The Heavy Duty Parts Report

Send us Fan Mail Episode 47: John Stoeckinger and Buck Monson from the Independent Truck Repair Group . In this episode, we discuss how COVID-19 has impacted independent repair shops, and the steps the iTRG has taken to provide support for the essential heavy-duty repair technicians who keep trucks and trailers that are loaded with the necessities of life rolling. On March 9th, 2020 we aired episo...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 46: Robert Isherwood is the CEO of AMBAC Intl . In this episode, we discuss the most common reason for diesel fuel injection failure, the services AMBAC can offer that no one else can, and how AMBAC feels about adapting to EV and other power sources. Subscribe  YouTube | Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio Giveaway Contest   We regularly have our supplier’s...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 45: Ed Burris of CardConnect . In this episode, we discuss the risks and opportunities when processing credit card payments, and how CardConnect can make that process simpler, and more secure. Subscribe  YouTube | Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio Giveaway Contest   We regularly have our supplier’s giveaway great products worth hundreds, even thousands of...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 44: Steve Hansen of Minimizer . In this episode, we speak to a floor mat manufacturer that proudly advertises that their parts are tested & tortured, and what that truly means to someone buying their mats. Subscribe  YouTube | Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio Giveaway Contest   We regularly have our supplier’s giveaway great products worth hundreds, e...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 43 : You’re a great technician and you know how to fix heavy-duty trucks. To repair a truck or trailer properly you need two things; parts that reduce your cost-per-mile and great tools. Without great tools, even a simple repair can take much longer then it should, it can be very frustrating and put people’s safety at risk.   I’m happy to have a tool man on the podcast in...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 42: It’s not if something goes wrong, it’s when something goes wrong. We are experiencing difficult times in 2020 but as an industry, we’ve pulled together. The world has seen how important it is to keep our trucks on the road. They provide us with everything from medical supplies to food, clothing, and energy.   But what happens when you need a part, the truck must go, an...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 41 : Spicer U-Joints have been the industry standard for heavy-duty applications for years. Most of my customers work in off-road conditions and they swear by the Spicer U-Joint. In episode 16 I talked about the differences between Spicer Genuine OE and Spicer Select. Today I am excited to have Scott Donnelly with us from Dana Incorporated and we are going to expand on the...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 40: If there is one thing, I hear consistently from fleets is that they are sick and tired of the high cost of maintaining their after-treatment systems. As with most things in business you rarely get more than you pay for but sometimes the true cost of a purchase is hidden from you in plain sight.   Today I am happy to have Dave Jerman of Roadwarrior back on the podcast....

Send us Fan Mail Episode 39: When you are running a heavy-duty parts store or a heavy-duty repair facility there are some very difficult challenges that you must overcome to be successful.   There is a constant battle between buying parts competitively and lowering cost-per-mile. Listen to episode 3 and episode 37 for suggestions about how to solve that challenge.   There has been a growing proble...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 38: There is a saying, “you rarely get more than you pay for.” I’ve applied this to buying heavy-duty parts because usually buying cheaper parts upfront means paying much more on the backend as your cost-per-mile increases. In this episode, I am going to introduce you to two advanced tools for heavy-duty parts identification which are ABSOLUTELY FREE with no additional hid...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 37: The trucking industry started to really change in 2010. The introduction of more emission control technology was just the beginning. Truck manufacturers have rapidly adopted multiple forms of technology and this has transformed modern commercial vehicles and honestly, we haven’t seen anything yet.     In the next decade, we are going to see an acceleration of this tren...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 36: According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the COVID-19 coronavirus has developed into a widespread pandemic. With growing outbreaks of diagnosed cases in many states in the US and several provinces in Canada and vastly larger numbers of undiagnosed cases, there’s a serious cause for concern. Whether it is the Coronavirus, or it is another inf...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 35: Starting, growing, and running your own business is not easy. In fact, it might be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Running a truck repair shop has its own set of unique challenges.   Are there resources available to help repair shop owners and operators to be more successful?  To help us answer that question I would like to introduce John Stoeckinger and Buck...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 34: Brian and I met earlier this year at HDAW 2020 in Grapevine, Texas.   I was intrigue by this company that has so many features that are different from the “other guys.” So, I invited Brian to come on the podcast and talk about how RevHD is innovating wheel end products and lowering cost-per-mile for their customers.   Brian Beathard is the National Sales Manager for Re...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description:   Episode 33: We are at HDAW 2020 in Grapevine, Texas and it has been a great event. Today’s interview is recorded at the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center.   Turbos have been on heavy-duty diesel trucks for many years now. How has the technology changed with turbos? Are there best practices for maintaining and servicing your turbo and when you need to repla...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 32: As I look back on my career of 22-years in the heavy-duty parts industry I can now see the impact specific educators and mentors had on the trajectory of my career. Without those people I wouldn’t be where I am today.  Encouraging young talented people to join the heavy-duty industry and make a career as a technician has never been more important.   Our guest today is...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 31: “It’s not if something will go wrong, it’s when something goes wrong.”  Your business is like a rocket ship. Your growing at an exponential rate and the good times seem like they will never end. Until they do.  Your business is starting to spiral out of control, and it seems like nothing you do improves the situation. Are we ever going to get out of this slump?   As le...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 30: I live in Northern Alberta, Canada.   We call it an Alberta Windshield. Everyone here knows what that means. It means you took a rock in the windshield and now your windshield has cracked all the way across the windshield.  Replacing your windshield can be expensive but there are legal requirements that we all must be aware of and there are safety issues with driving w...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 29: When I think of what has made humans successful, I think of people working together. In the trucking industry it is no secret that for many years it was predominately men working in this industry.   In recent years we have seen that to start to change and more women joining the industry in many capacities. As a father of a precocious 15 ½ year old girl this is good new...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 28: At the Heavy-Duty Parts Report we discuss how important it is to focus on cost-per-mile over purchase price. It’s a mantra that I have preached for over 20-years but despite the concept of buying high-quality parts and getting better performance is easy to grasp on the surface it proves to be much more difficult to execute on when faced with economic realities.    Coul...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 27: When you think about lowering your cost-per-mile you probably think about reducing fuel costs, tires, and brake shoes and friction lining. Today we are going to talk about your spring brakes a.k.a. “brake pots.”   Can you lower your cost-per-mile by using a higher quality spring brake?  To help us answer that question I would like to introduce you to Rick Deane, Intern...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 26: Most of the repair shops and fleets I have sold heavy-duty parts to have brand preferences. It is very common to see a fleet specifying one brand of wheel seal, another brand of bearing and pre-set hubs, a different brand again for spindle nut locking systems and hub caps.  Is there a company that does it all and what benefit comes from using one brand for all those pa...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 25: In this episode, I am going to share with you 5 things you can do to get ready for 2020. A quick disclaimer: The opinions in this podcast are just that, opinions. Always consult accountants, lawyers, and other business professionals before making any decisions about your business. If you listen to this episode you are indemnifying Jamie Irvine, The Heavy-Duty Parts Rep...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 24: For decades commercial trucks have been powered by diesel engines. Craig Barnes worked for Cummins for 31-years and saw the evolution of the diesel engine first-hand.  In this episode, we discuss the evolution from mechanical to electronics, the introduction of emission controls and now the move to being digitally connected. We also discuss alternative power sources in...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 23: In this episode, we are going to review the year that was 2019 and we are going to talk about what we can expect in 2020.  We discuss truck and trailer sales in 2019 and trends with aftermarket parts and consolidation.  To learn more about Truck Parts and Service go to TruckPartsandService.com . Next Steps: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com to subscribe, rate, and review...