The SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) named Truck’n America as the council's newest spotlight member. Get to know the company's story in the SEMA News interview with Truck’n America’s marketing director Kelly Morrison below.
SEMA News: Tell us the story of your shop.
Kelly Morrison: In 1975, Truck'n America was founded in Maryland by a father and son team - Chuck Morrison Jr, a veteran US Air Force fighter pilot and his son Chuck Morrison III, a laid-off construction worker. They were inspired by the truck cap and had an idea that they could make some money selling them in the area.
True to our roots, we are a family owned and operated business to this day. Brothers Chuck Morrison IV and Dan Morrison are the administrators and operators of the modern day Truck'n America and carry on their grandfather and father's legacy of excellent customer service and product knowledge.
SN: Tell us about your business now and the projects that you are working on.
KM: The father and son team first set a goal of selling just one truck cap a day to simply "get by." They found that through a combination of demand and excellent customer service, they were soon smashing that goal and selling two a day, then three, then four, and beyond. By 1983, they had expanded to four locations in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area, which quickly became 13 locations all the way up and down the East coast.
Today, Truck'n America operates five locations in Maryland and Virginia. Our team and employee retention are the key to our success. Our newest manager has been with us for 15 years and our most senior manager has been with us for 32 years. Combined, our team has well over 150 years of truck cap / truck accessory industry experience.
Our breakthrough moment, along with being one of the first to sell truck caps in our geographical area, was recognizing that at the end of the day, integrity and customer service is and always will be of utmost importance. We pride ourselves in the thousands of happy customers that have come through our doors and driven away with a product they need from people that they can rely on. This is what keeps them coming back and has kept us in business for half of a century.
SN: Tell us about a package/product that you are proud of.
KM: 2025 is our 50th year in business. We are still selling truck caps, but our selection of products has expanded to include all kinds of pickup truck, SUV, Jeep and auto accessories, trailers and towing accessories, tonneau covers, work truck and work van accessories, UTVs and more.
We are currently working on bringing our business into the modern day, putting efforts into digital, social media and video marketing, strengthening our image and brand voice, and keeping up with industry trends. We are also focusing on training the next generation of product experts, our sales team, installers and management to carry on our legacy of unparalleled customer service and industry expertise.
SN: What advice do you have for young professionals contemplating a career in the automotive aftermarket?
KM: Our advice for young professionals contemplating a career in the automotive aftermarket is to place your focus on delivering outstanding service. Competition is inevitable, but at the end of the day, customers will always stay loyal to the business that treated them right, went above and beyond, and made them confident about their choice to do business with you.
Fill out a PRO member spotlight form to highlight how you or your company are contributing to the automotive restyling industry. Selected candidates are eligible to be featured on PRO's social media, SEMA News and future PRO-member updates.