Texas Pride Trailers’ Remarkable History of Reliability and Customer Satisfaction
Off I-45 in Madisonville, Texas, a success story shines at Texas Pride Trailers, marked by the milestone completion of its 100,000th trailer.
The company has become synonymous with durability, exceptional customer service, and a strong local connection. Founded by owner and CEO Jim Bray, the journey of Texas Pride Trailers is one marked by passion, innovation, and a commitment to quality.
Jim Bray, CEO and Founder of Texas Pride Trailers
Trailblazing Beginnings
Jim Bray’s foray into the trailer industry wasn’t a conventional one. Just 25 years ago, as a full-time delivery driver for Domino’s Pizza, he longed to be his own boss. A series of side hustles, including lawn work, tractors, and eventually flipping utility trailers, uncovered huge demand and business potential.
“Every time I put a trailer in the paper, I knew I could be selling about five or six because the phones wouldn’t stop ringing,” Bray said.
He started to optimistically believe he could assemble and sell multiple trailers in a day.
“I bought a book on welding, bought a machine at Home Depot, and took a few months to figure out where to get the materials. I put the first one together and sold it,” he said. “Pretty quickly I was doing that every single day along with my other job, and after about 3 months, I decided I wasn’t going to work anymore.”
It was then, in 1998, that Texas Pride Trailers was born.
Manufacturing Excellence
Texas Pride Trailers manufactures a diverse range of trailers, including dump trailers, roll-off trailers, lowboys, flatbeds, gravity tilt trailers, power tilt trailers, and car haulers. What sets them apart is not just the variety but the meticulous manufacturing process.
The manufacturing plant spans a vast space of 150,000-200,000 square feet on 50+ acres, with a dedicated workforce of about 400 employees. The process begins with raw materials, including steel sheets, lumber, and axles. The pre-fabrication stage involves putting together the smaller components, leading to main manufacturing. Here, trailers are crafted by 2-man teams or through a traditional assembly line of 18-20 people. The journey continues through cleaning, prepping, priming, painting, wiring, deck laying, and decal placement, and concludes with stringent quality control. The result is a robust, custom-crafted trailer ready for business.
The manufacturing plant spans a vast space of 150,000-200,000 square feet on 50+ acres.
Customer-Centric Approach
What truly distinguishes Texas Pride Trailers is its commitment to customer satisfaction. As CEO, Bray is driven to continuously add value to the company. Bray’s focus extends beyond merely producing trailers — to finding ways to make better trailers, improving marketing strategies, and contributing to the well-being of the workers and the community.
“Most of it is being the visionary of where we need to go and what we need to do to increase the value of the company,” he said.
One significant aspect of their customer-centric approach is the ability to offer customization. Customers can choose from seven base models and an array of additional options to tailor the trailer to their specific needs. The turnaround time for custom builds on medium Dump Trailers is a remarkable two weeks, a stark contrast to the industry norm of 8-12 weeks.
“When we were comparing different trailer manufacturers, Texas Pride Trailers was the only company that could come up with the exact specifications we needed,” says Dale Bowman. “In two weeks, we were taking delivery of our trailer — it’s amazing.”
A technician welds a custom low-boy trailer in the Madisonville, Texas shop.
Direct-Sales Model
Unlike many competitors, Texas Pride Trailers follows a unique business model of manufacturing and selling directly to the public. This control over the entire process, from manufacturing to retail, ensures a seamless and personalized experience. The absence of middleman dealers translates to cost savings, with customers potentially saving 10-20% or more compared to buying through a dealer.
This direct-to-public model allows customers to order the trailer they want with a relatively short turnaround time. This is a departure from the conventional approach of manufacturing trailers and then handing them over to dealers, and puts the customer in control of the entire process.
Buying direct from Texas Pride Trailers allows customers to order the exact trailer they want with a short turnaround time.
Exceptional Customer Service
Customer service is not just a buzzword at Texas Pride Trailers: it’s a cornerstone of their business.
“Not only are we with the customer from the beginning to the end of the buying process, but after the sale is complete, we are here for any other services,” Bray said. “We always want our customers to be happy and stay happy.”
Vice President Devin Davis says the company’s commitment to customers is reflected in its fully staffed service and warranty department, ready to address any concerns customers may encounter with handbooks, product guides, and helpful tips from a wealth of knowledge.
“Service after the sale, to me, is more important than the sale itself,” Davis said. “We’re proving to the customer that we are there for any questions, any advice, anything they need after the sale.”
Helpful sales representatives are on-call to answer questions throughout the buying process and anytime after.
Local Connection and Expansion Plans
Texas Pride Trailers currently operates in nine locations, with Madisonville serving as the headquarters. However, ambitious plans are in place to expand to 20 locations, covering the entire country. The goal is to be within approximately 4 hours of any customer nationwide, ensuring better access to trailers, service, and warranty support.
A significant aspect of this expansion plan involves implementing programs that could potentially reshape the industry. For instance, the company aims to deliver parts to customers within 24 hours of purchase. Additionally, if a customer faces warranty issues, Texas Pride Trailers plans to pick up the trailer, service it, and return it, ensuring a hassle-free experience.
“To me, there’s no other trailer that compares to a Texas Pride Trailer,” says the team at Front Ridge Demo.”I would drive anywhere, wherever they would put their plant, I’d go pick it up.”
Colors are one of many customization options available when buying a Texas Pride Trailer.
Testimonials and Recognition
The success of Texas Pride Trailers is echoed in the testimonials of satisfied customers who can attest to the quality, durability, and unmatched customer service provided by Texas Pride Trailers.
“When I come to Texas Pride, it’s different than buying at most trailer dealerships,” says Bill Dudley. “When you pull up here, you have options; you’re not just driving up and grabbing a trailer. There’s a sales rep who comes out, finds out your particular needs, then designs a trailer for you. When you come back to get your trailer, they spend plenty of time with you. They review the different options you chose, and how to properly use them to work better for your business. I have bought 13 trailers from Texas Pride.”
“I purchased my dump trailer 15 years ago, and since then I’ve had success with it,” says Jim Woodruff. “It’s good quality, lasted a long time, and has served me very well.”
“I come back to Texas Pride because of the quality of the product and because of the quality of service,” says Loren Wilcox. “When you need help with any trailer assistance, they are extremely willing to accommodate and help out. The customer service cannot be beaten here.”
Texas Pride Trailers stands out because of its commitment to durability, exceptional customer service, and a direct-to-public model. With ambitious expansion plans, innovative programs, and a track record of satisfied customers, Texas Pride Trailers is poised to continue its trailblazing journey in the years to come.
