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AD Index
June 2016
Page#
AAA Access Tools 59 93
Advantage Funding
43 Agero 13 Akins Body & Carrier Sales 79 Allstate Roadside Services 49 American Wrecker Sales N 102 Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales S 104 Austin Hinds Motors S 99 Austin Insurance M 99 AutoReturn 31 AW Direct 21 B/A Products 17 B & Z Sales S 101 Beacon Software 46 Chase Insurance Agency S 103 Chevron Commercial 92 Condor 32 CRASHFILM 26 Crouch’s Wrecker Equip. & Sales 87 Dan-Am/Sata Spray Equipment W 100 Danco 48 Daniel’s Wrecker Sales 20 DewEze 38 Don Jackson Carrier & Wrecker 71 Dual-Tech Wreckers & Carriers 83 Dynamic Towing Eq. & Mfg. 41 East Penn Truck Equipment 27 ECM Performance 25 Elizabeth Truck Center 47 Equipment Sales & Services N 99 Florida Wrecker Sales S 101 Freightliner 7 G. Stone Motors N 100 GEICO 107
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Ginn Carrier & Wrecker Sales 43 GPS PRO 97 Hale Trailer N 103 I Tow In 24 IGTC 25 In The Ditch Towing Products 35 Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) 27 Integrated Vehicle Equipment 44 Intek Truck Equipment/Leasing 25 Isuzu 2 Jerr-Dan Corp. 108 Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip. M 100 Landoll Corp. 44 Lift & Tow 47 Lodar USA 24 Loganville Ford 88 Lynch Chicago 33 Manufacturer Express 45 Matheny Motor Truck 63 Matjack Jumbo Safelift 42 McMahon Truck Center M 99 Miller Industries 4, 5 National Automobile Club 38 Nation Safe Drivers (NSD) 46 New England Truckmaster N 99 North American Bancard 10 Nussbaum Equipment N 101 OMG National N,M,W 104, S 99 OnlineParkingPass 20 Pacific General Insur. Agency M 101 Performance Advantage Company N 100 Phoenix USA 40 Pinnacle Motor Club 89 PowerBilt Wrecker Mfg. 45 Progressive Commercial Auto Insurance 67 Quest Towing Services 40 Quick Draw Tarpaulin 26 Recovery Billing Unlimited 26 Recovery Specialist Ins. Group (RSIG) 91 Renew Truck Body N 101 Rick’s Auto Sales 22 Road America 14, 24 Safety Vision 19 Santander Bank 23 Santiam W 102 SavaCOMM 91 Savatech 29, 50, 81 Sea Crest Insurance Agency W 99 Select Truck & Equipment M 101 Smyrna Truck Center S 100 Specialty Vehicle & Equip. Funding 39 Steck Mfg. 38 Sun Country Trailers M 100 Superwinch LLC 18 TLC Truck & Equipment S 103 Tow Industries W 101 Towman Hero Award N, S, M, W 104 TowMate 88 Triple K Industries 20 Truck Body Sales W 100 USAC/MD 71 Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX W 101 VTS Systems W 99 Vulcan 15 Warn Industries 41 Western Truck Insurance 32 WorldClass Insurance Services W 103 Worldwide Equipment 36, 37 Zacklift International 48 Zip’s Truck Equipment 34
App to Build a Peterbilt 579
Peterbilt (peterbilt.com) customers and enthusiasts can build their own Model 579—choosing from a range of specs, colors and configurations—with a new, free app available for iPads through the Apple App Store, Peterbilt Motors Co. recently announced.
Users can choose a truck or a tractor, a day cab or pick from a full line of sleepers, hood lengths, exterior colors and bright packages, powertrain and other key components. The full range of fairings and closeouts are available to build Peterbilt’s Model 579 EPIQ.
Once the trucks are built, the app allows them to be saved or e-mailed. A similar version of the Model 579 configurator app is available on peterbilt.com.
New F150 Gets 10-Speed Auto
Ford (ford.com) launched its 2017 F-150 with an allnew 3.5L EcoBoost engine and 10-speed transmission.
The second-generation 3.5L EcoBoost engine will provide 450-ft./lbs. peak torque (up 30 ft./lbs.), remains the only truck in its segment to offer a twin-turbo V-6 gasoline engine, according to Ford.
The all-new Ford-built 10-speed automatic transmission is claimed to deliver improved acceleration and performance compared with previous six-speed automatics.
Three overdrive gears and a wider ratio span enable lower-numerical rear-axle ratios to help improve fuel efficiency at highway speeds, while maintaining best-in-class towing.
The 10-speed transmission uses advanced materials and alloys to save weight, and it is the first Ford gearbox that does not use cast iron components. More than 20 patents are approved or pending for the powertrain combination.
Ford announced earlier this year that it will invest $145 million to upgrade its Cleveland Engine Plant to support production of the new engine. An additional $1.4 billion is being invested at Ford’s Livonia Transmission Plant to build the 10speed transmission.
The 2017 Ford F-150 goes on sale this fall.
USAC/MD Raises $13,200 for Survivor Fund
The Ninth Annual United States Auto Club/Motoring Division Golf Classic raised $13,200 for The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum’s Survivor Fund, according to the museum. The event was held during the Professional Wreckers of Florida show in Orlando.
“USAC/MD is proud of the generosity of the golfers and sponsors, who over the years have faithfully supported the Survivor Fund”, said Matthew Miller, USAC/MD Golf Classic chair. “This year helped us reach just over $100,000 in donations to the Survivor Fund. We are so thankful to everyone for making the Golf Classic such a successful event.”
Source: internationaltowingmuseum.org.
by Charles Duke
Women who play key roles in towing businesses are the focus of the Tow Women’s Conference at Tow Expo International, August 4-6 in Arlington, Texas. Key
Joanne Blyton speakers include Amy Joann Messina Milstead, Joann Messina, Donna Bookout-Coe, and Joanne Blyton. All these women have played a major role in running tow operations and tow associations. Blyton was American Towman’s
Amy Milstead 2014 Towman of the Year. Donna Bookout-Coe The Conference will feature individual seminars on issues that underscore the role of the woman in running, or helping run, a tow business. There will also be session led by the women’s panel, with a question and answer session.
Many women who have run towing businesses have done so with their marriage partner, some as daughters to the man who heads the business, and some as entrepreneurial endeavors on their own. The experience and insights of these women presenting at the Conference is invaluable.
One of the women who will share their experiences will be well-known tow industry veteran Donna Bookout-Coe. Bookout-Coe, who is president of Fleet Sales West in Woodburn, Ore., in addition to running two towing companies, says she is looking forward to the conference with her fellow sister towers.
“I greatly look forward to sharing my life experiences— and some hard earned lessons—with my fellow female tow women,” Bookout-Coe said. “As women, we tend to give our all to family and to our business—and put ourselves last—often at great cost to ourselves.
Amy Milstead of The Milstead Group in Spring, Texas, feels that the conference will give women towing professionals a chance to interact, share ideas and be an experience that will lend to encouraging each other.
The Women’s Conference at Tow Show International will be a major event in the industry this year. Be sure to register early to be on hand for this special Conference.
VIS Adds Clouser to Sales
Vehicle Inspection Systems (vischeck.net) added Lori Clouser to its national sales team to enhance company growth through proactive sales and account management.
“Lori’s experience in sales, account management, and the transportation industry has made her a vital addition to Vehicle Inspection Systems,” said Mark Keegans, VP.
Daimler Opens New HQ
Daimler Trucks North America (daimler.com) opened its new ninestory headquarters building on its corporate campus in North Portland, Ore.
The total headquarters project required a $150 million investment by DTNA. The new corporate headquarters building merges DTNA employees currently located in offices separated by the Willamette River and to accommodate future business growth.
IAA Partners with N.Y. DMV
Insurance Auto Auctions now provides the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles with daily electronic file transfers of information. The files are associated with each salvage certificate of every vehicle IAA acquires by its insurance company clients in settlement of claims for damage or theft. "Most importantly, this agreement will ensure increased transparency between the New York State DMV and IAA and reinforces our continued collaboration," said John Kett, CEO and president, IAA. "We are also proud to offer this streamlined process to our clients as it will save time and reduce costs. These changes will continue to reinforce IAA's overall commitment to a healthy and responsible expansion of our industry."
In addition to delivering an electronic file transfer of the necessary data elements, the scanned images associated with each salvage certificate will be provided by IAA. All documents will be stored and maintained by IAA for one year and made available to the DMV upon request.
Source: IAA-Auctions.com.
Texas Town Considers Ordinance Update
Kyle, Texas, was considering at press time an existing wrecker ordinance that will address concerns over local preference, quicker collision clean up on the highway and safety.
Under the current ordinance, local preference is given to tow companies when it comes to cars and trucks. However, this same preference is not given for heavy wreckers.
Council member Damon Fogley said the issue is that heavy-duty vehicles are “being towed outside of the city limits into Austin or San Marcos,” or other cities. He said those citizens are incurring increased costs as their vehicles are towed outside city limits.
The proposed ordinance would put a rotational list in place for companies the police call when there is a wreck along I-35. The ordinance, as it is written now, allows one wrecker company to tow multiple cars involved in one crash. That results in a delay in getting all vehicles off of the scene of collision, according to Fogley.
If the new ordinance is passed, towing company partnerships with the city may become safer.
Fogley proposed that the city discontinue doing business with any wrecker company that has employees, managers or owners who have convictions directly related to the towing industry.
Police Chief Jeff Barnett said he would invite all of the local towing companies to have a meeting so their perspectives and desires for the ordinance can be shared.
Source: haysfreepress.com.
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CABLES, CHAINS, HOOKS & SLINGS
CAR CARRIERS –MANUFACTURERS
CAR CARRIERS –MFR
CRASHFILM CREDIT CARD PROCESSING DISPATCH / MOTOR CLUB ELECTRONICS
EMERGENCY LIGHTS EQUIPMENT FINANCING/LEASING
INSURANCE INSURANCE
LOCKOUT TOOLS MUNICIPAL TOWING MGT.
SCOTCH / SNATCH BLOCKS TOOL MOUNTING TRAILERS
TRAILERS TRAINING WHEEL LIFT ATTACHMENTS
WRECKER BODIES - MANUFACTURERS
WRECKER BODIES - MANUFACTURERS
WRECKER BODIES - DISTRIBUTORS
WRECKER BODIES - DISTRIBUTORS
WRECKER BODIES - DISTRIBUTORS
WRECKER BODIES - DISTRIBUTORS
News Now Daily at TowIndustryWeek.com
For four years Tow Industry Week has wowed towers with its exclusive features on everything towing and recovery, content not found anywhere else. Many tow business owners reported a Saturday morning ritual of coming into the office with a cup of joe and taking the time to read the week's news and features like Wrecks+Recovery or Tow Illustrated. Each week, new content. But for the past three months, Tow Industry Week has upped the ante by offering fresh news each day, deemed by American Towman editors to be the most important news of the moment that tow bosses would find interesting and useful.
CTTA Finds Permanent Home
The California Tow Truck Association recently announced it has purchased a permanent base of operations in the state capital, Sacramento.
In May, CTTA President Terry Warford and CTTA Foundation President Sherry White finalized paperwork for the move to the facility at 643 W. Stadium Lane.
In 2011, the CTTA moved its administrative offices from Palm Springs to West Sacramento to foment interaction with legal counsel and lobbyists on state regulations in the industry.
Release Fees Cut for Towed Vehicles
The Menlo Park (Calif.) City Council voted unanimously to reduce the police department’s vehicle release fees for infractions, misdemeanors and felonies to $125—a reduction of 38 percent to 58 percent—and to eliminate the “early release for impounded vehicle” fee.
The city conducted a survey recently that revealed Menlo Park’s release fees were among the highest in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, according to city documents.
“At the end of the day we want to make sure that we are not putting our residents in a difficult situation to earn a living,” said Councilman Ray Mueller.
Source: ww2.kqed.org.
Bill Targets Tow ‘Abuses’
A bill to curb towing abuses cleared a major hurdle in the Illinois legislature recently.
A measure introduced by State Sen. Bill Haine would cut tow release fees to $50 in most cases. The measure passed the Senate Transportation committee by unanimous vote and was scheduled to go to the full Senate.
An amendment added to Haine’s bill tackles so-called rogue towing companies that show up at a scene without being called and tow the vehicle anyway.
Under Haine’s bill that practice would become a felony.
In another major proposal, the bill sets up a statewide Towing Commission that would be appointed by the governor to come up with new regulations on towing companies.
The commission would include representatives from the Senate, the State Police, the Illinois Commerce Commission and the towing industry.
Source: fox2now.com.
