American Towman Magazine - February 2012 by dortiz-towman

Number 143 on Reader Card

Number 218 on Reader Card

2011 AT EXPO GALLERY pages 47-69

Cross training with towers and emergency personnel in N.J.

FEATURE CONTENTS

Cross Training A heavy-duty rescue class on a cold weekend gets towers and first responders working together. by Brendan Dooley

Don't Neglect Wire Rope Departments Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Taking care of your wire rope and scheduling regular maintenance is key to longevity. by Wayne Olson

News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . .12 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 The Scoop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 On Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Look Out Below A treacherous light-duty recovery down more than 400' on a mountain with 80-degree incline. by Brendan Dooley

Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .77

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 5

Looking Up to the Silver Star by Steve Calitri

uring a blizzard in Billlings, Mont., on Dec. 27, 2003, dozens of vehicles were in ditches due to near-whiteout conditions. J.R. Abrahams, 36, a 10-year towing veteran, and several other wrecker operators from Hanser’s Automotive & Wrecker were working to clear the highway. J.R. and owner Ralph Hanser were standing by their wreckers when a tractor-trailer crested the hill above them. The rig’s air brakes were frozen, and it slid sideways as it came down the hill. The semi crashed into one of the wreckers, pushing it into the other one. Hanser yelled a warning and Abrahams jumped straight up. He ended up pinned between the tow trucks for about 10 minutes before he could be freed. Abrahams had a broken foot, a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, a blown disc and vertebral fracture in his back and severe bruising to his thighs. He required multiple surgeries and spent months in physical therapy, but through grit and the inability to give up, J.R. made it back to where he wanted to be … behind the wheel of his wrecker, where he continues to contrbibute to Hanser’s and the community.

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In Baltimore during AT Expo, Abrahams was awarded the first American Towman Silver Star, for overcoming adversity and inspiring thousands of his peers, many first learning of his story in AT’s June 2011 issue. The Silver Star is awarded in memory of Joe Doblmeier, one of the cofounders of the Exposition, who was struck down with polio at an early age, yet lived a life as one who wouldn’t accept being limited by his handicap. When one thinks of the determiniation and force of one individual, and how, like J.R. Abrahams, one can rise to meet the greatest of challenges, it begs the vision of what the towing industry can be, should it find the capability to unite to overcome the opposition it regularly faces, political and economical. Today the towing industry finds itself at its most interesting moment in its history. The communication tools at its disposal have never been greater, its equipment never more precise and powerful, its relevance ever-increasing with each new road that is built. J.R. made his way back, against all odds, because he focused on his strength and abilities. Every towing professional should take heart from the tough road he had to hoe, and the fact that today J.R. can still proudly proclaim that he’a towman. In J.R.’s story, the path to recovery was within. I have no doubt that every tow business owner looking for greater success for his company can find the right path by looking within, at both himself and the company he has built. With some Abrahamslike grit and the focus of one’s intelligence, a tow owner can do much more than catch a second wind: He can take his company to the next plateau.

Publisher Dennie Ortiz Editor-In-Chief Steve Calitri Editor Brendan Dooley Field Editor Terry Abejuela Operations Editor Randall Resch Chassis Editor David Kolman Safety Editor Bill Simmons Contributing Editor Jim ‘Buck” Sorrenti Editorial Board Tommy Anderson; Dallas, Texas Roy Carlson; St. Paul, Minn. Gary Coe; Portland, Ore. Frank Child; Cody, Wyo. Belinda Harris; Greensboro, N.C. Amado Llorens; Hialeah, Fla. Ron Mislan; Warren, N.J. Chuck Swider; Chicopee, Mass. Frank Sanchez; Bridgewater, N.J. 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 Subscription Manager Miriam Ortiz Customer Service Henri Calitri 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 AT’S Website: towman.com AT’S Weekly: towindustryweek.com ATTV: americantowmantv.com Copyright ©2012 American Towman Magazine is published 12 times a year by American Towman Media, Inc. Subscription: $50–1 yr; $95–2 yrs • US $65 and $105 • International Editorial Policy: the act of mailing or delivering a letter or article to American Towman Magazine, shall constitute permission to publish that letter or article or any portion thereof. American Towman Magazine reserves the right to edit any and all material submitted.

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Tower Intervenes with Cop Killer A wounded East Washington, Penn., police officer watched a man shoot and kill his partner during a traffic stop, spawning a standoff that led to state police killing the suspect. Officer Robert V. Caldwell III was shot in the right hand when Eli Franklin Myers opened fire on him and John David Dryer while stopped along Interstate 70. The two officers were shot less than a minute after Myers followed orders to step out of his blue Dodge minivan. Tow truck operator Leroy Frank Marker of Rusty’s Towing in South Strabane Township soon pulled up to the scene and found Dryer on the pavement, partially on the highway, an affidavit indicated. Marker confronted Myers in his van, told him not to leave, grabbed him and then punched and shattered the vehicle’s driver’s side window as it sped off, the record showed. State police found copies of the citations Dryer had written Myers, which included his hometown address. State police Lt. Christopher Neal said Myers was killed when he exited his house armed. Source: www.observerreporter.com

$5k for Hard Working Hands Towers work long hard days under mostly stressful circumstances and they have the hands to prove it. If you think you have the hardest working hands in America, O’Keefe’s hand conditioner is running a contest that offers up to $5,000 and a lifetime supply of hand cream. Five runners up will each receive $1,000. Upload a photo or a video of the nominee and his or her hard-working hands, with a short story explaining why he or she has America’s Hardest Working Hands. Log onto http://okeeffescompany.com/index.php?page=contest.

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B/A Donates $15k to Towing Museum B/A Products Co. donated $15,000 to the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame Museum and Survivor Fund in Baltimore, Md., at the AT Expo XXIII. The company

raised the money for the museum and the fund by auctioning its products to visitors at B/A’s fifth annual open house on Nov. 18, 2011.

Troy Barnett (from left) and Bill Gratzianna accept a $15,000 check for the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame Museum and Survivor Fund from B/A Products’ Chip Kauffman, Mel Berman and Fritz Dahlin.

Warm Weather

Hurts Northern Towers

The delayed start to winter is driving away business for tow truck drivers in the north who thrive in the snow and cold. “It’s really slowed down things for us. We’re not getting the everyday boosting and towing that we’re used to at this time of year,” said John Medynski, owner of Lakeland Towing in Saskatchewan. “I would say we’re down 50 percent for sure.” Lisa Wilson-Sturm, director of communications and marketing for CAA Saskatchewan, said calls for roadside assistance are down 33 percent.

“From December to Jan. 8 (last year) we had more than 11,500 calls where as for the same period this year we’ve had just over 7,800 calls … which does make sense because a lot of our calls they’re boosts when temperatures get extremely cold,” she said. The timing couldn’t be worse for Medynski, who made a significant investment in new equipment and a 6,000-sq.-ft. shop. Hopefully it turns around and gets cold, he said . “If it doesn’t we’ll end up having to lay a couple of people off for sure.” Source: www.newstalk650.com

... Hi-Vis rules cover all workers on all roadways ... Towers Killed in Separate Incidents In Boynton Beach, Fla., Joseph Ricciardelli lost his life on I-95 after being struck by a car while picking up traffic cones along the highway. The Emerald Towing employee was working with FHP to remove a vehicle from the Interstate. Before loading the car onto his flatbed, Ricciardelli blocked the HOV lane with traffic cones. After the car was loaded he began to collect the cones when a northbound vehicle struck him. A car was coming into the recovery zone and swerved into the HOV lane to avoid hitting another car. The maneuver cost Ricciardelli his life. The FHP investigation continues but at this time there are no charges pending against the other driver involved. According to Pennsylvania State Police, 23-year-old tow truck driver, Andrew Smith, of Landisburg, was loading a disabled pickup truck onto his flatbed when he was struck by a tractor-trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Sources: www.palmbeachpost.com; www.pennlive.com

SUV Rolls Off Flatbed, Pins Man In Sandown, N.H., an SUV slid off a flatbed wrecker and struck an electrical worker, pinning him between the SUV and an electrical box. The driver of the wrecker was loading the SUV onto his vehicle when it slid off and temporarily pinned the worker. The victim was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. After examination, the tow operator said it was a mechanical failure that caused the wire rope to let go. Source: www.wmur.com.

Hi-Vis Rules Expanded On Dec. 16, the Federal Highway Administration adopted the 2009 “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices” that stipulates workers on public and private roads and highways in the right-ofway or work zone, including emergency responders, must wear high-visibility apparel that meets Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of ANSI/ISEA 1072004/2010, the American National Standard for High Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear. Emergency responders, firefighters and law enforcement personnel have the option of wearing vests that meet the American National Standard for Public Safety Vests, ANSI/ISEA 207-2006. The new rule extends protection to all workers on all roadways. Previously, the MUTCD had required high-

There was plenty of hi-vis gear available at AT Expo to comply with the new highway rules.

visibility apparel only for flaggers, and recommended its use for other workers. For more information, go to http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2 009.htm

WreckMaster of the Year and the Top 10 WreckMaster announced its Top 10 and WreckMaster of the Year at the AT Expo in Baltimore, Md. The WreckMaster of the Year was Chuck Anderson, owner of Nolte’s Towing in Oshkosh, Wis., and a WM 6/7A. The Top 10 WreckMasters were Dennis Boyce, Boyce’s Towing; Richard Roles, Janeway Towing; Bruce Pedigo, Joe’s Towing & Recovery; Barry Duncan, Warner Industries; Rodney Martin, Martins Wrecker Service; Trafton Hodge, Hodge 66; Bob Fouquette, Big Wheel; Michael Bessasparis, Somerset Hills Towing; Bob Gowan, Gowan Towing; and Harry Kocot, Sunrise Side Towing.

Chuck Anderson, owner of Nolte's Towing in Oshkosh, Wis., was named WreckMaster of the Year.

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 9

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Miller Redesigns 20 Series LCG Miller’s redesigned LCG 20 Series Carrier is available in lengths from 24’ to 30’, with a 20,000-lbs. deck capacity and your choice of steel, apitong wood or rumber floor. Optional features include a hydraulic dock stabilizer or combination dock stabilizer and wheel lift. The 20 Series LCG is available for both single- and tandem-axle chassis with dual rear wheels. Its low deck height provides a lower load angle, better load stability, the ability to haul taller loads and the ease to secure the load standing on the ground.

www.millerind.com Number 200 on Reader Card

New Lockout Tools from Access Tools Access Tools recently introduced two new tools for lockout service: the Twin Air Jack air wedge, and the Remote Control Button Master. The Twin Air Jack air wedge provides balanced, even clearance for a long-reach tool and eliminates adding too much stress on a single point of the door. The bladder is made out of ballistic nylon that allows the air wedge to slide easily over a vehicle’s weather stripping without damaging it. The durable Twin Air Jack, used correctly, will not damage the vehicle during an opening procedure. The Remote Control Button Master is designed for vehicles with a vertical door lock button. It is a specialty long reach tool that is coated, flexible, approximately 3’ long and features a rubber sleeve to securely grab a vertical door lock button.

www.caropeningtools.com Number 201 on Reader Card

Pierce Adds Twist Lock, Upgrades Electrical Pierce Arrow now offers a threaded twist lock in 5/8”, 1/2”, 3/4” and 1” sizes, with grease zerk, rubber grip, paintable finish, heavy-duty spring and lock. The threaded locks offer versatility and easy replacement; just unscrew the lock with a wrench to replace. The company also upgraded its worm-gear electrical replacement solenoids. The new compact solenoid assemblies are pre-wired for easy installation and offer electrical longevity. The assembly includes one compact solenoid, two field wires, one positive wire, one armature wire with boots and eyes, plug wires with spade connections, ground wire, female plug, plastic cover and metal base.

NRC Redesigned 6080SR with Laser Load Assist

t November’s AT Expo XXIII in Baltimore, Md., NRC debuted four new pieces of recovery equipment. NRC upgraded its 6080SR Heavy Incident Manager with a new streamlined body. Also available on the 5065CSR, the 6080SR features new laser sensors that allow the computer to know what you can safely lift depending on boom and outrigger position. The computer screen shows how much you are picking up and what the lifting chart allows you to lift at this position. This is the first time that laser technology has been incorporated into a recovery vehicle. The sliding rotator also features extra rigging points on the boom. Also debuted at the expo were: • The new NRC modular drag winch assembly consists of a 35,000-lbs. DP winch that sits in a removable cradle. It is located in the underlift rails and can be used in a variety of positions. • Its 30,000-lbs. low-profile car carrier has a deck height of only 42”. With its low deck height and improved loading angle, the 30TB will allow you to haul higher loads. • The new 60CS composite-bodied slider is now the largest slider NRC makes, and includes all the features of the CS range.

www.nrc-industries.com Number 203 on Reader Card

www.piercesales.com Number 202 on Reader card

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TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 11

Unfair Rotation in Vt. I have been in business for about 8-9 years now. I am a one-man tow show with a Chevy 4500 quad-cab wrecker, and a ’07 International rollback with sidepuller. I started out with a light-duty wrecker and, after many trucks (about 20 or so), I finally feel like I have the right combination of equipment to get any light-duty job done, as well as some medium-duty recovery work. Two years after I started my company, things picked up really nice. I was on multiple rotations including the

state police. The system was rotated like any other I was on. In 2004-’05, a few members of the tow association decided it would be a good idea to change the system. It is now a chart, or what I call “The right of refusal list,” if three companies are on the list. A company gets all the calls unless refused, then they send calls to B company. If he doesn’t want it or can’t get to it, then C company finally gets called. This system was only changed in one area, where I work. For years I have been trying to fix the system. Our state has a policy of equal and fair rotation, but

allows for officers to ask for wreckers. I have gotten to a point several times where officers were asking for me. The lead association board members (that are first on the list) then call the state police and complain that the system isn’t being used properly, and I stop getting calls. Those competitors then get all the calls … until they don’t feel like going. Last year I was called for a tire change in the middle of the night. I asked how I got the call. The call was refused and that tow company said “We don’t go out for tire changes.” So I have changed numerous tires, done gas deliveries and lockouts, etc., while all the good-paying jobs get answered. My attorneys and I made progress with one of the three station commanders. Change was on its way, when that commander got hurt and the next one in didn’t want to fix or change the system back. He is now looking into it, but is very stern on not wanting change. I have taken every route possible to get this fixed without incident. I get resistance everywhere. I don’t have any friends or family in the right places. That really isn’t true: I have a brother who is an officer, and friends that are troopers, but I have not asked for favoritism on purpose. My work stands for itself. I am currently working on a case with multiple companies that have been put out of business, or hurt financially by this system. I can tell you that if I didn’t take the RBU class when I did, I would be out of business too. I am WreckMaster and NATA certified, as well as taking the RBU class, and I attend every seminar and show I can get to. This struggle has made me step up my game professionally as well as keep upto-date equipment, so that my competitors can’t say I am outdated or dangerous. Most operators in our area are not certified at all. This is a classic case of the “good ol’ boys’ club.” This is not a problem throughout the state, just in one station or barracks. I have done my homework, and there is much more to the story. Mathew Norton Anytime Towing, Essex Junction, Vt.

Number 139 on Reader Card

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Training Is Key to Success I cannot thank American Towman enough for making the effort to be part of the Big Rig Rescue program on Dec. 9-11, 2011. In speaking with the instructors at the conclusion of the class, they all felt the class went extremely well, and many of the students were already asking when there would be a next one. There were also over 40 people on the waiting list for this class, who were not able to attend due to the sellout of this class. I believe that the relationship that the tower needs to have with fire and rescue personnel is an extremely important one; being familiar with each other, and knowing each other’s capabilities and capacities can be used in life-threatening situations to help save human lives. I also believe that training and education in our industry is possibly more important than having the right tools, chains and equipment. American Towman has taken the position to get this message out to the industry to help make this a more professional, edu-

cated, informed and safer industry. Training and education as well as recertification in our industry should not be optional. As a towing and recovery operator for over 30 years, I value every training opportunity, whether I attend a heavy recovery class, a light-duty class or a Big Rig Rescue class. I always walk away with something new and relevant that can help me on what I do every day. For someone in this industry to say they do not have time for training, or that training is too expensive (but the

same guy spends $$$$ on the latest and greatest gadget for his truck), these statements are just plain ignorant. Those are the type of people that need to look at going into a different profession. Once again, thank you for your efforts and time to be at these events, I sincerely believe your coverage will benefit our industry. Frank Sanchez Somerset Hills Towing, Bernardsville, N.J.

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AD INDEX

Fax To: 888-847-6035 Page #

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February 2012 For more product info, go to www.towman.com and click on the FREE Product info icon. Or circle the corresponding reader service number on the Action Card to the right, and send it in. Form is valid for three months

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Developing Your Police/Fire Relationships by Randall C. Resch

here’s nothing in today’s tow contract world that says a contract is forever, regardless of how long a contract has been in place or its current term. Formal contracts can be lost in a moment’s notice for a myriad of reasons. Equally so, not all tow companies have the assets, reputation, or abilities to surpass a litany of requirements necessary for contract selection. When taking on Requests for Proposals, Requests for Quotations, Standard Operating Procedures or bid requirements, the process can get complicated; maintaining a contract after the fact can be equally challenging. When preparing your company’s bid response, remember you have only one chance to make your company’s best impression. As a tow business owner with your finger on the pulse of the first responder community, one great strategy in keeping your area agencies from developing their own towing and recovery services, is to know and understand the “Sanchez Paper,” as published in American Towman magazine in June 2010. 18 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

“Companies that offer an evidence facility are attractive to law enforcement agencies. Maintaining critical evidence is important to any prosecution; a centrally accessible and secured evidence facility ensures care, custody, and control in vehiclerelated investigations.”

With today’s increased competition offering lower contract rates and/or increased services, tow owners must strive for operational perfection in every way possible to keep their contracts. Bad decisions, unacceptable ethics, poor operator performance and poor ETAs are common contract killers. Because there’s a host of reasons that companies sometimes lose out to competitors, one question remains steadfast: “What can you do to keep in good standing with your company’s major contracts?” Progressive tow companies rely on different avenues of on-going revenue by obtaining police, state patrol and other governmental contracts, but landing law enforcement or government contracts is only the beginning. Serving any contract in good standing sometimes isn’t as easy as running calls or delivering a dozen donuts to an area police station.

Get Involved From the early stages of a company’s growth, some owners choose to join their state’s towing and recovery association.

If your company is new and unknown, becoming a member of your statewide towing association suggests that your company is involved in industry issues and training, all which leads to increased professionalism. But that’s just a start. If your company works closely with police and fire departments, you know just how important it is to provide professional and competent services in good standing. Anything less than good standing in your state association may hamper your company’s rotation position when being accepted, re-applying or maintaining place as a provider. Should your company earn a bad standing status, it leaves the door wide open to competitors. Learn who the administrators are in the first responder community, whether it’s the sheriff, police chiefs, fire command officers, etc. Even if you’ve had the contract for some time, you need to keep up whenever there’s “a new Sheriff in town.” If it’s your company’s intent to serve the first responder community, take an immediate and direct audit of your com-

pany’s ethics, employees, finances, fleet, abilities, and overall operations. As a police/fire service provider, your company will be held to higher standards; make sure you already meet them. Get your company rated by the American Towing Standards Authority (atstandards.com). Once rated, the ATSA sends a letter to each police chief notifying of its “rated tow companies.” Becoming a member of your community’s Better Business Bureau suggests that your company is open to public scrutiny and review. The selection process is tedious and potentially costly, so be prepared to prove you are capable to be chosen.

Local Politics If your desire is to serve the first responder community, building strong inter-agency relationships is smart business. Every town comes complete with its own politics and personalities, so you (as owner) must look at those agencies to learn how area politics could affect your business.

I’m always amazed when towers want to gain law enforcement and fire service contracts, but don’t first educate themselves as to who’s who within their local agencies, the command staff, or even have a clue as to the agency’s mission. Consider these points as they relate to you and the agencies you serve or intend to serve: • What service organizations does the sheriff /police chief/fire chief belong to? • Do you belong to any local service organizations? (Get involved.) • Are you aware of your community’s politics? • Is there a “Good Ol’ Boy” network at hand? • Are you a team player through mutual aide assistance by working with other local towers? • Are you (as business owner) a problem solver? • When your drivers arrive on-scene, can they, do they get the job done? Do your drivers need supervision, or can officers go back to work?

Former police officer and tow boss, AT's Operations Editor Randall Resch writes the Tow Business column at TowIndustryWeek.com

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 19

• What does your company offer local law enforcement, fire agencies, or other entities that’s better than your competitors? • Have you participated in programs to get your company known (e.g., vehicle-related rescues, training, mock scenarios, parades, etc.) • Have you asked the traffic sergeant how your company is doing at scenes? • Does your company cross-train with area fire departments? There are nationally recognized programs available for tow companies to initiate that involves police and fire department participation. When choosing any structured program, do your homework first to see what kind of time and monetary costs are necessary. In many cases where start-up fees are required, some costs are considered tax write-offs. Two outstanding programs are MADD (madd.org) and the Every 15Minute Program. For instance, with Every 15 Minutes, sponsoring and

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arranging one of their programs will involve local law enforcement agencies, other first responders, hospitals, schools and your community and attract “free” local media coverage. Check our every15minutes.com. An easy way to relay the MADD message of “No drinking and driving” is to donate a static display of a wrecked vehicle or motorcycle that’s parked at high schools, shopping malls or even military bases. These visual displays are attention-getters. Include a sharply designed sandwich board that includes a brief description of the incident and be sure to mention your company’s name as a sponsor. One of the easiest and most costeffective ways to get your trucks seen is to participate in local holiday or community celebration parades; costs are minimal, sometimes free. To spur interest in your company, a well-prepared “tow-related theme” generates community favor. (Maybe instead of a wrecked vehicle, load a classic convertible aboard one of your company’s

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flatbeds and have a couple of crashtest dummies riding inside.)

An Early Demise There are lots of ways for companies to be disciplined, suspended or removed from formal contracts. Most actions are the direct result of an inappropriate manner your employees present or violation of a contract provision. The following points are some common reasons that tow companies are removed from formal contracts: • Most commonly, towers charging too much for services that didn’t occur or manufacturing charges. “Paper charges” are specific intent crimes to commit fraud that can lead to prosecution. • Company ownership is arrested and convicted for illegal business activities as they relate to any illegal act that defies public trust. • As the result of investigation, arrests, prosecutions or convictions stemming from illicit business transac-

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Number 171 on Reader Card

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tions, crimes of violence, or moral turpitude. • Violation of local codes and zoning ordinances, i.e., phony business licensing, falsifying applications, unacceptable backgrounds, improper zoning, facilities that generate hazmat spills, etc. • Stolen vehicles discovered in tow company’s possession. • When companies demonstrate rickety, rag-tag, marginally operable trucks and/or employ untrained employees who conduct poor day-today operations not in the best interest of the agency. • Companies who demonstrate non-professionalism and less-thancompetent services that disregard higher standards. • Companies that unjustly bad mouth the agency or fire department in writing, to any social media, TV interview, etc. This can be the fast track to bigger problems. If there’s bad blood, taking it public is the wrong avenue. • For non-professional or illegal activities specifically noted in contract narrative. • Poor ETAs, poor service, or ratio of refused calls per reporting period. I’ve consulted with business owners who have no clue as to what it takes to stay on top in the first responder community. Being awarded a tow contract is only the tip of the iceberg. In order to increase your chances of keeping your contracts, you need to be involved, get involved, stay involved. I assure you that the more involved you are, the better you’ll look as it applies to your company’s commitment to towing contracts. It takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance … companies who rest on their laurels often go the way of the dinosaurs. Don’t let it happen to you.

Number 145 on Reader Card

Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for 40 years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and lightduty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com. Number 181 on Reader Card

Number 128 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 21

Cross

Training

Big Rig Rescue Trains in N.J.

By Brendan Dooley

t was a frigid Saturday morning in western New Jersey last December when I showed up with 80 or so people at the Hunterdon County Emergency Training Center for some field exercises by Big Rig Rescue. The roughly 70 students were first responders from around New Jersey, and towing equipment, personnel and salvage vehicles were supplied by ADR Towing, Somerset Hills Towing and Superior Towing. The two days of practical exercises followed a three-hour lecture Friday night to cover the basics of the Big Rig Rescue philosophy and give the emergency personnel some basics in weights and resistance before spending a week22 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

end rigging and supporting equipment in the field scenarios. Big Rig Rescue’s developer and lead instructor, Billy Leach, said the primary focus of the class is instructing emergency responders in weights, resistances and safety at vehicle crashes that involve “overturns and under-rides.” “Our goals are to increase efficiency of what responders are doing” to stabilize vehicles and rescue victims, Leach said. “And that increases safety, for the responders, towers and, ultimately, the victims.” For the towers, a big benefit of the class was working with the first responders.

“The big focus of this whole training class is to show how to integrate towers’ wrecking services with first responders, how we can both help each other in emergency response situations to help possibly save a life and work better together,” said Frank Sanchez, director of training and recovery supervisor at Somerset Hills Towing in Bridgewater, N.J. “We can show the fire departments how wreckers work and operate so they can see us as a tool to better aid them with what they do. Once they got into the field, exercises all included entrapment because it was training for the first responders. The scenarios included a fully loaded trailer on a

“As a firefighter as well as a manager of a towing company, to have the towing company and fire departments and squads work together … shows how the resources of each can be used together to accomplish one goal—to save a life,” Sigler said. “This training shows the fire squads how they can use towing equipment, like a heavy wrecker, to save a life just as fast and in a safer manner with more control. “I don’t think a lot of the responders realized the amount of training and certifications most towers have, like a lot of the towers here are WreckMasters. I don’t think they realized what we can do and what we know.” Both groups agreed that showing the first responders what towers can do is important. “The emergency responders are learning the capabilities of the towers and capacities of their equipment,” said Frank Emanuele, an instructor with HCESTC. “They’re also learning about how towers do their rigging and how they vary their rigging, depending on situation.” In two scenarios, the crew at Somerset Hills demonstrated the capabilities of their Speedcrane. One was with a pickup wrapped around a utility pole; the other was with a box truck that ran on top of a sedan. With the box truck exercise, they demonstrated how the Speedcrane truck could be the only vehicle needed for a complicated recovery. They were able to rig the Speedcrane to the front of the truck that was on top of a sedan, and the recovery

small SUV, people trapped between a garbage truck lift gate and the hood of a compact car, a school bus on a car, an overturned cement mixer, a motorcycle beneath a semi trailer’s wheels and more. In the field, the emergency personnel got off to a slow start with engaging the towers. While the towers had secured the load in each exercise so the responders could work safely, at first they primarily used just their own equipment. “This training is new for all these guys,” said David Rockafellow, president of ADR Towing in Flemington, N.J. “I hope they come away with the understanding that we’re out there to help them and they shouldn’t be afraid to call us. … Our wreckers are more capable than all the winches and struts they have on their rescue trucks.” Don Sigler, manager of Kovi Towing in Princeton, N.J., agreed that working together is important, and that the training most towers receive is unrecognized by emergency responders.

In two days of practical exercises, towers had secured the load in each scenario so the responders could work safely, using, at first, their own equipment. A primary focus of the class is instructing emergency responders in weights, resistances and safety at vehicle crashes. TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 23

Number 107 on Reader Card

vehicle’s side-puller to the sedan. Then for the pull, they were able to lift the truck just enough to then pull the sedan free quickly for access to the victims. As Operations Editor Randy Resch covers in his “Beacon’s On” column this issue (page 18), fostering a relationship with your local law enforcement and first responders is good business. Sponsoring or helping with a training like this one from New Jersey is a great way to do that. “Another part of the weekend is the opportunity for local fire and police personnel to meet us, and us to meet them, to build a good rapport and then a better working relationship,” Sanchez said. “It was eye-opening for me to see some of the first responders what they do before we get there, in terms of setup, as far as how they support and secure things.” Whether it’s a Big Rig Rescue class or something else, Leach said it’s not hard to get the ball rolling. “The ideal thing is to invite key emergency officials as a group to come together, along with your tow competitors, for a semi-formal meeting with agenda and approach the responders with the opportunity for training sponsored by the towers’ ability to put together and stage the sceGet More with ATTV! narios,” Leach said. Look for video coverage from “That would be the best this event on American Towman TV start and see how it pro- at AmericanTowmanTV.com. gresses from there.”

Number 186 on Reader Card

24 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 114 on Reader Card

Don’t Neglect Wire Rope by Wayne Olson

icture the scene: Co-workers are gathered around to say their good-byes to an old friend. They worked with him, knew him well and always counted on him to pull his weight. But many of them thought he went too soon. Some thought he might have been abused over the years, but most signs pointed simply to neglect. Any attention he did get was too little, too late. As they walked away, each knew that in some way they had contributed to this sad outcome. All too often, wire rope is a victim of neglect (no regular maintenance) rather than outright abuse (ignored kinks, routinely overloaded, etc.) A forensic examination typically finds a dry cable that is rusted through, pitted and stiff. The authorities get involved in other forms of abuse, but we're only talking about some steel cable here, right? It's only the tether your business hangs from. In a discussion about wire rope lubrication with a tow truck manufacturer, I was told that no one had ever asked him about what to use for lubricating the cable! He said that wire rope is the most under-maintained item on a tow truck. He lamented some of the practices he's seen over the years, like using old motor oil in place of a true wire rope lubricant, and the general sorry state of wire rope maintenance practices in this industry. He said that crane operators regularly inspect and lubricate their cables

continue to page 28 26 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Maintenance Schedule Is Key to Longevity

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WIRE ROPE continued from pg 26

Number 163 on Reader Card

and that it became standard procedure in the crane industry years ago (see sidebar on pg 30), but for some reason this aspect of maintenance is still largely neglected or ignored in the towing industry. He envied their pro-active approach on this issue. "Tow truck cable replacement is seldom from breaking," said one wire rope manufacturer. "It's from corrosion and pitting, from not maintaining the wire rope." The recommended maintenance interval is once in the fall before the winter season, then once in the spring to neutralize the winter effects of salt and contaminants. (More maintenance if the cable has been exposed to contaminants like water immersion or muddy conditions.) Allowing wire rope to resist the elements on its own could mean: • Corroded steel wire rope will lose its strength and flexibility over time. • Corroded wire surfaces will form fatigue cracks much faster than protected surfaces. • Wire rope has an exposed surface area about 16-times larger than a steel bar of the same diameter and so will corrode that much faster. • Steel expands when it corrodes. If the rope diameter is increasing over time, it might be an indication of it corroding internally.

continue to page 30 Number 167 on Reader Card

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Number 207 on Reader Card

WIRE ROPE continued from pg 28 Corrosion can be reduced by reducing the exposed surface of the steel. This is one of the purposes of a good wire rope lubricant. Sealing it off from the corrosive effects of oxygen is just as important as its anti-friction qualities because both degrade the steel. Negligence is not just a moral issue or a maintenance issue. It can also become a legal issue if it is proved in a court of law that an injury or death was caused by a lack of proper wire rope maintenance. Negligence is defined as "the omission to perform a timely work or duty due to carelessness or indifference." Never a good thing to be accused of in a court case, and if it sticks, it adds to the settlement amount you pay as the defendant. "Negligence is the rust of the soul that corrodes through all her best resolves," wrote 17th Century British author Owen Feltham. Perhaps the true source of corrosion did not start in the steel cable, but in the corrosion of our priorities. Editor’s note: Number 178 on Reader Card

30 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Wayne Olson, president of Olson & Co., draws on his experience in rigging.

Number 191 on Reader Card

OSHA Standards for Cranes The OSHA annual inspection is required by law and is a complete visual and operational check. Mandated practices by OSHA include annual inspections by an outside agency and routine inspections by a designated employee. Standards to remove a wire rope from service include when any of the following is found: • Six randomly distributed broken wires in one lay. • Three broken wires in one strand in one lay. • Wear equal to 1/3 the original diameter of outside individual wires. • Kinking, crushing, bird caging, or any other damage resulting in distortion of the rope structure. • More than two broken wires in one lay in sections beyond end connections. • More than one broken wire at an end connection.

Parker Chelsea Debuts 877 Series PTO Parker Chelsea’s 877 Series PTO features a compact housing that helps eliminate clearance issues and two assembly arrangements to maximize installation possibilities. High-capacity bearings and gear design provide torque ratings up to 670-lbs./ft. The 877 Series is a 10-bolt mounting pattern that will fit on today’s popular automatic transmissions. One hose is required for a simplified installation. Eight internal gear ratios provide a variety of speeds. www.parker.com

Number 151 on Reader Card

Number 103 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 31

Look Out

Below by Brendan Dooley

See this recovery on

32 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Doug Yates Towing & Recovery in Chattanooga, Tenn., used a Challenger 9099 70-ton rotator and equipped it with 5/8" wire rope to rig a Jeep Rubicon fore and aft to "walk it down" 400' on an 80-degree slope.

Treacherous Jeep Recovery on 80-degree Slope

n the first week of December 2011, Doug Yates Towing & Recovery of Chattanooga, Tenn., assisted in a tricky recovery of a Jeep Rubicon that not only was about 400 feet from the road up an 80-degree slope, but needed to be preserved as best as possible for a police investigation. TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 33

The Jeep was found on Signal Mountain during an aerial search in a missing persons case, and investigators wanted the vehicle preserved to reconstruct the accident events as close as they could. The Jeep appeared to have gone off the road and tumbled over two bluffs in falling about 350 feet from the road above. The 80-degree slope was the biggest challenge of the recovery, and several cliffs, boulders and tree stumps along the way kept it interesting.

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34 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 172 on Reader Card

LOOK OUT BELOW continued from 34

Once the main rigging was done, the descent took about an hour. The team ran lines to front and rear frame horns, to both steady and pull the Jeep at the same time to keep it stable and minimize new damage.

36 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 144 on Reader Card

continue to page 38

American Towman captures an industry in motion at AmericanTowmanTV.com and TowIndustryWeek.com

At AmericanTowmanTV.com you'll find exclusive video coverage of stories impacting the towing industry ... everything that matters, from late breaking news to unique, challenging recoveries, from tales of heroism to wrecker processions honoring fallen towers. Fresh, exclusive content each week! Did you see the unique recovery of the cannon in Detroit? If not, when you check out this week's edition of American Towman TV, search

our

archives, and you'll find it!

The Video Magazine for the Towing and Recovery Industry from: American Towman Media, Inc.

LOOK OUT BELOW continued from 36

Number 132 on Reader Card

Number 168 on Reader Card

38 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

“We wanted to be very careful in extracting this from the mountain. We didn’t want to do any more damage,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond in a local news report. Shannon Yates, of Yates Towing, said the greatest challenge was getting wire rope and rigging from their Challenger 9099 70-ton rotator up 400 feet of 80-degree slope to the wreck. “It’s basically straight up and straight down,” he said. “We had to find ways to use the wreckers to pull the cable up because the terrain was so steep.” Law enforcement at first considered using a helicopter to recover the Jeep, but it was ruled out as too dangerous. Then they wanted Yates to try establishing a zip line to rig the Jeep to for a descent that wouldn’t touch the ground. Yates said they convinced authorities the safest way down would be to winch it down while holding it from behind and that it wouldn’t cause more damage. (Yates said working from above would have been impossible, as they couldn’t have gotten equipment close enough to the cliff’s edge safely to lift the Jeep.) The Challenger rotator was equipped with 3/4” wire rope, but Yates replaced it with 5/8” wire rope to have more available for the long pull. “We ran the cable from one winch around a tree above the Jeep and down to it to hold it, and used cable from the other winch to pull it down, so we were holding and pulling at the same time and that way we walked it down the mountain really slow,” Yates said. They did have to change direction several times going down the mountain to get around tree stumps and huge rocks, he said. “The incline was 80 degrees, so we had to rappel in and out with gear. … The biggest obstacle was the cable going up to it to hold (the rear of the Jeep steady) and the cable pulling it down. The biggest issue was getting all that cable and rigging up the mountain. So, we had to run a 1/4” cable up the mountain off a snatch block and hook it to all the rigging and drag it up the mountain. We used a Caterpillar reach lift to pull the 1/4” wire rope that pulled the rigging gear and wire rope up the mountain. “You’re looking at probably more than 1,000 lbs. in rigging we had to get up to the vehicle,” Yates said. Shannon and one other Yates operator were in rappel gear on the mountain; about 10 members of the Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescue Service were on the slope as well to assist with the rock climbing and rappelling. No further damage was done to the Jeep; it was a gradual descent that detoured a few times and took about an hour. “The 80 degrees was impossible to just stand on and that’s what made it such a difficult recovery,” Yates said. “It’s not that it was an extremely heavy weight or anything, but just the nature of the terrain.”

Number 114 on Reader Card

As seen on:

Find out more of what Joe Meyer has to say on AmericanTowmanTV.com

Number 159 on Reader Card

Peterson Releases 2012 Master Catalog

Number147on Reader Card

American Towman Magazine is on Facebook! Find us on Facebook to get the scoop, interact with us and share your stories and photos!

Number 174 on Reader Card

42 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Peterson Manufacturing released its Master Catalog for 2012, with more than 276 pages of vehicle safety lighting products and accessories. The catalog includes a color-coded f o r m a t , quick-reference icons and more than 700 brand new items, including: • Redesigned and expanded 4” round and 6” oval models. • Redesigned 2” and 2.5” LED models. • Expanded Electrical Accessories with new wiring, switch and terminal assortments.For more, log onto www.pmlights.com.

Number 198 on Reader Card

CARS Teams with iCompli Consolidated Asset Recovery Systems, a Raleigh, N.C., repossession and remarketing company, has partnered with iCompli, a U.K.-based compliance technology company. iCompli will use CARS’ Internet-Based Electronic Asset Management web portal to simplify compliance processes for audit, tracking and remarketing of non-performing assets abroad. Through a common single interface, lenders will have complete transparency into the repossession process regardless of the asset’s location. CARS’ I-BEAM portal displays real-time information from the field and instant updates from repossession agents and remarketing specialists. www.ez-recovery.com. Number 216 on Reader Card

44 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

atstandards.com

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46 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

From Saturday's grand opening to Sunday's "Triumph" professionals came from all 50 states and 20 nations

AT Expo XXIII was gangbusters. Over 10,000 towing conducting over $100 million in business transactions.

AT Expo was a celebration of towing professionals honored In Baltimore's Inner Harbor, amidst the company of their

for their dedication, professionalism, and heroics. peers, they kicked back and took over the town.

The greatest educational venue worldwide, over 1000 towing professionals participated in seminars at the American Towman Academy. With five tracks and 34 seminars in all, towers learned of new business opportunities and new ways of operating. They are back home now implementing some of what they picked up in Baltimore.

Mark Your Calendar for AT EXPO XXlV Nov. 16 - 18, 2012

AT Expo’s Video Revolution With the birth of American Towman TV, attendees were able to watch Expo activities on their hotel room TVs or on their Smart Phones, as were towing professionals from around the world. Emily Oz, ATTV’s anchor and producer took her cameramen to the exhibits on the show floor, the seminar rooms, and all the special events, from Miller Rocks to Festival Night.

The Smart Phone was the focus of several AT seminars and show floor mini-clinics; how dispatch and GPS have jumped to this technology; how towers can make their web sites mobile-friendly. Growing portions of AT readers are connecting with the American Towman new technology. Today you can find ATTV’s coverage of the 23rd American Towman Exposition at TowmanTV.com, on Facebook and on YouTube. In fact, all editions of American Towman TV programs can be found on YouTube. It’s a brave new world!

1-800 IM STUCK 1-800-Rescue 911 pg. 14 AAA AASP/PA Access Tools pg. 45 Allied Finance Adjusters Allison Transmission Allstate Amdor American Express Open American Safety & Supply American Towman Magazine AmeriDeck Anchor Graphics Astralease Associate Asurion Roadside Assistance Atlantic Emergency Solutions Atomic LED ATSA pg. 44 ATTV pg. 37 Austin Insurance Auto Data Direct Automotive Training Institute AW Direct B / A Products pg. 46 Bad Dog Tools Bailey's Towing Accessories pg. 24 Beacon Funding Beacon Software Blades Tow Right pg. 44 Car-Part.com Century Chester Point Prog/Folkes Ins. pg. 13 Chevron Clean Planet Enterprises pg. 28 Code 3 Commercial Safety Services Condor Products pg. 28 Convoy Safety Technologies Copart Auto Auctions Creditors Specialty Service Cross Country Auto. Srv. pg. 25, 39 Crouch's Wrecker & Eq. Sales pg. 44 Custer Products pg. 21 Dangelo Auto Body DewEze Mfg. pg. 42 DG Equipment Dual-Tech pg. 36 Dynamic Towing Eq.& Mfg. pg. 46 East Penn Sales Envirotabs Excel Sportswear Extreme Toys Eye3Data Federal Signal Flash Equipment FleetNet America Flitz International Ford Commercial Truck Forward Thinking Free State Nam Knights Gaither Tool Company GEICO GM Fleet/Commercial Gulf Atlantic Supply Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel Happy Feet by Life-time Ventures Harrison Hydragen

Heil Trailer International Hella Heroes of the Highways Hino Motor Sales U S A pg. 71 HiVisPriceSaver.com Holmes I Tow In IGTC - McManus Peard Gesl Illumination Promotions In The Ditch Towing Products Industrial Netting InSight USA Insurance Auto Auctions Int'l Hall of Fame Museum Integrated Veh. Equip. Leasing Intek Truck & Eq. Leasing pg. 21 Jerr-Dan Corporation pg. 80 Junk my Car Junkyard Dog Ind. KeylessRide Lamb Fuels Landoll Corporation pg. 42 Lift And Tow pg. 12 Lodar / Skidmore pg. 28 Lynch Chicago Martens Johnson Insurance Massage Corner Matheny Motors Truck Co. pg. 79 Matjack Int’l Wreckers pg. 24 Mfr Express Mid-Atlantic Rescue / TOMAR Mile Marker Miller Industries pg. 2, 3 Minute Man Manufacturing Muncie Power Products Nation Safe Drivers (NSD) National Automobile Club pg. 30 National Fleet Products National Insurance Brokerage/NY National Motor Club Navistar Inc. / International Truck NBB Controls NGVAmerica NRC Industries Olson & Company OMG National pg. 73 PDSI (Prof. Dispatch Serv., Inc.) Penny Pockets Pep Boys Permco Hydraulics Phoenix USA Photo Card Specialists Pierce Sales Pillow Protection Corporations PowerArc Powerhouse Industries Prime Industries Pro-Vision Video Systems Progressive Commercial Insurance Purpose Wrecker Sales pg. 27 Quest Towing Services R-O-M Corp. Ram Dealers Ram Trucks / Chrysler Fleet Ramsey Winch pg. 64 Ranger SST RC Industries Recovery Billing Unlimited

Recovery Specialist Insur. Grp. Rigidized Metals Corp. RMP Powertrain Solutions Road America Robert Young Wrecker Sales ROI Protective Tapes Rontan Signals pg. 38 Rush Towing Systems pg. 43 Safety Supply Factory Safety Vision Service Station Computer Sys. Signal Veh. Prod/Star Headlight Slick Top Solutions Slow Down Move Over SoundOff Signal Sovereign/Santander pg. 31 Spartan Safety Supply Spill King Starlight Lighting Systems Steck Mfg. Co. pg. 38 Stertil-Koni, USA Street Glow Super Springs Int'l Superwinch T.R.A.A. T.R.P. Maryland Talbert Mfg. TCF Equipment Finance Tech International Teletrac Telogis The Foot Saver The Insurance Professionals The Johnston Insurance Group TIS / Transportation Info Systems TNT Insurance Agency TomTom Works pg. 56 Tow Dawg Software Towing.com Tow Industry Week pg. 19 Towlot.com pg. 40, 41 towPartners TowProgram.com TowWithRope.com towXchange Tracker Management Sys. Trail-Eze / Dakota Mfg. Transfer Flow Transit Pros Travis Barlow Insurance Traxxis GPS Solutions Tri-State EVS Trinity Transportation Services Truck Country Tulsa Winch UD Trucks North America USAC / MD USFleetTracking Virgo Fleet Supply Vulcan Industries pg. 15 Warn Industries pg. 76 West End Service Whelen Engineering Will-Burt Company Wireless Matrix Worldwide Equip. pg. 31 WreckMaster Yext Zip's Truck Equipment

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 53

The Heroics of Modest Men 2011 American Towman Medal Recipients

Brian Volentine, Brian’s Auto Service,Litchfield, Ill. Just before noon on a clear October weekday morning in 1997, a grain truck overturned after being struck by a dump truck, and it trapped its driver beneath at a busy intersection of a four-lane rural highway and a twolane road. The grain truck skidded 42 feet before tipping. The driver was pinned partially inside the cab with his head and shoulders outside the cab on the ground. Emergency personnel on the scene feared further injury to the pinned driver and called Brian Volentine, of nearby Brian’s Auto Service, to assist. Brian got there quickly and hooked up to the truck bed to steady so rescuers could lift the cab enough with air bags to extricate the pinned man, who was then airlifted to a hospital and survived. Ron Bates was a firefighter/EMT on the scene that day. He said, “Without Brian’s help, the patient would not have been freed as quickly or safely; we could not have done this without more injury to the patient.” Towman Commendation

Giles LaPlante, Hampshire Towing, South Hadley, Mass. Giles LaPlante, a driver with Hampshire Towing in South Hadley, Massachusetts, was on his way home about 10 p.m. on May 25, 2011, following a service call. He turned down one residential street on the way home and spotted a fire in a garage behind a home. “I stopped the truck with the flashers on and called 9-1-1 as I ran up to the house and started knocking,” Giles said. He was able to rouse people in the house, and the 9-1-1 call got police and fire there in time to evacuate neighbors, and limit damage to the garage and some melted siding on the house 20 feet away. “They are very fortunate that he spotted the fire when 54 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

he did," said Granby Fire Chief Russ Anderson. “Giles’ response made the difference in limiting the damage and potentially saving the family's life.” Towman Commendation

Frank Sanchez, Somerset Hills Towing, Bridgewater, N. J. On Nov. 11, 2010, at about 7 p.m. in Longhill Township, New Jersey, a man became pinned between his loaded tractor-trailer and a tree, after he tried to jump in the cab to stop the rig from rolling slowly down an embankment. Rescue personnel couldn’t move the semi to stabilize the man; light-duty wreckers called out earlier were ineffective. An officer on-scene knew that Frank Sanchez of Somerset Hills Towing in Bridgewater was close, and called him to quickly get there with the company’s 50-ton wrecker. Once at the scene, Frank said, “I hooked everything up as quick as I could. I then immediately pulled the semi away enough for rescue personnel to gain access and stabilize the victim. Then I slowly winched the rig back so they could free him.” To do the full recovery on the tractor-trailer and excavator, Somerset Hills sent out another 50-ton wrecker and a 35-ton wrecker. Rescuers there that night felt Frank’s quick work saved the man’s life. Towman Commendation

Patrick and Michael Vibert, Farmington Motor Sports, Farmington, Conn. On Sept. 7, 2011, the Farmington, Connecticut, Fire Department was sent to a reported fire in the early afternoon. Patrick and Michael Vibert were helping ready trucks at Farmington Motor Sports, their family’s shop, for that evening’s annual vendor night of the Towing and Recovery Professionals of Connecticut (of which their dad, Timothy, is president). They

heard the call, which was near to the shop, and responded. In addition to working at the shop, Patrick is a volunteer firefighter and Michael was off-duty as a career firefighter. Arriving on-scene at a four-apartment dwelling, they witnessed fire and smoke from an upper unit and heard a woman yelling to “Put the fire out.” Michael smashed a windowpane on the door to access the building while Patrick began putting his fire gear on. Michael went into the smoke-filled hallway and up the stairs to the apartment and brought the 60-year-old victim out to the sidewalk to begin emergency medical treatment on her burns. Patrick then led the first hose team into the building to extinguish the fire. Towman Commendation

Tracy "TK" Loving, Anytime Towing, Ruther Glen, Va. Tracy “TK” Loving, was dispatched on Halloween night in 2010 to a AAA tow at 3:40 a.m. to a disabled vehicle on I-95. It was cool fall morning and he arrived to find the breakdown completely off I-95 traffic lanes, sitting half on the shoulder and half on the grass. The vehicle owner was standing near him as he loaded the car, and her friends were in another vehicle on the shoulder about 50 yards in front of the flatbed. As he was winching the car up the rollback, he heard the sound of a vehicle running over nearby rumble strips, looked up and saw a vehicle coming right at them. Said TK: “I grabbed her and pushed her aside and I tried to jump and the car hit me and threw me about 8 feet. I crawled out and tried to stand up. The car had ripped across my ankle and Achilles tendon and I fell back down and Army crawled to the back of the truck and rolled onto the grass to call 9-1-1.” The woman’s friends in the other car did not know what happened until the hit-and-run driver wooshed past close to their car after hitting TK and the woman, who suffered only a fractured forearm after being directly in the path of the other car. The county recognized TK with a “Life Saver’s Award.” TK has been out of work since the accident going through physical rehabilitation for his ankle and back, which had three ruptured discs. “If it hadn't been for the rumble strips, I wouldn't be here,” TK said. “It was a big rollback and all lights flashing. I was wearing neon and hi-visibility uniform and doing everything right.” TK is looking forward to the day when he can climb back into his wrecker. American Towman MedaL

Bryan Craig, ACE Towing and Recovery, Blythe, Calif. On Jan. 20, 2011, Bryan Craig, owner of ACE Towing and Recovery in Blythe, California, was going to lunch with a new employee in the company’s service truck when they saw smoke from an accident ahead and people gathering. They stopped at the scene and saw people looking

over a broken guardrail into a canal, where there was a Ford Explorer with a woman trapped inside and the water halfway up the doors. The water level was about 18 feet in the canal. Bryan called back to the office for help and a wrecker, grabbed a tire iron out of the service vehicle and jumped into the water and swam out to vehicle. He broke the rear window to see if there were any other passengers than the driver, since the rear was sinking faster. Then the front end began to sink as well. “The driver kept screaming ‘I’m drowning,’ ” Bryan said. “The front end was now sinking fast, and I saw water was up to driver’s chin. At the driver’s window, I had my leg around the front tire for leverage and slammed the glass with my hand to get her attention to move back, then smashed the window out with the tire iron. She reached out and grabbed my shirt, but was still pinned in by the truck’s roof from when it rolled over before going into the canal.” Bryan cleared the rest of the glass from the frame, reached in to hook his arms under her armpits, braced his feet against the outside of the door and pulled her free. He swam a sidestroke with her 15 feet to the shore. American Towman MedaL

Chris Neiman, Nieman's Service, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Chris Neiman, owner of Neiman’s Service in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, was at the office on the morning of Nov. 25, 2010, when a police call came across the scanner of a one-vehicle accident, the car 3/4 covered in water after breaking through the ice of a pond with the occupant still in vehicle. He ran to his truck right away and arrived onscene about the same time with the first deputy, and backed into where the submerged Saturn Ion was sticking out. When Chris arrived, he jumped into the water and hooked onto the back end of the car and winched it out so that all four tires were out of the water. To gain access to the driver, he broke out the back window and found him unconscious with his head and body stuck under the dash of the passenger side. He was able to pull the man out of the car through the back window with the help of the officer. They started CPR right away, and the ambulance and rescue team arrived about that time, followed shortly by a chopper to transport him to the hospital.” The cause of the crash turned out to be a heart attack, and the man lived three more days in hospital—long enough for family to say goodbye. Chris received a “Courageous Effort” award from the Wood County Sherriff’s Department, and the family cited Chris in the man’s obituary saying, “A special thank you to Chris Nieman of Nieman’s service, whose actions were described as nothing short of heroic. Words will never be able to express our gratitude for your efforts.” American Towman MedaL

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 55

Ron Mislan, Bardy Farms Towing, Watchung, N. J.

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On Dec. 14, 2010, at 5 p.m., Ron Mislan returned home from work, handed a bag of groceries to his wife at the back door, grabbed the dog leash and went out toward the kennel. He thought he heard a tree fall down in the woods behind their property. Just after he and the dog started their walk, Ron saw headlights from the nearby county road: they were still. Then Ron heard the words, “Help me, please help me.” He ran the dog back to the kennel and went running back through the woods to the road. A car was on its roof after going around a bend too fast and hitting a tree. Ron crawled into the car, cut her loose, and she fell down into his lap. He squirmed and maneuvered to pull her out. By this time, police officers were on-scene. Once officers had the scene and victim under control, Ron walked back home, got in his wrecker and came back out to remove the flipped car from the roadway. The woman he saved, Lynn Mauro, called Ron her guardian angel. American Towman MedaL

Dave D’Andrea, DeFalco’s Auto. & Towing, Chatham, N.J.

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On Nov. 14, 2009, N.J. State Trooper Jeffrey Baer was sent to a twocar accident on I-78 with entrapment and observed a vehicle in the center median and another vehicle off to the right in the woods. Dave D’Andrea was already on-scene, having driven by and stopped to help before emergency personnel arrived. Dave interacted with the driver in the center median and became suspicious. He alerted Baer, who was approaching. Said Trooper Baer: “While talking to the suspect, I noticed him trying to avoid me and as I came within an arm’s length of him, I observed a fistful of hypodermic syringes in his hand. A fight ensued as I attempted to arrest the man. Dave D’Andrea immediately called his dispatch and told them what was happening and to send more police. Even though three other men stopped at the accident scene, Dave was the only one that did not hesitate to put himself into a dangerous situation. He simply jumped into the muddy ground fight and held the suspect’s arm. He put his weight on the suspect’s back, helping me hold him down. The suspect was desperate to escape and threatened to stick us with the hypodermics, but Dave did not let go and started to pluck the needles out of the suspect’s hand as I continuously punched the suspect with little effect. After eight minutes of intense physical exertion, we managed to handcuff the suspect. “Dave prevented me from being seriously hurt, and ironically, probably saved the life of the suspect since Dave’s assistance allowed me to use methods r than deadly force to protect myself.” American Towman MedaL

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Light-Duty Pre-2010 Class st

1st Place — Norton Tow Squad Philadelphia, Pa. 2008 Ford F550 and 2008 Miller EB2 Eagle Self Loading

2nd Place — Green’s Garage nd Hampstead, Md. 2002 Ford F550 and 2002 Jerr-Dan HPL

3rd

3rd Place — Loyal Towing Harriman, N.Y. 1994 GMC 3500 and 1994 Challenger 4812

60 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Light-Duty 2010-11 Class 2

2nd Place — United Body Works, Inc. nd Long Island City, N.Y. 2010 Chevy Silverado and 2010 Dynamic 701

3rd

3rd Place — Safeway Towing New Rochelle, N.Y. 2011 Ford F-550 Lariat and 2011 Vulcan 810 Composite

1st Place — Hawk’s Towing & Recovery Trenton, N.J. 2011 Ford F-350 and 2011 Jerr-Dan Element TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 61

Medium-Duty Class 1st Place — Blair’s Towing & Recovery, Inc. Falls Church, Va. 2010 Peterbilt 335 and 2010 Vulcan V30

2nd Place — J L Towing nd Southwick, Mass. 2000 International & Jerr-Dan Cougar

3rd Place — Road Runner Wrecker Service, Inc. Sterling, Va. 2012 International 4400 and 2012 Vulcan V-24

62 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Carrier Class 3rd Place — Beltway Towing Silver Spring, Md. 2007 Peterbilt and Jerr-Dan Bed

3rd

2nd

2nd Place — Green’s Garage Hampstead, Md. 2007 International 4300 and 2007 Jerr-Dan Steel Best-in-Class

1st Place — Morton’s Towing & Recovery, Inc. Rockville, Md. 2011 Kenworth T-270 and 2011 Chevron LCG

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 63

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EXPO INFO CARD

LEGENDARY HOSPITALITY

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LANYARDS

Vintage Class 1st Place — Ice’s Run Auto Wrecking, Inc. Fairmont, W.Va. 1923 Dodge Brothers ¾ Ton Business Car and 1925 Manley 2-Ton

3rd

2nd Place — Robert Young Auto & Truck, Inc. Roanoke, Va. nd 1977 Autocar and 1983 NRC 2500

TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 65

Heavy-Duty Single Axle Class 1st Place — Milestone Towing Derwood, Md. 2006 Peterbilt 335 and 2006 Vulcan V30

2nd Place — Bill’s Auto Body Stamford, Conn. 2001 Peterbilt 300 and 2001 Century 2024

3rd

3rd Place — Lenny’s Towing Delran, N.J. 1997 Kenworth T-800 and 1997 Century 4024

66 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

2nd

Heavy-Duty Tandem Class 2nd Place — Morton’s Towing & Recovery Rockville, Md. 2012 Peterbilt 388 and 2012 Century 9055

2nd

3rd 3rd Place — Payless Towing & Recovery Milford, N.H. 2011 Peterbilt 388 and 2011 Century 5130 Heavy-Duty 25-Ton

1st Place — Hawk’s Towing & Recovery Trenton, N.J. 2009 Peterbilt 367 and 2009 Jerr-Dan 50-Ton Independent TOWMAN.COM - February 2012 • 67

Rotator Class st

1st Place — Garner’s Towing Fortville, Ind. 2011 Kenworth T-800B and 2011 Century 1075

2nd Place — C & L Towing Service nd East Hanover, N.J. 2011 Kenworth T800 and 2011 Century 1075

3rd

3rd Place — G/J Towing, Inc. Revere, Mass. 2009 Peterbilt 388 and 2009 Century 1140

68 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Best of Show

Best of Show — Milestone Towing Derwood, Md. 2009 Peterbilt 330 and 2010 Vulcan 897

Mark Your Calendars

AT Expo November 16-18, 2012

Video: Your Hot, Business Tool

by Mike Rappaport

ave you ever watched a video online or on your smart phone? Well, chances are your customers and prospects have too. According to a recent report published on eMarketer.com, the U.S. online video audience is expected to grow to 190 million people this year (88 percent of the entire online audience). Furthermore, 80.9 percent of those 190 million people are expected to be watching online ads this year. What does this mean to your business? It doesn’t matter if your company is skewed towards light- or heavy-duty, private property, motor clubs or commercial accounts: video is a tool you can’t ignore. Thanks to high-speed Internet and the plummeting cost of bandwidth, serving video online is popular. It’s also the “secret sauce” for savvy marketers.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a video worth? How can you leverage online video to build your company? As with any form of advertising, you can’t just throw a video on YouTube.com or any other video sharing site and expect results. You need to have a defined, video marketing strategy that is part of your overall small business marketing strategy. What is your video marketing strategy? What do you want to achieve and how? A creative professional video can be wielded like a Swiss army knife: it’s a visual brochure, a visual capabilities statement, a moving mission statement, an effective sales tool and even a searchengine magnet, if implemented properly. Here are six great ways to leverage your company’s video: • Have your properly tagged video on your website, your Facebook 4 Business page and on all your directory listings, including Google. 70 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

• Set up a properly optimized YouTube channel, as well as submit the tagged video to other video sites to have it help your Search Engine Ranking and be a link to your site. • Use it on your email signature as a promo with all your emails and sales follow-up calls. I have a client that sends his video in advance of a sales call. Think of how that will impress a big dealership, fleet owner or municipality! • Link it to craigslist ads, help wanted ads and banner ads you may have with local papers and TV stations. • Edit your video, if necessary, for use as a TV commercial and other Outof-Home Media venues: bars, arenas, movie theaters, at fuel pumps and even your office, if appropriate. • Use a QR code that links directly to your video and place that QR code on business cards, ads, email signatures, signage and trucks!

Your Video Producing a video starts with realistic objectives: getting new customers, displaying your professionalism and/or demonstrating your company’s capabilities. In the 21 years I have been working with towing companies, two challenges have remained consistent: overcoming the negative connotation associated with the profession and maintaining top-ofmind awareness. To this extent, I suggest you position yourself in video as a service company … with great service.

Online traffic is expected to quadruple by 2015 in part because of the proliferation of mobile Internet devices as well as the explosion of video content and a market for that content on the Web. – The Financial Chronicle If you market on the Internet, you should be aware that data suggests video will account for half of all online consumer traffic by 2012. If you want your message to have a chance at finding customers, can you afford to ignore half your audience by ignoring video? – SearchTelecom.com You will want to have your video scripted and edited at a pace that will keep viewers engaged. An effective video for these applications shouldn’t be longer than a minute. Of course, you may elect to edit the finished production into shorter segments for some applications. For great samples and industry video, be sure to visit AmericanTowmanTV.com. Editor’s note: Mike Rappaport is a 21-year veteran in the towing industry, a producer for AmericanTowmanTV.com and the founder of OMG National, an INC 5000 ad agency. For more information on your web presence and video production needs, contact him at rapp@AmericanTowmanTV.com.

Heroes on ATTV

he first thoughts that used to pop into my mind when I heard the word “hero” were of a firefighter running into a burning building to save a child, or a police-

by Emily Oz

man who successfully negotiates a hostage standoff. You see, I worked for several years as a local TV news reporter and was privy to plenty of these law enforcement situations during my work. But now that I’ve started working within the towing and recovery industry as a member of the American Towman team, my “hero” category has expanded to include towing professionals who are out working the white line everyday. And although I haven’t reported live at the scene of these towing jobs, I heard plenty of the heroic stories during my inaugural Festival Night experience at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore last year. Take, for instance, J.R. Abrahams of Hanser’s Automotive & Wrecker in Billings, Mont. Abrahams has walked a long road of recovery following a terrible accident on the job in 2003. An out-of-control truck slid into his wrecker, pinning him between it and another wrecker, during a Montana blizzard. Seeing J.R. walk up to get his Silver Star award at the Towman Medal Ceremony was moving. The emotion behind his response at the podium

was palpable as he talked about being so happy to be alive and thankful for every new day despite still being in pain from the accident. My eyes actually welled up with tears. I wasn’t expecting that. Another hero at Festival Night was Dave D’Andrea of DeFalco’s Automotive & Towing in Chatham, N.J. In 2009, D’Andrea was the first on the scene of a two-car accident that quickly became very suspicious. D’Andrea’s quick thinking helped a State Trooper wrestle down a wanted criminal who was trying to escape the scene. The trooper, Jeffrey Baer, said D’Andrea saved him from being seriously hurt. D’Andrea was honored with one of the 2011 Towman Medals. Well deserved, Dave! After I heard these amazing stories at the Towman Medal Ceremony, I approached the winners to interview them. The men were so humble; they responded with little more than, “Glad to help out,” and a smile. Most of the men said, “It’s just part of the job.” But the truth is it’s not part of the job. Towers don’t sign up to risk their lives rescuing people. Firefighters and police sign on to put themselves at risk in this way. But towing professionals sign on to tow and recover vehicles. The hero part isn’t expected of them; it pops up suddenly from someplace in his or her character. I keep track of industry news happening across the country and these instances are not isolated. They are happening on a regular basis. We want to recognize the unsung heroes of the towing trade on American Towman TV and tell your brave stories! If you have pictures or video of the scene, that’s even better. Send me an email at Oz@AmericanTowmanTV.com.

Emily Oz is the anchor and producer for American Towman TV. You can email her at oz@AmericanTowmanTV.com 72 • February 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

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