March 29, 2021

One evening over a Zoom call, I asked a friend in law enforcement what the most ridiculous assignment he received was. Rather than focusing on any one event, he said speeding tickets stood out because of how many times he got this response: “I’m sorry, officer; I didn’t know how fast I was going.” He said it was comical that these folks thought it would work because “ignorance of the law is never an excuse.” I thought it was the perfect line to introduce this article.

If we learned anything in 2020 in the time of COVID-19, it’s that the internet can do marvelous things. We can have practically anything delivered to our door with a few swipes of a screen, even vehicles. We’ve also learned as consumers that we scrutinize every step of the process, especially delivery fees, transaction fees, and pretty much any other kind of fee that can be added to a purchase. These fees can even stop a consumer from choosing a store or item.

It’s almost here, but we couldn’t wait to tell you about the Scholarship Foundation 2.0!
Together, the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) and its Scholarship Foundation have a rich history of supporting students interested in automotive industry careers. For 26 years, we have fueled a vision to fill the fierce and valuable demand for auto technician and management roles critical to California’s retail automotive industry.

uring the past several months, CNCDA has expanded our outreach to California’s heavy-duty truck dealers. CNCDA held our inaugural meeting of CTD (California Truck Dealers), a CNCDA board of directors committee, on Dec. 2, 2020. Chaired by KC Heidler (President & CEO of Tom’s Truck Center and CNCDA Board member), CTD is designed to enhance CNCDA’s outreach to California’s heavy-duty truck dealers.

While no two digital marketing footprints are the same, there are some common themes, particularly when conducting website “audits.” Websites are a foundational element of any digital marketing strategy, and they can also represent one of the larger fixed expense line items in your budget.

As you may know, in January 2019, CNCDA filed a petition at the New Motor Vehicle Board (NMVB) against Volvo, which alleged that Care by Volvo (its vehicle “subscription” program) violated California law. Our principal concern with Care by Volvo was (and still is) that Volvo is attempting to use the program to illegally compete against its dealers. Volvo offers its most popular vehicles via two-year lease bundled with insurance, maintenance, and wear and tear coverage through the program. The bundle is offered at a price that substantially undercuts dealer lease offerings.

Right up until the very last minute of February 19th, the Legislature’s bill introduction deadline, members were putting bills across the desk in a flurry of activity. Lawmakers have introduced a total of 2,497 bills this year, and we are watching almost 500 of them that could affect dealerships. Of those 500, in consultation with the CNCDA Legislative Committee members, we have identified our top 10 priority bills for immediate dealer engagement.

As we begin to anticipate some normalcy this year, CNCDA staff and dealer leadership are excited to announce that registration for CNCDA’s Annual Convention is now open!