Stepp`s Towing // New Jerr-Dan 50-Ton Rotator // Florida Tow Show

An Oshkosh Corporation Company
June 2011
For Hard Working Towing Professionals
Stepp’s Towing // New Jerr-Dan 50-Ton Rotator // Florida Tow Show
Who Says Towers Aren’t Romantic? // Events Calendar
Joel’s Column
Joel Amsley is senior vice president of
Jerr-Dan Corporation
The last six months have been very busy – tough in many ways,
but rewarding in others. We have completed the transition of our
manufacturing and administrative operations to a new location
we now share with sister company, JLG. We are located a few
short miles from our previous headquarters.
There were many reasons for this change, but they all boil down
to making every effort possible to become more responsive to our
customers. So that you can work more effectively and profitably.
It hasn’t been an easy or painless process. But, in a very short
period of time, the results are already becoming apparent.
The new 50-Ton Rotator is a great example. Developed in the
midst of this transition, the 50-Ton Rotator made its debut this
year at the Florida Tow Show. Its performance specs are flat out
amazing!
Once again I say this is a “We the people” business, and we always
enjoy sharing stories about the distributors and towers across the
country that make ours such a great industry. Be sure to check
out the article on Herb Ash at Maryland Carrier & Wrecker. And
the profile of family owned Stepp’s Towing that includes insight
into the values it has employed to thrive for more than 50 years.
And don’t miss the wedding story of Brian Carnaghi and Cindy
Trimble that includes a motor home, 2,600 miles and a ceremony
at Bristol Motor Speedway with 100,000 plus “guests”!
With our business growing stronger, we’re looking forward to
the future with great excitement. The response and feedback
we’re getting from you is energizing and we thank you for your
business and for your support.
As always, I would like to hear from you any time, for any reason.
You can call my office at 301-745-5495 or e-mail me at
[email protected].
– Joel Amsley
Meet Herb Ash,
Maryland Carrier
& Wrecker Sales
H
erb Ash, newly appointed head of commercial sales for
Jerr-Dan distributor Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales, has
been in the towing and recovery industry since 1996. “I started
out with a towing equipment manufacturer and worked my
way up, identifying and setting up new distributors,” said Ash.
“I then went to work for a distributor, and so I’ve seen the
business from many different angles.”
Ash has a firm grasp on how to build business. “You can sum
up my philosophy in one word – integrity. I sell with integrity,
knowing that to succeed I have to put the customer first and
exceed their expectations. That’s me in a nutshell.”
Ash believes he has a leg up on the competition by having
the Jerr-Dan brand. “Jerr-Dan has a complete product line to
meet every customer’s requirements. The company has a track
record of innovation and dependability, and those qualities
are a big plus in my book.”
“I truly enjoy getting to know the people in the industry. In
my position, I’m lucky to meet a wide range of customers,
from small family companies to large operations. They all
have unique needs and it’s a pleasure working with each and
every one of them.”
Herb has been married to his wife Darby for 20 years. Together,
they have five kids with whom Herb enjoys spending free time:
“I love to hang out with the family. Weather permitting, you
can usually find us on a soccer or lacrosse field.”
NOTE: Open House at Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales on Thursday,
June 9, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4501 East Lombard Street,
© 2011 Jerr-Dan Corporation, An Oshkosh Corporation Company.
All rights reserved. Run Hard is a publication of Jerr-Dan Corporation.
Baltimore. For more information call Herb at 443-463-7492.
Florida Tow Show Festivities
The new Jerr-Dan 50-Ton Rotator was
the star of the Florida Tow Show.
The giant Jerr-Dan sandbox and sand sculpture was a huge hit for kids, and gave parents time to check out the new equipment.
T
he 2011 Florida Tow Show that
was held April 14-17 was a
resounding success for Jerr-Dan, and
everyone able to attend had a great
experience. With spring on the chilly
side in northern latitudes, the sun and
warmth in Orlando were a welcome
change for those traveling from these
cooler destinations.
Pritchard Family Auto Stores. The
booth also showcased the new 50-Ton
Rotator, along with a wide range of
carrier and wreckers. With its torsion
box frame and 41-foot fixed boom
reach, the Jerr-Dan 50-Ton Rotator
embodies the innovation and strength
found in all Jerr-Dan products.
Jerr-Dan was proud to sponsor
Thursday night’s fabulous kick-off
party and dance (co-sponsored by our
friends at Freightliner, Truck Country,
Rush Truck Centers and Prairie Archway
International Trucks). The evening
included food, drinks, dancing and
tons of fun. The live music featured
the Caribbean Chillers Jimmy Buffet
Tribute Show band.
In addition to the fun and festivities
happening in the first class Jerr-Dan
booth, the show provided an
opportunity for towing professionals
to take part in a wide range of classes
and training. Driver training for
light and medium duty trucks, as
well as certification classes featuring
Towing Recovery Association of
America (TRAA) testing for Levels
1, 2 and 3 were available.
The Jerr-Dan booth included a giant
sandbox with sand sculptures that
was co-sponsored by Ford and
Programs in demand included new
vehicle towing and service, and
training and certification for towing
automobile brands such as Audi,
BMW, Mini Cooper, Mercedes, VW,
and Porsche.
Classes on how to help build and
grow a towing and recovery business
were highly rated by those who
attended. Sessions included topics
such as sales and marketing, social
media, fleet management GPS, automated billing, controlling fuel costs,
scene photography and much more.
Other exciting events included
the annual Tow Truck Beauty
Contest, with an outstanding
group of awesome vehicles.
Thanks to all the Jerr-Dan
distributors and customers
who attended and took
part in the festivities.
We’ll see you
next year.
Thursday night’s kick-off party included live music featuring the Caribbean Chillers Jimmy Buffet Tribute Show band.
STEPP’S TOWING
STEPS FORWARD
“No job too small, no problem too big.”
tepp’s Towing of Tampa,
Florida, is a family owned
business that has been serving
west central Florida for over 50
years. The company currently
operates over 180 pieces of
equipment and has a strong
preference for Jerr-Dan vehicles.
“I’d say more than 95% of our
equipment is Jerr-Dan,” said
Todd Stepp.
“We have more than 200 employees,
and we do a mix of everything. We do
a lot of dealership work. We do a lot
of motor club work. A lot of our
business has turned to motor clubs
but, for example, we work hand-inhand with the fire department which,
on our larger stuff, works really well
because we train with them. We
donate cars to them for extrication
classes. And we’ve shown them how
to utilize our large wreckers as rescue
vehicles to rescue trapped drivers.
just a manner of minutes and
they got the guy out. At that
point, we started working more
closely together on major
rescue operations. They’ve got
different equipment than we
have, and in certain situations
they’ll use us before getting
their equipment out.”
Members of the Stepp’s Towing Service team at
the company’s 50th anniversary celebration
and surprise party. The party included about
400 guests. From left to right: Tony Huffman,
Steve Stickley, Jim Stepp, Judy Stepp, Todd Stepp,
Todd Riley, Mike McArthur, Jon Roy.
“Our relationship with the fire
department began some years ago
when we received a call and learned
they had been working for 40 - 45
minutes trying to get a trapped
gentleman out of a vehicle. The
department got to the point where
they brought us over and we hooked
it up and carefully lifted the vehicle in
visit us at www.jerr-dan.com
Stepp’s is especially pleased with
Jerr-Dan heavy-duty wreckers. “This
new rotator will make the second
Jerr-Dan rotator in our fleet. The
Jerr-Dan units will do a lot more than
what they say they can do. We haven’t
been out there on a job yet that we
weren’t able to successfully complete
because of the equipment. They
under-promise and over-perform,”
explains Stepp.
Some of this success, Todd believes,
is because of Jerr-Dan’s willingness
to listen. “We were a part of a focus
group, me and one of my senior
drivers, Butch VanDyken. We flew
up to Pennsylvania and participated
in a comprehensive focus group
about heavy-duty rotators. They
get a lot of input from the owners
and the drivers who operate these
vehicles. I believe that’s why, when
they do put a new vehicle or
wrecker together, like the 50-Ton
Rotator, they have a piece of
equipment that stands out from
everybody else’s.”
The management staff has a combined
experience of 165 years in the towing
industry. “We have an on-call manager
at all times to respond to any situation.
Should there be a question or a
problem that needs to be answered,
we are only a phone call away. Stepp’s
pays close attention to supporting
and recognizing its employees.
“Our mission is to provide excellent
customer service, and we can’t do it
without the help and the dedication
of our employees. The job requires a
lot of hard work, and the equipment
that they work with day in and day
out has to hold up, rather than it
being in the shop. But really, our
employees are the key to our success.”
All of Stepp’s drivers go through an
intense operator training and background check. The company prides
itself on clean, courteous drivers who
conduct themselves in a professional
manner at all times. Stepp’s features
a call center operated 24 hours per
day, 365 days per year, and dispatches
between 300 and 400 calls per day.
Who Says
Towers Aren’t
Romantics
at Heart?
I
t was the spring of 2010, and Brian
Carnaghi was attending the Bristol
Motor Speedway NASCAR event with
girlfriend, Cindy Trimble, when he
decided there was no better place than
the speedway to pop the question!
“Well, we go every year. We’re season
ticket holders and, we were down
there in the spring of 2010. We called
in and got on the Sirius NASCAR Radio
show with Claire B. Lang. We told her
about our trip to Bristol and, one thing
led to another and later that night
I asked Cindy to marry me.”
over to Bristol.
We arrived on
the 17th, got
married, left
Bristol on the 20th,
and went west to
Pigeon Forge in the
Smokey Mountains
for three days before
returning home on the
25th. What an adventure.”
The wedding and the surrounding
festivities were more than Brian and
Cindy expected. “NASCAR wouldn’t
let us do anything in the infield but
the track was very cooperative.
They helped to arrange the ceremony
at the Bruton Smith Building outside
the track and in the shadow of the
main grandstands. It was there where
the local county clerk met us and
performed the ceremony.”
So when and where would the wedding
take place? “After we got off the radio,
Cindy asked me when and where and
I said, ‘Well, we’ll do it here at the racetrack next year.’”
Jerr-Dan stepped forward once they
heard about the ceremony and
celebration. “Tracy from Jerr-Dan
marketing called, and they had four
tickets for us in their hospitality suite
during the race. Cindy looked beautiful
in her wedding dress, and I wore a
suit. We had lots of fun with it.
The night before the wedding, on
Friday night, we did the Richard
Petty Driving Experience where
you get to ride in the car around
the track.”
Actually, the wedding trip Brian and
Cindy undertook in 2011 started more
than a week before the race, and
covered 15 days, 10 states and more
than 2,600 miles in a motor home.
“Actually, we left on the 9th of March,
went down to Florida to see my mom,
and came back up the east coast and A wedding dress and suit kind of
stand out at Bristol during a
NASCAR race. “We had a good time
with it. I don’t know how many
pictures were taken that day. We
made another call to the Claire Lang
Sirius NASCAR radio show the night
before. Man, everybody was stopping
visit us at www.jerr-dan.com
us. Just walking through the stands,
people would yell, ‘Hey, you’re the
people on the radio!’. It was a
weekend we’ll never forget.”
By the way, for those wondering,
Jeff Burton won the race.
So, what’s Carnaghi Towing’s history
with Jerr-Dan? Some might call it a
marriage made in heaven. Brian
Carnaghi explains, “I’m not one of the
big, big towers but I’m far from being
one of the small towers. It doesn’t
seem to matter with Jerr-Dan; they
work with you and they’re always on
the leading edge. That’s how I got into
Jerr-Dan heavy duty vehicles – it was
because of their composite bodies and
lightweight, yet heavy duty design.”
“I’ve been out to the Jerr-Dan factory
several times, and compared to others,
Jerr-Dan people are down to earth.
They listen, talk with you, and address
any issues you have.”
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A
s mentioned earlier, the new
Jerr-Dan 50-Ton Rotator was a
huge hit at the Florida Tow Show.
This rotator offers an unmatched
combination of heavy-duty
capabilities with a full 360-degree
rotating boom.
“The 50-Ton Rotator is all about
strength, flexibility and performance,
with a much larger working radius
than competitive brands,” said Joel
Amsley, Senior Vice President of
Jerr-Dan Corporation. “Feedback
from Florida was way beyond our
expectations. In fact, we received
several orders while at the show.
This tells us we’ve hit a home run
with the industry.”
The recovery boom features an
impressive fixed reach of 41-feet – a
three-foot longer boom working radius
than its closest competitor. This added
range gives operators the ability to
reach farther and handle jobs that
were previously out of reach.
The three stage, independent, hydraulic,
extendable boom features a lifting
capacity of 100,000 lbs. @ 30-degrees
when retracted, and 20,000 lbs when
fully extended (using SAE J2512
boom lift ratings). The torsion box
frame increases the RBM rating to an
unmatched 12 million RBM at the
turret, while minimizing twist and
increasing tip load capacities. It
also minimizes stress to the truck
frame during recovery and material
handling operations.
The low profile outrigger system
includes a compact scissor-style
design that minimizes the need
for cribbing on uneven terrain and
road crown, thereby saving time
and increasing profits. The outrigger
system also offers 26” inches of
stroke and 14” of ground penetration
allowing the operator to level the unit
on a 6 degree incline.
The body features an abundance of
storage space, with multiple tool
compartments, pull out drawers and
tool management systems.
The composite body – with a 15 year
history – has a track record second
to none, providing maintenance free
and corrosion resistant components.
The unit is standard with a 35,000
lb. underlift and 124” reach with an
option of 144” reach. There is also
an upgrade option to the 53,000 lb.
underlift with 141” reach or 56,500 lb.
underlift with a 176” reach.
Standard main winches are 50K
2-speed with an option to scale down
to 35K 2-speed. An optional 35K
2-speed deck winch is also offered.
All these features and all this muscle
with a nimble and manageable weight
of just 63,350 lbs. This unit definitely
hits the mark.
Added Amsley, “Like all Jerr-Dan
vehicles, the new Jerr-Dan 50-Ton
Rotator was developed with help
from towing professionals. They
provided valuable insight and input
to our engineering and product
development team and, as you can
clearly see, the proof is in the product.”
EVENT SCHEDULE
Look for Jerr-Dan vehicles at
the following events and venues:
June 3 - 5, 2011
ESTRA Tow Show,
Lake George, NY
June 22- 24, 2011
2011 RSIG Annual Seminar,
Uncasville, CT
August 26 - 27, 2011
Food City 250 Nationwide Race &
IRWIN Tools Night Race - Sprint Cup
Bristol, TN
September 9, 2011
2011 Tow Truck and Trade Show,
Kenly, NC
Get in. Get out.
GET PAID.
The MPL™: When you’ve got to work fast.
Perfect for repossession work, parking enforcement or any time you need
to get in and out quickly, the Jerr-Dan® MPL™ self-loader offers best-in-class
features like outstanding visibility and a patented LOCKLINK™ mechanism.
The Underlift Level Stop Assist System lets you set up quickly while the
longest underlift reach lets you get long overhang vehicles with greater ease.
The MPL wrecker: get in, get out and get on with your day.
www.jerrdan.com
An Oshkosh Corporation Company. The Jerr-Dan name and Jerr-Dan logo are
registered trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation, ©2011 Jerr-Dan Corporation.