ATD Chairman Pleads With Truck Manufacturers

BALTIMORE -- In his keynote address on Saturday, American Truck Dealers Chairman Stanley DeVore of Casper Truck Center in Casper, Wyo., pleaded with truck manufacturers to "stop changing the rules of the game."

Faced with slumping sales and high inventory carrying costs, many heavy truck dealers are finding it more difficult to comply with demands of original equipment manufacturers to keep extended hours of operations and whether of not to participate in new financing schemes, DeVore said.

"Dealers have earned the right to be respected by the manufacturer and have earned a place at the table where decisions are made that affect our operations," DeVore said.

The hightlight of the three-day meeting at the Baltimore Convention Center was an OEM panel on Sunday featuring appearances by Michel Gigou of Mack Trucks, James L. Hebe of Freightliner Corp., John Horne of Navistar International Transportation Corp. and James C. Underwood of GM Isuzu Commercial Truck.

The panelists answered questions for nearly two hours covering a broad range of issues of concern to dealers, including how to resolve the current used truck glut, the impact of alliances between engine and truck manufacturers and the growth of factory-owned branches.

The ATD convention in Baltimore ends on Monday.

Complete coverage of convention will be in the April 30 issue of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

7150