As independents, distributors can have a more difficult time writing paper, so every customer purchase is placed on a truck account. This means more involvement for vetting customers and selecting the right ones to do business with.
“Because we don’t have the ability to write contracts, I can’t sell big ticket items. You’ve got to hustle a little harder,” says Klug.
As an independent, you don’t have any other distributors to relate to – no one to mentor or get ideas from. Klug likes when people ride along with him, because he feels like it helps shine light on the tunnel vision he would otherwise deal with.
Another challenge that many distributors face is the constant movement of products on the truck, going from stop to stop, particularly on rougher roads.
“As you drive around, stuff flies everywhere. As shipments come in, stuff has shifted and you don’t get to put stuff where it should be. It’s an ongoing battle,” says Klug.
About the Author
Erica Schueller
Editorial Director | Commercial Vehicle Group
Erica Schueller is the Editorial Director of the Endeavor Commercial Vehicle Group. The commercial vehicle group includes the following brands: American Trucker, Bulk Transporter, Fleet Maintenance, FleetOwner, Refrigerated Transporter, and Trailer/Body Builders brands.
An award-winning journalist, Schueller has reported and written about the vehicle maintenance and repair industry her entire career. She has received accolades for her reporting and editing in the commercial and automotive vehicle fields by the Truck Writers of North America (TWNA), the International Automotive Media Competition (IAMC), the Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards and the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) Azbee Awards.
Schueller has received recognition among her publishing industry peers as a recipient of the 2014 Folio Top Women in Media Rising Stars award, acknowledging her accomplishments of digital content management and assistance with improving the print and digital products in the Vehicle Repair Group. She was also named one Women in Trucking’s 2018 Top Women in Transportation to Watch.
She is an active member of a number of industry groups, including the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), the Auto Care Association's Young Auto Care Networking Group, GenNext, and Women in Trucking.
In December 2018, Schueller graduated at the top of her class from the Waukesha County Technical College's 10-week professional truck driving program, earning her Class A commercial driver's license (CDL).
She has worked in the vehicle repair and maintenance industry since 2008.