Housekeeping: MBP Brochure, Spring On the Road, Classifieds
NJGCA Scholarship: Apply & Donate Today!
AMT Webinar Recording Available
MBP Spotlight: C-3 Technologies
Digital Coupon Bill
On Monday, NJGCA was one of several business groups to testify against a new bill that would require any sort of coupon or discount that exists digitally to have some sort of physical way to redeem. It was designed for grocery stores, but it would apply to all forms of discounts at all retailers. For our members, we are particularly concerned how this might impact the rewards and loyalty programs that big brands create, such as the oil companies and franchised convenience stores like 7-Eleven. The discount programs these bigger companies develop sometimes are only offered digitally on the customer’s phone. Our concern is whether now or in the future if it becomes too burdensome for these companies’ programs to comply with this bill they may just decide to not offer them in New Jersey anymore. You can read our full testimony HERE. If nothing else, our direct advocacy was able to get the fines lowered from $2,500 for a first time violation (!) to $250. The bill passed the committee anyway and is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Commerce Committee next week.
Inspections Update
On Tuesday, the head of the MVC was at the Senate Budget committee and was asked about the status of the motor vehicle inspection program. As you will recall, the current contract with Parsons was an 8-year contract that is now in year 15. It was awarded to a new vendor in August of last year, but then was mysteriously cancelled not long after, keeping the status quo in place. The Chief Administrator stated that the current contract with Parsons is expected to continue through November, and she is hopeful there will be another opportunity to bid on the contract soon.
Tire Fee
As you probably know, since 2004, New Jersey has been collecting a new tire tax of $1.50 per new tire. It was justified as needed to pay for the cleanup of abandoned waste tires. But while sitting in the Budget committee hearing this week, we noticed that $10 million of that money is being redirected to pay for... snow removal costs. We wanted to highlight this to remind you all how Trenton works. They often like to claim that their new taxes are dedicated to good causes but leave out they can and do redirect that money at any time for whatever they want.
Car Repair Data
We recently came acrossan article highlighting a survey that was done on 1,000 US drivers on what car maintenance they are most likely to put off and for how long, what they think certain repairs cost, and how much they could afford to spend on vehicle repairs in an emergency. Among the findings is that 64% of drivers are currently putting off some sort of vehicle maintenance, 69% of drivers say they delay getting maintenance done even after they know it is due, and 58% of drivers say they could NOT afford an emergency car repair costing more than $1,000 right now. Of the work that is being put off by customers the most, oil changes, tire replacements, and “check engine” lights are the most common issues that drivers put off. Most understandably, motorists' financial constraints are a big reason repairs are put off, with the majority of respondents saying they would only be able to afford emergency repairs that are less than $500. Also worth noting, a majority of respondents did not have a good idea of the costs of certain repairs, often significantly underestimating the price, adding to the sticker shock.
Housekeeping Stuff
First, you should have received your 2023 MBP brochure in the mail by now or very soon. When looking for a service or business to help you run your own small business, these businesses should get your first consideration. Member Benefit Partners are vetted by our staff and have agreed to special discounts, programs and/or for NJGCA members only. As always, if you know of any reputable businesses that deserve consideration to be added to our program, please reach out to Nick at nick@njgca.org. You can view the booklet online HERE. We also mailed out the Spring edition of our printed On the Road magazine, which you also should have received. You can view the online version of that HERE.
We also are looking to add a classifieds component to our social media and/or weekly online newsletter. If any of our members are looking for employees (cashiers, gas pumpers, technicians, managers, etc) we are interested in posting this for you across our social media platforms as well as our newsletter that is sent electronically across the entire state. Please send any openings to Michelle at michelle@njgca.org.
Scholarship Applications and Donations Needed
Our scholarship application is live and we are accepting both mailed and online applications. We have been able to award scholarship funds to children of NJGCA members and the children of employees of NJGCA members. Last year, $10,000 was awarded with $5,000 being contributed thanks to the generosity of Utica Insurance. Utica Insurance is the insurance company that insures many NJGCA members. The contribution was arranged by NJGCA MBP World Insurance (Amato Agency). Once again, Utica has contributed $5,000 towards a scholarship that is to be awarded to a student attending an automotive technical school or studying automotive technology. Each NJGCA member will be entitled to submit ONE application that will be reviewed by the scholarship committee. While the Utica donation must go towards automotive training, other funds can be given to a deserving student studying anything. Applicants may be either the child/grandchild of a member, or an employee, or the child of an employee that works for the NJGCA member. You can find both the mail-in application and the online application HERE. Do not forget to include the other documentation required (transcripts, essays, etc) to be considered.
This year we have also requested our membership to help contribute to the scholarship funds so more students will be able to benefit. We are still conducting our Scholarship Drive, and we need your help! Even if every member gave as little as $25 to $50, we would be able to help several students with their continuing education. No donation is too small and remember, it is tax deductible! Send in your donation today! The scholarship benefits your family and employees’ families. You can either mail a check or donate online.
Let’s show this year’s recipients the generosity of NJGCA members!
Scan the QR code or visit the link to find the scholarship donation page.
Association Member Trust, one of our recommended health insurance providers, recently hosted the first of their new quarterly Lunch and Learn Wellness Webinars. Hosted by Nutritionist Jacqueline Gomes of Jacqueline Gomes Nutrition, the webinar, titled "AMT Lunch and Learn: 8 Health Habits that will Change your Life featuring Nutritionist Jacqueline Gomes," covered a range of topics related to nutrition and weight loss. In case you weren’t able to make it, you can access the webinar at this link:
•Monthly Compliance Program – The original and most comprehensive compliance program in the industry.
•Maintenance Services – Equipment service including dispensers, monitoring systems submersible pumping systems and lighting.
•Construction Services – Full line of construction services from tank installations to spill bucket replacements.
•Calibration – Fuel Dispenser Calibration
•License and Permitting Assistance – Assistance with UST Registrations, General Air Permits, and Community Right to Know Surveys
•NOV Resolution – Guidance and assistance with the resolution of Notices of Violation issued by NJDEP
•Vac Truck Service and Waste Disposal
Member of NJGCA, Petroleum Contractors Equipment Association, Petroleum Equipment Institute, National Association of Corrosion Engineers and NFPA
Finally, we want to wish our members a wonderful Mother's Day. We hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating and honoring the most important women in your life.
All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 615 Hope Road, Building 2, 1st Floor, Eatontown, NJ 07724
ASE Training Course - Reach Out Today!
Are you (or an employee) getting ready to take your A6, A8, or L1 in preparation to recertifying your Emission Repair Technician (ERT) credentials through the State's Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP)?
We can help --- but we need to hear from you, first! NJGCA wants to hear from students interested in our ASE-prep training program, so we can gauge demand and schedule our next session series.
As you know, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has always maintained a "dual-track" system to allow technicians to earn their Emission Repair Technician (ERT) credentials through New Jersey's Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP). In doing so, technicians were allowed to certify as ERTs through either an ASE-test track or an ETEP-educational class track. Starting on January 1, 2020, NJDEP amended the ETEP criteria, and the ETEP-educational class track was abolished.
Today, only the ASE-test track remains, and all ERTs must certify or re-certify their credentials though ASE to remain in the Program.
NJGCA has recently offered an ASE-prep class to help you get ready for the A6, A8, and L1. In doing so, students were welcome to participate in a ten-session preparatory class that covered material for all three ASE exams. We also had a handful of students who joined us only for the A8 or L1 sections.
Once completed, students took their ASE exams with a local ASE-approved test proctor (NJGCA can train you to prepare for the ASE exams, but are not permitted to offer the actual exam - students must make these arrangements individually themselves).
Building on that success, we are now seeking student participation in our next training series session. To make arrangements and organize a session, we need to hear from you!
A bill that would allow Oregonians to pump their own gas anywhere in the state edged closer to passage this week with its second public hearing in the Legislature. The Senate Committee on Energy and the Environment held a public hearing for House Bill 2426 on Tuesday, and mainly drew support – from lawmakers, gas station owners, industry lobbyists and individuals. The bill comes more than 70 years after restrictions were first enacted. The proposal would allow all gas stations statewide to offer self-serve gas at all hours while requiring an attendant for anyone who might want to be served, including elderly people and those with disabilities. No more than half of a station’s pumps could be self-serve, prices at all pumps would have to be the same and signs would have to note the service level of pumps.
NACS, along with NATSO and SIGMA, has sent a letter to the federal government advocating for the convenience store and fuel retailing industry as the best recipient of federal grant funds for EV charging. The letter states that the industry provides the most convenient locations for EV drivers, as well as competitive pricing. In addition, c-stores offer the services, amenities and security that consumers have come to expect alongside the refueling network. “EV charging availability at existing fuel retailing locations would mean drivers do not need to change their habits if they choose not to—they can refuel on-the-go at the same convenient locations that they do today,” wrote the associations in the letter. “The availability of fast charging capacity and pricing on large price signs at fuel retailers’ locations throughout the country is the most effective way to relieve EV range anxiety. Fuel retailers are best equipped to play this role.”
One year after New Jersey’s strict single-use plastic bag ban began, environmental advocates say it has led to much less plastic in our waste stream — an estimated 8.4 billion plastic bags in just the first year, according to Linda Doherty, CEO of the NJ Food Council. NJ Food Council. In a report on the first yearreport on the first year of the ban, the state’s Plastics Advisory Council — created as part of the law as part of the law — also noted convenience stores statewide have gone from stocking shelves with 17 million straws a month to 2 million straws. . . The bill to ban plastic bags, straws, Styrofoam-like products and other single-use plastic items — lauded by the state as the strictest in the nation — was signed into law in November 2020. It gave stores and consumers between a year and 18 months to prepare. But straws must still be available on request in order for the state to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spokesman said.
Last year, 80 percent of new-car sales in Norway were electric, putting the country at the vanguard of the shift to battery-powered mobility. It has also turned Norway into an observatory for figuring out what the electric vehicle revolution might mean for the environment, workers and life in general. The country will end the sales of internal combustion engine cars in 2025. Norway’s experience suggests that electric vehicles bring benefits without the dire consequences predicted by some critics. There are problems, of course, including unreliable chargers and long waits during periods of high demand. Auto dealers and retailers have had to adapt. The switch has reordered the auto industry, making Tesla the best-selling brand and marginalizing established carmakers like Renault and Fiat.
Battery swapping could be a viable EV charging alternative, reports E&E News. The method is being used in China, and now a San Francisco-based company is hoping this new approach to EV charging will catch on. Ample Inc. is set to receive a $15 million grant in California to expand its small factory in the Bay Area, and it has secured its first EV partner—Fisker Inc. The company says that replacing EV batteries instead of waiting to juice them up will get drivers back on the road faster, and it can be done with minimal electrical infrastructure. Ample has designed smaller batteries that can be more easily moved around, and they can either restore the whole battery or just a section of it, depending on how much range the vehicle needs. According to E&E News, when an EV parks in a stall at an Ample station, spent battery modules are unscrewed from the vehicle and replaced with charged ones. The empties are shuttled to a large adjoining cabinet, where they are recharged.
Used vehicle prices dropped in April for the first time in 2023, reports CNBC. There was a 3% decline in prices from March to April, according to Cox Automotive, due to an increase in production of new cars and trucks by automakers. Although used car prices have slid, they are up when compared to historical prices. April prices were up 5.2% compared to December but down 4.4% year over year. . .COVID-19 caused used car prices to rise, as supply chain issues caused production of new vehicles to decrease, leading to record high prices for new vehicles. Consumers then turned to used cars, driving prices up for those as well. Early last year, the Biden Administration said much of the increase in inflation was because of the used vehicle market. The average list price for a used vehicle in February was $26,086, which was down slightly from January.
Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.
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