No note goes unrecorded at Harbor Truck Parts. From the notebooks handed out to new associates to notetaking functions in the company’s operating system and the workplace culture that facilitates the sharing of knowledge, expertise and best practices, Harbor Truck Parts is a business that never lets a good observation sneak by.
It’s how the business has grown from a small hose assembler and distributor to a six-location full-line truck and trailer parts operation in less than 20 years.
It’s also how the business continues to win new customers in the highly competitive southern California marketplace and how, for the first time ever, in 2025, it has been named a finalist for the Trucks, Parts, Service Distributor of the Year Award.
“I think one thing we do well is we take on the discomfort of our customers,” says Vice President Daniel Hynes. “We work with them and see what they need and then we take that on. We own their discomfort and we’re willing to put in the hard work to help them.”
That work ethic and observational spirit is built into the company’s DNA.
Harbor was founded in 2006 as one of several small businesses operated by trucker and entrepreneur Israel Arellano. Arellano started the business in because of challenges he experienced getting the right hoses for his equipment — and he wasn’t alone.
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Shortly after opening Harbor Hose, the business took off, with other owner-operators and small fleets quickly turning to Arellano to solve their hose and other component problems. Before long, Arellano had expanded the business into other categories and divested his other startups to focus on parts distribution full time.
“When the business was really taking off, my brother-in-law [Gerardo Delgado] had this notebook and he would just ferociously take notes every day,” says Hynes, who like Delgado is married to one of Arellano’s daughters and joined the family business during its ascent in the 2010s. “He was really aggressive in getting as much information as possible about everything so he understood the business and the customers.”
That early habit remains a key feature in 2025.
“Whenever we add a new person, I give them a notebook and encourage them to take notes every day. That way when they have a problem, they have a resource they can use,” says Rogelio Guerrero, store manager at Harbor’s Gardena, Calif., location.
“A lot of our training comes from our notebooks,” adds Isaac Muñoz, store manager at the Lancaster, Calif., location.
Increasing customer demand motivated Harbor Truck Parts to open six stores from 2017 to 2023, including this location in Modesto, Calif.Harbor Truck Parts
Hynes elaborates. He says the notebooks exist as each associate’s personal record of the most important information they require to be successful in their role. But he also adds everyone’s book has different information, so the knowledge within is constantly shared across departments and locations to ensure operational effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
Hynes views the latter as among the biggest drivers to distribution success, along with product development, and says Harbor works tirelessly to achieve each. Harbor employees are encouraged to cultivate relationships with customers to better understand their needs and Hynes gives store managers and salespeople authority to add lines to meet demand.
The company also continues to invest in technology to manage its growing product offering. Building a product website so good and robust employees and customers alike “can’t help but use it” has been a priority in 2025, Hynes says, as has expanding its inventory management applications to provide the highest fill rates possible.
Harbor has strong roots in the owner-operator, shop and mobile service customer segments across its network, but each store also has unique customer groups. At his store, Muñoz says he appreciates the freedom his team has to do whatever it takes to answer a customer’s request as it showcases how Harbor differentiates itself from competitors.
“We’ll hear from customers who go to other shops and show them the part and they’ll say, ‘We don’t have it’ and that’s it,” he says. “That’s not something that happens here.”
“We put in the extra work for the customer,” adds Guerrero. “We always try to do more and make the customer feel like we’re doing more for them.”
“We are always looking for ways to see how much easier and smoother the customer experience could be,” Hynes says.
The TPS Distributor of the Year Award is sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN), Cummins, High Bar Brands, Interstate Billing Service and Procede Software.
