The car represents so many things to so many Americans. It’s the excitement and freedom of getting your first car. It’s the ability to go on a date to the drive-ins. It’s the convenience of chauffeuring your kids to a soccer game. It’s the hobby that consumes your weekends. In summer 2020, the car is becoming the primary mode of travel.
As I write this post, I am on my first road trip since the Covid-19 outbreak. Could I have flown? Sure. Did I want to fly? Absolutely not. Cramped aisles, limited personal space and an airport that's anything but contactless — you can see why folks like myself would stray from traveling this way.
For major airlines who lost 90% of their customer base in just three months, the latest economic demand shock has been a sucker-punch.
On the contrary, road trips are on the rise. They are a safe way for people to get their wanderlust on and create memories in 2020. If you are in the auto repair industry, you get to be part of helping people create those memories and find that sense of normalcy by helping to keep their cars on the road.
Less flying, more road trips.
In 2020, the number of air travelers has already halved from the year prior. Researchers expect this trend to continue for years.
With heightened concerns around safety and fear of sharing an enclosed space with strangers, the commercial aviation industry will be fighting an uphill battle not only to survive, but to rekindle faith in wary travelers (source).
It's hard to say when market recovery will begin — in the United States and abroad, Covid-19 travel restrictions are still holding steady. Even when restrictions are lifted, widespread trauma will lead people to give preference to isolated forms of travel. That means plenty of hand sanitizer, a pause on high fives, and more road trips than ever before.
Naturally, more road trips means more auto repair and that's something that auto shops must prepare for.
More road trips, more auto repair. Is your shop prepared?
It's summertime, and people who are used to vacationing during this season have some serious ants in their pants. Who knows, maybe you're one of them.
With the news that the EU likely won't allow Americans in anytime soon, that means continental road trips for the win.
This is a time when travelers fear flying (and rightfully so — who wants to have some stranger open-mouth snoring on their shoulder at a time like this?). As a result of this fear, auto repair technicians will be the backbone of the American soul.
Shopmonkey repair shop software is here to help you go contactless to keep your clients and employees safe while streamlining your shop to handle an influx of road-trippers and their cars. This year, travel may look different, but let’s partner together to make sure that people can enjoy some travel — feeling safe in their cars.
