{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"ADAS Empowered","title":"OEM tools, carrier trust, and the real cost of cutting corners with Darren Sodoski of National Calibrations and Diagnostics","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4415,"description":"Joel Adcock sits down with Darren Sodoski, co-founder of National Calibrations and Diagnostics and CIO of ProMobile and Scan, to talk about what it actually takes to do ADAS work correctly and build a business around it. Darren grew up in his family's collision shop, nearly went into IT and networking, and found that ADAS and diagnostics were the perfect intersection of both worlds. His perspective is shaped by years of reading OEM engineering documents, performing mobile sublet services, and building carrier relationships through transparency rather than conflict.The conversation covers why a \"successful\" calibration screen doesn't always mean a safe one, what shops get wrong about setup and execution, and how Darren's team handles the gray area between required and recommended procedures (they perform the work and eat the cost if reimbursement doesn't come through). Darren also walks through the 360 OEM laptop he spent 18 months engineering to consolidate every manufacturer's diagnostic software onto a single device, and explains how short-term licensing makes OEM tools financially accessible for shops that only see certain brands a few times a year.What we discuss:Why reading OEM service information is the most underused (and most valuable) resource in the industryHow modern vehicles are diagnostic networks on wheels and why technicians need to understand the science behind the sensorsThe difference between a calibration that passes and one that's actually safeMakeshift target setups, gravel parking lots, and why some calibrations may be more dangerous than skipping the procedure entirelyToyota's retroactive service information changes and how they caught shops off guardRequired vs. recommended: how Darren's service company approaches gray-area calibrationsBuilding carrier relationships through transparency, documentation, and being a diagnostic resourceHow early overbilling in the ADAS space created lasting skepticism from insurersThe 360 OEM laptop:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/ON__K_hKM73CNv6V4-2lDGP9rEkwcqKp4j7JSI4T9XQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jNTMx/MjhmNmM1ZDQ3ODZl/MjMxNmIxMDEzOGM2/MjljYS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}