“When you make a capital investment in trucks,” says Joe Littleton of Little-Ton & Sons Sand & Supply, “you expect to be able to realize the most productivity, the least amount of downtime and the lowest repair costs. For those reasons, the manufacturer’s warranty is an important part of our purchasing decisions.”

Based in Indianapolis, the Little-Ton fleet of 60 dump-trucks hauls sand and gravel, stone and dirt, concrete and construction debris for general and demolition contractors and other customers throughout the city and in six surrounding counties. Founded in the 1960s by their father, Joe and his brother John have owned and operated the family business since 1998.

The Little-Ton fleet consists entirely of Sterling models, including 55 L-Line trucks and five Acterras. In the mix are single-, tandem, tri- and quad-axle units as well as three conveyor trucks. “Since we’ve owned the business, we’ve never purchased any other brand of truck,” Littleton says. “Our local dealership started selling Sterlings the same year we took over and we had some of the first of the OEM’s trucks in the Indianapolis area.”

Little-Ton trades its trucks after about seven or eight years of service. In 2007, the company purchased 32 Set-Back L-Line models and five Acterras. Five more Set-Back L-Line trucks, ordered through Stoops Sterling in Fort Wayne, Ind., are scheduled for delivery this month.

Built to work

According to Littleton, several factors influence his company’s purchasing and specification decisions, including customer needs, price and warranty, and maintenance and repair history. “Overall,” he says, “Sterling trucks have helped us succeed because they’re built to work and have been dependable, cost effective and easy to maintain.”

The Little-Ton fleet is also highly standardized. Engines include MBE 900 250- and 300-HP versions in Acterra single and tandem-axle models, respectively, and MBE 4000s rated at 410 HP in LT 9513s. Aside from a shorter wheelbase of 164 in., the only other difference between the Acterra and L-Line trucks is the use of Allison automatic transmissions in the Acterras, including 3000 RDS units in single-axle versions and 3500 models in tandem axle units.

“Almost everything we spec is the same, including Sterling’s TufTrac rear suspension, which is designed to maintain a uniform load over each wheel to retain maximum traction,” Littleton says. “Standardizing the fleet helps our maintenance staff stay abreast of the components we operate and keeps the numbers of parts we have in stock to service the trucks at a minimum. We even make sure all of our trucks, regardless of model year, are painted identically with our company colors to ensure maximum visibility and exposure.”

Driver favorite

Littleton also relates that the Sterling trucks in the company fleet are a favorite among drivers for power, visibility, comfort and ease of operation. While the driver shortage has become a limiting factor in the operations of many area companies, he notes that Little-Ton has not had any issue with driver retention. “In addition to offering good, well-maintained equipment,” he says, “we pay our drivers a little more than other companies. If you give drivers good wages and reliable equipment to work with, they’ll feel more appreciated and do a better job.”

Ensuring that the Little-Ton fleet is well maintained and reliable is the job of the company’s shop. Using maintenance software to track mileage and preventive maintenance intervals, the staff maintains the fleet’s 60 trucks as well as 15 pieces of mining and gravel equipment, including loaders, cranes, excavators and screens. Almost all wear items, such as brakes and clutches, are serviced in-house, while major component repairs — usually under warranty — are outsourced.

The Little-Ton fleet is also fueled in-house at a 15,000-gal. stand-alone fueling station. Fuel is purchased in tanker loads from a local supplier. At the same time, the fleet specs new Goodyear G167 tires and runs retreads of the same tread design to cut down on any potential mismatching.

Eye on our needs

“Dealers and suppliers are a key part of our operation,” Littleton states. “Each week, our truck dealer sends a representative to inventory parts and place orders, our fuel and oil supplier manages our inventory as well, and tires are delivered to us weekly so we have at least 16 spares on hand. We like the service we get from our suppliers. They keep an eye on us and on our needs.”

With the combination of the right suppliers, the right trucks backed by a favorable warranty and an effective maintenance program, the Littleton brothers have found their recipe for success. In fact, since 1998 their business has doubled.

Most importantly, though, is their desire to succeed. “We’ve worked for the family business since we were children,” Littleton says. “It was our dream to take over some day. It gets in your blood, and then it’s all you want to do.” 

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Little-Ton Sand & Supply Truck Specifications

Wheelbase: 207 in., tri-axle;   234 in., quad-axle