Rachel Miller
Marketing Manager
Jerr-Dan Corporation
When taking note of relatively recent technical accomplishments, attention must be given to the patents the company received in 2013 for improved deck illumination and adjustable headboards for carriers. The adjustable headboards were a consequential boon for dealers, making the job of installation much simpler. Obviously, each truck has a cab height that is unique to it. That meant that a manufacturer had to build a different headboard for every truck, and dealers had to manage their inventory of all those unique headboards. With the introduction of the adjustable headboard, Jerr-Dan was able to reduce that inventory to just two sizes of headboard for all carrier models and chassis cab heights.
The second patent that year, the Rear Awareness Illumination Light (RAIL), was all about improving roadside visibility in all circumstances. Based on their intimate knowledge of the industry, product specialists and engineers were aware that when a carrier parks in front of a vehicle casualty, its warning lights are often obscured. In some cases, they almost seem to disappear. Jerr-Dan addressed this issue by adding lights that extended beyond the profile of the truck facing rearward. RAIL also optimized the lighting for the greatest visibility when the bed was tipped down, the point at which traditional lighting schemes are most obscured.
Keeping the focus on simplifying an operator’s work, in 2014 Jerr-Dan received a patent for a new vehicle storage assembly, as part of its new JFB heavy duty wrecker and Rotator body line. This was the start of a renewed push to conform to the principle reportedly first articulated by Benjamin Franklin: “a place for everything, everything in its place.”
With the corporate strategy, company growth, and distributor network all working together, by 2017 it was time to add financial services to the company’s portfolio of expertise and customer service. In that year, Jerr-Dan launched Jerr-Dan Financial Solutions (JDFS) to provide customers with a one-stop shopping experience.
Interestingly, Jerr-Dan Financial Solutions is more than just a financial team. JDFS is made up of tow truck operators as well as sales and finance professionals who know the towing and recovery industry inside and out. According to Jerr-Dan Financial Services, “We offer competitive interest rates and no down payment for qualified buyers. Lease or loan packages are available with terms from 24 to 84 months. We also provide a 24-hour turnaround on all credit applications.”
And finally, the most impressive milestone of all—Jerr-Dan is celebrating 50 years in business in 2022!
What will the future look like for Jerr-Dan? We’ll share some ideas in the last part of this series.