Vehicle Service Experts Best Practice: Factbook & Trendlens
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Use Industry Data to Make Smarter Shop Decisions
Topics
Access to data is power — when used wisely. The Auto Care Association provides members with exclusive tools like TrendLens™, the Auto Care Factbook, and the Lang Annual Report to help business owners turn industry insights into practical, profitable decisions
| Resource | What It Provides | How Shop Owners Can Use It |
|---|---|---|
| TrendLens – Economic & Industry Indicators | Access to current industry data including wage rates, retail sales, consumer price indices for vehicle maintenance and repair, producer price indices for vehicle parts, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). | Monitor operational costs, understand consumer spending trends, and evaluate pricing strategies based on current industry data. |
| Auto Care Factbook | Annual report providing a comprehensive overview of the automotive aftermarket including vehicle registrations, industry size, replacement rates, and employment statistics. | Understand the overall health and size of the aftermarket industry and use macro-level data to guide long-term business planning and growth strategies. |
| Lang Aftermarket Annual Report | In-depth data and trend analysis on the automotive service market, including service bay counts and product sales trends. | Identify service market opportunities and benchmark shop operations against industry trends. |
| Joint EV Adoption Forecast & Trends Report | Forecasts and research on electric vehicle adoption and its impact on the automotive aftermarket service industry. | Help shops determine when and how much to invest in EV diagnostics, equipment, and technician training. |
| Joint E-Commerce Forecast & Trends Report | Research on the growth of e-commerce in the aftermarket and how consumers are purchasing automotive parts online. | Understand shifts in purchasing behavior and identify opportunities for parts sourcing, fulfillment, and customer service strategies. |
| Auto Care Legislative Summit | Annual advocacy event where Auto Care members meet with members of Congress and their staff to discuss industry issues and the impact of independent repair shops. | Build relationships with policymakers, advocate for Right to Repair and other industry priorities, and invite legislators to visit your shop to see operations firsthand. |
Understand the Tools
TrendLens™ delivers real-time economic and industry indicators including wage rates, consumer spending, parts and service inflation, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Use it to monitor operational costs, pricing trends, and regional demand patterns.
The Auto Care Factbook provides the annual “big picture” view of the automotive aftermarket — including vehicle registration data, replacement rates, industry employment, and sizing — ideal for benchmarking and long-range planning.
The optional Lang Aftermarket Annual Report dives deeper into service bay counts, product sales trends, and service market shifts, giving an advanced look at performance benchmarks.
Apply Data for Smarter Decisions
Plan strategically: Use Factbook data for SWOT analyses and long-term business planning. Identify market growth areas such as aging vehicles, EV adoption, or changing service mix trends.
Manage costs and wages: Use TrendLens indicators on labor and parts inflation to stay competitive and align technician compensation with market averages.
Price confidently: Compare consumer price indices and dealer benchmarks to ensure your rates reflect true market value while protecting margins.
Forecast demand: Monitor VMT and vehicle age data to anticipate upcoming service needs and adjust staffing, marketing, and inventory accordingly.
Evaluate investments: Use the Joint EV Adoption Forecast and E-Commerce Trends reports to determine when and how to expand into emerging technologies or digital sales channels.
Build a Routine
Monthly: Review TrendLenns dashboards for wage, inflation, and VMT trends.
Quarterly: Reassess pricing, staffing, and marketing strategy in light of current data.
Annually: Incorporate the latest Factbook insights into your business plan and budget to stay aligned with where the aftermarket is headed.
Keep Perspective
While these tools offer powerful macro-level insight, the most effective shops combine ACA data with their own operational KPIs — turning national trends into local action.
From Michael Chung:
"Use the “Economic & Industry Indicators” portion of TrendLens to get the latest data on industry wage rates, retail sales, consumer price indices for motor vehicle maintenance & repair, and producer price indices for motor vehicle parts, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) among many other data points to help you monitor your operational costs and how much consumers are paying to maintain their vehicles."
"Use the Auto Care Factbook to get the big picture on the industry as a whole – vehicle registration data, industry sizing, replacement rates, and industry employment are just a few of the data categories that are included in this annual publication that is available to all members and their employees."
"Members can also purchase the Lang Aftermarket Annual Report to access trend data on the service market (e.g., service bay counts) and product sales."
"Check out the Joint EV Adoption Forecast and Trends reports to learn how continued adoption of EVs will impact the industry, and how much shops should consider investing if they want to grow their services to diagnose and repair these vehicles."
"Also, take a look at the Joint E-commerce Forecast and Trends to understand how much e-commerce has grown over the years, and how consumers are taking to this channel for parts fulfillment."
Factbook:
How do aftermarket repair shops utilize the Auto Care Association Factbook?
Benchmark and Communicate
Compare your shop’s performance — revenue per bay, labor efficiency, average repair order — against industry averages to identify improvement opportunities.
Share key takeaways with your team to build transparency and connect daily operations to larger industry trends.
