The “road to wishes” really began back in 1957 when George Raney got out of the Navy and came home to Ocala, Florida. Opening a truck stop on old 301 with a restaurant, fuel islands, and an icehouse that blew ice on top of produce loads that required it, he got right down to business. In the late 1960s through the 1970s he owned and operated a wrecker service, as well. I’m sure he never would have imagined that his family would still be serving the trucking industry in Ocala almost 70 years later!
With a small fleet of wreckers, George would sometimes have to go on calls himself. It was those times that Mark (his son) and his siblings might pile in the wrecker and go along. One of the most memorable calls was when there was a truck submerged in water and George had to dive in to hook the chain around the front axle.
George didn’t really have any truck specific experience prior to starting the truck stop and wrecker businesses, but he was mechanically inclined and had experience working in aeronautics. I think dispatchers sometimes confuse the two – a truck and a plane – and the time they expect us to get freight delivered. I always used to say, “It says Kenworth on the side of my hood, not Leer!”
In 1986 the truck stop was sold to Baxley Oil Company and then George purchased a Mack Truck franchise. They would order new trucks and have them delivered to Rogers Body in Nashville, TN to have new dump bodies mounted on them. Mark and his coworkers would take small S-10 Chevy trucks to pick up the finished units, load them in the dump bodies, and then bring them home. When the franchise was sold the family exited this part of the business.
It was also in 1986 when Mark Raney opened Raney’s Truck Center, which grew into a large truck and parts service center, also located in Ocala, FL. It was here that Joel (his son) got to be around trucks, helping at his dad’s shop. In 2023 Mark sold the truck center. He is technically retired now, but he still talks business with his son Joel and is a wealth of information for him.
The Raney’s business that we know today – Raney’s Truck Parts – was born in 2010 when it was Joel’s turn to start a business that would continue to provide quality service for truckers. He started out in a little yellow house in Ocala. Chatting with Richard Stocknahm, he can remember doing business with Joel when he was located in that little house. Joel has taken the business from these humble beginnings to an international level, focusing on having a large global footprint through their website and a large distribution center. But Raney’s is much more than a chrome accessories dealer, as their inventory also includes collision parts, hoods, shocks, brake components, headlights and other parts for all makes and models.
They bought their current building in 2015 and spent a year remodeling it before moving into it in 2016. In 2019 the beautiful retail store was opened, complete with a parking lot that is easy to get in and out of with a big truck and trailer. I was really impressed with how everything is laid out and it is easy to find what you are looking for. The “chrome throne” when you walk in the door is super cool! Constructed from a bunch of Dynaflex pipes, the “throne” is a real photo opportunity for truckers and kids.
Joel is the third generation of the Raney family to have a thriving business in the trucking industry in Ocala. I was also happy to learn that George (Joel’s grandfather) is here to see all this grow. He and Mark (Joel’s father) can sit back now and watch Joel excel at what he is doing and the way he’s doing it.
Having a truck show was talked about for years, but it wasn’t until 2024, when Amy Rossetti came to Joel wanting to partner with Raney’s, that it became time to make it a reality. She brought motivation and purpose to the table. Planning a show is a huge undertaking, and it takes a big group of dedicated people to make a successful event. Amy works at the Marion Technical College in the CDL program in Ocala, and she had connections to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is how they became the beneficiary of this charity show.
Names for the show were talked about, and in the end, the winner was Road to Wishes, which tied together what we do and what the show was to be about. Their goal was to raise $80,000 for Make-A-Wish, which would translate into about eight wishes granted. A pretty lofty goal for a first- time event.
All the departments at Raney’s came together and the end result of their labor of love was a very successful show for both the drivers and the kids! There was a dinner the night before the show to recognize all the sponsors and the vendors, letting them know how much they were appreciated for helping make the show possible. Gabriella, one of the “Wish” kids, spoke about her personal wish experience at the dinner. The kids’ activities at the show included bouncy houses, face painting, ballon artists, and a caterpillar train around the parking lot, which was a real hit. The drivers were great with the kids, too, truly making it a day to remember for them.
Sara Desmartin is Director of the Central and Northern FL Make-A-Wish and she had some of the “Wish” kids at the show. One was a little boy named Jampier, and the driver of the “Danger” truck, built by A&A Stainless, was very surprised at how much he knew about the truck. Jampier was really excited when the driver, Daniel, let him get in the truck! “Danger” took home the Kid’s Choice Award, as well as Best Interior. Another thing I’ve said for years is, “There is nothing like little kids and big trucks” – and this charity event was a real testimony to that statement (the smiles on the kid’s faces when they sit in the driver’s seat of a big truck and hold that wheel will melt your heart).
Sara was totally blown away with all she learned about trucks and drivers, and she has the desire to keep learning. In the morning, after a light drizzle of rain stopped, she was surprised to see the drivers out there wiping off their trucks so they would be perfect for the kids – everyone was so nice, and all that they were doing for the kids was amazing. No one in that area has ever come close to what Raney’s did at this show for Make-A-Wish, and they have formed a beautiful partnership. All the money raised will go directly to the wishes of kids in their local area.
The goal of this event was also to make the drivers feel like the kings and queens that they are. A private lounge was set up for the drivers to come in and cool off, stocked with food and drinks, for them to enjoy the entire show. Also, there was a great selection of food trucks outside, including one that was all about desserts! In addition to that, there were several vendors with all kinds of truck stuff, with booths set up, completing the entire truck show experience.
Ryan and Cindy Wichtner won the Super Shine award, with their Kenworth K-100, which was sparkling in the sun. They were very impressed at everything Raney’s did for the drivers and how well it was set up and ran – especially for a first-time show. They are already planning to be back next year. Richard Stocknahm told me that this was the first show he had ever entered his truck in, and he will definitely be back next year. His daughters and daughter-in-law brought their kids, and they all had a great time. They were actually surprised at how much fun they had at a truck show!
When the tally was done, the show had raised $93,000 for Make-A-Wish, exceeding the goal they had set before the show. It meant being able to grant nine wishes instead of just eight, making the kids the real winners. The money raised came from the entry fees, the auctions, sponsorships, fundraising campaigns and individual donations. A special shoutout goes to Lifetime Nut Covers for not only designing but also building unique trophies exclusively for their show. As always, in true Lifetime fashion, they did an amazing job! Thank you!!
Plans for next year’s show are already in the works and the dates have been set for February 6-7, 2026 (they want to expand to a two-day show so they can have a light show on Friday night). Florida winter weather is perfect at that time of year – not too humid or hot, and a welcome getaway from the cold. Joel and his team did a great job, and they are listening to suggestions to make it even better next year. I’d say it’s a great way to “kick-off” the truck show season – on Super Bowl weekend!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Big thanks to Joel Raney and his crew, Ryan Wichtner, Sara Desmartin and Richard Stocknahm for providing all the pictures for this report! And the winners were:
KID’S CHOICE WINNER: “Danger” Built by A&A Stainless.
KID’S CHOICE RUNNER UP: “Chosen One” Eva Knelsen of West Coast Transportation.
LIGHTS OUT: “Wild Child” Clifton Parsley of CTS Towing.
SUPER SHINE: “Haulin’ Ass” Ryan John Wichtner of 525 Transport.
BEST INTERIOR: “Danger” Built by A&A Stainless.
BEST THEME: “One of Many” Joy and Colby of Michael A. Manual Trucking.