PDR Universe

This week on the PDR Universe Podcast, Žan Vidic and permanent co-host Zeeshan look back at the recent European PDR Tech Meetup held in Slovenia.

From technicians traveling over 1,500 km to attend, to networking, technical discussions, behind-the-scenes stories, and a tour of the new ASIS facility, this episode highlights the passion that drives the paintless dent repair community.

They also share plenty of funny moments—including airport stories, Balkan food, local culture, and one unforgettable lesson: maybe don't drink with Balkans if you're not prepared. 😂

Topics include:
• Europe's growing PDR community
• Networking and business relationships
• The value of in-person meetups
• Competition mindset and motivation
• Behind the scenes of the new ASIS shop
• Funny travel stories and cultural experiences

🎓 Learn more at:
https://www.bestpdrtraining.com

Who helped shape your PDR career?

In this episode of the PDR Universe Podcast, Žan Vidic and Zeeshan discuss the technicians, mentors, competitors, podcast hosts and industry legends who influenced their journeys in Paintless Dent Repair.

From early hail repair days and learning the basics, to discovering PDR College, Bryce Kelly, Sal Contreras, Giedrius, competitions, seminars and online education, this episode explores how knowledge is passed from one generation of technicians to the next.

Topics include:

• Learning PDR from mentors
• Early career struggles
• The impact of competitions
• PDR education and training
• Bryce Kelly's influence on modern PDR
• Why every technician should keep learning

🌐 Learn more:
https://bestpdrtraining.com

🎙️ PDR Universe Podcast Episode 22.

In this episode of the PDR Universe Podcast, Zeeshan shares his full experience competing at the CamAuto GPR Competition in Canada — one of the most advanced paintless dent repair competitions in the world.

We discuss:

• High-level PDR & GPR techniques
• Large damage repairs
• Lateral tension & glue pulling
• Competition pressure
• Lessons from world-class technicians
• The future of big dent repair

Featuring discussions about technicians from around the world, CamAuto tools, advanced repair methods, and what it really takes to compete at the highest level in PDR.

If you’re serious about improving your dent repair skills, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

🌐 Learn more:
https://bestpdrtraining.com

How do PDR technicians find hail storms fast in Europe?

In this episode of the PDR Universe Podcast, Žan Vidic and Zeeshan sit down with Bartosz Zawadzki to talk about Hail Signals Europe — a platform designed to help paintless dent repair technicians find hail damage opportunities across Europe faster and more efficiently.

We discuss:

• Hail chasing in Europe

• Real-time hail alerts for PDR techs

• Why speed matters in hail repair

• Fake AI hail reports online

• Networking in the PDR industry

• How Hail Signals Europe works

• The future of hail chasing in Europe

If you are a PDR technician, hail chaser, dent repair tech, or someone interested in paintless dent repair and hail damage repair, this episode is full of valuable insights and real-world experience.

🌩️ Check out Hail Signals Europe:

https://hailsignalseurope.com/

Use code: UNIVERSE

🎓 Learn PDR Online:

https://bestpdrtraining.com

📲 Follow Žan Vidic:

https://www.instagram.com/zan.vidic

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:11 Podcast starts

00:41 Bart returns to PDR Universe

01:54 Europe hail season discussion

06:22 Hail Signals Europe explained

10:42 Žan reviews the system after testing

18:43 Why technicians should care about fast reports

29:07 Live demo of the Telegram alerts

31:20 HSE pricing & discount code

42:33 Why speed matters in hail chasing

49:44 Why networking matters more than cold calling

58:32 Final thoughts from Bart

59:15 Outro

How to improve your PDR skills and avoid the biggest paintless dent repair mistakes.
In this PDR Universe Podcast episode, Žan Vidic and Zeeshan break down the top mistakes even advanced PDR technicians still make during hail damage repair, glue pulling, lateral tension, cold glue work, and large dent repairs.

This episode covers:

• Why rushing repairs hurts your quality
• How lateral tension changes dent repair
• Common glue pulling mistakes
• Why cold glue is becoming essential in modern PDR
• Heat management tips for paintless dent repair
• How top technicians analyze dents differently

Whether you are learning PDR or already repairing dents professionally, these advanced PDR tips can help you become faster, cleaner, and more consistent.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:11 Intro
00:30 Advanced PDR mistakes explained
01:19 Pancake story & repair mindset 😂
03:25 Zeeshan’s Volkswagen mistake
08:36 Mistake #1 – Not using lateral tension
12:19 Why lateral tension matters in big dent repair
15:49 Mistake #2 – Rushing repairs
17:03 Bryce Kelly’s approach to dent analysis
20:58 Mistake #3 – Not seeing the full picture
23:45 Hidden damage behind panels
27:17 Hail damage perspective mistakes
30:13 Mistake #4 – Not using cold glue
32:01 How cold glue evolved in PDR
35:15 Heating panels for cold glue pulling
39:11 Why many techs ignore cold glue
42:25 USA vs Europe PDR tool mentality
45:15 Mistake #5 – Not using heat correctly
47:03 Hot glue heating trick explained
50:46 Final thoughts
52:14 Martin Sadler surprise appearance 😂
52:51 Outro

🎓 ONLINE TRAINING:https://bestpdrtraining.com/#PDR #DentRepair #PaintlessDentRepair #HailDamageRepair

🎙️ PDR Universe Podcast Ep. 18 – Martin Sadler

In this episode, we talk with Martin Sadler — one of the most experienced and respected PDR technicians in the industry.

With over 25 years in the field, Martin shares his journey, insights, and lessons learned from years of high-level repairs, competitions, and training.

We cover:

• The reality of learning PDR

• How the industry has evolved

• Tools, techniques, and mindset

• Competitions and judging at the highest level

• Why most people underestimate PDR

If you're serious about improving your skills or getting into PDR, this episode delivers real value.

👉 Learn more:
https://bestpdrtraining.com

⏱️ Episode Chapters:

00:11 Intro
01:11 Background & Experience
07:41 Learning PDR
15:41 Training & Progress
22:11 YouTube & Industry Growth
28:11 Challenges in PDR
40:11 Competitions & High-Level Work
52:11 Content & Final Thoughts
59:11 Outro

#PDR #DentRepair #Podcast #AutoRepair #PDRTraining

What is it really like to be a hail technician?

In this episode, we break down the real life of PDR hail work — from travel and long hours to money, stress, and lifestyle.

If you're thinking about getting into hail damage repair or chasing storms, this is the honest truth from guys living it.

Learn more:
https://bestpdrtraining.com

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
00:11 Podcast intro
00:31 What this episode is about
01:13 Reality vs social media
02:07 Why Žan didn’t explore cities
03:06 Work mindset on hail
04:43 Long hours vs smart work
06:38 Daily routine explained
08:19 Nutrition & energy during work
10:57 Traveling & tools setup
13:18 Hail vs retail PDR differences
16:31 Mental challenges of hail
18:22 Turning off your brain
20:13 Dealing with brokers & scams
22:07 Downsides of hail life
25:26 Upsides of traveling for work
28:58 New shop update
32:35 Advice for beginners
41:46 Mental vs physical limits
47:13 Should you chase hail?
58:05 Outro
58:16 Outro ends

In Episode 16 of the PDR Universe Podcast, we talk with Steven Dyke about the CAM Auto GPR Competition, glue pull repair, big dent repair, and where the PDR industry is heading next.

We get into Steven’s PDR backstory, how glue pulling evolved over the years, why GPR is becoming more important, what makes the CAM Auto event unique, and which competitors are coming this year.

If you’re into paintless dent repair, glue pull repair, collision-style PDR, or big dent strategy, this episode is packed with insight.

Training:

bestpdrtraining.com

CAM Auto:

camautopro.com

0:00 Intro

0:13 Welcome back + Steven Dyke intro

0:42 What this episode is about

1:40 Steven’s PDR backstory

4:13 How glue pulling evolved in PDR

8:24 Old-school PDR vs cordless tools today

9:40 What makes the CAM Auto competition different

13:45 Two-day format and how the event works

17:01 Why this event is so educational for techs

18:01 CAM Auto inside scoop: buy one, get one free

19:10 New lateral tension + CAM Auto future plans

21:00 Glue-pull-only competition overview

24:53 Main competition: what to expect

27:14 Why GPR matters more than ever

33:25 How big dent repair changed the industry

35:26 Learning from top-level technicians

42:24 Heat, metal memory & repair strategy

44:21 Glue-pull-only competition recap

46:21 Competitor lineup

52:26 Why this event matters for the whole PDR industry

57:49 Why Žan can’t make it this year

59:16 Final thoughts

59:54 Outro

#PDR #PaintlessDentRepair #GPR #GluePullRepair #CAMAuto

How do you actually learn PDR and get started in paintless dent repair?

In this episode, we break down the best ways to learn PDR, from in-person training and online courses to apprenticeship and self-taught learning.

We talk about:

- how to start paintless dent repair

- the fastest vs cheapest way to learn PDR

- what beginners should focus on first

- how long it takes to become a PDR technician

- what tools you need to get started

- common mistakes when learning PDR

Whether you're thinking about getting into PDR or already starting out, this episode will help you understand the real path to becoming a PDR technician.

Training:

bestpdrtraining.com

0:00 Intro

0:35 How to learn PDR

1:30 Why more people want to get into PDR

4:01 How the PDR industry changed

5:21 Fastest way to learn (in-person training)

8:21 Apprenticeship pros & cons

10:29 Online PDR training explained

12:12 Best beginner path

17:40 Learning analogy (fast vs slow paths)

22:16 Different learning styles in PDR

24:37 Self-taught route explained

27:09 Beginner tools discussion

29:48 Best learning combination

34:44 Why learning alone is slower

36:39 Time vs money in PDR learning

44:56 Real beginner costs

50:29 Why quality tools matter

57:35 Final advice

59:25 Outro

PDR Universe - Episode 14

In this episode, we talk about why some PDR technicians get stuck in their journey and stop improving.

Maybe the work is still coming in.

Maybe the customers are happy.

Maybe the money is still decent.

But if you stay too comfortable, avoid harder dents, and stop pushing yourself, sooner or later someone else will pass you.

We talk about:

• why comfort can quietly hold you back

• why bigger dents create bigger opportunities

• how body shops and customers start trusting you more when you tackle harder repairs

• why training, repetition, and failure are all part of growth

• how seminars and online training can speed up your progress

• why copied tools and stagnant thinking hurt the whole industry

This episode is all about growth, discipline, and staying hungry in PDR.

Training & tools:

bestpdrtraining.com