{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"BLP 370: Rolling Coal, an $18M Fine, and Redemption: The PDI Story","description":"They fined him $18 million. He built a diesel empire anyway. Jerad Wittwer grew up the son of a St. George milkman and rancher, overhauled his first engine at 13, and turned a passion for horsepower into Performance Diesel Inc. (PDI) \u2014 one of the most recognized names in diesel performance. But the road there ran straight through one of the most controversial chapters in trucking: EPA investigations, deleted trucks, and an $18 million federal fine. In this episode, Jerad sits down with Jared Flinn for an unfiltered conversation about the whole journey \u2014 the rise, the reckoning, and the redemption.&amp;nbsp; He opens up about the mistakes he made at the top, how his faith and family pulled him back, and how PDI reinvented itself into a manufacturer building 12,000+ part numbers that beat OEM quality. Today the company is on track for $55\u201360 million in revenue, growing 22% a year \u2014 and Jerad still isn't for sale. This is a story about horsepower, risk, faith, and the relentless pursuit of building something better.&amp;nbsp; \u23f1\ufe0f CHAPTERS 0:00 \u2013 Welcome &amp;amp; St. George Roots 2:07 \u2013 His Grandpa, His Dad &amp;amp; the Milk Route 6:08 \u2013 Work Ethic &amp;amp; Overhauling His First Engine at 13 9:57 \u2013 Trade School &amp;amp; Early Mechanic Days 12:02 \u2013 Marriage, the Milk Route &amp;amp; a Walmart Detour 17:33 \u2013 Taking the Leap: Starting Performance Diesel 21:57 \u2013 The Tune-Up Boom Years 28:28 \u2013 &quot;The Smoke Don't Mean It's Broke&quot; 30:35 \u2013 Getting Into Semis &amp;amp; Manufacturing Parts 35:00 \u2013 When Emissions Regulations Hit 37:00 \u2013 The EPA Comes Knocking 44:58 \u2013 The $18 Million Fine 46:07 \u2013 The Comeback &amp;amp; Being the Only Company Released 47:36 \u2013 Reinventing PDI: 12,000 Parts &amp;amp; Better Than OEM 54:01 \u2013 Going Global &amp;amp; the &quot;Gucci of Diesel&quot; 55:45 \u2013 The Partner Buyout &amp;amp; Funding Growth 1:01:37 \u2013 Vision, Family &amp;amp; the $200 Million Goal 1:08:16 \u2013 The Future of Trucking: Autonomous &amp;amp; Electric 1:11:27 \u2013 Faith, Peace &amp;amp; Staying Grounded 1:16:14 \u2013 Dream It &amp;amp; Do It ","author_name":"Bulkloads Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/bulkloads.libsyn.com\/website","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/42113640\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/item\/42113640"}