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Term
customer journey
The customer journey is the whole process a customer goes through when they bring a vehicle in. If a shop understands each step, it can use tools (including AI) to make the experience smoother.
Term
predictive maintenance solution
Predictive maintenance means using information from the vehicle to guess when something is going to need fixing soon. Instead of waiting for a breakdown, the shop can plan ahead and schedule the work.
Term
just in time
Just in time means ordering or receiving parts right when the job is ready for them. That can help the shop avoid having a big pile of parts sitting around.
Term
service writers
Service writers are the people at the shop who write up the repair paperwork and keep the details organized. If their notes are messy, it can be harder for technicians to know what to do.
Term
technotes
Technotes are the written technical notes used in a repair order to capture observations, diagnostic results, and instructions for the next steps. In diesel repair, clean technotes help technicians and service writers communicate consistently across shifts and roles.
Term
PM services
PM services are planned checkups and routine work meant to prevent problems. Instead of fixing things after they break, you service them on a schedule.
Term
warranty
Warranty is the period where the manufacturer covers certain repairs. After that, owners and fleets have to manage maintenance more independently, so better planning matters more.
Company
PitStop
PitStop is a company mentioned in the episode that builds software for predictive maintenance. The host says it helps solve real problems using data from vehicles and repairs.
Term
TPMS
TPMS is the system that watches your tire pressure and warns you if something’s off. It helps catch tire problems early instead of noticing after the fact.
Term
soot levels
Soot levels are how much dirty particulate builds up in a diesel’s exhaust. If soot is getting too high, it can point to problems and can help you plan service before things get expensive.
Company
FullBay
FullBay is a company mentioned as having a huge amount of data from service orders and repairs. The host’s idea is that more data helps make better predictions about when maintenance should happen.
Concept
break-fix
Break-fix means you wait until something breaks, then you fix it. Predictive maintenance tries to avoid that by planning service ahead of time.
Concept
roadside repairs
Roadside repairs are what you do when a vehicle breaks down and needs help on the side of the road. Predictive maintenance aims to prevent those situations by catching issues earlier.
Term
telematics
Telematics is technology that tracks what a vehicle is doing and sends that information to a computer system. It helps a repair shop or fleet manager spot problems early.
Term
PM scheduling
PM scheduling is planning routine maintenance before something breaks. It’s like following a service calendar, but guided by vehicle data.
Term
predictive data
Predictive data means using past and current vehicle information to guess what will need fixing soon. Instead of waiting for a breakdown, it helps plan service ahead of time.
Term
sensorsthroughoutthevehicle
Sensors are the vehicle’s measuring tools—like things that watch temperatures, pressures, or engine conditions. They send information so problems can be spotted earlier.
Term
red flag
A red flag is an alert that something is wrong enough that you should act quickly. The system is basically saying, “We’ve seen this before—get it checked.”
Term
fleet management system
A fleet management system is a tool for managing many vehicles at once. It helps schedule maintenance and keep vehicles operating efficiently.
Term
parts inventory
Parts inventory just means the spare parts a repair shop keeps in stock. If the shop has the right parts ready, repairs can happen faster instead of waiting on shipping.
Term
parts turns
“Parts turns” is basically how fast a shop goes through the parts it has stored. If parts sit too long, they can become outdated and tie up cash.
Term
KPI
A KPI is a number a business watches to see how well it’s doing. In this case, inventory is important because it affects how quickly repairs can be finished.
Term
obsolete inventory
“Obsolete inventory” is stock that can’t be used or sold because it no longer matches current vehicle needs, part numbers, or demand. For repair shops, it’s a cash-flow problem because the money is stuck in parts that won’t move.
Term
bad data
Bad data is incorrect information in the computer system. If the parts database is wrong, the AI (and people) can end up looking for the wrong parts or wasting time.
Term
catalog
A catalog here means the shop’s organized list of parts. If it’s set up well, it’s easier to find the right part quickly.
Term
parts cross information
Parts cross information is basically “part number matching.” It helps a shop figure out what replacement part corresponds to what’s actually on the truck.
Term
parts availability
Parts availability means whether the needed parts are actually ready to use and can arrive fast. If parts aren’t available, repairs get delayed and that costs money.
Term
AI
AI is computer software that can “look” at an image and make a best guess about what’s wrong. In this case, it’s meant to help find the right parts faster.
Term
fidelity
Fidelity here means how accurate the AI’s information is. Better fidelity means it’s more likely to point you to the right parts based on what it sees.
Car
Jeep Cherokee
A Jeep Cherokee is an SUV made by Jeep. The 1991 version is an older model, and people who own them often do a lot of their own maintenance to keep them going.
LIVE
Don'tberesistanttoAI.
Weplayinablue-collarindustry,andthat'swhatmakestheindustrygreat.
It'sall-of-the-earthindividuals,butdon'tberesistanttoit.
Justtryit.
BeyondtheWrenchwithJayGaninenfromRenchway.
WelcomebacktoBeyondtheWrench.
MynameisJayGaninen,andIamyourhost.
Thisweek'sguestisTrentBroberg,CEOofFullbay.
Trentisathoughtfulleaderwithapassionforhelpingbusinessesgrow,embracinginnovation,andbuildingstrongteams.
Inourconversation,we'regoingtodiveintoleadership,theroletechnologyandAIwillplayinthefutureofrepairshops,andwhatittakestonavigatechangeinarapidlyevolvingindustry.
Trentbringsauniqueperspectiveonwhereourindustryisheadedandhowshopownerscanpositionthemselvesforsuccessintheyearsahead.
Welcometotheshow,Trent.
Howareyou?
I'mdoinggreat.
Thanksforhavingme,Jay.
IthinktheintrotherejustsaysI'maself-proclaimednerd,andthat'sthat'showI'vebeenfor25yearsinthisindustry.
Well,you'vegotalonghistoryinthisindustry,butyou'rerelativelynewtoFullBay,afirst-timeguestofourshow.
FullBayhasbeenapartnerofoursforyearsatthispoint,andandgreatpartnersatthat.
Uhbringinginnewleadership,uh,it'salwaysfuntokindofgettoknowsomebody.
AndI'vegottentoknowyoualittlebitoverthisfirsteightmonths.
Buthowuhhow'sitbeensofar?
Fantastic.
Sotheyeah,I'vebeenhere,asyoumentioned,Jay,foreightmonths.
It'sbeenawhirlwind.
It'sbeenauhatonofchange,it'sbeenatonofchangeinthemarket,thebroadereconomy,andfullbay.
Uh,we'rebringingnewproductstomarket,we'removingfasterthanever.
We'vegotgreatuhagreatpositioninthespace,andanduhmostimportantly,uhI'vebeentravelingfull-timemywholelife,andfullbayisbasedinPhoenix,andIliveinPhoenix,soIgettobeafull-timedad,reliablecoach.
FromwhatIrecall,youareaanalumofArizonaState,correct?
Iam,yeah.
Asismywife.
IIthatwasit,yes,yes,yes.
TheyuhIwasn'toverlyfamiliarwiththeSunDevilsuntilIgotmarrieduhorstarteddatingmywife,youknow,now15yearsago.
Butnowwe'reuhit'sait'saprettysteadystapleinourhouseuphereinWisconsin.
We'vegotASUstuffallovertheplace.
You'reyoumightbetheonlyoneupthereinWisconsin.
Yeah,IIuhItellpeopleIspentsixyearsatASU.
UhwhatIleaveoutisthegradschoolpartbecauseit'salittlefunnier.
Yeah,right,right,right.
Well,tellusalittlebitaboutyourupbringing.
Uh,you'veobviouslybeenintheindustryforalongtime,uh,wenttoArizonaState.
WhathappenedafterArizonaState?
Yeah,it'safunnystory.
Andandyouknow,we'rejustonthetailendofuhDieselConnect,whichisouruserconferencefortheindustry,really.
Anduhwalkeduponstageholdingabeerinmyhandandsaid,uhandandkindoftoldthisstoryofhowIgotstartedintheindustry.
ButIwasatthetailendofASUinundergrad,andIwassittingwithuhwiththefounderanduhofSwiftTransportation,andhesaid,uh,Trent,whatareyougonnadowhenyougraduate?
AndIhadgottoknowhimasfriendsoffriends,andIsaid,Idon'tknow,I'vebeengoingtoASUforfouryearsdrinking,andhesaid,Whydon'tyoucomeworkformeonMonday?
Sothatismyoriginstory.
ShortlyafteruhIshowupatworkindressclothes,uh,heputsmeoutonatruckforaweek.
SoIspenttheweekinatruckunbeknownsttomewithnotoiletries,changeofclothes,nothing.
SoIspentIspentMondaythroughFridayonaridetojustgetacclimatedofwhathappensinintheworldofOTRandanduhintheclasseighttrucks.
AnduhandthenayearIspentatuhSwiftdoingyouknowchangingtires,greasingfifthwheels,uhmanagingdriversuhforquitesometime,50driverstypicallyinainafleet,anduhthat'swhereIcutmyteeth.
Man,Iatthetimeitprobablyuhandmaybeyouwerereadyjusttodiveheadfirstin,butyoualmost,asyou'regoingonthatfirstweekontheroad,havetolookbackandsay,collegewasn'tsobad.
Youknow,uhI'llalwaysifyou'reoutthere,LarryClement,thankyouforfortakingmeontheride.
Heunfortunatelywasawasachimney,soIhadmyheadoutthewindowmostofthetime.
Butuh,butI'lltellyou,uh,itwasagoodperspective.
ItwasuhwhatIthinkIlearnedmostwastodothehardworkbecauseInevercomplainedthroughthatentireyear.
Butinmyhead,I'mgoing,man,Ijustyouknow,justlikeeverybody,yougotocollege,youthink,oh,you'regonnasitbehindadeskandmakeallkindsofmoneyanddothesethings.
Andandyouknow,Ihadafinancemarketinguh,youknow,degree,anduhandI'mhereIam,greasingfifthwheels,andandlikeIsaid,unloadinga53-footerfulloftiresinthemiddleofsummerinPhoenix.
Anduhnevercomplainedonce.
AndIthinkitwasagoodway,andIthinkthatearnedalotofcredibilityformeintheirleadership.
Well,Ithinkthat'sareallygoodlesson,youknow,aswe'resittingatthethetimeofyearwherealotoffreshcollegegraduatesarecomingoutintotheworkforce,there'sagreatlessoninwhatyou'retalkingaboutthereofregardlessofwhatyourdegreewasandhoweducatedyouare,thereissomuchtolearnassoonasyougetin.
Andandreally,Ithinkthemoreyoucanlearnthetruenutsandboltsofanoperationandhowthingsworkandhowyouknowyouyouwentontheroadtogetthatfirsthandknowledgeofwhatit'strulyliketobeontheroad.
Ityoucanhavealltheeducationintheworld,butuntilyoukindofgothroughthosestepsandandreallykindoflearn,learnsystemsandlearnhowtherealworldworks,uh,ityoureducationwillcomeintoplay.
It'llbereally,reallyhandyatsomepoint.
Butthethewillingnesstorollupyoursleevesandjustgettoworkandlearnissoimportant.
Noone'sgonnadothat.
WehaveaculturehereatFullBaythatwe'rewe'recontinuingtofoster.
AndI'vealwayssaidthisinmycareer80%isonyou,and20%isonthecompany.
Soasyouthinkaboutallofyoulistenersoutthere,myselfincluded,uh,you'vegottotaketheinitiative,you'vegottodowhatyouneedtodo.
Uh,whetherit'saskforthisposition,putintheextraeffort,orfindsomethingthatreallyyou'repassionateabout.
But80%ofyourcareerisonyou.
Thecompanyonlyowesyou20%.
Andoftentimesthat'stheinverseinpeople'smindset.
That'sgreatadvice.
Souhlet'scontinueonwithyourcareeruhasyougothroughaSwift.
Howwhatwhatdoesthatleadto?
Yeah,no,Isaidspentuh,youknow,workedinfinanceandmarketingandfantasticcareer,fantasticcompanythey'vegrownin,youknow,continuedtogrowwithNightSwiftnow,andandstillfriendswithpeopletodaythatareoverthereandexecutives.
Soit'sbeenthatwasjustsuchagreatexperience.
Spentalmost10yearsthere.
Uh,wantedtospreadmywings,noissues.
Itwasoneofthosethingswhereit'slike,okay,I'velearnedalothere.
WhereelsecanIlearn?
Idon'tsitwell,Iwanttogolearnmore.
SoIspentacoupleyearsatDBShanker,whichisyouknowglobalfreightforwarderbasedinGermany.
Uh,theywantedmetomovetoGermany,wasn'tinthecards.
Uh,andIIfoundasmalluhIdahocompanycalledInternetTruckstopatthetime.
Uh,anduhwenttoworkoverthereandanduhyouknowspentuhalmost10yearstheregrowingthatbusinessintotruckstop.com
andwhatitistodayisuhyouknowultimatelyCOO.
Thatwasagood,agreatexperienceaswell.
Wasthatkindofatthatstartuplevelwhenyouwentthere,orhowhowfaralongwasthecompany?
Yeah,theywerealittlefartherpaststartup.
ItwasyouknowfoundedbyagentlemannamedScottMosgrip,justauhjustafantastic,smartestpersonyou'llevermeet.
UhanduhandanditwasstartedinasmalltowninNewPlymouth,Idaho,anditwasyouknowunder100employees.
Itwasfairlysmall,andanduhyouknow,itwasitwasallowned.
Iactuallystartedtoworkforoneoftheacquisitionstheymade.
Itwasapartialacquisition,sothat'skindofhowIworkedin.
IwereasaGMstructureandandownedthatasuhitwasaTMSproductinthespace,andandthencontinuetogrow.
Weswitchedthebrand,uhlearnedatonfrompeopleintheindustrythereandwhatthatyouknowthey'refundamentallytruckstop.com
isaisthekindofthetownsquare,thespotmarketoffreight.
Sobecauseofthat,andbecauseoftheamountofuhfreight,whichwasaboutatthetime,about12%oftheUSGDPthatwentthroughthatplatform,Ijustgottoknoweverybodyintheindustry.
Isn'tthatcrazy?
Justuhone,the12%ofthisgigantic,giganticindustry,right?
Likethatandtheamountofconnectionsthatyou'reabletomakebecauseofthatishugelyimpactfultoyourcareer,Ihavetoimagine.
Yeah,asIstartedoff,ititis.
I'maself-proclaimednerd,sothatfitreallywellinthatintersectionoftrucking.
IhaveIhaveaaveryuhcloseperspectivewithdriversbecauseIworkedwithdriversforsolong,andthat'showIstartedmycareerandmanagingdrivers.
Andthatallowedmetogetintothem,thesearetypicallyowner-operatorsmallbusinessesthatworkwithtruckstop,andthatallowedmetokindofbridgethegapbetweenthetechnologyandinnovationsideofthingsandtheandtheuhandthethetrucking.
AndIthinkmostpeoplewouldwoulduhcallmeanextrovert,andthatkindofworkstothatnetworkeffectthatyouareyou'reoutthereinthespaceandyou'relearningandmeetinggreatpeopleinthisindustry.
Yeah,ititishugelyimpactful,andthenthateventuallyleadstoyoucomingtoFullBay.
Yeah,actually,IIspentuhalmostfiveyearsataatauhthelargestautomotivelogisticscompanyrightbeforeFullBay,basedinSt.
Louis,companycalledAssertis,fantasticbusiness,grewthatintoaplatform,acquiredeightbusinesses,andanduhthey'redoinggreattodayintheautomotivelogisticsspace.
TheyserviceyouknowOEMs,dealerships,fleetmanagementcompanies,andanduhmanyothers.
AndanduhIwasontheroadforbothofthosecompaniesalmostfulltime,fouroutofeveryfiveweeks,whetherIwasinIdahoorChicagoorSt.
Louis.
AnduhandIsawthisfantastic,IknewFullBay.
IknewsoIjumpedovertoFullBay,IknewFullBaybecauseitwasbasedhereinPhoenix.
Um,Iknewaboardmember,IknewIknewthebankers,they'reprivateequityowned,soIknewalotofpeoplearoundthisbusiness,anditjustworkedoutgreat.
Ibeforewegetintothefullbaystuff,becausethere'salotthere,Idoalwaysaskthosethathavebeenontheroadalotfortraveladvicebecauseuhthat'suhIIspendquiteabitoftimeontheroadmyself.
I'malwayslookingforwaystoimprovemyexperienceoruhmakeituhsomeofitisnoteventheexperienceoftravel,it'showtonavigatehomelifeandtryingtouh,youknow,wehaveanine-year-oldson,sohowdoyougethimtoschoolwhenI'montheroad?
Andyouknow,thatallofthethingsthatgointoitthatmaybeyoudon'tthinkabout,yeah,butanythingthatyoulearnedinyouryearsoftravel,Iknowthisisaveryvaguequestion,butinyouryearsoftravelthatmaybethosefolksthatarethatarehittingtheroadsallthetimeuhmightbeabletotouhtolearnfrom.
Yeah,theprimaryyoulearnthatIlearnedveryquicklythatmywifeisanangel,andshesheisaretiredelementaryschoolteacher,andshegaveuphercareerbecauseofthis,right?
Wehavekids,I'vegota12andanine-year-old,12tomorrow,andanine-year-old.
AndandwhenIwasontheroadandtryingtobalancethat,wehadtomakeadecisiononwhatweweregoingtodo.
Becauseatthetime,we'retalking,youknow,12,15yearsago,uh,thatwasreallyhard.
Itwasaveryharddecisionforustomake.
AndshemadethesameinvestmentthatImadeinmycareer,inhercareer,andinthinkingaboutitandhowyoumakethat80-20rule.
And,youknow,ithelpsthatwe'vegotafantasticfamilyaroundus.
And,youknow,thethethenumberonethingthatIlearnedveryquicklyisjusttoover-communicate.
Andwhilemykidswereyoung,IcontinuedtomakesurethatIalwaysansweredthephone.
Iftheycalled,Ialwaysansweredthephone.
IfI'minaboardmeeting,it'slikeI'llcallyouback.
Soeverybodyaroundmeknewthatmyfamilywasimportanttome,thatmykidswereimportanttome,mywifewasreallyimportanttome.
AndweweregoingthroughCOVID,right?
SoitwasallZoom.
Itwassimilartothiskindofmentality.
AndwhatIwouldalsodothroughthattimeisanytimemykids,becausethey'reyoungatthetime,wouldcomein,theywouldjointheZoomwithme.
Soeverybodyatthecompanyknewbothmykids.
Theyallknewit'slike,heyLincoln,howyoudoing?
HeyBarrett,howyoudoing?
UhmeetJay.
He'shere'swhoJayis,andthey'llaskacouplequestionsandthenokay,we'rebackontoit.
SoInevercool.
IneveruhItriedtotryto,anditdoesn'talwayswork.
Itriedtonevertakeuhmyjobandelevateitabovemykidsandandwifeandfamily.
Thatisjustgoodlifeadviceasawhole.
Anduhasyoutalkthroughthat,thatisthosearerealconversationsthathappenevenwithmywifeandI.
Mywifeisathirdgradeteacher,andit'sauhattimesyouyouyou'reabsolutelyright.
Uh,she'shadtomakesacrificesaswe'vegrownthecompany,andituhattimesischallenging,andneversayingthatinthesenseoflikewantinganybodytofeelsorryforme,butitisuhit'sadifferentdynamicthanmaybethegeneraleighttofivewhereyou'rejustyouknowkindofreportingtoashopeverydayororwhatever.
SoIIgiveyoualotofcreditfornavigatingthatbecausethatisuhthatismaybealittlemorechallengingthanthanpeoplegiveitcreditfor.
Yeah,it'sallaboutsleeps.
Howmanysleepsareyougone?
Nothowmanydays,howmanysleepsareyougone?
There'salotofredeyesassociatedtothattotrytogethomeornot,youknow,dependingonhowthatworked.
ButalotalotoftimesI'vegotbacktotheairportaftermidnight,butitwasbettertogethomeforthatnight.
IIlikethatalot.
Yeah.
Oh,thisthisisgreat.
Soultimately,thatthatiswhereweleadtotofullbaythen.
AndasImentionedatthetop,fullbayhasbeenagreatpartnerofoursforformanyyears.
Uh,anduheventhroughtransitions,it'sjustbeenuhawonderfulpartnership.
Ithinkthecompanyasawhole,thefabricofitandandtheculturehascarriedon,right?
IIthinkjustareallycoolplacetowork.
Uh,everybodythatIalwaystalktoisjustalwaysjustoverlygreattomepersonally,too,right?
Wheretheythey'veuhreallygoneoutoftheirway.
Andandthecompanyitself,Ihavetoimagine,asyou'relookingatitfromanoutsider'sperspective,uhthere'sgottobesomeintriguethereingeneralaboutwhatagreatcompanyitisandandreallykindofthereputationthatitcarriesthroughouttheindustry.
That'sright.
Yeah,andfirstoff,Jay,thankyouforthepartnershipovertheyears.
Itobviouslypredatesme,soIcantakenocredit.
Uh,butyouhavebuiltafantasticcommunity,justasFulbright,andourabilitytobringthosecommunitiestogetherbecausewehavethesameaudienceisishasbeenfantasticovertheyears.
Andthehelpwiththestateofdutyheavyrepairandsomeofthecontentyouputout.
Andthere'suh,youknow,foreshadowing,there'salotmorefunstuffwecandotogetheraswewantourdata.
Soum,yeah,no,IIthinkuh,youknow,asIwaslookingat,youknow,understandingwhofullbayisandwhattheopportunityis,youknow,fullbayisfullbayisaaaverywell-regardedcompany,anditprovedoutinouruserconference,right?
Youknow,well,whenyousitinanexecutiverole,sometimesthingsrolldownhillandyou'resittingatthebottomoftheuhbottomofthehillandtryingtofigureouthow,youknow,whatarethechallengeswiththeproduct?
Andandlook,we'rewe'reuhwe'reimperfect,werecognizethat.
Butwhenyousitandtalktothesecustomersabouttheirlifeandtheirstoryandtheirfamilyoperationsandhowthey'vegrowntosecondgeneration,allonthebacksofaplatformthatthatthatthefoundersatFullBaycreated,it'saprettyfunstorytobein.
Youknow,we'rewe'rewedidsixandahalfbillionthroughtheshop,throughthesoftwarelastyear.
It'sgot5,000customers.
Uhwe'vegotsomefunstuffonthehorizonthatwecangetintohere,andanduhlookwe'regonnawe'regrowingfasterthanever.
Well,youmentionedtheconference,DieselConnect.
IbelievewasthisthefourthyearofDieselConnect?
UhIbelieve.
Yeah.
Six.
Ohmygosh.
Okay.
Yeah.
SoI'vehadthefortuneofcomingmultipletimestotheconference,andI'llneverforgetthefirstyeargoingandandjustreallykindofeverybodywasalittlenervousandhowitwasgoingtogo,andtheyjustabsolutelyknockeditoutoftheparkfromthestart.
Andthisyear,aswe'vekindofgraduatedthroughtheyears,itreallystartedtolikeit,itissuchagreatconference.
Theamountthatthethethetypeofcontentuhthathappenedthere.
Uh,youknow,andIIjustthinkbacktoyoubringingthatbeeronstagetokindofkickthingsoff,right?
IitwasuhoneofthoseverymemorablepresentationswhereuhyouyouyouseetheCEOofFullBaywalkoutwithabeeronstage.
You'relike,thisIwonderwhatwhatturnthisisgonnatakehere.
Thisisathisisaninterestingone.
Wewell,it'simportantthatuhIbringweallbringlevitytowhatwedo.
UmIthinkit'simportantthatthatDieselConnectisone,aneducationaluhconference,butalsoalittlebitoffunuhmixedinthere.
Ithinkthatishowwebuildandfostertherelationshipswe'rein.
Look,we'reallwealltakeourselvestooseriously,weallhaveourownchallenges,weall,allofourcompanieshaveourownchallenges,whetherthey'reuniqueorsimilar.
Anduhifwecantakesometimetotothankeachotherandjustbepresentinthemoment,Ithinkthat'simportant.
Andtheconferencewasfantastic.
It'smyfirsttimebeingattheconference,anditwasjustsuchagreateventtojusttalktocustomersandandunderstandwhotheyare,whattheiroriginstoryis.
I'malwaysfascinatedbyoriginstoriesbecauseI'vegotaninterestingonemyself,andanduhyeah,itwasagreatconference.
IsoasaNASCARfan,youhadLarryMcReynoldsonthestagerightoffthebat.
Uh,howwasLarry?
LarryMack,yeah,gottomeethim.
Imean,he'salegend,right?
LarryMack,hewasthegreatestcrewchiefdriverever.
AndandI'myouknow,uhIhadsomeniceconversationswithhimbackstageaboutspecificdriversandyouknow,DaleHernardJr.
andsenior,andandyouknow,workingwiththemclosely.
Unfortunately,wehadthelossofobviouslyKyle,andandhehadworkedwithhim,andthatwasthedayafter.
SotherewasjustalotofemotionsuhwrappedupinthatbecauseItookit.
Thatwaswild.
Yeah.
Yeah,thethetimingofthatandforhimtokindofkeephiscomposureonstage.
Uhhe'satrueprouhininhowheapproachesthings.
Andum,yeah,IIwasgeekingoutfromtheaudiencesideandanduhreallyenjoyedthat.
AndthenuhyouhadDaveAndersonaswell,whohasbeenonthepodcastbeforeanduhafriendofmineuhandandtalkedaboutaccountabilityforshops.
Andyouknow,Ithinkhismessagewasreally,reallyimportanttoshopsthatwereoutthereuhinhowtheyruntheiroperations,howtheyholdfolksaccountabletoatoahigherstandard.
Justallinall,justthosetwosessionsalonewouldhavebeenworthitformostpeople.
Andthentherewassomuchmorethatwentintoitoverandabovethat.
Yeah,yeah.
Wetrytodoalotofbreakoutsessions.
Wetrytobringhelpfulpeople,right?
Helpfulinthecontextofwhatcanyoutakebackandworkwiththeirleadersorworkwiththeirtechniciansortheirindividualstojustultimatelymaketheirprofitabilityorwhateverthey'reyouknow,noteverybodywantstobegrowingandnoteverybodysometimesit'salifestylebusiness,butyoucantakethesenuggetsandtakethembacktobothyourprofessionalandpersonallives.
Ithinkthat'simportant.
Yeah,Ihadacoupleofbreakoutsessionsmyselfthere.
Yep.
Uhtheaudiencethereisalwaysengaging,uhthey'realwaysaskingquestionsandandwantingtogetbetter.
Uh,oneofmyfavoriteconferencesasawhole,justingeneral,uhthefacilitiesthere,phenomenal,alwayshaveablast.
Um,andsoyeah,justkudostoyouandtheteamforanotherheckofaconference.
Andasyou'relisteningtothis,ifyou'reinthatdieselworldandandyou'relookingforanopportunitytogetmorelearningandgetmoreuhabilitytorunyourbusinessbetter,there'snotabetterconferenceoutthere.
Itisreally,reallywellrun.
Yeah,thankyou.
Wehadabout400uhattendees.
Wewerecapped,sogetinearlyifyou'regonnagetticketsfornextyear.
It'llbethissimilarinMaynextyearuhhereinPhoenix,Arizona.
Ipromiseyouit'snotashotaspeoplethinkuhthattimeofyear.
Butuhyeah,Iappreciatethethepositive.
Sentimentthere.
It'sonlygoingtogetbiggerandbetter.
Now,therewerealotofthingsasagainasIledtheshowwith,we'regoingtotalkaboutmaybeadvancementswithintheindustryandthingsthatwecandotokindofmoveforward.
AndsoasI'mthinkingaboutthisandkindofalmostrecappingtheconference,youhadsomeprettysignificantannouncementsattheconference.
Yeah,wewewereholdinguhpatientlytoannounceuhwhatwillbethenewplatformforfullbay.
Uhit'scalledFullBayNext.
Rightnow,itwilljustbeFullBayaswelaunchthatoutthedoor,butthat'swe'vegottotalkaboutthingsdistinctlybetweenwhatwehavetodayandwhatwe'rehavingtomorrow.
Thewaythatwe'rethinkingaboutFullBay,andandthisissomemoreinformationwedidn'tevenshareattheconference.
Butuhbutthewaythatwe'rethinkingaboutFullBayasanentity,wehaveaproductontheshelfandit'sanapplication.
It'sgotitschallenges,youknow,it'ssometimeschallengedinreportingstructureforenterpriselargecustomersandmanyotherthingsthatI'msurecustomersarethinkingrightnowtoday.
Andwerecognizeallofthepitfallsthatgointothat.
Wehavebuilt,anditisinbeta,wehavebuiltanewuhgroundupplatform.
Soratherthanthinkingthingsofanapplication,we'vebuiltFullBladeasaplatformsothatnowwethinkaboutbringingbestinclasspartnersintothefold,thinkabouttheintegrationswecandowithourcustomers'uhinternalsystems.
Thatwillbeagamechangerfortheindustry.
Andandwe'rehavingjustfantasticfeedbackfromearlyadoptershere.
It'sexcitingasfarastimelinegoes.
Whatareyoulookingatthere?
Yeah,soyou'llsee,likeIsaid,weannounceditattheconference.
We'reinbetawithsomecustomers.
Sothankyou,customers,thatarehelpingusalwaysgetbetter.
Werecognizethat.
Anduh,youknow,you'llseeyou'llseethiscomingoutinQ3wherewestartlaunchingthistoselectcustomers,typicallyuhthesmallerendofcustomersaswethinkaboutthelaunchandplatformsowedon'tdisruptuhourcustomerbase.
Butwhat'smostimportanthereisthatitisAInativeanditisAIfirst.
Whatthatallowsustodo,uh,aseverybodyknows,ismovealotfasterwithdevelopment,withfeaturereleases,withwithhowwe'rethinkingaboutthisplatformversusanapplication.
Anduhyou'llseearapiddevelopment,you'llseerapidreleaseschedules,andit'sgonnabealotoffun,that'sforsure.
Howdoyoukeepupwithalloftheadvancements?
Youknow,wewetalkaboutAIallthetime.
Wetalkaboutjusthowrapidlythingsaremovingrightnowintermsoftechnology.
AstheCEOofacompany,howhowdoyoukindofstayontopofthat?
Imean,there'salotgoingonrightnow.
Yeah,theshortanswerisyoucan't.
Uhsoyoudoyourbest.
IIamIhaveIblocktimespecificallyforthisthroughouttheweek.
Research,development.
Ithinkthemostimportantpartrightnowisjusttousetheproducts.
UseClaudeinyourownlifesothatyou'reeatingyourowndogfoodandI'mintherebuildingoutagentsandI'mbuildingoutworkflowsandco-workanddoingthingsthatthatmaybeisuniqueuhinthatsense,butumit'sabouthavingthetherightteaminplace.
Ourtechnologyleadershipisworldclass.
They'vebuiltuh,youknow,twogentlemenhere,KirkandScottandandmanyothersthatthatuhthatreporttothemandJohnarchitectsandanduhtheyhavebuiltworld-classsoftwares.
They'vecomefrom30yearsatMicrosoftandAmazonandthesecompaniesthatarejustontheforefrontofsuccess,andthatthey'rebuildingoutwhatIbelieveisoneofthebest,it'soneofthebestdevelopmentteamsI'veeverworkedwith.
That'sinsane.
Uhthat'sreally,reallycool.
Now,whatdoyouseeforthefutureofthis,right?
Becauseaswe'remaybelookingforwardtothis,Ithinkfromashop'sperspective,thiscanoftentimesbereallyscarybecauseyou'rehearingaboutallofthis,andandeverytimeyouturnonthenews,there'ssomethingelseaboutAIoranytradepublicationyou'rereading.
There'sAI.
Like,IIthinktherearesomeofusthatmightbeoverwhelmedbyitrightnowandtryingtodigesteverythingthat'scoming.
Butinalotofways,it'sgoingtomakeourlivesbetter,right?
We'rewe'regoingtomakethingsandsomeofthosemundanetasksthatmaybewedon'twanttodoasmuch,itmighthelpusthereaswell.
Whatdoyouseeforthefutureofthisasitrelatestothedieselrepairindustry?
Yeah,youjustgothroughanyshop,gothroughanybusiness,andlookatalltheadministrativeworkthatcanbecutoutthroughAI.
That'sthewaythatwethinkaboutit.
Wemapoutthecustomerjourney,weunderstandwherethingsarecanbesolvedthroughAI.
Weliveinaserviceindustry.
Youcan'tAIawrench,right?
Butyoucanforsureserveuptherightdatatomakethateasieruhtofindapart,tofindwhatweneedtodotofigureoutthepredictivemaintenancesolution,getintouhintounderstandingscheduling,understandingwherethepartsare,howtogetthemjustintime.
Whenyoulookatthatwholecontinuum,there'ssomuchtodothere.
Andwe'rejustscratchingthesurface.
Butyouknow,65%ofourshopsuhdon'tuseAItoday.
Orwhattheydois,youknow,chatandconversational,right?
WehaveAIproductsnativenowontheplatformthatarehelpingtotranscribeforEnglishasasecondlanguage,thatarehelpingcleanuptechnotes,whichisalwaysachallengeforservicewritersoutthereandunderstandinghowtogetthingsinanicepackage.
Sowe'retryingtodothingsthatwe'vegotthatwecanintheproducttodayaswe'resimultaneouslybuilding,youknow,fullmainX.
Well,andandyoulookataproblemliketechniciannotesthatyoumentioned,andthishasbeenaproblemforever.
IIthinkIIdon'trememberatimewherethiswaslikeaneasything,right?
Youmighthaveatechnicianthatdoesareallygoodjobatit,butthentherestoftheteammightstrugglewithit.
Ithinktheabilitytousetechnologylikethattosimplifytheirjobandandmaybeuh,youknow,IIdon'tknowwhatyourplansareinthatregard,butIIthinkthatyoulookattheadministrativetasks,thatisoneofthemostcommononesthatIhearfromtechsaboutwritingstoriesandandmakingsurethatthey'redetailingwhatrepairtheydid.
Idothinkthere'sjustsuchahugeopportunityforAItohelpoutthereandanduhagainmakethelivesoftechniciansandmanagersbetter.
Yeah,whenyoulookatthisproblemtosolve,it'saboutwrenchtime,right?
Howcanwetakethebusinessasawholeandapplymorerevenuegeneratingopportunitiestoashop?
Sowhenthatpartofthatis,likeyousaid,technotesandtechnology'scleanupandunderstandingwehaveshopsrightnowthatareleveragingmics,BluetoothmicstodictatetoFullBay,tothentranscribeeverythinginadifferentlanguagethanEnglish,anditpackagesitup,cleansitup,uhconvertsittoEnglishandtranslatesittoEnglishandgetsitintoyouknowtheinvoiceandthesystemitself.
Sothatjustthingslikethatarebigsavers,uh,youknow,bigtimesavers,sothatyoucanspendmoretimeonthewrenchandmoretimedoingwhatyoudobesttoearnyouknowmoney.
Andlesstimedoingthestuffthatyouhatedoing,right?
Ithinktherearealotoftechniciansthatwouldadmitthattheydon'tlovewritingupthosenotesandandmaybeuhtrytopushthroughitratherthanyouknowkindofdoitatahighlevel.
I'veseensometechniciansarefantasticatit,don'tgetmewrong.
There'ssomethatwouldrathernot.
AndIthinkIprobablyfellinthatboatuhbackintheday,right?
Ofofuhnotwantingtowriteupthedescriptionsasmuch.
SoIIdothinkthebetterthatgets,thenyou'resavingtimeupfront.
Andmaybethetimeupfrontcanbespentonworkflowortryingtogetmorebusinessinthedoor,youknow,whateveritmightbe,itdoesopenyouuptodomoreproactivethingstohelpgrowthebusiness.
Ijustthinkthere'ssomuchvaluethere.
Yeah,inourinourreporting,57%ofshopsareunderstaffed,right?
That'snotuhashockingstatistictoanybody.
Buthowdowesolveforthat?
Yousolveforthatthroughobviouslytechnicianrecruitingandandthings,youknow,specificallythewrenchwaydoes,butbutalsothroughbeingmoreefficientathowwesolveproblems,howwefindhowwewriteup,howwefindparts,whatarethediagnosticsolutionsandhowwe'refixingthingsandandlargelyhowdowepredictthesemovementsfartherupstream.
Ifyou'reanautomotive,diesel,orcollisioninstructor,oraneducatorhelpingstudentsexplorethesecareers,thisisforyou.
Buildingrelationshipswithlocalshopstakestime,andknowingwho'swillingtohelpisn'talwaysclear.
ASCConnects,inpartnershipwithRenchway,bringsschoolsandindustrytogetherononeeasyonlineplatformatnocostforschools.
AttheheartofASCConnectsisSchoolAssist,theonlineresourcethatletsyoupostexactlywhatyourprogramneeds.
Fromguestspeakers,shoptours,tools,advisorycommitteemembers,careerfairparticipants,andevenstudentjobopportunities.
Shopscanseeyourrequestsandresponddirectlytoyou.
You'llalsogetaccesstoinstructor-focusedresources,webinars,andtemplatesdesignedtosavetimeandstrengthenindustrypartnerships.
Evenifyourschooldoesn'thaveaformalautoordieselprogram,youcanstillparticipatetohelpconnectinterestedstudentswithrealworldopportunities.
ASEConnectsisfreeforschools.
Getstartedatwrenchway.com
slashsolutionsslashschoolsorusethelinkintheshownotes.
Howdoyouseeitplayingoutforpredictivemaintenance,right?
AndI,youknow,thatpartfascinatesme,especiallyasititrelatestotheaftermarketworldininawaythatyou'retryingtoformeanyway,I'mtryingtowrapmyhandsaroundhowhowdoesthatworkuhforthatpredictivemaintenanceandandtryingtohelpacustomerunderstandtheirtruckandandtryingtogetitmaybealittlebitmoreuhIguessproactivelyoutinfrontofsomethingsthatcouldcouldsaveyoualotofmoneydowntheroad.
Ifirsttypicallystartwith,areyoudoingPMservices?
That'sright,thatisastandard,right?
Andthatiswhileyouthinkitwouldbemorewidelyadopted,PMschedulingisn'tquiteasadoptedasyouthink.
Soyougottogettothatlevel,right?
NowAIcanhelpyouinunderstandingwhatarethePMschedulesorwhatshouldthePMschedulesbe,right?
Onceyougetoutofwarrantyandandandyouknow,it'skindofthisopenspace,right,whereeverybody'sgottheirownprogram.
Sothat'sfirst.
WeuhearlierthisyearpurchasedacompanyuhcalledPitStop,uh,agentlemannamedShiva,uh,who'sfantastic.
Parentshaveownedashophiswholelife,sohegrewupinashop.
Andhebuiltthispredictivemaintenancesolution,andhe'ssolvingreal-worldproblemsatveryhigh80to90percentsuccessrateswiththingslikesootlevelsandhowareyouwhatareTPMSandsomeotherchallengesthathappeninthisspace.
Um,sowhenwhenyoutakeastepbackandlookatit,it'saboutleveragingdata.
FullBayistheonlypeopleouttherethathas,youknow,sixandahalfbilliondollarslastyearinserviceordersandrepairsandpartsandandthingslikethat.
Weneededaproductthatcouldtakeallthatdata,whichwe'renotleveragingasweshouldtoday,andbuildpredictivemodelingontopofthat.
Andthat'swhatwe'redoing.
Sowe'restartingtotestsomeofthesemodels.
Andwhenyouthinkabouttheusabilityhere,it'sreallyaroundunderstandingwhentoscheduleandhowtoschedule,right?
Ifwecangetifwecanreduceuh,youknow,breakfixesorroadsiderepairsortowfees,right?
Itbecomessuchanadvantageoussituationforshopsandtheirrelationshipwiththefleets.
Sotheshopsarenowusingpitstoptothenpointsolution,theirfleetsthattheycontractwithandsay,here,connectyourtelematics.
Nowtheshopcanseealltheassetsthereandred,green,yellow.
Youknow,whichonesareneedtobescheduled,whichonesneedtobepulledofftheroad,dependingonwhatthetelematicsissaying,dependingonPMscheduling,bedependingonotherpredictivebehaviors.
Soit'sattheforefront,andthere'salotofworktobedone.
Isthatbasedonwhatwhenyou'relookingatit'smaybenotconnecteddata,butmorepredictivedata?
Someaningthatyou'relookingatmaybehowmanymilesthey'reputtingoninacertainamountoftime,anduhbasingserviceschedules,andandI'msurethere'sabunchofitthatgoesintoitthatI'mI'moversimplifying,butwe'retalkingmorethatsidethantheconnecteddata,right?
It'sactuallyboth.
Soyes,youhavebehavioraltraitsdependingonuhdrivingbehaviorsinthetruckitself,right?
Somaintenancescheduling,andyouknow,that'salittlemorerules-basedwhenyouthinkabout,oh,wegettothismiles,youknow,likeinyourowncar,yougetto10,000miles,Igottadotheseservices,right?
Thosearemorerole-based,butbuttherearebehaviors,andthenthere'ssensorsthroughoutthevehicle.
Soastelematicsgrowsorassensortechnologycontinuestogrowwithsmarttrucksandsmarttrailers,thenyoucantakethatdataandmakeinferencesoffthatdatabecauseyou'veseenthatsameredflaguhahundredtimesorathousandtimesacross5,000shops.
Youknowwhattheservicerepairneedstobeforthatredflagbecauseyoualreadyknowwhatthattruck,whatthatcombodrivetrainis,andyou'vegotallthesedatapointsthataresaying,oop,I'veseenthisbefore.
Weshoulddosomethingaboutitbeforesomethinghappens,right?
Andthinkaboutitjustinthesootlevels,right?
You'restarting,youknow,oncethesensortechnologyisreadingthatfromthefromfromthetruck,it'sfeedingitintofullbay,andnowyou'reabletounderstand,oh,mymileageisdropping.
NowI'mpayingmoreforfuel.
Igottogodosomething,dependingonifthere'sthere'scleaningorfaultsthatareshowingup,there'salotwecandotheretoaddbacktothosefleets.
Andthat'sabouthelpingtheshopcreatevaluebacktotheirfleet,theircustomers.
Howdoyouseethatevolvinginthatcustomercommunicationthen?
Uhisitsomethingwhereit'sautonomously,andnotautonomously,it'sautomaticallysentasfaraslikeaumawarningorsomethingthatyou'retryingtogetinfrontofthedriverorwhoever'srunningmaintenanceforthatvehicle.
Howdohowdoesthatcommunicationstrategylookuhintermsofcommunicatingwiththem?
Yeah,there'sacoupledifferentwayshowthishappens.
Itdependsonwhatproductsyou'reusing,youknow,whatyourplatformsare.
Wehaveabout1200,uhaboutathousandtwelvehundredshopsthatwewewouldtermaskindofhybridshopsthathavein-houserepairs,theydothird-partyrepairs,buttheyalsohaveafleetin-house.
Sotheirabilitytonowtakepitstop,fullbayproducthere,they'rerunningtheirfleetonpitstop,asyouwouldafleetmanagementsystem.
Theshopisrunningonfullbay,they'reconnected.
Sonowyou'vegotanuhasynchronousuhuhplatformthat'stalkingtoeachother.
It'swhataretheassetsdoing?
Whatarethedowntime?
Theshopsrepairing,whenisitready,right?
What'smyETAestimatedtimeavailabilitysoIcanpickthetruckup,getitbackintocirculation.
Allofthesethingsarehappeningnowatthesametime.
Andaswecontinuetoadvancethis,onceyoulayeronuhthethesmartscheduling,andnowIcandomyworkforceautomationwithmytechnicians,Icandomymobile,whichoneshouldbemobilerepair,whichoneshouldbeshouldcometothetothebay.
It'sahugematrixofthingsthatwe'resolvingforandopportunities,butthat'sthat'sperfectworldrightnow.
That'swhythatwaspartofourthesiswithPitStop.
Andwe'reseeingitrealtimetodayallovertheplacewiththesefleets.
Uh,howdoyouseethatimpactinglikeatechnician'sdailylife?
Andyoutalkaboutsmartscheduling.
Istheremaybeadifferentapproachforthemuhfromayouknow,reallykindoflookinginsidethebayandhowifI'matechnicianandI'mgoingineachday,howthat'sgoingtoimpactmyworkflowandandhowI'mdispatchedwork,oryouknow,itdoesithavemuchofachangethere,orisitkindofworkasusual?
It'sjustyou'rekindofpickingupthenextjobandrolling?
Well,IthinkIthinkthere'sacouplewaystothinkaboutit.
OneisI'macutelyawarethatsometimestechniciansdon'tlovefullbaybecausetheyhavetodotechnotesandandtheshops,youknow,thetheownershipuhorbosses,youknow,createuhstepsalongthewaythatarenotdrivingcommissionedrevenueornotdrivingvariable-basedrevenue.
Souhtothem,orvariableascompensation,tothem.
We'resolvingforalotofthattomakethingseasier,morestreamlined.
So,yes,itwillbemucheasierandmorestreamlined.
Butyouthinkaboutalltheotherwastedtime.
Uh,andI'vegotdiagnostics,understandingthediagnosticsintowhattheproblemis,what'stheissuethat'sgoingonhere?
WecanabsolutelyhelpwiththattogettoasolutionfasterwhenyouthinkaboutthethreeC's.
Andthenultimately,Igottogofindapart.
That'soneofthemostchallengingthingsinourindustry.
There'snorighttorepair,there'slegislationthatjustkindofgotblownupalittlebit,andthere'sjustalotofchallengeshappeninginthisspacebecauselook,youknow,bigtrucksarebespoke.
Youknow,notallarecreatedequal.
Andsowecandefinitelyhelpwiththat.
Wehave80,84%ofourshopssellpartsandhaveapartsinventoryinfullbay.
Wouldn'titbegreatifoneshopcouldbuyfromanothershopbecausethey'vegotallthesepartsoutthereavailable?
Yeah,staytuned.
Yeah.
Well,youandyoulookatifyou'vegotalargepartsinventory,partsturnissuchanimportantKPIwithinwithinashop,right?
Andsothemorefrommyexperienceandinandrunningapartsdepartmentatonepoint,thatwasoneofthosethatIconstantlyhadmyeyeon,constantlylookingforobsoleteinventoryorwaysthatyoucancleanofftheshelvestobringinmorevaluableinventory.
Idouh,youknow,I'mjealousofcurrentdaypartsmanagersbecauseIthinkthey'vegotsomanymoretoolsandsomanymore,likeIfeellikemoredetailedanalyticstotrulyunderstandyourpartsinventorythanalotofthelikewhatwedidbackintheday,whichwasverymanualgoingthroughspreadsheetsandandreallyjustkindoflookingatpullingreports,makingsureyou'repullingthereportstherightwaybackthen.
Nowitfeelslikeyou'regivingthemalotmoretoolstobeabletomanagethatinventorysothatitdoesn'tgetoutofcontrol,becausethatisoneofthosethingswhereifitgetsoutofcontrol,thatcanbeakillerforcashflowreally,reallyfast.
Yeah,yeah.
Yourbalancesheetwillholdalotofinventorythatmightbecomeobsoletetoyourpoint.
AndIthinkthefirststep,asyouknow,Jay,isbaddatain,baddataout.
Yougottacatalogit,wegottamakeiteasiertocontinuetomanageourpartsinventory.
Andum,andthenasyouthinkaboutaplatformeconomics,isifIdon'thavethepart,howdoIsourceiteasily?
Partscrossinformation,understandingwho'sgotparts,andjustasimportantwheretheyareandhowfastcanIgetithere.
Yeah,yeah,especiallyinthatworldwhereifthere'sabreakdown,youareyou'reyouknow,thattruckdriverorthatcompanyislosingmoneybytheminute,right?
Soyou'reyou'reyou'vegotalittlepressureonyoutogetthingsturnedaroundquickly.
Anduhpartsavailabilityhasbeenakilleruhforalotofpeopledoingthat.
Sojustmorevisibilitytoit,Ithink,isishelpful.
Uhandthefaster,andthat'sanotherexampleoflike,okay,youhearsomeofthehorrorstoriesofAI,butthat'sanotheropportunityforAItomakeourlivessignificantlybetter.
Yeah,whatwehavecurrentlyinintheproducttodaythatwe'retesting,uhwhereyoucantakeapictureofanythingonthetruckortrailer,anditwilltellyouwhatthepartsare,what'swrongwith.
Thepart,howdoIfindthat?
We'restartingtoincreasethefidelityonpartscrossinformationjustfromapicture.
Sotheabilitytogettotherightsolutionfaster,andasyoumentioned,AItopredictwhattherightsolutionmightbe.
Hey,beforebeforeyoucomeintotheshop,takeapictureofXYZ.
NowI'vegotit.
NowI'munderstandingwhatiswrongwiththetruck,andI'malreadysourcingorinventoryingparts.
SothetruckisJIT.
Sothere'saworldwhereyoustartgettingintoamuchfasterinandoutgateuhinthesebaysuhthanthanwehaveseenhistoricallywithaAI,right?
Justinthatsolutionalone.
It'scrazy.
It'sit'sreallyfuntothinkabouthowourworldatfunandIthinkalmostnerve-wracking,exciting,terrifyingabouthowourworldisgoingtolookinfivetotenyears,right?
BecauseitIit'sgoingtohaveabigimpactandit'sgoingtomaybechangethewaywedosomethings.
ButII'mverymuchaglasshalf-fulltypeofperson,andIlookatmaybetheadvancementsthataregoingtomakeourlivesbetterandandeasier.
Uhandandultimatelyattheendoftheday,ifyou'reinashop,you'retryingtokeepyourcustomershappy.
Andifithelpsyoudrivethathappinessandandmaybespeedsthingsup,IIthinkthatuhthat'sawin-winforeverybody.
Uh,andIdothink,youknow,you'vegotyoungkids,I'vegotayoungson,andyoulookatthefactthatthey'vereallynothadtowaitforanythingintheirlife,right?
Likeiftheywhatevertheywant,theygetimmediately.
Ithinkwe'vegotthatnextgenerationcomingupthroughthattheirexpectationmightbedifferentthanthanwhatourshasbeentraditionally,right?
They'rethey'renotusedtowaiting,andanduhit'sit'sgonnatakesomesomereallyproactivethoughtonourendonhowwehowwegetoutinfrontofthat.
BecauseIdothinkyou'regonnahaveadifferentdemographicofcustomershereinafewyears.
Yeah,yeah.
We'rewe'resolvingrealworldproblemstodayandandandlookingatwherearewegonnabe,youknow,fiveyearsfromnow.
Youknow,Iuhasyousitasanexecutiveinanycompany,youputtogetherthreeandfive-yearplans.
Honestly,Idon'tknowhowanybodyputstogetherafive-yearplanrightnowbecausethefive-yearplanthatwestartedtheendoftheyearoffatthatweputtogetherinmyfirstcouplemonthshere,youknow,your30,60-dayplans,we'llhaveallthatdonenextyear.
So,youknow,howdowelookatwhatusedtobeafive-yearplanandunderstandwhatweneedtohowweskatetothepuckthreeyearsfromnow,even?
It'sachallenge.
AndandIthinktoyourtoyourpoint,immediategratificationandhowwedriveefficiencythroughoutallofourcustomersandtheindustryishowwethinkaboutthings.
IsaidIIIempathizeormaybenotempathize,IjustIfeelsorryforeducatorsrightnowbecauseyoulookatmaybeinuhamiddleschoolteacherorhighschoolteacher,andyou'retryingtoteachvaluablelifeskills,andalotofwhichwon'tchange,right?
There'salotofthingsthatarearecoretoagoodbaseofaofalife,butthenyou'relike,whatjobsamItrainingthesekidsforuhwhenyouknowin10yearsdowntheroad?
Imynine-year-oldisthefirstperson,mymy12-year-oldalmostisthefirstpersonthat'sAInativethatIknow.
He,youandI,whenwetrytofindasolution,wegotoGoogle.
Wesay,Oh,I'lljustGoogleit,right?
It'sbecomeaverb.
Hegoestochat.
Andeverythinghedoes,hejustsitsinhisroomwhenhe'stryingtosolveaproblemorthinkabouttheplanets.
He'saprettyinterestingkid,andhe'shejusthasthesereallyhigh-levelconversationswithchat,andhedoesn'tknowaGoogle,hedoesn'tgotoGoogle.
Sothat'sthewaythatweneedtobethinking.
Don'tberesistanttoAI.
Yeah,thatifthere'sonethingIcantellthere'salotofpeopleoutininmoreruralcommunitiesororyouknow,weweplayinablue-collarindustry,like,andthat'swhatmakestheindustrygreat.
Saltoftheearthindividuals,butdon'tberesistanttoit.
Justtryit.
Justgetinthereandlearn.
There'slotsofresourcestolearn,justtryit.
IIthinkyouhavetoembraceit.
I'llgiveauhshoutout.
WhenIwasinthetruckspace,Iwasonthetrailersideatautilitytrailerdealershipearlyoninmycareer,andthat'swhenYouTubewasjustgettingofftheground.
AndIremembermybossatthetimebeinglike,that'sthefuture,thevideoisthefuture.
AndI'mlike,Oh,okay,likewhatallwhatallareyouevengonnaputoutthere?
Andthenboy,hashebeenprovenrightoverandoverandoveragain.
Ijustwiththeuhtheadvancementsinvideoandandhowhowmuchthatevolvedfromwhenitwasearlystageofmycareer.
Butthenyoulookatthat,likehowthatjustcontinuestoevolve.
AndandIgivealotofcredittohimforkindofsettingthatinmybrainoflikejustalwayslookingforthatnextthingandtryingtofigureout,youknow,howisthatgoingtomakemylifebetter?
Howisthatgoingtomakeothers'livesbetter?
Andandhowdoyougetoutinfrontofthat?
Soit'sjustait'samindset,andlikeyoucaneitherbeterrifiedofitorembraceit.
AndIthinkrightnow,ifyouembraceit,you'reprobablyputtingyourselfahead.
Well,Ithinkit'suhthisweekwegotourfirsttrillionaireoutthereinthespaceinSpaceXlaunchedintothepublicmarkets,andandIthinkuhElon'saprimeexampleofthat,right?
It'syouknow,it'sit'sreallybeingforwardthinking,firstprinciplesthinking.
WhataretheproblemsI'mtryingtosolve?
Pragmatically,don'tovercomplicatethings.
Anduhyeah,there'sthere'syouknow,youYouTubeisnowthesecondmosttraffickedsiteontheinternetintheworld,right?
GoogleandYouTube,right?
Andit'suhitisithasbeenauhachainachangeleaderforeveryindustryeverywhere,period.
Well,andIIthinkallofthatisisuhthatwe'llhavetohaveyoubackonprobablysixmonthsorayeardowntheroadtotalkaboutkindofwhat'shappenedsincethisrecordingbecauseIhaveafeelingthere'sgoingtobealotofchange.
Now,uhasweuhkindofconcludethetechnologyside,Idowanttomaybemakemention.
Youyoutalkedaboutthereport.
Uhwhathe'sreferringtoisthestateofheavydutyreportthatFulbrigdoesuhanddoesafantasticjobatvery,verywelldonereport.
Uhwechipinoccasionallyandtrytotrytohelpoutwherewecan,butuhtalktousaboutmaybewhatyou'velearnedoutofthisyear'sreportandandjustIknowwhenIreadthroughit,it'sareally,reallyeasyreporttoread,whichIappreciate.
Uhyoucanbreakdownalotthere,butuhyouyoupulledalotofdatafromyourshopsthatIthoughtwasreally,reallyimpactful.
AndIthinkevenifyou'renotadieselshoplisteningtothis,Ithinkifyouifyoureadthroughthatreportasjustageneraluhgeneralconsumer,you'dprobablylearnsomething.
There'sjustathere'salotinthere.
Uhanythinginparticularthatyouyoufeeluhthatthatyouthoughtwaskindofagoodsomegoodfeedbackforindustryorgoodgoodfeedbackforfullbayuhasawhole?
Yeah,Ithinkgenerallyuhyouknowpeoplegravitatetowardsfinancialmetrics,uh,myselfincluded,ofcourse.
Anduhshopsaregettingbetter.
Sothemajorityofshopssaidit'sbetteryearoveryear.
Sothat'sgreat.
Ithinkwe'reseeingthosetrendshappeninrealtimein2026.
Thefreightmarket,right,iskindofinthisreallyniceupswing,highestratesyou'veeverseen.
Sothefleetsthatarecustomerservicearemoreinterestedinpullingtrucksoffthefenceandfixinglotrodontrailersandgettingthembackintoproductionandreallypushingfortheopportunitytointhespotincontractmarketstoreallytostepintothatspace.
Ithinkyou'vegotaneconomythat'sthat'scontinuestogrowandexpand.
YouseethetheyouknowthetheWallStreetcontinuingtogrow.
Sotheseareallopportunitiesthatourcustomers'customersaretakingadvantageof.
Andit'saboutustotrytomakethemmoreefficienttogettheseturns,togettheircontractswiththesefleetstomanage.
Ithink17%ofshopshaveincreasedtheirmobilecapacity.
Sothat'sinteresting.
Ithinkwecontinuetoseemobilityasaservicecontinuetomoveupandtotheright.
Whenyoudon'thavetopulltrucksin,youcangoservice,doPMservicesinalot.
Ithinkthat'simportant.
Um,youknow,obviouslylaborwagesandthingslikethatcontinueuhtomoveupandtotheright,uh,youknow,upalmost8%yearoveryear.
Uhthatwillcontinuetobeatrend.
It'saninflationaryenvironment.
It'sbeenheavyinflationforquitesometime.
Ratesaren'tquiteatthat,whilethey'reatthehighestuhpeakwe'veeverseenforrates.
Inflationadjusted,it'snotnecessarilywhereuhyouwouldargueaboomtimewouldbe.
Andthenit'sreallyabouttechnologyadoption.
Um,youknow,howdowethinkabouttechnology?
Earlyonthisyearandandlastyear,therewasalotoftalkabouttariffs.
Halftheshopsaidtheysawnoimpactfromtariffs.
Ithinkthat'llcontinuetoincrease,right?
Becauseifyouhavepartsinventories,youdidn'thavetoreorderyet,andnowyou'reseeingthatkindofplayout.
Um,butIthinkyouknowthatthere'salotofthosetrendsthatarejustcontinuingtomoveupandtotheright.
Yeah,IIthinkyou'reright.
IandonethatI'mforevercuriousaboutistheneedtoraisetechnicianwageswhilealsoremainingprofitable,right?
AndIthinkthere'salotofpressuresonlaborratesofcustomerpostedlaborratestokindofkeepupwiththat.
Andit'shardbecauseyou'reyou'reyoufeellikeyou'reconstantlyraisingyourrateandumininordertostaycompetitiveinkindofthiscompetitivetechnicianenvironmentandandtoyouknow,Ithinkshops,itfeelslikearestartingtokindofgettheirhandsaroundthatmaybealittlebitmore,butaswegetourhandsaroundit,Ithinkthetargetcontinuestomove,right?
Wewekeephavingtopaythesethesefolksthatareworthit,right?
Likethey'reworthit.
Wejusthavetobeabletocommunicatethatvaluetotheenduserbecausetheyaregoingtopaymorewhenthey'regettingarepairdone,right?
AndsoIIdothinkmaybethatisanevolutionourindustryneedstoreallykindofleanintoalittlebitmoreiseducatingconsumersastowhytheirtheirbillsaregoingup.
UhIIthinkeverybillforeverythingisgoingupdrastically,butit'shardfromashop'sperspectivetocontinuetopushthelimitstherebecauseititfeelslikeyou'reconstantlyraisingyourlaborratenow.
Yeah,Ithinkuhlaborrateisobviouslyastatisticwewatchcloselyandhelphelppeoplewith,butandandwrenchwayparticularly,obviously,you'reituhyou'vebuiltagreatbusinessononsomeofthis.
UmIthinkit'snotalotdifferentthanwagesingeneral.
Wagescontinuetomoveup,andI'lltellyouwhat'smovingupfasteraretechnologistsandAIpeopleandpeoplethatarefocusedoninthatworld.
Andyouknow,it'sit'spartoftheoverallPLstructureofabusiness,andyouhavetobeconfident.
PeterCooperwasatourindustry.
ShoutouttoPeter.
Yeah,Peter'sgreat.
Umuhhe'lltalkthroughhowhowtohowtorunabetterPL-drivenshop.
Andyouknow,hismottothathewilltellyouoverandoveragainuhtheaveragehoursworkedforatechnicianis46hours,payingsixhoursofovertime.
Uhhesaysovertime'sakilleronyourPLforlotsofreasons.
Peoplethink,oh,I'mgettingmorework,butthere'salotofreasonswhythat'schallengingandburnoutandsuch.
Um,butyouknow,it'sit'sreallyaboutbeingfirmandbeingconfidentinwhoyouareasashop,andthensimplyjustarticulatingback.
Andifsomebody'snotcomfortablewithit,youcangofindmorebusiness,Ipromiseyou,thatthatarecomfortablewithit.
Youknow,theirassetcostsaregoingup,everybody'scostsaregoingup,anditwillforever.
That'snevergonnachange.
Youknow,theaveragetrucksnowareastronomicaltopurchaseandputinproduction,right?
Yeah,uh,soit'sjustnevergonnachange.
Soit'sreallyabouthavingthegreatrelationshipswithyourcustomersandbeingtransparentwiththem.
Uh,uhjustgoodadviceasawhole.
Asweconcludetheshow,uh,Idohaveafewjustfun,quickhittingquestionsforyou,uh,andanduhandmoregettoknowyoutypeofquestions.
Souhfirstoneiswhatwasyourfirstcar?
AJeepCherokee,1991.
Allright.
Allright,yeah,Iusedtodoalotofcamping.
Uhusedto,IthinkIgotallfourtiresoffthegroundafewtimes.
Don'ttellmydad.
Uhareyouamorningpersonoranightowl?
Morning,morning.
Uhearlyuhearlyworkout,fiveo'clockinthemorning.
I'mnotaMarkWahlberg4a.m.
club,butI'mclose.
IthinkIsawsomewhereMarkisnowwakingupatlike2:30inthemorning,andIthat'stooearlyforme.
That'suhthat'stooearly.
Ithinkscientificallythat'sbadforyou.
Yes,ithastobe.
Ithastobe.
Well,that'swerewereyoualwaysamorningperson?
UmIdon'tthinkthereisamorninguhteenagerorcollegestudent.
IthinktheonlyclassthatIIdidn'tgetanAinuhatASU,it'syoumakeyourownjudgmentsthereonhowhardthatis,butwasa740a.m.
class.
Sono,Iwasn'talways.
Butwhenyougetintotrucking,youstartearly.
Sofromdayone,you'rethereearly.
Youknow,theclockstarts,yougoworkfromsixtosix,andthatyouputinahalfday.
Thatwaskindofamentalitybackintheday.
Yeah,it'sagoodmentalitytohave.
Uh,lastquestionWhatisyourfavoritetypeoffood?
Um,Idon't,I'mnotafoodie,soIdon'treallycare.
No.
No,IIeattouhItrytobehealthy.
UhmyIshouldbemorehealthythanIamtoday,forsure.
ButIIdon'treally,I'mnotabigfoodie.
Youknow,IwhatIwhatIwouldstrugglewith,youknow,beinginthisroleandandandhavingbeeninthisroleforawhilearelongdinners.
They'llstruggleforme.
I'dmuchrathersitdownwithacustomerandgrabahamburgerandabeerandchatversussamethisfancysteakandandwine.
Yeah,IthinkovertheyearsI'vealmostbecomemoreofafanofthat.
Youknow,Ithinkwhenyou'refirstgettingstartedoffprofessionally,you'relike,oh,thisisawesome.
Gohaveanicesteakandgodoallthis,youknow,allthisstuff.
Andthenyoudogettothepointwhereyou'relike,it'sjustnicetobecasualanduhandandhavealikejustatruelikeheart-to-heartconversationwithsomebody,oryouknow,justreallygettoknowthematadifferentlevel.
Soyeah,II'mI'minthesameboat,butuhIuhIcan'ttellyouhowmuchIIappreciateyoucomingonthepodcast,appreciatethepartnershipwithFullBay.
Youguyshavebeenfantastic,andasI'vegottentoknowyouoverthislasteightmonths,youyouseekindofacontinuationofmoreexcellence,right?
AndsoIIthinkuhandandreallynotevenjustacontinuation,Ithinkanelevationwhereyou'reabletocomeinandadduhadifferentelementtoitasawhole.
Souhkudostoyou,theentireteamatFullBay.
Uhwewereally,reallyappreciateyouguysandeverythingyou'redoingoutthere.
AnduhIhopetohaveyoubackontheshowsomeday.
Ofcourse,alwaysuhthankyouforhavinguswhenthankyouforpartneringwithus.
It'sabigteamefforthereatFullBay.
Andanduhifyou'reouttherelisteningandinterestedinandworkingwithus,there'salwaysjobsavailable.
Sojumpinthereandandatshamelessplugfullbay.com
forwardslashnexttofindmoreinformationandbeinthetuneononnewproductscomingdown.
We'llbesuretoaddthatintheshownotes.
Trent,thanksagainforbeingon.
Thankyou,Jay.
Takecare,besafe.
ThatwrapsupanotherepisodeofBeyondtheWrench.
Ifyoulikethisepisode,pleaseshowyoursupportbyratingandfollowingthepodcast.
YoucanalsowatchthevideointerviewsonWrenchway'sYouTubechannel.
SpeakingofWrenchway,didyouknowBeyondtheWrenchismanagedandproducedbytheWrenchwayteam?
Wrenchwayisanonlinecommunitydedicatedtopromotingandimprovingautomotiveanddieselcareers.
Wehelptechniciansfindthebestshopstoworkat,andwealsohelpauto,diesel,andCTEinstructorsgetmoresupportfromlocalindustry.
Youcanlearnmorebyvisitingwrenchway.com.
About this episode
Trent Broberg, CEO of Fullbay, talks leadership and how tech—especially AI—is reshaping diesel repair shops. He shares his blue-collar origin story from Swift Transportation, emphasizing learning by doing and earning credibility through hard work. Broberg explains the “80/20” mindset: employees drive most of their career outcomes, while the company supports the rest. He also covers balancing heavy travel with family life via over-communication and staying present during Zoom/COVID. The conversation ties that change-management mindset to how shops should adopt new tools and stay competitive.
Original notes
Trent Broberg, CEO of Fullbay, joins the show to talk about where AI is taking the repair industry. In this episode, Trent breaks down Fullbay's shift from an app to a platform, how AI is changing predictive maintenance and parts identification, and key insights from Fullbay's State of Heavy-Duty Repair Report you won't want to miss.
About the Episode
- Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]
- Guest: Trent Broberg, Fullbay, [email protected]
Links & Resources
- Get notified of new episodes --> Join our email list
- Download The State of Heavy-Duty Repair Report
- Keep Up with What’s Next at Fullbay. Sign up for Updates
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ASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:
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Beyond the Wrench
Jay Goninen
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61:07