Central Trailer Sales Brings Community Together for Trailer Safety Week
Many of those in the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) are active participants in national Trailer Safety Week (TSW) on social media. Some companies go above and beyond and organize in-person events and one such company is Central Trailer Sales out of Minnesota, with one location in East Bethel and second in Jordan.
TSW 2025 ran from June 1-7 with Central Trailer Sales’ event taking place in the middle of the week on June 5. Dubbed “Minnesota’s Only Trailer Safety Week Event," the company hosted a live safety panel with NATM’s Technical Director Scott Crimmins and the Minnesota State Patrol.
Crimmins’ presentation covered towing tips including proper trailer weight distribution and cargo securement. He provided NATM’s Pre-Departure Checklist and discussed tips for driving with a trailer such as reducing your speed, increasing your stopping distance, and how to respond to sway.
The event also included a free hog roast lunch, prizes, drawings, and 10% off all parts and accessories. They saw a great turnout especially considering it was the first year they’ve done an event like this, says Mahli Wold, head of marketing and promotions for Central Trailer Sales, who organized the event. They had about 50 customers attend ranging from trailer professionals to seasoned recreational trailer users.
“The presentation went really well. I feel like everyone was really involved. Not only the audience, but Scott was riffing with the State Patrol and the State Patrol was riffing right back, and that was amazing. It was so much fun,” Wold said.
NATM Members Stillwell and Dexter, who both have locations in the Minneapolis area, donated some of the event’s prizes. Prizes included swivel D-rings from Dexter. The grand prize was an Atlas Vaquero 10K Hydraulic Jack from Stillwell.
“The hydraulic jack went to a local junk removal company in Carver County, which is awesome,” Wold said. “We really tried for parts manufacturers instead of trailer manufacturers, because we felt like any trailer that is NATM certified is already focused on safety. The accessories are the parts that people need to be concerned with — Strapping their loads down, making sure they have the right lights going.”
Central Trailer Sales likes to host events to get people in the doors and give them a chance to interact with staff face-to-face. They’re a passionate crew and care about helping the people in their community as well as keeping them safe, and this event gave them the chance to do both.
“We are not necessarily the heroes of the story, but we're definitely the guides to help you to be the hero of your own story. And that's how our salespeople feel, too. I'd say 90% of our audience are small business owners, so we're just here to help people. Help them find the right trailer. Help them haul correctly — That's a huge one,” Wold said.
“We have the best service people, too. Our service people, from our service managers to our service technicians, and our salespeople are so intelligent and so helpful. When it came time for the event, our technicians were out there chatting it up too, answering questions. It was great.”
An event like this doesn’t come together overnight. Wold says she proposed the idea to owners Brian and Nanette Renstrom in January and started planning in earnest in February or March. Initially, the Minnesota State Patrol weren’t interested. Wold says it took some begging and pleading and directing them to TrailerSafetyWeek.com before they agreed to participate. She says getting them to see this was an important need in the community, and that TSW is a well-established program was key.
“I felt that the need for safety education was definitely there. I loved that you guys were already doing it. Half my work was done for me,” Wold said. “You guys are already getting the word out there and talking about it, which is the hardest part.”
Central Trailer Sales Inc has been a member of NATM since 2009. To learn more about them, visit www.centraltrailers.com.
Trailer Safety Week is held annually the first full week of June. Visit www.TrailerSafetyWeek.com for more information on participation and trailering safely.