Fullbay

10/28/2026

Heavy-duty shop owners and fleet pros in Las Vegas for The SEMA Show: we're bringing the Heavy-Duty Roadtrip to Topgolf on Tuesday, November 3.

Short, practical sessions. Then golf, dinner, and drinks with people who do the same work you do. No cover charge.

Save your spot at the link in the comments!

Running a commercial repair operation or maintaining a fleet often feels like operating on an entirely different world. That’s why getting out of the shop and meeting other people doing the same work is so important. They understand the challenges you deal with every day. They know what the life i...

10/28/2026

Your techs need more than speed.

In this episode of Diesel Stories Podcast, hosts Patrick McKittrick and Amy Newman are joined by Brandon Staley, CEO of Transwest Mobile/Nauman Hobbs, to explore technician earning opportunities and finding shop managers outside the industry.

Recognize that flat rate appeals to some techs, not everyone.

Don't make beating the clock your team's only path to extra pay.

Build your bonus program around meaningful earning opportunity.

Compare pay options by what they offer your techs, not the label.

Management talent exists outside your industry.

Widen your candidate list beyond familiar repair-shop circles.

Watch for a hiring pool that just moves people between shops.

Judge fit for your shop, not just experience at somebody else's.

Don't reject a candidate solely for coming from another industry.

Learn from a poor fit instead of repeating the same search.

10/23/2026

Your bonuses set your team's priorities.

In this episode of Diesel Stories Podcast, host Patrick McKittrick is joined by Peter Cooper of Ascend Consulting and the team from Bascom Truck and Auto to discuss technician distractions, team leadership, and production-based bonuses.

Give your team leaders a stake in the team's output.

Keep your individual production bonus alongside the team reward.

Treat phone distraction as a workflow issue, not a character flaw.

Put team support on your leader's agenda alongside their own jobs.

Team accountability is more than surveillance.

Ask your technicians where they're stuck before pushing for speed.

Make your check-ins offers of help, not just progress checks.

Keep your team close enough for leaders to spot trouble. 🔧

Plan your team layout around the space your shop actually has.

Include work quality in your check-ins, not just output.

10/22/2026

Your shop culture outranks extra revenue.

In this episode of Diesel Stories Podcast, host Patrick McKittrick is joined by Peter Cooper of Ascend Consulting and the team from Bascom Truck and Auto to explore staff retention, toxic hires, and tool theft.

Put behavior on your hiring checklist alongside repair skills.

If your people keep leaving, examine the environment they face.

Don't let an empty bay excuse a hire who harms your crew.

Weigh today's billable work against keeping the team you have.

Your team's tools deserve real protection.

Ask about past workplaces before judging a locked toolbox.

Give your technicians tool security without constant vigilance.

Make tool theft a firing offense, not a warning to be careful.

Don't mistake your crew's caution for distrust of your shop.

Let your daily standards show that protecting employees matters.

10/21/2026

An open door is not enough.

In this episode of Diesel Stories Podcast, host Patrick McKittrick is joined by Peter Cooper of Ascend Consulting and the team from Bascom Truck and Auto to discuss employee feedback, monthly “eat and meets,” and building a culture where technicians feel comfortable speaking up.

Give your team a recurring forum, not just an open invitation.

Make employee questions part of your monthly eat and meets.

Balance your shop updates with space for team suggestions.

Record concerns so your team has a clear follow-up agenda.

Your lead techs make speaking easier.

Use your lead techs' close team contact to encourage feedback.

Offer reassurance to employees who hesitate to approach you.

Turn your team's suggestions into specific issues to work on.

Aim to address concerns before your next monthly meeting.

Keep your follow-through visible, not just your availability.

10/16/2026

Emergency fleet customers need direct outreach.

In this episode of Diesel Stories Podcast, host John Wittet is joined by Peter Cooper of Ascend Consulting and guest Bobby Chambers, President of Liberty Fleet Solutions, to explore certification, local connections, and earning emergency fleet repair work.

Treat fire, EMS, and police as a distinct customer group.

Keep your digital marketing, but add personal outreach.

Start with public fleets where you already have a connection.

Make your first contact a service offer, not another ad.

Your training is a competitive advantage.

Plan for the time commitment before you pursue this niche.

Give departments a concrete credential to evaluate your shop.

Include a nearby military base if you have a connection there.

Look for training gaps among the shops serving your market.

Judge your outreach by customer work, not online attention.

10/15/2026

Chicago, thank you for coming out to HD Roadtrip.

Vegas, you’re next. We’ll be at Topgolf Las Vegas on November 3 from 5 to 9 p.m. If you’re in town for The SEMA Show, come swing a club with the heavy-duty crowd. (Sign up link for the free event in the comments.)

10/15/2026

Hiring starts with follow-through, not résumés.

In this episode of Diesel Stories Podcast, host John Wittet is joined by Peter Cooper of Ascend Consulting and guest Bobby Chambers, President of Liberty Fleet Solutions, to examine candidate screening and work preferences using Working Genius.

Check whether your applicants complete the scheduling steps.

Treat interview attendance as your first reliability check.

Verify your candidates meet the driver's license requirement.

Keep drug screening in your basic qualification process.

Work preferences matter beyond the résumé.

Use Working Genius to explore how your candidates like to work.

Look for idea generation when your team needs fresh approaches.

Match problem-solving preferences to your team's challenges.

Seek task persistence when your role needs steady ex*****on.

Separate your basic eligibility checks from work-style fit.

10/14/2026

Your shop profits need a purpose.

In this episode of Diesel Stories Podcast, host John Wittet is joined by Peter Cooper of Ascend Consulting and guest Bobby Chambers, President of Liberty Fleet Solutions, to explore financial stability, employee confidence, and putting shop profits back into the team.

Give your crew confidence that payday is covered.

Take unpaid vendor calls seriously as a sign of financial strain.

Let your shop's success give employees something to aspire to.

Explain what your profit supports, not just how much you make.

Your spending shows who benefits most.

Make employee events part of what your team gets back.

Weigh another new pickup against what your crew needs.

Connect major tool purchases to the earnings that fund them.

Show your techs how column lifts improve their daily work.

Keep generosity in your spending plan, not just your promises.

10/09/2026

Your diagnostic work deserves more respect.

In this episode of Diesel Stories Podcast, host John Wittet is joined by Peter Cooper of Ascend Consulting and the team from Kleyn Mobile Repair to examine diagnostic fees and customer understanding of modern truck repairs.

Show your customers what a diagnostic fee actually covers.

Separate your first suspicion from a confirmed fault.

Include your diagnostic software in the cost explanation.

Explain each test your shop needs before replacing parts.

Your repair process is customer education.

Give your customers context for modern truck complexity.

Challenge DIY expectations without dismissing your customers.

Turn your repair steps into plain-language explanations.

Use process videos to make your technical work visible. 🔧

Explain your full scope, not just the part being replaced.