Part 6/11:
Unlike farming equipment, vehicles like cars and trucks offer more transparent pathways for independent mechanics to access necessary software. Kevin Kenney explains that a truck owner or mechanic can buy the software needed to diagnose or repair modern vehicles. In contrast, farmers cannot easily acquire the tools to service their agricultural machinery.
Jeremy Davis vividly illustrates this disparity: "If the check engine light is on in a new tractor, I can't even tell you why," he says. In the automotive sector, buyers can purchase the software they need to troubleshoot problems, but similar access in agriculture is restricted, forcing farmers into the gray market—importing hacked software or risking legal action.