Cambria Truck Center History
In 1923, James Edwin Cambria entered the truck business as an employee of Brockway Motor Trucks in Garden City, New York. Decades later and during the time when Brockway was engaged in the building of special purpose vehicles for the United States Corps of Engineers. The most noteworthy vehicle was a self-contained pontoon type bridge carrier, which was used to quickly deploy troops and their vehicles, including tanks, across rivers and streams where no such structure existed, or one that had been destroyed by the enemy or Allied Forces. A typical “pontoon bridge” could be erected in one or two hours.
After the war, in the 1940’s and early 1950’s with the huge demand for Commercial trucks and tractors Brockway, with Headquarters in New York City and factory in Cortland, New York was the most popular heavy truck in the Northeast, having acquired the assets of the Indiana Truck Company and others in expansion. During this time,J. E. (Jack) Cambria had advanced to the positions of Regional Sales Manager, Vice President of Sales and later as General Manager of Brockway, and independent make of heavy gas and diesel powered trucks. In the mid 1950’s he concluded a sale to Mack Trucks the assets of the “Cortland Corporation” which was later to become the Brockway Motor Truck Division of Mack Trucks Inc. an autonomous division operating factory branch stores throughout the northeast and as far as the mid-west. “Cambria Sr.” continued to lead the successful (and profitable) truck operations until his retirement in 1967.
In the summer of 1969 the dealership of Cambria Mack Trucks was started by James E. Cambria Jr. and Joseph S. Cambria (sons) with the able guidance of the “elder” Jack in Secaucus, New Jersey, serving Hudson County for Mack Trucks, the smallest geographic but most densely truck populated full line dealership territory for Mack trucks.
The family business grew to ample size in the sale of GVW class 8 vehicles often exceeding 50% of the new registrations for that size/weight classifications. Northern New Jersey and the County of Hudson indeed, became “Mack Truck County.”
In 1973, the asset of Paterson Mack Distributors was purchased/acquired on 231 Route 46 in Elmwood Park New Jersey and existing dealership from the Fetzer family who had acquired the branch property and territory from Mack Trucks in the early 1950’s.
In the periods thereafter the product line of Volvo Trucks were awarded for several years as the first franchised Volvo truck dealer in the U. S. A. which was then headquartered in Rock Leigh, New Jersey.
Volvo of Sweden had imported a number of trucks for test approximately ten years previously, but had elected to remove the trucks from the marketplace since there was no franchise system in place.
At a later date Cambria Companies and Volvo concluded their agreement and Volvo had expanded to appoint other dealers to represent their trucks. Cambria Companies became the first franchised Volvo Dealers in the United States.
From relationships in the intervening years the Cambria family has represented the truck product lines of Magirus later called Iveco (the truck manufacturer of Fiat…a European Consortium), Crane Carrier Corporation (C.C.C.), and U.D. (Uniflow Diesel), the commercial truck division of Nissan.
For approximately seven years, Cambria Companies had situated a parts sales and service facility at Ryan Street in South Plainfield, which had operated as a full line Warehouse Distributor for many of the aftermarket parts/products. In addition to uniquely satisfying the area needs for all makes service on commercial vehicles, experience was gained in dealing with the manufacturers of many of the parts and components of the heavy-duty truck industry.
The Mack Dealership and related companies the Glasofer Group Edison/Elizabeth New Jersey were acquired by Cambria Companies in 1980, including the landmark facility on U S Route 1, thereby expanding the organization.
Looking to the future and the new popularity of the west coast type trucks in the Northeast, Peterbilt Motors Division of Paccar franchise was awarded to Cambria Companies in Secaucus, New Jersey.
In December 2001, the South Brunswick Dealership of A. & D. Express was acquired by Cambria Companies adding to the company the product line of Volvo Trucks of North America (VTNA) GMC Mid-Range Vehicles and Autocar.
Recent events:
Include the fire that completely destroyed the Route 46 Elmwood Park facility in May 2001 which was relocated to a sales lot on McClean Blvd. in Paterson New Jersey. In August 1996, Cambria Companies…Secaucus, was relocated to 565 Dowd Ave. Elizabeth New Jersey.
Cambria Companies, unlike other dealerships was a warehouse distributor in 1970, the second year of operation and worked with the OE to create some of the first "ship directs" from suppliers, something that was not done before by dealers in the northeast. Cambria Companies over the years in addition to the existing brands;Had a Peterbilt sales lot in Long Island. Was the first registered Volvo truck dealer in the USA (when their home office was in Rockleigh, N J) Had a Parts and Service shop in South Plainfield Was a Bering Truck Dealer Was a UD (Nissan) and Crane Carrier Truck Dealer
In October 2004 Cambria Companies Edison was relocated to 116 Talmadge Road, also in Edison about two miles from the original location on U.S. Rte.1.Cambria Automotive Companies continues to distinguish themselves as a high technology company and focuses on a blend of the new, with experience not found elsewhere in the business. A rarity today, consisting of family members that operate the business, Cambria Companies is positioned to continue the three generations that now work in the business!
The declaration of bankruptcy of General Motors Corporation in 2008 forced the closing of the GMC Mid range truck factory and product. The closing of this successful truck line nationally denied Cambria Truck Center midr ange truck sales and although several options were considered to replace the GMC truck product, none were accepted. Future products are now being considered including unusual synergy with body builders and suppliers that will enhance our chassis frame alterations; a Cambria exclusive not found at other dealerships.Cost and price inflation brought about by environmental and safety standards has driven the cost of new equipment beyond practical replacement and in some body/chassis combinations the cost of a major refurbishing as compared to new equipment is easily justified and will provide net revenue opportunities for our dealership.
The ability to change and adapt from our once industrial market place to products that support huge populations has been Cambria initiative.
In February 2011 Cambria Truck Center delivered its first powered by CNG (compressed natural gas) Autocar and Peterbilt vehicles enhancing the Cambria green image. Liquefied Natural Gas powered vehicles (LGN) are soon to follow. Training and facilities for CNG & LNG unlike diesel, gasoline and LPG (butane) which either spills earthbound or in the case of LPG fills to the floor when the gas is on board, CNG & LNG rise combustion heaters, electric motors (even an electric drill) or other appliance that produce a spark cannot be present, the natural gas. To provide service on aromatics gas powered vehicles, separate and special facilities are required. Cambria Truck Center has erected a separate dedicated service shed to provide service and repairs on CNG/LNG powered trucks see the pictures of these service sheds below. Cambria Truck Center is trained to perform service and repairs on all makes of natural powered trucks and equipment.
On the night of October 29th 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States rendering our facilities without electrical power for a week and a half in Elizabeth and one week in Edison. It is significant because we had never been without power in our business for more than a day in over 40 years.
Cambria Automotive Companies is a New Jersey-based family owned and operated Business Group dedicated to the selling and service of Commercial Medium and Heavy Duty trucks.
Our facilities are located in North and Central New Jersey and cover the most densely populated areas of New Jersey judged by business, population and commercial vehicles.
Depending on location, Cambria Companies is franchised to sell Mack, Peterbilt, Volvo, and Autocar.
All of the dealerships have multiline or multi-brand capability and if it's a commercial vehicle, Cambria Companies will provide repair, parts or service, regardless of brand or origin of the vehicle.
Unique among dealerships, Cambria dealerships possess a wide range of capabilities including our extensive family backgrounds in truck engineering, manufacturing, and sourcing with regard to truck, tractor, or commercial body applications. Highly trained personnel utilizing the most modern technology, will specify the correct vehicle for your application, new or used, provide the necessary financing, provide parts when required, (including outsourcing). We also serve our customers as an information center, and provide the service, warranty and repairs necessary (including training), along with the forging of a management in partnership to assist our customers for success in an often difficult enterprise of truck utilization. Problem identification and finding solutions are our specialties, often called upon by our broad and varied customer base.