Big Boy Ice Cream is a family-owned company founded by Cristino Morales in 1955. Since then, the company has expanded beyond its wildest dreams, with distribution in several states and offering a wide variety of treats. What began with Cristino selling ice cream in the warm months and fruit during the cold season has grown over the decades into a thriving company.
Cristino Morales, Founder of Big Boy Ice Cream
But fast forward to more recent times when Big Boy Ice Cream faced a serious challenge.
The truck body Big Boy was using to deliver ice cream in Oklahoma just wasn’t up for the job—it struggled to maintain the right temperature and was frequently in the shop for repairs.
“As I was looking for a solution, I learned a lot about truck bodies,” explained Nena Morales, Vice President of Big Boy Ice Cream and third-generation leader of the company. “I discovered that truck body specs have a purpose and details matter. If a body isn’t built for transporting ice cream, it couldn’t possibly be the right fit for our operations. I was also looking for something reliable – a truck body that could perform well even when the heat is at its worst in the summer.”
Morales ultimately found her solution through a trusted colleague. “I met the Morales family through our participation at annual Ice Cream Association (TICA) meetings,” said Eduardo Navarro, Great Dane National Accounts. “We worked closely with Hogan’s leasing account manager and purchasing team to design an Alpine refrigerated truck body for Nena’s application.”
“The Alpine is a bull compared to the truck body we were renting,” Morales explained. “It’s a solid truck body and the Thermo King unit is perfect for keeping our ice cream at the right temperature.”
According to Morales, the Alpine also helps to reduce the company’s downtime.
“The quality build and specifications resolved all our problems. We can accomplish more each day because of the truck body’s dependability.”
Learn more about Great Dane Alpine refrigerated truck bodies here.
Looking back over their legacy, Nena says when Cristino was the lone seller of Big Boy’s treats, selling ice cream was always his favorite. He loved driving from one neighborhood to the next, watching families light up the moment they saw him coming. Part entrepreneur, part engineer, Cristino even modified his 1955 Chevy Panel Wagon, by adding a freezer box and modifying the car, cutting it to open from the back to serve his customers.
Cristino’s daughter, Eduarda, standing on the bumper of the Chevy he engineered by cutting a hole in the back to fit a small refrigerator filled with dry ice and ice cream treats.
Nena says it’s this same positive outlook and love for their customers that keep the company going, especially during challenges. It’s a legacy of heart, hustle, and innovation, and Nena’s team is proud to carry it forward, delivering not just ice cream, but the same joy her grandfather shared with every stop he made.
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