What happens when skilled mechanics break free from the dealership model? A revolution in equipment service that's changing the construction industry.
Alex Kraft spent 16 years watching the same problems plague heavy equipment service: weeks-long backlogs, poor communication, frustrated customers, and skilled technicians earning a fraction of what dealerships bill for their labor. Instead of accepting the status quo, he created Heave, an on-demand platform connecting equipment owners directly with skilled technicians.
The brilliance of Heave lies in its simplicity. When your excavator or dozer breaks down, you upload photos and details to the app. Available technicians in your area respond with their rates, experience, and estimated arrival times. You choose who comes based on reviews, expertise, and pricing. No more calling dealerships repeatedly for updates; you communicate directly with the person who'll fix your machine.
What truly sets Heave apart is its impact on technicians' livelihoods. While dealers typically pay mechanics $25-28/hour while billing customers $200+, Heave's independent technicians set their own rates and keep most of what they earn. Many are on track to make over $200,000 annually, creating a career path that could help solve the skilled trades shortage.
Since launching in 2020, Heave has expanded to serve customers in over 30 states, fixed more than 100 equipment brands, and recently secured $7 million in Series A funding. Their success proves that when you solve a real problem in the blue-collar world, growth follows.
Ready to stop waiting weeks for equipment repairs? Download the Heave app or visit heaveapp.com today and experience what the future of heavy equipment service looks like.
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More About this Episode
Broken Machine, Instant Tech: How Heave Is Changing the Heavy Equipment Service Industry
In the world of heavy construction and blue-collar trades, we all know one hard truth: machines break, and when they do, it costs more than money; it costs time, production, labor, and opportunities. You can have the best crews and the sharpest schedules, but if a $400,000 excavator goes down in the middle of a jobsite, everything comes to a halt. That’s exactly the kind of headache that inspired the launch of Heave, an on-demand heavy equipment service platform founded by Alex Kraft, former COO of Flagler Construction Equipment.
If you’ve ever bought a machine from a dealership, you’re familiar with how fast they respond when it’s sales time. They’ll wine, dine, and shine those tracks up for you. But once you sign on the dotted line and that first repair rolls around? The silence is deafening, and the phone tree is endless.
Heave flips that experience on its head.
The Unspoken Problem in Heavy Equipment
As blue-collar business owners, especially those in excavation and utility work, the machinery we invest in is the heart of our operations. But every owner quickly learns that the sales department is only half the story; the service department is where your real relationship with the dealer begins. And in many cases, it’s where the frustration starts.
Broken machines, no answers. Lost time, vague invoices. Long wait times for techs who might drive two hours each way, and you’re footing the bill for the ride. Most of us just accept it because “that’s the way it’s always been.” But that model is broken.
Alex Kraft knew that better than anyone. After spending over 16 years in the dealer world, managing large teams and turning around underperforming branches, he observed the same problems recurring again and again. Despite the industry’s growth and the money flowing through it, service operations stayed the same. Slow. Inefficient. Unresponsive.
It wasn’t a tech issue. It wasn’t even a personnel issue. It was a mindset problem. A system problem. And that’s exactly what Heave was built to solve.
What Is Heave?
Think of Heave as the Uber of heavy equipment repair. It’s an on-demand service platform that connects equipment owners directly with qualified technicians in their area, letting you choose your tech based on price, availability, skillset, and past reviews.
You’ve got a downed CAT 950 with a DEF issue in northwest Arkansas? Pull out your phone, submit a request through the Heave app, and techs in your area get pinged immediately. You see who’s available, when they can be there, how far they are, and how much they charge. You choose who you want.
Need a guy who specializes in Komatsu instead of CAT? Filter by experience and brand expertise. Want someone closer to the site to avoid travel fees? Heave shows you exact mileage, travel charges, and total rates up front.
No dispatchers. No endless callbacks. No guessing. Just instant, transparent access to service techs who are ready to roll.
Empowering the Mechanics Who Keep Us Moving
One of the most important things Heave is doing behind the scenes is creating real opportunities for the skilled tradesmen who have kept this industry moving for decades. Most of the techs on Heave are former dealer mechanics, guys who’ve spent years at CAT, John Deere, Komatsu, and other OEMs. They have the experience, the software, and the skillset. What they didn’t have was a way to go out on their own and connect directly with customers.
Heave gives them that platform. And here’s the kicker, they’re earning more.
At a dealership, a tech might make $25-30 an hour while the shop bills them out at $180-$250. But on Heave, techs set their own hourly rate, and they get the lion’s share of what they charge. Some of Heave’s top techs will clear $200K this year, all while doing what they love on their own schedule.
That’s not just good for them, it’s great for us as contractors and business owners. A well-paid, well-motivated tech shows up on time, communicates clearly, and gets your machine back up and running without dragging their boots or fumbling around for parts.
Why This Matters for the Blue Collar Industry
The construction industry is full of lip service about “getting young people into the trades.” We all want more diesel techs, more welders, more electricians, more operators. But when we don’t offer them real opportunity, real ownership, or real earnings, why would they stay?
Heave is showing a new path forward. No college debt. No rigid corporate ladder. Just a direct path to six figures through skill, hustle, and great service. That’s the kind of model that pulls people into the trades and keeps them there.
From the contractor's perspective, it's even simpler: downtime is expensive, and Heave eliminates the guesswork. You don’t need to know someone at the dealer. You don’t have to wait a week for an available slot. You don’t have to call four shops in a panic and hope someone picks up. It’s all in your hand, and it's fast.
From Startup to Industry Disruptor
When Alex first launched Heave in 2020, the original concept was focused on buying and renting equipment online, a sort of Expedia for machines. But after two years of grinding with little traction, he realized what customers truly needed: reliable service. No more buying options. Not more listings. Just someone who could show up and fix the damn machine.
He pivoted hard. Within one month of switching to service, Heave had customers knocking down the door.
In 2025, that pivot paid off in a big way: Heave closed a $7 million Series A funding round, bringing total investment in the company to $13 million. That capital is fueling growth into new states and expanding Heave’s national technician network.
Today, Heave has performed jobs in over 30 states. Core markets include Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, with Arkansas and Ohio joining the list. The growth is rapid because the demand is obvious.
This isn’t a niche solution. It’s a foundational shift in how service is delivered in the heavy equipment world.
How Heave Works in the Field
Let’s say you’ve got a mini-excavator throwing codes. Here's how simple it is to get help:
- Open the Heave app or website (works on desktop too).
- Submit a service request with a photo, error code, or simple description.
- Techs in your area get pinged instantly based on availability, location, and experience.
- You get responses in real time with pricing, availability, and profiles.
- You pick the tech and schedule the job.
- Communicate directly with that tech through the app before, during, and after the job.
Everything is documented. Every message is tied to the machine and the job. You can loop in your foreman, office admin, or fleet manager. It’s seamless, and it works like the rest of your life already does, with apps, real-time notifications, and clarity.
Oh, and if you've got error codes? Heave just launched a feature where those codes can automatically create the job ticket and send it to nearby techs, with even faster response times, no typing required.
Software? Covered.
One of the top concerns many have is: "Yeah, but these newer machines need diagnostic tools. Do these techs even have the software?"
Short answer: Yes.
The vast majority of Heave techs are equipped with OEM software or third-party tools like Diesel Laptops and Jaltest. Most are former dealer mechanics who brought their skills and tools with them when they went independent. And they’re ready to work on CAT, Deere, Komatsu, Volvo, CASE, Kubota, and over 100 other brands.
Where It’s Headed
Heave's mission is bold: to be the only nationwide, brand-agnostic, on-demand field service platform for heavy equipment.
As it grows, expect to see Heave:
- Expand into more states and rural markets.
- Add more advanced features like automated scheduling, fleet integration, and AI diagnostics.
- Become the go-to option not just for contractors, but for rental companies and even other dealers who need overflow service.
Yes, dealers are already using Heave when they’re out of bandwidth. That tells you everything you need to know about the value this platform is delivering.
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