Everybody has a story. The one bulk transportation veteran Calvin Ewell—president of Pennsylvania-based H.R. Ewell—likes to tell suggests his family might be Heil Trailer’s oldest existing tank truck customer. It starts with a new batch of petroleum trailers Heil builders couldn’t roll off the assembly line.
“They were having trouble finding axles, so my father [who was 13 at the time], his brother [who drove], and a friend delivered axles to Heil’s old Milwaukee plant for my grandfather [John S. Ewell, then affiliated with Matlack] so they could finish the trailers. On the way home, they went to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
“So I know my grandfather was buying Heil tanks at least as far back as 1933.”
Calvin’s dad, Herman R. Ewell, continued that relationship after founding food-grade hauler H.R. Ewell in 1946; and Calvin solidified it in 1988 when he helped three former Heil employees establish Hy-Tec after Heil closed the repair shop at its old Lancaster facility. Today, H.R. Ewell transports sugar, oil, chocolate, and flour with 280 power units and 630 liquid and dry bulk tank trailers, including the largest modern fleet of Heil Super Flo trailers in the U.S.; and Hy-Tec is the biggest tank trailer sales and service specialist in the Northeast—and a key distributor in Heil-parent EnTrans International’s nationwide network of 45-plus dealers.
“Our long-running partnership with Hy-Tec and H.R. Ewell is a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision,” said Jake Radish, chief commercial officer at EnTrans. “From the early days of Ewell’s interaction with Heil’s manufacturing facility to the creation of Hy-Tec, our journey together has been marked by innovation and excellence. This long-standing relationship has driven significant advancements in tanker design and functionality, particularly with the Super Flo trailers.
“The mutual trust and respect we’ve built over the decades continues to fuel our collective success and industry leadership.”
HR Ewell legacy
The Ewell family’s transportation roots date to 1905, when Calvin’s grandfather started hauling canned milk with a horse and wagon. The company he founded, John S. Ewell, Inc., operated until 2002. Herman briefly joined his dad after World War II, then started H.R. Ewell as a fuel hauler before transitioning to milk in 1951. H.R. Ewell was one of the first tank truck carriers to pull liquid sugar loads out of New York City refineries in the mid-50s. Liquid sweeteners led to syrups and granulated sugars, then edible oils, chocolates, and more. The company now employs 210 company drivers and 50 owner-operators and serves Northeast and Midwest customers from 13 terminals and satellite locations.
The trailer fleet, with extra units for pre-loads and drop-and-hooks, includes 475 stainless steel liquid tanks for sweeteners, chocolates, and oils; and 155 aluminum pneumatics for dry sugar and flour. The dry bulk fleet, which includes 20 vacuum pneumatics, expands regularly—and all but seven are distinctive Super Flo trailers. “I run them forever,” said Scott Ewell, vice president of vehicle maintenance, and Calvin’s son.
“I haven’t really sold any. We just keep adding to the fleet.”
With Scott’s help, H.R. Ewell continues to expand. And he’s one of three children who all are determined to further the family business—as Calvin always dreamed. Steve serves as VP of sales and Mark oversees dispatching. “Different people have approached me to sell, but I wanted to offer my sons the same opportunity my father gave me—to take over the company, run the operation, and grow the fleet,” Calvin said.
Hy-Tec proficiency
Bob Maser, who was a Heil salesman, founded Hy-Tec in 1986. Calvin; two other Heil-trained partners, Phil Butt and Ray Preiss; and real estate agent Cindy Fittery helped jumpstart the operation two years later with the opening of their Lancaster facility. Fittery ended up staying on and rose to president in 2012.
Hy-Tec stocks more than $1 million in parts, sells over 200 new and used tank trailers each year, and is one of 17 active Super Flo dealers in Heil’s network. And with 10 employees from Heil’s old Lancaster manufacturing facility—which closed in 2003—Hy-Tec’s ASME- and R-stamp-certified, code and non-code maintenance and repair services, and DOT-approved HM-183 cargo tank inspections, are second to none. “Our techs are the best in the country because they trained with Heil,” Fittery said.
H.R. Ewell performs routine PMs at its four shops but sends major jobs to Hy-Tec, which boasts 13 bays. “If someone drops a trailer and bends the dolly or dings the barrel, we send it over there. They can cut off the frame or remove an entire section of a tank and weld in a new piece, and make it good as new,” Calvin said.
Hy-Tec also offers routine component installations, and precision customization.
“We do everything from changing out probes in gas trailers to full suspension work and complete tank restorations,” Fittery said.
Super Flo advantage
Hy-Tec sells about 20 Super Flos annually, with many of them going to H.R. Ewell, which purchased six in 2023 and 18 this year. “You don’t see many people in our industry running the Flo, but it’s been around for years, and the longevity of the vessel itself is amazing,” Scott said. “I’m running Flos from the late 80s, and they still go up and down the road every day with no problems—and zero downtime.”
Scott is unsure why more fleets don’t run Super Flos. He credits savvy marketing for the early proliferation of the more recognizable J&L-style dry bulker adopted by larger, well-known tank truck carriers. Fittery figures regional distribution played a role. In any case, J&L’s pneumatics and vacuum pneumatics—now part of Heil—maintain steady production and sales volumes, reflecting enduring demand.
But supporters say modern Super Flo trailers are underappreciated.
The cargo tank’s frameless, monocoque structure adds strength, Fittery contends, allowing it to withstand twisting and turning; and its rounded design eliminates exposed piping and components—cannisters are enclosed on vacuum units—boosting fuel efficiency, discouraging corrosion, and simplifying cleaning, Scott insists. “They’re indestructible,” Calvin agreed. “They cost more, but they hold up well on the streets of New Jersey and New York, with the rough terrain. They do a fantastic job.”
The Super Flo weighs more than other pneumatic dry bulkers, but lightweighting efforts have reduced the difference; and with 53,000 lbs. of capacity, H.R. Ewell is hauling the same load weights as its competitors, Scott shared. The trailer also is more expensive than competing options, but continuous improvements at Heil’s facility in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico—where the OEM produced 340 Super Flos last year—have decreased trailer build times and expenses, increasing the vessel’s overall value.
“When I spec trailers, I don’t really look at price,” Scott explained. “I’m not going to buy the cheapest trailer in the market. I want a good-looking trailer, the quality, and the relationships I have with dealers and trailer builders. We’re not all price-driven here like you see with some larger companies.”
Productive relationship
Their long-standing connection continues to benefit H.R. Ewell, Hy-Tec, and Heil.
H.R. Ewell began buying Super Flos in the late 1960s, when Butler still made the trailers, so its expertise runs deep, and the carrier has helped Heil perfect the trailer’s design since it purchased the line from Penske in 1983. The partners recently worked together to integrate Super Flo light boxes in the rear head for protection and weight savings. They’ve also joined forces to advance aerator lines and hopper valves; improve walkway, ladder, and manhole configurations; and custom-build equipment.
Additionally, Heil can quickly work in smaller runs for priority customers thanks to flexible production lines in Juarez.
“It’s not a cookie-cutter operation like some of their competitors run,” Scott asserted.
Hy-Tec provides H.R. Ewell with equally valuable services, including equipment spec’ing consultation, warranty work, and trailer repairs that allow the carrier to operate safely and profitably. “Buying and maintaining all the equipment you need for major cargo tank repairs would be cost prohibitive for us, because we’d only use it once in a while,” Calvin said. “Over there, it’s utilized daily.”
So is Heil’s network of dealer service centers—a key perk for Hy-Tec, and tank truckers with over-the-road operations. “It’s a productive collaboration of knowledge between Hy-Tec and Heil,” Fittery said.
“And that, in turn, strengthens the relationships with our customers.”
Their mutually beneficial association also is helping the Ewell family—one of Heil’s oldest patrons—continue to thrive. They’re currently building a state-of-the-art new facility at their East Earl, Pennsylvania, headquarters with upgraded amenities, 20,000 sq. ft. of office space, four 200-ft.-long bays, and two 100-ft.-long bays with service pits. “It’s a very good relationship that my grandfather started, my dad continued—and my brothers and I intend to preserve,” Scott concluded.
