10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

DOWN IN THE DUMPS?
Robert & Patty Ford’s Rolling Business Card
Always Keeps Them Smiling

Most people know that exposure to the public can make or break a business. Robert and Patty Ford’s Pete Transfer is their beautiful (and big) rolling business card, ensuring that their company’s name and image really get around. In fact, it usually leaves such a positive and lasting impression, the Fords don’t have to do much talking at all – the truck speaks for itself! Robert R. Ford Trucking, Inc. has achieved great success due to the enthusiasm, determination, perseverance, and meticulous attention to detail of its owners, their three children and many others involved in the company. Running a clean operation is the way the Fords like to do business. This company like many we find in the trucking industry is an operation that thrives on family unity.

Robert R. Ford Trucking was born way back in 1968 in El Monte, California, shortly after Robert met and married his wife and soon thereafter business partner Patty. The early days of the company were tough but the floods of ’69 came along and kept them busy hauling tons of mud (and money) for several months. Over the next few years, the Fords had three children – two boys, Rick and Paul, and several years later a daughter named Amanda. The boys grew up, as did Robert, under their Dad’s truck. Rick and Paul always loved helping their dad change oil, do brake jobs, wash, polish and paint. They’d also go out on the road with their dad whenever possible – they both loved being in the truck from day one. Rick had logged thousands of miles by the time he was only two years old. Today, both boys are in their parent’s business and Amanda, a senior in high school, helps part time in the office on the computer. Paul has his own truck and drives for the company, Rick maintains the entire fleet at their two yards in Chino.

The Ford Trucking fleet consists of two power units, one transfer (the Pete on our cover) and 26 sets of bottom dumps (pulled mostly by leased owner operators). Hauling materials such as clay, pumice, asphalt, dirt and rock is their main function, but when business gets slow the company turns to its won mining pits for work. Having obtained proper mining rights from the Bureau of Land Management in areas like Barstow, Boron, Olancha and Calico, the Ford’s are able to collect several different types of clay for resale to customers they have acquired over the years. Patty, who not only performs administrative functions, negotiates contracts, and dispatches all the trucks, also specializes in brokering loads. Robert still drives now and then when their driver Richard isn’t available, but spends most of his time at their mining sites, managing the excavation and loading of whatever kind of material that particular site is providing. Robert R. Ford Trucking also owns several bulldozers, loaders, scrapers and other pieces of heavy equipment to work their mines. This diversification helps them to stay profitable year-round, even through tough times when trucking is slow.

Richard Arbiso has had the pleasure of knowing Robert Ford for over 20 years. When they met, Richard drove for Artesia Ready Mix. Over the years, they got to know each other pretty well. Five years ago Robert decided to hire Richard to drive his show-stopping green and yellow Pete Transfer full time. The truck was brand spankin’ new and Richard really loved it. Being a stickler for maintenance, Robert always made sure that his trucks and trailers were greased and washed every week. Richard would proudly spend up to five hours washing and polishing the truck until it suited his (and his boss’) liking. Working six days a week on top of all that washing, Richard still finds time to coach his 9-year old son Ryan’s baseball team and spend time with his wife Debbie and their two teenage daughters, Kristin and Jennifer. Family always seems to be very important to most truckers (but you probably already know that). Everything was going great until tragedy struck on June 7, 1995.

On a remote portion of the dreaded (and deadly) two-lane Highway 395, Richard and his son (who happened to be with him that day) were hit head-on by a pickup truck attempting to pass another car. The pickup truck slammed into the unloaded Pete with such force that it sent the big rig flying into the air, flipping and rolling over several times, ending upside-down hundreds of feet from the initial point of impact. Ryan was somehow miraculously okay but Richard suffered a broken sternum, a shattered kneecap and fractured thumb. He ended up in the hospital for four days and then at home recovering for six months. The driver of the pickup truck (who was later found to have been an active member of the Manson Family) and the passenger of another car involved in the accident were both killed. It was a horrifying event for Richard and everyone at the company. Interestingly, Richard said, “Amidst all the confusion, shock, chaos, and mayhem, my biggest concern was what Robert was going to say when he saw his beautiful truck completely totaled.” Thankfully, Richard’s recovery was completely successful and he has been behind the wheel ever since.

As violent as that accident was, amazingly, the polished aluminum Reliance tub and trailer were nearly undamaged, even after the truck rolled several times. Robert ordered a new 1995 Pete 379 and installed the 1992 tub on its back. The truck is powered by a 475 Cat engine, has a 13-speed double-over transmission, 3-90 rears, low profile tires, custom light bars (made by Rick) and lots of polished aluminum and stainless. Inside, the cab features Peterbilt’s “Classic” interior with every amenity imaginable, highlighted by a top-of-the-line Alpine stereo system. Besides the weekly washing ritual, Richard wipes down the truck every night, not matter how long his day was.
“People are always saying that the truck must never go anywhere to stay that clean but that isn’t true at all,” says Richard. “This truck works six days a week in some of the worst conditions.” From high in the mountains to deep in the pits, this dump sees some pretty rough terrain. “Some of our mining sites are several miles from a paved road, forcing me to drive up to 14 miles off-road, often in heavy rain and even snow. It sometimes gets so dirty that you can’t even tell what color it is,” says Richard with a smile. The truck was once asked to brave drowning in the ocean and risk exposure to harmful salty air when it was commissioned to deliver a few loads of asphalt to Catalina Island via a barge. Let’s not even mention the risks involved with driving on Southern California freeways! So, as you can see, this truck does partake in some serious trucking. The secret to keeping it looking good, as Richard tells us is keeping it wiped down, driving it slow and easy off-road, and being patient yet particular with loaders.

Robert and Patty’s son Paul has been driving for almost ten years, the last five as an owner operator pulling a set of bottom dumps for his parent’s company. He recently bought a new 1998 Pete Transfer with a powerful 600 Cat motor and 18-speed double-over, 3:55 rears, and everything else you can think of. Painted in Ford Trucking’s signature green and yellow color scheme, Paul’s Pete not only looks good but it’s fast too! He did a fine job of proving that when he smoked the competition in his class at this year’s charity Truck Drags in Palmdale. The Ford’s have been attending both the Truck Drags and the Working Truck Show since the 1970’s. “It’s a great time for the entire family to get together and have a good time with the trucks and each other,” says Rick.

Getting together as a family is what the Ford’s enjoy more than anything else. That “family” includes not only the blood relatives but also everyone that works for the company. Each summer, Robert gets the whole gang together at Lake Mead to water ski, parasail, swim, and just have fun in the sun on the family boat – a 24’ Eliminator sharp enough to have graced the pages of several boat magazines. “Robert is getting crazy in his old age,” says Richard. “After working hard all of his life he’s now beginning to enjoy himself more and take some fun risks.” One of his latest exciting adventures was getting his pilot’s license and buying his won small plane. Robert also recently became a certified scuba diver. Working hard and playing even harder, Robert has been blessed with a terrific lifestyle. Add to that the fact that all of his children idolize him and his wife adores and respects him, and we’d say we’re pretty green with envy.

And speaking of green, we asked, “Why all the green Patty?” She had a good answer for our silly question. Years back, when they first started the company, they had a color specialist do research as to what colors would look the best and the most effective – he came up with green, yellow and black – and boy did the Ford’s run with it. Not only are their trucks and trailers pained green and yellow, but the outside of their house is yellow with green trim, the inside features dark green carpet and light yellow walls, their boat is six shades of green, black and yellow, Robert’s Chevy dually is black and Patty’s car is green. Just imagine what their house (and everything else) would look like today if that color specialist had recommended neon red with black polka-dots. The neighbors would have loved that!

The combined efforts of everyone involved make Robert R. Ford Trucking a successful operation. Patty figures they’ll run the business another ten years and then gradually pass it on to the kids. Diversification of the company will undoubtedly keep it strong. Having overcome challenging times in the beginning, the Ford’s are set to enjoy a satisfying retirement. Who knows what crazy things Robert will do with all that extra time. One thing’s for sure, they may have made it in the dump business but they’ve never been down in the dumps for long.