Massachusetts Right To Repair Covers Commercial Vehicles

Massachusetts' governor has signed a law that includes heavy-duty vehicles in the nation's first "right to repair" law.

On Nov. 22, the Massachusetts state legislature reconciled differences between two laws that were on the books in the state that mandated that vehicle manufacturers provide affordable access to all tools, software and information used to repair-late model vehicles.

House Bill 3757 grants access to information for all vehicles including commercial vehicles. In a statement, The Right To Repair Coalition said, “This bill ... will be the first time a law recognizes the right for commercial vehicle owners and independent repair shops to have the necessary computer information to effectively complete repairs of commercial vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks.”

In an exclusive interview with Heavy Duty Trucking/Truckinginfo.com, Marc Karon, president of Total Truck Parts, past president of the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network, and chairman of the Right To Repair Coalition said, “We are happy with the progress we have made, but we have a lot of work ahead of us."

Karon said it was the collective effort of members of the Coalition that were instrumental in informing people about the need to include heavy-duty trucks in the bill.

Last summer the Massachusetts state legislature passed the nation’s first “Right to Repair” law, but it excluded vehicles over 10,000 pounds. However, in November, state voters overwhelmingly approved a different version of the law, which included all motor vehicles sold in the state.

The Right to Repair Coalition consists of 10 associations and marketing groups whose members are engaged in businesses serving the commercial vehicle aftermarket.

Related Stories:

July 2013: Right To Repair Update July

September 2012: Aftermarket Groups Say Adding Heavy-Duty Could Have Derailed Mass. Right to Repair

August 2012: Massachusetts Right to Repair Bill Excludes Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks