D&R Intensive Car Care partnered with the GS APEX program to teach student athletes basic car maintenance and emergency car care tips. They met at Paulson Stadium recently and set up five vehicle stations to go over care for several different models and types of vehicles including Asian, European, and American vehicles.
Each vehicle station had a service advisor teaching the groups basic car maintenance which includes basic fluid inspections, service times for their vehicles, when to use AAA, when to make a phone call to dad, and how to make sure they are safe while traveling.
D&R Team members who helped with the class were:
- Joey Baynes
- Kelly Alva
- Erica Driggers
- Taylor Driggers, Co-Owner
- Courtland Ranken
Practical car care tips
Each service advisor went over ways to make sure the students knew how to inspect their vehicle for things like low tire pressure before they take a trip and fluid levels -- just to make sure everything is safe that way. They went through warning lights so that if there is a warning light on, they now understand what that light represents so they can make an educated decision off of that.
Emergency care was covered as well. They went over which vehicles you can and cannot use jumper cables on (like EV and hybrids) and the proper use of jumper cables. The team also covered the spare tire locations so everyone knew where their spare tire is and the jack location if they have them.
"We are always trying to provide students with real world experiences. We wanted to give students an opportunity to learn about cars and car maintenance. A lot of time if something happens to a student's car, they immediately call mom or dad or AAA. We want to prepare them in case they can't reach their parents to have the experience to figure out what to do," said Gleen Hart, APEX (Athletes Preparing for Employment eXperiences). "We are grateful to D&R for bringing their team out to show the students basic car maintenance and how to mange emergencies, which helps them prepare for life once they leave college."
APEX is an organization committed to the holistic growth of all Georgia Southern Student-Athletes based on four pillars: life skills, leadership development, career growth and community engagement. The goal of the program is to help prepare them for life after sports.
"One of the best recommendations I can give parents who are sending students off to Georgia Southern is to get AAA insurance. This makes life easy. If it is a jump start or tire change or something along those lines, they can handle it. It is a very inexpensive insurance to have to protect your child while they are on the road," said Ray Driggers, Co-Owner of D&R. "If they are at the University or if they are at home, whatever local mechanic you choose to use, just make sure they know how to make an appointment and get their vehicle to them."
Ray Driggers stressed that they treat their customers like family at D&R and that he treats students as if they were his own children. In fact, Driggers's children Tayor Driggers and Erica Driggers are active in the family-owned business. Taylor is the General Manager and co-owner with Ray Driggers.
Each student received a gift bag with helpful car items including:
- Tread depth gage
- Earphones
- Synovus cups
- D-ring
- Key binders
- Basic tool kit
- Tire pressure gauge
It also included a vehicle checklist.
List of things to check weekly:
- Inspect dash warning lights and gauges
- Tax expiration
- Vehicle exterior lighting
- Inspect wipers
- Engine oil level and condition
- Engine coolant level and condition
- Power steering fluid level and condition
- Brake fluid levels and condition
- Inspect drive belts
- Inspect front and rear tires
List of things to do every 5,000/7,500 miles:
- Inspect everything above
- Change oil and filter
- Rotate tires
List of things to do every 10,000/15,000 miles:
- Inspect everything above
- Brake inspection
- Tire balance
About D&R Intensive Car Care
D&R Intensive Car Care is located at 811 South Main Street in Statesboro across from the Georgia Southern Statesboro Campus. They have been in business in Statesboro for 25 years. Originally, they started off focusing on European cars, and as they grew, they expanded to include domestic and Asian vehicles.
Everything they do is digital, so parents can log in and actually see the car as it is being worked on. All of their inspections are digital, as well, so parents can get videos and pictures of everything that is happening with the vehicle. Then everything is handled through a text message, so parents can easily communicate with the technician or service advisor. Integrity and reputation is important to D&R.
