It’s All About the Customers: Dealer of the Year Nominees Speak Out
These five truck dealers were nominated for the annual Truck Dealer of the Year Award presented by American Truck Dealers, Heavy Duty Trucking, and Procede Software.
The award honors excellence in business practices, industry leadership, and community service. Faculty members from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business chose the winner and finalist.
Following what many dealers describe as the best year ever for truck sales, “business has definitely softened,” says Robert Nuss, president, Nuss Truck Group, Rochester, Minnesota and ATD/HDT Truck Dealer of the Year. “I have 40 plus years experience, but the reality is I have 40 one-year experiences,” he says, commenting on the fact that each year brings its own set of challenges to truck dealers as they try to meet changing customer needs.
In response to the slowdown in business, Kathryn “Katie” Hopkins, executive vice president and dealer principal, Truck Centers Inc., Troy, Illinois, and Truck Dealer of the Year finalist, says she is eliminating stock trucks at her dealerships and is focusing more on having demo trucks available for potential customers. “We have multiple demos so we can allow our customers to try a certain product, but we don’t have a huge number of stock trucks on the lot anymore.”
Nominee James Carello, president and dealer principal, Regional International Corp., Henrietta, New York, describes business as OK. “While it is not devastating, there is no robustness to it. We are just plodding along. [Fleets] just aren’t buying now, whether it is over utilization of equipment or the fact they can’t find drivers.”
Gary Nicholas, president and CEO, Nicholas-Wyoming Valley Truck Sales Inc., Luzerne, Pennsylvania, believes the recent presidential election made buyers nervous, “but now that it is over with, we can move forward.”
While there have been challenges for Gateway Truck & Refrigeration, headquartered in Collinsville, Illinois, Zach Wagner, chief operating officer, …Read the rest of this story
