"The Monroe Ride-and-Drive was a phenomenal experience for our guests," says XL Parts Director of Marketing Robert Roos. "The folks from Tenneco set up an elaborate driving course covering half of our parking lot. Our customers found it entertaining and educational; there was always a long line of people who wanted to take advantage of it."

The Monroe Ride-and-Drive experience enables automotive professionals to compare the steering, stopping and stability characteristics of late model vehicles equipped with worn original equipment ride control units and identical vehicles fitted with new Monroe replacement shocks and struts. The program is expected to train more than 7,000 automotive professionals in at least 39 major North American markets this year.

Distributors sponsoring a Ride-and-Drive session commonly report substantial increases in sales of Monroe products within their markets. "We usually see a sales spike in key product lines after our open house, and the Monroe sales spike has been very significant in each of the past two years," Roosadds.

The XL Parts Open House attracted more than 1,400 automotive service professionals to the company's Houston distribution center. In addition to hosting the Ride-and-Drive experience, the open house featured exhibits from dozens of other aftermarket manufacturers. There were also ASE Master-certified instructors on-site who helped participants learn how to communicate the importance of periodic ride control inspections and replacement.

For more information about Tenneco's Monroe Ride-and-Drive training experience, visit the company's Web site.