The CEO of U-Haul, one of America’s most famous companies, went barreling down a suburban thoroughfare at 80 mph, with no hands on the wheel and a U-Haul trailer in tow.

Undaunted by the 118-degree heat, Shoen had set out to show two Los Angeles Times reporters that towing U-Haul equipment is perfectly safe — unless the customer screws up.

The high-speed demonstration was part of a 10-hour tour of U-Haul operations that highlighted the take-charge style of a chief executive who wears his corporate pride on his sleeve.