What happened to Snap-On Trucks?

It is rare to see any tool trucks around here anymore. Years ago there were 12 dealerships and lots of industry like GE turbine and many small shops in this area now there are only 2 dealers and a few small shops. It has to be a hard road when the customer base is getting smaller all the time. They do visit the trade school occasionally.
 
Last Thursday the little auto shop around the corner from my house had not one, but two Snap-On trucks parked nearby. One was marked as a display truck. I saw them leaving later as I was driving around the area.
 
One of my sons works as a mechanic at a Honda Motorsports shop in Southern Utah, and he tells me the Snap-On truck comes around to their shop regularly.
 
Escape08 said:
They used to be all over the area where I live. Now, 2 - 3 years had passed...None
Click to expand...
ten years back Snap On got sued for screwing over their franchisees by marginalizing the size of their sales areas.. it put a hurting on both sides.
Back in the day a mechanic could buy their overpriced tools and make payments directly to the franchisee, but somewhere over time Snap On Credit became a thing and the overpriced tools also had a hi interest rate applied to them..
combine that with competition, and the idea some mechanics like myself inherently knew that my tool box works for me, I don't have to work for my toolbox and sales aren't so good anymore.

When that 1-1/2 wrench you need twice a year costs 200 bucks at Snap On and you can buy a whole set of oversized wrenches at Harbor Freigth that you might use twice a year, well that cut into their sales too.
 
Right before Covid, Snap On mandated that any franchisees must upgrade their trucks by 2021. They wanted them to have a minimum of I believe 27 foot long trucks. My Snap On guy was in business for 24 years and his truck was 3 years old. They wouldn't allow him to use his 24 foot long truck, so he sold the route due to their oversight. Since he left we have had 2 new trucks come through, Matco and Cornwell, and like others have said, people are realizing you can get almost the same quality tools for 1.3 the price.
 
Our techs wouldn’t buy off the Snap-On truck. Too expensive. Our Mac Tools guy however did quite well in our shop. Our Mac guy would allow them to float a pretty hefty line of credit. He knew he would be made whole when the techs got their quarterly productivity incentive which was for tools only. Many were stocking their tool boxes at home but I never cared as long as they turned the work in our shop.
 
I thought they kind of had their service area. I see the one that serves our area, and I know he comes on Wednesdays by us. I’ve met him elsewhere on other days.

No doubt people buying on the internet has reduced the desire for this type of sales setup. But the service is probably key. Thing is, how many tool trucks does someone need?
 
I’m seeing them less and less around here too. They used to be an every week thing. Now all of them are sporadic. Mac stops by the least then Snap-on then Matco the most. I don’t buy as much as I used too. I can’t afford it. There are so many places to get tools now. Yeah it’s convenient but half the time they don’t show up. Probably because everyone that bought from them except me is gone now. And it’s rare that I buy anything anymore. I’ve focused my money on other stuff. Most of my tools especially specialty stuff I’ve bought second hand for pennies on the dollar at the now closed pawn shop in my area. I miss the pawn shop. We haven’t had a Cornwell truck in my area in years. I saw one way back in about 2005 when I was just a little little boy but I remember seeing it. He passed years ago and the service just died out. I found his name a few years ago but have since lost it. I think the tool truck maybe a thing of the past eventually.
 
I was at a place where a person was leaving to start a Snap On route. When he told me what the requirements were it was crazy, he was laying out at least 125 grand just to start and this was quite some time ago....

IME a shop kinda turns either a sane on shop or a mac shop depending on the tool guy... and its hard for the other to break in, Matco and Cornwell usually sell some stuff but Snap On and Mac are the big players... Matco Boxes are making a come back though.
 
Snapon stops every friday afternoon, new dealer that has been on the route since May that took over from a dealer that had the route over 30 years. Besides him, there are 5 other Snapon dealers that service my county. Cornwell stops late morning thursday and there are 2 other cornwell dealers in my area. Theres 2 Matco trucks though neither stop and a Mac truck that stops at every shop in my neighborhood but mine
 
Great times :D



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