Jacob Cromwell from Flathead Equipment in Montana started his business out of personal frustration. “I was trying to rent a trailer to move a project I was purchasing and had a very hard time finding a good way to do it,” he recalls. The local options either didn’t have trailers large enough or weren’t reliable for long hauls.
That experience sparked the idea for his own trailer rental business, one that would focus on high-quality, well-maintained equipment customers could trust. Today, Flathead Equipment rents out large enclosed and utility trailers to individuals moving vehicles across states, construction companies transporting tools, and farmers hauling equipment.
“Unlike most local rental companies, I carry large high-quality trailers that are maintained as if they were new,” Jacob explains. But before using Booqable, his process was far from smooth. Managing availability through a Wix site and manual contact forms meant every booking required personal coordination.
What began as a side business quickly became difficult to manage. That’s when Jacob discovered Booqable’s trailer rental website builder and client-facing availability calendar, tools that helped him bring his business fully online. The switch didn’t just modernize his setup; it made the rental process more transparent and efficient for his customers.
Managing trailer rentals with confidence
Flathead Equipment may be a one-person operation, but thanks to Booqable, Jacob runs it with the efficiency of a larger team. Before Booqable, Jacob managed everything manually. “I had a simple Wix website that pushed leads to contact me and set up a rental,” he said.
Without real-time inventory, customers had to message him for availability, and he often had to double-check stock before confirming rentals. That process left room for confusion and missed bookings. Now, customers browse and book directly through his trailer rental website made with Booqable, choosing from the trailers available in his catalog.
Orders are automatically scheduled in the dashboard, and products are reserved automatically in his Booqable account to prevent double bookings. Deposits are calculated automatically based on a product value percentage, making payments clear and consistent for both sides.
For Jacob, having an all-in-one trailer rental software has eliminated the stress of juggling multiple tools. “Definitely time savings and ease of access for customers to view the catalog of equipment that is available,” he says. Flathead Equipment now runs smoothly, and Jacob spends less time managing logistics and more time growing his fleet.
Building the perfect equipment rental website
One of Jacob’s biggest challenges early on was making his availability visible to the public. “I needed a clear availability calendar that was visible to clients,” he explains. Before Booqable, his Wix site looked professional but didn’t support online bookings or live availability. He needed a trailer rental website that could handle both.
With Booqable’s rental website builder, Jacob quickly created a site that fits his brand and makes booking easy. The process was quick and simple from start to finish. He chose a trailer rental template from Booqable’s collection, adjusted the pages and menus, added featured collections to the homepage, and connected his own domain so customers could easily find him.
Here’s what this achieved for him:
-
Customers can browse a clean, professional website that feels custom-made.
-
He doesn’t need coding experience to make updates.
-
Bookings and availability are automatically linked to his inventory.
-
He gets more direct bookings without back-and-forth emails.
Now, customers can discover, book, and pay all on the same site. The rental website builder helped Jacob turn his Wix leads page into a working online storefront that saves hours of coordination each week.
Letting customers see availability in real time
Before using Booqable, one of Jacob’s biggest headaches was tracking which trailers were available and when. Customers often asked for dates he couldn’t instantly confirm. Now, Booqable’s client-facing availability calendar shows them exactly what’s ready to rent.
“Booqable offers a great scheduling feature that shows clients what equipment is available during the time frame they select,” Jacob says. The availability calendar appears on every product page, showing green for available days and red for booked ones. Customers can open the pop-up calendar to check future dates and quantities of each trailer type.
Here’s what it does for Flathead Equipment:
-
Reduces the need for calls or emails to confirm availability.
-
Gives customers confidence to book instantly.
-
Helps his trailer inventory avoid double-bookings.
-
Keeps his stock data accurate without manual updates.
This small but powerful feature solved one of his earliest pain points. Now, every booking feels effortless for both Jacob and his customers.
From one idea to a growing rental business
Flathead Equipment’s journey shows how the right digital tools can help even a one-person rental business scale confidently. By combining Booqable’s trailer rental website builder and client-facing availability calendar, Jacob has created a smooth experience for every customer looking to rent a trailer.
In his words, the biggest difference is “the ease of scheduling and access to see all the available equipment and pricing upfront.” What began as a frustration has turned into a business built on trust, quality, and accessibility, with Booqable helping Jacob every mile of the way.
