Industry Report
Industry report
Denise L. Rondini | Editor | drondini@rrpub.com
Dealer News
Here is news from dealerships around the country: Volvo and GMC Truck Center of Carolina has changed its operating name to Advantage Truck Center. The change more accurately reflects the full-service truck dealership’s broadened scope of operations across its three locations in North Carolina. There have been changes to the Navistar dealer network. Following the purchase of two International Truck dealerships in southern Georgia by Yancey Bros. Co., Yancey Truck Centers recently was launched with four full-service sales, parts and service locations in Albany, Blackshear, Tifton and Valdosta, Ga. Four International Truck dealership locations in West Virginia, known as Heritage International, were purchased by Gary Kale, chief executive officer of Heritage Equipment Inc. Navistar also recently completed sales of two company-owned dealerships to private investors. The International Truck dealerships —one located in the Phoenix/Tucson market and the other in the Indianapolis market—have been transitioned successfully to industry veterans Robert Cunningham and Shelby Howard, respectively. Truck Centers, Inc., a family-owned dealer group with seven locations, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in the heavy-truck industry. Truck Centers is based in Troy, Ill., and represents various Daimler Trucks of North America (DTNA) brands including Freightliner and Western Star as well as Detroit Diesel engines in sales, parts and service. Jason Kleman of Mid-State Truck Service Inc. (Plover, Wis.) took top honors at the fourth annual Navistar Service-Technician Kleman Rodeo. Mitsubishi Fuso announces its dealers of the year: Milea Truck Sales Corp., Bronx, N.Y. - U.S. National Dealer of the Year; Kwong’s Truck Service, Concord, Ont. - Canadian Dealer of the Year; D & S Truck Center, Hodgkins, Ill. - National Parts Dealer of the Year; Metzger Gear, Rochester, N.Y. - National Service Dealer of the Year; Robert Milea, Milea Truck Sales,
Bronx, N.Y. - U.S. National Salesperson of the Year; and Sunny Kwong, Kwong’s Truck Service, Concord, Ont. - Canadian Salesperson of the Year.
People In The News
Following are personnel changes in the trucking industry: Volvo Financial Services announced that Leo Hawkes has been appointed president of its Region the Americas operations, with responsibility for the North America, Latin America and South Africa Hawkes markets. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation announced the appointment of Todd Bloom as president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. Bloom
Commercial Trailer Net Orders Continue To Post Gains
May commercial trailer net orders were up 59 percent over the same month last year, continuing a healthy rebound from a very weak 2009, according to ACT Research Co. (ACT). Through May, year-to-date net orders for trailers are up 69 percent. In the latest release of State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers, ACT notes that order backlogs rose an additional 10 percent in May, the fifth consecutive month backlogs have increased, despite an increase in the production rate. Additionally, order cancellations continue to be very low as truck fleets see growing demand for services. “All signs are indicating that freight growth is rapidly absorbing excess truck capacity,” says Kenny Vieth, senior analyst and partner with ACT Research. “With capacity tightening, trucker profits should begin to improve and swing the pendulum in favor of replacing and growing an aging trailer fleet,” adds Vieth.
4 | SUCCESSFUL DEALER | August 2010