Brad Harvey brought more than 25 years of experience to bear when he started CJay Trailers in 2005, and his company has made a build-quality commitment that has since given it an international reputation for solidness.
“I thought there was a niche for a better built cargo trailer. A lot of the cargo trailers on the market at that time were lightly built,” Harvey explained. “A lot came in from the US, and still do to this day, but they’re not normally built as well. In fact, they aren’t built as well.”
Harvey began his career in agricultural manufacturing. Over 10 years, he built a skill set in the workshop — welding, shaping, and cutting metal for combine-related parts.
“It was good, it was great,” he recalls. “And then I had an opportunity to move on from there to a manufacturer of flat deck trailers.”
After 15 years doing everything possible when it comes to flat decks, Harvey had many ideas and innovations on his mind.
There comes a point, he said, where you need to decide whether to stick with your current career until retirement — or do something for yourself.
“I had done everything I could think of in building flat deck trailers, and I had lots of ideas for enclosed cargo trailers,” he continued. “I wanted a ruggedly-built trailer that could withstand what we have to deal with here in Canada.”
CJay can manufacture enclosed trailers to practically any specification. Industrial contractors and home builders need a mobile tool shed with safe, secure tool storage. They can be insulated, heated, air-conditioned, organized for each individual tool and part, and more.
Other frequent customers are recreational users. Snowmobiles, quads, and dirt bikes need to be secured, clean, and easy to access, with a place for each piece of gear.
“Sometimes our designs are as easy as somebody doodling on a piece of paper. We’ll take those doodles and transform into full CAD drawings. The dealer might bring us a request, but normally we’ll deal directly with the customer, making sure that it fits like a glove when we’re done, because an expensive trailer that doesn’t fit is a bad surprise.”
Materials are chosen to withstand the full Saskatchewan temperature range, from minus-40 to plus-40 Celsius, for years. Bonding tape is used in place of screws and rivets to eliminate corrosion and steel/aluminum contact. A strong steel frame with 16-inch spacings keeps the frame rigid even over rough terrain. The wiring is weather-proofed, and no corners are cut on any other detail.
It is fun to do new designs and challenge their customization, but Harvey said he really enjoys the satisfied customers who keep coming back because his are the only trailers they want anymore.
“We’ve been fortunate, you know, we have customers that have 40 or 50 of our trailers in their fleet,” Harvey said. “We sell all of our products through a dealer network, but it’s still nice to visit a customer that has 40 or 50 of your trailers and see them in use. It’s a pretty unique experience and I enjoy getting out to visit customers and dealers both.
“I think the fact that they’re locally built is important to people, but it’s really our quality that has set us apart. … With our trailers, you can use them every day and they’re lasting customers 10 years, 12 years, and 15 years. That’s huge.”
Creating loyal employees
The other aspect of the business that Harvey is proud of is his employee retention. The turnover at CJay Trailers is low. Harvey wants his people to stick around and feel they are known and valued.
Employees at CJay enjoy a four-day work week and frequent breaks throughout the day to ensure their comfort in the often-hot workshop.
“It’s hard for people to understand,” Harvey noted about the four-day week. “When I tell them that, they go, ‘Well, are you sure?’ and I tell them, yeah I am, because I live it every day.”
Originally, they worked the standard five-day week, but Harvey was interested to see what impact a four-day week would have on productivity.
“Does it go down? Does it go up? Does it stay the same? So we did it, and we tracked it for six months. And our productivity actually increased. So then, it was a no-brainer.”
Employees are still paid a full working wage, and on long weekends they get a three-day work week. Over the long run, Harvey said, their data-tracking has shown productivity increases because of employee loyalty, a positive workplace atmosphere, and the expertise of long-term retention.
CJay trailers is still innovating. A new, highly-anticipated project this year is a half-enclosed trailer with a rear dump box. They also look always for ways to improve their existing lineup.
“It’s been a blast,” Harvey said. “And it’s only been 17 years, so I’m looking forward to another 17, for sure.”
