Custom Truck’s aerial lineup. All photos courtesy of Custom Truck.

Custom Truck One Source, a publicly traded provider of specialized trucks and equipment for tree care, utility and infrastructure work, operates more than 40 locations across North America.

Despite its scale, the company remains grounded in the approach that fueled its growth: building strong customer relationships and delivering personalized support tailored to each customer’s business needs. That commitment is reflected in its mission: “We Power the People Who Strengthen Our Nation’s Infrastructure.”

“We strive to be the company you call with confidence, knowing you can depend on us to fully support the work you do,” says Bob Dray, product manager for Custom Truck’s forestry division.

Providing “One Source” value

Custom Truck was formed through the acquisition of three family-owned companies and is now part of a larger conglomerate with nationwide reach across 15 vertical markets, including utility/telecom, construction and infrastructure, building supply and rail. The ability to draw on expertise from these divisions adds meaningful value for customers.

“I think our value proposition is built into our One Source name,” says John Dean, national accounts sales manager. “We really pride ourselves on partnering with our customers to provide everything that they need for their fleets.”

Bob Dray, Custom Truck’s product manager (forestry division).

That model is supported by a national manufacturing footprint, allowing Custom Truck to build in multiple facilities and ship directly based on customer location, helping reduce costs and streamline delivery.

And Custom Truck’s value extends beyond geography to a broad, integrated set of services. “We support the customer by offering sales, rentals, flexible buying options, aftermarket parts, service and asset disposal,” says Dray.

The company positions itself as a comprehensive partner, supporting customers across the full equipment lifecycle – from purchase to configuration to resale. Through its tools and accessories division, Custom Truck can outfit a vehicle with everything needed to get to work, from chain saws to ropes and poles, with units leaving the facility fully equipped and job-site ready.

Additional offerings include in-house financing, a large rental fleet and an auction that helps customers sell used equipment. “You can list your equipment with our asset disposal team for the public to purchase, and our sales reps will even help you sell,” says Dray.

Manufacturing the difference

Custom Truck has the manufacturing capabilities that truly deliver efficiency, in part because they keep up with the latest advancements.

“We fully embrace the technology we have today,” says Dray. “Our CAD/CAM and CNC machines take projects straight from drawing to production. We also have two lasers that are highly repeatable and save time, further increasing efficiency for our customers.”

That speed extends to delivery. “We have the capability to deliver almost instantly,”

don’t always know the size of a contract they’ll be awarded, or whether they’ll win it at all, and may not have enough equipment on hand. They can depend on us – we keep 100 to 150 trucks in our yard, already built and ready to go.”

Servicing what they sell

Support doesn’t end once equipment is delivered – Custom Truck has a broad service network in place to keep customers up and running.

John Dean, Custom Truck’s national accounts sales manager.

“Custom Truck employs roughly 2,600 individuals, including more than 140 sales reps, to service anything from a bucket truck to an 80-ton crane through more than 40 brick-and-mortar parts and service centers in North America, not to mention a myriad of mobile units throughout the U.S.,” explains Dean.

That footprint is designed with proximity in mind, aiming to keep service within reach of customers wherever they operate.

“We never want to be more than two hours away from any customer, and that’s been our goal setting up our service locations,” Dean says. “We have a 24-7 call-in center and customers can either bring equipment into a service center or we can send our trucks to work on their site as well.”

Supporting disaster response

As any tree care company knows, responding to natural disasters and extreme weather events is when the industry’s commitment to helping others is most evident. Custom Truck is no stranger to showing up in these moments.

“As a key player in the industry, there’s not a disaster or an event that our trucks aren’t part of,” says Dean.

The company stands out with its rail-capable bucket trucks. Custom Truck’s rail division equips units with rail gear, allowing them to operate directly on tracks – a capability that can be critical in emergency situations.

“During natural disasters, we’re able to give our customers access to areas if the roads are blocked and the only way to an affected area is via train track,” says Dean.

Working with TCIA

Custom Truck has been a member of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) since its founding in 1996, and has maintained a consistent presence at the Association’s flagship events.

“Custom Truck is a gold sponsor, and we’ve been part of the TCI EXPO every year,” says Dray. “We bring our newest and best to the show because it’s where we get in front of the most people – and get a significant amount of feedback from our potential customers.”

That engagement has also helped the company better understand the industry it serves, particularly when it comes to safety. Dray points to TCIA’s Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) program as a meaningful influence.

“The CTSP program helped us better understand what our customers do and how important safety is to them,” he says. “TCIA has pushed the safety side of the industry as hard as any organization or any company out there.”

Conclusion

Custom Truck positions itself as a long-term partner to its customers. “We’re going to work hard to sell you your first bucket truck – and work even harder to make sure we sell you your last,” says Dean.

That lifetime commitment is rooted in a broader goal: to serve as a single-source partner. The company aims to be the one call customers make for any of their equipment and service needs.

Tim Bartelt is a freelance writer based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, and has more than 20 years of work experience in the outdoor-power-equipment industry. This article is sponsored by Custom Truck One Source. Contact advertising@tcia.org for more information.