MAY 2008 TRUCKER TALK
ALL IN THE FAMILY
BY WRITER & OWNER OPERATOR KIM GRIMM
When most people look at a shiny truck, they don’t think about how dirty someone had to get to make it shine that bright or how hard someone had to work to get every nook and cranny clean inside. This month, I wanted to introduce you to two special people that make their living making other people’s trucks look perfect – Jean Duquesne, a master aluminum and stainless polisher and Kim Ellsworth, a woman who is taking truck interior detailing to new levels. Both of these people grew up around trucking and have strong family ties that helped get them where they are today.
I think Mike Rowe should do an episode of Dirtiest Jobs on polishing. Have you ever seen how filthy these guys get? Give him a buffing wheel and an aluminum wheel and then let Jean (pronounced John) show him how dirty he can get, and, more importantly, how shiny he can make that aluminum in the process. The guys that do this nasty job, whether at the shows or where you take your truck in to get shined, are really unsung heroes. Who doesn’t want their truck to look that good, but really, how many of us want to or could do the work it takes to make it look that way?
Some of you may remember Jean’s dad, Gean (pronounced Gene – I know, it might get confusing) Duquesne. He drove for Mayflower for about 10 years before becoming one of the first polishers to start using an electric buffer. Gean had 24” wheels that were used in lathe machines cut down to 8” to use for polishing tanks and wheels. It was the edge pad – the one that gives you that flawless finish.
Gean worked at the Truck Town Truck Stop on Cherry Avenue in Fontana, California from 1979 until the mid 1980s. Even the TA down the street in Ontario allowed him on their lot to polish trucks. In 1989, he moved the family to Barstow, California. With a wife, four kids, a motor home and no money, Gean borrowed $15 from his church pastor to buy a spark plug and some gas for his generator so he could work. And work he did!
In less than two years, Gean owned the former Husky Truck Wash. Making it the Duquesne Truck Wash, he had five wash bays, two washout bays and a Cat scale. At one point, the wash had three complete shifts and 248 employees. Gean was a tough boss who had strict rules for his workers, which included professionalism, top quality service, and no drugs or drinking. Many of you may remember that truck wash and Jean’s dad, who was known as “Mean Gene” for his tough rules. He sold the truck wash in 1992 when his wife (Jean’s mother) got sick, but he continued to shine aluminum in their travels after that. Gean passed away on January 23, 2007.
Following in his father’s large footsteps, Jean has become one of the premier polishers in America. And, like his dad, he too follows the same strict rules for his business today that his father followed all those years ago. Drug testing is mandatory for all of his employees. Again, like his father, Jean’s business card and logo feature a drawing of a Viking. That Viking was drawn by his mother for his father’s logo back when Jean was only one year old. And it is just another way for Jean not to forget where he came from.
Jean’s latest t-shirt design includes not only that infamous Viking his mother penned, but a picture of Randy & Jona Rebillard’s winning show truck called Tired Iron. And what are the odds – as they later found out, Gean Duquesne used to buff Randy’s truck years ago when he first got on the road. Years later, Randy was introduced to Jean at the show in Louisville when they first started competing with their truck. These two men have a real connection, and Randy is happy to get that same quality of shine he once got from his friend Gean. Over the last few years, Jean has helped Randy & Jona earn several first place trophies, including a few Best of Show awards as well.
This year at Louisville, Jean buffed out several trucks that were on display inside the show, along with several others that were parked outside, competing for awards. Bob & Shelley Brinker’s “The Legend of the Black Pearl” Freightliner took Best of Show Bobtail, while Eilen & Son’s striking blue, silver and yellow Peterbilt and matching Mac end dump trailer won the Best of Show Combo trophy. Obviously, Jean, who polished both of these rigs, does fantastic work. And take a look at the shine he put on Sean McEndree’s “Fallen Heroes 2” truck, which just happens to be featured on our cover this month!
Jean started helping his dad when he was six years old, helping take off hubcaps and nut covers and doing some hand polishing. At around the age of eleven, it was time to play around with the machine. And as they say, the rest is history. He got to learn first-hand from a great teacher (and one of the best polishers ever) by actually buffing out wheels and tanks. If you’ve ever tried to shine aluminum with a high speed buffer, you probably figured out pretty quick that it is not easy – and because of that fact, not everyone can do it well (those nasty Tiger stripes are definitely not cool).
In 1998, Jean opened his first shop in Haines City, Florida at the Citco Truck Stop. At that time, he had a contract with Peterbilt. Since then he has traveled across the country, several times, following the show circuit and polishing the trucks that always seem to do well. The next time you are near Florence, South Carolina, visit Quick’s Shine Shop off I-95 at exit 169. Jean has four employees that he personally trained to ensure that they deliver the high standard of workmanship his customers have come to expect.
In his dad’s honor, Jean is still giving the trucks he polishes the highest quality shine! He puts a lot of pride into every job he does. Jean wants his name to be associated with the same level of perfection that his father was known for. You can contact Jean Duquesne via e-mail at jlafitteduquesne@aol.com or by phone at (843) 933-2906.
Like Jean, Kimberly Ellsworth is using the experience she learned from a parent – in her case it was her mother – to help get trucks looking their best. Kim got her experience by cleaning her mom’s truck. For over ten years, it was a part-time thing for Kim, but about four years ago she got serious and threw her heart into her business. Today, Semi-Details, LLC has offices in Wisconsin and Arizona and teams of mobile detailers that offer several different interior detail packages at fair prices – and she offers a lot more services than just vacuuming and washing the windows! She also offers a variety of replacement parts and repairs for the often overlooked inside of your truck. Her grandfather always said, “Your word and your handshake – make it mean something, because this is who you are and you’ll be remembered by it.” Taking this saying to heart, Kim has built her business on integrity and hard work.
Kim’s mom Linda Cathcart had been a driver for 15 years before her hip forced her to get out of the truck. She has always been Kim’s inspiration. Linda is currently waiting to have surgery to correct the problem with her hip and then, hopefully, she will be able to get back in the truck. While growing up, Kim saw first-hand how hard her mom worked to get everything done by herself. Because of this, one of her goals has always been to offer services that will make life easier for drivers.
And let’s face it – the inside of many trucks can be almost as dirty as the outside. Kim told me about one company truck she cleaned that was full of grease. When she was finished, she looked as if she’d rolled around in an oil field. But the inside of that truck was clean! When telling her mom Linda about how dirty this truck had been, Linda asked, “How dirty are you?” which later became her daughter’s new company slogan.
When Kim first started, she wanted to use only the highest quality of cleaners that would do the absolute best job possible. To accomplish this, she tested several different products on door panels and determined which ones worked the best – then she tossed out the ones that did not meet her standards. Taking this attitude to the next level, she will be launching a new line of cleaning products in the very near future. Centered on her “Super Secret Sauce” cleaner, this new product will clean vinyl, leather, rubber surfaces, finished wood and acrylic surfaces without leaving that dust-attracting film behind like most other cleaners do. Look for her introductory ad in an upcoming edition of 10-4 Magazine.
To ensure that her teams of detailers perform at her high level of expectations, she personally trains all of her people. Once she feels comfortable with their level of expertise, she sends them out with an experienced team of detailers for more training. After that, they get on their own team but they are still subject to “spot checks” at any time. In fact, all of her employees are subject to these impromptu inspections at any time during a job. Kim is happy and proud to have her sister Charity Ellsworth involved in the business as well. Charity is the general manager in Wisconsin, managing all of the teams there.
Kim is very excited about the nationwide launch of her new line of cleaning products. She wanted to thank all of the drivers that have helped her over the years to get her company going. She also wanted to say “thank you” to Nichole Schnettle with Advantage Accounting in Wisconsin for helping her get all the paperwork together and Glenn Curran, Eric Daugherty and Linda Petersel with M & I Bank for believing in her and her company, and for making this exciting product launch possible. But mostly, she wanted to thank her mom for all of the great memories and all of the fun trips that she and her siblings, nieces and nephews got to take with her in the truck while growing up. These experiences helped shape Kim and gave her a true sense of what is really meant to be fully-involved, heart and soul, in the trucking industry. If you would like to contact Kim, you can call her in Arizona at (480) 626-8997 or in Wisconsin at (920) 273-3049, or send her an e-mail at semidetails@gmail.com.
Not everyone can fully understand the trucking industry or have a passion for it, but when you grow up around trucks, truckers and trucking, it is not hard to “get the bug” yourself. Both Jean and Kim have a passion for what they do and they both want to be the best in their respective fields of expertise.
Some people may complain about what these services cost, but think how much you would want if you were the one doing this kind of dirty work. Besides, you get what you pay for, right? And these services are not just something you utilize before entering a truck show – they are vital maintenance procedures if you want to keep your equipment looking good. If you are tired of driving (and living) in a dirty truck, pick up the phone and give them a call – you won’t be disappointed.
PHOTOS: #1: Jean Duquesne with his son Christian after a long and dirty day of polishing; #2: Jean polishing Kim Grimm’s rig; #3: Kim Ellsworth (center) with her mother & grandmother; #4: Kim (center) with two of her managers, Kathryn Journea & Jason Archambault.