Vanguard Truck Centers is always looking for its next expansion. Whether it be geographically, operationally or technologically, Vanguard has thrived for more than 35 years by always being open-minded about growing its capabilities.
With nearly 40 full-service dealerships from Arizona to Maryland, the company’s expertise at geographic expansion speaks for itself. But Vanguard’s willingness to grow goes deeper than the brick-and-mortar foundations under its service bays.
“We want to be early adopters,” says CEO Tom Ewing. “I think in our industry we often tend to rely too much on ‘This is how we’ve always done it’ and we don’t want to be like that. We always want to be different.”
Ewing continues, “We have a core value around innovation and ingenuity and that’s not just a tagline for us. We pride ourselves on being the first [dealer] in the industry to find better ways to do things.”
It’s all right there in the name.
Ewing says Vanguard thrives by never sitting still; by never being satisfied. He says there’s always a process that can be improved, a customer that can be served, or a resource the company can better implement.
It’s a mentality that requires employee buy-in and commitment that Ewing is proud to say the company has, and in 2025, its helped Vanguard Truck Centers be named a first-time finalist for the Successful Dealer Award.
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“Our code of conduct is really focused on three key areas,” he says. “First is respect for others, second is personal ownership, and then third we tie that together with ‘One Vanguard.’”
‘One Vanguard,’ as Ewing and COO Will Blue describe it, is a consistent and intentional collaboration between the dealer group’s management and its more than 1,200 employees. It’s a commitment from leadership to be active and visible at Vanguard’s 39 stores as much as possible, connecting with employees to understand where the business is thriving and where it can improve.
Ewing says Vanguard’s hub-and-spoke business model enables it to expand and operate stores in a non-geographically connected manner that’s unique in the dealer channel. He says it gives the company a leg up when expansion opportunities arise, but it doesn’t ensure success. Culture does.
“For a business of our size, we know we have to have accessible and active leadership,” he says.
Ewing and Blue travel the network regularly and Vanguard has 10 regional presidents “that literally run the company,” Ewing says. These presidents have autonomy over their markets and to build customer relationships, connect with associates and implement corporate resources.
“We have a lean corporate structure at the top with regional leadership because we want our local leaders to be empowered,” says Blue. “Sometimes dealers can have too many layers of leadership and it can slow down approvals or decision making.
“Our local leadership model puts our decision makers in the stores so they can make decisions quickly to get customers back on the road.”
And Vanguard has a lot of customers. The company represents Volvo, Mack, Hino, Isuzu, Autocar and Tico and backs its new truck operations with any other solution (used, parts/service, financing, lease/rental, body shop, mobile services, etc.) a customer could need.
Vanguard also has services to support a customer before they ever sit in their truck.
New River Valley Fleet Services, located near Volvo’s truck plant in Dublin, Va., is a Vanguard-owned modification center that supports fleets across North America with their modification needs. Ewing says the center supports Vanguard customers but also works with Volvo’s plant to upfit equipment for other dealers. The company has another body and equipment upfitting operation in Arizona.
Other unique Vanguard solutions include its expansive training division (three in-house tech trainers, partnerships with various tech schools, tuition reimbursement programs, fast-track mentoring programs and a leadership management program) and the company’s national warranty management program, built into its fleet maintenance technology portal to reduce headaches and downtime for customers during repair events.
Blue says the solution highlights to the company’s commitment to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
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“I think as a [dealer] group we’re aware of the important role we play in the broader ecosystem of trucking, and we act accordingly,” Blue says. “We are there for our customers whenever they need us.”
Sometimes even before, adds Director of Marketing Lauren Trudelle. “One of our goals is to be very proactive in areas where we can add value, like telematics. If we can help a customer with something before they know they need it, that makes our relationship [with them] that much stronger.”
Relationships are another area where Vanguard is always striving to grow. The company’s regional presidents work with their associates to determine trucking groups and community organizations where they can be of assistance in their markets. The company also leverages its trainers to bring product instruction and education to customers.
“We know our role in our ecosystem and do everything we can to support it,” Blue says.
The Successful Dealer Award is sponsored by Automann, Interstate Billing Service, National Truck Protection and Premium 2000 and Procede Software. The 2025 Successful Dealer Award will be presented Sept. 30, at a private awards banquet in Nashville.
