Bentz Transport Products Closes its Doors
- Thread starter ATeam
- Start date
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Well that's too bad for the employees but if they were open since '93 and I have one of their product built in '99, then they should have been out of business in '00.
Poor workmanship can always be overlooked when customer service is good but not replying to questions, acting as it was a bother to answer the phone and never returning calls all means something to people who have to live in the product.
Not to mention the problem with leaks from the roof and the electrical issues, like the near fire from using the wrong wire.
Poor workmanship can always be overlooked when customer service is good but not replying to questions, acting as it was a bother to answer the phone and never returning calls all means something to people who have to live in the product.
Not to mention the problem with leaks from the roof and the electrical issues, like the near fire from using the wrong wire.
I wonder if AlumiBunk will be next? Their workmenship is beyond bad.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Actually Layout, AB were the ones who sold me the parts for the bentz sleeper I own, they answered the phone, took the time to talk to me, when I showed up unannounced they were patient with my dumb questions and so on. People have good luck with Bentz, like you have had bad luck with AB it just rubbed me the wrong way when my sleeper almost became a place to roast marshmellows.
Their are not consistant, that is one of their problems. My sleeper leaked, bad, it cost me over a thousand to fix it. The paint on the sleeper suffers from the normal lack of proper primer. They were a pain to get in touch with when we were looking for parts and often did not return calls for days. Consistancy is NOT their strong suit.
I am sorry to hear about their closing. Over the years we have had three Bentz sleepers with a very minimum amount of problems. Any minor problem was usually solved with a phone call and if we had to take the truck to Bentz, it was fixed very quickly and correctly.
Dick, Keith and Charla Bentz and all of the employees were always very friendly and would take the time to talk to you about any concerns you may have. I was always impressed with their facility and how clean and neat it was.
The last two sleepers we had were the SST100 version. A lot of design went into this sleeper to make it a true integrated sleeper. They are very solid and have no rattles, etc. They are a true stand-up walk through sleeper, not one where you have to crawl through a hole to get into the sleeper from the cab. You can stand in the cab will not have to crouch down.
I wish Keith, Charla and all of the employees the best in the future.
Dick, Keith and Charla Bentz and all of the employees were always very friendly and would take the time to talk to you about any concerns you may have. I was always impressed with their facility and how clean and neat it was.
The last two sleepers we had were the SST100 version. A lot of design went into this sleeper to make it a true integrated sleeper. They are very solid and have no rattles, etc. They are a true stand-up walk through sleeper, not one where you have to crawl through a hole to get into the sleeper from the cab. You can stand in the cab will not have to crouch down.
I wish Keith, Charla and all of the employees the best in the future.
It is a sad day in expedited trucking.
Bentz Products was a company that served our industry. The image they promoted at Mid-America Trucking Show for the expedited trucking industry was priceless. They were great ambassadors.
It takes years to develop a quality custom expediter sleeper. It takes years of trial and error. It takes years of experience and constant tweaking to make it better. They never had the luxury of building sleepers like an OEM with thousands of trucks coming down the line every year. They learned it the hard.
I am sorry to see them leave.
Bentz Products was a company that served our industry. The image they promoted at Mid-America Trucking Show for the expedited trucking industry was priceless. They were great ambassadors.
It takes years to develop a quality custom expediter sleeper. It takes years of trial and error. It takes years of experience and constant tweaking to make it better. They never had the luxury of building sleepers like an OEM with thousands of trucks coming down the line every year. They learned it the hard.
I am sorry to see them leave.
For the in-depth story I am working on, I am interested to hear Open Forum member thoughts about what effect the Bentz exit will have in the industry.
Bentz cited a "collapse of sales ... with no recovery in sight." What opportunities for competitors, if any, does this present?
What effect, if any, does it have on your truck and sleeper purchase plans?
Will the integrated sleeper disappear with Bentz?
Why did people stop buying Bentz sleepers? Was the integrated sleeper too far ahead of its time, or not right for any time?
What dealers, if any, will be helped and harmed by this?
Are other aftermarket sleeper manufacturers destined to follow Bentz out of business?
Bentz cited a "collapse of sales ... with no recovery in sight." What opportunities for competitors, if any, does this present?
What effect, if any, does it have on your truck and sleeper purchase plans?
Will the integrated sleeper disappear with Bentz?
Why did people stop buying Bentz sleepers? Was the integrated sleeper too far ahead of its time, or not right for any time?
What dealers, if any, will be helped and harmed by this?
Are other aftermarket sleeper manufacturers destined to follow Bentz out of business?
moose
Veteran Expediter
This is indeed a sad day for our industry ,
and another big red sign for the status of Expedite .
just thinking about looking for work as an RV builder in that neck of the wood ...
to the point , Bentz where in a bad unique position , because they relay on one industry as a customer .
as far as i know , with the exception of AB , all others have diversified customer base ,
for example : Mid Georgia is a truck dealer.
Stoops , the same .
AA provide for military application ,
ICT , ARI , are big trucks builders at first.
Ext...
The integrated sleeper is here to stay , simple rezones for that :
~*it is not expensive to build .
~*provide more room , at a shorter wheel base .
~*allow for more payload .
~*with trucks engines ,drivetrain and steel -price rising , the integral sleeper provided by the OEM is not the pricey part of the truck ,and in many cases the OEM integral sleeper just don't cut it any more !,
~*the O/O can afford it , and Fleet owners need it as a recruiting and retention item.
~*with more inforsment of HOS ,custom sleepers are becoming necessity for many truckers. especially OTR Solo's.
~*have a good ROI .
I wonder if any custom sleeper Co. will pick up the warranty,& provide parts and service.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
It opens that segment up even more to fill the gap for new builds and repairs.
It won't for me, if I purchase another truck, it will be a factory sleeper with a modification done by local people who do this in the RV industry and won't go away anytime soon.
You are kidding me, right Phil? They didn't create the integrated sleeper, the last time I looked almost every class 8 truck could get one.
Poor workmanship in my opinion. I wasn't the only one who has had these problems but also even in the used market, there is a lot to be said of building something that lasts and supporting it for us single truck owners.
See Above
I think as mentioned that the dealers will be hurt from this, but if they sit there and do nothing.
Most likely but that is if they don't adapt to the changing market.
Humble2drive
Expert Expediter
The truck dealerships that partnered with Bentz to develop the integrated sleepers such as Stoops Freightliner and Cherokee Kenworth are already looking at other sleeper companies.
It seems like this would be a good opportunity for a financially sound company with a quality product like ARI to step into that void and expand thier product base.
It was the deciding factor in our decision not to purchase a new 2010 Cascadia SST100 straight truck.
Hopefully not. My wife and I love the open feel and convenience of the stand up and walk through sleeper and I believe it has been a popular program.
Are you saying that people stopped buying Bentz sleepers in lieu of some other type or brand? I was under the impression that all sleeper companies have suffered the same decrease in demand. Perhaps your article will clarify if this was a result of a specific drop in demand for Bentz sleepers or if it was simply a case of undercapitalization effecting their ability to weather the same storm that many other companies are experiencing.
I have spoken with sales reps at ARI and AA and they both stated that things were very slow and they could promise quick delivery. This leads me to believe that demand is at the same low level for all of the manufacturers.
This is a definite blow to their partner companies as mentioned above.
Very likely. It would depend on several different factors such as their financial stability, ability to diversify and future demand.
This is a difficult question to answer because it is very difficult for the layperson to ascertain the exact financial position of a privately owned company.
Humble2drive
Expert Expediter
I have spoken with many Bentz owners. In most cases the 12-18 month warranty provided by Bentz was not utilized for any substancial problems. As an owner yourself you could comment on that better than I could. All of the accessory components such as, Onan generator, Carrier Air V rooftop, King Dome satellite etc. etc. are covered under their individual warranties.
Stoops Freightliner will be standing behind the remaining Bentz sleepers that are still in inventory and ARI has stated that they are able to service any make/model of sleeper so there are some options available.
A decent discount may be all that is necessary to make up for the lack of warranty.
Just my penny in the pond.
Should be ok, but God forbid there was any structural issue, it could be a expensive headache. Not one I would be interested in gambling on when there are other options. But, like I said, the one we have left has been trouble free.
Ones built on the edge of a closing, well.......you just don't know.
Ones built on the edge of a closing, well.......you just don't know.
wellarmed
Not a Member
So, for someone so informed it seems you are slow in receiving info I stated in a previous post that there was a rumor,
that was all I was at liberty to say though I knew the facts and you of course as always had to discredit my post when I was trying to help another member in the only way I was able. maybe next time you should keep your nose out of it instead of thinking if you didn't have any info nobody else could possibly have inside info. 
i agree it is a shame. they did make a product that many were tried and true believers in just like the rest of us believe in others. i will admit i was not one. the price point was to high. when we built our truck bentz was 10k higher than our other choice for a sleeper. we did not think there was a 10k difference in quality. still sad though to lose them, they were a part of the expedite community. i had knowledge 3 weeks prior to the expo that this was a very possible destination for them. since it was not a bentz verified fact and i was asked not to spread any rumors, other than what we all knew, that they shut down for awhile, i did not post on the previous topic. i am pretty sure that other manufacturing facilities will be able to offer repairs as the general workings are pretty much available to all.
This is so sad. My first sleeper was in 1996 in the old International Truck building. Through 3 Sleepers I allways received the best of treatment.
Missed most of all will be the people who bent over backwards to do "whatever it takes". To Dale, Don Bentz, and all of the crew, best of luck for the future.
Missed most of all will be the people who bent over backwards to do "whatever it takes". To Dale, Don Bentz, and all of the crew, best of luck for the future.
Keith Bentz was a tad short with me when I called to inquire about the cost to upgrade our 72" Bentz. A subsequent e-mail to one of his "engineers" went unanswered.
I don't care who you are, but if you're asking me to pony up 30,000 clams for ANYTHING, especially a product whose demand is in a deep slump, you'd better be leaning a lot closer toward planting your lips on my posterior.....doing anything to generate a sale.
Closing business/changing profession? Welcome to my world one year ago, Bentz and company.
If my experience was any indication, their business closing was something they cultivated.
Approach determines response.......simple as that.
I don't care who you are, but if you're asking me to pony up 30,000 clams for ANYTHING, especially a product whose demand is in a deep slump, you'd better be leaning a lot closer toward planting your lips on my posterior.....doing anything to generate a sale.
Closing business/changing profession? Welcome to my world one year ago, Bentz and company.
If my experience was any indication, their business closing was something they cultivated.
Approach determines response.......simple as that.