The Field Notes Library

40 Articles. Hundreds of Reps. One Sharper Estimate.

The evergreen companion to the daily ADAS Brew newsletter. Long-form takes on calibration, OEM procedures, insurance denials, and the calls that make or break shop margins. Free. No email required to read.

Business

How ADAS Mastery Builds a Premium Shop Reputation -and Justifies Higher Rates

In a competitive market, the collision shops that thrive long-term are the ones that own a specific area of expertise that their customers v...

January 2025Read →
Technical

Why ADAS Calibrations Fail: The 6 Most Common Reasons

A calibration that appears complete but isn't is worse than no calibration at all -because it creates a false sense of security. The vehicle...

February 2025Read →
Operations

OEM Repair Procedures: Where to Find Them and How to Use Them

OEM repair procedures are the legal standard for every collision repair in the United States. When a vehicle is repaired to OEM specificatio...

February 2025Read →
Technical

360-Degree Surround View Camera Systems: Calibration Complexity Most Shops Miss

Surround view systems -sometimes called bird's-eye view or top-view camera systems -are increasingly standard on trucks, SUVs, and premium s...

March 2025Read →
Operations

Training Your Estimators on ADAS: The One Investment That Pays for Itself

The ADAS calibration gap in most collision shops doesn't start in the bay. It starts at the estimating desk. Estimators who don't understand...

March 2025Read →
Technical

ADAS Calibration for BMW, Mercedes, and Audi: What Makes Luxury Vehicles Different

European luxury vehicles from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi are among the most ADAS-equipped vehicles on the road -and among the most demandi...

April 2025Read →
Insurance

Fighting Back on ADAS Supplement Denials: What Works

Insurance companies are pushing back on ADAS calibration charges more aggressively than ever. First-level adjusters are trained to question ...

April 2025Read →
Technical

Night Vision and Thermal Imaging Systems in Modern Vehicles

Night vision and thermal imaging systems are no longer exclusive to ultra-luxury vehicles. While they started as flagship features on high-e...

April 2025Read →
Technical

Why Wheel Alignment Always Requires ADAS Recalibration

There's a misconception in the industry that wheel alignment and ADAS calibration are separate, unrelated services. They're not. When wheel ...

May 2025Read →
Business

The Real Cost of Bringing ADAS Calibration In-House

Equipment vendors make in-house ADAS calibration sound like a straightforward investment: buy the equipment, train a tech, keep the revenue....

May 2025Read →
Technical

Rear Collision Warning and Cross-Traffic Alert: Calibration After Rear-End Repairs

Rear-end collisions are the single most common type of vehicle accident in the United States. They're also the repair type most likely to in...

May 2025Read →
Technical

CAN Bus Faults After Collision: What They Mean and How to Fix Them

CAN bus -Controller Area Network -is the communication backbone of modern vehicles. Every module on the vehicle talks to every other module ...

June 2025Read →
Business

How to Choose an ADAS Calibration Vendor: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Commit

The mobile ADAS calibration market has grown fast -and not all providers are equal. Some show up with OEM-level equipment and fully trained ...

June 2025Read →
Technical

Module Programming After Collision Repair: What It Is and Why It Matters

When a control module is damaged in a collision and needs to be replaced, the new module doesn't just bolt in and start working. It needs to...

June 2025Read →
Technical

ADAS Calibration for Electric Vehicles: Key Differences Every Shop Should Know

Electric vehicles are arriving at collision shops in growing numbers -and they bring ADAS configurations and calibration requirements that d...

July 2025Read →
Operations

Pre and Post Scans: Why They're Non-Negotiable on Every Repair

The pre and post scan has become the single most important document in collision repair. More than the estimate. More than the parts invoice...

July 2025Read →
Technical

Parking Sensor Calibration: The Most Overlooked Step in Bumper Repairs

Walk through any collision shop and you'll find bumper replacements happening every day. Walk through the documentation for those repairs an...

July 2025Read →
Insurance

How to Bill ADAS Calibration to Insurance -and Actually Get Paid

Insurance companies will pay for ADAS calibration. The evidence is clear -calibration is required by OEMs, it's a legitimate part of the rep...

August 2025Read →
Technical

Tesla ADAS Calibration: What Every Collision Shop Needs to Know

Tesla vehicles present unique calibration challenges that many collision shops aren't prepared for. With millions of Teslas on the road and ...

August 2025Read →
Technical

Windshield Replacement and ADAS: Why the Camera Always Needs Recalibration

Windshield replacement is one of the most common services in the automotive industry. It's also one of the most commonly mishandled when it ...

August 2025Read →
Industry

The Future of ADAS: What's Coming and How to Prepare Your Shop

The ADAS technology in today's vehicles is impressive -but it's a preview of what's coming. The next decade will bring significantly more so...

September 2025Read →
Technical

SRS and Airbag Systems: Critical Calibration Steps After a Crash

Airbag systems are the most safety-critical component in any collision repair. When they deploy in an accident, they save lives. When they f...

September 2025Read →
Revenue

Key Programming After Collision Repair: Revenue You Might Be Missing

Key programming is one of the most consistently overlooked revenue opportunities in collision repair. Every time a customer needs a replacem...

September 2025Read →
Safety

What Happens When ADAS Goes Uncalibrated? Real-World Consequences

The argument for ADAS calibration is often made in abstract terms -liability, documentation, OEM requirements. But the real case for calibra...

October 2025Read →
Operations

Building ADAS Calibration Into Your Repair Workflow

One of the most common mistakes collision shops make with ADAS calibration is treating it as a last step -something to deal with when the ve...

October 2025Read →
Business

Mobile ADAS Calibration vs. In-Shop: Which Is Right for Your Business?

As ADAS calibration has become a standard requirement in collision repair, shop owners face a decision: invest in in-house calibration equip...

October 2025Read →
Industry

The Rise of ADAS: How Modern Vehicles Are Changing Collision Repair

A decade ago, ADAS was a luxury feature found on high-end vehicles. Today, it's standard equipment on virtually every new car, truck, and SU...

November 2025Read →
Technical

Adaptive Cruise Control: What Happens When It's Not Calibrated?

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is one of the most driver-relied-upon ADAS features in modern vehicles. Unlike traditional cruise control that...

November 2025Read →
Insurance

How ADAS Calibration Affects Insurance Claims and Supplements

The insurance industry's relationship with ADAS calibration has evolved significantly over the last five years. Where insurers once pushed b...

November 2025Read →
Operations

The Top 5 ADAS Systems Most Often Missed After Collision Repairs

With the complexity of modern ADAS systems and the pace of a busy collision shop, certain calibrations get missed more often than others. So...

December 2025Read →
Equipment

Why OEM-Level Tools Are Non-Negotiable for ADAS Calibration

The diagnostic tool market is full of aftermarket options that promise broad vehicle coverage and ADAS calibration capability at a fraction ...

December 2025Read →
Technical

Blind Spot Monitoring Calibration: A Complete Overview

Blind spot monitoring (BSM) has become one of the most popular ADAS features among drivers -and one of the most frequently triggered by coll...

December 2025Read →
Technical

Lane Departure Warning Systems: When and Why They Need Calibration

Lane departure warning (LDW) and lane keeping assist (LKA) are among the most widely deployed ADAS features in modern vehicles. They rely on...

January 2026Read →
Technical

Radar Calibration 101: A Collision Shop's Guide

Radar sensors are the workhorses of modern ADAS. Unlike cameras, which rely on visible light and can be affected by weather, radar uses radi...

January 2026Read →
Technical

Forward-Facing Camera Calibration: Everything Your Shop Needs to Know

The forward-facing camera is the heart of most modern ADAS systems. Mounted behind the windshield -typically near the rearview mirror -it fe...

January 2026Read →
Operations

Why Dealership Wait Times Are Killing Your Cycle Time

For years, the default approach to ADAS calibration for many collision shops was simple: send it to the dealer. Let them handle it. Pick it ...

February 2026Read →
Business

How ADAS Calibration Protects Your Shop from Liability

Liability protection in collision repair used to be about quality welds, proper paint adhesion, and correct panel alignment. Today, it inclu...

February 2026Read →
Technical

Static vs. Dynamic ADAS Calibration: What's the Difference?

One of the most common questions collision shops have about ADAS calibration is simple: what does the process actually look like? The answer...

February 2026Read →
Liability

The Hidden Cost of Skipping ADAS Calibration After a Collision Repair

When a shop skips ADAS calibration after a collision repair, the immediate cost seems like zero. The vehicle goes out the door. The customer...

March 2026Read →
ADAS Basics

What Is ADAS Calibration? A Complete Guide for Collision Shops

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have become standard equipment on virtually every new vehicle sold in the United States. Lane depa...

March 2026Read →

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