Family owned and operated since opening its first location in 1976, TEC Equipment has recently moved into a new $30 million facility in Fontana, CA, that is five times the size of its previous location in the area and has been designed with speed and efficiency in mind for the customer.
TEC now has 26 locations in five states on the West Coast, all serving as Mack and Volvo dealers with some locations carrying Wabash trailers as well. This new 174,000 sq.-ft. facility in Fontana was five years in the making and was built by David O. Thompson, son of founder David A. Thompson and director of business development. Sons Chris and William also work in the TEC family business.
“We are proud to unveil this mega-dealership in Fontana, representing Mack Trucks,” David O. Thompson said in a press release. “This new dealership serves to strengthen our position as the leading truck dealership in the West, providing quality service and differentiating ourselves with a unique customer experience. With additional parts and service capacity, we can serve more customers by providing convenient access to one-stop shopping for premium parts and service, at a size and scale that helps us keep our commitment to customers to be their best business partner.”
The location offers new and used Mack and Volvo trucks as well as parts pickup, vehicle service, and more.
Covering 14 acres, the facility was designed to improve customer service and features a parts lobby that is staffed by a greeter to assist customers, a 1,000-sq.-ft. drivers’ lounge with restroom, laundry, cable TV, work and shower areas, 2 parts warehouses covering 2.2 total acres and housing some $5 million worth of parts at any time, and the shop, which features the ability to service 102 trucks inside the shop at a time.
The shop itself is set up “automotive style,” said Mike Reardon, general manager. “It’s state of the art and it’s more like a car dealership where you drive in and someone meets you” to assess the vehicle’s condition.
The shop is supported by one of the two warehouses that funnels fast-moving parts to the technician’s bay. Parts runners allow the technicians to stay in the bay with the truck and will retrieve needed components to do the job. There is a 2,000 sq.-ft. command center located inside the shop location that monitors and coordinates all activities and a state-of-the-art wash bay. Each engine is washed before it is brought into the shop for repair.
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The shop itself is segmented in job areas and technicians are specially trained in those areas. There are areas designed for work requiring 4 hours or less, Uptime service bays, transmission bays, engine bays, chassis bays and alternative fuel bays. Segmenting like this, Reardon said, allows for jobs to get done quicker and doesn’t not hold up a PM service job behind an engine job that takes longer.
The location also offers a pickup and delivery service for vehicles at no charge for many of its customers in the area.
“The goal is to get the customer in and back out to work,” Reardon noted.
TEC, which generates over $800 million in revenue through its entire network, is building two more locations in California later this year as it continues to invest in modern dealerships.
For the drivers whose trucks have the misfortune of needing to spend time at TEC, the Fontana location features 400 truck parking spaces (155 are used for new trucks for sale), 50 spots for 53-ft. trailers – allowing drivers to drop the trailer on site while the truck is worked on – and a concrete pad for dollies to be left as well.
“Every spot is numbered so trucks can be quickly and easily found,” Reardon said.
The Fontana location employs 164 and also has 16 parts drivers who bring orders to area customers. A 4,400 sq.-ft. training facility will open within 60 days, Reardon noted.
While the dealership specializes in Mack and Volvo, Reardon said it will repair any make and model vehicle.