Upfitter Recruiting Firm for Work Truck Companies

Captains Club is an upfitter recruiting firm that places Presidents, COOs, General Managers, and VPs of Sales at fleet upfitters, truck body manufacturers, and commercial truck equipment distributors across the Western U.S., including NTEA member companies. If you own or back an owner-led or PE-backed work truck company and need a work truck executive recruiter, start with a confidential consultation.

An upfitter recruiting firm built for the work truck industry

Captains Club is based in Gilbert, Arizona and recruits work truck leaders across the Western U.S. Most clients are owner-led and PE-backed companies of roughly $10M to $100M in revenue. Founder Daniel Cheetham leads every search himself. You can meet Daniel and the firm or see who we serve.

A generalist recruiter can find someone with the right title. A title tells you little about whether that person has kept a build schedule moving while chassis sit on back order, or held a fleet buyer's delivery date when the install bay was full. We recruit leaders who have carried that load at work truck companies.

Upfitter and work truck seats we fill

We fill six seats at upfitters and work truck companies: President, COO, EOS Integrator, General Manager or Head of Operations, VP of Sales, and Regional President. Every search starts with what the seat must own:

• President. Carries the whole business: P&L, backlog, key OEM and fleet relationships, and the leadership team, so the owner can step back.
• COO. Runs the plant floor, the install schedule, and service day to day. An upfitter COO is often the first hire who takes scheduling off the owner's desk.
• EOS Integrator. Runs the leadership team and the weekly meeting rhythm for a company on EOS, beside a Visionary owner. See our EOS Integrator executive search page.
• General Manager or Head of Operations. Owns throughput at one plant or one install network. At a truck body manufacturer, this is usually the leader who answers for units built and shipped each week.
• VP of Sales. Owns revenue across fleet accounts and dealer channels, and keeps what sales promises in line with what the floor can build.
• Regional President. Holds P&L and operating authority for a group of install locations inside a multi-site network.

Still deciding between a COO and a President? Read the founder's guide to hiring a COO before you open the search.

What we test for in a work truck leader

We test for five things: chassis flow, production and install capacity, multi-location handoffs, fleet account commitments, and how a leader works with an involved owner. We ask each candidate for specific examples and check them with references.

• Chassis flow and OEM coordination. How did they keep the line full when chassis arrived late or an OEM spec changed mid-order?
• Production plus install capacity. Have they matched shop output to installer headcount so finished bodies and waiting trucks do not pile up in the yard?
• Multi-location handoffs. Have they run a second or third site without the owner acting as the go-between?
• Fleet account commitments. Do they tie what a fleet customer is promised to the forecast, the build slots, and after-sale service?
• Working with an involved owner. Can they take real authority while the founder is still in the building every day?

How the search works

Every search runs through Navigating Talent™. Head, Heart, and Helm carry the evaluation.

Head is behavioral fit. Candidates complete behavioral assessments, and the results are mapped against the decision-making traits of the hiring manager and the leadership team. You see where a candidate and the owner are likely to clash before an offer goes out.

Heart is intrinsic drive and core values. Why this person wants this seat, and whether that reason will still hold in year two.

Helm is hard skills and real prior experience: production, install crews, and fleet accounts at a comparable scale.

Horizon, the outside relationships a leader brings, comes in when the seat needs them.

The search itself is simple to follow:

1. We identify 50 to 100 passive leaders who fit your operating environment. Most of them are not looking for a job.
2. You meet finalists through presentation packets that measure each one against the defined seat.
3. You get a status update every week, and a live candidate portal shows outreach and interviews as they happen.
4. Every search is backed by a six-month replacement guarantee.

Pricing and the full engagement are on What we do.

Results you can check

The Results page publishes three numbers: a 94% 12-month stick rate, a 9.6 Net Promoter Score, and 100% Aptive Index Certified. Client and candidate testimonials are on the same page.

Go deeper: our work truck executive search guide

Our guide to executive search for the work truck industry is the long version. It walks through each leadership seat and the growth signals that point to it, so read it before you call if you want the full picture.

Upfitter recruiting FAQs

Do you recruit executives for upfitters and truck body manufacturers?

Yes. Captains Club places Presidents, COOs, General Managers, and VPs of Sales at fleet upfitters, truck body manufacturers, and commercial truck equipment distributors, including NTEA member companies, across the Western U.S.

What makes a work truck executive search different?

A work truck leader has to manage chassis flow, OEM coordination, production and install capacity, and fleet account commitments at the same time. We screen for leaders who have done that work at a comparable company.

Do you only work with Arizona companies?

No. Captains Club is based in Gilbert, Arizona and recruits work truck and upfitter leaders across the Western U.S.

How do you evaluate a work truck leader?

We use Navigating Talent, which looks at Head (behavioral fit with the owner), Heart (intrinsic drive and values), and Helm (hard skills and real experience running production, installation, and teams).

Is there a guarantee?

Yes. Every search is backed by a six-month replacement guarantee.

How do I start a confidential search?

Call 480-347-9000 or book a consultation at captainsclub.com/contact-us.