If you have ever ridden a motorcycle, you know how heavy they can be, and trying to load something of this weight onto the back of a pickup truck is dangerous at times.
The chances of it tipping off the ramp were always present. Besides the weight, there is the ramp to deal with. One must get enough momentum to hit the ramp, drive it all the way into the bed and stop before hitting the bulkhead of the truck.
But those days are gone thanks to the ingenuity of Pottstown businessman Bill Palladino, creator/fabricator of the Cruiser Caddie and the CEO/Owner of Palladino Metal Fabrication. The Cruiser Caddie is a one-person operation device enabling the rider to load their own motorcycle with ease.
“The design criteria was that I had to physically be able to do it myself, and that the system did not have to be permanently attached to the truck,” Palladino said.
From the idea’s conception to actual fabrication, Palladino and his crew took about 90 days to complete their first Cruiser Caddie from the design drawings.
When asked how it works, Palladino stated, “It is rather simple. There are three basic components: truck section, ramp and wheel chock. They install without any tools. The average person can install the system and load the bike within 20 minutes.”
When asked if women could easily install it, he said that “the heaviest component weighs about 72 pounds, so whoever is installing the system has to be able to handle the weight. After the system is installed in the truck, one simply drives their front tire into the wheel chock, which grasps the wheel and holds it secure until the front fork can be strapped to the wheel chock. Simply push a button and the included winch will pull the wheel chock/bike onto the truck.”
Since the Cruiser Caddie’s launch in 2005, Palladino Metal Fabrication has sold about 600 units to customers all over the United States, Canada and even shipped one to Munich, Germany. For the past three years, they have attended Delmarva Bike Week in Salisbury, Md. Besides Delmarva, other motorcycle shows where the Cruiser Caddie has been shown include Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Daytona, Florid.; Sturgis, S.D.; Javis Center, N.Y.; Ottawa, Canada; Toronto, Canada; and countless other smaller one-day shows.
“It has been a great show for us, and this year we unveiled our new double/trike trailer which went very well,” Palladino explained. “They are currently on the market and are a built-to-order product. Their designs are exclusive to our line of trailers and are extremely well built. We are very proud of our product and stand behind every one of them.”
The Palladino name is well known for their metal fabrications of specialty products, such as industrial oven panels, machine guards and other “made to order” products.
“My father taught me my trade and gave me the knowledge and work ethic to be successful,” he said. “I believe you have to take chances to succeed. Some ideas are successful and some are not. You just hope to have more pluses than minuses.”
And with that in mind throughout his career, Bill was faced with the challenge to change the business one more time. As the industry changed and started to move away from the area, Palladino Metal Fabrication had to adapt to survive. They expanded upon their business product lines. If you stop by their Pottstown location at 71 Robinson Drive, don’t be surprised if their mascot, Clyde the bulldog, comes out to greet you some days. If he is not home getting his beauty rest, he may just be supervising the staff.
For more information or to see how the Cruiser Caddie can help easily load a motorcycle, visit their website at www.cruisercaddie.com or their Cruiser Caddie Facebook page.