dealers now have the ability to grow fleet sales without the historical issues of cash flow, bad debt, and collection costs. Come learn more on how to tap into the lucrative fleet market at this informative session.