Red and White to the Rescue

By George L. Nitti

In the small, rural community of Dowagiac—a town of just a few thousand people with only three traffic lights—presence and reputation matter. For True’s Towing, those values are carried not only through service, but through an unmistakable visual identity featuring bold red, white, gray, and black graphics.

For Travis True, the company’s fourth-generation owner, the evolution of the fleet’s graphics was never about flash. It was about recognition, trust, and legacy.

“I didn’t want to be the biggest,” True says. “I just wanted to be the best.”

Over time, the company’s branding evolved from hand-painted lettering on white trucks with red fenders—dating back to his great-grandfather—to today’s high-impact vinyl wraps that are impossible to miss.

“When our trucks are coming down the road, I want people to know it’s us, especially when they’re stranded and waiting for help,” True explains. “That recognition means something.”

The Rotator as a Timeline

Their 2024 Peterbilt 389 paired with a 50-ton Jordan 5060 rotator serves as a rolling example of how the company’s brand has evolved over generations.

At the front of the truck, the styling reflects a classic, old-school aesthetic. A heavy-duty grille guard and clean body lines evoke the rugged work trucks of the 1950s and ’60s, paying tribute to the company’s roots.

Along the hood, elegant cursive script reading “Over 70 Years of Dedicated Service” echoes the hand-painted lettering that once appeared on the company’s early trucks—simple, proud, and personal.

But as the eye moves farther down the truck, the design transforms.

The graphics intensify with layered stripes, aggressive angles, splashes of color, and sweeping motion that create a sense of speed and energy. Toward the rear, the design becomes almost explosive, as if the truck had driven through a burst of paint.

“It’s a timeline,” says True. “You start with the old-school look, and as you move back, it builds into what we are today.”

More Than a Tow Truck

What began decades ago as a single operator with a truck has grown into a highly trained emergency response operation serving multiple counties throughout the region.

Today, True’s Towing assists fire departments and municipalities with specialized services that include hazardous materials response, water recovery and certified dive operations, and heavy rescue support.

That mission is reflected directly in the branding.

The words “Emergency Response Team” are prominently displayed on the trucks, reinforcing what local agencies already know: when situations escalate beyond standard capabilities, True’s Towing is often the call that comes next.

The company’s visual identity also serves another important purpose—visibility. True wants stranded motorists and emergency personnel alike to immediately recognize the trucks when they arrive on scene.

“We see people post pictures of our trucks online all the time,” True says. “They’ll say, ‘Red and white to the rescue.’”

A Name Worth Living Up To

The company name itself carries weight, and Travis True understands the responsibility that comes with it.

“It’s a big name to live up to,” he says. “Everything we do has to reflect that.”

What makes the company’s rotators and recovery units stand out isn’t just polished chrome or eye-catching graphics. It’s the meaning behind them.

Every stripe, every word, and every color choice reflects a larger story—one built on family, service, professionalism, and commitment to excellence.

In a town like Dowagiac, where reputation lasts generations, that story matters.

And when one of those red-and-white trucks appears on the horizon, lights flashing in the distance, people don’t just see a tow truck.

They see help on the way.