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initiative and their partnership with them to come work here, ‘We sell a
the chamber, Todd and Rick are taking couple thousand trucks a year. We have “No matter how
matters into their own hands with the around 170-175 employees and $250 trucks look
Truck Centers of Arkansas’ own techni- million/year in revenue. We are big iN the future
cian training program. enough not to be a mom and pop, but
Rick explains that they don’t let small enough to where you can knock or how high-
cost or education prohibit capable stu- on my door or call me on the phone or tech it gets,
dents from learning the trade. “It is not call Rick on the phone.’ the railroads
going to cost them anything other than “We aren’t a huge organization,
a set of tools. You can come work for but we aren’t so small that you wear too aNd airplaNes
me with a high school equivalency of a many hats. We are right in the middle, caN’t BriNg your
degree, a diploma, a high school gradu- the sweet spot of being approachable, but products to your
ate or GED, no student loan, no student not risky.” door.”
debt whatsoever. In four years, they
are going to be making just about what tAkIng the long VIew
those kids are making that are loaded No signs of slowing down, what —rick vassar, coo of truck
up with student debt.” is on the horizon for the titans of the ceNters of arkaNsas
Not just out of the goodness of their Truck Centers? Growth, if the need is
hearts, but for the good of the industry there and the customers are asking for it.
and even their business, they are teach- Rick says, “Todd and I are two of Because it was something new. Every
ing students in a 20-week program to the youngest/younger dealership groups day there is a different opportunity and
diagnose problems and become more in the Freightliner dealer family. They challenge. It’s fun to come to work. I’m
than “a grease monkey,” Rick says. want the number of ownership groups to enjoying it,” he continues.
“For probably 10 to 15 weeks of this get smaller. That would be larger stores, Todd agrees that there is no day
program, we’re getting half of the day in more stores for smaller groups. better than the last when you have the
the class and half of the day on the floor. Freightliner wants these owner- best employees and customers. He veers
They are producing some revenue out ship groups to grow contiguous. So they into gushing when talking about the
there for us, too,” he says. want these areas of responsibility to be relationships he’s built.
Battling the economy, government expanding but to be touching each other. “Our customers here are . . .” he
regulations and the technician shortage “They don’t want somebody buying a trails off, still smiling. “Without our
is part of the game that Todd and Rick store in California and having one in employees and without our customers,
signed up for. And yet, they haven’t just Arkansas and jump over all those areas we are really nothing, and I know that’s
survived, Truck Centers of Arkansas is like that. kind of cliche’ to say that. You hear that
thriving. They have such faith in their “We aren’t going to shy away from all the time, but it really is true here.
partnership and hope in the future of it if the opportunity is there, so we’d like “We are all in this together. I want
trucks. to expand. But it’s not something right them to be as successful as possible. I
“No matter how trucks look in now that we are seeking.” really want to give them the best truck,
the future or how hi-tech it gets, the Their willingness to take on a chal- the lowest cost, the best parts pricing,
railroads and airplanes can’t bring your lenge is evident, but both Rick and Todd the best service, because when they are
products to your door. You are not going seem to be enjoying the present. successful then I’m successful. Because
to get a refrigerator delivered by an air- Rick smiles, “I just like coming to it means I’m partnered with a success-
plane, and the train is not going to come work. When I came into this industry in ful business.”
to your front door and deliver the box 2007, I told people the difference when The relationship they have built
that you ordered from Amazon. they would ask ‘Do you like the trucking with each other and with their custom-
“There may be some drones or business better or the dealership busi- ers has built the business.
things like that, but at the end of the ness?’ I have grown up in the trucking Rick says, “If it’s growth, so be it. If
day, trucks are always going to deliver business, and I like that, but the dealer- the customer wants us to grow locally
these products to these places. There is ship has so many opportunities and is and there’s a need for it, we’ll do that.
always going to be trucks. There is always such a dynamic business. I’m still excited If there’s a need for it, we’d like to grow
going to be a need for the dealership,” eight years later because there are chal- outside the borders of the state.
Rick says. lenges, and we have such a great group Does that mean a Truck Centers of
Todd credits their success with a of people that it is fun every day. the South?
business that has been just the right size. “There isn’t just one specific best Rick laughs and shrugs with a look
“I always tell people when I interview day other than the day we bought it. that says ‘anything is possible.’ ATR

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