Phelps Garage Inc.: Here for you - when you need them!
John Phelps knows vehicles. As did his father before him, and his father before him!
John’s grandfather, H. Everette Phelps returned home to Appomattox after completing his service in the Army. He began working as a mechanic in a local service repair shop in the early 1940’s & 1950’s.
Once he was knowledgeable in vehicle mechanics, friends, family, and neighbors began asking him to do repair work for them at his home. Eventually, he and his wife Audrey would start their own repair business under an old oak tree in their driveway. Thus, the beginning of Phelps Garage.
As word spread about his good work, the business continued to grow and moved to Confederate Boulevard in Appomattox around 1956. His wife Audrey (affectionately known to all as “Mema”) ran the books and kept everyone on their toes! Their son, Wayne Phelps (John’s father) was raised in the family business and eventually took it over in the 1970’s. Wayne expanded the repair shop by adding tow trucks. He worked for many, many years, repairing cars, heavy trucks, and going on calls all over Appomattox and the surrounding counties to help those who were stranded, or to respond to State & County Police accident scenes.
John remembers going on calls with his dad when he was a little boy. At six years old, he would ride along, and often, he’d wind up falling asleep in the truck while his dad worked to help those in need of tow services.
When John was a teenager, he began officially working at the shop, as well as his younger brother Ben. After high school, John joined the Marine Corps. When he returned, John worked in nuclear power plants all over the continental U.S. for the next decade. In 2009, John made the decision to come home permanently and begin taking over the family business. The next year, John and his wife Beth decided to incorporate their part of the business, expanding even further to transporting large loads of salvage cars. Needing more room for road tractors, in 2020, Phelps Garage Inc, or better known as PGI, moved to a larger garage facility in Oakville, where they are currently located.
Today, Brandon, John’s son, is a fourth generation Phelps to work in the business!
When you need a tow... call Phelps!
Today, PGI’s focus is hauling vehicles from one spot to another.
Suppose you have a fender bender. PGI can help remove your car from the scene. Or, say, you’re out and about and your car just won’t start... PGI will tow your vehicle wherever you’d like to take it (....within reason of course.) And if you’re locked out of your vehicle, well, they can help with that, too!
Most of the time, people have their cars towed to the local mechanic of their choice. Sometimes, PGI simply drops the vehicles off at their customer’s home.
Each call is different, as each customer has a different need.
If your vehicle is broken down and PGI comes to the rescue, they can also allow 2 adult riders in their truck while towing your vehicle. If there are more than 2 riders needing a lift, sometimes they are able to pick up your group in an additional SUV to help you all get to where you need to go.
Transport, too
PGI also transports vehicles. So, you might ask, what’s the difference between towing and transporting? (Writers note: great question- I had to ask it too!)
Transporting is typically pre-scheduled, often including multiple vehicles or pieces of equipment, all going to a designated location. Towing, quite the opposite, is not a planned situation. It is what is designated for breakdowns or accident recoveries.
For example, if you’re selling an antique car to a guy in North Carolina - but it doesn’t run... PGI can transport the car to its new owner.
In recent years, PGI had grown into a large fleet of 12 trucks, transporting vehicles throughout Virginia, North Carolina, and surrounding states. At their busiest point, their team could transport up to 20 vehicles at a time! The majority of that volume came from picking up wrecked vehicles from auction companies and taking them to salvage yards, where they would be sold for parts, or if possible, to be repaired and resold. Meanwhile, they also continued to run insurance calls and be available for State Police rotation and county calls!
The transport business was booming across the eastern states and saw great success. However, in due time, John and Beth made the decision to downsize, destress, and go back to the roots of the business, focusing on helping neighbors here at home in Appomattox and around central Virginia.
PGI can transport collector cars, heavy duty tractors, large equipment, machinery and more. If it’s big and needs to be moved, call Phelps! John explained “We can move just about anything but a crane!”
Their largest truck can move 35 tons.
Here to help
The PGI fleet includes a variety of different sized trucks to meet different needs.
Additionally, every team member at PGI goes through a wreck-master training program, where they experience classroom as well as hands-on learning. They also go through an additional 6-week training period within the company as well, where they ride along with an experienced truck operator to really get familiar with the work before they are officially on duty.
John and Beth Phelps understand that, for many people, their vehicle is one of the most expensive items they own - and one of the easiest to damage. That’s why the team at PGI is trained to take the best possible care of your vehicle while it’s in their possession.
Non-emergency towing takes place Monday through Friday, 8am through 5pm. This allows for precious family time, which is the Phelps’ main focus, and includes their 6 children and 4 grandchildren!
Additionally, PGI is on call to respond to emergent situations typically 24/7. Their team works closely with insurance companies and EMS - showing up on the scene of accidents to recover wrecked vehicles.
This is the hardest part of the job, John says. Often when approaching an accident scene, John is familiar with the person involved and their families. In a tightly knit community like Appomattox, it’s nearly impossible for him not to be personally affected by the scenes he and his team see.
John and Beth Phelps both grew up in Appomattox County. They know the community well, and they like to support local sports as well as local events and fundraisers. You’ll often find them in the parades, and the Touch-A-Truck event as well. They love supporting the community that supports their business.
“Appomattox has always been good to us. They supported us when my grandpa started this business, and they’ve supported us all through the years,” John said.
PGI will travel up to several hundred miles to help you with your towing and transport needs. They are located at 5380 Oakville Road in Oakville.
Give them a call at 434-352-7229 for your towing and transport needs. You can also keep up with them on Facebook or online at pgitowingandtransports.com.
PGI is the type of business you hope to never need, but you’re oh-so-thankful for them when you do! They are honest, efficient, and dependable. They are here for you - when you need them!
John and Beth Phelps are thankful for all of the employees that have joined their team over the years. They are especially grateful for their friend and faithful employee, Ron Gallier, who worked for John and Beth basically since they took over the business. “Ron was a good friend and he was an awesome driver, and it’s hard to replace people like that,” Beth explained. Ron passed away in 2022 and is greatly missed at PGI.
This article was written by Teresa Davis and is a paid advertisement. If you are interested in
promoting your business on the Appomattox Happenings website, email, and social media,
contact Teresa Davis through the contact form below or email
appomattoxhappenings@gmail.com
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