Destination: Tokyo // Tow Expo Int`l Houston // Sergeants - Jerr-Dan

An Oshkosh Corporation Company
For Hard Working Towing Professionals
July 2010
Destination: Tokyo // Tow Expo Int’l Houston // Sergeants Towing
Beltway Companies // Product Improvements // More Inside
Joel’s Column
Joel Amsley is senior
vice president of
Jerr-Dan Corporation
At Jerr-Dan Corporation we are changing
our organization to better meet your
needs. We are working hard to make our
products and our operations more
effective and responsive – to help you
work safer, smarter and more efficiently.
As part of Oshkosh Fire and Emergency
segment, Jerr-Dan is in the unique position
to help bring together Fire and Rescue and
towing professionals, so members of these
important groups can continue to learn
how to effectively cooperate at the scene
of an incident. Towers have the equipment
and training to make a difference when
seconds count and lives are in the balance.
In this issue you can learn about the
Jerr-Dan sponsored Xtreme Incident
training event at the recent Tow Expo Int’l
Houston. This popular event provided an
excellent opportunity for firefighters and
towing professionals to learn more about
their various capabilities and how they
can work more cooperatively.
I’m pleased and honored to recognize
Jack Saum and his management team
at Beltway Companies and Jerr-Dan
distributor Maryland Carrier & Wrecker
Sales, on receiving Dealer of the Year
honors by Heavy Duty Trucking magazine.
I’m very happy for their well-deserved
recognition, and we’re proud to partner
with this first class organization and
industry leader. In addition, you can
learn about Sergeants Towing as we
salute Steve “Sergeant” Preston and his
military-themed Jerr-Dan vehicles.
This issue also includes a recap of
the fabulous Florida Tow Show, a report
on several enhancements to current
products, and a brief overview of the
newest members of our growing
Jerr-Dan distribution network.
Let me know what you think of
our magazine, and you can send story
ideas and suggestions to me at
info@jerr-dan.com. I’m always interested
in knowing what you think and I’d love
to hear from you.
– Joel Amsley
46
8 11
Contents
3
4
Joel Amsley leads Jerr-Dan Corporation.
Four Jerr-Dan 25-ton wreckers were recently delivered to the
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
6
Xtreme Incident sponsored by Jerr-Dan brought together towers
and firefighters to learn from each other.
8
A salute to Sergeants Towing.
9
Jerr-Dan distributor Beltway Companies wins Truck Dealer of the
Year award.
10 Product enhancements are designed to help towers work safer
and smarter.
11 Florida Tow Show recap.
© 2010 Jerr-Dan Corporation, An Oshkosh Corporation Company.
All rights reserved. Run Hard is a publication of Jerr-Dan Corporation.
Amsley Leads Jerr-Dan
Corporation as Senior Vice
President, Kerr Expands Role
Jerr-Dan Corporation recently announced two important management
changes. Joel Amsley will lead the company as senior vice president, and will
have management responsibilities for sales, marketing, customer service and
engineering/new product development.
Barry Kerr’s responsibilities with Jerr-Dan as vice president of finance have
expanded to include management for human resources, procurement, supply
chain and engineering-applications.
“Joel has more than 29 years of experience at Jerr-Dan, and he has played
a pivotal role in fueling the company’s growth over
that time. His wealth of industry knowledge and
company experience are huge assets,” said Jim Johnson,
Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and
president, Fire & Emergency. “Barry’s leadership over
the past five years in the finance area provides
a solid foundation as he expands his responsibilities
to other critically important departments.”
Barry Kerr, vice president of finance
Jerr-Dan Distributor Network Growing
T
he Jerr-Dan team continues to
experience healthy growth across
the United States, as new distributors
are added to broaden our reach and
enhance service to customers. “It’s
exciting to see new members join
the distributor network,” said Joel
Amsley, Jerr-Dan senior vice president.
“In particular, these new distributors
bring new energy and ideas to the
table, and I look forward to working
with them.”
Join us in welcoming the
following new members to the
Jerr-Dan distributor network.
East Coast Truck and Trailer,
Portsmouth, Va. Specializing in a
wide range of new and used car
handling equipment, East Coast Truck
and Trailer has the largest in-stock
auto transport inventory in the country,
plus a complete shop with 18 bays.
Its goal is to sell customers their
first truck, their last truck and every
one in between.
Palmetto Truck Center, Miami, Fla.
Palmetto Truck has been committed
to serving customers with the highest
quality and service since 1966, and
was recently named the largest Ford
heavy truck parts distributor in the
country for the third year in a row.
The dealership specializes in all size
commercial truck sales.
Tri-County Truck & Equipment,
Fort Meyers, West Palm Beach and
Pompano Beach, Fla. Tri-County
Truck & Equipment is a one-stop for
commercial trucks, wreckers, carriers
and trailers, and it carries a full line of
Jerr-Dan trucks. Customers can use
their online vehicle finder to search
Tri-County’s inventory of hundreds
of new and used trucks, equipment
and trailers.
Columbus Truck & Equipment,
Columbus, Ohio, and Marietta
Mack, Marietta, Ohio. As Mack Truck
distributors since 1949, these sister
companies strive to provide excellent
service with 16 service bays in
Columbus and 10 in Marietta. The
companies also stock more than
$3 million worth of parts to meet their
customers’ needs for fast delivery of
parts and service.
visit us at www.jerr-dan.com
3
Tokyo
Destination:
Tokyo is Japan’s capital of
12 million people and is
one of the largest cities
in the world. To enhance
safety on the city’s roads
and highways, in February
the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police (TMP) Department
took delivery of four
Jerr-Dan 25-ton wreckers.
4
The wreckers were delivered in kit
form for local installation onto Nissan
chassis by Y-Engineering, Ltd., the
new Jerr-Dan distributor in Japan.
Y-Engineering, a well-known supplier
of specialty vehicles based in Yokohama,
helped bring together a program
involving the TMP.
Although part of the body fabrication
(such as the taillights and control
locations) was done in Japan to meet
local market requirements, these are
functionally Jerr-Dan wreckers built
for the Japanese market.
Matt Davis is the new director of
international sales for Jerr-Dan. He has
extensive experience and was previously
international sales manager for collision
repair and aftermarket truck repair
equipment. He expects to spend more
than 50 percent of his time traveling.
He has already flown, literally, millions
of miles in his career. Davis is very
familiar with Japan, having visited
the country more than 20 times.
“My objective is to develop
new distribution opportunities for
Jerr-Dan in markets where the
company currently has limited
distribution,” said Davis. “I’ll focus
on markets that represent the
largest opportunities for Jerr-Dan.”
Matt Davis and Pat Cahill, director
of special accounts for Jerr-Dan,
participated in the ceremonies
introducing the vehicles to the
TMP. The first ceremony was held
downtown with TMP officials.
A second event lasting several
hours involved operations and
maintenance training.
Taillight fabrication meets local market requirements.
(top right)
Pat Cahill, director of special accounts. (bottom right)
Pat Cahill helped train TMP personnel. (below)
visit us at www.jerr-dan.com
5
X
treme Training
Tow Expo Int’l Houston was very popular with attendees and one of the highlights
of the event was an Xtreme Incident sponsored by Jerr-Dan and conducted
by the Xtreme Team. The exercise allowed towers and firefighters to work
together in two mock incidents to learn more about how the other works,
as well as their respective capabilities and concerns at an incident scene.
T
6
ow operators from around the country
and region participated in the
exercise, along with dozens of firefighters
from Houston and Austin, Texas. In
addition, hundreds of towers watched and
learned as the participants worked together
and learned about their counterparts.
“Any kind of training towers can get,
the better, so we’re prepared for whatever
we get into,” said Jeff Wellman, a heavy duty
operator for Aus-Tex Towing & Recovery.
“No two situations are the same, and the
more training we have the better equipped
we are to handle situations that come up.
Attendees learned about various capabilities of
the MPL-NG.
Towers took advantage of training opportunities.
The incidents involved a tractor-trailer
on top of a car and a mid-size moving
truck on a car. Working in close
coordination with fire personnel, the
towers used an MPL-40 to pull the car
out while a Jerr-Dan HDL1000/53050-ton integrated wrecker lifted the truck
Look out – Xtreme Incident ahead.
at To w E x p o I n t ’ l H o u s to n
off the car so fire fighters could remove
accident victims.
“Firefighters often don’t realize
how much a trained tow truck operator
can assist them – and help save lives.
They were impressed to learn about
the towers’ capabilities,” said Wellman.
A pair of Jerr-Dan wreckers supply the muscle.
“This exercise will help educate fire
departments on how towers can help
by working together. Most times, towers
are there on the scene of an accident
before the firefighters.”
“Police and firefighters can learn how
much towers can help to get people out
of vehicles, ” said Joel Amsley, Jerr-Dan
senior vice president. “Hopefully, the
lessons learned from the Xtreme Incident
made a lasting impression and will
serve to improve communication and
cooperation between these two
HDL1000/530-50-ton integrated wrecker swings
into action.
Xtreme Incident participants shared knowledge
and insights.
important groups.”
7
Sergeants Towing Operates
with Military Efficiency
S
teve “Sergeant” Preston has Element is painted to reflect a
and soldiers (operators) that he
never been in the military different U.S. armed forces theme –
plans to add two more to honor the
but his dad is a retired 25-year
Marine, Coast Guard and Army.
Air Force and Navy.
Coast Guard commander and he has a
deep respect for the U.S. armed forces
Element, and it was able to execute
consider himself a marketer, believes
and those who have served. Preston,
a 90-degree hook-up with a parallel
the whole armed forces theme – from
whose nickname since high school is
parked car. In our business that kind
his company’s rank structure to his
Sergeant Preston, started Sergeants
of performance comes in very handy,
new Jerr-Dan Element self loaders – is
Towing from scratch in 1995.
and it really got my attention,” said
a good fit for him and his company.
Preston. “I’ve had experience with
theme, its operators wear military-
other self loaders, and they couldn’t
Marine Corps truck, and I did it
style uniforms and undergo rigorous
do what the Element was able to
because I wanted to show that we
training before earning military-style
accomplish. That made my decision
support our troops,” said Preston.
ranks – E1, E2, etc. up to E8 – based
to buy one very easy.”
“I’ve had 98 percent positive feedback
on their years of experience and job
Preston’s top-performing operators
from people on the street who react
performance. Higher-ranking operators
get to drive the military-themed
to our Jerr-Dan units.”
are known as master sergeants and,
Elements. The first three have been
just like in the military, as operators earn
so popular with his customers
The company follows a military
“We saw a demonstration of the
Preston, who doesn’t really
“Our first military truck was the
new ranks, they also earn increased
compensation and commissions.
Sergeants Towing in Portland,
Oregon, employs a force of 15 soldiers
(operators) and three Lieutenants and
Captains (managers) who operate a
fleet that includes seven Jerr-Dan
vehicles, among them three Element
by Jerr-Dan™ self loaders. Each
The Element by Jerr-Dan™ self loader.
D i s t r i b u t o r
P r o f i l e :
Beltway Companies
T
he mission of Jerr-Dan distributor
Beltway Companies of Maryland is
simple – to serve their customers for
all their transportation needs. Though
not nearly as simple, Beltway Companies
carries out this mission by getting each
employee to dedicate him or herself to
providing service in a professional and
courteous manner at a fair price. And,
they make it look easy.
John “Jack” Saum, dealer
principal and chairman of the board
of Beltway, was recently named the
American Truck Dealers/Heavy Duty
Trucking Truck Dealer of the Year.
Since purchasing Beltway in 1997,
Saum has grown the business to six
locations and invested more than
$20 million in his market.
“Beltway and Jerr-Dan are both
industry leaders, and they make a
great team with a strong, shared focus
on serving their customers,” said Joel
Amsley, senior vice president for
Jerr-Dan. “I’m extremely proud of
Jack and his entire organization on
being named National Truck Dealer of
the Year. ATD Truck Dealer of the Year
is the highest honor in the industry,
and it is well-deserved recognition
of outstanding performance.”
With six locations in Maryland,
Beltway’s tagline is “From Western
Maryland to the Bay Bridge you will
never be more than 30 minutes away
from quality service at a Beltway
Companies truck dealership.” The
company backs up this pledge with
86 service bays.
Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales,
the towing and recovery division of
Beltway Companies, is one of the
largest Jerr-Dan distributors in the
world, offering a large online selection
of new and used Jerr-Dan trucks, plus
parts and award-winning service.
In addition, Beltway Companies stocks
more than $2 million in all makes
of truck parts to provide the fastest
service and repair of medium-,
heavy- and severe-duty trucks.
“Having Jerr-Dan as part of our
organization has contributed to our
success as the ATD Dealer of the Year,”
said Rick Hindle, general manager
of Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales.
“We’re proud to work with the
best vehicle manufacturers, and
Jerr-Dan is one of the best.”
Saum attributes much of the
company’s success to his employees’
commitment to long-term relation-
ships with customers and innovative
programs such as the “A New Truck
is a Green Truck” campaign that
focuses attention on eco-friendly
truck technologies.
With support from the National
Automotive Dealers Association and
Navistar, Saum led efforts to educate
representatives at the federal,
state and industry level about the
environmental and fuel efficiency
advantages of new truck design
enhancements, with a focus on new
diesel-powered trucks, diesel-electric
hybrid trucks, auxiliary power units
(APUs) and retrofit programs.
“The innovative leadership
provided by Jack and his
management team in embracing
sustainability and eco-friendly
truck technologies makes Beltway
Truck Companies a perfect fit with
Jerr-Dan,” said Amsley. “Also, we’re
both focused on helping our customers
be more successful by providing
outstanding products.”
Jack Saum, president of Beltway Companies (left), and
Rick Hindle, general manager, Maryland Carrier & Wrecker
Sales, proudly display the Dealer of the Year trophy.
visit us at www.jerr-dan.com
9
Product News
The Jerr-Dan engineering and product development team has spent a lot of time listening to customers
and distributors to design and create product enhancements that help you work safer and more
efficiently. Here’s an extensive list of recent enhancements. For more information on these
improvements and their availability for your current fleet, contact your local Jerr-Dan distributor or
visit the Jerr-Dan web site (www.jerrdan.com).
Carrier Product Line
New Shark Rail Protector
& Guide – Features smooth
transition, hot dip galvanized
and durable bolt-on design.
Headboard Panel
Improvement – Provides
vastly improved rigidity
and style: anti-corrosive
galvanneal steel eliminates
weld with stainless steel
rivet and bond.
bottom flange, stainless steel
weld nut retainer with new
design, and is designed for
6” high steel rub rails.
New Jerr-Dan 78” Toolbox –
Jerr-Dan design (ergonomic
beaver tail latch, double locking
feature and full perimeter
rain gutter with flangemounted seal) and features
include waterproof, powder
coated, Jerr-Dan mounting
brackets and oversized
stainless steel doors that
enable better access.
(36”, 48”, 60” and new 78”)
New Jerr-Dan Storage Trays –
Available for all toolbox sizes
can be added anytime.
to maximize available
storage space (4” deep x
18” wide x toolbox length).
Universal fit is completely
retrofittable and plug-n-play
dual marker light option
New Improved Steel
Removable Raised Rails –
New stronger, two-piece
design features tubular
stakes supported by
Light-Duty Wrecker Product Line
Wireless Remote Option –
Eight and 10 function
remotes available.
Knee Boom Spade/Claw
Option – Available for all
MPL series wreckers to add
vehicle stability during
winching and recovery
operations.
Ford Gas Engine Anti-Stall
System Option – Prevents
V10 gas engine from stalling
at idle, and can be used
with standard pump (same
as diesel).
10
Motorcycle Towing
Attachment Option –
Attachment works on
MPL-40, NG, NGS and
MPL (QP).
Stone Guard & Dress Up Kit
Option – Smooth stainless
steel or polished aluminum
diamond (available on
standard body and tunnel
toolbox).
New Ergonomic Wired
Remote – Will soon replace
eight and 10 function
remotes for MPL-40, NG
and NGS.
Hydraulic Grid Towing
Attachment Options –
Increases the capabilities of
Jerr-Dan MPL series. Includes
fifth wheel and ball hitch.
Grid Mounted Recovery
Sheave Option – Available
for MPL, NG and NGS
(standard tow sling option).
Center Body Storage
Basket Option – Utilizes
former hydraulic tank location
for additional storage.
Heavy-Duty Wrecker Product Line
option and new layout of
controls enhance ease of use.
14/16 Ton DP 15,000-lb.
Planetary Winch Option –
Provides an optional winch
for operator preference.
New 14/16 Ton Flip Down
Foot Option – Heavy-Duty
design provides versatility
for any recovery operation,
and large footprint provides
superior ground penetration.
Slide Out Tool Board –
Provides fast and easy access
to tools or chains.
Air Hose Reel – Provides
easy air hose management
at rear of vehicle.
Ramsey HDP-50 Heavy-Duty
Planetary Winches – Are
now an available option on
Jerr-Dan 50-ton wrecker
units. Reduces weight for
more tow capacity.
Underbody Tool Boxes –
Safely store critical tools.
Peg Board Mounting –
Enhances storage efficiency
and space utilization.
Air Filter and Lubricator –
Reduces corrosion
in winches.
New 14/16 Ton Controls –
Underlift wireless remote
Multiplex Switch Panels –
Provides control for lighting
in multiple locations.
FRC Area Lighting – Provides
super bright and efficient
LED technology and vertical
mast pole extension.
12-Volt Scene Lighting –
Tower light operates off of
the truck’s 12-volt electrical
system, eliminates the
added cost of a generator
and wasted toolbox space
where generator would be.
Available 12-volt LED lights
provide instant-on lighting
and long bulb life.
Winch, Backup and Underlift
Clearance Cameras –
Provides excellent visibility of
forward winch, and Underlift
Backup Camera enhances
visibility at rear of vehicle.
Florida Tow Show a Huge Success
T
he Florida Tow Show was a huge
success and provided a great
opportunity to meet many of our
hard-working customers and let them
know how much we appreciate their
loyalty to Jerr-Dan. Here are some
highlights from this year’s show.
The weekend kicked off with a fun
customer appreciation event on
Thursday evening, as approximately
1,500 customers attended the
tropical-themed event. The gathering
enjoyed the live music of the
Caribbean Chillers, a Jimmy Buffet
tribute band.
A fantastic, professionally designed
outdoor booth drew thousands of
visitors to the Jerr-Dan display, which
featured 16 pieces of equipment,
including eight MPL wreckers and
seven carriers in a variety of sizes and
configurations. An MPL demonstration
was performed every hour during the
show, and many vehicles were sold at
the show
or shortly
thereafter.
“As always, the
Florida Tow Show was
an outstanding event,” said Jeff
Barbour, national sales director for
Jerr-Dan. “Our team did a terrific job
on the display and it’s always great to
see so many of our loyal customers
and let them know how much we
appreciate them.”
visit us at www.jerr-dan.com
11
Versatility in Motion
Advertisement
MDL320/110 16 Ton Integrated Wrecker
With the ever increasing cost of vehicle
ownership and the difficult economic
challenges facing professional towing
and recovery operators, versatility in
equipment has never been more important
than it is today. That’s why you need a
tough and versatile truck that works as
hard and as smart as you do in meeting
those daily challenges. The Jerr-Dan®
MDL320/110 16 Ton Integrated Wrecker is
a tough, reliable, and extremely versatile
piece of equipment designed to safely and
securely tow vehicles from sports cars and
pickups to medium-duty trucks.
The MDL320/110 comes well equipped
with a low profile crossbar and wheel grids
as well as a variety of frame forks and
lifting attachments that enable damage
free towing of most cars and medium-duty
trucks. With increased towing capabilities,
the available 7,500-lb. capacity mediumduty tire lift makes motor home towing
and tractor swaps a breeze. In addition, a
large selection of optional towing attachments
are available for many vehicle and trailer
towing applications.
When it comes to recovery, the MDL320/110
provides the performance needed to complete
the job and get the roadway open. With a
fold-up underlift, 16 ton capacity wrecker
boom, dual 15,000-lb. planetary winches,
six sets of rear anchor points, and available
hydraulic spades with new ground penetrating
flip down spade feet – the MDL320/110
sets the industry standard for medium-duty
recovery capability and safety.
Using advanced aerospace and automotive
technologies, Jerr-Dan delivers a corrosion
resistant, stress-free composite body
with bonded aluminum substructure. This
design minimizes weight, while providing
superior fit, finish, and impact resistance
when compared to similar steel, aluminum
or stainless bodies. Plus, repair costs are
easy on the wallet too. In addition to great
looks and performance, the body features
a 49” double door cross over storage
compartment for easy, convenient and
weathertight storage.
Here are the top five reasons to choose
the versatile Jerr-Dan MDL 16 ton
integrated wrecker:
1. Jerr-Dan’s composite bodies are
lightweight, resist stress cracks
and never rust. Plus, they hold
together longer than welded bodies.
2. The longest underlifts in each class
let you reach almost any vehicle
easily. No hassles. No problems.
3. Jerr-Dan’s negative-tilt crossbar
allows you to make downhill lifts
other wreckers can’t touch.
4. High-performance, weatherproof
electrical systems provide years of
reliable performance, day in and
day out.
industry with uncompromising quality. Our
trucks work as hard as you do, so whatever
you dish out, Jerr-Dan wreckers can take it
and keep performing beautifully.
“The versatility of our Jerr-Dan
medium-duty wrecker is an incredible
benefit to our company. We can
tow anything from a passenger car
all the way up to a tandem axle
trailer – or even a 26-foot box truck.
It can handle just about anything.
And there’s no trouble maneuvering
in tight quarters with a unit on the
hook. That versatility means more
productivity for our operation.
When we purchase another mediumduty wrecker, it’ll be a Jerr-Dan.”
Clay Hunter
Hunter Auto & Wrecker Service
Charlotte, NC
5. The underreach and boom are
mounted directly to a chassis
subframe, transferring forces
away from the body for
reduced wear and tear, longer
life and outstanding stability.
Jerr-Dan vehicles are durable and reliable.
They perform beyond expectations – no
matter what the conditions. For more than
30 years, Jerr-Dan has redefined the towing
An Oshkosh Corporation Company