Now that there’s Equipment as a Service, it’s not surprising there’s also service on demand.
No, it’s not simply calling the dealer when you need at technician. It may be even more convenient than that, depending on who your dealer is.
How it works
Championed by a St. Petersburg, Florida, company called Heave that opened up shop in 2022, managers can use a four-step process via to have a technician come solve a problem.
“It’s Uber for technicians,” said Alex Kraft, Heave’s founder and CEO.
The four-step process is indeed Uber like. First, the maintenance manager sets the location of the equipment needing service. The second step is selecting the equipment make and model that needs service.
After that, select/input a quick description of the issue. Finally, the user books a technician based on their profile and skills, availability, hourly rate, and more.
Once the technician is booked, managers can use the in-app chat to communicate, ask questions, and get real-time updates on the job's progress.
There are no subscription costs or hidden fees. There is one invoice you per job, to be paid only when a service has been completed.
Who are the techs?
“All the 1099 techs on our Heave app are full-time independent techs,” Kraft said. “The large majority are former OEM-dealer trained and decided to become a business owner. Our app offers them flexibility; some use us exclusively for work, others use Heave as a filler when they have availability.
“We help solve technicians’ two biggest issues: where to find work and getting paid,” Kraft said. “Many of these techs aren't individual owner operators, and waiting for ‘Net 30’ payment from large contractors is very stressful for these small business owners.”
Learn the key maintenance terms
Heave technicians have experience on over 100 OEM brands, according to the company. Typical repairs include DEF/regen issues, hydraulic and electrical repairs, PM service, and welding/line boring. Hundreds of techs are available on the app today and Kraft predicts the company will cross 1,000 before the end of the year.
The company’s core markets so far are Tampa, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Nashville, Atlanta, and Charlotte. However, Heave has technicians in 36 states and is rapidly expanding.
“As for new service areas, we go where there's customer demand,” Kraft said. “We began in Florida and the Southeast to prove our model, then expanded as we grew customer awareness.
“For example, we've had customers use us in Florida or Texas and then ask us to help them in other areas,” Kraft said. “Many of our customers are large multistate contractors with multiple brands and a large footprint. They love the ability to have one source no matter where they are.”
The fine print
Heave requires technicians to have their own service truck, tools, and diagnostic software, and a minimum of $1 million in general liability insurance. In addition, technicians go through an onboarding process so the company can gain an understanding of their skill levels across multiple disciplines.
Heave techs can handle third-party warranty work, but not OEM warranties at this time. Many of the company’s customers order parts from their local dealer on their account as usual. Or, upon request, Heave can buy the parts for a small markup.
Technicians warranty their work as part of Heave’s terms of service, and the firm has dedicated account executives in our core markets to ensure customer satisfaction, Kraft said.
“This industry has operated a certain way for decades and customers have built-in habits,” Kraft said. “We haven't encountered much opposition where customers believe independent techs aren't qualified, and as I mentioned, many are from the dealers.
“It seems that many customers have wanted to see us develop time in the market and prove that we can deliver the value we promise. We've received a lot of ‘this sounds too good to be true’ since we began,” Kraft says. “And I believe there's a certain distrust of an online company on this segment, which is why it's been important for us to hire account executives in the territories we operate so customers can develop a relationship with our company.”
