Equipment: Mitsubishi
Graphics: In house with local “skin” company.
Maintenance: Full check-up list weekly with quarterly maintenance by mechanic.
Products/ Delivery Radius: 100% furniture delivery. 90% within 50 miles of store.
Local Delivery Truck 5-25 Million Sales
American Factory Direct Furniture Outlet is a mid-priced family-owned dealer serving customers from their location near I-10 in Mandeville Louisiana, less than 20 miles from ravaged New Orleans. Their facility had only minor damage and their plans to build a substantially larger facility will continue. The trucks have printed vinyl inserts that are replaced annually for maximum impact and web site information will be included in the next update.
Equipment: Kenworth
Graphics: Vinyl side graphics developed in-house. Ads changed every 12 months.
Local Delivery TruckOver 25 Million Sales
Mattress Giant has over 250 stores in 14 states. The bold “Catch Some Zzz’s” graphics are attention getters in daylight and night time since they are printed on reflective material that allows the message to be seen by early morning and evening commuters. The message is coordinated with their current advertising campaign. The company reports that, “Mattress Giant installed the new graphics on its trucks to give them a much needed face lift and create some excitement among employees and customers.”
Equipment: 2004 Freightliner M-2 with a 26 ft. aluminum body powered by a Caterpillar 3408. The engine is coupled with an Eaton automatic transmission and a Rockwell rear axle.
Graphics: On 3M reflective material and printed by Lowen Color Graphics. Local contractors in each region Mattress Giant serves were hired to professionally apply the graphics.
Special Modifications: The 26-foot Morgan body has special logistic appointments to ease loading and unloading, boost maximum capacity and protect against damage. The van body has a curbside door and the floors are coated with double polyurethane.
Maintenance: Outsourced to Penske Leasing, a national leasing company that also provides fuel at an attractive price.
Delivery Radius: Generally within 20 miles of each store.
Submitted by: Ken Cozart, VP Operations, a 30-year veteran of Ryder Transportation Services.
Small Service/Furniture Van Under 5 Million Sales
The Futon Company in Ft. Lauderdale attracts attention with a beach scene enhanced with the welcome greeting from LuLu, Karen & Paul Martucci’s (store owner’s) pet dog. The Futon Company’s on-the-road advertising has proven to bring additional customers into the store.
Equipment: Chevy Cargo Van.
Maintenance: Regular maintenance and cleaning with lots of “T.L.C.”.
Products/ Delivery Radius: Bedroom furniture and bunk beds delivered within a 50-mile radius.
Submitted by: Karen Martucci, Vice President.
Long Haul Furniture Delivery
Bob’s Discount Furniture operates from a central DC in Taftville, Connecticut, to points throughout the Northeastern states. Two 26-foot demountable units are loaded at a time and transported nightly on specialized flat bed trucks to regional terminals for local delivery without reloading. References to Bob’s web site and 800 number are easy to remember. Lee Goodman, Bob’s Chief Operating Officer says that, “The great graphics provide us with effective 24 hour advertising throughout our home delivery day.”
Equipment: International 4300 with Morgan Corp. 26 foot box.
Special Modifications: Modifications made to trucks to accommodate the Demountable Concepts system.
Delivery Radius: Furniture delivered within a 250-mile radius of Taftville, CT
Multi-Client Residential Delivery
Cory Home Delivery Service presents a professional appearance for both local and long-haul home delivery with this high cube configuration. These units may serve multiple clients in a marketplace or supplement dedicated units for clients. According to Patrick Cory, Vice President Strategic Development, the trucks have “raised awareness for Cory as a premier provider of home delivery services and differentiated us in terms of client appeal.”
Equipment: 28-foot 2004 Freightliner M2.
Graphics: Designed in-house and applied by an outside service.
Person Responsible For Fleet Operations: Jim Cory.
Truck Maintenance: National contract with Penske for all truck maintenance.
Other Fine Looking Trucks!!
Star Furniture is a destination furniture store, serving customers in West Virginia. Emphasizing their convenient locations near Wal-Mart stores is a unique marketing idea.
Equipment: 2004 GMC 5500W
Graphics: R&A Marketing designed each graphic and TruckSkin produced the easily replaceable panels.
Benefits: Wonderful highway advertising, improved image and excellent maneuverability to most West Virginia homes.
Maintenance: Weekly wash, mileage check and inspection of pads and tools.
Products Delivered: Bedroom, dining room, curios & occasional furniture.
Submitted by: Clayce Suurlock III, Vice President.
Baer’s Furniture trucks carry a message that appeals to all age groups. It features the many lifestyle attractions of their Florida marketplace with images depicting people in their childhood to elder years.
Equipment: International Trucks & Trailers, GMC Vans.
Graphics: Owners of Baer’s Furniture worked with Farrugia Design to develop a graphic approach that depicts quality merchandise. Members of the family were used in the graphics.
Delivery Radius: Home furnishings products delivered within a 240-mile corporate radius.
Submitted by: Ronald Baer, Sr. Vice President.
Bograd’s Furniture offers high-end furniture throughout the New York City Metropolitan area. Note the excellence in blending the artwork around the side doors. Joseph Bograd, president, notes that the truck advertising is especially effective in high-end neighborhoods where Bograd’s customers can be found.
Equipment: Nissan Truck
Leader’s Casual Furniture presents a consistent image for every size of vehicle serving their Florida marketplace. The 32-foot low profile 5th wheel rigs provide high cube capacity for neighborhood deliveries. Jerry Newton, Leader’s Casual Furniture’s president, says that stores receive many inquiries about products featured on the trucks.
Equipment: Isuzu.
Graphics: High-resolution digital image printed on UV Stable vinyl tape.
Person Responsible for Fleet Operations: Georg Kaufman, Director of Operations.
Maintenance: In house, very aggressive full preventative maintenance up to engine rebuild.
Products Delivered: Indoor and outdoor furniture; also piggyback 26’ x 2 shuttle system
The Brick fleet provides 24 x 7 visibility throughout Canada with large-scale graphics printed on reflective vinyl. Note the web site information on each panel.
Equipment: International 4300 Series.
Graphic: Corporate advertising message promotes The Brick and company vendors on 3M reflective material.
Person Responsible For Fleet Operations: Al Drobot, National Manager, Fleet Operations.
Rider Furniture’s offering of furniture and antique restoration services is emphasized with old style lettering in gold leaf. Kingston is near Princeton New Jersey.
Equipment: Ford Econoline Van, Isuzu Box Truck.
Special Modifications: GPS tracking.
Maintenance: Weekly washing.
Products/Delivery Radius: Home furnishings within a 50+ mile radius of store.
Magnussen Home Furnishings tractor-trailer rigs carry their brand identity, photos of product and web site address as they deliver throughout Canada and the United States. Trucks are washed weekly to maintain a sparkling image.
Equipment: 2006 Trailmobile Trailer.
Graphics: Vinyl, created by Terry Dieter Signs.
Person Responsible For Fleet Operations: Russ Langford, VP Operations.
Beautiful Truck Contest entries were judged by FURNITURE WORLD editors and Dan Bolger of the Bolger Group. Dan helps furniture companies achieve improved transportation, warehousing and logistics. You can send inquiries on any aspect of transportation, warehousing or logistics issues to Dan at dbolger@furninfo.com.