Trailer-Bodybuilders ResourcesA quick directory of tips and ideas for managing a company in the commercial truck and trailer industry.
Shop Operations Shop OperationsYour shop makes money, right? Here's how to produce a little moreAug 1, 2010 12:00 PM, BY BRUCE SAUER SHOP LABOR typically produces the highest profit margins of any other department in a trailer dealership. So when management can find ways for technicians...
Professional advisor lays out a strategic way to differentiate yourself from competitors: The Profit Scorecard approachAug 1, 2012 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber The show is loaded with managerial challenges: cut-throat pricing, nearby competitors who are good at what they do, and an inventory (labor hours) that expires when the day is over...
Tapering, Staggering Essential in Frame SplicingApr 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber AT one point during his Truck Frame Overview For Body Mounting session, Dick Toner asked for a show of hands. Which frame splice is the strongest: Straight...
Tips on truck framesJun 1, 2005 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber RICHARD TONER has spent entire days giving a truck-frame seminar for the National Truck Equipment Association. He knows that much about truck frames....
Product design and engineeringWith misinformation and factually incorrect statements swirling, Richard Wood is out to ease the turbulenceAug 1, 2012 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber Richard Wood isn't on a mission. He's on two of them. The 59-year-old president of SOLUS Solutions and Technologies LLC wants to continue his exhaustive research to find better ways to make trucks and trailers more aerodynamic, and use that research to make the products that will save fuel and make trucks and trailers more efficient...
How to deal with dissimilar metalsJul 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber Trailer manufacturers know that when using two dissimilar metals, precautions need to be taken to prevent two-metal (galvanic) corrosion. That applies...
Manufacturing and fabricationAluminum welding not difficult, just differentJul 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber AS technical services manager of AlcoTec Wire Corp, Tony Anderson has seen how the use of aluminum has transformed the manufacturing of trailers and truck...
New generation of pulsed MIG improves aluminum weldingDec 1, 2008 12:00 PM, BY CHRIS ROEHL AND JEFF HERB, MILLER ELECTRIC MFG. CO. When MIG welding aluminum, obtaining good quality and productivity depends on using the right welding process and system. Because aluminum quickly transfers...
A bonding experienceJan 1, 2006 12:00 PM FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, 4-Star Trailers built its custom aluminum horse trailers by welding the components together. So the company initially was skeptical...
Sales and marketingTrailer dealers encouraged to seek out business for their parts and service departments by contacting fleets that need to complyNov 1, 2012 12:00 PM, BY RICK WEBER TRAILER dealers are missing out on a valuable opportunity if they fail to pursue opportunities related to the launch of Compliance, Safety, Accountability...
NTEA's director of fleet relations says the key is to look beyond the obvious, target special-application vehiclesMar 1, 2012 12:00 PM, BY RICK WEBER Truck-equipment manufacturers and distributors are always looking for products they can sell to existing or new customers. When it comes to fleets, the...
Truck body and equipment installationSome trucks have features specific to one vocation, so preparation needs to be done and questions askedApr 1, 2012 12:00 PM, BY RICK WEBER THESE days, trucks are plentiful in terms of models, Gross vehicle weight (GVW), and equipment options. Bob Aquaro, vice-president of Tara Commercial...
Everybody should care, including manufacturers, alterers, modifiers, dealers, leasing companies, fleets, and end usersApr 1, 2012 12:00 PM, BY RICK WEBER PAST Work Truck Show seminars have focused on the nuts and bolts of vehicle certification, but have not addressed the issue of why it's important to various...
Changes in snowplow-mounting guidelinesSep 1, 2012 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber The most significant changes in the manufacturers' guidelines for snowplow mounting for the 2013 model year come from Ford, which is reintroducing snowplow...
Weight Distribution Math Made EasyMay 1, 2000 12:00 PM Some people do not like overweight trucks. Some people do not like math. Richard Toner, president of Toner Associates and the NTEA's first staff engineer,...
Rules and regulationsWith Phase 2 of CMVSS 121 looming in 2013, focus is on brakes, torque, balance, temperatureJan 1, 2012 12:00 PM, BY RICK WEBER HOW is Canada going to meet the CMVSS 121 compliance date of August 2013? It's an interesting problem, according to Eddy Tschirhart, who moderated a CTEA...
Deadline approaching for California’s SmartWay RuleOct 16, 2012 1:58 PM Hefty fines will be assessed to truckers and fleets across the United States, Canada and Mexico starting January 1 if they cross into California without SmartWay-verified aerodynamic devices—such as side skirts or boat tail fairings—that improve fuel economy 4 to 5 percent on their 53-foot or longer box and refrigerated trailers...
HDAW: Many people even carriers haven't heard of it and don't understand it, but it's here, and it just might increase your service business.Mar 1, 2012 12:00 PM, BY RICK WEBER A recent study showed that 70% of American drivers weren't familiar with Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA), which was rolled out in December 2010...
General managementThe Profit Planning Group's founder lays out a plan, including increasing sales every year by the inflation rate plus at least 3%Nov 1, 2012 12:00 PM, BY RICK WEBER ALBERT Bates, founder of The Profit Planning Group, says trailer dealers should develop a management plan rather than a budget to improve financial performance...
Start planning the sale of a business three years before you want it to happen and know why you're doing itJan 1, 2012 12:00 PM, BY RICK WEBER You've spent a lifetime building your business. How much time have you spent building an exit strategy? Business owners should start planning an exit...
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