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Industry Insights

GAP Insurance Isn't a Loyalty Program, FSRA Warns Dealers

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
Ontario's insurance regulator says calling a GAP product a loyalty program doesn't change what it is under the law. Here's what the FSRA warning ac...
GAP Insurance F&I Compliance FSRA
News

Stellantis-Unifor Contract Expires With Brampton Unresolved

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
Stellantis and Unifor let a contract covering more than 9,000 Ontario autoworkers expire September 20 without a deal, after Stellantis reportedly c...
Labour Relations Unifor Stellantis
Best Practices

Vehicle Delivery Checklist: A Role-by-Role Breakdown

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
Most dealerships already have a delivery checklist. What they don't have is a name attached to each line. Here's a role-by-role breakdown of who ow...
Vehicle Delivery Delivery Checklist We-Owe Forms
News

Canadian Dealership Service Bills Hit a Record $566

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
The average Canadian dealership service visit now costs $566, a record high, according to J.D. Power's latest Canada Customer Service Index study. ...
Customer Service Index Fixed Operations Service Absorption
Industry Insights

How Commission Pay Turns the Learning Curve Into a Pay Cut

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Sales consultants and service advisors post some of the weakest long-term retention of any dealership role, and CADA's own research names commissio...
Commission Pay Plans Employee Turnover Sales Consultants
News

Canada's Auto Sales Extend Growth Streak to Three Months

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
DesRosiers Automotive Consultants estimates Canadian new vehicle sales rose 5.4 per cent in August, a third consecutive month of year-over-year gro...
Auto Sales Canadian Automotive Market Data
News

Trump Threatens to Double Canada Auto Tariffs to 50%

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
President Trump says Canadian vehicle, auto parts and steel tariffs will double to 50 per cent on January 1, 2027, after Canada-U.S. trade talks co...
Trade Policy Tariffs CUSMA
News

New 50% U.S. Tariff Hits Canada, Spares Vehicle Prices

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
The United States imposes a new 50 per cent tariff on roughly $20 billion of Canadian exports starting August 19, under a proclamation framed aroun...
Trade Policy Tariffs Canadian Automotive
Technology

Why Coordination Beats Communication at Your Dealership

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
A group chat full of updates about a sold vehicle isn't a coordination system. Here's why handoffs keep failing at dealerships that communicate con...
Dealership Operations Interdepartmental Coordination Vehicle Delivery
Best Practices

F&I Best Practices: Menu Presentation Without the Push

· Eric Richards · 7 min read
F&I often earns as much gross profit as the vehicle sale itself, but it's frequently the least structured process in the store. Here's how to run i...
F&I Menu Presentation Dealership Profitability
News

July Auto Sales Rise Again, But Recovery Stays Fragile

· Eric Richards · 3 min read
Canadian new vehicle sales climbed for a second straight month in July, ending eight months of year-over-year declines. But wholesale values are st...
Auto Sales Canadian Automotive Dealer Inventory
Industry Insights

The We-Owe Gap: Where Dealership Gross Quietly Leaks

· Eric Richards · 7 min read
A missing floor mat. A back-ordered accessory. A promise made at the desk and never closed out. Here's why we-owes are where dealership gross quiet...
We-Owe Forms Vehicle Delivery Gross Profit
News

Canadian Dealers Cool on Chinese EV Franchise Plans

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
Dealer interest in Chinese EV franchises ran hot through the spring of 2026. By late July, launch timelines are slipping toward 2027 and buy-sell b...
Electric Vehicles Canadian Automotive OEM Relations
Technology

CASL Text Messaging Rules for Canadian Dealerships

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
Every service reminder and sales follow-up text a dealership sends falls under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. Here's what the consent rules, trans...
CASL Text Messaging Customer Communication
News

Unifor, Ford Reach Tentative Deal; Ratification July 17

· Eric Richards · 4 min read
Unifor and Ford Motor Company of Canada reached a tentative three-year collective agreement on July 11 after bargaining ran past the union's self-i...
Labour Relations Unifor Ford
Product Updates

READY HUB Ships a Companion App for iPhone and Android

· Eric Richards · 4 min read
READY HUB now has a companion app for iPhone and Android, so teams on the lot, in the shop, or on the sales floor can check inventory, trade, and d...
READY HUB Mobile App Dealership Operations
News

CUSMA Review Ends Without Deal, Auto Tariffs Persist

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
Canada, the United States and Mexico completed the first mandatory joint review of CUSMA on July 1 without reaching a renewal agreement, as the U.S...
Trade Policy Tariffs CUSMA
News

Unifor Begins Ford Bargaining With July 10 Deadline

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Unifor opened contract negotiations with Ford Motor Company on June 22 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, setting a July 10 deadline to reach a tentat...
Labour Relations Canadian Automotive Unifor
News

Quebec Lowers ZEV Targets Again as Trade Pressures Mount

· Eric Richards · 8 min read
Quebec Environment Minister Pascale Déry announced on June 11 that the province is lowering its ZEV sales mandate targets for the second time in le...
ZEV Policy Electric Vehicles Quebec
News

Ottawa Sets Four Conditions for Chinese EVs in Canada

· Eric Richards · 7 min read
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly travelled to China in June to deliver Ottawa's terms to four Chinese EV manufacturers: access beyond Canada's 49,000...
Electric Vehicles Canadian Automotive OEM Relations
News

Mazda Canada Cuts PHEV Prices to Unlock Federal Rebates

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Mazda Canada cut the entry price of its CX-70 PHEV and CX-90 PHEV by approximately $3,750 each on June 2, bringing both models below the $50,000 fi...
Electric Vehicles OEM Policy Canadian Automotive
News

Honda Ridgeline Production Halted Until 2028

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Honda will halt production of the Ridgeline pickup truck starting in Q4 2026 because the current 3.5-litre V6 engine does not meet the emissions st...
Honda Canadian Automotive OEM Policy
News

Certification Gap Could Block Canada's 2027 Heavy Trucks

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Canada's commercial truck dealers took their case to Parliament Hill on May 21, warning that a regulatory paperwork mismatch between the United Sta...
Canadian Automotive Heavy Trucks Regulatory Changes
News

Canada ZEV Sales Surge to Record 12.2% in March 2026

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Statistics Canada's March 2026 data confirms 21,574 zero-emission vehicles sold — a 74.7% year-over-year surge that pushed ZEV market share to a re...
Electric Vehicles EVAP ZEV Policy
News

Unifor Selects Ford for 2026 Detroit Three Bargaining

· Eric Richards · 7 min read
Unifor announced this week that contract negotiations with Ford Motor Company will begin June 22, opening the 2026 bargaining cycle that will set t...
Labour Relations Canadian Automotive Unifor
News

Canada April Sales Down 3.9% as Tariff Pressure Mounts

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
Canadian new-vehicle sales fell 3.9 per cent year-over-year in April 2026, with approximately 178,000 units sold according to DesRosiers Automotive...
Market Data Canadian Automotive Vehicle Sales
News

CADA Issues Dealer Guidance on Chinese OEM Contracts

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association released a special bulletin this week outlining the contract protections dealers must secure before sig...
Canadian Automotive Electric Vehicles OEM Relations
News

February ZEV Sales Hit 10.2% Share as EVAP Lifts Demand

· Eric Richards · 7 min read
Statistics Canada data released April 16 confirms zero-emission vehicle sales surged 47.2% year-over-year in February 2026 — the first partial mont...
Electric Vehicles EVAP ZEV Policy
News

Canadian Auto Sales Down 4.4% in Q1 as Tariffs Bite

· Eric Richards · 8 min read
Statistics Canada's February 2026 motor vehicle sales release, published April 10, confirms the first-quarter contraction Canadian dealers felt on ...
Market Data Canadian Automotive Tariffs
News

Canada's EVAP Rebate Launches: What Dealers Must Do

· Eric Richards · 11 min read
As of April 1, 2026, Canadian dealers selling eligible EVs are the point of application for the federal Electric Vehicle Affordability Program — a ...
Electric Vehicles Federal Incentives EVAP
Best Practices

The Trade-In Appraisal Process: Turn Trades to Profit

· Eric Richards · 12 min read
Trade-ins touch nearly half of all new vehicle sales and generate thousands more per deal than non-trade transactions. Yet most dealerships still t...
Trade-Ins Vehicle Appraisal Customer Experience
Industry Insights

Canadian Dealership Compliance: 2026 Provincial Rules Guide

· Eric Richards · 13 min read
Canada's 3,200 franchised dealerships face a patchwork of provincial regulations, federal privacy laws, and evolving disclosure requirements. Here ...
Compliance Provincial Regulations OMVIC
Industry Insights

Dealership Employee Retention: Stop the Revolving Door

· Eric Richards · 14 min read
With turnover surpassing 40% and sales consultant churn approaching 80%, the dealership workforce crisis demands more than pizza parties and pep ta...
Employee Retention Workforce Development Dealership Operations
Best Practices

Dealership Lot Management: Stop Losing Keys and Cars

· Eric Richards · 12 min read
Employees spend 30 to 40 minutes every day searching for cars or keys. Buyers are waiting longer for test drives than ever before. The math on poor...
Lot Management Key Management Vehicle Tracking
Best Practices

How CSI Scores Directly Drive Dealership Profitability

· Eric Richards · 14 min read
A 1,500-unit dealership leaves up to $750,000 on the table annually when CSI scores fall short. Here is what the latest J.D. Power and industry dat...
CSI Scores Customer Experience Dealership Profitability
Industry Insights

OMVIC CPD 2026: What Ontario Dealers Need to Do Now

· Eric Richards · 11 min read
Ontario's new mandatory CPD program takes effect in 2026, impacting over 38,000 registrants. No grace period, no exceptions. Here is everything dea...
OMVIC CPD Compliance
Best Practices

The Fixed Ops Playbook for Service Department Revenue

· Eric Richards · 14 min read
Fixed operations accounts for roughly half of total dealership gross profit and is trending upward. This guide covers the metrics, strategies, and ...
Fixed Operations Service Department Revenue Optimization
Technology

Dealership Cybersecurity: Protect Your Business and Data

· Eric Richards · 15 min read
The CDK Global breach shut down 15,000 dealerships and cost the industry over a billion dollars. Here is what every dealer principal needs to know ...
Cybersecurity Data Protection FTC Safeguards Rule
Best Practices

Multi-Rooftop Dealership Operations: A Group Playbook

· Eric Richards · 10 min read
Whether you operate three stores or thirty, the challenge is the same: making every location run like your best one. Here is how dealer groups are ...
Multi-Rooftop Dealer Groups Process Standardization
Industry Insights

Why Early Adopters Shape the Best Dealership Software

· Eric Richards · 2 min read
The most impactful operational improvements come from real dealerships with real constraints. Here's how early adopter partnerships shaped READY HU...
Early Adopters Dealership Software READY HUB
Best Practices

Vehicle Inventory Lifecycle Management: From Arrival to Sale

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Understanding the three stages of vehicle lifecycle — Needs Approval, Active, and Archived — helps dealerships maintain organized, efficient invent...
Inventory Management Vehicle Lifecycle Inventory Software
Best Practices

Vehicle Reconditioning Budget Management Best Practices

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Effective reconditioning budget management separates profitable dealerships from those struggling with margins. Learn how to control costs while ma...
Reconditioning Budget Management Used Vehicles
Technology

Key Management Systems: Cut Wasted Time at Dealerships

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
The average dealership misplaces 5 keys per month at $350+ each to replace. Modern key management integration eliminates lost keys and the time spe...
Key Management Dealership Technology DMS Integration
Industry Insights

Front-Line Readiness Metrics for Faster Vehicle Turns

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Every day a vehicle sits in reconditioning is a day it's not generating revenue. Here's how to measure and improve your front-line readiness.
Front-Line Readiness Metrics Vehicle Turnaround
Technology

DMS Integration Best Practices for Dealership Systems

· Eric Richards · 3 min read
Your DMS holds critical data that other systems need. Here's how to approach integrations that eliminate double-entry and keep information synchron...
DMS Integration DMS API
Best Practices

The Ultimate Guide to the Sold Vehicle Preparation Process

· Eric Richards · 11 min read
The sold vehicle preparation process directly impacts customer satisfaction, CSI scores, and repeat business. Here's how to get every step right.
Sold Vehicle Preparation PDI Reconditioning
Best Practices

How to Maximize Dealership Revenue Through Efficiency

· Eric Richards · 1 min read
The automotive dealership industry faces constant pressure to maintain competitive advantage. Here's how to maximize revenue through operational ef...
Revenue Dealership Profitability Operations
Industry Insights

Orangeville Hyundai Transition: Our First READY HUB Partner

· Eric Richards · 2 min read
As Orangeville Hyundai enters a new ownership chapter under Parker Auto Group, we recognize the dealership's foundational role as READY HUB's first...
Case Study Orangeville Hyundai Dealership Partnership
Product Updates

Streamlining the Sold Vehicle Delivery Process for Dealers

· Eric Richards · 1 min read
How modern dealership software addresses critical challenges in vehicle preparation and delivery operations.
Sold Vehicle Process Vehicle Delivery READY HUB
Industry Insights

Top 5 Canadian Website Providers for Automotive Dealerships

· Eric Richards · 9 min read
Your dealership website is the first touchpoint for most customers. Here's how the top five website providers serving Canadian dealerships compare.
Dealership Websites Website Providers Automotive Websites
Industry Insights

Top 5 Canadian Desking Tools for Automotive Dealerships

· Eric Richards · 9 min read
A good desking tool provides dealerships with the necessary flexibility and control to tailor deals to customer needs and market trends.
Desking Tools Desking Software Dealership Desking
Industry Insights

Top 5 Canadian CRM Providers for Automotive Dealerships

· Eric Richards · 9 min read
Customer Relationship Management software is an integral part of successful automotive dealerships, enabling dealers to manage customer interaction...
CRM Automotive CRM Dealership CRM
Industry Insights

Top 5 Canadian DMS Providers for Automotive Dealerships

· Eric Richards · 8 min read
A Dealership Management System is the operational backbone of every modern dealership. Here's how the top five DMS providers serving Canadian deale...
DMS PBS Systems Serti
Best Practices

Process Optimization and Hardening for Dealerships

· Eric Richards · 6 min read
Transform your dealership into a resilient operation capable of maintaining performance despite personnel changes or market pressures.
Process Optimization Dealership Operations Standardization
Industry Insights

Unlocking the Value of GM's LPO Program for Dealers

· Eric Richards · 9 min read
General Motors' Limited Production Option program enables dealerships to pre-install factory-backed accessories on vehicles before customer deliver...
LPO GM LPO Program Accessories
Best Practices

The High Cost of Small Inefficiencies in Your Dealership

· Eric Richards · 5 min read
A few extra minutes here or there might not seem like much — but multiplied across departments, staff, and days, those minutes become hours and tho...
Dealership Efficiency Operations Process Improvement