Bockman’s Auto, Truck and Tire gives DeKalb facility tune-up to mark 60 years in business

DeKALB – A family-owned auto repair shop is gearing up to celebrate its 60th year in business in a big way by completing facility improvements to its truck center, 112 Industrial Drive, DeKalb.

Bockman’s Auto, Truck and Tires is ready to serve the needs of DeKalb and Sycamore-area residents, whether it be an oil change, tire installation, brake repair or a diesel engine repair.

Owner Jon Bockman said it means a great deal to him knowing his auto repair shop has been tuning up vehicles for six decades.

Bockman took over the business from his father as a second-generation owner in 1999.

“It was really hard to believe that we’re going on 60 years,” Bockman said. “To make it 60 years, it means the world to me. I know it means a lot to my father still, our families. It’s incredible because it means not only we’ve been doing things correctly since the ‘60s, but people still find us. They still use us. It means a lot to think that the community has really embraced us.”

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Jon Bockman, owner of Bockman’s Auto, Truck & Tire, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in front of his DeKalb location on Industrial Drive. (Mark Busch)

Bockman’s originally started as a gas station that also did automotive repair in Peotone under its founder Chuck Bockman. The business has been uprooted over the years to where it now operates out of two locations: one in DeKalb and another in Sycamore.

Bockman said his father, who’s retired, often will stop by the shop to check in.

“He’ll come up,” Bockman said. “He likes to mow the lawn, or he’ll do these odds and ends to stay up here to see the guys and talk to them. … He enjoys it. He enjoys coming up and messing around.”

“It was really hard to believe that we’re going on 60 years. To make it 60 years, it means the world to me. I know it means a lot to my father still, our families.”

—  Jon Bockman, owner of Bockman's Auto, Truck and Tire

Working at the shop has become a labor of love for Bockman.

“The thing that I really fell in love with – and it really helped that it was a gas station – is we get to see the same people coming in over and over and over again,” Bockman said. “You really got to know your clientele, and you really got to know the people. It felt like it was a big family there.”

Vicki Maertz, who performs office administration at Bockman’s Auto, Truck and Tire, said people generally have positive things to share about their experiences at the shop.

“We have a very good solid customer return base,” Maertz said. “I think that the people … have been coming here for years and years and years. The Sycamore location obviously has been around a lot longer. So they have customers that now they’re working on their children’s vehicles for people that their kids are grown.”

Bockman touted a recent accolade garnered by the auto repair shop after it was named the No. 1 in the nation by NAPA Auto Parts in 2019. He said his shop was chosen out of more than 16,000 for the accolade.

The honor bestowed upon Bockman’s Auto, Truck and Tire enables the shop to extend a nationwide warranty to its clients.

“That’s probably been one of the biggest things that has really happened to us, and I’m extremely proud of that,” Bockman said. “Obviously, it’s not just what I do, but it’s the shop, our managers, our technicians, our service advisers. Everybody is included in that. It takes a well-trained team that really has the focus of the customer in mind that really makes that happen.”

Sam Bond, service director at Bockman’s, said that with the way vehicles are evolving these days, with hybrids, electronics and new technologies such as lane detection, it can be a lot to take in at once.

“It’s important that we keep our guys up to date on training,” Bond said. “With NAPA’s help, we’re able to achieve those goals. We are limited somewhat with some of the hybrid stuff, but as it becomes more a part of the market, we’ll get more equipment and be able to handle that. But it’s with great training and great technicians we keep on that, and we’re able to service a majority of our customers needs.”

Bockman’s Auto, Truck and Tire employs about 14 technicians between its facilities in DeKalb and Sycamore.

“Between both buildings and both shops, that’s a lot,” Bockman said.

Bond said his favorite part of the job is easy to pinpoint.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years in the area,” he said. “Prior to working for Jon and his family, I worked at the dealership level. So, going to the after-market world has given me a lot more freedom and ability to focus on the service part of performing automobile service. That’s really a pleasure.”

Improvements to Bockman’s Auto, Truck and Tire DeKalb truck center are expected in the coming weeks, barring inclement weather.

Bockman said interior facility improvements are in order for the truck center.

The DeKalb truck center comprises two buildings: one for administrative offices and meeting spaces and another for a safety inspection test lane for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“It was an office space, but it was really rundown,” Bockman said. “We’re like ‘We have this space. We should make it an office.’ So we ended up gutting everything on the inside of it. We put in my office. We put in a reception area. We put in a customer lounge. We have another office for Vicki, who is administrative assistant and clerical. Then, we also put in an area for our guys so they can have a break room and be able to eat and have lunch. We’ve used it for some meetings, too.”

On the exterior of the DeKalb truck center, upgrades are in store as well.

“The smaller building, we’re having that rewrapped in steel,” Bockman said. “We’re repainting the larger building. … Hopefully in the next couple weeks, barring weather, once that’s done, we’re going to put new asphalt in, too.”

Bockman said he looks forward to having the facility renovations completed.

“It’s been a lot, but I see this all paying off,” he said.