American Towman Magazine - September 2013

500

Joe DiMarco Jr. Tom DiMarco Jr. John Doukas

towweek.com

towman.com

towmantv.com

Number 176 on Reader Card

FEATURE CONTENTS

22

Team Work Train Job A heavy-duty job in England needs two rotators to move a 15-ton train car.

by Jim "Buck" Sorrenti

28

Trucks in Texas At the Tow Expo Int'l in San Antonio, the trucks in the pageant were big and bright.

by Brendan Dooley

Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Beacon’s On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Tow Co's established before 2004 may make the Towman 500 but need to apply now!

Page 7

40

Owner Sees Fleet Better Adding a GPS-integrated software solution to his fleet helped one owner expand business efficiently.

Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .54 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .61

4 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

46

Take 'Em to the Show One tow company used the Las Vegas tow show as the prize in a driver-incentive program.

by Brendan Dooley

Number 122 on Reader Card

No Substitute for Experience

by Dennie Ortiz

First On The Scene!

There is still one thing in today’s world that money can’t buy: experience. The skills we acquire over time through blood, sweat and tears are invaluable. Of all the ways you can gain knowledge, there still isn’t a substitute for the wisdom gained through experience.

Experience provides expertise that is a commodity to be leveraged and marketed. Promoting your company’s years of service is a testament to your success. Poor management, poor business practices and poor customer service will never sustain a company.

Survival over many years is evidence of a sound company with whom motorists, call providers and municipalities want to work.

How well do you advertise your company’s years of service to the

community? Do you at least state the year your company was established?

American Towman magazine has been publishing for more than 37 years; it’s a fact we are proud of and promote heavily as well.

Longevity of a business shows strength and should be recognized.

American Towman at our first exposition in Baltimore, Md., created a program to do just that with the “Towman 500,” towing’s oldest 500 companies. Now, 25 years later, we’ve relaunched the program to celebrate the Expo’s own 25th anniversary. On page 11 in this issue, you will find an application to be part of the Towman 500.

We all know that sustaining a towing business is no small feat. For those companies that have persevered over the generations, through the good and the bad, my hat’s off to you.

AT Honors Longest-Serving Towmen

by Brendan Dooley

American Towman is looking for the most experienced towmen in America for our 25th annual AT Expo in Baltimore, Md., this November, where we plan to honor the “Towman 500.”

Survival will be one key trait these 500 companies will share, no doubt. They all share the ability to ride the tide through up-and-down economies, fluctuating consumer values between price and service, advancing recovery techniques, changing municipal boards and contract requirements, increasing motor club needs, evolving trucks and equipment—and that barely scratches the surface.

Every day is a fight for survival in this industry; to be among the 500 companies that have been doing it the longest is impressive. AT honors that.

To be considered for the Towman 500, go to www.atexposition.com/500.

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Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor

Randall Resch

Operations Editor

Terry Abejuela

Field Editor, West

Jim “Buck” Sorrenti David Kolman Bill Simmons

Field Editor, Northeast Chassis Editor Safety Editor

Emily Oz

On Screen Editor

Mark Lacek

Repo Run Editor

Editorial Board Tommy Anderson Roy Carlson Gary Coe Belinda Harris Amado Llorens Ron Mislan Chuck Swider

Dallas, Texas St. Paul, Minn.

Portland, Ore. Greensboro, N.C. Hialeah, Fla. Warren, N.J. Chicopee, Mass.

American Towman Staff Ann Marie Nitti Dennie Ortiz Ellen Rosengart Norma Calitri Neila Smith Miriam Ortiz Henri Calitri Toni Vanderhorst William Burwell Emily Oz Steve Calitri

Page Layout Artist Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Account Exec.

VP of Accounts VP Communications Subscription Manager Customer Service Publisher’s Assistant TIW Media Director ATTV Producer President

American Towman Media Headquarters 7 West Street, Warwick, NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546 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 ©2013 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.

Perhaps the Most Aware Towmen Tow Co’s Established Before 2004 May Make the 500 They Only Need to Respond

The elephant, known for it long life span, was used in ancient times for towing and transport.

Latin inscription: victory is survival.

Design of the Towman 500 Belt Buckle, which will be presented in Baltimore during the 25th Anniversary American Towman Exposition.

by Steve Calitri

A

wareness is probably the number one characteristic of a towing company on the Towman 500 list; knowing what goes on around you. I say that for two reasons. First, one can safely assume that a towing company can’t survive in this industry unless the boss is aware of what’s happening in his town as well as his industry. Secondly, tow business owners keep abreast of trends and changes by reading American Towman Magazine.

Those making it on the Towman 500 would be aware they need to apply to be included. Indeed any company that was established before 2003 has a good chance of making the list. Some older companies no doubt will be caught napping and fail to respond, or worse, have their heads in the sand. If you’re reading this you are not one of them. So go to www.atexposition.com/500 and apply today.

Survival indeed has to be the most important dynamic of anyone’s success.

Obviously you can’t have success without it. It’s one thing to be successful once upon a time, even to have had one of the largest tow fleets in America, but the

companies that survived are ultimately the most successful, large or small.

Companies making the Towman 500 will know what an economic recession is and how to weather that storm.

They will know about hardships caused by fires, floods, or political adversity in their respective towns.

They will know about the dynamics of one’s evolution as a businessman, how they may have been knocking their heads against the wall up until the point they found a smarter approach to doing business.

Perseverance has to be the primary reason that one survives; the drive to keep going no matter what. It’s the trait that keeps families intact, marriages, even nations, and here, one’s business.

As the towing industry is comprised of many family businesses, surviving family stress and family squabbles is a must. The differences between a father and son and their ways of doing things can be a common challenge in the face of survival. The

will to accommodate family differences will keep the business functioning and successful.

Those companies who make the Towman 500 will receive media coverage in their respective towns and counties, through press releases that American Towman sends out. There will also be industry-wide coverage of the 500 on the Internet through TowIndustryWeek.com and AmericanTowmanTV.com. A Towman 500 web site will also link to each companies own website. The owners of Towman 500 companies will be invited as guests of American Towman for a celebratory luncheon at the Baltimore Convention Center on November 16th where they will receive a special commemorative gift. A Towman 500 wall plaque will be recreated as well in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the American Towman Exposition and the Towman 500 event.

Take a moment to smell the roses.

You may very well be included in the Towman 500, but you need to apply today!

TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 7

Towing for Clean Streets Vehicles parked on the street in Saskatoon, Canada, during street sweeping could soon be ticketed and towed.

City council’s executive committee has approved a pilot plan that would allow workers to ticket and tow away cars and trucks parked on the street during street sweeping so that the roads can be cleaned properly.

“It’s about time we ticket and tow,” one council member said.

Currently, the city sends out door hangers advising residents to move their vehicles when street sweepers are coming to their neighborhood, but councilors say they regularly get complaints that streets aren’t swept because people either misread or ignored the door hangers.

Under the new program, certain areas will have signs clearly posted and vehicles will be towed away. The vehicles will not be taken to the impound lot; instead, they will be towed a few blocks away. Rather than paying the impound fee, vehicles owners will be hit with a $100 fine if they don’t heed the warnings.

Source: www.thestarphoenix.com.

Wade Named Businessman of Year Jody Wade, president of Jody Wade Enterprises (Big Daddy’s Towing & Recovery, Collins Towing & Recovery, Donnie’s Towing & Recovery, Wichita County Environmental Services), was named the 2013 Wichita Falls (Texas) Small Businessman of Jody Wade (third from left) was named the 2013 the Year.

Wichita Falls (Texas) Small Businessman of the Year.

Wade, 41, started He is pictured with (from left) his parents Linda and Jim Wade, daughter Hannah, wife Anita, daughter with five employees Berkley, sister Heather Delapp and son Tyler. and now averages around 30 employees and 30 tow trucks and service vehicontract for Wichita Falls, where cles. Among the companies’ municithey privatized the city’s impound pal contracts is an exclusive towing facility and towing operations.

Widow Gets

$1.75M Settlement

Tower Finds Toddler Left in Car A mother in Corpus Christi, Texas, could face charges after leaving her toddler alone in a car that was towed from a housing complex.

The tow truck driver says he walked around and took photos of a car that was illegally parked in a fire lane. He was getting ready to haul it off when he noticed the toddler still inside the running car.

The mother told police she was only gone for a few minutes, but the tow truck driver says it took him longer than that to hook up the tow.

Source: www.kristv.com.

8 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

The widow of a Bluffton, N.C., man shot to death by tower Preston Oates in 2010 has settled a lawsuit against Oates and several co-defendants for $1.75 million.

The agreement prevents future civil litigation against Oates, the Edge-

field Homeowners Association, IMC Resort Services and Pro-Tow LLC. Carlos Olivera was fatally shot on Christmas Eve while visiting family in the Edgefield subdivision.

The shooting stemmed from an argument between Olivera and Oates that began after Oates booted Olivera’s vehicle.

Oates, who is charged with manslaughter, formerly owned the towing company Pro-Tow. He is claiming self-defense under South Carolina’s “Castle Doctrine” and is appealing a March 2012 ruling that he is subject to criminal prosecution.

Source: www.islandpacket.com.

...'It's about time we ticket and tow'...

Tow Co. Settles with N.J. Town A Monroe, N.J., businessman has settled a lawsuit that alleged township officials violated his civil rights during a dispute over municipal towing services.

The judge dismissed the case pending the settlement’s consummation.

The lawsuit claimed A-Jacks Towing was improperly barred from bidding for township towing services from December 2007 through December 2008, and that the township wrongly closed a building over a zoning issue.

The lawsuit targeted the township and eight officials, including the mayor.

The tow owner contended local officials targeted A-Jacks in part because his company pushed for tougher rules for the towing industry.

Source: www.courierpostonline.com.

Tow Show Attendance Up Tow Expo Int'l played to a record San Antonio crowd in August, with attendance figures up 15 percent over 2012. Given the strong turnout that Tow Industry Week/AT ShowPlace had in Las Vegas in May, tow business owners should be traveling to Baltimore, Md., for the 25th Anniversary American Towman Exposition with great expectations.

AT Expo was a hit its very first year in 1989 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Since, the show has grown to be in a league by itself. Attendance in Baltimore is always three to four times the attendance of any of the regional tow shows, and 20 times the attendance of the average state towing show.

The show floor of the 2013 Tow Expo Int'l was crowded on Saturday, Aug. 10., with the largest ever number of attendees recorded in San Antonio, Texas.

Towers come from all 50 states and 20 nations to Baltimore's magnificent harbor each year to interact with some 800 exhibits and 200 exhibiting suppliers. The exhibit floor opens at the Baltimore Convention Center, Nov. 15-17.

Impound Flap

Boots Banned; Towing Preferred

An Anaheim, Calif., man, whose Mercedes-Benz sedan was towed and impounded after it was found allegedly illegally parked in a parking garage at Lake Arrowhead Village, has filed a small claims lawsuit against the village and a local towing company.

He is seeking the return of $402 he was charged for the towing and retrieval of his vehicle. A photo shows the vehicle parked in a clearly marked No Parking zone.

Village Operations Manager Heather Merillat explained that the majority of towing incidents at the village are related to vehicles illegally parked in red paint-marked fire zones, handicapped parking spaces without a placard and spaces reserved for motor homes, buses and large commercial vans.

She said all of those areas are plainly identified with signs warning that illegally parked vehicles are subject to towing. Source: www.alpenhornnews.com.

A recent Newark (Ohio) City Council meeting took an unusual turn right out of the gate when the mayor weighed in on a pending resolution concerning whether it should be allowed to use boots on illegally parked vehicles.

“We do not think booting . . . is good or warranted,” the mayor said. “And we do not believe it’s good for downtown business.”

Having the administration weigh in on a piece of legislation pending before council was even more surprising given that a week earlier, Newark’s safety committee had voted 4-1 to send an ordinance to the full council granting private property owners the right to boot illegally parked cars.

Moments later, council—including the four committee members who had voted for the boots a week earlier— voted in almost unanimous agreement not to allow them.

The ordinance arose after the owner of a parking lot hired a towing company to begin booting cars that had parked

illegally in her lot. Within the first month, 50 to 75 cars had been immobilized and the owners had to pay the towing company to free them. The city’s law director spoke up at a council meeting, saying booting vehicles in Newark was illegal.

But there was a gray area in the law, which said that a car could be booted if it was going to be towed.

Councilman Marc Guthrie, who chairs the safety committee, said that prohibiting boots “does not eliminate the property owner’s rights. The city still allows towing vehicles that are parked illegally.” Source: www.dispatch.com.

TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 9

IT’S FREE!

Number 206 on Reader Card

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Beacon Card Swipers Beacon Software Co. card swipers are usable on most smartphones and tablets and enable your drivers to process credit cards immediately. Your driver will know, while the customer is present, if the credit card is good or if another form of payment is needed. The Beacon Software system captures a signature and a receipt is emailed to the customer. (Add a Zebra portable printer and provide a customer receipt on the spot.) Credit card fees for swiped cards cost your company less than credit card numbers keyed in. The Beacon Software card swiper system increases income immediately and eliminates standard tow tickets that are easily manipulated or lost.

www.beaconsoftco.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Power-Link Upgrades TowMate’s Power-Link light bars now feature a rounded end cap with a total of 12 LEDs on each end that can act as alley lights and strobes on some models. Options include wireless S/T/T (TowMate compatible) and high-intensity work lights.

All models feature a built-in traffic advisor. The Power-Link line simply installs to 12V power and ground, is made in the USA and features a lifetime warranty on electronics and LEDs.

www.TowMate.com

Express Gets Enhanced Wheel-Lift Functions

C

entury’s popular light-duty Express towing and recovery model features single or dual winches, hydraulic extendable boom, manual and lanyard controls and an auto-load system that can even hook up at 90-degree angles.

Based on customer feedback and extensive

field tests, Century created the Express Generation II with enhanced wheel-lift capabilities that include a new hose-tracking system, fabricated crossbar with enclosed cylinders, recessed fasteners for improved clearance and power tilt with limiter switches for faster and easier hookups.

www.millerind.com Number 203 on Reader Card

Number 201 on Reader Card

GUNK Tough Series GUNK introduced its Tough Series line of cleaners specifically formulated for trucks, including a concentrated Truck Wash, heavy duty Tire & Wheel Cleaner, Bug Remover, deep cleaning Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner and a tint-safe Glass Cleaner. Each of the appearance products are engineered to lift up and carry away caked-on dirt, mud, salt and clay.

www.gunk.com/truck Number 202 on Reader Card

12 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 13

Backing With A Vehicle In Tow

by Terry Abejuela

L

earning how to back a vehicle in tow takes plenty of practice to make performing this maneuver in the field easier and safer. Backing a towed vehicle can be stressful and dangerous, especially when pedestrians and traffic are in close proximity.

The No. 1 rule of backing vehicles is avoiding it if at all possible. Look for ways to put vehicles where you want them without backing up whenever possible.

As a tow truck driver, I talked to service writers at facilities I was at most often to work out a drop-off plan that worked for both sides. I was able to avoid backing vehicles into tight or busy facilities and complete jobs more quickly. Don’t be shy to tell customers if you feel their drop location isn’t feasible. Many of us have the “I can put it anywhere you need it” attitude, but we spend too much time on those jobs and risk damages, injuries and even death. People have been run over and killed by backing vehicles.

Unfortunately, we don’t always have a choice if the towed vehicle cannot be started or moved easily after it is dropped off. When you have to back a towed vehicle, follow some simple guidelines.

First, get out and look at the path you must travel to get the vehicle to your desired location. Don’t just look at ground level. Look up to make sure there are no overhead obstructions like tree branches, street signs, garage doors or other obstructions.

Make sure there is enough space to easily fit the vehicle and allow enough room to unload it. Note the location of obstacles that may be difficult to see from the cab of the truck, such as low poles, fences or maybe a fire hydrant.

Back up in a straight line when possible. Line up the towed vehicle straight while you are moving forward. Don’t cut yourself short by not

14 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

pulling forward enough to get completely straight on the first try.

I prefer to hold the steering wheel at the bottom—in the “6 o’clock position”—when backing a vehicle in tow.

The towed vehicle will move the same direction that you move the steering wheel, i.e. moving your hand to your left causes the trailing end of the towed vehicle to move towards your left. (If you prefer to hold the steering wheel at the top, you will need to turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction of where you want the vehicle to move.)

Back up to the driver’s side whenever possible; this offers a much better view of the towed vehicle drifting and obstacles. Many tow trucks have an obstructed view out the rear window, so towers must use their mirrors— especially when backing to the passenger side of the truck.

Back up slowly so you can better maneuver to correct drifting. Go too fast and it may be too late and you will have to pull forward and try again.

Correct drifting immediately. Keep a close eye on the direction the towed vehicle is moving and correct the direction as soon as it deviates from the planned route.

Use small movements to correct drifting. Use a pull up to correct drifting before getting too far out of position. You should be looking at a combination of your mirrors, and out the side windows and the rear window

(if unobstructed) to control drifting and watch the clearance. Mirrors offer the best view when backing straight.

When backing at an angle there will be more blind spots in the mirrors.

Avoid jack-knifing. Learn how far you can back without correcting before making contact between the towed vehicle and the tailboard of the tow truck.

Avoid becoming too focused on looking to the rear that you forget about the front end of the tow truck.

The front end of the tow truck may contact obstacles like fences, walls, poles, and other vehicles when backing at an angle. Frequently look at the front end of the truck to make sure you will clear these obstacles.

Some tow operators like to remove the safety chains before backing a vehicle up in tight spots so that they have more turning radius. I do not recommend this, as you have no secondary attachment in the event of equipment failure. An alternative would be to simply adjust your safety chains with more slack before backing up.

When backing a towed vehicle on a wheel lift, you can adjust the pivot point by extending or retracting the wheel lift. Retracting or extending the wheel lift will affect turning radius and the distance required to correct drifting. When backing with a conventional tow sling or tow bar, you may be able to lock the spacer bars in an extended position to create a little more turning radius.

Use a helper when available and appropriate. By “appropriate,” I don’t mean a customer or someone you don’t know—you will still be liable if they don’t stop you before damage or an injury occurs. Ask another employee of your company.

Practice is critical to becoming proficient at the skill of backing with a vehicle in tow. Try to find a large parking lot that isn’t in use and set up some cones to practice. Schools or business parking lots may be available on weekends.

First practice backing up in a straight line to learn how to correct drifting. Then put cones in a parking

space and practice backing the vehicle into the parking space from both the left and the right and not hitting the cone at the back of the space. Set up three cones spaced apart and practice backing up in a serpentine around the cones.

If there is a particular backing scenario that you often encounter in the field, try to simulate it with cones so you can practice it. Practice with a wheel lift tow, conventional tow sling and a car carrier with a vehicle on the wheel lift. The differences in wheelbase and overhang make them react differently.

Knowing how to back a vehicle in tow and lots of practice will make real life backing much less stressful and dangerous. Make sure you don’t become so confident in your backing skills that you forget my rule No. 1: Avoid backing whenever possible.

Terry Abejuela has 30+ years of light-duty towing-and-recovery experience. He is also a lightduty level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association since 1998.

Number 125 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 15

Number 215 on Reader Card

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September 2013 For more product info, go to www.towman.com and click on the FREE Product info icon.

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Number 109 on Reader Card

Healing Bad Attitudes to Cure the Company

You can't take an X-ray to identify a toxic work environment, but in most cases the bad attitudes and low morale are evident anyway. Finding a cure is up to employees, managers and owners working together—positively.

by Randall C. Resch

I

recently taught a two-day tow-safety course for students from three companies that included 26 drivers, three dispatchers, two owners, and one owner’s son. With my usual excitement, I arrived at the company a day early to get a feel for the class area and handle last minute details.

It didn’t take long to observe that the class was full of disgruntled employees, and one of the owners had an aggressive, nasty, overbearing personality. His demeanor levied a cloud over his employees that I’ve never seen before.

For the next two days, the less-thanfavorable class environment was filled with flippant attitudes and impaired temperaments. What I witnessed were employees who hated their jobs and callous tow bosses at wit’s end. A meagainst-them attitude was bringing one company down. Employees and the

18 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

owner were guilty of the same devastating behaviors.

It wasn’t a class that I enjoyed, but I took interest in the dynamics nonetheless.

The Symptoms I talked with some of the attendees during breaks and learned of a myriad of problems—mostly an infestation of bad attitudes and disrespect. From what I could determine, there was a huge list of issues that revealed sheer hatred for the owner’s son and his toxic ability to throw his weight around in an ownership role.

The company was fraught with the usual problems too, like drivers arriving late, being unreliable, disappearing for hours, damages, etc.

Complaints against the company included poor pay, empty promises, unsafe equipment, unpaid breaks or

lunches, favoritism, and “they-won’t-listen-to-me” syndrome. It was clear that drivers and office staff alike hated their jobs and the management.

While I understand what the employees were infuriated about, they didn’t recognize that, in the hierarchy of the company, the reality is that the owner’s son was one of the bosses (whether they liked it or not). Because of their animosity towards the boss’s son for his young age or inexperience, they couldn’t see that he too is a boss. This company is locked in bitter feelings going each way for many reasons.

We’re all saddled in a difficult work environment in this industry—tow operators, office staff and owners alike. Long hours, interrupted sleep, poor eating habits, work stress, personal vices and more all can lead to health issues up to and including strokes and heart disease.

Number 194 on Reader Card

Top it off with venomous personalities and attacking behaviors towards one another … it’s not hard to see that company’s path to self-destruction.

Changing a company’s sour mental attitude is critical to long-term survival.

Doctor’s Orders This company is under serious threats to its long-term survival (from both sides); I’d like to suggest they counsel hurt feelings and attempt to rescue those who are trapped in the lethal environment. After contemplating this company’s symptoms, I think a cure starts with individualized care.

Perhaps a renewed individual approach to healing the inner-soul can make for better attitudes all around.

My prescription includes: • Get plenty of sleep. Most towers are sleep-deprived or have chronic fatigue based on sleep interruption.

Developing necessary sleep patterns is possibly the most important factor in the ability to repower the machine.

• Eat better. Towers have poor eating habits in general. With always-onthe-go requirements, fast and junk foods are often the mainstays. Why not choose a healthy diet and bring lunch to work? Take time to eat meals during your shift.

• Exercise. Driving a tow truck isn’t an exercise program. Find ways to exercise 30 minutes a day so to increase your heart rate. If on-duty fire fighters park their fire engines to exercise up and down the block, why can’t towers follow suit? Companies: Do you offer your employee’s time to exercise or have an exercise incentive plan?

• Reduce vices. We tend to eat, drink, and smoke to excess … all leading to long-term health risks like obesity, chronic fatigue, alcoholism, stroke and heart attack. Find ways to alleviate or lessen your consumption.

• Arrive 15 minutes early. Arriving 15 minutes early eases you into the stresses of the work day. Getting stuck in traffic or arriving late only adds to being stressed at the beginning of work.

• Be a team player. Employees who feel they’re part of the company’s team find themselves demon20 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

strating better attitudes and ultimately reflect better performances.

• Avoid gossip and drama. Avoiding gossip and unnecessary disruptions or conflict in the workplace makes for a friendlier, less threatening place to work. Stirring the pot only leads to increased negativity, poor morale, threats and violence.

• Follow company rules. A company with solid rules is a better run organization. When employees follow company rules and structure, they know what’s expected and their workplace actions result in efficiency, productivity and increased morale.

We all have the power to change our own attitudes, and get past those threatening clouds.

• Setting self-goals. Where do you see yourself within the company’s structure today, next month, next year? If you can’t visualize your reasonable future as it relates to what you’re doing, perhaps another profession or a new company is in order.

Sometimes … change is good.

• Recognize the company’s hierarchy. Employees must recognize the company’s chain of command, regardless of age and experience. When second and third generations are involved in the business, their entitlement to position usually trumps hired employees.

• Talk about issues. Management should welcome and encourage open communication and provide a suggestion box or format where employees can voice their problems without fearing reprisal.

• Smile. Unhappy employees don’t smile. A positive attitude is life’s daily choice. Smiling more and choosing to be positive goes for owners, supervisors, and employees alike.

• Choose your path. If work doesn’t bring you satisfaction, choose another occupation. If you’re not happy at work, you owe it to yourself to make a

change. And if you’re the cause of company friction, recognize for yourself that it might be time to move on.

The End Result I didn’t choose sides between management and employees. I contemplated this company’s issues with an open mind and found them to be somewhat consistent with the industry, and folks at fault on both sides.

I believe that management has a direct responsibility to treat employees fairly and with a degree of decorum and respect. If individuals are unhappy with the conditions, expectations, and requirements set forth by the company, they should resign their positions and look elsewhere.

To ownership, remember that your employees are the backbone and representation of your company. Their abilities, professionalism, competencies and respect for your company and customers are critical to your company’s survival. Sometimes it’s easier to solicit your employees’ ideas or comments, and still keep total control of how you want your company to run. When you provide an open door, employees feel like they’re an integral part of your organization, and able to invest themselves in the company.

In regards to the miserable company I witnessed, I’ve seen these behaviors in other companies. But theirs reached monstrous levels of desperation. I hope they don’t continue ignoring the signs and symptoms and can avoid what looks like catastrophic results.

We all can become better individuals. We all have the power to change our own attitudes, and get past those threatening clouds. Work should never lead to fisticuffs. If it ever reaches that point … it’s too late.

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.

Man Killed Directing Tower The driver of a recycling truck was killed June 19 when he was crushed between his truck and a tractor-trailer.

The driver had broken down and had his truck towed back to the company’s lot; he was helping guide the tow truck driver, who was in reverse, into the lot when he walked behind the recycling truck. He was then pinned and crushed against the trailer.

When he did not see the man, the tow truck driver stopped his truck, exited his vehicle, saw the situation and called 911. He moved the trucks forward and began CPR. The recycling truck driver was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police said the tower was not intoxicated and the Iowa DOT found the tower and company met all of Iowa’s rules and standards. Source: www.wasteandrecyclingnews.com.

The body has not been positively identified and a cause of death has not been determined. An investigation is ongoing.

Source: www.tri-cityherald.com.

Tower Hits Garden Wall A tow truck hit the garden wall at The Oldest House property in St. Augustine, Fla. Witnesses say a tow truck driver

backed into the wall, and then took off.

Police tracked down the driver, who said he didn’t know he hit anything.

The tower said he didn’t hear or feel anything, and learned of the incident when his boss called him later.

Had he known, he said he would have stopped and addressed the situation.

The tower was cited for careless driving. He has 26 years of towing experience. Source: www.firstcoastnews.com.

City Wants Oversight Several city councilors in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, want increased oversight of the tow-truck industry “to improve road safety and prevent operators from overcharging.”

They say the main problem stems from tows that don’t require police to attend the scene where some unscrupulous tow truck operators charge the clients or their insurance companies exorbitant fees.

These tactics have led to municipalities, insurance agencies and some tow companies to seek to regulate the industry. Source: www.ottawacitizen.com.

Burned Body in Trunk Police in Yakima County, Wash., are investigating a possible homicide after a tow truck driver discovered a body inside the trunk of a burned vehicle.

The vehicle belonged to a missing man in the area.

The tow company was called to remove a burned car.

The tow operator saw what looked like a skull in the trunk after loading the car onto the tow truck. The whole body was found in the trunk, said a sheriff’s spokesman.

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TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 21

Teamwork Heavy Lift Beneath Power Lines

M

ick Gould Commercials Ltd. is one of southeast England’s leading commercial vehicle recovery and repair companies. Mick Gould formed the company more than 25 years ago in East Sussex. His distinct fleet is a familiar sight on roads throughout the U.K. and Europe.

“We received a call in April 2013 from a customer asking what is the largest Hiab knuckle boom crane that we operate,” Mick said. “He said that he had purchased a shed/store and that it needed lifting off the deliv-

22 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

ery lorry. I asked him the weight and he said it was approximately 33,600 pounds or roughly 15 tons.”

Mick figured the best thing he could do was to show up with his Century 1075 rotator and assess the job.

The 75-ton lift is mounted on an 8x4 Kenworth TX800 with a vehicle weight of 36.2 tons.

“I was a little surprised when I saw that it was 40-plus-feet long and 15plus tons. It soon became apparent that he was either totally unaware of weights/dimensions, or trying to negotiate a lower capacity vehicle in

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

order to reduce costs,” Mick said.

“Reid Freight, the guys with the low loader (very nice set up) were very good and had managed to get the carriage alongside the short track where it was going to live,” Mick said.

“They were unsure of the weight, but thought more like 30 tons (67,200 lbs.) They usually roll the carriages on/off the trailer using either a winch on the neck or the special one mounted at the rear. It wasn’t possible to use this method, as there was no room at either end or in the yard generally.”

Train Job The owner wanted the carriage lifted off the trailer and placed on the tracks he had prepped earlier. The site is an old railway goods’ siding that has now been taken over by a railway preservation society. Restricted access and power lines were a problem for Mick’s crew.

“A few inspection hatches placed around the working area worried me and, no matter whom I asked, no one could tell me exactly where the services were located. I made a mental assessment of the drainage etc. by lining up buildings/holes and formed a

I was a little surprised when I saw that it was 40-plus-feet long and 15-plus tons.

rough plan of where I could work safely,” Mick said.

The customer wanted Mick to use one truck to unload the carriage. He had thought they would be able to lift each end individually and place the thing on its track.

“I was unhappy with this plan. The articulation of the bogies was insufficient and the length of the carriage/height of the trailer would have caused it to belly out. It was, in my opinion, an unsafe option. I said that the correct way to unload would be with a vehicle at either end.”

TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 23

The NRC sliding rotator was used to help in positioning the train car.

A Century 1075 did a lot of the heavy lifting in the tandem job with the NRC rig.

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The train car had to be repositioned after being settled, with the tracks underneath being lifted as well, to its final spot.

The customer eventually conceded and Mick called in his Peterbilt with the NRC Sliding Rotator to assist.

“We opted for the 1075 lifting at the front, where it would have to reach over the side, and the NRC at the rear.”

Being a slider and smaller, the NRC was considered the best way to position the vehicles. They were rigged on two-part lines and Number 122 on Reader Card

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anchored to the buffers of the carriage. The bogies had to be chained to the chassis, as they only sit on pins and locators.

“I would rather have used spreader bars for this lift, but the problems with cables overhead meant that we would be working at reduced height during the operation. I felt that this would have ‘flattened’ out our apex of the cables, so decided to run without bars,” Mick explained.

“We raised the carriage off the trailer and it was moved from underneath. We couldn’t use all the leg on the 1075, as there wouldn’t be enough room to get the trailer out.

We moved the carriage over to its track, but had to move once as we were getting a little too far on radius.

“We had to jiggle the bogies to line up with the rails and I was just getting ready to disconnect everything when the customer decided he wasn’t happy with the position of the track, he wanted us to lift again and then ‘lever’ the track over with crowbars. They wouldn’t move, surprisingly. We lowered the carriage down again, chained the track to the carriage and lifted the track as well, before placing the carriage exactly where he wanted it.”

When Mick got back to the yard, he made a few enquiries about the weight. It would appear that the all steel carriage in its complete form weighs approximately 40 tons (89,600 lbs.)

“I would rather have had notice of this job so we could have planned things better but never mind, it worked out O.K.,” Mick said. “Although it wasn’t complete, it hadn’t lost much of its weight!”

Editor’s Note Jim “Buck” Sorrenti, a longtime editor of American Towman, has been our field editor for the past few years. He is a freelance writer and photographer with more than 40 years of experience covering motorcycle, hot rod, truck and towing culture.

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TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 27

Trucks in the Heart of

Texas

by Brendan Dooley

Pageant Winners Were Big and Bright

T

he 2013 Tow Expo Int’l, Aug. 8-11, at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, just keeps getting bigger. Isn’t that just like Texas: Go big or go home. More attendees packed the convention center, more vendors were on the show floor and more show trucks used the opportunity to shine.

This year, the show included dozens of exhibitors on the show floor, seminars, rotator training, a cigar smoker, casino night and the fantastic Southwest Chili Cook-Off to close the events.

Best of Show: 2012 Ford F-350 with Vulcan 804 wrecker. Crown-Waller Paint and Auto Body; Hempstead, Texas. This truck won the Light Duty, 2012-’13 class.

Light Duty, Pre-2012 winner: 2011 International with Century 602. Southbelt Wreckers; League City, Texas

Vintage Class winner: 1946 Chevy “rat rod” with scratchbuilt carrier deck. New Southside Towing; Austin, Texas.

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Car Carrier Class winner: 2012 Ford F-750 with 21’ Jerr-Dan bed.

Crown-Waller Paint and Auto Body; Hempstead, Texas.

“I think from all indications from exhibitors, Tow Expo International this year was the strongest buying show we’ve ever had,” said Henri “Doc” Calitri, AT Expo Corp. president. He said that attendance was up 18 percent over last year, and predominantly with motivated buyers—indicating the industry is continuing to surge upward.

The attendees in San Antonio included motivated show truck owners. This year’s USA Truck Pageant on the show floor nearly doubled the show trucks from last year. The high quality of the rigs was excellent and obvious.

Medium Duty Class winner: 2013 Freightliner with Vulcan V-30. Banis Towing; San Antonio, Texas.

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Heavy Duty Single-Axle Class winner: 2007 Peterbilt with Century 5130. Neal Pool Rekers; Odessa, Texas.

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Heavy Duty Tandem-Axle Class winner: 2013 Kenworth with Century 9055. Skeeter’s Towing; Whitesboro, Texas.

“This year ’s entrants in the wrecker pageant made our job as judges a tough one,” said one of the pageant judges. “At the end of the day when we tallied the scores and compared notes, there was often just a hair’s difference between a class winner and the next-best trucks.

“Something as simple as a missing first-aid kit, no safety clips on the hooks or poorly wound wire rope could mean the difference between taking home a trophy or not.”

Of special note is Diamond Towing’s Kenworth/Challenger wrecker, which took home a plaque for Best Working Class truck, owned by J.R. Galvan who also helped feed the crowd from his BBQ-competition trailer during the fourth annual Chili Cook-off that closed the show Saturday night.

All of the fantastic trucks on display at Tow Expo Int’l in San Antonio leads to one conclusion.

“Like always, the American Wrecker Pageant at the Baltimore AT Expo will be top-notch. But considering the quality of these Texas trucks that showed, and that it’s the 25th anniversary of the Baltimore show, we’ll need extra time to inspect all the entrants that much closer,” the judge said.

Don’t miss the 25th Anniversary AT Expo at the Baltimore (Md.) Convention Center, Nov. 15-17.

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TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 33

Whether it’s recovering an overturned tractor-trailer or towing a truck across town, you’re in command with your Vulcan V-100. The Vulcan V-100 is the tool you need to accomplish any task – just ask loyal Vulcan users who always demand the best from their fleets.

Once you purchase

For versatility in light- and medium-duty towing and recovery, the Vulcan V-30 meets your demands. Available in an aluminum or composite modular body, this 16-ton powerhouse comes loaded with many features found on Vulcan’s heavy-duty units.

a Vulcan, you’re in command.

Vulcan has led the industry in heavy-duty integrated towing and recovery units for 25 years. Available in 25-, 35- and 50-ton capacities, the Vulcan heavy-duty integrated series easily tackles the toughest jobs.

Vulcan’s L.C.G. (Low Center of Gravity) car carriers features a deck height that’s 5- to 8-inches lower, offering more stability during transport, a lower load angle and greater ease in securing loads. For recovery, Vulcan offers the SP8000 Sidepuller, the ultimate in car carrier versatility.

INNOVATIVE. DURABLE. BRUTALLY TOUGH. 8503 Hilltop Drive • Ooltewah, Tennessee 37363

www.millerind.com • 800-489-2401 Number 143 on Reader Card

The Vulcan Intruder leads the light-duty line-up with an autoload crossbar capable of picking up vehicles at a 90-degree angle and your choice of steel, aluminum or composite modular bodies. Other popular Vulcan light-duty units feature Vulcan’s strapless wheel-lift system.

GPS Foils Truck Thief Angela Estrella’s house-arrest term had just ended, and a judge allowed her to remove her ankle-monitor bracelet.

Soon after having the monitor removed, Estrella, 37, rented a car. It broke down on I-95 in Ormond Beach, Fla. According to the Associated Press, a tow truck driver came to help her out, but when he turned his back, Estrella jumped in his truck and drove off.

Ironically, just because Estrella’s GPS monitoring device had been removed it didn’t mean she was free from GPS tracking entirely. The truck itself was outfitted with a GPS device.

Police tracked the signal down and found Estrella at a gas station a few miles away. She was taken back to jail and charged with grand theft. Source: www.blogs.miaminewtimes.com.

Miller Expansion Set

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Miller Industries is expanding in Greeneville, Tenn., and adding 58 jobs.

The announcement Aug. 1 by the company and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development said Miller will add a new product line that includes building and refurbishing over-the-road trailers that haul cars to dealerships.

The company is investing $1.8 million to expand its plant and install new machinery and equipment. Source: The Associated Press.

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Appeal Too Much for Court?

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Three former Glouster, Ohio, village officials, who have been found liable for combined damages of $130,000 in a lawsuit by an area towing company, have filed a long appeal brief in the case.

Much too long, according to the attorney for the plaintiffs, the owners of JD’s Towing.

Attorney Robert C. Paxton II argues that the appellate court should simply throw out the defendants’ recently filed appeal brief, and decide the case based only on a brief filed by the plaintiffs.

This drastic action is justified, he claims, because the defendants have ignored an order by the court to keep their brief to 35 pages or fewer.

The brief as filed contains 55 pages, not counting another seven pages worth of case citations and assignments of error.

The complex lawsuit stems from allegations by JD’s that village officials cut the company out of village towing jobs, in retribution for JD’s having refused to lower a towing fee for a friend of the mayor.

A jury in Athens County Common Pleas Court awarded the plaintiffs more than $1 million in damages, but the trial judge effectively reduced that amount to $130,000 by granting new trials on a number of claims in the suit.

The case is now on appeal from both sides, with the plaintiffs seeking to have the original jury verdict restored, and the defendants seeking to have any findings against them set aside.

Source: www.athensnews.com.

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Owner Sees

Fleet Better GPS Gives Improved View of Operations

Star Towing owner Jim Sottile was able to expand his business without adding drivers by improving efficiencies with a GPS-based dispatch system.

S

tar Towing in Monroe, Mich., has been providing light- to heavy-duty towing services since 1993. The company has grown to 15 trucks and four locations, and runs at least nine trucks to service the area 24 hours a day.

Owner Jim Sottile was so busy he felt like he was losing track of his trucks. Incoming call volume made him consider adding phone lines and more trucks to meet demand. Sottile investigated closely and found that

40 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

more than 30 percent of the calls coming into the office were from drivers seeking more information about their next job or other questions.

Sottile realized he didn’t need more phone lines (or trucks), but rather better communications between customers, dispatch and towers. He also felt he needed a better handle on where his trucks were, and what jobs they received.

“It turns out that we were sometimes sending two trucks when one

could do the job,” Sottile said. “Other times, we just weren’t giving accurate ETAs. Because I couldn’t see exactly where my trucks were or what they were doing, I wasn’t always sending the closest one. And I didn’t have a good sense of how long things should take.”

Adding GPS In the course of finding solutions for his business, Sottile looked at get-

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ting GPS into his trucks with software packages to help him track calls better—and trucks. He purchased an integrated system from TomTom, Beacon and Traxxis that allowed him to keep track of trucks and cut down on driver calls to the office.

He said the new system has given him much more visibility into all aspects of his business.

“Now I know so much more,” Sottile said. “I’m very comfortable giving ETAs because I know they are accurate.”

Drivers don’t need to call into the office so much because all of the infor-

Dispatcher Kevin Sobota gets more accurate ETAs on drivers with Star Towing's GPS-based dispatch system.

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mation they need—from the location of their next job to how best to get there— is sent directly to them in the truck.

The way the system is tied to the trucks, Sottile is able to better understand driver behavior and improve operations.

“I tell my drivers that every time they push too hard on the gas or the brake, they are costing me money.

Now I can see exactly what they are doing and require them to drive to a specific rating level or face consequences,” Sottile said. “It’s changed their driving, our maintenance costs and fuel usage significantly.”

Sottile said the TomTom system has helped him decrease fuel usage by 30 percent per month, while increasing jobs 20 percent per day. Adding that capacity, Sottile said he’s been able to increase Star’s geographic service area for even more revenue growth.

Crime Stoppers The GPS-based system even helped Star Towing discover and solve a crime. One truck in particular seemed to be getting much lower gas mileage. Sottile tracked the truck during a fuel stop and discovered that while the driver was clearly at the gas station, he was about 600 feet away from the pump. It turned out that the employee was filling up a competitor’s truck for cash!

Using the data from the system, Sottile was able to catch the employee in the act and provide law enforcement with the evidence they needed.

The ease of communication and the detailed visibility into the vehicle’s location, driver ’s behavior and mileage have changed the way Sottile runs his business.

“Once you have this system, you realize what you’ve been missing,” said Sottile. “With TomTom, Beacon and Traxxis, we have total visibility, we bill more accurately, and we’re working more efficiently. I don’t know how we did it before.”

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TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 43

Are You Working for Free?

by Mark Lacek

L

et’s discuss “the resolution,” what it is and whether you should charge a fee. Not charging a resolution fee equates to you providing a service for free. The easy definition of the resolution is simple: Through the efforts of the recovery agent, the debtor calls the lender and makes payment arrangements. The lender then closes the assignment.

There are discussions on the blogs, chat rooms and message boards about what to charge for this service. Some lenders try to get away with paying little or nothing. In their eyes, you were asked to repossess the vehicle, not make the debtor pay. There are some clients who encourage the recovery agent to help resolve a delinquent account and are happy to pay you for the service—the account is current and the client does not have a repo to work.

Consider the following scenario: You have been to both the work and home address twice. You have not seen the asset, so you’re instructed to conduct a door knock. When the door opens, the mean old lady tells you to get lost (or worse) and slams the door. One hour later, the lender calls and tells you the debtor wired a couple of payments and for you to close the assignment and invoice for a resolution. Your fee for resolution should be pre-set so your client knows exactly what amount you will charge. For those who do an itemized invoice structure, it should be easy to create another line item.

Resolution does not mean collecting money from the debtor and sending it to the client. There are very strict rules governing debt collectors or collection agencies. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act closely monitors the practices of collection companies. Some talking heads will tell you that any role played in the repayment of a debt falls under the FDCPA. I don’t believe causing a debtor to call the lender falls under the FDCPA. 44 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

(Many industry gurus agree with my opinion.)

"You provided a service and you must get compensated."

You should have a set fee for causing a resolution. In my opinion, the resolution fee should be at least 80 percent of the recovery fee. Many repossession companies will charge the same for a resolution as they charge for repossession. This is up to you and your client. (Don’t confuse a resolution with a close fee.) A resolution is when your actions caused the debtor to communicate with the lender and come to an agreement. You must be compensated. You probably used just as many

resources as if you had recovered the asset.

It doesn’t matter if the debtor just so happened to look out the window and see you drive by the house and then decided to make the payment. The fact is your efforts caused the debtor to resolve the issue. The lender was able to remove the customer from column A and place him in column B. Nice work.

Of course we want to repossess the asset, but sometimes it is simply impossible to recover. The collateral might be locked up in the garage or just plain nowhere to be found. The point again is simple, you provided a service and you must get compensated for your efforts.

Now, a close fee is when your client informs you the recovery assignment is cancelled. You may have an agreement that if you fail to recover the collateral within a certain timeframe, your client will close the assignment with you and send it to another agency. (A good client will then call this assignment a “second placement” to inform the next agent the assignment has been worked.)

It is always wise to ask the client why

the assignment is being closed. Clients are guilty sometimes of not letting you know there was a resolution. Yes, how are you going to know if the debtor has made arrangements to pay up if you do not ask the client why the assignment is being closed? You might be surprised how often a client will close an account without letting you know there was a resolution.

A contingent assignment is when you agree not to charge a fee if you do not recover the asset. There have been downand-out brawls over this subject at many of the recovery conventions over the years. We can argue about accepting contingency assignments until the cows come home. In my opinion, it is impossible to not work some assignments on a contingent basis.

The contingency issue, in my opinion, should not get in the way of conducting business. The fact is that your company is only as good as the productivity levels you supply to your client. My success rate is very high. When a client asks me if I work contingent, the answer

is not yes or no. I explain that contingency does not matter when I am successful at recovering the asset. I also encourage the lender to send me as much

Don’t Miss Repo 101 I will again conduct the Repo 101 seminar this November at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore, Md. Last year it was such a success, one hour was just not enough time, so I’ve been asked to expand the seminar into a two-hour event.

Last year the room was busting at the seams. I am in the process of putting together the session. Feel free to email me any ideas or subjects you would like included. Bring your pads and paper; I do not do PowerPoint, you will not fall asleep. If you were lucky to be there last year, you know I crammed eight hours of info into a one-hour session. Do not be late.

Email me at mark@commercialassetsolutions.com.

information on the debtor as possible.

Clients are sometimes guilty of not supplying the agent with all of the available information. I cannot tell you how many times the lender will find new and valuable debtor information just by rechecking his notes.

Remember to explain ahead of time if the debtor makes payment arrangements while the assignment is out for recovery, there will be a resolution fee. You must also explain to the client if the residence address and place of employment of the debtor is not known, there will be a skip fee included when you recover the collateral. (Skips will be covered in part in my seminar in November.)

Stay safe.

Author Mark Lacek is a 30-year recovery industry veteran and former editor of Professional Repossessor magazine.

Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com

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TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 45

Let’s Take ’Em

by Brendan Dooley

to the Show

Las Vegas Expo Used to Reward Driver Performance

A

t Quik Pik/All Over Towing of Phoenix, Ariz., they pay more than lip service to the workers that make their business go. They pay their way to Las Vegas.

At least, that’s what they did for more than a dozen drivers who won a company incentive program to spend a day at the inaugural American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas during Tow Industry Week.

Quik Pik has around 75 employees, including nearly 50 drivers, and was founded as a way to provide better service to customers of the family’s repair business. The top managers understand that to give customers a superior level of

After a successful incentive program, Quik Pik/All Over Towing of Phoenix, Ariz., paid for a third of its drivers to attend the inaugural American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas during Tow Industry Week.

service starts with happy employees.

“About 80 percent of our group has been with us for probably about an average of six to seven years,” said Joe DiMarco Jr., VP of operations. “Once we

Quik Pik's management team includes (from left), John Doukas, VP of operations and business development; Joe DiMarco Jr., VP of operations; and Tom DiMarco Jr., VP of maintenance.

46 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

find the right ingredient, we try to keep them.”

The goal is that employees understand that successes and growth for Quik Pik are successes for them, too.

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Quik Pik Towing serves the majority of motor clubs in the Phoenix area, and specializes in luxury and unique tows and service.

Managers strive to keep that message fresh and clear.

“We try to create not just a job, but a career,” said John Doukas, VP of operations and business development.

“They feel that stability and a solid foundation … that we always have a vision.”

The family-run organization demands teamwork from employees, but also dives right into work shoulder to shoulder to get the job done.

“A big advantage with our company is that drivers see myself and Tom (DiMarco Jr., VP of maintenance), who runs all the trucks and is the senior mechanic, out there. [Tom] does a lot of the heavy-duty jobs when we’re really overloaded. We are driver-friendly—they see us out there doing what they’re doing,” said Joe DiMarco Sr., VP of fleet.

“We are physically there seven

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days a week, all day, and full shifts,” DiMarco Sr. said. “They know we’re totally in. That works well for us, and that’s why so many guys have stayed with us, because we look after them.

That’s part of my spiel … ‘You look after us; we’ll look after you.’ ”

Going to Vegas Quik Pik’s owners and managers have been regulars at other tow shows for years, including regular attendance at the AT Expo in Baltimore, Md. When American Towman announced its newest towing expo in Las Vegas, Quik Pik’s team saw the light immediately.

“When we heard about the [Vegas] show—the other shows are kind of far for us—we thought this would be a good opportunity to parlay into a giveback for our group,” Joe Jr. said. “We knew many of our drivers had never been exposed to towing like this, or even Las Vegas … none of them have ever been to a tow show.

“We made an eligibility checklist

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Quik Pik operates from three locations and covers everything from light- to heavy-duty, hauling, road service and more.

that included attendance, customer service, the most compliments, keeping the equipment clean, no damages, no incidents. … All the things you really want from your drivers, but is hard to implement every day.”

Quik Pik does light- to heavy-duty towing, hauling and lots of road service

calls. The company works with the majority of motor clubs. Drivers getting compliments from customers became a focus of the six-month incentive program to earn the Vegas trip.

“We encouraged drivers to get as many call-ins for compliments as possible,” said Joe Jr. In the past, the com-

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For advertising opportunities call 800-732-3869 Dennie Ortiz x213 dortiz@towman.com Ellen Rosengart x203 erosengart@towman.com

pany gave away gift cards and other rewards for top drivers in customer feedback. They even gave drivers GEICO-approved business cards to personalize and hand out for customers to call GEICO and tell them about positive experiences. (Joe Jr. said GEICO even called him to say their lines were being tied up with so many positive calls about Quik Pik drivers.)

“It’s a driving factor to get those feedbacks to GEICO and AAA and Allstate and have those good experiences, because that puts us on a different level with them and solidifies us as a top company.”

So tracking compliments coming back from the motor clubs, as well as those that came direct to Quik Pik became a heavily weighted portion of the contest.

“The most interesting part of the contest was the changes in the drivers.

It got very contagious and competitive and drivers walked in and first thing said, ‘Did I get any complaints?’ …

They were monitoring their behavior a little better,” Joe Jr. said.

Though their drivers always do a good job, Joe Sr. said the contest changed the whole dynamic of the daily routine. ETAs even dropped during the contest.

Over the six months, drivers needed a minimum of five compliments and no damage reports, incidents or missed days to qualify to see Tow Industry Week live. The contest was open to all drivers, and provided for travel, hotel, food and admission to the show floor on Saturday.

Joe Sr. said the drivers were “all smiling, like they were on another level, walking around the show floor, with their chests puffed out and proud of what they accomplished. The company benefits from that.”

“They’re always watching, Doukas said. “When the drivers saw their reception at the show from GEICO and Allstate and Quest and Road America and CoachNet and the rest, that just gave them more of an attachment to what our success story was.”

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"My first auction through TowLot.com was a success. They’ve been strong ever since. My rec ent auction in May

*

*

A $30 charge to post a vehicle onto one's virtual showroom is recouped by posting a buyer's fee.

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grossed $27,425 with 32 vehicles, averaging $857 per vehicle.”

Joe Meyer, Overland Towing, Overland Park, KS

ROBERT YOUNGS SALES AND SERVICE 1-800-246-4785 540-982-3809 Sliding Rotators, Quick Swaps Sliders, Fixed Boom Rollbacks, Air Cushions We Buy Used Heavy Wreckers

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Call 800-732-3869 E. Rosengart x 203 erosengart@towman.com D.Ortiz x 213 dortiz@towman.com TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 55

LETS TAKE ‘EM TO THE SHOW continued from page 50

Quik Pik managers understand their success starts with trained drivers in the field ready and willing to take on most any job.

“Any chance you get the opportunity to feel better about yourself and the industry, it’s a win-win,” Joe Sr. said.

Next Up Quik Pik found the program was a success on all levels. It improved productivity, efficiency, morale and more.

Now they are looking for ways to

expand the incentives to office staff as well as drivers for even more buy-in.

“For the last eight years we’ve done Baltimore … And now the Vegas show will definitely be on our agenda for sure,” Joe Jr. said. “So now it’s, ‘What’s next?’ … So we’re going to do a same or similar program for the next show.

“But we may add a couple of wrin-

Number171 on Reader Card

56 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

kles to it to be a little more creative.”

“We’re going to include our administrator staff in that piece also,” Doukas said. “They deserve it.”

“They do a wonderful job, too, absolutely,” Joe Jr. said. “It takes all these spokes in the wheel to make this thing work.

“We’re really lucky, I mean, our office staff is even longer tenured with us than the drivers. The office staff are all cross-trained, they could go from dispatch to answering phones, billing.”

“There’s a lot of checks and balances across the way. We’re putting trust in them. They’ve been with us awhile.

There’s a lot of input at different levels,” Joe Sr. said.

“It works for us and it keeps them all involved, too. They all feel good that we trust them. It works well.”

Don’t be surprised to see even more Quik Pik shirts on the floor at next year’s Tow Industry Week as plenty of dispatchers and support staff join the drivers in learning more about this industry directly from the vendors.

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Deadline: September 30th *NOTE: Describe the incident and include the name, company, phone number and address of the nominee. All accounts should be able to be corroborated by a third party source, i.e., police, victim, witness.

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Phone: Number 206 on Reader Card

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

‘Tow Tater’ Tackles Heavy Jobs

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

E

stablished in 1982, Burch’s Towing & Recovery based in Chesterfield, S.C., is a heavy-duty tow truck and wrecker service covering parts of both Carolinas. The company is owned and operated by the husbandand-wife team of Tim and Lori Burch and specializes in the big, heavy wrecker jobs that require air cushions, low-boy trailers and off-road equipment.

“We also run medium- and heavy-duty wreckers and rollbacks for stranded and wrecked motorists,” Tim said.

“We are … experienced professionals.”

To complement their heavy work niche is “Tow Tater,” the Burch’s 2012 Peterbilt 388 with a Century 1060S rotator on the business end. The Century 1060S has a 60-ton boom with dual 50,000-lbs. two-speed planetary winches and a 30,000-lbs. drag winch. It is equipped with H-beam lowprofile outriggers up front, four-stage outriggers on the back and a spreader bar kit. The underlift has a tow rating of 80,000-lbs.

58 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

The truck’s many custom lights include Dominators, Whelan M600s, swivel floodlights, docking lights and light bars.

Tasteful touches of custom stainless and aluminum include stainless door guards and fender skirts. Miller Industries built this rig; Lori said it was the last unit to leave the factory in 2011.

The paint job was done by Gary Headrick of Headrick’s Body Shop in Rossville, Ga., with graphics and lettering done

by Russell Stancil of Brothers Graphics in Mt. Croghan, S.C. Graphics include Hasbro’s “Mr. Potato Head” atop rotating gears.

As striking as this truck is to look at there is no question that this is a working rig.

“We did a scrap steel container that rolled over and crushed cars,” Lori said. “With the rotator we were able to upright it and clean up the load. We also did a bulldozer that had been stuck for a week; we brought a tractor-trailer out of a ravine.

“This truck has been busy since we got it so we haven’t put it in any shows yet. We were going to enter it in the North Carolina/South Carolina Tow Show, but our daughter got married that weekend so we weren’t able to go,” Lori said.

“Timmy and me share the load here. We both answer phones and dispatch and when the rotator gets called out for a recovery, I go out in our rigging truck following Timmy and help with the recovery.”

Tech Highlights Chassis: 2012 Peterbilt 388.

Wrecker 2012 Century 1060S rotator.

Engine: Cummins N14.

Trans: Eaton 18-speed.

Winches: Dual planetary 50,000-lbs. and a 30,000-lbs. drag winch.

Builder: Miller Industries.

Extras: Stainless door guards and fender skirts, extensive custom lighting.

Equipment: Generator, spreader bar kit.

Paint: Headrick’s Body Shop; Rossville, Ga. Graphics/lettering: Brothers Graphics; Mt. Croghan, S.C.

TOWMAN.COM - September 2013 • 59

Define Profit

by Steve Calitri

I

n business we know we want to make money. That’s the game. But do we want to be profitable? That’s an interesting question.

For those who know they want to improve their bottom line, there’s many a thing a tow business owner can do. Just looking over the roster of seminars at the American Towman Exposition, November 15-17, in Baltimore, and you’ll see several aspects of a towing operation addressed in a strategic manner; accident cleanup, unclaimed vehicles, using GPS Intelligence, recovery billing, to name but a few of the 30 topics addressed by the three-day seminar program.

So there are places where towers can turn to find out about improving their business and bottom line. But the first hurdle is answering the question; do you want to be profitable?

This question can only be effectively answered if one has a meaningful definition of “profit.” Total revenue, minus all costs (including all overhead costs, including your own salary), will give you a net amount and that is your pre-tax profit. Once we agree on this we can move on to the next critical question. What is your profit goal?

Very little success happens in this world in a haphazard fashion. By setting a goal you can then strategize on how to reach it. It’s as simple as travelling. Once you know where you want to go on vacation, say Egypt and the Pyramids, you can then map out the logistics of getting there. If you don’t know where you want to go, you’ll never get there.

If you know you want to set a dollar amount as your profit goal, you can then figure out what percentage of your gross revenues that equates to,

60 • September 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

and then examine costs and call volume and projections on future call volume, then setting your rates accordingly to achieve that goal.

You may think it’s not as simple as this, but my reply is that it’s as simple or as difficult as you make it. While you cannot control all the factors in the marketplace, you can control how your company does business.

If you suspect your business could have more direction, that is a better sense of where it wants to go, and more clues on how to get there, get with other tow bosses who are willing to share the practices that have worked for them. Go to Baltimore for the American Towman Academy, which has been credited by thousands of towers for helping to turn their business around or lift their business to another plateau of success.

Being profitable is one manner of being successful. In a service business, however, an operation that serves the public directly, one on one, there are rewards that go beyond profitability.

The rewards of being appreciated by your customers, the rewards of professionalism, the rewards that pride brings to one’s life and spirit, the pride one has in how they do business…all of this can make one successful beyond the bottom line. I would venture to say that a company who does a great job in serving its customers with people who take great pride in their work, their workplace, and their trucks, are more successful than a company who falls short in these traits but has a better bottom line. But that’s just me.

The best scenario, of course, is the proud and happy company that also has a profit goal and figures how to achieve it.

Where Towers Fear To Tread could be the title of the recovery covered in American Towman’s October issue. The tractor stuck in the mud of a farm field called upon a makeshift recovery apparatus of one innovative tower in Madelia, Minn.

Speaking of innovation, the 25th Anniversary American Towman Exposition show program will be featured in October and you can read how the world’s premier tow show continues to exceed the expectations of its tow industry fans.

Tow Industry Week in August featured a Randy Resch, Operations article on upside-down recoveries and the pros and cons of loading a vehicle upside down. Add to that the Road & Track page, which regularly features recovery articles and many pictures, and ATTV action on recovery caught on video, and it’s easy to understand why TIW has become the go-to Internet site for recovery specialists.

AmericanTowmanTV.com also featured a segment on Internet Presence and Reputation and how one towing company using the services of OMG National to both increase its presence on search engines and sound the alert when an Internet review of its services is less than flattering. This company says it no longer advertises in the Yellow Pages.

AT Media continues to post weekly news on RepoTimes.com to keep repo-specialists abreast of news they should know about.

Copyright 2013 American Towman Magazine. Characters and stories are fictitious; no resemblance to real life characters is intended.

Send your thoughts/suggestions on the Adventures to scalitri@towman.com or American Towman, 7 West St, Warwick NY 10990

Number 195 on Reader Card

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Number 154 on Reader Card