The average scheduling backlog of work at shops around the country was just 1.5 weeks in April, down another 1.5 days from the start of the year. A record-high 24% of shops nationwide reported having no backlog at all, scheduling new work in immediately – a percentage not seen outside of the two quarters of pandemic shutdowns in 2020. The “Who Pays for What?” survey conducted last month by Collision Advice and CRASH Network found that just 7.5% of shops have a backlog of four weeks or more, the lowest such percentage in five years.
The average number of DRP programs held among shops dropped from 2.3 in the first quarter of 2025 to 1.9 in the first quarter of this year, according to data from the latest CRASH Network “Collision Industry Business Perspectives” survey. About 300 shops responding to the survey, about 42% had no DRP agreements in place. Among those that do participate in DRPs, the average shop held agreements with 3.2 different insurers, down slightly from an average of 3.3 DRP agreements they held this time last year. The largest group of DRP shops (50%) have only one or two DRPs. Another 31% participate in three or four programs, and just 20% said they have five or more current DRP agreements. Among all shops, 8% said they had more DRP
agreements now than they did a year ago, with an almost equal percentage (7%) saying they have fewer now than they did last year. Most of shops (85%) have not made any changes to their DRP count over the past 12 months. That’s up from last year when 77% said they had made no changes, driven mostly by the increase this year in the percentage of shops that have had no DRP agreements for a year or more (41% in 2026, up from 34% last year).
The Northwest Auto Care Alliance (NWACA) hosted the 4th Annual CTE Collision Training Expo May 1-2, 2026 at Clover Park Technical College, bringing together collision repair professionals for two days of education, hands-on training and industry collaboration. The event was designed for shop owners, technicians, estimators and educators, with real-world training for immediate application in operations. Instructors included Mike Anderson from Collision Advice and Craig Stevens from CCC Intelligent Solutions. Mike Anderson’s keynote presentation, “Igniting Excellence,” emphasized leadership, accountability and raising the standard of repair across the industry. In addition to classroom and hands-on instruction, this year’s event added a benefit for instructors, who were able to log training clock hours for their participation, reinforcing CTE’s role as an educational platform within the industry. The 2027 CTE Collision Training Expo will return to Clover Park Technical College April 30-May 1, 2027, continuing its commitment to providing practical, skills-based training as the collision repair industry evolves with advancing vehicle technology and increasing repair complexity.
