MEMBER SPOTLIGHT SteveChristensen Volvo Trucks of Omaha
• ABOUT YOU... Hometown: Aberdeen, South Dakota
If not in Omaha, where would you like to live? Kansas City. It’s one of my favorite towns—a bigger Omaha with a better climate, and it’s a good truck town.
What is your dream car? 1967 Corvette Sting Ray 427/435
What do you tend to splurge on? My 16-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter.
What is the last thing you googled? Te latest Volvo FH series introduced in Europe. It has independent front suspension!
What fictional character do you most relate to? Sometimes Te Lone Ranger, sometimes Tonto
Who, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Smokey Yunick. Tat will get people googling, won’t it? He was involved in the early years of NASCAR and had a famous garage in Daytona Beach, Fla. He was also really good at cheating in car races. ESPN called him “the greatest rule- bender in motorsports history.”
Which superpower would you prefer to have? I’d really like to be able to read minds.
What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie in a theater!
What were you totally into as a teenager? Trucks. Really. My dad owned a used truck dealership and later worked for Arrow Truck Sales. All three of my brothers are also in the truck business, one in Denver, and two in Sioux City.
What’s your dream vacation? An Alaskan cruise Your favorite food? Rib-eye steak Your adult beverage of choice? Keystone Light
A talent you have that not many know about? I’m a really good cook, and I especially like anything on the grill.
Last book you read? Raving Fans: a Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles.
• YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE...
Current title: General Manager, Volvo/Hino Trucks of Omaha
How did you get into the business? My first job after attending the University of South Dakota was for Arrow Truck Sales in Kansas City. Ten I went to MHC Kenworth in Arkansas for a few years, then back to their Kansas City dealership. My brothers were bugging me to join them at the Kenworth dealership in Sioux City, so I finally moved north with my lovely wife. Ten this opportunity in Omaha came along in 2001.
What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? “Describe the truck as well as you can because sooner or later, they’re going to see it.” Tat was from my dad. Being completely truthful about a truck’s condition gives a customer confidence in you as a salesman. It’s another way of saying, “Never lie to a customer.”
What is the biggest challenge currently facing the trucking industry? Te easy answer is finding drivers, but that’s a constant. It used to be that the biggest challenge was volatile fuel prices. Now it’s the increased cost of new equipment. Te dealer margins haven’t changed in years. What’s driving up costs are emissions regulations and the cost of compliance.
What changes have you seen in the industry in the past decade and how have you had to adapt? Te owner-operator market has been steadily deteriorating. Te cost of doing business as an owner-operator makes it difficult to survive on your own. We are adapting by working more with bigger fleets on driver lease/purchase plans.
What does the Nebraska Trucking Association do best to help your business? Te ability to network is phenomenal. Te association and its members are very laid back and friendly. Tere’s never tension among members at any meetings. Te holiday party is a favorite—very laid back and enjoyable. It’s a chance to meet new people and reconnect with those you already know.
christensen • YOUR COMPANY...
How long has it been in operation? Volvo Trucks of Omaha opened in May 2001.
How many employees? I started with eight employees working 8 to 5 in a three-bay, drive- through shop on well water. If we had to wash a truck, you couldn’t flush the toilet! Now we have 48 employees, a 13-bay shop and a full-service body shop. We’re open 24 hours a day Monday through Friday.
What are the challenges facing your business today? Te single biggest challenge is hiring and retaining quality people.
What assets set your company apart from your competition? A superior product. Volvo builds the safest, most efficient truck out there. Dollar for dollar, it’s the best buy on the market. Driver’s side airbag is standard. Anti-rollover technology is standard. And the fuel mileage with the I-shift automated manual transmission is exceptional. Eighty percent of the trucks we sell right now have the I-shift.
Where do you see growth coming from in the future? Assuming the economy comes out of the doldrums, we’ll see a need for more capacity. I’m happy to see the passage of the military CDL legislation that should help companies add quality drivers.
What is the most important service your company provides to fill a need in trucking? We stand behind our products after the sale. We are truly dedicated to customer service. It’s not just talk. We walk the walk. nt
NEBRASKA TRUCKER — ISSUE 5, 2012 —
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