Arnold Motor Supply recently hosted U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley to discuss key issues facing the automotive aftermarket.

While visiting the company’s headquarters in Spencer, Iowa, Grassley toured the parts-distribution facility and met with business leaders from Arnold Motor Supply, Graham Tire and Kabrick Auto.

“It was a great opportunity to get a cross-section of local businesses sharing concerns with Senator Grassley,” said Eric Johnson with Arnold Motor Supply. “The biggest topic of the meeting was the ‘Your Car, Your Data’ initiative, which is vitally important to the automotive aftermarket industry as we look five to 10 years down the road and is also going to be a bigger issue in the lives of vehicle owners as technology advances.”

Cars, like many other connected devices, gather massive amounts of data about a person’s driving behavior, such as speed, acceleration and braking, and important maintenance and repair information. Today, only the vehicle manufacturer has ownership of and access to this vehicle data.

The Auto Care Association, in partnership with the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association, launched the “Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.” education initiative to engage vehicle owners, policymakers and other stakeholders on car data – what is it, why it matters and its implications for consumer choice when it comes to getting their vehicle serviced.

“It is so important for us to engage in productive dialog with our legislators on issues like vehicle data ownership,” Johnson explained. “They legitimately want to hear from us and need to know how policies affect our businesses and they bring a perspective to the discussions that is helpful for us to hear as well.”