The Heavy Duty Parts Report

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 cus

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 S

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 cos

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

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 emphasize

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 Tin

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

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 s

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

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.I