Arizona tow operators Larry and Dora Estrada always bet on red when they visit Las Vegas. It’s the flagship color on their fleet back home at Mammoth Towing, so when they showed up at the American Towman Expo in Vegas in April, they knew they wouldn’t lose with the new car carrier sitting in the booth at Zip’s AW Direct.
Nicknamed ‘Cherry Bomb’, the custom Zip’s-built 2026 Freightliner M2 not only caught their eye for its vibrant color scheme but also for the build features on the Century 12 Series LCG rollback. Chief among them was the In The Ditch Side Puller 9000, an option that works well in their rural area north of Tucson with two-lane traffic and limited space for recoveries.
“You basically get two trucks in one with a side puller,” Larry said, noting both the rear deck, wheel lift and side winch. “The area we serve is very rural with a lot of ditches, and a side puller is the best way to do the jobs we do. I was always trying to get a carrier with a side puller, and now we have one.”
Eager to drive it seven hours home to Mammoth, AZ,, the Estradas worked with Zip’s sales rep LeRoy Gossling to purchase the new truck right away. They were able to close the deal by show’s end and even worked in a few upgrades, including a rear undermount dolly storage bunk that’s ergonomically designed to keep tow dollies closer to the ground.
“They were able to help me out and hook me up with those boxes to put them under the bed,” Larry said. “It was a great experience working with them and to get me taken care of. As soon as I heard this truck was here, I came straight over to Zip’s booth to check it out. Well, we made it here, and we got it. I’m so happy about it.”
The Estradas have owned Mammoth Towing for the past 25 years, and besides rural recoveries, the company is involved in police rotation, impounds and roadside assistance for AAA, GEICO and others. They buy most of their supplies from Zip’s AW Direct, and Cherry Bomb wasn’t the first truck they’ve ever driven home from a tow show before.
“No, there have been three others,” Larry said, smiling. “We're pretty well known at Zip’s.”
Besides adding the underbed dolly storage, the Estradas won’t have to do much with their new desert rollback. As a show truck, this car carrier was built with a laundry list of features that stand out alongside the SP9000 Side Puller, including the SafeAll Traffic Commander, a 3-in-1 message board that improves safety along the side of the road.
The truck’s advanced lighting package also includes the Whelen Core System, Whelen M4 LED lightheads, Pee-Wee body lights and Maxxima marker lights. Each storage bay is illuminated by interior strip lights, and the 21.5-foot bed includes a 12,000-lb. Winch controlled by a six-function SafeAll Proportional Remote Control System.
Supporting 108” of linear toolbox storage and organization, the galvanized sub-frame is capped at the end with roller tips and an AutoGrip Wheel Lift and Dock Stabilizer. Other storage features include color-matched Dri-Dek liners and Zip’s custom lumber racks, safety cone mounts, garbage and gas can holders and broom and shovel holders.
“This truck has all the features I wanted,” Larry said. “It matches our fleet perfectly. We love it.”
We thank the Estradas for their continued business. For more on their operation, visit Mammoth Towing. If your company is interested in a new truck from Zip’s, please contact our equipment sales team at 800-222-6047.
