We sit down with Brian Cooke, vice president of sales and operations at R.W. McCollum in Greensboro, North Carolina, to talk about the tank trailers that keep fuel and other critical liquids moving across the Southeast. From an 80 year family business and a 13 bay repair shop to custom spec trailers and truck mounted tanks, Brian explains how his team supports petroleum, dry bulk, propane, chemical, and food grade fleets with both new equipment and complex repairs.

In this episode, Brian walks through his own path from sweeping floors in the shop to running sales and the office, why long term relationships matter in a shrinking customer base, and how custom aluminum trailers can quietly generate serious money through smarter specs, lighter weight, and longer service life. He also digs into safety systems, disaster relief builds, fleet telematics, and why a trailer is no longer just a barrel on wheels. Brian discusses:

-The story of R.W. McCollum, from its founding in 1946 to becoming an 80 year tank trailer dealership, and how the Cooke family has carried the business forward with sales, service, and ASME certified repairs under one roof.

-How custom aluminum petroleum trailers are spec’d for payload, weight, and longevity, including compartment layouts, hose and cabinet setups, niche disaster relief and transformer oil trailers, and in house upfitting for pumps, filtration, and special applications.

-Safety from the repair bay to the highway, including cleaning and internal inspections, roll stability systems, disc brakes, belly valve shear sections, emergency shutoffs, and the procedures required to weld on gasoline trailers without taking on unnecessary risk.

-The new technology layer on modern trailers, from GPS and geofencing to tire pressure and temperature monitoring, wheel end heat sensing, camera systems, and scene lighting that help fleets manage uptime, reduce accidents, protect drivers, and defend against costly litigation. With a mix of hands on shop experience and long term customer relationships, Brian shows how the right trailer spec and support partner can protect margins, improve safety, and turn a rolling tank into a moving billboard for the brand.

What’s next?

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