The Beginnings of Garbee’s Truck & Trailer Repair Inc. Michael Garbee’s interest in trucks began when he was 13 years old helping at his uncle’s automotive repair shop, sweeping floors and cleaning parts. With a father working in the highway construction industry, Michael became very familiar with heavy equipment at a young age.After leaving school in 1978, he went to work with his father, increasing his hands on knowledge of heavy equipment. He remained there for eight years.
After that, Michael began working in the field of long distance trucking services. He went on to work for a construction company as a mechanic before going to work at 151 Maintenance. In March of 1993, Michael lost his job with 151 Maintenance, a division of Preston Trucking Corporation. The establishment had only been in business for two years when Yellow Freight acquired Preston. The acquisition meant the closing of all 151 Maintenance facilities and this left Michael Garbee in a serious predicament. Throughout the time of Michael’s employ with 151 Maintenance, he became very familiar with the customers seeking services for Preston’s equipment as well as those of local companies involved with the trucking and freight industries. From this, he was one day contacted by a former customer of 151 Maintenance who was having trouble with one of his trucks, a Freight-Liner with an 855 Cummins engine. The engine was found to have a bad fuel solenoid. Michael was quickly able to repair the truck and the man was amazed. Following the repair, the man inquired of Michael as to where he had begun working after the close. With no ready answer, as Michael was unemployed, the man proffered that Michael may be able to do something with his old shop which had been closed for four years. Michael offered that he had neither formal education nor experience in a business setting. Nonetheless, the man saw promise in Michael for his ability to fix trucks and offered him a lease. On May 3rd of 1993, the two- bay shop was leased and Michael assumed the role of catering to the shop’s former customers and recruiting new customers through word-of-mouth advertising. The client base rose quickly and in 1998, Michael started construction on a 4800 square footage shop with two drive-through bays.
For 10 years, Michael worked there with one other mechanic and his wife, Donna, performing administrative assistance. Today, Garbee’s Truck and Trailer Repair consists of over 6800 square footage of workspace and ample parking. There are five professionally trained and certified mechanics who work on all types of trucks and trailers. There are also two service trucks; one general and one specifically for trailers. Garbee’s repairs all makes and models of trucks, trailers, buses, motor coaches, and the like with the quality you can depend on to get you back on the road.