April 10, 2014—The National Auto Body Council (NABC) announced on Thursday a goal to donate 300 vehicles to families and service organizations in need through its Recycled Rides program in 2014.
The announcement came during the first day of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meetings in Portland, Ore.
NABC estimates that the collision industry donated nearly 200 vehicles worth over $3 million through Recycled Rides in 2013.
“This is an ambitious but very achievable goal,” said Chuck Sulkala, NABC executive director. “We have a backlog of requests from nonprofits and potential recipients who are desperate for reliable transportation. We also have a very committed and generous membership willing and ready to donate their time, talent and resources. Together, this powerful collaboration is what will drive us to achieve our goal.”
To achieve NABC’s 2014 goal, industry leaders have joined forces to with the Recycled Rides committee to coordinate and streamline resources that make it easier for repair facilities to plan and implement vehicle giveaways in local communities. The committee includes representatives from repair facilities, insurance companies, parts suppliers, paint manufacturers, rental car companies, vehicle manufacturers and other industry stakeholders.
A national database has been created to track all Recycled Rides events, vehicle donations from insurers and rental car companies, parts and materials from suppliers, and requests from nonprofit organizations. The objective is to provide a matchmaking service for all participants to indicate how and where they can best contribute in their specific geographic regions.
“Our goal is to connect repair shops with insurers, rental car companies, parts and material suppliers, so together as an industry, we can more efficiently meet the needs of many individuals, families and organizations without reliable transportation,” said Rick Tuuri, chair of the Recycled Rides program.
According to Tuuri, repair companies interested in participating in Recycled Rides should contact NABC to register for an event. Registration can be submitted online at NationalAutoBodyCouncil.org. Once added into the database, NABC will be able to more effectively track and support the event from start to finish. To participate in Recycled Rides, repair shops must join the NABC at the minimum Bronze membership level.
“The need is great, and Recycled Rides is a powerful catalyst that can change the lives of individuals—both the recipients and those who donate time, talent and resources,” said Tuuri. “We encourage insurers, rental car and fleet companies to donate vehicles to the program. We also encourage any repair shop that is not yet a member to join the National Auto Body Council and make plans for a Recycled Rides event in their local communities.”
