The Blueprint

ALI stands for Automotive Lift Institute. It was formed in 1945 by nine U.S. lift manufacturers who agreed to work together for the common good in order to develop a new trade association. ALI formed out of the concerns over the availability of raw materials used to produce automotive lifts, since many of these materials were on allocation by the government. As a result companies were beginning to use repurposed materials of questionable integrity for the manufacturing of lifts. This lead to concerns by ALI about the quality of the lifts being produced and the safety of lift operators. The focus of ALI today is still the quality of lifts and safety of the operators, which is the foundation of their mission.

To buy or not to buy. That is the question.

Well, that’s the question for fleet owners and managers when it comes to their new trucks. It’s not a new question either. Fleet managers have wrestled with this for decades. It’s a hard question to answer, because the answer fluctuates for many fleet owners as new technologies and new services are introduced.

2018 will definitely bring about change. But what exactly can we look forward to? Still no flying cars like we were promised or hover boards for that matter. Thanks a lot Marty Mcfly!  However, we had a few questions burning at our souls, so we tried our best to answer them. 

We understand that all blogs are not created equal and some have more information that pertains to your shop than others. For us, it stings a little, because we want all of them to be just as informative as the next, but that's just not the case. So as chosen by you, our customers, here at the top 5 blogs for 2017!

Big rig manufacturers are starting to roll out their new 2018 Class 8 trucks. That means it’s time to understand what’s different about the new models, so you’ll know what to look for as they start to roll into your fleet. Heavy Duty Trucking—a.k.a. TruckingInfo.com—recently published a preview of all major manufacturers’ 2018 lineups. We highly recommend you click that link and take an in-depth look for yourself, but let us provide a few of the highlights for you:

When it comes to traditional combustible engines, there are about 2,000 parts that are tasked with performing a job in a harsh environment that strains even the best-engineered systems. The daily heat, pressure and strain on those parts are brutal. Eventually, something is bound to fail. And that means those 2,000 parts are 2,000 potential repair jobs for your shop.

When it comes to competition, you’ve always looked down the street at the nearest independent shops. Of course, service departments at dealerships are technically competitors, too. But after a warranty expires on a vehicle, car owners can be separated into two categories: those who continue to go to the dealership for service and those who become customers of independent shops. You and the shops down the street have always competed for that second kind of customer.

Wheel and tire service accounts for 20% of all aftermarket parts purchases. For decades, many shops have relied on this service as a good source of revenue. That opportunity is becoming even bigger. 

So, after doing all the homework, you have made the right decision and decided to buy a Rotary Lift. Get ready for years of lifting ease. Our lifts have many great options and capabilities. But there’s one thing they cannot do -install themselves. You have a few options when it comes to setup.  1) You can leave it in the shipping material and have a nice piece of abstract art,  2) You can install it yourself, provided you have the correct tools, knowledge and ability or  3) You can call a Rotary Authorized Installer(RAI), and let the pros take care of it. Though it is possible to install a lift on your own, we highly recommend RAIs for several reasons. They are factory trained and re-certified, fully bonded/insured and with the industry’s largest support network, there’s probably one close by.

The days that follow a special event are difficult to handle because we know it will be a full year before we get to experience it again. Some really tough days are December 26^th, the day after your birthday and the Monday after the SEMA Show. Though we can’t make Christmas or your birthday come sooner, we can help you with your SEMA withdrawals. Whether you were lucky enough to make it the show or you drew the short straw and had to stay back, here is a quick Rotary rundown.