Posted by Adam Diakow May 17, 2013
On Wednesday May 8 Flaman Group of Companies in Medicine Hat held its grand opening to celebrate its new, larger location. We couldn’t have asked for a better day weather-wise, although this meant that most farmers were in the field and unable to attend.
We held a free BBQ lunch and had a great turn out. The official ribbon cutting was done at 12:30 p.m. by the Medicine Hat Chamber of Commerce and also in attendance was the mayor of Medicine Hat Norm Boucher.
To top off the day the Frank Flaman Foundation donated $7,000 to the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter, which is the largest donation they had received to date.
The day couldn’t have gone better for everyone. Thanks to everyone who attended.
For more photos of the event, please visit our Facebook page here
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with new store trailers fitness agriculture rentals Medicine Hat grand opening
As of May 1, 2013, all Flaman Rentals stores and agriculture rental dealers across the prairies will be introducing a new damage waiver fee for all of our equipment rental customers. This new fee is designed to help our customers offset the high cost of equipment repairs if they accidentally damage any rental equipment while in their possession.
By paying this small fee, our customers can now feel good knowing they have coverage for any accidental damage to tools or equipment they rent from Flaman. This coverage could save them hundreds of dollars in repairs.
It’s just one more way Flaman is helping our customers have a positive rental experience, knowing that those expensive pieces of rental equipment are covered while in their possession.
Please stop in or call your nearest Flaman rental store for full details.
Flaman Rentals in Moosomin, Yorkton and Swan River currently offer a similar fee and this will remain unchanged.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with Flaman Rentals rental renting equipment trailers damage waiver fee protection
Posted by Adam Diakow Mar 13, 2013
We’ve been busy these past couple of weeks getting everything moved into our new home at 3377 Gershaw Drive SW. We’re now located at the former Big Wheels dealership off of Highway 3, just half a kilometer south of the airport.
This new, larger location will let us serve our customers better. We will now be offering a service department and a larger rental area. We can carry a larger selection of products, plus we’re in an easy to find location. Whether you need a trailer, agriculture equipment or fitness equipment, Flaman Sales is your one stop shop! Come check out the trailers we have on special!
I invite you to stop by the new store to say hello! We’re looking forward to meeting some new customers and also continuing to serve those of you who previously shopped at Big Wheels. At Flaman Sales, customer service is one of our main goals and we feel this new location will better meet the needs of the community.
Our Grand Opening will be May 8th! Stay tuned for more details soon.
Here is the new store's location.
Posted in Division News | Tagged with new store new location trailers fitness agriculture rentals Flaman Medicine Hat
On Thursday February 7 the Flaman Trailers division team toured the Wells Cargo plant in Ogden, Utah. We toured all areas of the more than 100,000 square foot facility. The team was impressed by the quality control processes at every step and the craftsmanship apparent in the build process.
Wells Cargo staff provided training on all their product lines:
Fast Trac,
Road Force, and the Wells line. In addition to the standard lines, specialized training was provided on
Concession Trailers, Job Shack Trailers,
Mobile Restroom Trailers and Wells Cargo’s impressive custom trailer capability. Last but not least, the Wells Cargo folks were great hosts!
The second day of the meeting was held at the beautiful Ogden Eccles Conference Center in downtown Ogden. All of Flaman’s main manufacturers (
Trailtech,
Southland Trailer Corp,
Diamond C,
Aluma and
ATC Trailers) were present to update the team on model improvements and changes for the coming year.
To cap off the meetings Friday evening, we headed to the Energy Solutions Arena and took in a Utah Jazz basketball game against the Chicago Bulls. All in all, the meeting provided a great learning opportunity that will allow us to better serve you, our customers.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with trailers Flaman Trailer trailer meeting Wells Cargo trailer manufacturers
The end of September is close, and every year at Flaman Trailers we review excess stock we have from the previous year and discount our snowmobile trailers.
All 10 locations have inventory to move, and all inventory is available at all locations (pending shipping). The discounts are deep and the sale will not last long. While there is not every choice you would want (you will have to wait for the new 2013 models for that) there is a lot of choice.
Here are some examples:
- 20’ enclosed steel-framed Summit Series sled trailer with heat
- 26’ all aluminum enclosed NashCar Rage snowmobile trailers
- 20’ two-tone XR Series enclosed sled trailer
- 12’ single axle two-place enclosed all aluminum NashCar Rage snowmobile trailer
- Plus 12’ aluminum and steel open deck sled trailers and 10’ steel and aluminum tilt sled trailers
Winter is coming and these units are starting to move fast, but unlike winter these deals will not last long. Hurry in to your local dealer!
Click
here for the poster with all available inventory at each store.
Click
here to see product details and photos.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with sled trailers snowmobile trailers trailers for sale winter
Every year, Flaman Trailers travels to the North American Trailer Dealer Association
(NATDA) tradeshow to learn about changes in the industry. This year the tradeshow was in St. Louis. This year,
as we have every year, we learned a lot. There are new parts and new trailers coming into the industry and all
manufacturers showcased new improvements to their line ups. This is a great event for the industry. Besides
the product specific learning, we also walked away with three big thoughts.
So what did we learn?
First, the industry is consolidating: like all industries the companies are getting bigger and buying each other. Broadly speaking, this means two things: there will be less manufacturers and thus less choice, but more resources put into the remaining trailer manufacturers, meaning increased quality and options, more innovations and ultimately increased value to the end customer. This is a good trend for the industry.
Second, the industry is growing. The amount of dealers waxes and wanes but the industry leaders are getting bigger and better at what they do. Customers are receiving more pre- and post-sale consideration and care. The dealer network is becoming more professional and more dealers are offering full service solutions. This too is a good trend for the industry.
Last, we learned as we always do, that we have work to do. Flaman Trailers strives to be an industry leader by providing trailers for every use. We have more products to receive training on, and shortly we will have more products to offer, thus more choices to help you find the trailer that specifically meets your needs.
We come out of this event every year with new ideas and new energy, with the ultimate goal of providing more value to our customers. I can already say, I am looking forward to next year.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with trailers trade show NATDA Flaman industry trends new lessons learned
For the third year in a row, Flaman Rentals in Saskatoon has been named a Consumer Choice Award Winner. This division of Flaman rents out enclosed and flat deck trailers, along with agricultural equipment like discs, land rollers or mowers.
I recently attended the Consumer Choice Award ceremony with our marketing VP Steve Whittington at the beautiful Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon. We got to sip champagne and rub elbows with a lot of great business owners in the city, and of course, celebrate our own success!
This award is special because the winners are picked by our customers. It means a lot to us that people recognize our efforts to offer great customer service. We were also very pleased to win a Consumer Choice Award three years in a row. This means our team is consistent taking care of our customers’ needs. And we’re proud of that!
What’s great is that the Consumer Choice Award is becoming a trusted name in the Saskatoon area. Looking at the other winners gathered in the room that night, we knew we were in good company amongst other top businesses in Saskatoon.
A big “thank you!” is due to our rental team in Saskatoon for all their efforts and hard work every day and to our customers for continuing to choose Flaman Rentals.
Steve Whittington (middle) receiving our award from Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison and Consumer Choice Award President Marcel Sbrollini
Jennifer Thompson arriving at the awards ceremony.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with Consumer Choice Award Flaman Rentals trailer rentals agricultural equipment rentals customer service Saskatoon
At Flaman trailers we have offered concession trailers for some time. With the addition of the Wells Cargo line, we can really offer quality concession trailers from a company that knows the industry requirements. We do receive requests for quotes for a concession trailer and they range from pointed requests such as “How much?” to more detailed inquiries.
The fact of the matter is when it comes to a concession trailer purchase, it should always be a detailed inquiry. However, you need to know what questions you should be asking prior to contacting a Trailer Sales specialist.
Here is a list of things to think about. In fact, you can use it as a check list prior to contacting us!
What is the Application of the trailer?
o Food
o Vending
o Line-up
o Display
o Ticket booth
o Other:__________
Size (Select the base box size)
o Single axle 7 wide 12 or 14 long
o Tandem axle 7 wide 12 ,14, 16 long
o Tandem axle 8 wide 12 , 16 ,20, 24, 28, 32 long
Floor
o Flat Floor
o Recessed floor
Roof Profile
o Radius Roof
o Flat Roof
Hitch
o Permanent A-Frame
o Removable
Stabilizer Jacks
o Scissor Jacks
o Corner Posts
Entry Door
o 30” Square
o 36” Square
o 36” Radius
Service Windows -Style
o No (skip next two questions)
o Vertical Style
o Horizontal Style
Service Windows – Quantity
o Curbside
o Roadside
o Front
Lift up Awning – Quantity
o One
o Two
o Three
o More
Lift up Awning Style
o Straight
o Sign type –Aluminum faced
o Sign type Plexiglas Faced
Awning Supports
o Self Storing –standard up to 8’0” wide without supports
o Swing out supports Standard on awnings over 8’0” wide
o Gas Piston Supports
o Sliding Awning Supports
Floors
o One piece standard vinyl linoleum
o One piece Heavy Duty skid resistant vinyl linoleum
o Other
Insulation
o No
o Walls
o Ceiling
Interior Side Walls
o Plywood
o White vinyl covered plywood (light duty)
o White embossed FRP plywood (heavy duty)
Interior Ceiling
o White vinyl covered plywood (light duty)
o White embossed FRP plywood (heavy duty)
Counter/Cabinets/Shelves
o Laminated Counter (no cabinet)
o Exterior Hinged Counter
o Tip-out Laminated Counter
o Base Cabinet
o Overhead Cabinet
o Overhead Plastic Storage trays
Sink Units
o 3 compartment sink – Straight
o 4 compartment sink – Straight
o 4 compartment sink – L -shaped
o 4 compartment sink – Deep
Electrical
o 30 amp service panel (120 Volt only)
o 50 amp service panel (120/240 Volt)
o 100 amp service panel (120/240 Volt)
o 120 Volt Duplex Receptacle(s)
o 120 Volt Duplex GFI receptacle(s)
o 240 Volt Bell Box (Stub Wire)
o Exterior 120 Volt Duplex GFI Receptacles
And this is just the start! Do you need and air conditioning, heating, lighting or a vent with an exhaust fan? The list goes on, but if you go through the checklist first you will have a good idea about what you need and the product specialist will be better equipped to answer your question: “How Much?”
Posted in New Products | Tagged with concession trailer ticket trailer ticket booth food trailer Flaman trailers custom trailer
It may be summer, but there are a few people who are getting excited about snowmobiling next winter. Gerald Serson of Regina recently traveled to Saskatoon to pick up his grand prize from our Sled’N Snap Photo Contest. He won the use of an enclosed snowmobile trailer for a year!
More than 860 photos were submitted to Sled’N Snap from across Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba. The grand prize winner was determined by public voting. Just over 27,600 votes were cast for the top 20 finalists.
Gerald says he was “pretty excited” to hear he’d won the trailer. There are four people in his family who snowmobile, and he says he’ll get great use of it. His winning photo was taken at a warm up shack in Hudson Bay this past January while Serson was sledding with his family.
“This photo contest has opened people’s eyes to snowmobiling,” Serson says. “I think some people didn’t realize what’s out there for shelters and trails and all the wildlife you can see.” He believes this contest will help promote the sport and more people will want to try snowmobiling next winter.
Random draw winners were also selected by the sled associations for a 2-place tilt sled trailer. The winners were:
Charity Jarduk, Yorkton
Todd Lander, Rocky Mountain House
Treena Massey, Winnipeg
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with Sled'N Snap photos photo contest winners sled trailer
Flaman Rentals has just finished producing and distributing the new Rental Rate Flyer for our eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba rental stores. It contains details and safety information as well as rental rates on all of our most popular equipment.
A mass mailing was done in early March to farmers and business in these areas and it is also available to download off this site.
We hope that you will find it useful and informative and like the catalogue says, if you don’t see what you need in here, please call any of our branches and we will be glad to help find it for you. Our rental inventory is constantly being added to so that we can better serve the needs of our customers and their diverse markets.
When you think rentals, think Flaman!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with rentals equipment Flaman rates flyer construction agriculture trailers
I have been in the trailer industry for a long time: 3 years as a marketing consultant to the industry, 6 years as General Manager of a trailer manufacturer and 4 years running retail dealerships. Despite all this experience, I still get overwhelmed by the diversity of choice offered to a customer in today’s market place.
Unlike the auto industry, there are hundreds of large trailer manufacturers and thousands of small players. The dealerships to buy from range from a small, one-man band to professional, fully staffed dealerships that emulate the auto dealership model.
So how does a customer choose what and where to buy?
Some of you reading this may not be close to a Flaman Trailer Dealership. (If you are in Western Canada you are never far, as there are ten locations.) Either way, when choosing a dealership to deal with, think about the following: How long has the dealership been in business? Do they carry brand name manufacturers? Do they offer service and parts? What are my product choices? Is there a range from good to best? Why does any of this matter?
How long has a dealership been in business? As a consumer you may think this does not matter anymore, as many old companies have been swept under the rug lately. Fair enough, but do consider this; a company that has been around for a while is doing something right. That something is always about the how the customer is treated.
Brand Names: For trailers, let's compare two brands: Trailtech and Blue Hill trailers. If you live in Western Canada, you know the quality of build that Trailtech represents and you know that brand will take care of its retailers and by default you, the customer. Who is Blue Hill? Well, they are in Texas. I honestly do not know much more. Would you buy a car you have never heard of? Then why buy a trailer that you have never heard of?
Service and Parts: Would you buy a car from a dealership that cannot perform a service check? Not a new car anyway. Not all trailer dealerships provide this commitment to their customers. I personally believe there is duty of care that a responsible dealer should be able to provide to its customer.
Product Range Choices: As a consumer you want to be able to choose the best fit for you. If you are a four times a year user, you will need a certain grade of trailer with the appropriate price for that use. If you are a construction company owner, you want a certain grade of trailer to take the work stress you will put on the trailer. The point is, when you come to the lot you want to be able to make these choices and buy what you need, not what a sales person pressures you to buy because that is what the dealership offers. At Flaman Trailers we believe in providing choice: good, better, best. You pick.
Does it always come down to price? Well I hope not – as a retailer the fight for the lowest price is a race to the bottom. You never win and never create a sustainable customer orientated business, unless you cut all services, amenities and after sale care. That is not the Flaman Trailer customer-focused business model. That said, at Flaman we do often have the lowest prices due to our buying power, and we often have the highest prices due to our product offering. Our sales team will consult you as to which grade (good, better, best) of trailer you need and then you pick.
I hope this has been helpful. It is difficult to choose sometimes in this congested marketplace.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with trailer brand name manufacturer service parts choosing a trailer Flaman
Well, we finally have snow!
It's actually looking like winter now in many parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta. This is good news for snowmobilers, who can finally get out on the trails and have some fun. And the snow is good news if you're looking to buy a trailer. At Flaman Trailers, we're celebrating the snowfall by passing on some great savings to you on snowmobile trailers.
You need a trailer to get to where you can go sledding. You may need one for storing your sleds. Currently there are sales, clearance items and manufacturer rebates on trailers. Now is really the best time to buy.
Posted in Division News | Tagged with snowmobile trailers sled trailers enclosed trailers trailer sale snow winter snowmobiling
A new website has been created to get the message out about safe sledding to local snowmobilers.
Sled’N Snap (www.slednsnap.com) is an online photo contest and community forum that celebrates snowmobiling in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association and Flaman Group of Companies recently launched the new website as a way to reach out to the sledding community.
“Our biggest challenge is getting the message out to our many members about safe and courteous riding,” says Chris Brewer, President and CEO of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association. “This contest is a fun and interactive way to spread the word to a larger audience.”
“But it’s more than just a photo contest. It’s a destination site for anyone who snowmobiles. There are links to trail maps, articles about safety, a tips forum and more.”
Sled’N Snap’s premise is simple – visitors to the site upload their photos in a variety of categories like Trail/Scenery/Wildlife, Youth and Family, Action!, or Club Rides. At the end of March, the photos will be judged by an association panel who will select a group of finalists and then the public will vote for the grand prize winner.
Up for grabs is the use of the amazing, fully-loaded Stealth aluminum enclosed sled trailer for one year. There are also category prizes from the Saskatchewan Association and every entry is eligible for the random draw for a new two-place aluminum tilt trailer from Flaman Trailers.
And it’s a way for snowmobilers across the province to share memories and common experiences. They can leave comments on photos or share pictures on Facebook. “One of the submitted photos is of a cabin that’s used as a shelter, and someone’s already commented on how they remember going to that same place,” says Brewer.
The submission period for the photo contest ends March 31, 2012. To be eligible for any prizes, entrants must have a registered sled. For more information, visit www.slednsnap.com. Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with SledN Snap sleds sledding snowmobiling photos photography trailers prizes
This season the diversity of choice for a sled trailer can be daunting. There are many brands, different dealers, options and types to choose from.
Let me try to take you through the choices with a bunch of comparison points as follows: Canadian versus American, steel versus aluminum, open versus enclosed, enclosed 7 wide versus 8.5 ft wide deck over, heated versus not heated and dealer versus dealer.
1) Canadian versus American. Let me start by writing “buy Canadian eh” whenever possible. There, I put it in writing. Not to get political but come on, if you can, support a Canadian company. That said, of the Canadian brands that provide sled trailers, the two leading players are Southland Trailers with their XR Series and Trailtech with their heavy duty steel trailers. There are others in the West notably Rainbow Trailers, Agassiz Trailers and CJay Trailers; however, their choice offering is less than the leading two. That said, the American companies do a good job, the problem is how fluid the industry is. Many companies rise and fall quite quickly (such as Pace American which recently shut its doors). Despite this, competition in the US is thick and there are all kinds of options to choose from, but beware of what you are buying and from whom. At Flaman Trailers we partner with the two leading Canadian companies and several American companies to round out our offering.
2) Steel versus aluminum. The debate rages, but there are some simple facts. Aluminum is lighter and does not rust, but it costs about a 1/3 more. Steel is stronger and on an enclosed unit it is only the tip of the trailer and the tail that is really going to show any rust. On an open deck there is a little more exposure. With the weight factor, several hundred pounds with a regular pick up makes a heck of a difference for hauling. For instance a two place aluminum open can weigh as little as 480 lb., while a two place steel open can weigh as much as 1345 lb.
3) Open versus enclosed. To be honest, it comes down to available storage, usage and budget. If you have lots of room to store your trailers in for the summer, there’s no need for an enclosed trailer otherwise. As for usage, how many a times a year will you be trailering and how far? Do you need an enclosed staging area? The amount of time you have to spend cleaning grime off your sled gets older every time. That being said, if you are hauling only a few times or short distances, get an open deck trailer, save some money and put it into your sled.
4) Enclosed lowboy/7 ft wide versus enclosed 8.5 ft wide deck over. Traditionally, if you wanted to haul sleds in Canada you purchased an 8.5’ wide deck over trailer. Your sleds parked side by side and loading and unloading was easy through the rear and front ramp. The 8.5’ wide deck over trailers, while convenient for loading, are big and if you have a steel frame trailer you need a big truck to haul your big trailer. Lowboy and 7 ft wide trailers are easier to pull and the 7 ft wide is a more convenient multi-use trailer in the off season than the 8.5 ft deck over. You can also see around the 7 wide and 8 wide lowboys with your mirrors when hauling. But loading is tricky, and you will not be walking in your trailer when loaded, there simply is no room.
5) Heated versus not heated. To heat or not to heat is a question many a customer has. The benefits of heat are obvious, but are you going to use it enough to justify the added expense? Only you can be the judge of that.
6) Dealer versus dealer. There are many dealers selling sled trailers. Your choices are many but should be made based on product knowledge, service and after sales support – not price! The trailers are all priced differently for a reason. If something is less or more at different dealers it is due to features, product quality and support the dealership offers. Educate yourself and purchase from a professional that will help you choose the best sled trailer for you.
Hope this helps!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with snowmobile trailers sled trailers trailer open flat deck enclosed highboy lowboy deck over steel aluminum Canadian
The days are getting colder, Halloween has come and gone and this means Sled Trailer season has started!
Flaman Trailers is excited for the start of the season. Flaman Trailers has already been to the Alberta Snowmobile show and the Saskatchewan Snowmobile show.
We have more product choices for you than ever before. Starting with the economical offering of our steel framed Summit Series trailers to the all flat black Stealth trailer from NashCar Trailers, we truly have a trailer for every sled. Our open deck line has expanded as well. Aluminum tilt trailers with a five year warranty are always popular units. For the 2012 season Trailtech has produced a special edition open deck two place. It is an eye catcher with flat black paint, silver reflective tape, white LED lighting and series 7 aluminum rims.
However, the show stopper is the ultimate custom Stealth 40 foot long gooseneck. This trailer features mirrored interior walls, black hard top flooring, a kitchenette, a rocking stereo system with no less than 4 subs, air conditioning, a 40,000 BTU heater, insulated generator set...and the list goes on and on.
Last and most exciting is the new photo contest Sled'N Snap (www.slednsnap.com). Flaman Trailers partnered with the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba snowmobile associations to bring this exciting contest to the sledding community. The contest has it all: six categories to enter into, an entry prize of a two place aluminum tilt trailer per province, and the grand prize, use of a 28’ tag Stealth trailer for a year.
So this winter season there is a lot going on at Flaman Trailers. Check back often to keep in the loop.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with sled trailer snowmobile snow flat decks enclosed aluminum
In many ways this product is nothing new, but this product is part of new specialization occurring with trailer products. Let me explain.
Living Quarter units for horse trailers have been around for a long time and the idea originated from cowboys tired of sleeping in the trucks and being on the rodeo circuit more than they were at home.
This evolved to include weekend riders and then weekend warriors thus the RV industry followed suit creating toy haulers. In many ways the living quarters began to outstrip the original purpose of the trailers which was move something somewhere.
In my career, the need for simple sleeping accommodation with a trailer has been a constant request. Over the years the options have been as follows:
- High End LQ units
- Custom built units
- Customer modified units (customer takes a stock unit and makes what they need)
- Unit vented and the customer throws in a mattress
- A Simple pull out allows for affordable, quick, comfortable accommodation.
- The pull out allows for full use of the trailer box
- The unit can be customized for different cargo (extra height for side by side units, or extra length) or more features: Awning, Stereo, water, base cabinets, the list goes on.
- The unit is all aluminum so it will not rust, light to pull plus it is stylishly designed (the triple wedge front really stands out)
So if you are looking for a trailer which can haul all your toys and then provide decent sleeping accommodation the Nash Car Rage Camper is your unit.
Ask any of our product specialists for more details.
Tell us what you think? Has the missing link between camper and hauler finally been filled?
Posted in Product Information | Tagged with Toy Hauler Camper Trailer Camper Trailers Toy Trailers Toy Trailers Toy Hauler Trailers Living Quarter Trailer
The trailer industry has traditionally been a fairly static industry. Take the decade from 1998 to 2008: there were few developments other than more wide-spread use of enclosed trailers.
The last three years have witnessed an explosion of developments. A lot of these developments have been with hydraulics. For instance, Roll Off Dump trailers, multi-deck trailers, 9’ hydraulic tails and more hydraulic tilt models than ever before.
What does this mean for you, a user of trailers? The hydraulics add cost, but not as much as before; because of the increased use of scissor lifts, the costs have been driven down by economies of scale. There is also a big increase in ease of use or just downright convenience. The flip over ramps on an industrial trailer are nothing but heavy and awkward and a hydraulic tail is pretty nice to use in comparison.
The other thing besides convenience is versatility. Some of the hydraulic trailers are multi-function. Heck, one unit is called “Multi-Deck”, and a Roll Off Dump unit can roll on a cargo or flat deck attachment, making it “three trailers in one.”
All this being said, there are, as always, financial considerations. The Roll Off Dump while being “three trailers in one” only starts to provide a cost advantage by the third attachment. One could make the argument that you could buy three trailers instead of one. The same kind of argument can be made for a Multi-Deck. Granted, I am comparing two or three entry levelled priced units to these top end units, but that still has to be a consideration. To be fair, one has to put operating costs in the equation; the hydraulic units have only the operating costs of one versus three, which is a point worth considering.
I can rant and rant about the pluses and minuses of the recent influx of hydraulic trailers. I do believe they are here to stay and I do believe they have a place and application. In some cases they not only make sense, but considering the alternative, an operator would be crazy not to have one given the choices available.
So are they the next big trend? Well no, I think trailer specialization is the next big trend and hydraulic units are just a part of that trend....but that is another topic for another time.
Posted in Product Information | Tagged with Hydraulic Trailers tilt trailers dump trailers roll off trailers tilt trailer multi-deck trailer
This spring has been a very different one for many producers in the prairies, from near disastrous flooding in the southern parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, to drought in northern Alberta and B.C. It seems that nothing is predictable in the agricultural sector anymore (if it ever was).
One thing is certain for all producers, in all provinces: we need all the help we can get. That is why Flaman Rentals has once again expanded our network of dealers, as well as the large line of products carried.
In Saskatchewan we’d like to welcome our newest dealers: B & A Petroleum, having enjoyed great success in their Maple Creek location, has now expanded into Assiniboia. In Blaine Lake you can now go to Blair Industrial and see Blair for all your rental needs and last but not least…. Andres Inc is now our newest dealer in Windthorst.
In Alberta we’re happy to announce these dealers to serve you better: visit Brian Headon of Headon Rentals in the Lloydminster and surrounding trading area, Dunvegan Fab and Welding in the Fairview area and Whitetail Ventures in the High Level and La Crete areas.
And what better way to mark this expansion then to introduce our new Flaman Rentals website. Please take some time to navigate the site and see what we have to offer. We think you’ll find it very user-friendly and informative. And check out the Flaman Rental dealer closest to you!
Posted in Division News | Tagged with rentals new website dealers ag equipment trailers Saskatchewan Alberta
For the second year in a row, Flaman Rentals has received the Consumer Choice Award for the best Equipment Rental dealer in Saskatoon.
“This award speaks well for the service we strive to give our customers,” says Ellery Erb, the rentals manager at Flaman Sales and Rentals in Saskatoon.
“Our goal is to have quality equipment and trailers to suit the customer’s needs, friendly service at the counter and fair pricing. I think all of those factors combined are what helped us win this award again.”
Consumer Choice Awards are handed out annually in cities across Canada in a variety of categories. The awards are based on answers from accurate surveys conducted by a third party research firm, Leger Marketing. Leger Marketing looks at various industries in each city and interviews a sample of people that represents the majority of that city’s population.
The first round of research determines the nominees for each category and a second survey asks people which of the nominated companies is their choice for the year.
Erb says it’s especially important that this award was voted on by customers, as customer service is the rental division’s number one goal.
This year’s awards were presented at a dinner and gala June 23 at TCU Place attended by a host of dignitaries including Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant-Governor Saskatchewan’s David Barnhart and Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison.
Flaman Rentals in Saskatoon employs four full time employees and offers a fleet of 48 trailers and various agricultural equipment for rent.
Steve Whittington, an executive at Flaman, accepts the Consumers Choice Award for Flaman Rentals in Saskatoon.
Posted in Division News | Tagged with Rentals Consumer Choice Award trailers equipment Flaman award customers Saskatoon
At Flaman Trailers, we’re dedicated to customer service. So much so, that if you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you!
That was the motto behind one of our salesman’s recent trip to Fort McMurray. Aaron Farrell, a trailer specialist at the north Edmonton store, loaded up a H370 flat deck trailer with a XR7 cargo trailer and an Aluma 638 utility trailer and headed up north To Fort McMurray on June 3 and 4.
This is the first time Flaman Trailers has gone on the road. Not long ago Aaron was looking through his customer list and noticed that many of them were form Fort McMurray. Talking with his customers, they expressed some difficulty in getting trailers up there. Many of them made the drive down to Edmonton.
“I thought: why not go up there? I had nothing to lose,” Aaron says.
He set up shop at the Fountain Tire in the MacKenzie industrial area, displaying the trailers on government land right in front of the store so everyone could see them as they drove by. Although Aaron says he had a bit of bad weather on the first day, the set up worked. He even sold the utility trailer on the spot.
“Lots of people were pulling over on the side of the road,” he says. “Many recognized the ad we had put in the paper. I talked to about 24 people over the 2 days I was there. It was great!”
Feeling confident, the second day he was there Aaron pulled his trailer over to a mall parking lot and set up for a few hours, where he also got a lot of traffic. He says he got a lot of interest from the oil field in equipment haulers and flat decks, but also a lot of interest in cargo trailers.
Aaron says he would “absolutely” like to take Flaman Trailers on the road again, and plans to go back to Fort McMurray.
Posted in Division News | Tagged with trailers Flaman cargo utility Fort McMurray flatdeck
Often the perception is that utility trailers are the bottom rung of the trailer world when it comes to build construction. Granted, the $899 bolt together group of products with 8” tires at the big box stores are well...garbage. Tough words I know, but I have been around long enough and have had to deal with the aftermath of customers' price point purchases to write that strong language.
Things are shifting with manufacturers and trailer retailers, especially at Flaman Trailers. Speciality manufacturers and retailers like Flaman Trailers and Trailtech have recognized a customer need in this area and we are now supplying utility trailers that are quality built at a value.
Are these trailers $899? Well no, they are not. They start at $1,115 or in all aluminum by Aluma for $1,550. These are not bolt together units. They are welded, they have torsion axles or 3500 lb spring axles, some with aluminum rims and the smallest tire is 13” rubber. The steel utilities are generally sporting 15” rubber most of the time.
These are quality built units for only a few dollars more and I believe worth your consideration.
Posted in New Products | Tagged with utility trailers cheap trailers well built utility trailers
No, we’re not opening a new Flaman Trailers location in Siberia. But an interesting story unfolded this past March where trailers purchased from Flaman Trailers in Nisku played a background, but important, role in taking some special guests to the northern Russian region.
Parks Canada moved 30 Wood Bison calves from Elk Island National Park in Alberta to Lenskie Stolby National Nature Park in Sakha, Russia as a way to preserve the animals’ endangered population. This move created what is called an “out-population” in a region where bison went extinct thousands of years ago. Essentially, having these bison in Russia is an insurance policy, in case anything happens to the vulnerable population here in Canada.
So where does Flaman Trailers fit into all this? Well, as one woman quips in the documentary of the bison’s journey filmed by Discovery Channel, you can’t transport the bison in passenger seats.
The 30 calves were loaded into Southland stock trailers purchased from Flaman to make the one hour trip to Edmonton International Airport. These loaded trailers were then put on a Russian transport plane for the 10 hour flight to Yakutsk, Russia, then continued on a four hour drive along bumpy roads and a frozen river to the nature park.
These trailers had been in Russia since 2006, after they carried bison there as part of a pilot project. Almost five years later, as they were given the once over before the bison were loaded in, the trailers looked “excellent” according to the General Trades Assistant at Elk Island. I think it’s a testament to the quality of these Southland units – not only their durability but the fact they were trusted with carrying such precious cargo.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with Flaman Trailers Southland stock Nisku bison Discovery Channel
Posted by Mark Flaman May 02, 2011
Every two years we replace the rental trailers in our fleets across all of our stores. We combine our pre-existing used inventory with our ‘birthday’ (clearance) trailers and add the trailers that come out of our rental fleets to make the largest trailer sale in our organization. We are currently clearing out over 350 trailers across western Canada, and we are sure we’ve got one to fit your bill. From small shuttle trailers, to motorcycle trailers, to car haulers, to dump trailers, to goosenecks, you’ll be hard pressed to find something we don’t have in our used inventory. Everything from aluminum to steel, light-duty to heavy-duty, in all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes. All trailers go through our service centers for a full inspection before they are put into our used inventory.
Stop in at your nearest FLAMAN dealer, or visit our used selection online HERE.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with trailer sale spring clearance used flaman rentals low cost pre-owned
We are excited that as of April 1 Flaman Group of Companies took ownership of Wayne’s Rental Centre in Moosomin. The Moosomin store will be expanded into a full size yard site like Flaman Sales in Yorkton, and will sell a full line of ag implements and equipment—such as bins, aeration fans, grain carts and grain augers—and will include a store with a full retail area, fitness equipment, service bays and a rental area. The store will be managed locally by Peter Nabholz and the general manager will be Tyson Becker who works out of the Yorkton store. There will be a close relationship between the Yorkton, Swan River and Moosomin locations so if an item is not available in Moosomin we can bring it in from Yorkton or Swan River.
L-R: Peter Nabholz, Charlene Swanton, Darren Kindlein, Wayne Beckett and Randy Fyke
The Moosomin location is currently looking to buy about 12 acres of land to build a new store on and be in the new location by 2013. Until then the store will operate out of the former Wayne’s Rental Centre. Almost a million dollars of rental equipment, trailers, water fittings, pumps and water tanks will be added to inventory.
The Yorkton store started 15 years ago with just one employee and has evolved into a store with 25 employees. We can see the same thing happening in Moosomin.
Moosomin is a very strong community and a good fit for the Flaman Group. We have a lot of customers in the Moosomin area that have supported us over the years and we felt a need to be there to look after and serve them better.
Wayne Beckett decided to sell to Flaman Group as he sees us as a well-run company that values its employees and customers. As a family-run company, the Flaman Group looks after its staff and places a lot of importance on being a part of each community it’s in. In the future the Moosomin store hopes to work with local charities as Flaman’s philosophy is to give back to the community as much as we can.
If you are in the Moosomin area stop in, say hi and see what our new store has to offer.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with new store Moosomin Flaman agriculture trailers fitness store opening
The 2011 Lightning line by Southland Trailer Corp has been redesigned away from a V-nose back to the traditional flat front.
Economy without Comprise
Sure it's a tag line, but really what else should I write, because the line is the proper description for the Lightning trailer. Sometimes you do not want a trailer with all the bells and whistles - you might be a customer that is only going to use a trailer several times a year, or maybe you have just started a business and cash is tight. Either way with the new Lightning line, Flaman Trailers has the trailer for you.
The new Lightning line has an all tubing main frame. The interior is lined with plywood not luan and the units ride on robust spring axles. Sure the aluminum skin is mechanically fastened with screws and the the lights are incandescent as opposed to LED lighting, but these are standard specifications for this class of trailer. The rear taillights are rubber mounted and most LED lights are fix mounted. I personally still debate whether a rubber mounted LED which can absorb travel shock will last longer than a fixed mounted LED with has to take the full jarring impact of the road.
As mentioned above, the unit is a flat front in the traditional style of enclosed trailers and conforms to the standard box sizes. You, our customer, have been asking for an entry level priced unit and through consultation with our partner manufacturer this line up is it.
Canadian made, Canadian value, Flaman Trailer services what we sell. Come to our locations and see the new Lightning trailers starting at $2,995.
Posted in Product Information | Tagged with trailers enclosed Lightning Southland
The first thing you need to do is qualify what your intended use is:
- Often (2- 5 times a week)
- Frequent (2 -5 times a month)
- Infrequent (2 -5 times a year)
Next set of basic questions you need to answer are as follows:
- Size required
- Payload to be hauled
- Any special requirements (i.e. extra tie downs)
Armed with this information you should have an idea of the amount and type of use required from your future trailer. This will help you pick a unit in the quality class you need.
The trailer world is divided much like the car world into classes of trailers of different quality, for simplicity at Flaman Trailers we simply say:
The differences between the classes depend on the type of trailer, enclosed, flat deck or utility: However some generalities are as follows:
As you move towards best the strength of the frame increases, for instance a good trailer may have all light channel construction, a better many combine tubing steel with heavier channel steel with the best unit being built entirely with HSS (High Structural Steel) tubing.
The same sequence will occur with the features on the units.Good trailers will have a straight springaxle, Better a torsion while Best may have an adjustable torsion.
So knowing the quality of the unit you require will help you and a trailer product specialist pick your required unit.
Another major item to consider is who are you buying from? There are so many manufacturers and dealers popping up that have only been in business for a few years one must question whether they will be present down the road to service your unit, or provide warranty.
Flaman Trailers has been in business for over 50 years as have several other dealers, but not many so be aware! Buy from accredited dealerships that can support you and the product you have purchased. Your trailer needs to be serviced at least annually and you want a dealership that cantake care of you. The final and a very important consideration is the trailer brand which you are purchasing. Flaman has partner manufacturers that have been in business for many years, known in the industry, and stand behind their products. As well Flaman Trailers support Canadian manufacturers. Trailtech Inc and Southland Trailer Corp are the two largest and oldest Canadian manufacturers that build for Canadian conditions. Do you think a trailer built in Texas has the heavy gauge wire to stand up to a Canadian winter?
So there are a lot of things to consider but to summarize
- Determine the amount of use and what you need to haul
- Determine the class of trailer that will work for you
- Chose a dealer that has a proven track record in the industry
- Pick a quality brand of trailer. (I would pick Canadian)
All the other details in between a professional trailer product specialist will be able to guide you through… have fun!
Posted in Trailer Tips | Tagged with how-to information trailer tips
Well, there are many reason to buy an aluminum trailer vs a traditional steel trailer. Firstly Aluminum is lighter by 35- 45% which means your payload is going to be higher than a steel trailer with the same axle rating. Generally though most aluminum trailers have a lighter axles than their steel counterparts but are still able to offer the same payload. This equals a less weight to haul (better fuel economy) and your trailer is easier to move around when hitching up.
Another big advantage of aluminum is that it does not rust nor will you have a rotting wood deck to replace (considering you purchased an aluminum decked trailer). A simple acid wash brings the shine of the trailer immediately back.
One of the main misperceptions about aluminum trailers is that aluminum is not as strong as steel. Actually pound for pound aluminum can be two and half times as strong as steel. The extruded shape and type of aluminum used provides a higher tensile strength. Finally if aluminum was weaker why are airplanes made of it?
Posted in Product Information | Tagged with aluminum Aluma trailer tips information
