Ruling the road by putting customers first. (Oregon City U-Haul)(Company Profile)

Sheila Lloyd's U-Haul dealership wins praise and more customers

Through an unlikely blend of retailing, counseling, merchandising and old-fashioned customer service, Sheila Lloyd vaulted over hundreds of established businesses to create a successful niche in the rough and tumble world of truck rentals.

As she approaches her goal of becoming the first independent U-Haul dealer in Oregon to top the $300,000 mark in total annual sales, she claims the principles that brought her to the top are available to anyone in any business.

The key to her success, Lloyd says, is her propensity for solving problems. Well-planned moves are the exception, not the rule. Many customers are relocating because of a death or illness in the family, a divorce or a layoff. When people come in her door stressed out, Lloyd offers them a hot cup of coffee and a soft chair. While the customers discuss their …