American Towman Magazine - April 2011 by dortiz-towman

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Ready Ready to to expand expand your your business? business? Need Need more more capability capability in in your your recoveries? recoveries? ® ® CENTURY CENTURY has has the the power power you you need need with with the the industry’s industry’s number number ONE ONE selling 60- 75-ton and 75-ton capacities. selling line line of of rotators rotators in in 30-, 40-, 40-, 60- and capacities. ® ® But But CENTURY CENTURY knows knows you you need need more more versatility versatility in in your your rotator rotator beyond beyond tough tough recoveries, recoveries, so so we we design design and and build build our our rotators rotators using using components components fabricated fabricated with with high-tensile high-tensile steel steel for for maximum maximum strength strength without without excess excess weight weight that that decreases decreases your your towing towing capabilities. capabilities. Our Our lightweight lightweight aluminum aluminum body body design design provides provides ample ample storage storage for for both both your your towing towing and and recovery recovery equipment. equipment.

The Century 1130 (30-ton) rotator provides the versatility of a rotator for recovery applications with a weight-conscience design for increased towing payload.

10 The Century 1140 (40-ton) rotator fits most applications, with options such as a 2- or 3-stage recovery boom, dual 35,000-lb. 2-speed winches, LDU underlift and a combination of auxiliary winch and outrigger systems.

The Century 1060S (60-ton) provides 360-degree continuous boom rotation, a 3-stage recovery boom, optional turretmounted and deck-mounted winches, your choice of outrigger package, and the proven SDU-4 underlift.

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www.millerind.com • 800-292-0330 Number 143 on Reader Card

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Departments News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tow Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Tow Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . .74 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . .77

FEATURE CONTENTS

Without a Trace This river recovery posed environmental challenges and in the end, earned Tri-City Towing a Donnie. by Jason Grams

The Buyers Report Towers across the nation talk about the products that help them run a towing operation. by Brendan Dooley

Overturned Gravel Trailer Two trucks collided in a heap leaving mounds of gravel on the roadside. Enter S&S Towing... by Steve A Smith II

Rein In Your Clockwatchers The Buyers Report, pages 36-45

Aggravated by the worker who's out the door at five before the job is done? There is a way to pre-empt such mentality. by Randall Resch

Photos by: Mark Rogner, John Borowski, Lee Perry, Historics at Brooklands, PhotoXpress Cover Design by: Ann Marie Nitti

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Number 218 on Reader Card

Don’t Trip Over the Opportunity by Steve Calitri

he article regarding accidentclean-up as a revenue center (p.22) begs the attention of every savvy tow boss. For years clean-up has been a pain-in-the-neck issue that many if not most towers looked upon as dirty work that was hard to escape. The police expected this of the tower called to the scene. Yet, handled properly, accident clean-up presents an opportunity to create more revenue, sometimes more than the actual towing and recovery bill generates. Refuse itself has become more than a business opportunity; it’s proven to have the value of a natural resource. An industry called “recycling” is built upon its heaps. Recently Waste Management saw they could just about double its revenues (already in the billions) by sifting out the plastic in all the garbage, and recycling that into flakes that can be used by clothing manufacturers. Towers over the years have tried to get in on used car sales, used parts, scrap metal, and rental cars, among other kinds of diversified products and services they are in a position to offer the motorist. They have used their rollbacks to transport heavy equipment and their wreckers to plow snow. A good percentage of towers gravitated to the auto or truck repair business, the reverse of how towers traditionally got into the business. The issue of clean-up, always right beneath their noses, escaped their profit-driven senses. It makes one wonder what else is

there right before our eyes that we are not seeing as the revenue generator it can and should be. The general types of motorists coming in with their car in tow, or coming in to retrieve their car are teenagers and young adults, women and men, and seniors. I wonder what opportunity lies in the demographics of these captive customers, or in less obvious groups. The business owner who diversifies successfully usually has his or her act together with the primary business. If you can’t get it together for that, what are the chances you will with an auxiliary business? I throw this cautionary comment in for those who need it. The idea may be right, but not the time. Speaking of time, towing isn’t the kind of work that can easily be paced by the clock. In Randy Resch’s article (p. 54), there’s a preemptive way to deal with the 9-to-5 mentality and that worker who resents being called upon to finish the job. The topics covered in this issue are a diverse lot, in keeping with a diverse industry. Recovery specialists will find the river recovery, which earned the Donnie award, quite a winching challenge. And all our readers will find The Buyers Report section full of valuable testimonials on many key products. AT’s Brendan Dooley rolled up his sleeves on this task, hunting down tow bosses around the nation who use these products day in and day out.

Publisher Dennie Ortiz Editor-In-Chief Steve Calitri Editor Brendan Dooley Operations Editors Terry Abejuela Randall Resch Chassis Editor David Kolman Safety Editor Bill Simmons Contributing Editors John Borowski Jim “Buck” Sorrenti Ralph Weber IEditorial 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. Page Layout Artist Ann Marie Nitti Graphic Manager William Burwell Advertising Sales Manager Dennie Ortiz Senior Account Executive Ellen Rosengart VP of Accounts Norma Calitri VP of Communications Neila Smith Internet Developer Henri Calitri American Towman Network, Inc. President Steve Calitri Headquarters 7 West Street, Warwick NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546 Fax: 845-986-5181 E-mail: Publisher: dortiz@towman.com Editor-In-Chief: scalitri@towman.com Editor: bdooley@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. U.S. 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 - April 2011 • 7

Tower Shot During Repossession Police say an armed man started shooting at a tow truck driver when his Infiniti M35 was being repossessed in early March in Hialeah, Fla. The victim suffered bullet wounds to his torso and was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. Police say the man took the bullet for his wife, who was driving the tow truck as it was driving away from the shooting suspect. Sensing his wife was in danger, the tower pulled her into the passenger seat and jumped behind the wheel. That's when a bullet hit him in the back, police said. The car was hitched up to the tow truck and was driving off when the attacker gave chase on foot, got inside his car, pulled out his semi-automatic pistol and fired several shots at the truck. The attacker told police he shot several times in the air to scare the tower into dropping his car. Police said the alleged gunman has been charged with two counts of attempted murder. Source: www.NBCMiami.com

Gresham, Ore., Sets Towing Fees Gresham, Ore., city councilors in February passed new rules for towers and a uniform schedule of towing fees that set maximum rates for vehicles towed from private property. The ordinance creates a complaint-review process, a grace period from storage fees and sign requirements, and requires tow truck operators in Gresham to apply for a special license allowing the city to regulate private-property tows. The new ordinance requires tow truck drivers to notify the police when they tow a vehicle. Approved fees include: $157-$240 for drop vehicles or basic tows. $3.80-$5.50 per towed mile, to 5 miles. $25 for after hours/holiday/weekend release. $25-$35 per day for storage (after a twohour grace period from when police are notified). Source: theoutlookonline.com.

8 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Utah Trooper Champions Towers Lee Perry, a 23-year veteran of the Utah Highway Patrol and a Utah state legislator, introduced several bills that are mostly lawenforcement related. One bill champions wreckers, who often get stiffed on the bill when troopers ask them to clear a totaled vehicle from the roadway. The owners often have no interest in the damaged vehicles, so Perry wants to make a law that says people can’t remove personal non-life essential items from a towed vehicle until they pay their bill. The measure, he said, would help local tow businesses take fewer losses when they assist

Lee Perry

police with a crash. The bill passed the Utah House and Senate, and their governor is set to sign the bill into law in May. Source: news.hjnews.com.

Vintage Wreckers in

Movie Sold at Auction Originally reported on the Towman Sun ( To w m a n . c o m / t o w ing/news), more than 50 vintage cars from the set of this summer ’s Captain America movie were auctioned off by the Historics at Brooklands on March 3. Among the classics up for sale were a 1933 Dodge tow truck and an antique Diamond T wrecker. The 1933 Dodge fetched approximately $16,000 (U.S.), and the Diamond T sold for approximately $9,000 (U.S.) “When it comes to movie production, the settings need to look

and feel real, and these cars played a large part in that process,” said executive producer Nigel Gostelow. “Ultimately they looked great on set, and pleasingly, were correct and very well prepared.” Source: historics.co.uk

... Gratzianna is new Hall of Fame President... Beacon Software Expands Towlien.com Beacon Software expanded its TowLien.com lien-processing service and now includes Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New York and Florida. TowLien is a stepby-step, online process that includes national registration searches, vehicle history reports, lien letters, static forms and more. TowLien is available 24/7 and can be accessed from any web browser. Account set up is free, and customers pay per usage. Beacon said the work goes more efficiently, and legally, with the service. The company said the complete lien processing soon will be expanded to Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Montana and Tennessee. Registration searches are available in these states now. Associations may contact Beacon Software for more information on the Towing Association/TowLien Partnership Program. Source: Beacon Software.

Tower Rescues Trapped Woman A tower and a bylaw officer In Ottawa, Canada, rescued a woman who became trapped under a van when she was struck by a vehicle. The two men were working together to clear snow for the city when they witnessed the crash in February. “We were driving by here to go for breakfast,” said tower Justin Morin-Wilson. That’s when the pair saw a van hit something as it pulled out of a Montreal Road parking lot. A 57-year-old woman was pinned under the vehicle. “The driver’s side tire, she was right underneath it. And it was just her chest and head sticking out with her hands,” said Morin-Wilson, who grabbed the jack from his truck and ran over to ease the pressure off the woman. Within minutes, emergency crews arrived and managed to free the woman. “I tried to do all that I could, what I would want someone to do if someone in my family was under there,” said MorinWilson. Source: Ottawa.ctv.ca.

Berkeley Approves Boots In Berkeley, Calif., the city council voted 8-0 in February to use immobilizing boots on cars with unpaid parking tickets rather than towing the vehicles. Tow company owners in Berkeley say they will lose about a third of their business under the new policy. The city now has a contract with PayLock Inc. to provide a boot that is placed on a car’s wheel when the owner has five or more unpaid tickets. The owner can call a “help center” to pay off the tickets, along with an additional $140 fee, and get a code that unlocks the boot and drive off. A $500 credit card deposit is supposed to ensure the driver will return the boot to a central location. “It really doesn’t pay to say, ‘Hey, what about us?’ ” Bob Berry said, owner of Berry Brothers towing in Oakland. “People don’t really have much sympathy for tow owners or police officers on the enforcement side. It’s certainly not going to be a good thing for us.” Source: mercurynews.com.

Hall of Fame Sets New Board, Officers The International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum recently announced its newly elected officers and board members of the museum. The officers through September 2012 are Bill The International Towing & Gratzianna, presiRecovery Hall of Fame and Museum dent; Troy Barnett, frey Godwin, Al Gregg, Andy Hovfirst VP; Quinn Piening, second anes, Will Miller, Randy Olson, VP; Bert Bertling, treasurer; and Jerry Riggs, Warren Roosevelt, Donna Brock Mesaros, secretary. Angela Roper, George Stevens, The board members through Tom Tedford, Terry Warford, Steve September 2011 are Jerry Bullock, Welchel, and Shannon Yates. George Connolly, Dick Frasier, Jef-

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 9

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT!

TerraStar Praised at Daytona

Hard-Wired Pendant Controls Lodar’s line of hard-wired controls can now be added to any existing remote controls or ordered with current systems, giving backup should the radio fail or if the transmitter is lost or damaged. The controls attach directly to the RS232 connection on the receiver and will operate the relays, bypassing the rest of the controls. The standard length of cable is 10 feet; longer lengths are available.

www.lodar.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Control Arm Skates I Tow In Inc. developed a single-piece accessory (no moving parts) to assist loading/unloading of vehicles with ball joint and bearing failures onto flatbeds and other carriers. The Control Arm Skate works by placing the affected part (control arm, ball joint, axle, etc.) into the skate’s recessed area before moving the damaged vehicle which prevents further damage to it or the carrier bed.

www.skatesiti.com Number 201 on Reader Card

CSA Roadside Lighting Repair Kit Grote Industries portable Roadside Lighting Repair Kit, No. 00990, includes 23 of the most commonly used lighting components found in today’s commercial vehicles. The kit has everything a driver needs to make a first-class field repair. The kit features: 12 lamps, four styles of pigtails, three grommets, two brackets, conspicuity tape, a selection of 14-gauge butt connectors and zip-tie fasteners. Grote’s kit also provides an inventory sheet with part numbers and color images to track usage and replacements.

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nternational debuted its new entry into the Class 4/5 market at the 2010 American Towman Expo in Baltimore. The TerraStar display unit featured an extended cab and was equipped with a 21-foot Century aluminum carrier. In January, a TerraStar outfitted with a Century 412 towing and recovery unit, took to the track for the start of the 2011 race season at the “Rolex 24 at Daytona” at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Manned by the veteran operators who make up the Miller Industries Race Recovery Team, the TerraStar was an instant hit. Operators commented on the truck’s power, maneuverability and comfort. “It seemed to get around real well; it had good maneuverability, a roomy cab and good visibility,” said Charlie Wade, owner of Bud’s Truck and Diesel Service in Bridgeport, Conn. Wade was one of the team to use the truck during race week. “I was apprehensive about the smaller truck at

first, but it has great power and gets around good,” Wade said. “It’s a great light-duty truck with good throttle response … especially when you have to cross a live track and get across real quick.” “I was impressed with the maneuverability in tight quarters and steering in the garage area,” said Ken Burdine, motorsports director for Miller Industries. Other benefits he noted were comfort for the crew. “It sits lower to the ground, so getting in and out of the truck is easier up and in, and comfortable distance from wheel to seat made it easy to use.” Power is attributed to the TerraStar’s MaxxForce 7 dual-stage turbocharged engine and fivespeed automatic Allison 1000 transmission. The 300-hp MaxxForce 7 delivers 660 lbs./ft. of torque, has a B-50 life rating of 500,000 miles and is 2010 EPA compliant using Exhaust Gas Recirculation to meet the new emissions rules. Other perks of the new TerraStar include an easy-tilt hood for better serviceability and maintenance, and it is available with a standard cab, extended cab or crew cab.

www.internationaltrucks.com Number 203 on Reader Card

Number 202 on Reader Card

10 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 11

Two Kinds of Green with Accident Cleanups By John Borowski

reen is everywhere. Profit still drives business, but companies in every industry increasingly recognize the benefits of environmental responsibility. Going green can reduce costs and increase profits. Being green can positively change the way consumers perceive a company. Operating green can prevent legal problems. And, perhaps most importantly, being green may help ensure not only a healthy economy for future generations, but a healthy planet as well. The towing industry is no exception. Recognizing the advantages, towing has recently turned its attention to green initiatives. For years as a tower, responding to a motor vehicle accident and finding a big mess was nothing but a headache. The mixture of fluids, glass and debris, spread out over a large area and into a travel lane, would take more time to cleanup than the tow itself. The worst of it was that you couldn’t get any kind of fee for cleanup. Most guys would simply throw some oil absorbents down and then sweep everything off to the gutter or into the storm drain. When I jumped back into the trenches of the industry, it was with a towing company that was preparing to move its base of operations. The move was due to a lack of room coupled with sustained growth. We ran into a hurdle getting a permit to store cars. The town didn’t want any vehicles emitting fluids to be parked on the lot, due to a flood plain at the rear of the property. (After thinking about the town’s position, why would I want any vehicle leaking fluids on the property to begin with?) You can make all the money you want on towing and storage, but is it worth it down the road when you have to be responsible for a contaminated storage lot. We complied with the order to continue doing business and protect one of

12 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Amber Energy Services specialist spreads absorbent material over roadway spill in Granby, Mass.

the business’ assets (the property) for the future. Any vehicles leaking fluids now are placed in our indoor decontamination booth to have fluids drained, after which they go into the general

storage population. A specially designated booth was prepared to contain any drippings.

continue to page 14

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BEACONS ON! continued from page 12 Now we can store the vehicle without jeopardizing the clean condition of the property, while also complying with the town’s order and the Environmental Protection Agency. If an accident occurrs after hours, the fluid draining happens the next day during normal business hours by a mechanic and charges are imposed for the special booth usage, inside storage, labor, disposal fees for all contaminants and then another tow fee out to the general population. Since this has been working very well, we decided to be thorough and take care of all possible contaminations caused by these wrecked vehicles. A better process was needed at the accident scenes. With limited space on the tow trucks, we decided to form a separate company to sublet to respond to all accidents involving spills. Some municipal tow contracts stipulate that the tower is responsible to clean up reasonable spills at accident scenes. After much discussion, we determined what a reasonable spill should be for the responding tower to handle vs. having a service perform a complete job. Our company adopted a policy to only carry a small jug full of absorbents and a broom and shovel for cleanups. Definitely reasonable! For any spills larger than a quart, we call our accident remediation company. Once the first tow truck shows up at a scene, the driver determines if they need outside help for cleanup. When necessary, an emergency response van is dispatched with an expert trained to the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard. The response vehicle carries absorbents, an application spreader for absorbents, cases of mats, booms, protective clothing, pig pans, a transfer pump and barrels to transfer fuel or other contaminants. Also included are brooms, shovels, scrapers, tank leak repair kits, straps, tank-strap cutters and covered contaminant transport containers to transport. The van is fully outfitted with strobe lights and flood lights to not only be seen at the scene, but to clearly make the site visible at night. The van stays on scene until the site is restored to a pre14 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Among the many service items the response vehicle carries absorbents, an application spreader for absorbents, cases of mats, booms, protective clothing, pig pans, a transfer pump and barrels to transfer fuel or other contaminants. Above, John Borowski, VP of Operations for Amber Energy Services.

accident condition. After clearing the tional labor of remediation is necessary. scene, the van goes back to the shop to Also, the proper disposal for the contaempty waste, restock and clean until the minants is recorded and charged accordingly. van is back in service. The bill is attached to the vehicle’s The emergency response van carries a two-hour minimum service time, tow bill and collected when the vehicle is released. All of these which includes the charges are payable by the trained responder, for responsible party’s insurbusiness hour ance company under the responses Monday liability side of the auto through Friday from 8 policy. Property damage a.m. to 5 p.m. Nights, insurance covers this claim. holidays and weekCollision coverage does ends are a four-hour not play any role here. minimum. John Borowski is a two-time recipient of For additional informaA special invoice the American Towman Medal for records all scene con- heroism, a past president of the tion on this topic regarding ditions, products used, Statewide Towing Association of billing, invoices, products, necessary labor and Massachusetts, a veteran tower of 30 policies and more, I will be years, and a former towing equipment emergency response sales specialist for two wrecker doing an in-depth seminar vehicle service time. manufacturers. An inductee in the Int'l at Tow Expo International The invoice com- Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame, John is in San Antonio, Texas, on pletely records the a regular contributor to American May 12-14. I can be reached conditions at hand and Towman and the operations manager for at johnborowski@comAmber Energy Services, specializing in cast.net. if the incident was accident cleanup. reportable or if addi-

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Page # RS# Matheny Motor Truck Co. 25 194 Matjack/International Wreckers 65 186 Minute Man Mfg., Inc. 50 166 Nation Safe Drivers (NSD) 34 182 National Automobile Club 32 178 Navistar International 13 160 New England Truckmaster 63 171 North American BanCard 4 109 Phoenix USA 28 170 Pierce Arrow 35 117 Purpose Wrecker Sales 55 212 Ramsey Winch 16 148 Recovery Billing Unlimited 68 155 Rush Towing Systems 51 198 Steck Mfg., Co., Inc. 34 132 Superior Signals 67 119 Tiger Tool 67 141 Tow Expo Int’l 58, 59, 60 —— Towing.com 79 115 TowMate 63 191 TIS/Transportation Info. System 31 137 Twin Cities Wrecker Sales 20 172 USAC/MD 62 190 VitAlife 33 217 Vulcan 61 143 Warn Industries 19 120 Western States Tow Show 69 196 Whelen Engieering Co. 64 113 Worldwide Equipment 67 151

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How the Health-Care Overhaul Impacts Your Shop by Ralph Weber

owers are among the small businesses that will feel heavy impact from the national health care overhaul by the federal government, as an estimated 65 percent of towing companies currently operate without health benefits for employees. Regardless of whether you offer health insurance benefits to all or some of your employees, 2010’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will increase your costs and taxes, and add administrative tasks to your workload. Summing up this 2,700-page federal act, think of health insurance like car insurance: as a service that you must have or pay a fine. The PPACA failed to tackle the problem of rising insurance premiums, and if you think about this scenario, you’ll know that there is only one way for the average person’s premiums to go … up. With car insurance, a repeat offender would be charged more because they cost the company more, but that is not possible with this Act. And a healthy person won’t be able to elect a lower premium/higher deductible plan either. This new Act consists of a handful of key elements (many are already in effect). Others will come into play as we approach 2016. Here are the ones that most affect towers: The individual mandate: Every U.S. citizen and legal resident must buy government-approved health insurance, or pay a fine of $695 per year. Certain religions are exempt, and individuals earning less than 133 percent of the federal poverty line will be enrolled in Medicare. The employer mandate: Any employer with 50 or more employees must provide a government-approved health plan or pay a fine of $2,000 per employee per year. If their health plan is too expensive or they do not contribute at least 60 percent of the cost for employees and dependents, they must pay an additional penalty. 18 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Guaranteed-issue health plans: Any health plan issued must immediately cover pre-existing injuries or illnesses without provisions. Subsidies: Employers with fewer Preparing for the Health Reform Act Educate yourself: The most important thing you can do right now is educate yourself on the new changes as they happen and try to prepare for the extra expenses. Talking to an insurance broker will help you ensure that you are on the right track. Offer a health plan: See if you qualify for a partial subsidy by offering a health plan now. Some of your employees may qualify for a Medicaid plan, but in some instances enrolling them in Medicaid may mean that you do not have enough of your employees participating in your company-sponsored health plan, resulting in another penalty for you. Participate in a Refund Health Plan: In many states, Refund Health Plans are available to companies with as few as 10 employees, and since towers typically have low medical claims, these can save you a lot of money. Join a state association co-op plan: By pooling resources in a co-op plan, owners will benefit from lower costs. If your state association doesn’t have a co-op plan, ask them for one. Opt-out and pay the fine: This may be less costly in the long run, depending on the size of your company. Then negotiate medical costs in advance directly with the doctor with a service like MediBid.com, or call the doctor and ask if they offer a cash discount. (Many doctors do because they can save on the overhead spent on insurance billing.

than 25 full-time employees with an average income of $50,000 or less may be eligible for a subsidy. The subsidy percentage is increased for the fewer the number of employees, the lower the average income and the higher the percentage of the premium paid by the employer. New paperwork: Starting this year, employers must issue a 1099 slip to any vendor where they spend $600 or more throughout the year. This includes office supply companies, equipment suppliers, training schools and even gas stations where you buy $600 or more in fuel for the year. Additionally, you must include the value of the health plan on each employee’s W-2 form. New taxes: Current deductions will decrease or stop altogether. Medications are no longer tax deductible without a prescription, and medical expenses can only be deducted after they exceed 10 percent of income (not the 7.5 percent allowed now). There will be new taxes on brand-name drugs and medical devices (like a pacemaker). In 2010 there was no estate tax, but this year the estate tax is scheduled to increase from 0 percent to 55 percent. Children: Children will be allowed to stay on their parents’ health plan until they are 26. Lower deductibles: All plans will have to reduce their deductibles to

continue to page 20

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RUILT TO THE NIOFEST STANDARDS : OURS Now Warn Industriel offers you both planetar v and veorm gear winches. More choices s sann e legendar v WARN r ehabil ity. Capacities range from 6 ,000 to 30.000 Ibs. Featuhng hydraulic and electric modell. Plus , dependable WARN Winches meet world- ve ide safety specs. In towing and recovery. WARN is the smart choice . To learn more , go to www war n.co m. Number 120 on Reader Card

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The Ultimate Service 1 Battery 1Tow Truck

$2,000 or less for anyone under 26 or over 30. Reduced co-pays: All preventative care must be covered from the first dollar with no co-pays. Medicare: Over $500 billion will be cut from the Medicare budget as Baby Boomers start to retire, doubling the Medicare enrollment. Doctors’ reimbursement rates will be cut by 41 percent over the next decade, forcing more doctors to opt-out of providing care for Medicare patients, unless another “doc-fix” is passed. Medicare taxes will still increase. These mandates and regulations will result in benefits for a few, such as those with a pre-existing condition, but will create higher premiums for the majority of the population. For tow owners, this means new expenses, higher premiums, new paperwork, and the possibility of reducing their workforce.

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ast June, U.S. Forest Service officials for the Prescott National Forest received numerous calls about a motor vehicle attempting to drive in the Perkinsville River, which is approximately 22 miles northwest of Chino Valley, Ariz. The Perkinsville River is a protected wildlife area off limits to motor vehicles and off-road travel. Law enforcement officials arrived on the scene to find a 2001 Ford Ranger high-centered on a huge rock in the middle of the river, about 250 yards from the road. Forest Service officials contacted Tri-City Towing for the recovery of the Ford Ranger. After arriving on scene, I talked with the vehicle’s owner and then to the Forest Service officials on scene. We were then given permission to enter the restricted area

by Jason Grams

Protecting the Habitat Inside Prescott National Forest. *The Donnie Cruse recovery award, Light-Duty Class.

22 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

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to pull the Ford Ranger from the rocks in the middle of the river. I began by running one winch line to the Ford Ranger, and winched it off of the rock where it was high-centered. The officers instructed the owner to try to drive the Ranger out the same way he drove it in, but the truck wouldn’t start. That’s when what I thought would be a quick recovery became interesting real quick. The Ford’s owner asked me if I could re-hook his truck and winch it from the river. Forest Service officers again gave me permission to winch the truck from the river, as long as I kept the truck from coming into contact with the river embankment. This was to prevent any additional damage to the environment. Aside from protecting the river bank, there were additional obstructions in the river that made the recovery more difficult than just winching the truck straight out and making corrections at the steering wheel. The river wasn’t a straight shot from my wrecker, and down approximately 300 feet to the Ford Ranger. I chose to run a floating snatch block so I could adjust my pulling angle on the wire rope to the truck. I ran a winch line from my left winch across the

Forest Service officers again gave me permission to winch the truck from the river, as long as I kept the truck from coming into contact with the river embankment.

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 23

rated limits. I then winched the truck to an area in the river where I could reassess the river embankment before removing the truck from the river. After some 5 hours of rigging and winching, the Ford Ranger made it on dry land. Due to the dry conditions, the exhaust on the truck made hot spots in the grass that we needed to extinguish so they wouldn’t spark any wildfires (that the tow company would have been responsible for). There are a lot of things to be aware of in the National Forest beyond just the recovery.

With the floating snatch block, there was no additional damage to the far side river embankment. I was able to position my tow truck, a twin-line 12-ton Holmes wrecker... river to a snatch block attached to our service truck on the other side, and then back through the trees and terminating at a snatch block attached to the winch line on the right-side winch on my wrecker. With the floating snatch block, there was no additional damage to the far side river embankment. I was able to position my tow truck, a twin-line 12-ton Holmes wrecker mounted on a Ford F-550, just once for the recovery. There appeared to be little resistance as the river bottom was a firm rocky surface; with a weight of 3,300 lbs. for the truck, I felt confident I could recover the Ford Ranger with all of my rigging being well within their 24 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

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The Forest Service personnel seemed impressed and pleased with the care taken during the recovery. The customer was also pleased with the care taken during the recovery of his truck.

*The Donnie Cruse Memorial Recovery Award is presented by American Towman Magazine and WreckMaster.

How Do I Win a Donnie? Submit one of your recoveries to win a Donnie Award! You don't have to be WreckMaster certified to qualify. Simply send in your photos or video and a brief recap of your light-, medium- or heavy-duty recovery from 2001 to 2011. You may be contacted for additional recovery details. Include your name, title, company, mailing address, email address and phone number. Mail to: American Towman c/o Brendan Dooley, Editor; W2022 County Road Y; Helenville, WI 53137. (See application below.) Note: Applicant agrees to give American Towman exclusive editorial rights on submitted material, text and photographs, for one full year.

Jason Grams of Tri-City Towing is a Level 4/5 WreckMaster and 14-year towing veteran.

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APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Send in your Photos or Video of your Recovery. • WreckMaster will contact you for your recovery details. • Recovery must have been performed anytime in the years 2001-2011

Title:

Name: Company: Address:

Phone:

City : Email Address:

State:

Zip Code:

Choose The Most Challenging Recovery Your Company Performed With Excellence! Classes: Light-, Medium-, Heavy-Duty Note: Applicant agrees to give American Towman exclusive editorial rights on submitted material, text and photographs, for one full year.

Hosted by:

Mail to: American Towman c/o Brendan Dooley, Editor W2022 County Road Y • Helenville, WI 53137 Phone: 800-732-3869 x209 • Email: bdooley@towman.com

26 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

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75 pages of new LED technology warning lights is available as a PDF from rontan.com, or the ctalog is available by calling 877-288-6875.

2011 Rontan Catalog Available The 2011 Rontan Signals catalog is now available online or from the company. The catalog includes updated technology and lighting equipment for law enforcement/fire/EMS and safety use. Products include Wide-E-Tech lightbars, Quasarlight, sirens, controllers and switches, micro lights, auxiliary lights, beacons and accessories. Rontan North America products are designed specially for the U.S. market and assembled in Miami, Fla. More than

Production of gasoline-powered Isuzu N-Series trucks began in April 2011 at the Spartan Motors facility in Charlotte, Mich. Gas-powered NPR (12,000-lbs. GVWR) and NPR-HD (14,500-lbs. GVWR) trucks will be available in Single Cab models with wheelbases of 109, 132.5, 150 and 176 inches, and in Crew Cab configurations with 150- and 176-inch wheelbases. N-Gas models will be powered by a General Motors Vortec 6.0-liter V8 engine that produces 297 hp at 4,300 rpm and generates 372 lbs./ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. A version of the engine compatible with compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas will be available. Both versions of the gasoline powerplant will be mated to a GM Powertrain six-speed automatic transmission with double overdrive. “We are especially excited that Spartan Motors—one of the industry’s most respected builders of high-quality customer chassis—will be assembling our N-Series gas trucks. Their quality workmanship will be an enormous benefit to us, to our dealers, and to the end users of our vehicles,” said Shaun Skinner, EVP and GM of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America. The N-Series trucks had been built by General Motors’ Janesville, Wis., plant until it was closed in 2009.

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28 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

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You may know a tower who risked his or her life to save the life of another human being while on the job. To nominate a towing professional for the American Towman Medal, write a description of the incident and send with any corroborative material you may have, such as police reports, letters or newspaper reports. Include the nominee's name, company, city, state, phone, and your name, phone, email, and mail/email to:

American Towman Exposition, Baltimore MD, November 18-20, 2011

Steve Calitri American Towman 7 West Street Warwick, NY 10990 scalitri@towman.com

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 29

Navistar Expands eStar Support

The Navistar-Modec EV Alliance expanded its sales, service and support network for the eStar all-electric truck to Chicago International Trucks (Chicago), Rechtien International Trucks (Florida), K. Neal International Trucks (military and government), Beltway Companies (Baltimore/Metro D.C.) and DATTCO (New England). “The eStar all-electric truck is an exciting new product with amazing potential to revolutionize the industry and transform thinking when it comes to clean, efficient transportation,” said

Mark Aubry, eStar vice president, sales and marketing. The eStar all-electric truck is the first medium-duty commercial vehicle to receive U.S. EPA certification as a clean fuel fleet vehicle as well as California Air Resources Board certification as a zero-emissions vehicle. The eStar is engineered with superior aerodynamics, a walk-through cab and a quick-change cassette-type battery that can be swapped out in 20 minutes. Source: Navistar International Corp.

More Used Commercial Vehicles on the Road Used commercial vehicle registrations in the U.S. achieved a record level in 2010 with approximately 672,000 registered units, according to the vehicle data firm Polk. This was a 21.7-percent increase over 2009; used commercial vehicle registrations accounted for nearly 65 percent of the total commercial vehicle market in 2010. This is the first year registrations of used commercial vehicles have exceeded 600,000 units. The uptick in the used market signifies a large opportunity for aftermarket parts manufacturers, repair shops and towers that specialize in commercial vehicles. The demand for used equipment was greatest for GVW 8 vehicles as they represented more than 47 percent of all used commercial vehicle transactions in 2010. Source:

Peterbilt Expands PACCAR MX Engine Availability

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Peterbilt’s PACCAR MX engine is now available in its Model 389 (making it available in all the company’s Class 8 models). The PACCAR MX engine is available from 380 hp to 485 hp and torque output up to 1,750 lbs./ft. with a displacement of 12.9 liters. The MX engine meets 2010 EPA regulations through selective catalytic reduction and exhaust gas recirculation. Peterbilt and all PACCAR dealerships have certified PACCAR MX-trained technicians and a complete inventory of service parts in stock through 670 authorized service locations and eight parts distribution centers in North America. Source: www.peterbilt.com.

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from American Towman Media 30 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 31

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Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California. “Our goal is to ensure our customers have a great experience from start to finish and that they get the attention they deserve,” said Frank Anglin, dealer principal of Western Peterbilt.

Western Peterbilt Nabs Dealer of the Year

TomTom PRO 7150 Delivers Efficiency

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Peterbilt GM Bill Jackson (from left), and Western Peterbilt’s Frank Anglin and Arlen Savitt.

Peterbilt Motors Co. recently named Western Peterbilt in Seattle, Wash., the 2010 Peterbilt Medium Duty Dealer of the Year. Frank Anglin, dealer principal of Western Peterbilt, accepted the award. Western Peterbilt has 20-plus years of experience and 11 locations across

Number 128 on Reader Card

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Showcase Your Recoveries American Towman is partnering with professional trainers to review your recoveries in print and online.

Email your recovery photos and/or video, and a brief recap, to bdooley@towman.com for a review and rating.

Phone: 800-732-3869, Ext. 209

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TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 33

URT operates out of 12 major markets and is headquartered in Mokena, Ill. Source: United Road Towing Inc.

URT Honors 2010 Driver, Support Staffer United Road Towing named Phillip Storey and Christine Rose its 2010 driver and support honorees. Storey, the 2010 driver of the year, is from URT’s Nashville operation at West Nashville Wrecker Service. Rose, from URT’s Boston operation at Export and Pat’s Towing, was the 2010 support person of the year. Storey showed his leadership in the spring of 2010 when more than 5,500 tows were safely conducted in 21 days to clear the Nashville metropolitan area after devastating floods hit the area. Rose was honored for her human resources skills in hiring and reducing billing problems for municipalities and customers. Both receive an all-expenses paid vacation and will be the guests of honor at URT’s annual leadership conference.

Hino Unveils Four COE Work Trucks

Hino Trucks recently unveiled four models of the newly designed Class 4 and Class 5 cab-over-engine trucks. In the class 4 market, Hino will offer the 155 diesel model and the first ever U.S. class 4 diesel-electric hybrid model, the 155h. The 155 and 155h models will carry a 14,500 lbs. GVW rating. In the class 5 market, Hino will

offer the 195 diesel model and the first ever U.S. class 5 diesel-electric hybrid model, the 195h. The 195 and 195h models will carry a 19,500-lbs. GVW rating. The Hino J05E Series engine powers these models. The 5-liter engine is rated at 210 hp and 440 lbs./ft. of torque. Utilizing Aisin’s A465, 6-speed automatic transmission, the Hino hybrid is the first to be packaged with an automatic transmission. Both models feature an ergonomically friendly wide cab with a North American standard 33-inch frame rail width, a 56,900 PSI frame, and a standard center-mounted rear fuel tank. The cab’s styling emphasizes aerodynamics and visibility with an angled windshield, narrow pillars and rounded-radius curves. Inside, the new cab uses its increased width to provide room for drivers up to 6’6”, seating for three and a versatile mobile workspace. A crew cab version will also be available.

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THE BUYERS REPORT Reports on products of participating advertisers.

What The Users Say Akins Sales Delivers Timely, Superb Service

“A Tow has purchased 29 trucks from Akins Ford since 2003. …[In our first purchase with them], Akins displayed urgency and attention to detail to deliver the trucks on time with the correct specs. …Akins also shopped the market to ensure A Tow benefitted from the best financing options available. …Phillip Tidwell developed a plan for A Tow’s scheduled purchases ensuring a maximized fleet presence and timely delivery. Brad Akins’ and Phillip’s creativity, flexibility and patience are the reasons that A Tow has a strong footprint in the towing industry. …Akins is a Chevron dealer as well and provides a onestop solution for our flatbed fleet.”

Steve Porter, A Tow Atlanta; Atlanta, Ga. see ad on page 21

Atlantic Braids Are Flexible, Safe, Versatile “ I am using the 7/16" Synthetic Rope on my Jerr-Dan SRS-10 Side Puller unit, as I was looking for a product that was not only strong, but flexible and easy to work with. One of the great features of working with the synthetic rope is safety. The synthetic rope does not lash out at catastrophic failure, but simply drops down in its place. The 1" Kinetic tug rope is an additional 30 feet of rope and comes with a braided eye loop at each end; it can easily be doubled up and used in a basket application to shorten the length as well as increase its capacity; it stores in your toolbox or under the seat.”

Frank Sanchez, Somerset Hills Towing; Bridgewater, N.J. see ad on page 50

Bailey’s Towing Accessories Helps with Awkward Recoveries “ We’ve used Bailey’s Side Recovery Guides for about 6 months. They definitely help out with awkward recoveries by cutting down on damage; no more trying to use J-hooks as snatch blocks.”

Paul Best, East Coast Towing; Raleigh, N.C. see ad on page 33

Blades Tow Right Custom Designs Light Bar “ Working with Blades has been amazing because you get to work one-on-one with somebody. Their light bars are very good quality; the plastic is strong and well-built, the LEDs are bright and low energy. Keith worked with me to design a special light bar for us for moving RVs and office trailers, so when the driver uses the brakes or turn signal, the flashers turn off to avoid confusion with other drivers. The light bar makes our work safer.”

Roger Paschal, Larry’s Towing; Fort Washington, Md. see ad on page 50

Bob Fish Has Respectful and Talented Sales Force “ We have worked with Bob Fish Truck Center for over 18 years. We are very impressed with salesman John Fay’s knowledge of the vehicles he has sold us, and how fast and friendly the parts and sales departments are. We had one truck go to their service department for a hydraulic issue that was slowing down the loading and unloading. The truck was there for just three hours and then back on the road. They have respectful and talented sales, service and parts departments that are willing to help at anytime. I can truly say that one phone call to them and I know that it will be taken care of quickly.”

John “JJ” Sancinati, N&S Towing Inc.; West Allis, Wis. see ad on page 56 36 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Century Is Built with Quality “ Century/Miller Industries builds quality equipment …and they take into consideration what the end user’s needs are. My 9055 stands out for its reliability, amount of usable storage space and ease of use. My rotator is built with quality, meets state weight regulations and also stores enough recovery equipment for large recoveries and is still able to tow. Century quality lasts …their used equipment has the highest resale values.”

Glenn Landau, Fryer’s Towing Service; Daytona Beach, Fla. see ad on page 2,3

Chevron Is Reliable with Little Down Time “ My dad started buying Chevron equipment over 30 years ago and we have never turned back. I currently run 30 Chevron flatbeds and wreckers in my fleet. They run all day, every day, and their strength and reliability cannot be topped. The many available options allow me to build trucks that suit the demands of my workload and area. The most impressive thing about the Chevron bed is the workmanship; it’s a reliable bed with very little down time. Every part is built to last. …Chevron and my distributor give me the confidence to run Chevron because they stand behind their equipment.”

Billy Jr. and Adam Rempfer, DeFalco’s Instant Towing Inc.; Chatham, N.J. see ad on page 27

Cross Country Helped Us Grow to 18 Trucks “ I’ve been with Cross Country since 2007, and they’ve definitely helped us grow. I had three trucks then and now I have 18. …The new GPS program for dispatch has helped our fleet because calls go electronically to the truck and makes us more productive. The system makes the calls run smooth with good accuracy. We have TomTom Works in the trucks through Cross Country, and they run Beacon software together as an automated system. There are no calls or faxes bogging down the process. …I don’ t know how I did it before; to get big you have to be automated to be productive enough.”

Charlie Amann, White Oak Auto Care; Cincinatto, Ohio see ad on page 49

Crouch’s Wrecker Services Is Awesome with Special Orders “ They’re good people. I’ ve had nothing but positive experiences with Crouch and I’ve been buying from them since about 1995. …They go out of their way to build a truck the way you want it. When I get a truck, I don’t buy what’s on the lot. They are awesome about putting together my special orders, and they’re always fair with my trade-ins. I give them five out of five stars. They know the business.”

Robert Milsaps, Friendly City Towing; Athens, Tenn. see ad on page 15

DewEze Kits Are Well-Built and Easy to Install “ We install several DewEze Clutch Pump Kits a year. They are very installer friendly, easy to put on, well-built and have good design. The average kit installs in about 1-1/2 hours … some install as fast as a half-hour, the most complicated takes about 3 hours. The overall longevity of the kits is good and maintenance is very low. We have had very few callbacks; it’s a very good product for keeping the truck on the road.”

Keith Iberg, Chevron Commercial; Highland, Ill. see ad on page 50

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 37

Dynamic Is a Great Back “ What I like about Dynamic is they are very easy to work with …they are attentive. I’ve bought about seven Ford F450s with the 701 self-loader; it’s a great back. As soon as I used my first one, I knew it was the truck for me. These are all-around great backs. They’re perfect: reasonably priced, easy to maintain and very easy to repair if you need to. It’s been my back of choice.”

Chris Diaz, Grade A of NYC; Brooklyn, N.Y. see ad on page 17

Energy Safe Technologies Eases My Mind “ I know positive from negative and how to use jumper cables. But recently, in jump-starting a newer car, I couldn’t get it to start after having just jumped it a few days before with no problems. Put in a new battery and still no start. I had a friend look at the car and found the computer was fried, that there must have been some arcing during the jump. Well, $600 and a new computer later, the car needed a jump-start again. But I had the PowerSafe jump cables; I hooked them up, got blue lights and it started right up. Cars are so complex right now …having the PowerSafe cables eases my mind.”

Trent Williams, Trent’s Repair; Klamath Falls, Ore. see ad on page 20

FlowStop Lets You Do Your Recovery “ If you ever have any type of spill, the FlowStop system stops them and keeps them. We had a spill of high fructose corn syrup that we were able to plug, and return the next day for clean-up. The FlowStop products stand up against 99 percent of chemicals, including diesel. …If you have an incident where diesel is running into a creek or storm drain, with FlowStop you can stop the flow and divert into a catch basin. Then you can get the recovery done without worrying about the cleanup until last.”

Lee Shank, Carolina Environmental Response Team; Charlotte, N.C. see ad on page 15

Freightliners Are Sharp-Looking, Solid Trucks “ Nine of my 10 trucks are Freightliners; I have four heavy-duty Coronados, four M2 cab-anda-half flatbeds and an M2 wrecker. I’ m about to order a 2012 Coronado as well. …I bought my first Freightliners in 2002 and they were very dependable with no issues beyond general maintenance. The Freightliners are sharp-looking trucks that have good fuel mileage and help me hold the line on expenses. They are very solid trucks, with a good selection of engines. …I buy from my local dealer, Truck City of Gary, because they go to bat for me on warranty work and I like giving business back to a company that gives business to me.”

Tom Bertagnolli, Double T Towing; Griffith, Ind. see ad on page 6

Intek Truck & Equipment Leasing Handled Every Need “ My relationship with Intek is excellent; they’ve handled every need I’ ve called for immediately. Response time is overnight. …They’re fast. If I find a deal and need to act immediately, I call them. Adam can be here the next day with the paperwork and it’s done. They’ ve even gone right to the dealer with the paperwork to help out. …My working relationship with them has been more than just financing. They’ ve also helped me sell vehicles and offered their financing with the sale. They work both sides of the street, which is great.”

Gary Mann Sr., New York Truck Parts; Wurtsboro, N.Y. see ad on page 15

International Trucks Are Sleek, Sporty “ We typically purchase the International 4300 Series trucks. We like the sleek and sporty design …and have been impressed by their ability to stand up to some extremely harsh conditions. … We were able to test-drive the new TerraStar and were impressed with the power and handling compared to the 4300 Series, and currently have units on order. …The support we receive, from our local dealers to the product engineers at International, is exceptional. I buy, and will continue to buy, International because they stand behind their product and the trucks withstand the beating that the towing and recovery business can put on them.”

Craig McDonald, McDonald’s Towing and Rescue; Kalamazoo, Mich. see ad on page 2,3 38 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Jerr-Dan Makes Me Feel Important “ We have three Jerr-Dan carriers, a Jerr-Dan PL40 self-loader, a 21-ton Jerr-Dan medium-duty wrecker and a 35-ton Jerr-Dan heavy-duty wrecker. We bought our first Jerr-Dan piece in 1999 …since then, we’ ve switched the entire fleet over to Jerr-Dan. The biggest thing has been developing a relationship with the factory through Dave Humphries, now retired, but we have the same relationship with service and engineering all the way up to the vice president. We had a radiator issue with a new Ford self-loader in 2008, and Ford denied the warranty (which later became a recall). I expressed my frustration with Ford to Jerr-Dan, and they paid the $2,500 bill. …They make me feel as important to them as one of the big guys.”

Ed Cardiello, Ed’s Towing Recovery; Mount Pocono, Pa. see ad on page 80

Landolls Are Sturdy and Durable “ All of our trailers are Landolls; we use them for anything you can think of, from emergency generators to limousines to Barnum & Bailey tiger cages. …They are very versatile and the low load angle is crucial for limos. Landoll trailers are sturdy and durable; I’ve got one that’s been in service since 1999. The resale value is very good, it’snever hard to resell a Landoll trailer: As soon as you advertise one, people are calling. …The best thing is their customer service. You can always get someone on the phone.”

Chris Vanderpool, Lazer Pipes Services Inc.; Kansas City, Mo. see ad on page 33

Lift and Tow Is Economical Way to Expand “ I just purchased the Series 5 wheel lift; I’ve been wanting one for a long time. It has a slick, clean look and I like the wired or wireless remote system. I like it 100 percent. …I needed the unit as an economical way to expand my start-up business. I have a flatbed carrier for exotics, but needed something for smaller cars. This was perfect with our F250 service pickup to expand our equipment.”

Matt Monarchie, Tow Boss Towing and Recovery; Hopewell Junction, N.Y. see ad on page 57

Lodar Is Like Having an Extra Man “ The two-function actuator system is like having an extra man on a recovery. We’re faster getting vehicles off the road and doing it safer by being at the vehicle instead of by the truck. I’d never get another truck without the Lodar system, it saves time and it’s safer. In the mountains where we are, a lot of recoveries have a 10- to 15-foot difference in elevation to the road. The system eliminates unnecessary going back and forth from the recovery to the truck. It’s well worth the money and it saves time. .

Charlie Smith, Mancos Towing; Mancos, Colo. see ad on page 20

Matheny Motor Truck Co. Goes Above and Beyond “We’ve been buying from Matheny for about four years, and they are all top-notch people. …More than just sales people, they are like friends and they go above and beyond for us. Ken Matheny has personally delivered some of our trucks. …I deal with David Hargrove who owned his own tow company and knows what it’s like to be on our side of the table. He’ ll answer his cell phone any time of day and help you any way he possibly can. …We’ve bought 10 trucks from them over the past four years, everything from a rotator and Landoll down to a light-duty wheeler.”

David Morton, Morton’s Towing and Recovery; Gaithersburg, Md. see ad on page 25 TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 39

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Jobs Are Tougher Without MatJack “MatJack bags work very well for us, they are a very well-built product and very solid. …We just did a recovery of a cement tanker overturned in the mud. Using the MatJacks, we were able to get it set right up on its wheels in the road. It would have been a lot tougher job without MatJack; we used the MatJack bags to get under and forced them into places you can’ t with an airbag; we blocked it up and raised it until we could get the airbags under with the MatJacks and we finally got enough under until we set it right up on its wheels.”

Gordon Curtis, Curtis Garage; Stilesville, Ind. see ad on page 65

Nation Safe Drivers Improved and Increased Business “ Our relationship with NSD has not only improved our business but increased it. They increased our business by setting up their own dispatch system. …So that means we are getting all their calls in our area for which we give them priority. When they dispatch us a call and it is completed they automatically queue that for ACH payment in our bank weekly. The complete loyalty and automatic payment without billing come from a great company and staff with straight-forward talk.”

Jim Stewart, Top Gun Towing; Bradenton, Fla. see ad on page 34

National Auto Club Gives Precise Info “ We’ve been towing with National Auto for about 5 years. They send us a fair share of business and always pay on time. And their customers like them. I haven’t talked to anyone there who was hard to work with. …Dispatch gives us precise information that saves time so we’re not sending out the wrong truck. They get their information together and then send, rather than the driver be left to figure it out in the field. …There are always government and fleet vehicles that need to be towed, and they have a lot of those contracts.”

Gregory Thirtyacre, 30 Acre Towing and Recovery; Columbus, Ohio see ad on page 32

New England Truckmaster Matches My Needs “ I’ve been working with New England Truckmaster since 2005; I just bought my fifth truck with them. I bought one used truck, a little wrecker, and a new medium-duty wrecker, a new flatbed and a brand-new 9055 rotator. I just ordered a brand-new 30-ton wrecker. Where they stand out for me is spec’ ing vehicles, both their knowledge of the trucks and matching my needed applications instead of doing for price. …They do a lot of custom work for me, like custom toolboxes. …They are number one in customer service. This winter one of my toolboxes got ripped off, and they replaced it right away.”

Sean Strollo, Strollo’s Towing; Chesire, Conn. see ad on page 63

North American BanCard Cares About My Business “ It’s a fabulous company, the service is excellent. The transactions go to my bank account right away. They call right away if they see any weird transactions. The customer service is excellent; they call and check up on me every 10 days or so about my satisfaction with them and ask about the machinery and if there’ s anything they can improve. They care about my business.”

Zeke Fontanez, Zeke’s Towing; Elizabeth, N.J. see ad on page 4

42 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

Phoenix USA Parts Always Fit “ Phoenix is a great company and has great people to work with. Jeremy and Scott do a great job; if I call them with any issues and they are right on it. …All the products work great. We get a lot of toolboxes and light bars, and everything always fits unless someone on our end makes a mistake in the installation or ordering parts. The most important thing to me is customer service. Just before a tow show, we needed parts immediately and couldn’t wait for shipping. They jumped in a van to bring the parts to us.”

Donnie Roberts, Dual Tech; Bean Station , Tenn. see ad on page 28

Pierce Sales Follows Up Before and After “ I’ve been doing business with Pierce since 2005 and bought several trucks with them. My sales rep, Ginger, is great and bends over backwards to make sure I’ m satisfied with their trucks. Their inventory is always dead-on to what she says it is. Ginger will do followups numerous times before and after delivery to make sure the truck is up to snuff, and I can call her anytime if there are any issues.”

Nick Massey, Excalibur Towing; Arlington, Texas see ad on page 35

Purpose Wreckers Means No Surprises “ I have done business with Purpose Wrecker for 15-plus years, and I’ve bought everything I need from them. My most recent purchase was a 9055 rotator that I bought over the phone. …I can pick up the phone and, new or used, I can take their word on what I’m getting. There are no surprises when I get there. They’re honest people and my trade-in values have always been fair. …Any time you need anything from them, whether sales or parts, they take care of you like Johnny-on-the-spot. Customer service to me is worth a lot, and anything I need from them gets done.”

Kenny Pence, Ken’s Towing Inc.; Ozark, Ark. see ad on page 55

Ramsey Winches Are Reliable and Tough “ Ramsey’s winches are reliable and engineered to be tough for the job they do; we have HDG350 10,000-lbs. and HD234 8,000-lbs. winches on all our car carriers (78 trucks.) …Ramsey’s winches are easy to work on and maintain for service. We rebuild all of our winches in-house and parts are always there when we need them.”

Todd Stepp, Stepp’s Towing Service; Tampa, Fla. see ad on page 16

Rush Towing Builds a Lasting Relationship “Rush Towing Systems is committed to the Jerr-Dan Company, whom I prefer. Ryan Hindt is my salesman at Rush and has bent over backwards to help me with my equipment needs. I am building a lasting relationship with Ryan and Rush. When I needed parts for my tow trucks, Rush was there to help right away. Rush has done a great job dealing with Hino warranty issues. …If I have a concern, one phone call is all I need to make. Rush delivers equipment on time and everyone in the towing business knows how important that is.”

Gary and Angela McClung, Midway Wrecker Service; Kerrville, Texas see ad on page 51 TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 43

Tiger Tools Are Simple and Strong “ Along with the heavy-duty U-joint puller, we’ve bought three complete kits and a bearing installer. We’re very pleased with Tiger’s products and never had a warranty issue. The U-joint puller is a good size, simple and strong. It takes up to a 1-inch air gun and we’ve never bent a bolt. It’s simple, stays together and there are no pieces to lose. “

Robert Cooper, KC Towing and Transport; Tracy, Calif. see ad on page 67

Towing.com Sparked 22-Percent Growth “ We’re in a small community and Towing.com puts Internet customers in touch with us where they wouldn’t have found us previously. We’ve been contacted by national trucking companies because of the Internet; we can’t always help, but at least we’ re getting the calls. We signed up with them at the Baltimore Expo …from 2009 to 2010, we’ve seen a 22-percent growth in towing business. …We’re getting calls where I know the people found us online. We signed on as a one-year thing, then it became a two-year thing, now we’re going to hang in with them. Phonebooks are almost dinosaurs.”

Jeff Watson, Avilla Motor Works; Avilla, Ind. see ad on page 79

TowMate Impresses with Ingenuity “ I’ve had nothing but good luck with their products. Their service is stand-out, any problem I’ve had they fix the product right away and send back or replace. …I’ve done special orders with them that are no problem, like spare battery packs for extra capacity on the lights. …I’m really impressed with their ingenuity and innovation on their products; lenses improve, LEDs get brighter and the products get less complicated to use and install, like the two-wire hookups they’ ve come out with.”

Brian Mackey, WTA Towing; Whitman, Mass. see ad on page 63

Transportation Information Systems Work with ‘What Ifs’ “ One of our clients is the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and Transformation Info Systems has made several improvements and been supportive to making changes in their system to help the client. TIS are good team players, accommodating us with changes we need rather than just selling us what they offer. …They provide the optimum service that we need from providers; they start with their foundation and then work with our ‘ What ifs?’ and they adapt to that and what we need.”

Harvey Heaton, Telvent Farradyne; Kapolei, Hawaii see ad on page 31

Twin Cities Never Disappoints “I’ve been working with Twin Cities for 24 years because Roddy and Troy always treat me really fair. I trust Roddy and Troy to do what I want them to do. Over the 24 years I’ve never been disappointed; they have fair pricing and build my orders fast. They’re very easy people to work with. We needed a winch repaired and Roddy fixed it on a Saturday afternoon, and I know he’ll come in on a Sunday if needed too.”

Bob Jasperson, Kustom Karriers; Hopkins, Minn. see ad on page 20

44 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

USAC Treats Us Like a Valued Member “ A Ace Towing has been a contracted vendor with USAC for 19-plus years. When USAC started their super-heavy-duty hauling program, we were eager to jump onboard. We never have to worry about late payments or disputes over previously submitted calls. Our questions are always handled in a timely manner. … Above all, we are and always have been treated as a valued member of USAC’ s business relationships, not just another vendor.”

Sarah Shakil, A Ace Towing; Converse, Texas see ad on page 62

Vulcan Has the Best Under-Reach “ My business is heavy-duty recoveries. I have nine trucks and six are Vulcans, from 25-ton to 50-ton. Vulcan has the best under-reach I’ ve found and the booms are smoother than others. Vulcan wreckers have better service life and less maintenance for me. I’m going to continue buying Vulcan because their quality has no comparison.”

Glen Koy, Hidden Valley Wrecker Services; Houston, Texas see ad on page 61

Warn Industries Winches Have Excellent Pulling Power “ Our Warn winch is unbelievable compared to the other ones. Pulling wise, the cable doesn’t come off or get tangled, and at a hard angle, it keeps the cable straight where others may get broken housings. …The pulling power is excellent; it hasn’t kicked off yet. It helps us get things from sideways we probably shouldn’t be able to with our flatbed, but it doesn’ t tangle or lose power. It was easy to install and is definitely well built.”

Dave Delprincipe, Del’s Towing; Newcastle, Pa. see ad on page 19

Whelen Engineering Is On the Cutting Edge “ I have purchased almost every Whelen automotive product that they have to offer, dating back to the old Edge 9000 light bars, to the new We-Can Libertys and anything in between. …The thing that impressed me the most is the durability. I am a repeat customer, and plan to be one for a long time. They are on the cutting edge of the latest technology. …The lights are extremely bright, when you hit the switch they work and they are made in the USA!

Will Clemens, Mike’s Auto Towing; Orange, Conn. see ad on page 64

Worldwide Equipment Has Knowledgeable Staff “ As a repeat customer with Worldwide Equipment, I can say it’s because of how close they are to us and have most parts in stock when we call them. Our recent purchases from Worldwide include a 2010 Ford F550 flatbed and a 2009 Dodge self-loader; both are attractive vehicles. The staff there is always knowledgeable about the product, and there is a quick turn-around on repairs.”

Coy Williams, Coy’s Towing; Matteson, Ill. see ad on page 67

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 45

A Letter From Steve Calitri n my time in this industry, which spans four decades, I have observed how even the most professional towing operations undervalue their services. My response has been to champion the truth; that this is a great service industry and one that deserves its just reward. I have always promoted that tow bosses need to take a step back to see the tremendous value of the services they provide; work on perilous roads, all weather conditions, all times of the day and night, expensive equipment that requires training and skill to operate; unique work that places expensive vehicles in the tower’s care; work that society relies upon to keep the transportation of product and people flowing. Still, even my closest friends in the industry are meek in their attempts to raise their rates to levels that are justified. The issue of setting one’s tow rates has been a murky issue in this industry, beset by extreme competition and a cost management syndrome best described as “shooting in the dark”. But I have observed another dynamic at play in holding back our industry’s struggle to be profitable. The issue of professionalism. In practice, professionalism among towers is as wide open as the old wild west, and that’s the perception inside or outside the industry. If one company owner thinks a collared shirt is required for a uniformed operator, another thinks a t-shirt suffices. Twelve years ago we brought industry leaders together to form a consensus on standard procedures that all professional towing companies should operate under. The American Towman Standards Authority was created with the support of these leaders who represented the critical industry segments of insurance, training, associations, motor clubs and media. The Standards agreed upon had to meet two critical criteria; they had to be 1) universally accepted and 2) have the ability to be audited in a practical manner. The program was well received and about two hundred towing companies were rated by ATSA the first year. Many of the rated companies reported that insurance companies were recognizing the value of the rating and reducing premiums; others how the rating helped score commercial accounts. But I myself had done what most tow bosses do; I had undervalued the service being performed, and the price we

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set for the rating program could not sustain a professional infrastructure to market and administer it. I then made the decision to put the program on the shelf with the intention to bring it back when the time was right. Today we have created a promotional and administrative structure that will maintain the Standards Authority on behalf of the towing industry, whether 50 or 5,000 tow companies are rated each year. A company is rated for a three year period. The fee structure allows for a payout over that term at a reasonable monthly cost, while generating the revenue needed to administer the program over the long haul. The rating program of the American Towman Standards Authority is a win-win proposition for the industry as a whole and for each individual towing operation. The current 23 standards, updated in September of 2010, reflect the realities of today. ATSA’s new Board of Advisors will be instrumental in the evolution of these standards over time. Today the internet is playing a big role in how the Standards Authority operates. ATSA’s web presence, email broadcasts through American Towman Media, and its use of Facebook, are informing the industry about being rated and how it works. But the internet is also playing a key role in the administration of the rating program, including its promotional benefits and ATSA’s ability to notify police chiefs and local newspapers about a tower’s rating. Our internet system delivers these announcements on behalf of the rated tower with both digital and hard copy documents. The influence of American Towman magazine is a key reason our organization is able to deliver thousands of tow business owners each year to the world’s largest towing event, the American Towman Exposition. We are using this influence to help tow business owners and managers understand the value of being rated, and to help them achieve the level of success and profitability they deserve. A rating from ATSA is a mark of excellence, and proof of having achieved a certain level of professionalism. The rating helps a progressive towing company stand out among other towing operations. The rating program also promotes the practice of professionalism to the entire industry. Promoting professionalism to the industry is important to you. As a tow business owner, you want competitors who are operating with the same standards you are, and charging sound rates that are needed to maintain profitability. You do TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 47

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not want cut-throat competitors who don’t meet muster taking accounts away from you. You do not want to compete down, but up. I fully understand the various reactions among tow business owners to the rating program. They usually fall within two different frames of mind. One, the proud boss who thinks his company has achieved a high level of professionalism on its own and doesn’t need American Towman to tell him so (and I agree with that); and the other proud mind who sees the value in what ATSA brings to the table, a third party recognition of his company’s professionalism, based on the authority of audited documentation. Then, of course, there are those with just this gut response, “I can make hay of a five star rating.” In the course of my career in the towing industry, American Towman has given special recognition to over 20,000 towing companies through programs like the Towman 500, the Towman ACEs, the Towman Order, the American Towman Medal, the American Wrecker Pageant, even the American Towman Academy. All these programs bestowing recognition have been based on merit. It is our core belief that merit should drive success, that initially gave impetus to the idea of rating towing companies. Okay, that and a great meal in a five star restaurant. But for myself and the people at American Towman, working to help professional towing companies stand out and succeed is what we have always been about. Check out the ATSA web site at www.atstandards.com. You’ll get an exact idea of your potential rating though the site’s instant rating calculator. In a few minutes at the site you gain an understanding of how the program works and what the cost is to you. At American Towman, we value the trust we have built with towing professionals since 1977. For those of you who have been touched by our efforts to help you succeed, I hope you’ll stand with me and take on this challenge to reach the level of professionalism and prosperity you and our industry deserve. We have just started up the mountain. Sincerely,

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n Nov. 9, 2004, at about 1:30 p.m., S&S Towing responded to 26 Mile and Meldrum Roads in Casco Township, Mich., to what we were told by the sheriff was a loaded, overturned gravel train. We arrived on scene with 30-ton and 20-ton wreckers. While evaluating the scene and talking to deputies, we were told a young female in a Chevy S-10 Blazer pulled out into the intersection attempting to go straight across and was struck by the truck in the driver’s side rear of the vehicle. There was a 134,000-lbs. gross

Overturned Gravel Trailers in By Steven A. Smith II

Michigan 52 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

load on the truck, two people in the Blazer, one person in the truck; all survived, but injuries were unknown. After looking everything over, we determined we were going to need more manpower and equipment. We called for another two laborers, a rollback with our ASV track machine, bucket and forks, and our Landoll (which happened to be 40 miles away on another job). In addition to our equipment, the St. Clair County Road Commission brought out a Gradall and two dump trucks to handle the removal of the load. By the time the Hazmat crew had finished draining and containing all of the fluids from the tractor, all of our reinforcements had arrived. We first ran lines from the 30-ton wrecker to both the tractor and lead trailer to stabilize. Next, our crew went to work caging all the brakes while they were easy to get at due to the fact that we had multiple air lines and gladhands damaged. After that, the remainder of the load that was left in the pup trailer was scooped out with the Gradall to lighten the trailer, and the 20ton wrecker was hooked to it. Then, we lifted and slid the pup trailer around back on to the road and into a position where we could unhook it from the lead (which took a great deal

The S&S Towing team would need to first run lines from the 30-ton wrecker to both the tractor and lead trailer to stabilize.

of persuasion). Once it was unhooked it was pulled away from wreckage. Next, we moved on to uprighting the tractor and lead trailer which we did together with the 30-ton unit; since the wheels were back on the ground we pulled it up out of the ditch. This also took some time since the steering was no longer operable. When everything was up onto the road, we used the ASV to pick up all

the debris and load it into the lead trailer, hooked the 20-ton wrecker to the pup, the 30-ton wrecker to the lead, and put the tractor on the Landoll to start our 20-mile journey back to the yard. At the yard, we unhooked everything and were finished by about 6:30 p.m. … four trucks, one trailer, one ASV loader, four operators, two laborers and five hours later.

On the other side of this entanglement are heaps of gravel that spilled off the roadway.

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 53

Rein In Your

Clockwatchers by Randall C. Resch

O Use a Scope of Employment Statement.

ne of the biggest problems tow companies face is scheduling. There is nothing routine about our industry, making it tough to schedule personnel to meet minimum staffing requirements across all shifts during a 24-hour day. Unforeseen changes in weather, schedules, peak activity, employee illnesses or exigent circumstances turn a smooth running staff into a shortfall of available employees. So, where employee shortages exist, someone (who?) has to stick around to cover for those not at

work, getting off-shift, or perhaps even those who won’t stick around to help cover the load. It seems that every company has an employee who lacks motivation, or worse, is the proverbial clockwatcher. Clockwatchers are ready to rocket past the company’s door usually a half-hour to hour before their shift is finished. If your clockwatcher is a driver and you need them to take an incoming “hot call,” you’ll no doubt do battle getting them to take the call. And they’ll spew a barrage of excuses

continue to page 56 54 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

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CLOCKWATCHERS continued from page 54 why they can’t take the call using some far-fetched, life-changing activity that they couldn’t possibly miss. (Even more irritable is that they constantly make the same excuses on a regular basis.) Eventually, their lack of team spirit puts a kink in company productivity, takes a toll on good workers and drives you to the brink of insanity.

Give Me Strength Inspiring your clockwatchers to take their share of urgent calls must be dealt with quickly for the good of the company and to avoid late-response complaints from area tow bosses. When evaluating late calls, in fairness to getting employees off-shift on time, company management should identify hot calls vs. calls that can be held for available field drivers or drivers coming on-shift. Only a small percentage of received calls should be considered highest priority, based on call volume

and the niche served; specifically law enforcement and other agency calls are going to be hot calls. Lower priority calls should be held in the balance for shift change or routed to drivers still on-shift. When management takes the time to spread calls in this manner, drivers don’t feel “dumped on.” When drivers actually have worked hard during any given shift, sending them home on time whenever possible keeps them happy. Happy employees are productive employees! To solve Clockwatcher Syndrome, some companies have developed a “Scope of Employment Statement.” In a nutshell, a Scope of Employment Statement is a short, to-the-point document asking new employees to fully understand that based on the nature of a company’s business model, there may be times where individual employees are required to work beyond their normal schedules and/or be subject to “right now” schedule

changes in shifts assigned, hours, and days off. Wording within the statement should include verbiage like, “Employees may be required to stay late and/or scheduled changes could ensue without notification to the employee.”

Nuts and Bolts A Scope of Employment Statement is designed as a “specific intent statement” to identify and explain the nature of the towing and recovery industry. Where employees may be asked to work beyond “quitting times,” this statement becomes the written agreement between employee and the company. This specific intent statement is based on a lawful order or request being given by a company’s representative to the employee. Obviously, the order is initiated to meet the needs of the company. The scope statement should use narratives that are easily understood

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$45 Academy Passport gets you into any and all of these seminars:

Friday Morning Seminars Building A Successful Business Dan Messina started out with one truck and one account and in seven years built a multi-million dollar business. While building his business, he also grew the largest towing association in the US. Learn his Secrets!! Conducted by Dan Messina, President,Southwest Tow Operators Getting Paid By The Clubs Either through towers’ negligence or stringent motor club requirements, a high percentage of towing fees hang in limbo, never paid, never collected. Todd Althouse of Beacon Software gives tow bosses a reality check on how they can best keep Clubs current in their payments. Automating and using the internet play a key role in the discussion.

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Turning Clean-up Into A Revenue Source Option one is to start up a separate company that operates to cleanup after a roadway incident. Option two is setting up a protocol that bills out separately for clean-up work. Either option must take the right approach with the insurance companies. Seminar presenter John Borowski operates a stand-alone clean-up service. Getting Started With Automation This invaluable seminar leads the tower through the various steps required to get their call taking, dispatching and storage lot management automated. They will learn how to understand many of the tech talk issues related to hardware and software and see a step by step process to getting started. Presented by Shon Allen and Al Stoeberl, SSCS

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Mock Hearing Attorney Mark Hull will conduct a seminar featuring a mock hearing on charges brought by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Hull’s law offices represent towing companies all over the State of Texas, about 70% of the practice involves representation of companies who have been fined or are being investigated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Getting Rated – How It Can Work For You Industry spokesperson and educator D.J. Harrington discusses getting your towing operation rated by the American Towman Standards Authority; how it works; and why it will help your business become more successful.

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Jump Starting in a Digital World This presentation addresses how to minimize the chance of surge damage when using conventional technology as well as new technology that will eliminate surge damage entirely. Presenter: Michael Baxter, Energy Safe Technologies

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The Police-Tower Relationship Veteran tow business manager and former police officer, Randall Resch, knows what both sides want and expect in this most critical relationship, one that can make or break a towing company. Keeping police always on your side takes specific communication, professionalism, and diplomacy. Resch tells it like it is.

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— RE QUI RE D I NF ORM AT I ON —

1. REGISTER HERE 1st Registered Name: |

Fax to 845-986-5181 Phone: 800-732-3869

By advance-registering, the company “Boss” and one guest are admitted free to Exhibit Hall. A $5 fee applies to all others. Kids under 14 free. Produced by AT Expo Corp.

| |

Title

2nd Registered Name: |

| |

| | Address:

City:

State:

Phone:

Fax:

2. PLEASE CHECK BOXES BELOW

First time at Expo: ❒ Yes ❒ No

1. Is your Primary Business Towing/Recovery: ❏ Yes or ❏ No

Zip:

E-mail:

2. Secondary Business (check those that apply):

1a. If NO check your primary business: ❏ Towing/Recovery ❏ Service Station ❏ Auto Repair/Serv. Ctr. ❏ Auto/Truck Dealership ❏ Repossession ❏ Vehicle Leasing ❏ Transport/Trailer Serv. ❏ Distributor Equip ❏ Salv/Autoparts ❏ Lockout ❏ Truck Repair ❏ Other______________ ❏ Auto Body Shop

Country:

❏ Towing/Recovery ❏ Auto Repair/Serv. Ctr. ❏ Repossession ❏ Transport/Trailer Serv. ❏ Salv/Autoparts ❏ Truck Repair ❏ Auto Body Shop

❏ Service Station ❏ Auto/Truck Dealership ❏ Vehicle Leasing ❏ Distributor Equip ❏ Lockout ❏ Other______________

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❏ Carriers ❏ Transport

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Please Check the Events You Wish to Attend EXHIBIT HALL Fri. & Sat., 12 - 6 pm, May. 13 & 14.• 1st & 2nd registrants are free: addt’l $5 each. _________ ❏ Yes, please advance register me for exhibit hall. Badge is good for both exhibit hall days! . . . . . ._________ ❏ American Towman Academy • Fri., & Sat., May 13 & 14; sponsored by American Towman Magazine $45 advance registration fee; $75 on site – Save $30 & register now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .__________ __________ ❏ 1st registrant ❏ 2nd registrant ❏ 3rd registrant ❏ 4th registrant __________ ❏ USA Wrecker Pageant • Check class you will compete in. One vehicle per class & three per company. . . .__________ Trucks must enter Thurs. and stay in hall until Sat., 6 pm • $75: ❏ Light (pre-2010) ❏ Light (2010-2011) ❏ Med ❏ Vintage (Pre-1985) • $100: ❏ HD Single Axle ❏ HD Tandem ❏ Carrier ❏ Rotator ❏ Theme Display N/C ❏ Officials Conference: Highway Clearance, Fri. 5/13, 10 am to 12 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .__________ Sponsored by Southwest Tow Operators with Texas Highway Coalition N/C ❏ Officials Conference: Towing and Storage, Sat. 5/14, 10 am to 12 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .__________ Sponsored by Southwest Tow Operators with TDLR ❏ Southwest Tow Operators’ Chili Cookoff & Tow Expo Recovery Show, Sponsored by Miller Industries, Fri., May 13, 6 pm. # attending: __________ ❏ I just want to attend ❏ Yes I want to enter the Chili Cookoff contest! contact name: _________________________________________________ ❏ Subscribe to ❏ 1 yr. $40 (save $10) • ❏ 2 yrs. $65 (save $30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .__________

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Name on Card:

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CLOCKWATCHERS continued from page 56 •Expectant Mothers •Emergencies •Late arriving calls in the dispatch office •Call-backs •Bereavement for other employee’s family deaths”

and an opening statement like, “ABC Towing provides towing and recovery services for the law enforcement community as well as for the motoring public. Services may also include auto clubs, military, private property management services, and/or other accounts.” The statement should specifically include wording that the employee may be required to stay beyond the exact end times of their shift based on the pending urgency of a call or activity. On the same page, expressive narrative may state something similar to: “As an employee of ABC Towing, employees may be scheduled and or required to work to cover any, some, or all of the following: •Weekends •Holidays •Evenings to include graveyard 3rd shifts •Rotation Shifts •Special Details •Unexpected Illnesses/Other Employees Out Injured

It’s a known fact that our industry demands right-now response dictated by contract or signed agreement. If your company has that kind of obligation to perform, law enforcement agencies are not concerned about employee shortages or Mr. Clockwatcher having a melt down 40 minutes before his shift is up. What they are concerned about is immediate response … nothing less! When calls are received at your dispatch center, it’s the dispatcher’s job to assign these calls immediately, no matter the company’s schedule or who’s available to cover them. Companies must be ready to dispatch at any time a call is received. Some agencies use a “time response and dispatch

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audit,” and tow companies who can’t successfully manage slow response issues will subsequently lose their place on the rotation list. A Scope of Employment Statement should include narrative that specifically recognizes the need for employees to remain at work until call volume is handled, especially during special events and/or call surges during extreme weather conditions or other emergencies.

The Dotted Line The scope statement should be specific and to-the-point, right down to the signature paragraphs. Finish with a recap of the document that’s easily understood so there’s no question what’s being agreed to. For example: “(Employee’s name), was advised herein of ABC Towing’s Scope of Employment Statement, and is aware that, should an urgent call be received, or during periods of peak activity, employees may be directed to work

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CLOCKWATCHERS continued from page 62 beyond their usual scheduled quitting times, and/or, without notice, their schedules may be changed by the company. Specifically, drivers will remain in the field and/or dispatchers will remain within the dispatch center until authorized by the on-call dispatch supervisor or designated company manager to secure. “Authorization to secure will be made only when high call activity is deemed returned to normal and/or the special event is completed. Employees asked to remain shall be compensated by hourly rate, salary advancement, time-off exchange, or

other agreement between employee and the company. ABC Towing retains the sole right to make schedule changes in the best interest of the company without permission or prior notice to employees. “I, (employee name), understand and agree with ABC Towing’s Scope of Employment Statement, signed this _____________ (mm/dd/yy) date. This original document was placed in the employee’s personnel file and a copy provided to the employee.” The Scope of Employment Statement should be revealed during the employee’s hiring interview once

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determined that the individual will be hired. Once fully discussed, the new hire is now aware that they may be required to work beyond their scheduled time or have their schedule changed altogether. The statement’s intent allows the company to change personnel schedules based on needs of the company. This point must be clearly understood at the time the employee is hired. The beauty this type of document is that it gives hiring managers an immediate look at the applicant’s qualities, and perhaps demonstrates if the applicant has any up-front potential in being a team player when things get frenzied. Once determined that the employee will be hired, remember that if a company requires an applicant to sign a document as a condition of employment, some people would say that’s forcing the employee to sign the document under duress. However, by taking time to clearly and completely explain the nature of your business and the possibility of receiving late calls and schedule changes, in all reality, the employee should readily agree that the policy is in the company’s best interest. At that time, ask the potential employee if they fully understand the nature of your business before asking them to sign. Ask that they completely understand what you’re asking of them. Then that’s not making them sign under duress … you’re simply asking for their signature that they understand what’s been told to them and they agree. Use calm, tact and complete details explaining what you’re asking. The scope statement can be written for any job description based on increased activities and exigent circumstances. Accordingly, should the employee agreeingly sign the scope statement, the original is placed in their employee file and a copy is given to the new hire.

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There may come a time where the employee refuses taking a late call, “I can’t take a late call ’cuz I get off-shift in a few minutes!”

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DOT Placards: Play It Safe

by Bill Simmons

t’s no secret that the Department of Transportation placards exist to warn those involved of a potential issue with the contained (or spilled) contents of a transportation vessel. It is absolutely imperative that you pay attention to the existence of a placard and recognize that it is warning you about something. This series will address the specifics of the placards. There are generally nine placards within the DOT system that you may observe on trucks, tankers, small trailers or other containers on the highways. The U.N. numbering system also is sometimes used, but in the U.S. the DOT requires the diamond-shaped placards for shipment of Hazardous Materials. To be more specific about the actual name of the Hazardous Material involved, the as a “Mixed Load or Unidentified U.N. number is used. Cargo.” It may detonate or explode from An orange diamond defines the Class shock (like in a wreck), friction, heat, con1 placard, for Explosives. There are six tamination, reactivity with air, water or subdivisions of explosives, each with its foam, or contact with a spark or flames. own placard. This is so the handler can That pretty much covers everything. I identify the class of the contents in the would say that if the placard says container and take appropri“Dangerous” … it probably is ate action. The six subdiviand you should take the approsions are used to describe the priate inaction. type of explosive, ranging The placard associated with from blasting caps to ammuactivity 112 is an orange dianition to rocket fuel, and mond with black letters “Exploeverything in between, sives” and a 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5 or which can and will detonate 1.6. It states that if detonation given the right conditions. Bill Simmons is a occurs, fragments may travel up The six subdivisions of retired Massachusetts to 1,600 meters (one mile). That explosives are given three Firefighter. He was a pretty much confirms that if activity numbers: 111, 112 licensed EMT for over you’re not looking at that placard and 114. They are described 26 years, has an A.S. in through binoculars, your day in the Emergency Response Fire Science Technology might be short. Guide Book, which is the key and holds a current Division 1.1. Explosives that to taking appropriate action OSHA certification in have a mass explosion hazard. A and not becoming a victim. Hazardous Materials mass explosion is one that affects The placard associated Waste Operations. Bill almost the entire load instantawith activity number 111 is can be reached at bsimneously. the red diamond with the mons@towman.com Division 1.2. Explosives that word “Dangerous” through have a projection hazard, but not the middle and is identified 66 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

a mass explosion hazard. Division 1.3. Explosives that have a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or a minor projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard. Division 1.4. Explosives that present a minor explosion hazard. The explosive effects are largely confined to the package and no projection of fragments of appreciable size or range is to be expected. Division 1.5. Very insensitive explosives; these substances have a mass explosion hazard, but are so insensitive that there is little probability of initiation

continue to page 68

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SAFETY continued from page 66 or of transition from burning to detonation under normal conditions of transport. Division 1.6. Extremely insensitive articles which do not have a mass explosive hazard. This division comprises articles that contain only extremely insensitive detonating substances. The placard for Activity 114 is an orange diamond with black letters “Explosives” and a 1.4. The activity states that fragments may be thrown 500 meters (about 1/3 mile) if fire reaches the

cargo and detonation occurs. The real issue with any placarded container is the overall theme, “Be aware.” Be situation aware of the whole picture in front of you, not just part of it. Take your time and scope out the totality of the job in front of you. Explosives are often carried in a utility-type trailer and in an accident situation the placards could come off. Look for clues, like a debris trail on the highway before you see the tangled mess. You as a tow truck operator or busi-

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ness owner don’t have to be an expert in mitigating the contents of a spill or a container if it is placarded as Hazardous Materials. You must train yourself or your employees to recognize an issue before it becomes an issue. Get yourself an Emergency Response Guidebook or as many as it takes and keep one in each vehicle or issue one to each driver. A little education can go a long way to preventing injuries or deaths when it comes to Hazmat. Think safe out there. We want you to get home tonight.

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Number 142 on Reader Card

Rogner’s No Frills Workhorse

By Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

enneth Rogner started Rogner’s Garage in Palatine, Ill., on June 8, 1959; the garage is now owned and operated by his son, Mark. The business offers local and long-distance towing, roadside service, heavy-duty towing and recovery and flatbed service. They also offer truck repair, welding and fabrication. Their staff is all certified towing and recovery professionals. The company’s fleet consists of four carriers, one medium-duty, and two heavies including the one featured here. This 1995 Peterbilt 379 is a no-frills 72 • April 2011 - TOWMAN.COM

working rig, built in-house by the Rogner’s crew and was originally an over-the-road truck. “We purchased it in April of 2009,” Mark said. “All work to transform it into a wrecker was done in house. The work included sleeper removal, frame stretch and insert installed, suspension reworked, fuel tank relocated, wrecker crane and body installed.” The 2010 Century 5230 wrecker body was purchased from Lynch Chicago in Bridgeview, Ill. A Caterpillar 3406 mated to an Eaton Fuller 18speed transmission moves this workhorse through its paces, with a

35,000-lbs. DP winch handling the pulling. “Over the years we have built many trucks for our company as well as for other companies. I have always strived to keep it simple, but also pay every attention to detail,” Mark said. “This unit is no exception. I am very proud of the outcome of our efforts and look forward to the next build … or, better put, creation.” Cliff Steif and the crew at A&A Body Shop in Palatine did the paint job. The prep and paintwork was completed in about two weeks. “In 1965, my father bought his first

“The work included sleeper removal, frame stretch and insert installed, suspension reworked, fuel tank relocated, wrecker crane and body installed.” Tech Highlights Chassis: 1995 Peterbilt 379 Body: 2010 Century 5230 Engine: Caterpillar 3406 Trans: Eaton Fuller 18-speed Winches: 35,000 lb. DP Planetary Built by: Rogner’s Garage Paint/Graphics by: A&A Body Shop; Palatine, Ill.

new truck. It was a Chevy, and that year Chevy offered a light yellow color that had a unique and clean

look,” Mark said. “It has been our company color ever since.” This rig took first place in the

heavy-duty class at the 2010 Professional Towing and Recovery Operators of Illinois tow show.

TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 73

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Dennie Ortiz x 213 dortiz@towman.com TOWMAN.COM - April 2011 • 75

CLOCKWATCHERS continued from page 64 If the incoming call is a law enforcement call or deemed a hot call for other reasons and the on-call dispatcher can’t find another driver to cover the call, or this becomes a repeating problem with the same driver, there may come a need to counsel the driver. Here’s where it’s timely to revisit the signed scope statement with the employee as a reminder of the employee’s earlier agreement. If it’s necessary to change the employee’s schedule, the scope statement is again a reminder of the earlier agreement. In most cases, an employee’s schedule and days off generally stay the same as business runs its course. When it comes to fairness to employees, management should exhaust all avenues to cover shifts to avoid havoc and ill will amongst employees. Should employee’s step-up and volunteer to handle late calls, don’t simply disregard their efforts, but be sure they’re compensated in a timely manner … that’s your end of the agreement.

I Ain’t Taking the Call

Much is based on employment laws If Mr. Clockwatcher doesn’t take of your state; especially those states late calls and complains about staying authorizing employees hired as At-Will late, perhaps he’s not the team player employees. To ensure this scope stateyour company needs. Where allowed ment doesn’t challenge your state’s employment laws, it’s by your state’s employment recommended that you laws, failure to respond to a seek legal advice through lawful order (like being your company’s attorney asked to take a late call) and/or state employcould result in counseling, ment office as to the disciplinary action, usability of a Scope of suspension and/or Employment Statement. dismissal for repeated Having a scope stateviolations. Your company’s ment signed up-front is management team should an easy way to bring consider whether or not this Randall C. Resch is a retired clockwatchers back to employee is an asset. Where California police officer and reality if they refuse to actions are documented in has been involved in the towtake a late call. When it agreement with your ing and recovery industry for comes down to covering company’s employee 40 years as a tow business calls or maintaining minmanual, dismissal for owner, consultant, and manimal staffing for condereliction of duty might ager. He is a freelance tracts, Mr. Clockwatcher hold stronger value in court writer/photographer and is needs to choose to cover when you produce the American Towman’ s Operathe call or look elsewhere employee’s signed Scope of tion’ s Editor. Email Randy at for employment. Employment Statement as rreschran@aol.com. evidence.

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American Towman Magazine - April 2011

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