For the past 20 years, the Aranda family has built a great reputation for making quality aluminum and stainless-steel truck accessories. Their company, Aranda Truck Accessories (ATA), specializes in manufacturing all sorts of exterior pieces for big rig trucks, and everything they do is done in-house at their facility in Commerce, California.
Migrating from Mexico many years ago, Javier Aranda Sr. and son Javier Aranda Jr. (AKA Junior) joke about how their products are 100% Made in America – by Mexicans! Proud of both their Mexican heritage and the unbridled opportunities afforded to them as Americans, they take pride in their work – and it shows.
Living in the San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles, Javier Sr. has always been an amazing and talented machinist and fabricator, and those skills lead him to a good job at Wingmaster. At the time, Wingmaster was manufacturing aluminum turbo wings for off-road race cars and other vehicles, but not for big rigs. After being hired, Javier Sr. worked with Mike, the owner, and the two developed a better-looking stainless-steel wing for trucks, which was mounted on top of the cab for better aerodynamics (and looks), and the idea took off. In 2006, Valley Chrome bought the company, so Javier started his own gig.
Starting out in his garage with one old machine, Javier Sr. made wings and visors, which he sold to many of the local chrome shops in and around California. All his accessories were labor-intensive to create and handmade, but he built a good name and reputation based on the quality and craftsmanship of his products. Eventually, people started ordering custom parts, and the business was born. Around 2001, Junior opened a chrome shop in Los Angeles, selling his dad’s parts, and everyone else’s, as well. Around 2005, they both moved into their current facility in Commerce and began to focus more on the manufacturing side of things and less on the retail sales.
Today, almost 15 years later, ATA is thriving. With about 2,700 base parts that can be customized to millions of options, the sky is the limit. Making aluminum and stainless-steel exterior accessories for big rigs, they specialize in bumpers, grills, trim pieces, visors, box and step covers, light panels, rear light bars and step plates, but they can make virtually any part. Making parts for every make and model, ATA even has complete lines of accessories for the aerodynamic fleet-style Kenworths, Peterbilts, Freightliners, Volvos and Internationals – they even make some accessories for Hino trucks! But, if you drive a 389 Peterbilt or a W900 KW, they got you covered, too.
Their latest acquisition was a state-of-the-art fiber laser machine made by Amada that can cut metal up to eight inches thick. This huge machine, which can accommodate an 80” x 160” sheet of metal, cuts at an astounding rate of speed with amazing precision. They ran a sample while we were there and cut a very intricate dragon design in a matter of just 2-3 minutes. This machine, along with a few new press breaks (for bending metal at precise angles), has made their operation much more efficient. Where they used to have ten machines and 30+ employees, they now have three machines and 15 employees.
Most of their 15 employees have been with ATA for many years, and several of them are members of the family. Junior’s stepbrother Sid runs the marketing and graphics side of the business, creating catalogs, fliers and advertisements, along with running their social channels and website, while another brother, Luis, works in the warehouse. Junior’s daughter Indika (18) helps in the office part-time while also attending college. Laura is not a member of the family, but she has been running the office for several years now. Along with the fabricators and programmers, there are also talented welders and polishers that work hard to create the best products. Over in the shipping department, they make their own boxes for each item, have labeling and packaging machines, and even a shrink-wrap station. When they say that they do everything in-house, they really do mean everything!
Currently building a network of dealers across the country, ATA still does some custom fabrication and
installations at their location, but their focus these days is on manufacturing and keeping their dealers stocked with their products. They are also doing some private labeling for a select few companies and are considering maybe expanding in that arena. Junior wishes he had more hours in a day, because he has so many new ideas but not enough time to develop them. He did say, though, that they are presently working on a new line of stainless fenders, which the company hopes to debut soon.
Wanting to be known as a fair, honest, customer-oriented outfit, ATA is working hard to solidify their brand and position in the trucking industry. Please support this company, because there are not many left that can truly state “Made in America” on every product – and if you are of Mexican descent, be happy and supportive of these immigrants and their success, because “Hecho En USA” is more than just a catchy and fun headline – it is their way of life at ATA.
We are proud to have had Aranda Truck Accessories in our 10-4 family of advertisers for many years, proud to call them friends, and proud of the fact that everything they make and sell is 100% made in the USA. If you want to become a dealer or have questions about their products, visit their location in Commerce, California, check out their website at www.arandatruckacc.com or call them at (323) 726-0437. And be sure to tell ‘em 10-4 sent ya!
