Volume 16 - Jerr-Dan
Volume 16 - Jerr-Dan
Volume 16 - Jerr-Dan
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
An Oshkosh Truck Corporation Company<br />
VOLUME <strong>16</strong>, NUMBER 1 | March 2007<br />
www.jerr-dan.com<br />
For the hard-working towing professional<br />
Win a trip to<br />
nascar!<br />
See pages 20-21<br />
After 15 years<br />
our magazine is still<br />
Running<br />
Hard<br />
RUNHARD is sent to you<br />
compliments of<br />
PRSRT STD<br />
U.S. Postage<br />
PAID<br />
Lebanon Jct., KY<br />
Permit #246
Comment<br />
making great<br />
even<br />
better<br />
Where has the time gone?<br />
It’s been two years since we<br />
revamped and reworked<br />
Run Hard magazine (formerly Carriers &<br />
Wreckers) to give it a refreshing<br />
new look and even more hard-hitting<br />
editorial. We’ve received a lot of positive<br />
feedback these past two years and we<br />
thank you for all your suggestions.<br />
In an effort to<br />
meet your needs,<br />
we have added<br />
a few sections to<br />
this year’s editorial<br />
lineup.<br />
• Q & A.<br />
This is your<br />
opportunity to ask questions about your<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> equipment — how it’s made,<br />
why it’s made that way, etc. Check out<br />
Page 22 to see the questions we’ve<br />
received the most this past year. Do you<br />
have a question of your own? E-mail us<br />
at RunHard@cygnusb2b.com!<br />
• Distributor Profiles. Your<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Distributor partners with you.<br />
In addition to offering you advice and<br />
spec’ing information before the sale, they<br />
also offer you service long after the sale.<br />
We feel it’s important to recognize our<br />
Distributors so we’ve created a section to<br />
do just that.<br />
• Manufacturing. All phases of<br />
the <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> manufacturing process take<br />
part in a state-of-the-art facility. If you<br />
haven’t yet taken a tour, we invite you<br />
to do so this year. We’re happy to have<br />
you! In the magazine this year, we<br />
are focusing on several key areas of<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> manufacturing: engineering,<br />
facility, processes and people. The latter<br />
Do you want to see your rig<br />
in Run Hard magazine?<br />
E-mail us at<br />
RunHard@cygnusb2b.com<br />
is the focus for this issue on Page 14-15.<br />
• International Review.<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> equipment isn’t limited to the<br />
United States. In fact, there are <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
wreckers and carriers all over North<br />
America. This new section will spotlight<br />
those international applications.<br />
• Running Hard. Showcase your<br />
rig in action in the new Running Hard<br />
section of the<br />
magazine. A sister<br />
section to the popular<br />
Show & Go<br />
feature, Running<br />
Hard is a place<br />
to spotlight your<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> equipment<br />
doing what it does best: work.<br />
As an extra bonus, for every submission<br />
we receive for the Show & Go and<br />
Running Hard sections, your name will<br />
be entered into a drawing for an allexpenses<br />
paid trip for two to the Texas<br />
Motor Speedway in November 2007!<br />
See Pages 20-21 for details.<br />
In addition to these new sections in<br />
Run Hard, you’ll continue to see your<br />
favorite articles about how other towing<br />
professionals like you are meeting business<br />
challenges common to the industry.<br />
You’ll also learn more about valuable<br />
business management<br />
topics<br />
like soliciting new<br />
accounts (Page<br />
12) and selecting<br />
your heavy duty<br />
(Page 8).<br />
Jeff Weller, President<br />
www.jerr-dan.com<br />
For the HARD-WORKING Towing professional<br />
4<br />
Contents<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-dan<br />
owner profile<br />
The weather in Denver can be unpredictable,<br />
but the towing services provided<br />
by John’s Towing are always reliable.<br />
6 Company news<br />
7 international review<br />
8 jack’s Viewpoint<br />
Steer clear of the ratings game.<br />
12 business management<br />
Soliciting new accounts — think BIG.<br />
14 manufacturing<br />
At <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> it starts and ends with people.<br />
<strong>16</strong> JerR-dan owner profile<br />
This New Jersey tower grows his family<br />
towing business the old-fashioned way<br />
— one truck at a time.<br />
18 distributor profile<br />
Summit Truck Equipment<br />
Eastern Wrecker Sales<br />
20 show & go/Running hard<br />
22 Q&A<br />
Our Mission<br />
To provide you with timely information<br />
about towing and recovery equipment<br />
technology, products and safety.<br />
“Since 1992”<br />
Run Hard is published on behalf of <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Corporation, an<br />
Oshkosh Truck Corporation Company, and <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Distributors.<br />
Editorial office: 1233 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0803.<br />
Phone: (800) 547-7377. E-mail: RunHard@cygnusb2b.com.<br />
Printed in the United States, © 2007 <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Corporation<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> <strong>16</strong>, Number 1, March 2007. For Canada: Agreement<br />
Number 40064547.<br />
R U N H A R D<br />
v o l vol.<strong>16</strong>, . 1 5 , n o no.1 . 1 mmarch a r c h 20070 0 6
Owner Profile<br />
Honestyis the<br />
best policy<br />
The weather in Denver can<br />
be unpredictable, but the towing<br />
services provided by John’s Towing<br />
are always reliable.<br />
Owner Profile<br />
John’s Towing Service<br />
Aurora, Colorado<br />
In recent months, the Denver<br />
area has seen its share of winter<br />
weather. Unpredictable weather<br />
is a part of living in the vicinity of<br />
the Colorado mountains. And for<br />
those at John’s Towing in Denver,<br />
it’s all in a days work.<br />
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a<br />
blizzard or a sunny day, we are<br />
always open and towing . . . and<br />
we charge the same rates, no<br />
matter what the weather,” explains<br />
Ron Pietrafeso, general manager<br />
of John’s Towing Service. Pietrafeso<br />
is married to joint owner Adrienne<br />
Pietrafeso (see caption with<br />
photo below.)<br />
Trudy Mazzo, center, and her late husband James<br />
bought John’s Towing more than 25 years ago.<br />
Today the company is owned by Trudy and her<br />
daughters, Vicki Simmons, left, and Adrienne<br />
Pietrafeso, right. All three remain involved in the<br />
business to this day.<br />
Charging a fair price and true<br />
24-hour service has earned John’s<br />
Towing a reputation as one of<br />
the area’s most reliable towing<br />
companies. John’s Towing Service<br />
was purchased by Trudy and James<br />
Mazzo in 1980 as an addition to<br />
the auto repair business they started<br />
in 1968. It has evolved into a thriving<br />
24-employee-staffed full-service<br />
towing company.<br />
The golden rule<br />
The key to growth, according<br />
to Mazzo, is simple — honesty.<br />
“My late husband was a<br />
perfectionist and very honest,” she<br />
recalls. “From the beginning, if he<br />
didn’t think a vehicle was worth the<br />
cost to fix, he’d tell the customer.<br />
I didn’t understand why he turned<br />
away business, but I learned. If you<br />
are honest with people, they will<br />
remember and come back. And they<br />
did — for repair work and for towing.<br />
We have customers today that<br />
we’ve had for 25 years.”<br />
That honest, hard-working<br />
attitude was passed on by Trudy<br />
and James to their daughters, Vicki<br />
Simmons and Adrienne Pietrafeso.<br />
James passed away unexpectedly<br />
in 1985 and the three women have<br />
been running the collision repair<br />
shop and towing company ever<br />
since. (All participated in running<br />
the business before his passing.)<br />
“It was challenging,” says<br />
Pietrafeso, “because James was a<br />
very hands-on man.” However, the<br />
family perservered and today you’ll<br />
see the company’s 15 <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
carriers performing towing jobs<br />
all around the Denver metro area.<br />
The company typically tows<br />
within a 50-mile radius of Denver;<br />
however long-distance tows through<br />
the mountains are not uncommon.<br />
Call volume averages about 1,500<br />
tows a month. The full-service repair<br />
shop has become its own separate<br />
company; John’s Towing focuses strictly<br />
on light- and medium-duty towing.<br />
The right choices<br />
John’s Towing relies exclusively<br />
on <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> for its carriers. It standardizes<br />
on 21-ft. steel diamondplated<br />
rollback beds.<br />
James bought the first <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
back in 1983, and Ron Pietrafeso has<br />
carried on that purchase decision.<br />
“We’ve had other carriers over<br />
the years,” says Pietrafeso. “Several<br />
years ago I decided to switch exclusively<br />
to <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> because I was<br />
unhappy with the mechanical problems<br />
of those other carriers. Today,<br />
our <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> carriers are virtually<br />
maintenance free. We haven’t experienced<br />
any mechanical problems.”<br />
Pietrafeso joined John’s Towing<br />
seven years ago after selling his<br />
auto dealerships. He now serves<br />
as the company’s general manager.<br />
Another standardization<br />
Pietrafeso brought to the towing<br />
equipment is quad cab chassis. “We<br />
found that drivers were picking up<br />
entire families when they went on a<br />
tow. Old conventional flatbeds with<br />
a one-cab seat weren’t cutting it.<br />
We now standardize on quad cabs<br />
with two seats that can carry up to<br />
six passengers.”<br />
Loading a truck onto a 21-ft. steel <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> carrier<br />
in snowy conditions is a breeze for 35-yearexperienced-towing-veteran<br />
David Echelberger.<br />
Air brakes are also a must.<br />
“Our mountain driving requires<br />
more than mechanical hydraulic<br />
brakes,” Pietrafeso notes.<br />
People first<br />
Putting people first is another<br />
aspect of John’s Towing that’s been<br />
carried on throughout the years.<br />
From customers to employees,<br />
people really do come first.<br />
Drivers, for example, are<br />
paid on a commission basis. Trucks<br />
are assigned to drivers and when<br />
they aren’t towing, drivers are<br />
encouraged to go home.<br />
“We’ve found that if they go<br />
home during downtime, versus<br />
waiting around in a parking lot,<br />
it saves on fuel and wear and tear<br />
on the trucks, but more importantly<br />
it saves fatigue on our drivers,<br />
especially our night drivers.”<br />
Reputation is everything,<br />
according to Pietrafeso. “We go out<br />
of our way to work with our drivers.<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Fleet Profile:<br />
Carriers:<br />
15 standard-duty rollback<br />
carriers with 21-ft. steel beds<br />
and wheel lifts<br />
Services<br />
• 24-hour roadside service<br />
• Light- and medium-duty<br />
towing and recovery<br />
• Local and long-distance towing<br />
• Vehicle storage<br />
• Full-service repair shop<br />
When they are here, they work and<br />
when they need something (like time<br />
off), we’re here to help. We’ve been<br />
in business for 26 years and we’ve<br />
never missed a payroll and never<br />
bounced a check. Word gets around<br />
about a company like that.”<br />
In addition to taking care of its<br />
employees, Pietrafeso credits reliable<br />
equipment to the growth of the company.<br />
“When these trucks are down,<br />
our drivers aren’t making money.<br />
We do whatever it takes to make<br />
sure our trucks are operational, and<br />
the <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> decision has been a<br />
good one.”<br />
The proof is in the statistics:<br />
“The majority of our drivers have<br />
been around for a while; some more<br />
than 20 years. That’s an oddity in<br />
this business, and one that we’d like<br />
to maintain,” he concludes. ■<br />
R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
R U N H A R D <br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7
Company News<br />
American Towman<br />
Expo 2006 Roundup<br />
Nearly 12,000 towing professionals<br />
from all 50 states (and 20 nations)<br />
flooded the show floor at the 2006<br />
event in Baltimore.<br />
International Review<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> around the world<br />
The weather was cookin’ and so was the action on the track during the second annual<br />
Grand Prix of Edmonton, Alberta. The Canadian City of Champions played host to<br />
a Champ Car World Series Grand Prix race this past summer. More than 170,000<br />
people braved the sweltering heat to watch the competition. Alberta Motor Association<br />
was an event sponsor and the “official<br />
rescue vehicle” for the Grand Prix of<br />
Edmonton. ERS drivers kept busy cleaning<br />
up more than 25 vehicle collisions.<br />
ERS had four wrecker trucks (<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
HPL 35s with Ford F450 chassis) and<br />
two carriers on hand during the races.<br />
Glenn, Marianne and Kevin Fox of<br />
Alligator Towing in Naples, Fla., took<br />
delivery of this brand-new <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
60-ton Rotator after the show.<br />
This <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> HDL 600 wrecker, mounted<br />
on an Oshkosh Highland truck chassis,<br />
is the first of its kind — and it was<br />
recently delivered to Iraq to assist<br />
in reconstruction.<br />
The <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> HDL 700/480<br />
35-ton wrecker was on display.<br />
The <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> booth was buzzing with a full staff,<br />
ready to answer all your questions!<br />
Check out the MPL40 wrecker<br />
with motorcycle transport system.<br />
The Side Loading Vehicle Retriever<br />
(SLVR) made another appearance<br />
this year. The carrier was debuted at<br />
the 2005 American Towman Expo.<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Corporation recently welcomed Len<br />
Zermeno as the company’s newest regional manager<br />
for the states of Texas and Oklahoma. Zermeno provides<br />
sales support, customer service assistance and<br />
spec’ing support to customers through <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>’s distribution<br />
network.<br />
Join us for the<br />
next American<br />
Towman Expo!<br />
November <strong>16</strong>-18, 2007<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
welcomes<br />
new regional<br />
manager<br />
The Pioneer aluminum carrier<br />
with 21-ft. bed was popular.<br />
Len Zermeno has worked in and around towing<br />
equipment his entire life, including a successful career<br />
in sales with several of <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>’s largest distributors.<br />
His knowledge of the business started in 1986 working<br />
side-by-side with his father, performing installations<br />
of towing equipment. Zermeno has also been a<br />
successful business owner and joined <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> after<br />
selling his business.<br />
“We’re extremely pleased to have Len, a long-time<br />
friend and supporter of <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>, join us as our newest<br />
regional manager. He knows towing equipment and<br />
understands the needs of the tow operator,” says Joel<br />
Amsley, <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> vice president of sales. “Len brings<br />
years of experience to the table. He is well known and<br />
respected within our industry.”<br />
Left: Bill and Roberta Smith, owners of<br />
Cowichan Towing in Duncan, British Columbia,<br />
find the Hino 258 twin tunnels, coupled with the<br />
HPL 6000 gave them maximum towability.<br />
Right: Folks at C&N Rentals in Courtenay,<br />
British Columbia, like the tow hitch feature of this<br />
aluminum carrier with 19-ft bed. Both trucks were<br />
sold by Del Equipment Limited in Port Coquitlam,<br />
British Columbia.<br />
Left: Alberta Motor Association in Edmonton,<br />
Alberta, thanks Glenn Badry of Tony’s Towing<br />
in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, for taking delivery of this<br />
MDL 280/110 integrated wrecker.<br />
Right: All Rig Towing of Winnipeg, Manitoba,<br />
recently took delivery of this <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> HDL 500.<br />
R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
www.jerr-dan.com v<br />
R U N H A R D <br />
o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7
Jack’s Viewpoint<br />
Selecting a<br />
heavy duty (HD)<br />
wrecker can be<br />
a little overwhelming,<br />
especially if it’s your<br />
first HD purchase.<br />
Before you make that<br />
purchase, there are<br />
many factors to<br />
consider in addition<br />
to the rating.<br />
Upon close<br />
examination, it soon<br />
becomes obvious that there is a<br />
tremendous difference between<br />
wreckers with the same rating from<br />
different manufacturers. To address<br />
this, the Society of Automotive<br />
Engineers (SAE) encouraged the<br />
development of SAE J2512, which<br />
sets forth a standard procedure for<br />
testing and rating a wrecker.<br />
However, you need to know<br />
that (1) not everybody follows<br />
the voluntary standard, choosing<br />
instead to rate their equipment on<br />
the basis of size and appearance,<br />
and (2) those that do follow the<br />
standard are required to validate<br />
only the wrecker boom, which alone<br />
determines the rating.<br />
Selecting Your<br />
Heavy<br />
Duty<br />
Steer clear of the ‘ratings game.’<br />
By Jack Schrock<br />
As a result, very important<br />
performance features are often<br />
not a part of the rating process.<br />
Likewise, the smaller <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> 25-<br />
ton wrecker offers such features that<br />
may not be available on a competitor’s<br />
wrecker of twice the rating.<br />
The ratings game<br />
So, what’s the deal with this<br />
ratings business? Well, wrecker<br />
manufacturers and fabricators have<br />
learned that most towers are looking<br />
only at the rating and price when<br />
making a purchase decision. So,<br />
salesmen play the game of offering<br />
a higher rating at a lower price in<br />
order to sell more equipment. The<br />
reality is that the necessary performance<br />
features are often completely<br />
overlooked, forcing the buyer<br />
to later modify and upfit in order to<br />
achieve even modest performance.<br />
Yes, there once was a time<br />
when reputable wrecker manufacturers<br />
designed, manufactured, tested<br />
and rated their entire wrecker and<br />
not just the structural strength of<br />
the wrecker boom. But the introduction<br />
of the hydraulic wrecker has<br />
allowed some emerging “assemblers”<br />
to randomly purchase<br />
off-the-shelf components and then<br />
give the completed unit an unrealistically<br />
high and unproven rating.<br />
To those that do not test at all, such<br />
a rating is little more than a meaningless<br />
set of numbers stamped on<br />
the nameplate.<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> offers a<br />
performance rating<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> welcomes prospective<br />
buyers of HD wreckers at our plant<br />
for a talk and tour. We begin in the<br />
conference room by asking each<br />
visitor the rating of the wrecker they<br />
are interested in. When they tell us,<br />
we then ask why they’ve selected<br />
that particular rating. Without<br />
exception, nobody ever knows<br />
why, which confirms that most are<br />
already trapped in this ratings-andprice<br />
game.<br />
Before going any further, we<br />
explain that <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> offers a full<br />
line of Towing and Recovery (T&R)<br />
equipment starting with the entrylevel<br />
25-ton up to the severe-service<br />
60-ton Rotator. When installed on<br />
a proper chassis, all are capable of<br />
both towing and recovery.<br />
And, as in the past, <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
designs, manufactures and tests its<br />
equipment before giving it an overall<br />
performance rating that applies<br />
to the entire unit, not just the boom.<br />
There is even more as <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> will<br />
configure the model that best serves<br />
your needs with accessories and an<br />
appropriate truck chassis to assure<br />
total performance that fully meets<br />
your expectations.<br />
Look beyond the<br />
boom rating<br />
If you’ve just landed a large<br />
bus fleet, the first thing to consider<br />
is the distance from the wheels (pick<br />
point) to the front/rear of the bus<br />
because towing these fragile vehicles<br />
will be a major part of your job. If<br />
your new underlift won’t extend far<br />
enough to make that pick, then that<br />
particular wrecker won’t<br />
do your job no matter<br />
how high the boom rating.<br />
Also, if you’re primarily doing<br />
recovery work, then higher-capacity,<br />
multiple (not just variable) speed<br />
winches with longer service lines<br />
are essential if you expect to win the<br />
bonus money for early completion.<br />
And boom lifting height and<br />
capacity when<br />
fully extended<br />
can also be<br />
important<br />
recovery factors<br />
to consider.<br />
None of<br />
these stats are<br />
to be found in<br />
the so-called<br />
“rating.” What’s<br />
the value of a<br />
higher-rated<br />
boom when the underlift only<br />
extends 92 in., or tilts up only<br />
10 degrees, or<br />
doesn’t even tilt<br />
at all, or<br />
“Look beyond the<br />
nameplate rating<br />
to the performance<br />
features and then<br />
take the time<br />
to match those<br />
features to your<br />
work requirement.”<br />
when the winches are smaller or just<br />
cheap knock-offs?<br />
There are many other important<br />
features to consider if you want your<br />
new rig to do the job and none are<br />
reflected in the boom rating. Look<br />
beyond the nameplate rating to the<br />
performance features and then<br />
take the time<br />
to match those<br />
features to your<br />
work requirement.<br />
Only in<br />
this way can<br />
you be assured<br />
of equipment<br />
that will do your<br />
job at a competitive<br />
price.<br />
To better<br />
understand the<br />
process, you are cordially invited<br />
to a plant tour. Contact your authorized<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> distributor for details.<br />
See Ya’ Soon!<br />
For more information visit<br />
www.jerr-dan.com. ■<br />
R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
R U N H A R D <br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7
TAKES ANYTHING YOU THROW<br />
ON IT OR AT IT.<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>® aluminum and steel carriers are built to withstand years of hard use. That’s because <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> builds the toughest materials<br />
and most innovative technologies into superior designs. STEELBEAM TM technology on aluminum carriers means lightweight mobility with<br />
heavy-duty durability. No-Lube TM pivot joints on all <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> carriers mean no mess and even less worries. And all that means you can handle<br />
the most difficult towing and recovery jobs over and over again. Whatever the job throws at you, throw it at <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>.<br />
©2007 JERR-DAN CORPORATION<br />
®JERR-DAN AND THE JERR-DAN LOGO ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF JERR-DAN CORPORATION, GREENCASTLE, PA.
Business Management<br />
Soliciting<br />
New Accounts<br />
By Brent and Cheri Ellision-Carroll of Ellison’s Towing Inc.<br />
12 R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
Is it important<br />
to<br />
obtain new<br />
accounts? Or<br />
can you rest<br />
comfortably on<br />
your laurels,<br />
confident that<br />
your current<br />
accounts will<br />
always be<br />
around, and<br />
most importantly,<br />
will always<br />
call you for their<br />
towing needs?<br />
I believe that soliciting and<br />
obtaining new accounts on a regular,<br />
continuous basis is one of the<br />
most important endeavors you can<br />
do to improve your business. In this<br />
day and age there are two things<br />
you can bank on: First, businesses<br />
can and do fail at an alarmingly<br />
fast rate with little or no warning to<br />
an outside observer, and two, someone<br />
wants YOUR current accounts!<br />
It does happen<br />
Let me give you a personal<br />
example that recently happened to<br />
not only our business, but numerous<br />
towing companies in California.<br />
There was a very large auto repair<br />
chain that had been in business for<br />
about 40 years, with many auto<br />
repair shops throughout the state.<br />
There were many towing companies<br />
that listed this particular business as<br />
one of their largest accounts, including<br />
us. All of a sudden, overnight,<br />
every one of their body shops closed<br />
their doors. On the Friday before,<br />
employees went home as usual.<br />
The following Monday morning<br />
when they returned to work —<br />
surprise! The doors were chained<br />
shut and a security guard was<br />
posted in front of every auto body<br />
shop! Some locations never opened<br />
that Monday. At other shops that<br />
had already opened their doors,<br />
employees were escorted out and<br />
the doors were locked with a freeze<br />
on all tools and vehicles owned by<br />
employees and customers! To add<br />
insult to injury, the employees’ last<br />
paychecks bounced. Ouch!<br />
What happened? Well it turns<br />
out that a couple of creditors had<br />
put them in liquidation over the<br />
weekend. Interestingly, only the<br />
previous Wednesday, it had been<br />
announced and carried in all of the<br />
state’s largest newspapers that this<br />
company was going to be acquired<br />
by another large auto body chain,<br />
and the future was wonderful for<br />
their employees! Wow!<br />
Suddenly, we had lost one of<br />
our top accounts, with all outstanding<br />
monies owed uncollectible. But,<br />
fortunately, we are always soliciting<br />
other business leads to expand our<br />
client base. We secured a couple<br />
of those leads that very month and<br />
it more than made up for the loss.<br />
But what if we had not been proactive?<br />
Well, we obviously would have<br />
needed to lay off employees until we<br />
located some more business. And<br />
that could have taken days, weeks<br />
or even months.<br />
Be proactive<br />
Since it should now be painfully<br />
obvious on the “WHY,” what<br />
about the “HOW”? How do you<br />
obtain new clients? Will it be easy?<br />
Not always. In all likelihood, you<br />
will encounter all types of resistance<br />
when you make your sales pitch,<br />
ranging from fierce loyalty to the<br />
current towing company to reluctance<br />
to try new things. You will<br />
hear replies such as “We don’t have<br />
a problem with XYZ Towing, so why<br />
should we switch?”<br />
However, you must realize that<br />
these are the very answers you are<br />
looking for, as it gives you the “in”<br />
to SELL YOUR BUSINESS and its<br />
strengths. You CAN do that at the<br />
drop of a hat, can’t you?<br />
If not, sit down and make a<br />
list detailing all your company’s<br />
strengths. What can you provide<br />
that your competitor cannot, or will<br />
not? Can you guarantee prompt,<br />
damage-free service? Can you<br />
provide your prospective client with<br />
both a truck and driver that match<br />
or exceed their expectations of<br />
professionalism? If you can, then by<br />
all means TELL THEM ABOUT IT!<br />
Be honest. Never promise<br />
anything you cannot or will not do.<br />
Want an example? Do not make a<br />
sales call and tell them you have<br />
shiny, clean, late-model trucks and<br />
think BIG<br />
that your drivers are always in full<br />
uniform, and can guarantee delivery<br />
to every tow within 30 minutes after<br />
the initial call. Don’t THEN have<br />
your driver show up two hours later<br />
wearing a sloppy shirt and worn<br />
jeans, driving a battered and dirty<br />
20-year-old truck! Do so, and I can<br />
guarantee that you will get two tows<br />
from them at the same time, your<br />
first and last!<br />
Stay in touch<br />
As stated earlier, never forget<br />
that your competitor is also looking<br />
at your current accounts, trying to<br />
figure out a way to capture them for<br />
their own! This reason alone should<br />
be all the motivation you need to get<br />
out and generate new accounts. It<br />
should also be a driving factor for<br />
you to be making occasional visits<br />
to your current clients, ensuring that<br />
you are doing everything you need<br />
to in order to keep their business.<br />
Who knows, in the six months<br />
since you visited their repair facility,<br />
maybe their needs have changed.<br />
Perhaps they hired a new service<br />
manager, whose responsibilities<br />
include calling a towing company<br />
to bring vehicles to their shop. How<br />
would you know if you haven’t seen<br />
them for a year or more?<br />
These things happen on a fairly<br />
frequent basis. Your competitor is<br />
watching for it. Don’t allow them to<br />
have that advantage over you. It’s a<br />
business “Rule of Thumb” that it is<br />
far easier and more enlightened to<br />
keep a valuable employee than it is<br />
to find a new one. The same can be<br />
said for clients. If you do not take<br />
care of your current customer base,<br />
you will find them looking for someone<br />
who will. You will find they will<br />
not have far to go.<br />
Donald Trump is quoted as<br />
saying “Since you are going to<br />
think anyway, think BIG.” I love this.<br />
Have you ever driven by a large<br />
company, a tall skyscraper, or an<br />
incredibly posh business, thinking<br />
how great it would be to land THAT<br />
ONE, but being too intimidated to<br />
drive up and do a “cold call” sales<br />
pitch? Don’t let it happen to you!<br />
Honestly, you really have absolutely<br />
nothing to lose if they turn you<br />
down, and everything to gain if they<br />
agree to give you a try.<br />
Go for it! Have fun. Be proud<br />
of what you are, and how you can<br />
provide your service better than<br />
anyone else. Think BIG!<br />
For more information visit<br />
www.jerr-dan.com. ■<br />
DewEze is proud to be the supplier of<br />
mobile hydraulics to <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>.<br />
We’re here for all your hydraulic needs—<br />
not just auto loaders.<br />
A Division of Harper Industries, Inc.<br />
151 E. Hwy. <strong>16</strong>0, Harper, Kansas 67058 • info@deweze.com<br />
Toll Free 800-835-1042<br />
www.deweze.com
Manufacturing<br />
Quality is our culture<br />
At <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> it starts and<br />
ends with people.<br />
By Mike Baer, vice president of manufacturing for <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Corporation<br />
At <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> we do whatever<br />
it takes to deliver both highquality<br />
and high-value towing<br />
and recovery equipment. We know<br />
that quality just doesn’t happen by<br />
accident — at <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> quality is an<br />
integral part of our culture.<br />
Quality people, quality engineering,<br />
quality facilities and quality<br />
processes yield quality products.<br />
Unfortunately, being quality-minded<br />
alone doesn’t guarantee flawless<br />
operations and quality products.<br />
Rather, it takes a concerted effort<br />
and realization on our part to<br />
recognize that errors can be transformed<br />
into a positive learning<br />
experience, educational process<br />
and ultimately a focused opportunity<br />
for improvement.<br />
The focus of this particular<br />
article is on the human element of<br />
the <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> quality culture. Future<br />
articles will address our facility and<br />
process improvements.<br />
People make<br />
the difference<br />
Investments in facilities, equipment<br />
and processes are very important<br />
aspects of our quality culture,<br />
but equally, if not more important,<br />
is investment in our people.<br />
It often goes without saying,<br />
but definitely well worth focusing on<br />
here, that quality products start and<br />
end with quality people.<br />
Quality products start with<br />
the people who build your units —<br />
from assemblers to welders and<br />
all the other fabricators, machinists,<br />
painters and preppers in between<br />
— paying attention to the details<br />
that allow our carriers and wreckers<br />
to live up to the high-quality<br />
standards you’ve come to expect<br />
from <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>.<br />
There are also the support<br />
groups that keep our processes<br />
working and moving along at an<br />
appropriate pace. These groups<br />
of well-trained people help our<br />
builders successfully accomplish their<br />
tasks and master their jobs. These<br />
support functions are represented<br />
by inspection, maintenance, tooling,<br />
service, shipping and receiving,<br />
stockroom, material handling,<br />
subcontractors and the yard crew.<br />
Next there’s the office support<br />
groups from accounting to warranty<br />
to customer service, engineering,<br />
human resources, marketing,<br />
quality, management information<br />
systems and sales.<br />
Last, but not least, are the<br />
operational support groups<br />
responsible for health and safety,<br />
production, scheduling, supervision,<br />
environmental affairs, purchasing,<br />
facilities, equipment and industrial<br />
engineering.<br />
Investing in the<br />
human side<br />
At <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>, we continue<br />
to “grow” the human side of our<br />
business. We not only add additional<br />
employees as needed, but<br />
we also train those employees to<br />
possess the knowledge and passion<br />
to perform their jobs to our, and<br />
your, quality standards.<br />
Increased focus, efforts and<br />
added resources in the area of<br />
safety, quality, LEAN manufacturing,<br />
training and certification ultimately<br />
makes us safer, more capable and<br />
more competent.<br />
What does an investment in our<br />
people mean to you, our customers?<br />
• Better products<br />
• Better features<br />
• Lower costs<br />
• Higher reliability<br />
• Increased confidence<br />
The key players<br />
Operationally, the groups<br />
leading the charge and empowered<br />
with making it happen everyday at<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> are:<br />
• Stefan Aberg – IE/ME<br />
Manager responsible for industrial<br />
engineering, manufacturing engineering,<br />
production control and<br />
LEAN manufacturing functions.<br />
• Steve Akers – Plant<br />
Manager responsible for carrier<br />
operations including production,<br />
supervision and scheduling.<br />
• Joe Baskin – Materials<br />
Manager responsible for purchasing<br />
functions.<br />
• Brian Blind – Site Manager<br />
responsible for Las Vegas operations<br />
including sales, installation and<br />
distribution functions.<br />
• Ray Fair – Plant Manager<br />
responsible for wrecker operations<br />
including production, supervision<br />
and scheduling functions.<br />
• Tim McCulloh –<br />
Operations Engineer responsible<br />
for environmental functions and<br />
facilities operation.<br />
• Todd Sheffer – Safety<br />
Manager responsible for health<br />
and safety functions.<br />
Obliviously a lot of effort<br />
and people — many more than<br />
are mentioned here — go into our<br />
products and your equipment.<br />
The attention to detail and<br />
investment here at <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> are<br />
evident in both the products we<br />
deliver and services we provide<br />
to you everyday.<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>’s commitment to<br />
improvement and investment in our<br />
people, products, processes and<br />
places never ends and is an integral<br />
part of our continuous improvement<br />
journey and commitment to you<br />
our customer.<br />
Thank you for your business<br />
and confidence in our products<br />
— and more importantly — thank<br />
you for your confidence in our most<br />
valuable asset, our people.<br />
For more information visit<br />
www.jerr-dan.com. ■<br />
14 R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
R U N H A R D 15<br />
www.jerr-dan.com v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7
Owner Profile<br />
Putting it in<br />
Perspective<br />
This New Jersey tower grows his family towing<br />
business the old-fashioned way — one truck at a time.<br />
Towing and family — these<br />
are the true passions for<br />
Brian Hawkins, “Hawk,”<br />
owner of Hawk’s Towing & Recovery<br />
in Trenton, N.J. The soon-to-be<br />
father (for the fifth time!) runs his<br />
family towing business with his wife<br />
Cynthia and a crew of about 12<br />
dedicated employees.<br />
Hawkins began his towing company<br />
in 1988 with just one truck.<br />
In the last 19 years, he’s grown<br />
his company to a successful towing,<br />
recovery and repair business<br />
servicing nine police departments,<br />
numerous motor clubs and a slew<br />
of private accounts.<br />
One piece of advice he offers:<br />
“Love what you do and involve your<br />
family because life is very short.”<br />
Hawk knows<br />
Brian Hawkins, owner,<br />
brings new meaning to<br />
the word “customized.”<br />
His MPL40 self-loader is<br />
paired with a 2006 Ford<br />
F-450 and is customized<br />
with aluminum Alcoa<br />
wheels, leather interior,<br />
54 LED lights, custom<br />
stainless running boards,<br />
4-in. chrome stacks,<br />
CD/DVD player and<br />
even Lamborghinistyle<br />
doors!<br />
the meaning of this statement all too<br />
well for his father, Robert J. Hawkins<br />
Sr., passed away last year.<br />
“My dad drove for us for <strong>16</strong><br />
years,” Hawk says. “It’s not the<br />
same without him around.”<br />
Family first<br />
Despite the recent loss of his<br />
father, Hawk has continued to grow<br />
his towing business to the fast-paced<br />
bustling company it is today. His<br />
secret: dedication to the business<br />
and family involvement.<br />
“I don’t know any other way to<br />
describe it. It’s hard work, but if you<br />
have your family/wife partnering<br />
with you, it makes your business<br />
that much stronger.”<br />
And partnering it is. Hawk’s wife<br />
and children can be seen at the<br />
shop almost every day. His 2-yearold<br />
has shown great interest in the<br />
business. “Lil Hawk knows when<br />
there’s a tow show coming up,”<br />
Hawk says.<br />
“There’s no<br />
way I can leave him home!”<br />
Walk into the Trenton, N.J., shop<br />
at any time and you’ll experience the<br />
hustle and bustle for yourself.<br />
Hawk can be found in the fullservice<br />
repair shop, in the dispatch<br />
area or front office, in his own<br />
office or towing in his fully customized<br />
MPL40.<br />
Working beauty<br />
To say Hawk has customized his<br />
MPL40 is really an understatement.<br />
The <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> MPL40 self-loader<br />
is equipped with twin 8,000-lb.<br />
Ramsey winches and rides on a<br />
2006 Ford F-450 chassis.<br />
The customization includes<br />
aluminum Alcoa wheels, 4-in.<br />
chrome stacks, 54 LED lights, front<br />
and rear strobes, 10-head strobe<br />
light-bar, underbody neon lights,<br />
custom-made mirror, stainless running<br />
boards, a CD/DVD<br />
player, leather interior and<br />
Winner of Tow Times 2006 Shine ‘n Star award, Hawk’s MPL40 is a true customized<br />
beauty. Here it rests on top of the company’s two <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> carriers, each sporting<br />
21-ft. steel beds.<br />
embroidered seats. And the paint<br />
job is spectacular!<br />
The truck was recently named the<br />
Tow Times 2006 Shine ‘n Star grand<br />
prize winner.<br />
Aside from its appearance,<br />
Hawk’s MPL40 (one of four <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
trucks in his fleet) is a working truck;<br />
called on daily for impound, private<br />
property and police towing.<br />
“People think this truck is just for<br />
show; it’s not! I use it every day and<br />
I work it hard,” he stresses.<br />
The light-duty truck has really<br />
come in handy for the towing jobs<br />
that take up most of the company’s<br />
time. Servicing within a 30-mile<br />
radius of the city of Trenton, which<br />
is 7 miles in radius itself, is a fastpaced<br />
business.<br />
“The negative tilt of the MPL40<br />
really helps with our private property<br />
towing,” Hawk says. “It also<br />
allows us to get in and out quickly,<br />
a must for this type of towing.”<br />
The company’s fleet services nine<br />
police departments, including the<br />
New Jersey State Police, Hamilton<br />
Police, Mercer County Sheriff’s<br />
Dept., Amtrak Police and the City of<br />
Trenton, as well as dealerships, local<br />
body and repair shops and most of<br />
the motor clubs.<br />
Making money<br />
“I tow for most of the motor<br />
clubs,” Hawk says. “You can make<br />
money at it if you are careful and<br />
don’t overextend your area.<br />
“The trucks are here and ready<br />
to work so I see no sense in leaving<br />
them parked and waiting for<br />
other work when motor club work is<br />
abundant. It’s what’s paying for my<br />
trucks, fuel and drivers.”<br />
In addition to the MPL40, which<br />
handles a good portion of the motor<br />
club work, Hawk’s Towing’s fleet<br />
also incorporates two 21-ft. steelbed<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> rollbacks with wheel<br />
lifts and an HDL 500/280 25-ton<br />
integrated wrecker.<br />
The greaseless pad system on<br />
the rollbacks is a favorite feature of<br />
Hawk’s — and<br />
one of the first<br />
reasons he<br />
bought his first<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>.<br />
His most<br />
recent purchase,<br />
the 25-ton HDL<br />
500/280 has<br />
brought him<br />
more into the<br />
heavy-duty market,<br />
one which<br />
he would like to<br />
expand in upcoming years.<br />
“I haven’t been in the heavy-duty<br />
market that long, although I’ve been<br />
around trucks my whole life,” he<br />
concludes. “I love the versatility and<br />
power of this new 25-ton and I am<br />
focusing our growth on the heavyduty<br />
market. I plan to work hard<br />
and build my heavy-duty fleet just<br />
like I built my light-duty fleet: one<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> truck at a time.” ■<br />
Owner Profile<br />
Hawks Towing<br />
& Recovery<br />
Trenton, New Jersey<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Fleet Profile:<br />
Wrecker:<br />
One MPL40 light-duty wrecker<br />
Carriers:<br />
Two standard-duty steel rollback<br />
carriers with 21-ft. beds and<br />
wheel lifts<br />
Services<br />
• 24-hour roadside service<br />
• Light-, medium- and heavy-duty<br />
towing and recovery<br />
• Vehicle storage<br />
• Full-service repair shop<br />
<strong>16</strong> R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
R U N H A R D 17<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7
Distributor Profiles<br />
summit truck<br />
equipment<br />
Eastern Wrecker<br />
Sales, Inc.<br />
Distributor<br />
Summit Truck<br />
Equipment<br />
7626 Brighton Road<br />
Commerce City, Colorado<br />
Phone: (303) 301-7568<br />
Fax: (303) 289-5731<br />
www.summitbodies.com<br />
The occasionally<br />
harsh<br />
Colorado<br />
climate can dish<br />
out some pretty<br />
tough weather.<br />
Tow trucks that<br />
operate in this<br />
area require a rugged, reliable tow<br />
body. And owners need a distributor<br />
who knows how to service the issues<br />
that this climate brings.<br />
Summit Truck Equipment is<br />
that distributor for the states of<br />
Colorado, Montana, Wyoming,<br />
Kansas and Nebraska.<br />
Above & beyond<br />
“We are the new kids on the<br />
block,” explains <strong>Jerr</strong>y Viall, sales<br />
manager. “Having been in this business<br />
segment just under a year, we<br />
have a lot to prove to our customers<br />
and we’re ready to take on the<br />
challenge.”<br />
Summit Truck Equipment has<br />
the tools to make that happen.<br />
Operating under the Transwest Inc.<br />
umbrella, Summit Truck Equipment<br />
customers have access to all the<br />
services the Transwest group has<br />
to offer including trucks and truck<br />
equipment, parts, service and maintenance<br />
and financing.<br />
“As part of the Transwest family<br />
of companies, we have all the<br />
puzzle pieces at our fingertips,”<br />
says Brad Williams, Transwest marketing<br />
manager.<br />
“People, tools, facility, training<br />
— if you miss any of those<br />
puzzle pieces, it’s difficult to grow,”<br />
he adds. “Our partnership with<br />
Transwest provides us with all these<br />
key pieces. And our customers know<br />
that with the Transwest name behind<br />
us, we’re not going to disappear<br />
tomorrow.”<br />
Summit Truck Equipment<br />
operates as a separate entity from<br />
Transwest, which allows the six fulltime<br />
Summit salesmen to focus on<br />
one thing: towing equipment.<br />
“We are dedicated to strictly<br />
towing equipment,” says account<br />
executive <strong>Dan</strong> Kalland. “We go<br />
above and beyond for every customer<br />
— whether they own one tow<br />
truck or 50 tow trucks.”<br />
The <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> equipment has<br />
also made servicing the towing<br />
equipment a snap. With more than<br />
25 years of experience between<br />
them, <strong>Jerr</strong>y and <strong>Dan</strong> both say service<br />
issues with <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> carriers is<br />
currently at a minimum.<br />
“The three main problems<br />
that plagued tow truck drivers<br />
in the past have been effectively<br />
addressed by <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong>,” explains<br />
Viall. “Greaseless technology has<br />
taken operator error out of the<br />
equation, the slide track system for<br />
hoses and the manufactured harness<br />
inside the body has eliminated<br />
any electrical challenges.” ■<br />
“<br />
T<br />
Distributor<br />
Eastern Wrecker<br />
Sales, Inc.<br />
13401 US 70 West<br />
Clayton, North Carolina<br />
Phone: (919) 553-4038<br />
Fax: (919) 553-2468<br />
www.easternwrecker.com<br />
he length of time you’ve<br />
been in business is one of<br />
the most important factors in<br />
the continuity of that business,” says<br />
Worden Price, co-owner/operator<br />
of Eastern Wrecker Sales.<br />
“When things are good,<br />
anybody can succeed,” he adds.<br />
“But when the economy slows, you’ve<br />
got to have repeat customers.”<br />
At Eastern Wrecker Sales,<br />
building that repeat business is<br />
done by cultivating relationships.<br />
And the North-Carolina-based<br />
company has many years of<br />
experience building relationships.<br />
Eastern Wrecker Sales was founded<br />
in 1969 by Billy Kornegay and<br />
Worden Price and is the oldest<br />
active <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> distributor.<br />
“We spend a lot of time with<br />
our customers, both before and<br />
after the sale,” explains Chris<br />
Taylor, general manager. “A good<br />
distributor is one that is there for<br />
their customers, understands their<br />
needs and provides solutions to<br />
those needs.”<br />
A large parts inventory, drivein<br />
service bays with trained and<br />
qualified staff, and fully stocked<br />
installation bays are just a few of<br />
the amenities Eastern Wrecker Sales<br />
offers its towing customers. Helping<br />
them to navigate their financing<br />
and insurance needs is another.<br />
Put quality first<br />
“One of our main considerations<br />
when we started this<br />
company was to sell the best product<br />
available,” recalls Price. “We<br />
feel that <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> offers the best<br />
quality in towing equipment and<br />
we want to be associated with that<br />
quality. In the end it all comes down<br />
to what’s best for our customers.”<br />
“When we receive a request<br />
for a truck we respond to two<br />
streams of input,” agrees Taylor,<br />
“what our customers want and<br />
what our engineers find safe for the<br />
application. As a final-stage manufacturer,<br />
it’s up to us to make sure<br />
the two are in agreement.”<br />
The bottom line for Eastern<br />
Wrecker Sales — selling the<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> product line throughout<br />
North Carolina and Southern<br />
Virginia is really all about long-term<br />
relationships.<br />
“If we have long-term relationships<br />
with our customers and with<br />
our suppliers, it doesn’t get better<br />
than that,” concludes Price. ■<br />
18 R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
R U N H A R D 19<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7
Show & Go<br />
Running Hard<br />
what does<br />
your jerr-dan look like?<br />
what can<br />
your jerr-dan do?<br />
This was the<br />
first <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
MPL and Ford 450<br />
extended cab combo<br />
built in Las Vegas<br />
by start-up company<br />
Ashley’s Towing.<br />
The company is<br />
named after owner<br />
Sean’s wife.<br />
This truck belongs to<br />
Hendricksons Pro Tows from<br />
Idaho Falls, Idaho. The <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
MDL 500/280 rides on a Kenworth<br />
T-800 chassis. The truck also has<br />
a 20,000-lb. I.W.S. Sidepuller.<br />
Hendricksons is a family business,<br />
run by the father/son team of<br />
Ron and James Hendrickson.<br />
Alligator<br />
Towing’s<br />
twin-steer <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong><br />
Rotator tows the British<br />
Airways Concord to<br />
its retirement home<br />
where it will remain<br />
on display for the<br />
general public.<br />
In Baltimore,<br />
Maryland an oil<br />
tanker loses its brakes<br />
and crashes into a<br />
river. A Sullivan’s<br />
Garage Rotator<br />
recovers the tractor<br />
and trailer and loads<br />
it for transport.<br />
This truck belongs to<br />
All Rite Towing<br />
in Gresham, Oregon. The<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> HPL 6000 rides on<br />
an International 4300 chassis.<br />
The truck has many custom<br />
features including extra<br />
LED lighting, push bumper,<br />
and stainless and aluminum<br />
trim, to name just a few!<br />
Pinellas Auto Body Inc. in Clearwater, Florida, sports this <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> carrier<br />
with 22-ft. steel bed, which rides on a 2004 International 4300 chassis. This is an<br />
everyday use truck with 99,000 miles and it’s in great condition! It’s fully loaded with allpower<br />
air horns, air compressor and exhaust brake, and stainless steel toolbox and chrome<br />
simulators on 22.5-in. wheels. A Whelen light bar, extra spotlights, T37 wheel lift with<br />
scoops, and hitch plate round out the package.<br />
20 R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
<br />
Win a Trip<br />
to Nascar!<br />
How to Win:<br />
Share your <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> truck photo!<br />
Submit your photos via:<br />
E-MAIL: to RunHard@cygnusb2b.com<br />
(High-res photos only. Please set your<br />
digital camera to take photos as large<br />
of a size and as many pixels as possible.)<br />
MAIL: to Editor, Run Hard magazine<br />
1233 Janesville Avenue,<br />
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538<br />
In addition to your photo, please provide your<br />
complete contact information. Also tell us what<br />
model of <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> you have, what model chassis<br />
you have and why you are submitting your truck.<br />
Nascar trip details:<br />
- All-expenses-paid trip for two<br />
to the Texas Motor Speedway<br />
November 2 - 5, 2007<br />
- Airfare and hotel accommodations included<br />
- Motorcoach transportation to and from<br />
the race included<br />
- All meals included (welcome<br />
reception, breakfast, dinners)<br />
- Lunch at The Speedway Club<br />
(private club at Texas Motor Speedway)<br />
- Race tickets for two<br />
- Credentials (garage & pit access)<br />
- Welcome-gift package<br />
* Winner will be drawn in<br />
September 2007 and will be<br />
notified via phone/e-mail.<br />
Stepp’s<br />
Towing<br />
handles the most<br />
severe towing applications,<br />
like this<br />
<strong>16</strong>8,000-lb. crane,<br />
with their new<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Rotator.<br />
R U N H A R D<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7<br />
21
Q & A<br />
U.S. & Canada <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Distributor Header Listing<br />
z<br />
Q&A<br />
Q. Where do I find my nearest<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> distributor?<br />
A. Online of course! You can find your nearest<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Distributor by visiting the <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> website at<br />
www.jerr-dan.com. Once at the home page, simply enter<br />
your zip code into the “Find a Distributor” box in the<br />
“Tools” section. Select a mile radius<br />
you’d like that Distributor to be located<br />
from you and click “Find.” Your<br />
nearest Distributor will be displayed,<br />
along with all their contact information.<br />
There’s even a search engine<br />
for Canadian and International<br />
Distributors!<br />
You can also locate a<br />
Distributor near you by calling<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> directly at 800-926-9666.<br />
Q. Are your slide pads truly greaseless?<br />
A. Yes. With No-Lube Technology the lubricants<br />
from the slide pads, or composite bearings, transfer to the<br />
deck running beam or plated pins respectively. Both surfaces<br />
become low friction and therefore do not require any<br />
lubrication.<br />
<strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> recommends only an initial, light coating of<br />
hydraulic or machine oil on the slide pad surfaces to help<br />
during the break-in period of the system.<br />
do you have a<br />
questiON?<br />
Do you have a question that you would like answered?<br />
If so, please e-mail your question to<br />
RunHard@cygnusb2b.com<br />
In addition to your question, please include<br />
your name, company and location.<br />
Upcoming<br />
shows<br />
Date<br />
Show<br />
Location<br />
City<br />
April 12-15<br />
Southeastern Regional Tow Show<br />
& Incident Mgmt. Expo<br />
Jim Miller Park and Coliseum<br />
Marietta, Georgia<br />
Date May 10-13<br />
Show Florida Tow Show<br />
Location Coronado Springs Resort at<br />
Walt Disney World<br />
City Orlando, Florida<br />
Date May 19-20<br />
Show New Hampshire Tow & Trade Show<br />
Location Hampton Beach State Park<br />
City Hampton Beach, New Hampshire<br />
Date May 31-June 2<br />
Show CTTA Western States Tow Show<br />
Location Silver Legacy Resort & Casino<br />
City Reno, Nevada<br />
Date<br />
Show<br />
Location<br />
City<br />
Date<br />
Show<br />
Location<br />
City<br />
June 1-3<br />
Empire State Towing &<br />
Recovery Association<br />
Ft. William Henry Resort<br />
Lake George, New York<br />
June 15-17<br />
Wisconsin Towing Association<br />
Annual Convention<br />
Chula Vista Resort<br />
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin<br />
Date August 3-4<br />
Show Texas Tow Expo<br />
Location Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center<br />
City San Antonio, Texas<br />
Date<br />
Show<br />
Location<br />
City<br />
Date<br />
Show<br />
Location<br />
City<br />
Date<br />
Show<br />
Location<br />
City<br />
August 17-19<br />
Professional Towing & Recovery<br />
Operators of Illinois<br />
Wyndham Lisle- Chicago Hotel<br />
Chicago, Illinois<br />
September 22-23<br />
Statewide Towing Assoc.<br />
Tow Show & Expo<br />
DCU Center<br />
Worcester, Massachusetts<br />
October 24-28<br />
Texas Towing & Storage Assoc.<br />
Lonestar Wrecker Round-Up<br />
Arlington Convention Center<br />
Arlington, Texas<br />
Alabama<br />
Arab, AL<br />
Austin Hinds Motors Inc.<br />
256-586-8<strong>16</strong>1<br />
Ozark, AL<br />
Stormins Inc.<br />
334-774-7138<br />
Arizona<br />
Phoenix, AZ<br />
Todd Equipment, Inc.<br />
480-557-8633<br />
Arkansas<br />
Caraway, AR<br />
Cars, Inc.<br />
870-482-3614<br />
Pocahontas, AR<br />
Ward’s Wrecker<br />
Sales & Service<br />
870-248-1000<br />
California<br />
Concord, CA<br />
Best Equipment<br />
510-569-1288<br />
Fontana, CA<br />
Gooding Enterprises, Inc.<br />
909-357-7920<br />
Fresno, CA<br />
Valley Wrecker Sales Inc.<br />
559-485-1513<br />
Hawthorne, CA<br />
Tow World Inc.<br />
310-263-1200<br />
San Leandro, CA<br />
Tow World Inc.<br />
510-430-9894<br />
Torrence, CA<br />
California Western<br />
Towing Equipment<br />
310-787-0208<br />
West Sacramento, CA<br />
Riverview International<br />
Trucks Inc.<br />
9<strong>16</strong>-371-3110<br />
Colorado<br />
Commerce City, CO<br />
Summit Truck Equipment<br />
303-289-3<strong>16</strong>1<br />
Delaware<br />
Selbyville, DE<br />
<strong>Dan</strong>zi Brothers Inc.<br />
302-436-2000<br />
Florida<br />
Jacksonville, FL<br />
Stover Sales Inc.<br />
904-696-3496<br />
Miami, FL<br />
Rechtien Intl. Trucks<br />
dba Wreckers Limited<br />
305-888-0111<br />
Riviera Beach, FL<br />
Rechtien International<br />
dba Wreckers Limited<br />
561-882-9050<br />
Sanford, FL<br />
Rechtien International<br />
dba Wreckers Limited<br />
407-321-8474<br />
Tampa, FL<br />
Atlanta Wrecker &<br />
Carrier Sales Inc.<br />
813-626-2144<br />
Georgia<br />
Smyrna, GA<br />
Atlanta Wrecker &<br />
Carrier Sales Inc.<br />
770-432-0097<br />
Illinois<br />
Champaign, IL<br />
Prairie International<br />
217-352-4187<br />
Decatur, IL<br />
Prairie International<br />
217-877-8411<br />
Elmhurst, IL<br />
Worldwide Equipment<br />
Sales LLC<br />
630-617-9848<br />
Quincy, IL<br />
Prairie International<br />
217-222-1518<br />
Springfield, IL<br />
Prairie International<br />
217-523-5631<br />
Indiana<br />
Greensburg, IN<br />
Hedinger’s Auto Care, Inc.<br />
812-663-7885<br />
Indianapolis, IN<br />
Hedinger’s Equipment<br />
317-322-7885<br />
iowa<br />
Cedar Rapids, IA<br />
Truck Country of Iowa Inc.<br />
319-365-0531<br />
Davenport, IA<br />
Truck Country of Iowa Inc.<br />
309-507-1525<br />
Des Moines, IA<br />
Truck Country of Iowa Inc.<br />
515-265-7361<br />
Dubuque, IA<br />
Truck Country of Iowa Inc.<br />
563-556-26<strong>16</strong><br />
Kansas<br />
Wichita, KS<br />
Kansas Truck Center<br />
3<strong>16</strong>-945-5600<br />
Kentucky<br />
Burlington, KY<br />
Tipton Auto Sales<br />
& Parts Inc.<br />
859-689-4222<br />
Louisiana<br />
Gary, LA<br />
Southland International<br />
of Louisiana<br />
985-876-3000<br />
Harahan, LA<br />
Southland International<br />
of Louisiana<br />
504-733-7711<br />
Maine<br />
South Portland, ME<br />
Hews Company LLC<br />
207-767-2136<br />
Maryland<br />
Aberdeen MD<br />
JP Chevrolet<br />
410-272-0300<br />
Baltimore, MD<br />
Maryland Carrier &<br />
Wrecker Sales<br />
410-247-5700<br />
Massachusetts<br />
Lancaster, MA<br />
Crawford Truck Sales Inc.<br />
978-534-1954<br />
West Hatfield, MA<br />
G & S Industrial<br />
413-247-9631<br />
Michigan<br />
Detroit, MI<br />
Santoro Inc.<br />
315-526-1300<br />
Minnesota<br />
St. Paul, MN<br />
Twin Cities Wrecker Sales<br />
651-488-4210<br />
Mississippi<br />
Brandon, MS<br />
Magnolia Wrecker Sales<br />
601-825-6400<br />
Missouri<br />
St. Louis, MO<br />
Archway International<br />
314-771-3900<br />
Nebraska<br />
Omaha, NE<br />
Omaha Truck Center<br />
402-592-2440<br />
Nevada<br />
North Las Vegas, NV<br />
McCandless International<br />
702-642-8789<br />
Sparks, NV<br />
Silver State International<br />
775-685-6000<br />
New Jersey<br />
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ<br />
Nussbaum Sales Corp.<br />
201-288-3885<br />
Shrewsbury, NJ<br />
Circle Truck Center<br />
732-741-3130<br />
Spotswood, NJ<br />
Giancola Motor Car Corp.<br />
732-251-4422<br />
New York<br />
Albany, NY<br />
P.A. Ruth Automotive<br />
518-456-0356<br />
Hornell, NY<br />
Elsenheimer Chevrolet<br />
607-324-3330<br />
Port Jefferson Station, NY<br />
Ramp Chevrolet Inc.<br />
631-473-1234<br />
North Carolina<br />
Clayton, NC<br />
Eastern Wrecker Sales<br />
919-553-4038<br />
Ohio<br />
Akron, OH<br />
Fallsway Equipment<br />
Co., Inc.<br />
330-633-6000<br />
Canal Winchester, OH<br />
Bob McDorman<br />
Chevrolet Inc.<br />
614-837-3421<br />
Toledo, OH<br />
ABCO<br />
419-536-6123<br />
Oklahoma<br />
Claremore, OK<br />
Tri-State Wrecker Sales Inc.<br />
918-342-4244<br />
Oregon<br />
Lyons, OR<br />
Santiam Enterprises<br />
503-859-2793<br />
Pennsylvania<br />
Collegeville, PA<br />
Mobile Lifts<br />
610-489-1900<br />
Columbia, PA<br />
Nussbaum Equipment Inc.<br />
717-684-0189<br />
Greencastle, PA<br />
Mason Dixon<br />
Trucks & Carriers Inc.<br />
717-597-9400<br />
Scenery Hill, PA<br />
ASCO Enterprises Inc.<br />
724-945-5525<br />
Wilkes-Barre, PA<br />
Wilkes-Barre Truck<br />
570-823-0144<br />
Windber, PA<br />
GAP Chevrolet<br />
814-467-4596<br />
South Carolina<br />
Orangeburg, SC<br />
Smith Services Inc.<br />
803-533-1585<br />
Simpsonville, SC<br />
Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier<br />
Sales Inc.<br />
864-688-0170<br />
Tennessee<br />
Rockwood, TN<br />
Glenn’s Motors<br />
and Auto Parts<br />
865-354-0622<br />
Texas<br />
Buda, TX<br />
Wrecker Capitol<br />
512-312-5655<br />
Dallas, TX<br />
Coker Equipment<br />
214-742-5221<br />
Houston, TX<br />
RPM Equipment<br />
281-590-1494<br />
Utah<br />
Salt Lake City, UT<br />
Rocky Mountain<br />
Wrecker Sales<br />
801-268-8850<br />
vermont<br />
White River Junction, VT<br />
Sabil & Sons Inc.<br />
802-295-4325<br />
Call 800-926-9666 for information on your nearest authorized <strong>Jerr</strong>-<strong>Dan</strong> Distributor.<br />
Virginia<br />
Manassas Park, VA<br />
Horton Truck<br />
and Equipment<br />
703-530-7800<br />
Woodbridge, VA<br />
Matheny Motor Truck Co.<br />
703-499-92<strong>16</strong><br />
Washington<br />
Tacoma, WA<br />
Northwest Equipment<br />
Sales & Service<br />
253-922-7581<br />
West Virginia<br />
Parkersburg, WV<br />
Matheny Motor Truck Co.<br />
304-485-4418<br />
Wisconsin<br />
Milwaukee, WI<br />
Badger Truck Center<br />
414-344-9500<br />
Shullsburg, WI<br />
Truck Country of Iowa<br />
563-556-3773<br />
West Allis, WI<br />
Badger Truck of West Allis<br />
800-553-1927<br />
Windsor, WI<br />
Badger Truck of Madison<br />
866-846-0680<br />
Canada<br />
Charlesbourg, Quebec<br />
Plamondon Camquip LTEE<br />
418-849-7575<br />
Dorval, Quebec<br />
Del Equipment Limited<br />
514-684-1760<br />
Edmonton, Alberta<br />
Alberta Motor Association<br />
780-430-5520<br />
Mississauga, Ontario<br />
H.R. Runciman & Co., LTD<br />
905-625-7222<br />
Moncton, New Brunswick<br />
Del Equipment Limited<br />
506-857-4291<br />
Port Coquitlam, British<br />
Columbia<br />
Del Equipment Limited<br />
604-941-6241<br />
22 R U N H A R D<br />
R U N H A R D 23<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7 www.jerr-dan.com<br />
www.jerr-dan.com<br />
v o l . 1 6 , n o . 1 M a r c h 2 0 0 7