At 3 a.m. on a winter morning, when most Coloradans are still asleep, our shuttle drivers at Peak 1 Express are loading up chains, checking tires, and prepping for another icy run up to Summit County and the Vail Valley.<\/p>\n
As CEO of this mountain-based transportation company, I\u2019ve spent 14 years helping travelers safely reach the Rockies in every kind of weather imaginable. Our reputation is built on reliability — but that reliability depends on something most travelers never think about: the ability to maintain and repair our fleet quickly when something goes wrong. For small operators like us, that\u2019s getting harder every year.<\/p>\n
With dozens of vans and buses in our fleet, ongoing maintenance is unavoidable. The mountain environment is harsh on vehicles: long climbs, freezing temperatures, and heavy snowfall can cause issues, such as accelerated brake wear. Regular inspections and winter preparations keep us ready, but even the best upkeep can\u2019t prevent surprises. When a vehicle breaks down, getting it back on the road is crucial.<\/p>\n
In recent years, big automakers have made it more challenging for independent repair shops or even small businesses like mine to perform needed repair work. Manufacturers now tightly control access to vehicle repair and maintenance data, forcing us all to rely on their exclusive service networks for slower, costlier repairs.<\/p>\n
While we perform most fixes internally, we rely on trusted independent shops for specialized work, such as body damage. Still, we end up spending six figures every year at pricey manufacturer-affiliated service centers. Those dollars could support our workforce, vehicle upgrades, or additional routes–but instead disappear into systems that keep small operators manufacturer-dependent.<\/p>\n
And these challenges aren\u2019t hypothetical–they play out in real time. For example, we regularly encounter issues with nitrogen oxide (NOx) sensors. While our team can easily replace a failed sensor, we cannot clear the code, which causes the van to enter \u201climp mode\u201d and prevents it from reaching highway speeds. When that happens, we have no choice but to tow the vehicle from Breckenridge or Avon to Westminster (114 miles each way) so a manufacturer-approved service center can reset the code. A simple software reset means hours of service downtime and losing a vehicle we urgently need during peak travel times.<\/p>\n
The same thing happens with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves: even after we replace the clogged valve, the van stays in a reduced power mode until we can get it to the nearest manufacturer service bay to clear the code. It\u2019d be almost laughable if these issues didn\u2019t occur so frequently, considering our own ASA-certified mechanics can\u2019t access the proprietary scan tools required to reset a vehicle\u2019s computer.<\/p>\n
Independent repairers and small business owners aren\u2019t asking for shortcuts. We\u2019re asking for a level playing field, where everyone who owns or operates a vehicle can access the repair information needed to maintain it. That\u2019s why we need clear national rules that let fleets like ours keep turning the wheels of Colorado\u2019s tourism economy.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m proud to see many of our leaders in Washington supporting the REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566\/S. 1379), a bipartisan bill that would ensure small businesses, fleets, and independent repair shops have equal access to repair information automakers already share within their exclusive repair networks. It\u2019s a commonsense step that protects competition, supports local jobs, and makes sure drivers — not manufacturers — choose who services their vehicles. Boosting competition will also help lower costs, an issue that’s top of mind for me and many American families today.<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re a mechanic, a small business owner, or someone simply trying to keep your car running affordably, this issue concerns you. All we ask is the freedom to keep doing that work–to maintain our vehicles, serve our customers, and keep Colorado and its travelers moving. Congress should pass the REPAIR Act and stand up for small businesses that keep our roads, economy, and communities connected.<\/p>\n
Alison\u00a0Mathes is CEO of The Outlaw Group, a collection of tourism and travel companies serving Colorado, including Peak 1 Express. She has been in the industry for 14 years and lives in Frisco, CO.<\/em><\/p>\n Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more. <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online<\/a> or check out our guidelines<\/a> for how to submit by email or mail.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At 3 a.m. on a winter morning, when most Coloradans are still asleep, our shuttle drivers at Peak 1 Express are loading up chains, checking tires, and prepping for another icy run up to Summit County <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columnists"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}