Diesel Connect 2025’s Excellent Adventure

Venimus, vidimus, coniunximus.

We came, we saw, we connected.

…at least, Google Translate tells us that’s what it means. We’d stick with the traditional veni, vidi, vici but Diesel Connect was not just about one person — it was about all of us (and by that we mean all of you!). So please forgive our, erm, questionable Latin. We turn to it only out of enthusiasm!

For those of you who are new to our blog and wondering what all this poor translating is about, we’ll recap it real fast. Diesel Connect 2025 has come and gone; the third iteration of “DC” was the largest, most exciting yet, featuring a musical number (yes), go-karting (yup), loads of coffee (gallons upon gallons*), and heaps of shared knowledge and networking. 

It’s the place for heavy-duty repair shop owners and managers to come together and chat with peers, attend workshops and seminars, and maybe learn a thing or two about Fullbay before heading home. We had a great time, and the early reviews we’ve received suggest a lot of other folks did, too. 

We will, as always, be posting recaps of the individual sessions as our videographer gets them processed and uploaded. And yes, we started out the week with the intention to post daily updates, but…uh…well, DC happened. So sorry about that.

Anyway, on with the recap!

DAY ONE

Former Army Ranger Keni Thomas kicked things off with an inspiring message about leadership and what our responsibilities are to those who follow us. And then, we kid you not, he picked up a guitar and sang to us. Yes, Keni is an accomplished musician on top of being a gifted speaker and a soldier, and the song he performed likely touched a chord in many: “Not Me” is fittingly about stepping up to the plate for your people.

Following that keynote, we had a day of pure awesomeness: The Bascoms of Bascom Truck & Auto talked us through how they hired and expanded their operation; Peter Cooper of Ascend Consulting helped us understand the mindset shift required when you go from technician to owner; and VP of Finance Robby Gilbert and FP&A Manager Mikes Downes showed us how to create a budget. 

We also had some Fullbay-related workshops to help attendees get the best out of the software. We’re talking maximizing the workflow, putting DVIRs to work (featuring the Whip Around crew!) and learning how to clean up an account. Because yes, sometimes you do need to clear out old vendors and vehicles you don’t work on anymore.

That evening, we all parked ourselves on the Gila River Lawn and feasted upon the flesh of our enemies—er, enjoyed burgers and good company and maybe a few drinks (including the Woo Woo in honor of fire trucks!). There was also a Foosball competition (congratulations, Guys Trucking!) and a musical duo jamming out one hit after another. 

Yes, it was 95 degrees, but that is the price we pay for partying in the desert.

(I am told the partying continued, but I finished my Diserrano — thank you, Fullbay, I felt very fancy — and took my tired self to bed.) 

DAY TWO

On the second day of DC, Fullbay brought to me…a breakfast of eggs and tea!

Okay, there was coffee too. And bacon. And sausage. Really, there was all kinds of food and it was all delicious and look, if you have trouble buttoning your pants after DC, you aren’t alone.

Breakfast is served! Photo by the fabulous Erin Spring.

Mike Paton got us off to a good start by showing us how the EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) can help us run a smoother, more profitable repair shop. From there, attendees headed to the breakout rooms to take in the day’s sessions. Mark Kennedy of Knight-Swift Transportation explained what fleets are looking for in repair operations, and Keith McMaster of Fireweed Heavy Truck & Equipment Repairs talked about how to do more with less. 

(As a side note, that subject was top of mind for many DC attendees, as many of them showed up to the economic update provided by Bob Costello of the ATA.)

The Fullbay sessions were more plentiful today, and included an exciting update on Fullbay Payments from Phil Acree and Mary Croy, a primer on creating a marketing funnel from Jacob Arrington, and a lesson in what to do with a budget once you’ve got one, courtesy of Robby and Mike. We also learned some tricks in managing shop supplies with Blake Bays and took a deep dive into the architecture of Fullbay with John Norton.

Oh, yeah, there was also the product keynote, where CEO Patrick McKittrick and VP of Product Management Scott Gordon showed off some of the new features and integrations Fullbay has released this year…and what’s coming down the pipeline. We won’t spoil it and say “There’s great stuff coming,” but man, there’s great stuff coming.

Attendees then scattered to the four winds to ruminate on what they’d taken in that day.

Actually, that’s not what happened. We mostly stuck together and climbed aboard some very swanky buses and headed to Andretti Indoor Karting & Games. 

How can we describe Andretti? Picture a giant, shiny arcade full of video games and mash it together with a go-kart course straight out of Tron and you’re halfway there. Oh, and throw in the extremely elegant dining hall where we feasted and knocked back beverages and just hung out and you’ve got a perfect evening.

(I also want to note that something like 70% of the attendees bolted for the go-kart track as soon as our host gave them leave to do so. Like set down drinks mid-sip and ran for the doors. If we were in a cartoon, they’d have left repair shop owner-shaped cookie cutter holes in the wall. Hats off to CMO Matt Stone, who said, “Let’s take them go-karting,” and senior event coordinator Erin Spring, who rolled with it.) 

RUBBING IS RACING! Photo by me.

The ultimate victor in the races was Joe Kleyn of Kleyn Mobile Repair LLC. His winnings included a trophy, an iPad, great acclaim, and our lifelong admiration. Also, how did he manage those corners? Those things looked wild. 

The evening was capped off by a genuine ice cream sundae bar, and friends, we need more ice cream bars in the world. We also need more cotton candy-flavored ice cream, because…well…just look at it:

The writer’s cotton candy masterpiece. Photo, again, by the lovely Erin Spring. 

DAY THREE

It was a dark and stormy—

Oh, hold up. DC takes place in Arizona. It was 105 degrees by 9 AM, but it was bright and sunny with nary a cloud in the sky, and we all descended on the hallway to gorge ourselves on another delicious breakfast (and fuel up with more coffee). 

Director of Onboarding Amy Newman showed us what mistakes we might be making when using a parts matrix. Paul Moszak of MOTOR talked us through using the parts cross-reference and labor guide integration to increase revenue. We also learned about increasing technician efficiency using metrics and bonuses, how to properly use Fullbay’s numerous reports, and found out what goes into selling a shop when the time comes.

Last but certainly not least was the Shop Owner Roundtable, which featured the Bascom family, Keith from Fireweed, and Brandon Staley of TransWest Mobile and Neumann/Hobbs. The live (and lively!) conversations ranged from hiring to retaining and growing the business, among other things — the group answered questions from the audience in real-time. Pretty dang cool if you ask us.

After that, it was time to say goodbye to DC and Wild Horse Pass…for this year, anyway. It was two and a half days of excellent information, pleasant company, and outstanding fun — and no, we’re not just making that up. Early reviews are coming in and they’re pretty good. 

Again, you can expect our usual session-by-session recaps as they get uploaded. But until then, feast your eyes upon some more photos from this DC25…and hey, maybe think about joining us in 2026!

We’re not just a diesel conference, we’re a freakin’ pool party! Photo by moi. 

This is our mascot, Spike! Photo by moi. 

The ice cream bar at Andretti…yes, this picture is also from the spectacular Erin Spring. I didn’t take food pictures because I was shoving food down my gullet like the animal I am. 

*P.S. Fifty-four gallons of coffee to be exact. And that didn’t include the coffee served at breakfast! Even this writer was impressed.