HDAW 2023 was a blast, and there was a wave of press releases and news from HDAW 2023. Attendance was much higher than in previous years due to the pandemic. The Heavy-Duty Parts Report had a podcast recording booth where we interviewed industry giants. Keep an eye out for those podcast episodes and videos in the coming weeks. Let’s look into all of the news from HDAW 2023.
News from HDAW 2023: Delco Remy 150MT
BorgWarner unveiled the new Delco Remy 150MT heavy duty starter at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) ‘23 in Grapevine, Texas.
The crank requirements for OE engines have risen in recent years. The Delco Remy 150MT meets these newer standards — and more. This powerful starter goes beyond, exceeding OE crank requirements, making the Delco Remy 150MT an ideal starter choice for today’s and tomorrow’s heavy-duty vehicle applications.
“The 150MT takes into account everything we’ve learned over the years from our top-selling 39MT—plus it meets all future OEM requirements,” says Rick Gualdoni, North America Sales Director, in this news from HDAW 2023. “The result is a starter that goes beyond to give greater durability, startability, and reliability.”
The Delco Remy 150MT boasts a high-performance power pack that optimizes performance for better engine starts. It also supports multiple vehicle power sources and battery loading. Plus, with its rotatable flange design, the 150MT provides coverage for virtually every 12-volt and 24-volt application. Aftermarket customers will also have the option of adding Integrated Over Crank Protection (IOCP), a built-in circuit breaker that protects the starter from thermal damage.
This news from HDAW 2023 shows the constant push for technological advancement in our industry.
News from HDAW 2023: HDAWomen SOLD!
“When you look at the industry, Robyn [Spitzke of Fort Garry Industries] and I remember the first HDAW when there were probably less than 10 of us there,” says Tina Hubbard. “We need to do more to promote women in the industry.”
Cindy Barlow, Industry Relations Director at WyoTech, an automotive-diesel-collision school in Laramie, Wyoming, will be moderating the SOLD! panel at HDAW. “I’m really excited and honored to moderate this conversation,” Barlow says. This news from HDAW 2023 states that the panel will feature Bonnie Greenwood, a technician for FedEx and WyoTech graduate, and Jen Nedrow from Betts Truck Parts & Service. “I hope the industry really takes advantage,” Barlow adds.
Barlow has witnessed the progress in raising awareness of women in heavy-duty trucking, parts and service over the years. “There’s an awareness now,” she says, “that women can not only hold these traditionally male jobs, but also excel.”
“There’s always the pioneers that do the hard stuff,” Barlow acknowledges. “As women today in industry, we are blessed that we had strong women behind us that forged a path for all of us to follow.”
The panel was a huge success, with dozens of women represented. We look forward to more news from HDAW 2023 and beyond about women’s advancement in the industry.
News from HDAW 2023: John Deere Right to Repair
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and John Deere have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that ensures farmers’ and ranchers’ right to repair their own farm equipment. The MOU, signed at the 2023 AFBF Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the result of several years of negotiations between AFBF and John Deere.
“AFBF is pleased to announce this agreement with John Deere. It addresses a long-running issue for farmers and ranchers when it comes to accessing tools, information, and resources, while protecting John Deere’s intellectual property rights and ensuring equipment safety,” says AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “A piece of equipment is a major investment. Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, or to repair it themselves, to help control costs. The MOU commits John Deere to ensuring farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel and fiber America’s families rely on.”
David Gilmore, John Deere Senior Vice President of Ag & Turf Sales & Marketing says, “This agreement reaffirms the longstanding commitment Deere has made to ensure our customers have the diagnostic tools and information they need to make many repairs to their machines. We look forward to working alongside the American Farm Bureau and our customers in the months and years ahead to ensure farmers continue to have the tools and resources to diagnose, maintain, and repair their equipment.”
The MOU sets parameters and creates a mechanism to address farmers’ concerns. John Deere commits to engaging with farmers and dealers to resolve issues when they arise and agrees to meet with AFBF at least twice per year to evaluate progress.
The agreement formalizes farmers’ access to diagnostic and repair codes, as well as manuals (operator, parts, service), and product guides. It also ensures farmers will be able to purchase diagnostic tools directly from John Deere and receive assistance from the manufacturer when ordering parts and products. This was big news from HDAW 2023 and it created a buzz among many facets of the heavy-duty industry.
The Heavy-Duty Parts Report believes that this MOU has the potential to serve as a model for other manufacturers and AFBF has already begun those discussions. This is a huge step in the right direction for the heavy-duty industry and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the industry in the years to come.
News from HDAW 2023: Voltera EV Maintenance
Voltera, a company that develops and operates electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities as a full-service turnkey solution for clients, today announced a strategic partnership with EV fleet maintenance leader Amerit Fleet Solutions. This nationwide partnership will provide comprehensive mobile fleet maintenance support onsite at EV charging sites that Voltera builds for its clients.
Voltera’s partnership with Amerit includes inspections, maintenance, and technical support, performed on location as vehicles are charging in Voltera’s charging sites nationwide. This is one of many amenities and services that can be added as Voltera builds EV infrastructure for its clients, helping to minimize fleet downtime and improve fleet operations
Amerit’s EV Ready Technician Program ensures technicians have undergone extensive training and are certified to perform necessary maintenance and repair on the newest electric vehicles across a broad range of OEMs. Specially trained technicians are essential for EVs, which have different safety, inspection, and maintenance requirements than traditional vehicles. Fleet operators will gain significant benefits, like increased uptime, safety and reliability, when this service is packaged as part of the charging facility.
“Amerit is an industry leader in fleet maintenance and has demonstrated a laser focus on the new area of EV fleet maintenance” said Matt Horton, CEO of Voltera “Voltera is not just deploying charging; we are managing operations on behalf of our customers which includes bringing strategic partners to the table, like Amerit, to maximize vehicle availability.”
“We’re happy to partner with Voltera and simplify the maintenance and support of Electric Fleet Vehicles by bringing comprehensive services directly to their charging depots.” said Dan Williams, CEO of Amerit Fleet Solutions “Amerit will continue to execute on its industry-leading EV fleet support program, which alleviates the burden and complexity of maintaining these complex vehicles and ensures maximum uptime.”
These was a lot of news from HDAW 2023 about electrification, which has been a popular topic in our industry over the last few years.
As a turnkey solution provider, Voltera enables businesses to rapidly scale EV fleets, without investing significant time and upfront capital on EV chargers, hardware, and related infrastructure. Voltera accomplishes this by managing site selection, site acquisition, power procurement, facility design and construction, charging hardware and software deployment, operations, and maintenance. The company provides EV charging facilities as a service, shouldering the capital investment expense so customers can instead focus capital on their operations. Voltera is on track to fund construction and operation of billions of dollars of EV charging facilities serving many types of businesses, including the drayage, regional haul, short haul, last mile delivery, ride hailing, and autonomous transportation sectors.
News from HDAW 2023: Upcoming Podcasts
The Heavy-Duty Parts Report sat down with many HDAW attendees over the course of the show. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and join our newsletter to get updates on these upcoming episodes and more news from HDAW 2023. Some of our guests include Donaldson, Turbo Solutions, FindItParts, and MEMA.
We look forward to reconnecting with the industry at TMC’s Annual Meeting on February 27, 2023!
