Four Star Freightliner Staff

Jerome A. Kocan is the Dealer Principal of Four Star Freightliner, Inc. and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Four Star Freightliner is headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, but has six other locations in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

After graduating college from The Ohio State University, Kocan went to work for Roadway Express in Atlanta.  After spending three years with Roadway he accepted an opportunity to work with Caterpillar in their engine division. After two years, he earned the distinction as the No. 1 Truck Engine Account Manager in North America.  He then was promoted to Business Manager responsible for all Caterpillar Engine business in the State of Georgia.

In 1991, Kocan was recruited by Volvo/GM Heavy Truck Corporation to open and manage a factory branch (two stores) in Atlanta. He grew those two facilities to over $100M in sales (profitably) annually and was recognized as both Volvo and GMC’s (medium duty) Top Performing Dealers not only in the southeast but nationally.

He was recruited by Freightliner Market Development Corporation in 1999 for an opportunity in Alabama.  It was then that Kocan bought the assets and assumed the locations of the Freightliner dealerships in Montgomery and Dothan, Alabama from Daimler Trucks, North America.  These two locations were brought together in January of 2000.

Seeing a need for a service facility to support the customers in South Georgia, Kocan opened a Freightliner service facility in Tifton, Georgia in late 2001. In 2003, he opened an additional Freightliner store in Tallahassee, Florida and a sixth facility in Albany, Georgia in 2014. His seventh location in Valley, Ala. opened in December 2019. Presently, Four Star Freightliner employs 200+ team members.

Kocan has previously served on the Western Star Dealer Council and presently serves on the Freightliner Dealer Council. He was elected to the Elite Support Dealer Advisory Group for 2017 & 2018. 

In 2018, Kocan became the recipient of the Successful Dealer Award which honors a medium- and heavy-duty truck dealer for their positive influence on the industry and their communities. In 2015, Kocan was selected as finalist for the ATD (American Truck Dealers) Dealer of the Year Award.

He serves on the board of the Alabama Trucking Association and a member of the Georgia Motor Trucking Association since 1986. He is an active member of the Technology & Maintenance Council and is on the board of directors for the Ingram State Technical College Foundation. He was also recently appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey to the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Technical Advisory Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways.

Nancy J. Kocan serves as the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Four Star Freightliner, Inc. She has been described by fellow board members as the heart and conscience of the company where her influence can be felt throughout its seven locations. It was Nancy who decided that the four stars in "Four Star Freightliner" would represent all four family members of her family: Her husband Jerry, daughters Meredith and Samantha, and herself. In her role as Vice Chairperson, she consistently provides unwavering support, counsel, and vital feedback that is needed during the company’s decision-making process.

Nancy attended Siena Heights University in Adrian, MI where she studied psychology and criminal justice. She initially wanted to be a public defender, but later decided to work with at-risk girls as a case manager at a juvenile detention facility. Searching for something more adventurous, Nancy switched gears and became a flight attendant which allowed her to travel the world. It was after a chance meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania back in 1989 that she met her now-husband of more than 30 years, Jerry.

Jerry credits his wife's encouragement and necessary assistance in the beginning stages of their business for its continued success. He recalls times back in 2000 when she would spread inventory and asset reports over the floor and would highlight all of their green bar reports. She has always done what needed to be done without complaining.

Nancy, alongside her husband, have raised two successful young women. One is a certified nurse anesthetist, and the other is currently a PhD student. Nancy focuses her attention on supporting a growing and successful business with locations in three states, while balancing that with being an indispensable, vital support system for her family.

Suzy Herring has served on the Four Star Freightliner, Inc. Board of Directors since 2020 as secretary. Suzy's career has consisted of roles and management positions including human resources director, office manager, and translator.

She is fluent in English and Korean which makes her a valuable and sought-after resource. Suzy grew up in Korea and moved to the United States when she was 14-years-old. She lived in New Jersey until she decided to attend college in Chicago. She studied Fine Arts at the Art Institute of Chicago and later transferred to the International Academy of Merchandising and Design, which is also in Chicago.

Although she studied business merchandising and management with plans to become a department store buyer, her career took a different turn when she decided to move to Alabama. She spent nearly a decade working as an office manager for Alabama Bolt & Supply in Montgomery before she sought a new opportunity at KOAM Maintenance, a Hyundai Tier II supplier. At KOAM she served as the office manager, performed human resources duties, and provided translating services.

In 2016, Suzy accepted a position as Human Resources Director with Four Star Freightliner where she oversees the interviewing and hiring of new staff, benefits, enforcing policies, and being the bridge between management and more than 200 employees. 

Scott Coleson serves as the treasurer of the Board of Directors for Four Star Freightliner. He started as an intern at Four Star Freightliner in Dothan in 2011 while a student at Troy University Dothan. He graduated in 2012 has has since been promoted from intern, to senior accountant to controller to CFO.

Scott graduated from the American Truck Dealers (ATD) Academy in January 2017. This program prepares future operators of truck dealerships and provides the fundamentals needed to operate a successful and profitable business. For 11 months, he traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the Dealer Academy.

As a dedicated employee of Four Star Freightliner, Scott is:

A member of the Change Management Team: Responsible for identifying opportunities for improvement throughout our dealerships so that the location maintains its Elite Support Certification. The certification ensures that the dealership delivers unmatched customer service and efficiency every time a truck comes in for maintenance or repair.

20 Group: As a member of this group, Scott meets with other Freightliner dealerships from across the country to suggest and develop best practices and collaborate on new ideas to bring back to Four Star Freightliner. It also provides an opportunity to compare and analyze Four Star’s performance against a competitive marketplace.   

Procede Software System Expert: Procede is the operating system for Four Star Freightliner and Scott underwent extensive training to ensure business operations continue without interruption and allows him to set and track company goals.

Scott is a member of the Alabama Society of Public Accountants and has even volunteered with Save First Tax Prep to help low-income, working families, file taxes for free.

David Turner serves as Sergeant-At-Arms for the Board of Directors for Four Star Freightliner, Inc. His love for the trucking industry started when he was a teenager in Ozark, Ala. when he  began driving for his Uncle Buck’s company, WR Turner Logging. At 19-years-old he hauled wood and moved equipment for his uncle's business. He did that for almost ten years before an issue with his CDL led him to look for temporary employment while it was cleared up.

Before he started working at heavy-duty truck dealer Coffman International in Dothan, Ala., he had never thought of himself as a salesperson. He had every intention of remaining a truck driver. The management knew of David through his interactions with the business as a customer and saw that he could be a salesperson. Coffman offered him the job. All the owner asked for was a one year commitment. One year turned into a decade.  David exceeded expectations as a truck salesman by selling 80-120 trucks per year.

Word spread around the city about David and his exceptional sales record. And when the owner of Four Star Freightliner, Jerry Kocan, opened a location in Dothan, he asked people around town who was the best person to lead his sales department. David's name was mentioned several times. Kocan recruited David with an offer that included a management opportunity and multiple dealerships. He accepted the position as Sales Manager in 2001 and currently oversees the New Truck Sales department at Four Star Freightliner.