NJGCA/AMT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE 4.5% DIVIDEND
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ON COVERT CARS
BIOMETRICS UPDATE FROM MVC
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - TAKE ACTION ON ZONE PRICING!

I am excited to start this week's Road Warrior by sharing some great news for all of my incredibly intelligent members who participate in our Association Master Trust (AMT) Health Coverage program. I'm thrilled to announce that on July 1, 2013, all NJGCA members in good standing who purchased their health coverage from AMT during the calendar year 2012 will receive a dividend that equals 4.5% of their 2012 total premiums. The dividend will be issued as a credit on their July AMT invoice.

Let’s do a little math. The typical gas station provides health care coverage for the owner’s family and one or maybe two other employees and their families. That may equate to about $3,000 per month in health care premiums, or $36,000 per year. Under this scenario an NJGCA member who participates in our AMT Health Coverage Program will receive $1,620 as a reward for participating in 2012. You may remember that last July NJGCA members received a similar dividend for the premiums that they had paid in 2011.

WHERE ELSE CAN YOU JOIN AN ORGANIZATION FOR JUST $450/YR THAT WILL RETURN OVER $1,500 TO YOU? Do you think Aetna or Emblem Health, or Prudential return excess premiums to their insured?  NO….THEY DON'T! They return any extra dollars to their stockholders. NJGCA and AMT return extra dollars to YOU! NJGCA members who participate in AMT are the stockholders.

While I am happy that NJGCA provides this benefit for our members, it still boggles my mind that 100% of our members do not participate in this program. Especially in these difficult economic times, why would you pass up this golden opportunity? Stop wasting time! Take advantage of your NJGCA membership!  To get a quote from AMT please call NJGCA HQ and speak to Greg Cannon, or email him greg@njgca.org.

NOW, FOR TWO ANNOUCEMENTS ABOUT IMPORTANT INSPECTION ISSUES THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT IGNORE!!! At a recent Repair Excellence Council (REC) meeting, we discussed critical information about two issues: Catalytic Converters on Covert Cars and Biometric Usage at Private Inspection Facilities (PIFs).

Catalytic Converters on Covert Cars: I wrote about this issue previously in the May 3rd Road Warrior. Since that time, we have been trying to gather more information. It seems as if the MVC covert vehicle, otherwise known as the “sting car” has been altered in several ways to fool you in to thinking that the car has a functioning catalytic converter. Apparently the vehicle has been modified so that oxygen sensors and computers will not send dashboard lights flashing or allow your OBD hookup to detect a missing converter. So if you do not perform a physical visual inspection of the undercarriage of the car you will not know that a converter has been removed. Remember, you are required to make a visual inspection anyway, so if you are just relying on the OBD hookup and blowing thru the questions on the keyboard as if the converter is there, you will have made a serious error.

There is also an issue regarding what you will see when you do a visual inspection of the converter. In recent discussions, MVC has been adamant that all covert vehicles (sting cars) that are missing a catalytic converter have only a straight pipe welded in its place.

However, one NJGCA member recently reported that a suspected covert car did NOT have a straight pipe, but had something that very closely resembled a catalytic converter. After reading my warning in the Road Warrior, he became suspicious when he recognized a covert vehicle, and then called us immediately as it entered his shop. We instructed him during the inspection process, and we requested that he take his own pictures. After checking the part number that was stamped on the suspicious catalytic converter look-alike, and finding that it matched that of an aftermarket converter, our member passed the vehicle and applied a valid sticker.  However, a week later MVC returned, claiming that the inspector should have failed the car and showed pictures of a straight pipe in place of a catalytic converter.  The pictures that MVC used to support their claim differed from the ones that the PIF owner had taken during the inspection, as per our instructions. I now have the PIF's pictures in my possession and I intend to investigate this matter further.

Something doesn’t add up and I need to find out why. I haven't wrapped my arms around it yet so I need more information from you! I want you to protect yourselves. I AM ASKING, NO I AM DEMANDING, THAT YOU KEEP A CAMERA IN YOUR SHOP, AND EVEN THOUGH THIS WILL BE AN EXTRA STEP, PLEASE PHOTOGRAPH EVERY SINGLE VEHICLE'S LICENSE PLATE & CATALYTIC CONVERTER of the vehicles that you are inspecting.  You never know when a covert vehicle might come in, and you should always be prepared! Then you will be able to protect yourself should MVC come back later and claim that you missed something!  Overlooking a catalytic converter that has been tampered with is a serious offense.

Biometrics: MVC brought it to our attention that there are still a significant number of PIFs that bypass biometrics. We have learned that warning letters are being sent to PIFs even though they have as much as 94% biometrics compliance rate and only use the bypass 6% of the time.  Many times there is even a valid reason for bypassing the biometrics system. We all know how temperamental this technology can be!   However, you need to be aware that MVC is starting to crack down!

Here’s why. MVC often finds unlicensed inspectors in shops bypassing the biometrics by typing in a valid inspector's ID license.  An easy tip off to the MVC auditor occurs when he visits a shop and finds that an inspector license number is being used, and that particular technician no longer works there. This is the very practice that the biometrics system is supposed to prevent. You cannot allow your inspectors to engage in any of these activities. MVC issues tough penalties that may include revoking your PIF license!  My best advice is to play by the rules and earn a reputation as an honest business owner.

Keep in mind that these are the same examples that get thrown in my face when I am advocating for an all PIF inspection system.  Monitoring PIFs to prevent fraud is a concern that comes up whenever I discuss privatization with officials.   Some of the dumb things that PIFs engage in are hard to imagine, but their stupid actions reflect badly on all of you who operate properly.

Finally, there are a few legislative issues and updates this week.

Zone Pricing is up for a vote on Monday! Please make sure that you read the Wildfire Alert that I sent yesterday!  It is very important that the legislators know how critical this issue is to our members. I have been working on Zone Pricing since I got here six years ago and I am excited about the progress we have made. Please help us to make this legislation a reality by calling your legislators and urging them to vote YES on A2729 on Monday June 24.

In other news, both the cigarette smuggling legislation and the biofuel proposal that have been mentioned in recent Road Warriors were up for a vote on Thursday. Both initiatives were voted on in the Senate and Assembly, and both were passed in each house. They will now go to the Governor's desk to (hopefully) be signed into law!

Related to the tobacco issue is an effort to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 94 cents. This is an effort that is being undertaken in Washington and supported by President Obama. I penned an OpEd on the subject this week that resulted in several interviews. CLICK HERE to see the interview that was conducted yesterday on a local New Jersey TV station.