4 State Trucks New Website

Twelve years ago 4 State Trucks launched its first website. Since then, we have added new products and created improvement to the functionality of the site. It served our company and our customers well during it's time. That time is now over. Last month, we entered a new era in the heavy truck market with the launch of our brand new website. We are very excited about the look, the feel and most importantly, the functionality of the new site.


Planning began almost 2 years ago for the new site. What is so "new" about it?

New Look
One look at the new site and you will see that we have a much more modern design than the old site. We are sure that a quick look at our home page and you will intuitively know where to go to find what you are looking for. You can search for parts by keywords, part number and by style (more on that later on!). Search results bring up a clear image for the product (99% of our products have photos!).

Integration/Efficiency
We have created our website with our customers in mind. As people who also buy products online, we want to know what we are buying, how much it costs and we want it to arrive quickly. One of the assets we have is that our new website is integrated into our inventory database so your order comes through to our shipping department moments after you place it, exactly the way you want it.

Gift Certificates
You asked for it, and now you have it! We offer Gift Certificates that can be purchased online and redeemed online or in store. They are perfect for that last minute gift or for that friend or family member who might be tough to buy for!

Accounts
Are you a regular customer on our website? Are you a business customer or a Mafia Chrome Card member with special pricing? With our new user accounts, your pricing and tax exempt status are applied to your purchases at 4statetrucks.com*! Other advantages to our user accounts include the ability to view your order history, manage your contact, billing and shipping information as well as track your package online.

Styles
4 State Trucks offers the industry first Truck Styles filter. Enter the Year, Make and Model of your truck, click 'Apply Filter' and our website will allow you to search by category, by keywords or by specials and only show you what fits your truck. We looked at every single part we offer and had our team of the most knowledgeable sales staff in the country detail exactly what trucks those parts worked on. It was a lot of painstaking work, but it is here now!

Live Freight Quotes
Another industry first we offer is the ability to get a freight quote before you choose to purchase. Just add the items you want to purchase to your cart and 4statetrucks.com will give you a real time shipping quote whether you want a Chrome Shop Mafia T-Shirt sent Next Day Air or need a new custom hood shipped by freight. You are going to get the best price out there and know exactly what you are spending before you click "Buy".

Customer Service
In addition to all of the new features on the website, keep in mind that you are dealing with 4 State Trucks, Home of the Chrome Shop Mafia. We have been around for 30 years and we strive to offer the best customer service for every call, question, visit or purchase. That all starts with our #1 resource: our people.

You can shop at 4statetrucks.com with confidence knowing you are buying a quality product from the #1 Aftermarket Heavy Truck leader!!!

*Business Customers with a pricing agreement and those customers who have set up a Tax Exemption Certificate must contact us to link your new web account with the account we have on file in our retail store and catalog department. Just one call and all future purchases will be set up to automatically apply your account settings to your web shopping!

MATS 2010

All of us at 4 State Trucks, home of the Chrome Shop Mafia are gettin' geared up for the 2010 Mid America Trucking Show.  As the official start date is  coming up in two weeks from today, we thought we would let you know a little of what we have in store for this years' event.  The show is open to the public at 1PM on Thursday, March 25 through 4PM Saturday, March 27.  There are special events before that, so check out the MATS 2010 Site for full details.

• We are in Booth #10156 in the North Wing
• All orders placed at the show will receive 10% off normal pricing AND qualify for deep shipping discounts.
• We are an Official Sponsor of the Paul K Young Memorial Truck Show.  Our 1966 Peterbilt show truck will be on display.  
• Thursday - We will be broadcasting live from the Pana-Pacific booth on FreeWheelin' from 12PM-1PM on Sirius-XM channel 147.
• Friday - We will participate in a Q & A forum at the Freightliner booth.  Eric Harley from Midnight Trucking Radio Network will host the forum and Chrome Shop Mafia will be on hand to answer any questions regarding the 2 new customized Freightliners that will be on display at MATS.

MATS 2010 Schedule
Thursday
10:00am – 1:00pm (VIP Session)
1:00pm – 6:00pm (General Admission)
Friday
10:00am – 6:00pm (General Admission)
Saturday
9:00am – 4:00pm (General Admission)

"Chrome" on The History Channel's "Modern Marvels"

4 State Trucks, home of the Chrome Shop Mafia will be on Modern Marvels tonight at 8pm/7pm Central Time!!  Below is a description of the show straight from The History Channel.  Set You DVR's to record this show!

"At 4 State Trucks in Missouri, the Chrome Shop Mafia adds some truckers' "bling" to a big rig as viewers tour its 35,000 square-foot treasure trove of chrome. In Illinois, learn just how automotive parts get their luster in a complex electroplating process. And out on the road with some bikers, take a look at how Harley Davidson puts chrome to work both as a decorative surface and a protective covering on engine parts. At a classic car gathering, collectors show off their sparkling tailfins and grilles--and in Michigan, peruse a unique collection of more than 3,000 chrome hood ornaments. See how workers chrome-plate plastic, and learn how chrome puts the "stainless" in stainless steel. Find out how stainless steel flatware is manufactured and explore the iconic, shimmering art deco dome of the Chrysler Building. Finally, a Colorado artist will show viewers how he rescues old chrome car bumpers from the scrap yard and transforms them."

• What: "Chrome" featuring 4 State Trucks
• Where:  Modern Marvels on the History Channel
• When:  Tonight, March 2, 2010 8PM/7PM Central Time

Guilty By Association Truck Show

4 State Trucks, home of the Chrome Shop Mafia hosted an open house in October of 2007. We had John and Ashley Force with the Castrol Race Team, tours of our facility, giveaways, and a great cookout. The one-day event was well attended and people had a great time.

Two years later Chrome Shop Mafia is again hosting an event at 4 State Trucks.  Will this year be the same as the last open house?  We. Think. Not.   This year we have moved WAY past an ‘open house’ and launched a full-blown ‘Truck Show’.  The event is coming up October 9^th & 10^th, 2009 and is called the “Guilty By Association Truck Show”.

We are very busy getting the store, the shops and the grounds ready for the onslaught of customers, fans, vendors and press who will start arriving early next week.   So what is happening at this event?  We’re glad you asked!  Below is list of some of the activities we have going on.

Truck Show

With almost 100 trucks already registered for the truck show, we are excited to see what the final turnout will be!  The registration will officially close at 10am on Friday October 9^th with “rags down” at noon for the judging of the trucks.  There will be a stereo contest and a light show on Friday as well.  Winners will be announced on Saturday evening.  There will also be great prizes for registered contestants. 

Bossman Bryan Martin talked about what makes the truck show portion of this event different from other shows. 

Bryan: "We’ve been to enough shows and got enough feedback and witnessed a lot of things ourselves, firsthand, and kinda heard from truckers what they’d like to see in a show.  We’re making this low stress where they can come in and enjoy a couple of days with us.  There’s not going to be any judges sliding up under their truck looking for dirt up on the frame rail or getting in the cab and finding dust on their seat bases.  It’s not a cleaning contest.  They got pride in their trucks.  We want them to come in here and show them off and enjoy a good time here at 4 State Trucks."

(the full interview is available in its entirety on Facebook)

Calendar Shoot

All twelve trucks for the 2010 Chrome Shop Mafia Outlaw Calendar will be selected at this event.  The announcement of the 2010 calendar trucks will be made at 7pm on Saturday, October 10.

Storewide Sale

In addition to the blowout deals on returns and overstocks, 4 State Trucks will be taking 10% off of almost every item in our store.  Bryan talked a little about the sale.

Bryan:  "Everything in the store is 10% off  so if you’re contemplating buying a big ticket item, say a set of full-fenders, a set of 8” pipes or a cab guard, you’re literally gonna save hundreds of dollars by getting it over the course of those two days here at the show."

Concerts

We will have Matt Coleman playing on Friday night at 8pm.    Headlining on Saturday night will be The Road Hammers, also beginning at 8pm.  These are two very talented acts and we are honored to have them!

The US92 Airtime Truck will be here to serve as the stage for our concerts!  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the unique Chrome Shop Mafia creation, it is a 1992 International Eagle with a hydraulic 16'x24' stage that the CSM Boyz built for US92 in Norfolk, VA.

Facility Tours

We will be running tours on Friday and Saturday.  On this tour, you will go behind closed doors to see the fab shop where we custom fabricate everything from tank straps to beds for the Chrome Shop Mafia's All American Hauler.  You will also see the warehouse, our salvage yard and catalog call center.

Vendor Representatives

We will have numerous vendors here to show you their new products and answer your questions.  Among the vendors you will see United Pacific, Rockwood, Valley Chrome, Merritt, Hogebuilt, Trux, Bawer, Thunder Grafix, Wild Wes Paint Works, Accuride, Bostrom, Lincoln Industries, Details, Truck Vac Pro, Lacks Enterprises, Continental Tires, Jones Performance and more.  Freightliner will be here as well debuting one of their 2010 models that they let the Boyz of Chrome Shop Mafia 'makeover' for them.

We will also have some of the industries best known magazines here.  Custom Rigs Magazine, 10-4 Magazine, Large Car Mag, Movin Out and Land Line Magazine will all be here at the Guilty By Association Truck Show!

Food

There will be great food available at our show.  This won’t be limited to corn dogs and potato chips.  We have quality food vendors lined up for this event including Red Hot & Blue to serve up Joplin's best barbecue!

What Else?

We’ve covered a lot of what is happening at the Guilty By Association Truck Show.   We have general information including special rates on lodging on the Chrome Shop Mafia website.  There is also a detailed daily schedule.  Please come on down to 4 State Trucks for a great weekend with us!  We hope to see you there!

Pride and the Trucking Industry

My name is Will James and I wanted to introduce myself as a member of the 4 State Trucks and Chrome Shop Mafia family.  I came to work here almost a year ago.  In that year I have learned many things about the heavy duty trucking industry.  That being said, what I don’t know could fill a football stadium and overflow into the parking lots.

If I had to tell you what I thought the most important thing that I have learned in this past year, I would say, “Pride”. 

Some people work solely for a paycheck.  Other people work because they love what they do.  Most people tend to fall somewhere in the middle of those two groups.   I doubt that the trucking industry is fundamentally different in that respect than any other industry.  But here is the difference: the people I see walk in the front doors of 4 State Trucks love what they do.  They take pride in their truck and they take pride in their profession.  We get the opportunity to be a part of that pride.

I see a level of excitement on our customer’s faces when they are here that creates excitement in me.  I hear kids asking for autographs and adults calling their friends and saying, “Guess where I am…. 4 State Trucks!!!”.  That is just not something I have seen at many places I have worked.

Our time doing the television show “Trick My Truck” on CMT was well spent.  We did 41 episodes over 3 seasons and we showed America what we do.  More importantly it showed America who we do it for.  While we are not currently participating in any television shows, we continue to attend truck shows all over the United States.

As I said earlier, there is a lot I don’t know about this industry.  Fortunately, I am surrounded by fellow employees who are experts in the heavy duty trucking industry.  I look to these teammates to educate me.  One of these mentors is Cy King, our New Parts Sales Manager.  He was kind enough to answer some of my questions about our role in truck shows.

Here are two excerpts from our conversation:

Will:  What do you enjoy about attending a truck show?

Cy: I enjoy meeting people, getting the chance to talk to them, getting their ideas, and getting their input.  They always want to know what’s going on, what’s new, what’s happening in the trucking world.  It’s just a great opportunity to sit and actually get to know some of the truckers and see what’s going on with them.  As a sales manager I don’t always get to look at all the trucks out here on the lot.  A truck show gives me an opportunity to go and look at some of the trucks a little closer and become a little more knowledgeable of what the trucker actually wants from us.

Will:  What can someone who is not a trucker gain by going to a truck show?

Cy: They get a little more insight into what a trucker goes through…see what a trucker’s life looks like.  It gives them an opportunity to see how these truckers are proud of their vehicles.  They want them as nice as their houses because that is their house on wheels.  They spend more hours in that truck traveling around than most people spend in their house so they want it to look nice.  The general public can see that these truckers are not just guys pushing iron down the highway.  They are guys who are proud of what they do, they take pride in what they do and they deliver the goods to keep America moving.

---

I want to come back to the word I mentioned earlier: “Pride”.  Truckers don’t just go to truck shows to exhibit their truck.  They take their pride to the show and their truck is physical proof of that pride.   Someone who isn’t immersed in the trucking industry will have a hard time walking away from a truck show without feeling a connection to the incredible machines shown there.  I think they will have a much harder time walking away without feeling the pride and fellowship of the men and women who are the heavy duty trucking industry.

Will James

DPF and the Heavy Duty Trucking Industry

Overview

Emissions standards are becoming more and more strict and the commercial trucking industry is paying a high price. All 2007 and newer trucks are required to come with a Diesel Particulate Filter, or DPF, which is designed to greatly decrease the carbon released through the exhaust system. The DPF does greatly decrease the soot and smoke emitted from a trucks' exhaust stacks. This is a result that is plain to see.

Costs

What is more difficult to see are the costs that the trucking industry is paying. From large fleets to the Owner/Operator, DPF can be costly in both direct expenses as well as time spent at a service center and not on the road. Let's look at some of those expenses. Fuel mileage is a concern to every trucker out there. Rising fuel costs are painful. Rising fuel costs mixed with lower mileage can be deadly to the profitability of people in the heavy duty trucking industry.

Downtime is another enormous concern regarding DPF equipped trucks. Even when repair costs are covered under warranty, time spent having repairs and maintenance equals loss of income. Owning one type of engine may not provide any significant advantage. Different manufacturers have different methods of servicing DPF's. Caterpillar engines need one type of cleaning service whereas Detroit engines require a different method of cleaning. Whether you own a Freightliner, Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt or Volvo, you are required to have a DPF. No one is immune!

The Coming Year

Next year holds another obstacle for us: even stricter standards. 2010 promises more costly changes to the industry. California will require retrofits to existing trucks.

Diesel Particulate Filters do provide a benefit to the environment. But DPF requirements have a direct and troubling cost to the people in the trucking industry. Everyone from fleet operators to owner/operators has to ask themselves, "Do I keep my 2002 model rig that gets 7mpg versus owning a new clean truck?" or "How much more will these new emissions standards hurt our bottom line?"

It is difficult to see these trends and hear our customers telling us that they feel like the deck is stacked against them.

Welcome!

4 State Trucks, home of the Chrome Shop Mafia, is always looking for the best ways to interact with our customers and our fans.

We have recently launched our Facebook page to give you access to great pictures and movies of our truck builds and our team here in Joplin, Missouri.

The purpose of this Blog is to keep working truckers out there informed about news we think you will find interesting and informative. We realize this industry is your livelihood and we're here to help.

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