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First On The Scene
Since 1977
FEATURE CONTENTS After rescuing oil-field equipment from going over the side of a bridge in Dallas, Texas, the crew at Jordan Towing gets it loaded onto a Landoll trailer.
Product Gateway pages 40-46 It never hurts to take a look at what’s coming. Get a first look at the tools and equipment you need in the coming year.
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Best of Boomer When you need to shake off some of the gallows humor of towing, Boomer is there each week on TIW. by Brendan Dooley
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High Wire Act All eyes were on the recovery efforts of Jordan Towing as drilling equipment dangled over rushing highways in Dallas. by Jim “Buck“ Sorrenti
Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
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Tremont Towing Tackles Image The former subject of reality TV, this company in Miami, Fla., is moving on and putting the focus on its customers. by George L. Nitti
AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .66 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .78 4 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
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Historic Bridge Recovery When a loaded water tanker crashed through a wood-plank bridge in Pennsylvania, Wade’s was summoned. by Jim “Buck“ Sorrenti
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Laughter Is the Best Medicine by Dennie Ortiz
We have an issue jam-packed with info you need to run your business successfully—with a bit of fun mixed in. As most of the country enters into winter (and the coldand-flu season), AT has a special treat this issue to help cure your ills. Many say laughter is the best medicine. They also suggest that it’s good to poke fun at yourself to stay grounded. I’m not sure how much more grounded the towing profession can be, but you could ask Boomer Hayes. Boomer is our resident tower (appearing weekly online at Tow IndustryWeek.com) who routinely finds himself in comedic mostly reallife situations. It’s funny because it’s true. Enjoy a little levity and some chuckles with our collection of the best Boomer Hayes comics from TIW over the past couple years. Laughter is good, but reality can’t be ignored. Check out Randy
First On The Scene! Resch’s article on responding to police calls with the proper equipment. He focuses in on how flatbeds can be used as recovery vehicles in many incidents and recommends methods to educate your municipalities to permit them as such. We have not one, but two challenging recoveries this month involving bridge accidents. One left equipment dangling over the side of a highway; the other is a water tanker that broke through the planks of a historic bridge. Do I need to say more? Keeping your skills fresh is critical in this profession. It’s easy to acquire some bad habits and get careless performing repetitive procedures. So going back to the basics is important every now and then. This is exactly what Terry Abejuela covers in his article showing the techniques of a standard rollover. Always feel free to share with us your thoughts and comments on each issue; we love hearing from you. Be safe out there.
Product Outlook for 2015 by Brendan Dooley
As you look to a new year dawning for your tow company, you know many of your products need updating, whether from constant use or emerging technologies. As we do every December, AT brings dozens of products to you in our extended “Product Gateway” equipment section, starting on page 40. From new trucks and wreckers to hi-vis gear and air cushions, get a closer look at your product needs all in one informative section. Be sure to keep this issue handy all year long as a convenient tool and equipment resource.
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Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley Charles Duke
Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Senior 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 Don Archer Roy Carlson Debbie Collins Belinda Harris Bill Johnson Ron Mislan Kurt Wilson
Dallas, Texas Jefferson City, Mo. St. Paul, Minn. Las Vegas, Nev. Greensboro, N.C. South Hadley, Mass. Warren, N.J. Creve Coeur, Ill.
American Towman Staff Ann Marie Nitti Dennie Ortiz Ellen Rosengart Norma Calitri Neila Smith Miriam Ortiz Henri Calitri Toni Vanderhorst William Burwell Peggy Calabrese Ryan Oser 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 Regional Advertising Sales iMarketing Manager 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 ©2014 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.American Towman Media does not test or review products submitted for inclusion in its publications. All included information, specifications and abilities are as claimed by the equipment manufacturer who is solely liable for any defects or misrepresentations in its products.
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Tower Stole from Towed Cars A St. Louis, Mo., city tower and another man were arrested for allegedly stealing from cars towed to the city’s towing lot. According to documents, Nathaniel Davis, 62, and Treron Marshall, 35, were caught operating a city-owned flatbed tow truck and removing items from the tow lot. Police said they found stereos, cellphones, GPS devices, clothing, auto parts and hand tools in the bed of the tow truck. Police said Davis and Marshall admitted that they entered and stole items from vehicles located on the city towing lot. The two men have been charged with felony stealing. Davis has worked for the St. Louis’ towing division since 2007. Source: www.kmov.com
Tower Rescues Pinned Teen
A 13-year-old boy was seriously injured in November when he was struck by an NYPD School Safety van and wound up underneath the vehicle after his backpack snagged on the vehicle’s bumper, police said. A private tower, who happened upon the scene in Brooklyn, N.Y., used his rig to help rescuers free the teen, police said. A school safety agent was driving the police van when he swerved to avoid a car. The police van then struck the boy as he stepped between parked cars at midblock. A group of bystanders ran to help the boy but could not lift the van enough to free him, witnesses and police said. Passing by at that moment was Jaswinber Singh, 42, a tower with Precision Towing, who saw the crowd trying to raise the van. “I saw him under the van as I was driving by and I had to help,” Singh said. Singh hooked the van up to his truck and lifted the front end so that the boy’s backpack could be freed, he said. The boy suffered a broken leg and a fractured pelvis, police said. Source: www.nydailynews.com. 8 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Pa. Kills AutoReturn Contract The Pennsylvania State Police ended its no-bid contract with AutoReturn to serve emergency dispatches on state roads, I-80 and in Crawford, Erie, Venango and Warren counties. The agreement was originally reached with the intention of expanding AutoReturn’s service statewide. Concerns about the safety, cost, efficiency and responsiveness of AutoReturn caused public concern for many Pennsylvanians. “Towers actually thought for themselves and became proactive rather than reactive,” said Gwen Null of Null’s Towing in Cochranville, Pa. “The guys in the
pilot area said ‘No,’ the volunteer fire companies who are vital with traffic control said ‘No,’ [and] the legislators were contacted and educated.” State Sen. Scott E. Hutchinson supported the PSP’s decision to end the pilot program. “This is a good and appropriate decision by the State Police,” Hutchinson said. “There were serious public safety issues and credibility concerns regarding the vendor. There was almost universal opposition to this dispatching service. ... This was an experiment that simply did not work.” Source: www.pennbusinessdaily.com
Troopers Include
Towers in Training A ribbon-cutting ceremony was recently held in Nashville, Tenn., for a new training facility for emergency responders to practice mock traffic accidents. “We have EMS, we have fire, we have tow truck drivers and we have help truck drivers from Tennessee Department of Transportation,” said Tennessee Highway Patrol Col. Tracy Trott at the ceremony. Sgt. Shane Stafford with THP said it’s supposed to help bring about teamwork. “When we learn to work together, we learn what each other’s responsibilities are, and we can be a little bit more compassionate about what our roles are,” he said. TDOT applied for and received
federal highway safety improvement funds, which covered 90 percent of the cost. The facility is set up to resemble an interstate where responders learn how to interact and cooperate. “We want to live to see another day, and this type of facility helps us train with the other disciplines to coordinate those efforts to get here, treat people, protect them and get off the road,” Trott said. Source: www.jrn.com
. . . Legislators were contacted and educated . . . Judge Blocks Change in Tow Rules A West Virginia circuit judge recently issued a temporary restraining order blocking Nicholas County emergency officials from changing the agreement tow truck operators must sign with Nicholas County 911 to be dispatched to accidents. Judge Gary Johnson found the tow truck operators had been denied the opportunity for input into the rules the law requires. He said the county commission must conduct a public hearing with tow truck operators, police and emergency officials before changing the rules. Two of the county’s six wrecker services went to court to block the change. They claimed they would have to buy an additional truck to comply with rules. Nicholas County 911 officials dispute that and say the main change will allow them to dispatch the closest wrecker rather than taking trucks in order from a rotation list. Source: www.wchstv.com
Alert Tower Helps Nab Crooks
Two men were arrested recently in Victorville, Calif., after the U-Haul van they were driving got a flat tire and a tower found thousands of dollars worth of road construction materials inside. Deputies received a call from the tower who said he was attempting to help the U-Haul when he realized the van was hauling “possibly stolen items from another location,” authorities said. The truck was full of guardrails, buckets of nuts and bolts and wooden posts that authorities valued at up to $10,000. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials said other deputies were taking reports of the stolen materials just as the suspects were found in Victorville. “It was a good observation from the tow driver,” Sheriff’s Sgt. Ken Lutz said. “Taxpayers won’t have to be responsible for this extra expense.” Source: www.vvdailypress.com Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Tower Helps Arrest Thieves Due to the quick thinking of Brian Jackson, owner of Jackson Towing in Elsberry, Mo., the county sheriff was able to arrest two suspects for allegedly stealing copper pipe from an empty house. Jackson was called to the house by Jeffery Roark to tow a van out of the mud. When Roark and companion April Broyles could not pay the towing fee, Roark called two friends to help pay the bill. Roark took a large amount of copper wiring from his car and transferred it to the friends’ car. Once Jackson towed the van to his lot, he alerted the sheriff’s department. According to Broyles, she and Roark went to the home because they knew the renter was no longer living there and then removed wiring and tubing from the residence. Once their van was stuck, Roark instructed his friends to sell the copper wiring at a local scrap yard to help pay the tow fee and purchase methamphetamine. Source: www.lincolncountyjournal.com
Tow Trucks for Tots More than 300 tow trucks lined up outside of Hollywood Casino in Joliet, Ill., on Nov. 9 for the seventh annual Worldwide Equipment Sales Tow Trucks for Tots parade. Tow Trucks for Tots is a not-forprofit organization created by Worldwide and local towing companies to collect toys for less fortunate children in the community. Last year the event collected 5,620 lbs. of toys, which in turn were primarily donated to local charities, shelters, individuals and food pantries. The program seeks to bring a much-needed toy to a deserving child, enhance the image of the towing industry, and break the Guinness World Record for largest tow truck parade. So far, Tow Trucks for Tots event holds the record with 324 tow trucks. The parade route covered 45 miles. Find more information on the event, and get news for 2015, at www.TowTrucksForTots.com.
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Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! IR’s 2135QXPA Series Impactool Ingersoll Rand’s newest pneumatic tool, the 2135QXPA Series Impactool, is a lightweight powerful impact wrench built as an upgrade to the 2350XP. The 2135QXPA was created specifically for shops that need an affordable impact wrench that doesn’t sacrifice power and performance. At 4 lbs., the 2135QXPA delivers 780 ft./lbs. of max reverse torque and 1,100 ft./lbs. of nut-busting torque. Combined with Ingersoll Rand’s Quiet Technology, it is both quiet and powerful.
www.IRTools.com/2135QXPA Number 200 on Reader Card
3-in-1 LED Flare/Flashlight/Worklight TowMate’s new 3-in-1 LED Combo Light, No. TMPRO-3-1, is a rechargeable emergency light system. Replace chemical flares with the 1,020-lumen LED flare function, illuminate a work area with its 840-lumen LED worklight, or
utilize its 340-lumen LED flashlight for increased visibility. The battery life can reach more than six hours on a single charge. The system includes a rechargeable 12V DC charging base and a hard-shell carrying case.
www.TowMate.com Number 201 on Reader Card
Access’s Button Master Goes Heavy Duty Access Tools released a new version of its Button Master tool for vertical lock buttons, the Heavy Duty Button Master. It features a thicker internal wire that is less likely to kink and curl than the standard Button Master, and a more durable heavy-duty tube that remains flexible.
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Hino Marks 30 Years, Updates 258ALP
H
ino’s model 258ALP medium-duty chassis is a low-profile platform ideally suited to urban environments. The 25,500-lbs GVW chassis features air brakes and is available in 220 hp and 260 hp. The company’s engines combine high-pressure common rail fuel injection, variable geometry turbocharger design and cooled EGR with selective catalytic reduction for emission control result in a fuel-efficient compliance with 2010 EPA regulations. Along with updates to the Hino 258 this year, the company celebrates 30 years in the U.S. Founded in 1984 as a limited distributorship with responsibility for importing Class 4 through 7 cab-over trucks, Hino has evolved a dealer network of more than 200 points, with assembly and manufacturing facilities in Williamstown, W.V., and Marion, Ark. “To some, Hino Trucks represents a reliable transportation source that enables businesses to meet the needs of their customers. Still others look to Hino Trucks as a trusted business partner that can be counted on as a steadying presence in a volatile economic environment,” said Glenn Ellis, VP of marketing, product planning and dealer operations. “In looking back at 30 years in the U.S. market, we have learned how to deal with success and chal-
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lenges. We have adapted and will continue to do so to meet the needs of this demanding market. Our 30th anniversary is a milestone and turning point for Hino to take the next step,” said Yoshinori Noguchi, president/CEO of Hino Trucks. Other 258ALP features include: • Class 5 COE and Class 6 and 7 conventional trucks are approved to use up to B20 biodiesel. • Common rail fuel injection for higher pressure over the entire speed range for a more responsive engine and better control of fuel quantity in the combustion. • Fully automatic six-speed Allison transmission. • Cab designed for high visibility, comfort and low noise levels with a Toyota-inspired interior design. • Standard A/C and CD player. • Fully galvanized steel cab with extra rigidity for ride comfort and noise reduction. • Engine warranty is 5 years/250,000 mileage coverage. New coverage has been expanded to cover key components such as fuel injectors, the fuel injection supply pump and the turbo charger.
www.hino.com Number 203 on Reader Card
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 11
Flatbeds: Not for Recovery? by Randall C. Resch
T
here are plenty of comments on tow forums regarding negative acceptance of rollbacks for police-initiated accidents and recoveries scenarios. Unless you’re new to the industry, tow trucks or “wreckers,” are different by definition than car carriers/flatbeds/rollbacks commonly used for vehicle transportation. When responding to rotation calls for service, tow companies have an immediate obligation to dispatch proper equipment, either by contract requirements or as result of specific instructions by officers on-scene. Depending on where your company’s operations are located, contracts vary based on agency needs or definitions as to what tow trucks and rollback carriers do. Some states—like Oregon, Florida and California—have specific wording to their contracts identifying requirements of “recovery trucks.” In Oregon, as defined by the state police’s “Administrative Rules” regarding rotation towing, it states that a “Recovery Vehicle” is: • A commercially available truck chassis equipped with a commercially manufactured tow body or bed, that is rated and issued a serial number by the manufacturer; • Designed and equipped for, and used in, the towing and/or recovery of vehicles; • Capable of towing a vehicle by means of a tow bar, sling or wheel lift; and • Capable of recovering a vehicle by means of a hoist, winch and tow line. In Hillsborough County, Fla., the Public Transportation Commission defines a “Carrier” or “Car Carrier” as “a type of wrecker that carries a vehicle on a flatbed mounted to the vehicle chassis. Generally, the bed tilts to allow a vehicle to be pulled, via winch and cable, up the bed to which it is secured during movement.” It defines a recovery truck in its contract as “a winchcapable boom wrecker that is configured with a boom and winches to provide leverage required to recover vehicles from abnormal locations or positions. These vehicles normally are configured to tow vehicles with the boom and sling, tow bars or wheel-lifting devices.” In neither case is a rollback carrier defined for consideration or use in operations of vehicle recovery.
The Problems When a carrier (at the time) was new-style equipment, the learning curve for them didn’t yet fit the intent of quick clearance. Towers responding in a rollback, but needing a 12 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Using a carrier for law enforcement-initiated recoveries may not be acceptable depending on the language in the contract.
wrecker, became increasingly problematic, so change was essential. In some cases, companies intentionally dispatched a rollback to gain time, meet ETAs and/or bill for two trucks when the operator told the officer they needed a wrecker to complete the job. This resulted in more time on-scene because a second truck was needed. Those alleged actions brought forth change to the wording of law enforcement contracts. I believe some prominent issues caused revisions for carrier regulations: • Law enforcement received little to no training to make officers aware of the differences of equipment capability regarding towing, recovery and transport. Police academy education wasn’t available. • The closest truck was dispatched vs. what the officer requested (to save gas and avoid crossing trucks).
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• Rollback operators were undertrained/untrained in how to use rollbacks in recovery situations. • Rollbacks didn’t have side-puller systems, making them limited in recovery abilities. • Rollbacks weren’t warranted, guaranteed or recommended by some manufacturers for recovery purposes. In most towing jurisdictions, the process was simple: officers provided police dispatchers information regarding the situation and their needs onscene. When the call was dispatched to a tow company, the tow company was ultimately responsible for dispatching the proper equipment. If the information was misunderstood, or if there was a breakdown in communications, towers ultimately had to explain their reasons for arriving with the wrong equipment. More than one driver got their butt chewed for arriving in the wrong truck, but that still happens in today’s world.
Doing the Work Much of a rollback’s abilities come from the experience and aptitude of its operator. I’ll attest that some so-called experienced wrecker operators clearly have minimal or non-existent recovery skills working rollbacks. Some companies fail to provide basic or ongoing training to their operators, and they’re unable to work simple rollovers. When that occurs, some officers get frustrated enough to order the tower to “just !@$#--- drag the vehicle upside-down and get off the scene.” When towers arrive at accident scenes in rollback carriers, they sometimes request additional lanes to work the wreck. There are skilled towers trained in the art of one-lane uprights, but officers remain hesitant to provide additional lanes or space for conducting recoveries. These on-scene problems sometimes result in complaints to tow bosses. The other side of this coin is having the ability to demonstrate to your area officers that you have new equipment and experienced operators who know how to work the rollback, specifically if the carrier’s equipped with a side-puller. It’s never a bad step to make sure your contracted parties 14 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
know what your trained operators can do with your equipment. The bottom line to working rollback recoveries is having competent and efficient operators skilled in working recovery scenarios. In addition to dispatching skilled operators, your company’s rollbacks should be equipped with additional chain, cable, ratchets and straps, skates, maybe a motorcycle attachment device, extra snatch blocks … even dollies. Fully equipped rollbacks with trained, skilled, creative operators, can work most recoveries. Ultimately, it’s your company’s rollback operators that either make or break the mindset of an officer who’s carefully watching. If you arrive in your rollback at a rollover that’s blocking two lanes where the officer angrily squints at you and mockingly asks, “Now, what’cha gonna do with that?”— that’s your chance to impress that rollbacks can do the job with the right operator at the controls.
Side-Pullers With the inception of side-pullertype superstructures, there’s a new light in considering whether a rollback truck, properly equipped, can meet the definition of a recovery truck. In the existing wording of some contracts, does having or adding a side-puller device meet requirements? In California’s Tow Service Agreement for companies serving the Highway Patrol, “All recovery vehicles shall have recovery, wheel lift, and an extendable/retractable boom meeting the specifications contained in this TSA.” Note the requirement for “extendable/retractable boom.” It also states, “An operator who has a car carrier is exempted from the recovery, wheel lift, and boom requirements. However, the additional unit shall not be used for recovery.” Does your agency’s contract have a “Special Equipment” section for inclusion in your service operations? Does it apply to rollbacks? In California’s TSA, it states; “To properly and safely tow, service, or recover a wide variety of vehicles being operated on the highway, a towing procedure may require the use of the special equip-
ment designed for the purpose. This special equipment shall be listed on the operator’s CHP 234 A and should be used when appropriate.” Is a sidepuller-equipped rollback now considered special equipment or a recovery truck? Rollback carriers, when combined with proper skills and handling, can conduct rollovers and some miscellaneous recoveries with complete success. But, if you or your towers arrive on-scene and accept any recovery, especially where a tow truck was initially requested, if the recovery doesn’t go well, it may be a contract violation where disciplinary action could be levied. It’s important that towers understand the specific wording of their law enforcement contracts as it applies to rollbacks working recoveries. Also, know that many police officers are mostly clueless as to the numerous types of tow trucks and equipment available to them. It makes perfect sense to educate the officers in your community by providing press releases showcasing your company’s equipment, list it on contract applications, and/or put on an open house with live towing and recovery demonstrations. Why not invite the community while being sure to include area police and fire departments in an organized, joint, inhouse training venture? Is this something state tow associations should approach? Perhaps the most important feature of any open house, live demonstration or on-scene accident recovery is responding with drivers who are professional and competent. It doesn’t make sense to have the best tools in your company’s toolbox if no one knows how to use them. Policy doesn’t change until law enforcement is confident we towers can get the job done using what we have … it’s not me you have to convince.
Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for over 40 years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and light-duty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.
Abbott’s Towing Is Business of the Year The Benton-West City (Ill.) Chamber of Commerce recently announced that Abbott’s Towing is its Business of the Year. Owner Keith Abbott said his father, Kenny, opened a gas station business in 1976 called Abbott’s Deep Rock. “Dad sold gas, had a towing service and did mechanic work,” Abbott said. “When I grew up, I came into the business. When Dad passed away in 2008, I kept the business going. It’s a family owned business, with family members working alongside me. … “We cover the whole southern half of Illinois. We love people and where we live.” Abbott’s was honored along with additional businesses during the Chamber’s annual dinner on Nov. 13. Source: www.bentoneveningnews.com. Number 145 on Reader Card
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 15
Constable Sued for Confronting Dispatcher
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For advertising opportunities call 800-732-3869 Dennie Ortiz x213 dortiz@towman.com Ellen Rosengart x203 erosengart@towman.com
A constable in Liberty County, Texas, is being sued by a worker for a tow truck company for actions that took place during a confrontation when the constable attempted to retrieve his towed vehicle without paying the charges. A lawsuit filed on behalf of Joyce Smith, an employee at the Harris County Writ Wrecker Yard, alleges Liberty County Constable Timothy Allison threatened to arrest her and put her in handcuffs in November. She said he owed around $188 to the wrecker service, but told her he wasn’t going to pay it. Smith was advised by her boss not to release the truck until Allison paid the fee. Smith said Allison showed up driving a Liberty County patrol vehicle and was in full uniform, with his badge, gun and taser. Smith said, “At one point I said, ‘I want to talk to your boss,’ and he said, ‘I am the boss. I do what I want to do.’ “I was waiting and looking out the widow and I felt a brush against my arm and I was cuffed face first against my desk,” she explained. Smith says fortunately a co-worker called 911 and Harris County Sheriff’s showed up before Allison could put her in the back of his patrol car. She said he kept threatening to arrest her but couldn’t tell her for what. Now she wants him to be held accountable for what he did to her. Source: www.click2houston.com.
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Best of Boomer
The Humor in Towing by Brendan Dooley
W
ith the serious nature of the towing business, it’s gallows humor one is exposed to most often. On the scene of a serious accident, it becomes a coping mechanism; having a grim humor helps many deal even in the “simple” constant barrage of angry consumers. There is another way to look at things, though. Finding the lighter side doesn’t make one a Pollyanna. For the past two years, “Boomer Hayes” has been doing just that each week at towindustryweek.com. No Pollyanna he, Boomer humbly responds and reflects upon the various scenes of towing and recovery looking for the brighter side. Enjoy a few pages of our “Best of Boomer,” and make sure to check him out each week on TIW. Boomer is written and hand-illustrated by Don Lomax, the same artist that creates “Adventures of the American Towman” every month in AT.
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Best of Boomer
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Best of Boomer
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Tower Helps Subdue Truck Thief An alert tow truck driver helped nab a suspected truck thief by following the truck until authorities could arrive. According to sheriff’s deputies in Harris County, Texas, the tower spotted a Chevy Tahoe that fit the description of one of two trucks reported stolen in the area a day earlier. The tower followed the truck while calling authorities. A deputy constable caught up to them and attempted to pull the stolen truck over, but the driver refused to stop and a chase began. Houston police soon took over the chase. The driver eventually pulled into a parking lot, then hopped out and fled on foot. Houston K-9 units found the driver hiding in a nearby
neighborhood and police took him into custody. The driver faces felony evading and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle charges. Source: www.click2houston.com.
GEICO Donates $2,500 to Survivor Fund GEICO recently gave $2,500 to the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum’s Survivor Fund to support the families of those towers lost in the line of service. “We are very grateful for the continued generosity of GEICO in supporting our Survivor Fund,” said Jeffrey Godwin, ITRHFM Board Member and Survivor Fund Committee Chairman. “As we work to provide funds for families when tragedies occur, we are also working to create an investment position to allow our Fund to meet the needs of our industry on a perpetual basis. Corporate donations
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like the one from GEICO are key to our success in reaching our $1 million goal.” On average, close to 60 road service professionals are killed each year assisting stranded motorists on the side of busy roadways or performing their duties in towing and recovery. Since its inception, the Survivor Fund has approved and paid out more than 150 claims to support families in their time of need due to tragic accidents.
Billings Considering New Response Plan The Billings (Mont.) City Council is considering a proposal to allow commercial tow trucks to park in residential neighborhoods for improved emergency response. The proposal would allow tow trucks serving the needs of the Montana Highway Patrol and Billings police to park in residential neighborhoods to expedite emergency response.
According to Billings City Administrator Tina Volek, the Yellowstone Valley Tow Truck Association, through State Rep. Joanne Blyton (American Towman’s 2014 “Towman of the Year”), is asking the council to change the section of city code that governs parking and home occupations. While Blyton and the tow truck association suggested allowing trucks up to 18,000 lbs. in gross vehicle weight be allowed to park on streets, city staff recommends limiting the maximum to 12,000 lbs. Those trucks could then be dispatched depending on their proximity to where they’re needed. Source: http://billingsgazette.com.
Allstate ‘Move Over’ Campaign Allstate Roadside Services teamed up with the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum
recently to launch a “Provider Safety Advocacy” campaign to raise awareness of Move Over laws. As part of the national campaign, Allstate and the ITRHFM created an online Public Service Announcement entitled “Move Over, Slow Down” (http://youtu.be/Of-ZUPA0QwU) to showcase the impact that Move Over laws can have on individuals both on and off the road. Featuring families who have lost loved ones as a result of motorists not slowing down or moving over when it mattered most, the emotional PSA reveals the lasting impact one moment in time can have when a motorist is distracted. “Three feet can mean the difference between life and death,” said Paul Huber, Allstate Roadside Services’ Senior Director Service Operations. “We want to ensure we are doing our part to help protect not only [our service providers], but all tow truck drivers and first responders by bringing attention to Move Over laws.” To help families of the fallen in their time of need, Allstate encouraged donations be made to the Survivor Fund on the ITRHFM website (www.thesurvivorfund.com) that the company matched through November.
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 27
High Wire Act
A 40,000-lbs. piece of oil-field equipment dangles off a bridge over a highway in Dallas, Texas.
Daring Bridge Recovery in Texas
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by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti
I
n September, a daring mission that captivated north Texas showed a man dangling over a highway trying to secure heavy machinery to keep it from plunging off an overpass to the roadways below. That man was Tony Williams, an operator for Jordan Towing.
Jordan Towing is a second-generation towing operation in Plano. Brothers Curtis and Chris Jordan run the family business. They have offices in Dallas and, since 1996, have been the exclusive provider of towing services for the North Texas Tollway Authority—covering the Dallas North Tollway, George Bush Turnpike, and highways 161 and 121—with an average on-site response time of less than 12 minutes. “NTTA has their own command center and they contacted us to respond to a semi carrying a huge boring rig that had overturned, causing massive traffic delays on the George Bush Turnpike and Dallas North Tollway,” Curtis said. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation certifies all of Jordan Towing’s personnel; they are trained as First Responders as well as Incident Managers. Curtis responded in his 60-ton Century rotator with operator Brad Benson. Chris was in their 35-ton Vulcan with operator Tony Williams and Allen Holden was in their 25-ton Vulcan.
The concrete on the bridge was already breaking up and compromised. “It was 11:30 am. The drilling equipment was being hauled on a trailer behind a small tanker truck,” Curtis said. “The truck took the turn too fast on the curve and the equipment started leaning to the right until it took itself and the trailer over the wall of the bridge where the drill machine became ‘paper-clipped’ on the concrete wall between its track and cab.” The North Texas Tollway Authority also called in two experts from Davis Crane. “They were going to use their crane to lift the equipment off the bridge, but the crane weighed 160,000 pounds,” Curtis said. “The concrete on the bridge was already breaking up and compromised so adding the
extreme weight of the crane along with the already 40,000-pound weight of the drill rig, not to mention the trailer, would be pushing it. … “Our rotator weighs only 70,000 pounds and could get the job done. So the NTTA had the two Davis guys stay to oversee and advise on the operation. “The first part of this recovery operation was to stabilize and secure the load. We put a few chains and binders to anchor it down and cables to secure it. … This was a brand new machine valued at $800,000 and it weighed about 40,000 pounds,” Curtis said. “If we didn’t work fast, there was a real possibility that it would continue to break the concrete and go down through the westbound George Bush Turnpike and end up on the southbound tollway below that.” They staged the 35-ton Vulcan at the back of the casualty and the 25-ton Vulcan up front. The 60-ton Century rotator was alongside the trailer. With the machine and trailer stabilized they still needed to get to the overhanging part of it to rig it for lift-
Trailer on its side with drilling machine hanging over bridge.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 29
Chris Jordan with the 35-ton Vulcan.
View from below as the drill machine is slowly pulled up and over the bridge wall and back onto the roadway.
30 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Drill machine back on the road on its tracks.
Operator Tony Williams being lifted by operator Brad Benson at the controls of the 60-ton Century rotator. Operator Tony Williams being lifted up and back onto the bridge by the 60-ton rotator.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 31
ing. Enter operator Tony Williams who volunteered for this mission. “Davis Crane provided an OSHAcertified harness for Tony to get into and he was hooked to a wire rope from the boom of the 60-ton rotator,” Curtis said. “Operator Brad Benson, at the controls of the 60-ton, spun Tony out and landed him on the track, where he rigged to hook points on the drill machine. We ran a 100-Grade wire rope through the housing that we were able to hook to attachment points on the drilling machine.” As the 25-ton pulled the front and the 35-ton pulled from the back, the rotator picked straight up to clear the wall. Then the 35-ton and 25-ton trucks rolled the drilling rig onto its tracks in the roadway to be loaded for transport.
With the machine and trailer stabilized they still needed to get to the overhanging part of it to rig it for lifting.
Loading the drill onto a Landoll trailer. The 60-ton rotator and 35-ton lift the machine up as the 25-ton pulls the Landoll trailer underneath.
“We had a Landoll trailer on hand that was brought in by the construction company,” Curtis said. “We used the winch cable from the 25-ton under the belly of the drilling machine to pull the Landoll under the drill as the 60ton and 35-ton had the drill in air.” Once safely loaded and secured on the Landoll and on its way back to the construction company, the owner of the machine—and everyone else— breathed sighs of relief. “The owner was on the scene throughout the recovery. … It was very stressful. My guys worked very hard that day,” Curtis said. “This is what we do,” Williams said. “We get the job done!”
Editor’s Note
Number 130 on Reader Card
32 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
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 - December 2014 • 33
AD INDEX
Page # Access Tools 47 A & H Insurance W 72 Akins Body & Carrier Sales 49 American Safety & Supply 23 American Transportation S 71,W 73 Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales S 71 Atlantic Emergency Solutions N 73 AT ShowPlace Las Vegas 24, 25 Austin Hinds Motors S 73 B/A Products 51 Buckeye Tow Equipment MW 72 B & Z Sales S 72 Century 2,3 Chase Insurance Agency S 75 Chevron Commercial 27 Columbus Truck Center MW 73 Crouch’s Wrecker & Equip. Sale 37 Custer Products 39 Dan-Am/Sata Spray Equipment 5 Danzi Brothers N 72 Dual-Tech 26 Dynamic 51 East Penn Truck Equipment 35 Elizabeth Truck Center 33 Equipment Sales & Services N 71 Freightliner 7 Hanks Insurance Group W 75 IGTC 61 Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) 55 Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease 15 Jerr-Dan 80 Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip. MW 72 Landoll 55 Lift & Tow 19 Lodar 37 Loganville Ford 15 MFR Express 33
RS# 102 195 126 210 105 179 153 206 111 108 116 170 143 180 217 189 177 128 164 140 192 165 185 123 152 216 218 212 110 145 124 134 174 139 163 207 213
34 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Fax to: 888-847-6035 December 2014 Page #
Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales N 71 Matheny Motors 17 MatJack/International Wreckers 23 Metro Tow Trucks N 75 New England Truckmaster N 73 North American BanCard 13 Nussbaum Equipment N 72 Ohio Power Systems 32 OMG National 35 Pacific General Insurance Agency MW 71 Pardo’s Sales & Services MW 71 Police Towers of America 57 Powerbilt Wreckers 19 Quest Towing Services 21 Rochester Trucks N 74 SavaCOMM 46 Savatech 16 Smyrna Truck Center S 73 Sonetics Corporation 21 Steck Mfg. 46 TowBook 48 Tow Industries W 74 TowWeek.com 57 TowLot.com MW S W 76, N 75, TowMate 57 TowProgram 61 Tow Trucks of America (TTA) 65 Truck Body Sales W 72 Twin Cities Wrecker Sales MW 75 TwinState Equipment W 71 United Road Towing 16 USAC/MD 79 Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX W 73 Worldwide Equipment 23 Zacklift International 27 Zendex Tools Corp. 61
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166 194 186 137 171 109 168 130 215 193 119 104 120 196 184 158 118 113 172 132 115 199 206 159 191 183 122 198 138 157 144 190 208 151 121 181
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 35
Performing a Standard Rollover by Terry Abejuela
T
he standard rollover technique is probably the most common technique used by light-duty towers to upright automobiles and light vans and pick-ups. Rolling the vehicle towards the truck is fairly simple to perform and can be done with little or no additional damage. New operators are often able to figure out this roll on their own; however, if not done correctly this technique can result in substantial damage, accidents and frustration. Many of the same guidelines that apply to the reverse roll and the California rollover technique also apply in the standard roll and are important. Whenever possible, roll the vehicle over on the side that has the most damage from the initial accident. If the vehicle only rolled from its wheels to its roof and damaged one side, roll it over the side that is already damaged. Even if you may feel the vehicle is a total loss, a professional tower should attempt to perform the job with as little additional damage as possible. Make sure to take precautions to avoid a rollaway vehicle. Once the vehicle lands on its wheels, it may start to roll—it doesn’t take much of a slope to happen. Use lumber to block the wheels in both directions. Manually applying the parking brake by pulling a cable may be an option. Manually shifting an automatic transmission into park at the shifter on the side of the transmission is another option. If you are situated on a hill, whenever possible roll the vehicle in the uphill direction. The momentum of the vehicle being rolled downhill may take over and cause it to roll back to its roof and too close to your truck.
36 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Initiating a standard rollover technique with the use of a rollover stiff leg.
When attaching chains to the vehicle, choose a location that will be easily accessible when the vehicle is back on its wheels. The component you attach your chains to must be strong enough to support the load and the chains must be routed in such a way to not wind up pinched in once the vehicle is on its wheels.
To perform a standard rollover, back your truck up perpendicular and centered to the overturned vehicle until you are approximately 25’ to 30’ from it. If you park too close, you may have the vehicle land on your truck or wheel lift. If you park too far away, you will have to put out more wire rope to reach the vehicle.
Do not place your wire rope across traffic lanes! If possible, spin the vehicle so your wire rope will be parallel with the flow of traffic. If you must place your wire rope across traffic lanes, ask law enforcement to stop traffic in affected lanes while the wire rope is across lanes. Most light-duty trucks are equipped with a 20’ piece of 5/16 Grade 7 chain with grab hooks at both ends to perform rollover and recovery work. Some may be equipped with a two legged bridle with two 10’ chains with grab hooks at one end and attached to a pear ring or latch hook at the other end. Attach one end of the chain to the far side rear of the vehicle and the other end of the chain to far side front of the vehicle. If possible, attach to the frame or suspension of the vehicle. If your chain is long enough, make the loops at your attachment point large enough so that the grab hooks will be easily accessible when
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 37
The rollover stiff leg, positioned properly, will drop to the ground between the front and rear wheels. It then acts as an additional block for the wheels to prevent rollaway.
you attempt to take the chain off. Make the chain short enough so that the center of the chain does not extend past the middle of the vehicle. The length of the chain doesn’t make much difference unless you need to use a rollover stiff leg. (I do not recommend the use of towing attachment hooks for rollover or recovery work. Most, if not all, T-hooks, mini J-hooks, R-hooks and towing J-hooks were not intended to be used for rollover or recovery work.) Place lumber to each side where the wheels will land. If you are on a very slight slope, blocking one or two wheels is sufficient. If you are on a substantial slope, block all four wheels and employ as many other techniques as you can to prevent rollaway. Free spool your winch and pull out enough wire rope to reach the vehicle. Attach the wire rope hook to the center of the chain with the open side of the hook facing up. When using a twolegged bridle chain, don’t attach the 38 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
wire rope hook to the hook or pear ring on the chain if the hook on the chain is not at the center. If the chain hook or pear ring is not centered on the chain, it will cause the vehicle to pivot before rolling. In this case attach the wire rope hook to the chain.
Do not place your wire rope across traffic lanes. After you have attached the chain and wire rope, elevate the recovery boom to approximately cab height. With a little bit of lift, the vehicle will more likely roll, instead of sliding towards the tow truck. Make sure everyone is clear of any danger zones and begin winching the vehicle. Keep a watchful eye out during the rollover process. If anyone enters a danger zone, immediately stop winching and move them to a
safe area. Once you start the winching process, if the vehicle is rolling as planned continue until the vehicle is fully uprighted. If a vehicle starts to slide instead of rolling, normally you can elevate the recovery boom and the vehicle will roll. If elevating the boom doesn’t work or you are using a truck with only a winch, you may need to use a rollover stiff leg to prevent sliding. A rollover stiff leg is a 4’ 4x4 piece of lumber with a notch cut at one end and a point cut at the other end. To use the rollover stiff leg, let out some slack in the wire rope until it drops down to about 1’ to 2’ off of the ground. Place the wire rope in the notch end of the stiff leg and lift it up high enough to place the pointed end of the stiff leg near the bottom edge of the undercarriage of the vehicle. Avoid placing the pointed end of the stiff leg on the floor pan of a unibody vehicle. Avoid brake lines or any other component that may be damaged.
Placing lumber beforehand prevents possible rollaways after the vehicle is uprighted.
Tilt the notched end of the stiff leg down until it is at a 45-degree angle to the vehicle. If the stiff is at more than a 45-degree angle, it will fall out too soon and may allow the vehicle to slide back to its roof. If positioned properly, the stiff will fall out when the vehicle is already almost all the way on its side—don’t stop to pick it up. It will usually land between the front
and rear wheels and work as another block to prevent rollaway. I don’t recommend the use of the rollover stiff leg unless you really need it. It can be difficult for one person to use and if not positioned properly could shoot out during the rollover process. As with any rollover technique, practice is the best of all instructors. Practice, practice and practice some
more so you might experience some of the things that can go wrong before they might happen in the field.
Terry Abejuela has 30+ years of light-duty towing-and-recovery experience. He is also a light-duty level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association since 1998.
Number 128 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 39
PRODUCT 2015
GATEWAY Advertorial section includes participating advertisers from this issue.
Check out what these participating suppliers have to offer in the coming year.
Access Tools
A & H Insurance
American Safety & Supply
Access Tools Wheel Bullets are guide pin wheel hangers designed to aid in the safe and effective removal and installation of wheels on European vehicles.
Specializing in tow truck risk in Nevada, California, Arizona for over 15 years. Competitive markets, excellent customer service and same-day certificates upon request.
We have Vests, Hooded Sweatshirts, T-Shirts, Pants, Hats, Gloves and Bomber Jackets. We have the capability to put the company name on most products.
305-635-1011 www.ACCESSTOOLSUSA.COM
775-284-7847 www.aandhinsurance.com
800-472-3892 www.americansafetysupply.com
Atlanta Wrecker Sales
American Transportation Ins. Grp.
Atlantic Emergency Solutions
Introducing the all new 2015 Freightliner M2 Business Class 19,500GVWR Truck. These trucks are large enough to haul the load without breaking the bank. Equipped with 21ft Jerr-Dan Carrier starting at $74,900.00.
ATIG specializes in insurance products designed specifically for the Towing, Repossession & Commercial Transportation industries.
STK# 426977, 2015 Kenworth T-800 Ext. Cab, Cummins ISX 600 HP engine, Jerr-Dan HDR1000-264” CT incident management JFB body, call for price.
1-877-933-2550 www.atiginc.com
1-800-442-9700 www.atlanticwreckers.com
800-313-2040 www.atlantawrecker.com
40 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Austin Hinds Motors 2015 Pete Miller Spec, Century 1150 Rotator 5-Winch, Loaded, In-stock Ready for delivery today!
256-586-8161 www.AustinHindsMotors.com
B/A Products
B & Z Sales
B/A Products new patent pending low profile Vbridles offer towers an innovative solution to a common problem. Available exclusively through B/A Products distributors worldwide.
2014 Ford F-550 19.5' Steel Champion Carrier SPECIAL $63,500.
1-800-327-3301 www.baprod.com
800-530-7941 www.bzsalesinc.com
Buckeye Towing Assessories
Chevron Commercial
Columbus Truck Center
OccuNomix Class 3 Bomber Jacket, Four Pockets, Yellow/Lime,High Visibility Safety Jacket, Built-In Liner, Concealable Hood, Water Resistant, 4 Pockets, Size: Medium to 5X
OCI, Eye Candy of the Industry. Home of the Vulcanator. Licensed applicator of special coatings.
Haul heavy with Volvo's VNX! A combination of brawn, beauty, comfort and peace of mind! 600 HP D16 engine, I-Shift automated transmission and Remote Diagnostics.
513-675-8338 www.towingwithbuckeye.com
618-654-5555 www.chevroncommercial.com
800-288-0839 www.mcmahontrucks.com
Custer Products Limited
DanAm, SATAjet 5000 B
Danzi Brothers
Delivering quality products and value to the towing industry.
Whatever you wish to paint: Our new high performance spray gun is exactly what you need. Regardless which object, climate, inlet pressure or application distance - the SATAjet 5000 B sets new standards in terms of versatility.
Since 1976 Danzi Brothers has been in business offering wreckers and rollbacks in tax free Delaware. Contact us for a quote.
800-490-3158 www.custerproducts.com
1-800-533-8016 www.satausa.com
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
302-436-2000 www.danzibrothersinc.com
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 41
Dual-Tech
Dynamic Towing Equip. & Mfg.
East Penn Truck Equipment
Dual Tech offers a full line of quality carriers, DSP dual winch sidepullers, full service parts, and exceptional customer service – everything for your towing needs.
Dynamic now manufactures HD front push bumpers, with or without a front winch Grill guards or not.
East Penn Truck Equipment is a full line Miller Industry’s dealer with two locations in PA to serve your needs.
865-767-3456 www.dual-techinc.com
800-831-9299 www.dynamictow.com
610-694-9234 www.eastpenntrucks.com
Elizabeth Truck Center
Equipment Sales & Service
Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA)
2015 Kenworth T-880, 500 HP Cummins, 18 Speed, 46Klb rears, 315" WB. w/ Vulcan's new 3- Winch V-70. Vulcan's new auxiliary winch option. 22,000 lb. planetary winch mounts to bottom side of recovery boom with winch line running under boom 144" Euro Stinger, truck is loaded.( NAP)
Providers of Towing & Recovery Equipment Sales, Parts, Service, Repairs, Miller Industries Products, Chevron, Dynamic, & Zacklift.
Auctions nationwide, Buyers worldwide. With IAA, tow operators get more for impounded vehicles. Learn more at IAA-Auctions.com/Towing Recovery.
800-243-7516 www.esstrucksales.com
1-888-825-2145 www.IAA-Auctions.com/TowingRecovery
908-355-8800 www.ElizabethTruckCenter.com
Intek Auto / Truck / Equip. Leasing Did you have a great experience leasing with Intek? Know a company who could benefit from Intek service’s? Refer a new customer to Intek and receive a $100 VISA GIFT CARD! (conditions apply) We appreciate our loyal customers!
Jerr-Dan Corporation
Kavanaugh’s Towing Equipment Co.
For more than 50 years, our family of employees has defined towing and recovery industry standards for performance, reliability and service. We take pride in every vehicle that rolls off our assembly lines.
Since 1974, Kavanaugh’s repairs and rebuilds Trucks, Cars, Fleets vehicle’s and Heavy Equipment. We build custom and the most popular tow trucks and sell the full Miller line along with parts and accessories.
973-403-7788 www.intekleasing.com/refer
800-926-9666 www.jerrdan.com
502-454-4960 www.katow.com
42 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Landoll Corporation
Lodar USA
Lynch Chicago
Landoll 855C Series’ detachable features new innovative 4-beam frame with flat deck and loaded height of 19 1/2". 110,000 lb. capacity 3-axle with optional flip 4th-axle.
A switch panel mount is the new addition to the Lodar range – back up on the dashboard at the push of a button.
The all new custom built Lynch Service Vehicle LVS*. Developed with the industry’s most rigorous users. Designed and built by the industry’s premier manufacturer.
800-428-5655 www.landoll.com/trailers
888-685-6327 www.lodarusa.com
800-344-2397 Illinois www.lynchchicago.com 800-538-0800 Wisconsin www.lynchtruckcenter.com
Manufacturers Express
Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales
Matheny Motors
Introducing stainless steel version of Nickel plated 3” x 7” Under-lift with Removal Torque Tool. Ratchet design is shorter with lip up turned. Webbing remains same with WLL 7,333 lbs. with B/S 22,000 lbs. 2nd generation version of 3” Underlift is added benefit to any towers tool box.
We have launched our online parts website! Shop for all of your essential towing and recovery parts, at unbeatable prices, 24/7!
MathenyTowTrucks.com. Check out our new website! Extensive New & Used Inventory - Wreckers, Roll Backs, Trailers, Parts, Service and More!
844-TOW-GEAR www.mdcarrierwrecker.com
855-494-4352 www.MathenyTowTrucks.com
201-982-3339 www.mfrexpress.com
Matjack
Big Tows
Miller Industries
Matjack’s newest towing airbag joy stick control and our new Orange, toughest Landing bag on the market.
Check out this 2015 Peterbilt 388, Metro RTR 85SL 600 Cummings, 18 Speed Trans, All options on cab Available in 4 Boom Winch Combo with Drag Winch, 3 Stage Boom, 53FT Long all out.
Miller Industries has introduced a new 40 Series LCG (Low Center of Gravity) carrier with a 40,000 lb. deck capacity compatible for dual rear wheels in a tandem or tri-axle configuration.
845-426-3333 www.bigtowsinc.com
800-292-0330 www.millerind.com
800-827-3755 www.matjack.com
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 43
New England Truckmaster
Nussbaum
OMG National
Right price, a service department that knows how to take care of you, a parts department with everything you need, and attention to detail when building your custom small wrecker, carrier, or heavy-duty.
2014 Dodge 5500 Crew Cab 4x4, SLT Trim, Auto, Jerr-Dan MPL-40 Self loading twin line wrecker, Tow sling, Trailer hitch attachment, Alum. Wheels
800-789-4619 opt.2 www.Omgnational.com
800-481-0501 www.netruckmaster.com
717 684-0189 www.Nussbaumequipment.com
OPS Wireless (Ohio Power Systems)
Pardo’s Sales & Equipment
Powerbilt Wreckers
OPS Wireless is proud to introduce a new affordable option when it comes to upgrading your old truck to wireless proportional remote.
NRC latest and greatest recovery roller guide with boom Sheave head for all our decks. Can be adapted to other decks.
419-396-4041 www.OPSWireless.com
765-966-2669 www.pardostruckparts.com
The Powerbilt PB70SR new generation of tow trucks 70 ton sliding rotator is Powerbilt Wreckers largest rotator comparable with anything else on the market.
636-629-7311 www.powerbiltwreckers.com
Rochester Truck, Inc.
Savatech Corp.
Steck Manufacturing Company
Established in 1986 with one bay, Rochester Truck has grown to be the largest Hino Truck dealership in New England with 18 technicians.
SavaComm full duplex wireless headsets are designed specifically for teams that need to communicate hands-free wirelessly.
BigEasy Lockout Kits are the preferred tool to unlock cars in seconds without damaging the vehicle along with I-Bolt and 4th Wheel Loader.
603-335-2084 www.Rochestertruck.com
888-436-9778 www.savatech.com/SavaComm
1-973-222-0062 www.steckmfg.com
44 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
TowLot.com
TowMate
TowProgram.com
TowLot.com specializes in enabling the tow company to run their own unclaimed vehicle live online platform through our live online auction platforms.
TMPRO-3-1 Combo Light. Electronic Flare: 1020 Lumens of Red/Orange Flicker Light. Flashlight: 340 Lumens of cool white light in a focused beam. Area Light: 840 Lumens of cool white light.
With TowProgram’s CASH CALL BUILDER, get a comprehensive online marketing package without signing a contract. Website, mobile, AdWords, profiles—all delivered by a former tower.
1-800-680-4455 www.towmate.com
1-888-834-1123 www.towProgram.com
866-263-8611 www.towlot.com
United Road Towing
Truck Body Sales, Inc.
Twin Cities Wrecker Sales, Inc.
Full service tow truck dealership. Parts & accessories on hand for Century, Vulcan, Chevron, Jerr-Dan & more. Can't Fix it? New & Used trucks available.
Made with innovative technology, the BallDog Plus is a versatile multi-use hitch attachment that will save you time and money.
800-233-8898 www.tbstowtrucks.com
1-800-488-4210 www.tcwreckersales.com
Utility Trailer
Worldwide Equipment Sales
Zacklift International, Inc.
LPX45D – All LED light bar, S/T/T (Stop/Turn/Tail) lights available. LEDs available in Amber, Blue, Green, Red, & White. Multiple sizes available.
Worldwide is a full service Jerr-Dan towing equipment dealer, Landoll Trailer dealer and Cottrell Car Hauler dealer.
Fully loaded underlifts ready for a green light at the scales. Choose 40K or 32K ratings. Choose permanent mounts or the removable FIFTHWHEELER.
210-662-8199 www.utilitytrailers.com
815-725-4400 www.newtowtrucks.com
844-ZACKLIFT www.zacklict.com
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
United Road Towing is signing up towers to be part of our nationwide Disaster Response Team. High, guaranteed rate per day, with a proven partner!
860-430-9401 www.unitedroadtowing.com
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 45
Towbook Towbook is cloud-based towing software with all the tools you need; dispatching, impounds, private properties, VIN decoding, commission tracking, iPhone & Android apps, plus much more.
(855) 869-2665 Ext 701 www.towbook.com
Quest Roadside Service Nations fastest growing tow network. We are also the nations fastest paying network.
888-295-2584 www.TowNetwork.com Number 158 on Reader
Tow Industries Southern California’s most reputable & longest operating tow truck center & dealer. Light, Medium & Heavy-duty carries Wreckers & Wheel-lifts
323-660-4866 www.towindustries.com
USAC/MD With Innovation Group, USAC/MD’s partnership is stronger than ever. As always, you can count on the best rates, a responsive management team and on-time payments.
888-300-8722 www.usacmd.com Number 132 on Reader Card
46 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Number 102 on Reader Card
Commission Mulls Towing Yards The Troup County (Ga.) Commission held off on issuing a special-use permit for a towing service recently pending a new ordinance to regulate towing and wrecker services in the county. Scotty East of Scotty’s Towing is seeking to purchase land currently zoned as general commercial. East requested a special-use permit to operate a towing and wrecker service on the land, which is considered an industrial operation. The special-use permit previously passed the Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission on Oct. 9, according to county records. Under the current zoning, the lot could be used for an automobile body shop, a restaurant, a tire shop or any other retail space. A towing and wrecker service would fall under a different zoning code. For that, a special-use permit must be issued, or the parcel rezoned. With multiple residential homes near the area, one resident at the hearing raised concerns regarding pollution and visibility of the location. Commissioners also expressed concerns regarding the length of time vehicles could be stored at the location. Commissioners opted to forego issuing the permit and wait for a new county ordinance to be drafted and passed that would incorporate the special conditions into county law. Those conditions include requirements having an 8’-tall
fence surrounding the towing yard, along with a concrete slab with proper drainage for vehicles to have fluids removed before storage. The special-use permit was tabled until the law can be drafted and passed, which should be in early December according to the commission’s chairman. Source: lagrangenews.com.
Fire Destroys A&Z Towing A fire recently destroyed A&Z Towing of Georgetown, Ky. A call came in of an explosion inside the building, said Craig Wink of the Scott County Fire Department. An employee said workers had swept up and were closing shop for the day when the popping noise was heard. In short order, the building was completely engulfed in flames, Wink said. The building contained barrels of alcohol fuel for race cars, oil, batteries and tires which exploded in the intense heat, Wink said. Crews from the Scott County and Georgetown fire departments battled the blaze, which also ignited a tractortrailer parked near the building. No injuries were reported. The building was deemed a total loss in the blaze. Source: www.news-graphic.com.
Number 115 on Reader Card
48 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Number 126 on Reader Card
Council Reconsiders Tows for Noise Violations The Decatur (Ill.) City Council is reconsidering its 11-year-old noise ordinance, which allows violators to be towed. City Manager Ryan McCrady said the council would consider the matter in a study session after the meeting, when residents also would be able to express their views. City staff will wait for the public comments and council discussion before making a recommendation. The ordinance prohibits music that can be heard from 75’ outside a vehicle. Before they can retrieve the vehicle from the towing company, the driver and owner of the vehicle must pay a $250 fine, or $500 if they are the same person, as well as towing fees. Since it began, there have been a total of 1,627 cases, with a high of 239 in 2007 and a low of 93 in 2006. So far this year, 90 people have received citations. Source: herald-review.com.
GPS Helps Find Abducted Woman A woman abducted from a Philadelphia, Pa., street was rescued with the help of a GPS tracking device that had been installed on the sus-
50 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
pect’s used car by the dealer in case it needed to be repossessed, authorities said. Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, 22, was found after a three-day ordeal that ended in Jessup, Md., when federal agents surrounded the car and seized the kidnapping suspect, who was lying next to her in the back seat. Her rescue came after authorities spotted the used-car dealer’s name on a traffic camera photo of Barnes’ vehicle and recognized the dealership as one that routinely puts GPS devices on its cars, said sheriff’s Capt. Jayson Crawley, of Charles City County, Va. “We called the dealership, and within five minutes they had the location,” he said. He said the dealership sells to customers with poor credit and relies on GPS when it needs to find and repossess cars whose owners have fallen behind on the payments. Source: abcnews.go.com.
Repo Standoff Ends Peacefully An Arizona man visiting San Diego, Calif., recently had a standoff with a repossession agent attempting to repossess the man’s car. An agent for Short Recovery Service had Dan Riley’s Honda Ridgeline hooked up; however, Riley was inside the truck and refused to exit. San
Diego police were called to the scene and advised Riley that if he didn’t get out of the vehicle, the owner of the company would file a citizen’s arrest. Riley, a disabled Vietnam War veteran, is behind on a $10,000 loan and the truck is on a repo list. After several hours, the standoff ended. The police left and the tow truck was unhooked. “We contacted the finance company,” said Tim Short, owner of Short Recovery Service. “It was their determination to leave the car and bill them. They’ll deal with him on a civil matter.” Source: www.10news.com/news.
‘Prepared’ Repo Agent Denied An agent from Georgia attempting to repossess a vehicle at a Shelby, Tenn., home was told to leave by police. The agent allegedly entered the home wearing “a duty belt equipped with a baton, an automatic handgun and an extra dual magazine pouch with two extra magazines inside,” and refused to leave the property, police were told. The man possessed the vehicle’s paperwork but not a court order allowing him to take it, police said. He and a companion were ordered to leave with the weapons—and without the vehicle. Source: www.t-g.com.
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 51
Tremont Towing
Tackles Image Reality TV Not Kind on South Beach by George L. Nitti
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O
n the parking-starved island of Miami Beach, Fla., Tremont Towing, in business since 1984, has worked hard to project a kinder, gentler, warmer image. “Miami Beach is the greatest city in the world, and we strive to project that image by running a first-class operation,” said Manny Diaz Jr., coowner and managing partner of Tremont. “We try to live our motto everyday: Service with Kindness,” said Diaz. The motto is written on all of their trucks and is one of the driving forces behind reshaping the company image and towing industry on Miami Beach.
“When we took over Tremont five years ago, the company had a rough image. Because I worked in the hotel business for a number of years, I learned about hospitality and customer service and wanted to bring that personal touch to the towing business. In that way, we are changing the name of the game.” Many are familiar with Tremont Towing from its role on the cable-TV “reality” show, “South Beach Tow,” that hit the airwaves in July 2011. “The show is not and never was an accurate depiction of Tremont,” said Diaz. He said the show fictionalized Tremont’s daily activities and portrayed them in a negative light. In the show, many of the fictionalized scenes centered on the cast towing vehicles and facing different levels of opposition from vehicle owners, in addition
The show is not and never was an accurate depiction of Tremont. to having a nasty rivalry with a competing tow company. “We’re no longer associated with the show,” said Diaz. Distancing themselves from it has been a giant step in terms of reshaping their image into a more customer-friendly company. But that’s been an ongoing challenge in a city where real estate is expensive, parking spaces are hard to come by and tempers sometimes flare.
“Parking in Miami Beach is limited. Residents don’t want non-residents parking in resident-only parking zones, and private property owners and businesses don’t want people who aren’t visiting or patronizing them trespassing in their parking lots,” Diaz said. “Unfortunately, not everyone respects the rules and consequently you have people who get towed and aren’t happy about it.” He said that Tremont does its fair share of non-consent tows, especially on weekends and holidays like Memorial Day. “Towing is a necessary evil. Folks love us when we rescue them off the side of the road in the middle of the night, but not so much when we tow their vehicle because they parked improperly. We’re just doing our job,” said Diaz.
In terms of changing image, Tremont Towing’s co-owner Manny Diaz Jr. (below) has revamped the company’s building, interior spaces and fleet equipment.
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 53
“We know getting towed is not a pleasant experience and we give people breaks if they need it. It doesn’t mean we’re going to give away the store. It just means we work with people to get them back in their cars as soon as possible, even if it means discounting or letting somebody off the hook who can’t afford to pay.” Part of being more empathetic to a towed customer is by reassuring them that they have rights. “On all of our trucks, we have a Customer Bill of Rights, which adheres to Miami Beach Guidelines,” Diaz said. “We also advertise on our truck that we have no drop-fee charges. If the registered owner gets to the car before we leave the scene, we immediately drop the car and don’t charge them.”
New Looks, Digs Further promoting a more positive image is their fleet of trucks, including nine new Ford F-450s, all with Dynamic bodies. “We really like Dynamic. In Miami, the roads are tight. There are a lot of alleyways and narrow streets. With the boom and the way it extends, Dynamic works well down here,” Diaz said. Their trucks are wrapped and many are dedicated to causes like
Top-notch video surveillance is in use at Tremont to help ensure customers receive the best treatment possible and counter false complaints.
breast cancer awareness, autism awareness, honoring the military and the Thin Blue Line, dedicated to local peace officers who died in the line of duty. Their new facility has also been a source of pride. “We knocked down the old building after we took over the company, keeping half of it, and then rebuilt it,” said Diaz. The building, which looks like a
hotel, is secure, has a 24-hour cleaning service, ATM machine, two dispatchers on duty at all times and they keep the temperature at a cool 60 degrees. “When you come to a nice, clean, freshly painted and air conditioned office, it has a calming effect on people,” Diaz said. The building is equipped with state-of-the-art video and surveillance technology, which serves a variety of purposes, including ensuring the cus-
Tremont’s light-duty fleet includes new Ford F-450s with Dynamic bodies for maneuvering in the tight city streets of Miami. 54 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 55
tomer is cared for promptly and courteously to counter any complaints. “We have a security system that audio and video records the entire property and an 80-inch TV screen which allows the on-duty manager to monitor everything that’s going on,” Diaz said. “So if we have … a customer who has a problem with one of our employees, we can review the video to see exactly what happened and then address the issue. It’s all about accountability.”
Tremnot reaches out to the community with several themed wraps on its trucks, including for breast cancer awareness and to honor the military.
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Tremont believes giving back to the community goes a long way in promoting kindness. Among other things, Tremont gives Miami Beach residents a resident discount, contributes to charitable causes and toy drives, gives away turkeys to the less fortunate for Thanksgiving, and tows tipsy Miami Beach residents home for free on New Year’s Eve and other holidays. “Doing what’s in the best interest of our city and residents is paramount for us,” said Diaz. In this way, he
believes that they are changing things for the better. “Now we have customers who say to us, ‘If I had to get towed, I’m glad I was towed by you.’ ”
George L. Nitti has written for American Towman since 2009. He started out as a news writer and now writes a weekly feature on TowIndustryWeek.com, Tow Illustrated, which spotlights the tow truck graphics.
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 57
Historic Bridge
Recovery Working in Tandem on Water Tanker
by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti
T
he Pollocks Mill Bridge, which runs over Ten Mile Creek about halfway between Pittsburgh, Pa., and Morgantown, W. Va., is among the oldest metal-truss bridges in Pennsylvania. The 162’ bridge, also known as County Bridge No. 22, was built in 1878 by Massillon Iron Bridge Co. Its construction is in the style known as a Whipple truss bridge. It has long been considered eligible for the National Historic Registry for its age and design and is one of the few remaining in the state of its kind.
On a Sunday evening in September 2014, a loaded water tanker attempted to cross the bridge, which had a posted weight limit of 4 tons, far less than what this truck was carrying. The driver of the 35-ton truck did not see the limit sign. He was not quite halfway across when the structure’s floor beams buckled and the truss Ubolt hangers failed, causing the deck to collapse under the weight of the vehicle and the back end of the truck to drop. The driver said that his GPS led him to the 136-year-old bridge and he did not see any weight restriction signs. (From the direction the truck was traveling, it was on two roads that have 10-ton weight restrictions posted on them, before turning onto Pollocks Mill Road. At the end of Pollocks Mill Road, where the truck entered to reach the bridge, is a 4-ton weight restriction sign. The tanker holds up to 4,200 gallons, which alone would weigh more than 17 tons.) The driver told a trooper that he applied his brakes when he felt the bridge buckle under the truck. He then climbed out and across the structure to reach a release valve on the truck, dumping its contents into the creek.
He said he was attempting to lighten the truck and keep it from doing any further damage to the bridge. After the driver dumped his water, he abandoned the vehicle. The truck, owned by Buccaneer Enterprises of Buckhannon, W. Va., was contracted to haul water to a natural gas drilling site owned by EQT. The truck was heading for the Nicoloff EQT well site and was loaded with fresh water.
Views of the bridge before the damage, showing both sides, builder and date plaques as well as weight limit and clearance signs.
Wade’s wreckers backing into position to start the pull.
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 59
Up to 50 vehicles per day travel over the old bridge, but the collapse has forced traffic to be diverted. The removal of the truck required a temporary gas shut off by People’s Natural Gas Co. to a gas line running under the bridge that supplies about 4,500 residents.
Historic Bridge May Be History
Wade’s crew rigging the tanker. The tow hook from the 45-ton is hooked to the front bumper and Mike Farravee sets the recovery loop around the tank.
With the tanker removed, these close-ups show the damage to the wooden decking and the steel floor beams of to the Pollocks Mill Bridge.
The 45-ton comes off the bridge with the tanker.
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In 1990, the wooden decking and steel floor beams of the Pollocks Mill Bridge were replaced. Two years ago, Widmer Engineering temporarily closed the bridge to replace some of the wooden decking that had deteriorated. Inspectors from Widmer will determine if the bridge can be repaired after the water tanker incident. If it can be repaired, the county will seek damages from Buccaneer Enterprises for reimbursement of repair costs. The Historic Bridge Inventory recognizes the historic significance of this bridge. Inspectors will determine whether this historic bridge can be salvaged and is feasible to restore, but its future remains uncertain.
Wade’s to the Rescue Barriers were set up at both ends of the bridge until the tanker could be removed. The truck had to be carefully extricated to avoid further damage to the bridge, so the Pennsylvania State Police called Wade’s Body & Frame Shop of Waynesburg, Pa., to remove the tanker. Company owner Jim Mason has built a solid reputation for handling difficult situations. Since the bridge would have to be closed for an undetermined amount of time, instead of doing the recovery at night they responded the next morning. For this recovery Mason responded in his NRC 45-ton slider and operator Mike Farravee in their NRC 65-ton rotator. Recovery team crewmembers Steve Kiger and Mike Deusch were also on this job.
There were no visible signs of chemical contamination in the water below or near the bridge early Sunday evening into late Monday afternoon. A spill containment unit from United Welding Service of Parkersburg, W.Va., was on scene in the event of a puncture to the truck’s diesel fuel tank when it was pulled from the bridge. Members of the Clarksville and Jefferson volunteer fire departments were on-scene Sunday evening to assist. Jefferson volunteer firemen also provided support in the recovery of the truck Monday. “After surveying the scene and the weight limit and condition of the bridge, we knew we couldn’t just back either one of our heavy units onto the old bridge to get close enough to the tanker to hook it and go,” Mason said. “So we put planks on the bridge and positioned the 45-ton backed in on the planks over the steel beam at one end of the bridge. The steel beams run every 20 feet, so we knew we would have a safe and secure base to work from. “The 65-ton was backed up to the 45-ton and hooked to it to stabilize it during the recovery.” Once the two heavies were in position, Wade’s recovery team ran out lines from the 45-ton to the tanker. “We hooked the tow hook from the 45-ton to the front bumper of the tanker. Mike Farravee, Steve Kiger and Mike Deusch did all of the rigging. They set a recovery loop around the tank,” Mason said. “I do this when the tankers are empty so I can lift as I pull it up and out.” The two heavies worked in tandem to lift and pull the tanker out of the busted planking, then slow and steady across the bridge to the roadway. The truck was driven from the scene after its removal from the bridge to be inspected by state police who said they would weigh the truck and calculate the overall weight. Once Mason and his crew removed the tanker, steel beams were welded to the ends of the bridge as a safety precaution to prevent anyone from entering it.
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 61
Adding Off-Road Recoveries to the Mix by Randall C. Resch
F
our-by-four owners are rare personalities who push their wheeled climbers to their limits—sometimes way beyond. Whether it’s a matter of overactive hormones or plain ol‘ stupidity, they’re a consistent form of repeat business. For tow companies who are ready for them, their antics are always welcome. Off-road recoveries are challenging based on their difficulties, and can be the most exciting part of a tower’s job. Is it because we see the unique and precarious situations motorists get themselves in to? Or is it getting them out of a sticky situation that makes the job an even greater challenge? The lucrative off-road niche requires advanced understanding of winch-out techniques including using snatch blocks, multiple-line rigging, recovery vehicle set-up and perhaps use of the “Holmes tree.” It’s a dangerous market based on the risks to tow operators themselves, with potential for operator injury and death. For tow companies providing offroad recovery services, having fourwheel drive isn’t required, because experienced off-road professionals can usually recover casualty vehicles provided that mud, snow and nearly impassable roads don’t block easy access. For those that do have 4x4 equipment—if your skills are professional and safe—your competitors might refer calls to you if they don’t have a 4x4 truck. Having a 4x4 truck doesn’t mean you’ll be able to successfully recover vehicles unless you’ve learned how to conduct off-road recoveries. I’ll attest to this by saying, the military’s
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Off-road recoveries by the author; including a stolen and burned casualty that was dragged on its roof for two miles. Recovery truck had no sling or wheel lift, but winches front and rear.
first-generation Humvees are some of the most off-road capable vehicles ever built, but put an inexperienced operator behind the wheel and there’s good chance it’ll wind up on its roof in no time.
The Proper Mindset When vehicles leave the roadway, towers consider weight, grade, slope and combined resistances—mud recoveries seem easy, but the suction is an imposing nemesis. Here’s an area
Mud recoveries seem easy, but the suction is an imposing nemesis. where there’s no room for short cuts or second guessing. Recovery vehicles should be specially, outfitted and equipped for clearance, heavy winching and working in awkward locations, oftentimes miles from paved roadways. Insurance companies pay good money for recovery services. To gain business from insurance and salvage companies, cold-calling or a business flyer sent to the insurance offices introduces your services; however, make contact with representatives who handle salvage claims directly. For extreme weather recoveries, consider what dangers exist when it means working in extreme weather (like exposure); sometimes the risk outweighs the benefits. As off-road recoveries are classified as working the odd and incredible, savvy companies require a Release of Liability Form to be signed by the vehicle’s owner before work commences. Even though legal experts suggest that liability forms don’t hold weight in court (suggesting customers signed under duress to get the work done), it’s a good step. Mike McGovern’s book, “Towing and the Law,” explains the legal side well. Off-road recoveries oftentimes cause secondary damages to property. Example: One of my drivers put a 26,000-lbs. GVWR wrecker through the top of a 50,000-gal. septic unit not capable of supporting the truck’s weight. It’s common for tow trucks to run over sprinkler pipes, sprinkler heads, subterranean lines or break concrete sidewalks. If recovering vehicles means crossing property that doesn’t belong to the vehicle’s owner, get permission from the property owner before coming onto the property. A vehicle’s owner or driver can’t give you permission to enter someone else’s private property. Entering priWork the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
vate property without permission is trespassing. Where you ask for permission, you may also consider getting the property owner to sign a Release of Liability prior to making the recovery. If a vehicle is stuck inside a state park, make contact with the controlling entity (ranger’s office) before even thinking of conducting a recovery. If you damage or contaminate protected property, you could be arrested and incarcerated. There’s a definite approach to offroad recoveries professional towers must have. Other than responding to calls in some mega tow truck combined with a boatload of arrogance, here are four components necessary to safe and successful off-road recoveries: • Correct attitude: The operator’s mindset going into the recovery should be like soldiers to battle; facing a difficult and challenging casualty requires confidence in one’s abilities to get the job done. • Sound judgment: It’s the operator’s responsibility to initiate towing and recovery techniques proper to the situation. • Safety applications: Continuing safety demands proper use of equipment and techniques common to the industry without stressing or loading beyond rated capacities for tow trucks and recovery equipment. • Industry standards: Liability demands towers are trained and experienced to initiate a standard of care on every recovery.
Special Equipment The best recovery trucks are suited to off-road work. Although jacked-up, triple-shocked, big-blocked monster trucks look cool and are favorites of the off-road community, they’re sometimes over-built and too tall; because of their design or set-up, many can’t gain access or are top-heavy to the point it works against mechanical advantage. Off-road vehicles can easily be equipped with removable winches, front and rear. Today’s winch suppliers sell bolt-on or weld-on mounts to accept different size winches to
increase the truck’s recovery capabilities. Consider specialty equipment like: • Additional cable in 50’ lengths. These can be neatly and easily coiled inside a used dolly tire; 100’ lengths can be coiled inside a donut spare. Depending on need for extra cable, towers prepared in this manner won’t have to call for additional cable or run back to the shop to get more. Finish cable ends with cable hooks at one end and a swaged loop at the other that’s large enough to accept cable hooks. • Chock blocks or old style scotch blocks are invaluable for recovery services to help attain a solid platform and arrest the recovery truck from sliding. • Snatch blocks are valuable for working winch-out recoveries, especially when the casualty isn’t accessible to a straight-line pull. When vehicles leave the roadway and wind up in the tree line, attaching to fixed, immovable objects like trees or rocks can gain full mechanical advantage provided the fixed point doesn’t move. (When attaching to trees, ascertain that it’s capable of holding fast. Wrap tree trunks to protect the bark from chain gouge.) For sand or soft-dirt recoveries where there are no fixed objects, trees or rocks, a winch product called PullPal works by being driven into the sand or dirt. When hard-pull is initiated, the Pull-Pal digs into the ground like a boat’s sand anchor. This product is especially valuable when recovery vehicles get stuck.
If you damage or contaminate protected property, you could be arrested and incarcerated. TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 63
No Customer Help A primary safety component of off-road recoveries is providing for the customer’s safety. Customers and vehicle owners aren’t trained in the risks and dangers of off-road recoveries or extraction techniques; relocate onlookers beyond the recovery zone. The industry is full of stories where towers enlisted the help of customers or failed to impart specific safety instructions before recovery work commenced. As a result, customers were injured or killed when something went wrong. Even the simplest tasks can be questionable if customers were involved or because the tower wasn’t paying attention to their customer’s location. Get the customer’s keys first before recovery commences. Never allow customers or vehicle owners to hang out in recovery zones. When hard winching is readied, move all persons, including cops and firefighters, beyond the winching area. Use the “Double-Distance Rule” and move onlookers twice the distance of pulled cable for optimum protection should cable separate or whiplash. Remember, the world’s full of recovery experts. One thing is for certain, many 4x4 enthusiasts will be the ones telling you how to get them out (even though they put themselves in the predicament in the first place). I think that’s pretty ballsy considering they got themselves stuck. Things go wrong; off-road recoveries are full of surprises. Recoveries require 110-percent concentration on the
tower’s part to apply industry standard techniques and anticipate what-ifs.
Get Paid First It’s recommended that drivers collect fees before extracting the customer’s vehicle in event they get the urge to NOT pay. As in any specialty service, recoveries beyond loadand-go scenarios justify specialty rates. Quoting prices generally starts when calls are received, but because no two recoveries are the same, never quote one set price as difficult recoveries may include numerous other components like round-trip travel to the vehicle, extra cable, an additional tow truck, vehicle is under water or in a ditch, does it have tires and wheels, etc.
Recoveries require 110percent concentration on the tower’s part to apply industry standard techniques and anticipate what-ifs. Although customers may have good intentions in providing you information on the phone, things change as the recovery works its course. Advise the customer up front what your company’s hourly (winch) rate is. Some companies quote minimum time only then add charges accordingly, being careful not to price themselves out of the job. When drivers arrive on-scene, they generally get a feel of what the job entails. Collecting payment up front is sometimes a difficult task, but if you do the work first and then ask for payment, the customer could say no; now you’ve got a battle on your hands. If the cops get called, they most likely will advise that your problem is a civil matter. Don’t get stiffed. Before getting involved in recovery that’s more than your experience or equipment allows, know when to say no. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s smarter and safer to decline the job. Refer it to a competitor and save your tow truck and avoid getting hurt or worse. The odds are too great that something unexpected may occur and result in unfortunate injury or fatality, including your own. Lawsuits are plentiful in this industry and it’s recommended that, prior to taking on difficult recoveries, obtain appropriate insurance coverage from brokers who deal in our types of business activiRandall C. Resch is a retired ties. Never conduct recovCalifornia police officer and eries without first having has been in the towing and in place sufficient insurrecovery industry for over 40 years as a tow business ance that includes owner, manager, consultant Worker’s Compensation and light-duty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com. insurance for your drivers.
64 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 67
Homebuilt Canadian ’Tator by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti
I
t’s not every day that anyone decides to build his own rotator in-house. Stan Myers isn’t just anyone. He isn’t a newcomer in this industry and his company is no fly-by-night business. He is a long-time innovator and industry leader. Stan and his wife, Elaine, founded Myers Towing in Belle River, Ontario, Canada, in 1972 and have served the southwestern Ontario community, elsewhere in Quebec and in the United States. They have an extensive fleet of 30plus licensed vehicles on the road, plus support equipment including Landoll trailers, loaders, forklifts, air-cushion recovery equipment and more; 24 highly trained employees include full-time
68 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
mechanics to maintain their equipment. Stan was looking to add a rotator to his fleet and decided to build his own. He had built his first tow truck 45 years ago. When Stan decided to build this rotator he needed look no further than his own shop to make it happen. Stan came up with the idea and Scott Wade and Conrad Beaupre made it happen. Scott is Myers’ supervisor and a heavy recovery specialist. Now retired, Conrad Beaupre worked in the shop as a licensed mechanic and welder/fabricator. Wade said they “went a different route” in creating this five-axle twin-steer rotator. They started out with a 1990 Autocar twin-steer 6x8 extreme-duty chassis, stretched it out some, triple framed it and
added another rear drive axle. “We purchased a vandalized crane for salvage,” Wade said. The cab was firebombed, but “the turntable, outriggers and hydraulic cylinders were not hurt at all (never even discolored or bubbled the paint) and formed the starting point for the back end. After many, many hours of leg work and miles traveled looking at other heavy-duty units, we came up with what we felt was the size and dimensions we wanted for our unit. “Working with a crane/hoisting engineer to verify our design and certify our boom was quite a learning experience for both of us. We scrapped the original boom and a new one was made from T1 structural steel as specified by our engineer, and certified.”
The rear spread is 72”, with 52” to the front air-ride drive axle. It’s a little different, but helps with the gross vehicle weight rating of 89,750 lbs. The boom has three sections, each 20-feet long. Scott explained, “With five feet staying inside the outer piece, it gives us 2x15-foot extensions. Boom max height is approximately 65 feet, I believe, at 68 degrees of elevation. Swung over the side, it drops down to eye level for easy rigging of multiple lines.” A 300-hp Cummins engine mated to an Eaton Fuller 10speed transmission moves this mammoth rotator down the road. It is equipped with seven winches, including two 60,000lbs. two-speed DP planetaries up top with 1” x 225’ of wire rope, two 20,000-lbs. DP planetaries under the boom with 5/8” x 125’
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of wire rope, one 45,000-lbs. Garwood drag winch on the deck that holds 400’ x 3/4” wire rope, one 8,000-lbs. high-speed winch in the rear for pulling the 1” wire rope through the snow etc., and one 30,000-lbs. military-style winch in the front bumper (just in case). Their engineer gave them a preliminary boom rating during the design and material selection stage. As with any wrecker, the chassis specs and ratings are the responsibility of the owner, which would be Myers. So they chose the heaviest chassis they could find at the time without having to order a new one. “Based on our outrigger spread and our static weight (uncounterbalanced), our engineer said our worst picking point was over one of the rear corners; we could be able to lift 150,000 pounds, eight feet from the side of the truck,” Wade said. “That is the truck’s stability number. We have also added some counterbalancing to help improve stability. He approved the boom for a structural strength, which would include safety margins, at five times that amount. Remember, once you have surpassed your unit’s stability numbers, it doesn’t matter how big, long or strong your boom is. “We tried to do a few things to make working with this truck a little easier and safer. The boss is only about 5’6” and trying to attach your hooks to the boom when rigging multiple lines can be challenging at times—especially in bad weather. “In positioning our lift cylinder attaching point on the boom, moving it eight inches further out towards the sheave wheels gave us the ability to drop the boom down to under sixfeet high and I only gave up less than a foot off the top hook height.” All the body building, prep and paint was done in-house and the tool compartments were built in their shop as well. This unit was unveiled at the Ontario Tow Show in 2007. They won second place in the heavy wrecker competition and third place in the heavy wrecker light show. “On the rear, we mounted a new Zacklift Z303 to bring a casualty home,” Wade said. “We do not expect to be traveling very far with this and won’t be doing regular, everyday towing with this unit. This is for heavy recovery work only!” What makes this 80-ton twin-steer rotator unique is its size. It’s 41’ long, weighing 90,000 lbs. on five axles, with four axles being drive axles, making it a 10x8 configuration with a high/low range transfer case. Scott said, “It actually drives and stops extremely well for its size. Its size and abilities, coupled with the rest of our equipment and very competent staff, assures our customers that Myers Towing will get the job done!” This is the largest wrecker/recovery Tech Highlights vehicle in Ontario Chassis: 1990 Autocar twinan 80-ton rotator steer 6x8 extreme-duty. complete with a 120Wrecker: Homemade 80-ton ton boom that rotator. extends 60’ that was Engine: 300-hp Cummins. custom-engineered Trans: Eaton Fuller 10-speed. and manufactured by Winches: Many. Stan Myers Service. Built/paint: Stan Myers Service.
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • 69
Where Will You Be in Five Years by Don Archer
E
very day in the United States, millions of small business owners ask themselves where they're going. With the tides of taxation and regulation increasingly against them, many are thinking about selling. Well, if you're in the towing industry your business may be more desirable than you think. Dave Roos of the website How Stuff Works, lists the automobile repossession and removal business (towing) as one of the "Top 10 Recession Proof Businesses." As we near the end of this eightyear devolution of our economy, I believe we're going to be heading into a renaissance of sorts. As more and more disenfranchised workers leave corporate America's financial and technology sectors, many will be fortified with severance packages and golden parachutes. Having had their fill of the volatility of real estate and the stock market, many will be looking for something more stable. They may be looking to buy your business. But are you ready? Even if you're not ready to sell right now, at a minimum you should know what your business is worth and what needs to be put in place to facilitate a future sale. Four things you should consider before putting your business up for sale include: • Your business should be able to operate without your direct involvement. Building your business to where it is now has taken you years. Entrusting your livelihood to managers may not be something you can stomach. But if you ever want to sell, you need to have a competent management
70 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
team in place. Unless you plan to stay on for an indefinite period after the sale, having systems managed by others will help to attract willing buyers. If your plan is to sell to a family member, you need to take that person under your wing now. They'll need all the mentoring they can get if they're going to fill your shoes.
Many of us have an unrealistic idea of the value of our business. • Know what your business is worth to a potential buyer. Many of us have an unrealistic idea of the value of our business. Some tend to think in terms of blood, sweat and hours invested and what we believe our time and toil was worth. Others hold tight to exaggerated truck and equipment values insisting that they're worth more than what the market would bear. The only way to value your business is to think in terms of the buyer's interests. Can your buyer make a reasonable return on his investment after he's purchased your business? If the answer is no, then you need to adjust your price or wait. • Understand that relationships may not transfer as smoothly as you'd like, and this may affect the price. You don't do business with companies, you do business with people. When there's a change in ownership, sometimes those relationships don't transfer as smoothly as you'd like.
Savvy buyers know this. They'll expect you to either facilitate a smooth transfer by introducing them to your customers, or they may request that you stay on for a period. They just might ask to be compensated with a reduced price. Understanding this potential complication can allow you to take the lead in arranging proper introductions to key customers ... after the papers are signed. • What will you do after the sale? Is a trip to Cabo in order? Will you pay off your lake home and retire in style? Hold up there! Even though you've paid personal property taxes, real estate taxes and income taxes all those years, the feds and the state still want more. When you sell, they're going to come after you to recapture the depreciation you've taken, and the capital gains you've made. In some cases, they'll take as much as 40 percent, unless you use what's called a 1031 exchange. Doing so requires you to purchase "like-kind" property. It doesn't mean you have to go back into the towing business; it means you should consult your tax advisor. In short, do your homework before you sign. Nothing's worse than pouring your hard-earned dollars down a money pit.
Don Archer writes the Rates & Trade article each week for TowIndustryWeek.com. He lives and works in Jefferson City, Mo., where he and his wife, Brenda, own and operate Broadway Wrecker, a 12-truck operation that's been in business since the 1950s. Email him at don@broadwaywrecker.com.
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • NORTH 71
Residents Fight Tow Business Opening
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Residents in a Charleston, S.C., neighborhood are fighting against a towing company’s plans to open an impound lot and used cars sales business despite the business owner’s willingness to meet with them. Allison Burky Boone, owner of Turky’s Towing, said she and her father, Werner “Turky” Burky, have done all they can to assure neighbors they will run a clean and reputable business, including agreeing to use a specific highway adjacent entrance to the property instead of one that leads to a residential area. Boone said she would like the opportunity to explain her business plans to opponents, but they simply won’t meet with her and her father and listen to what they have to say. “They are doing everything they can to stop us,” Boone said, “but my dad and I are doing everything we can to please them.” One opposing resident said an impound lot and towing business are too industrial for the area. The residents want the city to buy the land and create a farmers market, and launched a petition for it recently. A city councilman who represents the area has worked with Burky and Boone to develop a plan for the business that included closing the residential-side entrance. He said he doesn’t think the city will buy the land for a farmers market, so he has given up trying to negotiate with the neighborhood residents. Source: www.postandcourier.com.
San Francisco to Control Tow Fees San Francisco (Calif.) Supervisor Scott Wiener held a hearing Oct. 23 to discuss current fees and policies that require victims of auto thefts to pay a hefty amount to retrieve towed stolen vehicles. Representatives from the San Number 168 on Reader Card
NORTH 72 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • NORTH 73
Number 184 on Reader Card
Download music on iTunes and Amazon.com NORTH 74 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Francisco Police Department, and AutoReturn, the private towing management company that currently holds a contract with the city, met with Wiener and other supervisors to discuss how any new contract with AutoReturn could be modified to decrease or get rid of the cost to victims of auto theft. AutoReturn’s contract with San Francisco is up for renewal in 2015. Currently, when San Francisco police find an illegally parked stolen car, they call the owner and give them 20 minutes to retrieve the car. If the owner doesn’t appear, the car is towed and the victim of the car theft must then go to an AutoReturn lot to retrieve the car. The car’s owner then has to pay towing and storage fees in order to retrieve their vehicle. City residents with vehicles registered in the city have four hours to recover their vehicles before AutoReturn begins charging a storage fee. However, there is no grace period for non-residents. About 1,400 San Francisco residents and about 1,100 non-residents were victims of auto theft within the city and had to pick up the towed stolen vehicles through AutoReturn in 2014, according to a city manager. As a result, AutoReturn collected about $531,000 related to stolen vehicle towing and storage fees in San Francisco during that same period. John Pendleton, the chief technology officer at AutoReturn, said that in some cities the victim doesn’t incur any expense, while in others, the victim incurs a portion of the expense or the full amount. Pendleton also said that comprehensive car insurance sometimes provides coverage for the financial burden incurred by the victim. A member of the public who spoke at the hearing aired his grievances regarding the process of getting his car stolen and then having to pay fines first to AutoReturn and then the police department, leaving him feeling “victimized three times over.” Source: http://sfbay.ca.
Tow Company Reinstated with New Owner An El Cajon, Calif., towing company that was dropped last year from the police department’s rotation because its owner was connected to a documented outlaw motorcycle gang was recently reinstated under new ownership. New owner Billie Baldwin bought the towing company from previous owner Dan Miller during the summer. A police investigation in 2013 found that Miller had been associating with the motorcycle gang, whose members included some accused of criminal and racist activity. The police department, contracted with Miller’s since 2004, stopped doing business with the company in March 2013. Miller disputed the police report’s finding that the motorcycle group is a racist organization. He also denied more than a cursory involvement with the group, saying that some of the members of the group had been friends since high school. Source: www.utsandiego.com.
Number 159 on Reader Card
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • NORTH 75
Take-Home
Trucks
Liabilities Require Rules for Drivers
by Randall C. Resch
W
hether working for tow companies large or small, take-home trucks are oftentimes considered a luxury. When a company’s fleet is small, providing a take-home truck means the fleet lacks a standby truck. If call volume requires another driver come to the facility, what if the truck is located at another driver’s home? There are many considerations at the management level before actual authorization to take the truck home happens. When determining who takes a truck home, management should pre-determine three specific considerations: • Is the take-home truck assigned to cover night shifts? Or, has the driver earned a truck as reward for positive performance (keeping in mind that driver must be available when they’re in possession of the truck)? • Does your company’s insurance cover parking company tow trucks at the driver’s residence? • Do local laws or parking regulations allow parking tow trucks in a residential neighborhood?
Considerations when allowing a truck to be taken home include weight limits and parking restrictions in the residential area where it will be parked and insurance policy limits.
Guidelines If allowable by law and insurance coverages, here are some mandates that drivers and management should agree upon: • Trucks will be parked (preferably) in safe locations that are off-street or near the driver’s residence. • All loose equipment will be secured: specifically V-bridles, extension lights, ratchets and straps, dolly wheel/racks, retainNORTH 76 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
ers, etc. All boxes will be locked. • Drivers will respond to calls at any time based on dispatcher needs or increased call volume. • Limited use of company trucks to run personal errands or go on dates. • Drivers won’t use company trucks to tow a friend’s car. • Drivers agree to maintain and clean their trucks. • Trucks will be returned to the shop in time for the next shift or days off. • Trucks will be returned full of fuel, and all equipment in working order. • Drivers will be on-call ready. • Drinking ... out of the question.
No Entitlements Sending a truck home with your
driver is huge liability and one not to be taken lightly. In this day of serving law enforcement, auto clubs and the motoring public, sending a truck home with reliable drivers hopefully means faster ETAs, compared to drivers having to go to the shop first, pick up the truck, and then respond to the call. When the driver is assigned and authorized to take trucks home, remember, there are no provisions suggesting the driver has ownership or entitlements to the truck; trucks belong to the company. Management decides who’ll take a truck home, either by schedule needs, or as reward for being an outstanding employee. In some cases, if the truck’s shared between two drivers or three shifts, it isn’t feasible to provide take-home trucks to all drivers. If you’re a driver assigned to callout, be sure you’re out of bed and headed to the call without delay. Taking the truck home means you’ll accept all calls. Should your company authorize you a take-home truck to reward great performance, the company retains sole right to assign a continued take-home truck based on your productivity--no free rides. Editor’s note: This story originally ran on AT’s sister site, towindustryweek.com, which features industry news, training, recoveries, new products and more. Don’t miss out—make sure to check it each week.
Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for over 40 years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and light-duty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.
Copyright 2014 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 179 on Reader Card
Number 105 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • SOUTH 71
San Francisco to Control Tow Fees San Francisco (Calif.) Supervisor Scott Wiener held a hearing Oct. 23 to discuss current fees and policies that require victims of auto thefts to pay a hefty amount to retrieve towed stolen vehicles. Representatives from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Francisco Police Department, and AutoReturn, the private towing management company that currently holds a contract with the city, met with Wiener and other supervisors to discuss how any new contract with AutoReturn could be modified to decrease or get rid of the cost to victims of auto theft. AutoReturn’s contract with San Francisco is up for renewal in 2015. Currently, when San Francisco police find an illegally parked stolen car, they call the owner and give them 20 minutes to retrieve the car. If the owner doesn’t appear, the car is towed
and the victim of the car theft must then go to an AutoReturn lot to retrieve the car. The car’s owner then has to pay towing and storage fees in order to retrieve their vehicle. City residents with vehicles registered in the city have four hours to recover their vehicles before AutoReturn begins charging a storage fee. However, there is no grace period for non-residents. About 1,400 San Francisco residents and about 1,100 non-residents were victims of auto theft within the city and had to pick up the towed stolen vehicles through AutoReturn in 2014, according to a city manager. As a result, AutoReturn collected about $531,000 related to stolen vehicle towing and storage fees in San Francisco during that same period. John Pendleton, the chief technology officer at AutoReturn, said that in some cities the victim doesn’t incur any expense, while in others, the victim incurs a portion of the expense or the
Number 170 on Reader Card
SOUTH 72 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
full amount. Pendleton also said that comprehensive car insurance sometimes provides coverage for the financial burden incurred by the victim. A member of the public who spoke at the hearing aired his grievances regarding the process of getting his car stolen and then having to pay fines first to AutoReturn and then the police department, leaving him feeling “victimized three times over.” Source: http://sfbay.ca.
Residents Fight Tow Business Opening Residents in a Charleston, S.C., neighborhood are fighting against a towing company’s plans to open an impound lot and used cars sales business despite the business owner’s willingness to meet with them. Allison Burky Boone, owner of Turky’s Towing, said she and her father, Werner “Turky” Burky, have done all they can to assure neighbors they will run a clean and reputable business, including agreeing to use a specific highway adjacent entrance to the property instead of one that leads to a residential area. Boone said she would like the opportunity to explain her business plans to opponents, but they simply won’t meet with her and her father and listen to what they have to say. “They are doing everything they can to stop us,” Boone said, “but my dad and I are doing everything we can to please them.” One opposing resident said an impound lot and towing business are too industrial for the area. The residents want the city to buy the land and create a farmers market, and launched a petition for it recently. A city councilman who represents the area has worked with Burky and Boone to develop a plan for the business that included closing the residential-side entrance. He said he doesn’t think the city will buy the land for a farmers market, so he has given up trying to negotiate with the neighborhood residents. Source: www.postandcourier.com.
Number 113 on Reader Card
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • SOUTH 73
Take-Home
Trucks
Liabilities Require Rules for Drivers
by Randall C. Resch
W
hether working for tow companies large or small, take-home trucks are oftentimes considered a luxury. When a company’s fleet is small, providing a take-home truck means the fleet lacks a standby truck. If call volume requires another driver come to the facility, what if the truck is located at another driver’s home? There are many considerations at the management level before actual authorization to take the truck home happens. When determining who takes a truck home, management should pre-determine three specific considerations: • Is the take-home truck assigned to cover night shifts? Or, has the driver earned a truck as reward for positive performance (keeping in mind that driver must be available when they’re in possession of the truck)? • Does your company’s insurance cover parking company tow trucks at the driver’s residence? • Do local laws or parking regulations allow parking tow trucks in a residential neighborhood?
Guidelines If allowable by law and insurance coverages, here are some mandates that drivers and management should agree upon: • Trucks will be parked (preferably) in safe locations that are off-street or near the driver’s residence. • All loose equipment will be
Considerations when allowing a truck to be taken home include weight limits and parking restrictions in the residential area where it will be parked and insurance policy limits.
SOUTH 74 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
secured: specifically V-bridles, extension lights, ratchets and straps, dolly wheel/racks, retain-
ers, etc. All boxes will be locked. • Drivers will respond to calls at any time based on dispatcher
Tow Company Reinstated with New Owner An El Cajon, Calif., towing company that was dropped last year from the police department’s rotation because its owner was connected to a documented outlaw motorcycle gang was recently reinstated under new ownership. New owner Billie Baldwin bought the towing company from previous owner Dan Miller during the summer. A police investigation in 2013 found that Miller had been associating with the motorcycle gang, whose members included some accused of criminal and racist activity. The police department, contracted with Miller’s since 2004, stopped doing business with the company in March 2013. Miller disputed the police report’s finding that the motorcycle group is a racist organization. He also denied more than a cursory involvement with the group, saying that some of the members of the group had been friends since high school. Source: www.utsandiego.com.
Number 180 on Reader Card
Auto Barn Cited for Illegal Tows The Baltimore, Md., city towing board shut down one of Baltimore’s largest towing companies for 45 days after finding it allowed unlicensed towers to remove more than 350 vehicles from private properties. The board suspended the trespass-towing license of Auto Barn Inc. of West Baltimore in September, according to a copy of the board’s ruling. The board ordered Auto Barn to issue reimbursements to those illegally towed. According to the board’s decision, the company employed a tower who had been denied a towing license in April, but went on to make about 200 unauthorized tows. Another driver, the son of an Auto Barn manager, made 13 unauthorized tows without a license, and a third man made 147 illegal tows in 2013. Auto Barn has been placed on probation until 2017. Source: www.baltimoresun.com.
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TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • SOUTH 75
needs or increased call volume. • Limited use of company trucks to run personal errands or go on dates. • Drivers won’t use company trucks to tow a friend’s car. • Drivers agree to maintain and clean their trucks. • Trucks will be returned to the shop in time for the next shift or days off. • Trucks will be returned full of fuel, and all equipment in working order. • Drivers will be on-call ready. • Drinking ... out of the question.
No Entitlements Sending a truck home with your driver is huge liability and one not to be taken lightly. In this day of serving law enforcement, auto clubs and the motoring public, sending a truck home with reliable drivers hopefully means faster ETAs, compared to drivers having to go to the shop first, pick
Management decides who’ll take a truck home, either by schedule needs, or as reward.
isn’t feasible to provide take-home trucks to all drivers. If you’re a driver assigned to callout, be sure you’re out of bed and headed to the call without delay. Taking the truck home means you’ll accept all calls. Should your company authorize you a take-home truck to reward great performance, the company retains sole right to assign a continued take-home truck based on your productivity--no free rides. Editor’s note:
up the truck, and then respond to the call. When the driver is assigned and authorized to take trucks home, remember, there are no provisions suggesting the driver has ownership or entitlements to the truck; trucks belong to the company. Management decides who’ll take a truck home, either by schedule needs, or as reward for being an outstanding employee. In some cases, if the truck’s shared between two drivers or three shifts, it
This story originally ran on AT’s sister site, towindustryweek.com, which features industry news, training, recoveries, new products and more. Don’t miss out—make sure to check it each week.
Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for over 40 years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and light-duty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.
Ohio Adds TRIP Incentive Payments The Ohio Department of Transportation District 2 instituted a new incentive program for towing companies in order to help keep traffic flowing in construction areas. The Towing Recovery Incentive Program began on the I-75 corridor from Hancock County through Toledo and in some other construction areas, said a district spokesperson. After a towing company qualifies for the program, they will be listed among those that ODOT will dispatch to a crash scene involving commercial vehicles only. If the company is able to arrive at the scene within 45 minutes, and then remove the vehicle from lanes of travel within 90 minutes, they will receive an incentive payment of $2,500. Source: www.sent-trib.com. Number 159 on Reader Card
SOUTH 76 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
Copyright 2014 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
Tow Company Reinstated with New Owner An El Cajon, Calif., towing company that was dropped last year from the police department’s rotation because its owner was connected to a documented outlaw motorcycle gang was recently reinstated under new ownership. New owner Billie Baldwin bought the towing company from previous owner Dan Miller during the summer. A police investigation in 2013 found that Miller had been associating with the motorcycle gang, whose members included some accused of criminal and racist activity. The police department, contracted with Miller’s since 2004, stopped doing business with the company in March 2013. Miller disputed the police report’s finding that the motorcycle group is a racist organization. He also denied more than a cursory involvement with the group, saying that some of the members of the group had been friends since high school. Source: www.utsandiego.com.
Number 193 on Reader Card
Auto Barn Cited for Illegal Tows The Baltimore, Md., city towing board shut down one of Baltimore’s largest towing companies for 45 days after finding it allowed unlicensed towers to remove more than 350 vehicles from private properties. The board suspended the trespasstowing license of Auto Barn Inc. of West Baltimore in September, according to a copy of the board’s ruling. The board ordered Auto Barn to issue reimbursements to those illegally towed. According to the board’s decision, the company employed a tower who had been denied a towing license in April, but went on to make about 200 unauthorized tows. Another driver, the son of an Auto Barn manager, made 13 unauthorized tows without a license, and a third man made 147 illegal tows in 2013. Auto Barn has been placed on probation until 2017. Source: www.baltimoresun.com. Number 119 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • MIDWEST 71
Fla. County Adds ‘Bill of Rights’
Number 116 on Reader Card
In a move to alleviating residents’ fears of “predatory towing” and other issues, the Broward County (Fla.) Commission passed a tougher towing ordinance recently. According to a local newspaper report, the local towing industry fully supports the new ordinance. The new ordinance states that all tow operators must obtain a county license, undergo a criminal background check and provide consumers with a “bill of rights” when retrieving their cars. The ordinance makes cash-only policies illegal, and mandates tow lots must be open 24/7. The ordinance will also require towers to have a signed, written authorization to tow an illegally parked car. Superior Towing’s Sean Loscalzo applauded licensing. “That’s the part we like, because it’ll eliminate the ‘onesy-twosy’ guys that are operating out of their house, meeting customers in a parking lot to give ’em their car back. They’re not running legitimate businesses.” Source: www.nbcmiami.com
Ohio Adds TRIP Incentive Payments The Ohio Department of Transportation District 2 instituted a new incentive program for towing companies in order to help keep traffic flowing in construction areas. The Towing Recovery Incentive Program began on the I-75 corridor from Hancock County through Toledo and in some other construction areas, said a district spokesperson. After a towing company qualifies for the program, they will be listed among those that ODOT will dispatch to a crash scene involving commercial vehicles only. If the company is able to arrive at the scene within 45 minutes, and then remove the vehicle from lanes of travel within 90 minutes, they will receive an incentive payment of $2,500. Source: www.sent-trib.com. Number 134 on Reader Card
MIDWEST 72 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
San Francisco to Control Tow Fees San Francisco (Calif.) Supervisor Scott Wiener held a hearing Oct. 23 to discuss current fees and policies that require victims of auto thefts to pay a hefty amount to retrieve towed stolen vehicles. Representatives from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Francisco Police Department, and AutoReturn, the private towing management company that currently holds a contract with the city, met with Wiener and other supervisors to discuss how any new contract with AutoReturn could be modified to decrease or get rid of the cost to victims of auto theft. AutoReturn’s contract with San Francisco is up for renewal in 2015. Currently, when San Francisco police find an illegally parked stolen car, they call the owner and give them 20 minutes to retrieve the car. If the owner doesn’t appear, the car is towed and the victim of the car theft must then go to an AutoReturn lot to retrieve the car.
The car’s owner then has to pay towing and storage fees in order to retrieve their vehicle. City residents with vehicles registered in the city have four hours to recover their vehicles before AutoReturn begins charging a storage fee. However, there is no grace period for non-residents. About 1,400 San Francisco residents and about 1,100 non-residents were victims of auto theft within the city and had to pick up the towed stolen vehicles through AutoReturn in 2014, according to a city manager. As a result, AutoReturn collected about $531,000 related to stolen vehicle towing and storage fees in San Francisco during that same period. John Pendleton, the chief technology officer at AutoReturn, said that in some cities the victim doesn’t incur any expense, while in others, the victim incurs a portion of the expense or the full amount. Pendleton also said that comprehensive car insurance sometimes provides coverage for the financial burden incurred by the victim. A member of the public who spoke at
the hearing aired his grievances regarding the process of getting his car stolen and then having to pay fines first to AutoReturn and then the police department, leaving him feeling “victimized three times over.” Source: http://sfbay.ca.
Tower Injured in Semi Crash A tower suffered serious, but nonlife-threatening injuries in a traffic crash that shut down northbound US131 near Plainwell, Mich., recently. The driver was en route to a call when he was involved with a crash involving a semitrailer, according to the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office. He was transported to the trauma unit at Bronson Methodist Hospital to receive treatment for lacerations to his head and face, a collapsed lung and a broken leg. Heavy snow and slick roads contributed to the crash, which police said also involved one police cruiser. Source: www.mlive.com.
Number 189 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - December 2014 • MIDWEST 73
Take-Home
Trucks
Liabilities Require Rules for Drivers
by Randall C. Resch
W
hether working for tow companies large or small, take-home trucks are oftentimes considered a luxury. When a company’s fleet is small, providing a takehome truck means the fleet lacks a standby truck. If call volume requires another driver come to the facility, what if the truck is located at another driver’s home? There are many considerations at the management level before actual authorization to take the truck home happens. When determining who takes a truck home, management should pre-determine three specific considerations: • Is the take-home truck assigned to cover night shifts? Or, has the driver earned a truck as reward for positive performance (keeping in mind that driver must be available when they’re in possession of the truck)? • Does your company’s insurance cover parking company tow trucks at the driver’s residence? • Do local laws or parking regulations allow parking tow trucks in a residential neighborhood?
Guidelines If allowable by law and insurance coverages, here are some mandates that drivers and management should agree upon: • Trucks will be parked (preferably) in safe locations that are off-street or near the driver’s residence. • All loose equipment will be secured: specifically V-bridles,
Considerations when allowing a truck to be taken home include weight limits and parking restrictions in the residential area where it will be parked and insurance policy limits.
extension lights, ratchets and straps, dolly wheel/racks, retainers, etc. All boxes will be locked. • Drivers will respond to calls at
MIDWEST 74 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
any time based on dispatcher needs or increased call volume. • Limited use of company trucks to run personal errands or go on dates.
Troopers Get Tough on ‘Move Over’ The Wisconsin State Patrol and Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office are joining forces to stop the close calls. Wisconsin’s Move Over law was enacted more than a decade ago. Lieutenant Bill Anthes of the sheriff’s office was one of several law enforcement officers patrolling Winnebago County roads recently when a local news station rode with him. In less than 5 minutes, he had to pull a driver over for ignoring the Move Over law in passing a maintenance worker on the side of the road. “He’s got plenty of room to move in. There’s a truck behind us that did the same thing,” Anthes said. With the winter months approaching, the sheriff’s office and WSP are being proactive about reminding drivers the Move Over law exists. “The road conditions are going to be reduced, so it’s even more critical that we slow down, move over if we can, and
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
give police officers and tow truck operators a safe place to complete their duties,” said Sgt. Tim McGrath, WSP. Officers working the enforcement detail recently weren’t giving out tickets. Instead they were giving warnings to help educate drivers. Source: www.wbay.com.
Residents Fight Tow Business Opening Residents in a Charleston, S.C., neighborhood are fighting against a towing company’s plans to open an impound lot and used cars sales business despite the business owner’s willingness to meet with them. Allison Burky Boone, owner of Turky’s Towing, said she and her father, Werner “Turky” Burky, have done all they can to assure neighbors they will run a clean and reputable business, including agreeing to use a specific highway adjacent entrance to the property instead of one that leads
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to a residential area. Boone said she would like the opportunity to explain her business plans to opponents, but they simply won’t meet with her and her father and listen to what they have to say. “They are doing everything they can to stop us,” Boone said, “but my dad and I are doing everything we can to please them.” One opposing resident said an impound lot and towing business are too industrial for the area. The residents want the city to buy the land and create a farmers market, and launched a petition for it recently. A city councilman who represents the area has worked with Burky and Boone to develop a plan for the business that included closing the residential-side entrance. He said he doesn’t think the city will buy the land for a farmers market, so he has given up trying to negotiate with the neighborhood residents. Source: www.postandcourier.com.
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• Drivers won’t use company trucks to tow a friend’s car. • Drivers agree to maintain and clean their trucks. • Trucks will be returned to the shop in time for the next shift or days off. • Trucks will be returned full of fuel, and all equipment in working order. • Drivers will be on-call ready. • Drinking ... out of the question.
Management decides who’ll take a truck home, either by schedule needs, or as reward.
No Entitlements Sending a truck home with your driver is huge liability and one not to be taken lightly. In this day of serving law enforcement, auto clubs and the motoring public, sending a truck home with reliable drivers hopefully means faster ETAs, compared to drivers having to go to the shop first, pick up the truck, and then respond to the call. When the driver is assigned and authorized to take trucks home,
remember, there are no provisions suggesting the driver has ownership or entitlements to the truck; trucks belong to the company. Management decides who’ll take a truck home, either by schedule needs, or as reward for being an outstanding employee. In some cases, if the truck’s shared between two drivers or three shifts, it isn’t feasible to provide take-home trucks to all drivers.
If you’re a driver assigned to callout, be sure you’re out of bed and headed to the call without delay. Taking the truck home means you’ll accept all calls. Should your company authorize you a take-home truck to reward great performance, the company retains sole right to assign a continued take-home truck based on your productivity--no free rides. Editor’s note: This story originally ran on AT’s sister site, towindustryweek.com, which features industry news, training, recoveries, new products and more. Don’t miss out—make sure to check it each week.
Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for over 40 years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and light-duty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.
Man Charges Towers with Sword
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A man wearing a gas mask and a bulletproof vest wielding a Samurai sword charged towers who were attempting to move his vehicle in Fort Collins, Colo. Jeremiah Proctor, 27, had been warned not to block other cars with his vehicle at the apartment where he lives. When two tow operators showed up to tow his car, Proctor arrived with a sword in hand. One of the drivers, army veteran Josh Noel, said his military training kicked in and he defended himself against the swordsman. The second driver was struck. Eventually Noel was able to subdue Proctor. Other residents then assisted in keeping the man down until police arrived. Proctor is charged with attempted first-degree assault, felony menacing and criminal mischief. Noel said he wants charges dropped because Proctor claims to also be ex-military and in need of mental health attention. Source: www.sunnewsnetwork.ca.
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Residents Fight Tow Business Opening
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Residents in a Charleston, S.C., neighborhood are fighting against a towing company’s plans to open an impound lot and used cars sales business despite the business owner’s willingness to meet with them. Allison Burky Boone, owner of Turky’s Towing, said she and her father, Werner “Turky” Burky, have done all they can to assure neighbors they will run a clean and reputable business, including agreeing to use a specific highway adjacent entrance to the property instead of one that leads to a residential area. Boone said she would like the opportunity to explain her business plans to opponents, but they simply won’t meet with her and her father and listen to what they have to say. “They are doing everything they can to stop us,” Boone said, “but my dad and I are doing everything we can to please them.” One opposing resident said an impound lot and towing business are too industrial for the area. The residents want the city to buy the land and create a farmers market, and launched a petition for it recently. A city councilman who represents the area has worked with Burky and Boone to develop a plan for the business that included closing the residential-side entrance. He said he doesn’t think the city will buy the land for a farmers market, so he has given up trying to negotiate with the neighborhood residents. Source: www.postandcourier.com.
Tow Company Reinstated with New Owner
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An El Cajon, Calif., towing company that was dropped last year from the police department’s rotation because its owner was connected to a documented outlaw motorcycle gang was recently reinstated under new ownership.
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Work the Passenger side–Stay Safe!
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New owner Billie Baldwin bought the towing company from previous owner Dan Miller during the summer. A police investigation in 2013 found that Miller had been associating with the motorcycle gang, whose members included some accused of criminal and racist activity. The police department, contracted with Miller’s since 2004, stopped doing business with the company in March 2013. Miller disputed the police report’s finding that the motorcycle group is a racist organization. He also denied more than a cursory involvement with the group, saying that some of the members of the group had been friends since high school. Source: www.utsandiego.com
San Francisco to Control Tow Fees
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San Francisco (Calif.) Supervisor Scott Wiener held a hearing Oct. 23 to discuss current fees and policies that require victims of auto thefts to pay a hefty amount to retrieve towed stolen vehicles. Representatives from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Francisco Police Department, and AutoReturn, the private towing management company that currently holds a contract with the city, met with Wiener and other supervisors to discuss how any new contract with AutoReturn could be modified to decrease or get rid of the cost to victims of auto theft. AutoReturn’s contract with San Francisco is up for renewal in 2015. Currently, when San Francisco police find an illegally parked stolen car, they call the owner and give them 20 minutes to retrieve the car. If the owner doesn’t appear, the car is towed and the victim of the car theft must then go to an AutoReturn lot to retrieve the car. The car’s owner then has to pay towing and storage fees in order to retrieve their vehicle. City residents with vehicles registered in the city have four hours to recover their vehicles before AutoReturn begins charging a storage fee. However, there is no
grace period for non-residents. About 1,400 San Francisco residents and about 1,100 non-residents were victims of auto theft within the city and had to pick up the towed stolen vehicles through AutoReturn in 2014, according to a city manager. As a result, AutoReturn collected about $531,000 related to stolen vehicle towing and storage fees in San Francisco during that same period. John Pendleton, the chief technology officer at AutoReturn, said that in some cities the victim doesn’t incur any expense, while in others, the victim incurs a portion of the expense or the full amount. Pendleton also said that comprehensive car insurance sometimes provides coverage for the financial burden incurred by the victim. A member of the public who spoke at the hearing aired his grievances regarding the process of getting his car stolen and then having to pay fines first to AutoReturn and then the police department, leaving him feeling “victimized three times over.” Source: http://sfbay.ca.
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Auto Barn Cited for Illegal Tows The Baltimore, Md., city towing board shut down one of Baltimore’s largest towing companies for 45 days after finding it allowed unlicensed towers to remove more than 350 vehicles from private properties. The board suspended the trespass-towing license of Auto Barn Inc. of West Baltimore in September, according to a copy of the board’s ruling. The board ordered Auto Barn to issue reimbursements to those illegally towed. According to the board’s decision, the company employed a tower who had been denied a towing license in April, but went on to make about 200 unauthorized tows. Another driver, the son of an Auto Barn manager, made 13 unauthorized tows without a license, and a third man made 147 illegal tows in 2013. Auto Barn has been placed on probation until 2017. Source: www.baltimoresun.com. Work the Passenger side–Stay Safe!
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Take-Home
Trucks
Liabilities Require Rules for Drivers
by Randall C. Resch
W
hether working for tow companies large or small, take-home trucks are oftentimes considered a luxury. When a company’s fleet is small, providing a take-home truck means the fleet lacks a standby truck. If call volume requires another driver come to the facility, what if the truck is located at another driver’s home? There are many considerations at the management level before actual authorization to take the truck home happens. When determining who takes a truck home, management should pre-determine three specific considerations: • Is the take-home truck assigned to cover night shifts? Or, has the driver earned a truck as reward for positive performance (keeping in mind that driver must be available when they’re in possession of the truck)? • Does your company’s insurance cover parking company tow trucks at the driver’s residence? • Do local laws or parking regulations allow parking tow trucks in a residential neighborhood?
Considerations when allowing a truck to be taken home include weight limits and parking restrictions in the residential area where it will be parked and insurance policy limits.
Guidelines If allowable by law and insurance coverages, here are some mandates that drivers and management should agree upon: • Trucks will be parked (preferably) in safe locations that are off-street or near the driver’s residence. • All loose equipment will be secured: specifically V-bridles, extension lights, ratchets and straps, dolly wheel/racks, retainWEST 76 • December 2014 - TOWMAN.COM
ers, etc. All boxes will be locked. • Drivers will respond to calls at any time based on dispatcher needs or increased call volume. • Limited use of company trucks to run personal errands or go on dates. • Drivers won’t use company trucks to tow a friend’s car. • Drivers agree to maintain and clean their trucks. • Trucks will be returned to the shop in time for the next shift or days off. • Trucks will be returned full of fuel, and all equipment in working order. • Drivers will be on-call ready. • Drinking ... out of the question.
No Entitlements Sending a truck home with your
driver is huge liability and one not to be taken lightly. In this day of serving law enforcement, auto clubs and the motoring public, sending a truck home with reliable drivers hopefully means faster ETAs, compared to drivers having to go to the shop first, pick up the truck, and then respond to the call. When the driver is assigned and authorized to take trucks home, remember, there are no provisions suggesting the driver has ownership or entitlements to the truck; trucks belong to the company. Management decides who’ll take a truck home, either by schedule needs, or as reward for being an outstanding employee. In some cases, if the truck’s shared between two drivers or three shifts, it isn’t feasible to provide take-home trucks to all drivers. If you’re a driver assigned to callout, be sure you’re out of bed and headed to the call without delay. Taking the truck home means you’ll accept all calls. Should your company authorize you a take-home truck to reward great performance, the company retains sole right to assign a continued take-home truck based on your productivity--no free rides. Editor’s note: This story originally ran on AT’s sister site, towindustryweek.com, which features industry news, training, recoveries, new products and more. Don’t miss out—make sure to check it each week.
Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for over 40 years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and light-duty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.
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