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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 planning, and the growing interest in AI for diagnostics and training. Throughout the discussion, they emphasize opportunities for shop owners to improve operations, expand strategically, and adapt to industry changes.

Links

· Fullbay_State_Of_Heavy_Duty_Repair_Report_2025_2026.pdf

Sponsors of this Episode

The Hub Corp: Introducing the new standard in wheel-end protection: The Hub Corp's revolutionary XTRACTOR™. The only line of heavy-duty hub caps with a built-in 3-Stage Magnetic Oil Filter that safeguards critical axle components under extreme loads for longer. And with the patent-pending HexThread™ cartridge, the XTRACTOR makes hub oil servicing and inspections faster, easier, and cleaner. The Hub Corp: Challenge The Standard. Visit TheHubCorp.com to learn more and join the waitlist.

Fullbay: Fullbay is built for the heavy-duty world, giving your operation the tools to keep your fleet or independent repair shop running. Features like streamlined scheduling, real-time inventory tracking, technician efficiency insights, and detailed reports are how Fullbay helps shops reduce downtime and keep your vehicles on the road where they belong. Check out Fullbay.com/power to maximize your shop’s productivity.

GenAlpha: Equip360 by GenAlpha helps manufacturers and distributors grow their parts sales and make life easier for their customers. With real-time insights into inventory, pricing, and order tracking, it keeps customers coming back. Plus, it saves time by automating routine tasks and making repeat purchases simple. Explore Equip360 at GenAlpha.com.

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy Duty Parts Report may receive a commission.

Follow the podcast to never miss an episode. If you'd like to work with Jamie Irvine directly, you can schedule a meeting with him today.

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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, which offers improved cycle life, strong cranking power even at low voltage, enhanced vibration resistance, and integrated Odyssey Connect Bluetooth monitoring for proactive maintenance.

The conversation emphasizes how fleets can reduce downtime, extend service intervals, and move from reactive to predictive maintenance using advanced battery technology and real‑time data.

Links

· OdysseyBattery.com

Sponsors of this Episode

The Hub Corp: Introducing the new standard in wheel-end protection: The Hub Corp's revolutionary XTRACTOR™. The only line of heavy-duty hub caps with a built-in 3-Stage Magnetic Oil Filter that safeguards critical axle components under extreme loads for longer. And with the patent-pending HexThread™ cartridge, the XTRACTOR makes hub oil servicing and inspections faster, easier, and cleaner. The Hub Corp: Challenge The Standard. Visit TheHubCorp.com to learn more and join the waitlist.

Fullbay: Fullbay is built for the heavy-duty world, giving your operation the tools to keep your fleet or independent repair shop running. Features like streamlined scheduling, real-time inventory tracking, technician efficiency insights, and detailed reports are how Fullbay helps shops reduce downtime and keep your vehicles on the road where they belong. Check out Fullbay.com/power to maximize your shop’s productivity.

GenAlpha: Equip360 by GenAlpha helps manufacturers and distributors grow their parts sales and make life easier for their customers. With real-time insights into inventory, pricing, and order tracking, it keeps customers coming back. Plus, it saves time by automating routine tasks and making repeat purchases simple. Explore Equip360 at GenAlpha.com.

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy Duty Parts Report may receive a commission.

Follow the podcast to never miss an episode. If you'd like to work with Jamie Irvine directly, you can schedule a meeting with him today.

Send us Fan Mail

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 pricing misconceptions, regional performance differences, the impact of economic cycles, and the growing need for both channels to invest in training, technology, and people. The conversation emphasizes that both dealership and aftermarket networks are essential for up-time, especially as equipment becomes more complex.

Links

· KEA Advisors

· The Heavy Duty Hub

Sponsors of this Episode

The Hub Corp: Introducing the new standard in wheel-end protection: The Hub Corp's revolutionary XTRACTOR™. The only line of heavy-duty hub caps with a built-in 3-Stage Magnetic Oil Filter that safeguards critical axle components under extreme loads for longer. And with the patent-pending HexThread™ cartridge, the XTRACTOR makes hub oil servicing and inspections faster, easier, and cleaner. The Hub Corp: Challenge The Standard. Visit TheHubCorp.com to learn more and join the waitlist.

Fullbay: Fullbay is built for the heavy-duty world, giving your operation the tools to keep your fleet or independent repair shop running. Features like streamlined scheduling, real-time inventory tracking, technician efficiency insights, and detailed reports are how Fullbay helps shops reduce downtime and keep your vehicles on the road where they belong. Check out Fullbay.com/power to maximize your shop’s productivity.

GenAlpha: Equip360 by GenAlpha helps manufacturers and distributors grow their parts sales and make life easier for their customers. With real-time insights into inventory, pricing, and order tracking, it keeps customers coming back. Plus, it saves time by automating routine tasks and making repeat purchases simple. Explore Equip360 at GenAlpha.com.

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy Duty Parts Report may receive a commission.

Follow the podcast to never miss an episode. If you'd like to work with Jamie Irvine directly, you can schedule a meeting with him today.

Send us Fan Mail

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 product data. As Jonathan puts it, “Create a habit of working on your data on a day‑in and day‑out basis.”

Links

· AutoCare.org

Sponsors of this Episode

The Hub Corp: Introducing the new standard in wheel-end protection: The Hub Corp's revolutionary XTRACTOR™. The only line of heavy-duty hub caps with a built-in 3-Stage Magnetic Oil Filter that safeguards critical axle components under extreme loads for longer. And with the patent-pending HexThread™ cartridge, the XTRACTOR makes hub oil servicing and inspections faster, easier, and cleaner. The Hub Corp: Challenge The Standard. Visit TheHubCorp.com to learn more and join the waitlist.

Fullbay: Fullbay is built for the heavy-duty world, giving your operation the tools to keep your fleet or independent repair shop running. Features like streamlined scheduling, real-time inventory tracking, technician efficiency insights, and detailed reports are how Fullbay helps shops reduce downtime and keep your vehicles on the road where they belong. Check out Fullbay.com/power to maximize your shop’s productivity.

GenAlpha: Equip360 by GenAlpha helps manufacturers and distributors grow their parts sales and make life easier for their customers. With real-time insights into inventory, pricing, and order tracking, it keeps customers coming back. Plus, it saves time by automating routine tasks and making repeat purchases simple. Explore Equip360 at GenAlpha.com.

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy Duty Parts Report may receive a commission.

Follow the podcast to never miss an episode. If you'd like to work with Jamie Irvine directly, you can schedule a meeting with him today.

Send us Fan Mail

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 surveys, the importance of improving supplier communication and training, and the critical upcoming decisions on tariffs and the USMCA that will shape strategic planning for 2026 and beyond. As Jamie notes, “we can’t wait anymore,” emphasizing that companies are pushing forward with delayed projects despite uncertainty.

Links

· Episode 354 – Tariffs, Taxes and the Trucking Industry

Sponsors of this Episode

The Hub Corp: Introducing the new standard in wheel-end protection: The Hub Corp's revolutionary XTRACTOR™. The only line of heavy-duty hub caps with a built-in 3-Stage Magnetic Oil Filter that safeguards critical axle components under extreme loads for longer. And with the patent-pending HexThread™ cartridge, the XTRACTOR makes hub oil servicing and inspections faster, easier, and cleaner. The Hub Corp: Challenge The Standard. Visit TheHubCorp.com to learn more and join the waitlist.

Fullbay: Fullbay is built for the heavy-duty world, giving your operation the tools to keep your fleet or independent repair shop running. Features like streamlined scheduling, real-time inventory tracking, technician efficiency insights, and detailed reports are how Fullbay helps shops reduce downtime and keep your vehicles on the road where they belong. Check out Fullbay.com/power to maximize your shop’s productivity.

GenAlpha: Equip360 by GenAlpha helps manufacturers and distributors grow their parts sales and make life easier for their customers. With real-time insights into inventory, pricing, and order tracking, it keeps customers coming back. Plus, it saves time by automating routine tasks and making repeat purchases simple. Explore Equip360 at GenAlpha.com.

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy Duty Parts Report may receive a commission.

Follow the podcast to never miss an episode. If you'd like to work with Jamie Irvine directly, you can schedule a meeting with him today.

Send us Fan Mail

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 leaders showcase how HDAW fosters learning, innovation, problem‑solving, and even major announcements. The episode reinforces HDAW as the industry’s “family reunion,” where community, networking, and business growth converge to shape the year.

Links

· MEMA.org

· CVSN.org

· AutoCare.org

· PowertrainPlusTruckParts.com

· EastTexasTruckCenters.com

· Grote.com

· ACCHeavyDuty.com

Sponsors of this Episode

The Hub Corp: Introducing the new standard in wheel-end protection: The Hub Corp's revolutionary XTRACTOR™. The only line of heavy-duty hub caps with a built-in 3-Stage Magnetic Oil Filter that safeguards critical axle components under extreme loads for longer. And with the patent-pending HexThread™ cartridge, the XTRACTOR makes hub oil servicing and inspections faster, easier, and cleaner. The Hub Corp: Challenge The Standard. Visit TheHubCorp.com to learn more and join the waitlist.

Fullbay: Fullbay is built for the heavy-duty world, giving your operation the tools to keep your fleet or independent repair shop running. Features like streamlined scheduling, real-time inventory tracking, technician efficiency insights, and detailed reports are how Fullbay helps shops reduce downtime and keep your vehicles on the road where they belong. Check out Fullbay.com/power to maximize your shop’s productivity.

GenAlpha: Equip360 by GenAlpha helps manufacturers and distributors grow their parts sales and make life easier for their customers. With real-time insights into inventory, pricing, and order tracking, it keeps customers coming back. Plus, it saves time by automating routine tasks and making repeat purchases simple. Explore Equip360 at GenAlpha.com.

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy Duty Parts Report may receive a commission.

Follow the podcast to never miss an episode. If you'd like to work with Jamie Irvine directly, you can schedule a meeting with him today.

Send us Fan Mail

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 eliminating internal barriers that prevent sales and growth.

Links

· HeavyDutyConsulting.com

· Minecart - Tromml

· Knomatic Software

· TRAITS

Sponsors of this Episode

The Hub Corp: Introducing the new standard in wheel-end protection: The Hub Corp's revolutionary XTRACTOR™. The only line of heavy-duty hub caps with a built-in 3-Stage Magnetic Oil Filter that safeguards critical axle components under extreme loads for longer. And with the patent-pending HexThread™ cartridge, the XTRACTOR makes hub oil servicing and inspections faster, easier, and cleaner. The Hub Corp: Challenge The Standard. Visit TheHubCorp.com to learn more and join the waitlist.

Fullbay: Fullbay is built for the heavy-duty world, giving your operation the tools to keep your fleet or independent repair shop running. Features like streamlined scheduling, real-time inventory tracking, technician efficiency insights, and detailed reports are how Fullbay helps shops reduce downtime and keep your vehicles on the road where they belong. Check out Fullbay.com/power to maximize your shop’s productivity.

GenAlpha: Equip360 by GenAlpha helps manufacturers and distributors grow their parts sales and make life easier for their customers. With real-time insights into inventory, pricing, and order tracking, it keeps customers coming back. Plus, it saves time by automating routine tasks and making repeat purchases simple. Explore Equip360 at GenAlpha.com.

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy Duty Parts Report may receive a commission.

Follow the podcast to never miss an episode. If you'd like to work with Jamie Irvine directly, you can schedule a meeting with him today.

Send us Fan Mail

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 electric power, improving efficiency, reducing fuel and maintenance costs, and enabling new operational flexibility.

The conversation explores engineering challenges, OEM interest, the importance of education in technology adoption, and the broader role commercial vehicles play in supporting society. The episode closes with a look at future enhancements and a call to recognize the critical role commercial vehicle innovation plays in global mobility.

Links

· EmotivMobility.com

Sponsors of this Episode

The Hub Corp: Introducing the new standard in wheel-end protection: The Hub Corp's revolutionary XTRACTOR™. The only line of heavy-duty hub caps with a built-in 3-Stage Magnetic Oil Filter that safeguards critical axle components under extreme loads for longer. And with the patent-pending HexThread™ cartridge, the XTRACTOR makes hub oil servicing and inspections faster, easier, and cleaner. The Hub Corp: Challenge The Standard. Visit TheHubCorp.com to learn more and join the waitlist.

Fullbay: Fullbay is built for the heavy-duty world, giving your operation the tools to keep your fleet or independent repair shop running. Features like streamlined scheduling, real-time inventory tracking, technician efficiency insights, and detailed reports are how Fullbay helps shops reduce downtime and keep your vehicles on the road where they belong. Check out Fullbay.com/power to maximize your shop’s productivity.

GenAlpha: Equip360 by GenAlpha helps manufacturers and distributors grow their parts sales and make life easier for their customers. With real-time insights into inventory, pricing, and order tracking, it keeps customers coming back. Plus, it saves time by automating routine tasks and making repeat purchases simple. Explore Equip360 at GenAlpha.com.

Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy Duty Parts Report may receive a commission.

Follow the podcast to never miss an episode. If you'd like to work with Jamie Irvine directly, you can schedule a meeting with him today.