By Bob Miller NTEA Director of Outreach 248-479-8194 bobm@ntea.com
This article was published in the August 2015 edition of NTEA News. Update: Truck & Trailer Specialties announces relocation to a larger facility, increased staff. Learn more.
In June, NTEA visited Truck & Trailer Specialties Inc., a Distributor member in Dutton, Michigan.
The business was founded in 1973 as a body and repair shop by Dan Bouwman and his father Cal. In 1988, it expanded into truck equipment sales, acquiring product lines for van bodies, dump bodies, snowplows and salt spreaders, truck-mounted cranes, liftgates and utility bodies.
As the company grew, municipalities became a larger focus due to the evolution of truck-mounted equipment in that market. Truck & Trailer began developing and installing central hydraulic systems that power all equipment on the vehicles. As each municipality uses trucks in a different way, the business developed the knowledge and skills necessary to customize builds.
(L to R): Dan Bouwman, president; Jeff Bouwman, partner and parts manager; and Mark Bouwman, partner and shop manager, of Truck & Trailer Specialties.
The Dutton facility sits on 2.75 acres with a 13,000-square foot shop and 3,200-square foot storage building for parts and equipment. In 1996, Dan partnered with Butch Cone, a longtime employee of Hyde Equipment, to open a location in Boyne Falls, Michigan, on 5 acres of land with an 18,425-square foot building. Truck & Trailer Specialties Inc. in Boyne Falls, Michigan.
In 2009, Dan opened a third location in Caledonia, Michigan, a 4,000-square foot facility on 2 acres. The fourth expansion occurred in 2013 in Howell, Michigan, on 5 acres with a 13,350-square foot building. In total, Truck & Trailer maintains about 65 employees.
Shortly before Cal passed away in 1998, Dan added three minority partners — his brothers Jeff and Mark Bouwman, and Craig Rector. The business also picked up additional equipment lines, including truck-mounted manlifts, hooklift equipment, pusher and tag axles, and truck-mounted air compressors. The company has a topnotch parts and service department to install, service and repair customer equipment.
Growth like this doesn’t happen by chance. Truck & Trailer is a full-line facility handling standard equipment and specialty offerings for municipalities, making it a complete supplier of bodies and equipment to that market. Wing plows, underbody scrapers, hot patch asphalt heaters, pre-wetting systems and wireless remote control systems are just a few of its products. The company also provides snow-fighting equipment to school districts and performs school bus repair and maintenance. Additionally, its municipal demonstrators allow customers to see firsthand some of the equipment available to meet their needs. A Genesee County Road Commission tri-axle equipped with a steerable tag axle designed to be moved for summer or winter operations.
Truck & Trailer has an informative website that accomplishes more than showcasing the business to prospects. It offers an education and video training section to help customers with equipment diagnostics, calibration and maintenance. It features operation and product selection guides as well as safety and public works education and training materials.
The company participates in the APWA North American Snow Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is a member of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. In 2014, the business received a Top 5 Distributor Award from Crysteel Manufacturing for the fifth straight year, and was a Top Distributor for Monroe Truck Equipment (an honor held since 2007).
For more information on Truck & Trailer Specialties Inc., visit ttspec.com or call or stop by one of their four locations.