About Us
Learn Our Story
Who We Are
The HEA story begins in 1972 when our Dan Harvey enlisted in the U.S. Army. After basic training, Dan served a 13 month tour with the 2/16th Ranger battalion and was afterwards given his choice of duty. Dan chose the 1st Infantry Division, 1st Engineer Battalion at Fort Riley Kansas. The MOS (Military Occupational Specialties) of choice was 64C30, Heavy Equipment Operator. Dan was trained and operated everything the Army had to offer from a 1/4 ton Jeep to a 10 ton tractor trailer and the CAT bulldozer it hauled. During his last year of service in 1975, Dan took a course in auto-body repair which was offered by a local vocational technical school subsidized by the Army. The course included training for repairing and painting automobiles as well as preparing estimates. Dan was finding his career path although he did not know it at the time.
Dan was honorably discharged in 1975 and returned to his hometown of Huntington, WV. where he went to work in the body shop of a local new truck dealership. The shop repaired Class 8 trucks and had its own frame rack, radiator shop, two paint booths and fourteen employees. Dan was the assistant shop manager when he left the dealership to go to work for a local branch of a national independent adjusting firm. A few months later, Dan took a position with a locally owned independent adjusting firm that allowed him more flexibility and the branch manager’s position of their Huntington location. One of the company clients suggested there was a shortage of heavy equipment adjusters and asked Dan to administrate their account on a national basis.
During those years Dan developed the opinion that working for a multi-line adjusting firm was not an ideal situation. Accountability issues and billing practices were conflicting with client expectations. It eventually became apparent that a company which specialized in handling only heavy equipment claims would be the answer. In 1984 HEA opened for business in Huntington, WV. Also in 1984 the first resident staff Appraiser was added to the company. Over those years we learned to answer our clients needs on reporting procedures and handling guidelines. In 1996 we expanded to the Knoxville, TN area and have grown to cover most of the mid-South and Southeast.
Our Services
Desk Audits
We provide this service using our most experienced appraisers and adjusters. Several dealers will extend our discounted labor and parts rate even though we don’t physically make an inspection.
Appraisals
Our goal is to provide you with an accurate, professionally written appraisal of damages that is fair to both the shop and the equipment owner. We use “Truck Writer” appraisal software and our Dan Harvey is a “Technical Advisor” for that company.
Adjustments
We are a full service company and can handle your Full Assignment to include determining liability, subrogation and qualified expert witness testimony.
Salvage
Our company has accounts with internet vendors Big Truck Salvage and Heavy Salvage. We have a lengthy list of local salvage buyers developed over the years which is categorized to the specific type of equipment being sold.
Titles
Our title clerk can get any state title changed to a Tennessee Salvage or Junk title on any claim we handle for you, usually within a few days.
Investigation
Our most experienced staff will be assigned to handle your suspected arson or fraudulent claim. As always, we bill travel time from our nearest location to your claim.
Subrogation
The methods used in Subrogation has changed considerably over the years. We have developed a very successful system on the full assignment claims we handle for your company.
Mobile Response
We can respond to your catastrophe needs with our mobile units. Our Class A, Diesel Pusher motor home has a capacity of 100 gallons of diesel and 100 gallons of water which enables us to maintain two people for a week in a disaster area. Typically, we are assigned claims involving multiple vehicles or equipment garaged at the same location which enables us to travel to the scene and set up a mobile office on the insured’s property. Our satellite communications allows us to report to you as soon as we arrive on-scene regardless of damages to the areas fixed communications. Our pull behind 25′ trailer allows us to carry extra fuel and supplies while transporting a car/truck and a motorcycle. (Sometimes a motorcycle can go where cars can’t.) The only limitation is that we respond to only Truck, Trailer and Heavy Equipment claims.
Associate Member:
“Dan is very good at what he does in the handling of over the road and off road heavy equipment claims and has a lot of knowledge of the heavy equipment and trucking industry. I have known Dan for approximately 20 years and know that he produces a very good work product.”
“Dan Harvey and his team at Heavy Equipment Adjusters has been a premier “go-to” heavy equipment appraisal firm for our company for over 20 years. Dan makes sure our assignments receive an immediate response and his level of competence and technical expertise is far beyond what can otherwise be found in the industry today. I am proud to offer my sincere recommendation for HEA services to anyone in the trucking, TPA or insurance industries.”
“I have had the pleasure of working with Dan Harvey for many years. His knowledge and expertise in the field of truck and trailer adjusting is unmatched. The attention to detail has become his focus and it shows in the work product that is received. I enjoy each opportunity to work with Dan and all of his staff.”
Gallery of Past Insurance Claims
Here are a few photos from recent claims we have handled.
