Our History
Smith International Truck Center is a Family Owned Business with Over 50 Years and Three Generations of Experience and Expertise in Selling and Repairing Commercial Trucks.
It all started back in 1966, when two brothers, James H. Smith, Sr. and J.D. Smith, returned home from diesel school in Nashville, Tennessee after using James’ GI Bill from his service in the Air Force. Together they started their business in a little tin building behind the old 301 truck stop. They called it “The Barn”. They worked day and night for three years. By 1969, they had saved enough money to buy a 3-acre plot on Cedar Creek Road and build a 6,000 square foot building, which is still the home of the Fayetteville location today.
In 1979, they became the franchise dealer for International Trucks with a parts department, service department, and new and used truck sales. They continued to expand the business over the years by adding on to the main building, enlarging the bay area, adding a body shop and a machine shop to the Fayetteville location. In 1995, they opened a new location in Lumberton, NC. They have grown from a couple of employees to over 50 employees.
In 1988, when the body shop was added, it was managed by James Smith, Jr. From there, he worked his way up to general manager and then to president of the company in 2004. He continues to oversee all the dealer operations today.
The third generation is making its mark by working in various roles with the same hard work and dedication that this company was founded on. In 2008, Justin Smith, started the government sales division and we became the Navistar Defense dealer for the Southeast region and is now the service manager at the Lumberton location.
Smith International Truck Center continues to work hard at providing the best service for all our customers.