The Heavy Duty Parts Report

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Episode 381: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, Jamie Irvine interviews Cory Farrugia, founder of Repair Lift, about how profitable repair shops should approach marketing investment. 

Cory argues that many shop owners mistakenly view marketing as an expense rather than a strategic growth tool because they lack clear tracking systems and predictable customer acquisition processes. The discussion focuses on identifying whether a shop has unused capacity, understanding the true cost of inaction, and measuring marketing success through qualified leads, conversions, and customer lifetime value rather than simple m...

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Episode 380: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine speaks with Sri Kolluri, Product Lead at Motive, about how AI-powered maintenance solutions can help fleets reduce total cost of ownership (TCO). 

The discussion highlights how rising parts costs, emergency breakdowns, and vehicle downtime significantly increase operating expenses, with emergency repairs costing up to nine times more than planned maintenance and downtime creating substantial hidden costs. 

Sri explains that many fleets struggle with disconnected systems for telematics, inspections, maintenance, and work orders, resulting in wa...

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Episode 379: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine interviews Brian Fielkow, former CEO of Jetco Delivery and author of Making Safety Happen, about why safety should be viewed as a core business value rather than a compliance requirement or a business priority. 

Brian explains that strong safety cultures improve employee retention, operational discipline, customer loyalty, profitability, and enterprise value while reducing risks, insurance costs, and costly incidents. He emphasizes that safety must be leader-driven, embedded into daily operations, reinforced through meaningful communication, and supported b...

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Episode 378: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine speaks with Brent Dinger of SRC Reman about the challenges and opportunities associated with remanufactured parts and core management. 

They discuss how inaccurate cross-references, limited industry-standard data, damaged or unidentified cores, rising freight costs, and inconsistent ERP systems create difficulties for distributors, repair shops, and remanufacturers. Brent emphasizes the importance of accurate core identification, proper handling of cores as valuable assets, and stronger validation processes by remanufacturers to prevent costly mistakes. 

Brent explains why re...

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Episode 377: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine speaks with Jessica Crabtree, Director of Technical Services, and Garth Redifer, Vice President of Sales at Power Service, about how fuel quality directly impacts fuel economy, engine performance, emissions systems, and maintenance costs in modern diesel fleets. 

They explain how changes in diesel fuel, including ultra-low sulfur diesel, biodiesel, and renewable diesel blends, have increased the importance of managing fuel quality, lubricity, injector cleanliness, and fuel storage practices. 

The discussion highlights how poor fuel qu...

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Episode 376: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, our host Jamie Irvine speaks with Joe Steward, General Manager of Betts Truck Parts and Service, about the ongoing challenges of heavy-duty truck parts identification. 

They compare the catalog-based methods of the past with today's digital tools, discussing how modern trucks have become significantly more complex. The conversation explores the costly impact of misidentified parts across the supply chain, including vehicle downtime, missed customer commitments, lost profitability, and strained business relationships. 

Joe explains how service providers often go...

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Episode 375: Host Jamie Irvine is joined by Katie Benet, Strategic Account Manager, and Bruce Williams, Senior Director at Marathon Brake Systems, to discuss the upcoming Brake Safety Week and the significant business and safety consequences of brake-related violations.

Using industry inspection data showing that over 15% of inspected vehicles were placed out of service for brake defects, the discussion highlights how inadequate maintenance, deferred repairs, and the use of low-cost components can lead to breakdowns, lost revenue, customer dissatisfaction, higher operating costs, and increased liability. 

The guests stress t...

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Episode 374: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, Jamie and Jennifer Irvine discuss the challenges and opportunities of promoting employees from within a heavy-duty repair business. 

Jamie emphasizes that strong performance in one position does not automatically translate into success in a leadership, supervisory, or sales role. The conversation explores how technicians, lead technicians, shop foremen, service writers, parts professionals, managers, and salespeople each require fundamentally different personality traits, strengths, and workplace behaviors. 

Jamie stresses the importance of understanding employees’ natural abilities, maintaining ongoing career-development conv...

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Episode 373: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, Jamie Irvine and co-host Jennifer Irvine explore the problem of shotgun repairs—when technicians replace multiple parts based on assumptions rather than identifying the true root cause of a vehicle issue. They examine how modern commercial vehicles have become significantly more complex making accurate diagnostics more challenging and increasing the risk of unnecessary repairs, downtime, and lost revenue. 

Drawing on insights from Derek Ness of Dash Mechanical, Jamie explains that not all technicians have the same aptitude for...

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Episode 372: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine speaks with Josh Ross, CEO of Truck Genius, about how repair shops can turn operational data into profit. 

Josh explains how Truck Genius helps shops unlock valuable insights from Fullbay data, making it easier to track key performance indicators, improve accountability, and identify profit leaks. 

The discussion explores the growing role of AI in analyzing repair shop data, highlighting how tools can surface actionable recommendations, monitor technician performance, optimize inventory management, and automate routine ta...

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Episode 371: In this episode, Paul Kunz of Precision Fleet Maintenance discusses his journey from running a side service truck to building a full-scale heavy-duty repair, shop, and parts distribution business driven by a desire to support his family and serve customers better. 

He explains the challenges of entrepreneurship in the trucking industry—from fear and long hours to managing growth, hiring, and implementing systems—while emphasizing the importance of family values and strong team culture. 

The conversation also explores the transition into parts distribution and the complexities of sup...

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Episode 370: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine and guest Jason Kramer from Cultivize, discuss how heavy-duty repair shops, fleets, and service providers can dramatically improve revenue by eliminating “leaks” in their sales pipeline. 

They explain the critical difference between marketing funnels and sales pipelines, emphasizing that most lost opportunities stem from a lack of structured processes rather than insufficient tools. 

Many businesses invest in marketing but fail to track ROI or consistently follow up with leads, resulting in missed conversions and wasted...

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Episode 369: This conversation with Daimler Truck’s Mike Young explores the Detroit Gen 6 engine platform and how it prepares fleets for the EPA 2027 emissions standards by building on nearly 20 years of proven aftertreatment technology. 

Young explains that the Gen 6 engines focus on reducing NOx through improved thermal management, a new pre‑SCR system, as well as incremental enhancements carried over from Gen 5. These changes aim to maintain or slightly improve fuel economy depending on idling habits, reduce maintenance surprises, and ensure technicians and parts suppliers experience minimal disruption. 

With...

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Episode 368: Fleet Advantage’s Brian Antonellis joins our host Jamie Irvine to break down the “procurement paralysis” many fleets are experiencing due to uncertainty, rising costs, and rapid changes in equipment strategy. 

Antonellis explains how years of supply chain disruption, upcoming EPA 2027 emissions regulations, and volatile fuel prices have created hesitation around replacing aging equipment—even as older trucks become significantly more expensive to operate. He highlights the critical importance of understanding a fleet’s true operating economics, especially fuel efficiency degradation and escalating repair costs, and discusses how predictive...

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Episode 367: In this episode, Jamie Irvine talks with Jon Barganier and Spencer Wilson from Allpart Supply about the hidden costs and operational challenges caused by truck and trailer misalignment and frame issues. 

They explain how misalignment leads to excessive tire and fuel expenses, premature wear on suspension components, and even driver fatigue, while also creating major liability risks for fleets. Jon and Spencer describe how Allpart Supply’s mobile alignment system differs from traditional rack‑based setups by allowing accurate alignments anywhere—without pits, level floors, or large shop space—a...

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Episode 366: The episode reviews Fullbay’s State of Heavy-Duty Repair Report, with Jamie and Jennifer Irvine discussing key industry insights drawn from 900 survey respondents and data from 3,400 Fullbay users. 

They explore trends such as the aging workforce, the growth of new repair shops, and the typical shop size and rates. The conversation highlights labor rate increases, technician wages, safety practices, benefits, seasonal workload patterns, training methods, and challenges in hiring and retention. 

They also examine parts‑purchasing behavior, opportunities for shops to improve systems, culture, and financial planni...

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Episode 365: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, Jamie Irvine interviews Daniel Jones, Application Engineer at EnerSys, about how modern heavy‑duty trucks place far greater electrical demands on batteries than ever before. 

Jones explains the evolution from flooded batteries to AGM and now to thin plate pure lead (TPPL) technology, highlighting how today’s vehicles—with telematics, sensors, HVAC, and hotel loads—require batteries capable of deeper cycling, faster recharge rates, and better performance in partial state of charge. He introduces the new Odyssey Evolution ODV31 battery...

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Episode 364: This episode explores the evolving relationship between dealerships and the independent aftermarket in heavy‑duty parts and service, highlighting how rising equipment costs, advancing technology, technician shortages, and tight freight markets are forcing fleets to make smarter decisions about where they source parts and repairs.

Jamie Irvine, joined by Jeremy Smallwood and Chris Norris of KEA Advisors, compares the strengths and weaknesses of both channels—dealers leveraging telematics, OEM support, and improved customer communication, while the aftermarket excels in flexibility, innovation, and entrepreneurial problem‑solving. 

They discuss...

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Episode 363: Jamie Irvine and Jonathan Larsen explore why data standards—especially cross‑references, fitment data, and images—remain a major challenge in the heavy‑duty parts industry, despite decades of progress in automotive. They discuss how standards like PIES and ACES work, why adoption has lagged in commercial vehicles, and how better data practices can reduce friction, improve accuracy, and strengthen the entire supply chain. They also examine cultural, competitive, and operational barriers that slow adoption, and emphasize that the future belongs to companies that build daily habits around maintaining high‑quality pr...

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Episode 362: In this episode, Jamie and Jennifer Irvine break down everything learned at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue (HDAD), exploring major industry shifts such as Daimler’s move from “e‑commerce” to a broader “digital platform,” heavy investments in facilities and consolidation, and the persistent challenges around cross‑reference data, fitment data, and images. 

They discuss OEM strategies around tariffs, nearshoring, and diversification, and they highlight candid market sentiment about the freight recession, supplier relationships, and the impact of the FleetPride–TruckPro merger. 

The conversation also covers insights from industry surv...

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Episode 361: In this immersive episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, Jamie Irvine takes listeners inside HDAW 2026 in Grapevine, Texas — the premier annual event that sets the tone for the heavy‑duty aftermarket industry. 

Jamie tours the venue, speaks with the three associations that co‑own the show, and uncovers the scale of the event. Through conversations with show organizers, distributors, and suppliers, the episode highlights the importance of collaboration, relationship‑building, and face‑to‑face meetings that drive strategic decisions for the year ahead. 

Additional interviews with industry...

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Episode 360: In this episode, Jamie and Jennifer Irvine kick off 2026 by breaking down the biggest challenges and opportunities facing heavy‑duty parts businesses. They discuss the rapid rise of AI, the ongoing struggle to recruit and retain skilled people, and the critical need for strong marketing systems that actually convert leads. 

They share real-world stories, insights from their consulting work, and a five‑step plan for companies looking to grow despite rising costs, market volatility, and shifting customer expectations. The conversation emphasizes strategy, people, technology, and the importance of elimi...

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Episode 359: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, Jamie Irvine speaks with Aaron Rivers, CEO of Emotiv Mobility, and Tim Kelly, the company’s lead engineer, about their development of a hybrid power transfer case designed to modernize commercial vehicle electrification. 

Aaron explains how the idea emerged from recognizing the limitations of all‑electric commercial vehicles—especially in vocational applications where range, idle time, and auxiliary power needs make full electrification impractical. Tim breaks down how the system captures rotational energy from the transfer case to generate usable...

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Episode 358: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, Jamie Irvine speaks with Bryan Thueson of OptiCat and Moritz Mahler of TecAlliance about the long‑standing challenges in warranty processing across the heavy‑duty parts industry. They explain how manual, inconsistent, and inefficient warranty workflows create high process costs, poor transparency, customer frustration, and inaccurate quality tracking for both distributors and suppliers. 

Moritz describes how TecCom’s standardized digital warranty platform—already widely adopted in Europe—streamlines claim creation, centralizes communication, integrates with ERPs and e‑commerce systems, and reduces c...

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Episode 357: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine speaks with John Whittet, Chief Customer Officer at Fullbay, about the growing trend of repair shops expanding into parts distribution. 

They discuss how shops often begin by stocking basic items for their own repairs and then evolve into full parts and service providers, driven by customer demand for one-stop solutions. Whittet highlights challenges such as inventory visibility, pricing control, and workflow alignment, emphasizing how Fullbay’s cloud-based platform helps shops manage real-time inventory across warehouses, retail cou...

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Episode 356: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine sits down with Chris Miller, President of The Hub Corp, to discuss the launch of their groundbreaking XTRACTOR™ hubcap. Unlike traditional hubcaps that simply seal the wheel end, the XTRACTOR™ introduces a built-in multi-stage magnetic and mesh oil filtration system designed to actively remove contaminants from hub oil. 

Chris explains how dirty hub oil leads to premature wear, reduced fuel efficiency, and costly downtime, particularly for small fleets. By combining advanced filtration with a patent-pending HexThread™ cartrid...

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Episode 355 : In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine speaks with Kris Harrington, CEO of GenAlpha, about how buying habits in the heavy-duty parts industry have evolved over the past five years. They discuss the acceleration of digital sales channels driven by customer expectations for convenience, speed, and accuracy, emphasizing the need for businesses to provide self-service, remote, and in-person options. 

Harrington highlights common misconceptions about e-commerce—such as viewing it only as a shopping cart—arguing instead that a digital platform should serve as a com...

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Episode 354: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine interviews Bill Frymoyer, Vice President of Public Policy at MEMA, to explore the impact of recent U.S. government policies on the heavy-duty trucking industry. They discuss the positive effects of tax reforms that encourage investment, but raise concerns over increased H-1B visa fees that hinder access to skilled labor, especially in engineering and technology. 

Frymoyer highlights the disruptive nature of rapidly changing tariffs, including new ones on steel, aluminum, and potentially heavy-duty trucks and p...

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Episode 353: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, host Jamie Irvine speaks with Rick Hanna, Business Unit Leader at SureWerx, about the critical importance of safety when lifting and supporting commercial vehicles. Rick shares insights from recent shop visits where near misses highlighted the need for proper lifting practices, emphasizing the dangers of load shifts caused by fuel tanks and uneven weight distribution. 

The conversation also covers the importance of planning safety into every job, especially in smaller operations, and how SureWerx provides hands-on support, after-sales service, a...

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Episode 352: In this episode, host Jamie Irvine interviews Randy King, National Sales Manager at MGM Brakes, who shares insights from his 47 years in the heavy-duty parts industry. The episode explores the differences between MGM’s brake actuator models and their vocational applications, highlighting innovations like the dual thread release bolt and external breather tube technology that enhance performance and durability in tight, debris-prone environments. Randy also discusses the growing adoption of air disc brakes, particularly in transit fleets, due to improved stopping distances and reduced maintenance costs. A key focus is MG...

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Episode 351: In this episode of The Heavy Duty Parts Report, Jamie Irvine welcomes back Dan McClave, President of Switchblade Turbochargers. Dan is a returning guest on the show. If you want to learn all about the origin story of Switchblade Turbochargers and how they create fuel savings for commercial trucks, listen to episode 286 and episode 336. 

In episode 351, Dan discusses how their patented turbocharger design helps fleets reduce fuel costs. A recent three-month test with Flint Creek Transport showed a 12% improvement in fuel efficiency, with drivers reporting better performance and r...

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Episode 350: The Heavy Duty Parts Report returns with a fresh start, hosted by Jamie Irvine, marking a new chapter for the podcast with a renewed mission and format. Backed by sponsors like The Hub Corp and the Heavy Duty Consulting Corporation, Jamie shares his excitement about relaunching the show and expresses gratitude to the community for their support. The podcast now follows a bi-weekly schedule, allowing for in-depth discussions of industry-critical topics while maintaining high production quality.

Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to...

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Episode 349: Problems in business often start with a lack of systems. Our host, Jamie Irvine, shares clips from a past interview with Michael E. Gerber, author of The EMyth. They discuss the need to have systems and the idea that a real business is one that does not rely solely on the owner.

Our host also interviewed Steve Harter, owner of Knomatic. Knomatic builds custom solutions for problems in heavy-duty companies at affordable prices. Are you struggling with the systems in your heavy-duty business? Go to heavydutypartsreport.com/systems...

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Episode 348: Finding solutions to common problems faced by fleets on their trucks takes innovation. Where does innovation come from? Usually from listening closely to the customer. Simple solutions are often the best. High Bar Brands is a group of innovative companies brought together with one mission – solving problems for heavy-duty fleets.

This week we talked to Steve Hansen and Derek Quys who told us about some innovative products that their company has developed which save money for fleets. These products also protect other drivers on the roads by preventing ac...

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Episode 347: Our guest this week is Colby Varley, Vice President of Sales at Advanced Transportation Services, who shares his expertise on the importance of premium services in the refrigerated transportation sector. He helps us understand why investing in high-quality service leads to better reliability and efficiency, and how this approach helps avert the hidden costs associated with cheaper, less reliable options.

We also discuss the importance of having commercial covenants – promises that you give to your customers that go beyond merely the barriers to entry in the heavy-duty parts bu...

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Episode 346: With HDAW 2025 coming up fast, we were thinking back to past HDAW trips. In 2023, while heading to HDAW, our host Jamie Irvine, was able to visit the headquarters of Sampa USA with a camera crew and interview some of their people as well as check out their warehouse. His interviews highlighted what makes Sampa USA stand out as well as their commitment to providing high-quality parts.

Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content.
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Episode 345: It can be difficult to stop and make a plan when you are busy in the day-to-day tasks of running your business. However, without a good plan, your business might struggle to grow. Transforming your heavy-duty parts business is not just about adapting to market trends; it's about mastering the art of strategic planning. Discipline in planning, as emphasized by Scott Boltz, Director of Consulting at the Heavy Duty Consulting Corporation, prevents the distraction of chasing shiny objects and aligns the business with its core goals, which is critical for...

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Episode 344: Having a strong ‘why’ for your heavy-duty parts company is critical for success. It also is what will guide you when faced with decisions and opportunities. In our That’s Not Heavy Duty segment, we discuss why working without purpose is not heavy-duty and how many employees would prefer working for a company that has purpose.

Our guests today are Tina Hubbard and Clint Carter from HDA Truck Pride. They discuss their strong ‘why’ that led them to create a new membership program, MOHD. The MOHD program will allow memb...

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Episode 343: Proper planning can prevent poor performance in your heavy-duty parts business and can also reduce break downs on the side of the road. As winter comes, one of the ways to prepare is to make sure you have good batteries – on the shelf in your parts store, and in your vehicle.

Our guest, Jeremy Cordray from EnerSys, helps us to understand the differences in battery technology. We also discuss why different batteries will be required in electric and autonomous vehicles as more countries head toward reduced emissions objectives.

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Episode 342: We are happy to have captured this discussion with the now-retired Wayne Cochrane, past National Sales Manager of Redline Emissions Products. With many older ones retiring and leaving the industry, making sure we can still benefit from their years of experience is very important.

Have you ever wondered how to know if a DPF filter is genuinely clean? What should you be doing after getting your filter back from the cleaners? Wayne explains the dangers of running a poorly cleaned filter and how you can make sure that...