Spec My Truck

SPEC INSIDE SUBSCRIBE TODAY Service trucks squeak through oil downturn... 7 6 Issues per year MY TRUCK Demo Expo Wrap-up and Gallery ..................16 only $3600 Check out Tom Veronesi’s rig. Page 14. New products ............................................22 email: [email protected] Volume 2 Issue 6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 $8.00 SPECIALISTS DIVERSITY “I go shoulder to Custom-built rail service trucks shoulder with my guys out on the road. To me, that’s equally important. I’m not going to thrive in a growing marketplace ask them to do something I wouldn’t.” A variety of needs means no one style of truck can serve the entire railway industry — Stacy Richardson, MARK YONTZ owner, Wrecker 1, Atlanta, Ga. oday’s U.S. freight rail network consists of nearly 140,000 miles of track owned T and operated by more than 560 private companies. In turn, these companies are part of Women blazing trails a $60 billion dollar industry that moves more freight than any other rail system worldwide. Keeping this extensive network of tracks in service truck sector properly maintained and serviced is something Mobile heavy equipment maintenance is a changing industry that’s taken very seriously by companies like Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc., Maintainer Cor- but women still make a small fraction of its workforce poration of Iowa Inc., Stellar Industries Inc., ERIN GOLDEN and Custom Truck & Equipment. “Railroads have defined specifications for their servicing vehicles, as well as specific jobs hen Stacy Richardson launched her heavy truck towing these vehicles need to do,” explains Tim Wor- W and service business nearly a decade ago, she found plenty man, a business development manager with This 438TR model from Custom Truck & Equipment’s rail division of receptive customers. features a small thermite welding truck with custom body, rail Garner, Iowa-based IMT, which is owned by But the feedback wasn’t all glowing. When they found out a gear, crane, and hydraulic tool circuit. woman was calling the shots, some people reacted poorly. Rich- Oshkosh Corporation. “There are lots of dif- Photo courtesy of Custom Truck & Equipment continued on page 10 ardson recalls one man who came in to talk business and wouldn’t look her in the eye. “It was very hard for a female to get into a man’s world,” Rich- EQUIPMENT ardson said. “You got looked at as: females don’t need to be doing this, and what could you offer that we’re not already doing. Or laughing, or giving snide looks.” Miners dig their While the service truck industry is modernizing and adapt- ing to changing trends, it’s still an industry that’s overwhelmingly service trucks dominated by men. continued on page 9 You want to get the shaft — It’s hot down there! Publications Mail Agreement #40050172 Customer #4956370 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO SAUL CHERNOS 4623 William Head Rd. Victoria BC V9C 3Y7 email: [email protected] ooking for a warm, mid-winter Industrial Fabrication’s Minecat service trucks are designed for break? Consider spending January underground mines. Photo courtesy of Industrial Fabrication Inc. L in northern Ontario’s Sudbury basin, servicing some of the heavy equipment found in its deep underground mines. Based near Sudbury and with dealers extending into With all the heavy equipment needed to Montana, Nevada and Alaska, Industrial Fabrication Inc. build mines and extract natural resources, custom-builds a variety of Minecat-brand utility vehicles. service trucks are key. Mechanics use them to The company’s UT99 mechanics’ trucks feature a visit jumbos, scoops and other big toys that Cummins engine and Dana powertrain. Users can choose have broken down and can’t be easily moved. continued on page 12 2 > NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 SERVICE TRUCK MAGAZINE SERVICE TRUCK MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015>> 3 NEWS www. servicetruckmagazine.com Medium-duty truck sales rise Editor - Keith Norbury • [email protected] et orders of medium-duty trucks in classes 5 to 7 in North America increased in September, accord- Advertising Sales - Nick Moss, Marketing Manager • 250-588-2195 N ing to a recent news release from ACT Research or 250-478-1981 • [email protected] Co. LLC. Art Direction/Production - James S. Lewis • [email protected] Net orders of larger Class 8 trucks meanwhile remained Publisher - Tom Henry • [email protected] flat in September, said the Oct. 21 news release, which cited ACT’s latest State of the Industry report. Regular Contributors - Dan Anderson, Saul Chernos, Nelson Dewey, Erin Golden, Matt Jones, Melissa Walsh, Mark Yontz Classes 5-7 posted 22,000 net orders for the month, compared with 19,400 net orders in September for Class 8 Subscriptions [email protected] trucks. ACT previously reported that net orders of classes Toll free 1-866-260-7985 • Fax +1.250.478.3979 5-7 totaled 17,900 in August, while the Class 8 figure for www. servicetruckmagazine.com August was 20,200. Service Truck Magazine is published six times a year by Southern Tip Publishing Inc. In the most recent news release, Kenny Vieth, ACT’s Subscription rate for six issues: $36.00. Single copy price: $8.00. Contents copyrighted president and senior analyst, said that collectively the classes 5-7 market “experienced yet another strong” month-to- by Southern Tip Publishing Inc. and may be reprinted only with permission. Net orders of new medium-duty trucks, like these Ford F-550s on PRINTED IN CANADA month increase in orders. He also noted that Class 5 trucks display at the Demo Expo in Kentucky this fall, increased in Sep- Postage paid at Vancouver, BC enjoyed a year-to-year increase of 22 percent while classes tember, according to an industry report. 6-7 grew by nine percent. ISSN 2368-4615 “Strength in the Class 5 market was concentrated in trucks, while step van activity drove the incremental gain in for heavy truck demand,” Vieth said, adding later, “While US mailing address: the classes 6-7 market,” Vieth added. the heavy truck market is poised for a correction, it is Service Truck Magazine 815 1st Avenue, #301, Seattle, WA, 98104 Overall, however, Vieth noted that new vehicle demand important to note the correction is occurring in a growing economy and in a period of healthy trucker profits.” Canadian mailing address: has appeared to grow tired as 2016 approaches. Service Truck Magazine, 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, BC V9C 3Y7 “We’re seeing a pullback from the recent white hot activity, and are moving toward a more sustainable pace For more information on ACT, which stands for Americas Your privacy is important to us. Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to Commercial Transportation, visit www.actresearch.net. reputable companies whose products or services might be of interest to our readers. If you would prefer to have your name removed from this list, please call 1-866-260- 7985, fax: 250-478-3979 or write us at Service Truck Magazine, 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, BC V9C 3Y7 or email us at info@Service Truck Magazine.com closer to the six-month average,” the release noted. Vol- umes gained eight percent month-over-month but only Class 8 trucks one percent year-over-year. Average mileage was flat Next Advertising Deadline: Dec. 7, 2015 compared with the previous month but dropped eight percent year-over-year. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this exciting new industry getting older “According to our dealer conversations, used truck publication. For more information, or to reserve space in the next issue, sales continue to be strong overall, but some dealers call Nick at our Advertising Department - +1-250-588-2195 The average age of used Class 8 trucks in the U.S. have reported a slowdown in used truck sales, with the [email protected] has climbed to 93 months, according to a recent news summertime lull hanging on a little longer than usual,” release from ACT Research Co. LLC. the release quoted Steve Tam, ACT’s vice-president of Average prices of those trucks slipped in September, Next Editorial Deadline: Dec. 12, 2015 the commercial vehicle sector. by four percent from the previous month, and eight Tam added that the looming new truck model year For writers’ guidelines and submission requirements get in touch percent year-over-year, said the Oct. 23 news release. is also a factor. with the Editor, Keith Norbury, at +1-250.383-5038. The release cited the latest release of ACT The report from ACT, which stands for Americas [email protected] Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Commercial Transportation, also looks at the average Trucks. prices for top-selling Class 8 models from such brands According to the report, metrics for Class 8 trucks as Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt, International, were mixed during September, with dealers “inching PUBLISHED BY SOUTHERN TIP PUBLISHING INC. Volvo, and Mack. 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, BC V9C3Y7 Comic headlines ADVERTISERS INDEX Al Asher & Sons ............................................................ 4 Work Truck Show Automotive International Inc. .......................................24 Boss Industries, Inc. ....................................................21 amed comedian Jay Leno will be the keynote speaker at the annual Work Cox Reels ....................................................................26 Truck Show in Indianapolis in March. CTech Manufacturing .....................................................22 F Leno, former longtime host of television’s The Tonight Show and a Golight .......................................................................16 renowned car collector, will give his address as part of the Work Truck Show’s Presi- Hannay Reels, Inc. ........................................................ 7 dent’s Breakfast on March 3, said a news release from the show organizers. Jomac Ltd. ................................................................... 4 The NTEA, which markets itself as The Association for the Work Truck Indus- Larson Electronics LLC .................................................

Load more