Kentucky Trailer buys Nashville dealer - Business First of Louisville:

Kentucky Trailer buys Nashville dealer - Business First of Louisville:: "R.C. Tway Co. which does business as Kentucky Trailer, has acquired Volunteer Trailer, a Nashville-based trailer servicing company"

Arizona car hauler repair service

Just talked with Don McPhee down in Arizona, and he says he gets his truck worked on by Auto Transport and Truck Repair in El Mirage, AZ outside of Phoenix. The guy's name is Rick, phone number 602-758-6693. Don says they are authorized for Cottrell and Boydstun and have a great welder working for them. He says Rick has the contract for all the service on all the PMT trucks down there, also.

New forum for car haulers

The Autohauler Shopper website has a new bulletin board for car haulers:
Here is the link: http://forums.autohaulershopper.com/index.php

Car hauler repair shops, continued.

Another place I didn't think to mention in the last post is T and C Welding in Jacksonville, FL. They build head racks and also do repairs on auto transport equipment. Called down there this morning, and just found out that Junior sold the company to Walter and Peggy Frobos. Walter used to work at T and C Welding before working a few years at Southeast Transport, the Florida Toyota hauler. With his latest move, Walter comes round full circle. Congratulations, Walter and Peggy! If you need repairs on your car hauler, you couldn't find better folks to deal with. T & C Welding is located at 13910 Normandy Blvd in Jacksonville, FL. Their phone number is 904-778-7711.

Good places to go for auto transport trailer repair

Came across a new company specializing in auto transport repair, and it reminded me I was going to start keeping a list of all the car hauler repair places...

If you are in anywhere near Ft. Worth, Texas, there is a new company doing lots of work on car haulers that you should know about.

Texas Trailer Masters
5420 south Fwy (I-20 & 35W)
Ft Worth, TX 76115
Phone Number: 817-922-0089
Contact: John and Christi

These guys took over the same place occupied by Southwest Truck and Trailer Sales before they went out of business. There is also a trailer sales outfit right next door that is doing a lot with auto transport equipment. The main guy to talk to there is Esteban.

AK TRUCK AND TRAILER SALES
5420 I-35W
Fort Worth, Texas, 76115
USA Phone: (817)923-8500
Fax: (817)923-8501

On the west coast, you should know that TEC equipment has finally opened their new facility on
Vancouver way, and they have dedicated a lot of time and money to this facility, and (most importantly in my humble opinion) they have hired someone who has experience with auto transport trailer repair. There is also another company in Portland called Pacific Truck and Trailer Repair that does quite a bit with car haulers. And last, but definitely not least, Boydstun has a repair shop in Portland.

Also on the west coast, up around Seattle, is Auto Transport Repair, owned by Randy Swift. Randy has forgotten more than most people will ever know about auto transport equipment. I know some of Randy's customers, and the thing you need to know here is-- they are happy customers. 206-383-0931 Auto Transport Repair. He does warranty work for Cottrell and Boydstun.

Down in Fontana, California, we have heard good things about Chris Quality Welding at 15252 Slover Ave. Phone 909-823-6180.

Another good place to go is Paul Lugo's shop 11001 Beech Avenue. Phone 800-823-2350
Paul Lugo has been around car haulers for a long, long time, and does warranty work for Cottrell as well as Boydstun.

Two other car hauler repair places in Fontana, CA:

Jake Blackwell, Young's Auto Transport Repair 11021 Almond Ave
Phone: (909) 355-1701

Jake does everything from simple repairs to complete refurb jobs on any type of carhauler.

Jake isn't too far away from

JM Trailer 11060 Calabash Avenue
Phone: 909-822-9711





A good spot down in Alabama is North East Auto Truck Brokers. They do a lot of refurb work on Cottrell trailers. Benny Dean down there is another guy who has an encylopedic memory of the auto transport industry and the different equipment that is out there. He is located at 690 County Rd 370
Crossville, AL 35962
256-561-4068 Telephone
256-561-4098 FAX


I'll be adding to the list as I come across these shops.

In case you hadn't noticed already...

Got the following info from the L&MT Report. I think the drop at Ford is the most disturbing, considering that their light trucks have been where they make the most profit.

GM, Ford, Toyota December Sales Fall

General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. said U.S. auto sales fell in December, capping the worst year in a decade, and predicted that 2008 probably won't be any better, Bloomberg News reported.

GM's sales of cars and light trucks dropped 4.4% from a year earlier. Ford's total tumbled 9.2%, while Toyota's fell 1.7%, Bloomberg said. Toyota moved up to second in annual sales, pushing Ford from the spot it had held since 1931.

Ford said it expects a "challenging" U.S. economy in 2008, and Toyota cut its annual sales-growth forecast, after Americans bought 16.1 million cars and light trucks last year, the least since 1998, Bloomberg reported. GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner said the U.S. economy may be a "risk" to auto sales this year.

For December, Asian automakers' share of the U.S. market rose to 41.3% from 40.4% a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Sales of Ford's F-Series large pickups, the best-selling U.S. vehicles, slid 22% last month and 13% for the year, Bloomberg said. L&MT

Allied pulls bid on PTS

Private Equity HUB - Allied Systems Pulls Bid: "Allied Systems Holdings Inc., facing a slew of objections from creditors, has withdrawn its $67 million bid for fellow auto hauler Performance Transportation Services Inc."

Boydstun and Cottrell reach settlement.

Received this press release from Boydstun:

Portland, Oregon December 13, 2007 – Boydstun Metal Works announced today they have reached a mutually acceptable settlement with Cottrell Trailers regarding certain intellectual properties belonging to Boydstun Metal Works. The patents in question, one for Boydstun Screw Actuator Technology and the other for the Boydstun Soft Tie System, have contributed significantly to improving safety, quality, training and productivity related to the auto transport industry.

Despite differences of opinion between Boydstun and Cottrell on the direction of the industry, both organizations have invested heavily in new technology designed to improve auto transport. The agreement announced today allows both companies to offer the innovations that were the subject of the dispute to the auto transport industry going forward, an outcome desired and endorsed by Boydstun.

The Boydstun Metal Works brand is known for innovative engineering and production processes; assets that the company must protect but also employ for the industry wide benefit of auto transport. In keeping with its heritage, Boydstun will continue to evaluate and employ new technology to benefit the fleets that serve the automotive industry in what is unquestionably a very challenging marketplace.

Do you haul new pickups?

Market Spotlight: Auto Suppliers: "General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC have all announced first-quarter production cuts, citing slower demand as consumers continue to be rattled by high fuel prices and trouble in the housing market. A significant portion of the production cuts will be in the large pickup truck segment, which will particularly hurt suppliers with the most exposure to that part of the market such as..."

Make no mistake... competition is going to increase for loads, because there will be a half mill. less new vehicles to haul, and less freight at the auctions.

Auto Transport Drug Smuggling

Two sentenced on federal drug charges: "Gonzales drove Felix to San Antonio on July 13, 2005. Gonzales drove a Ford pickup pulling an auto transport trailer containing a Mercury. Gonzales followed Felix in another vehicle. A secret compartment in the Mercury’s trunk was used to hide the cocaine, according to federal investigators."

I've heard rumors of auto transport being used as a front for drug trafficking, but this is the first time I've seen any proof. I wonder if this marks a change in drug enforcement strategy?

Maybe he was just trying to figure out a way to compensate for lousy load prices and high fuel costs?

Driver database and bulletin board started for auto haulers.

Companies looking for experienced auto transport drivers will soon be able to search a database for a nominal subscription fee. Drivers wishing to post articles or share information are encouraged to try the new bulletin board (free: http://forums.autohaulershopper.com/

More on the PTS bankruptcy filing.

Tribune-Chronicle: "Car hauler files bankruptcy By LARRY RINGLER / Tribune Chronicle LORDSTOWN — Performance Transportation Services Inc. will continue to haul vehicles, including those made at the General Motors Corp. Lordstown Complex, after a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing designed to help the sale of the company. The parent of Leaseway Auto Transport said Monday’s voluntary bankruptcy was required to sell the company to Allied Systems Holdings Inc. for $67 million."

'Performance' Seeks Ch 11 Asset Sale

'Performance' Seeks Ch 11 Asset Sale: "'Performance' Seeks Ch 11 Asset Sale"

Well, from what I've heard, Allied was in desperate need of some equipment.

Adjustable rollback strap

Watch a short video of this new type of adjustable auto tie-down strap for rollback trucks.