Ascend Consulting

Ascend Consulting Shop Efficiency Consultant | Diesel Industry Expert Helping Repair Shops Boost Profitability Through Technology, Training & Process Optimization

06/02/2026

Fuel savings come with consequences.

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper sits down with Kevin Roberts, President of Roberts Repair, to break down the hidden trade-offs behind modern vehicle engineering, emissions systems, maintenance standards, technician training, and why critical thinking matters more than ever in the automotive industry.

The industry keeps chasing efficiency numbers.

But nobody wants to talk about the consequences.

Lower friction piston rings reduce heat and improve fuel economy.

Yet now engines burning a quart of oil every 800 miles are considered "normal".

That’s not progress. That’s accepting failure as a standard.

Saving fuel means nothing if you’re shortening engine life, damaging catalytic converters, and increasing long-term environmental costs.

Every “solution” creates a trade-off. The real problem?

Most people never stop to calculate the cost of the trade-offs they’re making.

The best technicians and shop owners don’t just follow recommendations blindly.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on: https://youtu.be/Gushw4E4BTc

05/29/2026

Most people think motivation comes from money. This story proves otherwise.

In this conversation with Bobby and Bob Chambers, one story really stood out.

It was during a brutal cold snap in Iowa around Christmas. Temperatures had dropped to negative 20, conditions were miserable, and the team was working long hours under pressure.

But nobody was complaining.

Why?

Because the goal was bigger than the work itself.

They knew every truck they repaired meant someone had a better chance of getting home for the holidays. That purpose changed everything. It gave the work meaning, urgency, and energy.

And honestly, that’s something a lot of businesses lose over time.

It becomes all about revenue, schedules, KPIs, and surviving the day-to-day chaos. But purpose is what keeps people motivated when things get hard.

People don’t just want a paycheck.

They want to feel like what they do matters.

As business owners, it’s worth asking:
What’s the real purpose behind what we do every day?

Because when a team believes in the “why,” the results can be incredible.

📺 Watch the full conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIMkQq_gj0
🎧 Listen to the full podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QQFrp2A3X9JHNGHGIKupn?si=1_P0bdS7TVeTMCtz80HgUQ

05/29/2026

Electric semis are fast.

But diesel still remains the dominant choice for heavy-duty hauling for a few important reasons.

Diesel engines provide high energy density, which is critical for moving heavy loads over long distances. They also offer extended range, fast refueling times, and proven long-term durability in demanding environments.

For many fleets, reliability and uptime are still the biggest priorities.

While EV technology is advancing quickly, challenges like charging infrastructure, battery costs, charging time, and payload limitations are still major considerations for long-haul operations.

That’s why diesel continues to play such a major role in transportation, construction, agriculture, and other heavy-duty industries.

Both technologies will likely continue evolving, but for now, diesel remains the backbone of heavy hauling in many parts of the industry.

05/28/2026

A shop owner once told me, “I hired the best technician I could find… and it still didn’t work out.”

That happens more often than people think.

Because being a great technician doesn’t automatically make someone a great fit for the business.

A lot of owners hire based on technical skill alone, then wonder why communication problems, attitude issues, or accountability gaps start showing up later.

In this conversation, we talk about the importance of actually defining what makes a “good employee” inside your organization.

One concept mentioned was GWC from EOS:
• Get it
• Want it
• Capacity to do it

Because even the most skilled person in the shop can struggle if they don’t understand the role, don’t truly want it, or don’t have the capacity to succeed in that environment.

At the end of the day, building a strong team is about more than just finding talent.

It’s about finding the right fit.

📺 Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIMkQq_gj0
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QQFrp2A3X9JHNGHGIKupn?si=1_P0bdS7TVeTMCtz80HgUQ

05/27/2026

The businesses that survive long-term usually aren’t the ones that resist change.

They’re the ones paying attention.

In this Diesel Stories Episode 3, Bob and Bobby Chambers from Liberty Fleet Solutions talk about why successful business owners often seem like they can “predict” where the market is heading. But most of the time, it’s not luck or some special instinct.

They’re simply more observant.

They listen to customers. They notice shifts early. They stay open-minded enough to adapt before everyone else is forced to.

That ability to identify gaps, adjust quickly, and evolve with the market is what keeps businesses profitable while others struggle to catch up.

You don’t have to be psychic to stay ahead.

You just have to be willing to change.

📺 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIMkQq_gj0
🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QQFrp2A3X9JHNGHGIKupn?si=1_P0bdS7TVeTMCtz80HgUQ

05/27/2026

A lot of shop owners never planned to become business leaders.

They started as technicians. Problem solvers. People who knew how to keep trucks moving and customers on the road.

But somewhere along the way, the job changes.

Now it’s about leading people, managing growth, hiring the right team, handling cash flow, building systems, and making decisions that affect the future of the business.

That’s what made this conversation with Bobby Chambers and Bob Chambers from Liberty Fleet Solutions so interesting.

Their story reflects what so many shop owners experience: learning how to grow beyond the shop floor while still protecting the culture and values that built the business in the first place.

From scaling operations and building customer trust to navigating hiring challenges and long-term business goals, this episode is full of practical insights from people who have lived it firsthand.

One of the biggest takeaways?

Running a successful shop today requires more than technical skill. It requires leadership, clarity, adaptability, and the willingness to evolve with the industry.

📺 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIMkQq_gj0
🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QQFrp2A3X9JHNGHGIKupn?si=1_P0bdS7TVeTMCtz80HgUQ

Today we remember and honor the men and women who gave everything in service to our country.Memorial Day is more than a ...
05/25/2026

Today we remember and honor the men and women who gave everything in service to our country.

Memorial Day is more than a long weekend. It’s a reminder of the sacrifice, courage, and freedom made possible by those who never made it home.

Grateful for their service and remembering their legacy today.

05/22/2026

Diesel Connect 2026 is officially a wrap. 🔧🔥

What an incredible 3 days.

From packed sessions and nonstop conversations to reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting new people in the industry, this year’s event was full of energy, ideas, and real conversations about where the heavy-duty repair industry is headed.

Some highlights from the week:

📘 Launching You Don’t Fix Trucks Anymore and selling out of books in minutes
🎤 Presenting You’re Not the Boss Anymore and Keys to Cash Flow
🏁 Meeting NASCAR legend
🤝 Connecting with shop owners, operators, technicians, and industry leaders from all over
🎶 Ending the nights with great food, live music, and even better conversations

But more than anything, events like this are a reminder that nobody builds a great shop alone.

The willingness of people in this industry to share ideas, lessons, struggles, and wins is what makes this community special.

Huge thank you to everyone who came to the sessions, grabbed the book, stopped to say hi, or shared part of their story this week.

Already looking forward to next year. 🚛

Day 2A huge part of bringing You Don’t Fix Trucks Anymore to life was working with my co-author, Suz Baldwin.And trust m...
05/21/2026

Day 2

A huge part of bringing You Don’t Fix Trucks Anymore to life was working with my co-author, Suz Baldwin.

And trust me, this book would not be what it is without her.

Suz has spent nearly two decades working as a writer, editor, and content strategist across magazines, agencies, and businesses of all kinds. Somewhere along the way, she also went from writing stories about grizzly bears and Ewoks fighting aliens to helping turn big ideas into something people can actually connect with.

What made working with Suz so valuable wasn’t just her writing ability. It was her ability to take years of shop stories, operational lessons, leadership struggles, and real-world experiences from the heavy-duty industry and shape them into something clear, relatable, and useful for shop owners.

This book isn’t theory.

It’s built from real conversations, real problems, and real lessons from the industry and Suz played a huge role in helping bring those ideas to the page in a way that actually speaks to people.

Grateful for the partnership, the creativity, and all the work she put into making this book happen. 🔧📘

05/21/2026

Average lives in “work-life balance".

In this episode of Beyond The Bay Podcast, host Peter Cooper invites Joe Gallaher, the Chief Executive Officer of Gallaher Fleet Solutions, to unpack the real cost of growth and leadership and what it actually takes to go all in.

Everyone wants balance. But balance often means compromise.

And compromise rarely builds anything exceptional.

At some point, you have to decide. What do you really want?

Because every level of success has a price.

And if you don’t pre-negotiate that price,

You’ll keep hesitating when it’s time to pay it.

Clarity removes fatigue. Purpose removes doubt.

When you’re all in, there are no Monday blues.

There’s just direction. You don’t need perfect balance.

You need alignment with what matters most.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on: https://youtu.be/ULLj2gbGlH4

Address

Norwalk, IA
50211

Telephone

+15152033470

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ascend Consulting posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Ascend Consulting:

Shortcuts

Share

Category