Trevose, PA, April 22, 2015 –Three CEI Group Inc. (CEI) appraisers have completed a one-day review of aluminum repairs on the all-new2015 Ford F-150 pickup truck at Ford’s corporate campus outside Detroit, CEI announced today.
Greg Neuman, CEI’s senior manager of quality control, attended the session in Dearborn, Michigan, with two of his appraisers, Guy Marchesani and Vance Tshudy, both of whom have extensive prior hands-on repair shop experience in aluminum repairs.
The day-long visit included a detailed two-hour presentation by Ford engineers and technicians on the the new F-150, which makes more extensive use of aluminum parts than any other mass-production vehicle. Prior models of the pickup truck, consisting mostly of parts made of steel, have been among the most popular fleet vehicles in North America.
Following the presentation, Neuman and his colleagues visited one of Ford’s collision repair shops, which featured a color-coded cutaway model of the new truck. Mr. Neuman said Ford engineers and repair experts explained the techniques, materials and equipment necessary to making high-quality and safe repairs.
“They went into great detail on a number of parts and procedures, down to the right rivets and glues, the different types of welds, and the maximum temperatures for welding,” said Mr. Neuman. Although his department had already taken the ICAR course on repairing the new vehicle, “this one-day course gave us even greater insight, particularly in being able to evaluate repair shops’ qualifications to repair the new F-150 and the quality of the work they will be doing.”
Mr. Neuman’s department reviews shop estimates for every repair CEI manages, to uncover cost savings and assure high-quality workmanship. In 2014, CEI saved its fleet customers $15.8 million in collision repair expenses.
About CEI
CEI is a fleet driver management company that provides vehicle accident, driver safety and risk management services. Its vendor network consists of some 4,000 collision repair shops in North America, and includes nearly 1,000 truck collision repair centers. Its customers include self-insured, commercial, and institutional and government fleets, directly and through alliances with fleet leasing companies. CEI also provides vehicle direct repair program outsourcing to leading property and casualty insurance companies.
Founded in 1983, CEI has its headquarters In near Philadelphia in Trevose, PA, near Philadelphia, and field sales offices in, Tulsa, OK, Atlanta, GA, and Minneapolis, MN. For more information about CEI, please visit cei-network.local.
CEI licensed appraisers at Ford's F-150 Repair Overview. From left, Vance Tshudy, Guy Marchesani, and Greg Neuman.
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