Download Your Spring Tracker Today!

Download Your Spring Tracker:

It’s packed with useful info!

 

Spring Tracker 2024 cover

With the crazy, wild to mild weather swings we’re having across Western Canada it may be hard to believe … but spring is in the air!

In this issue of The Tracker we’re looking ahead to New Horizons—to what 2024 has in store down the road.

The replacement tire market has never been a simple or homogenous entity. However, there’s no shortage of helpful commentary as to what the next few months might hold, especially with regard to the ‘on-again off-again’ impact of EVs.

Read up on the latest in ‘Gauging the EV Conundrum in 2024; and get some inventory tips from the TIA / GFK forum held late last year on how to plan for those all important ‘bread and butter’ sizes that account for 60 percent of the market.

Federated Insurance offers a wealth of ideas on how to ensure you have a viable business interruption plan in place, which spans everything from power outages to cyber attacks and  theft. As Federated says, “Risk Management is Never Done.”

We bid farewell to one of the association’s earliest and most loyal supporters, Garry Dickinson, who shaped BC’s D&D Tire into a major player in the 1970’s and early ‘80s.

If you’re in the vicinity please plan to attend the WCTD Annual General Meeting: Friday, March 15th, 2 PM at Victoria’s Grande Pacific Hotel, 463 Belleville Street.

There’s plenty more, of course, from recycling news to registration forms (for players and sponsors) for the sequel to last year’s highly successful WCTD Charity Golf Tournament, scheduled for June 23rd, 2024.

Download your Spring Tracker today!

Your Winter Tracker is here—with lots of news!

With the snow about to fly across the west, the latest Tracker is ready for you to download. As always, you’ll find no shortage of pertinent news that touches on almost every aspect of the association’s wide range of activities.

First and foremost, we bring to your attention the resumption of in-person training, after a long hiatus thanks to the pandemic. Sessions are already gearing up—and there’ll be more to come. We expect plenty of demand so urge you to book promptly. Find registration info on page 13.

Are you charging enough for your skills and services? Regular contributor Paul McAlduff  makes the case as to why “Great Service Should Always Be Paid For” in his latest ‘Just Sayin’’ column.

Ever wonder what happens to those scrap tires that get picked up? Over the years WCTD has played a key role in the evolution of our various recycling agencies. On that note, you can check out another of Tire Stewardship BC’s very successful playground projects on page 19.

No time like the present to remind you of the need to make sure that TPMS systems remain intact during during changeovers. Our good friends at Federated Insurance offer some helpful insights on TPMS liability on page 17, including a course of action if the customer refuses to have the work completed.

There’s more, of course, as we check in on Quebec’s ground-breaking Right to Repair legislation and get some helpful tips from Simply Safe on updating your in-house hearing conservation program—and making sure that workers PPE devices fit properly.

Last but not least, we are delighted to salute this year’s Scholarship Recipients!

Download the latest Tracker today!

Gearing up for Fall – and more – in the latest Tracker

With Summer in full swing, we hope everyone’s enjoying their vacation and having a safe and smoke-free season. For your reading pleasure, as Fall is right around the corner, the latest Tracker is ready for download.

Between the covers you’ll find plenty of news, including a report on WCTD’s very successful (now again annual) Alberta golf tournament, which took place in late June and raised significant funds for the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

On a very sad note, we say farewell to our great friend and long-time supporter Wayne Budge, of Federated Insurance, who passed away on June 12th.

The height of summer can bring an array of challenges, including extreme temperatures that can be a danger to outdoor workers. We urge you to read the piece from the folks at Simply Safe (courtesy of WorkSafe BC) on what you can do to help protect your employees from heat stress.

TPMS, as always, continues to be in the news. Read up on why it’s important to make sure you or your techs have the latest in tool software for proper TMPS servicing. i.e. “Don’t Wait: Update!”

Plus, one final reminder that there’s still time to meet the fast approaching August 15th deadline to apply for WCTD Academic Scholarships. Please be sure to advise anyone eligible within your network to apply!

Download the latest Tracker today!

The Spring 2023 Tracker is here!

Spring (not that far away) is a time of renewal, a theme that runs through the latest edition of The Tracker.

As always, this issue is filled with useful and pertinent information.  However, we’re also pleased to present a remarkable feature that underscores what can happen when smart minds come together in the world of used tire recycling.

Tire Stewardship BC (TSBC) and  partners have transformed Nanaimo’s waterfront Maffeo Sutton Park into “an inclusive and accessible space for children of all ages and abilities …with a focus on active play and engaging sensory experiences.” We think you’ll find it a fascinating read, especially as pour-in-place-rubber (from 3,260 recycled tires) was used to replace the former gravel surface. If you’ve ever wondered if collecting and shipping all those used tires is worth it, be sure to read ‘Play for All’!

There’s more of course, including the return of our popular golf tournament, as well as info on the upcoming WCTD Annual General Meeting, to be held in Kelowna (bring your clubs!). Safety Corner (contributed by safety experts Leigh-Ann Stewart and Debra Haldane) is back, with helpful hints about your safety program, while Federated’s Chris Leahey outlines how to set up an emergency contacts list.

Check it out for ideas on how to hire and keep good techs, service tips from TIA, who’s on the move in the industry—and plenty more.

Spring may not quite yet be here. But The Spring Tracker will get you in the mood!

Download your Spring Tracker Today!

Download the Winter Tracker!

Your Winter Tracker is brimming with useful news and topical views. We’re thrilled to introduce our new, regular column: Safety Corner, which is contributed by well known safety experts Leigh-Ann Stewart and Debra Haldane, the people behind Simply Safe. In this issue they discuss how to properly handle a visit from your provincial Health & Safety officer and, a bonus, Haldane offers up excellent advice on how to prepare your fleet and staff for winter driving conditions.

The future belongs to our youth—which is why WCTD is particularly proud of its Scholarship Program. Meet the group of this year’s accomplished recipients on pages 10-11.

How secure are your premises? Are they properly protected to deter theft and damage? Chris Leahey of Federated Insurance has some solid ideas to pass on. (Page 26-27).

There’s more, of course, from details on the newly approved credit card surcharge to why it’s crucial to properly maintain your sensitive diagnostic equipment. All this, plus notes from president Tim Hollett and executive director Ray Geleta. And a heads up to ‘Save the Date’ for this spring’s AGM, to be held in Kelowna!

Download the Winter Tracker today!

Winter Tracker 2022 cover

Download Your Fall Tracker Today!

Where do you go to find potential new business? BC Director Paul McAlduff headed to Victoria, BC, to take in epic Northwest Deuce Days. If you’ve never been, you should plan to attend for one year. It’s a truly remarkable display of vintage autos and hot rods. Chances are you might even make some new friends and perhaps meet some new customers. Paul asks the question: Do Car Enthusiasts Make Good Customers? We think so!

WCTD thanks recently appointed OK Tire President and CEO Jim Bethune for taking the time to chat with us about a wide range of issues. We think you’ll find his comments interesting and illuminating.

Also in this issue, we welcome incoming President, Tim Hollett, with his opening message. Executive Director, Ray Geleta brings us up to speed on the possibility of a forthcoming national convention—and asks for your input. However, most importantly, nominations are now open for the next honourees to the WCTD Hall of Fame. Please, do take time to read the criteria and give serious consideration to those who might be deserving.

There’s plenty more, of course, from hiring more women techs, to Federated Insurance’s advice on how to protect your property from hail damage.

Download your Fall Tracker here!

fall 2022 tracker