Monthly Archives2017 April

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“Your vehicle is a Total Loss.” These words, more often than not, spark immediate controversy between an insured and their insurance company. The main cause of controversy between an insurance company and an insured as it relates to total loss is that most people feel their vehicle is worth more than it really is.

A vehicle, though historically not a good investment, is very personal to us. Many of us spend a great deal of time in our vehicles each day and grow attached to our car. Many others ”trick out” their cars and inherently feel that their modifications enhance the value of the car.

I thought it might help some folks if they heard exactly how an insurance company views this and how they go about compensating you for your car should it be determined to be a totaled. There are typically two main things involved in understanding this process: What exactly is a Total Loss and how is the value of a car determined. In this article I am going to discuss and define a Total Loss from an insurance companies perspective.

So, what exactly does it mean when your insurance company deems your vehicle a total loss? In general, there are two types or measurements if you will when it comes to making this determination: Financial or Economic Total Loss and an Obvious Total Loss.

Financial or Economic Total Loss

A vehicle is often declared an Economic Total Loss when the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the vehicle, plus sales tax, less your deductible. I am sure you have heard that there is a percentage used to determine if a car is an Economic Total Loss. You have probably heard numbers from 50% to 70%, or more. This is true, however, it is important to know that not all states set an actual percentage and that for the states that do not set percentages, it is up to the insurance company to determine what that will be.

Although all insurance companies that are free to set this number themselves are all different, a common number you will hear is 70%. What exactly does that mean? I thought a quick illustration might help:

Market Value $15,000

Plus tax $ 1,050 (7% used as example)

Sub-total $16,050

Less Deductible $ 500

Total Loss Value $15,550

Cost of Repairs $11,662

Repairs are 75% of the value

In the example above, your insurance company would likely determine your vehicle to be an Economic Total Loss. One thing to remember is that if you are paid the value of your vehicle, the insurance company will retain the salvage or damaged vehicle and then sell it to a vendor. Most insurance companies have negotiated contracts with salvage buyers and will use that avenue to recoup some of the money paid out for the total loss. In the example above, your insurance provider would know that your car had a salvage value of $3,000 (example). So, when making their total loss decision, they would factor in this amount and subtract it from the total amount paid of $15,550, bringing their net cost to $12,550.

One other brief point to make that is worth noting is that your insurance carrier will also factor in estimated supplemental damages were your car to be repaired. From my experience as an adjuster and claims manager, there are often supplemental or additional damages/repairs identified once a car begins the repair process. These damages are often discovered on “tear down” or after parts of the vehicle are removed and additional damages are more visible. In many cases it is almost certain that there will be additional damages based on the visible damages, however, an adjuster will only write for what they can see and note that additional damages are likely.

Obvious Total Loss

An Obvious Total Loss or OTL is in which the damages to a vehicle are so extensive in terms of repair and/or putting the structural integrity of the vehicle at risk with a repair, that the car is determined to be an OTL. Some examples of an OTL are:

• Fire Damage
• Rollover
• A theft
• Extensive Water Damage
• High impact front-end collision
• T-Bone or hard hit to the side of a vehicle at the center-point

In most cases, a claims adjuster will not have the direct authority to determine a vehicle to be an OTL. The two insurance companies I worked for required a manager approval to make this call. With today’s technology, that can be done easily in the field by simply sending some detailed photos to a Claims Manager or Property Damage Manager. In this case, there isn’t a cost of repairs necessarily but the valuation process is the same.

Hopefully this helps you understand what is meant when you are told that your car is a total loss. Your insurance claims adjuster should explain all of this to you, however, having a basis understanding will certainly help should you find yourself in this situation.

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Source by Marc R Berry

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Springtime lends itself to appreciating all that nature has to offer. Celebrating Arbor Day is just one of the many ways we can do that.

As you sow, seed, plant and lift your eyes to enjoy the vibrant beauty of all things green, it would be ridiculous to ignore the other side to it: namely, the possibility of severe damages incurred to property as a result of weather induced tree-falling.

The other side of the story, in fact, is precisely where your standard homeowner’s insurance policy comes in. You see, home insurance is designed to include protection from trees that fall and hit your home or other structure included within your plan. This includes property such as:

• Your detached garage

• Your gazebo

• Your storage shed

Your home policy will come up to bat by providing coverage for losses incurred when a tree – even a tree that does not belong to you – strikes your home or property as a result of a:

• Hailstorm

• Thunderstorm

• Windstorm

• Hurricane

• Lightening

Bear in mind, however, that not all natural disasters and occurrences warrant protection under your standard house plan. For instance, if an earthquake or flood causes a tree to fall and wreak havoc on your home, you will not be covered unless you have separate coverage for the devastating event.

And while the weather may be directly responsible for a tree falling and subsequent damage, it is not necessarily always the case. Notwithstanding meteorological conditions, your standard policy should cover damage incurred from the following as well:

• A fire

• An explosion

• A burglary or theft

• Airplane or aircraft movement

• Car, truck, motorcycle, ATV, or any other motor vehicle that does not belong to you

• Vandalism or malicious mischief

• A riot and civil commotion

Policyholders must remember that coverage reflects the related limits and prerequisite deductibles. Nonetheless, should a neighbor’s tree fall and damage your property, the insurance company representing your interests may investigate to see if the tree was in poor health or in need of better maintenance. Should either of these conditions be met, your company is likely to try to collect compensation from the neighbor’s policy. In that case, your deductible costs may be reimbursed.

So much for the structure damage! Now, what about removal of the fallen tree? Does the typical home insurance policy cover this? If the tree removal is in regard to property damage, most insurance policies will include tree removal. Not so for a tree that has fallen without incurring damage. There are companies, though, that cover a scenario in which the tree blocks a driveway or ramp that is specifically created for handicapped access.

Of course, it’s best to review your homeowners or landlord’s policy with an experienced independent agency to ensure there is coverage for all your specific needs!

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Source by M Wyzanski

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Before you decide to close the door on the idea of your teen driving a Jeep, let’s explore some of the arguments, and some would say myths, about the safety of a Jeep. The biggest concern seems to be with rollover accidents. Jeeps, like most SUV’s, have a high center of gravity and oftentimes a narrower bottom half, making them more “tippy” than other vehicles. While vans, trucks and cars get a much better rap than SUV’s typically do, there are several factors that need to be considered when determining the safety of driving a Jeep.

Jeeps come off the assembly line in a form called “stock”. This essentially means “as is”. A stock Jeep is a Jeep that has not been altered in any way from the the design of the maufacturer. Many people add extra wide or tall tires, lifts and other alterations to their Jeep. This adds to the fun of off-roading, which is also a main reason for purchasing a Jeep. But here seems to be the crux of the matter; every vehicle has it’s own capacities and it’s own limitations. These need to be respected if we expect them to be safe. Keep in mind that a Jeep will not drive the same way a sports car drives or even a 4 door sedan. Jeeps are not meant to be driven at 50 miles per hour around a corner and they don’t zip in and out of traffic. The way you can drive a sports car would not be safe in a Jeep under any circumstances. The driver of the vehicle has the ultimate power in how safe a vehicle is. Most adults have the driving experience and common sense to know not to drive an SUV like a sports car.

Many concerned parents have said the roll bars on a Jeep don’t do much for protecting the occupants if that is all that surrounds them in a crash. When a vehicle goes through the safety crash test, generally this is done by ramming the vehicle into a concrete wall. How many accidents happen this way? Small cars that are hit head on or that are side-swiped tend to be totaled. If you were in a small car, or even a van or truck and were in a rollover accident there would likely be major damage to your vehicle. If you were in the same accident in a Jeep, those roll bars are in place for just that scenario.

In the end, Jeeps are not more dangerous than any other vehicle, as long as they are driven with respect to the purposes they were intended for. If you want to drive like a race car driver, than a Jeep is not the vehicle for you.

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Source by Samuel Crasnick

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In life, everything must have a beginning and ending and this holds true in the business world. Each company starts as a small business at some point and throughout time they will either succeed, be forced to change a business model or fail. Therefore, being flexible is essential to meeting the needs of consumers, along with conducting necessary changes to the market conditions. According to Kotler and Keller (2012), “Companies can’t win by standing still” (p. 622). In any market condition, there are four mainstays businesses must adopt to sustain or eventually become market leaders in their respective industries: innovation, service quality, continuous improvement and knowing the competition.

Innovation of technology has greatly changed the world, especially in all categories of business and our personal lives. Looking back over the last decade, technological updates to the cellular phone has changed the way we communicate, entertain, and retain information throughout our daily lives. Electronic messaging has become the norm of society rather than communicating through phone conversations. This idea of nonverbal exchange between two or more parties has increased efficiencies for everyone. For example, Apple is the market leader for electronic technology and through their mobile division they strive to increase productivity of their consumers from business acquisitions to groundbreaking applications. As Steve Jobs the co-founder of Apple states, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” (Griggs, 2016). Apples’ business model remains innovative as the company stays ahead of competition by creating modern technology while finding solutions to problems, as seen through their product launches.

Service quality is crucial for every business no matter their strategy or rank from the leader, challenger or follower. As Kotler and Keller (2012) state, “Product and service quality, customer satisfaction, and company profitability are intimately connected” (p.131). Therefore, it is imperative for service quality to be the backbone of a company’s strategy in creating and retaining business relationships with their clients. The ability to deliver products and/or services on a consistent basis can and will cause challenges, however learning from mistakes that occur will make the business stronger. Acquiring and maintaining this element in business must be adopted from the top of the organization and delivered to all employees. Looking at the Toyota Corporation, they have hit highs and lows, from the multi-billion-dollar accelerator recall to maintaining a status of best-selling cars in the world. Reliability has been the primary driver of this company-although their vehicles are not the most stylish, they continue to have a large returning customer base that keeps them on the top of the automotive industry.

Continuous improvement is required for all businesses to create uniqueness from their competition to prevent being looked over. Kotler and Keller (2012) state, “Continuously improving the product can produce high returns and market share; failing to do so can have negative consequences” (p. 329). Subsequently, to grow this component, consumer feedback is critical, whether it be positive or negative. However, feedback can sometime be difficult to extract out of consumers, therefore a sense of trust must be formed with their consumer. Building trust can be hard between two strangers but finding common grounds will allow for the wall to be removed. The ideology of continuing to improve can easily be seen at the fast food market leader Chick Fila. Through their receipt survey program, they give customers food vouchers for their feedback, unlike competitors who give discounts on future purchases. The atmosphere of their restaurants invites customers to feel free and open to give feedback which allows for them to continually improve their service and food selections. Chick Fila has adopted the serving approach towards their customers, instead of asking “how may I help you?” their employees greet their customer with “how may I serve you?” this attitude along with cleanliness of their restaurants allows for an open door for communication and feedback.

Knowing your competition is vital when you are the market leader. Beginning with the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis as well as up to date business intelligence is also important. SWOT analysis is a necessity to evaluate the market when pursuing a business opportunity, however this process should never cease. Remaining in sequence with business intelligence is significant to maintaining market share leadership. This intelligence can originate from both satisfied and disgruntled consumers, financial statements and former employees. For example, Kotler and Keller (2012) state, “To maintain a market focus, salespeople should know how to analyze sales data, measure market potential, gather market intelligence, and develop marketing strategies and plans” (p. 554). Halliburton displays this example by utilizing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as their primary tool to maintaining its market leadership status in the Oil and Gas Services sector for US Land. Through won and lost bids as well as sharing intelligence between its sales teams, permits the organization to not only know the market but also dictate pricing moving forward.

In conclusion, to compete and sustain a leadership status, market leaders must operate as a palm tree that bend but do not break. A palm tree can be rooted in sand near the beach or in nutrient soil inland. It can sustain high winds that can cause its limbs to touch the ground, but it maintains a flexible trunk that allows for itself to spring back in place when the atmosphere is still, with no traces of damage. This expression is a primary example of how a business should plan in a competitive market. The four essential strategies presented will develop a small business into a massive organization, which will direct followers in the right direction.

References

Griggs, B. (2016, January 4). 10 great quotes from Steve Jobs. Retrieved from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/04/tech/innovation/steve-jobs-quotes/

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing Management (14th Edition ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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Source by David Rosby

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Are you in need of a great new radio for your semi truck or farm tractor? There are many options and many features available. A new radio can be as simple as AM/FM with clock display, or it can include features such as Bluetooth for hands-free cellular communication, SiriusXM satellite radio, and even weather-band for those who’s work day is affected by the weather.

When it’s time to replace a semi truck radio many people often worry about the wiring. This is an important first step of course. The critical part however is you do not cut the wires. There is no need to cut into factory wiring in any big rig just to replace the radio. What most drivers and or maintenance personnel will quickly realize is that unlike a car stereo, all of the wiring behind the radio in a semi truck are white or gray, or a combination of both colors. This type of wiring is not very intuitive, meaning that it is impossible to identify which wires are speaker wires and which are power wires without using a special tool called a multimeter. Even with this tool it is still not recommended to cut and splice wires.

The next and maybe most important aspect to consider is quality. What’s the point in replacing the radio with an aftermarket radio which performs poorly and is most likely sure to fail in a short period of time? Conditions in a semi truck are not the same as those in cars and other passenger vehicles so using an off the shelf super store aftermarket radio is absolutely not recommended. We’ve all learned that doing a job right the first time means you won’t have to do it a second time.

The best radios for semi trucks are of the heavy-duty variety manufactured by Delphi and Panasonic. Many times these stereos will accept the wiring connector placed in model year 2005 and newer semis by the manufacturer whether it be Freightliner, International, Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt, Volvo or Western Star. Trucks and tractors who’s model year is 2004 and earlier will likely require a wiring adapter, but still no cutting and splicing will be required. Simply connect the adapter to the truck wire connector and plug the adapter into the new radio. When you purchase one of these heavy-duty Delphi or Panasonic radios it will include a tool to easily remove the existing radio. This tool should be kept in a safe place for future use.

When purchasing one of these Delphi or Panasonic radios from your dealership the cost will be significant. While shopping online means that you won’t have the new radio in your hands today, it also means huge savings on the exact same equipment. There are a few online shops that do a lot with Delphi and Panasonic truck radios so they can save you a pile of cash and can guarantee a proper fit, as well as retention of steering wheel and sleeper controls.

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Source by JJ Martin

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Unlike the National fleet, the upside of being on a regional or local fleet is that you work, primarily, with one dispatcher. The downside is that this dispatcher might be difficult to work with. My experience in trucking has given me the opinion that the relationship between many drivers and dispatchers is often of the love/hate variety-minus the love in several cases.

I believe the main reason for the “us” versus “them” attitude stems from a lack of communication between drivers and dispatchers, and a lack of understanding of one another’s respective roles. I will be the first to admit that this consideration did not factor into my thinking early on. In many cases, an unhappy driver is simply the result of a lack of understanding of the office structure, policies, and the role of key people in the company. Two-way communication and mutual respect are imperative in a successful relationship between drivers and dispatchers, and it is necessary for the retention of experienced drivers to a company.

I failed to understand early in my trucking career that most dispatchers do not willingly aspire to villainous acts. The job of a freight dispatcher, especially in a large company, is one of the most stressful jobs in America. Not only are they juggling the scheduling and progress of multiple trucks while constantly resolving problems that emerge, they listen to the gripes, threats, and choice words of drivers on a daily basis. On top of this, precious few dispatchers are afforded proper stress management training. They are, mostly, just thrown into the fire. In general, becoming a freight dispatcher requires no further education beyond a high school diploma. It just requires the ability to use a computer, the ability to multi-task, and an extremely high tolerance for stress.

I believe the key ingredient in a driver’s success and happiness with a company starts with an understanding of, and communication with, his or her dispatcher. Nobody will have more influence over a driver’s success than a dispatcher.

Most dispatchers identify poor communication as a primary cause of stress. Many drivers are quick to identify their dispatcher as a “bonehead”, but are slow to seek two-way communication. As a driver, I know that the stresses of the road are numerous and real, and it is easy to be caught up in a self-centered mindset. I once even heard another driver comment, “The dispatcher is there to serve us… not the other way around.”

Wrong! The dispatcher is there to serve the needs of the company.

Dispatching is a sedentary job but, having worked in a sedentary job, I know that mental and emotional stress can be just as debilitating as physical stress. This stress leads many dispatchers, like drivers, to have an abysmal diet. Fast food, fried foods, and vending machine junk are often the standard fare seen in a dispatch office. At a former company, I once noticed a bulk tub of antacid tablets nestled snugly in the bottom drawer of my driver manager’s desk. I have little doubt that I caused him to gobble more than a few of them.

A dispatcher is under constant pressure from his terminal manager to move freight, and a terminal manager is under constant pressure from company executives to keep his terminal productive and running smoothly. Unfortunately, this often translates into a perception of an uncaring or unfeeling attitude in the eyes of a driver. A driver needs to educate himself on the basic operation of his company and on the roles of some of the key people in it. Nevertheless, as I said before, communication is a two-way street. The dispatchers, terminal managers, and the company as a whole needs to consider the drivers, without whom money would not come into the company.

When I was in orientation at my first company, a newly hired dispatcher was inserted into class with the drivers. When one of the drivers asked him why he was there, the new dispatcher replied, “They wanted to put me in here so I could learn what you guys go through.”

I was fresh out of CDL school, so I did not respond but, among some of the experienced drivers, a number of lower jaws collectively banged to the floor.

“If you want to learn what we go through,” inserted a shocked driver, “you need to go on the road with us. You’re not going to learn anything sitting in here.”

This was a prime example of “Let’s watch a rodeo to understand cowboy life” thinking. You might as well watch a Three Stooges skit with Moe playing the role of Adolf Hitler to understand the nature of World War II. A true cross-familiarization program would consist of ride-alongs by dispatchers, and time spent in a dispatch office by drivers. I can only assume that most companies do not consider this to be a cost effective practice but, in adhering to this line of thinking, they fail to recognize that familiarity breeds mutual respect.

Drivers and dispatchers, by virtue of their mutual ignorance of one another’s working environment, each formulate strong opinions about the other. It doesn’t matter if these opinions are correct, but by allowing them to formulate and take hold, it often creates a negative work environment. In many cases, a negative relationship between a driver and a dispatcher is the fault of neither one of them. Rather, the company that is content to maintain a revolving door policy concerning its drivers deserves the finger of blame.

It never ceases to amaze me that many trucking companies cannot seem to grasp the simple concept that a truck driver desires to be treated like a human being rather than a truck number on a computer monitor. It is easy to forget that these numbers represent men and women who have lives and families outside of that truck, and they deserve to live them like anyone else. Do they really think that a long-haul driver can cram his personal life into four to six days a month at home?

Repeatedly, home time is cited as the number one reason why drivers quit. Recruiters often misrepresent the amount of home time that a driver will be afforded, and this dishonesty often leads to short-term employment. Nothing makes me feel more insignificant, as a driver, than a company giving me the impression that a load of freight is more important than I am.

A standard industry response for not getting a driver home when requested might be: “Freight is slow. Be flexible until the freight situation allows us to route you home.”

The person or people who provide such a response spend(s) an average of 420-480 hours per month at home with their families. A long-haul driver spends an average of 96-144 hours per month at home. How much to they expect us to “flex?” Most of us are already at the breaking point by the time our home request rolls around. If a company is unable to follow through on its promises of home time, they should not offer it as a hiring incentive. I am willing to be flexible in most areas, but when I feel that a company has little or no consideration for my need to live a personal life outside their truck, that company can summarily kiss my inflexible buttocks.

Dispatchers and trucking companies need to understand that drivers are real, live human beings rather than just a truck number. Likewise, drivers need to understand that dispatchers and managers have a specific job to do, and they are under a lot of pressure just as we are. A dispatcher has the unenviable task of piecing together a huge jigsaw puzzle, and the driver is only privy to his or her small portion of it. While communication will not resolve all issues, it will go a long way toward providing a better understanding and developing a mutual respect. It is not a matter of kissing the dispatcher’s or manager’s behind, it is just a matter of opening a line of professional communication with them.

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Source by Rick L. Huffman

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Many of us take our drinking water for granted. Even though it’s so vital to our lives, we’ve allowed our water sources to fill up with all sorts of contaminants. The highest impurities in drinking water are invisible to the eye but are extremely toxic.

Our public water sources have been allowed to fill up with all sorts of chemicals. Not only are our rivers and lakes polluted, now most water tables deep under the earth are polluted too. Years of ground pollution has made its way hundreds of feet below ground surface and seep everyday into this formerly pure source of water.

You may be thinking that you live in the country and are immune to the effects of water pollution. Unfortunately, air pollution can travel hundreds of miles and end up on plants, trees, and in the soil. Because of the severity of air pollution in many heavily industrialized nations, well water is becoming just as polluted as tap water in cities.

Most Common Impurities in Water

The highest impurities in water are from industrial waste, chemicals added by water facilities, and heavy metals.

Industrial waste is responsible for literally thousands of chemicals in drinking water. Studies have uncovered the most common contaminants from industrial businesses are pesticides, prescription drugs, fertilizers, gasoline, oil, solvents. Imagine what drinking water mixed with all these toxins is doing to your body.

Water facilities add chlorine and fluoride to the water they pump to millions of homes. The problem with both of these chemicals is they can have serious health ramifications. Chlorine has been proven to increase the risk of getting cancer and fluoride can harm the mental development of children. It’s hard to believe these chemicals are dumped into our public water sources by the truck load.

The third highest impurities are heavy metals. There are thousands of miles of old rusting piping systems in many cities. Overtime, steel and lead piping break down and the metal particles end up in our the water.

Removing the Highest Impurities in Drinking Water

The amount and types of toxins in our water is pretty shocking. No wonder there are so many people sick and diseased. But, you don’t have to live with this health threat. You can remove over 99% of any toxins that are currently in your home tap water.

To do this, you can install a water filter system. There are models that fit under your kitchen sink, some for shower heads, and others that will purify all the water in your home.

The water purification technologies that will remove over 99% of contaminants use a sub-micron and an active carbon filter. Once installed, your tap water will be ultra-pure.

Make no mistake about it. Removing the highest impurities in drinking water is vital to your health. Why risk the safety of you and your family?

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Source by Mark LeBreton

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Not long ago, I got an email from a gentleman wishing to set up a mobile oil change business in Florida. He was concerned about what sort of insurance he might need and was under the impression that a 1 million dollar commercial liability policy was needed up and beyond his work truck vehicle commercial auto policy. Okay so, let’s talk about this; is he correct?

It turns out that he most definitely is, you see commercial auto is not the same as completed operations or the potential liability while working. For instance, if a car catches on fire that you are working on, your commercial auto policy isn’t going to cover it. Do you see that point? So, this is the advice I explained to him;

You will need most likely want to get a commercial insurance policy; $1 million aggregate, 300K per occurrence general liability, with a “garage keeper’s liability” notation, and there will be some customer who may demand more, and also demand to be additionally insured, not just a certificate of insurance on file.

Commercial Auto Insurance is another need, but most commercial business policies will write them together as one. Find a good “commercial insurance broker” and have them scout out their sources, usually the broker-agent knows the underwriters very well (as in speed-dial) and can get you a good rate and the underwriter will understand the difference between mobile and fixed costs. Generally the commercial liability insurance is partly based on your estimated gross income.

Don’t over estimate or you will pay too much, and don’t underestimate or you may get audited by the insurance company or they might simple decide you are not a viable risk. Believe it or not most commercial insurance policies do have a clause in their insurance contracts that they may audit you and by signing the policy you pre-agree to those audits. Thus, it’s unwise to falsify information or underestimate. If you find that you may have underestimated you need to call your agent-broker and explain that, sometimes they will add to the premium, sometimes up the next year’s estimates for gross sales.

Now then, Florida is a great market for mobile oil changes, however, let’s not forget there is some competition there, some long-standing 25+ years in fact and so, insurance is only one aspect or piece of information which one needs to consider before starting a business of this type. Please consider all this and think on it, and develop a strong business plan.

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Source by Lance Winslow

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What is considered hard water and what are the degrees of hardness? Well very hard water would be 10.5 grains per gallon and 180 parts per million and above. But you need to realize that even moderately hard water of 3.5 to 7 grains per gallon and 60-120 parts per million will leave hard water spots. Slightly hard water such as 1 to 3.5 grains per gallon and 17.1 to 60 part per million will not leave noticeably hard water spots that you cannot cure with a chamois. But really as a professional auto detailer you are really looking for soft water of less than 1 grain per gallon and 17 parts per million.

What Makes The Water Hard?

Hardness in water is caused calcium and magnesium ions that form insoluble compounds; sometimes iron and even aluminum. There are many ways to soften water. Some are more complicated than others; Aeration, De-Ionization or ion-exchange, Distillation, Reverse Osmosis or Softening.

Softening by use of a water softener is the simplest concept used today; water softeners replace hardness ions like calcium and magnesium with sodium or non-scaling ions. The ion exchange resin used in the process is recharged periodically with salt drawn from a storage tank. Many water treatment experts agree and Lance Winslow concurs that softening can be most cost effective when the water has as few as one to five grains per gallon of hardness. Most mobile operators will be happy with one to three grains per gallon of hardness and probably won’t even purchase a softening unit until the hardness is five plus grains per gallon. Their theory is well taken because, if the total dissolved solids (TDS) is that low, there will be little water spotting on cars anyway.

One reason to put in a water softener even if your water is 5 gpg or less is because you wish to prevent scaling in the coils of your steam cleaner or save your pressure washing pump on your auto detailing rig. On a cold water machine, this is not as important because 5 gpg or less won’t ruin a pump. More than five can over time.

Hardness also hinders soap from doing its job. You may notice that your soaps are not cleaning properly. That’s because they are cleaning the water first and combining with the compounds in the water rather than the dirt on the car. You see, the hardness in the water has a tendency to neutralize those cleaning compounds and you have to actually use more soap to offset the neutralizing effect of the hardness minerals.

With hard water, you will use more soap and the cars still aren’t clean. I encourage you to talk to your soap vendors for helpful advice on water chemistry and treatment requirements. Your soap strategy should be custom tailored to your city and the hardness of the water you put in your tank.

Most independent auto detailing professionals agree that areas with hard water will also cause a film on cars that are washed when no softener is used. They also agreed at the annual conference that the decision to purchase a softener should be based on a real water test. You might wish to contact a water treatment dealer such as: Rain Soft, Culligan, Apollo, Calgon, Rayne water Systems or the Water Man in your area. They can help you by having the local water tested or ask city water authority for information on their supply. Once your decision is made to purchase a softener, selecting the proper equipment is easy. Softener sizes should be based upon two factors: Flow Rate (GPM) and Grains Per Gallon (GPG).

Flow rate would typically be six to eight gpm (gallons per minute) with your hose at your residence. We recommend you change your pressure regulator to 90-110 PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch). This would give you approximately ten gpm. So you need a water softener that is a little bigger than the basic model.

Water softeners are basically like refrigerators; says Car Wash Guys Founder Lance Winslow;

“They could last two years or twenty years…and a lot depends on how much goes in and how often it comes out.”

This is why you should monitor softening equipment. You can test the hardness with a testing kit or just pay attention when you’re washing cars. Steel softening tanks last for years. Fiberglass units last well also. Plastic units crack. You may need to change resin every couple of years.

Chances are you will choose to rent softeners for $30 per month and let the exchange company recharge them for you. Be careful when hiring water softener vendors. Ask us for help. You may even be able to trade services for water softening rental plus make money on the account because water softener rental companies have lots of delivery trucks. In any case think on these issues when considering a water softening strategy for your mobile car wash or auto detailing business.

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Source by Lance Winslow

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Touted as reliable, Blood Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices are anything but. An Ignition Interlock Device is a cheap breathalyzer which is connected to the electrical system of an offender’s vehicle. Before driving, the interlock user must breathe into the device so that it can gauge his or her BAC (blood alcohol content) reading. If the driver’s BAC is .020 or below, the device allows the engine to start. However, if the driver’s BAC is .021 or above, the car will not start. Once the car starts, the driver must periodically breathe into the device. If the device registers a BAC which is over a pre-set limit, a “rolling re-test violation” will occur. These rolling re-tests are designed to insure that the driver is not drinking while driving and he or she did not have someone else provide the initial breath sample.

In Massachusetts, an Interlock Device is required for anyone whose license has his or her license twice suspended in Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction for Drunk Driving or certain other alcohol related offenses. There has been agitated debate about ignition interlock devices in Massachusetts since their inception. These devices were required for drivers who reinstated their suspended license or were on hardship licenses, effective January 1, 2006. Although some claim interlock is the answer to many DUI issues, many experts point out that the device is faulty and false alcohol readings have resulted in 10 year and lifetime license suspensions.

The ignition interlock device is not completely problematic. Like any debatable item, the device has its benefits. For instance, by preventing people with a high BAC from driving, the device may possibly keep the roads safer and less prone to accidents during certain hours where heavy drinking is the norm. The Registry of Motor Vehicles and Board of Appeal should feel more comfortable granting hardship licenses to individuals with interlock devices. Interlock Devices should allow multiple offenders to keep their jobs so they can live their lives and support their families.In a perfect world, that may be enough, but this world is not perfect, and the device is considerably flawed.

The interlock devices used in Massachusetts use fuel cell technology. This is considerably less reliable than the infra-red technology used in police breathalyzers. These devices are not alcohol specific and a variety of substances other than alcoholic beverages will register as alcohol. For example,  common substances such as protein bars, cough drops, cinnamon, baked goods, perfume, hairspray, and favored coffee has registered as alcohol. There have also been documented cases  were the interlock device has registered alcohol and the driver immediately went to a hospital or police station for a comparison blood alcohol test. In every instance, these tests and/or police observations completely contradicted the faulty ignition interlock device. These are only a few examples of the many problems associated with interlock devices. Other problems include defective equipment, frayed cords, and rejection of breath samples.

The ignition interlock device is not a reliable device, and it relies on the “guilty until proven innocent” mindset. That is not what this country’s legal system is supposed to represent. No device that can so easily mistake items like baked goods, protein bars, mouthwash, and cough drops for alcohol should be relied upon to suspend someone’s license for 10 years or life. The sensor tests BAC through an oxidation reaction to the breath, unlike the more reliable infrared spectroscopy used in evidentiary breathalyzers. Therefore, drivers are given a sub-par machine that can potentially label them a criminal and destroy their lives. A person should be innocent until proven guilty, but with an unreliable detector, the opposite is true. Nevertheless, certain individuals who are seeking a hardship have no choice but to deal with interlock devices.

Hopefully you are now more educated on this matter. Before the laws evolve any more, the existing laws need to be perfected. No one should ever be charged for a violation which they have not committed and until these devices are proven to be more accurate, they should not be blindly relied upon to suspend someone’s license.

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Source by Brian Simoneau