BLP 370: Rolling Coal, an $18M Fine, and Redemption: The PDI Story

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) — 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 — the rise, the reckoning, and the redemption.

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 $55–60 million in revenue, growing 22% a year — and Jerad still isn't for sale. This is a story about horsepower, risk, faith, and the relentless pursuit of building something better.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

0:00 – Welcome & St. George Roots

2:07 – His Grandpa, His Dad & the Milk Route

6:08 – Work Ethic & Overhauling His First Engine at

13 9:57 – Trade School & Early Mechanic Days

12:02 – Marriage, the Milk Route & a Walmart Detour

17:33 – Taking the Leap: Starting Performance Diesel

21:57 – The Tune-Up Boom Years

28:28 – "The Smoke Don't Mean It's Broke"