Category: Read

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Listen / Read / Safe Fleet / Watch

The “Safe” in SafeFleet – Jared’s Story

Jared Pridmore and his wife, Amanda are the proud owners of Precision Auto Glass in Conway, Arkansas. Their Safe Fleet story begins when they bought a new van for their growing company. Amanda, always vigilant about safety, researched the importance of having a partition behind the van’s seats. Jared, after 20 years of driving a van without a partition, felt he didn’t need one. “We are going to order this partition, install it, and THEN you can drive the van,” Amanda declared. “Of course, I...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / CVBNetwork / FordPros / Read / Sponsors / Work Truck Solutions

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: HOW FAR WE’VE COME

Let me take you back to a time before cell phones. If you remember phones that were attached to a wall and had a cord, you probably know what I’m talking about. Or how about the era before the Internet was a “thing”? Some of you may be thinking, “What? Hasn’t the Internet always been part of our lives?” While it may be shocking, the answer is no. You may even remember when some dealers scoffed at having a website, thinking it just wasn’t a...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Business Summit / Commercial Vehicle Pro / Comvoy / CVBNetwork / Read / Work Truck Solutions

QUEST FOR SILVER LININGS & POTS OF GOLD

According to Contrive Datum Insights, the commercial vehicle market is expected to reach around $1,712.44 billion by 2030 and grow at a CAGR Of 8.7% during the forecast period 2023—2030. That’s great news for manufacturers, and it also bodes well for the companies that supply them. However, with news cycles dominated by stories such as the UAW strike[1]  and possible worldwide Lithium shortages, it’s understandable that many commercial vehicle professionals might suffer a bout of frustration now and again. Maybe even an occasional lapse into...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / Dealership Success / FordPros / Read / Work Truck Solutions

DEALERSHIP SUCCESS: SURVIVING & THRIVING IN THE TECH JUNGLE

It’s not just handwriting on the wall, there’s miles of graffiti, gallons of virtual ink, a tsunami of information engulfing the commercial industry; and it’s all about tech. Everywhere we turn, the unrelenting tide of emerging technology is crashing onto the shores of our business world. Am I being a bit overly drama-poetic? Probably, but I don’t think it’s possible to overstate the evolutionary impact that technology is having on the way commercial vehicle professionals do business. In fact, I would argue that technology is...

Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read / Scelzi / Sponsors

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS COMING TO A WORK TRUCK NEAR YOU

By Bill Vander Plaats, Scelzi Inc. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in technology today. Some believe it will change many things in our lives, including how we do business. But how might it affect the work truck industry? For Fleet Owners and Drivers, AI appears ready to accelerate changes in several areas, including: For Truck Body Manufacturers like Scelzi Enterprises, the impact of AI is harder to estimate. But here is what we might see coming soon: UNTIL AI IS READY TO DELIVER...

Commercial Vehicle Pro / Ford / FordPros / News / Read / Reading / Toolbox

THE TOOLBOX NEWS: READING TRUCK 24TH ANNUAL CUSTOMER APPRECIATION EVENT

READING TRUCK 24TH ANNUAL CUSTOMER APPRECIATION EVENT Reading Truck was in full SWING on Tuesday, October 3rd for their 24th Annual Customer Appreciation Golf Outing and Product Showcase. The local event took place on a beautiful day at Foxchase Golf Club in Stevens, PA. Customers, vendors and team members were greeted with a showcase of products from Reading Truck, as well as representatives from Leer and Masterack before being sent off to enjoy an afternoon to hone their golf skills. After dinner, they recognized those...

Commercial Vehicle Business Summit / Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read

Before You Lose Them: Customize Your Lead Response for Commercial

Your First Irrelevant Communication to a Commercial Customer is The Last You’ll Get By Alicia Von Bokel – Performance Manager – Maritz Automotive The “One Size Fits All” Method If you are like most stores, you likely have a specific Internet/BDC department to handle your website, 3rd party and all Internet leads.  Whether you have a specific BDC department that turns over leads to the sales team, or you have a “cradle-to-grave” approach to closing leads, your store has a process for that. What your...

Commercial Vehicle Pro / END-USER / FordPros / Read / Venco

END-USER SPOTLIGHT: TRUCK CRANE PROVIDES SECURITY FOR MOVING PROPANE TANKS

FERRELLGAS PROPANE Ferrellgas is a propane provider and trusted partner for approximately 1 million customers across the United States. Their service technicians pick up and deliver propane tanks in various sizes to customer locations across a wide geographic area. THE CHALLENGETy Tucker, service technician with Ferrellgas, operates a ser¬vice truck to load and unload propane tanks for residential use.Tucker needed a reliable, easy-to-use crane to keep his deliv¬eries on track. The crane had to be able to withstand different weather conditions and job sites, while...

AltFuel / Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / CVBNetwork / EV / Listen / Read / Toolbox

The Blended Future of AltFuels In Commercial Transportation

Amid the clamor surrounding the rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs), there lies an unspoken reality—the commercial transportation industry is just not on a path of singular dependence on EVs. The complex balance between environmental responsibility and commercial transportation cannot be satisfied solely by vehicle electrification, it also depends on the diverse potential of alternative fuels. Conversations within the commercial vehicle industry make it increasingly clear that renewable fuels, hydrogen, and propane, the silent stalwarts of the alternative energy industry, will not be relegated to the...

Coach Ken / Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read / Sponsors

COACH KEN: THE EXTRA MILE

A phrase I have learned to despise is “good enough.” We live in an age of “good enough” versus “the best.” Good enough means average. Good enough means you cut corners, get by, or do enough to get a “C” on a project or paper.  Imagine for a moment that a firefighter, police officer, paramedic, brain surgeon or professional athlete lived by the phrase “good enough?” Here is a quote to remember and live by: “The road to the extra mile is never crowded.” The...