Markets We Serve - Maintenance
Press Releases
Ken-Crest Services - Classic II™ Panel Body
T.R.R.A. - Customized Reading Platform Body
Dairymen Specialty Co. Inc. - Classic® Series panel body
Wisconsin Central Ltd. - Classic® Series service body
E. M. Associates - Classic® Series service body
Articles
Trailer/Body Builder magazine article on the Aerotech® service body.
Testimonials
Mark Larson, Tri State Bobcat, PA60-108DW Panels
“So far this has been a good body. The paint quality is far better than previous bodies we have had.”
R. McCorkle, R.O. McCorkle Maint., TM48W Tool Mates
“Reading boxes seal out dirt and water; latches do not malfunction.”
Chris Herold, Herold’s Wastewater Service, SM27-6317GB Saddle Mates
“A very good piece of equipment.”
James Alger, JAHM, 98FABSW Standard Body
“Overall, Reading makes a great service body. The fact that you can haul all of your needs and keep it locked and dry is a real time saver.”
Scott Wallace, Pike Industries, Inc., 108FABDW99R Classic Series service body
“CUES Inc. has done a very good job working with us at District 12 Pike Industries, Inc.”
Michael Caruso, Connecticut Screen Works, SC99G Space Cap
“We are quite happy with our Reading purchase. Our future equipment will sport your products without question.”
Richard Kaminski, Rich’s Maintenance Service, S98GABSW Classic Series Service Body
“Before starting my business I worked for one of the largest crane rental businesses in the Northeast. They had 10 utility trucks, some 20 yrs. old, some with 700,000 miles on them. The Reading Bodies outlasted the “cheaper” bodies and in some instances outlasted their original cab and chassis and were remounted. All that matters is performance when it comes to my equipment and that is why I specified a Reading Body when adding the 1995 GMC to my fleet.”
Reading Bodies Hold “Every Tool You Can Think Of”
Company Name: Ken-Crest Services
Reading Products: Classic II™ Panel Body
Type of Service: Maintenance of Group Homes
 Perry Hoagey of Ken-Crest Services needed a service body that could hold “every tool you can think of.” From plumbing and electrical supplies to circular and chop saws and little odds and ends, Hoagey needed the right truck. He found one in a Reading 96-in. Panel Body.
Mounted on a 2002 Dodge extended cab chassis, Hoagey liked the layout and pricing of the vehicle. And with 2 other Reading vehicles being used by Ken-Crest, adding a third one made sense. The convenience and location of Reading’s local distributor, Crest Truck Equipment in Bowmansville, PA, helped make the decision even easier.
Hoagey is Maintenance Supervisor for Ken-Crest, an organization who have been running group homes for people with mental disabilities since 1905. He is responsible for the up-keep and basic contracting work for the homes. With 90 homes located between Philadelphia, Delaware and Reading, Hoagey is kept busy as he travels from home to home doing repairs.
The Panel Body is customized with various ladder racks along with a rack on the side for carrying saw horses. Crest constructed a shelf inside the cargo area for his chop saw.
Standard features include construction of two-sided A60 galvannealed steel and Lectro-Life® immersion priming for complete rust protection. Other standard features include automotive-quality rotary locks for secure protection of tools and equipment; stainless steel bolt-on hinges keeping the compartment doors operating smoothly in all weather conditions; and double paneled compartment doors offering greater durability.
T.R.R.A Stays On Track With Reading
Company Name: T.R.R.A
Reading Products: Customized Reading Platform Body
Type of Service: Rail Track Maintenance
 The T.R.R.A. (Terminal Rail Road Association) were hoping to stay on the right track when they decided to purchase a new rail track maintenance vehicle. With 230 miles of existing track to maintain, the T.R.R.A. knew that an average run-of-the-mill truck would not suffice. They needed a vehicle that would stand up to the challenge. They needed a Reading.
The T.R.R.A. purchased a customized Reading heavy-duty platform body for their engineering department for transport and handling of rail materials. The customized platform is equipped with vented storage cabinets and toolboxes. These compartments allow the crew to safely and securely store tools and equipment. The platform is also equipped with an 18,000-lb. hydraulic crane for lifting and moving rail, ties, rocks, etc. In addition, the compartments house a generator, grapple bucket, and clam bucket. A stirrup step and step bumper provide access to the platform and hydraulic crane controls.
The T.R.R.A. provides switching and overhead movements for five of the major rail carriers. They are owned by the five major rail carriers, four of whom are Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, and CSX. They have been in business for approximately 150 years. Part of the 230 miles of track that they maintain includes the two bridges that cross the Mississippi River.
Standard features include construction of two-sided A60 galvannealed steel and Lectro-Life® immersion priming for complete rust protection. Other standard features include automotive-quality rotary locks for secure protection to tools and equipment; stainless steel bolt-on hinges keeping the compartment doors operating smoothly in all weather conditions; and double paneled compartment doors offering greater durability.
Got Milk?
Company Name: Dairymen Specialty Co. Inc.
Reading Products: Classic® Series panel body
Type of Service: Installation and service of dairy equipment
 Dairymen Specialty Co., Inc. knows the dairy business inside and out. They have perfected the art of installing and servicing dairy equipment, having done so since 1965. Today, Dairymen Specialty Co., Inc. provides service to 1200 dairy farms and beef farms throughout the state of Virginia and parts of West Virginia.
Part of perfecting the art of servicing dairy farms includes knowing what type of truck body will transport the most tools and equipment to a job site, as well as hold up under the daily use and abuse a truck body undertakes. Since 1976, Dairymen Specialty Co., Inc. has been using Reading panel bodies because they have proven to be the optimal solution for their truck equipment needs. According to Greg Derrow, Vice President/General Manager, “We went out on bid in 1976 and Reading won the bid. That ‘76 Reading body stayed with us longer than any other body we’ve ever owned. It was mounted on three different trucks before we finally retired it. That’s why I buy Reading bodies - because they last and they can handle the abuse of my crew.”
Reading panel bodies feature weathertight exterior storage compartments and an enclosed cargo area. The cargo area is accessible through rear double doors.
Handling such a large territory with vast amounts of driving distance between accounts means that the truck body must be able to transport a variety of tools and equipment. The service people must be prepared to handle any type of service call, without having to run back to the main office for parts and supplies.
Greg and his crew customized the interior of their five Reading panel bodies to meet the different needs of the servicemen. “Some of the body interiors are equipped with shelving to carry wire reels and other large items, while other body interiors are equipped with parts bins for smaller tools and parts. It all depends on whether they need to be set up for the installation or for the service end of it,” says Greg.
They also add side-mounted ladder racks and overhead ladder racks to transport step-ladders and roof-mounted conduit carriers. In addition, some of their trucks are equipped with a special rear step making access into the cargo area easier and more ergonomically friendly to the servicemen.
Dairymen Specialty Co., Inc. purchases their Reading bodies through Specialty Fleet Service, an authorized Reading distributor located in Harrisonburg, Va.
Standard Reading features include A60 galvannealed steel construction and Reading’s Lectro-Life immersion priming. In the Lectro-Life process, the bodies are immersed in a vat of electrically charged primer, adhering the paint to the metal. This combination of steel and primer provides unbeatable rust and corrosion protection. Other standard features include flange-mounted automotive rubber doors seals providing weathertight protection to the compartments; double paneled compartment doors for extra strength and rigidity and stainless steel pin hinges allowing the compartment doors to operate smoothly in all weather conditions.
Reading Service Body Aids in Installing and Maintaining Signals at Railroad Crossings
Company Name: Wisconsin Central Ltd.
Reading Products: Classic® Series service body
Type of Service: Installation and maintenance of railroad crossing signals
 Wisconsin Central Ltd. recently purchased a Classic® Series service body, model 98GBASW, to utilize as their service and maintenance vehicle. They chose to have the service body mounted on a ‘99 GMC 3500 chassis.
According to Dave Dupont, Vehicle Fleet Manager, he chose the Reading Classic® Series service body because “we are users of Reading bodies for 10 years, and we’ve had good luck with Reading, so we stick to them.”
Wisconsin Central Ltd. performs installation and maintenance of signals at railroad crossings. This includes testing procedures to ensure the signals are working properly, and the Reading service body proves essential in performing these vital tasks.
The Classic® Series service body features exterior storage compartments and an open cargo area. Wisconsin Central Ltd. customized the body in various ways. The front vertical compartment on the roadside and curbside is a thru compartment. It is divided in the center with a permanent partition and has lapping doors that seal shut on either side, within the exterior compartments. It’s like a compartment within a compartment. The thru compartment is essential for storage of delicate electronic equipment which requires extra weathertight storage. In addition, a Grip-N’Glide® drawer is mounted below the thru compartment. Grip-N’Glide® is a unique drawer unit for storage of smaller parts, and utilizes a J-latch system which allows the user to open and close the drawer with one hand. In addition, the body was customized with T-handle single point locks that open and close with a twist action.
The remaining body compartments are utilized for storage of testing equipment, repair parts for signals including relays and switches, and other tools. A ladder rack was also installed with a spare tire carrier for ladder and spare tire storage. In addition, a Reading ST98SW sliding top was mounted over the cargo area to provide weathertight cover and protection to their tools that are required for installing and maintaining signals.
Wisconsin Central Ltd. had the top compartment, curbside, reinforced to allow for a 2400 lb. capacity crane for heavy lifting, and the truck was customized with manually operated hi-rail gear. This application has a variety of uses for the railroad including enabling the truck to run down the railroad track.
Wisconsin Central Ltd. has been in business for 12 years servicing northern Illinois through northern Michigan. They currently have approximately 30 Reading service bodies in addition to 16 Reading enclosed bodies in their fleet. Algoma Central, division, is located in Canada and picks up where Wisconsin Central Ltd. leaves off - from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario through Hearst, Ontario - performing the same type of installation and maintenance duties. Combined, they have a fleet of 500 vehicles which also includes automobiles and semi tractors, and they employ two thousand personnel.
The Reading Classic® Series service body was purchased through Aspen Equipment, an authorized Reading distributor, located in Duluth, MN.
Each Classic® Series service body is completely constructed of two-sided A60 galvannealed steel, which provides the first layer of rust protection. After the bodies are assembled, they receive Reading’s Lectro-Life® immersion priming, providing the most complete rust and corrosion protection in the industry. Other standard features include double panel compartment doors for increased strength; bolt-on stainless steel pin hinges which securely hold the doors and ensure smooth operation in all weather conditions; flange-mounted automotive rubber door seals provide weathertight protection to the tools and equipment; automotive-quality rotary locks offer greater security to valuable tools and equipment; and a rugged understructure that is reinforced at all critical stress points providing optimum durability. Reading service bodies are backed by a five year limited warranty.
Reading Service Body is a Mobile Shop on Wheels
Company Name: E. M. Associates
Reading Products: Classic® Series service body
Type of Service: Property Maintenance
 E.M. Associates recently purchased a Reading 134ADW Classic Series® service body for Westmoor Farm - one of their privately owned companies. They chose to have the service body mounted on a 1999 Isuzu NPR chassis, and it is efficiently being utilized by Westmoor Farm as a maintenance vehicle.
According to Frank Holdgate, Manager, the Reading Classic® Series service body was their product of choice because “it has a good history, and it has been around for a long time. I always think of Reading beds in the construction site.” What he enjoys most about the service body is it’s versatility. “It is 10 times more versatile than a normal pickup,” said Frank. The body is narrow and low in height enabling him to go right up to the front of a house to perform maintenance duties.
Westmoor Farm is responsible for the maintenance of 12 homes within their property, in addition to 50 - 60 acres of land. The versatility of the service body enables them to perform diverse tasks. Throughout the year, they do construction of additional structures on the property, irrigation, installation of utility lines, and general maintenance to the homes such as plumbing, changing light bulbs, etc.
The service body compartments create convenience and organization for all their storage needs. They organized all their supplies and materials in specific compartments by category - electrical, plumbing, and miscellaneous - in which they store wire, wire connectors, acetylene torches for pipe fitting, a plunger, saws, a large variety of light bulbs, cleaning supplies, and other items. Frank especially likes the ability to store all his tools and materials in the compartments while still having a large open cargo area available, thus adding versatility for hauling numerous items.
Westmoor Farm customized the cargo floor with aluminum removable tracks for sliding heavy items onto the bed such as furniture and other large items. During a demolition project, the spacious cargo area enables them to haul away a lot of materials. The cargo area is also efficient for hauling feed to their 30 acres of cattle pasture; for hauling fence material to their 13 acres of horse pasture to rebuild the existing fence - a project their currently working on; and to haul catering to a facility on the property where functions are frequently held.
The Reading service body was purchased through Monarock Truck & Trailer Service, Inc., an authorized Reading distributor located in Pawtucket, RI, in addition to Showcase Isuzu located in Bourne, MA.
Each Classic® Series service body is completely constructed of two-sided zinc-coated A-60 galvannealed steel, which provides the first layer of rust protection. After the bodies are assembled, they receive Reading’s Lectro-Life® immersion priming process providing the most complete rust and corrosion protection in the industry. Other standard features include double panel compartment doors for increased strength; bolt-on stainless steel pin hinges which securely hold doors in place and ensure smoother operation in all weather conditions; flange-mounted automotive rubber door seals providing weathertight protection of tools and equipment; automotive-quality, rotary locks which offer greater security to valuable tools and equipment; and a rugged understructure that is reinforced at all critical stress points providing optimum durability. Reading service bodies are backed by a five year limited warranty.
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