It’s not every day you find Grandma on the shop floor, but at Total Trailers, it was how it was when things got busy in the early days.
The Missouri-based Great Dane dealership was started by Steve Jones and J.W. Jones, the father and grandfather of the brothers who run the business now, Jonathan Jones and Jason Jones, in 1980. It was a family affair.
“We grew up from the time we were 10-12 years old, whether it was sweeping the floors or help cleaning up around the shop,” President Jonathan Jones says. “It’s ingrained into our life.”
Even Grandma — J.W. Jones’ wife, Mary — who was usually answering the phones and doing paperwork, would help out in the shop when things got hectic. These days, Total Trailers has 93 employees in locations across the mid-South, including in St. Louis and Nashville. They represent Great Dane, ATC, MAC, Tempte, Diamond C and offer parts, service, sales, leasing and financing, and are a first-time finalist for the Trailblazer Award, powered by Successful Dealer.
“It’s definitely an honor,” CEO Jason Jones says. The brothers became full owners of the company in 2022 and say while they’re new owners, they’re ready.
“We’re going through a little bit of a downturn in the industry, but we’ve had two consecutive years that have been record-breaking for us,” Jason Jones says. “We’re ready to grow and be a big player in this industry.”
Jason Jones says many of the company’s customers are repeat customers.
“We’re not going to leave them out to dry,” Jason Jones says. “We want those guys around. We want them to keep making money.”
The company is large enough, Jonathan Jones says, to support a regional fleet or a high-volume operation, but small enough so that customers know who they’re dealing with. Owner-operators are still a core part of Total Trailers’ business and the employees there know they’ve got to keep their wheels turning.
“They know how important it is for (owner-operators’) livelihood and keeping food on their tables,” Jonathan Jones says.
All of Total’s employees are long-term employees; some started out with Steve Jones. Jason Jones says the employees often spend more time at the dealership than they do with their families, so the brothers need to make sure it’s a great place to be.
“These guys spend a lot of time here and they’d better be happy,” he says, adding the dealership offers flexible work hours, a hybrid pay scale and other perks. Sales staff handle multiple lines of products, meaning they “always have something popping.”
Both brothers say they ask their employees to lean on their experience and on the more seasoned employees in the office. They also use the training offered by their manufacturers, offering their employees factory visits and other opportunities to get more familiar with their products. Jason Jones says all that work goes to make the process as easy as possible for their customers.
“They want to get in, get out, get on the road,” he says. “We understand our customer really well on that.”
Jason Jones says the company is deeply engrained in Missouri. The company supports local schools and other causes, and is also involved in the trucking industry, including sitting on the Great Dane dealer council and the National Trailer Dealers Association.
“It’s cool to have these kids going to school and they see a billboard and say, ‘My dad works there or my mom works there,’” Jonathan Jones says. That builds a pride in the business that shows in its interactions with customers and vendors alike. The employees’ pride would be validated by winning the Trailblazer Award, the brothers say.
“I want it for my employees as much as anything,” Jason Jones says. “They really treat it like their own business. It’s for them as much as anything.”
No one grows up thinking they’re going to be in the trailer business, but everyone that gets into it really likes it, he says. And they stay there.
“It’s not only recognition for the guys now, but for the employees of the past that have built the company to where it is today,” Jonathan Jones says.
The Trailblazer Award was created in 2023 recognize and honor North America’s trailer dealer community for their essential support of the transportation industry. The Trailblazer Award is graciously sponsored by Hendrickson and Procede Software. To learn more about the program, go the award page.
