Onboard Compressed Air by 12-Voltair

The company is Voltair, Inc. The product is 12-Voltair. I've never seen this product and I got excited when I came to the Voltair booth at the NTEA show last week because I could see so many uses for this product in commercial trucks.

Here's the selling points off their website at www.12-voltair.com:

• The 12-Voltair is a rugged air compressor.
• Air when and where you need it, hour after hour.
• Finest high torque, 1800 rpm, thermal protected permanent magnet motor on the market. Note: Not a starter or series wound motor.
• Heavy Duty "cast iron" twin cylinder, oil lubed compressor runs at only 470 rpm.
• Positive timing gear belt drive system eliminates belt slippage and extends the life of the belt.
• All steel powder coated 18 gauge cabinet.
• In business since 1990.
• Full one year warranty.

We got a great demonstration of this product and saw the cutaway version so you can see it in operation. It isn't a wimpy little compressor. Maximum PSI is 150 with an 80% duty cycle meaning it can run 50 minutes out of an hour at temperatures under 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The 12-Voltair is capable of filling a 10 gallon air tank from 0 to 150 psi in just 3 minutes.

The best part to me was where it is mounted. It fits in a space that gets very little use in a pickup. Its narrow silhouette is perfect for placement in a service body, flatbed or other application. If placed inside a compartment, there need be sufficient ventilation and circulation of air. Plenty of power to run air powered tools.

We think this is a great product and the word needs to get out about it. Check out their website. They have a lot of testimonials and other models and accessories. There is also downloadable owners manual, brochure, and much more. They operate out of two office locations: Henderson, Nebraska and Orinda, California. You can get even more information by calling Michael Gompertz, National Sales Manager at 925-2383-8724 in Orinda, CA, Justin Goertzen at 402-366-6289, or talk to the President, Dennis Goertzen at 402-366-6288 in Henderson, NE.

Thanks to Voltair for coming to the NTEA and letting us be introduced to this fine product.

Very Sweet Aluminum Contractor from Pro Tech

Pro-Tech builds one of the nicest aluminum flatbeds on the market. Polish the side rails, add some nice aluminum wheels and you have a decked out truck that gets attention--even on a white truck. I have sold a number of these over the years.

While cruising through the NTEA Work Truck Show last week, I spied this gorgeous contractor put together by Pro-Tech. I'm sure it was put together to show a number of their products, but I would love to stock one exactly like it. Here's some features that I liked:

• The base is the Pro-Tech aluminum flatbed. In this case it appears to be a 10' model. The side rails have been polished (a 1-hour or less job at the dealership with a buffer). It has the tapered headboard of which I think Pro-Tech does a particularly great job on the dimensions and design of.
• It has an aluminum backpack box behind the cab with access all the way through with upper and lower doors as seen in the photo. This box is 24" wide, so this along with the 10' flatbed are a perfect combination on the 84" CA chassis this is shown on.
• On the streetside is a Pro-Tech contractor box with the open top lids. Beautiful and very functional.
• Right behind the contractor box is an underbed box mounted on top with a 3-drawer assembly mounted in it. Doesn't that look hot! Very nice.
• Coming around back is a very nice fold down aluminum gate. I love the design of this gate.
• On the curbside is an aluminum basket. A very thoughtful addition.
• Next is a drop down lid box that is a nice tall one to carry some sizable items.
• Under the bed are some underbed boxes attached to the bottom of the backpack.
• Then there is the HD aluminum forklift loadable rack. (I recommend you ask them to build it with cleats and bolt it on rather than welding it). There is also an aluminum stop at the headboard and screen protecting the cab.

The best part, other than not dealing with rust, paint, peeling and all that maintenance stuff is the fact that the whole package is 40-50% lighter than the steel counterparts. This makes for more fuel efficient operation, and equally important is additional cargo capacity. Pro-Tech is in Vancouver, WA (Portland area) and LaVergne, TN (Nashville area). They also have a distributor network nationwide. Check out their website at www.protech.net.

I Love This Body On This Truck

I love this body on this truck. I call this a plumber body, and Knapheide Manufacturing calls it the KUV/CC (Knapheide Utility Vehicle/Cab Chassis Line). Why this truck? The 1-ton dually 84" CA is just sheer perfection for this type of body. Yes, it doesn't quite have the turning radius of the cutaway, but certainly makes up for that with a long list of selling features. Here's some examples of what I mean:

• Mounted on the conventional cab here (or tilt cab), the body is not attached to the cab, so you don't hear every little thing rattling around in the body--and you cutaway folks know they do, that's why you wear headphones. . .
• It has a stronger frame and larger and better brakes. That ought to close the deal right there. Throw in that the brakes last longer on this chassis vs the cutaway.
• Better GVWR = more cargo carried more safely. This is shown on the Ford F350 which has 13,000 GVWR vs the Ford cutaway under 11,000. Big difference!
• Room in the cab for real people! I'm 6' 3", so I know that driving the cutaway is not the best experience and the conventional cab works very nicely, thank you very much. Anyone else? You can also sit three people.
• I feel safer in the conventional cab. That's not scientific. It's a feeling. I know others will share a similar thought.
• Better load distribution on the truck. The body load is spread less on the front axle than on the cutaway.
• Why a 350 vs a 450 or 550? The 350 gas rig is the number one seller in this body and rightly so, it is efficient and inexpensive. In addition, the body is lower to the ground due to wheel diameter and tire size. Add to the truck cost savings the maintenance savings on tires, brakes, etc.
• This is just a few of the benefits, but there are more. . .

All of this adds up to huge value to the customer who uses this truck. I think this combination is a piece of cake to sell because there is so much value to talk about.

Then, there is the Knapheide body. Why Knapheide? How many 6 year warranties do you see on steel truck bodies? That's double most others. It is built out of heavier material to take more of a work load over more years. . . been in business since 1848. . . number 1 body builder in the world. . . Of course, that's the simple answers, and that might work for some folks and the ones it doesn't work for can look at all the features, benefits and specifications right here: More detail on specs.

Considering I used to sell against Knapheide, I think the KUV is in the best category with this body. Comparing all the features and benefits, you can't go wrong. Get some of these with the gas 350 dually 84" CA and you will have a good increase in sales of this truck body.

Stairway To Heaven Body

Kimberly at Harbor Truck Bodies sent me these photos and I was joking with her on the phone calling this the Stairway to Heaven body because when you look at the photo of the back it looks to me like a stairway to the lids from the bumper to the vise mount to the fold-up step to the lid. My business partner Ryan would say this body is SWEEEEET!! I would have to agree. It is sweet!

Mounted on a light brown metallic GMC 5500 Crew Cab, the Harbor 56" closed top body is enhanced with the addition of a 3-piece raised cargo bed enclosure. What do you suppose they put in there? Whatever they want, I'm sure since there is a ton of room in there. A couple of custom vise mounts, some fold-up steps mounted to the endpanels, oversize tailgate, and a forklift loadable rack. Then we get around to the side and see all those beautiful HD drawers! I love drawers in service bodies. The unit also has Harbor's Master Lock System and 2-stage matching paint including inside the compartments.

This is a serious truck with a total luxury feel. It's a truck any serious contractor could love. Nice job Harbor Truck!

Granite Drawer Systems - I Love These Drawers!

Last week at the NTEA Work Truck Show, I was looking for some special accessories. I love to sell accessories! We found Granite Drawer Systems of Wathena, Kansas at the show and it was just what I was looking for. These drawers are the best I have ever seen. Talk about heavy duty--these drawers are made of 14 gauge construction throughout, have 500 lb drawer slides tested at 550 lbs for 100,000 cycles. Most drawers are less than half that rating. They have a sweet brushed aluminum T Handle that is lockable and operates easily with one hand. The latches are hidden within the drawer face, making it both attractive and theft-resistant. This means you can lock some drawers and not others at will. Drawer faces are powder coated with 3-4 mil PPG powder coating. Here's the best part: The drawers are easily removed and reinstalled in the slides. We had them demonstrate this and the photos above are the actual product at the show.

The drawers are available in standard heights of 3", 5" and 7" and standard drawer depth is 18", but they can make depths from 10" to 62" to fit any compartment size. They have a limited lifetime warranty. There are two shots included here of drawers mounted in a Knapheide Crane Body that was in the Knapheide display at the show.

I tell you that I have looked at a lot of drawers from a lot of manufacturers and I have not seen a better drawer. They will outfit you with any combination of sizes you might need to fit any of your compartments. Indeed, they even make a stand-alone model with finished top and sides that you could put in a closet, out on display, put wheels on it and roll it around, you name it.

Now, here is the kicker. I was expecting these to be the most expensive around, but was thrilled when I found out how reasonably priced they are. They ship anywhere in the world. Got an existing body, no problem. Call them up, give them the dimension, what you have in mind and they can make it happen quickly and efficiently. Call John Rauch, Operations Manager at 785-989-3100, ext 7710 or call Tom Jenkins, Customer Service at 785-989-3100, ext 7735. We met them at the show and they were very helpful and knowledgeable. Their website: www.granitedrawersystems.com.

Excellent product. Great design. Heavy duty and beautiful to boot. How can you miss?

N.T.E.A. Work Truck Show: Awesome!

The NTEA (National Truck Equipment Association) held its annual Work Truck Show and Meeting last week in Chicago, March 3-6th. According to many vendors we talked with, they said that it was a very good turnout. Above are some photos taken at lunch time and there were several hundred people away from the floor eating, but my partner and I can attest to the volume of people on the floor during the rest of the time.

Ryan and I decided to hit every booth and it only took us about 10 hours of diligent effort. Only. Toward the end, we had to wave as we walked by some, but we saw every single product display and talked with a large number and took 496 photos. You've got to catch it when you can since it's only once a year. There was a lot to catch and we are pleased with what we found. We will be writing about what we saw for some time to come.

Our thanks go to the NTEA for hosting this awesome event. I am sure it is a monumental task to put this thing together and the NTEA has done an outstanding job on the details of the details. It looked to us as if everything went off without a hitch. Can't wait until next year in St. Louis.

We also want to thank the National Ford Truck Club for encouraging us to come along and join the fun. Of course, it didn't take much encouragement, yet we are extremely grateful for their invitation.

Thank you also goes to Knapheide Manufacturing Company for inviting us to their spectacular party at the Navy Pier. They hosted what looked like well over 1,000 people, fed all of us extremely well along with an open bar and entertainment by The Charlie Daniels Band. They bussed us from all the major hotels to the Navy Pier and bussed us all back safe and sound. When we arrived at the event, two of the first people to greet each and every person who came was Knap Knapheide and Bo Knapheide. It looked like Knapheide had every employee and their spouses there and all dressed with a red vest to be seen clearly. A long list of awards were given to their vast distributor network across the country. An impressive event and an obviously impressive company. We really appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this event and to see how Knapheide shows their hospitality and culture. Thank you, Mike Soich for giving us the pleasure of joining the fun.

Last, we thank the City of Chicago for their hospitality. It was our first time to visit the Windy City. The city is beautiful and I would go back in a heartbeat. There is an open friendliness that we're not quite used to and it was very nice. The McCormick Convention Center is a huge facility and there are buses going to and from all the time and they even have their own bus highway that only the buses use. Very impressive! You're there and back in no time. Everywhere we went we saw a sign from Mayor Daley stating, "We're Glad You're Here!" Great line and it sure seems like the rest of the city acts the same way including cab drivers and bus drivers. Thanks Chicago. We'll be back.

Nice Cascade Crane/Welder on a Red Dodge

Here's another great looking truck from Cascade Truck Body in Eugene, Oregon. This one is on a new uplevel Dodge 4500/5500 chassis with some nice wheels. The body is a Harbor Crane/Welder--or is it a Welder/Crane?--either way, it has two raised front compartments that are vented on the curbside. Nice HD crane and metal drop in tailgate with some nice handles to make it easy. It also has an 18" rear work platform extension with compartments and the outriggers are nicely placed. Notice the steps built into the bumper. Of course, I don't walk past a nice red upfitted truck without looking it over two or three times. This is a sweet package and a gorgeous truck. Another Cascade home run!

What Can I Learn From Leadership? Pulltarps!

Two reasons for this post. One, a tarp covering a load on a dump is a great thing and the Pulltarps brand is top of the line. I highly recommend this product and have sold quite a number over the years. So, here's a couple photos of a Pulltarps product on a Harbor 3-4 yard dump built by Rugby.

The second reason is that Pulltarps has one of the best websites I have ever seen in the commercial market and I have looked at a very large number of sites. It is one of the best to me because it not only looks good, but combines great content along with video and other resources, and the best part is that the owner of the company has personalized it.

One of the greatest advantages of the web and websites is that one can present their product with all manner of informational content, but can also add the personal touch so that we cannot deny that there are humans behind this site. So many of the sites I see are so impersonal. It's all about the product and that's it; we're the greatest and here's why; here's our policies and (heaven forbid) our "Mission Statement." I can just barely tolerate the dreaded mission statement at 99% of the sites I have seen them on. Gag me. Who cares?

The Pulltarps site gives the buying public great information and videos. What's interesting about that is that the main customer is most likely a dealer or distributor or upfitter rather than the public. Nonetheless, they appeal to public and dealer alike. The navigation is excellent and the layout is content-rich, but clean. See if you don't agree in concept. Go to the Pulltarps site (www.pulltarps.com) and on the home page, watch the video in the middle of the page. It sets the tone for the whole site.

Commercial Truck Success is giving "High 5's" to the Pulltarps web team. Keep up the great work!

Nothing Like a 3/4-Ton To Get the Job Done

There's nothing like a 3/4-Ton pickup to get the job done. Heck, we could probably put some more stuff in there. This truck will have much better traction now, providing the steering wheels are still touching the ground. Have truck, will carry! That's their motto.

Some Signs Are Just Funny!

Tell me who, besides the lawyers, care about this sticker? Like people read that! Of course, we know they should, and maybe they even do read it, but follow that? No way! Walking on those lids is like a passion with some people. That's why they like the treadplate on there, so they can get some traction. Of course, telling people not to do something makes them want to do it even more. Some signs are just funny to me and this is one of them. Then, you get the shadow of my stomach at no extra charge.

Too Hot To Handle?

There's nothing like a gas can next to the HOT message, or the melting tennis shoes. But, hey, there's always the fire extinguisher close at hand. No worries, mate!

Great Looking Contractor from Carter Industries

Here's a great looking contractor body from Carter Industries. The boxes are made of aluminum treadplate and have a distinct look. This is a 10' unit on a 60"CA dually, yet they have the full size 8' boxes like they put on the 12' on this unit. I think that makes it very useful by carrying about the same amount, yet the maneuverability is much better with the shorter turning radius. That's a great combination of assets.

This one has a nice finishing touch of having stainless steel pieces on top of the rack bars as shown in the photo. Nice touch. The tall boxes are very useful as well and the lids are nice and light since they are aluminum. Fold-down gates and a long compartment in the back of the bed round out the neat features in this truck. Although this truck has a welded to the body rack, I would hope they are now bolted on instead. The stainless steel wheel inserts add a little bling too.

Nice job Carter! Beautiful truck.

One Very Sweet Looking Dually!

Although everyone knows I am into commercial upfitted trucks, and especially colored ones, so when I saw this truck at Future Ford in Roseville, I just had to take a digital look.

This is one sweet looking rig with the body lowered nice and flat and those huge aluminum wheels just glaring at you. There's a black one sitting next to this, but this white one is just so clean looking. It no longer looks like a big old 1-ton dually. This is my kind of commercial truck! Nice job Future Ford!

Very Attractive and Useful 11' Service Body

I received another great body shot from Cascade Truck Body & Welding, in Eugene, Oregon. I wanted to show it off because it is an excellent combination of things. First of all, this is an 11' service body mounted on a Ford 450/550 chassis. What is interesting about this to me is that it has dual raised compartments on both sides.

There are a lot of examples of having the first compartment raised, but it is extremely rare to see the first two compartments raised. Some might put some welding bottles in one compartment, but another great reason for doing this is sheer storage. You can put a whole lot of shelves in there and store a large number of parts or tools. Put drawers in there and you have an awesome mechanics truck.

The next thing I notice is that, at least on the curbside, it has the horizontal series body. With that option (no cost at most places), the horizontal compartment over the wheel is extended all the way to the rear and then instead of a larger vertical compartment at the end, there is a smaller compartment below. Extremely useful depending on what they are carrying and how the truck will be used. I love that feature. They may or may not have the horizontal series on the streetside.

Next, it has a great looking forklift loadable rack and then it has a great Tommy gate with the fold-down gate option.

Very nice looking truck and with this mix of compartments and other features, it will be an awesome work truck as well.

Sweet Short-Box Service Bodies

It is rare to see a service body on a short bed pickup, yet here are a couple of sweet looking ones courtesy of Cascade Truck Body & Welding in Eugene, Oregon. Check out their website. They do a lot of interesting pieces. Sure looks like nice quality work as well with plenty of attention to detail.