Urea Not as Safe as Advertised

Urea Not as Safe as Advertised
Post from Truckers News, June 2009

I'm a veteran of more than 50 years in the trucking business, with 40 of those years spent as an owner-operator. Since I retired about two years ago, I have been testing the new 2010 Detroit Diesel with this "diesel fluid" tank, as you call it.We call it urea.

Though it is not classified as a hazardous material by the DOT and your source, Mr. Jim Spooner of Colonial Chemicals in New Jersey, says it is safe and inexpensive, you do a disservice to us all by not getting the facts right and taking one source as your proof.

The Material Safety Data Sheet provides the following guidelines for what to do if you come into contact with urea: Move to fresh air if inhaled and provide artificial respiration if needed; wash skin with soap and water, and if there is a rash contact physician right away; flush eyes immediately with water for 15 minutes. If it catches fire, it will burn a strong ammonia smell (carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide) — avoid breathing the fumes. Wear personal protective equipment, wear safety glasses and rubber gloves and use in a well-ventilated area. Toxic inhalation may cause respiratory tract problems, and it can be irritating to the eyes.

I personally had some of this stuff blow out of the plastic tank and onto the hot muffler, and the smell was so bad I began to stop breathing. I had to get out of the truck immediately the odor of ammonia was so strong. When filling the urea tanks if they spill over it must be cleaned up immediately or fluffy white foamy residue will form on the tanks, and you must wear safety glasses, rubber gloves and clothing protection when you fill up these tanks. I know; I have been doing this for two years, and it is not as safe as you want truckers to believe. So with all due respect, get your facts straight and retract what you said in Truckers News, or at least check it out and print a follow-up.

I will be looking for it. Many truckers are going to get sick, hurt or maybe even die if they are not trained on how to use this product. I am trained, and it's not as easy as you try to make it out to be. It can be very dangerous even though DOT has not classified it as a hazmat product.

Rob Williams
Gresham, Ore.

SEMA: Enthusiasts Shifting to Personalize Used Over New Vehicles

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. -- SEMA recently highlighted the market swing from new to used vehicles with industry experts continuing to lower their forecasts as new-vehicle sales fall for 2009. For example, in February, J.D. Power predicted 2009 total new-vehicle sales to reach a mere 10.4 million units, down 1 million units from its forecast of just a month prior.

And in late March, R.L. Polk released results from a survey showing that 70 percent of consumers plan to purchase a used vehicle for their next ride.

These same consumers surveyed also noted that they plan to keep their current vehicle longer—56.3 months compared to 49 from six years ago. So what does this all mean for the aftermarket? Consumers are either holding onto the vehicle they currently own or, if they need to buy another vehicle, may plan to go used instead of new, according to newly released SEMA research.

Of those surveyed in 2008, many of the most-popular vehicles were utility vehicles and performance cars.

SEMA has been following enthusiast trends for several years via its Automotive Lifestyles Study. Each year, subscribers to automotive enthusiast magazines, as well as visitors to several automotive Web sites and forums, are surveyed about their automotive and specialty-equipment buying habits.

More than 3,000 enthusiasts have been surveyed each year and the percentage of enthusiasts that originally purchased their vehicle used has grown—72 percent of enthusiasts drove used cars in 2008, up from 67 percent in 2007 and 54 percent in 2005.

In 2009, the trend appears to be continuing, providing opportunities for specialty-equipment businesses. In a recent survey of enthusiasts who purchased a used vehicle in 2008, 38 percent attributed their main motivation to being "cost/price."

Of this group, nearly six out of 10 (57 percent) purchased custom parts or accessories. When asked how much money they had spent during the course of the year, the average amount was $1,375 per person, just slightly below the traditional average. Even though consumers are shifting their spending away from new vehicles to used ones, their priorities for personalizing their vehicles appear to be unwavering, according to SEMA.

For more information call (800) 697-7702, ext. 30005 or visit www.ts-mag.com/info/30005.

Article from SEMA eNews:Top-Selling Pickups Still Popular for Customization

SEMA eNews, Vol. 12, No. 11 - Mar 19, 2009

Top-Selling Pickups Still Popular for Customization

Last month, 11.4% (index = 43) of consumers surveyed said that they planned to purchase custom parts and accessories for their vehicle sometime within the next three months, according to the February SEMA Performance Parts and Accessories Demand Index (PADI). This is actually an increase from a January index of 36, or roughly 9.6% of consumers making purchase plans.

Of those consumers making purchase plans, 18.3% said that they plan to modify a pickup, up from 15.9% in January and the highest vehicle segment targeted for customization last month.

Pickup sales have been down. In February, sales declined 54% with several of the top-selling pickups last month experiencing an even greater dip. Still, as pickup sales plummet, one question arises: Why does the SEMA PADI show that the most popular vehicles targeted for future customization plans are still pickups?

Simply put, the number of pickups currently on the road today represents nearly one quarter (21%) of all of the vehicles registered in the United States. According to September 2008 data from Experian Automotive, current vehicle registrations included more than 51 million pickups registered.

The second table below shows a breakdown of these pickups by make. Specialty-equipment manufacturers and retailers hurting from the decline in new pickup sales could still find opportunity for sales growth in products for older pickups because owners are looking to make their current pickup last longer.

This could include enhancing the appearance, utility and performance with custom parts and accessories. Vehicle registration data is now available to SEMA members at no charge. To obtain data for any make, model or year of any vehicle in the United States and learn which older vehicle markets may be worth diversifying into, contact the SEMA Research & Information Center at research@sema.org.

Total pickup sales declined 54% in February compared to the same period last year. The Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-Series light-duty pickups outsold all other pickups last month.

There are currently more than 17 million Ford pickups registered in the United States today, the highest pickup make of the more than 51 million trucks currently registered. — SEMA Research & Information Center

Indiana Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Finalist

Indiana Small Business of the Year, Legislative Champions Honored

February 18, 2009 (INDIANAPOLIS) — An Indianapolis-based company that provides analytical testing and research for professionals in the health care industry was honored today as the state’s 2009 Small Business of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. AIT Laboratories was chosen from a field of more than 50 nominees. Other top small businesses from throughout the state as well as legislative advocates for the small business community were also recognized at the annual awards luncheon held in downtown Indianapolis.

“AIT Laboratories really stood out in several ways. Its overall business growth – in terms of both revenue and employees – was simply tremendous,” offers Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. It was also impressive to see the many and varied ways it takes care of and rewards employees for doing a good job.”

Among AIT’s self-labeled “cultural initiatives”: a wellness program, paid registration fees to community events, profit sharing, flexible work hours, up to $5,000 tuition reimbursement, free gym memberships and various staff picnics, barbecues and outings.

Founded nearly 20 years ago by Michael A. Evans, AIT Laboratories started with five employees; today that count exceeds 200. In 2008, AIT saw its revenue grow over 100%; for the record-breaking year, employees were given nearly $3 million in bonuses. AIT also added more than 90 employees, doubled its national sales force and entered 17 new markets.

Companies recognized as finalists for Small Business of the Year were: Elwood Staffing Services, headquartered in Columbus; Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service of New Castle; MonoSol of Merrillville; Scorpion Coatings of Cloverdale; and Unified Group Services of Anderson.

Semi-finalists for the award were: Allied Specialty Precision of Mishawaka; Heraeus Electro-Nite Company of Peru; Matrix Integration of Jasper; MD Logistics of Plainfield; Roembke Manufacturing & Design of Ossian; and Simulex of West Lafayette.

“We are proud of the ongoing efforts of all the winning companies and the small business community at-large. These companies impact all of us. They contribute to many working families’ income, to the prosperity of respective communities and to the entire state’s economic competitiveness,” Brinegar notes.

The Small Business of the Year award is open to all Hoosier companies with 250 employees or fewer.

In addition, five state legislators were given the Indiana Chamber’s 2008-2009 Small Business Champion Award for their dedication to bettering Indiana’s business climate for small employers. The Small Business Champions are:

- Sen. Connie Lawson (R-Danville), District #24
- Sen. Vi Simpson (D-Bloomington), District #40
- Rep. Jeb Bardon (D-Indianapolis), District #25
- Rep. Richard Dodge (R-Pleasant Lake), District #51
- Rep. Sean Eberhart (R-Shelbyville), District #57

“The efforts of these legislators helped protect the small business community from burdensome regulations and also assisted in providing avenues for success,” Brinegar praises.

The Small Business Champion awards have been given annually since 1993.

The luncheon also included a keynote by the Daniels administration’s Mitch Roob, Indiana’s Secretary of Commerce and CEO of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, who spoke about the important role of small businesses in the state’s economy.

The sponsor for the Small Business Awards Luncheon was Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

More information is available about 2009 Small Business of the Year AIT Laboratories in the November/December issue of BizVoice magazine at www.bizvoicemagazine.com.

Scorpion Truck Bed Linings attains ISO Certification

Scorpion Protective Coatings, Inc. is proud to announce that it has attained ISO 9001:2000 certification. The certification was officially granted on October 18, 2008. Scorpion’s registration is in respect to the following scope of supply: Design, Mixing and Distribution of Polyurethane Coatings and Modification of Spray Guns for Automotive, OEM, Retail and Military Industries.

All of Scorpion’s brands will be included under this registration including Scorpion Truck Bed Linings, Al’s Liner, Scorpion FR, Scorpion ZBG and Foam Kote. Scorpion is very proud of this distinction and this certification acts as a guarantee to all of Scorpion’s dealers and applicators that all of Scorpion’s products will be of the highest quality.

Scorpion has always been known for the uniqueness of its coatings, constant innovation in the bed liner industry and unparalleled customer service. ISO Certification is not a reward denoting these accomplishments, but rather a standard to pursue even further excellence.

Isocyanates in a Bottle

How do you sell a product that is not safe? The answer is simple. Don’t disclose the hazards until after the sale. Maybe not even then, if the customer can’t read.

EZ Liner does exactly that with their 2 versions – QwikLiner and Pro-Liner. Qwikliner is a low grade version of Pro-Liner or maybe it’s the other way around. It doesn’t matter. What is important is that they both contain extremely high levels of isocyanates. How many people have been duped into buying EZ Liner or QwikLiner or Pro-Liner only to find out they needed a supplied air breathing system to apply the stuff? Ultimate Lining Suppliers sure aren’t going to volunteer the information.

It’s only a matter of time before OSHA or the EPA uncover this “omission”. It may take a fatality but it will happen. Until then though – it’s up to the buyers to figure it out.

Scorpion Marketing Tips

Scorpion Marketing 101

Everyone has heard the old adage about “long after the sweet taste of low prices is gone the bitter tastes of poor quality remain”, but what if you can have low prices and high quality. Scorpion offers just that. Scorpion competitors can offer low prices but not without severely lowering quality.

The Scorpion Bed Liners you spray and sell are your best advertising for tomorrow. Rhino Linings, Line-X, Reflex Liners, Vortex and others can’t say that. They may be able to give the customer cheap, but they can’t offer good and cheap. It’s doubtful they can ever be less expensive than Scorpion even at their cheapest.

So let’s start with that! Know your cost and price accordingly but remember – every truck bed you spray is an investment in your future. Make money on every lining you install but know that every lining will sell more liners. Make sure you install the Scorpion sticker in the back window so that bed liner can make its own statement. If you don’t know your costs, call a Scorpion Tech. Rep. and they’ll be happy to go over it with you. Scorpion has Tech Reps dedicated to helping you! That’s their job and what they like to do and get paid for.

So what’s the best way to start? We suggest road signage and working local shows. We work 5 local shows per year, 3 fairs and 2 horse shows. They always produce. It doesn’t take much to do a show – it’s mostly a time thing. One of the local truck dealers gives us a truck to use – they get free advertisement and a free bed liner but you get to show off your product in a $40,000 truck. Scorpion will donate the materials for your efforts so you’re just out the labor and the show costs.

We’ll be discussing other ways to promote the Scorpion product but nothing has the impact of shows. Scorpion Bed Liners are a see – feel – touch type of product.

If the customer will to these 3 things, they’ll buy from you!