Before independent distributor Hal Holbert owned his current truck, it used to belong to another distributor. Though the independent has left much of the customizations the same, such as the custom oak shelving, he’s also added his own unique touches to the truck -- the biggest addition being the snack station he installed. The station is filled with different kinds of beef jerky, snack cakes, energy drinks, sodas, water, and more.
“I go to a lot of shops that [it] takes 30 minutes for [the technicians] to go out and get something to drink or eat,” Holbert explains, “so I have snacks when they want one. I don’t make a lot of money on it, but I do it for convenience. I try to take care of [my customers] really well.”
Emily Markham is the editor of Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) and Professional Distributor magazines. She has been writing about the automotive aftermarket since 2019, after graduating from UW-La Crosse with a bachelor's degree in English. During her first three years with Endeavor Business Media's Vehicle Repair Group, Markham also wrote for Fleet Maintenance magazine.
