Ryan and Dorian Pantusa took a leap seven years ago and landed firmly on their feet.

In 2016, the San Antonio couple left their traditional careers behind and formed a towing company named Pantusa Towing. Ryan had worked previously in insurance, and Dorian was a nurse. They said owning their own business became a passion for them and fulfilled a lifelong dream.

“We knew we wanted to be entrepreneurs in some way,” Dorian said. “We started out with one truck and one driver and wanted to see how it went. We started growing from there.”

The multi-state company has since grown to more than 100 trucks and 100 employees. They began branching out in 2020, starting first with El Paso and then later adding operations in Atlanta and Nashville. Two years later, they opened satellite offices in Dallas and Macon, and earlier this year, added Colorado to the mix.

Ryan said each expansion presented strategic opportunities for their family-owned company.

“A lot of it was relationship-based,” he explained. “We were asked to go into those markets over the last three years by one of our larger clients. We were actually asked to go to several different areas but just stuck to the ones which fit us best.”

Besides establishing a strong customer base, Ryan said their aggressive expansion plans and rapid growth have been a direct reflection of their dedicated employees. He said good equipment, good benefits and a positive working environment greatly improves driver retention and keeps everyone engaged.

“I can’t give away all my secrets, but I will say we treat our company like a large, professional corporate organization with great leadership,” Ryan explained. “I feel we treat our drivers and employees excellently. I also think we provide some of the best benefits in the industry. The people are the key to our success.”

Pantusa Towing began working with Zip’s in 2021 and has since purchased more than 20 new trucks from us. Ryan said the need for additional equipment was the result of the company’s growth as well as upgrading older equipment at their original location.

“We’ve been replacing a little bit at a time, but our purchases lately have been mainly for expansion,” he noted.

Based on their customer needs, most of Pantusa’s fleet are car carriers. They operate a handful of heavies and a small fraction of light-duty wreckers. The Pantusas work closely with sales consultant Eric Albertson and have mapped out how they want their trucks. Ryan said those specs make the purchasing process seamless and painless.

“Eric makes things really easy for us,” Ryan said. “We’ve told him exactly how we want our trucks so when we go to place orders for new units, he already has down what we want to a science to meet our standards. There are no questions. We place the order and already know what to expect. All of them are exactly the same.”

One new accessory Pantusa has been adding to their fleet recently is the SafeAll Traffic Commander. Ryan said they have been installing this variable message sign on select new equipment as a way to improve operator safety, to promote their business and to stand out from the competition.

“These signs have been fantastic,” he said. “We’ve never used anything like them before. We appreciate the improved visibility this sign creates and the added safety benefits for our operators. It also brings a uniqueness to our fleet. It’s nice to have something that sets us apart from other companies—leading the way in the markets in which we serve.”

The Traffic Commander is just one accessory Pantusa Towing gets from Zip’s. The company orders all of its parts here as well, and Ryan said he appreciates that Zip’s AW Direct is a one-stop shop for all of their company’s needs: from truck purchases to financing and leasing to ordering parts and accessories to custom company apparel.

“It really works so well for us because we are so spread out,” Ryan said. “All of our regional managers have a central point of contact at Zip’s. We order a lot of parts and equipment, and the employees all have the link to order their own apparel through Zip’s should they choose to do so. Zip’s makes everything so convenient and easy for us. They have added a tremendous amount of value to our organization.”