Cody Brooks’ Oklahoma service shop does “anything and everything” when it comes to fixing trucks. But to know how to refine what tools to buy and what services to subscribe to, he says it’s down to knowing his customer base.
“I’m going to proactively buy tools and software for all makes and models,” Brooks says, but how far to go depends on his bank account and what his customers are driving and what trucks they’re interested in buying.
“You’ve got to be pretty diverse,” he says.
Noregon, maker of all-makes diagnostic software JPRO, agrees, and says shops will only have to get more diverse in the future. In the coming years, the company says it sees a rise in demand for all-makes, all-models coverage, interfaced with solutions to make shops more efficient, such as integration of telematics and AI.
“With three-fourths of the total commercial truck population featuring an average age of eight years and older vehicles, and one-fourth of Noregon’s customers reporting off-highway and trailer service and maintenance in their shops, diagnostic products and services that cover a wide range of vehicles and equipment are gaining a rising degree of adoption,” Noregon says in a whitepaper released earlier this year.
This trend could also help independent shops.
Geoff Garafola, COO of Inland Truck Parts & Service, says it’s common for many of his company’s customers to have a variety of truck badges in their fleets.
“It’s a great fit for us,” he says. “As an independent, a customer with multiple truck brands in their fleet may prefer a high-quality shop that has a breadth of expertise to cover their whole fleet under one roof.”
Hiring Techs
That said, servicing more than one brand and doing it well comes with its own set of problems, including the perennial problem of finding good technicians.
“We have always been an all-makes, all-models service provider, so when we are looking to add to our team, we look for someone that has experience in multiple OEM brands,” says Eric Krikke, chief business officer at Vander Haag’s, which has 11 locations and was the Trucks, Parts, Service Distributor of the Year for 2024. But it won’t turn down someone that specializes in one brand and has the right attitude. “Many times, those technicians are looking to expand their skill set from just one OEM brand to multiple. We offer a variety of training for that reason.”
In Brooks’ shop, specialization in one brand can be “a feather in his cap” for a technician if the Oklahoma shop is seeing a lot of a brand. But generally speaking, he tries to find the right person and then train them to the job, he says.
Garafola agrees with Brooks’ approach.
“Techs are hard enough to find without looking for specializations in specific brands,” he says. “We start by looking for good attitudes complemented by a solid skill set in troubleshooting and repair.”
Investing in Solutions
With a plethora of aftermarket diagnostic tools on the market in addition to the OE-specific solutions, choosing a diagnostic tool is difficult enough on its own. As no one has an unlimited budget to spend on solutions, it can be tricky to find which ones work the best and are worth the investment.
Brooks says when money’s tight, he’s not going to be too liberal with buying. But if the tool spending comes in under budget, he might start looking at making strategic purchases.
“The best solution is always going to be the OEM software title, if we’re honest,” he says. And some aftermarket solutions are really good with some models, but leave something to be desired for others. “You’re going to find certain programs do better than others.”
Garafola says Inland locations generally have 10-13 OE software packages installed on dedicated shop laptops.
“The investment can feel steep upfront, but turnaround time is key to taking care of our customers,” he says. “Having the right software ready to go in an instant is a requirement for excellent service.”
In addition, Brooks says to choose the software that catches the repairs the shop sees the most of. For instance, he says in his experience, some aftermarket software titles don’t handle certain brands, models or engines well. If those brands, models or engines make up the bulk of repairs, it’s important it works well and efficiently.
“If it only does 75%, the 25% missing is going to kill you every single time,” he says.
Knowing the Customer
Brooks says none of this — buying diagnostic solutions, hiring technicians — will be effective if a shop doesn’t know it’s customers. He says knowing what trucks his customers have and what trucks they’re thinking about buying helps drive the decisions he makes about investing in solutions.
“You almost have to keep a running demographic in your head,” he says, including just looking at what’s driving past on the road. He also tracks lost sales in parts and service.
“What work are we turning away because we don’t have the ability? Should we go after those opportunities?” he says. “You’re always trying to weigh it out and figure out adjustments.”
At Vander Haag’s, Krikke says the company has a diagnostic software committee that meets once per quarter to assess the company’s needs and make sure they’re being met appropriately. Garafola says each of Inland’s 34 locations has the autonomy to service customers and markets as they see fit.
“That means the service manager is in tune with specialized tooling, software, training and everything else required to make expert repairs while minimizing downtime,” he says. “Inland has been in the service business for nearly 30 years now, and we know being in the independent repair business takes a lot of resources to support the tremendous amount of variety that rolls into the shop. The one overarching concept we try to live by is not limiting our capabilities. It’s one simple formula: We give our techs and shops as much as we can to support what they need to take care of their customers.”
