the official magazine of the national ford truck club ford...

The Official Magazine of the National FOrd Truck Club

fordprosEnd UserS: Trucks in the Field

Issue 34 SUMMER 2015

USING THE

RIGHT TOOLS

GETTINGThe RIGHT TRUCK into THE RIGHT HANDS

STATS and STORIES

Ford Commercial Trucks boasts the most compelling stats in a highly competitive market. F-Se-ries has no peer. Transit has no peer. Transit Connect, ditto. The products are all exceptional. Per-formance is incredible, adaptability is outstanding, and on and on. If we can ever get enough axles to meet the pent-up demand for 450s and 550s, we’ll be set!For our main customers at the

local dealer level, (the small busi-ness with 5-14 units), there is an-other underpinning that is subtle yet powerful when we harness it: it’s the power of story. To the end-user, it is what really matters. Statistics give customers assur-ance that the product really works. Stories give your customers new ideas and suggestions as to how they might use the Ford tool kit to perform faster, better, more eco-nomically.

Every one of our customers wants to work smarter, to increase effec-tiveness, to reduce waste. With stories as to how someone in their trade uses service bodies to or-ganize for better success, he can visualize how he might insert his own business name into the one in the story: that could be ME! Share your stories, or the ones

from your peers. It’s great for busi-ness: yours and theirs!

Good Selling!

Joe [email protected]

Letter from the President

Special thanks for this issue to:Telogis, Inc.Adrian Steel

The Reading GroupThe Knapheide Company

Omaha Standard PALFINGERCASECOROUSH

Transfer FlowNor-Cal Vans

VanairWork Truck Solutions

Commercial Truck Success

In addition we would like to acknowledge contributions from:

Todd MouwVP of Sales and Marketing,

ROUSH CleanTech

Greg DziewitVP, Commercial OEM,

Telogis

Ken TaylorKen Taylor & Associates

Terry MinionCommercial Truck Success

Taylor SteinbergCorporate Sales Trainer,

Knapheide

Editor/Publisher: Kathryn Schifferle

Managing Editor: Ken Keller

Art Director: Carla Aoyagi

For inquiries or articles or to be added to the mailing list:

[email protected]/FordPros

2485 Notre Dame Blvd., #370-130Chico, CA 95928

Right Lift. Right Place. See 0

SUMMER 2015 FORDPROS2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOCUSING ON THE END USER

17 EQUIPPING THE WEST

LANDSCAPING LIFE 16

15 MODUS TRANSPORTATION

Letter From the PresidentEnd Users

In The HighBeamsALT Fuel:ALT Fuel:

Coach Ken A Lift Gate...

SavingIn the Trades

Terry’s BlogFordPro-File

Club SnapshotFord Truck Club

Exciting News

Stats and Stories 2Confident 5Press Releases & New Products 6Propane End Users Fueled 10CNG 11Success Stories 12Where You Need It 20With a Fuel Monitoring System 21End User Insight 22A Purple Cow is Remarkable 25Gus Schagen 27Philadelphia Ford Truck Club 28NEWS 29For Ford Dealers 30

18 SAVE ON COSTS

WTS 19

FORDPROS SUmmer 2015 3

Over 60 percent of contrac-tors expect their business

to grow this year. Many compa-nies plan to pursue new proj-ects outside their traditional geographic area. They are so confident about the immediate

future that an overwhelming majority of firms expect to ex-pand payroll numbers in 2015 by the most in a decade. This confidence appears to be true for all vocations, and as a re-sult, they are now focused on

equipment needed for expan-sion; total cost of operation (see ‘down-time’ article below), time efficiencies gained (see Work Truck Solutions article page 19), and ease of operation.

‘End Users’ Confident

FORDPROS Summer 2015 5

RANGER DESIGN TO OFFER LEGEND ULTRAGRIP FLOORS

Ranger Design Inc. and Legend Fleet Solutions have entered into

a partnership that will now see Rang-er Design stock and ship Legend Ul-traGrip floors. This will allow Ranger Design to offer customers a durable flooring option that is compatible with Ranger’s full range of commercial van products.

Ranger Design is known as an inno-vative designer and manufacturer of customized van shelving, van racking, ladder racks, partitions and storage systems for commercial vehicles. “We are very excited to work with Legend” said Jay Cowie, Product Manager for Ranger Design. “Teaming up with them will now allow our customers more options and offer them one stop shopping, saving them time and ship-ping costs”.The Legend UltraGrip precut floor of-

fers class leading anti-slip protection, and is constructed with a rigid heavy duty, non-porous rubber coated sur-face. In addition, all Ranger products are backed by an outstanding war-ranty and supported by a customer service department committed to per-sonalized service.For more information please see their website at www.rangerdesigninc.com

TELOGIS NAMED BEST COMMERCIAL TELEMATICS

SERVICE PROVIDER FOR 2015

Telogis was honored as the Best Commercial Telematics Service

Provider during an awards ceremony at the annual Telematics Update – Au-tomotive (TU-Automotive) conference and exposition on June 3, 2015 in Novi, Mich., highlighting the best companies in the connected car space.The award was based on Telogis’ on-going innovation and its strategic part-nerships with leading automotive and equipment manufacturers to build its technologies into vehicles at the factory including: Ford Motor Company, Gen-eral Motors, Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, Isuzu, Hino (a Toyota Group Company) and Manitowoc Cranes. This marks the second consecutive year Telogis has been honored with the Best Commer-cial Telematics Service Provider award.

HIGHBEAMSIn The

FORD TRANSIT ENDS DEBUT YEAR WITH

ANOTHER SALES RECORD

Ford Transit celebrates its first full year of U.S. production with a re-

cord-setting sales month, selling 12,134 units in June and leading Ford to the company’s best first half van sales per-formance since 1988. June 2015 is the eighth straight month that Transit has been the best-selling van in America. “The fact that Transit sales have grown

every month since January 2015 dem-onstrates that customers have em-braced Transit’s flexibility, efficiency and low cost of ownership,” says Yaroslav Hetman, brand manager for Transit, Transit Connect and E-Series. “Eleven of the top upfitters in the country have established facilities within 20 miles of our Kansas City Assembly Plant where Transit is manufactured. This makes it easy and convenient for customers

to add racks, bins, service bodies and other necessary equipment — without having to ship their Transits to an offsite location.” During the first half of 2015, Ford sold

a total of 109,783 vans — a 26 percent increase over 2014 and the company’s

best first half van sales performance since 1988. In fact, with a total of 21,419 full-size vans sold in June, Ford outsold every other full-size van competitor com-bined. Transit Connect outsold all other compact van competitors combined in June with 4,476 units sold.



HIGHBEAMSIn The

ADRIAN STEEL’S NEW INTERIOR LADDER STORAGE

SOLUTION

In July Adrian Steel introduced an innovative solution for the transport

of step ladders inside of work vans: The Interior Ladder Rack. This so-lution provides a safe and efficient means of transport for step ladders. The Interior Ladder Rack allows stor-age for a ladder inside of the van by mounting it to either the partition or shelf panel.The Interior Ladder Rack does not limit or reduce vertical standing room in the van and it allows quick, easy access to the ladder from outside of the vehicle. This new solution elimi-nates outside wear and tear on the ladder and protects the ladder from the elements, theft, and road grime. The Interior Ladder Rack is perfect for carrying 4-foot and 6-foot step ladders and works best in medium and high roof vans. The Interior Ladder Rack includes plastic-coated clamps to protect the ladder rungs during transit.Learn more at www.AdrianSteel.com

or call (800) 677-2726

Out of the Way, Never Out of Reach. The Interior Ladder Rack from

Adrian Steel

KNAPHEIDE SERVICE BODIES FOR HALF-TON &

COMPACT TRUCKS

Knapheide has introduced an ex-clusive service body product of-

fering to the work truck industry: the EC Service Bodies. The EC Series Service Bodies are compatible with half ton and compact pickups that have a factory approved pickup box removal or bed delete option. It is the industry’s exclusive service body so-lution for half ton and compact pick-ups.EC Service Bodies feature an op-

timized understructure for superior strength to weight ratio. With weight savings of over 25% compared to standard steel service bodies, EC Service Bodies provide more than enough applicable payload for a half ton or compact pickup.“Customers have become very pay-

load sensitive but still want the du-rability of steel,” said Tony Marshall, Product Manager at Knapheide. “The combination of a half-ton or compact pickup with an EC Series Service Body give the owner/operator more than enough applicable payload. The OEM-approved bed delete option on half-ton and compact trucks has opened up a whole new segment for truck body manufacturers and upfit-ters.”Traditionally confined to utilizing only

cross- or side-mounted toolboxes or toppers, half-ton and compact truck owners now have the ability to tran-sition into a dedicated service body which promotes forced organiza-tion to drive increased efficiency and productivity. Loaded with innovative standard features like automotive-quality rotary latches, stainless steel continuous hinges, and E-Coat prime paint protection, the EC Series Ser-vice Bodies are built to provide years of dependable service.Visit Knapheide’s EC Series Service

Bodies product page for more information at: www.knapheide.biz

ALUMINUM LANDSCAPE DUMP BODY FROM CRYSTEEL

The new Aluminum Landscape body from Crysteel combines the

strength and durability of the Crysteel Landscape body with the lightweight efficiency of aluminum construction including increased payload capac-ity, corrosion resistance and lower maintenance costs. The versatile Alu-minum Landscape body is ideal for contractors in the landscape industry, refuse/waste industry and recycling industry.The 12-ft. Aluminum Landscape

body features a ¼-in. floor, 50-in. side door, pull-action latch mechanism, two-piece barn door, unibody design, and a Crysteel Lo-Boy® hoist quick installed at the factory. The standard LB510 hoist includes a full-length subframe for added strength and a factory-installed body prop for added safety. Available options include full cabshield, bolt-on pull out ladder kit, pull tarp and plastic fenders.Crysteel offers a comprehensive,

five-year warranty on all dump bod-ies and hoists. Crysteel Manufactur-ing Inc., one of the world’s leading dump body, hoist, and platform manu-facturers, is known for its product in-novations and dedication to quality. Crysteel Manufacturing is part of the Truck Bodies and Equipment Inter-national, Inc. (TBEI) family of compa-nies. TBEI brands include Crysteel, Rugby®, DuraClass®, J-Craft® and Ox Bodies®.

For more information visit www.crysteel.com


HIGHBEAMSIn The

AUTO TRUCK GROUP HIRES BROOKS AS NATIONAL

ACCOUNT MANAGER

In May, Auto Truck Group, a work truck upfitter specializing in the de-

sign, manufacture and installation of equipment, announced Kimberly Brooks as its new manager of national accounts.In this role, Brooks will be respon-

sible for the development and per-formance of all sales activities in the company’s southeast region and will provide leadership for the growth of the company’s relationships with truck equipment dealers in this market.“We bring Kimberly to the Auto Truck

team based on her 16 years of var-ied fleet management-related experi-ence covering sales, operations and finance,” states Corey Stanley, Direc-tor of National Account Fleet Sales. “Her proven abilities to identify and implement improvements, embrace and communicate corporate culture, and her dedication to quality control will bring much value to both our team and customers.Brooks comes to Auto Truck from

Ryder Transportation, Inc. where she held various management positions beginning in 2010. Prior to that, she held supervisor and management po-sitions at Xtra Lease, Inc. and at Navi-star Financial Corp.

RUGBY® MANUFACTURING ANNOUNCES NEW

GENERAL MANAGER

Rugby® Manufacturing recently an-nounced that Jeff Duchscher has been promoted to General Manager. Duchscher has been with Rugby for 10 years, most recently as Manufac-turing Manager, and has also worked in sales, production and engineering.“Jeff’s experience with TBEI-Rugby

is invaluable,” said TBEI President/CEO Bob Fines. “Jeff is a well-known Rugby resident, and will continue on with the exceptional job the Rugby team does with their high-quality dump bodies and hoists, customer service and community involvement.”Rugby Manufacturing manufactures

Class 3–7 dump bodies, platforms and related truck equipment and accesso-ries. Rugby Manufacturing is part of the Truck Bodies and Equipment In-ternational, Inc. (TBEI) family of com-panies. TBEI brands include Crysteel, Rugby, DuraClass®, J-Craft® and Ox Bodies®.

FORD U.S. SALES UP ON STRONG CUSTOMER DEMAND

Strong consumer demand for its newest products pushed Ford

Motor Company total U.S. June sales 2 percent higher, to 225,647 vehicles sold.“Strong retail momentum continues

building for our newest vehicles – in-cluding F-150,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “The Ford brand’s average transaction prices have in-creased $2,700 versus a year ago – more than triple the industry aver-age – while our incentives are down, showing how much customers value our investment in new vehicles with the latest technologies.”F-Series average transaction prices

reached an all-time record in June, with average transaction prices mov-ing above $44,000 per truck – $3,600 higher than last year. The all-new F-150 is turning twice as fast on deal-er lots than the industry average for half-ton pickups, as Ford continues building dealer stocks.Ford van sales totaling 21,419 vehi-

cles represent a 31 percent increase relative to last year, for the best June results since 1999. During the first half of the year, van sales totaled 109,783 vehicles – a 26 percent increase and our best first half van sales per-formance since 1988. The all-new Transit, with sales of 12,134 vans last month, is driving Ford’s segment growth, with its strongest-ever sales month.

New Products


HIGHBEAMSIn The

FORD 2016-MY FLEET INCENTIVES

The 2016 Model Year Fleet Incen-tives for trucks are $2,750 for the

gasoline F-Series Super Duty truck over 8,500 pounds GVWR; $3,000 for the F-Series Super Duty Diesel over 8,500 pounds GVWR; $4,000 for the gasoline F-650; $4,500 for the diesel and tractor diesel F-650; $5,000 for the gasoline F-750; and $5,500 for the diesel and tractor diesel F-750. For vans Ford is offering $2,500 for

the E-Series cutaway and stripped chassis; $1,500 for the Transit full-size van, $750 for the Transit Connect compact van, and $1,000 for the Tran-sit Connect with the 86T taxi package.For police vehicles the incentive is

$1,500 for the Police Interceptor Util-ity. Ford is no longer offering an incen-tive for the Police Interceptor sedan.

FORD F-150 EARNS HIGHEST TRUCK SCORE EVER

The most satisfied owners of full-size pickups chose Ford trucks,

according to the automotive research-ers and consultants at AutoPacific. The Ford F-150 and the Ford F-Series Super Duty have swept the firm’s 2015 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards.The 2015 Ford F-150 won the Ve-

hicle Satisfaction Award for light-duty pickups with the second highest owner score ever recorded by AutoPacific and the highest rating ever for a truck.Ford F-Series Super Duty won the

Vehicle Satisfaction Award for heavy-

duty pickups, giving Ford a clean sweep in both truck classes measured by AutoPacific.AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction

Awards objectively measure owner satisfaction with 50 separate attributes ranging from fuel economy and perfor-mance to interior comfort and styling.“The Vehicle Satisfaction Awards look

at the big picture, including owners’ experiences with overall quality and safety,” said George Peterson, presi-dent of AutoPacific, “but it goes deeper than that. We also take into account the heart of the ownership experience to determine those vehicles that are extremely satisfying to their owners.”

2015 F-150 MOST AERODYNAMIC EVER

Air curtain technology, which first debuted on the all-new Ford Mus-

tang, allows air to flow through a vent underneath the headlamps and out around the wheel. By optimizing the aerodynamic design of F-150, Ford designers and engineers reduced

drag to help F-150 deliver a best-in-class gasoline EPA-estimated rating of 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway when equipped with the 2.7-liter Eco-Boost® V6 engine.1 “With the new F-150, an extensive

amount of time was spent running aerodynamic simulations and doing wind tunnel tests,” said Rob Lietz, Ford technical expert in applied com-putational fluid dynamics.

Other F-150 aerodynamic efficiency improvements include:• Flush-mounted windshield elimi-

nates need for molding that would disrupt smooth airflow

• Tailgate top is designed to act as a spoiler, giving air that flows off the roof a place to land before smooth-ly trailing off – reducing turbulence behind the truck

• Cargo box is narrower than the cab, with no reduction in box volume, which enhances airflow, while a trim piece prevents air from getting trapped between cab and box

• Rear corners including taillamps are precisely angled so air breaks off cleanly – reducing turbulence behind the truck

• Duct under headlamp channels air through to the wheelhousing and reduces the wake generated from the wheel

Organizations across the nation continue to add alternative fu-

els into their long-term plans for their fleets. Energy, municipal transporta-tion and propane are just a few of the industry examples increasing their propane autogas fleets this year.

ConocoPhillipsU.S.-based energy company Cono-

coPhillips has tested ROUSH Clean-Tech propane autogas vehicles in the field since 2011. Their autogas fleet has logged thousands of miles in sometimes challenging conditions in northwest New Mexico and south-west Colorado.Now ConocoPhillips is convert-

ing 30 light- and medium-duty Ford trucks to autogas this year and more than 300 over the next five years.Each autogas truck emits about

67,000 fewer pounds of carbon diox-ide emissions over its lifetime than a gasoline powered vehicle. Autogas is a low carbon fuel that reduces greenhouse gases by up to 25 per-cent, carbon monoxide by up to 60 percent, and nitrogen oxide by 20 percent compared to gasoline.

SMARTSMART, southeast Michigan’s re-

gional public transportation provider, has introduced 61 new Connector paratransit propane autogas fuel sys-tem buses into its fleet. This acqui-sition of Ford E-450 shuttles makes SMART the second largest autogas powered paratransit fleet in Michigan and one of the top five largest in the United States. SMART began its search for alter-

native fuels to meet the goals of the authority: lower fuel costs and re-solve the stringent and complicated emission control issues experienced with the diesel-fueled paratransit buses. After researching various al-ternative fuels, autogas came out on

top for its affordability and availability. The transportation authority projects

the total fuel and maintenance sav-ings to be $1.1 to $1.7 million over the lifetime of the fleet with a return on investment of less than four months. SMART anticipates the autogas ve-hicles will last longer. Many fleets have found that autogas technology extends vehicle life due to less wear and tear on the engines.

AmeriGas. The nation’s largest retail propane

supplier has operated fleet vehicles with the fuel it sells for well over 30 years. This year, AmeriGas Propane, Inc., will more than double its pro-pane autogas medium-duty fleet.The company purchased 50 new

ROUSH CleanTech Ford F-550s equipped with cranes to deliver pro-pane tanks to customer sites across the nation in addition to the 35 that were deployed at the end of 2013.The company’s autogas fleet dem-

onstrates the viability of propane as an on-road vehicle fuel, lessens noise in neighborhoods being ser-viced, and lowers harmful emissions. Over the lifetime of the Ford F-550s,

more than 12.7 million pounds of car-bon dioxide will be eliminated from AmeriGas’ total carbon footprint.Propane autogas is a cleaner burn-

ing, domestically produced alterna-tive fuel that, historically, is priced 40 percent less than gasoline and up to 50 percent less than diesel.For your customers looking to switch

to alternative fuels, cut fuel costs or reduce harmful emissions, there is a Ford vehicle equipped with an auto-gas fuel system for their needs.

Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing for ROUSH CleanTech, an industry leader of alternative fuel vehicle technology. Mouw has served as president of the NTEA Green Truck Association. Reach him at [email protected] or 800.59.ROUSH. To learn more, visit ROUSHcleantech.com

END USERS FUELED BY AUTOGAS POWERFUEL ALT

ConocoPhillips’ Ford truck fueled by propane autogas travels the rough terrain of the San Juan Basin.


FORD DEBUTS 2016 F-150 WITH WESTPORT WING™

POWER SYSTEM

Westport announced in early May that it is offering the 2016 Ford

F-150 as a dedicated or bi-fuel CNG Westport WiNG™ Power System ve-hicle. The 2016 Ford F-150 offers a 5.0-liter gaseous prep engine with im-proved emissions compared to gaso-line.“The F-150 with the 5.0 liter engine

is a significant fleet vehicle, as fleets prefer its size, fuel economy and price. This will create a tremendous oppor-tunity for fleets that previously had purchased heavy-duty pickups, but re-ally preferred the benefits of light-duty trucks,” said Paul Shaffer, Vice Presi-dent Westport Dallas.The Ford F-150 pickup truck is avail-

able with a 17 gasoline gallon equiva-lent (GGE) or 23 GGE tank. Westport engineers are currently evaluating underbody tank options as well. The existing Ford OEM warranty remains intact.Dedicated and bi-fuel options will give

fleets more fuel flexibility. The 2016 F-150 will be a smart choice for those wanting the advantages of a pickup truck that is lighter than previous-gen-eration F-150s. The new aluminum al-loy body introduced on the 2015 F-150 reduces the weight of the truck by as much as 700 lbs.

EPA Certifies Westport WiNG System for 2015 Ford Transit

Early in 2015 Westport received cer-tification from the EPA for its 2015 Ford Transit Van, a dedicated com-pressed natural gas (CNG) Westport WiNG™ Power System vehicle. The 2015 Ford Transit Van model offers a 3.7L gaseous prep engine. The exist-ing Ford warranty remains intact, and is matched by the Westport warranty for all like components. Visit Westport’s website for more in-

formation about our Westport WiNG™ Power System bi-fuel and dedicated CNG Ford vehicles at:www.westport.com/wing.

ARGONNE WORKING WITH FORD TO STUDY

DUAL-FUEL VEHICLES

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National

Laboratory are partnering with the auto industry to study a tricky fuel mixing problem that could lead to more effi-cient engines.The pre-competitive research is fo-

cused on exploring technical concepts and development of engine technology that simultaneously uses natural gas and traditional gasoline to maximize the best characteristics of both fuels. The project partners Argonne with Ford Mo-tor Company and FCA US LLC, under a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA).“The fact that two major players in the

auto industry are partnering with Ar-gonne on this project really shows the promise of this approach,” said project director Thomas Wallner. “The assump-tion here is that if you blend the fuels properly, you can make substantial gains in efficiency.”Bi-fuel vehicles have compressed

natural gas and gasoline on board, but typically use only one fuel at a time. The research concept being studied un-der the project will use both fuels at the same time.“Innovation in Ford powertrain re-

search is constantly progressing,” said Tom McCarthy, chief engineer, Ford Powertrain R&A. “This project provides the opportunity to advance alternative fuel technology, particularly the techni-cal challenges and potential of natural gas direct injection and its integration with the gasoline fuel system in dual-fuel strategies.”

THE CNG-/LPG-READY FORD F-150 RETURNS

After a year absence the CNG-/LPG-ready Ford F-150 has returned.

The 2016 F-150 features a 5-litre V8 engine and can be set up as a dedicat-ed or bi-fuel vehicle running on either CNG (compressed natural gas) or LPG autogas. According to Ford, the gaseous prep

pack for the CNG-/LPG-ready Ford F-150 was reinstated because 72 per-cent of buyers wanted it. Customers wanted it specifically with the V8 en-gine, (the 2014 prep pack F-150 was offered with a 3,7-litre V6 unit). Ford estimates that 70 percent of gas-

eous prep package-equipped vehicles are converted to run on CNG or LPG immediately and delivered to custom-ers ready to run on either of the alterna-tive fuels. An additional 20 percent get converted within 12 months of original purchase. There are six QVM partner compa-

nies offering CNG-/LPG conversions. (Altech-Eco, IMPCO Automotive, Landi Renzo USA, Roush CleanTech, Ven-churs Vehicle Systems and Westport), altogether offering 36 locations where conversions can be completed.

FUEL Alt


COACH KEN

Whether you are new to com-mercial/fleet sales or have

been at it for decades, you know that it can be both exciting and de-pressing. Everyone goes through dry spells and surprises when least expected. In the fifteen years I have been working with commercial and fleet sales there are moments that stand out and have shaped my belief that this is one of the greatest sales opportunities that exist. This article is different than I normally write. It tells the success story of two of the many people who have benefitted from our systematic sales approach.One of the stories that standout for

me is Keith Couch, currently of Rush Truck Center in Colorado. Keith at-tended one of our very first sales seminars over a decade ago. Keith admits he did not want to be at the program. His attitude was “I have been to these types of training be-fore; they are a waste of time.” Af-ter the first few hours he called his owner and thanked the owner for sending him to the training. Since then Keith has been the biggest pro-ponent of our systematic approach to sales and marketing. He credits much of his success to “working the system.” One of the most important things

I learned from Keith is the power of persistence. He tells a great story of cold calling on a prospect that repeatedly turned him down. Af-ter several sales calls the owner of the company said, “What is it go-ing to take to keep you from walk-ing through that door?” Keith’s reply was, “Buy one truck from me and if I don’t meet your expectations you’ll never see me again.” That prospect became a dedicated customer.

One of the big advantages of our system is the fact that my team and I make sales calls every month with dealerships. We learn as much from our failures as we do our successes.

One thing that we have learned over the years is the value of referrals. A factory rep introduced me to a brand new commercial sales consultant at a regional commercial meeting. He was new to sales; only 23 years old and straight off the farm. He had made over 200 cold calls in just a few weeks and was making no progress and getting very discouraged. We put him under our program based on referral sales and within just a few months he was selling over ten units a month and growing. It is so easy to gain referrals but unfortunately most sales people approach sales the hard way, cold calling. This young rookie did some very simple things:

1. I had him make a list of everyone he knew. He then sent everyone a letter about his new position, telling them that he would be calling each person. He gathered the names of over 70 business owners just by contacting his friends.2. I had him gather names of busi-nesses inside the dealership from orphaned clients, companies using the service department whom had bought their vehicles elsewhere, parts customers and vendors of the dealership. This totaled over 140 more referrals.3. When the young rookie started selling trucks and vans he followed our vendor referral system and gathered even more referrals, av-eraging over 15 referrals per sale.With persistence it did not take long

to turn failure into success. He was living proof that if you have a plan, you follow it and never give up, suc-cess is a guarantee not a chance happening. I have so many more stories of ordinary men and women

SUCCESS STORIES

“ We learn as much from our failures

as we do our successes. ”


who succeeded beyond expecta-tions at this business. If I had to sum it all up in a few key nuggets of wis-dom it would be this:1. Love what you do and do it be-

cause you want to help people. The money will follow.

2. Start with a plan that is based on gathering referrals.

3. Turn those referrals into appoint-ments, not cold calls. It is easier to make 10 telephone calls and get three appointments than to walk out the door and make ten cold calls and not see a single de-cision maker.

4. Join groups (trade associations, networking groups, civic groups) and fully participate. You will meet tons of people. It is so easy to get an appointment when someone has met you face to face.

5. Stay in touch. In today’s world of technology it is not that difficult if you have made it part of your plan.

6. Market but “micro market” by fo-cusing on target markets that drive the vehicles you have in stock (by the way, don’t be afraid to stock!). Mass mailings are a waste of money and time.

Congratulations on being a part of a great industry. Dedicate yourself to success and you will be the next incredible story. I will see you at the top!

ABOUT KEN TAYLORFor over 20 years Ken Taylor has been delivering training, consulting, profes-

sional coaching and marketing to some of America’s largest corporations. He is

known nationally as “America’s Corporate & Personal Coach”. Ken has published over 1500 articles, 33 training programs and two books, appeared on radio, TV and speaks to thousands of business professionals every year. For more

information about Ken Taylor & Associ-ates’ Commercial Automotive Consulting program call 1-866-446-2966, or go to

www.coachkentaylor.com.

COACH KEN


Modus Transportation, located in Bend, Oregon is a private, for-

hire transportation provider that offers airport shuttles and wheelchair acces-sible transportation in Central Oregon. Jay Stubbs, owner of Modus Trans-portation, worked in the hospitality field and had an interest in transporta-tion services and the logistics involved with moving people to and from their destinations comfortably.Jay describes why he added the

wheelchair accessible Nor-Cal Vans Transit Connect Adaptive Van to his fleet, “Working in the hotel industry

there is occasionally the need for ADA accessible transportation ser-vices for guests. Finding a service provider would often prove to be a challenge. In our community there are a handful of service provid-ers and these service providers are great but they maintain busy sched-ules. The increasing demand for ADA services is not being met and many clients are not able to get the rides they need. It was my goal to offer an additional ADA transportation service in our community with a genuine cus-tomer service oriented approach.”The Americans with Disabilities Act

of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination

and ensures equal opportunity and access for persons with disabilities. This includes providing wheelchair accessible transport to any business that moves people- hotels, casinos, care homes, schools, etc. It’s be-coming an increasingly common trend throughout the United States for private transportation services to be required to add wheelchair acces-sibility to their fleets to accommodate the 3.6 million wheelchair users in the US (according to the 2012 census). To help businesses afford adding

wheelchair accessibility to their fleet,

there are ADA tax incentives avail-able in addition to the Ford rebates and Ford Mobility Motoring Rebate of $1,000.The Nor-Cal Vans (NCV) Transit

Connect Adaptive Van is an ideal match for these ADA accessible transport services. Nor-Cal Vans’ in-novative ramp stows flat, allowing the vehicle to be used just like any other taxi, comfortably transporting up to five users and luggage. When the driver needs to transport a wheel-chair user, the ramp folds out, allow-ing up to six passengers to be trans-ported, easily adapting to the needs of the customer.

“The conversion is very well de-signed, innovative, extremely dura-ble, and very easy to use. I often get compliments from wheelchair clients about how easy the loading/unload-ing process is for them and how safe they feel. Everything in a Nor-Cal van has been meticulously designed,” Jay said.“Working with the team at Nor-Cal

Vans has been a pleasure from the Sales staff all the way through to the Van Technicians. Everyone has been professional and courteous,” said Jay. With over 30 years of ex-

perience in the vehicle upfit industry, Nor-Cal Vans brings its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction from the personal mobility market to the commercial shuttle market. Nor-Cal Vans also offers custom upfit

packages for the full-size Ford Tran-sit for customers looking to transport more passengers. Options include the NCV Transit Bus (with bus doors), rear and side entry wheelchair lifts, multiple seating configurations, and more.

For more information on Nor-Cal Vans visit www.norcalvans.com.

To learn more about Modus Transportation visit

www.modustransportation.com.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY IN HOSPITALITY TRANSPORTATIONEND-USER: MODUS TRANSPORTATION


Back in 1868, Marysville, OH, res-ident Orlando McLean Scott saw

the inherent value in the U.S. agri-cultural marketplace. Built upon an unyielding conviction that “farmers need and shall have clean, weed-free fields”, Scott’s company evolved into a premium seed distributor with-in the industry. Still based outside Columbus, OH, now Scotts also supplies top-rated consumer prod-ucts, offering beneficial, customer-focused services like lawn care to clientele who prefer not to undertake the task themselves.Unlike its competition, Scotts Lawn-

Service, a corporate subsidy, utilizes a single truck that offers both tree and lawn service. Residential lawn services include fertilization and weed/pest control. Certified techni-cians use the company’s own prod-ucts to provide customers with a beautiful, weed-free lawn. David Buhn, Scotts Fleet Opera-

tions Manager, is committed to sus-taining the company’s goal as the #1 lawn care company in the U.S. Maintaining and monitoring 2,500 rolling trucks on a daily basis, Buhn

is accountable for ensuring the effi-ciency of his fleet. His days are spent conversing strategy with the 11 fleet mechanics delegated to major U.S. markets to verifying the proper main-tenance for each truck. In Buhn’s world, the minor details matter. Out of the 2,500 trucks he man-

ages, roughly 800 are Ford models. The trucks range in specialization, with some designed for lawn care, others tree and shrub care, and the remainder serve as pest control. The majority are Ford Super Duties, which include 50 F-150s, as well as 100 F-450s. The company also uti-lizes the new Transit Connect. As a Ford advocate, Buhn eagerly dis-closes that he is the proud driver of a 2014 Ford F-150 4X4. Ford is just a part of the solution for

the Scotts LawnService fleet. Read-ing Truck Body, a pioneering and in-novative manufacturer of work truck bodies headquartered in Reading, PA, serves an integral role in provid-ing the tools and solutions the Scotts organization needs. Reading pro-vides the majority of Scotts truck up-fitting at its Louisville, KY site, which

is conveniently located across the street from a Ford plant for easy ac-cess to the Ford Ship-thru transpor-tation network. The quality of Read-ing craftsmanship is extraordinarily evident, according to Buhn. “Read-ing takes care of everything, from spray units with 250 gallon tanks, to power inverters and onboard tech-nology system mounts, to fire extin-guishers and spill kits to full decaling for brand recognition in the field. Our technicians depend on all of this to get the job done.” Since Reading manufacturers its

own products, engineers the design and installation of ancillary equip-ment, and applies the finishing touches—Buhn has confidence in the brand and applauds it for going above and beyond the call of duty that fleet managers have come to expect. Troubleshooting a problem that has arisen can sometimes be a difficult situation to confront, but Buhn has discovered that this is not the case when it comes to Reading. “[They] are always there to stand by and service their products—getting a hold of someone is never a chal-lenge,” he emphasizes. “When Reading is installing equip-

ment and bodies, they know what they are doing because they built the product. You don’t always receive that warm and fuzzy feeling from oth-er upfitters because they don’t know the products as well,” Buhn enthusi-astically shares. For an operation like Scotts whose livelihood depends on its trucks to sustain organization and protect its most valuable resources while exercising cost-effective deci-sions regarding fuel, the combination for Ford and Reading products has made all of the difference. In this case, the right tools, exper-

tise and support do make the grass greener on the other side.

SCOTTS RELIES ON FORD AND READING TO HELP KEEP LAWNS GREENEND USER: LANDSCAPING LIFE


Western Oklahoma spans a sur-prising variety of landscapes.

It is one of the great agricultural re-gions in the county. Western Equip-ment LLC, a full-line John Deere Ag equipment dealer and service com-pany, has been serving this area since 1916. The company special-izes in all types of equipment, parts, sales, and service. Western Equip-ment now has eight locations cover-ing western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. Their corporate office is in Clinton, OK. Rob Fiegener is the Corporate Ser-

vice Manager for Western Equipment. Rob describes his business. “Our bread and butter is large Ag; includ-ing combines, 4-wheel drive tractors, self-propelled sprayers, 100-300 hp. row crop tractors and hay equipment. Much of our field work is of the lighter variety, like air conditioner, electrical and hydraulic repair. Each location has between 2 to 6 mobile service units, depending on its size. Our jobs are typically 30 – 60 miles from the dispatching location.”

“Our most popular truck is the one-ton Ford chassis on the F-350,” Rob says. “These are equipped by CASECO with their service beds and cranes. We like the looks of the CASECO bed, it has a low center of gravity and is very durable. We’ve found that cranes on the trucks let us safely do repairs with just one techni-cian rather than two. We also have mobile tracking devices on every unit to facilitate safety and to provide all locations visibility of field units to re-duce overlap by sharing.”

Looking good and projecting a sense of prestige is important for any business. “A good technician is a valuable asset, so you want to make them feel appreciated,” Rob explains. “To tell the truth, a lot of the jobs we do could be done by carrying a little satchel with you. But we want our customers to be impressed when we pull into their yard with the knowledge that if the scope of the repair changes you have the resources immediately available. Our mobile service units send a professional message that drives business. Ford and CASECO are part of the overall image we wish to project -The best operators buy the best products and deserve the best support.” Rob says.Rob has a down-to-earth view of

their mobile service units. “Our Ford trucks and CASECO service bodies are only tools to help us all prosper. It’s simple: If our customers are not profitable in a sustainable manner, we are not either. We consider our busi-ness as a shared enterprise between our Customers, Western Equipment and John Deere.”CASECO has the resources to be

able to manufacture any bed your customers can dream up.

For more information about CASECO products, visit the website

at www.casecotruck.com

LOOKING GOOD IN OKLAHOMAEND USER: EQUIPPING THE WEST


Your customers can save as much as hundreds of dollars per vehicle

per month in ways that go beyond fuel economy.

Here’s how, as reported by real-world customers using Ford

Telematics, the telematics solution uniquely built for Ford vehicles

that improves savings, efficiency and safety.

When commercial fleets target ways to trim costs, tightening

the belt on fuel economy is where they most often start. It’s low-hanging fruit, especially when fuel prices are on the rise. But regardless of whether a fleet

consists of a few vehicles or thou-sands, businesses can save substan-tially per vehicle, per month, in ways that go far beyond fuel economy. Here’s how:

#1: Improve Driver SafetyAccidents, even minor fender bend-ers, can wreak havoc on the bal-ance sheets. Reduce incidents by as little as 2% has been shown to save as much as $40 per vehicle per month. Fostering driver safety can also positively impact insurance premiums, while keeping drivers safe and ready to work.

#2: Maximize Vehicle UtilityOptimizing routing, vehicle health and uptime, and using the right ve-hicle for the right job can help trim waste. Customers who optimize vehicle usage can save $26 per vehicle, per month. And the upside in productivity can help them serve more customers faster.

#3: Reduce Labor CostsMaking sure that drivers and other teams are efficient can lead to big savings. Ensuring the job gets done on time, monitoring how long driv-ers take for stops along their daily routes and reducing overtime costs can save substantial labor costs. Im-proving efficiency here can save $79 per vehicle, per month.

#4: Don’t Leave Money on the TableIf customers have vehicles that don’t operate on a public road, they can be eligible for a tax rebate on fuel costs. Federal excise taxes on motor vehicles are to maintain the road—so that makes earth-moving machinery other heavy equipment a candidate for tax credit. Businesses can save $12 per vehicle per month here.

The Bottom LineAdd in fuel economy savings ($36

for idle-time reduction and $40 for improved MPG) and that means busi-nesses—and these are businesses of any size—can save as much as $239 per vehicle per month. Meanwhile, the bottom line for dealers who sell Ford Telematics to customers is this: save businesses that much money and you earn a customer for life.

Ford Telematics Now Eligible for

Commercial Connection Rebate

Now available for a partial or full re-bate via Ford Commercial Connection incentive program, Ford Telematics has delivered businesses all-around im-provements in savings and efficiency by helping them get total control of ev-ery vehicle in their fleets. A small device mounted behind the dashboard of a Ford vehicle, Ford Telematics captures and reports data based on a wealth of in-formation—from current location, speed and fuel economy to airbag status, tire pressure and oil-life remaining. Real-time audible alerts track driving behavior to foster safe driving across the fleet. And an easy-to-use online account provides real-time views of fleet operations on a map and easy-to-use dashboards and reports. Make sure your customers un-derstand the Ford Telematics difference.

4 WAYS TO SAVE SERIOUS DOLLARS ON FLEET COSTSEND USER: SAVE ON COSTS

COMMERCIAL TRUCK Building or Rebuilding an Effective, Successful, and Profitable Commercial Truck Operation within a Retail Auto DealershipBy Terry R. Minion“. . whether you want to add $100,000 or $1,000,000 to your bottom line, you will benefit from this ‘how to’ on commercial trucks.” -- Greg Martin Buy the book @ www.ctsdealer.net

Now Available on Amazon.com! SUMMER 2015 FORDPROS18

Today all buyers make their deci-sions at their own speed, moving

across online and offline marketing channels to suit their needs. Smart-phones and tablets have become the go-to devices for a variety of needs, including searching for products, ser-vices, and business information. Mobile searches have exceeded

desktop searches this year. Eighty percent of all internet users have a smart phone, and forty-seven percent have tablets. Three out of four mobile searches trigger follow-up actions, and eighty percent of customers will abandon a mobile site if they have a bad user experience (Google).So how do Truck Buyers behave

online today? When it comes to truck buyer behavior, there just isn’t any data. Why is this? Well, when trying to interview truck buyers, the biggest challenge is asking any Ford Pro to give out their contact information! Truck buyers are closely held and we had to promise to keep any interviews anonymous both on who the customer is, and which dealer they worked with!Overall as a result of our interviews

what became clear is that truck buyers want meaningful information upfront and without having to jump hurdles. No one has time for complicated pro-cesses.Today there are really no opportu-

nities for a dealer to accurately and automatically post their current inven-tory on their website except by either building a custom solution internally with their IT or Internet department and try to maintain it on an ongoing basis, or by using the Work Truck So-lutions (www.worktrucksolutions.com) online inventory service. Dealers can also post their inventory on Commer-cial Truck Trader, a third party website which can help drive traffic back to their department or back to their web-site. For the purpose of this article we were able to interview a few buy-ers that had made purchases through

dealers who are currently using Work Truck Solutions. Here is what they said:A truck buyer in California stated to

their dealer, “I had checked a few deal-ers’ sites before I found yours – you made it so easy to see what you had in inventory that I knew I wanted to work with you.” A truck buyer in Florida said in an

interview, “My pool service keeps me very busy, but I needed a new van. When I saw the Transit on my local dealer’s site, and was able to click through to them with my questions, it really worked for me.” A truck buyer in Ohio claimed, “As

soon as I found this dealer’s inventory online, it took me less than 2 and half hours to find what I wanted, and close the deal.”A truck buyer in the Pacific Northwest

stated, “I searched for a service body, and when I saw what the dealer had I

made contact with them through their site and told them what I was look-ing for, and that I would swing by and they met me and I bought it. That’s the way it’s all going, there is only so much time in a day. This was a really neat tool, too, that you can see what someone has without having to drive all over the country.”When it comes right down to it, we

may not yet know exactly what makes a truck buyer tick, but we do know that giving them access to inventory and information is the best way to get, and keep, their business. One Northern California dealer, who has been on the Work Truck Solutions service for well over a year, reports that his cus-tomers now use the site to shop and communicate with him using specific stock numbers…saving them both time. That seems to be the name of the game!

FINDING THE PERFECT TRUCK ONLINEEND USER: TRUCK BUYERS


In 2012 the idea for the LiftGator™, a hitch mounted lift gate, developed

when Justin Russo and Marty Affen-tranger were mechanical engineer-ing students at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. “The idea for the LiftGator came

to be when I was working as a fab-ricator on a ranch. I was working by myself moving around tools, air com-pressors and generators. I needed a way to get these tools in and out of my truck, but I wasn’t willing to weld a permanent lift gate to the back of my truck,” explains Justin Russo, Presi-dent of LiftGator.The LiftGator is a full-size, remov-

able hitch mounted lift gate. Installa-tion requires no modification to the truck. The LiftGator is attached to the hitch receiver of a truck and is powered from the existing truck bat-tery with a 3.9 hp 12v motor. A wir-ing harness is included. It features a sturdy, all steel frame, with quick drop ground supports. The unit has a 48 inch folding aluminum platform and a lift capacity of 1,000 pounds. A single person can install the Lift-

Gator in less than three minutes, giv-ing the user all the features of a lift gate without the need to have one

permanently welded on. The unit weighs 275 pounds. It is easy to han-dle and adds less weight to a truck than a permanent lift gate. The LiftGator offers value for all

sizes of fleets and the individual truck owner. “A small truck fleet can rotate a few LiftGators to the trucks they are needed on, when they are needed. An individual contractor might not need a lift gate all the time. He can take off the lift gate when he doesn’t need it,” Justin said.

Moving heavy items in and out of a truck is a major cause of worker in-jury. The LiftGator lift gate can great-ly reduce the chance of this kind of worker injury. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is currently using the LiftGa-tor in their maintenance department. “Safety is a priority with everything

we do,” said Dave Taylor, BART Building Maintenance. “For us the LiftGator is really a no brainer.”This cargo handling solution can

help to provide a better end user ex-perience. The LiftGator is an opportu-nity for a high margin upsell and an-other way to provide superior service to customers. The LiftGator includes installation,

wheels and a truck wiring kit. The LiftGator is proudly made in America, and comes with a 1 year warranty. The retail price is $2,995.00. A dealer program is available. A quick demo video can be seen at

www.LiftGator.com. For more information

call 805-448-7183 or go to: www.LiftGator.com

Email: [email protected]

Right, Justin Russo, CEOLeft, Marty Affentranger, COO

A LIFT GATE WHERE YOU NEED IT


TRAX 3™ is Transfer Flow’s next generation computer controlled,

fuel monitoring system. The self-di-agnosing system transfers fuel from the Transfer Flow auxiliary fuel tank to the main fuel tank. The TRAX 3 computer module constantly moni-tors fuel levels in both the main tank and the auxiliary tank.Based on the capacity of your cus-

tomer’s vehicle’s main and auxiliary fuel tanks, the TRAX 3 system will transfer fuel at pre-determined fuel levels while the vehicle is in opera-tion. The fuel capacity in the main tank and auxiliary tank will decrease at similar rates. The LCD will display the fuel level percentages in each tank and the operational status of the fuel system.When the fuel system is transfer-

ring fuel, the message “PUMP ON” will be displayed on the dash mount-ed LCD. When the system is not transferring fuel, the message, “SYS

OK” will be displayed on the LCD. It’s simple and fully automatic. TRAX 3 is included with Transfer Flow’s in-bed auxiliary fuel tanks, toolbox and auxiliary fuel tank combos, and their Ford cab chassis midship auxiliary fuel tanks.TRAX 3 comes with the following

auxiliary fuel tank systems:• 37, 50, 75, 98 and 100 gallon in-bed

fuel tanks• 30, 40 and 50 gallon toolbox and

fuel tank combos• Ford cab chassis midship auxiliary

fuel tanksWith TRAX 3, you customer will al-

ways know the percentage of fuel in the Transfer Flow auxiliary fuel tank and main fuel tank; planning fuel ups is easier than ever.

For more information, call 1-800-442-0056 or 530-893-5209 or visit

the Transfer Flow website at transferflow.com

SAVING WITH A FUEL MONITORING SYSTEM


END USER INSIGHTS

Broadway Ford in St. Louis, MO is a leader in providing fleet vehi-

cles for many industries. In addition to a quality product, excellent ser-vice plays a part in that success. We recently sat down with companies we work with in the St. Louis region to ask what they look for from their servicing dealers. Among the com-ments, we heard: “Value of the dealer in the service

they provide is imperative.”“Dealer sales person anticipates

our needs and provides timely re-sponses.”“Anticipates our needs and adds

value in many areas.”“Dealer must have a full under-

standing of our business.”“Dealer must proactively forecast

the needs of our fleet.” “Creates the solutions before we

need it – must have the right vehicle for the application.” “Dealer makes us aware of time-

ly decisions required for peace of mind.” These include:- Model year changeover dates - Chassis changes incorporated into

the next model year

- Last dates to order a particular model

- Availability of chassis - both posi-tive and negative

These quotations sound like a chapter out of the “Successful Com-mercial Dealer Handbook”. Gabe Bowden, Manager of Business Per-formance for Illinois American Water, agreed that many of these compo-nents make a difference to him and his fleet decisions. Illinois American Water is the larg-

est private water utility in the state,

providing service to about 1.2 mil-lion customers in 128 communities. Their team maintains over 4,100 miles of water main, about 29,000 hydrants and 400 miles of sewer main across the state. This work re-quires specific fleet needs.Bowden said, “As with many indus-

tries, we continually try to do more with less, but our commitment to service remains a priority. By work-ing directly with a dealer on our fleet needs, we are able to make the best decision for not only our team, but our customers.”Truck dealers that wish to be suc-

cessful in this arena must provide excellent support and the vehicles needed to match the application, size, GVWR and other requirements. For example, a solution may be to spec out a chassis with lo-profile tires to address an overall height is-sue. A larger chassis with the GVWR required for the non-CDL license has been an excellent specification.Commercial vehicle buying deci-

sions are based on:Cost per mile – Fuel expenses

are competitive among the vehicles in their fleet while all maintenance charges are closely monitored.

Trends in the Trades By Taylor SteinbergCorporate Sales Trainer, Knapheide


Trouble free service – Chassis are changed out at the end of the trouble free service period with a maximum of ten years on the heavy duty trucksDriver feedback is appreciated and

utilized on replacement vehicle de-cisions. Weight analysis is completed on

all units before replacement. Weight and loads are continually monitored to eliminate overweight vehicles and maintain GVWR compliance.Safety and security - Power win-

dows and power locks are standard on all vehicles. Moving forward more vehicles will be equipped with back up cameras and proximity sensors.Fuel types – For one ton trucks and

above the trend is toward diesel for longevity of service as some units are used for 10 yearsSuggestions for commercial dealer

sales persons include:Understanding of the business,

goals and objectives – Successful dealer sales persons anticipate our needs and provide timely responses.

Communication – in person, phone, text and email - All are used based on the requirements of the commu-nication.Appointments - Imperative and can

be the same day if needed. Does not have to be at a designated time, can be “after two on Wednesday” or

other convenient times based on the sense of urgency.Business relationships - The part-

nership with the servicing dealer is required as they need to “anticipate our needs and add value through product expertise.”

Trends in the Trade



Last month, I received a blog post from a favorite author, Seth Godin,

who is the author of many books on marketing, including The Purple Cow, Permission Marketing, What To Do When It’s Your Turn, and many more. If you’re not familiar with Seth, see more about him at www.sethgodin.com. The title of the post was, Abandoning Per-fection. He says in some jobs, perfec-tion is the ultimate expectation, like air traffic controllers, nuclear power plant compliance, etc. Yet, for the major-ity of us, our expectation of having to be perfect and do perfect work is so often counterproductive. Truly, if we really looked at this, we would be ex-pected to break things, change things up, cause a ruckus, move the needle, keep raising the bar, and expanding our universe.I love the last two lines of his post:

“You’re not in the perfect business. Stop pretending that’s what the world wants from you. Then he adds, “Truly perfect is becoming friendly with your imperfections on the way to doing something remarkable.” I love those brief lines.Yesterday, I was in a meeting dis-

cussing commercial truck depart-ments at dealerships, how the major-ity of them operate and much more. When I was talking about things that I did and wrote about in my book, Com-mercial Truck Success, I said, “That’s just me. I’m weird.” In other words, ev-eryone gets to make their own choic-es and that is fine. I love creating a ruckus. I’m not even

happy unless I’m creating a ruckus, and by creating a ruckus, I am finding new ways to do things, new products and accessories to show to end users, stock different body types and see what happens, and a hundred other

things to keep it interesting. I can’t stand boring and the same old stuff.As Seth stated so well, I’ve come to

“become friendly with my imperfec-tions on the way to doing something remarkable.” Is there risk involved? Of course there is. What would the reward be without any risk at all? Not very much. Do I have a fear of fail-ure? Not really, but my choices don’t always work out, and any fear that I might entertain would take a back seat to the desire to change things up. I want to do remarkable things. I would want my customers to find remarkable solutions here. Plus, the risk is more in between the ears than in reality. Of the several thousand truck bodies I

tried and put in stock, I can only think of one that was a serious challenge to move. And, it did move eventually. However, the benefits of my choices far overshadowed any fear of risk.I suggest that is may be beneficial to

you to embrace your imperfections. Delight in them. We are each unique. Allow your uniqueness to come out. Seek to be remarkable in your own way. Allow yourself to enjoy your unique spirit and be confident in your choices. Be remarkable by doing the remarkable.

TERRY’S BLOGA Purple Cow Is Remarkable

http://commercialtrucksuccess.blogspot.com/

Terry Minion of Commercial Truck Success spends his days helping

dealers develop successful commercial departments


Many FordPros started their au-tomotive career by working the

retail floor and then move to the com-mercial side of the dealership. This was not how Gus Schagen entered the work truck world. Back in 1986 Gus started selling

commercial vehicles for mega-deal-ership Don Kott Ford in Carson, Ca. He had never worked the retail floor. “I just started knocking on doors.

Los Angeles is a great area for that. I would take a page from the Thomas Guide (a thick street map book of the LA area) and walk that page,” Gus recalls. “I would be in the gar-ment district or the produce market at 3 in the morning knocking on their doors.” Learning from the streets, Gus be-

came successful and worked at Don Knott Ford until 1993. He then spent 2 ½ years in his native country, Ar-gentina, following an opportunity to start a Seat (VW Spain) distributor-ship and to be near his family. He became frustrated with the govern-ment regulations there and returned to America. He started working with Sarasota Ford located in Sarasota, Florida, about 50 miles south of Tampa, six years ago. Gus Schagen is now Fleet Manager with Sarasota Ford.Gus uses Work Truck Solutions

(WTS) on the dealership’s website to drive growth for his department. “We use WTS in many ways,” Gus ex-plains. “The way it presents the prod-uct to the public is phenomenal. The ability to go into a commercial site and see exactly what we have in in-ventory is a great plus. It is a dynam-ic experience to go to our website and pick out a flat bed, a box truck or whatever you need. Commercial sales for me and the dealership have increased 200+% since we began using Work Truck Solutions.”“We also use WTS as a sales pros-

pecting tool” Gus continues. “We use a database and send emails to peo-

ple based on their trade. For exam-ple, we send out a simple email with a picture of our crew van to painting and landscaping companies. The same picture is on the website. It’s a great way to prospect. It is inexpen-sive and it does bring the people in.”“Since my clients are mostly leas-

ing companies, the retail department has benefited from WTS even more than me,” Gus said. “The commercial department closes on the weekends. So WTS sends the leads to the Inter-net Manager on the weekends and to the commercial department Monday through Friday. We don’t waste a bit doing it this way.”The large amount of inventory they

have on the ground is a big reason for their success. “We try to have about 80 Transit Connects and 80-100 Transit vans. Super Duties num-ber about 45-50. We like to keep 15-25 empty cab chassis to upfit as needed by the leasing companies.” “Our entire inventory is posted with

WTS. A lot of the leasing companies look at your inventory online. This is why I have been successful with the leasing companies,” Gus says.Sarasota Ford is the early bird

that gets the worm. “The dealer-ship is committed to responding to a sales lead in 7 minutes. If you do not respond in time, the dealer-ship sends you to the back of the line,” Gus says. “When a unit is

posted on the internet it may go out to hundreds of dealerships. With Work Truck Solutions there is a but-ton you push to accept the lead, and at the same time an email goes out to your lead. It can all be done in 30 seconds, even through your phone.”Gus is a Central Florida Ford Truck

Club member. He is also a life-long soccer fan. He coaches a competi-tive, travelling soccer team of 13 year olds. He is usually travelling with the team on weekends and coaches 3 nights during the week. Gus has had to be resourceful his

entire life. He enjoys life in sunny Florida and continues to find ways to increase his success. Gus is still us-ing his wits to stay ahead of the pack in the work truck world.

Gus Schagen

By Ken Keller


TThe Philadelphia Ford Truck Club has the youngest president of

any Ford Truck Club or Association in the USA. Now 34 years old, Jack Canavin, Assistant Truck Sales Man-ager and Commercial Account Man-ager with Pacifico Marple Ford Lincoln in Broomall, PA, was elected president in February 2015. With 13+ years in commercial vehicle sales already un-der his belt, Jack comes to the job with a unique perspective. “I have been attending the Truck Club

meetings since 2010. But before I started attending the Club meetings I was somewhat intimidated when peo-ple would ask me to go to the meet-ing. Everyone was older and probably more experienced in commercial/fleet sales than I was. I was the rookie in the room,” Jack said. Jack makes sure that newcomers to

the Club meetings feel comfortable and welcome. “Before the meeting starts I make it a point to sit down with the new members, especially the first few meeting they attend. It is important to let them know that their attendance is valued.”Ken Hassis, ‎Commercial Account

Manager at Miller Ford in Lumber-ton, NJ, was the former president of the Club. In the summer 2013 issue

of FordPros Magazine, Ken estimat-ed that the average age of the PFTC membership was between 50 - 55 years old. “The dealerships have to start thinking in the long term,” Ken commented. “They have to draw more young people into the commercial side of the business. This is not a job that you can replace overnight. As the old-er commercial guys drop off, there will be a need for good replacements.” A goal for the Club was set to bring in young blood.“There are now maybe 5 to 8 mem-

bers under 50 in our Club. I may be the only one under 40 years old. So there are younger people in our Club now,” Jack reports. “Business has improved since the downturn. Since there is more volume now, more new young faces are showing up.”The PFTC has seen a couple of

changes in the last year. It was sug-gested that to save time the spon-sor presentations should begin at 6 o’clock, when Social Hour starts. “The problem with this is that not everyone shows up at the meeting at the same time,” Jack explained. “You need that hour window where people can stream in and catch up with each other. It also gives them some free time to check out the vendors’ vehicles and net-work with other members.” Late last year the meetings were moved to a

new location. The meetings are now mainly held at the Crowne Plaza - Bucks County in Feasterville-Trevose, PA. The meeting attendance has im-proved and stabilized since the move. “Everybody seems to come back, so we hope we’re doing something right,” Jack said.The Philadelphia Ford Truck Club is

welcoming the energy of its younger members. The knowledge and experi-ence of the Club’s seasoned profes-sionals combined with the enthusiasm of youth is insuring that the tradition of Ford excellence and success will be carried into the future.

CURRENT CLUB OFFICERS:Jack Canavin - Pres. - Asst Truck Sales Mgr / Commercial Account Mgr(CAM) - Pacifico Marple Ford LincolnTom DeVito - V.P. - Commercial Ac-count Mgr Springfield Ford LincolnFrank Fatiga - Treasurer - Commer-cial Sales Manager / Commercial Ac-count Mgr - Fred Beans Ford Lincoln of DoylestownBob Wescott - Secretary - Regional Sales Rep - Dejana Truck & Utility Equipment

CLUB’S MISSION STATEMENT AND DEALER OUTREACH LETTER:

The Philadelphia Ford Truck Club is a congress of commercial sales repre-sentatives from dealers and vendors within Ford’s Philadelphia region and beyond who strive to better the com-mercial sales environment by uniting through open discussion and network-ing in a relaxed professional atmo-sphere. All Ford, dealership sales personnel,

and vendors are encouraged to stay informed by submitting your name, dealership/company, email, and phone information to: [email protected]

CLUB SNAPSHOTThe Philadelphia Ford Truck Club By Ken Keller

PHILADELPHIA The May 20th meeting was held at the

The Crowne Plaza Philadelphia. Our sponsors were Unicell and Ford Telemat-ics. Andy Biancardi presented for Unicell and Brian Hoffmann reviewed the prod-ucts offered by Ford Telematics. Future Dates:9/16 Paxon Hollow Country Club - Media, Pa. - Golfing afternoon / Dinner meeting10/20 Na’Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse - Horsham, Pa. - State Trooper / Dot Dinner meeting

NEW ENGLANDThe FCTANE May meeting took place on

May 19th at the Indian Meadows Country Club. A presentation was given by Su-preme’s Mike Cournoyer. Safe Fleet co-sponsored the meeting and Matt Lewis presented on the Safe Fleet product port-folio. Other presentations were given by Frank Froio, FMCC, Commercial Busi-ness Development Manager, who dis-cussed the CommerciaLease product. There was a special presentation by

Bruce Gray. Bruce went over the basics of selling a truck that will be used to tow various trailers throughout its life.

Due to the number of people either out of town or otherwise committed elsewhere, the June FCTANE meeting was cancelled. The July 21st meeting offered an inten-

sive training session on CVT (Commercial Vehicle Tools). The training was conducted by Peter Syvertsen. There were a total of 22 people enrolled for the training session. The July meetings begin immediately

after the training. The speakers included Katy Hews from HEWS Company. She displayed a Maintainer Service Body mounted on an F550. Former Director of Ford Commercial

Truck, Mr. Joe Castelli presented for Lo-Jack. Joe is now the Vice President of Commercial & Fleet Operations for LoJack.

CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA The Eleventh Annual CPAFTA Golf Tour-

nament was held at Dauphin Highlands Golf Club in Harrisburg, Pa on June 19th. This golf event was a Member - Guest Outing for customer appreciation. Cash prizes of $750.00 were awarded as well as fun door prizes. Find the Houston Truck Club on Facebook.

HOUSTONThe Houston Truck Club had their Golf

Outing event on Tuesday, May 19 at the Longwood Golf Club in Cypress, Texas. It was a 4 person scramble with a shotgun start. Dinner followed the golf and prizes were awarded.

CHICAGOFord Truck Club of Chicago’s Golf Out-

ing was held on June 28th at Maple Mead-ow’s Golf Course again this year. A couple of huge hole in one prizes were awarded.

GEORGIAThe 11h Annual Edition of our Body &

Equipment Expo at Lake Lanier Islands in Buford, Ga. was held May 20 & 21. The 2015 Ford Truck Expo BPN Meeting was conducted on May 21 at the Legacy Lodge in the Grand Ballroom. Jerry Deblon, CBM for the Atlanta Charlotte Regions and John Ruppert GM of Ford Commercial Truck spoke. Mike Bedard’ National Commer-cial Truck Sales Manager, BPN presented on Marketing Programs. Lee Gross from Ford Credit Commercial Lending spoke.

FORD TRUCK CLUB NEWS

WWW.PALFINGER.COM

PLATFORM BODIES | HOISTS | SERVICE BODIES | PAL PRO MECHANICS TRUCKS | ELECTRIC & HYDRAULIC SERVICE CRANES | LIFT GATES

T: 1 800 279 2201

LIFETIME EXCELLENCE

Setting the industry standard for more than 80 years, Omaha Standard PALFINGER (OSP) offers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios available from one supplier. Contact your local OSP distributor for current stock and chassis pool availability.

Ford Pros.indd 3 5/1/2015 4:49:14 PMSUMMER 2015 FORDPROS29

Dealers who are using Work Truck Solutions’ online service to show

their inventory on their own dealer’s website to small fleet customers, will now gain Fleet Management Compa-nies as customers!!!Yes, Work Truck Solutions just

launched a shopping portal for Fleet Management Companies, starting with Donlen Corporation, to help them search for and find ‘out-of-stock’ vehi-cles for their fleet customers. So what does a dealer need to do? Nothing! When a Fleet Management Company like Donlen uses Work Truck Solutions’ Fleet Search to locate a truck for one of their fleet customers, they contact the dealer directly and start the purchase dialogue. Work Truck Solutions was recently

asked by Mike Bedard, Ford’s Com-mercial Vehicle Sales Manager, to demonstrate for all of the Commercial Business Managers how their service works and show how it is helping deal-ers sell more trucks, save time and stock smarter. As a result, Work Truck Solutions has been invited to present to dealers at a number of future regional grass roots meetings. However, if any dealer is interested in a personal dem-onstration they can simply reach out to their Work Truck Solutions Business Development Manager to schedule a demo. Also, there is a simple demon-stration site offered online at their web-site: www.worktrucksolutions.com.

Ken Taylor, president of Ken Taylor & Associates, Inc., a training and consult-ing company that specializes in fleet and commercial automotive (www.com-mercialtrucktraining.com) says it best at his commercial training Boot Camps, “Folks, this is a no brainer. You are re-ally missing out if your dealer is not up on this service.” Asked why he is so passionate about another company’s service, Ken points out that in today’s world it is critical to have inventory on your dealer’s website. The fact that Work Truck Solutions also offers easy prospecting tools, plus a dealer trade network that helps dealers show an average of 6X the inventory they are stocking are just additional big bonuses.At only $495 a month, plus this service

is pre-approved for 50% co-op, there is

no reason not to be using this easy to implement tool. The team at Work Truck Solutions handles all the startup – there is no upfront setup fee - and no com-mitment is required; it is a month-to-month service. Once the service is set up, inventory and pricing is kept up to date online automatically. Weekly and monthly reports give commercial man-agers insight into their operation that they just haven’t had before. Commercial Fleet Manager at Corning

Ford, Francis Hopping had this to say, “We are very happy with the results of our Work Truck Solutions site. Our cus-tomers appreciate the ease at which they can search through our inventory with a few clicks of the mouse and find exactly what they want. It is not only a time saver for the customer but for us as well. Customers now call in with the exact stock number of the trucks they want. Simple and easy! I also like the reporting that shows me the specific chassis the customers are searching for (not just the ones we stock). This helps me adjust my stock to what cus-tomers want and ultimately helps us sell more trucks.” To find out more about how to partici-

pate in the Fleet Search program, and learn more about their online inventory service, call Work Truck Solutions at 855-987-4544, or go to www.worktruck-solutions.com/bdm-map then pick your state to find your Business Develop-ment Manager.

EXCITING NEWS FOR FORD DEALERS!!!


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