MEMBER PROFILE - CIT Trucks

CIT Trucks keeps trucking along

COMPANY POSITIONED FOR GROWTH WITH NEW LOCATIONS

By Paul Anthony Arco

One of the best known companies in the trucking industry is located right here in Loves Park.

CIT Trucks is a medium and heavy-duty dealership that specializes in sales, service and parts for new and used trucks. The company was founded and incorporated in 1975, with corporate headquarters located in Normal, Ill. Once known as Central Illinois Trucks, the name was changed to CIT Trucks as the company grew in other parts of Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.

“We are a full-service dealership,” said Jim Garner, Service Manager. “We sell or lease trucks to a variety of industries, and we have 24 work bays for service.

“Everything is touched by a truck.” For example, CIT serves municipalities that need landscaping trucks and snowplows, companies that deliver groceries, and companies that haul gas.

The Loves Park facility was built by William Charles Company in 1997 and sold to Northern Illinois Mack. In 2012, CIT purchased Northern Illinois Trucks. CIT has 17 locations throughout Illinois, Indiana and Missouri, and 700 employees, including 60 in Loves Park.

“Our location is one of the largest locations CIT owns,” said Garner. “We sell Kenworth, Volvo, Mack and Isuzu trucks.” Most of CIT’s local customers are based in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Growth Plans

The global pandemic has created challenges for the transportation industry. “Truck inventory and parts have experienced extended delays,” said Garner. “As soon as we get new truck inventory in, it’s sold. All businesses are undergoing challenging delays.”

Despite the obstacles, CIT has managed to weather the storm. Garner said the company has continued to grow, including hiring new staff during the past year. He credits strong ownership for the company’s success.

“Our organization is very solid,” he said. “We saw the writing on the wall and positioned ourselves to be financially strong. We’ve buckled down and continued to prosper.”

The future looks just as promising. CIT is in the process of establishing new locations and remodeling existing facilities. In Loves Park, the company is planning for a warehouse expansion. “The company as a whole is growing,” Garner said. “In the future, long-term renewable fuels are going to expand, and that will be huge for our industry.”

Locally, the CIT workforce is made up of highly-skilled technicians, sales staff, accounting, parts,leasing and finance. Garner, who’s been with the company for 23 years, is proud of the longevity within his team. The tenure ranges from new hires to 40 years of experience.

“We struggle to find skilled employees like anyone else,” said Garner. “We never had problems until the past five years, and every year it gets more difficult. It used to be that kids growing up on the farm would make the transition to diesel technician, but as smaller farms are going away that recruiting source is becoming depleted.”

Relationship Building

To help restock the talent pool, CIT has become involved with area technical colleges such as Rock Valley College and Alignment Rockford. They even visit middle schools to speak to younger students. “It’s important to show them different paths and the value of trade schools,” Garner said. “Being a diesel technician is a mobile and financially stable career path.” Secondary education is preferred, and CIT has an in-house training program for employees who desire additional education.

One of Garner’s greatest satisfactions is the relationships he’s developed over the years. “When you take care of customers like we do, you form many good friendships,” he said. “If a truck going from New York to California breaks down, our team stays late to get the parts needed so the driver doesn’t lose the load. I tell customers that we’re the Mayo Clinic of the trucking industry. It’s a good feeling anytime you can help a customer solve a problem.”

CIT TRUCKS - Service Manager: Jim Garner 4301 N. Bell School Rd., Loves Park 825-639-2000 www.cittrucks.com