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Will “ADC” Mandate from Congress Make You a Millionaire <strike>on December 18</strike>by March 31st, 2018?

What's being teased by Michael Robinson's Radical Technology Profits?

By Travis Johnson, Stock Gumshoe, March 20, 2018


The latest “ADC” pitch from Michael Robinson has generated a lot of questions from readers this week, and the ad itself seems to be pretty much a carbon copy of the one sent out back in December… so we’re just re-posting this teaser solution for you.

What follows is unchanged from when it first appeared here on December 12, though the new ads for Robinson’s Radical Technology Profits cite March 31st as the implementation deadline instead of December 18th (the ad letter is still signed December 2017, and seems otherwise completely unchanged from the version I used in writing this piece originally). The stock surged last time Robinson teased it, then came back down… and as of the past few days, it’s surging again, presumably thanks to the attention from this newsletter ad (there’s no other recent news of import, though the earnings release at the end of February did cheer investors). I have added one comment to the bottom.

–from 12/12/17–

Here’s the headline that sent dozens of Gumshoe readers to send me questions this morning:

“This Tiny Tech Firm’s ADC Device Could Make You a Millionaire This Month!

“But You Must Strike Before the December 18th Mandate Goes Live!”

Sheesh, that’s only six days! Did Congress just require that lots of companies have to buy something next week? What’s this mandate? For that matter, what the heck is a “ADC Device?”

Have no fear, Robinson will tell all and let you in on the secret… here’s further enticement from the order form:

“This virtually unknown company has sold less than $49 million of their ADC device since releasing it last April.

“But they could now control a legal monopoly of this $2 billion technology.”

Notice that word “could” in that last sentence. That’s the key. If you say “could” or “might,” then you’re not actually making a promise or a firm prediction… which, in this case, is good, because the chances of one company having a monopoly on this product are, well, let’s just say “very thin.”

The talk in the ad is about life-changing safety improvements for drivers… here’s a bit of the hinting from the “presentation” …

“At the stroke of midnight, on December 18th, a little-known Federal mandate will go into effect across the United States.

“It stipulates the immediate deployment of a cutting-edge technology…

“I refer to it as an Augmented Digital Co-Pilot – or ADC for short.

“This one measures just 2.2 inches long by 2.5 inches tall and wide….

“This ADC Device can create a virtual perimeter around you that extends out 20 miles in diameter.

“It’s accurate at predicting potentially dangerous threats in your path within one microsecond and two meters…

“And helps protect you from these very threats….

“It can stop some of the deadliest accidents on the road… from ever occurring….

“ADC Devices could help prevent up to 500,000 auto accidents a year and save 5,000 lives.”

And, apparently, everyone’s going to have to have one starting on December 18… more from Robinson…

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“The House of Representatives estimates the nationwide implementation of this technology will generate $2 billion.

“That’s $2 billion that’s up for grabs from this December 18th mandate.

“And it’s all thanks to this device.”

Robinson also notes that there’s going to be a rush to purchase these devices before that deadline, which would presumably bring buckets of money raining down on that monopoly owner, right?

“According to industry experts – the vast majority of people who must follow the mandate have yet to secure an ADC device.”

Robinson compares this safety technology to past mass adoption of safety features, like seatbelts and airbags and tire pressure monitors and anti-lock brakes, all of which generated billions of dollars in sales for manufacturers and patent holders as they became required technologies in all new vehicles.

So he lays it on pretty thick, as he is wont to do…

“A ground floor stake in any of these innovations could have made you a millionaire many, many times over…

“And you’d still be cashing those paychecks to this day!

“Well, I have some good news for you.

“This ADC device is the next life-saving breakthrough that is going to mint millionaires.”

And we know that’s got to be at least an “overpromise” situation, right? They’re doing their best to sell a newsletter, they’re spreading the hype on with a trowel to get you to sign up in these next few days, hopefully before you’ve had a chance to think very much. After all, you’re worried about missing that December 18 rollout, right?

Slow down, take a deep breath. We’ll look and see what the reality of the situation is, what this mandate really means, and then, in your own good time, you can decide whether or not to shell out $1,950 — especially because they’re effectively selling you this hyped-up idea with NO REFUNDS (their policy for this one is that if you don’t like the performance after one year, they’ll give you another year for free… but, of course, that costs them nothing and you’re still out $1,950).

So what’s this company?

A few more clues…

“This firm just released their ADC device last April.

“Since then, they have sold less than $49 million worth of their technology.

“That’s it. That’s amazing. That’s the very definition of a ground floor opportunity.

“And that $49 million figure could explode at any moment.

“Because their device is the most obvious choice for anyone who must quickly comply with the December 18th mandate.”

Wait a minute… I thought this was a monopoly. What’s this “most obvious choice” business? Are there other companies that sell these little ADC things?

More clues?

“It’s easy. You just plug it directly into a vehicle’s diagnostic system under the dash. You don’t need to go to a mechanic….

“This firm’s ADC device is the easiest to obtain.

“That’s because their executive brain trust includes both some of America’s smartest technological minds…

“And savviest business wizards as well…

“To give them a sizeable competitive advantage in the market, they’ve inked a series of strategic deals with Ford, GM, Volvo, PACCAR, Daimler and Caterpillar…

“This tech firm has also worked out a distribution deal with Love’s Travel Shops and Country Stores.”

OK… so their device is the “easiest to obtain,” they have some “strategic deals” with big truck manufacturers, and they are selling their ADC device in at least one of the big truck stop chains.

That’s enough for us to get you an answer, at least… this is, sez the Thinkolator, Stoneridge (SRI)

And, of course, when a newsletter promo gets all hot and heavy about a stock and starts to promise that it’s got a monopoly on a $2 billion business, the stock has a tendency to go a little nutty — so SRI is up 15% or so today already.

What is Stoneridge? Well, here’s how they describe themselves:

“Stoneridge, Inc., headquartered in Novi, Michigan, is an independent designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical and electronic components, modules and systems principally for the automotive, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, agricultural and off-highway vehicle markets. “

And what’s this “ADC” thing? They’re not actually called ADCs, the technical term is ELD… and Stoneridge’s is called the EZ-ELD.

What’s the story with this mandate? The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) is indeed mandated for all truckers starting on December 18, though it’s not really the incredible driver safety monitoring system that Robinson teases in the ad… it’s just an electronic driving log, effectively, that monitors basic driver compliance with their maximum drive-time limits.

Some drivers still use paper logs to record their driving hours (“Record of Duty”), and they have to comply immediately next week by installing some sort of ELD… others are using one of the previous version of electronic monitoring systems, and they’ll have another two years before they have to upgrade to an ELD. So there is some portion of drivers that need to buy these right away, and some portion that will need to buy them within two years.

It’s essentially an upgraded tracker that will ensure better compliance — it monitors the engine usage, whether the rig is in motion, and how many miles are covered. And yes, it taps into the OBD slot on the truck, so it’s all automatic.

Will Stoneridge have $2 billion in sales this month because of it’s EZ-ELD?

Well, no.

Analysts are presumably aware of this new requirement, and they have Stoneridge penciled in for $819 million in revenue for all of 2017 — that’s nice growth from 2016 (which was $696 million), and the forecast is for $851 million next year. So they are growing, but the analysts, at least, don’t think they’re in the middle of a life-changing avalanche of profits. They’ll earn 10 cents more per share then they did last year, sez the forecasters.

And, of course, there is nothing like a monopoly anywhere in this — even if you just skim around Amazon for a few minutes you’ll note dozens of different ELD’s available… it’s new to most of us, because we aren’t truckers, but it’s not a shocking new change for the people who actually have to buy them, there are lots of solutions that tap in to existing software or systems drivers might use (including lots of tablet/phone systems that are used for GPS and other software), and a quick count of the similar-sounding ELD devices available brings up products from Garmin, Linxup, On20, Rand McNally, JJ Keller, TrackEnsure, DashLink, ZED and lots of others.

Love’s did agree to sell their ELD product… but that doesn’t mean every trucker who goes to Love’s is going to buy one. Or even that they’re pushing this particular one — heck, Love’s own frequent buyer program is giving away an ELD from Transflo, including monthly service, right now.

It could indeed end up being a great product for Stoneridge, I have no idea, but it looks like the competition is fierce — partly because most of these products are being sold with a monitoring subscription, so companies are competing to bring on board new customers in hopes that they’ll stick around for a $15/month subscription that provides some services on top of the basic ELD tracking… though in just a little poking around it’s pretty clear that you can be “compliant” without paying a monthly fee.

I don’t know much about the trucking business, but I assume there probably will be a little spurt of sales for all suppliers this month as the few drivers who don’t know about this requirement plunk down $150 for their device… and presumably Stoneridge will get some portion of that business, but I don’t see a lot of competitive advantage for them off the top of my head. I would assume that the competitive advantage, if any, goes to those who provide a service that’s compatible with whatever software the driver and/or his fleet are already using for other things — the actual mechanics of the device, a connection to the truck’s data port and the tracking of engine hours and mileage, are probably pretty much identical for all of them, and they all meet the basic requirements of the law. Whether the monthly service or the software are more appealing for some of these products than others, I have no idea — but nothing like that appeared obvious from skimming around the web for a bit (and yes, there are dozens of ELD-sellers who are advertising aggressively on Google Search as we come close to that deadline).

And the EZ-ELD is a notable product introduction for the company this year, but it’s not likely to be a dominant part of Stoneridge’s business — they supply a variety of parts to car manufacturers (sensors, switches, valves and actuators, electronic instrument controls and clusters, driver information systems, security systems, tracking devices, etc.), and the division that includes the EZ-ELD is roughly 30% of sales last year. Their design wins in autos, and the volume of automobiles sold, will presumably be more important to the bottom line than this specific ELD product.

The company is not ridiculously overvalued — there’s no real reason for the stock to have jumped 15% today, other than Robinson’s attention, but even at $25 and a new all-time high the shares are priced at about 16X next year’s earnings. So that’s not wildly out of line with reality for a small-cap auto supplier that is expected to grow sales at 3-4% a year and earnings at something in the 4-7%/year range, on average. Not cheap, but probably not crazy, that puts them somewhat above the low-valuation auto suppliers like Magna International (MGA) or Tenneco (TEN) and closer to the PE valuations of Johnson Controls (JCI), Autoliv (ALV) or Aptiv (APTV).

And that’s par for the course for Robinson’s ads, in my experience — some of his growth ideas work out just fine, but that doesn’t mean the promise of his ads made any sense… he pitched NVDA a couple years ago and that was a great pick (obviously, in retrospect), but he pitched it because it would “end all pain” because of a connection to R&D on using virtual reality for pain relief… and before that, he had a big campaign running for a long time that teased STMicroelectronics (STM), which also could have worked out well for investors, but he pitched it as having a patent on the “device that would end all disease,” and that’s hooey. So look past the promise, think about the actual company rationally, and make your own call.

For my money, I don’t see wild potential in my quick glance at Stoneridge, and I have other stocks in my portfolio that give me enough exposure to the auto supplier space… but that doesn’t mean Stoneridge is junk, just that I think Robinson’s pitch about “a historic 3,982% sales surge” based on their EZ-ELD device is irresponsibly hype-y.

UPDATE 3/20 — In case you don’t want to scroll through all the past comments on this article, here’s the comment I added below when the attention from Robinson started to heat up again this week:

Another crazy run in the stock on Robinson’s rejuvenated “ADC” pitch this week — I don’t think there’s been any meaningful change with the company or its financials, though Robinson now pitches the April 1 deadline for all drivers to have an ELD on board.

In case you’re curious, here’s the DOT list of all of the approved ELD products out there: https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/ELD/List — I don’t know if Stoneridge’s product will be successful for them or not, they have a decent business otherwise and presumably they’ll make some sales, but this is not a particularly demanding piece of technology that’s being sold and there are at least hundreds of options for most users. My guess remains that it’s probably a net positive for Stoneridge, but forecasting any kind of huge boom for the company because of this relatively small part of their business is silly… and it would be quite easy for the market for this basic tracking/compliance technology to be pretty well dispersed across the dozens (or hundreds, even) of companies who can all provide the required software or hardware.

The stock is perhaps not ridiculously overvalued still, compared to other stocks, but is now trading at 14X forward earnings and 28X trailing earnings in a sector that doesn’t generally carry lofty valuations (particularly as investors remain worried about “peak auto”). It is trading at a new all-time high price/sales ratio of just over 1X, so that’s a possible warning indicator… my guess is that this Robinson-driven surge in the stock will reverse and the shares will see the high teens/low $20s again before too long, but that’s just a guess — I haven’t dug into the company enough to judge whether it’s worth betting against them just because they’re more richly valued than they usually have been.

Have a take to share? We’d love to hear it — tell your fellow investors what you think by submitting a comment below.

P.S. We’re collecting quick reader rankings about the newsletters they subscribe to — if you’ve ever been a Radical Technology Profits subscriber, please click here to share your experience with your fellow investors. Thanks!

P.S. I own shares of Aptiv (APTV) and Amazon (AMZN) among the companies mentioned above. I won’t trade in any stocks covered for at least three days per Stock Gumshoe’s rules.

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seminole2
seminole2
March 14, 2018 5:59 pm

Robinson appears to be hawking this again as being a Millionaire by March 31st. Appears to be the same pitch this time with a different date at https://pro.moneymappress.com/p/TIMTRUCK2/ETIMU3AD/Full

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jvsaputo7
jvsaputo7
March 14, 2018 9:15 pm

Thanks so much Travis you saved me [again] from losing $695 on this, yes if you say no to $1995 and start to click the page off another offer pops up for a looksee for $695 [3 mos] and if you don’t make your fortune Michael [who I really like but not that much] still keeps your money. While I was listening to his pitch I tried to become my own “thinkolator” picked up the clues and started search the internet and sure enough I found several companies that sell the ELD Logging Device that looked alot like what he described and that made me back off. One that I saw sold for $69 and had the appearance of a black rubber door knob. It is ideal for truckers and sales people that need to log their miles. I guess it has some safety feature include in its electronics. But nothing that exciting. Then I thought I had better check with Shoegum Travis! You take the HOT air out of the room! I still have the stock that Michael was raving about, WATT Energous Corporation nano-crystals that can make electricity from air and will remove the need for electrical cords in the future. But I have not made any money from it yet. Well there may be reason to believe all this will happen but like you say hype sells but only reason and patience with a lot of time will pay off beyond the hype. Thanks for being there for all of us Travis you are the only one that is not out to pick our pockets clean!
Sincerely,
John Saputo, Jacksonville, FL

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eli
Guest
eli
March 18, 2018 12:15 pm

was introduces as a GUARNTEED millionaire by April 1. It was hard to visualize the sales platform as I run electronic logs, and.am in the localized market daily . I have heard of a few brave companies adopting the service but it a boon to driving as it senses garbage cans to close and locks brakes, or a wheel chock in proximity if a backing turn . YOu may run 55 with a pack though regular territory, but NOW its an emergent call from your company… So its a boon, its not saving anything, us adopting us into an autonomous world.. When your freight backs into the wrong dock at the wrong building
cannot adjust, its gonna be your problem.

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StockMidas
March 21, 2018 10:20 am

In keeping with Travis’s recent post we are starting a discussion group for sharing stock market recommendations / picks / tips. This is specifically directed at the novice / part time investor. If you are interested in joining send an e-mail to trader709@yahoo.com

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suhum1
Member
suhum1
April 2, 2018 7:37 pm
Reply to  StockMidas

yes i am a novice and so new in trading in stocks. here is please my email: danrph.md@gmail.com
thanks

Keith Chester
Guest
Keith Chester
May 8, 2018 8:40 am
Reply to  suhum1

Me too Please.. keithchester1@gmail.com

Nilda
Guest
Nilda
March 22, 2018 4:32 pm

I don’t get it? The ADC, from Robinson’s Radical Technology Profits “Augmented Digital CO-PILOT devices (ADC) could help prevent up to 500,000 accidents a year and save 5,000 lives.” Doesn’t sound like the same thing you’re saying he may be talking about which you say it’s “ELD, an electronic DRIVING LOG, effectively, that monitors basic driver compliance with their maximum drive-time limits.” They sound like two completely different things… please advise… and very grateful for your research! Thanks!!

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Nilda
Guest
Nilda
March 22, 2018 10:40 pm

I’m not sure about that because I did some research myself and there is such a thing as “copilot devices” but having difficulty connecting the dots as to finding that company… I think it may have something to do with “John Helleberg, a human factors engineer and the group leader for Mitre’s human-centered experimentation and training department.” Anyways, appreciate your insight on the matter… =)

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peter
Member
peter
March 22, 2018 8:34 pm

Saw the video and hear the devise is sold at Wal Mart/Love’s Travel went to websites and enter ADC /augmented digital co-pilot devices…..wait for it…wait for it…Go to the websites!!!!

ray holding
Guest
March 24, 2018 12:34 pm

So glad I looked up for the ADC and found your website. Not that I was tempted to subscribe as I get 50-75 newsletter emails a day all offering to make me rich. All quote examples such as Amazon, paypal, Netflix, ebay etc. even on the crypto currencies, they offer this one will exceed every other and cost only cents but will explode 1000’s% when it is launched or such and such takes place. They all last upwards of an hour. They are so boring with all the statistics that they show over and over again. They love to blow their own trumpets about their achievements, their jobs in the financial industry their contacts with bankers, hedge fund ceos and their contacts with silicon valley gurus, and because of all the hours of study and research, and travelling t make contacts etc the cost, although they could charge $10,000 , we wont have to pay anything like that andnormally as a special offer , which they can only make to a limited number of people without affecting the price dramatically, they are offering usually around $2000. I could write the script although I am sure that there must be a central “How to” for video making that they all go to. I find that after twenty minutes I am fed up and just want to get to how much is it going to cost.
Surely ,, they must realise that to endure another 40 minutes plus of hype is counterproductive as I sometimes come out well before it finishes. THey could explain everything within 15 minutes which would be more acceptable to many folks. James Altucher, Palm beach Group, Agora Financial, Laissez Faire, etc. The 10 minute millionaire, They all use the same format but they all want to help the every day man make it rich. Mind you , that’s only if you have a couple of thousand dollars to send to them for the information.

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running
March 25, 2018 6:14 pm

tons of elds out there. even the navigation device by randy mcnally is eld compatible. the most popular one is by Qualcomm. im a trucker so im sorta in the know about eld’s.

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catmann
March 26, 2018 7:56 am

Innerestin read Travis…
For the record there IS one truck driver here.
I’ve held a CDL off and on for most of my life.
I went back into Hazmat driving after 2008 decapitated me and retired from full time driving a couple of years ago.
There have been many changes to the industry over the years, especially with regards to how they apply to drivers.
In the name of safety many regulations have been put on the drivers back when the only immediately obvious result being the reduction of liability for the parent corporation, not to mention their bottom line. Controling labor costs has long been the target of the bean counters with little or no concern to the well being of the driver or the long term impact on the industry as a whole.
This devise appears to be yet another shackle on the yoke all company’s have for the strangling yoke they now have on all their drivers.
The best example of which created the greatest safety hazard that exists on the road today…it
used to be the COMPANY was totally responcible for the condition of their trucks both in it’s mechanical and safety requirements.
If a driver came to work and the truck wasn’t compliant with regulations and the driver was forced, at the treat of losing his job, to drive the truck any resulting problem was on the COMPANY. Now, since the rules changed under the last Bush administration the company is off the hook and ALL the responcsability for EVERYTHING falls on the shoulders of the DRIVER.
If he shows up in the morning to a dangerous truck with no legal driving time remaining he either breaks the law or gets FIRED.
He drives till he’s busted, loses his license and the company just hires another rookie fresh out of an over priced driving school. His head full of lies about the profitable career that lays ahead of him…any wonder why you see so many immigrant drivers behind the wheel of those big rigs!
Something to think about the next time you want to complain about a late shipment or a questionable lane change.
Ya might want to give um a break the next time one of um needs to merge into your lane because there’s one thing that will never change for those guys…not just the companies they work for but the government that is supposed to protect THEM puts them on the scale of social importance somewhere between pond scum and amoebic dysentery…and both of which NEVER misses a chance to remind him of that ugly fact.
(My last tuck had a broken AC unit. I live in Ms. On a typical summer day, without AC, they cab of that truck will get to be over 125° F….WITH the windows open…in the rain and dust storms and wasps flying into your face while passing a school bus full of YOUR KIDS @ 70mph. I told him to call me when it was fixed. ..3 months ago. The truck passed me in town the other day with a smiling 20 sumpin behind the wheel, picking bugs out of his teeth.)
The rent is always due.

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crsutton63
Member
crsutton63
March 30, 2018 1:28 pm
Reply to  catmann

catmann Unfortunately that has been happening to workers ever since Reagan. The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Poorer.

DAVID P.
Guest
DAVID P.
April 1, 2018 2:37 am

Thank you for the detailed reasoning on basically flushing $1950.00 down the toilet. I have “wisened up” regarding the “freebies” hyped by these “ground floor opportunities” are just shilling pay-for subscriptions. I’ve received better recommendations on Facebook.

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gypsyvern 1979
Member
gypsyvern 1979
April 1, 2018 4:15 pm

I have fallen for these “snake oil salesmen” pitches too. I signed up for Nova-X report… they talk good talk, kinda like Joel Osteen and Jim Baker… All you get from them is pitch after pitch for wasting hours listening to their jibber jabber…offer after offer of incredible wealth IF you buy their next newsletter… Big gains, Massive returns, progress reports… check in regularly for more MONEY COSTING programs and alerts on you phone, just give us your credit card number….Cash in Alerts mean THEY CASH IN BECAUSE WE’RE STUPID ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THEM!!! I mean who doesn’t want to pay for their current cruise because they backed the next genius “friend” of theirs and MAKE IT BIG IN THE MARKET! Losers, all of us…

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takeprofits
Irregular
April 1, 2018 6:30 pm

Thanks again Travis for the fact based intel.. Robinson in my opinion may be well connected as he claims, but to use a baseball analogy, by the time a batter hits the big leagues he is bound to hit the occasional home run, but that is not the norm.
Expect a lot more strikeouts and small wins at best

Novice investors need to learn that. ‘IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, it probably is” and you certainly should not be paying out $1950. on a HYPED UP PROMISE without a great deal of personal research to GET THE REAL FACTS, behind a stock recommendation being touted to sell subscriptions.

From several decades of investing experience I would rate Michael Robinson as second only to Dr. Kent Moors as an internet blowhard and self promoter,

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GJ Vaca C
Guest
GJ Vaca C
April 2, 2018 5:06 pm

Travis, your comments on Mr M Robinson´s pitch on ADC are excellent. I came to similar conclussions by receiving lots of Robinson´s propaganda that later did not perform in the past. My question is: “Is it legal to misslead people publicly with false or exagerated comments that He knows are not truth? Can people be publicly cheated in the US without anybody preventing bad use of manipulative comments knowingly are false or abusing of people´s good faith?. It surprises me..

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