Truck-Tech Auto & Smog Company Profile

elly Wheatley, owner of Truck-Tech Auto & Smog, had six cars and two motorcycles before he had a driver's license. Growing up in San Francisco, driving and fixing cars was his hobby and his passion. After a stint as an aircraft mechanic in the United States Air Force, and several years as a General Motors service mechanic, he decided to realize his longtime dream. In 1999 he opened Truck-Tech Auto & Smog in Santa Rosa.

Having worked for dealers and other repair facilities, he has seen what customers often go through when getting their cars fixed, and it wasn't all pretty. He decided he could do better, not only on repairs but in treating customers fairly and honestly.

It's about quality work and pleasing the customer
"For a lot of the places I worked it was only about the bottom line, not customer satisfaction," he said. "It wasn't about fixing cars, it was about making money. For me, it's all about fixing cars and doing it in a way that makes people happy."

Customer service became the driving philosophy behind his new enterprise and soon, with happy customers spreading the word, Truck-Tech Auto & Smog began to earn a reputation as the go-to place for any automotive problems.

Able to repair any model of car or truck
Truck-Tech Auto & Smog is a full-service shop, capable of doing any repair needed on any make or model of car or truck. The shop has been designated as a Gold Shield smog facility by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR). In fact, they recently received an announcement from the BAR that they have been rated number 11 out of 780 Gold Shield shops in the state.

Kelly works hard each day to maintain his shop's standing and reputation for quality. "Often, customers are continually getting their car or truck worked on, but not fixed," he said. "Our motto is, are you tired of having your car worked on? Do you want it to get fixed? I will fix it, even if I have to buy a special tool to do it. I take care of my customers and I take care of their vehicles. Nobody can say they didn't have their problem taken care of at Truck-Tech."

High-tech diagnostic capability
Truck-Tech Auto & Smog has the latest in equipment and diagnostic technology. Kelly's hand-picked crew of technicians are experts in the most up-to-date techniques and skills required to repair today's vehicles. "Today," said Kelly, "it's all about information—knowing why you're taking it apart.

A commitment to excellence
Kelly speaks passionately about his commitment to the highest quality and customer service. All of his technicians are ASE certified. Original manufacturer parts are used whenever possible and customers' cars are returned on time, repaired and clean. According to Kelly, many customers bring their cars to him because others have not been able to fix the problem. He is committed to never having a car leave his shop until it is fixed and the customer is happy.

"At Truck-Tech we want to get the problem solved. I love it when my customers are happy, but you can't have that without fixing their car right. When you come to Truck-Tech, your car will be fixed and you will be happy. That's our guarantee."


---Jim Brumm
Staff Writer
The Prime Buyer's Report