for hardworking towing professionals€¦ · 4 // runhard // spring 2012 aul best knows the formula...

An Oshkosh Corporation Company

Rave Reviews

Baltimore expo:

F O R H A R D W O R K I N G T O W I N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S

FOR HARDWORKING TOWING PROFESSIONALS

MEET PAUL BEST // EXPO REVIEW // TOWING HISTORY // EVENTS CALENDAR

the tiedownJoel Amsley is Senior Vice President of Jerr-dan Corporation

© 2012 Jerr-Dan Corporation, An Oshkosh Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Run Hard is a publication of Jerr-Dan Corporation.

inside SPRinG 2012

2 // RUNHARD // sprinG 2012

Run Hard magazine is your source for new products, trends, and technical information pertaining to Jerr-Dan towing and recovery equipment. Run Hard is published quarterly for all employees, distributors and customers of Jerr-Dan. The magazine is distributed nationally, featured in American Towman magazine and on the Jerr-Dan website, www.jerrdan.com.

LTD Creative, Design and Production Cygnus Custom Marketing, Editor and Correspondent

JERR-DAN STAFFJoel Amsley, Senior Vice President Weldon Wright, Director of Sales Tracy O’Dowd, Marketing ManagerBrandon Tucker, Director of Engineering Mike VanAken, Customer Support MangerRichard Puglia, International Sales Manager Phil Hammond, Motor Club ManagerShane Coleman, Heavy Duty Sales & Market Development ManagerDenny Buhrman, Product Specialist Gene McKinney, Regional Sales ManagerRocky Certaro, Regional Sales ManagerJoe Osterman, Regional Sales ManagerDan DeAces, Regional Sales Manager Mike Cherry, Retail Sales Specialist

13224 Fountain Head Plaza Hagerstown, MD 21742-2678Corporate Office: 800.926.9666Fax: 301.745.5375www.jerrdan.comwww.facebook.com/jerrdancorp

PG. 4 meet the YoUser: paul Best of east Coast towing

PG. 6 new Jerr-dan equipment pulls in rave reviews at expo

PG. 7meet the distributor: Worldwide equipment sales

PG. 8taking a turn at Being a piece of History

PG. 10towers with a Cause

Welcome to the new re-designed look of Run Hard! We know you’ll love the crisp, clean look with an emphasis on YOU—our user. We truly value and appreciate you for all your dedication to the towing and recovery industry!

While this issue includes a wrap up of the 2011 Baltimore Show, we’ve now turned our attention to planning the 2012 Florida Tow Show. In fact, let’s make this interesting…

Find me in the Jerr-Dan booth at the Florida Show, shake my hand and give me your business card. I’ll enter the card into “Joel’s Drawing.” I’ll draw one card at the end of each show day and the winner will receive $500 Jerr-Dan Bucks from me.

I’m looking forward to seeing you and shaking your hand!

Joel

F O R H A R D W O R K I N G T O W I N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S

FOR HARDWORKING TOWING PROFESSIONALS

PLUGGed in

March 6-8National Truck Equipment Association Work Truck Show Indianapolis, IN

17-19 Towing & Recovery Association of America Legislative & Leadership Conference Arlington, VA

22-24Mid-America Truck Show Louisville, KY

16-18Bristol Race Weekend Bristol, TN

June1-3 Empire State Towing & Recovery Association Tow Show Lake George, NY

South Dakota Professional Towing Association Tow Show & School Sioux Falls, SD

7-9Firestone 550 Race Weekend Texas Motor Speedway, Ft.Worth, TX

EVENT SCHEDULE

www.jerrdan.com // RUNHARD // 3

Would you like to receive Jerr-Dan news and updates by email?

Drop us a line at [email protected] and tell us to add you

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April12-14Samsung Mobile 500 Weekend Texas Motor Speedway, Ft. Worth, TX

19-22Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida Tow Show Orlando, FL

May18-19 Charlotte Race Weekend Charlotte, NC

19-20New Hampshire Towing Association Beach Tow Show Hampton, NH

26-27Charlotte Race Weekend Charlotte, NC


aul Best knows the formula for success when it comes to owning and operating a top-notch business…hire the best people and provide them with quality equipment for the job.

Best fell in love with the towing business after working in the industry for several years. In August 1989 he started East Coast Towing and soon after expanded his business by purchasing two existing towing companies. East Coast Towing is currently based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with another location in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

As Best began to build his company, he turned to distributor Eastern Wrecker Sales in Clayton, North Carolina, to grow his fleet of towing equipment. Today it includes 52 standard- to medium-duty pieces of Jerr-Dan equipment. East Coast Towing has 80 employees; 60 are tow truck operators.

Employees are No. 1 priorityEast Coast Towing has taken the ECT initials in its company name and expanded it to encompass its corporate philosophy—Employee, Customer, Team. “We are very employee focused,” stresses Best. “A few years ago we

changed the nature of the business to focus on the people who take care of our customers,” he said. “I spend the majority of my time making sure our employees have everything they need, and most of the rest of it takes care of itself.”

Best credits fun and lightheartedness as key factors in successfully building his company’s team and maintaining quality employees. “We enjoy what we do and we have fun,” he says.

From tragedy to triumphTwo years ago the company pulled together to get through a difficult situation. The main East Coast Towing building burned down on New Years Day in 2010 and four trucks were lost in the fire. “Eastern Wrecker Sales staff stepped up and delivered two replacement trucks within two weeks,” he recalls. “Jerr-Dan employees were also extremely supportive and they helped any way they could.”

East Coast Towing employees banded together and the company operated out of a hotel room for two weeks until a temporary office could be set up. “We bounced back and ran our heaviest volume day just two days after the fire,” notes Best proudly. “Never once did we think the fire would ruin us.” Ten months later, ECT moved back into its headquarters.East Coast Towing continues to grow and find new ways to

make a difference. Its newest piece of equipment is a Jerr-Dan wrecker sporting a pink/camouflage paint scheme. A portion of the profits from every call will go to an organization working to find a cure for breast cancer.

Meet the YoUSeRpaul BestEast Coast Towing

P

HOOK UP WITH US

East Coast TowingPhone: 919.835.0705Web: www.eastcoasttowing.com

East Coast Towing is a preferred provider with the AAA Motor Club and has twice won the club’s Service Provider of Excellence. The company also earned a 5-star rating from American Towman magazine.

Above: Paul Best, Owner of East Coast Towing

Meet the YoUSeR


Show attendees were able to get the first look at two new body options from Jerr-Dan aimed at making the recovery job more efficient. The 50-ton rotator was at the center of the display, and impressed everyone with its aluminum fire service-style body. Jerr-Dan, Stepp’s Towing of Tampa, Florida, and Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton, Wisconsin, a sister company to Jerr-Dan, all partnered on the rotator venture, which is designed to be an incident command center and incorporates roll-up doors and efficient, unique storage options.

Developed in conjunction with United Plastic Fabricating and Mark’s Towing in Frederick, Maryland, the second new body option introduced at the show is the PolyBody® for the 16-ton wrecker. Jerr-Dan engineers designed this body with more storage capability, state-of-the-art lighting and new tool management systems that expedite on-scene recovery efficiency.

Both new body style options caught the eye of many attendees. “The feedback was extremely positive,” says

Jerr-Dan proved at the 2011 American Towman Expo in Baltimore that a glitzy and glamorous display isn’t necessary when showing off top-notch towing

equipment. The equipment itself is all that’s necessary to draw existing and potential clients into a booth.

new Jerr-dan equipment Pulls in Rave Reviews at expo


Weldon Wright, Director of Sales for Jerr-Dan. “Attendees enjoyed seeing the new, innovative products—not the same units painted different colors.”

Mesmerized by the rotatorOf all the trucks displayed at the show, the one that hooked the most interest was the 50-ton rotator with the fire service-style body. “Nothing has been brought to a show in many years as forward thinking and innovative as the rotator unit,” Wright notes. “There were more tool management systems and ergonomic storage devices in the body than have ever been displayed by any manufacturer. Every door opening produced something different and unique. The attendees were literally spellbound.”

Attendees also had the rare opportunity to see The Beast—a Heavy Recovery System (HRS) built by Oshkosh Defense in conjunction with Jerr-Dan engineers as a solution to fill a customer-identified gap in recovery vehicles. The HRS assists with retrieval of armored, IED-damaged vehicles. Oshkosh Defense engineers started with their battle-proven Logistics Vehicle Replacement System (LVSR) platform and then integrated Jerr-Dan’s cutting-edge rotator wrecker technology. The result is a vehicle that integrates the levels of troop protection required in current world conflicts and offers improved crew survivability.

From an engineering standpoint, Jerr-Dan proved to be a front-runner at the show.

“The HRS and the Pierce body are great examples of what can be achieved when two or more Oshkosh Product Development organizations work together,” says Brandon

Tucker, Director of Engineering for Jerr-Dan. “These products clearly stood out and showed Jerr-Dan’s commitment to innovation and demonstrated the collective power of Oshkosh Engineering.”

Wright agrees and notes that several customers said they believed the technological innovations seen at this show have surpassed anything ever offered in the towing and recovery industry.

“We’ve set a new bar for organization on towing and recovery equipment, which will translate into more efficient incident management for the user,” says Wright.

He adds, “We know that people are drawn to something new, so it’s imperative that we continue to offer new product models and towing solutions to maintain our edge.”

Jerr-Dan also showed its appreciation for its customers by raffling useful tools for small businesses including iPads, GPS devices and digital cameras.

Jerr-Dan also presented Bill Graztianna and Troy Barnett of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum (ITRHFM) with the restored prototype of the company’s first heavy-duty 25-ton wrecker. This wrecker sports the

industry’s first body constructed of composite material over an aluminum structure. Jerr-Dan also presented the museum with a $5,000 donation for the Survivor Fund.

The Heavy Recovery System built by Oshkosh Defense in conjunction with Jerr-Dan engineers as a solution to fill a customer-identified gap in recovery vehicles.

Center: The 25 Ton Integrated Heavy Duty Wrecker on a 2012 Freightliner 114SD.

Inset: Jerr-Dan’s Tracy O’Dowd and Joel Amsley present Troy Barnett and Bill Graztianna of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum with a $5,000 donation for the Survivor Fund.

at Winer knows how to put together a successful business—piece by piece; turn by turn. With his wife,

Cathy, as his business partner, Winer built Worldwide Equipment Sales, LLC into an impressive Jerr-Dan distributorship. The Rockdale, Illinois, company provides new and used trucks and trailers to customers in the Chicago area.Winer got his start in the towing

industry more than 30 years ago at his first job on the assembly line at Challenger Wrecker Manufacturing in Elkhart, Indiana. After spending time on the line, he switched gears and began working in inside sales and built a career. For a few years, Winer worked at B&B Industries in Chicago until the owners made a change in product lines, but Winer always wanted to sell Jerr-Dan equipment. Jerr-Dan hired Winer as a territory manager for 11 states until he had the opportunity to open his own distributorship. His knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the towing industry served him well and within six months

of his opening in 2003, Worldwide Equipment posted several million in sales.

Growth, growth, growthBy 2011, Worldwide Equipment Sales reported a fivefold increase in sales— a success story Winer attributes to his 22 hardworking and knowledgeable employees, thousands of loyal customers and an excellent product line. “We believe our customers are No. 1 and we are here to cater to their every need,” he states. “We are not just a cookie-cutter dealership. We are able to fabricate just about anything a customer can dream up. Our shop builds standard-, medium- and heavy-duty wreckers and carriers. Customizing is our middle name,” he adds. Worldwide Equipment Sales is

currently building a Jerr-Dan MPL40 wrecker mounted on a 2012 Ford F550 4x4 Crew Cab, for Auto Beautifiers in Rockford, Illinois. The truck is customized with a $5,000 white pearl paint job on the wrecker body and incorporates more than 185 additional LED lights, custom power distribution panel (manufactured at Worldwide),

Meet the diStRibUtoR

Worldwide equipment sales


P

HOOK UP WITH US

Rich Rezutka, Pat Winer and Rich Palombo stand in front of Auto Beautifiers’ custom MPL40

Worldwide Equipment Sales, LLC Phone: 815.725.4400Web: www.newtowtrucks.com

4-camera system, DVD recorder, backup sensors, custom push bumper, Whelen fully loaded light bar, Whelen arrow stick and more.

Something specialWiner’s networking recently created a rare opportunity for one of his customers: during the filming of “Batman,” a crane was needed for a scene in the movie in which a semi-truck rolled over and slid down the street. Winer was able to connect this customer, who owned a Jerr-Dan 85-ton rotator, with the movie equipment manager. The scene went off without a hitch.In addition to Jerr-Dan equipment,

Worldwide Equipment also sells Landoll Slide Axle & Detachable Trailers and Wells Cargo Enclosed Trailers. Its newest venture is Driver Locate, a GPS fleet management system.

It’s not often that a tow truck driver has an opportunity to be a part of history. When Eric Hartsell of Hunter Auto & Wrecker Services in Charlotte, North Carolina, had the opportunity to work on a once-in-a-lifetime project, he grabbed the keys to his Jerr-Dan 85-ton rotator and went to work.

His destination: The Carolinas Aviation Museum (CAM). The museum was the new home of the Airbus A320 airplane that made a historic landing in New York’s Hudson River in January 2009 with U.S. Airways pilots Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles at the helm. The museum plans to display the fully-assembled aircraft as it was when it was pulled from the river. The flight now known in history as the “Miracle on the Hudson” originated in New York and was bound for North Carolina.

Hartsell, a heavy-duty tow truck supervisor and operator, first became involved in the project when Creason Automotive & Wrecker Service asked him to help disassemble a gantry crane after the airliner was first brought to North Carolina in June 2011. Since then Hartsell has been involved in assisting engineers and mechanics with putting the tail section onto the plane, as well as unloading the wings when they were delivered. He also plans to use his rotator to assist the team when the wings are ready to be mounted onto the fuselage. The airplane is being reconstructed in Charlotte in a hangar owned by CAM.

taking a turn at being

a Piece of history

Most calls that come into a towing company are routine. Every once

in a while a call comes in that is far from ordinary. One driver from

North Carolina took that special call and is proud to have been a part of

American history.


Like what you’re

reading?

Find out more on

www.JerrDan.com!

A Jerr-Dan 85-ton rotator assists in the reconstruction of the U.S.Airways’ Airbus A320 that landed in the Hudson River. Once reconstructed, the plane will be displayed at

The Carolinas Aviation Museum.

7

Rotator: an everyday piece of equipment The heaviest piece of equipment moved by the rotator was the 8,500-pound gantry crane, Hartsell explains. “We’re not dealing with that much weight with the plane…maybe 2,100 pounds,” he adds. The rotator, which is the only one of its kind in North Carolina, was used to hoist up the pieces of the plane and hold them in place while the assembly workers bolted the pieces back in place. For the wings, Hartsell rigged them up and placed the pieces on a platform until they were bolted on.

While the rotator, affectionately nicknamed the “Black Beast” or “Triple Beast,” can handle this impressive type of workload,

it’s not only used for the biggest jobs. “We run it every day,” Hartsell says. “We use it for small crane jobs, to deck and undeck trucks and all major tractor trailers, and we tow with it. It’s a truck that pulls its weight every day. Whatever we have to do with it, we do with it. It’s not just used for special occasions.”

Hartsell says he’s honored to be part of this historical exhibit. “This isn’t a job everyone will get to do in their lifetime,” he concludes. “This is something that later down the road I can share with my little girl and say ‘look what your father did.’ To me it’s a special job that I’ve really enjoyed.”


The rotator hoists up the pieces of the plane, including the wings, and holds them steady while assembly workers bolt the pieces back in place.


A Haul of HopeTow truck parades have been around for years, but the origin of the parades can be traced back to events honoring tow truck company owners and operators who have passed away. Pat Winer of Worldwide Equipment Sales, LLC of Rockdale, Illinois, found a way to turn these parades into positive memories.

Worldwide Equipment Sales’ “Tow Trucks For Tots” originated to put towers in a better light through helping others. The “Tow Truck for Tots” program encourages towing companies to collect toys for less fortunate children in the months before Christmas. Towers join together for a parade to deliver the goods to Toys for Tots, which then disperses the toys. “We wanted to show that towing companies are good, family-run businesses,” Winer stresses.

In organizing this effort, Winer had another goal: To earn a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest parade of tow trucks, which at the time was 84 trucks.

In its forth year, Worldwide Equipment Sales “Tow Trucks For Tots” has achieved its goal with a parade of 324 tow trucks! The parade route covered 42 miles around Chicago, and the trucks themselves accounted for nine miles worth of equipment. Towers came from as far away as Indiana, Missouri, Michigan and Wisconsin. Bob’s Radiator Service of Atco, New Jersey, traveled 797 miles to be a part of this exciting adventure. All the towing companies either collected toys or raised money for the purchase of toys through the program.

Naturally, it’s difficult not to notice a parade of so many trucks. In fact, a local newspaper called it a “caravan of chrome,” Winer recalls. Due to its impressive showing, roads were closed and the trucks were given a police escort along the route. Thousands of people watched in support and waved. One lone Marine gave each operator a full salute.

The world of towing is much more than

the sum of its parts. Equipment, chrome,

hitches, etc. are just tools in the toolboxes

of the men and women behind the wheel.

The men and women who make up the

heart of the towing industry are the same

men and women who give from the heart.

The companies detailed in the next two

pages have hooked into the needs of their

communities and made a difference that

goes beyond selling trucks and towing

vehicles. They give from their hearts so

others may benefit.

towers with a Cause

“Tow Trucks for Tots” provided 10,000 toys to children in 2011.

“Towing for Ta Ta’s” increases awareness for breast cancer and raises money towards breast cancer research.


Tower Honors SoldiersAction Towing and Service owner Craig Camp knows firsthand the importance of supporting our troops. As a former M1A1 Abrahams Tank Mechanic and recovery specialist in the Army, Camp learned the towing industry in a much more hazardous environment than the streets of his current location in Henrietta, New York.

After his discharge from the Army, Camp completed his education at Ithaca College and started his own towing and automotive service business. Today he remains involved in promoting the Army through a group called the Upstate New York Community advisory board, and works closely with the Rochester recruiting office. The board’s mission is to promote the Army’s positive presence in the community.

Camp, who was scheduled to build a new wrecker for his fleet in March, opted to turn the truck into a promotional tool for all Armed Forces. The Jerr-Dan MPL40, mounted on a 2012 Ford F550 Crew Cab, is decked out with the badges of the five branches of military, murals of soldiers in action as well as yellow ribbons. The wrap is embossed with the Army Strong logo and is anything but camo stealth.

The “Support Our Soldiers” truck is “just another way to say thank you to everyone who served this country,” he says.

The truck also has representation from the Wounded Warrior Project and Buy Veteran, two organizations supported by the Action Towing and Service.

Being active in the community is important to Camp, and he hopes that this truck sends the message to others that everybody can do something.

“We are all impacted by the sacrifices this country’s men and woman have made. I wanted to do something for the troops for all they do,” he says.

“We hire a lot of veterans so it seems like a fitting truck to put out there,” Camp notes. The truck has been invited to many events supporting soldiers and their families and has been offered to help transport troops and families returning home. Camp hopes that his “mission first, people always” credo adopted from his time in service will help both his employees and his company stand out and make a positive impact.

The truck has certainly been noticed—it took First Place for its design at the recent American Towman Expo.

This One’s for the Girls There’s no denying that the towing industry is male dominated. Danny Horton, Director of Towing and Recovery Sales for Atlantic Emergency Solutions in Manassas, Virginia, has found a meaningful and charitable way to include “the girls.”

“Towing for Ta-Ta’s” made its debut at the American Towman Expo in Baltimore. The eye-catching, pink-splashed, vinyl-wrapped, standard-duty wrecker sold by Atlantic Emergency Solutions, a Jerr-Dan distributor, has received the attention of towing companies and consumers alike.

Towing for Ta-Ta’s is Horton’s way of increasing awareness about breast cancer, as well as raising money for breast cancer research. Horton feels that everyone can relate to breast cancer as so many have friends or loved ones affected by the disease.

Joe Pack, President and CEO of Atlantic Emergency Solutions, didn’t hesitate when Horton proposed the idea, and eagerly embraced the opportunity to build awareness for this cause across the country. Horton explains that the idea immediately became a team project at Atlantic Emergency Solutions.

At the show, the truck drew people in and they openly shared with Horton their personal stories. “I received a lot of handshakes and hugs, and even a few tears,” he recalls.

Craig Goldstein, owner of Westway Towing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, purchased the truck at the show. After the show, the truck returned to Rock Star Wraps to have Westway’s name put on the truck along with the name of a close personal friend who lost her life to the disease. Goldstein has committed one dollar for every tow made by this truck to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. With the purchase, Atlantic Emergency donated $500 in Goldstein’s name to breast cancer research.

The “Support our Soldiers” truck is painted with the badges of the five branches of military, murals of soldiers in action as well as yellow ribbons.

There are 10 differences between these two photos... Can you find them?

This true incident command center tackles your biggest jobs and features increased storage capability, state-of-the-art lighting, and a a variety of new tool management systems to expedite your on-scene recovery efficiency.

Contact our HeContact our Heavy Duty Sales and Market Development Manager, Shane Coleman for more information, [email protected] or 248-227-4465.

For the answers, visit www.jerrdan.com/puzzle

13224 Fountain Head PlazaHagerstown, MD 21742

800-926-9666717-597-7111

[email protected]

for hardworking towing professionals€¦ · 4 // runhard // spring 2012 aul best knows the formula...

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