Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Future!

An alumna of Wheels myself, I take great pleasure in wishing this fine company, birthing an industry in 1939, a Happy 75th Anniversary. After you have read our article in Fleet Milestones, check out their History, filled with fascinating “firsts.”

NAFA I&E is a short two weeks away. Just in case you haven’t yet registered, it is not too late! Scroll through the 2014 Detailed Program and you’ll see compelling reasons why you need to be in Minneapolis next month. Oh, and Networking! It doesn't get better than this!

Drive Safety,

Janice Sutton
Executive Editor

 

Register Now: AFLA 2014 Mid-Year Forum

Registration Closes April 21st for the AFLA 2014 Mid-Year Forum
May 1, 2014 - 9 AM - 3 PM - The Enterprise Center at Burlington County College, Mt Laurel, NJ.

  • "Fleet at 30,000 Feet: Where We've Been, Where We Are, and Where We're Going"
    Scott Pattullo, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Account Management, Wheels
  • "Personal Safety for the Business Traveler"
    Phil Moser, Vice President, Advanced Driver Training Services
  • "It's O.K. to Play"
    Keynote Speaker: Evan Marcus, Dillon Marcus
 

The Connected Ecosystem of Telematics

The interconnected benefits of telematics mean you can save money on fuel, measure and improve utilization of your fleet & resources, encourage improvements in safety, and empower your employees to do a better job.

 

The Urgency of Work Truck Transport

AmeriFleet's Work Truck Transport brings the company's expertise in automobile and SUV relocation to the work truck industry safely and responsibly, making sure that vehicles are turnkey-ready.

 

Happy 75th Anniversary, Wheels!

As we began thinking about this article to celebrate Wheels' Diamond Anniversary, we asked two much-lauded, retired Wheels executives, Dennis LaLiberty and Ted Less, both of whom joined the company in 1958, to give us their unique perspectives on the company’s culture.

Less, whose initial mission at the company was to create a truck engineering department, retired in 1995 as Senior Vice President. He said, “Wheels was founded on two pillars: service and ethics.” He continued, “Going to work was fun; everyone was treated like family.” Calling founder Zollie Frank a "tremendous visionary," Less's respect and admiration for the three-generation Frank family leadership is prodigious.

LaLiberty, a trainee when he was hired, retired in 2002 as Vice President of International Marketing. He said, "It was a pleasure to work at the company and I learned a lot in my years there, not only about the industry but how to treat clients, how to deal with and develop employees, and how consistent attention to client service and communication create an environment for respect and success.”

LaLiberty continued: “After a brief pause to celebrate the occasion, I suspect that Wheels management and employees would echo the old Al Jolson line, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

So, how did it all start? And what does Dan Frank say about the company's future focus?