Session Insights from the 2025 NATDA Trailer Show
DEALER ADVISORY COUNCIL
NATDA Trailer Show education kicked off with a Tow Talk session featuring members of the NATDA Dealer Council: Shane Fitzner from Renville Sales Inc., Josh Motley from Great West Trailer & Truck, Nick Mirsberger from Mirsberger Sales & Service, Ken Swank from White Spruce Trailer Sales, Shane Thompson with Action Trailers, and Scott Yates with Smokey Mountain Trailers.
The Top 10 Topics Dealers Need For Success It was standing room only at this opening panel discussion which yielded dozens of questions from the floor and stood out as one of the week’ s most engaging sessions. Council members shared practical, real-world insights on what it takes to run a successful trailer dealership in today’ s market.
Shane Fitzner Owner Operations Manager Renville Sales Inc.
Josh Motley CEO Great West Trailer and Truck Inc.
Nick Mirsberger Owner Mirsberger Sales and Service, Inc.
The conversation opened with a challenge: define what kind of dealer you want to be. As Shane Thompson put it,“ You can’ t be everything to everyone— decide early who you are as a dealer and build everything around that.”
Panelists emphasized the importance of structure and repeatable processes. Dealers who’ ve expanded successfully pointed to systems that allow staff to operate consistently across locations.“ You need to be able to drop someone into a role and have them know exactly what to do,” remarked Ken Swank of White Spruce Trailers.
Technology and marketing were other focal points: from CRM tools to dealer management systems, to tracking customer interactions and internal performance as a baseline requirement. Several dealers shared how switching to more advanced systems helped them identify inefficiencies and boost service revenue.
“ You also can’ t just throw money at marketing and hope it works. You’ ve got to track where every lead is coming from, because every area reacts differently,” said Shane Fitzner of Renville Sales, Inc.“ For us, we found that 70 % of our inbound leads still come by phone, so we focus on what actually connects with our customers, not just what’ s trendy.”
The discussion also touched on service departments, which are often overlooked as profit centers and a big opportunity in dealerships. Tracking technician efficiency, managing parts inventory, and incentivizing quality work were all cited as ways to improve margins.
Shane Thompson President Action Trailers
Ken Swank Owner VP General Manager White Spruce Trailers
Scott Yates Owner Smokey Mountain Trailers
The Tow Talk wrapped with a clear message: the backbone of every successful dealership lies in knowing your numbers, your team, and your market. Missed the Tow Talk? Scan the QR below to get logged into NATDA Connect and access the full session video on Dealer Academy.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! The Dealer Advisory Council is here to advise on issues that are most important to NATDA Dealer members. Whether it’ s inventory management, hiring, staff, or operations, this group of trailer professionals is ready to share their insights and experience.
Email the council at council @ natda. org with the subject link,“ Advisory Council.”
60 NATDA Magazine www. natda. org