WHO'S WHO - OCTOBER 2002
Building the best custom trailers takes more than metal and screws - it takes vision. James Marttila has honored his father’s original vision by continuing what he started in 1971. Today, under James’ direction and his father’s founding principles and passed-on skills, Trailer Tech, Inc. of Chino, California, offers their customers the finest commodities trailers available.
Custom built from top to bottom, Trailer Tech specializes in live floor trailers for the farming, ranching and trucking industries. Trailer Tech is one of the only manufacturers that fabricates everything by hand. The only parts on a Trailer Tech unit that are not made in-house include the suspension, landing gear and fabric items (like tarps and such).
The company was started by James’ father Erik A. Marttila in 1971. Erik, born in 1937 in Helsinki, Finland, was a Navy Frogman in Finland and in the Merchant Marines. He came to the United States in the 1960s and got a job working for Kilgore Industries in Pomona, a farm equipment manufacturer. His hard work propelled him to Shop Foreman in a short amount of time. Two of Kilgore’s customers saw Erik’s work ethic and attention to detail so they approached him and offered to “put up the money” if he wanted to start a business. In 1971, Erik and his partners formed Anji, a trailer manufacturing company. Pictured below on the left is an early model commodities trailer featuring outside post construction built by Anji. Erik eventually bought out his two partners. In 1993 he changed the company’s name to Cargo Floor, but the focus remained the same - build the finest trailers available.
Also in 1993, Erik formed Trailer Tech for his son James, in hopes of expanding to other markets. James graduated from high school in 1993 and joined the U.S. Navy for six years. When James got out of the Navy in 1999, he returned to find that his father had been diagnosed with cancer and, after a stroke in August of that year, only had about six months to live. The race was on. Erik did not want his skills to die with him, so he spent every moment teaching James and his right-hand man Scott Waddell everything he knew. In February of 2000, Erik passed away. James and Scott closed Cargo Floor and brought Trailer Tech back to life with one goal: to pursue excellence in the trailer manufacturing industry and dedicate their success to James’ Dad.
Trailer Tech has no salesman - James and Scott take care of everything themselves. New orders come in from across the country, but most are from California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Except for a little help from an ad in 10-4 Magazine, all their customers come from word-of-mouth and referrals. This fact is a testimony to their commitment to quality and customer service. A company that does not need a sales force, obviously has a product that speaks for itself.
James and Scott are constantly learning through trying out new ideas in an
attempt to keep their trailers at the forefront of the industry in regards to
weight, strength and durability. And, since all of the work is done in-house,
they can boast some of the lowest prices in the business. Pictured above on
the right is an example of Trailer Tech’s latest commodities trailer featuring
a smooth, mirror-like finish. This design offers less wind resistance than standard
outside post trailers, is easy to clean and looks great.
Their relationship with customers goes way past the sale. They service, advise and repair in all situations. They stock most all spare parts, and if one of their customer’s units breaks down, they will overnight the necessary parts anywhere they are needed to get the customer back on the road. Their focus is not to be millionaires, but instead to make their clients happy and stay in business for a long, long time.
The durability of their units is impressive. In one situation, a trailer had flipped over. They were able to simply put it back on its wheels and drive it away. In another occurrence, a D90 skip loader’s hydraulic system gave out and the bucket fell on top of one of their trailers. The front of the trailer was normal and the back of the trailer was normal, but the center of the trailer had been smashed almost entirely to the ground. The customer was amazed to find that the floor was still operable, allowing him to deliver his load.
Their shop, which sits on 2-acres of land, has 16 bays and an outside work area that is fully equipped to manufacture and repair trailers. James and Scott (who has been around for ten years) have about 10 workers and one secretary (Rosa). Most of the employees have been around 6-8 years so the group is like a big family. They also consider their customers to be part of their “extended” family. From owner operators to small fleets to large companies, they service them all and treat them like family.
With plans to expand into Central California, Trailer Tech is on the grow. Due to their current volume, they have a 60-day turnaround on new trailer orders. We urge you to give Trailer Tech a call at (909) 597-0163 and consider them for your next custom trailer purchase. They are a good bunch of guys with a fundamental way of doing business that is based on the vision and ideas of a pioneer in the trailer manufacturing industry.
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