Tools That Make Your Shop Safer and More Productive

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jake Malpass (00:00):
When you see fuel on a Milwaukee product from us,
that's our Rolls-Royce, that'sour Cadillac, that's our product
that's geared towards yourcustomers, those true pros.
Now, I think from M12, M18, aswell as our packout line, we
really have those targetedsolutions to get after those
specific applications.

Mark Keegans (00:19):
And you know one day, like anybody, there's got
to be an easier, better way, andwe believe that we've got an
easier way when it comes towheel and maintenance and brake
systems.
To me it's a no brainer.

Jamie Irvine (00:33):
You're listening to the Parts for Trucks podcast.
My name is Jamie Irvine.
I am the national salesdirector at Parts for Trucks and
your host.
In each episode of the Partsfor Trucks podcast, you'll walk
away with tools, strategies andknowledge to make your job
easier, cut costs and elevateyour performance in the
heavy-duty trucking industry.

Megan Bouchard (00:59):
Welcome to the Parts for Trucks podcast, where
we explore the latest trends,technologies and strategies in
the heavy-duty trucking industry.
Each episode you'll hear fromindustry experts to help keep
your trucks on the road and yourbusiness thriving.
Now let's get into gear.
Here's your host, Jamie Irvine.

In this episode, we're going to dive into
productivity and safety Now.
I wanted to share with you alittle background on this topic,
so let's look at a few generaltrends around safety and
productivity In Ontario in 2022and 2023,.
The Occupational Health andSafety Report that was issued

(01:37):
indicates over 35,000 injuriesin sectors like construction and
the trucking industry.
Saskatchewan's WorkerCompensation Board reported that
time loss injury rates weredown 12.75%, from 2.04% to 1.78%

(01:58):
per 100 workers.
So progress was made, but weall know that any injury is too
many injuries.
Statistics Canada reports thatpersonal injuries, including
workplace injuries, cost $19.8billion to the Canadian economy
each and every year in justhealth care costs alone, never

(02:22):
mind adding in things like lostproductivity.
So having the right tools cansignificantly contribute to
increased productivity and thereduction of injuries at work At
Parts for Trucks.
Safety is one of our core values.
It's one of the things that weaim to do every day, which is to

(02:43):
be the safest heavy-duty partsand service company in Canada,
and we want to share with ourcustomers tips, tricks, tools
that will help them to be safeas well and also to increase
their productivity so that theywill be more successful.
Now, to help me with that, Ihave lined up a couple of tool

(03:04):
companies that have reallydedicated themselves to this
same mission and I hope that youenjoy both interviews.
First we're going to talk withMilwaukee Tools and then we're
going to introduce you to awheel end system a complete
wheel end system that will helpyou with air disc brake and
foundation brake and to do thatjob as productively and quickly

(03:27):
and easily as possible, but alsoas safely as possible, and to
remove the strain ontechnicians' bodies.
It's a great episode.
I hope you enjoy it.
I'd like to introduce you toJake Malpass.
He is the product manager, coretooling from Milwaukee Tools.
Jake, welcome to the Parts forTrucks podcast.
So glad to have you here.

(03:47):
Jamie, thank you for having me.
So I have a question for youwhy is Milwaukee in business?

At Milwaukee Tool, we're obsessed with the user
experience.
Our goal is to constantly workhand in hand with our core trade
professionals to bring asolution to them that satisfies
their every need.
I think the way we've been ableto separate ourselves from the
competition is never waveringfrom that commitment and making
sure that we're in the trencheswith our customers on a daily

(04:16):
basis, getting that feedback tocome out with a solution that's
going to truly optimize theirday-to-day workflow.

Okay, so Milwaukee is really obsessed with the
customer experience.
Describe for me what thesituation is like for your
customers, our customers, ifthey don't have the right tools,
but from a legacy solutionstandpoint, jamie, we still see
pneumatic hoses acrossworkplaces in Canada.

We still see a lot of folks using different
battery-operated platforms andpulling for different chargers
and packs.
We think that we can truly be aone-stop shop for these
customers and get rid of thoselegacy hassles and really focus
on that productivity.

When you say a legacy solution, I'm assuming
you're looking at the pneumatictypes of tools.
I mean, I guess that's airlineseverywhere.
What happens to productivityand safety if you're using those
types of solutions?

Let's focus on safety first.
Obviously, the tripping hazardsthat pneumatic hoses present
the need to constantly beserviced, some unreliability in
power, density and torque specsthat those provide as well, some
unreliability in power, densityand torque specs that those
provide as well.
So, from all those places,safety is a number one focus for
us at Milwaukee, and thetransportation maintenance space
is no different.
From productivity standpoint,being able to have dialed in

(05:38):
fastening torques for specificapplications across your daily
productivity is going to justincrease the amount of work you
can get done in that day.
So, from a safety andproductivity standpoint, getting
rid of those pneumatic hoses,not sacrificing any power, is
something that we're continuallyfocused on.

Every little bit of productivity lost in a shop
has a detrimental effect on thebusiness, and when you think
about the trucking industrybeing the backbone of society,
it's really an honor for us tobe able to serve them.
But we have to do everything wecan to provide them with
solutions and make our customersmore productive, because the
work that they do in thetrucking industry supports all

(06:13):
of us.
So you mentioned that Milwaukeehas taken a pretty dominant
position in the Canadian toolingmarket.
Talk to me a little bit aboutthe driving force behind
Milwaukee's reputation for heavyduty, and let's talk about how
you're supporting professionalsin the trucking industry.

Well for sure, the driving force between you know
our reputation for that nothingbut heavy duty mindset all comes
from that focus on innovation.
Just to take it back a coupleof years, jamie, you know we've
created categories at MilwaukeeTool.
To take it back a couple ofyears, jamie, we've created
categories at Milwaukee ToolProfessional trucking industry
aside, products like the Sawzallproducts like the Hole Shooter,
which was the first mobiledrill that we developed in the

(06:58):
early 1900s, all the way tobeing the first company to
develop the Hole Saw.
We really take that mindsetvery seriously and I think that
focus on the user has beenwhat's able to kind of catapult
us into the position that we areas of a few years ago.
We're the number one pro toolbrand in Canada.
I've been with Milwaukee Toolfor seven years and it's been
really, really fascinating andempowering to be a part of this

(07:19):
group that's driving that growth.
From a global operationsstandpoint, we have over 17,000
team members, 11 million squarefeet of space to continue
investing in our cordlessplatforms.
In addition to that, we'reaccelerating our manufacturing
growth in the North Americamarket with regards to hand
tools, sockets and our safetyproducts as well.

(07:40):
So, from a people standpointand a product standpoint, we've
been pretty unwavering in ourcommitment to continuing to push
the envelope, investinghundreds of millions of dollars
back into the business tocontinue our mission of
delighting the user at everyturn and really the auto sector
as a whole.
The goal has always been to cutthose pneumatic hoses and have
cordless solutions with similar,if not more, power density.

(08:04):
And a great example of that,jamie, is our M18 Fuel D-Handle
High Torque Impact Wrench.
Not so long ago it would betough to imagine a cordless
impact delivering 2,000foot-pounds of breakaway torque.
So we're getting into somepretty incredible specs here
being able to install 200one-and-a-quarter-inch bolts on
a single battery charge,alleviating that mindset from

(08:24):
the customer of, you know,sacrificing power, sacrificing
runtime.
That's what we are doing.
You know the Red Army every dayengaging with those parts for
trucks customers to optimizetheir day-to-day operations.

Yeah, and when you think about the needs in a
commercial trucking repair shopversus an automotive, there are
distinct differences.
So let's go into a little moredetail about the different
systems.
Talk to me about the differencebetween an M12, m18.
If I'm in a commercial truckrepair shop, if I work for a

(08:57):
fleet that fixes its ownequipment, if I'm a mobile
mechanic or technician, whatwould I be thinking about when
I'm looking at your M12 versusM18?

No, I think from M12, m18, as well as our pack
outline, we really have thosetargeted solutions to get after
those specific applications andI think it's worth noting, jamie
, that we've had that M18platform out for a long time.
A lot of our competitors areasking their customers to go
into additional voltageplatforms, making their

(09:27):
investment in their previouspurchases pretty obsolete.
We don't believe in that.
We're not going to leave a userbehind and I think our
commitment to M12, m18, andpackout really exemplifies that.
We recently released our newline of M12 fuel stubby impact
wrenches and the whole storythere, jamie, is having a
solution that's lightweight andallows you to access those hard

(09:48):
to reach areas Weighing underfive pounds.
You're going to have about 550foot pounds of breakaway torque
on that 12 volt platform.
So having those ergonomic whilepowerful solutions within that
M12 platform has really been thesweet spot for us, as well as
our M12 ratchets.
We've been an industry leader inthat space for a long time.

(10:10):
We're continuing to go back tothe drawing board on a yearly
basis to continue to elevatethose solutions.
But as we go to M18, it's avery wide array of solutions,
especially in that impact wrenchcategory, from three-eighths
anvils up to one inch and above,and, I think, our flagship fuel
high torque impact, weintroduced what we call a

(10:31):
patented battery isolationsystem.
The power that these units areputting out Jamie, is forcing us
to have a more secure placementwith the battery on the tool to
alleviate that shaking back andforth.
And some of these firstgeneration impacts that we
launched were so powerful thatusers were experiencing some

(10:52):
shake in that battery.
So we spent time with them inthe field and with that new
generation solution that welaunched a few months ago.
Introducing that batteryisolation technology was all
driven from the user and thefeedback they provided to us.
In a world where there's so manytools, sockets and other trade
focused solutions like dead blowhammers, keeping these items

(11:13):
secure and organized is reallywhat's affecting that daily
productivity Knowing where allof your products are at any
given time.
Right.
And we have pack out drawerslaunching soon that come already
stocked with hand tools andsockets within them, so you're
really ready to go for work onday one of purchasing that
product.
And another cool launch on theway with Packout is our racking

(11:35):
kit that allows those mobileusers in those vans, trailers,
setups to truly optimize theirday-to-day workflow with having
those built-in customizablepieces that you can kind of make
best for you.
I believe we're that industryleader in that modular storage
system technology and the growthof packout just continues to
blow us away.

You know, when I think about productivity, I
think about the time I had acommercial business that worked
on buildings, not commercialtrucks, but it was very similar
to like a mobile repair business.
When we would set up a job site.
Every move you had to make,every extra step you had to take

(12:17):
with you and your employees, itall contributed to eroding the
margin that you were able toearn on that job.
And so, as I listened to youtalk about all of these
solutions and having them, youknow this solution for that,
this solution for that and beingable to keep it all organized.
It doesn't maybe on the surfaceit doesn't seem like that would

(12:37):
impact productivity orprofitability that much, but I
know from experience that everytime you have to take an extra
step, you're spending time, andtime is money.

Yeah, so with that , time is money focus.
I want to bring it back to ourM12 fuel stubby impact wrenches.
They've been such a hit withinthis sector of the market so we
noticed that there was a slightamount of downtime.
That was noticeable on folkschanging modes within their
impact wrenches.
So we took that pain point andwent to the drawing board and
introduced a new technology tochange modes with single-handed

(13:12):
operation.
So essentially, you put thattool into neutral, you double
tap the trigger and you're goingto go from modes one to two to
three to four, all while havingto be a little bit more
streamlined with your operation.
So we're focused on thatproductivity within the tool
bodies themselves.

What's the one key system and how does it help
technicians work faster withoutcutting corners?

Repeatability is something that's a really big
focus in the professionaltrucking space.
Having that dialed in torquespec that you know is going to
perform that you don't have todouble check later and with one
key users have the ability tohave the most repeatable torque
in the industry.
So, utilizing that platform,users can have targeted torque
specs dialed into that productto ensure that when you're

(13:58):
pulling the trigger on thatcertain mode, you know exactly
the foot pound ratio that thatproduct is going to deliver.
So OneKey is all aboutcustomizing, tracking and
managing that.
Repeatability of torque isreally what they're going to
notice day in, day out whereOneKey is optimizing their
workflow.
The tool's memory supports upto four custom profiles.
It can be easily accessed witha touch of a button on the tool

(14:21):
and then, once those profilesare saved on the tool, the
connection to the smartphonepiece of one key technology is
no longer necessary.
So you're ready to rock.
You can complete thoseapplications with increased
confidence, and repeatability isreally kind of that piece of
one key that's really going tobe optimized in this space.

So let's shift our conversation to safety now, and
when we think about thecommercial trucking industry.
Obviously, safety on our publicroads is a must, and so there
are standards by which we haveto repair this commercial
equipment.
But inside of the shop, we haveto protect the workers as well,

(15:00):
the technicians, the people whoare operating in these
difficult environments as wellthe technicians, the people who
are operating in these difficultenvironments.
So what safety features inMilwaukee?
Tools kind of, are gamechangers for these truck shops.

With safety.
You know, outside of thetrucking industry we have dual
trigger grinders, dual triggerbandsaws pieces that enforce
customers to keep two hands onthe tool at all times.
But as we go into the you know,transportation maintenance
space, we still see a lot of youknow everyday drills being used
out there in the field.
And then, with that in mind,our you know, latest generation
drill has what we call auto-stoptechnology.

(15:36):
In my time on the JobSideSolutions team, you see a lot of
folks you know, in manydifferent trades you know
drilling a hole and that youknow in many different trades
you know drilling a hole andthat you know drill loses
control and it's spinninguncontrollably.
You know causes.
You know injuries to your elbow, face, whatever the case may be
, we've seen it all Withauto-stop technology.

(16:00):
If you do get into a bind, thatdrill is going to stop on its
own after 45 degrees ofuncontrolled turn.
So being able to have thatbuilt into the product just
gives that user more confidence,right, jamie?
And being able to go throughtheir day-to-day without having
those injuries, with having thatbackground of support based
into the product and safety isnot something that we're losing
focus on at all is increasinglyand increasingly focused on

(16:25):
those safety-focused solutions.
We have a pretty incredibleroadmap of launches coming down
the pipeline here that I justthink are going to continue to
delight the user and give usmore legs within this space to
continue growing with customerslike parts for trucks.

Yeah, and you mentioned the tripping hazards
that exist with legacy pneumaticsolutions.
You talk about the ergonomicdesign of lightweight M12 tools.
That's something, again, thatyou might not think a lot about
unless you have to do a jobthousands of times and then, all
of a sudden, an ergonomic toolcan actually be something that

(17:01):
prevents an injury, one of thoserepetitive injuries that can
occur.

Oh for sure, and I think we're going to continue
to focus on that.
And when we think safety, wealways think of decreasing the
worst case scenario.
But I think a lot of what welook at with safety at Milwaukee
Tool is making that worst casescenario possible, so that auto
stop technology in our drills isreally a key focus on that.
That's our number one example.

(17:25):
But for the access piece, wehave our M12 Fuel Insider box
ratchet which is deliveringunrivaled access and over three
quarters of an inch shorter headprofile than the M12 ratchets
that we came up with originally.
So we call it the hierarchy ofcontrols, jamie, and the last
step of that unsafe situation iswhen that PPE is mandatory,

(17:50):
when that auto-stopfunctionality comes in.
We're laser focused on ensuringthat those unsafe scenarios are
minimalized the best wepossibly can and building that
functionality into the toolsthemselves.

Explain to me what the RedLink Plus intelligence
is preventing tools fromoverload or overheating.
How does that kind of connectback to safety and productivity
when you see?

fuel on a Milwaukee product from us.
That's our Rolls Royce, that'sour Cadillac, that's our product
, that's geared towards yourcustomers, those true pros, and
we have a three prong approachto that fuel message.
And Redlink Plus Intelligenceis part of that.
So fuel means that product hasour PowerState brushless motor,
our Redlink Plus Intelligenceand our red lithium batteries

(18:37):
that are all tying together toreally make what we call a smart
tool.
Think about a circular saw.
You have a M18 fuel circularsaw in your hand and you're
cutting a bunch of lumber.
You're going to eventually runinto a knot where that product,
if it wasn't fuel, is going tokind of underperform in that

(18:57):
application because it's notuniform material that it's going
through.
So where Redlink PlusIntelligence really takes that
to the next level is when youreach that nod on your circular
saw.
Redlink plus intelligence isgoing to kick in and say, hey,
something's not right here.
We need more power to getthrough this piece of the
application than we did for thelast.

(19:19):
Let's call it five seconds.
So that Redlink intelligence isgoing to ramp up and say, hey,
we need more RPMs delivered tothe blade of this saw to
complete this application.
You're not doing anything froma functionality perspective.
As the end user, You're justgoing through your cut.

(19:39):
So I think with that fuelmessage we tend, as Milwaukee
folks, to think that everyonecompletely understands what that
means.
Having that availability reallyshowcases our focus on the user
as well.

Yeah, it makes me think of like if you're taking a
nut off of a stud and thethreads maybe are damaged right,
so all of a sudden it binds, itgets tighter, you're going to
need a little more force then.
That's where that technologywould kick in for someone
working on a commercial truck.
You talked about the packoutsystem because I think it's
important for us to acknowledgethat certainly when you're

(20:07):
working on commercial equipment,you don't always have the
advantage of getting that pieceof equipment into a nice shop
where everything is set up foryou.
Sometimes you have to go on theroad and of course we've got
people who specialize in mobile,but a lot of the shops that we
either have ourselves or that wework with with our customers

(20:28):
there are times when equipmentdoesn't make it back to the shop
.
It needs to be repaired andyou've got to go out there and
get that thing going and get itback to the shop so you can
complete the repair.
So in that environment, howdoes the packout system really
improve the overall workflow andmake the person who has to go
do that mobile job moreeffective and safe?

We have that three-piece stack with the
rollable base on the bottom.
So traditionally you had totake those boxes off to access
that bottom piece, to take yourlargest tools out and get those
going.
So in our world here it wouldbe those impact wrenches, those
larger solutions.
I think a big innovation thatwe're coming out with that is

(21:10):
actually now shipping for thatmobile user is our packout
rolling drawer unit.
You do not have to take out thepackout stacks off the top of
the unit to access that bottompiece.
It's just a nice handy drawerthat you can access very easily.
But from a mobile userperspective, we truly pump our
chest out and say, hey, we'rethe best in the industry here

(21:31):
and if we don't have a solutionthat optimizes your workflow
today, let us know, We'll createit for you.

When we look at the whole picture now.
We've talked about a number ofthe different types of tools.
We've talked about a lot of thedifferent innovations that
Milwaukee brings to this spaceand to help our customers in the
trucking industry.
Let's talk a little bit aboutwhat you're doing to ensure that
these tools are reliable, thatthey're going to last a long

(21:59):
time, that the investment madein your tools is going to pay
off.
Because when we think of returnon investment, it's not just
the purchase price of the tools,Because, you know, when we
think of return on investment,it's not just the purchase price
of the tools.
It also is like is this toolgoing to be there for me when I
need it?
Because if it isn't, thatcauses additional downtime.
And I'll tell you from theparts world, Jake, you know, the

(22:19):
part cost is irrelevant if wesomehow contribute to more
downtime, contribute to moredowntime.
So just tell me a little bitabout what Milwaukee does there
to ensure that there isn'tadditional downtime because of a
tool that's letting you down.

I think service is a big competitive advantage for
us.
Jamie, we're going to have 10factory service centers across
Canada pretty soon.
We really pride ourselves onhaving that speedy turnaround
time, especially for what wecall our heavy duty partners
Some of our largest users acrossthe country.
We double down on that serviceto ensure that they're having
that value add from us.

(22:55):
But a big introduction that wehad over the last few months
here is our e-service platform.
So we have our factory servicecenter spread across the largest
markets in Canada.
But we recognize that some folksare hours drives away from
those facilities.
So for e-service you receiverapid service with repairs.

(23:17):
We try and keep it to that 7 to10 business day turnaround.
But it's a really cool platformthat you can access on our
website and anyone who'spurchased a Milwaukee tool can
use it.
You can access on our websiteand anyone who's purchased a
Milwaukee tool can use it.
We offer free shipping to ourrepair facilities where our
factory-trained technicians usethose genuine Milwaukee parts to
repair your tool and then weship it directly back to your
address no charge.

(23:38):
Our impact wrenches and our M18solutions nine times out of 10,
they have a five-year warrantyattached to them.
I think that's a bigcompetitive advantage for us.
A lot of brands out there areoffering one year let's call it
bumper-to-bumper service.
Then after that you have to payout pocket for those parts and
those technicians' time and toolin person, all the way to

(23:58):
servicing those users in remoteareas with our e-service
platform we think we have apretty robust service offering.

That is a really big competitive advantage for us
.
Yeah, and you can also useparts for trucks over 32
locations as a.
Milwaukee tool distributor.
So don't forget about that.
There's nothing like telling astory that illustrates
everything we've been talkingabout, so share with me an
example of how your toolstransformed a truck shop in the
past and how you know to giveour listeners confidence that if
they are thinking about makingthis change to Milwaukee, it's

(24:40):
going to work for them as well.

I think you look at our systems With M12, you
have over 200 products let'scall a quarter of those really
geared towards the customersthat we're reaching here today.
M18, it's a little bit easierto see right those impact
wrenches that folks are usingday in, day out, those grease
guns that folks are using day in, day out.
Then you also have the safetypiece.

(25:04):
You have the packout piece.
But to get into a bit of astory, in my time in Jobsite
Solutions we were working withdifferent automotive shops that
are operating at a bit of asmaller scale than the true
professional trucking industry.
But I was able to build a greatrelationship with a lot of
these folks and get them awayfrom those legacy pneumatic

(25:24):
solutions while also introducingspecific solutions that we have
on our cordless platforms thatour competitors don't.
I think a great example of thatis our M12 Fuel low-speed tire
buffer, which is the world'sfirst cordless tire buffer, so
making those tire changes thatmuch quicker and optimizing that
user.
On the M12 platform they canstick their battery into that

(25:47):
tire buffer tool, their M12stubby impact wrench that we
talked about earlier.
We also have a grease gunavailable on the M12 platform.
You just kind of keep rollingthat ball down the hill.
But my experience with the Partsfor Trucks team I was lucky
enough to attend your nationalsales conference a few days ago
Just the energy in that room wasfantastic and the focus on

(26:08):
partnering with Milwaukee togrow as a team was what really.
I was kind of taken back by andlearned a lot, and working with
your folks has been incredibleand I think the growth that you
guys have seen with us is notstopping anytime soon, because I
truly believe, jamie, thatwe're just getting started.
We had our 100-year anniversarylast year and that was a big

(26:30):
deal for us and that taglinethat we continually put forward
was we've come a long way in ashort amount of time.
But we feel like we're just atthe tip of the iceberg of where
this brand is going to go andhow we're going to service that
professional trucking industry.
Moving forward, I referencedour 18-month roadmap.
A lot of these solutions thatwere coming out are geared

(26:50):
towards the folks that are goingto be listening to this podcast
today.
So we appreciate everyone'sinvestment in the Milwaukee
platform to date.
But I think a great piece thatI want to end with is just truly
showcasing that you know thebest is yet to come for
Milwaukee Tool.

If you're ready to take that next step with
Milwaukee Tools, make sure youbuy them from Parts for Trucks.
Jake, thanks so much for beingon the show and talking to us
about your tool line, about howit impacts productivity and
safety, which is so important inthe trucking industry.
Really appreciate your time.

Thank you so much for having me.

Jamie, I don't know about you, but after that
discussion with Milwaukee Tools,I'm itching to go buy some
tools.
I think I probably will, and ifyou want to buy those tools
from Parts for Trucks, youshould reach out to any one of
our 32 locations as well as talkto your outside sales
representative today.
These tools will make your shopmore productive, will make your

(27:44):
technicians happier and willhelp them to be safer.
Now, what about some of the bigjobs that are done in a shop,
like wheel end brakes, thingslike that?
Now, whether you're talkingabout air disc brake or
foundation brake, doing a brakejob on a commercial truck is a
big job and it comes with a lotof risks, and that's what we're
going to talk about.

(28:05):
Next, I'd like to introduceMark Keegans from AlmaMates.
They have a complete set ofwheel end tools that makes up a
system built to help technicianswork faster and safer.
Mark, welcome to the Parts orTrucks podcast.

Thanks for having me, jamie, appreciate the
opportunity.

So I'd like to ask you what inspired AlmaMates to
develop tools like BrakeMate,and how do your technician
interactions shape your approach?

I think the biggest thing is in the 25 years
that we've been involved in thetruck space, there's a real
prevalence where OE's buildequipment.
They put together the equipment, but oftentimes the technicians
don't have the resourcesreadily available to do the

(28:59):
repair work or the maintenancework.
The other thing is and this isa personal thing is the older I
got, the more difficult I foundit to work on vehicles and you
know, one day, like anybody,there's got to be an easier,
better way, and we believe thatwe've got an easier way when it
comes to wheel and maintenanceand brake systems.

You know it's funny, my father-in-law.
He works in the maintenanceside on heavy equipment and he
jokingly said one time you know,at my age if I drop a wrench
I'm pretty much done for the day.

Yeah, and I could certainly see that.

Yeah, so the name Alma Mates.
Where does that come from andhow does that relate to your,
the way that you feel abouttechnicians?

The Alma Mates name came as a result of my
heritage.
I was born in Scotland, I'm animmigrant and my mates are all
my friends.
You know, they're the peoplethat you can count on in times
of trouble.
They're people that yousocialize with, they're people
that you encourage and theyencourage you, and really all my

(30:09):
mates.
Ultimate philosophy is to befriends with all that we deal
with.
So, whether it is a vendor thatsupplies us components, whether
it's a customer or technicianon the shop floor that uses our
equipment and anybody in thatspace, we would like to consider
my mates, and that is theguiding principle.

So how did that translate into setting the goal
to eliminate certain tools?
And talk to me about the nostrain, no pain strategy.

The technician is our friend and we want to be a
technician's friend.
And when you take a look atthem doing any kind of wheel end
work whether it's brakes ortaking a wheel off or doing a
kingpin or a tie rod there's alot of physical pain on the body
and we can get into the strainon the musculoskeletal system,

(31:04):
we can get into the strain on atechnician's attitude, we can
get into pinch anxiety and theseare all terms that we've heard
on the shop floor and we justlisten to the pain and the
frustration and try to provide asolution that works and so far
we've been very fortunate.

The trucking industry is the backbone of
society and without it people'slives, their way of life, hang
in the balance.
So if we can do something tohelp them, then we've taken one
step in the right direction offulfilling our overall mission.
So now that kind of sets thestage for who your company is
and what the philosophy behindthe company is.

(31:47):
Now let's translate that intospecific tools.
I want to start off give us aquick rundown of what BrakeMate
does and why it's kind of amust-have if you're in the world
of brake maintenance.

Okay, so the BrakeMate is a system that
consists of two trolleys.
First trolley will take thecaliper off without any lifting
of a technician.
Once the technician loosens thebolts, we take our equipment,
we put on our adapter and weliterally lift the caliper off.

(32:20):
Caliper weighs 65, 75 pounds.
In some parts of the world it'sup to 85 pounds.
For a technician to do that,they're going to strain, it's
going to cause pain on theirback or they're going to have a
second set of hands in the wheel.
Well, not with our equipment.
The second trolley literallytakes the hub and rotor assembly

(32:40):
off as a complete unit.
Now a hub and rotor assemblycan be upwards of 150 pounds.
Could you imagine a techniciantrying to manhandle it?
And you know, grunt and groan,it's just an accident waiting to
happen.
And so our system just removesit.
No strain, no pain, as you said, jamie, and it just slides

(33:04):
everything off.
Once we have that, we've got atrolley with the caliper and we
got a trolley with a hub and arotor.
We basically marry the two intoa 90 degree angle, which
creates a workstation at aworkable height.
We separate the hub and therotor, we roll it over, we put
the new rotor on, fasten it andwe're good to go.

(33:26):
If a technician follows ourinstruction, the only muscle
group they will use is theirforearms for about 30 seconds
and so obviously we're talkingabout the air disc uh brake
application.

We'll talk about foundation brake in a moment.
Um, what about compatibilitywith different truck brands,
trailer brands like?
How have you overcome that?

well, the nice thing about it is is the
brakeMate is available worldwideIn the North American market.
We've identified over 14different wheel and brake
applications that our equipmentworks on, and we've even gotten
to the position now where we goto a trade show, we display our
product and some of the OEservice team have actually come

(34:09):
up to us and said hey, mark,this is what's happening on our
systems.
This is the changes that we'vemade.
Will your system work on it?
Take a few minutes, think aboutit, and the answer nine out of
10 times is yes, and if theanswer in that, one in 10 is a
no, we figure out how to do it.
To me, it is a universal system.

We, as suppliers, have to help our customers be
more productive.
So let's talk about how thiscomplete system not just the
breakmate, but all of thedifferent components that you
have developed and all thedifferent tools how does that
help technicians to be moreproductive?

that help technicians to be more
productive.
The biggest way is by takingthe physical strain and pain of
a technician's body Right away.
They're more productive.
If you have a technician doingbreak work all day long, the
first job is going to be done ina much shorter period of time
than the last job, becausetowards the end of the day, that
person is exhausted.
The next thing is thatoftentimes we see two sets of

(35:12):
hands around a wheel end whenthey're doing a brake chop,
Whether it's taking that150-pound hub and rotor assembly
off, whether it's using prybars, whether it's using heat
Anything that we do by takingaway the human element, if you

(35:32):
will, and creating a mechanicalprocess.
It speeds things up, and thenice thing is is once a
technician has used ourequipment two or three times,
they won't go back to the oldways.

We started the conversation off by talking
about how this is a completesystem.
So what about the other toolsthat you've developed?
How do they help withproductivity?
Walk us through a few of thoseand talk to us also about the
foundation.
You know SCAM brakes that arestill so dominant in commercial
trucks today.

One of the same things with air disc brake
systems.
There are a couple ofmanufacturers out there.
Where the rotors are, basicallythey have a spline in the
center.
What we have found is that thehub and the rotor will seize
together and on our hub rotortrolley we have a 10-ton ram
that under normal circumstancesor a brand new application can

(36:24):
push the rotor off, the rotoroff.
But once the vehicle has beenon the road or subject to harsh
chemicals and that seizing takesplace, the splitter mate will
basically fit in between the huband rotor assembly and you've
got 30 tons of force pushingagainst it.
And the worst hub and rotorassembly I have seen has been

(36:46):
separated in under two minutesand I'll just share this with
you because it was a shop thathad a heck of a time separating
seized hubs and rotors.
I was physically in the shop.
They were using a grinder.
It took them two hours to doone wheel end.
I went on to the opposite side.
It was done in two minutes.
Huge difference, huge timesavings, huge sparing an

(37:11):
individual's body.
To me it's a no-brainer.
And I think the biggesttestimony for us is that one of
the OEs that manufactures padsand rotors and hubs their field,
service technicians actuallyuse our equipment, so to me
that's a great testimony.

Yeah, absolutely.

You know you've got that tool.
You've got the tool where, ifyou've got a seized bearing, you
know it adapts onto our unitand we'll push out a seized
bearing.
You know we've got an adapterfor drums so that we can take
the heavy lifting off atechnician's back and everything
is integrated into the system.

(37:53):
You make the investment in thebreakmate and all these
additional tools, or resources,as I like to call them, are
readily available.

We've talked about the strain on people's bodies,
but let's talk about the actualincidences where injury could
occur.
What are the kinds of injuriesthat do happen when technicians
are working on brake systems?

Right now they're subject to back injuries and
shoulder injuries just becauseof the sheer weight of what they
have to lift and the positionof their bodies when they're
trying to lift it.
They're also subject to severepinch points.
I had one technician and heshared with me that every time

(38:38):
he had to put a caliper on,there was an anxiety with him
because you know, you've got a65-pound caliper, you've got to
hold the caliper, you've got toline up the holes for the bolts
and put a bolt in.
Well, I don't know how manyhands you've got, but I've only
got two.
It eliminates a lot of thatstress and I think what a lot of

(38:59):
people don't really giveconsideration to is just
tackling the job can bestressful because you know
what's in front of you With thebreakmate equipment and the
system that we offer.
It's no pain, it's no strain,it's very straightforward and
you know whether you're young ornot so young.

(39:20):
The equipment is designed forall demographic technicians in
the field right now.

Well, what I think about is I think about how, if
you have an experiencedtechnician who then gets injured
and they could be off for anextended period of time, I mean
that is a real devastating blowto not only their productivity
and what they contribute to theshop themselves, but also the
guidance, the mentoring, thetraining that they might give to

(39:47):
younger technicians.
The other side of that equation, you have a younger technician
who's learning and they getinjured and now they're off.
Well, that delays theirprogression and also, if that
injury is severe enough, it maybe something that reduces their
productivity for years to come.
So, from whatever direction youlook at it, this is a

(40:08):
significant challenge for allshops and what a great system to
be able to help them to avoidthat and to become safer.
So, obviously, if productivityand safety is high on the list,
this is a tool system thatreally should be considered at
every shop considered at everyshop.

There was a facility in British Columbia and
the maintenance manager wouldcome to us every year asking for
a quote and on year number fivehe came and asked the exact
same question Can I get arevised quote?
We're getting it this year.
I responded to him and I saidwhen did somebody get hurt?
And in fact that is whathappened.
It's unfortunate that somebodygot hurt before the equipment

(40:56):
ended up on their shop floor,you know, and there's an
opportunity for each and everyshop that's out there to
minimize, if not completelyprevent, these injuries when it
comes to wheel end, and Ibelieve that we've got that
solution.

Yeah, and and really, at the end of the day,
you, you hit the right wordright.
Preventing an injury is allabout being proactive.

Yeah.

So, if you have that proactive approach, you're
going to be investing in toolsand systems to be able to help
your shop be be safer.
When, when we think about thesafety side of it, the
productivity side of it, theentire tool system and the
investment, but it really is notjust an investment in the

(41:40):
output of the shop, but it's aninvestment in your people.
Talk to me about over the yearshow you've seen that had just a
tremendous positive impact onthe morale at shops.

We were in Texas and we were doing a
demonstration on the equipmentand the fellow who did all of
the break work was over 65 yearsold.
He was height, weightchallenged, as I call it.
He had a bad back and a bad leg.
If they could extend thisindividual's work life and make

(42:16):
his daily tasks easier and safer, it would be a win-win for
everybody.
And they saw the equipment.
The technician himself said tome oh, this is going to make my
life simple.
And you could see even in hisdemeanor his personality had
changed because there was aneasier, simpler way of doing

(42:39):
real-end work.
The other thing we've seen isshops are investing in equipment
, not just to provide theresources for the technician,
but in some places I've actuallyseen it being used as a hiring
tool.
They've actually gone theequipment into the shops so that
they can say to thatprospective employee we have the

(43:03):
equipment here for you, youdon't have to slug, you don't
have to lift weights that arefar too heavy to be lifting, you
don't have to use pry bars.
And I think that that was apretty novel concept and way of
presenting the equipment.

Yeah, I love that, though, because, at the end of
the day, how do youdifferentiate yourself?
Right?
When you're trying to recruitpeople?
You differentiate yourself bydemonstrating that you're going
to invest in them in a way thatother shops won't, and what a
great example, right when youare thinking about your mission

(43:40):
to make all these techniciansyour mates, your friends, and to
support them.
How did that influence certaindecisions about the way that you
support people who buy yourtool system?

At the end of the day, I want to treat people the
way I would like to be treated,and that means with respect,
with honor, with dignity, to tryand help them out, no different
than what I would do with mychildren, for example.
And you know some people mightsay that sounds really cliche,

(44:14):
but it's the driving force ofour organization.
And you know we have a warrantyprogram.
Absolutely, I've had situationswhere equipment was past
warranty, it was five years old.
We still sent the part to themat no cost.
So if we can make our liveseasier, I know that we can make

(44:35):
other people's lives easier.
And at the end of the day, youwant to be remembered, not
necessarily for what you putinto their shop, but who that
company was as an organization.
And I think you know, likeParts for Trucks, your
interactions with your clients.
You want them to be memorablein a good way.

And that's really one of the reasons that we're
very excited to partner withAlmaMates and to be the one that
brings this entire system tothe Canadian trucking market.
We're excited about thetraining options available, both
in person, which we're going tobe doing across the entire
country, the virtual trainingthat's available on demand 24-7,

(45:22):
the fact that we back it bythis strong warranty also that
we can demonstrate the return oninvestment, because we
recognize this is a capitalexpenditure, this is an
investment in your shop, but wecan show you the return on
investment because we've got atool there.
So all of these things alignwith our mission to help our

(45:42):
customers, to support thetrucking industry and to make
safety and productivity apriority, and to demonstrate
that by choosing partners likeyourself that really enable and
empower us to do that.
So we're very excited abouthaving this partnership between
our companies and, like I said,we're going to be going and
doing a cross-country tour.

(46:02):
Mark, you're going to be doinga lot of travel over the next
few months.

You know what, jamie, I'm.
I'm really looking forward toit.
I mean, I think that this is agreat opportunity for both
organizations and, uh, I lovebeing in a show.
You know, I love getting myhands dirty.
I mean, I can go home and I cantell my wife look, I worked
today and my fingers are dirty.

Exactly so.
If you're interested inlearning more about breakmate,
reach out to reach out to youroutside sales representative or
to a representative at one ofour 32 locations across the
country.
We are going to be conductingongoing training.
We are going to be having unitsin our stores that you'll be
able to see.

(46:46):
We'll be doing some lunch andlearns.
There's a lot of activitythat's going on to support
really giving every customer theopportunity to see this
complete system.
If somebody looked at thesystem and maybe they are in a
financial situation where theycan't take on the entire system
all at once, talk to me abouthow you built the system, where
they could start off with someof the smaller accessory tools

(47:08):
to help them and they could worktheir way up, and how all of it
is compatible.

When I look at it.
Jamie, you know and we didn'tmention this we've got a tool
for cleaning the threads andinspecting the threads on the
wheel studs.
Somebody can start out with astud mate which will do that job
.
If somebody runs into problemswith the seized hubs and rotors,
they can get the splitter made.
So it's one of those situationswhere, yes, we can invest in

(47:37):
the equipment at a capitalpurchase, but we can also invest
in the equipment location orlocal area without that
necessary approval in many cases.
And the nice thing is that evenwhen you're looking at capital
assets, companies find the moneywhen there's an injury.

Yeah.

And that is unfortunate, and I'm certainly
not one to judge that situation.
But if one can find the moneywhen the injury happened,
couldn't one find the moneybefore the injury?
Yeah, exactly.

And parts and trucks will be there to support
our customers as they acquirethe various components to make
this complete system.
So if you want to do it all atonce, or if you want to do it
over a period of time, we'llwork with you on that and we're
looking forward to getting moreof these tools into shops to
protect our technicians here inCanada.

(48:33):
Mark, thank you so much fortaking time to discuss this with
us and joining me on the Partsfor Trucks podcast.
It was great to have you here.

Thanks very much, Jimmy.
I appreciate the opportunity.

Productivity and safety is a subject that we will
continue to promote and talkabout on the show.
It is part of one of the corevalues of Parts for Trucks and
we like working with vendors whoshare our passion for those
values, including helping you bemore productive and safer in
your shops.
A big thank you to both of ourvendors, milwaukee Tools and

(49:05):
AlmaMates with their Bra, theirbrake mate system.
If you're interested in takinga look at any one of these tool
solutions that we talked abouttoday, you can find a lot of
great information onpartsfortruckscom and you can go
ahead and buy those tools today.
If you would like to talk to arepresentative, go into one of
our 32 locations across thecountry or talk to your outside

(49:26):
sales representative, and wewould be happy to set up a
meeting between one of ourvendor reps at either Milwaukee
or Alma Mates to come into yourshop, assess the situation and
make recommendations on whichtools will make you more
productive and safe.
You've been listening to theParts for Trucks podcast.
I'm your host, Jamie Irvine.
If you haven't already, headover to partsfortrucks.

(49:46):
com slash podcast to subscribeto the show so you never miss
out.
Thank you for listening andthank you for being heavy duty.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Tools That Make Your Shop Safer and More Productive