Zip's Truck Showcase: A&J Towing

Medium-duty upgrade for rural Nebraska.

Last fall, A & J Towing from O’Neill, NE, replaced their 1990 International 8-ton medium-duty wrecker with a 2025 Freightliner Vulcan V30 16-ton wrecker from Zip’s. Owner Jerod Waterman said this upgrade has significantly improved their operations, which includes a fleet of nine light, medium and heavy duty wreckers and carriers.

“That old International was simply just worn out. We were due for a new piece of equipment. Going from a 1990 to a brand new wrecker, it’s been a heck of an upgrade. All around better ride and performance. We couldn’t haul semi tractors with the International before, so this new wrecker definitely gives us more versatility. Plus, the ride is so much better overall.”

This was A&J’s first equipment purchase with Zip’s, although they had purchased parts from us before and had leaned on sales rep LeRoy Gossling for his technical assistance in the past. So a previous relationship had existed before, and Jerod worked closely with LeRoy on spec’ing out his new truck and getting what he wanted on it. LeRoy covers Nebraska for Zip’s.

“It was our first special order with Zip’s. We had a very good experience working with LeRoy and found what we were looking for. He put everything together, gave us some options and made it happen. We went with Zip’s because we obviously knew the name and figured they would have what we needed. Better to do it that way than trying to build one ourselves.”

The new truck features a 12,000# side puller, which enhances their ability to perform recoveries in rural areas. A&J is located in northeast Nebraska, and the nearest competitor is 75 miles away. They do a lot of work on two-lane roads and gravel roads, which often have lane and width restrictions and not enough room to work with a boom off the back end.

“Ninety percent of what we do is all rural stuff, so we definitely wanted a truck with a side puller. We need to keep the highways open, and the side puller provides us with an extra winch and different pulling angles, especially when dealing with semi trailers. A lot of times, we’re working on gravel roads where you can’t get a big wrecker sideways. I know I won’t buy a wrecker without a side puller any more.”

Jerod said the extended cab on the Freightliner is also a nice feature with extra benefits, because it provides additional space for crew, gear and equipment, especially on longer calls. Besides northeast Nebraska, Jerod said their service area includes Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota and even Oklahoma.

“We definitely enjoy the extended cab part. It gives you extra room for people, and you have more room for gear on longer trips. That’s really been a bonus for our guys to have that extra space in the cab.”

Last October, Jerod and his 10-year-old son made the seven-hour drive across Highway 20 to pick up their new wrecker in New Hampton, IA. Both were impressed by the facility and the staff here. They ended up making a return trip a few weeks later to pick up a used car carrier they they found on the lot here at Zip's during their initial visit.

“Well, apparently we decided we needed that used truck while we were there picking up our new truck. We had a heck of a time while we were there, and Zip’s is a destination for anyone in the towing industry. I would recommend them to anyone. We had a great experience.”