6/30/11

Knapheide New Model KUV129SHK Is Available Nationwide






Photos taken at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, IN March 2011

Knapheide now offers the KUV129SHK model through its nationwide distribution network.

Knapheide is pleased to announce the availability of the latest new product, the KUV129SHK. The SHK model is now available for orders exclusively through Knapheide distributors. There are now three different KUV models offered by Knapheide that are compatible with single rear wheel cutaway chassis (SUK, SLK, and SHK).

The SHK model features over 75" of interior cargo area height and offers plenty of headroom for a 6' tall person to stand straight up. Popular standard features include:

•Two conduit chutes with two shelves each for convenient transport of copper pipes, PVC, and conduit
•Continuous stainless steel hinges and hat section double reinforced compartment doors for security
•Spacious internal cargo area for transporting oversized items
•Thick automotive bulb type neoprene door seals to protect your tools and equipment from the weather
•Stainelss steel, paddle activated rotary style latches close easily and stay closed
•Master locking system locks down all side compartments with one motion for an extra layer of security for your tools and equipment
•Sliding cab access door with window can be locked from the cab and secured in the open or closed position
•250 lb. capacity adjustable divider shelves for unmatched organization
•Two interior dome lights in cargo area with light switch inside rear cargo doors for operator convenience
•Complete immersion in Knapheide's electrodeposition prime paint system for superior corrosion resistance
•Backed by Knapheide's 6 year limited warranty for peace of mind
•And many more!
The KUV129SHK has a wide variety of options available to fit your specific jobsite applications. For more information on the KUV129SHK, visit http://www.knapheide.com/.

6/29/11

A Short Tour of Rack-it Truck Rack's Storage and Shipping Yard


Gary Kank, Sales Manager for Rack-it Truck Racks gives us a brief tour of Rack-it's storage and shipping yard to give you an idea of the selection of pre-built truck racks that can be shipped immediately.

6/28/11

Mark Klossner Of The Boss SnowPlow Shows Off The BX-12 Box Plow


Mark Klossner, Marketing Manager for The Boss Snowplow talks with Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success about the HD BX-12 Box Plow at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2011.

To see more about The Boss Snowplows, visit http://www.bossplow.com/.

6/27/11

Bradley Briggs Shows Off The AG Body Drawer Systems and Options


AG Body of Salt Lake City makes drawers for service bodies, other enclosures, utility needs, or wherever you might need the convenience of drawers--even your garage!


Here, Bradley Briggs of AG Body shows Commercial Truck Success a few of their different drawer designs and available hardware and finishes. See much more from AG Body at http://www.agbody.com/, or call them at 800-786-BODY.

6/26/11

Brian Heffron Shows Us Ramsey's Industrial Winches


Brian Heffron talks with Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2011. Brian shows us the selection of Ramsey Industrial Winches they had at the NTEA event.

See more about Ramsey products at http://www.ramsey.com/.

6/25/11

Mark Klossner of The Boss Snow Plow Shows Us The Very Popular Poly V-XT ...


Mark Klossner, Marketing Manager for The Boss Snowplow talks to Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success about The Boss Snowplow model V-XT Plow at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis IN in March of 2011.

See more information about The Boss Plows at http://www.bossplow.com/.

6/24/11

Real People, Real Business - Brea, California


Ken Lint and Warren Mason of Harbor Truck Bodies (manufacturer of truck bodies) talk about how their family-owned business has worked with Ram Trucks to pool and house upfitted Ram vehicles and how the Ram trucks provide the most capability of any vehicle.

6/23/11

Chris Spier from Pro-Tech Talks About New Snow Blower at NTEA Work Truck...


Chris Spier, Business Development Manager for Pro-Tech shows off the new Pro-Tech Snow Blower to Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2011.

See more information on Pro-Tech products at http://www.protechcorp.com/

6/22/11

Michael Gelsthorpe Talks About The Auto Crane Articulating Cranes


Michael Gelsthorpe, Regional Manager of Ramsey Industries talks briefly with Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success about Auto Crane's Articulating Cranes and some of the benefits of this type of crane. This video was made at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, IN in March of 2011.

6/21/11

Taylor Steinberg Talks About Knapheide Gooseneck Body


Taylor Steinberg of Knapheide Manufacturing gives Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success a few pointers about the new Knapheide Gooseneck Body at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in March of 2011.

6/20/11

Chris Johnson Shows Off Morgan Electric Van Body For Staples


Chris Johnson, Account Manager with Morgan Corporation gave an impromptu quick tour of some features of their electric roll-up doors on the display truck from Staples at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2011.

6/19/11

Michael Gelsthorpe Shows Off Features of Auto Crane Body


Michael Gelsthorpe, Regional Manager with Ramsey Industries gives Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success and impromptu presentation of some of the features of the heavy duty Auto Crane Service Body.

See more about Auto Crane products at http://www.autocrane.com/

6/18/11

BAE Systems Launches HybriDrive® Website

JOHNSON CITY, New York — BAE Systems has launched a website to showcase its HybriDrive® family of hybrid-electric products at http://www.hybridrive.com/. HybriDrive offers energy-saving products to the transit bus, heavy-duty truck, light rail, maritime and operational energy markets.

The microsite offers a fresh, new look, simplified navigation and more comprehensive information on the complete family of HybriDrive vehicles and products. The new site will serve as a resource for those looking to decrease their operational costs and increase fuel savings while helping to keep the environment safe and clean.

“Hybridrive.com is a great resource for those businesses interested in decreasing their operational costs,” said Steve Trichka, general manager of power and energy management for BAE Systems. “At a time when fuel costs are rising and budgets are tighter than ever, BAE Systems offers economical, green alternatives to the transportation industry with our hybrid-electric propulsion systems.”

The HybriDrive series hybrid electric system dramatically reduces emissions and increases fuel economy while meeting the durability requirements of demanding urban transit operations. It consists of a generator, an electric motor, and an energy storage system managed by computerized controls. A diesel engine turns the generator and operates independent of the electric drive motor, allowing it to run at the optimum engine speed for fuel efficiency. The system also uses no mechanical transmission, a significant maintenance item on conventional diesel buses. Buses equipped with HybriDrive series have travelled more than 300 million miles, prevented over 280,000 tons of CO2 emissions and have saved over 25 million gallons of diesel fuel.

We invite you to explore the site and look forward to your feedback, via the Contact Us link. Stop back often because we’re adding recent news, updates and tools to help you optimize your energy savings.

Bill Baum of Workhorse Shows Off 24' Step Van with Liftgate!


Bill Baum of Workhorse shows Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success a very long Step Van with an Aluminum Railgate! This unit was quite a sight due to the unusually long length, and for the companies that use it, this size makes perfect sense. This video was taken at the NTEA Work Truck Show in March 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

WorkHorse is a Navistar company. See more at http://www.workhorse.com/.

6/17/11

David Magnuson Talks About Sortimo Van Storage Solutions


David Magnuson of Sortimo of North America, Inc talks with Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success about the different Sortimo storage solutions for cargo vans. This video was taken at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2011

Sortimo is a world leader in this market. See more at http://www.sortimo.com/

6/16/11

The Potential and Value Of A Dealership Service & Parts Department

Here's an excerpt from my soon to be available book, Commercial Truck Success, The Book. There will be more details about this book soon.

Service and Parts

In my opinion, there is more opportunity in the Service and Parts Departments in dealerships than in any other area. Committing to an addition of an effective commercial truck department provides even more opportunities.

Part of the reason I think it is such a huge opportunity: In all the dealerships I worked for, there are none that I would personally go to for service. I’ve had negative experiences in every one of them. Keep in mind not every experience was negative. However, as a whole experience, I wouldn’t return. From a loyalty point of view, when I worked for that company, it only made sense I would take my vehicle to ‘my’ company’s service department. I always gave them more opportunities as a result. But each dealership’s service department seemed to have an attitude that was not helpful, like a doctor with a poor bedside manner. And in addition…they failed to do the work well or properly on several occasions.

In my travels, I have seen very similar things at far too many dealerships. I’ve talked with numerous commercial truck managers that cringe when someone needs to go to their service department. Immediately I can tell this dealership will never reach but a very small part of their potential as a result. Service is so important to the commercial truck department’s success. Instead, these commercial truck managers should be proud and thrilled to send their customers to their own service department.

In addition, as a sales manager for 30 years in dealerships, I saw service and sales at odds with one another so frequently. It seemed ridiculous to me that this was even allowed to exist. Many dealerships have different standards for service than from the rest of the organization.

I won’t go into any more detail about my experiences or my associates’ experiences, but the main reason I bring it up at all is to show you how prejudiced I am in believing there is such an opportunity for more business in Service and Parts. Those departments could have had my business by treating me differently and by being good at what they do. I’m hoping your Service and Parts departments are the exception. If they are, the commercial market will beat a path to your door once they know you are open to bringing service to that market. If you’re not the exception, wake up and see the opportunity that exists right in your own organization. Then make dramatic improvements with little effort or investment.

So, let’s talk about the opportunities in Service and Parts. . .

6/15/11

Brian Heffron Shows New Off-Road Grille Guard From Ramsey


Brian Heffron, Regional Manager for Ramsey Industries shows Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success their new Off-Road Grille Guard package housing for their winch products. Brian was kind enough to give a quick impromptu video of this product at the NTEA Workd Truck Show in Indianapois, Indian in March, 2011.

6/14/11

Brian Smith Gives A Tour Of Buyer's SaltDogg Spreaders at the NTEA Work ...


Brian Smith, Marketing Manager for Buyers Products Company of Mentor, Ohio gives Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success a quick impromtu tour of the SaltDogg spreader selection that Buyer's had at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, IN in March of 2011. Buyers had one of the largest display areas at the huge NTEA Work Truck Show and had quite a volume of product on display. As you can see on the video, the tour includes quite a selection of spreaders from the largest to the smallest.

See more about SaltDogg at http://www.saltdogg.com/, and see more about Buyers products at http://www.buyersproducts.com/.

6/13/11

Rob Kent of Tenco Machinery Shows Product at the NTEA Work Truck Show


Rob Kent of Tenco Machinery tells Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success about their 12M Dump Body that can be used for a variety of purposes 12 months of the year for more effective utilization of commercial vehicles.


This video was an impromptu recording at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in March of 2011.

See more about Tenco Machinery at http://www.tencousa.com/ and http://www.tenco.ca.com/.

6/12/11

UWS Tool Boxes at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis






Here's some photos of UWS truck tool boxes taken at the 2011 NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in March. UWS offers a wide variety of great aluminum tool boxes for a wide variety of applications. Don't you just love the one shown here with the small drawers on each side?

UWS is a division of Thule Inc. Based in Perry FL, UWS designs and manufactures products for professional tradesmen and truck enthusiasts looking for a full range of tough and reliable storage carriers and truck accessories that are made in the USA.

UWS manufactures all products at its three company owned factories in Florida, Georgia and Texas. See more at http://www.uwsta.com/.

If you're in northern California, you can find UWS Tool Boxes in stock at Sierra Truck and Van in Fairfield, CA. 707-864-1064, http://www.sierratruck.net/.

6/11/11

Comparing A Royal Low Profile and Standard Height Service Body


Terry Minion of Commercial Truck Success compares a low profile service body with a standard height service body and showing the benefits of each. In this case we are using Royal Service Bodies on the lot of Fairfield Chevrolet-Isuzu Truck in Fairfield CA.

6/10/11

Z-Series A.R.E. Truck Cap or Shell


Z-Series A.R.E. Shell has just been installed recently on a 2010 F-150 Raptor. Kevin Snedeker, owner of Vaca Valley Truck & SUV gives us a tour of the features of this great shell.


Vaca Valley Truck & SUV is located at 1240 Callen Street in Vacaville, CA. You can reach Kevin and his team at 707-447-9905. The website is www.vacavalleytruck.com and from there you can get to their blog and social media.

6/07/11

Turtle Top Ford Terra Maxx at NTEA



Matt Sausman Talks With Ford Truck Pros At NTEA about New Terra Maxx Built By Turtle Top. See more at www.TurtleTop.com

6/06/11

Taylor Steinberg Talks About The Knapheide CNG Service Body


Taylor Steinberg of Knapheide Manufacturing talks to Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success about the Knapheide CNG option for their service body line.

Recorded on March 9, 2011 at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis using a Flip Video camera.






Some information from the Knapheide website at http://www.knapheide.com/:

Compressed Natural Gas


Knapheide has invested in relationships with the two top CNG fuel system providers in the industry, BAF Technologies (Ford Chassis) and Baytech Corporation (GM Chassis). Because of these relationships, Knapheide has been able to develop work ready CNG fuel vehicles on both Ford and GM chassis. CNG has become a popular choice for large fleets due to the significantly lower operating costs compared to gas or diesel vehicles. CNG fueled vehicles emit 30% less greenhouse gas compared to gas or diesel vehicles. Over 98% of natural gas is produced in North America allowing the United States to rely less on foreign oil as a fuel source.

Direct benefits to fleets/end users that convert to compressed natural gas include:

  • CNG is eligible for the Federal Qualified Alternative Fuel Motor Vehicle credit
  • On-site CNG fueling stations offer additiional benefits to large fleets with dedicated work routes
  • CNG engines emit 80% less noise compared to diesel engines
  • CNG offers a lower fuel cost and longer vehicle life expectancy for fleet vehicles
  • CNG packages are available for many popular commercial vehicles and retrofits for existing vehicles

6/05/11

Lo Riser Trailers


Stop, Drop and Load with a Lo Riser Inclining Platform Trailer. The Lo Riser hydraulic trailer is not like a conventional tilt trailer. With a flip of a switch, the Lo Riser gently lowers the rear of the trailer to the ground providing an approximate 4 or 5 degree load angle. The loading ramp is built into the Lo Riser trailer so there are no heavy tailgates and no more dangerous ramp boards to worry about. Loading is fast and simple. Sweepers, scrubbers, order pickers, forklift trucks and high reach equipment can all be loaded without bottoming out. One man can quickly load equipment or cargo saving you precious time and money.


Having a Lo Riser hydraulic trailer in your work fleet will help maximize efficiency and eliminate double handling. Get a Lo Riser working for you.

Visit http://www.advancemetalworking.com/ to learn more about these unique trailers.

6/04/11

Turtle Top - Where Can We Take You


Turtle Top Odyssey, Odyssey XL, Odyssey XLT, Walk Around


Why Turtle Top

Turtle Top started manufacturing automotive products in 1962. It began with recreational vehicles and over the years has grown into a reputed provider of transportation solutions with sales and services location across the USA and Canada. We make buses or specialty vehicles designed according to the specifications or requirements of our customers. Our clientele include some of the most prestigious names in the motor coach industry.

Turtle Top specializes in manufacturing small to mid-sized buses and specialty vehicles that are built on Chevrolet, Ford and Freightliner chassis. We serve a wide variety of customers who are looking for a bus for sale. They include organizations (both governmental and non-governmental), as well as individuals. Our product range includes buses for church, college and school. We also make shuttle bus, transit bus, charter bus, 15 passenger van, tour bus and limousine bus. Our concern for environmental deterioration caused from fossil fuels has led us to invest considerable effort into researching alternative power and fuel. We aim to set the standards of innovation in this area by which others will measure success.

At Turtle Top we believe that the key to success lies in the satisfaction of our customers and we aim to satisfy our customers beyond their expectations. Hence developing high quality customer service is our top priority. We continue to work hard to provide the best services to our customers and are proud of our reputation in the automotive industry as a company that assures quality, service, longevity and integrity.

See more information at http://www.turtletop.com/

6/03/11

Red Service Body At Platinum Chevrolet


Greg Martin, Commercial/Fleet Mgr at Platinum Chevrolet in Santa Rosa CA shows off a gorgeous red 2500HD with a Harbor Service Body with some very nice options such as power windows and door locks, power seat, tilt and cruise, LT1 package, 6.0 Gas V8, 6-speed automatic, and much more.


The Harbor Truck Bodies Service Body has some nice features too with the optional power pop-out lock system, standard stainless steel lids, tapered leg forklift loadable rack, class IV receiver and trailer plug.

Platinum Chevrolet is located at 3001 Corby Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95407. Reach them at 707-525-1800. Call Greg Martin directly on his cell at 707-490-6881.

Check out their new blog at http://platinumcommercialtruck.blogspot.com/

6/02/11

Tommy Gate Launches its All-New Cantilever Series












Tommy Gate is proud to announce the launch of its Cantilever Series, the all-new hydraulic lift specifically designed for commercial panel vans, including the Mercedes-Benz SPRINTER, Nissan NV, and Chevy EXPRESS.

Attendees at the 2011 NTEA Work Truck Show saw an early demo of the Tommy Gate Cantilever and a few prototypes have been in various stages of testing around the country for the past several months. However, the factory production lines have just recently been completed at Tommy Gate’s manufacturing plant in Woodbine, Iowa.

Tommy Gate’s engineering team has been developing the new lift for over two years and designed the Cantilever Series with a focus on operator safety and functional reliability. The numerous features included create a hydraulic lift that is not only state-of-the-art and aesthetically pleasing, but also highly functional and surprisingly convenient:

  • bolt-on installation eliminates welding
  • large, aluminum platform is corrosion-resistant and pallet-jack compatible
  • lift controls have been carefully placed to ensure operator safety
  • laterally-folding platform allows access to rear of vehicle when not in use
  • standard cart stops and internal bridge mounts make the lift extremely cart-friendly
Tommy Gate is a 45-year-old, U.S.-based, hydraulic liftgate manufacturer, located in Woodbine, Iowa.

Find a distributor by using Tommy Gate’s Distributor Locator at http://www.tommygate.com/ or email marketing@tommygate.com for more info.

6/01/11

Michael Gelsthorpe Shows Off Features of Auto Crane Body


Michael Gelsthorpe, Regional Manager with Ramsey Industries gives Ryan Stone of Commercial Truck Success and impromptu presentation of some of the features of the heavy duty Auto Crane Service Body.

See more about Auto Crane products at http://www.autocrane.com/