3 minute read
My Baby
by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti
John Dodson founded Dodson & Sons Road Service in Deale, Md., in 2005 after more than 30 years in the towing business. He started with one road service truck and now has a fleet of five tow trucks. Sons Jacob, 23, and Sam, 19, work side by side with Dodson in the family business handling everything from road service to heavy-duty towing and recovery.
The wrecker featured here is “Bad Attitude,” John’s 2013 Kenworth T800/Jerr-Dan 35-ton integrated heavy with a Jerr-Dan Side Recovery System, built by Atlantic Emergency Solutions in Manassas, Va. Rock Star Wraps in Manassas did the custom 3M vinyl wrap.
A Cummins ISX 550 engine mated to an 18-speed Fuller transmission powers Bad Attitude.
This Jerr-Dan unit has a 70,000-lbs. two-stage recovery boom with dual 35,000-lbs. DP Winch planetary winches and a three-stage underlift with a 144” reach.
The heavy-duty SRS has 35,000-lbs. planetary winches and a pivoting recovery boom that hydraulically swings to allow recovery from either side. It has one wireless remote that controls all functions (as well as a wired one). The JerrDan SRS needs 24” for mounting, weighs 5,000 lbs. and is a functional counterweight as well.
“This is a versatile unit,” Dodson said. “The boomswivel feature allows us to set up either driver- or passenger-side pulls in no time. The independent hide-away flip-down spade has a dual stabilizing feature, which keeps the truck planted on any type of surface. It very effectively transfers weight to the outrigger, which solidly plants the truck, not only directly off the side but to the front and rear as well.
Tech Highlights
Chassis: 2013 Kenworth T800. Wrecker: Jerr-Dan 35-ton Integrated. Engine: 550 Cummins. Trans: Fuller 18-speed. Winches: Dual 35,000-lbs. DP Winches. Buider: Atlantic Emergency Solutions. Special Equipment: Jerr-Dan Side Recovery System. Graphics: Rock Star Wraps.
Judge Rules Against AAA Center
Some residents in Stratford, Conn., are celebrating after winning a lawsuit against AAA and town hall.
Residents were against a proposal to build a tow truck fleet center in an area that is not zoned for industrial use.
A judge ruled against the plan.
Farrington-Posner said the facility would have been between 10 homes and severely disrupted the neighborhood.
Source: connecticut.news12.com.
More Tow Regulations in Missouri
Missouri state senators recently voted 29-3 to require Missouri towing companies to stay open or have someone available for 10 hours Monday through Friday. The companies would have to post their rates and could not charge storage fees for days they’re closed.
Sen. Brian Munzlinger said tow truck companies currently operate under few rules that have allowed some to employ predatory practices. Sen. Paul Wieland said although he is hesitant to pass new regulations, businesses that hold people’s property should have a higher standard of responsibility.
Most of the regulations would apply only to the state’s most populous counties. The measure was scheduled to go to the House.
Source: dailyjournal.net.
Texas County Considers Impound Rotation
Montgomery County, Texas, officials are working with law enforcement, the tow truck industry and the public to update its policy regarding non-consent towing.
House Bill 2213, passed during the 2015 state legislative session, has made it possible for the county to make changes to existing towing policies to address safety issues on area roadways.
The proposed towing rotation process creates five zones in Montgomery County in an effort to cut down on the number of tow trucks that respond to a scene.
The proposed regulations only address non-consent towing. Dispatch personnel will follow a rotation of towing companies included in a list for each zone. A towing company may have a number of positions on the rotation list corresponding to the number of permitted tow trucks in each zone.
Towers would have 20 minutes to respond to a scene within each zone under the initial policy.
County officials also seek to ensure that vehicles are towed to a location in the county, Stallberg said. The proposed regulations require towed vehicles to be stored within the specific zone in which the vehicle was loaded.
Source: communityimpact.com.
