The Heavy Duty Parts Report

Send us Fan Mail Episode 122: Fleets are looking for ways to save money and fuel is one of the most expensive line items on a fleet's list of expenses. One option is to add aerodynamics to a truck and trailer to reduce fuel costs, but how much money do aerodynamics save fleets?  In this episode, we had David Black, the VP of Fleet Sales at Flow Below to join us and answer that question and he...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 121: One of the largest costs affecting fleets right now is managing and maintaining their diesel emissions systems. However, if you operate a commercial vehicle with a diesel engine, there are 3 things you need to know to maximize uptime, and lower costs.   In this episode, my guest is Joel Christianson, President at American Radiator. He has worked in the heavy-duty truc...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 120: Commercial fleets are focused on lowering costs. The first places fleets usually look are fuel, tires, and wheel-end components. However, for fleets that work in northern climates, there is a hidden cost that can quickly add up, before the trucks ever leave the yard.  In this episode, we had Kurt and Sonny of Power Grid Energy Solutions on the show to talk to us about...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 119: If your customer has had a turbo failure, you can often identify the cause by the color of the exhaust. After listening to this episode, you will be able to help your customers diagnose potential problems that led to a turbo failure so that the problem doesn’t happen again and that will save the fleet or owner-operator money.  For today’s turbo talk I wanted to make s...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 118: There is a huge demographic problem facing the heavy-duty truck industry. More people are leaving, either because they are retiring, exiting the workforce, or they are going to other industries.  Many repair shops are really feeling the pinch because of a shortage of repair technicians, and heavy-duty parts companies are having the same problem with parts technicians....

Send us Fan Mail Episode 117: Imagine a world where no one outside of the Truck Manufacturers can access repair information and process warranties. That is a world where the independent service channel would struggle to exist. We are at a critical moment in the history of the trucking industry and at the center of it all is Right to Repair Legislation that fights against repair restrictions. In th...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 116: The way we buy and sell heavy-duty parts has been rapidly evolving, and the things that are driving these changes are expected to intensify over the next decade. If heavy-duty parts distributors and repair shops want to not only survive, but thrive, they need to quickly adapt, or risk being put out of business in the next 10-years. In this episode, we discuss what the...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 115: The NARSA/IDEA Trade Association is one organization with two areas of focus. The National Automotive Radiator Service Association (NARSA) is a global organization for owners and operators of businesses engaged in the sale, repair, remanufacture, production, and design of heat exchange products and services. The International Diesel Emissions Association (IDEA) is a n...

Send us Fan Mail Axle Repair is a Big Opportunity for Fleets and Repair Shops Episode 114: When an axle is damaged there are two options; replace the entire axle which is expensive and creates downtime for the vehicle or repair it. Repairing axles presents a big opportunity for fleets to save money and repair shops to offer a profitable service.  My guest today is Todd Carroll, the President at Un...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 113: In this episode, we are going to talk about the benefits of becoming a TMC member and why you should attend their Fall Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. Our guest in this episode is Robert Braswell who is the Executive Director for ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC). To become a TMC member: tmc.trucking.org To register for the Fall Meeting: tmcfall.trucking.or...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 112: Can thermal spray technology be used in the trucking industry? Will this technology make parts last longer and lower the total cost of operation? Kody Skinner and Lacey Reames are thermal spray experts, and they work for HTS Coatings. This interview was originally aired as a live stream. Show Notes Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 111: In this episode, we discuss how supply chains have changed over the last decade, and the advancements in technology we are seeing in the trucking industry.  On the show we had Seth Clevenger , the Managing Editor of Features at Transport Topics to discuss the future of the heavy-duty industry with us. Show Notes Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes o...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 110: In this episode, we discuss the importance of preventative maintenance for your aftertreatment system.  Our guests this episode is Paul Marek, Co-Founder of Superior Diesel Companies, and Bill McLaury, the Operations Manager at DPFAuthority.com . Show Notes:   Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content. ...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 109: In this episode, we discuss WABCO’s Service Partners Program . Our guest is Michael Lampe , he is the Service Partner Account Manager at ZF Group and has more than 15-years of experience in the automotive aftermarket.   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 108: The COVID-19 pandemic has created widespread shortages for many things including heavy-duty parts. How big of an impact is this having on fleets and what can they do about it? Gerry Mead is our guest, he is the Executive VP of Maintenance and Equipment at Hub Group , and he provides us with the perspective of the fleet because he is experiencing it first-hand. This in...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 107: In this episode, we discuss a report about the state of heavy-duty repair released by Fullbay and TMC . Jacob Findlay talks about why the report was created, the many important findings uncovered in this report, and the effect they are having on the industry. Jacob is a returning guest; you can learn about his journey as a founder and what problems his company is stri...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 106: In this episode, we discuss couplings, pintle hitches, and drawbar eyes. Derek Quys is the Senior Director of Sales at High Bar Brands, and he discusses the connection components that Premier Manufacturing, one of High Bar Brands companies, has been providing the trucking industry for nearly 100-years. Show Notes   Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show note...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 105: In this episode, we discuss the current supply chain issues and the effect it is having on the heavy-duty industry. Daniel Simon is from Dorman Products , and he talked to us about how Dorman Products has taken a very proactive approach to provide the industry with the support it needs to overcome the current supply chain issues caused by the pandemic. He is a returni...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 104: If you run overloaded you are subject to fines and are unsafe. If you run underloaded you are missing out on revenue opportunities. How do you find the balance efficiently? Michael Ferguson is the National Sales Manager for Air-Weigh and in this episode, he helps us better understand the overloaded/underloaded problem and explains his company’s solution. Show Notes  ...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 103: Identifying heavy-duty truck and trailer parts is not easy. Supplying parts for work trucks and trailers that are built to different specifications depending on the vocation of the first owner makes it complicated. For decades you either called the dealer with your VIN or you relied on an experienced aftermarket parts technician.  There must be an easier way! Tyler Ro...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 102: In this episode, we discuss the different types of DPF cleaning processes and Austin Northcutt who is the Area Director for DPF Xpress explained the pros and cons of each type. 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 101: Should aftermarket heavy-duty parts distributors sell heavy-duty engine parts, or should they leave it for the OEMs? That is the question we answer in this episode and to help us answer that question we invited Bill Mirth , Director of Business Development at IPD , to come back on the show. If you want to catch his past interviews check out episode 10 and episode 74 ....

Send us Fan Mail Episode 100: Reaching 100 episodes is an achievement in podcasting. We are very excited about reaching this milestone at The Heavy-Duty Parts Report.   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, which means that if you click on one of...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 99: In this episode, we discuss ride solutions for commercial trucks and trailers. Our guest is  David McCleave who is the Director of Marketing and Aftermarket at Hendrickson International and he talked to us about the history of Hendrickson, the changes it has undergone over the last 100-years, the many different solutions they provide the trucking industry, and the dire...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 98: In this episode, we interview Tina Hubbard who is the President and CEO of HDA Truck Pride . She told us the story of HDA Truck Pride, the need that they filled when they were founded, and the strides they are making today to provide solutions for the heavy-duty industry. Show Notes   Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscri...