Montana Peterbilt

Going Green

2011-03-16T12:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we delivered our first Peterbilt Model 335 Electric Hybrid to NorthWestern Energy here in Billings. According to the brochure "This product utilizes the Eaton Hybrid Electric Power System to capture energy generated in routine driving conditions. This captured energy is then applied as electric torque and blended with engine torque to improve vehicle performance, increase fuel efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and provide zero emission engine-off worksite operation".

Translation: There is an electric motor and an inverter between the engine and transmission. When you step on the accelerator, electricity that is stored in a few hundred pounds of lithium-ion batteries (just like in your digital watch) help propel the vehicle foward. At about 20 mph the regular diesel engine kicks in. Then as your driving down the road, the batteries are recharged and the cycle repeats itself.

The application that NorthWestern is using this truck in is a bucket truck and it is the best for this particular Hybrid model. The reason is that they use the bucket when the truck is stationary to fix power lines. Typically, you'd have to have the diesel engine running to help move the bucket around, but with this product, the bucket is powered electrically. Every 45 minutes or so, as long as the truck is in "safe" mode (parking brake on, outriggers down and hood closed), the diesel engine starts automatically and completely re-charges the batteries in 5 minutes. This results in a 50% decrease in the amount of fuel consumed over a conventional diesel configuration and increases the engine life and decreases maintenance costs. Not bad!

All in all, it's a pretty cool set up.

We also sell hydraulic hybrids and natural gas powered units as well. To borrow a catch phrase, or at least part of one: "This aint' your daddy's Peterbilt"!

Talk to you soon.

God Bless.

Spring Thaw-

2011-03-09T10:56:00.001-07:00

As I write this, I'm watching the thermometer struggling to break 30 degrees. It's almost spring in Montana but that just means only a couple more months of cold, till our "real" spring in May.

Typically, I'd be going stir crazy waiting for the thaw, but this year it's different. To be completely honest we've been too busy. In Billings we're doing everything we can not to turn anybody away from the shop, but the work is piling up, and it shows no sign of slowing. Last falls wheat crop was large, cattle prices remain high, freight is picking up again, used trucks are strong and as icing on the cake, the eastern Montana oilfield is absolutely booming. Likewise, the parts department continues to outdo itself. Compared to last year at this time when we could have held a bowling tournament in the shop, it is definitely a good thing.

Missoula continues to break new ground as well. Parts continues to grow sales and our used truck business is keeping us hopping. We've been buying used trucks from coast to coast, literally. California to Nova Scotia, we are going where we have to go to get good used inventory that seemingly, keeps flying off the shelf. All the while, Town Pump is almost ready to open their newest, and very large, travel center literally across the street. Between them and Muralt's Truck Stop, we are anticipating a nice bump in walk in parts and service business come summer.

So, just like the weather, our economy is a series of cycles. As we watch it get warmer, we also watch the economy heat up, and hopefully, continue to grow for some time to come.

It was a little scary there for a while for a lot of people (myself included), but as they say, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. I've been told that if you made it through the last three years (at least in this business), you should be just fine, and being an optimist, I believe it.

We've weathered a fair share of adversity and learned a few hard lessons since 08, but we're still standing, and that much stronger for it. We're now looking forward now to applying those lessons.

God Bless

P.S. Happy birthday to my beautiful daughter Katie Melissa Gustainis, 22 years young today. Love you Punk!

The Importance of People

2011-01-14T16:24:00.001-07:00

Terrie Schaff began working at Northwest Truck and Trailer Sales in Billings, Montana on October 10th, 1986. On that day I was a 22 year old rookie truck salesman at Barry Cassata GMC Trucks in Glen Ellyn Illinois. Twenty two years later in August of 2008 I purchased Northwest Truck and Trailer and Terrie was still here. Today she retired. We had a little ceremony for her this morning over cinnamon rolls and coffee and I said a few words of thanks and farewell. One of the things I said was about the importance of people in the equation of business, and how fortunate I was to be associated with such a fine person as her and all the employees of Montana Peterbilt. The more that I think about that now that I see Terrie's office is empty, the more I'm convinced I didn't say enough.

I read somewhere recently that today's average college graduate will have 10 jobs by the time they are thirty years old. Ten! Used to be when you looked at a potential employees resume' and they had more than two or three jobs in a period of a few years, they would be considered a "job jumper". My the times, how they are a changin'.

Now I'm not sure if it's just Montana, I'm sure there are other areas of the country where there might be a similar climate, but I can't recall ever encountering such a large group of employees having such a broad and diverse skill set, a great work ethic, and a team spirit that any NFL team would kill for. We have several employees that have well over twenty years of service and some over thirty! You just don't find that kind of dedication anymore.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the deciding factors for me in making the commitment to this place was the people. It's easy to forget in today's climate of instantaneous internet buying and selling that it's the people that make or break a business, people like Terrie Schaff. The way employees are treated, and in turn, the way they treat the business is the difference between success and failure.

So with that being said, it is a sad day for all the employees of Montana Peterbilt and for me personally in that we are saying farewell to a long time dedicated employee and friend, but at the same time we're happy that Terrie is going to take some time to rest. So long Terrie, we wish you and Ron good health and happiness. But keep in mind when you get bored, the door is always open. Your shoes are amongst a select few that I sincerely doubt we will ever truly fill.

God Bless

MX Tour is Missoula Bound!

2010-10-13T09:57:00.000-06:00

Hello All,
I am very pleased to announce that Montana Peterbilt has delivered (14) PACCAR MX Engines since August and they're all doing very well. I've had reports of anwhere from 6.1 to 6.5 MPG. Not bad for right out of the box.

All of these units have been delivered through our Billings store, so now it's Missoula's turn. Mark your calendars because the Peterbilt MX Tour is coming to Missoula on Wednesday of next week, October 20th. The event runs from 11:00 AM till 4:00 PM with lunch being served from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM.

The tour includes a mobile 1000 square foot showroom featuring the PACCAR MX Engine as well as many new Peterbilt product offering. Also on hand will be the all new Peterbilt Model 587 which will be available for you to ride and drive.

Representatives from Peterbilt and Paccar will be on hand to demonstrate our new products and answer any questions you may have.

Hope to see you there!

Kevin

Two Years and Holding Strong

2010-08-11T12:46:00.000-06:00

August 1st, 2010 was Montana Petertbilt's two year anniversary. It's kind of hard to believe it's already been two years; For me anyway.

It's at this point that I'd like thank all of our customers and congratulate our employees, every one! We've come a long way in a short while and as of the date of this writing, Montana Peterbilt is ranked number one in our district for parts goal achievement. In addition, we're ranked both regionally and nationally for both parts and service performance. I couldn't be more thankful to every customer, or more proud of the dedication and hard work of every employee. Without all of you, this accomplishment would not have been possible.

Reality Check: Yes, times are still tough, and we are nowhere near where we need to be to equal the performance of years past, but we are getting there. I'm not sure who said it, but I've always been a firm believer in the school of thought that victory and success are easy to handle, but it is adversity and challenge that are the true measure of a person or an organization. You can either give up, or keep fighting.

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome: OK, so I borrowed that from Clint Eastwood in Heartbreak Ridge, but it's rings true. If there is one thing I cannot stand to hear, it is this: "But we've always done it that way" . If you would like to see my blood pressure skyrocket, just use that as an excuse. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned and the one I try to impart to my children, employees, etc, is that things never stay the same, change is constant. The impossible is possible and the improbable is probable. And unless you want to get run over, go out of business, or fail at whatever endeavor you are pursuing, my humble recommendation is that you be prepared for it: change that is. If it's not working, try another way, I don't care how long you've been doing it that way. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

But That's Impossible: Really? Let's make a short list of the things many people once thought of as gospel:

"The Titanic is unsinkable"
"We have peace in our time"
"We could never put a man on the moon"
"The Soviet Union will never collapse"
"The Dream Team will never be beat by those inferior European basketball teams"
" Osama Bin Who? Those lunatics could never really hurt us here at home"
"The levees around New Orleans have held up till now. They can never fail"
"An African American will never be president"
"There is no housing bubble"
"This bank cannot fail"

I could go on, but I think you get the point. No one foresaw the economy we are now dealing with, but we can't change it. All we can do is figure out new ways to be successful. If it ain't workin', fix it, change it, or find something else to do.

Baby Steps: Could things be better? Absolutely! But it won't be fixed tomorrow, next week or next month. In fact it could realistically take years to get back to where we were. But the good news is: I repeat: The good news is: is that we've stopped the free fall, we're no longer skipping along the bottom, but now, dare I say, we've started our slow, yet steady ascent up and out of the abyss. One step at a time.

Cautiously Optimistic: Freight rates are up, trucking companies are making more profits, used truck demand is up and the average age of the fleet in this country is very old, translating into pent up new truck demand. We are going in the right direction, and although it won't happen overnight, we will succeed. Call me an optimist, a glass half full kind of guy, whatever, but that's just the way I think. If you're looking for me, I'll be the guy with my shoulder to the grind stone, head down, taking one step at a time, pushing for the finish.

Talk to you again soon.
Kevin

Montana Peterbilt and Big Sky Trucking Embrace the New ISX/SCR Engine

2010-05-14T16:18:00.010-06:00

Bob Schmaing, Motana Peterbilt, and Randy Stewart, Big Sky Trucking

This week Randy Stewart of Big Sky Trucking took delivery of a 2011 Peterbilt Model 386 from Montana Peterbilt. This truck is the first to be hitting the road in Montana that meets the stringent new guidelines placed upon the trucking industry by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Peterbilt's model 386 boasts sleek aerodynamic styling coupled with performance and fuel efficiency, putting the 386 at the top of it's class.

Cummins new ISX/SCR engine further boosts the performance and efficiency of this model, and is the first engine certified by the EPA for meeting the 2010 emissions standard (2.5 grams). While meeting these standards, the ISX will continue to provide excellent fuel economy.

Montana Peterbilt and Big Sky Trucking are proud to embrace this new environmentally friendly technology, while still meeting the rigorous demands of today's trucking industry. Thanks for the order Randy!

Dear Employees, Thank You.

2010-05-11T13:18:00.001-06:00

Each year, Peterbilt Motors Company scores all full service Peterbilt dealer locations performance through a program called the Standards of Excellence. This program measures performance in four functional areas of dealership operations. These include:

General Management
Truck Sales
Parts Department
Service Department

The results determine how well each dealership is doing in these areas by measuring operating standards, financial results and goal achievments. Each year at the Peterbilt Dealer Meeting, the Platinum Oval Award is awarded to a very select group of dealers who have demonstrated outstanding performance in all aspects of the Standards of Excellence program.

At this years meeting, only (10) dealers out of (211) full service locations were honored with this prestigious award, and I am very pleased and honored to annouce that Montana Peterbilt - Billings was one of them!

This award would have not been possible, and is in fact the direct result of all of our employees hard work and dedication. My brother John and I are very proud to be associated with such fine people and wish to congratulate each one of them on this outstanding achievement!

Thank You!

Kevin

Tuesday, June 1st. Mark Your Calendars!

2010-04-21T10:03:00.001-06:00

Mark your calendars! Tuesday, June 1st, Montana Peterbilt will be hosting our annual Open House in Billings. This year is extra special as we will be introducing Peterbilt's newest Model 587 powered by the all new PACCAR MX Engine! The truck will be available to ride and drive. In addition, we will have on hand a 53' double expandable trailer that offers over 1000 sq ft of air conditioned display area featuring:

· PACCAR MX Engine Display

· Interactive Features & Benefits Displays

· Peterbilt SmartNav Kiosk

· An Outdoor Covered Area for Event Hosting

We will also be featuring a new 2011 Peterbilt Model 386 powered by Cummins ISX/15 SCR Engine that will be available to ride and drive as well.

Factory Representatives from Peterbilt Motors Company, Paccar Financial and Cummins Rocky Mountain will be on hand for new product presentations.

The event will run from 11:00 AM till 4:00 PM, with BBQ Lunch being served from 11:30 AM till 1:00 PM.

As an extra treat, LWC recording artist Sean Morgan will be on hand to provide the entertainment!

Hope to see you there!

Kevin

Perspective

2010-03-26T16:41:00.004-06:00

I make it a habit of walking through the shop several times every day to see who's trucks we're working on, chat with the technicians, and generally just keep tabs on the business. I especially like talking to our customers and getting to know them. I'm a firm believer that people still buy from people, and I want to try to get to know (or at least say hello and thank for the business) every customer that walks through our door.

Today as I was making my rounds in Billings when I saw an older Freightliner sitting in Bay 3 with the engine apart. I asked Allen Higgins about it and he told me I really needed to meet the owners. So I walked into the drivers lounge and introduced myself to Mr and Mrs. Hamood Nazik (please forvgive me if I misspelled the name).

It turns out Mr and Mrs Nazik used to own a trucking company in Bagdhad, yes, that Bagdhad, and were quite prosperous until Saddam Hussein took it all away from them before the second Gulf War. They came to the U.S. to escape the persecution and landed at the airport with $70 in their pockets.

That was ten years ago, and since then they've purchased a used truck, got on with Landstar, managed to purchase a house in Phoenix and finished raising their nine children, several of which I understand are doctors now.

I chatted with them for a few minutes, letting them know I certainly appreciated their business. They made it a point (in very broken English) to tell me that our shop comes highly recommended from everyone they spoke to at the local Pilot Truck Stop and that they love coming through Montana because they have always been treated especially well by the people here. (Something which I can personally attest to as well)

I don't know if it was appropriate to do so or not, but I felt very compelled to welcome them (albeit somewhat tardy) to my country and ask them how they liked it. They both were literally beaming when they answered that they loved their new country and all the opportunity it has given them. They told me this all the while sitting on an old couch, waiting for their truck to be repaired.

It really made me think. Some people would have been annoyed, frustrated, or downright angry at their situation. After all, who wants to spend a couple of days away from home waiting for your truck to be repaired? Not this couple. After all they've been through as a husband and wife, mother and father, and business owners, they are still ecstatic at the fact that they are here at all: A country where although everyone doesn't always get along, they are free to pursue their dreams, knowing full well that it will be a long hard road with no guarantees of success, but they can at least do so with the peace of mind that some dictator's thugs won't be coming around in the middle of the night to take it all away.

So while we Americans get angry at each over things large and small, we should on occasion stop to consider that we at least have the freedom to do so without the threat of being butchered. Perspective is a sobering thing.

God Bless!

Happy New Year. Help Wanted!

2010-01-28T12:33:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year Everyone.

Like everyone else, I've made my share of New Years Resolutions: #1 Lose weight (I'm back in the gym), #2 Watch my diet (Gimme a break!), and #3 Do a better job of keeping the blog up to date (That I can do!)
So here it goes.

We just closed out 2009, and I've got to say, things are looking up. We've withstood the worst slow down in many years and although it was no picnic, we're stronger because of it. We had a strong third quarter, and are starting 2010 on solid ground. Although it might not be until the third or fourth quarter, all signs point to a recovery this year, albeit modest, a recovery nonetheless. Much better than the alternative!

Billings seems to have weathered the storm better than most small to medium sized metro areas with farming, ranching, cattle and grain hauling, and some oilfield business keeping us going, but western Montana was hard hit. In Missoula particularly, over 500 jobs were lost in the last 60 days alone! Smurfit Stone Container closed it's Missoula plant at the end of 2009, eliminating over 400 jobs and the ripple effect from that took the rest. Trucking and Logging, which used to be very strong in Missoula have almost ceased to exist.

So where does that leave Montana Peterbilt? You'd think I'd be singing the blues right now, well, quite the contrary: I'm very pleased to announce that in Missoula, we are hiring! We've added jobs in the last thirty days, with plans to add more. How are they doing this you ask? Well, when you've got lemons, make lemonade I say!

You ever heard of the old adage "I'd rather be lucky than good"? Well, I'll give a nod in that direction. Not that I'm knocking our ability to provide unsurpassed customer service, we have some of the best people in the industry at our stores. But combine that with a bit of good fortune and you have the recipe for not only survival, but, dare I say, a little bit of prosperity.

In Missoula, we are located at the intersection of Interstate 90 and State Highway 93. We have one truckstop across the road and another across the interstate, and pretty soon we'll have a third. A new, very large Town Pump truck stop is building right next door. This will effectively sandwhich us between two stores that provide goods and services for several hundred truckers (aka customers) every day.
We are hiring technicians and parts people, expanding our facility and our hours. We've hired two techs, a parts counterman and a delivery driver since the first of the year, added three more service bays, and have extended our hours to 11:30 PM. We will continue to stay open as late as our customers demand, and if the business dictates, we'll open on Sundays as well. After that, who knows? 24/7 is not out of the realm of possibility. When given an opportunity, one should grasp it and not let go. That's the plan.

So if you're in the area, stop in to say hello to Jimmy Wilson our service manager, Richard Virga- Parts Manager or Zane Lower- Sales Manager. Also don't forget to say hey to Todd Whitman our newest parts counterman, and let us buy you a cup of coffee. We'd love for you to see what we've done with the place!

Kevin

Peterbilt Progressive

2009-09-10T15:31:00.002-06:00

At Montana Peterbilt we are expanding our marketing efforts to reach more people via the internet. We are exploring the technological frontier with web albums hosting our inventory photos and our latest adventure uses video or "virtual test drive" through YouTube.

2010 is Here!

2009-09-01T17:10:00.001-06:00

2010 is just around the corner. You might be scratching your head and saying to yourself "No it's not, it's still four months away." Well you're right, in a way; January 1st, 2010 is still four months away, but for those of us selling Peterbilts, the dreaded, 2010 emissions are just a few short weeks away because Peterbilt's build schedule is just about full for the year.

All of you who want to avoid the dreaded UREA, better order your new trucks soon, or you'll be waiting till January or February and will pay about $8,500 more that you would today.

Time's a wastin'!

Virtual Walk-Around

2009-08-31T12:08:00.005-06:00

Montana Peterbilt now features video of our used truck inventory. Please click here to view a "virtual walk-around" of any of our our used trucks or still photos of our new trucks.

Saying Hello, Saying Goodbye

2009-08-25T19:45:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Montana Peterbilt's new blog. We're in the 21st century now, so I thought we should keep up with the times. I'll try to update this weekly, but forgive me if I slack every once in while as sometimes I get busy selling trucks!!

Montana Peterbilt is a year old now, and it's hard to belive. Amazing how time has flown by! We're doing pretty good considering the economy, but I definitely do see signs of improvement, especially in the used truck business.

Since this is my first entry, I thought it appropriate to include in the title "Saying Hello" for obvious reasons, but also "Saying Goodbye" for reasons I'm about to elaborate upon.

Mitch Edwards 1962 - 2009

Mitch Edwards was the Service Manager in our Billings location until May of this year when he died suddenly from complications of Crohn's Disease. Mitch was more than just an employee, (an outstanding one at that) he was also my friend. I, along with a whole bunch of other people here in Montana miss him. Mitch was one of the main reasons for the success of the Billings store. Many customers made it a point to tell me that he was the reason they came to our store. Mitch was the kind of guy who could tell you "no", and you'd still love him. Randy Stewart, a good customer and a good friend, told me at Mitch's funeral that, "He was the kind of guy who could tell me why he was charging me an extra 8 hours labor, and although I wouldn't like it, I'd still like the guy". I heard many other similar stories at the service that day, and I'll be the first to tell you that it was hard keeping my composure while watching burly mechanics and truck drivers tear up.

Replacing Mitch was something I had never contemplated, but now faced head on. Six months before his death I jokingly asked him, "Who will I replace you with when I promote you, or you drop dead?" kind of ironic huh? He didn't bat an eye and responded without a moments hesitation, "Allen Higgins, he's your man." and so that's what we did. Once again, Mitch was right.

Allen has been on the job now for about 60 days, and except for the occasional whining, (just kidding Allen), he's doing a great job. Mitch would be proud.

So, it is with this first entry that I'd like to say "hello" to all of you. Hopefully you'll keep reading this for a long time. To Mitch, I would like to say "Goodbye. Don't worry, we're doing ok. Allen is doing fine. He's keeping the shop busy and Dick's keeping it clean. Although it will never be the same without you, I think you'd be very pleased."