Category: Scelzi

Commercial Vehicle Pro / CVBNetwork / FordPros / Read / Scelzi

Reasons for Optimism Abound

Many Trends Heading in a Positive Direction for Work Truck Upfitters As we reach the end of 2024 many things seem to be trending in the right direction for the U.S. work truck industry. The road ahead will likely have some twists and turns, but looking at the big picture we have good reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Some of those reasons include: FALLING INTEREST RATES: The interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in November led to an overall loosening of credit and gradual...

Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read / Scelzi

Avoiding Wounds Caused by Cutting Edge Technology

If You Are Having Trouble Keeping Up With It All, You Are Not Alone Technology today appears to change so quickly that even tech-savvy professionals are struggling to understand it all. If it was JUST computers, our odds of “staying current” would be higher. But today there is so much more that affects the work truck industry than just the latest smartphone features or truck camera options. Electric Vehicle Technology (EV) There is EV technology, which is reaching a state of maturity among passenger vehicles...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / CVBNetwork / END-USER / Ford / FordPros / OEMS / Read / Scelzi

END-USER STORY: Melco Fence Co – Building Great Products is Your Best Advertising

At a Time When Standards Seem to be Declining Everywhere,  Maintaining Yours will Set You Apart from the Crowd When a new work truck is delivered to the customer, we sometimes think the transaction is complete. But only if we do it wrong. A work truck is not a consumable item like pizza, or something that sits secluded in the corner of a garage like a hot water heater. A work truck is a mobile, interactive billboard that demonstrates your company’s commitment to quality every...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read / Scelzi

Expanding Ideas and Facilities in Scelzi’s 45th Year

It has been said it is hard to teach an old dog a new trick, but if the old dog shows no signs of slowing down, that might be the best course of action. As Scelzi Enterprises celebrates their 45th year producing premium truck bodies for Ford chassis cabs and others, the drawing board is full of new tricks to learn and new “dog houses” to construct. Ask Mike Scelzi, the founder and co-owner. Along with brother Gary they continue to plan for an even...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / EV / FordPros / Read / Scelzi

 California Regulators Charge Ahead with EV Work Trucks 

Electric vehicles (EV) in the US have been growing in popularity for over a decade. Tesla began production of its Roadster sports car in 2008 and followed that with various other models in the ensuing years.  Tesla and others have also developed first generation electric pickups and semi-trucks and vans. But power requirements for passenger vehicles and vans are vastly different than for work trucks – especially if those work trucks are outfitted with cranes and generators and hoists, etc. A delivery van or lightweight...

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The View Ahead Looks Bright Despite a Few Obvious Potholes

As we reach the end of 2023 and look ahead to next year, it is easy to spot some potholes in the road ahead. Will they be as large as those challenges we have sidestepped over the past few years? Consider what we have gone through: Huge Hurdles Behind Us From 2020-2021 we were all shaken by a worldwide pandemic that directly affected our workforce as well as those of our partners, suppliers, and customers. Previously rock-solid supply chains were suddenly bent or completely broken,...

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...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read / Scelzi / Sponsors

LANDSCAPERS FIND PERFECT TOOL FOR THEIR GROWING BUSINESS

C4 Landscaping specializes in residential and commercial landscaping and repair in Linden, California, near Stockton. Between droughts, record rainfall and fires, as well as intense heat waves, the past few years have been very challenging for them, as it has for everyone in the landscaping field. Grass, plants, and other foliage struggle to survive and thrive in these extreme conditions. Owner Joe Cordeiro faces these challenges with 25 years of experience and the best tools he can find. “We look for function first and great...

Commercial Vehicle Pro / Read / Scelzi / Sponsors

THE ALWAYS APPEALING TREND OF BEST-IN-CLASS

Long after the first predictions were made of how solar or wind power or rechargeable batteries would replace fossil fuels, gasoline and diesel engines are still the predominant energy source in commercial work trucks. Those great ideas are coming but they are not here yet. First something becomes possible, then it becomes economical, and finally it becomes well-designed and ready for widespread acceptance. Eventually, the future arrives. But rarely as quickly as predicted. New technologies can yield huge leaps of improved efficiency, but the learning...

Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read / Scelzi

SCELZI INC: NO COMPROMISE ON MATERIALS of CONSTRUCTION

As Spring approaches and the traumatic weather patterns of early 2023 settle down to something a bit less exciting, truck body builders are faced with the classic “Good News vs Bad News” scenario. The Good News is that Ford is almost back to full-time scheduling of chassis cabs to dealers and upfitters. This has caused a resurgence of business activity as production lines ramp up to fill backlogged orders and meet current demand. This is great news for all of us, and to our customers....