How The Aftermarket Turns Training Into Growth

Why Synthetic Motor Oil Prices Are Rising And What Drivers Can Do

Gas prices may be the headline, but the next real pinch could show up when you pop the hood. We’re tracking a fast-moving shift in the motor oil market that’s pushing wholesale prices up and putting pressure on some of the most common synthetic motor oil grades, especially the low viscosity oils modern vehicles require. If you’ve noticed oil change costs creeping from the $80–$100 range toward $100–$120 or more, there’s a bigger supply chain story behind it.  Host, Stacey Miller, zooms out to the global picture and explain why disruption risk near the Strait of Hormuz creates uncertainty not just for crude, but for lubricant production. Then she gets specific about what’s happening with Group III base oil, a critical ingredient in many synthetic oils, and why reliance on a small number of producers makes the market vulnerable. We also unpack why motor oil pricing doesn’t behave like gasoline pricing, and how additives, refining, transportation, packaging, and logistics can drive retail increases even when crude is only part of the equation.  From the automotive aftermarket perspective, Stacey lays out three trends to watch: rising maintenance prices, more consumers delaying routine service, and an even greater need for steady aftermarket support when supply tightens. She closes with clear takeaways for drivers, repair shops, distributors, suppliers, and policymakers so you can plan without panic and keep vehicles reliable for the long haul. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355351/fan_mail/new] To learn more about the Auto Care Association visit autocare.org. To learn more about our show and suggest future topics and guests, visit autocare.org/podcast

How The Aftermarket Turns Training Into Growth

Training is everywhere in the automotive aftermarket, yet too many teams still treat it like a checkbox and then wonder why sales, retention, and customer experience stay flat. Stacey Miller sat down with Laurie Bacopoulos, founder and CEO of Cobblestone Consulting, to get practical about what actually works when you need training that scales across employees, locations, and channel partners without watering down the message. They talk about how Cobblestone helps companies pull knowledge out of subject matter experts and package it into interactive e-learning, micro videos, and software tutorials, supported by a learning management system like TalentLMS. Laurie explains why “completion rates” are a weak finish line and how stronger metrics connect training to outcomes leaders care about: SKU sales, reduced returns, improved partner performance, and better employee retention. We also dig into role-based learning paths in the shop environment, so technicians, service writers, and owners can see a clear growth path and stay engaged. Then they zoom out to change management and modern formats, including brand transition training and the rising power of video. Finally, they get real about AI in training: where it accelerates development, how it can create realistic scenarios from dense manuals, and why it should augment human expertise instead of replacing it. If you want partner training that drives loyalty, workforce development that reduces turnover, and a clearer way to prove ROI, hit play, subscribe, and share this with someone responsible for training.  Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355351/fan_mail/new] To learn more about the Auto Care Association visit autocare.org. To learn more about our show and suggest future topics and guests, visit autocare.org/podcast

Difficult Conversations That Provide Desired Outcomes

The hardest part of a difficult conversation isn’t what you say. It’s the story you tell yourself before you ever open your mouth. We’re recording from the Women in Auto Care conference with two award-winning leaders: Courtney Pedler, Lifetime Achievement Award winner and co-founder of Autology Data, and Lauren Briggs, Woman of Excellence with the NAPA Auto Care team. Together, we dig into why workplace conflict can feel like “landing a plane without being a pilot,” and how a few small communication habits can change the outcome fast. Courtney shares a simple, powerful framework from the book Difficult Conversations: you’re not having one conversation, you’re having three at the same time. There’s the “what happened” conversation (where you only have half the story), the feelings conversation (where unspoken emotion drives defensiveness), and the identity conversation (where insecurity whispers that one mistake means you’re a bad person or about to get fired). We talk through how to slow down, stop assuming intent, and walk in with clear goals: what you want for yourself, what you want for the other person, and what you want for the relationship. Lauren brings the practical side of leadership communication and emotional intelligence: using "I" statements, asking better questions, and listening to understand instead of listening to respond. We also cover influence without authority, how to motivate people who don’t report to you, and why connecting someone to the “why” behind a request can prevent conflict before it starts. If you want better conflict resolution skills, clearer feedback conversations, and stronger team trust, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a rating and review so more leaders can find it. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355351/fan_mail/new] To learn more about the Auto Care Association visit autocare.org. To learn more about our show and suggest future topics and guests, visit autocare.org/podcast

Aftermarket Digital Marketing That Actually Sells

AI is changing how drivers discover and buy aftermarket parts, and the shift is happening faster than most teams are ready for. Mike Chung joined by Jon Hedges, founder of Hedges & Company, to unpack what “digital marketing” truly means in the automotive aftermarket when the customer journey spans Google search, marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, reviews, video, email, and in-store research with a phone in hand.  We start with the fundamentals: why being visible online is now table stakes, how the industry moved from paper catalogs to online catalogs and shopping carts, and why accurate product data and fitment details still decide whether a shopper trusts your brand. Then we get practical about measurement. Jon explains how to think about goals, which metrics actually matter, and how to avoid the attribution traps that make reports look great while sales stay flat. If conversion tracking is misconfigured, today’s algorithms will optimize for the wrong actions and send you more of the wrong traffic.  From there, we tackle SEO versus LLM optimization (LLMO) and what it takes to show up when consumers ask AI tools for shopping answers. Jon shares why original, useful content and technical signals like schema are becoming essential, and why trust frameworks like EEAT (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) will matter even more as agentic AI begins shopping on behalf of customers. The big takeaway: better data and stronger trust signals can help smaller aftermarket brands compete with much larger players.  Subscribe to Auto Care ON AIR, share this with a teammate who owns your web and marketplace strategy, and leave a rating and review so more aftermarket pros can find the show. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355351/fan_mail/new] To learn more about the Auto Care Association visit autocare.org. To learn more about our show and suggest future topics and guests, visit autocare.org/podcast

Mexico’s Vehicle Fleet Hits 36.1 Million

Mexico’s vehicle fleet just crossed a milestone that should make every aftermarket planner sit up: 36.1 million vehicles in operation. Stacey Miller sits down with Evaristo Garcia, Founder and CEO of IDF, to unpack the latest Mexico VIO data and what it means for the automotive aftermarket, distribution, and the North American supply chain. They talk through where the growth is really coming from (light vehicles), and why Mexico’s average vehicle age stays high and steady at about 16.2 years. That long-lived fleet is shaped by strong new vehicle sales and by something uniquely important to Mexico’s market: used imports from the United States, often called “chocolates.” If you sell parts, service vehicles, or manage inventory across borders, this mix changes how you forecast demand and how wide your catalog needs to be. Then they dig into the strategic shifts hiding inside the totals. Mexico is still a car-heavy market at roughly 56% of VIO, but trucks and SUVs keep gaining ground as global OEM strategies tilt away from sedans. We also explain IDF’s “modern segment” view: about 14 million vehicles from the last 10 model years, a huge opportunity for aftermarket businesses that want to win on newer applications without ignoring the long tail. Finally, they put Chinese automakers into perspective: more than 10% of new vehicle sales, yet only about 1.2% of the light-vehicle VIO today, alongside bigger penetration in medium and heavy trucks and real-world parts availability lessons. If you found this useful, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a rating and review so more autocare professionals can find it. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355351/fan_mail/new] To learn more about the Auto Care Association visit autocare.org. To learn more about our show and suggest future topics and guests, visit autocare.org/podcast