The Heavy Duty Parts Report

Send us Fan Mail Episode 147: Monitoring your fleet and getting actionable data in real-time is essential to improving productivity and safety while driving down operational costs. Without the right tools this is a difficult thing to achieve, so is your fleet road ready?   Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content. Discla...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 146: The way the majority of salespersons have been delivering their pitches often follows the same pattern. They start by talking about their company, their products, and then why it matters. However, there is a better pitch. Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content. Disclaimer: This content and...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 145: The use of solder is found nearly everywhere today. However, what role does it play in the trucking industry, and how can the right products help fleets lower their cost per mile? Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content. Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links,...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 144:  When running a successful independent repair shop, it’s not just about attracting top talent - you also need to turn your entry-level employees into top talent. How important is training your staff?   In this episode, we learn about why it’s so important to invest in training your repair technicians, and how the Independent Truck Repair Group is providing this necess...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 143: If you’re selling heavy-duty parts, and you’ve put in the work setting up and successfully launching an eCommerce site, does that mean you’re finished?  In this episode, we dive into that topic and learn how to integrate your traditional business model with your new digital sales channel.  Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this epis...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 142: Without the correct tools, every job repairing heavy-duty trucks and trailers is more difficult. In this episode, we are going to look at a modern twist on professional tools that puts the right tools in repair technicians’ hands.  Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content. Disclaimer: This c...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 141: One need every independent repair shop has in 2022 is insurance. Without medical insurance and adequate benefits, independent repair shops struggle to attract and retain technicians.  Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content. Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate lin...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 140: If you are trying to sell more heavy-duty parts in a digital world, you have to contend with ever-increasing amounts of data. How do you manage the data and use it to improve the customer’s buying journey?  Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content. Disclaimer: This content and description ma...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 139: The pandemic has created a ripple effect of shortages in the supply chain of every industry. The trucking industry has been affected in many ways, including disruption to the movement of freight, the availability of new trucks and trailers, and the inability to source replacement parts to repair equipment. But how has one manufacturer been able to overcome this? Show...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 138: Fleets need to lower maintenance costs. We often talk about the connection between high-quality parts and lowering cost-per-mile. But what about the link between safety and lower maintenance costs?   My guest today is Chris Harris, the CEO at Safety Dawg Inc. and the host of the Trucking Risk Insurance Podcast .   Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complet...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 137: If you sell heavy-duty parts, then your website is a big part of your digital sales channel and will impact the level of success you have. A website that works well for you is like another salesperson, which is going to facilitate lead generation and conversion of customers.  S how Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to su...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 136: Have you ever wondered how things get designed and spec’d on commercial trucks? There is something called application engineering and it is how heavy-duty parts get designed and manufactured for commercial trucks.    Our guest in this episode is Robert Cayton , the Application Engineer Manager at Horton . Robert has been with Horton for over 10-years in various roles,...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 135: Fleet managers often struggle to reduce fuel costs and vehicle maintenance. These days, the pressure is on for companies to look good in a carbon-conscious world, especially in the trucking industry. What can fleet managers do to solve both problems with one easy solution? My guest today is Ron Zima, CEO of GoGreen Communications Inc. Ron Zima is also known as the IDL...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 134: In 2022, we are expanding the number of episodes we publish on our podcast per week. On Wednesdays, we are going to focus on the subject of selling heavy-duty parts in a digital world. One of the most important things you can accomplish by adding a digital sales channel to your business model is to create a frictionless buying experience for the customer. But what is...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 133: In this episode, we learn more about Clarience Technologies, the driving force behind their various brands, and the recent acquisition of LED Autolamps. Clarience Technologies operate many well-known North American Brands and are continuing to grow to better support their customers and evolve the heavy-duty trucking industry. Our guest today is Brian Kupchella, the CE...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 132: In this episode, we unveil some changes to The Heavy-Duty Parts Report format, and we talk about some of our Big Audacious Goals that we are going to strive for in 2022. Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com   for complete show notes of this episode, links to resources mentioned in the episode, and to subscribe to all our content. Disclaimer: This content and des...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 131: In this episode, we review what happened in the trucking industry in 2021 and what we accomplished at The Heavy-Duty Parts Report. S how Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com   for complete show notes of this episode, links to resources mentioned in the episode, and to subscribe to all our content. Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links,...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 130: We’ve talked a lot about parts companies setting up eCommerce stores on this show. But what about repair shops? Should they have an eCommerce store for their customers?  To help answer that question, we talked to Nick Adams who is the Managing Director at Dieselmatic. Nick Adams leads Dieselmatic as they continue their 2nd year of rapid growth throughout North America...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 129: There is a diesel technician shortage but there is also a gap in training for repair technicians that is drastically affecting the industry. How can we solve this problem?  My guest today is Dustin Carnes, the Training Manager at Diesel Laptops.  Before starting the training program at Diesel Laptops, he worked as a technician at a Navistar dealer. He worked as a tech...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 128: Running a heavy-duty repair shop is anything but easy. One of the challenges has been how much time is spent buying heavy-duty parts. That is starting to change with so many companies leveraging technology to make the parts purchasing process easier than ever before.    My returning guest today is Jacob Findlay, the Founder, and CEO of Fullbay.   Fullbay is an industr...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 127: Over the years, technology has continued to evolve. One of these advancements that have drastically helped the trucking industry is the implementation of VMRS codes. What is a VMRS code though, and how can parts companies use VMRS codes to better serve fleets?  I invited Jack Poster, VMRS Services Manager at the Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Tru...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 126: Fuel efficiency, sufficient horsepower, and lower emissions are all targets trucks with diesel engines need to achieve in order to help fleets lower their total cost of operation. What role do fan drives play in achieving these goals?  In this episode, Dale Johnson, a Field Service Manager at Horton answers this question. Dale has worked at Horton for 33-years as a ma...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 125: If you sell heavy-duty parts, you know that predicting how much inventory you will need in each region is very difficult.  Get it right, and revenue will go up, get it wrong and you risk losing customers to competitors who have the inventory in stock. So, how can you predict how much inventory you need in each region?  In this episode, Mark Hazel, Associate Director f...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 124: How can you keep your trucks running smoother, with less vibration throughout the chassis and trailer, and provide a more comfortable ride for your drivers?   In this episode, we are going to show you, plus we are going to provide you with information on how changing one product will lower your total cost of operation. My guest today is Skip Steffen, former VP of Afte...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 123: Cooling issues can range from minor issues with a small leak to a catastrophic engine failure if an engine overheats. The parts technician can do a lot to help the customer, but the parts technician needs to be prepared to do more than just supply the customer with what they ask for. In this episode, we talk about the importance of seeing the bigger picture when it co...