S10EP3. How Technology and Human Leadership Transform Modern Jobsites with Adam Harshman and Tyler Hackman

R: Often when people drive by a work zone or a construction site, they see the equipment but do not necessarily understand the technology, and they definitely don't understand the people doing that work to make their drive a little bit easier each day.

B: Today, I'm interested in learning more about some of the technologies that are out there, as well as the leadership and people behind them.

R: To help us with that conversation, we're excited to bring in a company that is our official Season 10 sponsor for the podcast, FleetWatcher by Align Ops. Adam Harshman, who's the President of FleetWatcher, and Tyler Hackman, the Director of Sales, are here with us. Adam, can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and FleetWatcher, and then Tyler, can you introduce yourself as well?

AH: Absolutely. We appreciate the opportunity to be here and be sponsors. I've been with Align Ops FleetWatcher for just about a decade. I started in early 2016, and my initial stint was expected to be two or three years. When I signed on, it was a sales job. I was new to the industry and new to technology. I saw it as an opportunity to learn and grow in a space where I wasn't really comfortable, but as I got into the business and the industry, I realized quickly that what we were doing was special in the asphalt paving space.

We were providing tools for people that made job sites safer, made people's lives better, and made companies more profitable. As I started to learn the industry and the background of what these companies were trying to do, I realized I was working with "people's people". They were leaders of organizations who really cared about their people and their businesses. I bought in early, which is why I've been here for 10 years instead of two. I've worn many hats in the organization, from sales to building our customer success efforts and playing a key role in the development of our material management system. Most NAPA contractor members use that system for tracking assets, equipment, and materials. It's been a fun ride over the last decade to learn the industry, understand what makes these companies tick, and provide support where we can.

TH: I'm Tyler Hackman, the Director of Sales. I've been here a little less time than Adam, starting seven years ago. I originally took on the role after talking to our founder about a short-term situation to help scale the company, attract new customers, and build out the platform. I'm still here after seven years.

I came from advertising sales. I've always had a knack for consulting someone through a decision-making process. In my previous role, I was the only person not interested in closing a deal on the first call. I wanted to do research and understand what I was setting a customer up for, but the backend support wasn't there. I reached a spot where I didn't like getting phone calls from customers because the results didn't sit right with me. A friend told me to look at FleetWatcher. It has been an incredible experience from day one, despite walking into an intimidating situation where I didn't know anything about asphalt or road construction. I found quickly that this industry is filled with good, smart people who are willing to share what they know and pass that knowledge down to the younger guys.

B: Adam, you mentioned that what drew you in was the growth opportunity and entering an industry outside of your experience. I'm curious if you could share more about what opportunity presented to you. Could you also provide more detail on your progression from sales into the president role?

AH: I realized quickly from listening to customers that the market had been underserved by technology. There were providers offering "blanket" solutions that worked in plumbing or HVAC and assuming they would work in construction or asphalt. These weren't solutions built by the people laying the roads; people were forcing solutions on them instead of listening to them.

When I got "boots on the ground" and stood on job sites with folks, the leaders were very vocal about their pain points and what could solve them. They wanted someone to sit down with them and help develop a solution. That's what we did, and I attribute a lot of my success over the last 10 years to that. I became a subject matter expert, not just on FleetWatcher, but on asphalt paving and the pain points of those customers. 

We built solutions based on that. It wasn't a group of us sitting around a boardroom table thinking of ideas to sell; it was sitting with contractors asking what their pain points were and how we could help. We developed and improved the product over time to meet those needs. From day one, it was a partnership and collaboration rather than a transaction.

R: Tyler, you have a background in sales, and we don't talk to many salespeople in these conversations. I'm interested in what key traits make a salesperson successful?

TH: People often look for a "silver bullet" for success in sales. I have always adhered to the understanding that you shouldn't be trying to sell anything; your intention should always be to serve. These folks are out there conducting an "orchestra" daily with many moving parts they often cannot see. Traditional sales techniques or tactics don't apply there.

The biggest thing I coach my team on is remaining curious and empathetic. Why something is said in a conversation is much more important than what is said. If you aren't focusing on how to help that person solve the problem, you won't get a deal, and you won't be a servant of the industry or your customers. The most important thing is being able to listen, making yourself part of the team, and not moving forward until you understand how to solve the problem. I look for a good problem solver who is more interested in the process than the result and who can be trusted to counsel someone through a process rather than having inward intentions.

B: Adam, you've implemented various strategies at FleetWatcher that led to immense growth. What advice would you share with others looking to innovate in the workplace?

AH: Innovation doesn't usually start in the boardroom; it starts on the job site. If you have a team thinking about what needs to change, the people in the field usually have that information. Innovation isn't just technology; a lot of it is about reducing friction. You have to create situations where you can improve communication. Technology supports decision-making; it doesn't replace it. Our successful strategies involve getting feedback from the field to reduce friction, improve communication, and support decision-making. Then, it turns into mentoring the team so they have the freedom to make decisions. Our growth didn't come from more people funneling information to the top; it came from giving people the "freedom to fail". If they make mistakes, it's an opportunity to learn and coach. Giving your team tools and helping them make better decisions is the framework for our success.

R: Can you highlight a moment where technology has enhanced teamwork rather than just efficiency?

TH: We build processes for success by discussing workflows that alleviate the need for phone calls or texts to communicate a problem. Our technology "turns the lights on" for the whole operation. We want to see how the crew is performing, how the source is loading material, and how the trucks are performing between the source and destination. It results in everyone looking at the same thing.

I spoke with a customer in Texas recently who hires about a hundred trucks every day. When there are difficulties paying trucks or conflicts with a broker regarding hourly hauls, having everyone look at the same information alleviates the need for those difficult conversations. If there is a conflict, it shows up in the data. Using the same data to understand what a truck did and what is owed creates teamwork internally and synergy with external partners.

AH: You can't manage what you can't see. Historically, the paving crew might blame the plant for lack of production, or they might blame trucks for not getting material to the site on time. They did that because they didn't know the facts; it was just a place to point a finger. A system like FleetWatcher puts everything in "black and white" to show what actually happened and where the bottlenecks were. It stops people from reacting based on what they think happened and provides an even playing field based on what actually happened. This leads to more collaboration, better teamwork, and transparent conversations. Our customers are doing hard work that is constantly changing, and this tool helps them pivot on the fly and know exactly where dollars are being spent.

TH: It puts you in a position where you are managing the team's reaction to problems rather than their perception of those problems.

B: Do you have stories of paving or plant crews using technology to solve challenges in real time?

TH: I have a customer in Canada whose crews have really run with this. One of their issues was ordering tons per round rather than tons per hour. They would order 250 tons in the first round and 750 in the second. The plant would just send however many trucks that required, which created massive backups at the job site.

With FleetWatcher, crews have full visibility into where the next truck is and its ETA. They can better manage the pace of their lay down and the material available to them. They can also see if the plant has a breakdown or backup without making phone calls. They made huge strides in reducing wait time because they shifted to a tons-per-hour order. Once they could see the material coming in, they didn't feel the need to "stash" or stage extra trucks. Unnecessary truck staging is not only expensive but adds complexity to a dangerous job site.

AH: One NAPA producer used FleetWatcher to pay their trucks more efficiently. They used data on tons moved and hours worked to adopt a "positive pay" mentality. Instead of waiting for an invoice from a truck broker, they could see what work was done at the end of the day and produce an invoice for the broker. Back in 2017, brokers were skeptical because that technology wasn't as common.

This contractor was able to show by 10:00 AM what drivers were being paid for the previous day's work. Historically, they had a hard time finding trucks and were constantly playing with rates to get people to show up. When they started being proactive and transparent about payments, brokers wanted to work for them because it took the ambiguity out of the relationship. When they opened new plants in new markets, plant managers were getting calls from brokers who had heard they were "tight on payment" and wanted to work for them. It allowed them to streamline manual processes and improve relationships.

R: Quickfire time. Adam, what is the biggest challenge in blending technology and teamwork?

AH: Finding the root problem the technology will actually help solve, which alleviates pressure for the team.

B: If you weren't working in the industry, what would you be doing?

AH: I would be working in non-profit.

R: Finish this sentence: "People don't realize that working in asphalt means..."

AH: Huge opportunity for growth.

B: Best advice you ever received about your career?

AH: Listen more than you speak.

R: Favorite feature of FleetWatcher?

AH: The load cycle analysis.

TH: I'll go with the executive scoreboard.

B: What keeps you excited about the asphalt industry and the people in it?

TH: I love solving problems and digging into what causes them. It is never boring. Most contractors deal with the same underlying problems but experience them differently. One week I'm on a job site in Washington, the next I'm in Texas, and the next I'm in Nova Scotia. It is always a puzzle to solve. I've fallen in love with the process and the people.

AH: A good majority of the workforce is nearing retirement age, which is opening up a next generation of workforce to come in and shape how work gets done and how innovation is adopted. We are seeing the next generation taking over operations with a different lens. They were born with cell phones in their hands, so technology isn't as scary to them. We are seeing more people work with contractors to build technology, which puts the onus on us to make better tech.

R: What advice would you give to the next generation entering this industry?

AH: There are massive opportunities for growth and leadership because of the aging workforce. You don't need all the answers, but you need the right work ethic. This industry is full of people who want to mentor you and take you under their wing. My advice is to come in with your shovel ready to work and be respectful of the people who have done it before you. They will give you all the grace and help in the world to ensure you are successful.

B: My main takeaway is how technology feeds into communication and helps crews digest large amounts of data to make better, more informed decisions.

R: I appreciated Tyler's point about serving the industry rather than just selling to it. That aligns with how NAPA works: understanding pain points and providing solutions to make a contractor's job easier.