The Owner Must Change

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As I look back on the last year and a half of towing, our industry has gone through a lot. We were forced to change the way we do business because of things like:

The virus – This made your people work differently.
Customer needs – The consumers were traveling less which means they were breaking down less. People were not working so they could not get their cars repaired. Therefore, body shops gave you less business due to less accidents on the road because people were traveling less.
No tow shows to go to – No exposure to new products such as trucks and tow software, etc. needed to run your business.
The government has a big impact on what you do today. It was nice that they gave you money to survive, but they also gave your employees money to survive. Now no one wants to come back to work.
There may have been laws changed that are affecting your business.

Everyone was affected in their own way. The only thing that did not change is you the owner. You might have changed some business policies, but you could not change who you are. When I opened my company, I knew who I was and built my business based on the principles I established. Then all these things happened forcing us to change the way we do business.

When you built your business you built it based on who you are. You ran your business for the past 20 years based on the principles you established. It’s time to look at yourself and see the things you will have to change to stay in business. Here are a few things to evaluate as you move forward:

Take a look at yourself and see how you might have to change in a new industry that’s been established.
Set new goals for your company and share them with your employees.
Adjust company policies that affect the bottom line.
Do what is right regardless of the cost.
Face reality as it is, not as it was.
Become more of a leader and less as a manager.
Listen more and admit mistakes.

The big question for you, the owner is, “Am I willing to change?”

I talk to tow companies every day and try to get them to sign with TowTrax. I am providing them with a free service that gets them tows they never had at retail rates. I am giving them a new market ( Motor Clubs) that provide over 40,000,000 a year that they do not have today because they made a policy a few years ago not to tow for motor clubs for a variety of reasons. My customers are motor clubs and my service providers are getting good tow rates from the motor clubs because they were willing to make changes.

I am giving tow companies in certain markets 6 to 10 tows a day and some companies will not register with TowTrax because the tows I give them is not the norm for their company. When I ran my company and my customer told me I can give you business, but you have to do it my way, I would look at what they wanted and figure out how to make it work. I hated to lose business to a competitor.

I have tow companies that are very happy with the business I provide them. I call some companies up, and I can’t get past the dispatcher who will not even listen because it’s not the way they do business today. As an owner you are letting a $12 an hour person impact your revenue. Other companies tell me that it has to go through our current dispatch system. Once again, you are letting an outside source affect your revenue.

If you change nothing motivational concept – handwriting on a napkin with a cup of espresso coffee

No one likes their employees more than I did. They were the front line to the customer and they knew more about their job than I did. The difference is, I made sure they knew what my priorities were. Making money was my biggest. If they got a sales call from a potential customer, they would make sure I knew about it so I, the owner, could determine if we wanted to take on the new business.

Things I would ask myself when a potential customer called:

As an owner, would I be willing to change?
Am I afraid of change?
I evaluate if change is necessary.
Does my customer know who I am?
If I have to change, what steps are necessary?

My goal is to let you know that you as the owner may have to make changes in the way you have been doing business for the past 20 years. I talk to many successful companies that tell me they don’t have to change because they are successful, and I can’t argue with them. I also talk to tow companies that tell me their success is because of change.

I just left a meeting where we talked about the things I am writing about. When I started TowTrax, I established policies and procedures. As a startup, I am now realizing that I may have to change some things to make it work. I just made a $70,000 investment that will have a major impact on my business 6 months from now, but I found it necessary to invest now even though it does not have an impact on my current revenues. As you the owner fight through all the crap we faced over the past year, take a look at who you are and what your company will look like 6 months from now. As you learn your new business, know your:

Customer
Employees
Competition
Services
Pricing
Expenses

Most importantly know who you are.

There’s No Training Like Real Training

By

James E. Lewis

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teenager in professional training in workshop

I happened upon an article by my new friend Barry Brownstein, and it really opened my eyes. Perhaps the overview of the article will open your eyes too. The article is titled “Why Humans Increasingly Are Unaware of Their Ignorance (And Why it’s a Big Problem).” While that title may sound harsh, even for a self-awareness piece, it just makes sense.

I instantly related that concept to the automotive enthusiast world, of which I’m a big part, as is the owner of Over The Mountain Media, the publisher for Tow Professional magazine. To say that he and I are both “into cars” is the understatement of the year. It’s an obsession.

I bring that up because there’s a parts company that I’ve used several times that specializes in my car, a Ford Focus ST, and also the Focus RS, Mustang GT, and F-150 Raptor. Many of the owners of these vehicles do their own work and get busy upgrading parts right after the purchase of their vehicle. The best thing about this parts company is that with every single part they offer for sale, they attach a very well-done installation video, done by one of their shop people in their company shop.

“If you don’t have that basic knowledge foundation, though, you may be in way over your head if you decide to tear into your car after watching a 4-minute video.”

Here’s the twist – and that’s where the problem starts for some of us.

People with solid car knowledge, but perhaps haven’t ever installed a blow off valve, can view the video and figure it out with relative ease. If you don’t have that basic knowledge foundation, though, you may be in way over your head if you decide to tear into your car after watching a 4-minute video.

Barry Brownstein talks about ignorance being relative to our chase to have our opinions validated. Even if we don’t know much about a subject, a quick Google or Wikipedia search can give us the information we desire. A YouTube video may fill a void in your knowledge bank. That’s where the problem starts, though. You’re simply not an expert, or even really knowledgeable, after a couple of videos and no real experience.

Car repair courses. On the table are a computer and tools for car repair. Online learning

Did you know that ANYONE, regardless of position, education, or qualifications, can make a Wikipedia entry defining or explaining something? That means, if you didn’t know much about a subject, but you consult Wikipedia and the person who made the entry you’re reading doesn’t know much about it, now you BOTH don’t know much? Same applies with YouTube – all it takes is a phone and an internet connection to be the next YouTube star. And the problem is that people will take you seriously.

I’m not going to post the Yale University study that Barry Brownstein referenced in his article – instead, I’m going to twist this notion of us doing a quick internet search or catching a video and suddenly becoming experts on the matter – and tie it directly into the towing industry.

I’ll make this point, and hope you agree. There is absolutely no substitute for real-time, hands-on training. None. Period.

Let’s play this out – one of your drivers runs a medium or heavy unit, and kills time by checking out YouTube videos of towing and recovery failures as well as “training” videos posted by some yayhoo with a phone and an internet connection, and takes that 3-minute “how-to” video to heart. They then run into a similar scenario out in the field, and instead of asking for help, calling you or another supervisor, or remembering formal training last year, they immediately recall that video – it’s human nature to recall the most recent events in our lives – and they try to pull off some King Kong Superman stuff they saw in the video. And the results are devastating.

What the yayhoo in the video didn’t explain to your guy or girl is the weight they were recovering, conditions including weather, level ground, time of day, etc., and the hour or more it took to rig up that operation before they started pulling the levers and making things happen.

The question I have for company owners and supervisors is a simple one – who do you want doing your training? You, or some other qualified trainer? An instructor in a formal training course? Or some yayhoo who cracks jokes and has a phone and an internet connection?

Take some downtime, build controllable, safe scenarios at your tow yard, and pull off some training sessions. And then document them. Gather the whole crew around, not so the others can yell silly things and distract the operator working, but to learn, take notes, and offer suggestions. There are several things you can do in an environment like that that you can’t do on a real call – you can stop the action at any time, start over, rethink your plan, and reconfigure your rigging.

Ask yourself – do you want professional, safe operators, or people who idolize the yayhoo on YouTube? Which one of those would you want to talk to your insurance agent about?

Wes Wilburn & DJ Harrington “Car-Diologist”

By

Darian Weaver

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Wes Wilburn & DJ Harrington “Car-Diologist” brings weekly podcasts on towing & recovery industry news, updates, safety & product reviews, etc. Each Thursday there is a newly featured guest on American Towing & Recovery Institute on the Go Podcasts. Tune in and follow on anywhere that podcasts are aired. You can catch them on the following: Amazon Music, Apple Podcast, IHeart Podcast, Pandora, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher and so many more.

We are excited to work with professional video creator, Chuck Camp of Grey Door Productions.

Watch our facebook page dedicated to the weekly podcast episodes at https://www.facebook.com/ATRIPodcast and also our website www.amtowri.org or www.amtowri.com for visuals for each episode as well link to the podcasts.

D.J. Harrington, Motivator | Entrepreneur | Keynote Speaker, D.J. Harrington is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Phone Logic, Inc. an international training company based in Atlanta, Georgia. D.J. serves as a consultant and trainer to over 1,000 privately owned businesses throughout the country, training personnel at all levels of the company – from the operator to the customer service reps, to the sales staff and the president of the company – over an 800 number, 52 weeks a year.

His years as a sales trainer and motivator for a variety of companies have provided D.J. with an outstanding background which be brings – along with his energy and dynamic personality – to every clinic and seminar.

D.J. is a recipient of the Vicom Group Video Training Award. He is a motivator, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. D.J. has been a member of the Georgia Speakers Association and the National Speakers Association since 1993, and a recipient of the coveted award of Certified Speaking Professional (C.S.P.). C.S.P. is a level achieved by fewer than 3% of all national speakers.

Wes Wilburn, a thirty-eight year towing industry veteran and founder of the American Towing and Recovery Institute of Fayetteville, NC, has been published over 100 times in major towing publications. Wes has produced and conducted training and certification programs for leading towing companies, equipment distributors, towing associations, DOT, fire department/rescue, as well as military installations across the United States. Wes has provided insight as a main speaker for over twenty-nine years at more than 850 training sessions and has even been recognized as one of America’s Greatest Towing Trainers. He is well-known for his straight forward, but down to earth teaching style.

Tru-Hitch™ Fifth Wheel Towing Device

By

Darian Weaver

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From military strength comes commercial quality. For over twenty years Tru-Hitch™ has recovered the heavily armored vehicles that have become the standard for the US Army. Whether simply broken down or damaged in service these heavy vehicles are a challenge to recover. In all kinds of scenarios and differing terrains a towing and recovery system must perform without compromise. Over thousands of hours of testing and evaluation, including service in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the Tru-Hitch™ 250M FWTRD (Fifth Wheel Towing and Recovery Device) has proven itself, and met the Government’s stringent criteria to officially become an approved long-term towing and recovery solution for the US Army.

This proven military experience, and unwavering commitment to quality and performance, is built into every Tru-Hitch™ for the commercial tower. The Tru-Hitch™ fifth wheel towing device is cost effective to purchase, operate, and maintain. The Tru-Hitch™ heavy-duty under lift towing device utilizes the fifth wheel coupling as the pivotal connection between the pulling tractor and the truck in tow. What makes the Tru-Hitch™ unique is that it imposes a downward load and pivots on the towing tractor at the fifth wheel, rather than behind the tractor’s rear axle. The truck in tow essentially becomes a “semi-trailer”. The weight of the disabled vehicle is distributed among all axles of the towing tractor. The front axle of the towing tractor actually gains weight as the vehicle is lifted! This makes the Tru-Hitch™ by far the safest heavy duty towing device in the transportation industry

Mach1 Services, North Texas Voice and Speech, and Freelance Corporal Win Bunker Labs Pitch Competition

By

Darian Weaver

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Bunker Labs has announced the winners of its most recent Veterans in Residence Pitch Competition, which took place on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. The winners were:

First Place, $7,500: Rick Narpaul, founder and CEO of Mach1 Services, an on-demand roadside assistance company with no membership fee based in San Antonio
Second Place, $3,000: Leslie Wegner, founder of North Texas Voice and Speech, a speech pathology company based in Dallas
Third Place, $2,000: Brandon Childers, founder of Freelance Corporal, a gamified mobile financial literacy education service based in Los Angeles

Veterans in Residence, a partnership of WeWork and Bunker Labs, is a six-month, early-stage business incubator that provides veteran and military family member entrepreneurs with coworking space, community, a national business network, and resources to grow their business.

“What stood out about Mach1 Services’ pitch is that the need for roadside assistance is something everyone can relate to, and they have the customer traction to prove it,” said Blake Hogan, CEO of Bunker Labs.

The Veterans in Residence Pitch Competition is held twice per year, toward the end of each six-month cohort period. Visit: https://bunkerlabs.org/veterans-in-residence to learn more about the Veterans in Residence program.

About Bunker Labs:

Bunker Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a national network of veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs dedicated to helping the military-connected community start their own business. Bunker Labs is committed to seeing that every entrepreneur, including small business owners, in the military-connected community has the network, tools, and resources they need to start their own business.

Learn more about Bunker Labs: www.bunkerlabs.org

About WeWork:

WeWork was founded in 2010 with the vision to create environments where people and companies come together and do their best work. Since opening our first location in New York City, we’ve grown into a global flexible space provider committed to delivering technology-driven flexible solutions, inspiring spaces, and unmatched community experiences. Today, we’re constantly reimagining how the workplace can help everyone, from freelancers to Fortune 500s, be more motivated, productive, and connected.

SOURCE Bunker Labs

Cision PR Newswire link: Mach1 Services, North Texas Voice and Speech, and Freelance Corporal Win Bunker Labs Pitch Competition (prnewswire.com

ACCESS TOOLS TRAVEL LOCKOUT KIT

By

Darian Weaver

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Access Tools, the world’s leading manufacturer of car opening tools, has created a set designed for those on-the-go who prefer an In-The-Door Tool Set. The Travel Lockout Kit is designed to include the basic tools that are critical to any lockout for the professional who needs to always have a set of tools. Small and compact, this kit fits easily into any vehicle for a spontaneous lockout. All the In-The-Door tools feature our unique Tool-ID system that aids in locating the correct tool for the job in conjunction with the Car Opening Manual. This kit will ensure you are never stuck without the required tools when a situation arises. The Travel Lockout Kit is also a great backup to your other Complete Set, such as the Super Pro Complete Set.

If you have any questions or would like more information on this topic, please contact Julian Packin at (800) 323-8324 or via email at sales@caropeningtools.com or Visit: www.CarOpeningTools.com

GUNIWHEEL™ PARTNERS WITH ZIP’S AW DIRECT

By

Darian Weaver

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We’re pleased to announce our new distribution partnership with Zip’s AW Direct , a fantastic company dedicated to producing and selling custom trucks and equipment for the towing and roadside service markets. Zip’s AW Direct will be the direct link to the towing market and offer GUNIWHEEL™ in their incredible catalog of products as our preferred partner.

For more information or to make a purchase, visit our page on Zip’s AW Direct website at: https://zips.com/guniwheel

The all new Zacklift EZTOW is heading out the doors!

By

Darian Weaver

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With the EZTOW’s now shipping, Zacklift continues to focus on affordability and performance-based fleet management products. The EZTOW is a totally self-contained money saving solution that’s primary focus is emergency fleet recovery. While the Zacklift EZTOW’s focus is getting the job done on a budget, that does not mean the EZTOW is not packed with tons of features that translate not only into saving money and frustration but also ease of use and overall performance when on the job. The EZTOW’s self-contained 12V Bucher Hydraulic Pump system stays ready to go to work with the standard onboard Solar Battery Tender trickle charge system. A wireless LED lightbar keeps job visibility in mind while the optional wireless remote is a practical and useful upgrade. The optional 8 or 10K warn winch add another dimension many specific recovery situations and a pintle ball hitch is also available for normal towing when needed.

All these features, sit nicely waiting to work for you and save money on an included EZLOAD stand, meaning this unit can be loaded and unloaded with NO FORKLIFT REQUIRED.

The Zacklift EZTOW is a fleet work horse that will continue to get the job done and save you money for years to come. With easy financing options available, give Zacklift a call today!

Zacklift has several other products in the pipeline, with our next big announcement coming later this year!

Zacklift – The World Leader in Heavy Duty Detachable Towing.

www.zacklift.com

Jerr-Dan Parent Company, Oshkosh Corporation, Earns Top Honors

By

Darian Weaver

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Jerr-Dan, an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE:OSK], is pleased to announce that parent company Oshkosh Corporation has recently received several prestigious industry awards for the Company’s ongoing ethical business practices, sustainability efforts and use of emerging and advancing digital technologies.

Committed to creating a more sustainable future, Oshkosh was named one of Barron’s “100 Most Sustainable Companies” and has been included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2021, both for the fourth consecutive year. Steadfast in sustainability initiatives, Oshkosh Corporation has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption and continues to make investments in technology including the development of battery-powered products.

The Company was also a recipient of the IDG CIO 100 Award for information technology excellence. Oshkosh Corporation’s Digital Technology team is powered by team members around the world, all focused on solving business challenges. This is the third consecutive year that Oshkosh Corporation has received this award. The Company also received the IDG FutureEdge 50 Award for its innovative use of emerging technology. This is the first time that Oshkosh Corporation has received this global award.

In addition to these awards, Oshkosh Corporation has also been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere, one of FORTUNE’s World’s Most Admired Companies, one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek, as well as one of America’s Top 250 Best-Managed Companies by the Wall Street Journal.

“Earning top honors from so many different organizations is testimony to the collective drive towards excellence by all Oshkosh Corporation global team members who remain focused on sustainable operations, empowering others and developing innovative solutions that drive the business forward,” said Frank Nerenhausen, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of the company’s Access Segment, which includes two industry leading brands: JLG® aerial lifts and material handling equipment including boom lifts, scissor lifts, low-level access lifts, vertical access lifts, stock and order picker lifts, towable lifts and telehandlers and Jerr-Dan® towing and recovery equipment including carriers, wreckers and rotators.

To keep up-to-date on Oshkosh Corporation news, please visit: https://investors.oshkoshcorp.com/news.

About Jerr-Dan

JerrDan, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, is a leading manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment. Its full line includes light-, medium- and heavy-duty carriers and wreckers, industrial transporters and four-car carriers. The company is headquartered in Hagerstown, MD., and its products are backed by industry leading warranties and a strong service network dedicated to the towing professional.

To learn more about Jerr-Dan, visit www.jerrdan.com.

About Oshkosh Corporation

At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs nearly 15,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common cause: to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Pierce®, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™, Oshkosh® Airport Products, London™ and Pratt Miller.

For more information, visit www.oshkoshcorp.com.

2021 Survivor Fund Golf Classic Raises Record Amount

By

Darian Weaver

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The International Towing Museum proudly announces that the 12th annual Survivor Fund Golf Classic raised just over $20,000 for the Survivor Fund, the first time in the tournament’s history that money raised exceeded $20,000.

“As with most events, the 2020 tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect this year,” says Jeffrey Godwin, Chairman of the Survivor Fund.

“We were delighted not only with the attendance and industry support but especially with the donation, which helps fund pay-outs to families of towing operators who are killed while serving the motoring public.”

The Survivor Fund was founded in 2005 to provide immediate financial support to families in their toughest time. Due to donations and industry support, the death benefit paid has been increased several times since its inception, currently paying $9,500 per incident if the company or individual is a current member of the International Towing Museum, or $7,500 per incident to non-members.

Since January 2021, seven towing operators have been killed throughout the U.S., primarily while working roadside on busy highways. The number of towing operator fatalities has historically been averaging 60 per year.

Learn more about the Survivor Fund at www.thesurvivorfund.com.

About ITRHFM

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Chattanooga, TN, houses an array of displays and exhibits showcasing the history of towing and recovery. The rotating collection includes early equipment by Manley, Holmes, Vulcan, and Weaver. The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have significantly advanced the industry. The Museum includes a theater, a library, and a gift shop selling souvenirs related to the towing industry. On the outside grounds is the Wall of the Fallen memorial, dedicated to towers who died in the line of service. The ITRHFM Survivor Fund assists the families of the men and women that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of service by providing a uniform financial gift at the time of their loss. ITRHFM is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and accepts donations for its programs and operations from individuals, corporations and groups.

Learn more at www.towingmuseum.com.

Tow Professional Quarterly – Q1 2021

By

Darian Weaver

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Dynamic Towing Equipment & Manufacturing

By

Darian Weaver

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About Dynamic Towing Equipment & Manufacturing

The creators, executive team, and the engineers at Dynamic Towing Equipment & Manufacturing are leading innovators in the repossession and towing industry.

Dynamic created the Original Self-Loading Wheel-Lift that has become the most sought-after technology in the towing industry. The idea of the self-loading wheel-lift system came from a need for faster and safer operation for recovery agents. To continue with the efforts of creating the safest recovery vehicles on the market, Dynamic expanded the product line to include the Dynamic Radius. The Dynamic Radius is a 240º rotating car carrier, allowing for quicker and safer recovery where limited space is available to maneuver. The design of the radius allow for less equipment blocking the roadway creating a safer workspace for recovery personal.

Dynamic continuous to broaden their product line with the introduction of various new wrecker models and Dynamic car carriers. Dynamic Towing Equipment & Manufacturing is a customer care focused company where customers can directly reach the owner as well as all departments in order to effectively create efficient client communication.

For more information, visit www.dynamicmfg.com

Save Time and Money with ParkingPass.com

By

Darian Weaver

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ParkingPass Mission

To make managing parking less stressful and better organized for properties around the globe. Parking can be challenging to manage, and ParkingPass’s mission is to continually improve parking management processes as efficiently and as smoothly as possible. Let ParkingPass help you transition from your old, paper-based system to completely paperless parking management.

ParkingPass Goal

As ParkingPass continues to expand across the nation, our goal is to become the premier parking management software that operates in almost all verticals, including residential, commercial and municipalities.

For more information, visit ParkingPass.com

EZTOW THE WORLD LEADER IN HEAVY DUTY DETACHABLE TOWING.

By

Darian Weaver

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Raising the bar on value, the EZTOW features a self-contained, self-standing design that makes it a no-brainer for fleets and towers looking for a fast and easy way to make or save money. This lift is designed for the customer who just wants to move a vehicle from point “A” to point “B” at the lowest possible cost. The Zacklift engineering team took feedback from fleet owners and towers to develop a detachable unit that eliminated the cost of unnecessary and unwanted bells and whistles but kept the Zacklift 40-year commitment to quality. You can rest assured there were no shortcuts taken during the design, fabrication, and assembly.

The EZTOW has several accessories to choose from including a 12V winch for the simple recovery needs, a 20,000 lb. pintle\ball hitch, and solar battery tender to keep the towing unit fully charged and ready to go at all times.

Zacklift International builds 25K “plus” rotator for military contractor

By

Darian Weaver

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Zacklift has been manufacturing heavy duty towing equipment for nearly 40 years, so when a large military contactor called them looking for a heavy-duty, high value, low maintenance unit Zacklift was excited to take on their project. Zacklift has worked with military contractors in the past but this contractor was looking for a rotator and under lift that would hold up to the harsh African environment and perform flawlessly in an active war zone. In addition to durability, the rotator was required to lift a fully armored personnel carrier (shown here) with an approximate weight of 25,000 lbs. During testing the Zacklift rotator performed above expectations and lifted the 25,000 lbs. with the boom fully extended.

The customer had a tight time frame and needed completed units in less than 12 months. The Zacklift engineering stepped into action immediately and completed the design in 4 months. A first article was built and tested with no major issues. The Zacklift production team built 5 complete units over 8 months including all design, prototype, and testing.

In the end, Zacklift’s customer was very happy with the overall customer service and was impressed with design and final product performed. If you have any questions regarding Zacklift products visit www.zacklift.com or call 509-674-4426.

The Custom Built Difference

By

Darian Weaver

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Need-Driven Beginnings

Derek Dangelo started Custom Built Manufacturing, LLC (Custom Built) in 2006 as a small town, American-built, heavy-duty wrecker manufacturer. The reason he launched Custom Built was that in his 30-plus years of experience in running an autobody shop and his 30 years working in the towing business, he saw a clear equipment gap across the towing industry. As a tower himself, he needed a heavy-duty tow truck that was built to handle the jobs that he was getting calls on, so he decided to build them himself. He started with old 750’s and converted them to hydraulics configuring them to the exact specifications of what he needed for the jobs he was doing. Now, he wasn’t the only tower that needed a perfect-fit truck. Towers nationwide were needing tow trucks capable of hauling anywhere from 20 tons to 80 tons. To make sure his truck matches a customer’s need, he gives the customer free reign on the layout as he walks together with them on it based off CAD CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing). He focuses on their needs for exact specification of storage sizing. Consequently, because of the wide range of need from truck size to varying equipment on the trucks, Custom Built has responded by offering many options on builds from an integrated 15-ton unit to a 60-ton rotator. So, in summary, why did Dereck start Custom Built Manufacturing? He simply built for others what he made for himself—custom-tailored heavy-duty tow trucks built to handle the varying heavy load sizes.

Multiplying Growth and Success

Because Custom Built has experienced such a success from the high demand of towers being able to specific order their trucks to meet their ever-changing needs as a company, the company needed a new home. Custom Built now has a new 300,000 square-foot facility. They have tripled the assembly department in size and quadrupled their over-all space. Also, they have doubled their work force and, therefore, doubled their truck production from 20 in 2017 to 40 trucks in 2018.

Perfect-fit trucks is a major reason for Derek Dangelo’s success in the truck manufacturing business, but there is more. Even though he is driven to constantly innovate, he is a down-to-earth family man who takes time to enjoy life. Family is important to him like it is to the towers he sells to. His son works in the business and runs the assembly plant, and his daughter and daughter-in-law work in the office. Custom Built is a small town, family-run business built with grassroots American pride and integrity. Now life is more than just the year’s quota of sold trucks or the company’s financial bottom line. Derek works hard and enjoys life. He likes to smoke a good cigar. He enjoys taking road trips on his motorcycles, his Harley Electra Glide and his Softail Springer. So, the best of all worlds for Derek then would be to smoke a good cigar while riding his motorcycle down the road! He equally enjoys taking out the RV with the family on trips valuing the time he has with them. In addition to a perfect-fit truck and a core value of enjoying life, what more does Custom Built offer to the potential buyer? Customer Built Mfg. offers a more user-friendly truck when it comes to maintenance and repair, intuitive safety design, and a superior warranty.

User-Friendly Maintenance and Repair

Custom Built builds trucks to be worked on, so everything is made to be accessible and easy to work on. You see a lot of cars and trucks that are nearly impossible to work on, and you know immediately that an engineer laid them out, not a mechanic. Custom Built designs all our equipment with service in mind, so that your moneymaker can stay on the road not tied up in a shop.

Intuitive Safety

Safety begins with design, so Custom Built first looks where the danger areas are for the towers. They then layout the truck around two things: they place the towing and recovery tools on the left side of the truck and then place the controls on the right side where the operator will be standing away from traffic. Their goal is balance between keeping the tower safe and keeping the job work efficient. Another way they enhance safety by design is by providing extra lighting on the truck and reflectives on both the truck and toolboxes which signal on-coming drivers to move over without being too over-the-top which would distract drivers causing them to drift toward the trucks.

Superior Warranty

When a company has a quality product tailored to the customer’s day-to-day need that is not only safe, but cost effective, there should be no hesitation in providing a warranty that says the same. That is the very reason Customer Built stands behind their trucks by providing the best coverage in the industry–a 10-year structural warranty. Also, they want everyone who buys from them to know that every truck is 100% built in America; each is built with integrity, are affordable, and are backed by excellent customer service.

Satisfied Customers

You don’t have to just consider what Custom Built says about their company, hear what several satisfied Custom Built owners have to say about the “‘Custom Built’ difference”:

“Yes, Derick and Nick are great people who stand behind their product. I had an issue with my California spec’d CBR40/50, and they corrected the issue immediately. I will definitely buy my next rotator from them.”

“I would like to share a little information on this business and the people who run it. First off, they have answered my questions and concerns day and night even on the weekend. They are a great bunch of people to deal with! 10-year warranty, I total believe it! I had a small mishap, so I called them to see if the body panels were all the same and asked what the cost would be. Guess what! There was no charge, they sent them out at their expense! I have always owned trucks from other manufacturers, but never got this kind of service. Keep up the good work!”

“Derek is a true straight shooter, which, as we all know, is hard to find in business these days. He builds both an excellent product that is second to none, while doing it at an economical price. The CB30HD he built for us is a true beast. He will walk you through the building process from start to finish, and even point you in the right direction on where to find a good used chassis to put one of his units on. My wife (and business partner) and I intend on either buying another one of his products that has been previously used or having him build us another truck when we are ready to expand our business again. Keep up the good work, Derek!”

“Great products, great people, and great workmanship, they stand behind their product 100%.”

“Nick and Derek are awesome; don’t think you’ll find anyone else in the business who cares more about their customers than they do.”

Take a look at yourself and see how you might have to change in a new industry that’s been established.

Set new goals for your company and share them with your employees.

Adjust company policies that affect the bottom line.

Do what is right regardless of the cost.

Face reality as it is, not as it was.

Become more of a leader and less as a manager.

Listen more and admit mistakes.

As an owner, would I be willing to change?

Am I afraid of change?

I evaluate if change is necessary.

Does my customer know who I am?

If I have to change, what steps are necessary?

About Bunker Labs:

About WeWork:

About Jerr-Dan

About Oshkosh Corporation

About ITRHFM

About Dynamic Towing Equipment & Manufacturing

ParkingPass Mission

ParkingPass Goal

Need-Driven Beginnings

Multiplying Growth and Success

User-Friendly Maintenance and Repair

Intuitive Safety

Superior Warranty

Satisfied Customers