On today's first-ever FORTIETH HEP-isode, $7/gallon gas and diesel is pushing Americans to their breaking point, Caterpillar and Komatsu are in a while different kind of space race, and John Deere's latest VR headsets promise to change the way we think of operator training – and operator deployment – forever.

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for The Heavy Equipment Podcast with back to back trade shows, some all-new heavy haul trucks from Kenworth, the new Acela Dispatcher 4x4, and Harbinger's new gas-electric hybrid box van. We've got all this and more on today's Over The Top HEP-isode!

In this thrilling HEP-isode, we discuss the old $5 DVD bins, talk about the lessons some of the old guys on the job can teach, and why Caterpillar's new, AI-powered construction equipment is something you'd better learn to love sooner than later.

On the first, life-altering HEP-isode of season 4, we try to figure out why so many young people are trying to use ChatGPT to get jobs, why autonomous trucks need to take baby steps, and what Andy Rooney would have had to say about all this. All this PLUS our new sound guy, Tim, and an update on the Heavy Equipment Podcast race car – welcome to season 4!

On the first thrilling HEP-isode of 2025, we explore one of the most pressing issues in the trucking industry: parking! We also cover the failures of policy and regulation in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, emphasizing the historical neglect of rail, and whether or not we actually need any of the stuff we need. All this and more – welcome to 2025!

We kick off today's exciting HEP-isode with a safety minute about road rage. Next, we explore what high-speed car electric chargers and the Ark of the Covenant from "Indiana Jones" have in common, interview Fortescue's Andrew Carlisle, and have a nostalgic fever dream about Mama's Family.

Ever wonder whether your minivan could gap the classic Bandit TA in the quarter? On today's exciting HEP-isode we run the numbers, talk through the awesome power of the 675 hp Trackzilla telehandler, ride around in the new electric 580 EV backhoe from CNH, and do whatever we can to avoid another round of Ferengi ear rubbing.

We just got back from Volvo Days 2024 in Shippensburg, PA where we witnessed firsthand the silent power and versatility of Volvo CE's newest construction machinery, and found out what makes it perfect for today's evolving urban landscapes. We also lament the lost art of percolated coffee and marvel at the possibilities of an 8x8 Mack-onoline van. All this and more, on today's exciting HEP-isode of the Heavy Equipment Podcast!