Warner Truck Centers has opened a new 62,000-square-foot dealership in the Crossroads Point development, six miles southeast of Jerome, Idaho, at the intersection of Interstate 84 and Highway 93 on 10 acres with easy access to both highways.
“After an extensive search and study of the commercial truck and trailer market in southern Idaho, we decided this is the perfect location to build a world-class facility to serve the medium- and heavy-truck industry,” says Bart Warner, chief executive officer of Warner Truck Centers. “There is obviously a lot of trucking activity in this area, and we are excited to be here.”
Warner Truck Centers is a family-owned business headquartered in Salt Lake City. Warner says the opportunity to expand into Southeast Idaho came in July 2010 when the company purchased Southern Idaho Freightliner, which was operating two smaller, older facilities. After the sale was completed, the Warner immediately began the search to consolidate the facilities into one larger location.
The new facility features a 500-hp dynamometer, a 70-foot-long paint bay, 18 mechanical bays and an additional 15 body, trailer and tank repair bays, as well as a computer-controlled alignment machine and fast lube pit. A 7.5-ton bridge crane spans the entire length of the two shops to improve efficiency and improve safety for the technician. The truck center opened a night shift after the first week.
The facility includes a large conference room that can seat more than 100 people and will be used to put on “Fleet Nights,” allowing heavy truck vendors and component suppliers to provide training to local technicians. The parts department will be able to stock more than three times the amount of parts inventory the dealership has been carrying in the past. Driver amenities include a large lounge with cable TV and large recliners, showers, a workout area and a quiet room with free wireless Internet. In addition to the full line of Freightliner products, the new facility also will sell Sprinter Vans.
