Net Driven's AI Service Writer named a 2026 MOTOR Top 20 Award winner

Voted on by the shop owners, service writers, and technicians who use it every day, AI Service Writer's award arrives alongside AI Tire Expert, giving independent shops more ways to stay accessible after hours.

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Net Driven, the digital growth partner for independent tire, service, and aftermarket shops, today announced that AI Service Writer has been named a winner of the 2026 MOTOR Top 20 Awards, one of the industry's longest-running honors for innovation.

AI Service Writer starts the work of the front desk on the phone or by chat, without adding to the team's load. It answers diagnostic questions and delivers real, out-the-door quotes based on a shop's own labor rates and parts pricing. Now, it stands alongside AI Tire Expert, a free chat tool that just went live for every Net Driven shop to help drivers find the right tire from the shop's own inventory. Both are part of the same growing AI lineup, built on the Net Driven Growth Engine shops already use.

"More than half of a shop's traffic comes in after the doors are locked. We didn't build AI Service Writer to sell AI. We built it to make sure that traffic doesn't go to voicemail. This isn't recognition for a demo. It's recognition for a real tool that's answering the phone, quoting the job, and getting drivers back in the bay."
— Aubrey Amborn, General Manager, Net Driven. 

Voted on by the shop floor, not a boardroom

Since 1992, MOTOR Information Systems, a Hearst company, has presented the MOTOR Top 20 Awards to recognize standout products and technologies shaping the automotive and transportation industry. Winners aren't chosen by a closed panel — they're decided through a public vote open to automotive professionals, including the technicians and shop staff who use these tools on the job every day. Alongside AI Service Writer, this year's list spans diagnostic tools, shop management platforms, and service equipment. Net Driven will be recognized among this year's other winners at AAPEX 2026 in November.

AI Service Writer picks up when the shop can't

Independent tire and service shops are the backbone of local automotive care, but they're competing against national chains with dedicated teams answering phones, automated quoting systems, and marketing infrastructure that most independent owners can't afford to build. AI Service Writer changes that: a shop with one service writer and a small front-desk team can now offer the same round-the-clock response that a 20-location chain does, without hiring, training, or building anything new.

AI Service Writer is a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered virtual service advisor built on the Net Driven Growth Engine and powered by Repair IQ's quoting intelligence. Unlike generic chatbots or call centers that don't know a shop's prices, it delivers real, out-the-door quotes using a shop's actual labor rates and parts pricing, and answers vehicle diagnostic questions with high-level guidance. When a request falls outside its scope, it hands the conversation off to the front desk. Shops using AI Service Writer have recorded a 98.8% year-over-year increase in leads.

AI Tire Expert picks the right tire before anyone calls

Net Driven also just launched AI Tire Expert, a free chat assistant now live on every Net Driven customer's website. It asks shoppers a few questions about their vehicle, driving conditions, and preferences, then recommends tires the shop carries, pulled directly from that shop's own inventory. It's available to every Net Driven customer, at no additional cost, with no setup required.

Built to solve shop problems, not chase a trend

For Net Driven, AI Service Writer and AI Tire Expert aren't separate experiments. They're two parts of the same Growth Engine shops already run on. Together, they're making sure calls get answered, quotes go out, and appointments get scheduled, even after the doors close.

"I was super hesitant about putting pricing online. But if you don't move with the times, you're missing it. If it gets them in the door, I know I can have a good conversation," said Darin Agenter, President, Allstar Service Center. "I've been scared of AI. I'll flat out say it. But after seeing it in action, it opened my eyes. It feels like you're talking to somebody, not clicking through a maze."

For more information on Net Driven's connected AI suite, including AI Service Writer and AI Tire Expert, visit www.netdriven.com.

About Net Driven 

For nearly 20 years, Net Driven has been the trusted digital partner built specifically for independent tire, service, and aftermarket shops. We serve 5,000+ shops across North America, partnering with the industry's leading suppliers, co-op programs, and shop management systems to deliver connected solutions tailored to the unique demands of each shop we work with.

In a market where drivers have more choices and less patience, the shops that win are not the ones with the biggest budgets; they are the ones whose systems work better together. We give shop owners the website, marketing reach, online quoting, automated follow-up, and business clarity to get found, fill bays, and keep drivers coming back.

From getting found to getting booked to bringing customers back, our platform connects the full customer journey and gives shop owners the clarity to know what's working and where to focus next. We believe every independent shop deserves a partner who understands how they operate, and we've spent nearly two decades building toward exactly that.

We bring customers to the shop and connect the systems that help owners grow it.

Media Contact
Hayley Hollen | Head of Brand & Client Marketing
Net Driven, a LeadVenture brand
C: 971-275-5543 | [email protected] 

SOURCE Net Driven