American Towman Magazine - Aug. 2015 by dortiz-towman

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Number 143 on Reader Card

Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

FEATURE CONTENTS

Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .70

My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

The Reasons for Rotators

Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Several companies share about the benefits in efficiency, safety and your bottom line from this big investment. by Brendan Dooley

Cran-Buried in N.J. Big Tows in N.Y./N.J. got called out to a huge wreck that put their company in a sea of red cranberries. by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

2015 AT Expo

Cover Shot: Morton’s Towing's 2015 Peterbilt 389SH with a Century 1150R rolling rotator.

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Baltimore is coming soon, and here’s everything you need to know in advance, including a registration page.

Number 109 on Reader Card

Do You Need a Rotator? First On The Scene!

by Dennie Ortiz

Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley

It’s often said people don’t buy your product— they buy you. Like it or not, in business, image is so important. Your company’s image is affected by everything, including your staff, your business cards, your advertising, your website and especially your equipment. Do you send clean, wellmaintained attractive tow trucks to each scene? It’s the whole package. One potential area to build your business image is the type of

trucks in your fleet. I’ve had many towers from across the country tell me that adding a rotator to their fleet brought them more recovery business and municipal contracts, as well as diversify in other areas and upgrade their image as a whole. In this issue we have a feature editorial on rotators and how they can help build your business in many different areas, in addition to the image that owning one projects. Not only do rotators allow for quick clearance and safer operations, they can increase your bottom line. Be safe out there.

Rooted in the Basics by 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 Miriam Ortiz Henri Calitri Toni Vanderhorst William Burwell Peggy Calabrese Ryan Oser Helen Gutfreund Emily Oz Steve Calitri

Page Layout Artist Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Account Exec. VP of Accounts Subscription Manager Customer Service Publisher’s Assistant TIW Media Director Regional Advertising Sales iMarketing Manager Communications Mgr. ATTV Producer President

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

On a recovery, it’s important to have the right truck at the scene, whether a rotator, rollback or other, as well as that truck being outfitted with the right tools and equipment. It’s equally important to have the right people, who are properly trained in the use and care of the tools needed, from a truck’s boom and winch to rigging and blocks … all the way down to using oil absorbents and a broom and shovel cleaning up after the casualty is recovered. As many said in our Rotators feature on page 12, having the right people is essential to operating that investment at peak efficiency for best results. They reiterate that training is a key factor. Beyond that, keeping in mind the basics of the job, like knowing Working Load Limits on rigging and how angles and lines to the load affect weight are crucial. In that regard, we also have a recap/primer (depending on whether you’re a newbie or veteran operator) on snatch blocks from Field Editor Terry Abejuela on page 64.

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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 ©2015 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.

Number 216 on Reader Card

Ga. Towers Win Increase The Statesboro (Ga.) City Council voted to increase the maximum that tow companies may charge for nonconsensual tows from private property from $110 to $150, the maximum allowed under Georgia law. The cap under Statesboro’s ordinance since 2008 had been $110. The city attempted to lower the local cap to $85 last year “for the first hour,” which created confusion. Hourly rates are not applied to nonconsensual towing. As a result, some towing companies still charged a straight fee of $110, and had an attorney help them ask for clarification. The proposal the attorney presented called for an increase to $150. The new ordinance also allows for a $60 drop fee. Source: www.statesboroherald.com.

Reduced Fees in Car Thefts Victims of car theft in San Francisco, Calif., could get some relief from towing fees under a proposal before the city’s Board of Supervisors. A proposed eight-month extension to the city’s contract with AutoReturn would waive all of the initial fees for San Francisco residents. Residents of the city would get a full 48-hour grace period before the new $68.25 daily fee would start to accrue, and non-residents would get 24 hours. Residents of other cities, who may have had their cars stolen elsewhere and dumped in San Francisco, would pay just $133 — half of the city’s towing fee — and the rest would be waived. The city’s current system allows a cartheft victim 20 minutes to get his or her car from the street where police find it. If they can’t get there, car owners are charged close to $500, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. At press time there was no word on when a decision on the proposal was expected. Source: ww2.kqed.org. 8 • August 2015 - TOWMAN.COM

Tower Hopes Photo Sends Message A tow truck ingful pictures driver captured I’ve ever taken,” a meaningful Giles posted on image after he Facebook. “This is responded to a from the scene the serious crash other night where involving a Trooper Benner Virginia State was injured. The Trooper on I-95 bumper from Tower Mark Giles Jr. wanted his photo in Caroline, Va. [the] car that got from a Virginia State Police crash scene Mark Giles hit was laying on to be a message that could save lives. Jr., a driver for the ground perBud’s Towing in fect for this picRuther Glen, said he and other troopture with the Move Over law sticker. ers at the scene of a June 24 crash June is Move Over Awareness Month stopped in their tracks when they saw so let’s spread this awareness.” the detached bumper of a state He said he hoped people shared trooper’s cruiser on the interstate. his photo, adding that while the acciOn the bumper was a sticker that dent was not necessarily tied to the read: “The Move Over Law: It Saves law’s violation, he hoped the photo Lives.” raised awareness. “[This is] one of the most meanSource: wtvr.com.

Towing Company Has to Jersey City, N.J., officials are touting the citywide mural program that they say is turning Jersey City into an outdoor art gallery, but a towing company is being told it must paint over its own mural. Anthony Truchan, who owns Truchan Brothers Auto and Towing, said he spent $2,000 turning the rear wall of his shop into a 14’ x 60’ mural advertising his business. He was slapped with a violation in March for “excessive signage” in a residential zone, and a municipal judge told him that he must paint the entire wall black to keep the current paint from bleeding through, he said. Other businesses near Truchan’s have ads painted on exterior walls, but the city’s rub is that Truchan painted his mural on a wall that’s in a

Paint Over Mural

A tow company in New Jersey was told to paint over its mural. NJ.com image.

residential zone. Truchan noted that the street has only a few houses, and that his mural faces a garage, not a home. Truchan said he’d paint over the mural if the city forces him to, as of press time. Source: www.nj.com.

… private property rate cap raised to $150 ... Mayor Sentenced in Tow Extortion Sylvester Caldwell, mayor of Pine Lawn, Mo., was sentenced to 33 months in prison on charges involving the extortion of cash payments from the owner of a local towing company and from the owner of a convenience store. In addition to the prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay $5,500 restitution. According to court documents, from December 2013 through April 2014, FBI agents conducted a public corruption investigation into Caldwell, who as mayor exercised authority and control over which towing company provided the primary towing service for the city. During the investigation, the owner of a towing company, who was cooperating with the FBI, met with Caldwell on several occasions for the purpose of making cash payments to the mayor in order to remain the primary towing service for Pine Lawn. At times, Caldwell used coded language when requesting the cash payments. He induced payments by threatening to use a competing towing company. Source: www.fbi.gov.

New Rate Surveys in Ariz. The Arizona Department of Public Safety is now required to conduct rate surveys and create a heavy-duty rotator recovery vehicle classification for towing services. This requirement, which went into effect July 1, also includes a requirement for towers to notify consumers of their right to file a complaint with the DPS if they believe they have been assessed unreasonable charges. Another new law going into effect in Arizona allows vehicle owners to choose any towing company or tow operator to move a vehicle from a towing company’s storage premises to a repair facility. Source: m.landlinemag.com. Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

Tower Battles House Fire An Orlando, Figueroa called Fla., tower took 911 and tried to on the role of firebattle the fire fighter on the with a garden morning of July 7 hose. after he spotted a “The fire home going up in was just getflames. Harrison ting so crazy,” Figueroa was driFigueroa said. ving his tow truck “So I grabbed a around 2 a.m. hose, turned it Harrison Figueroa was first to spot a fire when he said he on and started about 2 a.m. and tried to put it out smelled smoke. shooting at the himself until help arrived. After driving fire.” Clickorlando.com image. down a few Wi t h i n streets, he saw flames shooting minutes, firefighters arrived and through the roof of a home. extinguished the flames. “I jumped out of my truck and Firefighters said the homeowner tried to bang on the door to see if any- was out of town and no one was body was in there,” Figueroa said. inside the home. When no one came to the door, Source: www.clickorlando.com.

Kansas Towers Busy after Flood With the flood waters subsiding in Wichita, Kan., clean up busied towers and repairs took center stage for cars caught in the rising water. Sudden heavy rains flooded streets; one road was said to have suddenly turned into a river. “We’ve got six or seven waiting still. We’re Towers were busy recently in Wichita, Kan., still pretty busy,” said after sudden flooding swamped dozens of motorists. KWCH.com image. Randy Reyes, a tower with Ken’s Auto Tow. Reyes had little down time the day after the flood, picking up and dropping off broken down vehicles. Steve Nelson at Donovan Auto and Truck Center expected to see several water damaged cars. “You can get all kinds of damage, catastrophic failure. You can get water sucked through the intake and get into the engine and spin a crank. You can lose an engine driving into high water,” said Nelson. Source: www.kwch.com.

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Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Wireless Valve Control for Manual Rollbacks Actus joined forces with Lodar on a wireless valve control system for rollback carriers with manual valves. Remotely operate the winch, bed in/out and bed up/down and stay out of traffic. The Actus system is a fully electric solution (connect to 12V battery). The system is easy to

install (about an hour), without welding, cutting or rerouting hydraulic lines, or adding an air compressor or air lines. • Electric clutch means valves can be manually operated, even when power is off. • Two-year warranty. • Add to new or used carriers.

ww.actusinc.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Fuel-Saving Long-Haul Steer Tire Goodyear launched its Fuel Max LHS, a fuel-efficient long-haul steer tire, to complement the Fuel Max LHD fuel-efficient long-haul drive tire. The new Goodyear Fuel Max LHS features: • Specialized, multi-layered tread compounding to promote even wear over long miles. • Penetration resistance to help prevent stone drilling, which promotes casing retreadability. • A steel belt and casing package for enhanced toughness and endurance. • SmartWay-verified.

www.goodyeartrucktires.com Number 201 on Reader Card

Multi-Color 47” Lightbars The STL K-Force II 47” Series lightbars from SpeedTech Lights feature a double-layer aluminum, weather-proof housing with fully integrated modules spanning the bar. Available in TIR or Linear optics, this bar comes with optional multi-color functionality. The Linear Series features 122 Gen. III

one-watt LEDs with 14 Gen. III three-watt LEDs (for worklights/alleys). The TIR Series features 72 Gen. III one-watt LEDs and 14 Gen. III three-watt LEDs (for worklights/alleys). Both series come standard with 15 available flash patterns and a builtin amber arrow stick. Five-year warranty.

www.speedtechlights.com Number 202 on Reader Card

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Quick Draw Tarp for High-End Work

n add-on product for car carriers, the Quick Draw Tarpaulin System offers companies a chance to expand or enhance its premium-car towing and transport work. The Quick Draw Tarps are a quality rolling tarp system for flatbed trucks. “Rolling it back and forth is a one-man job,” said Jim Powers of Elizabeth Truck Center in Elizabeth, N.J., a distributor for the product. “It only takes an extra two or three minutes to use.” The track, wheels and framework are a time-tested design that ensures maximum replacement part compatibility and has customers praising a system that can last for over 10 years with minimal maintenance and repair costs, he said.

Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

Adding the tarp to a carrier that won’t be used primarily for high-end work isn’t necessarily a good idea though. “You want to use it the majority of the time the way it is,” Powers said. “You can use it as a regular car carrier and that isn’t a big deal, but you’re adding the motions of sliding the canopy back and forth for no reason. … The proper way to use it is rolled back and engaged.” Powers said the Quick Draw Tarp System can be added to most car carriers, as certain specifications have to be met.

www.quickdrawtarps.com Number 203 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - August 2015 • 11

The Reasons for Rotators

An Investment that Delivers More Work, Efficiency & Safety

by Brendan Dooley

xpanding the bottom line is a common thread to most businesses—very few owners will shun an opportunity to grow. In towing, finding ways to expand your offerings most often relates to bringing on new equipment. The most expensive piece of equipment most companies will add is a rotator (or two). For the first-time rotator buyer though, signing on the dotted line can be a heady experience. New rotators average around $500,000 to $750,000 and options send them north of $1 million—it’s not a business investment to be taken lightly. “The rotator is the most versatile piece of recovery equipment ever introduced to the towing industry,” said Bob Fouquette, owner of Big Wheel Towing and Recovery in East Free-

town, Mass. Bob and his son, Eric Fouquette, also created Recovery Billing Unlimited, a training course designed to help tow company owners and billing personnel create professional, detailed, acceptable invoices for their recoveries. “Since the introduction of rotators, most companies that have them have found more financial stability, increased confidence, and much safer working conditions,” Fouquette said. “Adding a rotator to your heavy-duty recovery operation is definitely a huge decision, but a rotator raises the bar and brings in a lot more better paying jobs to your company.” Big Wheel Towing currently operates two rotators, an 85-ton Jerr-Dan and a 60ton Century that he credits with adding confidence and safety to the scene. “In addition, when police agencies

see them work and what they can actually do on an accident scene, they begin to request it. That helps get you to the top of a lot of tow lists above other companies that might not have one. … Rotators bring in a lot of extra work, especially difficult recoveries.” In the research process, owners can find plenty of information about the equipment features and costs, but maybe not as much on the specific benefits. Unless your local police chief or trucking company president tells you you’ll be his one and only, what work will you find so that big rig isn’t sitting on the lot while you’re writing checks? Randy Olson, VP of Marketing for Miller Industries, said many tow owners’ eyes really are opened once they’ve got a rotator and find out the diversity of work beyond recovery that becomes available.

Rotating the boom to the front is an advantage that places more weight over the steer axle for increased towability with heavy equipment, as with this Century 1060 towing a crane.

Jared Null, of Null’s Towing, said rotators make recoveries quicker and easier. Here, an NRC 40/50CSR (left) and an NRC 50/65CSR are tending to an overturned gravel truck off the road.

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“Just looking at Facebook (towing and heavy forums) every day, you can see what a diversity of work there is for rotators,” said Olson. “You can see the advantages of having minimum lane blockage, which is in big demand by law enforcement. “Secondary accidents are reduced with quicker clearance; they are expensive not just to commerce, but lives and injuries.” “The biggest thing the rotator does for you at a recovery is keep the road open,” agreed Jared Null, operations manager at Null’s Towing in Cochranville, Pa. “You can work off the side (of the rotator) rather than parking across lanes. That’s really big with the police. … “Overall, rotators make everything so much easier and quicker,” Null said. The company’s NRC fleet includes three carriers and six heavy-duty trucks, three of which are sliding rotators (two 40/50 CSRs and a 50/65 CSR). “Bringing a rotator on-scene is almost a standard expectation with most police now,” said Jason Sullivan, Heavy Duty Tow and Recovery Manager at Morton’s Towing & Recovery in Rockville, Md. “I’ve been doing towing and recovery for over 30 years, from Holmes mechanical to straight-sticks to rotators; it’s a different animal now where the rotator gives you more options.”

Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

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At Morton’s Towing, they’ve found rotators, like their 2015 Peterbilt 389SH with a Century 1150R rolling rotator, to be flexible equipment suited to many jobs.

Capability It’s not just about more work though; the rotator can make your business more efficient and safer. If you can add more business (including some segments you wouldn’t expect), become safer and take on more jobs by adding one piece to the puzzle, shouldn’t you at least consider it? “You can do more with fewer trucks with a rotator—more recovery with one rotator than with two straight-boom trucks,” said Mark Sexton, owner of Mark’s Equipment Service and Towing in Frederick, Md. “This isn’t the 1950s or ’60s. If you’re not moving forward with the kind of equipment you’re buying, you are wasting your time and customers’ time.” Their towing fleet of 30-plus vehicles includes five heavies, two of which are rotators: a 1996 Century two-stage 60-ton and a newer Jerr-Dan 60-ton JFB on a twin-steer Kenworth T880 chassis. “We assist the fire department on many rescues,” Sexton said. “All my operators are rescue trained, so we know and [firefighters] know what each other is looking for when they 14 • August 2015 - TOWMAN.COM

call. … Another good thing with a rotator is you can get in and work when fire personnel have a scene clogged up. “Rotators save time on recovery; you don’t have to constantly reset like with a straight-boom truck on a heavy recovery,” Sexton said. For the customer, he said that means “saving money—instead of charging for four trucks, you charge for one and work safer and more efficiently.” Fewer trucks and less rigging equal less time on the scene. “They offer a reduction in recovery time,” said Shane Coleman, Heavy Product Specialist with Jerr-Dan Corp. “Several of our customers have reported to me that putting a rotator in service in their business shortens their time on many recoveries. … One customer said a job’s normal time was four hours, and having a rotator turned it into a two-and-a-half-hour job.” The additional safety is something that cannot be overlooked, according to Fouquette. “OSHA requires you as a business owner, to provide safe working conditions for all of your employees,” he said. If you pull up to a scene for a

light-duty vehicle over the guardrail with a truck that needs to cross and/or block lanes to get in position, that takes time and becomes a major instigator for potential secondary accidents. “That’s extremely dangerous and opens you, your company and your insurance company up to extreme liability and a potential multi-milliondollar lawsuit,” if a secondary crash occurs, Fouquette said. “Regardless of what police on-scene directed, you are responsible for your actions.” By implementing the use of a rotator, even for light-duty vehicle recoveries, “you can work from the breakdown lane without blocking the highway, extend the boom, rotate the vehicle over the guardrail, and swing it over onto your ramp truck,” Fouquette said. “It’s the right way, and the safest way. “Insurance companies are not qualified or certified to judge what equipment you should use.” Rotators also minimize additional damages to the casualty, he said. “We’ve done hundreds of [lightduty vehicle recoveries] in difficult spots with rotators and been paid

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Mark Sexton, owner of Mark’s Equipment Service, said rotators save time, like with their new 60-ton Jerr-Dan JFB on a twin-steer Kenworth T880.

every single time, even vehicles with property damage coverage insurance only,” Fouquette said.

Flexibility “The rotator is a very versatile piece of equipment that takes us beyond the towing and recovery realm,” said Sullivan; Morton’s fleet of 35 trucks has seven heavies that include three Century rotators—two 1150R rolling rotators and an 1140. “A lot of larger, overhead cranes charge more and take longer to setup and get to the job. We can get there and setup fairly easy.” Olson agreed that the rotator is more flexible doing crane-type work than a crane. “Moving equipment and machinery—you can get a crane. But in lowceilinged buildings, cranes can’t operate,” he said. “In a warehouse or airplane hangar, a crane has such a high stick, it’s really made for height. There’s really a basic difference between what a crane does and what a rotator does. “The rotator works at angles vs. a crane’s vertical lift. Cranes need to be 16 • August 2015 - TOWMAN.COM

scheduled. … Short-order work is not a hallmark for cranes.” When new opportunities crop up, having a rotator can help you snatch it. “Drawing from the experience of our customers, some have had new industry or business move in to their region that may not have access to loading docks, but need equipment loaded and unloaded from trailers,” Coleman said. “A good example is the oilfield business. … Fracking has lots of piping being shipped and different types of equipment and machinery that get loaded in a factory from an overhead crane, but need to be unloaded on-site. Traditional tow trucks have usually been deployed, but rotators offer another level of service or functionality.” Similar work can be found with construction companies and other businesses that serve them. “One place to get your rotator work is at a local equipment auction where you can set equipment on flatbeds. Another place is with construction companies to set generators,” Null said.

“One thing it’s important for owners to keep in mind is, when you step away from doing automotive work, you need rigging insurance. It covers lifting on those jobs. Even with a stick boom, you still should have riggers insurance when you’re working outside of automotive,” he said.

Towability All the towers agree that a big advantage of the rotator comes from its ability to safely tow extremely heavy equipment. “We run two rotators because of the cement mixers and firetrucks we’ve been seeing; you need a lot of front-end weight to pick up and tow,” Sexton said. “I like the advantage of turning the boom around and transfering weight to the steer axle. “This is an advantage with towing cranes, too. They’re pretty heavy and we’ve towed them several times.” “Changing the weight distribution of the rotator—swinging the boom over the steer axle—to tow extremeweight vehicles is as important to a rotator’s towability as using the boom

Number 139 on Reader Card

Number 140 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

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on the other end is to recovery work,” Olson said. “Put simply: In the towing world, it takes weight to move weight,” Coleman added. “Faced with a severe-duty application like a tandem-steer concrete pumper or a crane or something that’s exceptionally heavy—equal to the weight of the rotator or above—the advantage the rotator brings is it gives the operator the ability to manage those tows more reasonably.” “The only downfall to towing with the rotator is it’s heavy to begin with— you have to keep that in mind,” Null cautioned. “But it takes weight to move weight, and the rotator is its own counter-weight. Heavier is better with recovery, but the opposite for most towing,” Null said.

Operators Regardless of whether you’re towing or recovering, you’ve got to have the right people on staff and a training plan. “You’ve got to have good operators, not just pretty equipment,” Sexton said. “Training is important. We send

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guys to school and train in-house.” He said it might be up to two years before his operators get into a heavy wrecker. “Many people who buy a rotator overlook that the truck is an investment that needs additional investments in the right equipment and properly trained operators,” Sullivan said. He said each of their rotators is outfitted with lifting bridles and chain bridles, wire-rope slings, endless loops, recovery straps and full chain packages with heavy-duty components that are properly rated. Their operators are sent to Miller’s rotator school and WreckMaster courses. “Miller is more of a hands-on experience with different scenarios to show capabilities,” Sullivan said. “WreckMaster is very good on the math part of it, which is crucial to overhead lifting. “If you have a problem with a rotator, it’s not going to be a small one. Operators need to know they are keeping equipment within the Working Load Limits.”

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Billing Getting extra business with your rotator can be worthless if you don’t invoice it correctly. That includes billing for all the equipment and personnel you use, and some companies invoice hourly rate minimums for their rotators. “When we use a rotator on-scene, we actually save the insurance company money,” Fouquette said. You should have a certified scene safety person present on every rotator recovery, he said. “This is a necessary person, and with that necessary person being on-scene, charge for them accordingly—OSHA requires a safety person when a boom is moving.” Another added safety item for all recovery scenes, in addition to a scene safety person, is wireless headsets. “We use headsets on every one of our recovery jobs; they bring so much safety and so much confidence to the job,” Fouquette said. Headsets eliminate yelling on scenes because of truck noise and other ambient noise at recoveries. “We have two sets of the Sonetics

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headsets. They were expensive, but have more than paid for themselves. They expedite any job and add safety. It’s huge— outside of your rotator, [headsets] are one of your best investments. They change the whole job. … Everybody is in constant communication.” Also, your time doesn’t end when the police clear the scene. “The truck has to be cleaned, the wire rope pulled out and realigned, blocking cleaned, all the chains cleaned and put away. … Some insurance companies go by police logs … but that doesn’t mean anything,” Fouquette said. “You have to travel back to the shop or tow yard.” So, you know the extra work should come, you’ve got the right people and you have an idea how to do invoices for a new rotator. Should you take the plunge? “Some guys will ask, ‘How can I justify $750,000 for a truck when I’ve been in business for 40 years and never needed it before?’ ” Fouquette said. “I say, ‘You’re right. You don’t know. But how much money could you make in the towing and recovery business before you’re in the towing and recovery business?’ How could you answer that question before you were in it? “It’s up to you; it’s about self-imposed limitations. If someone else can do it, you can too—if you’re a determined person and have good people working for you. “If you want to expand your business, a rotator is the tool to do it.” Editor’s note Number 196 on Reader Card

Don’t miss the September issue’s comparisons of manufacturer specs on rotators.

Number 165 on Reader Card

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TRAA Wants Wording Amended

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Towing and Recovery Association of America President Jeff Roskopf and Legislative Chairperson Joanne Blyton are keeping a watchful eye on H.R. 2563, titled “The State and Local Predatory Towing Enforcement Act,” which they say has “quickly turned into the regulation of tow truck operations.” In a press release, TRAA claimed that H.R. 2563 effectively would allow states to regulate tow truck operations. There are some states that already have laws in effect to regulate the towing of private-property impounds and non-consensual towing, while other states do not. TRAA states that while the amendment may seem simple, it would allow for the regulation of all non-consent tow truck operations. “Predatory towing is not an activity engaged in by most towers,” said the TRAA release. “Of the towers that do perform private-property impound, many use aggressive towing practices. While the instances of PPI towing problems are limited, they have become much publicized and a concern for the general motoring public. “With that in mind, some in Congress believe that all towing industry practices need to be regulated. In essence the philosophy is to regulate the whole in order to eliminate the problematic minority.” As of press time, TRAA was seeking the bill to be amended from its current language or tabled. Source: www.traaonline.com

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Australian Tower Fired for Towing Disabled Driver A routine breakdown on a Queensland, Australia, highway ended up costing a tower his job—because the driver needed a bit more help as he was disabled. Murray French said the rear tire on the man’s car had blown “badly” and he was so close to traffic that to open his door to

access his wheelchair would encroach extremely close to the road. The passenger side door wasn’t much help either and couldn’t be opened enough to get the man out. He surmised calling for back-up to get the lane blocked off so the man could be helped from the car could have taken between two and three hours. With the disabled man stuck inside his car and “shaking,” saying he couldn’t wait that

long, French made the decision to tow him while still inside the car. The man wore his seatbelt and was only taken about 10 yards before the highway exit then about three-tenths of a mile until there was a safe place to get him out of the car, but that was enough. When management was alerted, French was out of a job. The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited fired him for not following procedure. The Transport Workers Union is calling French a hero. TWU Queensland state secretary Peter Biagini said Murray French should have been applauded … not fired. “He should be a hero, this guy,” Biagini said. But French doesn’t want praise; all he wants is his job back. Sources: www.dailymercury. com.au.

City Wants More $$ for Towing The tax department in Bridgeport, Conn., oversees a car towing operation that officials maintain earns little to no money. Meanwhile, across the street, the police department is being paid $376 for every abandoned car that the wrecking company hauls off and disposes of for the cops. Why are the cops making money while the tax office is not? That is yet another question that has come out of a recent scandal involving Bridgeport’s 10-year-old practice of booting and towing motor vehicles over tax debts. According to the city, since 2008 Bridgeport has booted or wheel-locked 10,254 vehicles total; booted, towed, then released 1,119 of those after payment; with 544 kept by the towing companies to be sold or scrapped. Earlier, an ex-state marshal was arrested as part of an ongoing probe involving the FBI and the Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force and charged with 18 counts of second-degree forgery and 21 counts of criminal impersonation. State marshals run auctions of abanNumber 112 on Reader Card

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DISPATCH continued from page 26 doned vehicles for towing companies. The ex-marshal had not had a marshal’s license since 2013, and was accused of illegally operating as a marshal. His arrest has raised questions about oversight of the murky world of booting, towing and scrapping cars, particularly since Bridgeport’s tax collector, according to the arrest warrant, told investigators “proceeds from tax tows and tax auctions rarely return to the city because storage fees usually outweigh the value of the vehicle.” What that means is that the towing companies and the marshals tell the city that, however the car is disposed of, there is just enough left over for them, and the city takes their word for it. Anne Kelly-Lenz, Bridgeport’s finance director, said the city has been looking at ways of revising the tax department’s towing program to boost revenues, including adopting the police approach. “Instituting an up-front fee to companies towing for delinquent taxes absolutely is an option being considered,” she said. Source: www.ctpost.com

QCPO Effects Change in Ohio Joe Hollabaugh, executive director of the Quick Clear Professionals of Ohio, recently said that the organization was successful in getting two changes favorable to Ohio’s towers in the state’s biennial budget bill. New provisions included a one-year time frame to accrue “three strikes” violations before a tow company’s certificate is removed; and that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio certificate numbers and business telephone numbers must be displayed on the side of a vehicle instead of the front doors. It also adds that PUCO, by rule, may exempt the new advertisement requirements where the size or nature of the advertisement makes it unreasonable to add a certificate number. “While the bill must still pass both the house and senate and be signed by the governor,” said Hollabaugh, “we are very confident these (provisions) will become law (soon).” Source: quickclearprofessionals.com

AAA National Appoints New President AAA appointed Marshall L. Doney as its new president/CEO, effective July 1, to lead its National Office and 43 affiliated clubs with 55 million members in the United States and Canada. He took over for long-time CEO Bob Darbelnet. Doney began his AAA (www.aaa.com) career in 1984 as an assistant district manager within AAA Wisconsin. He joined the AAA National Office in 1991 as Director of Strategic Planning and Research, then moved to AAA New York as the Director of Marketing and Service Quality. He rejoined the AAA National Office in 1996 as VP of Automotive Services. “I am honored and excited to have been selected by the AAA board of directors to continue AAA’s momentum and to lead this well-respected, member-centric organization during a time in our existence where automotive technology is changing faster than ever before,” said Doney. Number 164 on Reader Card

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TOWMAN.COM - August 2015 • 29

Cran-Buried in New Jersey

A Rescue/Recovery in a Sea of Red

The Century 1060 rotator is on the front corner with the boom rotated and extended to assist in the driver’s rescue by emergency personnel.

p.m. Before we could even do a walkaround, the fire department and state police personnel instructed that our rotator be positioned in front of the tractor to stabilize the casualty so they could remove the entrapped driver.” Fijor parked the Century 1060 on the front corner with the boom rotated and extended. One line went to a blue endless loop with one line low to a snatch block on the lower driver side D-ring to pull the frame and axle. “The Tallman Fire Department heavy-rescue rig stabilized the trailer. We were instructed not to do or move anything until further instructed,” Fijor said. The weather was clear, sunny and around 90 degrees. Paramedics, flight medics and firefighters along with a trauma physician attempted to free the driver from the casualty. The doctor arrived shortly before the driver was removed from the wreck. He had been called in because rescuers thought that an emergency surgery amputation of the driver’s leg might have to be performed on scene. The driver had been trapped in the truck for about 45 minutes before being freed by rescuers at around 5 p.m. There was a medical helicopter waiting to transport him to a

nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead at around 5:30 p.m., police said. Fijor, the recovery supervisor on scene, did a walkaround of the casualty. The state police on scene requested a refrigerated trailer to transfer cranberries as long as health officials did not condemn the load. Fijor called for one extra heavy wrecker, more manpower, his Peterbilt tractor to tow the trailer away, a refrigerated tractor-trailer, forklift, pallet jacks and two flatbed tow trucks. Operator Reginald Charlot arrived with a 2012 Freightliner SD114/2015 Metro Tow Trucks INT-35 35-ton wrecker, Operator Gary Bland drove out in a 2015 Pete 389 tractor, Operator Allan Massaro operated a 2012 Hino/Chevron 21’ steel bed and Gratziano Trafuoci drove a 2014 Hino/2014 Kilar 21’ steel bed. The trailer had rolled on the passenger side, first landing on the roadway then slid up over the guardrail and fence, which ripped the side of the trailer completely and the rear of the trailer was on a negative ditch grade over the guardrail and fence. The roof was bulging from the cargo shifting

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

icardo Fijor founded Big Tows Inc. in Spring Valley, N.Y., in 1998. The company headquarters now are in Chestnut Ridge, with an additional location in Ramsey, N.J. Big Tows has comprehensive experience in heavy towing and emergency recovery. Fijor is TRAA Level 3, WreckMaster 6/7 and Sava air-cushion certified, and rotator-trained by NRC. All of his drivers are WreckMaster and TRAA certified. Fijor has an extensive fleet of specialized equipment. On June 10, at approximately 4:25 p.m., Big Tows received a call from the New Jersey State Police for an overturned tractor-trailer on Route 287 in Mahwah, just south of the New York State border. The truck loaded with 30 • August 2015 - TOWMAN.COM

cranberries overturned on a looping ramp leading from northbound Route 17 to southbound lanes on Routes 287 and 17. They dispatched Fijor in his 1997 Peterbilt 378/Century 1060 60-ton rotator. His wife, Monika, the company office manager, drove a 2004 Ford E350 box truck hauling their recovery trailer and operators Rodrigo LizanoVillalobos and Santiago Pauta-Guaman went in a 2008 Freightliner Sprinter road-service van. “While en route, the state police called back and advised that we had permission to drive on the shoulder as the driver was heavily entrapped and rescue personnel needed the unit stabilized and we were told to expedite,” Fijor said. “We arrived on scene at 4:35

A load of cranberries went over in Mahwah, N.J., in June, killing the semi’s driver; Big Tows assisted with the rescue, upright and cleanup.

and there was a trail of cranberries— the load had been compromised. The rear door was padlocked with one handle in the open position. The driver side of the trailer wall appeared to be in stable condition. The passenger side lower rail of the trailer was damaged along with aluminum damaged from the guardrail and sliding. The passenger side front of the trailer near the reefer unit was in bad shape from the guardrail and fence, and the tractor had heavy damage to the passenger side of the cab. The top cab portion of the tractor was wedged into the guardrail. The passenger side rear axle of the tractor tire cap peeled and the spare tire on the trailer tire rack was ready to blow with a big bubble. Makka Don, one of Big Tows workers, was cleaning up debris from around the tractor and heard a noise in the cab. “We initially found a Ziploc bag of dog food, but didn’t see any dog,” he said. “I heard a noise and this little brown dog crawled from the sleeper to the front seat and I grabbed him. He had been hiding in the sleeper cab of the tractor for about two hours at that point and was shaking and scared.”

The Century 1060, after the rescue, is readied for the recovery.

Don removed and cared for the scared little dachshund and turned it over to the state police on scene who eventually got it to the Bergen County Animal Shelter. The bill of lading stated that the cargo was from Pittsville, Wis., going to Lakeville, Mass.; it showed 30 bins of bulk cranberries with a total gross weight of 43,356.69 lbs. “At approximately 6:15 p.m., the state police released the casualty for recovery,” Fijor said. “Our Century 60ton rotator was positioned on the rear

Cleaning up the cranberries and stacking crates to haul away the next day following rush hour.

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of the trailer. Our Metro INT-35 35-ton heavy-duty wrecker was positioned on the front of the tractor. Our service truck mechanic removed the driveshaft and unlocked the tandem on the trailer to be winched forward due to bottom rail and floor damage. “The Mahwah Board of Health inspected the load and condemned it, giving approval to dispose. We lifted the rear of the trailer to inspect the side to attempt to lift it loaded, utilizing Sava air cushions. We found the trailer completely compromised with the load

just flowing out. Being that the side of the trailer was already broken, the roof was cut to leave the load in the ditch for a later clean up. Cranberries were in big wooden crates with no tops. When the truck went over, the trailer was ripped apart and the load was dumped out. “We also pulled both yellow and red brake switches on the dash to lock the casualty brakes. We utilized the Century 60-ton rotator at the back of the trailer and the Metro at the front of the tractor. Sava landing bags were held in place as we brought the casualty up to ease it back onto its wheels. We cut the roof and side, left them on the ground and picked the tractortrailer in one shot. “The tractor-trailer was uprighted leaving behind the load on the passenger side and the roof of the trailer in the ditch. After the casualty was uprighted, the state police concluded their investigation with final pictures and measurements. “We prepared to tow installing safety chains, air to tank and installing lightbar to the rear of the tractor. We used our Peterbilt tractor to tow the trailer and our road service Sprinter was used as the escort vehicle back to our Ramsey impound (pending investigation). … Our Hino flatbeds were used to transport the woodbins and truck and trailer parts. We blew and raked all debris from the roadway.” The cargo and remainder of the trailer sidewall and roof stayed in the ditch. Fijor spoke with DOT personnel on scene to schedule ditch cleanup for the following day after rush hour. On June 11, after the morning rush hour, Big Tows dispatched one dump

truck, one dump trailer and 10 men to clean the debris and berries. A recovery trailer along with two road service trucks were also dispatched to the scene. The DOT shut down one lane for the cleanup efforts. All debris was shoveled by hand into cans and handed over the guardrail to load into the dump truck and trailer. A demo saw cut the aluminum sidewall, a chainsaw cut the wooden bins and blowers and rakes were used to pick up berries. They used plastic bags to collect the tractor driver’s personal belongings that had scattered in the ditch. “Approximately 3 p.m., NJDOT inspected the ditch for any parts belonging to the casualty … they found none and we were told the remainder of the berries could stay, as it was not harmful to the environment,” Fijor said. Author’s note I'd like to thank Big Tows President Ricardo Fijor and Production Coordinator Morgan Campbell for spending many hours and late nights getting me the photos and details for this involved rescue and recovery.

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AD INDEX Page # RS# Access Tools 53 102 Advantage Funding 54 106 Agero 27 114 Akins Body & Carrier Sales 19 126 Allstate Roadside Services 61 183 American Tranport. Ins. S 77, W 84 105 Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales S 77 179 Austin Hinds Motors S 79 135 Austin Insurance W 82 173 AutoReturn 73 133 AW Direct 64 209 B/A Products 29 108 B & Z Sales S 75 170 Beacon Software 67 136 Chase Insurance Agency S 75 180 Chevron Commercial 63 217 Century 2, 3 143 Columbus Truck Center M 77 189 Crashfilm 64 210 Crouch’s Wrecker Equip. & Supplies 59 177 Custer Products 52 128 Dan-Am 66 169 Dangelo’s Wrecker Sales 33 122 Dual-Tech Wreckers & Carriers 66 192 Dynamic Towing Eq. & Mfg. 20 165 Elizabeth Truck Center 29 123 Equipment Sales & Service N 75 152 Extreme Toys 28 164 Ford Commercial Truck 24, 25 176 Freightliner 7 216 Ginn Carrier & Wrecker Sales 57 125 G. Stone Motors N 76 190 Hub International 20 196 IGTC 33 212 Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) 58 110 Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease 33 145 ISU Insurance W 79 130 Jerr-Dan 84 124 Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip. M 75 134 Kayln-Siebert 15 162

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Lift & Tow 17 Loganville Ford 67 Lynch Chicago 23 Matheny Motors 51 Metro Truck/Big Tow 34 MFR Express 69 Miller Industries 2, 3 New England Truckmaster N 75 North American BanCard 5 OMG National W 82, S 76 OnlineParkingPass 63 Pacific General Insurance Agency M 76 Pardo’s Sales & Services M 75 Prince Manfacturing 22 R.O.M. Corp. 60 Recovery Billing Unlimited 64 R.P.M. Equipment W 76, 77 Rush Towing Systems W 81 Santander Bank 83 SavaCOMM 69 SavaTech 21 Sea Crest Insurance Agency W 78 Sonetics 17 Smyrna Truck Center S 76 SpeedTech Lights 26 Steck Mfg. 54 Sun Country Trailers S 79 Towman Hero Award N 76, S,M 80 Tow Expo Int’l w 80 Tow Industries W 83 TowMate 18 TRAO 55 Triple K Industries 22 Truck Body Sales W 78 Twin Cities Wrecker Sales M 77 TwinState Equipment W 75 Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX W 79 VTS Systems W 83 WeldBuilt Industries 65 Winches Inc. W 84 Worldwide Equipment 69

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PRICING FILL IN PRICE AT EXPO: Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 19-22 EXHIBIT HALL , 2-5 pm, , 11 am-6 pm • , 10 am-4 pm, 11/20-11/22. Your badge is good for all days Yes, advance register me for the exhibit hall. 1st & 2nd registrants are free: addt’l $5 each. $5 PP ..........................$ ______ ACADEMY PASSPORT All Seminars, 11/19-11/21 $75 PP ..................................................................................$ ______ 1st registrant 2nd registrant 3rd registrant 4th registrant Register now & save: fee is $150 on-site. RECOVERY BILLING COURSE Sat. & Sun. 8-12 noon, Rec. Billing Unlimited $1850 (2 people per co.)..................$ ______ HEAVY DUTY RECOVERY WITH ROTATOR TRAINING WreckMaster instructors, Thurs. 8-5 pm Fri. 8-noon $595 PP: fee is $695 onsite. R ec o v er y B i l l i n g C ou r s e a n d R ot a t o r Tr ai n i n g i n c l u d es A c a d em y Pa s s p or t . .................................$ ______ AMERICAN WRECKER PAGEANT Fri.-Sun., 11/20-11/22 $100/$150...................................................................$ ______ One vehicle per class/three per company. Trucks enter Fri., stay in hall until Sun., 5 pm $100: Light (pre-2014) Light (2014-15)

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___Renaissance Harborplace Hotel • $179 Sgl/Dbl AMERICAN TOWMAN HEADQUARTERS HOTEL, 4-Star, rooms w/harborview, fitness center, restaurant/bar, connected to Mall. Two blocks from Conv. Ctr. CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY TAKES PLACE HERE! GUESTS RECEIVE FREE INTERNET. SHOW YOUR BADGE AND RECEIVE 10% OFF FOOD/MEAL PURCHASES AT HOTEL RESTAURANTS. TOWMAN BAR OR COFFEE SHOP SPECIALS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WITH BADGE. ___Marriott Inner Harbor • $177 Sgl/Dbl One block from Conv. Ctr., fitness center, restaurant. Complimentary Internet. Towman Specials when you show your badge. ___Days Inn Inner Harbor • $127 Sgl/Dbl Across from Conv. Ctr., bar & grill, fitness ctr.

___Sheraton Inner Harbor • $175 Sgl/Dbl, $195 T, $215 Q One block from Conv. Ctr. with a catwalk, indoor pool, fitness center.

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___Royal Sonesta Harbor Court • $169 Sgl/Dbl, $189 T, $209 Q 4-Star Hotel on Harbor. Two blocks to Conv. Ctr., fitness center, restaurants. Views of Inner Harbor from Light Street location.

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Brown said. “We will continue to manufacture the great products our customers are used to and we’ll be expanding our product base to meet the changing needs of the towing and recovery industry.”

New Owner, Location for WeldBuilt Steve Laganas, owner of Able Equipment Rental and Able Rigging, bought WeldBuilt, a towing and recovery equipment manufacturer in New York. The company becomes WeldBuilt Industries (www.weldbuilt.com) and was moved to Deer Park, N.Y. The company, founded in 1947, will be led by VP Harry Brown and Shop Supervisor Pablo Nolasco, both 40year veterans to the towing industry. “This company has built a legacy on strong and reliable equipment, and we intend to not just carry on that tradition, but to bring it to even greater heights,” said Laganas, president/CEO of WeldBuilt Industries. The company retained its employees, but is operating with new manufacturing equipment and computerized manufacturing systems in its new location. “Our employees really pour themselves into the product, and it shows,”

Talbert Names Geisler Sales VP Talbert Manufacturing promoted Troy Geisler to VP of sales and marketing. The company (www.talbertmfg.com) said he will lead the sales team and dealer channel to support its customers with quality trailer products and service. “I look forward to working with our dealers and listening to customers’ demands for heavy-haul trailers and transportation equipment,” Geisler said

New Chevron Commercial Website Miller Industries distributor Chevron Commercial recently launched a new, modern user-friendly website, www.chevroncommercial.com. The company said the site was designed with a streamlined interface and bright, exciting design to entice customers. Features and pages on the new site include Rotating Eye Candy on the home page, an Online Store with thousands of parts in stock, a Truck Gallery

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of available vehicles and revamped search options available from any page.

Beyond GPS For the past 15 years, GPS information has been a major benefit for accurate fleet management. Today, there are literally hundreds and perhaps thousands of applications that use the GPS data, but now, the use of the smart vehicle mounted GPS receivers (modems) and the associated wireless communications channels have taken the technology into new areas of application, according to Ed Kasman of Transportation Information Systems (www.tisfleet.com). Sensing devices can now combine the exact locations of PTO activity, lightbar activation, engine oil pressure, air/vacuum pressure, cargo temperature, drastic accelerometer changes and many more uses. Using the communications capabilities of the modems, this information can instantly be forwarded to a central location. These capabilities make it possible to automate numerous applications on a real-time basis. The ability of the smart on-board modems to transmit the current odometer readings makes it possible to trigger vehicle maintenance as well as

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SUPPLIER SCOOP continued from page 52 remind when licenses and certifications are coming due. Many more applications are being developed to take advantage of the digital communications made possible by smart GPS modems.

Optronics a Top Supplier Optronics International, a vehicle lighting manufacturer, recently received a top supplier award from Altec, a crane and equipment manufacturer. The Altec QCDS Award was in recognition of Optronics’ ability to meet and exceed Altec’s expectations in quality, cost, delivery and sustainability. Optronics (www.optronicsinc.com) interacts technically with the company and plays an integral role in Altec’s vehicle lighting strategy.

Ford Taps Rassini for Springs

Number 132 on Reader Card

Rassini expanded its suspension offerings to include leaf springs for the North American heavy commercial truck market. Ford Motor Co. recently tapped the company (www.rassini.com) to supply the front suspension technology for the next generation of Ford F-650/F-750 Work Truck Series. (Rassini said it currently supplies suspension components for the 10 best-selling light trucks in North America.) “We are excited to extend our suspension solutions to a new group of customers. We are working closely with them to ensure we meet their needs and earn their trust,” said Eugenio Madero, Rassini president.

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Number 187 on Reader Card

Preventing Pavement Damages by Randall C. Resch

e’ve all discussed those nagging “What if” scenarios when working on a customer’s property, including incurring damages while working to fix their problem. Are we towers responsible for damages caused to a customer ’s pavement when involved in tow truck wheel-lift and carrier load/offload operations? Have you ever tried to patch pavement scuff or gouges from a high-dollar, fancy colored and pressed concrete driveway? Good luck making the match, or worse yet, finding a contractor who’s not afraid to touch that can of worms. Some industry experts describe a standard of care we towers must use when in the process of towing, transport and recovery. Others will refute that pavement damage is simply a product of towing someone’s car or performing a recovery. I believe we towers must consider it our responsibility to not cause damage to residential and commercial properties, but have the foresight to recognize the potential, and then initiate damage prevention techniques before damage happens; that’s the difference between a slasher in a tow truck vs. a professional, well-trained tow operator showing concern for the property owner. We have a responsibility to employ best practices when considering damage-free towing in the same manner we employ care, custody and control in towing and transporting our customer’s cars. Although you might think of pavement damages as a, “Damned if I do and damned if I don’t,” situation, every tow and transport scenario is capable of causing damages that are costly to repair. Towers: we can’t have a laidback attitude that suggests we don’t care. The fact is we’re accountable for the damages we cause. 56 • August 2015 - TOWMAN.COM

Be sure to remove the Class III receiver if it’s not locked.

If you’re towing and transporting exotic cars, you’re the most at-risk based on where the customer’s car usually is located. Exotic cars are generally play toys for the rich and famous— commonly parked in high-end multicar garages. The roadways and path’s leading to their locations are oftentimes paved with expensive materials. In getting the job done, towers first must consider accessing the vehicle. Wouldn’t this be a perfect opportunity to whip out your company’s Hold Harmless Agreement? In doing so, though, you risk the possibility of offending the customer and losing their business. It’s been said that Hold Harmless Agreements are only as good as the paper their written on, but, a signed document combined with clear and specific communication with the property’s owner may be an appropriate assessment should subsequent damages occur.

You’re Going to Pay Here’s an example of a pavement claim gone bad (and didn’t have a Hold Harmless). A carrier responds to Daddy Big Buck’s mansion to transport a Ferrari. The tower is directed to a 12car garage behind the main house. The owner stands by watching the driver

load his Ferrari, and although the driver uses his best Ferrari-loading techniques, he unknowingly allowed the carrier’s deck to leave an 8’ wide x 18” long scuff across the customer’s glossy, decorative, pressed concrete Sahara Desert Tan pavement. The vehicle’s owner said nothing to the driver, but watched the damage occur anyway. Long story short, Mr. Big Bucks calls the company in hair-on-fire manner reprimanding the tow company. The tow owner, in usual fashion, tells Big Bucks to go pound Sahara Desert sand. Three months later, Big Bucks describes his story to a superior court judge while presenting an album full of photos that accompany three detailed estimates in the closely written amounts of $5,000. The judge simply asked the question, “Uh … Mr. Tow Truck Boss ... Did your driver do anything to prevent damaging the pavement at Mr. Big Buck’s house?” All the tow owner could say was, “We load cars the same way and don’t put anything on the ground.” Wrong answer. While most towers go about their work in making sure they’re providing damage-free towing and proper loading methods, few ever contemplate whether or not they’re damaging someone’s residential driveway, the dealership’s floor, or causing gouges to an asphalt driveway at a commercial location. Is there a standard of care here? Why not? Pavement damages are most commonly caused when a flatbed carrier’s deck contacts the pavement first before the carrier’s deck is fully extended or during retraction under load. Brick pavers or interlocking blocks can be troublesome when carrier operators allow for their carrier decks to be dragged across the driveway surface.

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One proper preventative method is extending the carrier’s (empty) deck first, and then lowering it to the pavement. If left unpadded or unprotected, at the point the customer’s vehicle gets loaded onto the deck, pavement scuff and gouge is inflicted when the carrier’s bed is maneuvered back to its stowed position—scuffing and gouging on its return trip. Whenever possible, it’s best to avoid loading and offloading on fancy pavement, but sometimes that’s not a possibility. Towers are reminded that protecting pavement from damage is as simple as placing something under the rear tailboard of a carrier’s deck prior to load. All carriers should have onboard two pieces of 3x3 carpet squares, old sling pads, or something to place under the tailboard when offloading vehicles on fancy or pressed concrete or expensive lock-together bricks. Another inexpensive solution would be using small lengths of 2”x6” lumber or 12”x 24” strips of plywood (placed under) the carrier’s tailboard. Before setting the carrier’s deck, antic-

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ipate where the deck will make ground contact. Lower the tailboard onto the small blocks of lumber or plywood to serve as scuff protectant as well as ramping up to change the carrier’s load angle (however slight). There are other tower-caused situations to be aware of: quick-releasing dollies are capable of inflicting chunk damages to concrete floors, or will leave deep gouges. By quick releasing dollies, their sharp edges—combined with the vehicle’s weight—causes concrete to chunk. Operators, be aware that the tow truck’s wheel-lift can cause quick damage to asphalt surfaces, regardless that the tow is easy or difficult. Tow trucks and carrier wheel-lift’s that are equipped with trailer balls are responsible for a huge number of property damage claims. A trailer ball left in the wheel-lift’s leading edge is capable of incredible pavement damage. Be especially aware that hot pavement is a wheel-lift’s enemy and is easily damaged. Be careful when lowering your wheel-lift and pushing it out.

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For carrier operators loading pickup trucks with trailer hitches, be sure to remove the Class III receiver if it’s not locked. If the receiver’s locked and can’t be removed, loading and offloading can be still be completed by ramping up and placing a single skate or long length of 4x4 under the hitch as the vehicle is being winched onto the carrier’s deck. Take time to look under the vehicle as it travels onto the carrier’s bed and see that the hitch is riding atop the skate or 4x4 to prevent pavement damage. Repeat during the offload process. What about heavily damaged vehicles delivered to a service center or body shop, especially with flat tires, shock absorbers, or suspension parts that were bent initially during the crash? If you’ve delivered said vehicle to the shop and are in process of offloading or dropping off from your wheellift, explain to the service writer or shop manager the potential damage offloading can cause to their pavement. Saying nothing is irresponsible, but

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saying something initiates other load or offloading techniques to stimulate damage prevention. Remember, uses of certain types of jack stands are capable of damaging pavement especially on hot asphalt. If the shop wants jack stands used, ask them to have an employee come out and set them.

The Unfortunate I remember a Southern California tow company that specialized in transporting exotic cars. The tow company’s owner preached the importance of using ground protection when loading vehicles on his customer’s property and his drivers were really good at doing so. On one unfortunate load, the driver decided to not load on the customer’s expensive decorative concrete, but elected to roll the customer’s Rolls Royce from its garage and down to the carrier’s location with the customer’s house boy behind the wheel. Down the driveway the Rolls went, but it had no brakes because the car was not able to start. The car crashed into a retaining wall at the lower end of the driveway

inflicting several thousand dollars of damages. Needless to say, the account was lost and the driver was fired. Towers must be on high alert to understand the potential that tow trucks and towing equipment often cause expensive damages. It’s really too bad that the world has come to this; we’re responsible for anything and everything. Use a little common sense in pre-thinking what could happen to a customer’s pavement if nothing was done to protect their property. Small claims courts are sympathetic to property owners especially when towers do nothing to protect their actions. If you’re in the market for a new carrier, why not consider purchasing a carrier that has rollers built into the deck’s tailboard. Rollers are made of the same or similar plastic-like materials as skates and frame slides. When the carrier’s deck is employed in the usual manner, the smooth surfaces roll easy onto the customer’s driveway and don’t inflict surface damage. Not all companies have the luxury of purchasing a new carrier, so it makes better sense to get smart about the way

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we conduct daily operations to avoid damaging pavement in the first place. Preventing pavement damages is a responsibility that becomes part of arrival assessment. In the same manner professional tower’s know where and how to position their tow trucks in order to get the best mechanical advantage during rollover procedures, the same holds true for experienced towers who find creative ways to prevent damages to expensive ground surfaces. Employing creative solutions that avoid damages is a trait of a professional tower. The learning curve shouldn’t be a long and arduous one—it only takes having to pay a huge damage claim to learn what techniques should be initiated before damage is inflicted. Editor’s Note Resch’s September column in AT will address preventing big-rig inflicted damages.

Operations Editor Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and veteran tow business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. He writes for TowIndustryWeek.com and American Towman, is a member of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame. Email Randy at rreschran@gmail.com.

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Snatch Blocks Reduce Line Tension by Terry Abejuela

n towing and recovery, we use snatch blocks to reduce line tension and/or change the direction of the pull. Snatch blocks work because of the simple machine known as the pulley. A pulley system, just like the other simple machines, is used to make work easier. Work equals force times distance (W = F x D). If you raise a 10-lbs. weight 10’ off of the ground, the amount of work you perform is 100 ft./lbs. The 10 lbs. is the force and 10’ is the distance (10 x 10 = 100). If you raise a 5-lbs. weight 20’ off of the ground, the amount of work is the same at 100 ft./lbs. (5 x 20 = 100). The difference in the second example is that the amount of force required was half, but the distance of the force to be applied was doubled. This is known as conservation of energy. Because the pulley system reduces the amount of force required to move the load, it is said to multiply the force. A pulley system is always multiplying force and redirecting force. The only difference is when you use the pulley to redirect the force on a load, the multiplication of the force is applied to the anchor and not the load. This is essential to understand because you may overload the anchor if you don’t know how much force is being applied to the anchor.

Changing Direction Changing the direction of the pull or redirection of force is a great tool to have when performing a recovery job. The ability to change the direction of the pull allows tow operators to pull vehicles towards an anchor, to a point between the tow truck and the anchor or to redirect a vehicle around obstacles. Using a snatch block to change the direction of pull does not reduce line tension, but it does multiply force at the anchor. The amount of multiplication of force on the anchor is depen62 • August 2015 - TOWMAN.COM

dent on the line pull and the angle between the incoming and departing lines to the fixed block. If the snatch block is a fixed block (does not move with the load), it will not reduce line tension. Regardless of the line angles to the block, the line tension will remain the same. Only the block load will be affected by line angles. To determine the load on the block you would need to use an angle multiplier chart.

To apply the chart multiply the line pull by the appropriate angle multiplier to determine the block load. If you have 1000 lbs. of line pull and the angle between the incoming and departing lines to a fixed block is 90 degrees you would multiply 1,000 by 1.41 per the chart.

It’s not how many snatch blocks you use, but how many line parts support the load. To apply the chart multiply the line pull by the appropriate angle multiplier to determine the block load. If you have 1000 lbs. of line pull and the angle between the incoming and departing lines to a fixed block is 90 degrees you would multiply 1,000 by 1.41 per the chart.

Tension If you attach a single line to the load, that single line will have to support 100 percent of the load. If you attach two separate lines to the load, each line will share half of the load. Using a snatch block, you can attach a single line with two parts of line and each line part will support half of the load, reducing line tension. Line tension will only be reduced if you increase the number of line parts to the load. It’s not how many snatch blocks you use, but how many line parts support the load. You can use as many snatch blocks as you want, but if you have not increased the number of line parts supporting the load you have not reduced line tension. The angle between the incoming and departing lines to a traveling block will affect line tension on each part of the line.

A traveling, moving or running block is a block that moves with the load. When the line angle between the incoming and departing lines to the traveling block is 0, each line part supporting the load will have half of the total tension from the load. When using a traveling block, we are gaining mechanical advantage on the load. With a two-part line and parallel lines (0-degree angle) we have a 2:1 mechanical advantage. As the line angles increase, we still have some mechanical advantage but it is not 2:1 anymore. When the line angle between the incoming and departing lines to a trav-

eling block reaches 120 degrees, there is no mechanical advantage—each line part is supporting 100 percent of the load on each line part. Author’s Note Charts courtesy of the Crosby Group Product Application Seminar Workbook.

Field Editor Terry Abejuela has 30plus years of light-duty towing-andrecovery experience. He is also a light-duty Level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association. Number 166 on Reader Card

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Peterbilt Shows Class 6-7 Peterbilt Motors Co. hosted dozens of fleet owners and managers at the PACCAR manufacturing facility in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada, recently, giving tours of the plant, educational seminars and test drives of the company’s Class 6-7 lineup in various configurations. The company’s (www.peterbilt.com) compressed natural gas options were on display, as well as standard vehicles in the cab-over Model 220, Model 330, Model 337 in CDL and non-CDL configurations; and vocationally spec’d Model 348s. Peterbilt recently also received three Manufacturing Leadership Awards from Frost & Sullivan’s Manufacturing Leadership Council, for excellence in employee leadership development, manufacturing innovation and operational efficiency.

‘Clean Diesels’ Are 37% of Work Trucks Number 209 on Reader Card

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More than 37 percent of all diesel medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks registered in the United States are now equipped with ‘clean diesel’ technology (2007 or newer) according to a report from the Diesel Technology Forum. Of those, 22 percent feature the newest clean diesel technology (2010 and later), meaning they are also near zero emissions in nitrogen oxides. “Today’s new generation of clean diesel technology offers better fuel economy and better performance that translates into greater savings for truckers—and cleaner air for all Americans,” said Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum. Analysis of the new technology diesel engines conducted by the Martec Group found in Classes 3-8 vehicles that those on the road from 2007-’14 saved 880 million gallons of diesel fuel, and 9 million tons of CO2. Schaeffer said strong truck sales in 2014 translated into increasing percentages of new clean diesel vehicles on the road. Source: www.successfuldealer.com.

NYPD Tower Attacked Three men attacked an NYPD tower while he was on the job towing a motorcycle, police said. The driver, who asked not to be identified, said he was towing an expired motorcycle when a man emerged from the home and began arguing with him. The motorcycle owner tried to prevent the tower from taking the motorcycle, and it eventually led to a fight, the driver said. Two other men, whom the driver believes are relatives of the motorcycle owner, joined in the fight and punched and kicked the driver. The driver said a bystander waving a stick broke up the fight. He said he sustained bruises to his arms, back and elbows, and needed medical treatment. The NYPD said three men were arrested and charged with assault and harassment. Source: www.nbcnewyork.com.

Woman Fires Shots at Agent, Arrested Police arrested a 20-year-old Gary, Ind., woman after she allegedly fired three gunshots at the man who repossessed her car from the parking lot of a Chicago, Ill., apartment complex, police said. Minutes after the repo driver called police to report the occupants of a white Pontiac had followed him from the apartment complex and the female passenger shot at him, Patrolman Phil Cook located them at an entrance to Interstate 94. After a search of the white Pontiac, police did not immediately locate a weapon, but Cook noticed the woman had her hand inside her pants; a search discovered the barrel of a loaded .38-caliber Colt revolver protruding from the woman’s privates and police removed the handgun, which had three spent rounds, the report states. The incident began when the repo agent took possession of a blue Pontiac and noticed a woman looking out from an apartment window, a report said. He stopped on the road to secure the car when the white car stopped near him and the woman holding a gun told him, “drop my damn car now,” the police report states. The driver sped away, calling 911 as the white Pontiac pursued him, the report states. Later, he noticed the car he had been sent to recover was no longer attached to his truck, the report states. Police arrested both the woman with the gun and the 25-year-old man driving her. Source: www.chicagotribune.com.

Tow Complaint Against Police Glenn Sylvester of Economy, Pa., filed a complaint through the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office that Economy police violated the Towing and Towing Storage Facility Standards Act by requiring him to use a specific

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NEWSFLASH continued from page 65 towing company without giving him the option to call on his own. After an October accident in which his truck needed to be towed, Sylvester said he was told by police he had to use the company the police contacted instead of his preference. Sylvester said he was charged more for the tow and storage by the contacted company than he would have been with the company of his choosing. The Towing and Towing Storage Facility Standard Act, a state law passed in 2012, gives the owner of the vehicle power over the police to choose a towing company—in most circumstances. According to the law, “the owner or operator of the vehicle being towed shall summon to the scene the tow truck operator of the owner’s or operator’s choice in consultation with law enforcement.” While it is not illegal for municipalities to have a goto towing company, the Towing and Towing Storage Facility Standard Act supersedes all local and municipal ordinances when it comes to removing vehicles after accidents. Sylvester has asked the borough to refund him the difference between what he paid compared with what he believes he would have been charged by his choice of towing company. Source: www.timesonline.com. Number 169 on Reader Card

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Voluntary Uncertainty

group of professional repossessors recently put pencil to paper and listed the requirements for an account to be called a voluntary repossession. Creating the list was, in this repossessor’s opinion, an effort by the group to make it known the importance of the word “voluntary” and when it should be used on the repossession assignment. There are times that the debtor will contact the lender and request someone come and get the car, and the lender contacts the repossession agency and sends the assignment as a voluntary repossession. This doesn’t happen often. In the lending industry, the client will often place the word voluntary on a repossession assignment in an effort to reduce the repo agency’s fees. If a client thinks for a moment the debtor “may” surrender the asset, the lender will assume the assignment is a voluntary repossession. The client, for whatever reason, thinks a lower fee should be placed on a voluntary surrender. There have been many instances where a repossessor will, at the request of the client, knock on the door of what he has been told is a voluntary recovery only to hear the debtor tell a different story and ask the repossessor to “get off the property.” In the lenders’ efforts to reduce their repossession cost, they could actually be causing the opposite, increasing the cost in the repossession process. The fact is there are issues that go above and beyond the norm in picking up a voluntary repossession. First, the repossessor has to make an appointment with the debtor to pick up the collateral, usually to fit the debtor’s schedule and not that of the repossessor. Next, the agent must meet the debtor in what is seldom a happy or cheerful moment. The recovery agent may be compelled to listen to the debtor complain about whose fault it is that he is losing the car. Maybe it’s an ex-wife or bad boss, a cheating spouse or a thieving partner. 68 • August 2015 - TOWMAN.COM

Whatever the reason, we have to hear about it, and believe me, as the debtor tells his woe-is-me story, he sometimes will get angry and riled up, and when he does, he will often turn his aggression towards the repossessor. In a moment that deserves the deepest sense of humility, the repossessor must use caution not to appear judgmental or assuming. Another issue is personal property inside the collateral. For whatever the reason, even when the appointment was made for 6 p.m., many debtors wait until the repossessor shows up to remove personal belonging from the car. I can plainly attest, standing there while the person is cleaning out his beloved car is an uncomfortable moment. On at least two occasions over the years, the debtor has pulled a handgun from under the seat and pointed it directly at my face, deciding just then he was changing his mind about turning over the collateral. What do you do now? (That’s another article soon to be written, but I think you get the point.) The effort for the client, whether it’s a bank, finance company, credit union or even a leasing company, is to lower the amount paid out on repossession expenses. Many believe the cost of affecting voluntary repossessions are higher, while also placing the repossessor and the debtor in an unnecessary dangerous situation. Lawsuits in the repossession industry are usually the result of confrontations during the repossession action. Logic would tell you that if you increase the amount of contact—and potential confrontation—between debtor and repossessor, there would be an increase in repossession lawsuits. When asked to reduce my fees on a “voluntary” repossession, I submit the following: “Neither Dynamic, Miller Industries nor Jerr-Dan supplies a less expensive version of a tow truck made specifically for the voluntary repossession. Neither Pilot, WaWa, Truck Stops of America nor BP offer a fuel island that sells fuel for less

by Mark Lacek

because the repossession is a voluntary surrender. My insurance provider has never asked me to list the voluntaries on a separate column for the purpose of a discount on my monthly premium.”

CORP Guidelines The Council of Repossession Professionals has listed the following requirements for a repossession to be considered voluntary: 1. The repossession agency is provided with accurate debtor contact information. 2. Contact with the debtor is made using the contact information provided. 3. An appointment is made with the debtor establishing the date, time and location that the collateral is to be repossessed. 4. The appointment is kept. 5. The keys are surrendered at or before the time of repossession. 6. All personal effects have been removed from the collateral. CORP (www.councilofrepossessionprofessionals.com) consists of two members each from the Allied Finance Adjusters, American Lenders Service Co., American Recovery Association, California Association of Licensed Repossessors, Florida Alliance of Certified Asset Recovery Specialists, Illinois Recovery Association, Recovery Specialists Insurance Group, Rocky Mountain Repossessors Association, and Time Finance Adjusters. Its mission is to “represent repossession agencies nationwide with a united voice of fairness and cooperation, in all issues of common concern, serving as a conduit of information and education to the recovery industry, financial institutions and regulatory authorities.”

Repo Run Editor Mark Lacek has more than 30 years of recovery experience and is the former editor of “Professional Repossessor” magazine. Email him at Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com

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‘Dragonator’ in America’s Dairyland by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

ary Menzel started Prairie Land Towing & Service Center in Sun Prairie, Wis., in 1984. He established himself with a Chevrolet dealership in Weyauwega along with a Texaco Station in Lake Mills before entering the Dane County market. Gary’s sons Tim and Todd grew up in the business and when he passed away they were determined to keep it going and have more than succeeded. “Dad died in 1993 at the too-young age of 43,” said Todd. “I was 12 and Tim was 14 at the time. Grandpa Ed Henneman stepped in and helped early on for about a year and Uncle Rodney Henneman helped us keep it going after dad died. He has been with us for 31 years now.”

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Tech Highlights Chassis: 2008 Kenworth T800. Wrecker: Century 1075 75-ton rotator. Engine: Cummins ISX 550. Trans: Eaton 18-speed. Winches: Dual 60,000-lbs. planetary and a 50,000-lbs. planetary two-speed drag. Builder: Zip’s Truck Equip. Equipment: Miller Industries spreader bars and strap kit, plus chains, snatch blocks, shackles and assorted hooks. Extras: Custom 135,000-lbs. endless loops. Design/graphics: Menzel Signs and Graphics.

Prairie Land is a full-service towing, recovery and repair operation. Todd is the COO for the family business. His mom, Jeanne, is the president and Tim is the VP. They’ve grown the business to six locations split evenly between Wisconsin and Iowa. With more than 100 pieces of equipment they said they are Wisconsin’s largest towing service. One of their prized units is the “Dragonator,” a 2008 Kenworth T800 with a Century 1075 75-ton rotator powered by a Cummins ISX 550 mated to an Eaton 18-speed transmission. Zip's Truck Equipment in New Hampton, Iowa, built this rig. It has dual 60,000-lbs. planetary winches and a 50,000-lbs. planetary two-speed drag winch. This unit is equipped with Miller Industries spreader bars, plus chains,

snatch blocks, shackles and assorted hooks. It also has some awesome lifting straps. “Dragonator carries custom 135,000pound endless loops made in Chicago just for us,” Todd said. “These are extreme lifting straps. We use them to do windmill bases for the big towers and many other heavy lifting jobs. We prefer to work with our rigging and do it right rather than sending multiple trucks when it isn’t necessary.” Todd did the graphic design and layout for the Dragonator in house. He and Tim started Menzel Signs and Graphics in 2003. Todd installed the 450-sq.-ft. of vinyl with help from his friend Adam Hegge. “This truck has handled many memorable jobs,” Todd said. “The asphalt drum recovery featured in AT in July of 2009 was one that stands out because we used many trucks and a lot of manpower. “We had the 75-ton and 60-ton rotators along with our 50-ton and 35-ton heavies and numerous other assorted equipment on this job. It was a major situation because the DOT wouldn’t allow us to use the roadway so we had to go through private property and it took a few days to get it done.” 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. He writes weekly for TowIndustryWeek.com. Number 133 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

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The Lesson of Rotators by Steve Calitri

he subject of rotators is front and center in this issue just as it will be at AT Expo in November with WreckMaster’s Rotator Training and Bob Fouquette’s Recovery Billing Course. The subject is also front and center with highway authorities who demand quick clearance. It is front and center with me because it calls up my oft-repeated mantra: charge for the value of your services. The decision to buy a rotator is essentially no different than the decision to purchase any other piece of equipment. How that equipment can be used to serve the needs of motorists, law enforcement and the transportation industry certainly play into the fabric of the decision-making process. What one charges for employing each piece of equipment is a critical component of that process. Tow business owners should not be working to just pay off their equipment. They should be working to make a profit. The mindset shouldn’t be that a new tow truck is expensive, but that the expense of performing towing and recovery services has a high value. If a tow boss can’t do the math that supports a rotator, or a new carrier, then that tower should examine his whole rate structure and probably should rebuild those rates with the goal of being profitable. It’s easy in any business, starting out, to set rates toward the goal of being in business. But none of us just want to be in business. We want a business that shows profits for all our sacrifice and efforts; furthermore, we want to grow our profits. The rotator does for the heavy-duty wrecker what the sidewinders or sidepullers do for the carrier; it creates a more versatile piece of equipment. It allows for handling more kinds of jobs 74 • August 2015 - TOWMAN.COM

in a more efficient manner. Brendan Dooley’s article in this issue illustrates just some of the many uses for a rotator. Bob Fouquette of Big Wheels Towing and Recovery touches on the range of its capabilities and shows where it can make sense to use a heavy-duty rotator to recover automobiles. He also founded Recovery Billing Unlimited with his son Eric—the course talks about billing on the value of services rendered and, most importantly, how to collect on that bill. You can bet that when Big Wheels recovers a car with its rotator, the rate set for that job reflects that a rotator was employed. Each edition of TowIndustryWeek.com presents a sampling of municipal towing rates. Each weekly report shows a wide disparity in rates from town to town and from city to city, and this disparity reflects the differences among “retail” rates charged by towers to the motorist. Unfortunately, many towers are setting their rates based on subjective perspectives where they should be setting them based on mathematics. I can say without any hyperbole that most towers should double the rates they charge, and push for like increases in their municipal rates. I wouldn’t be surprised that the majority of rotator owners are setting their rates based on objective math. So if you take home anything from this article on rotators, take home the fact that the only way to do business successfully is by understanding the value of services one offers and charging for those services accordingly.

More and more recoveries using rotators are being featured in American Towman and TowIndustryWeek.com. Rotator recoveries and training also are featured on AmericaTowmanTV.com. Anyone considering the advantages of operating a rotator will find these case studies useful. Rotators have been gaining favor with police and fire departments and highway authorities because they can get the job done faster in most instances compared to conventional wreckers. Quick clearance is the name of the game. American Towman will be featuring an interview with John Borowski in September. Borowski, always the advocate for towers’ interests, had taken AutoReturn to task for its municipal dispatching policies, but apparently about-faced on his opinions of AutoReturn recently and then joined the company. Don’t miss this interview! American Towman also reported that United Road Tow signed up San Antonio to a fouryear contract to provide management of dispatch and towing rotation for the city; the same kind of services AutoReturn provides. And, as this issue went to press, AT got word that AutoReturn has just signed Austin, Texas, to provide the city its services. So the topic of third-party management of city towing is hotter than ever. Stay tuned.

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Man Convicted of Murdering Tower A Baltimore, Md., jury convicted Prince Rogers in the murder of a tower, the state’s attorney’s office said. In the early hours of Nov. 1, 2010, Rogers, 36, approached the vehicle where tower Andrew Joyce, 23, was working to load a Dodge Durango. A witness watched as the two men argued, and as Joyce reached into the truck, Rogers fired a single shot, prosecutors said. Police found Joyce lying across the seat with the engine of the truck still running. Rogers faces a maximum sentence of life in prison plus 20 additional years. Source: www.baltimoresun.com.

Repo Agents Join to Promote Safety Jeffrey Lowe, 37, was shot in the head and killed this summer while trying to repossess a vehicle in Columbus County, N.C. Now fellow repo men in Wilmington are joining together to raise awareness for safety in the field and to educate the public about their profession. Ken Dahlstrom started the campaign #repomanlivesmatter to begin a conversation about just what it is repo men do and why folks shouldn’t take out their frustrations on them. Dahlstrom set up a Facebook page where people can ask questions about the profession. He said he feels that educating folks about these men and women could help save lives. “I’d like to just raise awareness that the repossession agent is not your enemy. … I have friends in this industry, and I don’t want to see anything happen to them either. … (T)he forum that we’re providing here is just an open forum for communication and educational purposes. And that’s what I’d like to see out there because we can promote change through knowledge,” said Dahlstrom. Dahlstrom said they are also collecting money to help support the Lowe family by selling T-shirts though their campaign on Facebook. Source: www.aytv3.com.

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Uber Snag with Contractors The Evolution of Third-Party Dispatch by Don Archer

ber, a third-party dispatching service similar to those in the towing industry, is a ride-sharing company that competes worldwide with heavily regulated taxi companies by coming in under government radar with their online app. What Uber’s app does is connect thousands of existing and would-be taxi drivers (many using their personal vehicles) with people needing taxi services. Here’s how it works: The customer connects with Uber through their online app. Uber’s technology finds the closest participating “contractor” (the car providing the ride) and connects the two. The contractors collect their fee and pay Uber their share, including a percentage of their tips. This seemingly simple relationship has Uber’s profits running into the millions annually, and with a company valuation exceeding $40 billion they’re on the fast track to becoming the technological success story of the century. But there’s a snag. On June 16, 2015, the California Labor Commission ruled that the tech giant was not just an app company with an army of contractors, but instead an employer who had failed to properly compensate an employee. The commission ruled that one particular Uber contractor, Barbara Berwick, is not a contractor at all. They ruled that she should be considered an employee because she didn’t pass the contractor test. Because Uber is provid-

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ing her with taxi fares, dictating what she’s allowed to charge for her services, providing the means to receive those fares (through the app) and other things, the commission said this constitutes an employee/employer relationship. In Anthony Ha’s article on the story in techcrunch.com, he discusses how the court used a comparison between pizza delivery employees and Uber drivers. The court stated: “A person making pizza deliveries was held to be an employee of the pizzeria, notwithstanding the fact that the delivery person was required to provide his own car and pay for gasoline and insurance. … Without drivers such as (the) Plaintiff, Defendants’ business would not exist.” In another case in Florida last month, the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity ruled that Darrin McGillis should be eligible for unemployment benefits from Uber. McGillis was involved in an automobile accident and was subsequently barred from driving for Uber. Even though Uber had him classified as a contractor, he filed for unemployment and won. What’s all this got to do with the towing business? When a third-party dispatching service, such as Uber and those serving the towing industry, sends service providers (contractors) jobs and dictates the exact amount they’re allowed to charge for those jobs, while requiring that they carry specific levels of insur-

ance and mandating availability, the California Labor Commission has ruled—at least in the case of Uber—that those “contractors” should be considered employees. If you apply the pizzadelivery test, you can see that, without drivers, these third-party dispatching businesses would not exist. Of course there are those like Charlie Moore, a corporate lawyer, who argue that the law’s not sophisticated enough for this new technology. He contends that “the law hasn’t caught up with the economy,” and that, “the Labor Commission is really applying a set of antiquated analysis … to the business model at hand.” But rather than attempting to mold the law into something more suitable for their businesses, third-party dispatching services need to beware. Once more state governments, the IRS and the Affordable Care Act get wind of the potential windfall that’s being shielded through contracts similar in nature, the whole game is going to change. 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 read it each week.

Don Archer 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. He writes a weekly column for TowIndustryWeek.com. Email him at don@broadwaywrecker.com..

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Iowa Woman Caught in Tow Truck Theft Council Bluffs, Iowa, police arrested a woman wanted for stealing a tow truck in June that also involved a police pursuit of a male accomplice. Jennifer Rae Malone, 35, was located and arrested without incident, according to police. According to police, Todd Gochanour, owner of Action Towing, reported his tow truck was stolen from a parking lot. Gochanour told police as he pulled into the lot, a female waved him over to a white car where a man nearby said he just unlocked that car and help wasn’t needed. The female became apologetic and asked Gochanour how much they owed him. When he told her there was no charge, she offered to buy him a soft drink. They went into a convenience store, got a soda and

approached the register for payment. The female then stated that she had forgot her money in the car and would be right back. The female exited the store, got into the tow truck with its motor running and sped off. The man with the female was seen following the tow truck on a black motorcycle. The white car in the parking lot belonged to one of the store employees and was not associated with either of the suspects. A customer who witnessed the theft followed the tow truck into nearby Omaha, Neb., where he saw the truck get into an accident, yet continued on. Minutes later, the truck was found abandoned in Council Bluffs. Missing from inside the truck was an undetermined amount of cash and a .45 caliber Glock handgun belonging to Gochanour. Later that morning, another witness reported seeing a black motorcy-

cle circling a parking lot at a casino. As officers approached, the motorist fled on the bike, but ended up at a dead end. At the dead end, he went off road and onto the bicycle trail system. A short time later, he was located on the motorcycle near an apartment complex. The man got off his bike and a short foot pursuit ensued. He was apprehended a short time later. Malone faces charges of seconddegree criminal mischief, first-degree theft, conspiracy to commit a nonforcible felony and control of a firearm by a felon. Bond was set at $500,000. Source: www.nonpareilonline.com.

Man Arrested After Unhooking Car, Fleeing Police charged a Springfield, Mass., man with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after he unhooked his about-to-be-towed car and drove away, nearly hitting the tow truck driver in the process. The driver was preparing to tow the suspect’s Honda Civic because it did not have a proper permit sticker to park at the private property maintained by the Springfield Housing Authority, according to police. The suspect came out, “angrily unhooked his car from the towing winch,” said Sgt. John Delaney, spokesperson for the police department, “and put the Honda in reverse while the tow truck driver attempted to reattach it. “The tow truck driver narrowly escaped serious injury by jumping out of the way of the reversing car,” Delaney said. Suspect Angel Perez was arrested and charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon and malicious damage to the tow truck. Source: www.masslive.com.

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Oklahoma towers caravanned to raise awareness of Move Over in the state where it applies to wreckers as well. OKCFox.com image.

Tow Trucks Convoy for ‘Move Over’ Forty tow trucks drove together up I35 in Oklahoma City, Okla., hoping to make motorists aware of the Move Over law and make sure Oklahomans know the law applies to wreckers in the state. Drivers in the metro area drove a seven-mile route on a Sunday in midJuly. “Slow down, move over, watch for us,” said Nick Ragsdale, owner of Ragsdale’s Towing. Ragsdale organized the drive and said groups in several cities across the country were participating in the campaign together. “It’s dangerous out there for us, it really is. A lot of people don’t realize it, but it is dangerous,” he said. Nationally, every six days a tow truck driver is killed in a roadside accident. Source: www.okcfox.com.

the overwhelming theme was that towing companies provide a valuable service to their clients. “However, this service needs to be regulated to be equitable for all parties involved,” Mays said. The consensus at the meeting was for the city to conduct a fee study to determine a favorable maximum tow fee for all parties. The current tow fee is based on the state maximum of $250 plus storage fees. An exact formula has not been determined, Mays said. The committee agreed that a towing ordinance needs to require non-consent tows to be stored within the city limits or within a regulated distance outside the city limits. Currently, companies can tow a person’s car to Dallas or Fort Worth and not break the law. The committee also would like to add a component to the ordinance to enforce standards for “no parking” signs already required by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, as well as easily detected parking area stripes and an

evidentiary photo of the entire vehicle depicting the violation prior to the tow. The committee agreed that a “Towing Bill of Rights” should be posted on the city or police department website. The bill of rights would be similar to one created in Austin. It would explain the maximum tow fees that companies can charge as well as residents’ legal rights when their vehicle is towed without consent. At press time, there were plans to discuss background checks for tow truck drivers, as well. “These efforts are in response to a request for government intervention, which the city has heeded in an effort to regulate an industry that is requiring payment for services not requested by the affected party—the vehicle owner,” Mays said. “Ordinarily in a free-market society, we are able to select the vendor we endorse and pay for the products and service we want. There is a need of regulation in order to ensure fairness for all parties involved.” Source: www.centonrc.com.

Towing Panel Meets with Community The city of Denton, Texas, recently moved a step closer to passing an ordinance that could result in lower vehicle towing fees. Nearly five months had passed since city council leaders agreed to move forward with new rules for towing companies and forming a towing committee to tackle the new ordinance. The city’s towing committee held the first meeting with representatives from a citizens group, the towing industry, an apartment complex and a downtown law office. Denton police Lt. David Mays is heading up the committee, and said that Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

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Jeffrey Lowe, 37, was shot in the head and killed this summer while trying to repossess a vehicle in Columbus County, N.C. Now fellow repo men in Wilmington are joining together to raise awareness for safety in the field and to educate the public about their profession. Ken Dahlstrom started the campaign #repomanlivesmatter to begin a conversation about just what it is repo men do and why folks shouldn’t take out their frustrations on them. Dahlstrom set up a Facebook page where people can ask questions about the profession. He said he feels that educating folks about these men and women could help save lives. “I’d like to just raise awareness that the repossession agent is not your enemy. … I have friends in this industry, and I don’t want to see anything happen to them either. … (T)he forum that we’re providing here is just an open forum for communication and educational purposes. And that’s what I’d like to see out there because we can promote change through knowledge,” said Dahlstrom. Dahlstrom said they are also collecting money to help support the Lowe family by selling T-shirts though their campaign on Facebook. Source: www.aytv3.com.

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Iowa Woman Caught in Tow Truck Theft Council Bluffs, Iowa, police arrested a woman wanted for stealing a tow truck that also involved a police pursuit of a male accomplice. Jennifer Rae Malone, 35, was located and arrested without incident, according to police. According to police, Todd Gochanour, owner of Action Towing, reported his tow truck was stolen from a parking lot. He told police as he pulled into the lot, a female waved him over to a white car where a man nearby said he just unlocked that car and help wasn’t needed. The female became apologetic and asked Gochanour how much they owed him. When he told her there was no charge, she offered to buy him a soft drink. They went into a convenience store, got a soda and approached the register for payment. The female then stated that she had forgot her money in the car and would be right back. She exited the store, got into the running tow truck and sped off. The man was seen following the tow truck on a black motorcycle. The white car in the parking lot belonged to a store employee and was not associated with either suspect. A witness followed the tow truck into nearby Omaha, Neb., where he saw the truck get into an accident, yet continued on. Minutes later, the truck was found abandoned in Council Bluffs. Cash and a gun were missing from the cab. Later that morning, another witness reported seeing a black motorcycle circling a parking lot at a casino. As officers approached, the motorist fled on the bike. He was apprehended a short time later. Malone faces charges of seconddegree criminal mischief, first-degree theft, conspiracy to commit a nonforcible felony and control of a firearm by a felon. Bond was set at $500,000. Source: www.nonpareilonline.com.

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