Truck Topics

"The Customer is First” – A Look at Fyda Freightliner Columbus

"At Fyda Freightliner Columbus, Inc., we feel that the "Customer is First.  In order to understand a customer's needs you need to listen to what they say and offer honest advice."

"The relationship with the customer is one that we value before, during and after the sale.  In order to establish trust, you must tell people the truth and let them decide what options that are best suited for them."

So says Bobby Snyder, one of Fyda Freightliner's many Used Expediting Truck Specialists.  That business philosophy is undoubtedly one of the major reasons why Fyda Freightliner has continued to expand since its inception.

The history
Fyda Freightliner is a family-owned business that was founded in Youngstown, OH in the 1950's.  Tim Fyda, son of the founder, joined the company in the mid-1980's and has since become the sole owner of the business.  The Fyda network of dealerships has grown to five locations in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The original Columbus store was opened in the early 1980's, and then was moved to its current location a few years later.  It has approximately 125 employees serving it customers.

"The staff
Tony Apollonio joined Fyda Freightliner as a parts representative in 1991. He occupied that position for four years before moving into new Medium Duty sales for two years.  He then served as the Medium Duty sales manager for two years.  After three years as General Manager of a Fyda location in Cincinnati, Tony returned to Columbus where he now occupies the position of Used Truck Manager.

He reflects on Fyda's expediting market,  "In 1996, I was the Medium Duty sales manager (new trucks) and it was at that time that we started building expediter trucks here in Columbus."

"Since then, Bobby Snyder has come on board and has been working in used truck sales, specializing in expedited trucks.  He has continued and grown our relationships with the major expediting carriers such as, Tri-State and Panther II. 

"I grew up in and around the trucking industry," says Bobby Snyder.
"My father was in truck financing for over 35 years and during that time, I had the opportunity to meet several people in the industry."

Snyder, who holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Marketing, has worked in both new and used Class 8 and Medium Duty truck sales for over six years, specializing in expediting for the last four years.

Tony Apollonio states, "Expediting can be a lucrative business for those owner-operators willing to work.  Our entire used truck staff (John LaLonde, Matt Welsh and Brandon Creek) is well-versed in used expediting trucks and in helping the customer select the truck that he or she needs for profitability."

Advantages of used
"Once a recruiter contacts the prospective expediter and says, 'You're good to go,' says Apollonio, "he wants him at orientation next week. That doesn't always give the new expediter time to find a truck."

"A new truck has to be spec'd out, and there is sometimes a waiting period while the truck is built.  One of the advantages of a used truck, of course, is that it's all ready to go."

Bobby Snyder says that finding that "right" truck is essential to the expediter's success:  "Over the last five year I have found that most people will look for a truck that meets their needs.  I deal with a lot of first time truckers and they will ask me what they would need.  In this case, I will go through all the pros and cons of each truck and then let them decide on a truck."

He continues, "I will offer my opinion on different trucks but I never tell someone what truck is right for them.  I feel that the customer is purchasing the truck and the customer needs to decide what is best for them."

Trends
Tony Apollonio says that there are identifiable trends in the expediting truck market of today, and among those are demands for creature comfort and truck longevity.

"What is more common nowadays, and what most people are requesting are the condo sleepers with stand-up height in the cab.  The most common sleeper size that we see on the used trucks coming into our inventory is the 72" raised roof, usually an Alumi-Bunk or Bentz sleeper."

"Another expediting truck trend is automatic transmissions.  They are becoming more important in our industry because there are so many husband/wife team operations.  Also, we're beginning to see more automatic transmissions coming in the used vehicles."

"We are seeing a number of medium-duty owners moving up to Class 8 size trucks," Tony states. "They are often experienced owners who know what money they can make and they know their expenses.  They're looking for equipment that will offer them longevity and reliability.

"Those buyers have been interested in the Freightliner Century Class and the Freightliner Columbia.   We're seeing a demand for the million mile motors in the Class 8, and there are a wide variety of choices and preferences. The Century and Columbia trucks offer a small block motor but are still larger than the medium engines like the Cat 3126 found in the Medium Duty trucks."

"Along those lines, there is a lot of interest in the 70-inch raised roof sleeper that's available on the Century class."

Getting the truck ready for action
Fyda Freightliner's used trucks go through a complete Federal inspection in its shop, as well as a trade term inspection that is above and beyond the Federal inspection.

"In the trade term inspection, we'll fix anything that's not working," Apollonio relates.  "For example, if the Jake brake is not working or if the power windows aren't functioning, we'll fix them.  We make sure that everything is operational from the front bumper to the back of the truck."

"The trucks are completely detailed:  Frames, bumpers and steel wheels are painted.  In 99% of the trucks we sell, we will install inverters.  Also, if the truck is missing a TV or a microwave, we'll put those in, too.  At least half of our trucks are sold with generator sets."

He continues, "All necessary safety equipment is put in the trucks.  We provide cargo bars and cargo locks.  We try to make it so that when the customer takes that truck, he just drives to orientation and goes to work.  He won't have to drive around looking for various parts that his company requires."

Bobby Snyder adds, "We can offer extended warranties on most of our used trucks.  Most of our Class 8 tractors and stretched expediters will come with the balance of the factory warranty.  There are alternative aftermarket warranties that can be purchased as well."

Service after the sale
Snyder talks about an essential area of customer support:
"We offer a full service dealership to meet and exceed each customer's expectations when it comes to maintaining and servicing their vehicle.
We are open 24/7 for parts and service." 

"We have a state-of-the-art facility that consists of several department - New and Used truck sales, Service, Parts and Body Shop. We feel that offering a full variety of services allows us to better serve our customers."

The financial side of things
"Financing is becoming more accessible," relates Apollonio.  "We have found a very good local source that will accept first-time buyers.  The major companies such as DaimlerChrysler, Citi Capital, etc. still have a difficult time financing the first-timer."

"That's what makes it so tough for the beginning expediter - getting financing for that first truck.  Our local financing company has serviced many of our first-time truck buyers.  They offer very aggressive interest rates and terms and they will finance the first-timers as long as the debt-to-income ratio is in line."

Appolinio concludes, "It's been a blessing to our customers and for us as well.  We've seen interest rates as low as 5%."

Fyda Freightliner's returning customers
"We deal with many small expediter fleet owner who purchase equipment from us on a regular basis," says Bobby Snyder.  "We also have customers who like to trade in their trucks every 2-3 years.  We feel that our service and attention to detail helps us create a partnership with our customers in satisfying their transportation needs."

Fyda Freightliner Columbus, Inc.
1250 Walcult Road
Columbus, OH 43228
800 589-3932
614 851-0002
www.fydafreightliner.com