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HD Wreckers Get Weight Break Servicing Hybrid Vehicles Loading Motorcycles Safely Jerr-Dan’s New 35-Ton
Number 143 on Reader Card
FEATURE CONTENTS
Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
30
News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Towman of the Year
Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Ernest Holmes’ innovations
Work Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
advanced an industry in Burrows Garage in Sligo, Ky., needed creative rigging to lift a trash truck in a country driveway.
ways that still resonate. by Brendan Dooley
AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
40
Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
12 Mile Donation
Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .54 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
White’s Wrecker donated $10,000 in time and equipment to move a retired fighter jet. by Brendan Dooley
Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .65
46
Taking Out the Trash Burrows Garage sent out three Century units to upright a trash truck in a rural setting. by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti On the cover: Ernest Holmes officially manufactured the first wrecker 100 years ago in 1916.
4 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Number 124 on Reader Card
100 Years, More to Come First On The Scene!
by Dennie Ortiz
Wow, how time flies. As you may glean from the cover of this issue, 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the first manufactured wrecker. Back in 1916, who knew that an industry was born that would not only thrive but also become a critical necessity to the world at large. I proudly salute American Towman’s 2016 Towman of the Year, Ernest Holmes, for his contributions and innovations that launched and shaped our towing marketplace. Read further into the issue for Brendan Dooley’s article recounting the history and accomplishments of this true pioneer. Fast-forward 100 years; the towing
industry is now comprised of several long-standing wrecker manufacturers and thousands more suppliers allied to the field. American Towman will be celebrating the unique history of towing throughout the coming year within the magazine, on TowIndustryWeek.com, on our Facebook page and at our three tow shows. Many towing businesses have been built though multiple generations. Much has changed in the time span of 100 years and we welcome you to contact us with your own stories, photos and experiences in our evolving world of towing. We hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday and wish everyone the best in the coming year! Happy New Year!
Constantly Changing by Brendan Dooley
This has been an interesting issue for me to write for and edit. On the one hand, one of my favorite annual tasks is writing the Towman of the Year feature (page 30). After the selection is made, I usually do my interviews with the subject and get to writing for the issue. (That wasn’t possible this year, as Ernest Holmes would have turned 133 years old this month if he were still around for me to talk to!) So this year, the Towman of the Year feature comes from period-sourced materials and recollections from others on the man and the brand and their influence on towing. Then on the other hand, in the same issue Field Editor Terry Abejuela tackles the issues involved in towing and servicing the increasing numbers (and types) of hybrid vehicles there are on the road (page 16). That made for an interesting juxtaposition in the way the auto industry has moved and its ancillary effects on towing. Sure, there may have been some Holmes 485 or 110 models out there tending to a steam car or “first-generation” electric model, but not in the numbers like we have today in hybrids.
6 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley Charles Duke
Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Senior Editor
Randall Resch
Operations Editor
Terry Abejuela
Field Editor, West
Jim “Buck” Sorrenti David Kolman Bill Simmons
Field Editor, Northeast Chassis Editor Safety Editor
Emily Oz
On Screen Editor
Mark Lacek
Repo Run Editor
Editorial Board Tommy Anderson Don Archer Roy Carlson Debbie Collins Belinda Harris Bill Johnson Ron Mislan Kurt Wilson
Dallas, Texas Jefferson City, Mo. St. Paul, Minn. Las Vegas, Nev. Greensboro, N.C. South Hadley, Mass. Warren, N.J. Creve Coeur, Ill.
American Towman Staff Ann Marie Nitti Dennie Ortiz Ellen Rosengart Norma Calitri 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 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 ©2016 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 109 on Reader Card
Wire Fraud for Staged Accidents The owner of a Hundred, W. Va., towing company and another man have been indicted on wire fraud charges. Jeffrey L. Burdine, 38, and Devin K. Wright, 25, face up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 on each of the three counts if they’re convicted, U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II said. Burdine, owner-operator of Express Towing, helped customers rent trucks from national rental companies and then allegedly conspired with some of them to stage accidents, Ihlenfeld said. Instead of calling the national rental companies so their “preferred and approved” towing companies could remove the damaged vehicles, Burdine allegedly towed the trucks himself or had the customers return the trucks to his business. He then allegedly called the rental companies to demand payment of his towing fees before he would return the truck to them. Wright’s role in the alleged scheme was not spelled out in the news release or the indictment. Source: statejournal.com.
Arbitration Goes Against Tow Company The city of Flint, Mich., has won an arbitration battle stemming from a contract dispute with a towing company, officials announced recently. Attorney Val Washington, who represented the tow company, called the arbitration decision flawed and said he will seek to vacate it in Genesee County Circuit Court. The tow company claimed the city was in violation of its contract, which provided for the towing of abandoned and illegally parked cars, and sought damages of nearly $447,000. The city argued that there was no exclusivity to a 2006 contract and that only six vehicles were towed by other companies during the time in question. Source: mlive.com.
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Millions Transacted in Baltimore $120,000 was transacted among the 220 exhibitors and 14,000 attendees at the recent American Towman Exposition, according to reports from the sellers and buyers. There were 17 motor clubs and call providers on the floor engaging with tow business owners on business relationships worth over $1 billion, and a portion of that was new
business generated for tow businesses. The exhibit floor fielded some 50 manufacturers of equipment, including those who build wreckers, carriers, trailers, and truck chassis. According to show management, the 27th AT Expo was the largest in its history as far as the number and diversity of exhibits and the attendee count.
Jerr-Dan was among the many wrecker manufacturers who scored big in Baltimore.
Tougher Regulation
Being Considered A measure to more closely regulate private tow companies has been approved by a Philadelphia, Pa., city council committee and moved to the entire council for consideration as of press time. The legislation, which addresses towing vehicles from private lots and driveways, mandates specific fees and storage Philadelphia (Pa.) Councilman Bill Greenlee claims he’s heard plenty from people feeling scammed by costs. tow companies. Newsworks.org image. Councilman Bill Greenlee claimed he’s heard plenty from people feeling would be $175 with a $25 per day storscammed by towing companies. age fee. Those charges would double If approved by the full Council, for big trucks. the standard towing fee for a car Source: newsworks.org.
. . . The standard towing fee for a car would be $175 . . . Guilty Verdict in Tower’s Homicide A La Crosse, Wis., man was found guilty recently of negligent homicide in the roadside death of a tow truck operator last fall. A jury deliberated for just over two hours before finding Steven E. Dolan, 51, guilty in 38-year-old Nathan Walsh’s death on I-94 in October 2014. The case centered on whether the incident involved criminal negligence or was an accident. Dolan stated he did not see the tow truck while changing lanes. On the stand, Trooper Derrek Hanson said his investigation estimated Dolan was traveling 69 mph and had about 38 seconds to perceive the upcoming disabled vehicle and tow truck and decide how to react. Hanson also said that Walsh’s injuries and body positioning after being struck meant he would have been fully inside the roadway’s fog line while working to load the disabled vehicle onto the tow truck. Source: lacrossetribune.com.
Tow Truck Theft Attempt Thwarted A Victorville, Calif., man was arrested recently after authorities said he tried to steal a repo agent’s tow truck that had hooked up his car. A San Bernardino County sheriff ’s deputy then disarmed the man of a gun and a knife. Caleb Peterson, 29, was arrested on suspicion of attempted carjacking, a sheriff’s news release said. He confronted the agent outside the San Bernardino County Department of Human Services in Victorville as the agent was attempting to remove a vehicle from the parking lot. The deputy arrived to see Peterson striking the victim, overcame Peterson’s resistance and arrested him. The deputy found a handgun in the back of Peterson’s waistband as well as a large knife. Source: pe.com. Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Towing Pros Team Up with Firefighters Keford Towing Co. of Farmington Hills, Mich., recently teamed up with the town’s firefighters and completed Traffic Incident Management training for all of the town’s firefighters. “By training together, we’ve learned each other’s capabilities and how we can Keford Towing Co. teamed up with Farmington mitigate situations like this— Hills (Mich.) firefighters recently for Traffic Incident to make it easier in the future,” Management training. Hometownlife.com image. said Lt. Dennis Firment, who manages training for the Farmington Hills firefighter crew. “For relationship-building, you can’t beat it ... we find ourselves in certain situations where we really need to work together,” he said. Keford Manager Todd Benton agreed. “It’s always a good thing for our guys to get more training,” he said. “And when you know each other’s capabilities, it can help you get (accident victims) out of vehicles a lot quicker.” Keford Towing is the city’s towing provider. Source: hometownlife.com.
Federal Heavy-Duty Towing Legislation Passes Towing companies with heavy-duty tow trucks now have some federal protection as they handle heavyduty tows and recoveries on interstate highways. The Fair Tow provision of the federal Highway Bill, which was signed into law Dec. 4, exempts heavy-duty tow trucks from weight limi- The Fair Tow provision of the federal Highway tations while recovering and Bill exempts heavy-duty tow trucks from weight transporting disabled trucks limitations while recovering and transporting disabled trucks. Kurt Wilson/Joe’s Towing photo. on federal highways. The provision will enable tow operators to clear federal Interstates as quickly as possible and tow disabled heavy-duty vehicles to the nearest appropriate repair facility without the fear of weight fines. “Some of our customers were being unfairly fined while providing a very necessary service for the trucking industry and motoring public,” said Miller Industries’ co-CEO/President Will Miller II. “Miller Industries brought this to the attention of our local U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, and together we worked to right this wrong and help all heavy-duty tow operators within the 48 contiguous states perform their jobs more easily.”
TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 9
Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! SavaComm Duplex Headsets Add Colors SavaComm’s dual wireless headsets are now available in optional colors, but still feature an 800-yard range and 12V and 110V power supply. The headsets include removable and rechargeable batteries, and full duplex and interlink with any SavaComm system. Passive noise attenuation quiets surroundings and enhances communications between operators.
www.savatech.com Number 200 on Reader Card
Tire Sealant in Multiple Sizes Slime said its tire sealant features FibroSeal Technology that instantly and repeatedly repairs tread area punctures up to 1/4” in all tubeless tires. The sealant comes in 1-gal. containers for service trucks and truck toolboxes, and 5-gal. and 55-gal. refill sizes to store in the shop. The company said its sealant is: • Non-toxic. • Non-corrosive. • Non-flammable. • Non-aerosol. • Water-soluble.
www.slime.com Number 201 on Reader Card
Muncie PTO Adds Electric/Hydraulic Shift Option Muncie Power Products’ TG Series power take-off is now available with an electric/hydraulic shift option that eliminates the need for shift cables. TG Series PTOs are available with 10 speed ratios, 19 shift types, 19 output shaft options and 78 input gears
for all popular transmissions. The doublegear-type PTO can be configured to meet the speed, torque and horsepower requirements of most applications. The compact PTO is easily installed with six- or eight-bolt housings and modular design.
www.munciepower.com Number 202 on Reader Card
10 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Jerr-Dan Adds 35-ton JFB Model
J
err-Dan Corp., an Oshkosh Corp. company, recently debuted its new 35-ton JFB wrecker at the American Towman Expo in Baltimore, Md., displaying its innovative tool storage. The non-corrosive exterior of the 35-ton JFB is made of weather-tight, impact-resistant polypropylene and comes with a limited lifetime warranty on the body. The company said it offers longer service life than other metallic or composite bodies in the industry. “Our JFB body series was designed with our customers’ best interest in mind,” said Jeffrey Irr, senior director of sales and marketing. “We wanted to show them that we truly care by producing a product designed around their needs and opinions. The structure of the JFB will keep long-term cost and bodyrepair costs at a minimum.” Engineered storage solutions provide easy access to essential rigging and tools to efficiently perform on-scene operations. As part of the JFB body series, this truck will be available in a Gold or Silver series.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Gold series wreckers offer pre-set storage solutions for a turnkey unit, while Silver series wreckers allow for the operator to organize the interior. “We offer our 35-ton units in the Integrated and Independent line,” said Shane Coleman, heavy-duty project manager. “The Independent units can be built with our 480 coach boom, or 530 underlift—the same underlifts used on our 50-ton line. For customers who do a greater percentage of heavy towing, the option to build a severeduty towing unit while keeping cost and weight down is possible. “Our most popular unit, the Integrated, carries our 300 and 350 underlift fit for the standard heavy-duty task load. These units are offered with various equipment options in the winch, wire rope, underlift and remote controls. All of this, coupled with the JFB body, brings functionality, aesthetics, and performance demand to our 35-ton unit.”
www.jerrdan.com Number 203 on Reader Card
TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 11
Ramsey Key to Guinness Record Attempt Ramsey HD-P 10000 winch.
Dave Bland stepped in to help with the casualty loading/unloading charity fundraiser and world record attempt.
AT staff report
I
n November 2013, a team in England attempted to break a Guinness World Record for number of recoveries performed in a 24-hour period. The team from FMG, a U.K. independent outsourcer of fleet incident management and specialist recovery services, used a Dave Bland Engineering flatbed carrier equipped with a Ramsey winch. The record attempt was also a fundraising event for the U.K.’s Children in Need. The FMG technical trainer Ian Leaver led a team that included Dave Bland when another member had to drop out. They loaded a “broken down” car onto the recovery vehicle as many times as possible over 24 straight hours. Over the course of the attempt, the vehicle was successfully loaded a total of 703 times in the 24-hour period, during which the recovery cable was winched in and out a total distance of 4.6 miles. The vehicle needed to be properly
12 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
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They loaded a 'broken down' car onto the recovery vehicle as many times as possible over 24 straight hours.
secured on each load, and completely off the bed with each unload.
N.J. Looking at Increased Fees The New Jersey Turnpike Authority wants to increase the rates that can be charged for towing and roadside service, according to a recent proposal. Towing and service rates would go up for both the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway under the proposal. The Authority said maximum rates have not been increased since 2004. The proposal would up the maximum routine towing services charge for vehicles weighing less than 6,999 lbs. from $60 to $72, along with an increase to the maximum per-mile rate for those cars from $2 to $3.50 and a new cap on that charge at $107, where it is currently $80. Larger vehicles would see an increase for routine towing from the current $100 max to $132, the $3 permile charge would go up to $4 and the cap on the overall mileage charge would go from the current $130 to $172. Vehicles of 7,000 lbs. and heavier would see a 20-percent increase in the maximum fees that can be levied for additional charges, the authority said, 14 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
“We wanted to look at ways in which we could use our expertise to raise funds for Children in Need this year, and came up with the idea of this vehicle recovery marathon,” Leaver said at the event. “Our people and partners have got right behind the project and the new record far exceeded our own expectations. We also held additional events throughout the day to boost the final tally.” FMG said it handled more than 48,000 incidents on England’s Strategic Road Network in the five years leading up to the attempt, and that it helped the Highways Agency reduce response times to incidents.
and winching and wrecking charges for all cars, regardless of size, would go up approximately 30 percent. Service charges on both highways would see an increase from their current $30 cap to $60, under the proposal. The comment period was still open at press time. Source: law360.com
City Likely to End Towing Cap Four years ago, the Charlotte (N.C.) City Council voted to cap how much towing companies could charge to tow or boot your car. For a tow, it was $120 and $15 a day for storage. For a boot: $50. But an N.C. Supreme Court decision last year said Chapel Hill didn’t have the authority to set fee caps for towing. Council members are scheduled to vote on changing its 2011 “predatory towing” ordinance to align with the court’s ruling. The caps will be removed from the ordinance. In a briefing to council members in October, City Manager Ron Carlee said the court’s decision creates a “completely free market now.” When the full council discussed the changes last month, Republican Kenny Smith said “there is a bi-partisan distrust here with the towing industry.” “We all get complaints on towed
Ramsey said its HD-P 10,000 is the U.S. equivalent of the winch used in the record attempt. It was designed for increased line speed in vehicle recovery and features easy free-spooling and a single lubricant for all temperature ranges. The standard drum holds 115’ of cable. As of press time, more than two years following the event, the Guinness World Record team is still evaluating the record for a final ruling. Editor’s note Additional contributions to this report from fmg.co.uk, ramsey.com, and facebook.com/daveblandengineeringltd.
cars in which people feel very strongly they should not have been towed,” he said. “It is across all four corners of the city.” Other changes in the amended ordinance include fees and charges must be posted on a sign in the parking lot or street; employees of businesses that boot cars must be in a uniform, and have their first name and the name of the booting company, or they must present an ID with their name and photograph; and the maximum fine for violating the ordinance increases from $50 to $500. Brian Moody, who works at Ace Towing and Recovery, said he was OK with the old caps. “My boss complains about the people who charge too much,” Moody said. “He was all for the cap. It keeps everyone in line. We were fine with $120 and $15 for storage.” Source: charlotteobserver.com.
Tow Fees Could Drop The Denton, Texas, city council will vote on a proposed towing ordinance that will bring about stricter enforcement and lower fees for vehicles towed without the owner’s consent. Currently, Denton defers to the state’s maximum limits that allow towing companies to charge up to $250 for light-duty tows, with a $125
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Number 126 on Reader Card
Servicing Hybrid Vehicles
by Terry Abejuela
2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid.
W
ith the number of hybrids on the road increasing every year, tow operators will inevitably encounter not just one, but many. Knowing how to jumpstart, provide fuel, change a tire, transport or tow them is essential to prevent injuries and costly damages to the customer vehicle and tower’s equipment. Motor-club and OEM manuals, as well as verified trustworthy sites online are great resources for service information on hybrid vehicles. A hybrid is any vehicle that utilizes two or more energy sources for propulsion. The most common combination is gasoline and electric power sources. According to some sources, the United States has the second largest hybrid electric vehicle fleet in the world, second only to Japan. Since the introduction of the Honda Insight in 1999, there have been 3.5 million new hybrid electric vehicles sold in the United States. California led the nation in 2009 with 55,553 vehicles sold followed by New York with 15,438 and Florida with 14,949. The 3.5 million hybrid electric vehicles sold since 2009 accounts for 1.55 percent of the total number of new vehicles sold in the United States. Most major automobile manufacturers are producing 16 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid 12 volt battery located on drivers side of trunk behind removable panel.
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or have plans to produce hybrid electric vehicles. This is due in part to Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations that require auto manufacturers to maintain a minimum mileage of 27.5 mpg across its product line. Producing hybrid vehicles allows them to offer faster and larger vehicles in the rest of the product line. There are many different types of hybrid systems including Parallel Hybrid, Series Hybrid, Series-Parallel Hybrid, mild hybrid technology and Plug-In Hybrid Electric, so continued training and review of information is necessary to stay up to date.
Some hybrid vehicles are not equipped with a spare tire but instead with an inflator kit. The manufacturer may also limit the distance and speed the vehicle can be driven after the inflator kit is used so make sure to inform your customer if this is the case. If the tire cannot be inflated, the vehicle requires towing. Some hybrids have run-flat tires.
Fuel Service
Jumpstarts Before attempting to service a hybrid vehicle, make sure the vehicle is turned off and avoid standing in front of or behind the vehicle as much as possible. It may be difficult to tell that the engine is running due to lack of engine noise. Hybrid vehicles are equipped with a 12-volt system. A hybrid may not turn on if the 12-volt battery is discharged, even if the electric motor battery pack is charged. Hybrids may have the battery located in the trunk, under the back seat, in the engine compartment or under the floorboard. Some may have a remote positive terminal in the engine compartment to facilitate a jumpstart. Follow normal jumpstart procedures to hook up to the 12 volt battery or remote positive terminal. Once the hybrid vehicle is turned on, the jumper cables can be removed. Some hybrid vehicles require 12-volt battery power to shift the transmission to neutral. Most are also equipped with a shift-interlock override procedure.
2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid Easy Fuel capless fuel filler.
Tire Changing
Using the funnel on a 2015 Ford Fusion Easy Fuel capless fuel filler.
2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid flat-tire inflator kit is located in trunk under floor panel.
Most hybrid vehicles that are equipped with a spare tire do not have any special requirements. As with any vehicle it is important to know where to place the floor jack. Many hybrid vehicles have high-voltage wiring routed along the bottom of the floor pan and can be identified by the orange wiring loom. If you are not sure where to place the jack, consult the owner’s manual, road-service manual or the Internet first. 18 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
If a hybrid runs out of fuel, the vehicle will drive for a limited distance on the electric motor—once the drive batteries are discharged though, the vehicle will stop running. If the 12-volt battery is discharged, the fuel door will not open on some hybrid vehicles. A fuel door override knob located in the trunk or cargo area can be used to manually pull and open the fuel door. If the 12-volt battery is charged, pushing the fuel door button will open the fuel door. Some hybrids utilize a high-pressure fuel system. When the fuel door button is pushed you may get a warning mes-
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DISPATCH continued from page 14 drop fee; $350 for medium-duty tows, with a $175 drop fee; and $450 up to a maximum of $900 for heavy-duty tows, with a $225 drop fee. Tow companies are allowed to charge a drop fee if the vehicle’s owner catches a tower before he leaves the parking lot with the car. But that’s only if the vehicle is fully prepared for transport with tow lights and safety chains attached, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Tow operators
panies have been charging is astronomical,” Byington said. “This ordinance has been a long time coming.” Source: dentonrc.com.
Tow Fees Lowered For Stolen Cars San Francisco, Calif., began to waive towing fees for cars that were stolen starting last month, and will cut the city’s administrative fee 50 percent. For residents of San Francisco, there will be no fee at all, if the car is picked up in the first 48 hours after it was towed.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency spokesperson Paul Rose said that those affected questioned the fairness of having to pay a tow fee when their cars were stolen. “People didn’t think it was fair to pay a tow fee when their cars were stolen, because it’s something they couldn’t control. Having your car stolen and then towed is not a fun situation, and this helps make it a little bit easier for those people who have to go through this,” Rose said. Source: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com
also will need to apply for a special license. If approved, Denton’s new towing ordinance will lower the fees tow companies can charge for nonconsensual tows. The new amounts are $145 for light-duty tows, with a $72 drop fee; $166 for medium-duty tows, with a $83 drop fee; and $450 for heavyduty tows, with a $225 drop fee. The new towing ordinance also would require towing companies to notify the police department within one hour after a vehicle is towed, photograph the vehicle before it is towed, and retain the photograph on file for at least 60 days after the tow. Tow operators also will need to apply for a special license to perform nonconsensual tows in Denton, and towing companies will not be allowed to tow the vehicle outside of the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, under the proposed ordinance. City leaders created a committee with members who represent citizens, the towing industry and businesses. Some of the members from the towing industry included representatives from B&O Towing, Pro Tow Wrecker Service and On the Road Again. Danny Byington, owner of B&O Service and Towing, said he just wanted the tow fee to be an amount that is fair to everyone. “The fee that nonconsent tow comWork the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Number 169 on Reader Card
TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 19
TOW BOSS continued from page 18 sage “Wait to fuel.” When the message changes to “Ready to fuel,” the system has depressurized and is ready for fueling. Some of the Ford hybrids are equipped with the same “Easy Fuel” filler neck that some of their gasoline-powered vehicles have that require a special funnel to dispense fuel into the tank. This funnel is usually stored in the rear cargo area or with the tire changing tools.
Towing, Transport Most manufacturers recommend transporting their hybrid vehicles on a car carrier rather than towing. Those that do allow towing require the drive wheels be raised or on a tow dolly. Some manufacturers provide the option to use a wheel lift if a car carrier is not available. Ramping may be required to load and unload these vehicles on a car carrier and lumber or skates may be required to protect the fascia against damage from the loading bridle. Some models are equipped with a shift-interlock override in the event there is no power and the vehicle cannot be shifted out of Park. Review the owner’s manual for the location and procedure for the shift-interlock override. Most are located in the center console near the gear shifter. There is a plastic tool that is similar to a screwdriver that you should use if the override is made of plastic, as using a metal screwdriver on these may damage the override mechanism. This tool can also be used to avoid damaging painted surfaces when removing the cover for the loading eyebolt receiver.
The 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid high-voltage disconnect compartment is located behind rear seat on driver’s side.
Make sure to take measures to prevent the vehicle from rolling before shifting it out of Park. Some hybrids are equipped with a loading eyebolt often located with the tire tools in the cargo or trunk area. These are for loading and unloading and should never be used for a tie down or for recovery work. One of the Honda models is equipped with an eyebolt, but the manufacturer states it is for level towing only and should not be used for loading on a car carrier. One of the Hyundai models is equipped with a recovery
Number 139 on Reader Card
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loop welded to the bottom of the trunk floor and is intended to be used for loading on a car carrier; the manufacturer states to use caution during recovery or loading vehicles with no wheels as there was no rating provided for the loop. Refer to the owner’s manual before using eyebolts to ensure you are using it properly. Some manufacturers warn against attaching to any suspension components for loading and unloading or tie down. On these vehicles they recommend wheel straps for tie downs. Some BMWs are equipped with Thook slots under the jack pads, but the manufacturer states that they are not structurally sound for pulling purposes. Some hybrid vehicles are equipped with an electronic park brake. If the 12volt battery is discharged it will require a jumpstart to engage or disengage the park brake. When transporting any vehicle avoid pulling outwards at a sharp angle against the steer wheels with
your tie downs to avoid damage to the steering system. Some hybrid vehicles are equipped with all wheel steering so the same would apply at the rear tie downs. If the vehicle is equipped with air suspension most manufacturers recommend the air suspension be turned off during transport.
Recovery Hybrid vehicles involved in a collision may have compromised highvoltage safety systems and may present an electrical shock hazard. Most manufacturers recommend the use of personal protective equipment such as safety goggles, high-voltage safety gloves and boots a well as removing metallic jewelry, watches and rings. When storing a hybrid vehicle that was involved in a collision, it is recommended that the vehicle not be stored inside a structure or in close proximity to structures or other vehicles. Before storing the vehicle, inspect it for leaking fluids, smoke, flame, sparks or
bubbling, popping or hissing sounds from the high-voltage batteries. Maintain unobstructed access to the vehicle in the event that emergency response is required. There is a potential for a delayed fire resulting from damage lithium-ion batteries. Physical damage to the high-voltage battery may result in the release of toxic and flammable gases.
High Voltage Hybrid vehicles have anywhere from a 36-volt to 370-volt high-voltage system depending on the vehicle. For instance, Nissan states the hybrid Pathfinder is capable of producing up to 650 volts in the transaxle. Remember that orange indicates high-voltage wires. Avoid contact with these wires. Most hybrid vehicles have either a simple or automatic shut off for the high-voltage system. Many of them automatically disable the system whenever the ignition key is in the “Off” position or when an airbag is deployed. In the event of a high-voltage short
Number 192 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 21
2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid high-voltage disconnect with white plastic safety cover intact, and with white safety cover removed ready to be disconnected.
circuit, the high-voltage fuse will open and disable the system. When a highvoltage connector is disconnected, the high-voltage interlock circuit will open and disable the system. Disconnecting the 12-volt battery on most hybrid vehicles will disable the circuits that control the high-voltage system. The high-voltage system also may be disabled by removing the high-voltage service disconnect. One example is on the 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid, where the high-voltage service disconnect is located behind the rear driver-side seat under a removable panel. Even if it isn’t required, I would recommend you wear high-voltage safety gloves when disabling the system.
2015 Ford Fusion high-voltage orange wiring loom.
Submersion When a hybrid vehicle is submerged, it may result in arcing and shorting in the high-voltage batteries that may be evidenced by a bubbling or fizzing action in the water. When the bubbling and fizzing has stopped, the high-voltage batteries are discharged. Always treat hybrid vehicles as though there is still high voltage present. (Some hybrid manufacturers suggest there is no hazard when their vehicle is submerged in water, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Auto manufacturers have been mistaken before.)
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.
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Chevy Volt tow eyelet cover is below the headlight.
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TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 23
Motorcycle Load Safety
There are several dollies and devices that work well for loading cycles on carrier decks. Photo by Ken Bingenheimer.
by Randall C. Resch
I
n 2015, I prepared for three West Coast lawsuits where tow companies were sued for allegedly asking motorcycle owners to assist them in pushing disabled motorcycles onto a carrier’s tilted deck. In all cases, customers said they were instructed to come onto a carrier’s deck resulting in them slipping, falling and injuring themselves. Plaintiffs adamantly stated that towers openly asked them to help push their motorcycles onto a carrier’s deck and were never told to stay off the deck. Each case was consistent in suggesting the “questionable” phrases here were, “onto the carrier’s deck,” vs. “to the carrier’s deck.” Ultimately, courtroom banter proved that tow companies failed to adequately describe the importance of “how-to” instructions. Plaintiffs are awarded huge settlements when tow companies are deemed accountable for injuries because customers were allowed onto 24 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
a carrier’s deck. Whether or not the statements by the cycle owners are true and factual, all cases resulted in six-figure settlements when towers couldn’t prove they met a standard of care. When tow companies provide motorcycle transport services, towers must be thoroughly trained in techniques necessary to completely tiedown the motorcycles, while providing total and complete safety for tow operators and customers. Carrier loading oftentimes requires operators to stand atop a carrier’s tilted deck in order to load and secure the cycle. One option is having transport dollies outfitted for the safest job. (There are also specialty decks and attachments for wheel lifts as options for the company that does a lot of motorcycle work.) Motorcycle transport is an advanced service that must be mastered if that’s a niche your company serves. But if your company tows for law enforcement, it may be required.
Law-enforcement towers should be competent and experienced in loading motorcycles, especially if they don’t have transport dollies. When towing or transporting motorcycles small and large, sending an untrained operator to load the bike is simply an injury waiting to happen. Injuries like tip-over, slip and fall or loss of load during transport are common. If you know anything about motorcycles, you know you can’t buy cheap replacement parts.
Policy and Procedure Setting the tone that prohibits nonemployee, non-tower personnel to come onto a carrier’s deck must be emphasized in company policy manuals and/or employee handbook. Company rules must dictate what is and isn’t allowed in order for employees to know what’s expected. My company’s Employee Handbook covers these situations where various sections state: • Tow & Service Truck Operators
will take charge of each situation and verbally impart all appropriate safety instructions to motorists, motorcyclists and customers. • Avoid placing yourself, customers or tow vehicle in situations that risk injury, life or accidents to property. • Never allow customers to help with any service, load or recovery related tasks. • Be aware of oil and fluids that may be on the deck’s surface. An oily deck may cause slip and fall injuries and accidents. • NEVER allow persons to come onto a carrier’s deck. If a motorcycle tips uncontrollably and begins to fall, never get under the cycle or attempt to stop its fall. Unbalanced cycles are heavy and may inflict debilitating back or other crushing injuries. Policies and procedures must be in place where guidelines are understood by towers responding to motor-
cycle requests. Companies should include motorcycle loading in at least one motorcycle safety class annually so rules and guidelines are repeated. Where guidelines aren’t identified, miscommunication and misapplication result in damages, accidents and injuries.
Appropriate Accessories There are several dollies and devices that work well for loading cycles on carrier decks; including some that can be deployed by one operator without assistance. Also consider that wireless controls are a better option. I’ve heard tow owners suggesting that motorcycle accessories (roller attachments) are bulky and expensive, difficult to stow, take too long to set up and really aren’t necessary. Yet, based on mistakes and lessons learned, it makes sense to consider the purchase price of a roller accessory vs. a slip-and-fall lawsuit from either your operator or a customer. Purchasing a
cycle dolly specifically designed for large motorcycles is the proper tool for the job.
The Right Choice My ride of choice is a Honda Goldwing GL1800; its dry weight is approximately 850 lbs.; add another 250 lbs. of travel gear, clothing, trailer hitch and accessories. Loading a 1,000-lbs. motorcycle is difficult for a single tower to push forward and balance upright. I keep my motorcycle impeccable. I won’t give any tower the opportunity to damage it. If the responding tow company doesn’t have a power deck system or heavy-capacity loading dolly designed for full-dress motorcycles, I’ll call every tow company in the state until I find one. It’s not uncommon for full-dress cycle owners to carry soft-straps designed for securing motorcycles should the need arise. I carry looped nylon, cross-over straps specifically designed to attach to the motorcycle’s
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TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 25
handlebars. Properly attached, crossover straps don’t contact upward body plastics and won’t damage the cruise control, accessory components or heated grips. Today’s motorcycle dollies offer the perfect solution by eliminating the need for customers or police officers to climb onto a carrier’s tilted deck. For individual operators, application is simple: remove the cycle dolly from stowage, unfold, then load your customer’s cycle safely at ground level at a zero tilt angle. By having motorcycle straps ready for attaching, individual operators can safely and efficiently secure motorcycles in an upright position. All that’s left is winching the cycle dolly (not the motorcycle) onto the carrier’s deck and securing it with a strategically placed four-point tiedown. I don’t understand why tow owners suggest motorcycle dollies cost too much; for as little as $350, carriers can include an appropriate piece of equipment vs. leaving loading to fate (and potential lawsuits).
Officer … Please Help Tow operators shouldn’t allow customers or officers to climb aboard a carrier’s deck. Loading motorcycles on carriers is understandably awkward, but properly trained operators should be creative in employing alternative techniques that negate asking others to climb aboard tilted carriers. If your company’s carriers aren’t equipped with loading accessories, towers are oftentimes forced to ask for assistance in getting the motorcycle onto the carrier’s deck. Customers should never be allowed onto a carrier’s tilted deck for obvious reasons: • Customers aren’t familiar with the balance, weight and precarious load properties of disabled motorcycles. • Customers aren’t familiar with the balance and precarious load properties of tilted carrier decks. • There’s huge risk of customers slipping and falling on a slippery, tilted surface. • If a customer is unscrupulous and fabricates a phony injury, your company will likely suffer
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an avoidable lawsuit because it was a predictable set up. (Two of the three lawsuits above I perceived as “easy money” scenarios). Assistance may be necessary if carriers aren’t properly equipped. When loading extra-large motorcycles, consider this process: • Locate and make ready all tiedown ratchet straps onto the deck where tie-down is employed. • Extend and lower the carrier’s deck to its tilted load-and-ready position. • Hang a set of keys, carabineer or tie a rag onto the control handle that ONLY tilts and levels the carrier’s deck. • If the motorcycle doesn’t run, has no keys, or is extra heavy, you steer the motorcycle; it’s OK to ask an officer to help push, but clearly instruct them to not come onto the carrier’s deck. • Ready; roll aboard, or if qualified, ride motorcycle onto deck until the rear tire comes onto the
carrier’s deck; apply and hold the hand brake to prevent rearward roll. • Ask the officer to stand-by at non-traffic-side controls and await your instructions. • When balanced and ready, ask the officer to activate the (deck) lever that has the rag or keys; level when instructed. • When deck is up and level, politely thank the officer and send them away. • Tower positions motorcycle forward with front tire into winch fairlead (roller). • Complete appropriate four-point (or more) tie-down; not too tight to avoid damaging triple-tree steering bearings. • Apply straps or strap-hooks so as not to pinch leather seats or rub/scratch plastic parts or chrome. • With remaining strap on rightside brake handle, hold brake lever tight to employ rear brake; wrap brake lever with remaining strap to serve as e-brake. • Option: To prevent rearward movement; winch-out cable slightly, slide 4x4 under cable and place up against rear tire. Tighten cable over 4x4 to serve as a tire chock limiting rearward movement. • Dismount carrier carefully; never dismount by jumping over the carrier’s rail to pavement.
Ease Your Pain If J-hooks and snatch blocks are equipment items carriers should have, it makes sense to include a cycle dolly on-board. Doing so could avoid potential lawsuits by not allowing persons to come onto the carrier’s tilted deck. For each of these slip-and-fall lawsuits where I’ve been deposed, each could have been prevented if tow companies smartly spent dollars to outfit their carriers with the proper loading equipment. If these reasons aren’t important enough, what about protecting your driver’s safety when tip-over or fall is a huge concern for their safety? Tow-
ers who think they can prevent a tipping, 1,000-lbs. motorcycle are risking long-term injuries or death if they were to fall under a tipped motorcycle. If your company’s carriers aren’t equipped with motorcycle dollies, you’re behind the times and openly toying with fate. It’s best to not take chances when pursuing the proper
standard of care required of all towing and recovery procedures.
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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Advantage Funding Teams with Road America Advantage Funding announced a new partnership with Road America to help finance the road-service company’s providers. “Road America and Advantage Funding are partnering to bring easy, low-cost financing and leasing terms to Road America’s 15,000 service providers,” said Al Damiani, CEO of Advantage Funding. “Competitive rates, flexible terms, and 100-percent financing for qualified buyers will help make it easy for Road America service providers to finance their next truck.” “This new partnership is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to build meaningful and lasting relationships with our valued service providers,” said Bonnie Verhulst, Road America Director of Provider Network.
Beacon Software Launches TowSpec.com Beacon Software launched a new mobile-friendly website of its towing instructions at www.towspec.com. Towspec.com is free and includes an easy-to-use vehicle search box to get information quickly to towing operators. Vehicle towing instructions
are presented in a clean and understandable layout, giving operators the specs they need to do the job effectively and efficiently. The new mobile-first, mobilefriendly design allows the site to perform well on all devices anywhere and anytime; it can be used as a webpage or downloaded as a Windows 10 app. TowSpec.com also provides links to Beacon Software’s popular applications DispatchAnywhere and TowMagic dispatching apps. Beacon Software runs more than 7 million dispatches through its system each year.
Urgent.ly Adds Strategic Sales VP Roadside-assistance company Urgent.ly added Tom Sexton as a VP of Strategic Sales. Sexton was an early hire at INRIX, Inc., one of the first global connected car services companies. He built solutions for TomTom, Google, and Apple mapping platforms. Sexton was also part of the team at deCarta, an independent mapping, routing and geo-coding platform, prior to its acquisition by Uber. “He’s a seasoned leader with deep relationships with key industry players along with extensive knowledge and experience that will help Urgent.ly rapidly scale our growth,” said
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Urgent.ly CEO/co-founder Chris Spanos. “The connected car market is moving fast and there’s a tremendous opportunity for companies with innovative technology, a smart team and proven service,” said Sexton. More than 5 million drivers have direct access to Urgent.ly through its native and mobile web platforms and partnerships including AT&T Drive, Cost2Drive, Dash, DriversEd.com, MapQuest, Mojio, ParkWhiz, TollSmart, Zendrive, Zubie and others.
Hino Offers Custom Paint Options Hino Trucks announced during the 2015 AT Expo in Baltimore, Md., that it will offer custom paint options for its conventional trucks beginning with the 2017 model year. The company (hino.com) will offer a variety of exterior truck colors that customers can order as a factory option or colormatch to customized requests. “The availability of varying paint colors now provides customers with a convenient way to make their truck uniquely their own or create a visually harmonized truck fleet,” said Glenn Ellis, Hino VP of marketing, dealer operations and product planning.
continue to page 33
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Towman of theYear: by Brendan Dooley
Towing’s Inventor, Ernest Holmes
A
s we enter 2016, the tow industry is set to mark 100 years of towing, referring to Ernest Holmes modifications on a 1913 Cadillac with winch and boom to create what many call the first tow truck in 1916. From the time he created that first wrecker to his death in 1945, Holmes’ innovations advanced an industry in ways that still echo in towing and recovery today. It’s for these reasons and more that American Towman names Ernest Holmes as our 2016 Towman of the Year. Past recipients have been heralded for their dedication to help not only their own companies, but towers far and wide; perhaps no single individual has done more to advance towing than Holmes. From his auto shop in Chattanooga, Tenn., Holmes saw a problem (a growing number of autos on the road that needed recovery) and created a solution (the first twin-boom wrecker). “Before the wrecker was invented he had to go out and repair them either on the side of the road or figure out some way to drag them in whether it was another vehicle, and he figured there had to be an easier way,” said 30 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Period advertising for the economical 110 wrecker, and some of the towing equipment.
Gerry Holmes, Ernest’s grandson. “So he started developing ideas and as crude as they were at the time, he eventually developed what he called a wrecker.” “Technically, the first tow truck was a home-built failure. Holmes had modified a 1913 Cadillac, adding a crane and pulley system—a primitive ‘boom’ and ‘winch.’ What he learned was that stabilization is tremendously
important,” said Jeff Badgley, Miller Industries co-CEO. “His second attempt included outriggers, and was a success. He patented the invention and began production in 1919. He was the first person to manufacture a home-built and ‘industrial’ carrier. His first model, the Holmes 680, was priced at—you guessed it—$680. It was a bit expensive for the market. So again, Holmes made a second attempt. The Holmes 485, priced at $485, was a tremendous success.” In January 1918, Holmes’ wrecker received patent approval; the E.H. Co. was incorporated in 1921. By that time, company records show the more economical 4-ton 110 wrecker ($110) was in production alongside the 485, as well as a Tilt-Bed Carrier, Towing Pole (“no cotter pins to waste your time”), V towing bars (“prevent the towed car from swinging from side to side or crashing into the service car”) and a steeringgear clamp (“no tools required and can be attached with one hand.”) During the 1920s, the 485 was outfitted with a Ford starter motor as an electric power drive and the 10-ton Heavy Duty Wrecker was developed (5 tons per boom). Literature at the
Holmes wreckers are mounted on late 1920s Studebakers.
Period advertising for the 485.
time said, “All the desirable features of the famous Holmes Wrecker No. 485 have been retained and the operation in most cases is the same. Power is delivered to the service drums direct from your truck motor. Triple control levers permit operation either from the ground or driver’s seat.” So Holmes was trying to get operators off the white line even then! Going into the 1930s and the Great Depression, sources say Holmes’ company was well positioned with its variety of wreckers and towing equipment
available to garages through jobbers (direct sales ended early on). Perhaps this is what made the company look good to the military to help in the coming war effort. “Holmes ultimately landed the first government contract for towing and recovery equipment during World War II,” Badgley said. “This is when the Holmes Company engineered and manufactured the world’s first bombloaders. None of these things—industrially built towing equipment, patented tow equipment or govern-
Standard Repair Shop could see towing the cars in would help business.
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TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 31
ment towing equipment or bombloaders—had been done before. “Ernest Holmes was a man of many firsts.” In addition to the bomb-loaders, Holmes was building the militarygrade W-45 units, which added outboard legs and an extended boom to the civilian W-35 model. The first W-45 shipped in February 1941. Being first to create and modernize an industry is not the only part of Holmes’ legacy, according to Badgley. “Holmes historically was a driver of innovation. That, coupled with world-class customer service defined the company and the brand. Today, the Holmes brand is still defined by those two variables. Take for instance the newly redesigned Holmes DTU (Detachable Towing Unit). It has set
The tilt-bed carrier has seemingly been around since the beginning.
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Ernest Holmes was a man of many firsts. the standard in the industry for that type of towing device. “Furthermore, Holmes innovations and patents are still incorporated in many towing and recovery units. The rapid-reverse winch and tow slings are prime examples of such innovations.” Even the rotator, quickly becoming a must for a tow company of almost every size, has roots back to Holmes in its middle age. According to Miller’s “On Call 24/7” issue from Spring 2010, Holmes experimented with a medium-duty rotator in the mid-
1950s, but was a bit ahead of its time for the industry. Today’s Holmes 600R medium-duty rotator bears proof they were on the right track. The Holmes product line today is available from Miller Industries, who acquired the brand in 1990. In addition to the 600R, the Holmes products include the 220 Snatcher auto-loader, 220 Snatcher Towing Service Vehicle, 440-G2 auto-loader, and the DTU G2. It's hard to say where towing and recovery would be today without Ernest Holmes. For that, we salute Holmes and his century in towing as the 2016 Towman of the Year. Editor’s notes Thanks to Miller Industries for providing images and research materials. American Towman TV’s Emily Oz also contributed to this report.
SUPPLIER SCOOP continued from page 28
Accolades for GPS Insight GPS Insight recently was named a top Arizona corporation at the Phoenix Business Journal’s Arizona Corporate Excellence Awards that ranked the company the 40th largest and 21st fastest growing company in the state. This is GPS Insight’s second year in a row being ranked as one of Arizona’s largest companies. The company (gpsinsight.com) also was ranked No. 431 Fastest Growing Company in North America on Deloitte’s 2015 Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America. GPS Insight had 140-percent four-year growth and this is the 5th consecutive year that GPS Insight has made the list. GPS Insight recently launched its new website with a more modern look and relevancy to users based on fleet size, industry or role at the company. This ensures that visitors view only the most relevant content.
Four Maxima Lifts Get ALI Certification Four heavy-duty mobile column lifts from MIT Automobile’s Maxima brand (maximaproducts.com) have met the requirements for certification under the Automotive Lift Institute’s Certification Program. “By teaming with ALI’s vehicle lift certification program, MIT can assure our customers that our products meet the highest manufacturing and safety requirements,” said Sam Fielden, VP of MIT Automobile Inc. “The stringent manufacturing, safety and quality control criteria required by the ALI program called for a very diligent team effort by the Maxima Brand Lift Design Group.” The four new models are the ML4030BC (66,000-lbs. capacity), ML6045BC (99,000-lbs. capacity), ML-4034BC (74,000-lbs. capacity) and the ML-6051BC (111,000-lbs. capacity).
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American Towman 2016 Expos Set AT Expo Corp., American Towman magazine’s trade show partner, announced its trade show schedule for 2016, including the largest niche truck show worldwide, the American Towman Exposition. The show schedule kicks off with the American Towman ShowPlace– Las Vegas, May 11-13, followed by Tow Expo Int’l in Dallas, Aug. 4-6, and culminating with the American Towman Exposition Nov. 18-20 in Baltimore. “Our three shows along with the American Towman Academy (seminars and training), are the premier events for the emergency road service industry,” said Henri “Doc” Calitri, AT Expo Corp. president. “In fact, American Towman shows are the leading expositions in the all-important work truck marketplace”. More than 200 tow trucks packed the Baltimore Convention Center at the 2015 AT Expo. More than 500,000 tow business owners have attended American Towman shows since 1989 and have participated in the all-important educational and equipment training classes. More is in store in 2016. Number 158 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
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AD INDEX January 2016
To receive information/brochures on our advertisers’ products or services go to www.TowExtra.com Page# RS#
Page# RS#
Page# RS#
Access Tools
17 102
Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA)
51 110
Advantage Funding
35 106
Safety Vision
53 157
Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease
27 145
Santander Bank
68 103
Akins Body & Carrier Sales
15 126
Jerr-Dan
Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales S 59 179 Austin Hinds Motors AutoReturn B & Z Sales Beacon Software
S 61 135 19 169 S 60 170 51 136
Big Tows/Metro Tow Trucks
N 63 137
Chase Insurance Agency
S 61 180
Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip.
5 124 M 60 134
Lift & Tow
20 139
Loganville Ford
35 207
McMahon Trucks Manufacturer Express Metropolitan Truck Sales Miller Industries
Chevron Commercial
28 217
New England Truckmaster
ComeUp USA
23 116
North American BanCard
M 59 189 29 213 N 60 119 2, 3 143 N 59 171 7 109
CRASHFILM
27 210
NRC Industries
13 133
Crouch’s Wrecker Equip. & Sales
41 177
OMG National
34 215
Danco Products
37 196
OnlineParkingPass
37 166
Don Jackson Carrier & Wrecker 23 144
Pacific General Insur. Agency
M 60 193
Dual-Tech Wreckers & Carriers
21 192
Performance Advantage
N 63 173
Elizabeth Truck Center
26 123
PWOF
Equipment Sales & Services Ginn Carrier & Wrecker Sales G. Stone Motors
N 59 152 43 125 N 60 182
34 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Quick Draw Tarpaulin
38, 39 167 50 178
Renew Truck Body
N 61 146
Rick’s Auto Sales
M 61 181
SavaCOMM
33 158
Savatech
45 118
Schaeffer’s Oil Sea Crest Insurance Agency
S, W 59 160 W 60 156
Smyrna Truck Center
S 63 113
Sun Country Trailers
N 62 117
Tow Industries
W 63 101
TowMate Triple K Industries
25 191 50 100
Truck Body Sales
W 63 198
Twin Cities Wrecker Sales
M 59 138
Urgent.ly
33 194
Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX
W 60 208
West End Service
N 61 141
Winches Inc.
M 63 148
World Class Insurance Service W 59 184 Worldwide Equipment
23 151
Zacklift International
67 121
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256 Trucks in Charitable Parade The annual Worldwide Equipment Sales Tow Trucks for Tots parade last November featured 256 trucks. While not enough to break the event’s Guinness World Record number of 324 trucks in 2011, the charitable event did collect 3,040 lbs. of donated toys for needy children. Worldwide Equipment Sales photo.
Electronic Logbooks Update The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently publicized its final rule on electronic logbooks for truckers and in the towing industry. “It appears that most tow operators operating locally will be exempt from installing ELDs on their trucks,” said Jeff Roskopf, TRAA president. The FMCSA’s ELD Final Rule states, in part, that:
“ELD use for [Hours of Service] compliance … applies to most motor carriers and drivers who are currently required to prepare and retain paper [Record of Duty Status] to comply with HOS regulations under part 395. “[The] rule allows limited exceptions to the ELD mandate … drivers who operate using the timecard exception are not required to keep RODS and will not be required to use ELDs.” Excepted drivers include:
• Drivers who use paper RODS for not more than eight days during any 30-day period. • Drivers who conduct driveawaytowaway operations, where the vehicle being driven is the commodity being delivered. • Drivers of vehicles manufactured before model year 2000. You can find more on the ELD Final Rule at: www.fmcsa.dot.gov /sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/FMS A-ELD-Final-Rule_12-10-2015.pdf.
Oil and Gas Business Grows Company As the oil and natural gas industry has grown dramatically throughout the Ohio Valley during the past few years, so has the demand for heavyduty towing and recovery services. Bill’s Towing in Belmont County, Ohio, has experienced a significant increase in business during the past few years because of the dramatic increase in service calls pertaining to heavy vehicles associated with the oil and gas industry. Chad Coulson, co-owner of Bill’s Towing, said it is obviously a matter of the numbers and geography. He said they have seen a significant increase in service calls regarding the oil and gas industry around eastern Ohio simply because there are a lot more heavy vehicles traveling more back roads and highways. Coulson said his family’s business saw an opportunity to expand its towing business in 2009 after the oil and gas business began to take hold
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around the Upper Ohio Valley about the same time. “We saw there was an opportunity for us to expand. ... There are more vehicles on the roads, and the roads they are traveling are not made for what they are doing, and that causes some problems,” he said. Bill’s Towing expanded from its Bridgeport shop in 2010 by adding a heavy truck division and employ an additional 12 people. Coulson and his brother, co-owner Ty Coulson, along with several other crew members, were recently honored by American Towman for actions they took in aiding rescue personnel on the scene of a tractor-trailer accident during a snowstorm on Interstate 70 in 2014. Source: theintelligencer.net.
charged customers, by hundreds of dollars in some cases. Eric Mahoney, 41, and girlfriend, Laura Vincent, 38, the owners of Hunter’s Transportation and Towing, overcharged customers whose vehicles had to be towed as the result of a crash or police investigation, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Their company was on a rotation of wrecker services the county calls when vehicles need to be removed from scenes.
Between November 2014 and June 2015, the company had been called to scenes 84 times. Deputies said they found 34 cases in which it overcharged customers an average of about $284. The total for all the cases was $9,673. The couple overcharged the most for a “crash wrap,” deputies said. They’re also accused of overcharging for cleanup, wait time and extra worker fees. Source: abcactionnews.com.
Deputies: Tow Company Overcharged The owners of a Lakeland, Fla., towing company were arrested recently after deputies say they overNumber 166 on Reader Card
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12
-Mile Donation by Brendan Dooley
Transport Moves F-15 Fighter from USAF Base to Tech School White’s Wrecker Service uses two Century rotators to load an F-15C Eagle fighter jet onto a Landoll for transport.
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ast summer in Lynn Haven, Fla., Haney Technical Center was able to expand its aviation curriculum thanks to a donation of time and equipment by White’s Wrecker Service in Panama City. White’s was essential in transferring a retired F15-C Eagle fighter jet to the school from Tyndall Air Force Base. During the exchange, White’s led a caravan of law enforcement and utility trucks along the way.
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Bubba White, a 2012 American Towman Silver Star recipient, directs loading of the F-15C. Law enforcement escorted the fighter jet on it’s early morning journey; utility companies were also in the caravan to lift any low-hanging power lines (below).
All told, White’s donated about $10,000 to the project in time and equipment, which included about five hours on a Sunday morning using two Century rotators (50-ton and 65-ton) for the lifting and a 53’ Landoll trailer for the 12-mile haul. Officials with the school said that without White’s donation of time and equipment, the project might have been impossible. “It went faster than we thought it would, but we were blessed with perfect weather and great volunteers,” said Haney assistant director Alexandra Murphy. “This community is really good to us, so it feels good that we can donate our time,” said tow boss Bubba White, a 2012 recipient of the American Towman Silver Star. “This is an operational F-15, so this will allow our students to have even more hands-on experience,” Murphy said. “We’ve been told that we’re the only technical center in the nation that actually has an operational F15, so it’s a really big day for us and for the military.” 42 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
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Editor’s note This story was originally covered by American Towman TV and TowIndustryWeek.com at the time of the event; this update includes previously unreleased images of the transport. Newsherald.com contributed to this report.
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Military personnel assist in off-loading the F-15C at its new tech-school home.
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Taking Trash Out the
Century Heavies Work Together on Technical Recovery
by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti
T
he Burrows family has operated Burrows Garage and Wrecker Service in Sligo, Ky., for nearly 100 years. It was founded by Ira Burrows and has provided service to the transportation industry since 1917. Today the corporation’s president, Paul Scott Burrows (fourth generation) and his son Casey manage a commercial vehicle repair facility as well as a fleet of state-of-the-art towing and recovery vehicles, auxiliary equipment and support vehicles for even the most extreme recovery scenarios. Paul is a past president of the Towing and Recovery Association of Kentucky. He also served as a
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vice-president of the Towing and Recovery Association of America. In addition to working as the general manager of the company, he consults as an expert witness in cases involving motor vehicle crashes and other transportation-related litigation. He holds a TRAA Level 3 certification with Recovery Specialist endorsement. Casey serves as the operations manager for the company. While his day-to-day functions include managing the fleet of heavy-duty wreckers and support equipment, he remains an active operator in the field. He has worked as a professional firefighter where he earned many certifications
including in High Angle Rescue and Swift Water Rescue, which has been applied to his career as a recovery professional. Casey’s towing and recovery certifications include WreckMaster 6/7 and TRAA Level 2 for heavy-duty towing. He was nominated as a WreckMaster Top 10 in 2015. Burrows has worked hand-inhand with local and regional first responders in emergency events to rescue trapped occupants of motor vehicle crashes. They have been entrusted with the life safety of responders and civilians alike when situations require their knowledge and equipment. Beyond roadside emergencies, Bur-
The system of snatch blocks is in place.
With the rigging complete, all of the winching lines are loaded and a walkaround inspection is done before the pull.
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TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 47
The casualty is on its side ready to be lifted.
rows has handled high value commodities in danger of total loss. Burrows is also known for working seamlessly with other agencies. Environmental companies, police, fire and EMS, and other towing companies attest to the ease with which Burrows integrates with their operations when called for service. Staying current on industry best practices, safety and efficiency is a top priority at Burrows. The company
makes a substantial investment in the continuing education of its operators and technicians. The majority of their employees have emergency service backgrounds and are well-versed in the methods and terminology of the municipal first responders. Each employee holds at least two nationally recognized certifications pertaining to the towing and recovery industry. “Representatives of major insurance corporations such as Great West
The truck is coming up and over with a little help from both Century 9055s. 48 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Casualty, Liberty Mutual, Progressive and Zurich have recognized the value and professionalism of our services. Major carriers such as Schneider National, Swift Transportation and Western Express have been long-time customers,” Casey said. “Local customers with regional and nationwide operations have elected for a long-distance response from Burrows even when capable service providers are available nearer to their casualty.”
Through their many years, the Burrows team has tackled some of the most challenging and out-of-the-ordinary jobs. At 1 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2015, Burrows received a request from a customer’s regional operations manager for two heavy-duty wreckers. It was reported that one of their rear-loading garbage trucks had overturned on a residential driveway near Pleasureville, Ky. Burrows dispatched operator Tommy Webb, a WreckMaster 6/7, TRAA Master Tower, in Unit 3, a 2003 Freightliner FLD120SD/Century 9055SP850-4, Casey in Unit 9, a 2004 Peterbilt 378/Century 9055, and operator-in-training Shane Moseley. The casualty was lying on its left side over a steep embankment beside a gravel one-lane residential driveway. The driver had escaped the accident free from injury. The vehicle was said to be loaded with approximately 6-1/2 tons of waste. “We surveyed the vehicle and its environment,” Casey said. “It was observed that the wheels of the vehicle were higher than the body, which presented an immediate challenge to the recovery process. The narrow gauge of the driveway also presented a challenge. It eliminated the opportunity for our wreckers to be staged in the most advantageous position for the recovery. “Continued surveying and calculating led to the development of a recovery plan that would utilize two large trees near the casualty as ground anchors.” The operators began preparing the casualty for the towing operation that would be required once the vehicle was upright. The driveshaft was disconnected and secured to the chassis. A provision was made to inflate the casualty’s air system and the parking brakes were verified to be applied. The two Century 9055s bracketed the casualty between them. A winch line from each wrecker was routed through a snatch block secured by a 5/8” Grade 80 chain sling to the ground anchor in closest proximity to the wrecker. The winch lines were further advanced through another snatch Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Back on its wheels, the casualty is being pulled out of the ditch.
block with the wire rope’s hook terminated to the chain sling at the ground anchor; effectively creating a 2:1 mechanical advantage system. The system closest to the rear of the casualty was secured by chain sling and foundry hook to the upper tailgate hinge structure. This was a very substantial component made of 3⁄4” steel plate. The system was elevated over the casualty’s drive tires by stacking hardwood timbers on the sides of the tires. The system nearest the front of the casualty was secured with a 1⁄2” chain sling that had been anchored to the steering axle and routed over the frame rail exiting the vehicle at the right side steering knuckle. Finally, a high line was deployed from the wrecker positioned at the front of the casualty and secured to the upper tailgate hinge structure with a foundry hook. All of the winching lines were loaded and a walkaround inspection was completed ensuring that all of the lifting equipment was safely in place. The winching operation was executed and the vehicle was carefully rolled back toward its wheels. Once it was safe to access the left side air reservoirs, a shore line was connected to inflate the air system. The high line from the wrecker at the front was disconnected then reconnected to
the left front frame rail of the casualty. The parking brakes were released and the vehicle was held upright and winched forward. The winching line connected to the left front corner was operated enabling the casualty to be angled toward the opposite side of the driveway as it was winched out of the ditch. “At this point in the recovery, with the assistance of a Henry County Deputy Sheriff, it was necessary to close [State Highway] 22. One of the wreckers was pulled forward onto the highway. The casualty was winched completely onto the driveway then onto the highway where it was secured to the wrecker,” Casey said. “It was towed to our facility for short-term storage. On the Monday following the incident, the vehicle was towed to the Valley View Landfill where the waste was dumped in the working phase. The vehicle was then towed to our customer’s shop for minor body and suspension repairs.” Another job well executed by Burrows. They will be serving the transportation industry and many others well beyond their 100th anniversary.
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. TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 49
Man Brandished Gun at Towman
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For the second time in as many months, police in Murfreesboro, Tenn., arrested someone for being a little too quick to draw a gun. Walter C. Kissinger, 43, was arrested last month after he brandished a handgun during a confrontation with a tower. The police incident report says tow operator Ernesto Arencibia was trying to pull a semi out of the mud at a construction site. He told police Kissinger pulled up and demanded the tow truck be moved immediately. When Arencibia said it would be a few minutes before he could move, Kissinger reportedly drew a handgun and pointed it in his direction. Kissinger told police he felt threatened by Arencibia and the men with him. Officers charged Kissinger with reckless endangerment. Source: wmot.org.
Cheap Gas Bad for Haulers It goes against what you would think, but recent lows in fuel prices are actually costing some businesses money. Those low costs make a big difference for shops like Affordable Towing of Springfield, Mo. “We’re saving about 50 percent on fuel, and with fuel prices down that’s going to regulate our profit a little which is good,” Affordable Towing’s Dennis Cleveland said. But the company does more than towing. They also have five over-theroad trucks, a business that they’ve had to stop because the low fuel prices mean lower rates for truckers. “When they drop the fuel prices down 50 cents or so a gallon, they drop the rates from about three dollars per mile to about two dollars per mile,” Cleveland said. All in all, the cheaper gas actually is costing the business money. “We’d actually be making more money with higher fuel prices … as crazy as that sounds,” Cleveland said. Source: ky3.com. Number 100 on Reader Card
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TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 51
Problems Ignored Only Grow by Mark Lacek
M
y own personal nomination for a person of the year would be the men and women of law
enforcement. Police officers have been taking a lot of heat lately. Ill-informed citizens, as well as a few egotist politicians, spend their days tearing apart the fabric of our law enforcement experts. Certain radical groups are having a field day second-guessing all officers of the law based on the actions of a few, fueled by TV journalism that incites with less-than-factual commentary and incomplete information. In our businesses, tow operators and repossession professionals rely on the brave men and women of law enforcement to help us in times of need. When a tow operator arrives at the scene of a traffic accident, the first person he encounters is an officer helping someone in a time of need. When things go wrong on a repossession attempt, it is police officer who is called upon to sort things out. The repossession and towing industry rely on the constant dedication of police officers every day of the week. The truth is that hundreds of thousands of citizens receive help from police officers every day. Recently in California, we were all witness to those brave men and women of law enforcement who saved thousands of lives, placing themselves on the front lines of a terrorist attack, moving forward while others run for safety. This new year will not be without challenges. While those in Washington, D.C., are trying to decide what is best for us, we can only hope the decisions and actions from those in charge do not turn us all into victims. Let towers and repossessors stand in support of those men and women of
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law enforcement who dedicate their lives to helping and protecting us; every day, we must remind ourselves of this.
Safety Being safe and secure in our actions on the job must be on our minds at all times. How we do our work, the tools we use and the decisions we make will determine the course of our lives.
Being safe and secure in our actions on the job must be on our minds at all times. Many of us text or read smartphone messages while driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s distracted driving website (www.distraction.gov) states, “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field, blindfolded.” I am not a math professor, but I can figure out that at 25 mph you would travel about 50 yards … that alone is plenty scary. Or how about faulty vehicle maintenance? Think about what happens when a bald front tire blows at 50 mph, or how about that chain you just tossed on the back of your tow truck because you were in a hurry. Would a chain through a windshield ruin someone’s day? How about when a cheaply made 3/4” socket breaks under pressure and flies in the direction of your eye? The
decisions you make at any hour of the day will decide your fate. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself this question: How many screw-ups last year could have been avoided if you had reacted to a problem sooner? If you had fixed the problem when it first showed signs of wear or if you had bought the better product, wouldn’t that have been better? I understand, believe me, that it is often difficult to stay on top of every situation that happens during our busy days. But the facts are easy to understand; most problems do not fix themselves. If it stopped making noise, that does not mean the problem went away—trust me when I say the problem probably got bigger. And the bigger the problem, the more it will cost to repair. What may seem to be the smallest of problems will turn into a much larger problem if left unattended. You know this is true. Fix it or replace it early, it will cost less, and maybe keep you from losing your eye. It’s only January and in the North, cold weather conditions are making the roads hazardous. In the South, snow birds are screwing up the normal flow of traffic. This is the time of year repossessors and towing operators alike must utilize every bit of knowledge to make it back home safe. And remember, if things screw up and life throws you a curve ball ... it will probably be those brave men and women in blue who will come to your rescue. Be safe.
Repo 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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631-531-0673 For info please call Craig R. Nadolny “CALL FOR DETAILS” on all units
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Sliders Quick Swaps Air Cushions Sliding Rotators Fixed Boom Rollbacks
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TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • 55
Southwest’s BIG HOOKr
R
ay Luchini established Luchini’s Towing and Recovery in Las Cruces, N.M., in 1960 when his son Eric, the current owner, was a year old. Eric said he grew up in the business like so many second generation towers did.
by Brendan Dooley
Eric and Crystal Luchini picking up their new Kenworth/Century from Nussbaum’s Equipment.
“We utilized Holmes 440 small trucks to the Holmes 600, 650 and 750s in the larger trucks,” Eric recalls. “We were the first in southern New Mexico to have a flatbed carrier made by Chevron.” Eric stays hands-on in the business today, doing everything from “janitor, mechanic, secretary, dispatcher, driver, manager and owner.” He said that instruction from Ross Kinman and Larry Chandler at the Indianapolis Recovery School helped shape his future in towing; he’s also a 1998 WreckMaster graduate. “I have five full-time drivers that have been the backbone to the company,” Eric said; a 25-year veteran with the company, general manager Lloyd Duffey, is key to their success too, he added. The company covers a huge area of the American Southwest, running calls on I-10 from Texas to Arizona and I-25 from Las Cruces to Albuquerque and across U.S. highways 70 and 54. Luchini’s covers that territory with
a fleet that includes a Kenworth/Century 7035, Freightliner/Century 5030, Peterbilt/Century 5025, Volvo/ Holmes 1601, Mack/Holmes 750, Chevy 7500/Vulcan 896, GMC 6500/Vulcan 894, four Jerr-Dan rollbacks, International/Landoll setup, equipment van and service truck. But Eric knew for awhile he wanted to add a 35-ton wrecker to the fleet. “I had been looking for a 35-ton for about a year. I knew what I wanted so location was not an issue,” Eric said. Good thing too, since he found this 2000 Kenworth W900/Century 7035 some six states and 2,000 miles away at Nussbaum Equipment in Pennsylvania. “I found what I wanted at the price range I could afford; Nussbaum had the truck that looked right for me,” Eric said. “After three weeks of lots of detailed information and many pictures, I made a deal with Barry Nussbaum who was helpful and honest with my questions.”
At Luchini’s, all the trucks have names. This 7035 is “BIG HOOKr.” Eric said it’s “performed flawlessly” at each scene they’ve sent it to. Since putting the truck in service, it has only been sent to two major accidents; it performed flawlessly.
Tech Highlights Name: BIG HOOKr Chassis: 2000 Kenworth W900. Wrecker: Century 7035. Engine: 3406E CAT. Trans: 13-speed. Extras: Back-up camera, walk-in sleeper, microwave, refrigerator, double-framed front to rear, nine sets of forks, Euro-bus bars, generator, cut-off saws, lots of tools. Paint: F&E Custom Paint and Body. Lettering: EEI Signs.
The Kenworth W-900/Century 7035 now features the proper Luchini’s color scheme and lettering.
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The Art of Winning by Steve Calitri
I
f Donald Trump was running for President of the Towing Industry (if such an office existed), I think he would be telling us that the industry is in for a lot of winning. And, as in the Republican presidential race, it’s a message many towmen would hear. We all want to be winners, and, let’s face it, this is a challenging trade, so we could use some wins in certain places. Whether you’re looking at the driver pool available, the struggles with towns over rates, the rise in equipment costs, or the encroachment of legislation on the rights of free enterprise, we could certainly use some of those smart negotiators Trump keeps referring to. We may also come to realize that the “stupid” people he’s always talking about are us. Trump would be telling us we have to stop being chumps and start negotiating deals that are good for us, not them (whoever “them” may be). We need to win. Sounds obvious enough. But that exhortation may be an epiphany for many tow business owners, particularly those who have the mentality of a lottery player. These towers are waiting to win. Some believe they are entitled to a fair share of the business. But show me a great running back who waited for the goal line to come to him, or a successful politician who waited for an appointment, or a savvy business man, perhaps a builder, who waited for the city to award him permits based on his illustrious hair. Winners don’t wait to win. They move. They may deliberate. They may do a walk-around. But they act. And they act to get there first before their competitors get there; whether
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we’re talking commercial accounts, first-class appearance, trained operators, quality equipment, global positioning systems, you name it—the winners get there ahead of the pack. Tow Industry Week this May 1113 in Las Vegas, Nev., promotes the theme of “Winning.” All the Conferences and seminars are designed to help the tow business owner be the winner in his market area. Indeed one of the seminars is titled, “Winning Your Town.” While the reality of the marketplace is that not all towers will lead in market share, all towers have the ability to become more professional, more competitive and more profitable. To be headed in the right direction first takes the realization that you’re in a game to be won. How you define victory may be different than how your competitor defines it, so defining victory is essential. During Tow Industry Week there will be many victories in store. For example, getting on your rotation list may be a victory for you; The Police Towing Conference will help you get there. Learning how to operate and recover with rotators may be an important victory for you, and if so, the South Point Arena and WreckMaster will give you the opportunity for that win. Getting on top of your motor club receivables may be a big win; and so we are presenting the Getting Paid by the Clubs Conference once again. There is no promise Trump will be there at the SouthPoint Hotel and Casino, but the promise of winning will be, and thousands of winning towmen as well.
So many people are saying it; they’ve paid more attention to this presidential election at this early stage than ever before in their lifetime. And the interest in the personalities running is being fed 24/7 by the myriad of media outlets, from cable to Internet and social media. One candidate claims his tweets are tantamount to publishing his own New York Times, such it his reach through Twitter. Likewise, tow bosses and managers are being fed news and information everything towing through American Towman Media, from the Magazine in print to its online publication, Tow Industry Week and its video programming, American Towman TV. When the average tower goes to towman.com and comes to the Front Page of Tow Industry Week, he or she gets an eyeful of action, things happening across the country relevant to his own operation. He finds the towing industry’s news anchor, Emily Oz, reporting hard news about towers and towing legislation, or exciting recoveries with amazing video footage. Recently Emily was in Baltimore covering all the special events, like United Road Tow’s Tom Tedford addressing the Captains of Industry Conference, and interviewing attendees and suppliers on the exhibit floor. If you missed the largest show in the history of towing, you can catch a glimpse of the American Towman Exposition XXVII at Tow Industry Week’s ATTV page.
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Towers Show Up for Crash Course More than 50 participants from 27 Sauk Valley, Ill., towing companies took part in a half-day training that covered a wide variety of safety topics, and helped to refresh the drivers on roles and responsibilities. “Our job is to make sure you go home safe at the end of the night,” was the message instructors wanted to get across at an intensive Traffic Incident Management course at the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department. The course is mandatory for companies that want to be included in a law enforcement agency’s tow rotation list, which is set forth in a new law amending the state vehicle code. Several new provisions were outlined, including police authorization to remove or impound vehicles using operators on an approved tow list. A $1,000 fine and license suspension await towers who misrepresent their affiliation with an authorized tow list. An undetermined reinstatement fee and three-month license suspension follows
those who stop to solicit a towing transaction at an accident without being called first by police. The Illinois Department of Transportation recorded 14 crashes that killed construction and maintenance workers in 2013, the year for which the most recent numbers are available. Fatalities were reported in six crashes that involved police officers, five that involved tow truck operators, one that involved a firefighter, and one involving an ambulance. Source: saukvalley.com.
Tower Loses Job Behind ‘Joke’ The man who was caught trying to tow a car in Belton, Texas, says he was only trying to take pictures for Facebook. Robert Lechuga previously accused Bryan Gray, who at the time worked for M.K.E Enterprises of Belton, of trying to tow his car. Lechuga filed a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The tower was parked perpendicular
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to Lechuga’s car and had the boom lowered when Lechuga confronted him. According to the TDLR investigation, the tow truck was never in a position to actually tow the car, but had no reason to be near it since it was on private property. Gray told investigators he thought the parking job was goofy so he wanted to show his friends on Facebook and almost jokingly tow the car. Lechuga’s wife was not convinced. “I think that’s false. I think that’s another lie another cover-up and lucky my husband came out when he did and the car is not gone,” Robyn Lechuga said. The owner of M.K.E., Kevin Edwards, sent two emails to investigators. In the first he stood by his employee, but then two weeks later he said Gray could have been involved in shady business, but had no proof or information to support his opinion. According to that same email, Gray is no longer employed with M.K.E. Enterprises. TDLR ruled that the company was in violation of integrity policies. Source: kxxv.com.
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Copyright 2016 American Towman Magazine. Characters and stories are fictitious; no resemblance to real life characters is intended.
Send your thoughts/suggestions on the Adventures to scalitri@towman.com or American Towman, 7 West St, Warwick NY 10990
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TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • SOUTH 59
Tower Loses Job Behind ‘Joke’
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The man who was caught trying to tow a car in Belton, Texas, says he was only trying to take pictures for Facebook. Robert Lechuga previously accused Bryan Gray, who at the time worked for M.K.E Enterprises of Belton, of trying to tow his car. Lechuga filed a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The tower was parked perpendicular to Lechuga’s car and had the boom lowered when Lechuga confronted him. According to the TDLR investigation, the tow truck was never in a position to actually tow the car, but had no reason to be near it since it was on private property. Gray told investigators he thought the parking job was goofy so he wanted to show his friends on Facebook and almost jokingly tow the car. Lechuga’s wife was not convinced. “I think that’s false. I think that’s another lie another cover-up and lucky my husband came out when he did and the car is not gone,” Robyn Lechuga said. The owner of M.K.E., Kevin Edwards, sent two emails to investigators. In the first he stood by his employee, but then two weeks later he said Gray could have been involved in shady business, but had no proof or information to support his opinion. According to that same email, Gray is no longer employed with M.K.E. Enterprises. TDLR ruled that the company was in violation of integrity policies. Source: kxxv.com.
Thieves Hit Tow Businesses The video isn’t fun for John and Gail Chase to watch. It shows thieves cleaning out their business. SOUTH 60 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Security cameras captured two people stealing thousands of dollars worth of towing equipment from ABC Towing in Seattle, Wash.—cutting through the security fence, peeling it back, then stripping the equipment right off the trucks. “It’s actually horrible to me to lose that much equipment and to work that hard and have somebody steal it in a matter of minutes,” owner John Chase said. The company lost close to $3,000 in specialized towing equipment from its facility in the robbery. “The way they came in shopping—it looks like shopping—they know exactly what they want, they took what they wanted, and left everything else,” Gail Chase said. Earlier, Crossroads Towing in Bellevue reported a similar theft. That one was even worse; the company said its equipment will cost almost $8,000 to replace.
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NEWSFLASH continued from page S 60 “It was shocking on the same weekend to both be targeted and hit,” Gail Chase said. Both companies say the equipment can only be used by tow companies and they believe it is the same thieves. The companies have filed reports with Bellevue and Seattle Police. The Chases gave their security video to detectives. “We have faith that the police will make an arrest,” Gail Chase said. Source: q13fox.com.
Towers Show Up for Crash Course More than 50 participants from 27 Sauk Valley, Ill., towing companies took part in a half-day training that covered a wide variety of safety topics, and helped to refresh the drivers on roles and responsibilities. “Our job is to make sure you go home safe at the end of the night,” was the message instructors wanted to get across at an intensive Traffic Incident Management course at the Whiteside
County Sheriff’s Department. The course is mandatory for companies that want to be included in a law enforcement agency’s tow rotation list, which is set forth in a new law amending the state vehicle code. Several new provisions were outlined, including police authorization to remove or impound vehicles using operators on an approved tow list. A $1,000 fine and license suspension await towers who misrepresent their affiliation with an authorized tow list. An undetermined reinstatement fee and three-month license suspension follows those who stop to solicit a towing transaction at an accident without being called first by police. The Illinois DOT recorded 14 crashes that killed maintenance workers in 2013, the year for which the most recent numbers are available. Fatalities were reported in six crashes that involved police officers, five that involved tow truck operators, one that involved a firefighter, and one involving an ambulance. Source: saukvalley.com.
Bambarger Helped Found ATRA Towing companies from throughout Alabama and some from Mississippi paid their final respects recently to Chester Edwin Bambarger. Bambarger, of Eutaw, Ala., was 75. Around 25 tow trucks from the two states came to Tuscaloosa to partake in Bambarger’s funeral procession from the funeral home to the cemetery. Bambarger helped found the Alabama Towing & Recovery Association in 1980. He also founded Bambarger Wrecker Service in Tuscaloosa. He was president of the state association for six years and served on its board of directors for many years. Heath Bambarger described his father as a hard worker who worked every day. “He worked day and night. He worked for his family and loved us all.” Source: tuscaloosanews.com.
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NEWSFLASH continued from page S 63
Seconds Count in Water Rescue Fast moving water was taking everything in its path, including a car that hydroplaned and lost control in Garland County, Ark. It eventually crashed and the woman in the car hung on for life. Towman David Holcomb, Bill Gisberg and passerby Tracey Hudson threw the woman a fire hose that Gisberg carries for work. “If that water would have taken her down stream, she would have been gone,” said Holcomb. “The lights were still on and the wipers were still going and I thought it just happened,” Bill Gisberg said. While seconds count, he told the woman to climb to the roof of the car. “We just put it around her for safety, and they got down in the water and got her off through the trees,” Gisberg said. The woman made it to dry ground before anything catastrophic happened. Some are now calling the trio heroes for saving the woman’s life, but they are thinking otherwise. “I don’t consider us heroes, I just consider it what anyone should do,” Tracey Hudson said. “She’s somebody’s child.” The woman found in the flooding car was not injured. Source: arkansasmatters.com.
Police: Car Repo’d with Child Inside A car dealership got more than the car it wanted recently. “(They told me on the phone that) we repossessed your car and your kid was inside,” the woman told a local news station. “And I said, ‘Oh, no.’ ” The mother of the 8-year-old said she’s brought her son to work in McClellan, Iowa, before, but it’s never ended in a sheriff’s investigation. “We verified with the employer that she is allowed to bring him into work,” Sgt. Steve Winchell, of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, said. “It’s happened in the past.” However, the mother didn’t take her son inside. “He was sleeping when we pulled
in,” the mother said. “So I didn’t wake him up. And when he woke up, he would’ve came in.” Fifteen minutes later, the Buick was getting put on a tow truck with the boy still napping in the back seat. The Sheriff’s Office did not file any charges. No one was hurt in the incident. Source: m.ketv.com.
Free Impound Lot? The Cicero, Ill., town attorney, Michael Del Galdo, has allowed a towing company now owned by his brothers-in-law that has a lucrative contract with the town to use town property as a rent-free impound lot since 2009, according to recently filed court documents. That’s saved Tuff Car an estimated
Tuff Car filed suit … asking a judge to bar the town from ending its deal. $273,000, or $3,800 a month, in rent to Cicero, based on the allegations made in a lawsuit the business filed against the town in September after losing its towing deal with Cicero. Town officials have said Tuff Car got no special treatment and Del Galdo had nothing to do with the contract or the towing operation. Del Galdo declined to speak with a reporter. Asked about the accusations, town spokesman Ray Hanania said, “Mr. Del Galdo has always been and remains un-involved with issues related to Tuff towing.” In 2009, Cicero dropped its streetsweeping program after complaints that vehicles were wrongly being towed—with penalties of $115 or more to retrieve them. That could have hurt Tuff Car’s town business. But according to a pending lawsuit Tuff Car has filed against Cicero, Del Galdo helped soften the blow by allowing the company to use townowned property for free as a vehicleimpound yard.
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“Town Attorney Michael Del Galdo orally agreed with Patrick Potempa of Tuff Car that Tuff Car’s continued use [of the impound lot] would be without charge for rent” in part because the end of Cicero’s streetsweeping program “significantly reduced Tuff Car’s fees for relocating vehicles,” according to court filings. Hanania denies that, saying Del Galdo “never had any such conversation. He wouldn’t have the authority to make such an agreement to a contract. That would require Board of Trustee approval.” In August, Cicero officials told Tuff Car it was out because of plans to bring towing operations in-house and a pending proposal to redevelop the storage lot as an aquatic center. Two weeks later, the town ordered Tuff Car to surrender possession of the lot within 30 days, according to court filings. Instead, Tuff Car filed suit against Cicero, asking a judge to bar the town from ending its deal at least until 2017. The company also is demanding that Cicero pay $2 million to compensate for lost revenue from years of waived towing fees. On Oct. 30, Cicero filed a counterclaim saying it has the right to end the towing deal and that the company owes $273,600 in back rent, plus attorney’s fees and other costs. Source: chicago.suntimes.com.
Wrecker Stolen in S.C. Lexington County (S.C.) Sheriff’s deputies were searching at press time for two suspects in a tow-truck theft. Authorities say the suspects took the wrecker from a business in early December. Security cameras at the business captured shots of two suspects getting out of a dark Fiat, breaking into the tow truck and driving it away as the Fiat followed. Detectives said the suspects appeared to be a male and female. The tow truck is on a 1985 Chevrolet C30 chassis with South Carolina tag: 8875GH. It’s burgundy with silver ghost flames painted on the side. You can submit an anonymous tip at: LexingtonSheriff.com. Source: abccolumbia.com.
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Tower Loses Job Behind ‘Joke’
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The man who was caught trying to tow a car in Belton, Texas, says he was only trying to take pictures for Facebook. Robert Lechuga previously accused Bryan Gray, who at the time worked for M.K.E Enterprises of Belton, of trying to tow his car. Lechuga filed a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The tower was parked perpendicular to Lechuga’s car and had the boom lowered when Lechuga confronted him. According to the TDLR investigation, the tow truck was never in a position to actually tow the car, but had no reason to be near it since it was on private property. Gray told investigators he thought the parking job was goofy so he wanted to show his friends on Facebook and almost jokingly tow the car. Lechuga’s wife was not convinced. “I think that’s false. I think that’s another lie another cover-up and lucky my husband came out when he did and the car is not gone,” Robyn Lechuga said. The owner of M.K.E., Kevin Edwards, sent two emails to investigators. In the first he stood by his employee, but then two weeks later he said Gray could have been involved in shady business, but had no proof or information to support his opinion. According to that same email, Gray is no longer employed with M.K.E. Enterprises. TDLR ruled that the company was in violation of integrity policies. Source: kxxv.com.
Thieves Hit Tow Businesses The video isn’t fun for John and Gail Chase to watch. It shows thieves cleaning out their business. Security cameras captured two
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NEWSFLASH continued from pg M 60 people stealing thousands of dollars worth of towing equipment from ABC Towing in Seattle, Wash.—cutting through the security fence, peeling it back, then stripping the equipment right off the trucks. “It’s actually horrible to me to lose that much equipment and to work that hard and have somebody steal it in a matter of minutes,” owner John Chase said. The company lost close to $3,000 in specialized towing equipment from its facility in the robbery. “The way they came in shopping—it looks like shopping—they know exactly what they want, they took what they wanted, and left everything else,” Gail Chase said. Earlier, Crossroads Towing in Bellevue reported a similar theft. That one was even worse; the company said its equipment will cost almost $8,000 to replace.
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NEWSFLASH continued from page 63 “It was shocking on the same weekend to both be targeted and hit,” Gail Chase said. Both companies say the equipment can only be used by tow companies and they believe it is the same thieves. The companies have filed reports with Bellevue and Seattle Police. The Chases gave their security video to detectives. “We have faith that the police will make an arrest,” Gail Chase said. Source: q13fox.com.
Towers Show Up for Crash Course More than 50 participants from 27 Sauk Valley, Ill., towing companies took part in a half-day training that covered a wide variety of safety topics, and helped to refresh the drivers on roles and responsibilities. “Our job is to make sure you go home safe at the end of the night,” was the message instructors wanted to get across at an intensive Traffic Incident Management course at the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department. The course is mandatory for companies that want to be included in a law enforcement agency’s tow rotation list, which is set forth in a new law amending the state vehicle code. Several new provisions were outlined, including police authorization to remove or impound vehicles using operators on an approved tow list. A $1,000 fine and license suspension await towers who misrepresent their affiliation with an authorized tow list. An undetermined reinstatement fee and three-month license suspension follows those who stop to solicit a towing transaction at an accident without being called first by police. The Illinois Department of Transportation recorded 14 crashes that killed construction and maintenance workers in 2013, the year for which the most recent numbers are available. Fatalities were reported in six crashes that involved police officers, five that involved tow truck operators, one that involved a firefighter, and one involving an ambulance. Source: saukvalley.com.
Seconds Count in Water Rescue Fast moving water was taking everything in its path, including a car that hydroplaned and lost control in Garland County, Ark. It eventually crashed and the woman in the car hung on for life. Towman David Holcomb, Bill Gisberg and passerby Tracey Hudson threw the woman a fire hose that Gisberg carries for work. “If that water would have taken her down stream, she would have been gone,” said Holcomb. “The lights were still on and the wipers were still going and I thought it just happened,” Bill Gisberg said. While seconds count, he told the woman to climb to the roof of the car. “We just put it around her for safety, and they got down in the water and got her off through the trees,” Gisberg said. The woman made it to dry ground before anything catastrophic happened. Some are now calling the trio heroes for saving the woman’s life, but they are thinking otherwise. “I don’t consider us heroes, I just consider it what anyone should do,” Tracey Hudson said. “She’s somebody’s child.” The woman found in the flooding car was not injured. Source: arkansasmatters.com.
Bambarger Helped Found ATRA Towing companies from throughout Alabama and some from Mississippi paid their final respects recently to Chester Edwin Bambarger. Bambarger, of Eutaw, Ala., was 75. Around 25 tow trucks from the two states came to Tuscaloosa to partake in Bambarger’s funeral procession from the funeral home to the cemetery. Bambarger helped found the Alabama Towing & Recovery Association in 1980. He also founded Bambarger Wrecker Service in Tuscaloosa. He was president of the state association for six years and served on its board of directors for many years. Heath Bambarger described his father as a hard worker who worked every day.
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“He worked day and night. He worked for his family and loved us all.” Source: tuscaloosanews.com.
Towing Company Donates to High School A Taylor, Mich., towing company recently donated $1,000 to cover the insurance deductible after a suspicious fire destroyed the press box at a local high school and all of the timekeeping and scoring equipment inside it. Area Towing & Recovery presented the donation to the Taylor Board of Education at a recent meeting. The timekeeping and scoring equipment inside the press box dated to the 1960s, making it difficult to determine a replacement value. The scoreboard on the field was undamaged in the fire, but it was controlled by equipment inside the press box that was destroyed. As a result, the scoreboard will likely have to be replaced. Source: thenewsherald.com.
Police: Car Repo’d with Child Inside A car dealership got more than the car it wanted recently. “(They told me on the phone that) we repossessed your car and your kid was inside,” the woman told a local news station. “And I said, ‘Oh, no.’ ” The mother of the 8-year-old said she’s brought her son to work in McClellan, Iowa, before, but it’s never ended in a sheriff’s investigation. “We verified with the employer that she is allowed to bring him into work,” Sgt. Steve Winchell, of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, said. “It’s happened in the past.” However, the mother didn’t take her son inside. “He was sleeping when we pulled in,” the mother said. “So I didn’t wake him up. And when he woke up, he would’ve came in.” Fifteen minutes later, the Buick was getting put on a tow truck with the boy still napping in the back seat. The Sheriff’s Office did not file any charges. No one was hurt in the incident. Source: m.ketv.com.
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Tower Loses Job Behind ‘Joke’ The man who was caught trying to tow a car in Belton, Texas, says he was only trying to take pictures for Facebook. Robert Lechuga previously accused Bryan Gray, who at the time worked for M.K.E Enterprises of Belton, of trying to tow his car. Lechuga filed a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The tower was parked perpendicular to Lechuga’s car and had the boom lowered when Lechuga confronted him. According to the TDLR investigation, the tow truck was never in a position to actually tow the car, but had no reason to be near it since it was on private property. Gray told investigators he thought the parking job was goofy so he wanted to show his friends on Facebook and almost jokingly tow the car. Lechuga’s wife was not convinced.
“I think that’s false. I think that’s another lie another cover-up and lucky my husband came out when he did and the car is not gone,” Robyn Lechuga said. The owner of M.K.E., Kevin Edwards, sent two emails to investigators. In the first he stood by his employee, but then two weeks later he said Gray could have been involved in shady business, but had no proof or information to support his opinion. According to that same email, Gray is no longer employed with M.K.E. Enterprises. TDLR ruled that the company was in violation of integrity policies. Source: kxxv.com.
Thieves Hit Tow Businesses The video isn’t fun for John and Gail Chase to watch. It shows thieves cleaning out their business. Security cameras captured two people stealing thousands of dollars
worth of towing equipment from ABC Towing in Seattle, Wash.—cutting through the security fence, peeling it back, then stripping the equipment right off the trucks. “It’s actually horrible to me to lose that much equipment and to work that hard and have somebody steal it in a matter of minutes,” owner John Chase said. The company lost close to $3,000 in specialized towing equipment from its facility in the robbery. “The way they came in shopping— it looks like shopping—they know exactly what they want, they took what they wanted, and left everything else,” Gail Chase said. Earlier, Crossroads Towing in Bellevue reported a similar theft. That one was even worse; the company said its equipment will cost almost $8,000 to replace. “It was shocking on the same weekend to both be targeted and hit,” Gail Chase said. Both companies say the equipment can only be used by tow companies and they believe it is the same thieves. The companies have filed reports with Bellevue and Seattle Police. The Chases gave their security video to detectives. “We have faith that the police will make an arrest,” Gail Chase said. Source: q13fox.com.
Towers Show Up for Crash Course More than 50 participants from 27 Sauk Valley, Ill., towing companies took part in a half-day training that covered a wide variety of safety topics, and helped to refresh the drivers on roles and responsibilities. “Our job is to make sure you go home safe at the end of the night,” was the message instructors wanted to get across at an intensive Traffic Incident Management course at the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department. The course is mandatory for companies that want to be included in a law enforcement agency’s tow rotation list, which is set forth in a new law WEST 62 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
amending the state vehicle code. Several new provisions were outlined, including police authorization to remove or impound vehicles using operators on an approved tow list. A $1,000 fine and license suspension await towers who misrepresent their affiliation with an authorized tow list. An undetermined reinstatement fee and three-month license suspension follows those who stop to solicit a towing transaction at an accident without being called first by police. The Illinois Department of Transportation recorded 14 crashes that killed construction and maintenance workers in 2013, the year for which the most recent numbers are available. Fatalities were reported in six crashes that involved police officers, five that involved tow truck operators, one that involved a firefighter, and one involving an ambulance. Source: saukvalley.com. Number 198 on Reader Card
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TOWMAN.COM - January 2016 • WEST 63
Catching More Flies with Honey “We’ll see about this,” he huffed at me on the phone over the bill. Huffingtonpost.com image.
by Don Archer
W
e recently worked a midnight tractortrailer accident that was quite labor intensive. It was a 53’ unit loaded with retail goods. The brakes locked up causing a fire and it became completely engulfed. There was dog food, water bottles, paper goods, health and beauty products and more—all mixed together in a disgusting wet mess. And because we feared it might reignite and that the roof would collapse if we tried to move it, all that mess had to be removed from the trailer while on the roadside. After the fire department extinguished the flames, a hole was cut in the front of the trailer. The soiled contents had to be hooked and dragged out from both ends using wreckers, chains and skid-steers. It was then loaded into dump trucks, and taken to my lot and dumped. With many dozens of man hours and numerous pieces of equipment, we finally completed the job around 4 a.m. When we received the “all clear” from the health department the next day, we were able to reload the material back into dump trucks and take it to the landfill. When the emergency was over I gathered the expenses, figured up the bill and sent it over to the trucking company for payment. These recoveries cost quite a bit more than a basic tow as it usually runs into the multiple thousands, so I’m accustomed to questions regarding the charges. Insurance companies and company reps alike don’t understand what it takes to complete such a huge WEST 64 • January 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
endeavor, especially in the middle of the night. When they get a look at the invoice, many of these guys follow up with aggressive questioning. Three days after the job was completed, I received a call from Henry from the trucking company. To say that he was unhappy with the bill was an understatement. He was steaming—you could almost hear his teeth gnashing. I answered all of his questions and gave him justification for every item on the invoice—but he still wanted to fight. He was determined to cherry-pick my charges and dispute the validity of something.
My adrenaline began pumping because I suspected I was in for a fight. Although I was annoyed at the suggestion that we hadn’t earned what was billed, I kept my cool. I held back and refused to respond with the same vitriol and venom he spewed. When he was finished nitpicking he asked one final question: Did I feel comfortable with all of the charges on the invoice. When I told him that I did, he huffed and said something like “we’ll see about this.” Almost a week went by and I received a call from another company rep, his name was John. John was friendly, and his sincere, “Hey, how’s it
going?” manner drew me in. He was cordial and apologized for the delay in getting us paid and asked if he could discuss the invoice with me. In an instant I was on the defensive. My adrenaline began pumping because I suspected I was in for a fight. He asked about the labor and the fuel recovery and other items. He did it in such a way that was kind and understanding, like he’d been in my shoes at another station in life. When I responded to his questions with thorough, reasoned remarks and justification for the charges, he didn’t challenge me. Though I knew his kindness shielded an ulterior motive, I couldn’t help but like John. So when he asked if there was anything I could do to help him out … I gave in. He explained that the trailer was the property of another company and that his company was taking responsibility for everything. They already had the expense of all that cargo, $82,000, as a total loss from the water and smoke damage. And now my bill. John knew that you can catch more flies with honey, and I took the bait. I helped him out and in the end we got a little more work by towing it to salvage. But the biggest victory of all was we were able to maintain a good relationship with the trucking company.
Don Archer lives and works in Jefferson City, Mo., where he and his wife, Brenda, own and operate Broadway Wrecker, a 12truck 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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