Hedley Bennett Truck Parts

Many leaves one tree… ~ Shel Silverstein

At CLC Tree Services we pride ourselves on our capability of doing our work to the best of our ability. It requires a team of people, from Office Manager Christine Siemens, to lead hand Calvin McCallum, all the way down through the crew of men who are out on the trucks every day completing the tree service work our customers expect. As good a job as we do though, we cannot do it alone. There are a host of other people, whom we could not do without, who comprise an integral team which allow us to provide our services. Hedley Bennett Truck Repairs is just one of those companies.

Spotlight on Hedley Bennett

When Curt McCallum started CLC Tree Services he had a pickup truck and a stump grinder. If he had need of truck repairs, he went to local mechanics to get his vehicle serviced. As the company grew, so too did the size of the fleet and the size of the trucks. The larger trucks could not be accommodated by the shops he had previously frequented though. So Curt found himself asking around to find out where he might take care of the essential services for his larger trucks. Don Bobier, owner of a local trucking company out of West Lorne, suggested Hedley Bennett. He serviced all of his trucks with Hedley and would go nowhere else. As Curt respected Don’s opinion, he contacted Hedley. And Curt has no regrets.

The warehouse holds engines, transmissions and other parts needed for truck repairs

Hedley Bennett started his truck repair business in 1957. He was no stranger to vehicle repairs, having learned at his father’s side when he was a boy. As a Master Mechanic, he repaired whatever vehicles came his way. As the years went by, the bulk of those vehicles became trucks to the point that today, Hedley Bennett is chiefly known for his large truck repair and service.

While services have changed over the years, some things haven’t. Hedley has never advertised his business. He relies exclusively on word-of-mouth referrals and his wife Pattie is happy to report that most of their customers are good ones. They come from over a 40-mile radius and include farmers, small truck drivers and large highway driven trucking companies.

Hedley’s son Paul mans the counters where smaller parts are located

No matter how many customers call or show up on Hedley Bennett’s doorstep, work gets done one truck at a time. There might be four or five trucks lined up for the day, but the company prides itself on offering a quality service. This commitment to service has kept the doors open for 58 years.

While Hedley often answers the phones today, he still maintains his own workshop where he works on his other passion—antique Hudson cars. So if you don’t see Hedley, his son Paul is probably the one to greet you and price out parts. His other son Chris and nephew Carlton, both Master Mechanics in their own right, are out in the three-bay garage. They work on the bulk of the trucks which come through the door. Pattie rounds out the family run business as the company’s bookkeeper, and their dog Diesel is official greeter.

Hedley has his own workshop where he restores antique cars; his specialty being the Hudson

For Curt, the reason why he has never taken his trucks anywhere else is easy to answer; Trust. He knows he can drop off a vehicle and have it fixed expertly and quickly. Just this week, Calvin feared one of the trucks had a differential problem. With heavy heart, they dropped it off expecting a bill of anywhere from $3,000-$5,000. The next day the phone rang announcing the truck had been repaired, but the problem was in fact a universal joint. The difference in cost: a $300 repair.

That honesty is what keeps Curt going back again and again, whether it be for repairs, services or safeties. Curt knows the value of honesty and the integrity behind a business that sticks by its word and refuses to up-sell customers when they have them at their mercy. In Curt’s books, that makes Hedley good people. As for Hedley’s part, he counts Curt as a valued customer and friend. Both wouldn’t have it any other way.

Most importantly though, without the services of Hedley Bennett Truck Parts, CLC Tree Services wouldn’t be able to work at all. They are an integral part of CLC’s team and an invaluable affiliate company which CLC Tree Services is proud to support.

* Hedley Bennett Truck Parts is located at 1821 Pension Lane. They are open Monday-Friday from 8am - 5pm. For service contact (519)451-3160.