OUR BEGINNINGS WERE HUMBLE
Neitzel Trucking was founded in 1961, by Gerald “Jerry” Neitzel. Jerry started picking up 17,000 lb. of milk from 39 farms each day with just one truck. In those days milk hauling was more of a physical job. A milk hauler would have to carry two 100 lb. cans of milk from the milk house to the truck. Jerry was involved in milk hauling till the day he passed on November 21, 2015.
Tim Neitzel began riding with his father in the milk truck as a small child. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and joined his father in business after graduation. This move created a lifetime partnership between father and son that flourished. At the turn of the century, the business was facing aggressive weight and size enforcement in southwestern Wisconsin and needed to maximize milk payloads in dairy farm pick-up operations. Jerry was never one to let a challenge slow him down, and he and Tim began to search for a solution. After several years of trials, Jerry and Tim created a solution that revolutionized the business. They found their solution in a specially configured seven-axle tank truck. This was the first on the market and the new seven-axle tanker could legally handle a maximum payload of 53,500 to 54,000 pounds increasing hauling time and revenue. Developing an 80,000-lb-gross-weight milk tanker capable of hauling the maximum legal payload may have started with Neitzel Trucking, but it didn't end there. The project became a team effort involving a wide variety of people, including truck manufacturers, parts suppliers and even members of the Wisconsin State Police. Not only were Jerry & Tim proud of this accomplishment, it continues to drive the business today. Tim has been around milk hauling and trucking all of his life and is proud to carry on his father's legacy. *See the photo history of our trucks on our home page. |