heavy equipment mechanic

service advisor

mechanic

diesel technician

shipper/receiver

Velocity Truck Centres

Back story: I started with First Truck Centers on Oct 10 2023. It changed ownership in Nov 23. First truck was a family owned company, very close knit organization. One month later Velocity took control and everything changed. Upper management changed first. Then some new people figured that they could make their bones with the company and thought that eliminating shifts without union approval was a good idea. I think someone involved must be new to spreadsheets and didn't notice that coverage for shifts in the parts department no longer lined up with the times we are busy at. Now our million dollar customers wait time for a person to answer is in excess of 20-40 minutes.
They hang up and pull a tech off productive time to run over to join the lineups to the parts counter. We get complaints hourly, our manager was wrecked by a top customer at the front counter in front of other customers. We should do a reality TV show in here there's so much drama!
From the time I start my shift I will be on the phone taking orders or picked parts orders for my customer non stop for 5 or more hours. No break . For most of that time I am alone on the front counter with 3 rows of customers waiting, 8 phone lines in random que, who have to wait for me to finish with the customer in front of me.


This is one of the worst-managed heavy-duty truck dealerships I have worked for. Management is disorganized, unprofessional, and completely disconnected from the day-to-day realities employees face. Communication is terrible. Important information is either shared at the last minute or not shared at all, leaving employees constantly trying to figure things out on their own.

The workload is excessive and keeps growing with little regard for staffing levels, time constraints, or employee well-being. Management continually piles on additional responsibilities without providing the support, training, or resources needed to succeed. Employees are expected to do the work of multiple people while being held accountable for unrealistic expectations.

The HR department is equally frustrating. Concerns raised by employees are often ignored, brushed aside, or met with little to no follow-up. Rather than helping resolve workplace issues, HR seems more interested in protecting management than supporting employees.

Low morale, high stress, poor communication, and ineffective leadership have created a toxic work environment. Until management and HR are held accountable for these ongoing issues, I would not recommend working here.

As someone who has had the pleasure of working at First Truck Centre in Abbotsford, I can say without hesitation that it has been an incredible experience.

First and foremost, the team at First Truck Centre is unparalleled. Everyone is incredibly supportive, encouraging, and passionate about what they do. From the moment I started, I felt like I was part of a family, and that has made coming to work each day something I genuinely look forward to.

What truly sets working at First Truck Centre apart is the level of autonomy and trust that is placed in the sales team. Unlike some other dealerships, we are given the freedom to work with our clients in a way that feels natural and authentic. This means we can truly get to know our clients' needs and work to find solutions that meet those needs precisely.

Overall, I can say with absolute confidence that working at First Truck Centre has been a fantastic experience. From the incredible team to the engaging work to the autonomy and trust placed in us, it truly is the perfect place to build a long and successful career in the transportation industry.

First Truck is a nice place to work. They are involved in programs that encourage the continual improvement of the workplace. One can suggest an improvement/change and it will be seriously considered. Management is great throughout the company. The culture and atmosphere is very relaxed. You're encouraged to have fun and enjoy your time spent at work, as long as your required work is being completed. They have a great benefit package and competitive wages/salary. They are patient with training new employees, encourage self-improvement, and are dedicated to your growth within the company. Many of the employees I met or worked with started in entry-level positions and worked their way up the ladder within the company. As mentioned by another reviewer, some nepotism, which lead to a few employees who are problematic (rude, lazy, etc.). Overall, I really enjoyed my time working at First Truck Centre.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working for Velocity Truck Centres was their location and benefits.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful aspects of working at Velocity Truck Centres were the high employee turnover, lack of clear direction and communication from senior leadership, and a toxic work environment that negatively affected morale and teamwork.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment and culture were often cutthroat, discouraging collaboration and creating unnecessary stress for employees and inexperienced management.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day involved completing routine tasks, addressing customer concerns, and assuring customers that their truck met safety and compliance standards.

They have no idea how to assign the right person to the right job. A qualified person gets the apprentice job, and the apprentice gets the certified person's job. I explained the situation to the manager several times, but she couldn't resolve the issue because she doesn't know how to handle these kinds of situations. They put an unqualified person as manager. She has no idea what that field is. They have a supervisor who points lasers at stupid staff during shifts that aren't theirs,creating problems whenis not a issue. The sad thing is that management knows that what happens on the shop floor creates a high level of stress, but they're unwilling to address the problem. From personal experience, I wouldn't recommend this place, especially to apprentices.

The company was great to work for years ago.  But now it’s how much money they can steel from a customer. SRT’s are to be done at 105% or you are wasting company money. They hide trucks in the shop under night and tell customers it was an 10 hour repair, but it was a 2 hour repair. They realize customers keep track of their unit with GPS systems. The chargehands they put in to position are taught how to cheat the customer out of money. I have videos of them doing this and using their equipment to benefit them. This turned out to be one of the shadest companies I worked for. 

Worked for the company for 25 plus years, started as a 1st year apprentice and worked my way up the ladder with hard work and commitment to the company and myself. Very reliable pay, they have never missed a pay period in 25 years. Great benefits for myself and my family. Very clean stores and lots of industry current training provided. The company even has a voluntary mentor ship program to help its employees at all levels and ages to develop. I have seen employees leave to see if the grass was greener in other pastures and then later ask to return to this company. Been a great career!

I have had a great time working for this company however when you come to a certain skill level its really hard to get paid what you worth.
Growth potential is limited.
my co-workers have become great friends and everyone pulls there own weight.
The hardest part of the job is knowing that other employers out there are paying more and with less responsibility
The most enjoyable part of the job is coming to work and feeling like you have put in 100% and get to see the customer overjoyed they were in/out and within reasonable prices.

At the time I worked at First Truck, the management was very supportive and responsive. I really felt like an important member if the team. However, there have been management changes since I left so I can't comment on the current state. Coworkers were friendly. The shop was very clean and organized. The working environment could be very noisy at times, and the admin office could have been put in a better location. The pace of work was busy but reasonable. 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Heavy equipment mechanic 17 salaries reported	$48.33 per hour
Service advisor 7 salaries reported	$30.29 per hour
Mechanic 41 salaries reported	$41.32 per hour
Diesel technician 1 salary reported	$42.00 per hour
Shipper/receiver 3 salaries reported	$4,039 per month

Working at Velocity Truck Centres: company overview and reviews

Velocity Truck Centres

Velocity Truck Centres ratings

Popular jobs at Velocity Truck Centres

Salary satisfaction

Job seeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected