Premier Truck Group (PTG) plans to open a collision center the company said would be the largest in the U.S.
The Dallas facility, not far from PTG’s headquarters, will have 44 production bays and 32 to 36 technicians, along with two 80-foot downdraft GFS paint booths and ADAS equipment and calibration, in 85,000 square feet.
PTG’s Director of Collision John Spoto said commercial truck sophistication grows apace with automotive technology overall. The new site means more space “to repair more of the fleets out there, to fix more trucks.”
John Spoto.
The new shop will be four times larger than the one it replaces, now open in the same market, which will become a parts warehouse when the new facility debuts.
“Our collision center needed an upgrade and we’ve outgrown it,” Spoto said. PTG had bought the land for this eventuality, to build the facility it wanted.
It was planned for 66,000 square feet and got a boost around the end of the year.
PTG has peppered social media with photos as the campus rises from Texas dirt.
“It’s gonna be unbelievable as a showpiece,” Spoto said.
45 Dealerships, 11 Collision Centers and Roger Penske
The new body shop for big rigs maintains PTG’s network at 11 collision centers in nine states. Locations touch major trucking routes in most regions of the country, including near the southern U.S. border. PTG also had 45 dealerships in 10 states and two Canadian provinces, as of Dec. 31, selling mainly Freightliner and Western Star, the annual report for its parent company said.
Collision centers work on all models, and sell used trucks beyond the two Daimler Truck AG-owned brands.
Michigan-based Penske Automotive Group Inc., a global transportation services company, owns PTG. Penske reported $30.5 billion in revenue in 2024, up 3%. Some $3.5 billion, down 5%, came from Premier Truck Group.
Service and parts contribute about a quarter of PTG revenue and 65% of its gross profit, the annual report said.
Penske bought PTG predecessor company The Around the Clock Freightliner Group, or ATC, in 2014, when ATC had 14 dealerships in three states, adding an estimated annualized revenue of about $700 million to Penske at the time, a press release on the acquisition said.
Separate from PTG, Penske owns 28.9% of Penske Truck Leasing, which also runs truck collision centers.
Penske Corp., also in Michigan, owns 51.5% of Penske Automotive Group. Longtime automotive and racing industry businessman Roger Penske is founder and chairman of Penske Corp., and chairman and CEO of Penske Automotive Group.
From the Many, ONE
The annual report cited PTG’s network of locations as a key element of its ability to service fleet trucking and be a dominant player in commercial truck retailing and repair.
Another view of the facility under construction.
Spoto said collision centers operate under a principle called “ONE” -- One Network Executing -- focused on keeping trucks rolling and “making your experience seamless, efficient and customer-focused,” according to PTG materials. The aim emphasizes the MSO’s national reach: “You’re not just a customer at one location -- you’re part of a fully connected network.”
Easy to say; hard to do.
Spoto said it starts with Premier Truck Group President Ron Long, who lays out the vision, and “we emulate him.”
Execution depends on internal training, among other elements -- “Other dealers tell me, ‘I wish we had that,’” Spoto said -- and PTG comes down solidly on the side of OEM procedures in that ongoing debate.
“If there’s OEM documentation, we’re going to flesh that out,” Spoto said. “You never compromise safety or quality based on a business decision.”
The company’s collision centers “are full-service, heavy-duty paint and collision repair facilities with certified professionals that can handle everything from light cosmetic issues to complete vehicle reconstruction,” along with engine repair, the annual report said.
“We’re going to continue to grow,” Spoto said. “We’re not stopping.”
3M, I-CAR, Competitors, and a Daily Look in the Mirror
Multiple centers also means one location with a need can call another to tap tech expertise at the second site. PTG has sent techs to sites to check out the equipment there and see if it should be replicated in other centers.
Before coming to Penske, Spoto worked with 3M’s MSO team providing products and training, overseeing national accounts, including, for instance, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive. He’s also taught for I-CAR.
U.S. commercial truck dealer and collision center MSOs include Bruckner’s Truck & Equipment in Amarillo, TX; Murphy-Hoffman Co. in Leawood, KS; and Wallwork Truck Collision Centers in Fargo, ND.
Bruckner’s has 41 dealers in 10 states, after recently buying Transport Equipment Inc., a press release said. Its website lists body shops and fabrication centers in five states. MHC’s LinkedIn profile said it has 125 dealers in 19 states; its website lists 22 body shops in 10 states. Wallwork has 10 locations in North Dakota.
But ask Spoto and PTG’s biggest competitor is “ourselves.”
He said, “Each and every day I challenge our collision centers, what can you do to improve? Every day, we’re going to do at least one thing.”
Paul Hughes