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Knowledge Cafe |
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The first part of this book is a powerful lecture that was given in hundreds of locations throughout the country and given over 6,000 times.
From the beginning of the book:
"Friends--This lecture has been delivered under these circumstances: I visit a town or city, and try to arrive there early enough to see the postmaster, the barber, the keeper of the hotel, the principal of the schools, and the ministers of some of the churches, and then go into some of the factories and stores, and talk with the people, and get into sympathy with the local conditions of that town or city and see what has been their history, what opportunities they had, and what they had failed to do--and every town fails to do something--and then go to the lecture and talk to those people about the subject which applied to their locality.
"Acres of Diamonds"--the idea--has continuously been precisely the same. The idea is that in this country of ours every man has the opportunity to make more of himself than he does in his own environment, with his own skill, with his own energy, and with his own friends.--Russell H Conwell"
I bought and read this book a very long time ago and just picked it up again and re-read it. It is a powerful message and the Acres of Diamonds portion of the book is so short: only about 58 pages. The remainder of the book is of the man Russell H Conwell and that is a powerful story in its own right.
He led troops and fought in the Civil War, was called to the White House and spoke with Abraham Lincoln, became a lawyer, then pastor, then educator and philanthropist.
He founded Temple University and several hospitals in Philadelphia. An amazing life story that ended in his 82nd year. His thoughts have touched millions and hundreds of thousands receive a college education that might not have done so as a result of his life.
Buy this great book for less than $10 here: BN Book
You can read the Acres of Diamonds portion here for FREE: Temple In addition you can see more about Russell Conwell at the same site.
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CTS Blog |
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Show Your Favorites |
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Do you have some special favorite bodies or body companies?
Send us photos and a short story of your experiences and we will put them in the CTS IdeaLetter. Send to:
Tminion@commercialtruc
ksuccess.com. | |
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Welcome! |
Welcome to the Commercial Truck Success Idealetter!
Published every other week, the Idealetter is be a brief one-page thought starter and news source for busy commercial sales professionals and managers with numerous links to the Commercial Truck Success website, Daily Blog and many other links to useful information, tools and inspiration!
Please feel free to offer comments and suggestions for future topics that are of interest to you. Also, please forward this to others you wish to share it with. There is a forward email link at the bottom of this page. I wish you success! Keep up the good work! And, never stop learning! - Terry Minion, Editor |
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Our 50th Issue! |
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Our first issue went out on October 8th, 2007 and went out to a very few select people in California. It was very short. You can see it and every other IdeaLetter since by clicking the View Our Past Issues link on the left or the bottom of the IdeaLetter. (It was also the same month that our Commercial Truck Success website began. Our popular Commercial Truck Success Daily Blog began in April of 2008 and now has over 450 posts.)
Today, the IdeaLetter now goes out to people all across the US and Canada and even some in other countries. It has also expanded in volume carrying more photos and links to spread the word on great products for the commercial truck market.
In celebrating our 50th, this issue will have more than ever! We appreciate all of your uplifting comments and have enjoyed serving you! Now, onto number 100! |
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Brutus Pickup Box Is Aptly Named |
Brutus Truck Bodies by Nor-Mar Industries, Ltd. of Penticton, BC, Canada builds some over the edge tough bodies starting with the Brutus Box. This is a pickup bed replacement that is built for some serious work under severe conditions. Loggers in the area needed a pickup that could take the stresses and rough tough environment and back in 1981, Gerry Turchak, the company founder decided to heed the call. It was an immediate success! Soon customers wanted cabinets and other customizations to give them more flexibility. Today, Brutus Truck Bodies by Nor-Mar Industries, Ltd. builds a great line of bodies in addition to the Brutus Box that are designed for the harsh forestry, construction, mining, and oilfield sectors of the rugged Canadian environment. All their bodies utilize the finest materials, construction standards, and equipment so your truck body will give you a long and trouble free life. Contact Brutus Truck Bodies at 866-344-6480 and visit their comprehensive website at www.brutusbodies.com. |
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Light the Night with Golight |
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When it comes to auxiliary lighting needs, there are thousands of possible applications. Each application requires the same rigorous demands for Durability, Versatility and Power.
Golight has designed, engineered and manufactured searchlights and spotlights to meet extreme conditions - making GolightŪ a trusted name in the Marine, Law Enforcement, Fire and Rescue, Industrial, Utility, Recreational Vehicle, Ag Production, Automotive and Military markets.
Durable, Versatile, Powerful... Guaranteed!
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Exclusive Cr5 Pentabeam™ Technology
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Remote Controlled Operation
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370° Rotation x 135° Tilt
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400,000 Candle Power, 5.5 Amps
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UV Ray and Saltwater Resistant
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Weatherproof for Land and Sea Applications
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Permanent-Mount and Portable-Mount Options
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3-Year Limited Warranty
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Gichner Slip-In Body |
 
Gichner Truck Bodies of Dallastown, PA offers a versatile and lightweight, heavy duty pickup truck slip-in body. Panels are made of lightweight Therma-Lite (TM) increasing fuel mileage and maximum payload by decreasing the weight up to several hundred pounds from typical units on the market.Some features of the Gichner Slip-In Body:
- Fully insulated rear doors and a full 3" of insulation in the entire box and doors.
- All aluminum exterior providing no rust and long-life durability
- Aluminum interior liner
- Military tough: Gichner has taken their expertise from military shelter development to create one of the strongest and lightest truck bodies available.
- Exterior height: 72", Exterior Width: 78", Exterior Length: 98", Interior Height: 66", Rear Door: Single Opening 34"x60".
- Options include Interior Centered Dome light w/3-way switch, 3-way control switch in cab, Clearance lights (not required for DOT).
Call Gichner Truck Body experts at 1-888-378-5510 and check out their website at www.gichnertruckbodies.com. |
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Beautiful Service Body Is Eye Candy |
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Eye Candy
This is one of the nicest looking service bodies I have ever seen. I absolutely love it! Here's what I noticed about this:
- Notice the 8' or 9' SRW body here with split lids. It really pumps up the look and they are not even covered with diamond plate, etc. Very clean looking.
- It is a low pro version so the top of the lids is near the bottom of the rear window.
- A rack can easily be added, yet this body looks so good as it is.
- The little rounded end work shelf at the rear is very tasty and effective.
- Notice how the rear bumper is not quite as wide as the body and it looks like it is sculpted into the body. It just flows like a work of art and flows especially with the shelf above it.
Who says work trucks have to be so square. This great example of beauty in a service body is by Certified Truck Bodies & Equipment in Santa Fe Springs, CA. You can reach them at 562-777-9855 or visit their website at www.certifiedtruckbodies.com. | |
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P.G. & E. Gets Smith Electric Truck |
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Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation (SEV U.S.), a Delaware corporation headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., announced that it has teamed up with Altec Industries Inc., based in Birmingham, Ala., to introduce America's first all-electric utility truck with an aerial device.
The truck is a battery, all-electric Smith Newton produced by SEV U.S. and SEV U.K. with an aerial bucket integrated by Altec Industries Inc., a leading provider of products and services to the electric utility, telecommunications and contractor markets.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States, will play a critical role in the development of this vehicle. The first test unit will be added to PG&E's fleet to conduct routine and emergency overhead line work in PG&E's northern and central California service area. PG&E will provide test data to SEV U.S. and Altec for the creation of a production model. This unit is the first all-electric aerial utility truck to be put into operation by a major utility company before being brought to the market.
"We are excited to be working with PG&E and Altec on this effort to help the utility industry accelerate the reduction of fuel emissions with the introduction of electric-drive fleet vehicles," said Bryan Hansel, chief executive officer SEV U.S. "The production of this truck is just the latest example of PG&E's outstanding leadership role in sustainability-related initiatives."
PG&E is committed to reducing the environmental impact of our operations and helping to improve air quality in the communities we serve," said Dave Meisel, director of transportation services for PG&E. "We hope our involvement will lead to the accelerated development and mainstream acceptance of electric vehicles in our industry."
The Smith Newton is the world's largest battery-electric-powered truck. It is fuelemissions-free, runs without noise or vibration, and actually stores energy during stopping through a process called regenerative braking, and then reuses it for acceleration. The Smith Newton has a top speed of up to 50 mph, a range on one battery charge in excess of 100 miles and a payload of up to 16,280 lbs. The Altec component, an AT37-G aerial boom, is a telescopic articulating device used for electric utility line maintenance and installation. The aerial has a maximum height of 37.8 feet and reach of 28.3 feet.
"Having this truck in service in PG&E's fleet is part of much larger developmental program to evaluate all-electric fleet vehicle applications for the utility industry,"said Hansel. "Utilities have a huge role to play in helping lead the electrification of vehicles in the U.S."
SEV U.S. is initially focusing its production on battery-electric-powered vehicles for depot-based predictable-route delivery and service fleets. The trucks will be assembled at the company's 80,000 square foot plant in Kansas City. SEV U.S. has already received a strong expression of interest from fleet operators and as a result, the company is building a highly scalable assembly operation and supply chain to serve this emerging market. SEV U.S. will begin production using chassis from multiple vehicle manufacturers.
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OmniVan and OmniCube From Equipment Innovators |
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I love this design and it offers so much flexibility that Equipment Innovators of Marion, Georgia have a huge list of different applications all utilizing the same basic van style concept with the large open-up doors. It's brilliant and so useful. The low height is an advantage, getting right up to the body and such a large area of opening that large and small items can be carried along in perfect harmony. Omnivan bodies are lightweight and tough, made strong of fiberglass, stainless steel, and extruded aluminum. The omnivan is designed to put all equipment within reach with no stooping, bending or crawling to reach cargo. Side and rear doors make loading and unloading easier. By simply opening the doors, all items are easily visible for quick inventory. The lower profile of the omnivan will fit in many height-restricted areas such as parking decks and garages improving accessibility to accounts. Check out all the offerings at www.equipmentinnovators.com or call them at 800-733-3434. |
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Rugby Contractor Dump Body |
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This is the Rugby 14' Fold Down Side Contractor Dump Body. Capacity is 5 yards on this model and Rugby also makes a 12' and a 16' to round out the mix. It is also available in a fixed-side model.
Here are features and specs on this great body:
- 12 gauge HSLAS grade 50 steel sides on fold down side bodies
- 10 gauge double wall sides on 14 foot fixed side body
- 7 gauge floor, standard on 14' and 16', optional on 12'
- 17" side height with brackets for sideboard extensions
- Fully boxed dirt shedding top rails
- 45 degree sloped rub rails
- four vertical side braces per side
- Full depth boxed rear corner posts with concealed hardware for a clean, streamlined look
- Front panel includes a triple bend horizontal top rail
- 7" structural channel long sills and 3" I-beam cross sills on 12" centers
- Recessed shock resistant rubber mounted, FMVSS 108 compliant clearance lights
- All appearance corners have radius bends
- 2 part epoxy primer
- 1/2 cab shield
Features & Specs on Fold Down Side Body:
- Independently operated double door sides with removable center post
- Single pin release system to quickly remove center post
- Each side door features centrally located quick release lever
- 2 or 3 heavy duty double strap greaseable hinges per door
Tailgate Features & Specs:
- Tailgate sloped 10 degrees inward
- New oval shaped stop/turn/tail light in rear corner posts
- EZ-LATCH (TM) upper hardware on tailgate (patented)
- 23" end height, four-way tailgate with adjustable rod on trip lever
- 10 gauge fully boxed tailgate frame with two vertical braces
- Reinforced decking edge at rear of the body
- 1-1/4" diameter top and 1" bottom hinge pins
- Options include: Coal chute door, spreader apron, LED lights.
Photos courtesy of Harbor Truck Bodies (bottom photo) and Cascade Truck Body. Call your Rugby authorized distributor, or visit the Rugby website for more information and photos at www.rugbymfg.com. |
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Fiberglass M/A Service Bodies From Sauber Mfg. |
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These are examples of M/A Service Bodies from Sauber Manufacturing Company of Virgil, Illinois. Sauber Mfg takes your ideas or your customers ideas and desires and creates the body to satisfy those needs.
Here are just some of the standard features of their M/A Service Bodies:
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Pure fiberglass construction. No "filler" materials.
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Stainless Steel fasteners
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Patented cabinet ventilation system
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Extruded aluminum engineered driprail
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Lifetime bronze hinges: fully adjustable, chrome plated, theft resistant, no expose fasteners and guaranteed for life.
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Stainless Steel double dead bold latches with bronze strikers
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Hot-dipped galvanized bumper and aluminum tailgate.
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Lightweight aluminum shelves and drawers, rubber lining and adjustable on 1" increments.
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Sealed beam and LED wiring systems.
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5 year warranty.
Sauber Mfg offers a number of options to help customize the body to your needs, including:
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Super Structures (like the bottom photo)
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Custom interior options
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Tool box areas
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Custom built tool drawers
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Integrated generators, hydraulics, compressors and welding equipment.
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Ladder racks
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Light bar and cab screen
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Lift, crane packages
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Custom installation of existing hardware or tool storage systems
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Emergency lighting packages
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Power inverters
Sauber is also a large trailer manufacturer. Check out all of their services and products at www.saubermfg.com, or call them at 630-448-4791. |
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Side-Mounted Liftgate Is Another Way . . . |
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Who says liftgates must always be on the back of a body. Here is a great example of a side-mounted liftgate and you can see just how useful this configuration can be. Of course, you can mount it on either side, but curbside is probably safer and more useful. |
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Knapheide Debris Body - A Workhorse That Looks Great! |
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While looking at some of my NTEA Work Truck Show photos, I remembered this Knapheide Flatbed. This is a great looking flatbed. What I think is interesting is the gates. It is rather like a Landscape body, yet they normally have solid gates. This one has expanded metal, or in this case "punched" metal for the top two thirds of the gate, and that is very different. I don't recall ever seeing one quite like this. In addition, it has the swing away rear gates, smooth steel floor and rear storage compartment.
Knapheide calls this body a Refuse Body or Debris Body. I love this body and would absolutely stock it. You won't find it on their website currently, so give your Knapheide distributor a call to get one, or call Knapheide direct at 217-223-1848. Tell them you saw it here! See other great Knapheide bodies at www.knapheide.com. |
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Multi-Tasker For City of Fairfield |
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This is a very interesting truck. I have seen them all over the City of Fairfield and got to see one up close at a recent event. It's fun trying to guess what is what on some of these units.
The rear section is a dump body with short little gates all around. It is great for small jobs around the city. The box behind the cab has a good sized drawer to access cargo installed there and I think the design of this is just excellent--so do the workers driving them. That box is mounted on a stationary section of the bed. There is a generator mounted on top of the box and is quite helpful on certain jobs. Then, there is an underbed box on both sides.
The unit also has a tapered rack and though this is a flatbed, the typical headboard is not necessary because the box acts as a stop along with two posts. I also think that this is a super combination mounted on a super cab F350 dual rear wheel 60" CA chassis.
All in all this is one sweet truck that was designed and built by North Bay Truck Body in Cordelia CA. My hat's off to Bob Dias, president of North Bay. I've admired this truck for some time. Great job! |
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Dover Roller Shutters Offer Better Solutions |
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These are roller shutters from Dover Roller Shutters of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. They have the ability to manufacture doors for just about any conceivable application. Their extruded aluminum shutter offers security, stability and unmatched craftsmanship. The horizontal straps are made of high quality extruded aluminum. Stainless steel bar locks, stainless steel paddle handles, locking or non-licking 'T' handles and keyed flush cylinder locks are available. Guide tracks are extruded aluminum and offer front, side or between jamb installations. Operation can be manual for smaller compartments or fully counter balanced with custom fitted spring operator assemblies. Designed for use on Fire and Emergency vehicle door and cabinet openings, the Diamond Extruded Aluminum Shutter is ideal for interior and exterior vehicle cabinets, where security, safety and reliability are required. I love the whole idea of these shutters on service bodies, van bodies and other applications. The photo above with roller shutters on the side is quite interesting and useful. With no obstruction due to the open door, you can get right up to the body access your cargo and the unit rolls up into the top front of the compartment so almost no useful space is wasted, yet you get complete unobstructed access. Consider the use on the van body as shown where there are three on each side. You can access what part of the body you want without wading through the rest. You can access items right next to the body at shoulder level and below. Why should Fire Departments have all the really cool features. Talk to your body company today about installing Roller Shutter Doors on your next service body or van body instead of the same old doors. You might get a prospect really excited! For more information on these, go to the Dover website at www.doverrollershutters.com, or call them at 419-294-3373. |
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Brutus HD Drawer Systems |
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Brutus Truck Bodies Brutus Drawer Pack - Brutus Drawer Systems
I do love great quality, smooth sliding, heavy duty drawers in service bodies. There is nothing quite like the convenience and usefulness of a drawer system. It provides excellent access to tools, small parts and other needed items at ones fingertips. I've seen a number of great drawers and these are top of the line. I especially love the top photo with two sets of drawers together and it is so interesting to have the smaller size drawers right there alongside the wider ones. This is the first I have seen quite like this and I love it!
Brutus has taken the best features and designs from the leading drawer suppliers of North American and created its own custom aluminum drawer cabinets. These new drawers have the following features:
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Aluminum huck-bolted construction
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Full side and rear panels with bottom riser for a rigid structure
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Stainless "easy open" handles with key locks
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Stainless "easy close" slam latches
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Stainless replaceable striker plates for latch wear
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One step removable drawers for easy drawer cleaning or to take
all tools directly to the jobsite
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300 lb roller bearing sliders (extended capacity)
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Huck-bolted slider and drawer mounting so parts can never
come loose
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Adjustable aluminum dividers included
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Expandable aluminum top shelf to prevent parts and tools from
falling alongside or behind cabinet
Contact Brutus Truck Bodies at 866-344-6480 and visit their informative website at www.brutusbodies.com. |
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Weatherguard EZ-GLIDE High Cube Ladder Rack |
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Load Grief |
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Overloading trucks began pretty much with the advent of the truck (or was it the car. . .?)--and it continues to this day.
Do you spell Idiot with one "t" or two? |
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Here's Something Fun and Inspiring! |
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A Flippin' Good Time!
Beale Street
Where Did That Voice Come From?
Put Some Bolly On The Wood
Rollin' Down The House!
The Happiest Guy On The Planet!
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Redesigned and Improved |
Check out the redesigned and improved Commercial Truck Success reference website at www.comtrk.com. New larger size, center line main menu, easier navigation. Growing daily with currently over 120 pages, over 1,000 photographs and hundreds of links to suppliers and product websites all across the country for common and not so common bodies and other applications.
Keep telling us your thoughts on making it better and we'll keep changing it for the better. It will be expanding dramatically in the next 30-90 days, so keep looking! |
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