Bill Schrider, owner of Millsboro-based In-N-Out Tire and Auto Care, has been specializing in automobiles since his first job as a mechanic, which he started while attending high school in Montgomery County, Md., in 1973.
Coastal Point • RYAN SAXTON
Tricks Trucks and Cars and In-N-Out Tire and Auto Care owner Bill Schrider with stepson Curtis Harne in their shop in Millsboro.
Since opening his place along Betts Pond Road in Millsboro more than a year ago, he’s had a successful run — although now, with the addition of franchise Trick Trucks and Cars, he hopes to be wheeling in even more business.
Schrider had initially started his own business 11 years ago in one of Trick Trucks’ bays. From there, he expanded his own business in Rockville, Md., before relocating to southern Delaware with wife Rita. He even established himself as an ASE certified master tech, L-1, and has now been a master tech for 20 years.
Eight months ago, he contacted Trick Trucks again, this time with a new proposal.
“I saw a need for it in the area,” he said, “and it would go along well with the tire and auto shop I was running.”
The franchise, originally a Washington, D.C., network specializing in van conversions back in 1970, had moved in the recent years to car and truck customization and accessories, growing with the popularity of sport compact and the import automobile hype.
They happily obliged to Schrider’s offer, making the Millsboro location the first one in the state of Delaware and the first physically located on the Delmarva Peninsula. Trick Trucks and Cars currently has locations around the D.C. metro area, in the cities of Kensington, Waldorf, Frederick, Lanham, Hagerstown and Lexington Park, as well as in Annapolis and Chantilly, Va., and Martinsburg. W.Va.
To accommodate the expansion of his company with Trick Trucks and Cars, Schrider removed offices in his original building to make space available for a showroom. Inside the showroom, customers can peruse an extensive selection of wheels, tires, steps, running boards and tool boxes.
Along with stepson and employee Curtis Harne, he’s turning Trick Trucks and Cars into the area’s hottest stop for virtually any automobile add-on imaginable.
“We can pretty much deal with anything you could ever want for your vehicle,” said Harn. “We’ve got a pretty big selection to choose from; everything from lift kits and hitches to floor mats and bed liners.”
Harn previously worked as an electrician, so the transition into mechanics has come easily.
“Anything here can really make a truck or car jump out and come to life,” Schrider said.
Trick Trucks and Cars, accessorizing pick-ups, sedan, coupes and even sport utility vehicles, carries brand lines such as Skyjacker, Procomp, Husky, Westin and Weather Guard, specializing in commercial vehicles.
They also offer top-quality, fiberglass caps and lids made by the widely popular company Ranch. Next-day delivery is usually available on their 100,000-plus accessories available, and installation is done right on location.
“Business has been really good,” Schrider said. “We’re family-owned and run, and that really helps a lot.”
Rita Schrider helps with scheduling and taking orders, as well, while a handful of others help manage the pit work in the establishment’s eight bays.
Schrider and Harne are looking into window tinting, as well, a feature offered at only select Trick Truck locations. “It’s a whole new thing for me,” Schrider said, “but I’d like to have it up and running by December.”
Schrider and Harne took a trip out to Las Vegas this month, too, to one of the largest car shows in the country, scouting the newest styles, trends and advancements in automobile performance and appearance.
“We want to stay current with what’s popular and hot,” said Schrider.
“It’s nice that we can specialize in car stuff, too,” he added. “It brings in a lot more people. It’s great for even the small add-ons. It doesn’t have to be something very big.”
Business is good for Trick Trucks and Cars, but there’s always competition. “We’ll match any competitor’s price,” Schrider assured.
Between the tire and auto shop and Trick Trucks’ accessories, the clientele has run the gamut.
“There are regulars coming in here for an oil change, tire rotation and tune-ups, but we’ll have young customers and even middle-aged men looking around for something for their truck,” said Schrider.
In-N-Out Tire and Auto Care is a Goodyear and Gemini dealer, permitting a 12-month, 12,000-mile nationwide warranty work.
For more information, stop by their location at 24572 Betts Pond Road in Millsboro, or call Trick Trucks and Cars at (302) 934-6205 or In-N-Out Tire and Auto Care at (302) 934-1900.