Ottawa Truck dealers order more than 250 terminal tractors at AGM

OTTAWA, Kansas — Ottawa terminal tractor dealers assembled in Las Vegas for the Ottawa Truck division’s annual meeting in late March, and placed orders for over 250 Ottawa terminal tractors equipped with Cummins Tier 4i (Interim) diesel engines that meet new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions standards.

Ottawa Truck is the first manufacturer to sell terminal tractors powered by the Cummins QSB6.7 Tier 4i engine, the company said. The engine uses cooled exhaust gas recirculation, a common rail fuel system, and a catalytic converter for exhaust after-treatment technology to reduce emissions to new national standards governing off-road engines in the 75-173 hp range.

“As the terminal tractor industry leader, we are proud to add another ‘first’ to our long list of product developments,” says David Wood, director of Terminal Tractors North America, for Cargotec USA, the Ottawa Truck parent company. “We will begin installing the new Tier 4i Cummins engines in off-road tractors in June, providing our customers with a product that will reduce particulate matter and nitrous oxide emissions and help them do their part in improving our natural environment.”

While officials note that the new EPA regulations could boost the cost of a typical yard truck by 10%, the new engines represent a steady transition to “greener” technology.

The booked orders for the Tier 4i-equipped tractors made up the bulk of the orders placed at the dealer meeting. Representatives of nearly 80% of Ottawa’s dealer network spanning 51 dealers and 120 locations in North America bought a grand total of 302 terminal tractors worth some $25 million.

Jim Moir, president and general manager of Mid-Pacific Industries in Woodland, Calif., the oldest Ottawa Truck dealer in the US, attributed the brisk sales at the meeting partly due to reinvigorated leadership at Ottawa Truck. Wood, appointed as director last year, has worked to coalesce the dealer network around new initiatives, notably the opportunity to be the first to market with the Tier 4i-equipped tractors, Moir says.

“They’re putting a very positive spin on that fact, and the message to the dealers was that our competitors probably won’t offer this product until the first quarter of next year,” Moir says. “Even though these carry a higher price tag, having it first gives us a head start on handling something that everyone will eventually be selling.”

“Our dealers are the backbone of our sales and product support success in North America,” Wood noted. “Each year we hold a national dealer meeting like our late March event to update them on product development, new promotional programs, business trends and global activities of our parent company, Cargotec.”

New Web site, dealer locator launched
Ottawa has also launched www.ottawatrucksna.com, featuring a Google Maps-based dealer locator; downloadable truck sales literature and specifications and maintenance and operator manuals; social media tools; and information on Ottawa Trucks’ products, technologies and services.

“The new site is the kind customers expect from the market leader in terminal tractors, and it is one we are very proud to unveil this month,” says Wood. “Employing banner ads and social media elements like YouTube video, the site gives us a solid, high-performance platform to build on in the months to come.”

Top performing dealers recognized
At its March dealer meeting, Ottawa Truck also paid tribute to its dealer network by handing out awards to dealers that have distinguished themselves with outstanding Ottawa Truck and part sales, customer service, management practices and administration.

Included among the list of Ottawa’s “Premier Parnter” dealers for 2011 was one Canadian firm: Mason Lift of Vancouver, B.C.