TOW ILLUSTRATED

A Rich Aqua Swiss that
Can't be Missed

By George L. Nitti

Henry Ford said, “If people really set their minds on anything, it is impossible to prevent them from getting what they want.” At Jeswald Auto Truck Service in Youngstown, Ohio, they have kept their minds set on having Ford trucks in their fleet since the ’50s, when they added wrecker services to their auto repair shop (first incorporated in 1939).

“All we own is Fords,” said Tony Jeswald. “New ones we don’t buy. Most of our trucks are from ’92 to 2002. We like the body style. We grew up with it and they are easier for us to maintain.”

Paul Ghrist, a tower on staff and their social-media strategist, said their fleet size is “enough to take care of our customers!” Today they have 16 trucks, each with the same look and feel, from big to small.

The graphics feature the Jeswald name clearly stated on the side and boom of their trucks, the white lettering clear with a dark shadow standing out against a background that is the real story. It’s not the graphics that make a difference; it’s Ford’s Swiss Aqua factory color on their trucks that can’t be missed, and garners so much attention and brands them for who they are.

“Before ’74, all trucks were red,” Jeswald said. “Then they switched them to the [Swiss Aqua] color that you find on our trucks today.”

“The color is us. We could take our name off the truck and still be known,” Ghrist said. “When you see us coming in your rearview mirror, you know that Jeswald is here and that help is on its way.”

Their rebuilt 1995 Ford F-450 with Kilar twin boom with a wheel lift that was my favorite in the fleet. Its old-fashioned nature and unpretentious look with a rich Swiss Aqua captured my imagination and kept me on “the hook.”

Brag @ TIW!

Should your truck be featured here on TIW? Send some pics and info to the editor at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Trucks selected for TIW will potentially be used in American Towman magazine as well!