Candy Smith-Jett said her father made her learn how to change oil and tires when she was young. Now she runs their family business, Smith’s Towing & Recovery in Bossier City located at 3220 Barksdale Blvd. in Bossier City, that her grandfather opened in 1952.

“I think a reason why a lot of women do not know as much as men do about cars is because they were not trained to in the same way,” Smith-Jett said.

Growing up around cars and trucks gave Smith-Jett a lot of knowledge in the area, but agrees that it may be something that many women were not exposed to. She said one way to combat uncertainty when it comes to vehicle maintenance is to find a local garage that you feel comfortable with and can trust.

It may be difficult to tell if a garage is trustworthy or not, and Smith-Jett said there are not many defining features to look for.

“There’s nothing really that will stand out at a garage that says if their trustworthy or not, so just using a good judge of character and word-of-mouth is often the best way to go,” Smith-Jett said.

If hesitant about a certain place she said to check their ratings on the Better Business Bureau website.

“We’re an honest business that wants to help people and we definitely don’t take advantage of anyone, so our ratings are an A-plus on the Better Business Bureau,” Smith-Jett said. “It can tell you a lot about a business because when people have a bad experience somewhere or want to file a complaint they will go there to do so.”

When it comes to general vehicle maintenance that women may neglect, Smith-Jett said monitoring the oil is most important aspect to not overlook.

• The oil will need to be changed every month. If nothing is leaking under the car then it’s alright to check the water and tire pressure monthly as well.

• To get an accurate reading of the oil levels, pull out the dipstick and wipe it on a cloth, and insert it back. Pull out the dipstick again and look at the color of the oil. If the color is light brown then it is still good, but if the color is dark brown or black then it needs changing. There is also a marker point on the dipstick that will indicate if the oil is too low or high.

If a woman ever finds herself stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire then it can be helpful to know how to change a tire.

• Make sure the vehicle is parked on solid ground, the parking brake is engaged, and there is a jack, wrench and spare tire in the trunk. Also, by placing a rock or heavy object beside the front and back tires will keep the car from a surprise rollaway.

• Place the jack under the frame; usually new vehicles have visible notches where the jack should be placed. Raise the jack until it supports the car but not lifts it, then unscrew and take off the hubcaps.

• Use the wrench to loosen the lug nuts by turning counterclockwise and then raise the jack until the tire is completely off the ground.

• Take off the lug nuts and tire, replacing it with the spare. Correctly align the spare and use the wrench to screw the lug nuts back on. Screw each lug nut by going in a star pattern, meaning one opposite the other, turning each one slightly until they are as tight as possible.

• Start lowering the vehicle and tighten the lug nut once more before the tire hits the ground. Then it’s safe to remove the jack and tighten the lug nuts with a final full force of weight behind it.

• Check to make sure everything is in place and the vehicle should be fine to drive on the spare going under the speed limit or at least under 50 miles per hour until it is replaced with a permanent tire.

Smith-Jett said going online for information can be helpful for quick facts as well.

She said being a woman in a profession that is in a so-called “man’s world” did not bother her.

“I still hear men come in asking for the bossman, and I get to say that I’m the bosswoman,” she said. “It may have bothered me or been a big deal once but I just worked hard and proved myself.”

– Alexandra Meachum