SOS - Shop Owner Solutions

SOS - Shop Owner Solutions

In this podcast series, Shop Owner Solutions hosts discuss some of the nightmares independent automotive repair shop owners face with leading shop owners from across the country. Shop Owner Solutions is intended to help you avoid the 3 am panic – together, Vic Tarasik from Shop Owner Coach and Doug Kaufman from ShopOwner magazine will explore the things that cause you the most stress, put your anxiety into high gear and keep you from feeling like you’re achieving the success you deserve.

Episodes

Diagnose Mystery Vehicle Vibrations: Tests, OEM Parts and Fixes for Auto Repair Shops

January 30, 2026 • 21 mins
Doug Kaufman from ShopOwner and Angel Lara from TrakMotive dig into the real causes of mysterious vehicle vibrations—beyond tires and wheel balance. They discuss overlooked parts (wheel bearings, axles, suspension), damage from improper parts or installs, diagnostic blind spots, and how better advisor/technician/customer communication plus OEM-spec parts reduce comebacks.
    • Vibrations often stem from less-obvious components: w...
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Shop Owner Solutions: Addressing CV Axle Issues in Lifted Trucks

August 12, 2025 • 16 mins
In this episode of Shop Owner Solutions, Doug Kaufman interviews Miguel Cornejo from TrakMotive about the increasing issues with CV axle failures, especially in lifted Toyota and Subaru vehicles. They discuss how lifting these vehicles changes the undercar geometry, leading to increased stress and premature wear on CV joints and boots. Cornejo explains that many customers experience clicking or popping sounds and grease leaks after...
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Winterizing Your Business with TrakMotive's HDX Axles

February 24, 2025 • 14 mins
While we often focus on engines and brakes, CV axles are crucial components that often get overlooked. Miguel highlights that the definition of "heavy-duty" has evolved. It's no longer just limited to semis and mining equipment. Today, many standard vehicles — ride-sharing cars, delivery vehicles and work trucks— experience conditions demanding a more robust axle design.

In this episode of Shop Owner Solutions, host Doug Kaufman del...
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Window Regulators - When You Notice Them, There's Trouble

December 19, 2024 • 15 mins
In this episode of the Shop Owner Solutions podcast, Doug Kaufman interviews Jeff Gagliano, window regulator product specialist at TrakMotive. Jeff discusses the often-overlooked importance of window regulators, explaining their function, types, and common issues. These mechanical assemblies inside car doors move windows up and down, with manual cranks or power buttons operating scissor-style or cable-driven systems.
Jeff highlights...
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Embrace Innovation Today For Success Tomorrow

October 30, 2024 • 34 mins
In this episode of the Shop Owner Solutions podcast, ShopOwner editor Doug Kaufman discusses the importance of innovation and adaptability for businesses with Jeff Kritzer, BendPak president and CEO. The company started as a small machine shop, then diversified into making pipe benders and muffler racks.

Through the creative spirit and risk-taking of leaders like Jeff Kritzer, BendPak continually introduced new products and expanded...
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Understanding The Evolution of Modern Driveshafts

July 12, 2024 • 10 mins
In this episode of Shop Owner Solutions, Doug Kaufman, editor of Shop Owner Magazine, interviews Miguel Cornejo, product manager for TrakMotive to discuss the importance and function of driveshafts in vehicles.
"Driveshafts are responsible for transferring torque from the engine to the wheels, allowing the vehicle to move," explains Cornejo. "They are precision-balanced and weighted to minimize vibration and noise. Of course, the c...
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Can Your Techs Diagnose and Repair Modern Axle Complaints?

March 1, 2024 • 20 mins
In this episode of Shop Owner Solutions, Doug Kaufman, editor of Shop Owner Magazine, interviews Miguel Cornejo, product manager for TrakMotive. They discuss the common causes of axle failure, such as road conditions, vehicle modifications, and improper installation. They also emphasize the importance of regular maintenance and inspection to prevent axle failure.
Cornejo explains TrakMotive’s comprehensive range of product lines to ...
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Surviving The Season - How To Handle the Holidays With Sanity And Satisfaction

December 28, 2023 • 18 mins

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Commercials and holiday movies tell us it's the time to sit quietly, reflecting on family and friends. Basking in the blessings you have. Soft music, twinkling lights, gentle snowflakes. You know the stories. All is calm, all is bright – unless you're a shop owner trying to get through the end of the year with your sanity intact. We're talking about surviving the Christmas chaos, the Hanukk...
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Confusion, Carcasses and Catalytic Converters - Dealing With Warranty Return Headaches

November 13, 2023 • 26 mins
The auto care industry in the US is a significant part of the economy, generating nearly $480 billion in revenue and employing millions of people. However, the industry also faces a high rate of parts returns, with nearly one in four auto parts being returned. This is a costly and wasteful issue that needs to be addressed.

In this episode of Shop Owner Solutions, Doug Kaufman and Clint Cooper from AP Emissions discuss the best way t...
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Finding The Techs You Want, Keeping The Ones You Need

October 17, 2023 • 18 mins
In part one of this two-part conversation about the who and how of hiring, Roy Niemi of A and D Auto and Body Repair explained what goes into finding great employees in this environment. That's critical, but even more important? Keeping the great ones you already have.

In part 2 of this special Shop Owner Solutions interview, Roy Niemi, owner of A and D Auto and Body Repair in Haslett, MI, discusses his methods for hiring and retain...
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How Great Employees Help Maximize Shop Professionalism

October 17, 2023 • 20 mins
Everybody talks about the need for technicians, but is there anything you can do about it? Shops today are competing for new employees with every other industry, and as you've probably found out, the results can be frustrating. Is it time to head to the basement and ride out the storm, or are there blue skies ahead?
In this episode of Shop Owner Solutions, Doug Kaufman discusses the challenges of finding technicians for automotive...
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Some Automotive Technology Is Obsolete But Catalytic Converters Are Timeless

October 3, 2023 • 21 mins
There has been a lot of technology in the automotive industry that has come and gone, faded into history and really forgotten by the next generation. Remember eight track players or CD players for that matter, digital speedometers, power antennas, ashtrays, and cigarette lighters? Still, some things introduced decades ago are still found on every vehicle, and despite their long, healthy history, catalytic converters may be the most...
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What Killed the Cat And Other Emissions Questions

August 24, 2023 • 32 mins
Common wisdom tells us that cats have 9 lives – you just can’t kill ‘em. Or, if they go missing, must wait and they’ll eventually come back. As a shop owner, of course, those facts are far from realistic - at least when it comes to the most important and enigmatic cat in the shop, the Catalytic Converter.

In this episode of Shop Owner Solutions, Clint Cooper - Strategic Account Executive at AP Emissions Technologies and a master of ...
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How Artificial Intelligence Gives Your Shop Real Advantages

April 13, 2023 • 31 mins
Science fiction and Hanna-Barbera promised us all sorts of fantastic things to make our lives easier - moving sidewalks, robot maids, mind-reading appliances and flying cars should have BEEN here by now. As it turns out, The Jetsons were only PARTLY ahead of the game.
What's the most important thing you're looking for in your automotive repair facility today? Some might say more customers, some might answer faster technicians, some ...
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The Evolution of Training - Hybrids and Alternative Fuels

November 15, 2022 • 31 mins
Have you ever felt that someone knew more about a topic than you? In this industry, you’re not alone. For well over 100 years vehicle technology has been advancing, and when it comes to servicing vehicles, someone somewhere likely has been doing it longer than you have.

But with the newest generation of hybrid and electric as well as alternative fuels and ADAS, the educational playing field may be such that we're ALL on the same lev...
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The Brakes For Breasts Story - A Desire To Make A Difference Creates Dynamic Developments

August 3, 2022 • 23 mins
The American Cancer Society estimates that each year, more than 250,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die. Cancer is an insidious disease that has touched nearly everyone, but two Ohio shop owners have decides to do something to try to make a difference.
In 2011, Leigh Ann Best, marketing director with Mighty Auto Pro in Medina, OH, and Laura Frank, owner of Auto Repair Technology in Brook Park, ...
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Innovative Communication Options Bridge Gaps Between Your Shop And Your Clients

June 2, 2022 • 22 mins
Keeping yourself on track every day can often be a big enough challenge so it's not not surprising that keeping everyone else motivated toward excellence can seem overwhelming at times. That's why it's helpful to recognize that resources are available to ease the pain points of running and growing your business.
In this episode of Shop Owner Solutions, Doug Kaufman talks with Enzo Dibenedetto, Leader of Operational Strategies for th...
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Shop Veterans Share Secrets to Keep Business Plans Afloat

May 12, 2022 • 22 mins
When the air horn sounds and the ship starts slowly pulling away from the dock, do you head to the buffet, or do you sit up and pay attention? If you’ve ever been on a cruise you know that one of the first and most important activities is the muster drill, where you locate your life vest and rescue boat, even while the ship is in calm waters.

Doug Kaufman, editor of ShopOwner magazine, looks for rough seas and icebergs dead ahead wi...
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Customer Supplied Parts Should Be Nobody's Business

April 11, 2022 • 30 mins
If you ever walked into restaurant and ordered the omelette of the day, then proceeded to hand the cook a bag of groceries, you'd get laughed out of the place. And yet, automotive customers often have no problem demanding that you install the parts they bought from an online source - or worse, found in the back of the garage.

When considering whether to install parts that you don't source, consider that it all comes down to the "bil...
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Employee Empowerment - Freedom to Make Mistakes Means Freedom to Excel

February 21, 2022 • 25 mins
Everyone complains that there's a lack of willing workers out there, and let's be honest from carry out to car repair, employment opportunities abound, if you could just get the bodies to apply. When it comes to your shop, quality can be a lot more attractive than quantity when it comes to job applicants. How can you ensure that when the right person comes to work for you, you give him or her every chance to succeed? You only get ...
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