American Towman Magazine - January 2011 by dortiz-towman

Frank Sanchez

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FEATURE CONTENTS

Departments

Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . .8 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Diversified Tower . . . . . . . . . .14 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . .50 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . .53

A Towman Talks This California company has gone all out availing its facility and services to the fire department. by Rob Navarro

Towman of the Year You can’t fight city hall, but this Towman did, and won. His victory and his preparation for it, is helping towers around the country. by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

Ice Recovery This recovery took months to achieve and needed Mother Nature to thaw things out. by John Silver

Comic Illustration from Adventures of American Towman, page 53 Photos by: Jim “Buck” Sorrenti, Rob Navarro, John Silver, Evelyn Diaz Cover Design by: Ann Marie Nitti

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Number 109 on Reader Card

Home from the Road by Steve Calitri

Some are accustomed to battling floods, tornaick Olson, the Towman of Yesteryear does, and dust storms. Imagine the cold blizfeatured in last January’s issue, zards that Dick braved at two in the morning. passed away after a valiant battle Dick was genuinely proud to be a Towman. with cancer. His life spanned 83 He was proud of the work and that this work years. The Towman of Yesteryear article harked supported his family. He was proud of his two back to the 50’s and 60’s, Dick’s heyday running sons, one who became a pharmacist, and one a towing service with his gas station, Dick’s who became an executive of the world’s largest Conoco. While I never met Dick, American wrecker manufacturer. Towman was blessed with his story and the Most tow bosses face the contradictory great old pictures that came with it. Dick was a wishes of wanting their sons and daughters to true American Towman and his shining exambe successful in life without the 24/7 stress of ple of professionalism was a lesson for all towthis work, and at the same time wanting them in ers, back to the future. the business, wanting the business to grow When Dick Olson passed away, there were more successful and last forever in the family a couple of copies of American Towman nearby name. But regardless of how long a on an end table at his bedside. In his towing company lasts, the towing in mind, he was a Towman to the last. the tower never vanishes. The feeling In spite of the struggle that zapped of the work never goes away. his energy and ravaged his body, he The work; helping stranded had just refurbished an old trailer motorists, the logistics of recovering a and was planning to buy a snowcar from a river or up a hill, the heat plow. His body was going but his of commanding an emergency serspirit was as strong as ever. vice operation with a fleet of wreckers There are thousands of diehard Dick Olson and a team of operators, and always on wrecker operators who dream of call; all this is a blessing and a curse the Towman wreckers, and the work they did with them, can’t shake. until their last hour. Probably every Towman A retired tower may be thankful he no worth his salt envisions his funeral procession longer has to go out in the bitter cold in the dead where wreckers stretch miles along the road of night to be able to make his mortgage paypaying tribute to his life long work as a towing ments. Just like an old soldier is thankful he is professional. I have to admit I dream of this far from the battlefield. But it was the battlefield myself, and I have winched vehicles from the or the highway where he felt most alive. Dick, ditch only in my glorious mind. like most of us, wished to be living life full of the It is almost inconceivable why men and moment of an endeavor; a cup of coffee afterwomen who ply such a thankless trade filled wards with some familiar souls being the only with headaches, red tape, and sleepless nights, moment of glory needed. love this work. Some of them are actually laid to Maybe Dick is at some diner in the hererest with a grab hook in hand. I know of some after, the steam of the coffee rising to his nostrils who were buried with the American Towman as he relates his latest recovery to his friends. Medal around their necks and resting upon When I think of the kind of Towman Dick their chests. Olson was, like so many of the towers I have Dick Olson was the ultimate professional known, I think of the epitaph on the tombstone who took good care of his business and his of one of my favorite writers*; it came from one Holmes wreckers. And coming from the far of his poems, Requiem: north country of Minnesota he had some recovHere he lies where he longs to be ery tales to tell, like the one with the bear we feaHome is the sailor home from the sea tured in the article. All towers face the elements And the hunter home from the hill working the roadsides. It’s the nitty gritty aspect of being a Towman that gets into one’s blood. *Robert Louis Stevenson

Publisher Dennie Ortiz-Sorrenti Editor-In-Chief Steve Calitri Operations Editors Terry Abejuela Randall Resch Chassis Editor David Kolman Safety Editor Bill Simmons Contributing Editors Jim “Buck” Sorrenti Rob Navarro John Silver Editorial Board Tommy Anderson; Dallas, Texas Roy Carlson; St. Paul, Minn. Gary Coe; Portland, Ore. Frank Child; Cody, Wyo. Belinda Harris; Greensboro, N.C. Amado Llorens; Hialeah, Fla. Ron Mislan; Warren, N.J. Chuck Swider; Chicopee, Mass. Frank Sanchez; Bridgewater, N.J. *************************************************** Art Director/Production Mgr Ann Marie Nitti Graphic Manager William Burwell Advertising Sales Manager Dennie Ortiz-Sorrenti Senior Account Executive Ellen Rosengart VP of Accounts Norma Calitri VP of Communications Neila Kennedy Internet Developer Henri Calitri *********************************************** American Towman Network President Steven Calitri *********************************************** Headquarters 7 West Street, Warwick NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546 Fax: 845-986-5181 ************************************************ E-mail: Publisher: dsorrenti@towman.com Editor-In-Chief: scalitri@towman.com AT’S Digital Edition: itowman.com Weekly Industry News: towman.com Copyright ©2011 American Towman Magazine is published 12 times a year by American Towman Network, Inc. Subscription: $50–1 yr; $95–2 yrs • US $65 and $105 • International Editorial Policy: the act of mailing or delivering a letter or article to American Towman Magazine, shall constitute permission to publish that letter or article or any portion thereof. American Towman Magazine reserves the right to edit any and all material submitted.

TOWMAN.COM - January 2011 • 7

Dear American Towman, Tony Carter wasn’t just a tow truck driver. He was THE tow truck driver around Aurora, Ind. He was the one you called when you thought it couldn’t be done. Tony passed away in his sleep Sunday, September 12, 2010. He was 49 years old. Over the course of the week after Tony died I heard so many stories about my brother and the things he did. There were EMT’s that told stories of how he would hold someone’s hand while they were being cut out of a car, or being treated on the side of the road. Always offering comfort to the person and not just sitting there waiting to pick up his tow. I heard stories about how he had helped people who were down on their luck and didn’t have money to repair their car, buying the parts and doing the repairs for free. That was Tony Carter – he was an amazing man. Two years ago Tony received the Order of Towman. He was so proud of that award. He called me when he got the paper in the mail, and had to go buy a new white shirt, (cause tow truck drivers never have white anything). He went to the AT Expo and came home so excited over receiving the award. 8 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

When Tony passed, my brother Bobby and I knew a simple funeral wasn’t what my brother deserved. When we met with the funeral home director we had what we thought would be some strange requests. We knew we didn’t want him in a hearse, the only way to take Tony to his final resting place almost 20 miles away was on the back of a C&R Tow truck. That was what Tony would have wanted and what we wanted as well. The funeral director had no problem with that. We also wanted a white casket with chrome, to match the tow trucks and Bobby said we need decals like the C&R trucks have. He had the decals made and put them on himself. We wanted Tony to feel like it was just another work day. Work was very important to Tony and he sure did it enough, he always seemed to be working. As I said before he was always helping people, doing for those in need as well as his paying customers. We expected a lot of people at my brothers visitation. What we didn’t expect was the nearly 1000 people who came out. There may have been more. Since the funeral our family has been told by many that they

just couldn’t stand in line for the two or three plus hours it took to get in. And the stories have filled our hearts in these days that have passed. The weekend Tony died there was a K-9 training being held in town. Tony had donated his time and a couple of cars to help the officers in training. Officers from all over the United States were here and when they heard of Tony’s passing asked if they could help with the funeral. The funeral home did honor all our requests and Tony was taken on the back of a C&R rollback with a funeral procession that looked like a parade. It was said the procession was nearly five miles long with 24 police cars to block traffic and lead us to his final resting place. We went straight through our little town. People lined US 50 to hold up signs, saying WE WILL MISS YOU TONY, and wave as we went by. It was an amazing tribute to an amazing man. Pam (Tony’s Sister) C&R Towing Lawrenceburg, Ind.

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By the Pound, Ouch! An Oklahoma trucking company wasn’t too happy after the truck they used to deliver a bulldozer to Galveston, Texas, was towed away. Police in the coastal Texas town said the Wellco Tank Trucks of Dover, Okla., parked the trailer in a dangerous spot. "It was the trailer and the load, right in the lane of traffic," said Tino Ordondez of A&A Wrecking. "It was basically endangering everybody." The owner of the truck, Mike Mathews, said A&A Wrecking charged him by the pound to haul his truck away (a not uncommon industry practice), estimating the vehicle to weigh about 172,000 pounds. The bill, he reported, came out to $43,000 for a 3-mile tow. He said he got the truck out of hock only after contacting the city of Galveston, which helped convince the wrecking company to accept less. The bill was reduced to $15,000. Alicia Cahill, a spokeswoman for the city of Galveston, said the city has an ordinance to limit fees for towing but she said it does not apply to such large, heavy vehicles.source: koco.com

Missouri Schemers to the Clink Gregory P. Shepard, 52, a manager for St. Louis Metropolitan Towing and previously a St. Louis police officer, pleaded guilty in September to a single count each of mail fraud and bribery. Shepard was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison. The company is a part of S&H Parking Systems, whose owners already have been sentenced to prison for tax evasion. Officials said Shepard was the linchpin of a broad scheme that cheated owners of towed cars and improperly seized vehicles and resold them at inflated prices. The brothers who own S&H, William and Kenneth Bialczak, were each sentenced to one year and one day in prison, and were ordered to pay stiff fines and back taxes for failing to report a total of about $1 million in income. The remaining defendant in the case, Kevin Shade, is waiting to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges that said he used his then position as a police detective to help the company manipulate vehicle titles to inflate their resale prices. Source: stltoday.com 10 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

22 Consecutive Hits for AT Expo The American Towman Exposition continued to be the marvel of the trade show world with its 22nd straight successful year and record crowd, all in the face of a severe recession. Not only were the numbers of tow business owners up from previous record crowds, but there were buyers among them, according to the equipment exhibitors. “The best Saturday we’ve ever experienced,” said Joel Amsley, Senior VP of the Jerr-Dan Corporation. Miller Industries' VP of Marketing, Randy Olson, also reported brisk sales activity both at its corporate

booth and among its distributors who displayed equipment on the floor. Dynamic, NRC, and DualTech also reported significant sales activity. Overall, an estimated $100 million was transacted on the show floor this past November 20th and 21st inside the Baltimore Convention Center.

Ban on

Texting A new law recently passed has now placed a nation wide ban on texting while driving commercial vehicles. Made official Oct. 21 it includes penalties up to $2,750 and an $11,000 maximum for carriers, as well as sanctions including, for repeat offenders, disqualification from operating vehicles in interstate commerce. A texting conviction is now considered a serious traffic violation. Driver violators can be disqualified for 60 days if convicted of two separate violations in three years and 120 days if convicted of three or more violations in three years. Under the new law texting includes a short message service, emailing, instant messaging, a

request to access the Internet or any other form of electronic text retrieval or entry. It does not include: reading, selecting or entering a telephone or extension number, or voicemail retrieval codes and commands into an electronic device to make or receive a phone call or using voice commands to initiate or receive a phone call; inputting, selecting, or reading a global positioning system or navigation system; using fleet management systems, dispatching devices, smart phones, CBs or music players.

. . . AT Expo delivers the market’s vibrant sector. . . Get Out of My Pocket In Baldwin Park, Calif., tow boss Bill Salazar, owner of Royal Coaches Autobody and Towing, has asked the city to give him a break on the kickback the city forces him to pay on its checkpoint program that impounds the cars of unlicensed drivers and other infractions. According to sgvtribune.com, Royal Coaches charges $185 to tow a car or small truck and sends $111.55 of it to the city. Amazing isn’t it, what towers allow government to shove down their throats. What’s right? The tower should be allowed to charge what they need to charge and the town can do the same. The town needs to raise money to balance its books, and so does a private enterprise. Towers need to press the issue of public safety and how suppressed rates hamper a towing company’s ability to field safe trucks and qualified operators.

Single Contract Would Slam Towers In Texas, the Bellaire City Council is considering an exclusive towing contract that could raise extra money but that dozens of wrecker drivers say would put them out of business. The city would put the towing contract up for bid, a process that could rake in much more than the current permit system, which costs individual companies several hundred dollars per year. "It’s going to hurt me big time," said Frank Wilson, a veteran tow truck driver that claims more than half of his business is within the Bellaire city limits. Wilson says he could never afford to compete for the contract, despite having worked in the city for about 25 years. Several wrecker drivers showed up at the Bellaire council meeting last week to voice their concerns. They claim the policy shift would affect 75 wrecker drivers spread out over 32 companies. "Bellaire is the last vestige for an independent businessman," said Suzanne Poole, another wrecker business owner. "The rest of (Houston) has Safe Clear on the freeways." Source: khou.com

Wreck Chasing Still Gasping About 15 Philadelphia towtruck operators came to City Hall to oppose a bill that would put the Philadelphia Parking Authority in charge of that industry. Mostly, they testified politely that the measure would drive up their costs. But at times they glowered, muttered, or cheered. They say the bill will hurt all of them, instead of just weeding out a few dangerous drivers. Councilman James F. Kenney, the bill's sponsor, argues that the current towing system has fueled violence, as drivers race to wreck scenes and then fight over who will get the business. In September, one driver was accused of running over and killing another, in part because of competitive disputes. He opened the hearing with video from the new Discovery Channel show Wreck Chasers, a reality program about Philadelphia's towing wars. His legislation, approved by Council's Rules Committee, would have the Parking Authority call drivers. Currently, 911 operators do that from a list of towers approved by the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections, but Kenney says that department is too shorthanded to do the job well. Source: philly.com

Standards Authority Sets Up Independent House The American Towman Standards Authority (ATSA), the industry’s exclusive program for rating towing operations, has been structured independently of American Towman Magazine with a service bureau that is completely separated from AT’s media and trade show activities. “The integrity of the system requires a certain degree of insulation from outside forces,” said ATSA’s Chief of Affairs, DJ Harrington. “The service bureau that administers the system and its fulfillment, that is, processing towing companies through the rating system, has been set up at another site.” According to Harrington, management of the service bureau will be independent of American Towman

Magazine. The ATSA Service Bureau will maintain strict rules of confidentiality and restrictions on disclosure of client information(documentation submitted by towing companies). “American Towman magazine backs ATSA with its name and its support,” said Harrington, long known in the industry as The Tow Doctor, “but the Standards Authority will be detached from the magazine’s headquarters and its staff. AT will have oversight on how the service bureau operates to guarantee its own standards are being met, and it will send in an independent auditor twice annually to insure the integrity of the rating process.”

TOWMAN.COM - January 2011 • 11

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The Ultimate Entrepreneur Gary Coe found common elements between his towing business and town car service.

any towers seize opportunities in related businesses. A wise move considering significantly reduced number of police calls in many parts of the country, and the continuing success of Auto Clubs in numerous blocks of our business from warranty tows, to insurance road service programs, to credit card users, insurance retows, and most recently auto transport. Gary Coe, a 45 year owner of Speed’s Towing in Portland, Oregon is one of those creative guys who searches for opportunity, then creates a business out of it. In 1975, Coe and his father were concerned over the bad press caused by the towers performing private impounds in their city. So they formed a separate company, Retriever Towing, to provide those services to property management companies and business owners, insisting on high integrity and ethics in this tough business. Creating a completely separate identity for that kind of work has been a blessing and has allowed Speed’s to maintain a very positive image in the community. After several towers called him with questions about the possessory

14 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

lien process and recognizing that there were several lien services in neighboring California, in 1989 Coe formed Oregon Lien Service, LLC, which now serves over 100 Oregon towing companies, along with dealerships, repair shops and even marinas. Coe and his closest competitor have worked with the Oregon Tow Truck Association to introduce legislation for the 2011 Ore-

Nick Kemper, right, manages TowPartsNow for Coe. Coe believes his own experience as a buyer and user of towing accessories is a major asset.

gon legislative session, to simplify and update the possessory lien laws. In 2000, Coe and family started a tow truck dealership, building and selling new trucks, and refurbishing

and selling used tow trucks. After being asked several times, by various manufacturers to become a dealer, finally Coe realized he was looking too locally and needed to consider surrounding states. One of the challenges to selling used trucks is finding financing for buyers, so in 2002 Coe and partner Mike Porter formed Pacific Auto Acceptance, LLC to provide high risk, high interest financing for those towers who could not qualify at the conventional funding sources. Today PAA has over a $2 million portfolio of financed used tow trucks. Also in 2000, Speed’s formed an auto auction that today works for 21 different charity and non-profits with their auto donation program, along with used car dealer consignments, and of course the sale of unclaimed lien sale cars. They currently sell more than 200 cars every Tuesday, and raise an average of $37,000 a week for the charities. Plus with 150 to 200 buyers at each sale, the value of their lien sale cars have skyrocketed. In 2005 a friend approached Coe to purchase a towncar service. Towncars fill a quality gap between taxis and limousines. Most of the work for this 10-

vehicle operation is transportation to and from the Portland Airport. Coe initially turned down the opportunity until it was pointed out that the business involves 24 hour reservations; hiring, training, and scheduling drivers; and fleet maintenance, all of which are activities identical to those in towing. The main difference is that at Pacific Cascade Towncar, the drivers wear black suits, white dress shirts, and ties. Also in 2005 Coe read that a major accessories reseller was grossing $26 million in sales. The aggressive entrpreneur took a look at the parts and accessory market and decided to form Tow Parts Now LLC, and focus solely on the towing industry. The company focuses 100% of its inventory and offerings on those items related to only tow trucks. Its web site allowed the company out of the gates to reach the world through the internet. It offers original equipment manufacturer (OEM) replacement hard parts, for all the major towing equipment brands. So pivot pins, bushings, hydraulic rams, L arms, and wheel grids are all part of the inventory. Located in Oregon, all parts are shipped tax-free being that Oregon is a non-sales tax state. Another positive factor that Coe considered was the potential for timely delivery, being located on the West coast. When the end of the day comes to east coast towers, and they have a broken truck, it is still mid afternoon at Tow Parts Now, and with FedEx easily accessible, the tower can possibly have the needed replacement parts the next morning, and have his truck back on the road by noon. The common thread through Coe’s diversification has been his towing experience and knowledge of the tower’s needs. As a veteran tower, he feels that his parts and accessories business can compete with the bigger companies by the strength of its towing expertise. How has his parts business fared with the recession? Says Coe: “Every business has been effected, call volumes are down, therefore not only are towers not going through the consumables as fast, they have little funds to

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stock spares, so orders are smaller and more infrequent.” TowPartsNow Manager Nick Kemper notes the positive: “We’ve also seen an increase in some hard parts sales, possibly because there is less new equipment being purchased, so towers are making do with what they have, keeping that older unit on the road for an extra year or two. Another thing we’ve noticed is that the pinch goes all

the way down the line. So our customers have had to tighten the belt, we’ve had to tighten our belt, and our suppliers have had to tighten their belts, so availability of certain items is sometimes affected, and we have to manage cash flow wisely.” When we asked Coe what he will be into next, he laughed a laugh that seemed to say, isn’t this enough? At least for now. TOWMAN.COM - January 2011 • 15

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT!

Miller Gets Down

Warn’s New WG9 For Heavy Duty Warn Industries adds more choices to its growing line of tow-truck-ready winches with the WARN® WG9 worm gear winch, designed for heavy-duty towing and recovery applications. The new family of WARN WG9 9,000-pound capacity worm gear winches includes both standard short drum and long drum models. Both models accept a range of common hydraulic motor sizes. Cast-iron and aluminum construction with a durable powder-coated finish make the WARN WG9 winch lineup exceptionally durable and corrosion resistant. A 34:1 gear ratio assures optimal line speed. The positive engagement manual clutch (air option available) is both easy to use and reliable for the long run. The new winch rounds out the WARN product line for rollback carriers and light wreckers.

www.warn.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Access Smart Light To provide the best possible illumination for car opening professionals working at night, in low-light situations or with tinted windows, Miami-based Access Tools and Equipment™ introduces the Access Smart Light, the brightest lock-out light currently on the market. The Access Smart Light features 24 powerful LED bulbs surrounded by a polished metal mirrored surface. This unique combination results in an extremely bright windshield light capable of illuminating virtually the entire interior of a vehicle with ease. The casing consists of a strong, impact-resistant plastic compound which is lightweight yet hard to break. And, unlike any other light on the market, the Access Smart Light attaches to the windshield by way of four (versus one) all-climate suction cups. The suction cups are replaceable, which extends the life of the product. Replacement cups are sold by Access Tools. This powerful, versatile light uses regular AA batteries, standard or rechargeable, and features a one-year warranty from Access Tools and Equipment, now celebrating its 25th year in business.

www.caropeningtools.com Number 201 on Reader Card

iller Industries has introduced a new SST option for its popular 10 Series and 12 Series LCG carriers. The new SST option improves load angle by as much as 3 1/2 degrees. As a result, Miller’s new SST tail section provides superior performance when loading low-clearance vehicles. The SST is available in two versions: with a steel deck and removable aluminum blade rails or with an aluminum deck with solid, narrowprofile rails.

www.millerind.com Number 203 on Reader Card

Making Cones Convenient The Cone Caddy™ is a patented cone handling system that releases, picks-up, and stores traffic pylons and safety cones. Cones are released and collected with a simple click of the handle. It’s ideal for utility crews, transportation and delivery, construction, police, emergency response, security, airports, sports teams, and many other applications. The Cone Caddy™ is currently available with 18” reflective cones (handle plus 6 cones) and 6” non-reflective cones (handle plus 10 cones). The Cone Caddy system is easy on operators; no need to bend over to place and pick-up cones – increasing their alertness in hazardous environments. The cones are easily separated, collected, and properly stored. They remain clean and visible – reducing the cost of replacement cones.

www.conecaddy.com Number 202 on Reader Card

16 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

B/A Products Makes Side Recovery Guides B/A Products announced it is now the exclusive manufacturer of Bailey’s Side Recovery Guides touted for its safety aspect, the cable is secured within the fairlead, eliminating possible injury or damage. The add-on unit allows for minimize lane closure, helping to protect operators and equipment from traffic. B/A also touts the economical advantages of being able to use the Recovery Guide on multiple units and its versalitity, giving any carrier side pull capability. The Recovery Guide is available through B/A Products distributors worldwide.

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Critical Relationships & the Tow Operator by Steve Calitri

hat’s a tow operator worth to a company when he is super professional? Let’s consider the question. The tow operator can be polite and helpful with a customer or he can be rude or distant. They can instill confidence in the motorist whose car has broken down, or fears that things could get worse. The difference can make or break a company. It can mean losing a motor club account, or a commercial account or bad publicity in the newspapers, which could lead up to town politicians enacting more red tape and regulation on local towing companies. A tow operator can have an uncaring attitude about the company they work for and his own future with it, or they can be proactive in helping bring in business. They can pass out business cards, stop to talk with the repair shop owner where they have just dropped a vehicle off. They can act like a professional tower at the accident scene when engaging with police. Tow operator, Nathan McGinnis, 18 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Nathan McGinnis, directly above; and motorcycle incident for which he received the Towman Commendation (top photo).

earned the Towman Commendation this past November in Baltimore for his performance under fire in lifting a truck off a motorcyclist. The company he works for, Interstate Towing in Holyoke, Mass. received a letter of commendation from the fire chief who was at the scene. It’s the kind of letter

that underscores how important the tow operator is to their company’s success. Read it and see if you agree. It was written to Interstate’s boss, Jeremy Procon: Hi Jeremy, I’m writing to thank you and your

company for assisting us in a recent motorcycle vs. pick-up truck accident . After operating with your company many times I knew you had the resources and equipment to respond rapidly. I requested my dispatch to call for a wrecker to help in lifting the front end of a Ford F-150 off of a trapped motorcyclist. The quick response, approximately 7 minutes, is a true test of your company’s reliability. The driver, Nate as you informed me, was instrumental in making this a fast and effective rescue. He placed his truck in the position provided and asked pertinent questions to me, the Incident Commander. He was able to position his vehicle and get the necessary equipment ready to start lifting under my direction within minutes. Nate showed great poise under such tense moments and was able to listen to direction of the IC. Nate understood the importance of listening to just one person and was always focused to my commands. He handled himself in a professional manner and his expertise in his job was

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apparent by his quick and efficient action. I look forward to working with Nate and all your staff in the future. Sincerely, Brian McClaflin Chief Fire District #1 South Hadley, MA 01075 Interstate’s future relationship with the South Hadley Fire Department was

put in good stead by the professionalism of one tow operator. Multiply that influence throughout the various authorities, commercial accounts, and motorists that one operator comes in contact with and you begin to see the scope of potential impact, good or bad. Not least of all, because of their skill and professionalism, this tow operator helped to save the life of a fellow human being. What’s that worth?

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Partnering with Police and Fire

A Towman Talks by Rob Navarro

We donate our cars and our location to set up exercises for the fire department so they can have hands-on training with the tools that they use.

20 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

avarro's Tow was founded March, 1994 in East Los Angeles with one 1994 Isuzu wheel lift. The competition was very competitive but our prices were very low, the company expanded very fast due to the Hispanic community. We are known for our low prices and our green trucks.

Navarro's got involved with the local parades and volunteered their time and donated whatever they could to help the local community. This type of mentality made the company grow very fast. As the company reputation became known, we joined the Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) program. This created many jobs for the people in the local area. The drivers work together with the highway patrol. This fostered responsibility, integrity, and commitment to the job place. Navarro's took part in the FSP program for 7 years, in the heart of East Los Angeles on the 710 and 60 freeways. The 710 freeway runs from the Port of Long Beach to Los Angeles and allowed many big rigs to come into Los Angeles. Navarro's took advantage of that heavy traffic on about a 20 mile stretch of freeway. Then one thing led to another and now we operate seven heavy duty tow trucks and a four axle rotator. We're at 47 trucks in all. Now

we are known for our heavy duty tows at very low prices. Our main office in Monterey Park, Calif. has lifts and can repair the trucks and equipment on site allowing us to keep costs low. Then we opened another site. We expanded the company and we went 20 miles east into the city of West Covina. There we repeated the same work ethics with the community, also with local law enforcement. We added several garages for police evidence and this addition allowed law enforcement to work in a closed environment. This second location helps Navarro's to better serve our customers. Several years passed before we opened another site in Fontana, Calif., approximately 55 miles east from Los Angeles. This move really made a big difference in our company. We now have three locations and we're looking for a fourth. We're running stronger than ever in Fontana with the Automobile Club of Southern California, California Highway Patrol and also

with the San Bernardino Fire Department. We donate our cars and our location to set up exercises for the fire department so they can have hands-on training with the tools that they use, such as the jaws of life, power grinders, axes cutting windshields, and pulling up the steering wheel. They are able to cut, dismantle, destroy, bend or break whatever they want, in order to see how far they can stretch the metal or how far their tools can go. Whenever the fire department gets a handful of rookies they'll call us and we will set up an exercise with the Batallion Chief. Part of what we do is always a little more than just towing, helping the city and community in whatever way we can. We deal with day to day situations solving people's towing needs. All of our employees go through auto club five star training in customer service and a background check with law enforcement. We are trained to solve any problems that get thrown our way.

The jaws of life, power grinders, axes cutting windshields, pulling up the steering wheel...the fire fighters are able to to cut, dismantle, destroy, bend or break whatever they want, in order to see how far they can stretch the metal or how far their tools can go.

"Whenever the Fire Department gets a handful of rookies they'll call us and we'll set up an exercise." Rob Navarro

We’re a little different than other tow companies; we don't hide behind the tall gates or bullet proof glass and we take the time to listen and see how we can assist. Our management in Fontana is myself, Rob Navarro, with 15 years experience and Alfred Arellano, with 5 years experience. Alfred and I are very thankful to be given the opportunity to exercise our management skills in the Fontana office. We feel that Mr. Eddie Navarro (CEO) & Norma Alejo (operations manager) have made a great impact in our community and his employees and their families.

Alfred Arellano, Mark Pineda, Robert Navarro, Armando Ayala and Jeffrey Rangel.

Navarro's veteran tow operator, Leo Varela.

22 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

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Oops!!! Wrong name, no name…you name it, AT put amnesia in vogue with its December issue. Garden State Towing Association’s Towman of the Year was not just Don; his full name is Donald Rzepka, owner of Al’s Towing Service of South Amboy, N.J. and he’s a member of the Towman Order! Sorry, Don! And we mis-identified the young man standing before the grill of the My Baby unit, owned by Interstate Towing in Holyoke, Mass. That was Kyle Jendrysik and not Jeremy Procon, who is the owner of Interstate. Our apologies to Kyle and Jeremy. We did remember our name on the cover.

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The Sanchez Behind The Paper

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of the by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

“The town’s proposal was shortsighted and fundamentally flawed.” 30 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

hen veteran tower Frank Sanchez prepared the argument he and his boss, Michael Bessasparis, would present to the Bridgewater, N.J. town board, it was at the midnight hour. The board had announced the town and its police department was preparing to get into the impound business and was calling for a final vote. The announcement appeared in the local newspaper taking all towers by surprise. At this late date, chances were slim to none that the town’s plan could be reversed.

Sanchez addressing AT’s Captains of Industry Conference in Baltimore: "Local government has no right competing with private enterprise."

The towers in Bridgewater were not alone. Many municipalities around the county were facing the same battle; a town board and, or a police department looking for opportunities in the face of diminishing revenues brought on by the recession. Frank’s response, the outcome in Bridgewater, and the publishing of what has come to be known as The Sanchez Paper, has had the effect of a helping hand reaching across the nation; a tool for towers to use in fighting the same battle. For this effort, Frank Sanchez has been chosen Towman of the Year by American Towman Magazine. Tenaciousness has long been a trait of Sanchez, tested by years of being involved in the towing and recovery industry. At age 17 he was pumping gas at a service station in Lake Hiawatha, N.J., that ran a fleet of about 15 wreckers. He then achieved an Associates Degree in Business Administration and continued to work at the service station, managing the office, doing dispatch and running calls on nights and weekends. His experience in these formative business years brought him to Chicago and then back east working for towing companies in light and heavy-duty recovery and for body shops working in both the graphics and estimating departments. He eventually received an offer to manage a large production auto body repair facility that specialized in exotic vehicles. There he obtained most of his knowledge of European and exotic vehicles such as, Porsche, Audi, Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Land Rover, etc. Before taking this management job, Sanchez made it quite clear to the shop’s owner that he was in the process of looking for his own business in the auto repair industry, and hoped to be off and running within the next year. “The owner said that if I gave him one solid year and helped him with his business, he would in turn help me when it came time.” About a year later, in 1996, Frank purchased his first flatbed, a 1997 International 4300 with a Jerr-Dan Shark aluminum 21’ bed and wheellift. He began to do some work for

friends on nights and weekends and began to get a few steady customers. By 2002 he was operating out of two locations, Morristown, N.J. – where he mostly ran the towing operations with 16 employees and 22 trucks ranging from light to heavy-duty, tractors and low boys, and Parsippany, N.J. – where he operated a three bay repair facility, serviced his own equipment, as well as having a secondary storage yard. “Along with serving dealerships, trucking companies, and most motor clubs, including AAA,” Frank recalled, “we serviced ten police departments, including the New Jersey State Police. We had also added two more heavyduty units, two tractors, two trailers, a small rotating crane, and had Miller Industries put together one of the first Vulcan V-30s that came off the assembly line. This unit is still featured on the Miller web site and was in Earl Johnson’s ‘Worlds Greatest Tow Trucks’.” This road to success, however, took a sharp detour in 2005, as Frank found himself facing many difficulties, both in his business and personal life. One issue was his health; at the end of 2004 he was struck with viral meningitis. “I was faced with making a decision on what I wanted to save the most, my business or my family,” Frank recalled. “Both demanded my time and energy to be successful, but I was not fortunate enough to be able to make them both successful at once. For me, the decision was easy, I chose my family.” Frank had the opportunity to sell off his phone number, accounts and good will, along with some of his equipment to a local competitor. Part of that agreement was that all of his current employees were offered a job. He then sold off the remainder of his equipment and went to work for the individual who took over his phone number. He had planned to work there for only one year, but that oneyear turned into three. In 2008, Frank had planned to change his career and go to work for a major insurance company. “I got to talking with Michael Bessasparis, who

is president of Somerset Hills Towing. We had been friends as well as worked together when I owned my own business. Michael offered me a unique opportunity to be able to stay in the industry, which I loved, but also be able to sustain a quality family life, which is so difficult to sustain in the towing industry. Michael believed that if I had the ability to start my own business by myself, and grow it to a company with 22 trucks, with a diverse composition of customers, I could do the same for him and help him grow his business. He brought me on board to handle the sales and marketing end of the business, where I am not only responsible for finding new and different opportunities, but to also build on and cultivate existing relationships.” Sanchez recently helped the company open additional locations in Lebanon and Bernardsville, N.J. In June of 2010 Frank brought all his years of experience to bear in the fight against his town’s proposal for a municipal impound lot. “The proposal was shortsighted and fundamentally flawed,” said Frank. “If the ordinance was approved it would not only affect the ability of the local private towing companies to operate, but be detrimental to the surrounding businesses, such as autoparts and auto body shops, and to the community that tow companies help

Michael Bessasparis, owner of Somerset Hills Towing

TOWMAN.COM - January 2011 • 31

“Mike and I brainstormed on this into the wee hours.” support, and be detrimental to the taxpayers and residents of Bridgewater.” Frank saw a need to give the council something to read and be able to digest the key points, so in record-breaking time and with Michael Bessasparis’ help as his key reference and proofer, he drafted The Sanchez Paper. “The main point,” said Frank, “is that we felt that the government getting involved in private sector business is fundamentally wrong and we were determined to take a stand and stop this from happening.” After being presented orally and in writing with The Sanchez Paper, the town board of Bridgewater began scratching their heads, thinking, maybe getting into the impound business wasn’t such a good idea, maybe in fact it was a bad idea. Indeed, maybe instead of making the town money, it could cost the town dearly. And so, what was to be a rubber stamping of the proposal to proceed on the plan suddenly turned into a solid “no” vote by the board. “I didn’t fight this alone,” said Sanchez. “Michael and I worked as a team on this. And we had help from the Garden State Towing Association and its president, John Glass, when facing the town board.” Frank lobbied American Towman to publish his paper in the Spring of 2010, knowing it could help towers in other towns across the nation. AT obliged with its September cover story, Guarding The Gates, and published what the magazine called The Sanchez Paper. Showing leadership and earning recognition is old hat to Frank Sanchez. He was recently chosen to participate in the Somerset County Leadership program. He won the “Donnie” for medium duty recovery in 2005; was one of the Towman 500 in 2003 for his progressive business practices, and both he and Bessasparis received the Order of Towman in Baltimore this past November, both nominated by the town’s Police Chief. For his work in defending a critical segment of towing’s business turf and his efforts to get the word out across the country….. on behalf of all towers, American Towman salutes Frank Sanchez as its 2011 Towman of the Year.

32 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Q&A with Frank Sanchez and Michael Bessasparis on the drafting of the Sanchez Paper AT: What lesson did you learn through your ordeal in dealing with the town impound? Sanchez: We learned that communication is all-important and getting the media involved is key. We found out about this in the eleventh hour. We originally heard a rumor and read a small article in the local paper. There was a budget crisis in Bridgewater and the administration felt they could close the gap in the budget. The meeting was set for that night and we went and had them postpone the meeting so we could present our case. It is wrong for government to be in private sector business. It is a conflict of interest. We had from that Thursday night until the following Monday to come up with a solution. Sanchez contacted local towers to inform them of what was being proposed. Woodbridge towers gave him a lot of input, having dealt with a similar situation in their own town. He spoke with towers from around the country who are facing this problem. He also contacted the media to get the word out to the motoring public. At the same time Bessasparis was in contact with the local council sub-committee. AT: As the Sanchez Paper developed, what was it like doing research on the 40 different points? What resources were used in your research? Sanchez: The information came from local towers, impounds around the country, politicians, and the public. This is a big issue around the country. AT: What guided you? Sanchez: This takes revenue out of towers pockets. It would set a bad precedent around the country. Bessasparis: Adoption of storage facility business by the government would change our industry. They should not be involved in private sector business. Default on budgetary promise and it’s not going to generate a dime. Sanchez: This doesn’t exist in any other business. Local government isn’t trying to get into the plumbing or carpentry business, so why towing and impound? Bessasparis: We’re structured to handle this. The town would have to develop an infrastructure. The council was misinformed. We were fortunate that the council looked at the real facts. AT: How did you go about the process of outlining the paper? Sanchez: Mike and me brainstormed on this into the wee hours. We knew there was a conflict between the administration and the council as to the information they had. They had to meet the budget deadline and were trying to push this through as part of it without the proper information. We set out to supply it with The Sanchez Paper. Bessasparis: Councilman Dan Hayes took the initiative to see the facts for Monday’s meeting. AT: What was your motivation? Sanchez: Government should not interfere in private sector business. Bessasparis: Storage is an integral part of a tow company’s business. Local government competing for revenue with local businesses is wrong and not in the public good. Sanchez: It’s the principal of the thing. After years of towing I had to make a stand. AT: How does the towing industry have to fight towns getting into impound? Sanchez: The lack of unity will be the downfall. Towers need unification of resources. There is strength in numbers. Towers need to put egos aside, pool all of their resources and work together towards a common goal. AT: What strategy should they take? Sanchez: Towers need to get the press involved, get the public behind them and get other local businesses involved. Get involved! AT: What do you see as the challenges of cultivating a good relationship with police departments? Sanchez: The challenge is having an open communication. AT: What would be your approach in communication? Sanchez: Ask them how you can improve service for them. Have regular meetings where they are invited. Invite police and fire fighters to training drills so they can better understand what it is we do. Supply them with information to educate them. Hand out law enforcement ID cards for proper dispatching of equipment. AT: How should towers educate the police departments as to what is involved in the impound business? Sanchez: That is what the Sanchez Paper explains. Have them take a tour of your operation and point out the details and ins and outs of running the impound lot.

The Sanchez Paper Key Points Against the Ordinance Authorizing a Municipal Impound Lot and Restrictive Tow Rates. 1. The revised ordinance sets guidelines and restricts the business of local towing businesses in the township. The township or it's committee never once asked the opinion, or asked any input from it's current providers of towing services in regard to this ordinance, even though it will restrict their business as well as cause financial harm and hardships to each of the businesses. 2. The proposed ordinance will not only create harm and financial hardship to the local towing businesses, but will also create harm and financial hardship to the employees of the local businesses, by the reduction of hours, overtime and possible layoffs created by the loss of revenues that the new ordinance will create. 3. The proposed rates for towing services, as well as storage rates are below industry standards as well as current and revised standards of other local municipalities in the State. 4. The proposed towing rate structure does not adequately allow for additional labor functions, such as clean up of fluids and debris, and absorbents, utilized to clean up spills at an accident site. 5. The proposed ordinance does not allow for any additional mileage fees going to or from the scene when a vehicle is towed within the township, even though the township is 34 square miles. 6. The rate structure in the proposed ordinance for heavy duty towing, falls well below the actual costs of providing the services, and does not allow for any of the additional services and labor that are required when performing a heavy duty tow service, or recovery. 7. The storage rate structure for vehicles over 12,500 G.V.W. of a $1.50 per foot, is below the industry standard, as well as current and revised standards of other local municipalities in the State. 8. The proposed ordinance fails to provide proper and sufficient guide lines for the requirement of certain equipment that is required to provide proper and safe services that are required by the Township, such as the amount and type of tow vehicles that a licensee needs to have and it's minimum specifications, as

well as the standards of heavy duty towing equipment. This is important to insure that any and all tow vehicles utilized have the proper rating and meet minimum standards to provide safe service to the township and it's residents. For example, the ordinance should state clearly that each licensee should have a minimum of 2 rollbacks/flatbeds with a G.V.W. of 25,500 lbs. or greater (which is the industry standard), as well as 1 wrecker with a G.V.W of 14,500 lbs. equipped with a wheel lift and recovery boom rated for 8 tons or greater, and a winch rated at 8,000 lbs. or greater with 100' of wire rope, and 1 heavy duty tow truck with rear tandem axles (2 rear axles), with a minimum G.V.W. of 80,000 lbs., a hydraulic extendable boom of 35 tons or greater and an under reach/wheel lift rated at 35,000 lbs or greater. 9. The proposed ordinance fails to address the tow operators qualifications and capabilities and knowledge, and certifications to be able to perform the services required by the Township in a safe, competent manner. 10. The proposed revision of the Township’s towing ordinance fails to properly address the "predatory tow act", as required by N.J.A.C, 13;45A-31, and its proper inclusion in the Townships towing ordinance. 11. The proposed plan in the ordinance of operating a municipal storage yard is fundamentally wrong for the township to compete with local tax paying businesses. 12. The operation of a municipally run tow yard would create financial harm and hardships to the local towing businesses and it's employees. 13. A municipality has an obligation to serve the community, it's residents and local businesses. By taking away much needed revenues of the local towing companies, the township is not only hurting the local tow businesses, but their employees that are township residents, as well as the other local businesses, the local tow companies buy their supplies and fuel, as well as other goods and services. 14. The local towing business has served the township in good faith for many years, and have purchased or rented property and equipment to service the Township. By taking away the

additional much needed revenues of the storage fees, the Township will be causing additional financial harm to the local towing businesses by leaving them with additional property and rents as well as equipment that have been purchased that will not be needed. 15. The operation of a municipal tow yard, will create additional harm to the local towing companies, by taking away the customers interactions, and not allowing the customers to be served by the local tow companies, thus taking away further possible revenues. 16. The operation of a municipal tow yard would also hurt other local businesses such as the local body shops, repair shops, transmission shops, where the local tow companies refer this business from the vehicles that are towed in to other local businesses. This will also have a detrimental effect on other local business communities. 17. The Township has not calculated many of the additional costs and expenses that will go into running their own storage yard, and this will be ultimately at the cost of the local residents and tax payers. 18. In opening, and operating a municipal tow yard, has the additional expense of leasing or purchasing the land been considered, as well as the additional expenses of fencing, lighting, paving and cameras been considered, where will those monies come from? •Employees - What will be the additional payroll expense including taxes and benefits that will have to be paid out to support the municipal tow yard? How many additional employees will be needed to run the yard, will they need to have someone accept vehicles and check them in, and inventory their contents? • Someone will be needed to answer and address all the phone calls of the owners of the cars that call and have questions (where is the vehicle, how much is the cost, how do we pay, directions, etc.). •There will be needed to have someone calculate the bills accurately and generate invoices, check credentials, release vehicles. •There will be someone at the yard to release the vehicles, after payment. •Who will move the cars in the yard, if one is blocked in by another? TOWMAN.COM - January 2011 • 33

•Who will jump-start or change a flat tire on a vehicle in the yard that has been released? •There will be someone needed to administer and supervise the program. •There will be someone needed to keep track of all the records. •Who will keep track and account for the revenues (as well as expenses)? •Who will keep track of sales tax collected and file sales tax reports, as well as additional record keeping for State and Federal tax reporting? •The additional employees expenses needed to operate the municipal tow yard, alone, may far exceed any revenues collected. 19. The expense of additional computers, phones, copy machines, faxes, consumable goods, supplies to support the municipal tow yard, have those expenses been calculated? 20. The police department and its dispatchers will be required to field phone calls in regards to the vehicles that have been towed taking away from the focus of the police dispatchers and the police departments of emergency situations and possibly delaying their response of emergency situations putting the Township and it's residents in harms way. 21. How about the credit card machine needed to process payments? Has the cost of the rental of the machines or the processing fees been calculated as part of the cost of operation? 22. Will there be a place at the municipal tow yard to accept the debris and hazardous materials that are collected and swept up from the scene of accidents and some impounded vehicles which have leaked fluids such as oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid on the roadway? If there will be, how will the township dispose of the debris and hazardous materials? Will the additional cost be passed along to the tax payers? 23. In the event a vehicle leaks hazardous fluids in the municipal storage yard, who will be required to clean up the spill? Once the spill is cleaned up, how will the hazardous materials be disposed of? Who will pay for that additional expense? 24. Who will be responsible for any vehicles damaged in the storage yard, or when a person claims a vehicle has been damaged? 34 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

25. Who will be responsible to any vandalism to any of the vehicles while they are in the municipal tow yard? 26. Who will be responsible for all personal items in the vehicle or when a vehicle owner claims that something is missing from a vehicle? 27. Who will escort vehicle owners to get personal items from vehicles such as credentials needed to obtain a release, keys, cells phones, etc.? Who, and how will these visits be documented? 28. How will all the vehicles in the municipal storage yard be safeguarded? 29. Who will be responsible for the keys to the vehicles once they are towed into the lot, who will the licensees be required to give the keys to? 30. In the event of snow fall, who will be responsible to plow the lot so that vehicles are accessible, and who will uncover and remove the snow from the vehicles so the vehicle owners can claim and remove their vehicles from the municipal storage yard. 31. In the event of snow fall, who will insure that lot is plowed and clear of snow, so that the licensees can enter the yard to drop the towed vehicles safely. 32. In the event of snow and ice, and a vehicle owner can not drive their car out because it is stuck in either ice or snow, who will move the vehicle for them and get it unstuck? 33. What if a vehicle owner falls, or gets injured in the municipal tow yard, (and access to the vehicle by the vehicle owner will be required)? Has anyone thought of the additional exposure and liability to the Township? 34. Will the Township be responsible for care and custody of the vehicle, while at the impound yard at the taxpayers’ expense? 35. Will there be an additional insurance expense from the Township’s insurance carrier? 36. Will the Townships insurance carrier even allow the operation of a municipal tow yard in its current policy? 37. How will the Township address abandoned vehicles? •Have they considered how to dispose of the unwanted vehicles? •Who will process the abandoned vehicles? •Who will tow them out? •Has the Township calculated the

cost of abandoned vehicles? 38. Often, the local tow companies work with the local residents, and at times give reductions on fees or payments plans to allow the residents to get their vehicles and be able to go to work, or care for their children, will the Township provide the same services to the residents and community? 39. When vehicles become abandoned at the municipal tow yard, and no monies have been received for the towing and storage of the vehicle, the Township will still have the obligation to pay the licensee for the initial service, this will be another expense the Township has not considered. 40. How will the Township pay the towing vendors for the towing services they perform? Who will be responsible for that additional administrative time that will be required to keep track and generate the payments to the towing companies for their services? 41. The Township’s towing licensees will now have to wait a minimum of 30 days to receive monies from the work they have performed, instead of getting paid when the vehicle is released. The delay in cash flow from this business will create an additional financial hardship to the Township’s towing licensees. 42. There is no place in the proposed ordinance where it states that the township will have the obligation to collect the tow fees from the vehicle owners. If the Township does not have the obligation to collect the tow fees from the vehicle owners, how will they be collected? 43. The opening and operation of a municipal tow yard will cause financial harm and hardship on the local tow companies, which may also effect the level of service the Township is currently receiving, thus creating an additional hardship for the Township, and it's residents. This may include businesses deciding to close, stop towing for the Township because it is economically unfeasible to do so…cutbacks and layoffs and reductions in staff. Editor’s note: You may reach Frank Sanchez at fsanchez@somersethillstowing.com

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The Ice and

Thaw Recovery by John Silver

A quad submerged in a frozen Montana lake makes for a very interesting technical three-stage recovery that took from February through April to complete. 38 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

t the end of February 2010 Joe Johnson, the owner of Best Rate Towing in Belgrade, Mont., received a call from an insurance company to recover a Polaris Ranger quad that had broken through the ice on Lake Holter.

An operator ties off the Polaris to a tree, securing it to the shoreline awaiting the Spring thaw.

Divers attach air cushions to the Polaris and prepare for the long tow by boat back to the boat ramp.

He was informed that a man was driving his Polaris Ranger out to his ice hut on Lake Holter where he was ice fishing. He broke through the three and a half inch thick ice and sank the Polaris in 90feet of water. The insurance company and the DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) requested that Joe locate the unit and tether it to shore for future recovery when the ice was gone.

Stage 1: Recon Joe drove out to the lake along with the driver of the Polaris to recon the situation. Lake Holter is about 140miles from Best Rate’s Belgrade location. Because of insurance fraud scams, the insurance company also requested that Joe take photos of the scene to verify how and where the quad went in. Once they arrived at the lake, Joe and the driver made the five and a half mile long trip by snowmobile from the Lake Holter boat ramp out to the remote ice shack location. Joe took photos of the broken ice and verified that there was one set of tracks leading into the broken ice. When Joe got back to his shop he informed the insurance company of his findings and went to work organizing his crew and equipment for the ice recovery.

Stage 2: Location & Ice Recovery Three days later the Best Rate team heads out to Lake Holter with snow-

mobiles, diving equipment, rigging gear, chain saws, icebreakers, plywood, air cushions, gas powered air compressor, and plenty of air hose to reach the 90 plus feet from the compressor to the sunken quad so they

could inflate the cushions. The recovery team consisted of Joe and his son PJ, his nephew Bill Dryer, a part-time dive partner for Best Rate, Brian Dyksterhouse, and hired ice diver Glen McKinnon. All are PADI scuba certified. They drove snowmobiles out on the ice to the sight of where the Polaris went in and set up safe working platforms using 4x8 sheets of plywood to keep from breaking through the ice themselves. Then, using chainsaws and icebreaker poles they cut out a section of the ice to be able to dive through. Glen and Bill suited up and dove into the frozen lake to locate the submerged Polaris. They used WreckMaster K-straps to secure the machine to the air cushions, attached the air hoses, inflated the cushions and floated the quad up under the ice. In order to get it close to shore they used a chain saw to cut a 6-foot wide trough from the hole they had made to the shoreline so they could pull the quad by hand close to shore. They used nylon-climbing rope and were able to scoot it to the shoreline and tie it off to a tree. Once it was secured to the shoreline they re-sank it into 30feet of water and waited for the ice to clear in April.

Stage 3: Water Recovery With the April thaw the Best Rate

Back at the boat ramp the Polaris is winched up to shore with the Ramsey winch from Best Rate’s 2002 International 4300 with a Century bed. TOWMAN.COM - January 2011 • 39

The Polaris was set-up with a plow blade adding to the weight and making it fight the pull in the water, which made the bow of the towboat veer off course.

team was back at the lake. This time the dive team of Joe, PJ, and Bill dove in the water and rigged the Polaris. Using cushions once again they floated it back up to the surface and then pulled it behind two bowrider motorboats, a Bayliner and a Silverline, the five and a half miles back to the boat ramp. The Polaris was set-up with a plow blade adding to the weight and making it fight the pull in the water, which made the bow of the towboat veer off course. Joe shared, “We needed two boats, one tied to the bow of the other to keep it running straight. It was slow going the whole five and a half miles back to the boat ramp.” Once back at the boat ramp the unit was uprighted underwater and winched up to shore with the Ramsey winch from Best Rate’s 2002 International 4300 with a Century bed. The water and fluids were drained from the Polaris and all of its fluids 40 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

were refilled. Joe added, “The engine was water logged, the only thing that didn’t get water was it’s sealed gas tank. It was still filled with good fuel.” The Polaris was loaded on the Century for the 140-mile trip back to the Belgrade shop. This was a technical recovery well executed by the Best Rate team.

Best Rate Recovery Team: Joe Johnson PJ Johnson Brian Dyksterhouse Glen McKinnon Bill Dryer

Equipment Used: 2002 International 4300 with Century bed Snowmobiles Boats Air cushions recovery equipment Chain saws Icebreaker poles

Gas powered air compressor Dive gear Rigging gear Ramsey winch Best Rate Towing in Belgrade, Mont. is a family owned and operated business started by the husband and wife team of Joe and Peggy Johnson in 1995. Joe (WM99847) is the company vice-president, Peggy is the company president who also helps with the dispatching and son PJ is one of their operators. The birth of Best Rate Towing started with their 1985 Chevy 1ton 4x4 wrecker, which now is semi-retired. The company now has a dozen pieces of equipment ranging from heavy-duty to road service units. The company has two locations, one in Belgrade and one in Bozeman, Mont. The Belgrade location is also the home of their diesel shop Best Rate Diesel Repair. Tom Lewis, the Shop Manager, has 35 years of experience.

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Incident Recreating As Subtle as a Ten Gallon Hat, the USA Wrecker Pageant Wrecker pageants are a colorful part of Americana, and they’re growing even more colorful and creative in Texas. At Tow Expo Int’l in San Antonio, tow bosses are creating displays that are turning the pageant into a theme park.

42 • January 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Banis Towing shows its trucks in Baltimore and San Antonio. From last year's recreation shown here, Jason Banis says this year's theme display will go one better.

by Steve Calitri

t last year’s Tow Expo International, San Antonio tower Jason Banis of Banis Towing Service had his 2009 Kenworth set up to roll over a Mazda, mannequins dressed as towers with reflective vests. Mark Denson of Overhaulinpro.com out of Humble, Texas had his 2009 Dodge picking up an illegally parked car. Parking signs were part of his display along with cameras focused on the vehicle he was picking up to show the car was parked illegally. J.R. Galvan of Galvan Super Towing had a stage coach and you thought the battle

of the Alamo was near. Greg Huerta of Greg’s Towing (locations in three Texas counties) had a Texas theme along with a mechanical bull. Another theme display had a race car being loaded up, and another a motorcycle. Tow Expo founder and show manager Tommy Anderson sees the theme displays as an exciting trend for pageants and sees the show in San Antonio pioneering this movement. “My original thought,” said Tommy, “was for a tower to try to duplicate the type of towing he likes to do most; working accidents, rollovers, non-con-

sent tows, repos, service calls or just helping a customer on the side of a road, maybe even two companies working together.” “Some of the wrecker pageant participants are looking forward to making the displays even more realistic. Some are taking it into a direction of fantasy. Galvan’s was somewhat historical and cultural to the region.” Banis said he’s been working on a new theme for this year’s Tow Expo in San Antonio inside the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, May 13th and 14th. “We’re planning to create a TOWMAN.COM - January 2011 • 43

J.R. Galvan of Galvan’s Super Towing brings some Texas culture to the USA Wrecker Pageant.

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car on top of a motorcycle, a fire fighter trying to extricate the trapped rider, a police officer blocking traffic, and a couple of wrecker operators, all dummies that we are making up. When a tower at the recent AT Expo earned a Towman Commendation involving a similar incident I said to myself, ‘Whoa! That’s what we’ve been planning to recreate!’” What professional towers appreciate is the effort that goes into the details of a scene that makes it realistic. “The theme displays really add an exciting dimension to the show floor,” said Texas tower Dan Messina, president of the Southwest Tow Operators. The theme displays reflect how much the challenges of towing and recovery are part of the tower’s character. A lot of work goes into such a display. Like the dynamic graphics that towers paint on their wreckers and carriers, Tow Expo’s theme displays are unique to the towing trade — a symbol of our industry’s heart and soul.

Koster to Rontan Rontan Signals announced Jerry Koster as Vice President of Sales for the Amber light division. Jerry comes to Rontan with 25+ years of experience in the warning light business to the tow-

ing and recovery market. Rontan Signals is a division of Rontan North America manufacturing warning lights, fire trucks, ambulances, protective vests and helmets in Miami, Fla.

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Berman looks on while son in laws, Fritz Dahlin (far left) and Chip Kauffman (center) present a check for $11,540.00 to George Connolly (far right) of the ITRHFM. The money represents the proceeds from products donated by B/A and auctioned off during their 4th annual open house held Nov. 19th, 2010 and attended by over 400 towing and recovery industry members in town for the American Towman Expo. The funds raised will be split 50-50 between the museum and the survivor fund.

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