California Truck Centers

What California Truck Centers does

California Truck Centers is a privately held, Howard-family-owned commercial truck dealership group founded in 1930 in Fresno, California, now operating eight full-service locations across Central and Northern California (Fresno, Bakersfield, Oakland, French Camp, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and Keyes). The company is an authorized franchise dealer for Freightliner, Western Star, RIZON, and Isuzu commercial trucks, selling new and pre-owned heavy-, medium-, and light-duty vehicles (including conventional sleepers, day cabs, and vocational configurations such as dump, box, water, roll-off, and reefer trucks). It complements the dealer franchise with OEM truck parts (with an Inner Circle Rewards loyalty program via Excelerator Parts), Elite Support Certified full-service repair and maintenance, body shop paint and repair, RV/motorhome repair, and 24/7 after-hours service.

The group's revenue model is diversified across five streams: one-time truck sales (new and pre-owned), recurring parts and service revenue, in-house financing through Lee Financial Services, and recurring truck rentals and leasing via the California Truck Leasing and Rentals division. Go-to-market is primarily direct enterprise field sales through the eight physical dealerships, with inside sales via local phone lines, a self-serve online inventory and quote system, and online configurators for the Freightliner Fifth Generation Cascadia and M2 106 / 106 Plus models. Customers are commercial fleet operators, owner-operators, and vocational/industrial buyers; pricing is per-unit and quote-based, with a 3% credit card surcharge effective February 2025. Underlying technology is limited to standard dealer digital tooling: there is no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capabilities disclosed, and no public-facing API. The organization employs over 600 people across locations and is led by third-generation President Doug Howard, with fourth-generation family members Lee and Tiffany Howard active in management.

Name

California Truck Centers

Legal name

California Truck Centers

Website

https://californiatruckcenters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

California Truck Centers is a family-owned, 95-year-old commercial truck dealership group operating eight full-service California locations as an authorized Freightliner, Western Star, RIZON, and Isuzu dealer, serving fleet operators, owner-operators, and vocational buyers with sales, parts, service, financing, and rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Truck Dealership

NAICS

Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321), Truck, Utility Trailer, and RV (Recreational Vehicle) Rental and Leasing (53212), Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers (42312), Specialized Automotive Repair (811114)

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510), Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013)

akta.pro primary industry

Utility / Service Body Truck Leasing & Rental (Bucket, Field Service, Telecom/Power) (TLABABAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial truck dealership
• Heavy duty truck sales
• Truck parts service
• Truck leasing rentals
• Truck financing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Truck Sales: New and pre-owned heavy-duty, medium-duty, and light-duty truck sales across multiple brands including Freightliner, Western Star, RIZON, and Isuzu. Both conventional trucks (with and without sleepers) and vocational trucks (dump trucks, box trucks, water trucks, roll-off trucks, reefer trucks).
2. Parts Sales: OEM truck parts department with Inner Circle Rewards loyalty program through Excelerator Parts.
3. Service and Repair: Full-service commercial truck repair, Elite Support Certified maintenance, body shop paint and repairs, motorhome/RV repair.
4. Financing Services: Lee Financial Services provides in-house financing for semi-trucks to qualified customers. Covers heavy-duty trucks, light-duty trucks, cab & chassis, conventional, and box trucks.
5. Truck Rentals and Leasing: California Truck Leasing and Rentals division provides truck leasing and rental services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

California Truck Centers is a family-owned commercial truck dealership group operating eight full-service locations across Central and Northern California. The company is an authorized franchise dealer for Freightliner, Western Star, RIZON, and Isuzu trucks, offering new and pre-owned heavy-duty, medium-duty, and light-duty sales. In-house financing is provided through Lee Financial Services, truck rentals and leasing through California Truck Leasing and Rentals, OEM truck parts (with an Inner Circle Rewards loyalty program), full-service commercial truck repair (Elite Support Certified), body shop paint and repair, and motorhome/RV repair.

Product overview

California Truck Centers operates as a heavy-duty and medium-duty commercial truck dealership group with a multi-brand portfolio. The core offerings include Freightliner trucks (Cascadia, M2-106, 114SD, 122SD), Western Star trucks (47X, 49X, X-Series), RIZON trucks, and Isuzu trucks. These are complemented by supporting services including in-house financing through Lee Financial Services, truck leasing and rentals via California Truck Leasing and Rentals, OEM parts with Inner Circle Rewards loyalty program, full-service truck repair (Elite Support Certified), body shop services, and RV repair. Online truck configurators for Freightliner Fifth Generation Cascadia, M2 106, and M2 106 Plus allow customers to customize vehicles. The company serves customers across eight California locations with new truck sales, pre-owned inventory, parts, service, and body work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freightliner Trucks

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• American LegionminorOthersCommunity partnership supporting veterans and military service members.
• FFA (Future Farmers of America)minorOthersSupport for agricultural education and youth development programs.
• American Cancer SocietyminorOthersCancer awareness and fundraising partnerships.
• United WayminorOthersCommunity support and social services funding initiatives.
• Valley Children'sminorOthersSupport for children's healthcare services in the Central Valley.
• CalTrux (California Trucking Association)minorOthersPartnership with state trucking industry association including Truckers' United scholarship program.
• Reedley CollegeminorOthersEducational institution partnership supporting workforce development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TEC Equipment: Western U.S. Freightliner and Western Star dealer group with full-service sales, parts, service, and body shop operations; directly comparable brand authorization and full-service model.
• Premier Truck Group: Multi-brand commercial truck dealer group with Freightliner, Volvo, Mack, and other franchises across multiple states; similar enterprise sales, parts, and service model.
• WheelTime Network: Network of independent commercial truck service providers focused on after-hours and emergency repair; overlaps with California Truck Centers' Elite Support certified service and after-hours service offerings.
• Rush Enterprises: Largest commercial truck dealer group in North America with Peterbilt, International, and other franchises; operates full-service sales, parts, service, and financing under a similar multi-location model.
• PacLease: PACCAR's full-service truck leasing and rental franchise network; competes directly with California Truck Leasing and Rentals for commercial lease customers across the same geographies.
• Truck Country: Midwestern Freightliner dealer group with multiple locations and full-service offerings; comparable multi-location Daimler franchise model with similar customer mix.
• Velocity Vehicle Group: Major Daimler dealer group holding Freightliner, Western Star, and Thomas Built Buses franchises across the Western U.S.; directly comparable in brand mix and full-service dealership footprint.
• SelecTrucks: Daimler-owned used commercial truck retail network; directly comparable to California Truck Centers' pre-owned truck business and shares the Freightliner/Western Star brand ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Ryder: Large commercial truck leasing, rental, and fleet management company offering full-service leasing; competes with California Truck Leasing and Rentals while also serving as an alternative to outright purchase.
• Penske Truck Leasing: Joint venture between Penske and Mitsui operating one of the largest commercial truck leasing and rental fleets in North America; broad incumbent competitor to the in-house leasing arm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUzoGWivCLSop-unlXjYL_g
• Facebookfacebook.com/californiatruckcenters
• Instagraminstagram.com/californiatruckcenters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Truck Centers