CARES Act Offers Significant Tax Savings for Small Businesses

The Ledwell Made Guarantee

There has never been a better time to buy Ledwell equipment! 2020 has been a tough year for many, but thanks to the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), which was signed into law in March, you can deduct current year tax losses against income from a prior tax year and receive an immediate tax refund.

CARES Act offers tax savings on Ledwell equipmentWhat does that mean for you?

Suppose you had strong years leading up to 2020. In that case, you can potentially generate a refund from prior years’ taxes that creates working capital now.

The U.S. Government’s Section 179 write-off deduction allows small businesses to write off as much as $1.04 million in qualifying purchases of equipment financed or purchased and put into service between Jan. 1, 2020, and the end of the day on Dec. 31, 2020. Because of the CARES Act, for this year only, you can amend your tax returns up to 5 years back and get refunds on tax you paid in prior years if your deprecation allowance and losses are more than your profits.

That means you can take advantage of today’s lower corporate tax rates—21% in 2020 compared to 35% in 2015—to apply significant tax savings to your truck and trailer purchases.

Plus, bonus depreciation allows up to 100% depreciation on qualified new and used equipment—including any Ledwell equipment.

Don’t delay! You can purchase or finance equipment in 2020 and claim a deduction for these items’ costs under the existing bonus depreciation rules.

Any of the equipment we sell at Ledwell qualifies for this deduction. To order yours today, contact our sales team or browse our website.

Get Low With the Ledwell HydraTilt Truck

Ledwell custom hydraulic trail truck - HydraTilt Truck
Ledwell custom hydraulic trail truck - HydraTilt Truck

What do you get when you take a HydraTail Truck and add a unified hinge and hydraulic tilt deck? Ledwell’s groundbreaking, patent-pending HydraTilt Truck

“We saw an opportunity to create a more versatile truck. One that takes up less space on the street, accommodates low ground clearance equipment, has a shorter bed height, and has a deck that tilts high enough to unload containers.”

“We’ve had a lot of success in the rental industry with our HydraTail truck, but even those customers were having trouble with getting some of their lower ground clearance equipment over the tail and hinge easily,” said Ledwell engineer Gary Gathright.

The truck’s innovative design centers around what the Ledwell team calls a unified hinge.

“When you hinge the deck and tail off of the same piece, when they’re parallel with each other, there’s no step-down like you’d get with two hinges,” he said. “It’s an easier loading situation, and you can more easily slide things off, like a container or non-powered equipment.”

Gary said the HydraTilt Truck can be positioned to result in a loading configuration similar to the rollback, but it’s 5 3/4 inches lower in transport mode.

“That makes it easier on the drivers loading the equipment and creates a lower center of gravity, so you have a more stable platform when you’re driving,” he said. “And you can haul larger equipment.”

The HydraTilt Truck’s smaller loading and unloading space makes it an asset in urban areas.

“When you’re on a crowded downtown street, you want to take up as little room as possible as you load and unload,” Gary said. “It makes for a safer environment for the driver unloading the equipment, and it’s safer for the public in general because you’re not taking up multiple driveways or blocking the street.”

The Ledwell team ultimately designed the HydraTilt Truck to make customers’ lives easier.

“This is simply an extension of what we have done for nearly 75 years, which is to take feedback from our customers and create the equipment they need,” he said.

Learn more about the Ledwell HydraTilt Truck

Choosing a Grapple: Which Rotobec Attachment is Best for You?

Ledwell Demolition Dump with Rotobec Grapple Attachment

If you’re in the market for a grapple truck or attachment, you can’t beat industry-leading Rotobec grapples. Rotobec launched its revolutionary rotating hydraulic system in the forestry industry. Later, the company expanded its product offerings to include recycling, waste handling, railroad maintenance, and construction and bulk material handling.

Which grapple will work best for you? Rotobec has a wide selection of grapples designed for specific industries and job applications.

Ledwell Demolition Dump with Rotobec Grapple Attachment

Forestry & Logging

Excavators, material handlers, and log loaders need tough grapples that can adapt to various situations. If you’re looking for something versatile, Rotobec’s Log Grapples, Combination Grapples, and Rotobec Power Attachments fit the bill. Rotobec’s Pulpwood Grapples and Butt’n Top Grapples load and unload trucks efficiently.

Industrial Jobs

Industrial grapples handle a variety of materials in any environment imaginable. Rotobec’s Clamshell Buckets are available in multiple sizes and configurations. The Demolition Power Attachment Grapple is built with thicker, stronger steel. Rotobec’s Pipe & Pole Handing Series Grapples safely handle utility poles and gas lines.

Waste Handling

Rotobec offers grapple attachments for each step of the waste handling and waste removal process, with specialized units for trash, compaction, sorting/demolition, and waste collection. Plus, they offer multi-purpose, and waste collection grapples that make roadside pickup and storm cleanup quicker and more efficient.

Scrap Metal

If it isn’t tough, you don’t want to use it for scrap metal. Rotobec is an industry leader in durable, tough, innovative products for scrap metal handling. Their Orange Peel Grapple has a fully guarded, hose-less cylinder design that reduces the risk of hydraulics damage. The Demolition RPA’s 360-degree rotation allows for more flexibility in motion than traditional dangle style rotation grapples.

Railway Operations

Need to move railroad ties? Look no further than Rotobec’s rail grapples. The Tie Bundle Grapple can handle 5-9 tie-wide bundles, and the Loose Tie Grapple helps collect and move ties without bringing shale along.

Storm Chasers

Hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and floods can cause catastrophic damage and leave behind an immense amount of debris. Storm chasers need dump trucks outfitted with a versatile, multi-purpose loader and grapple combination that can handle a variety of materials, such as the Rotobec Elite 910 + Waste Collection Grapple.

Authorized Rotobec Dealer

Looking for a do-everything package? Pair a Rotobec loader and grapple with a Ledwell Dump Truck for a powerful machine that’ll get the job done.

As an authorized Rotobec dealer with the quickest turnaround times in the industry, we can build a truck to your specs and ship it out when you need it, where you need it. Learn more.

Contact us to discuss which Rotobec attachment will best meet your needs.

Manufacturing Hands Free Door Opener to Minimize Risk

Ledwell employee packing Tread+Pull our latest innovation
Hands free door opener from Ledwell - Tread+Pull
Tread+Pull for sale from Ledwell

As a manufacturer, we have continued to work the past couple of months to keep our customers moving.

Employee safety remained top of mind during this time, as we’ve worked on practicing social distancing and limiting the number of surfaces our employees come in contact with.

Enter the Tread + Pull – a hands free door opener.

Sparked by an idea from Electronics Specialist Phillip Anderson, this hands-free door opener allows people to open most doors hands-free. Step on the metal bracket secured at the base of a door to pull it open using their feet only.

Designing and creating these door openers took a team effort. Multiple shops were involved in the process of manufacturing the Tread + Pull.

One shop cut the material while another shaped it into its unique shape. Our Machine Shop refined the edges to be smooth while the Graphics Department designed and printed the installation instructions and the decals for the Tread + Pull and door. Then, multiple people in our Shipping and Receiving warehouse packaged and shipped over a thousand around the country.

Our customers are top priority – that’s why we are making the Tread + Pull available for you to purchase. Prevent the spread of germs while staying fully operational with this simple product that fits most doors.

Contact our Parts Department to learn more about the Tread + Pull or to order for your facility.

Share your experience with the Tread + Pull over on our Facebook page. Be sure to use #ledwellmade.

Stay safe and healthy!

Winning at Innovation: Ledwell Solar Lift Loading Ramp

Solar Loading Ramp by ledwell
Solar Loading Ramp by ledwell

If you are looking for the next innovative piece of equipment – look to Ledwell! Our Solar Lift Loading Ramp is the 2020 Innovative Product Award, Miscellaneous Category winner – presented by RER Magazine.

During a typical workday, the goal is usually to get the most done, in the shortest amount of time and in the most organized way possible. Efficiency is key. The revolutionary Ledwell Solar Loading Ramp is built for just that. If you’ve ever wished you could cut out the lengthy process of lifting your ramp via hand-crank then this is the perfect addition to your arsenal. We’ve managed to give your ramp the capability to harness the power of the sun, so you don’t have to work so hard. Simply connect our Solar Panel to your ramp’s battery system, charge it, and then flip a switch and allow your Solar Lift to do the rest. It’s the easiest way to find the perfect angle for the job at hand.

Maybe you already have a perfectly good Ledwell Loading Ramp, All-Weather or Standard, and wished you had the opportunity to upfit your ramp. Well, you do! We can upfit any current Ledwell Loading Ramp with a Solar Lift Kit and voila, you have your very own Solar Lift Ramp!

The Ledwell staff had heard from many customers that drivers frequently had difficulty lining up the height of the trailer when they backed up their vehicle to a loading dock. “They need to move it up or down to match the trailer height because you don’t want to jump some mower off the ramp,” says Steve Ledwell. “Some drivers either don’t wish to run them up and down because it’s a little work, or some literally can’t physically do it anymore for whatever reason. So, we came up with this plan to put a solar panel and put a switch on it. You pull a switch and it goes up or you pull a switch and it goes down. And now we have a ramp that can go up and down easily, so drivers more easily get it correct. It’s safer and easier for the drivers, it’s safer on the load and this way drivers don’t mind spending a few extra seconds to match up the height because it’s not hard.”

Ledwell emphasizes the safety benefits of the solar ramp. “The drivers are taking a chance not matching up right,” he says. “The driver will take a machine and try to drive it on a ramp that’s either six inches too low for the trailer or six inches too high because they didn’t want to crank it anymore. So, this is a much safer and easier solution.”

We are beyond proud of the team that made this new ramp operation a success. To read the entire article go to rermag.com.

Learn more about upgrading your Ledwell ramp with a solar lift kit.

Partnership leads to new tracked hydroexcavator

hydro excavation system from Ledwell

In 2019, we had the opportunity to manufacture one of our vacuum tanks combined with a crawler carrier that could change an industry.

This project was similar to others- taking an idea and turning it into reality.

To provide a solution.

In Ledwell fashion, we ran towards the opportunity.

The Opportunity

When a hydro-excavation contractor needs to perform work in hard-to-reach or environmentally sensitive areas such as swamps or marshes, it is often difficult to use large trucks.

Mats can sometimes be placed down for the trucks to drive over to protect the environment from any damage the heavy machines may cause.

Those mats are heavy, bulky, and expensive, though, and they take additional time to utilize.

hydro excavation system from Ledwell

The Solution

However, through a collaborative effort with Ledwell & Son, PRINOTH and Pipeline & Utility Rental Equipment (PURE), the pipeline and utility industries have a new tool to make digging easier.

The TrakVac is a compact hydro excavator built by Ledwell and mounted on a PRINOTH crawler carrier buggy. It combines the agility of a crawler carrier to access hard-to-reach areas with low-impact vacuum technology where traditional digging is more difficult, especially close to underground utilities and pipelines.

The idea was to get a more compact hydro-excavation unit into some of the harder-to-reach or environmentally sensitive areas of pipeline construction.

“The total package of hydroexcavation with the ability to ‘Go Anywhere’ (which is PRINOTH’s slogan) makes the TrakVac a true initiative and an answer to the growing demands of the pipeline industry,” says Gary Gathright, Ledwell engineer.

An industry first, the TrakVac provides a solution for unique job sites. After countless hours of engineering, manufacturing, and perfecting, we are proud to share this innovation with the world.

Dig Different’s March issue features this unique machine as a Product Spotlight. Read more about it in Dig Different’s Product Spotlight.

Lube Buddy Provides Service On the Go

Ledwell Service Skid - Manufactured in America

When you’re on the go, working a time-sensitive job, or just looking for convenience, you need access to service equipment fast. Ledwell has your quick solution to perform in-the-field equipment PM service and maintenance with a portable service skid – Lube Buddy.

Our Lube Buddies provide an easy and efficient way for you to keep your equipment serviced and ready to go. This equipment can be utilized as a mobile unit or serve as a stationary portable maintenance center at the job site!

Our Lube Buddy, Jr. is suited for light-duty vehicles. Its smaller stature makes it lighter, and easy to move from location to location. Convenient to place. Allows for easy access to air, fresh fluids, and properly dispose of waste. This piece of equipment comes with spill and overflow pans to minimize mess, and non-corrosive pipe fittings to ensure longevity.

If you’re searching for something a little more heavy-duty, we’ve got you covered.

This Lube Buddy option can turn any of your medium-duty hauling vehicles into a skid-mounted, self-contained fuel and lube service center! Much like the Lube Buddy, Junior, the Lube Buddy Max is designed in such a way to prevent excessive spillover and ensure a long lifespan.

Easily move these units with a forklift. Place on a level surface to avoid any spills and to ensure proper operation. Be sure to always read the accompanying operators’ manuals in regard to all pieces of equipment you own.

To learn more about the Lube Buddy, Jr. or Lube Buddy Max and other service equipment, visit our Service Truck page.

Ledwell Mobile Lube Service Center with Compressor
Ledwell Lube Buddy Jr

SMART Feed System Enhances Drop Deck Auger Feed Trailer

Ledwell Smart Bulk Haul Trailer

In today’s bulk feed delivery industry, drivers and operators truly need a trailer that can handle every aspect of the job seamlessly. From safety and performance to bio-security, capacity, and technological automation, the demands on feed transportation equipment have never been greater.

Recognizing this need, Ledwell has risen to the challenge by designing and building a trailer that not only meets but exceeds the demands for safety, performance, bio-security, capacity, and technological automation.

Combining our proven expertise with cutting-edge innovations, we’re proud to introduce the Ledwell SMART Feed System.

At the heart of the Ledwell SMART Feed System lies a combination of innovative components meticulously engineered to deliver unparalleled performance and efficiency. Building upon the success of Ledwell’s Drop Deck Auger Feed Trailer, the SMART system upgrade introduces key elements such as the Transducer, Brain, and SMART Valve.

The Transducer serves as the system’s sensory organ, tracking pressure fluctuations with remarkable precision. Its ability to operate at the speed of light ensures instantaneous response to changes in loading conditions. Upon detecting pressure variations, the Transducer converts this data into an electrical signal, which is then relayed to the Brain.

The Brain, acting as the central processing unit of the SMART Feed System, interprets the incoming signals from the Transducer and formulates an appropriate response. Leveraging sophisticated algorithms, the Brain calculates the optimal adjustments required to maintain a consistent pressure throughout the unloading process. This real-time feedback loop ensures maximum efficiency and reliability, even in dynamic operational environments.

Facilitating the Brain’s instructions is the SMART Valve, a marvel of engineering designed to regulate flow rates with unparalleled accuracy. By precisely modulating the flow of feed based on input from the Brain, the SMART Valve maintains a fixed pressure, guaranteeing uniform delivery and maximizing flow.

Experience the future of feed delivery today with the Ledwell SMART Feed System – where precision meets performance, and reliability knows no bounds.

Let us build the perfect trailer for your needs and usher in a new era of efficiency and productivity in bulk feed transportation.

Ledwell Drop Deck Bulk Haul with Smart System

Robotic Welder Plays Key Role in Production

Training on Robot Welder

In the industrial world, a big word is efficiency – especially when it comes to manufacturing. One needs to be able to get parts, pieces, and products out fast and accurately. People are and will always be the key, but sometimes they need a little help to keep up with customer demands. That’s why Ledwell would like to introduce you to a new addition to our team – our Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) Robotic Welder.

Our Robotic Welder is currently being used to produce over 30 types of parts – for example, our hydraulic cylinders.

We’ve decreased the time it takes to weld together a cylinder in half due to this innovation. The robot program knowledge is growing and soon will handle the output of our most highly produced parts.

This machine can move roughly three to four times faster than the average person with the accuracy and precision Ledwell requires. Where it might take a person 20 minutes to weld a single part, it would take the robot five.

The operator has two options in controlling this machine. They can either control it Offline, meaning they present a 3D model and provide commands, or they can teach the machine and guide its every movement. Either way, the Robotic Welder is non-stop.

The continuous movement is really what gives the machine an extra edge and makes it cool to watch!

Follow us on social media and you might see it in action.

 

CNC Robotic Welder
Program training on Robot Welder

First Response Team of America Responds to Natural Disasters

Ledwell Trailer loaded with First Response Team of America fleet equipment

In the face of devastating weather, communities unite, finding strength in support and assistance. When the worst strikes, the First Response Team of America emerges as a beacon of hope, dedicated to the task of rebuilding shattered lives and communities.

Their commitment knows no bounds as they meticulously track storm systems, anticipating their path and positioning themselves strategically to spring into action at a moment’s notice. With unwavering resolve, they work hand in hand with meteorologists and local authorities, ensuring a coordinated response that maximizes impact and efficiency.

Ledwell Trailer loaded with First Response Team of America fleet equipment

But their mission extends beyond mere response; it’s about restoration and renewal. In the aftermath of chaos, they bring much-needed aid, working tirelessly to pave the way for recovery and resilience.

At the heart of this remarkable effort lies individuals like their founder, Tad Agoglia, whose dedication and compassion inspire others to join in their noble cause.

Together, they embody the spirit of hope and resilience, proving that even in the darkest of times, there is light to guide the way forward.