Send us a text 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 tes...

Send us a text 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 maintai...

Send us a textEpisode 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 y...

Send us a textEpisode 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 m...

Send us a textEpisode 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 –...

Send us a textEpisode 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 a...

Send us a textEpisode 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 ch...

Send us a textEpisode 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 membersh...

Send us a textEpisode 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...

Send us a textEpisode 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 poor...

Send us a textEpisode 341: How are tariffs affecting heavy-duty parts companies? In this in-depth discussion, we talk about the history of tariffs, the real reasons behind them and whether they will go up in the near future.After preparing for this episode, Jamie Irvine and Scott Boltz discovered that tariffs are not what they thought and there is a dark side to tariffs rarely, if ever, discussed by those promoting them.Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of thi...

Send us a textEpisode 340: The team at SSR Lighting was encouraged to look into options for interior trailer lighting after safety concerns from companies like Ford. After trial and error and thinking through obstacles like forklift strikes, extreme weather, and batteries that can’t sit for months unused, they now have a great product that can light up the inside of any trailer.In our That’s Not Heavy Duty segment we talk about another kind of lighting, custom truck lighting, some of which is...

Send us a textEpisode 339: At the Heavy Duty Consulting Corporation, we have partnered with TRAITS to help you with your people and organization. Having the right people is so important when predicting the success of your heavy-duty business. TRAITS is a psychometric assessment tool that can help you evaluate your team based on their personality fit for their job.In this episode, Mike Moreau, President of TRAITS, explains that each job has a personality and that when the best person from a pe...

Send us a textEpisode 338: We’ve been working hard at the Heavy Duty Consulting Corporation to create the only business development system of its kind that is exclusively dedicated to the heavy-duty parts industry. We are proud to announce that we have developed a training program specifically for Parts Managers.In line with that new course offering, in this episode we are going to talk to Dan Larlee, Parts Director at Falcon Equipment, about:What it takes to be a successful parts manag...

Send us a textEpisode 337: Having the right people in your business is very important for success. The ‘right people’ must have a combination of experience and expertise, but more importantly, must have a great attitude and the personality traits needed to be successful in their role.Speaking of a great attitude, our interview with successful trucker and YouTuber with the handle Trucking with Tay, gave us a glimpse into what optimism and hard work can accomplish. Tay has not only achieved fin...

Send us a textEpisode 336: Financial headwinds are slowing the trucking industry down. Parts companies must improve their value proposition, and one of the quickest ways to accomplish this is to bring innovative products to the attention of customers and help them lower their total cost of operation. From the fleet’s perspective, finding ways to reduce costs and make their fleet more efficient is always a good strategy. Our guest is Dan McClave, President of Switchblade Turbos. He talks...

Send us a textEpisode 335: Technology is revolutionizing the heavy-duty parts industry, but how can it keep pace with the challenges of accurate parts identification? Join us as Joe Steward from Betts Truck Parts shares his experience of using modern tools, training, and exceptional customer service to bridge the knowledge gap left by retiring experts.The stakes are high when it comes to parts identification errors, and the consequences can be severe for repair shops and fleets. In our That’s...

Send us a textEpisode 334: Technology is not only changing on commercial vehicles, but it is changing parts manufacturing and distribution as well. In our interview we will be airing a rerun of one of our most popular interviews in the last year from when our host visited the Clarios booth at AAPEX 2023 and talked about low voltage battery technology.In this episode, we also talk about how changing technology requires changes in our business to keep up. In our That’s Not Heavy Duty segm...

Send us a textEpisode 333: What if a simple brake inspection could save lives on the road? In this episode we talk about the life-or-death importance of Brake Safety Week, running from August 25th to August 31st, 2024. This safety week is organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).We emphasize the crucial role of brake upkeep, especially given that brake violations are the top reason for taking commercial vehicles off the road during safety inspections. Brake Safety Week...

Send us a textEpisode 332: What happens when a passion for racing go-karts evolves into a career in the machining industry? Our featured guest Alan Speyrer, owner of AES Machine, transformed a love for problem-solving and machining into a successful business. Discover how a simple conversation about Peterbilt hood hinges led to him engineering superior machine parts.We also discuss how important it is to really listen to your customers and then care enough to help them come up with solu...