Artist, Cecil Burrowes
22 pages of AT Expo recap! Test Your Snatch-Block IQ Teamwork on Tanker Recovery
Whether it’s recovering an overturned tractor-trailer or towing a truck across town, you’re in command with your Vulcan V-100. The Vulcan V-100 is the tool you need to accomplish any task – just ask loyal Vulcan users who always demand the best from their fleets. Once you purchase
For versatility in light- and medium-duty towing and recovery, the Vulcan V-30 meets your demands. Available in an aluminum or composite modular body, this 16-ton powerhouse comes loaded with many features found on Vulcan’s heavy-duty units.
a Vulcan, you’re in command.
Vulcan has led the industry in heavy-duty integrated towing and recovery units for 25 years. Available in 25-, 35- and 50-ton capacities, the Vulcan heavy-duty integrated series easily tackles the toughest jobs.
Vulcan’s L.C.G. (Low Center of Gravity) car carriers features a deck height that’s 5 to 8-inches lower, offering more stability during transport, a lower load angle and greater ease in securing loads. For recovery, Vulcan offers the SP8000 Sidepuller, the ultimate in car carrier versatility.
INNOVATIVE. DURABLE. BRUTALLY TOUGH. 8503 Hilltop Drive • Ooltewah, Tennessee 37363
www.millerind.com • 800-489-2401 Number 143 on Reader Card
The Vulcan Intruder leads the light-duty line-up with an autoload crossbar capable of picking up vehicles at a 90-degree angle and your choice of steel, aluminum or composite modular bodies. Other popular Vulcan light-duty units feature Vulcan’s strapless wheel-lift system.
Cover: Artist Cecil Burrowes holds wrecker pageant trophy with Jesus Tirado in Baltimore.
FEATURE CONTENTS
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Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Interstate Towing’s Jerr-Dan HDL1000 rotator and a 25-ton Jerr-Dan unit worked together to get a milk tanker back to the highway in Massachusetts.
The Towman’s Picasso Cecil Burrowes’ beautiful freehand artwork is giving some tow trucks more style. by Brendan Dooley
Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .90
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Right Equipment Right People Interstate Towing employs top equipment and team for milk tanker recovery. by Jeremy Procon
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AT Expo Gallery XXVII What did you miss last November in Baltimore? Find out in our annual recap.
4 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Number 109 on Reader Card
AT Expo Puts You with the Manufacturers You have to see to believe it … and that’s what you get to do later on in this issue’s annual recap of the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore, Md. Rewind a few months to November when American Towman produced the largest trade show and conference in history for the towing industry. The presentation of photos in the Recap section of the Expo’s exhibit floor, conferences, and events is a feast for the eyes. In fact, two entire pages are dedicated solely to the wrecker manufacturers that were showcasing their latest and greatest equipment. As a towing business owner, you couldn’t ask for a better selection of suppliers to speak with and learn more about the equipment you need to run your business.
by Dennie Ortiz
Everything from sling-axle trailers, to rotators to chassis manufacturers, air-cushion companies, lockout-tool makers … any piece of equipment you may conceive of for your company was available on the show floor. Motor clubs, call providers plus several insurance, financing, and management software companies were there to earn your business. With hundreds of individual suppliers, Baltimore was abuzz with business deals! It was our best show yet thanks to your continued support. AT will continue to grow our Expos and bring in more towing suppliers and a variety of other vendors. We look forward to seeing you later this year at American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas, May 11-13; Tow Expo Int’l in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 4-6; and back in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 18-20.
American Wrecker Pageant Art Is All Around by Brendan Dooley Every February, it’s AT’s pleasure to recap the American Towman Expo that’s just passed … this year, we’re covering the pageant trucks in spades. In addition to showing the pageant winners by class starting on page 58, we feature a recovery on page 30 by Interstate Towing of Chicopee, Mass., whose new rotator was Best of Show in the pageant (that truck is not part of the recovery however). Operations Editor/pageant judge Randy Resch was enamored enough of one display to cover it for My Baby on page 36. In the new Car Carrier-Best Presentation class, one company created its own tow-themed sculpture for its carrier deck, among other things. Finally, I was struck by the artwork on several pageant trucks and noticed a business card, “Art by Cecil,” was common to each. I had the pleasure to interview artist Cecil Burrowes (page 24) about his process in creating some stunning freehand graphics on New York-area wreckers. Of the five trucks in the pageants he’d painted, two won first place trophies and another won a secondplace plaque. Nice (paint) job.
6 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
First On The Scene! 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 104 on Reader Card
WreckMaster Holds $120 Million from Tow Trucks to Call Volume National Convention An estimated $120 WreckMaster, the world’s leading training organization for towing and recovery, will hold a national convention at the South Point Hotel & Casino in conjunction with Tow Industry Week; events of the convention take place May 12-14. WreckMaster is drawing upon the 35,000 certified towers that have been trained over its 25-year history. “The Convention will be a unique opportunity for all WreckMasters to network and celebrate,” said WreckMaster President Justin Cruse. “Naturally there will also be an educational component to the Convention’s agenda. The Convention sessions will cover new ground for all WreckMasters.” Tow Industry Week, features six conferences and conventions and the American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas, the West’s premier tow show.
million 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 more than $1 billion, and a portion of that was new business generated for tow businesses. The exhibit floor fielded some 50 manufacturers of equipment, including 20 who build wreckers, carriers, trailers and truck chassis. According to show management, the 27th AT Expo was the largest in its history for number and diversity of exhibits and the attendee count.
Rose Parade
Murder Suspect Surrenders to Tower A man wanted in connection with the murder of an 89-year-old Silverdale, Wash., man was arrested Jan. 1 after surrendering at a towing office in south Kitsap County. “It was just kind of an odd sequence of events,” said tower Robert Rhodes, who was inside the office with a dispatcher when Arnold Cruz arrived. “He said, ‘I’m asking you and your dispatcher to please call 911 because I’m here to turn myself in,’ ” said Rhodes. Cruz is one of seven suspects connected to the murder of Robert Hood who disappeared after a robbery at his home. Rhodes and Cruz sat outside and continued waiting for deputies until his arrest. Source: komonews.com. 8 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Floats Break Down, Too Most years there is at least one beautiful and lovingly crafted floral float forced to finish the five-mile stretch of the New Years’ Day Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., behind a tow truck. It’s a painful sight for those who spent all year working on the float only to see it hurt by a flat tire or other mechanical malfunction. This year, at least four floats suffered from complications; two needed to be towed the entire route. Beyond the visible complications that require a tow, the parade also records carbon monoxide and temperature levels for every float, from the parade’s beginning to end. If levels for either exceed the limits, such as the float driver ’s compartment going above 120 degrees, they’ll have to answer for it with organizers at a later tribunal.
When floats break down for the New Year’s Day Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., a tow truck is ready to help, and a tribunal seeks answers later. Pasadenastarnews.com image.
The panel has the power to issue fines that can range between $1,000 and $80,000 or more, according to tournament officials. Source: pasadenastarnews.com.
. . . celebrates 100 years of Towing in Las Vegas . . . ‘Miracle’ Tower Saves Couple A towman pulled off a “miracle” just after the new year, as Tracy Hill and Lupe Castillo described it. The couple had been working for more than half an hour to free Hill’s Nissan Pathfinder from a ditch in Washington County, Ore. It had been there a day after it slid on the thick layer of freshly frozen ice and crashed, stuck. When she and Castillo tried to free it the next day, it showed no signs of budging. That is, until Alex Casillas with Portland-based AB Towing showed up. After a long night of saving stranded drivers, Casillas didn’t hesitate to help one more. It took under five minutes to free the car, and Casillas refused any payment. “I would like to believe that there would be someone out there who would spare four minutes and do something,” Casillas said. “If you have the means to do it, why not?” Source: kgw.com.
Company Offers Cash Back Throughout 2016, Wallen’s Towing and Recovery in Corbin, Ky., will be offering customers the opportunity to recover the cost of their bill and help their favorite charity. Owner Daniel Wallen said when a customer requests Wallen’s for a service, the customer’s name will go into a monthly drawing for $100. “Calls because of police impounds or arrests are not eligible,” he said. In addition to the cash prize, Wallen’s will make a $100 donation to a licensed charitable organization of the customer’s choice in his/her name. “We just wanted to show our appreciation to our customers,” Wallen said. “They are the reason we have been in business for 83 years.” Source: thenewsjournal.net.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Centennial Celebrations Kick Off in Vegas American Towman celebrates 100 years of Towing in Las Vegas during Tow Industry Week with six conferences and the American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas. WreckMaster’s National Convention is one of six conferences hosted during Tow Industry Week taking place at the South Point Hotel & Casino, May 11-13. The theme of the conference is “Winning.” “The conferences are designed to help tow business American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas owners achieve the ultimate sucwill honor towing’s past century. cess in their market areas,” said Charles Duke, American Towman’s Conference Manager. There will be more than 20 seminars presented, plus heavy-duty recovery training conducted by WreckMaster, open to all towers. Tow Industry Week also features heavy-duty recovery demonstrations with rotators in the SouthPoint Arena, featuring equipment from Jerr-Dan, Miller Industries and NRC Industries. The Centennial Celebration will cap the show on May 13 with Ribs Fest, live music and surprise events free to all advance registrants.
Tower Tip Nets CHP Pot Bust A tip from a wary towman resulted in a substantial drug bust outside of Williams, Calif., recently when officers from the California Highway Patrol discovered more than 15 lbs. of marijuana and more than $100,000 in cash. According to a press release from CHP, Michael Zafiris Kappos, 24, and Jose Refugio Alvarado, 30, An alert towman in Williams, Calif., were traveling on Interstate 5 helped troopers net a marijuana bust. when their car broke down and cbsnews.com graphic. they called for a tow truck. When the tow truck arrived, the driver thought the pair was acting strangely, so he requested that CHP respond. When officers arrived on the scene and saw marijuana in the vehicle, a subsequent search led to the discovery of an even greater quantity of marijuana and the arrests of Kappos and Alvarado. While the vehicle was being stored, officers discovered $108,100 in cash and various items related to marijuana sales. Source: appeal-democrat.com.
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 9
Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Miller Autoloaders Add Polybody Option Miller Industries debuted its optional polybody available on both Vulcan and Century autoloaders at the recent AT Expo in Baltimore. The advantages of the polybody include its light weight and resistance to corrosion, dents and high impacts. The design features for the new body include integrated storage in the rear slope for dollies, as well as incorporated compartments that fit into the body for dolly axle storage and large box design.
www.millerind.com Number 200 on Reader Card
Video Risk Management Convoy Technologies said its Videomatics can help you manage your fleet’s risk from the palm of your hand by keeping up with email alerts for speeding, hard braking and more, and the ability to drop in live from your mobile device to access live video or location. Other features include:
• Save and share footage from the last week or month with playback feature. • Event recording to review incidents on your own schedule. • Use multiple cameras to capture every angle of your vehicle with video plus GPS.
www.convoytechnologies.com Number 201 on Reader Card
Line Eyez Improve Visibility, IDs The new Line Eyez reflective markers from B/A Products are highly visible, easily detachable and come in six distinctive colors (red, green, white, orange, blue, yellow) sold in packages of three. Uses include: • Mark winch lines going over roadways for greater visibility by all vehicles. • Color code winch lines to the correct winch control handles for easy identification. The reflective markings are especially important in low light areas and areas with reduced visibility. • Color code air lines when using air cushions to the correct air control valve. Will work on hoses up to 1” in diameter.
www.baprod.com Number 202 on Reader Card
10 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Number 114 on Reader Card
What’s Your Snatch Block IQ? by Terry Abejuela
M
ost tow truck operators have used snatch blocks to perform recovery jobs successfully and know that they can be used to reduce line tension or change the direction of the pull. Do operators truly understand how snatch blocks work though, or do they just know from past experience that they work? Thoroughly understanding how snatch blocks work will allow you to utilize them to their full potential and design effective and safe rigging to perform a specific task. Following is a test of your snatch block IQ to see how well you understand the theory behind how they work. Snatch blocks increase the capacity of your equipment. Is this a true or false statement? Technically this is false, but there is good reason why many people think it’s true. Using snatch blocks does not increase the capacity of the winch or the wire rope. Snatch blocks do multiply the effort of the winch and wire rope. The working load limit of the winch and wire rope are the same whether there are snatch blocks in the rigging or not. The effort of the winch and wire rope is multiplied at the block. If you are trying to overcome 1,000 lbs. of resistance and you attach a snatch block at the resistance, the winch will only have to provide 500 lbs. of effort to move the 1,000 lbs. of resistance. Each part of the two-part line will only have to support 500 lbs. This is “reducing line tension.” We have not increased the capacity of the winch or wire rope, but we have multiplied the effort of the winch and reduced the amount of tension on each line part of the wire rope.
12 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Is it important to understand that when you are using a snatch block to reduce line tension or change the direction of the pull, you will be multiplying effort and redirecting force regardless of how you use the snatch block. If you are using a snatch block only to change the direction of the pull on the resistance there will still be a multiplication of the effort. The difference is the multiplication of effort will occur at the anchor vs. the resistance and there will be no reduction in line tension on either part of the line. The more snatch blocks you use, the more you will reduce line tension. Is this a true or false statement? This is false. It isn’t how many snatch blocks you use, but how many lines are attached to the load. No matter how many snatch blocks are used in the rigging—if they are all fixed snatch blocks there will be no reduction in line tension. Only snatch blocks attached to and moving with the resistance will reduce line tension. Mechanical advantage is the ratio of the effort put into a machine to the effort output of that machine. Is this true or false? This is true. If the output effort of the winch is 500 lbs. and you are able to move a resistance of 1,000 lbs., the machine has a 2:1 mechanical advantage. A snatch block is a simple machine. If the winch is pulling at 500 lbs. of effort through the snatch block, the effort applied to the load by the snatch block is 1,000 lbs. You can determine the mechanical advantage of your rigging by counting the number of lines to the resistance. True or false? This statement is only true in a simple pulley system,
where all of the snatch blocks move towards the anchor and they all move towards the anchor at the same rate of speed. The statement is false for a compound pulley system, defined as a simple pulley system acting on one or more other simple pulley systems. In the towing and recovery industry we usually use a simple pulley system, so we can determine mechanical advantage by counting the lines to the resistance. If there are four lines attached to the resistance there will be a 4:1 mechanical advantage as long as all of the lines to the resistance are parallel. When the lines are not parallel you will still have some mechanical advantage, but it will be reduced as the line angles increase. (Once the line angles reach 120 degrees there will no longer be any mechanical advantage.) Line angles will affect the amount of load on the snatch block. True or false? True. When there are two lines to the resistance that are parallel, the block load will be equal to the combined line load on each line part. If there is 1,000 lbs. on each line to the block, the block will see 2,000 lbs. of load. If the resistance is 1,000 lbs. and the lines to the running block have a 90-degree angle, the line load on each line will now be 700 lbs. and the block will now only have 1,400 lbs. of load. To further test your snatch block IQ, try your hand at determining how much load is on each line part, each block, the winch and the anchors in the following winching examples. See if you can determine the mechanical advantage on the load in each of the rigging examples. (Answers on page 70.)
continue to page 18
easy online registration at ATShowPlace.com
•You may also register online at www.atshowplace.com •
REGISTER NOW! REGISTER BEFORE APRIL 25TH & SAVE! Las Vegas, NV • May 11-13 2016 Mail to: 7 West Street, Warwick, NY 10990 • Fax to: 845-986-5181 Phone: 800-732-3869 ext. 214 By advance-registering, the company “Boss” and one guest are admitted free to the Exhibit Hall. A $5 fee applies to all others. Children under 14 free.
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Title 3rd Registered Name ($5): | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Title 4th Registered Name ($5): | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Title Company: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Address: City: State: Zip: Phone:
Fax:
2. PLEASE CHECK BOXES BELOW 1. Is your Primary Business Towing/Recovery:
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How are you traveling to the show:
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2. Secondary Business (check those that apply):
1a. If NO check your primary business: Towing/Recovery Service Station Auto Repair/Serv. Ctr. Auto/Truck Dealership Repossession Vehicle Leasing Transport/Trailer Serv. Distributor Equip Salv/Autoparts Lockout Truck Repair Other______________ Auto Body Shop
Towing/Recovery Auto Repair/Serv. Ctr. Repossession Transport/Trailer Serv. Salv/Autoparts
Service Station Auto/Truck Dealership Vehicle Leasing Distributor Equip Lockout
Truck Repair Auto Body Shop
Other______________
1-5 6-10 11-20 3. # Employees: 21-50 51-100 100+ 4. Check one that best describes your purchasing authority: I authorize/approve purchases No authority I recommend 1-3 4-7 8-12 13-16 17+ 5. # Tow trucks in fleet: Light Duty 6. Types of trucks in fleet (check those that apply): Medium Duty Heavy Duty Transport Class 7/8 Service Vehicle Carriers Rotators Other 7. Number of unclaimed vehicles sold to salvage or auctioned each month: 10 20 30 40 50 75 100
3. EVENT REGISTRATION – Exhibit Hall Open Thurs. 5/12 Noon - 5 PM & Fri. 5/13 Noon - 6 PM
Getting Paid by the Clubs • Recovery Police Towing • Diversification • The Uber Towman
— RE QUIRE D INFORMAT ION —
1. REGISTER HERE
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Please Check the Events You Wish to Attend (All special events and conferences take place at South Point Hotel & Casino.) EXHIBIT HALL • Thurs. 5/12 Noon-5 pm & Fri. 5/13 Noon-6 pm • 1st & 2nd registrants are free: each additional $5 per person. Yes! Please advance register me for the exhibit hall. Badge is good for both exhibit hall days! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5 per person Conference Passport • Passport good for all Conference Seminars starting Wed. afternoon, Thurs. & Fri.- mornings. 20 seminars in all! $75 advance registration fee; $150 on site – Save $75 by registering now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75 per person 1st registrant 2nd registrant 3rd registrant 4th registrant Heavy-Duty Recovery Training: Conventional & Rotator • Wed. 5/11: 8 am-Noon; 1-5 pm, Thurs. 5/12: 8 am-Noon $595 per person advance registration fee; $695 on-site. Fee also includes Conference Passport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$595 per person Conducted by WreckMaster, includes 8-hrs. classroom & 4-hrs. hands-on instruction inside South Point Arena. 1st registrant 2nd registrant 3rd registrant 4th registrant American Towman Cup • Wrecker Pageant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50/$75 Check class you will compete in. One vehicle per class & up to four per company. Trucks enter Wed. 8 am-5 pm, Thurs. 8-11 am and stay in Arena until Fri., 8 pm • $50: Light (pre-2015) Light (2015-2016) Medium Vintage (Pre-1990) Service/Support Truck • $75: HD Single Axle HD Tandem Carrier Rotator WreckMaster Convention • Thurs. 5/12; Wecome Reception/Meat Carver Hospitality 6 pm; Class 7-9 pm. Fri. 5/13: Class 8 am-3 pm, Box Lunch Included. Also good for all Conference Seminars. $195 per person through advance registration, $350 on site – Save $155 by registering now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .# attending: AT’s Desert Smoke VIP Passport • Thurs. 5/12, 9 pm; Poolside gazebo at South Point Hotel. Sponsored by Savatech & AutoReturn Includes (1) AT Signature cigar, (1) drink ticket, (1) premium cigar & a special gift by Savatech. . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20 per person: AT’s Desert Smoke • Thurs. 5/12, 9 pm; Poolside at South Point Hotel. FREE hand-rolled cigar Sponsored by Savatech & AutoReturn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .# attending: AT Open (Golf) • Wed., 5/11, 8 am; Tow Bosses & Industry Suppliers compete for AT Open Golf Tourney. 4th registrant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$125 per person 1st registrant 2nd registrant 3rd registrant Welcome Reception - Pie Extravaganza • Wed. 5/11, 8 pm; FREE pie & coffee. South Point Arena Concourse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .# attending: Live Recovery Demo • Wed. 5/11, 7 pm FREE at South Point Arena. Sponsored by TwinState Equip. & Jerr-Dan. . . . . . . . . . .# attending: Live Recovery Demo • Thurs. 5/12, 5 pm FREE at South Point Arena. Sponsored by Miller Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .# attending: Live Recovery Demo • Fri. 5/13, 11 am FREE at South Point Arena. Sponsored by Eppler Truck Sales/NRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .# attending: Centennial Celebration • Fri. 5/13, 6 pm; FREE RibsFest, entertainment & gift to Advance Registrants: South Point Arena Concourse# attending: Subscribe to AT Magazine & Receive a 100 Years of Towing Commemorative Coin 1 yr. $50 • 2 yrs. $95 . . . . . . . . . . . Total Fees:
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South Point Hotel & Casino & Convention Ctr. • AT ShowPlace Headquarters Hotel • S/D • Tues.-Thurs. $59, Fri.-Sat. $99. The per-night resort fee is waived for AT ShowPlace guests. 9777 Las Vegas Blvd., So. Las Vegas, NV. • Hotel, Casino and Convention Center-site of AT ShowPlace Exhibits. Complimentary items included: In-room Wi-Fi/Internet, Fitness Center, Bowling, Movie Theater, Live Shows,Airport Shuttle, Free local phone calls, Wi-Fi in Business Center, Parking, and Valet. Guarantee reservation to above credit card. Arrival Date:__________, 2016 - Depart Date: __________, 2016 # of Rooms ______ # of Guests per room _______ # of beds ______ List names for each room: Special Requests ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1st: ________________________________________________ 2nd: __________________________________________________ 3rd: ______________________________________________
Number 125 on Reader Card
TOW ENGINEER continued from page 12
Winch Quiz How many pounds of load are on each line part, snatch block, winch and anchor of the rigging in each example if the load is equal to 100 lbs.? (Disregard tension created by friction in snatch blocks. Disregard line angles when instructed.) Example 1 (disregard line angles): Line A: ___ Line B: ___ Block 1: ___ Winch ___ Anchor: ___ Mechanical advantage: ___ Example 2 (disregard line angles): Line A: ___ Line B: ___ Line C: ___ Block 1: ___ Block 2: ___ Winch: ___ Anchor: ___ Mechanical advantage: ___
Example 3 (disregard line angles): Line A: ___ Line B: ___ Line C: ___ Line D: ___ Block 1: ___ Block 2: ___ Block 3: ___ Winch: ___ Anchor: ___ Mechanical advantage: ___ Example 4 (disregard line angles on running block only): Line A: ___ Line B: ___ Line C: ___ Block 1: ___ Block 2: ___ Winch: ___ Anchor 1: ___ Anchor 2: ___ Mechanical advantage: ___ Example 5: Line A: Line B: Winch:
___ ___ ___
Block 1: ___ Anchor: ___ Mechanical advantage: ___ Example 6 (disregard line angles): Line A: ___ Line B: ___ Line C: ___ Block 1: ___ Block 2: ___ Winch: ___ Anchor 1: ___ Mechanical advantage: ___ Example 7 (disregard line angles): Line A: ___ Line B: ___ Line C: ___ Line D: ___ Line E: ___ Line F: ___ Block 1: ___ Block 2: ___ Block 3: ___ Winch: ___ Anchor 1: ___ Mechanical advantage: ___
continue to page 70 Winch Quiz
How much load is on each snatch block?
18 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Number 157 on Reader Card
Number 151 on Reader Card
D&L Towing to Handle Police Tows The Norfolk (Neb.) City Council recently approved the bid submitted by D&L Towing and Recovery to provide towing services for the Norfolk Police Division through the end of 2017. The council accepted the bid of D&L over higher bids from Jerry’s Standard Sinclair and Gordy’s Towing and Repair, which had handled the police division’s towing service since 2009. The contract is for two years with an option for a pair of twoyear extensions that could theoretically extend the contract through the end of 2021. In awarding the contract to D&L, the police division and Mayor Sue Fuchtman had words of praise for Gordy’s Towing and its owner, Gordy Baumann, who cited increased insurance costs as the reason his bid was higher. Source: norfolkdailynews.com.
Winter Hits Late, Hard Towers in Eugene, Ore., were busy hauling away vehicles in January after winter precipitation fell in the Willamette Valley and surrounding areas. Snow and freezing rain were causing crashes on roadways in the Eugene area, which kept Michael Clement, owner of Puddle Jumper Towing, busy. “(T)here were three other crashes while we were trying to take care of the first one,” he said. T&M Towing, Taylor’s Towing, and Farwell’s Towing were all rushed to haul cars off roadways and out of ditches too. In Green Country, Okla., tow truck services saw an influx of calls as the area recovered from severe flooding on Christmas weekend. “We’ve been really, extremely busy,” said Ben Gilbert of Gilbert Towing in Coweta. He said the phone was ringing off the hook with calls about cars that got trapped in flood waters. “Twice we couldn’t get to the people. The Wagoner County Emergency Management had to go help get the people out and we had to wait until the water went down to reach the cars,” Gilbert said. At Crosby Heavy Duty Wrecker Service in Green Bay, Wis., the phones rarely stopped ringing Dec. 29. At times, towers were trying to answer two phones at once. “Everybody’s been on around the clock. We’re going on probably 33-35 hours right now,” said Kevin Paschen with Crosby Heavy Duty. By 10 a.m. the towing service had freed several dozen cars from city streets as driver after driver lined up to claim their cars. Green Bay Police reported 549 calls for service, the majority snow-related, in 24 hours. The sheriff’s office reported 28 crashes, four of them with minor injuries, and nearly 200 more cars stuck in ditches or roads in less than a 24 hour period. That’s more than three times a normal snowstorm. The company said its crews pulled out not only lots of semis, but also a garbage truck and a stalled city bus. Sources: kmtr.com, fox23.com, wbay.com. Number 186 on Reader Card
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Number 102 on Reader Card
The
Towman’s Picasso
Cecil Burrowes
Artist’s Work Wows at American Wrecker Pageant
Artist and tow truck painter Cecil Burrowes likes to make sure people know his work is real art. That includes going freehand whenever possible and avoiding stencils, and continuing the design into the doorjamb of vehicles past where most graphic wraps stop. This 2007 Ford F-550/Century 312, owned by A1 Non-Stop Towing & Recovery in Freeport, N.Y., was Best of Show-Working Class at the 2015 American Wrecker Pageant. by Brendan Dooley
L
ike the sleek lines of a custom ’49 Mercury, the whimsy of Von Dutch pinstriping on a motorcycle or the Art Deco-style of an Auburn Boattail Speedster, art has been rolling down the American roadway for a hundred years and more. Towers, too, want in on the fun,
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whether it’s customized lighting, chrome, diamond-plate and other accents, or custom colors and patterns from mild to wild. Tow trucks that draw the eye overload the American Wrecker Pageant each November at the American Towman Expo in Baltimore—there’s so much to see it’s hard to keep up.
At the 2015 AT Expo, there were several trucks that stood out particularly for their striking custom-airbrushed graphics. “It’s all about the art,” said the softspoken Cecil Burrowes, owner of Cecil Customs. “You can’t rush art,” he added, a sentiment he feels strongly enough
about to highlight it on his business card. While his work is best known by towers and motorists around New York City and its boroughs, you can’t miss it on the showfloor of the pageant in Baltimore. Cecil’s work stands out, as his awards in 2015 can attest. He did the artwork on the Best of Show-Working Class trophy winner (A1 Non-Stop’s 2007 Ford F550/Century 312), Car Carrier first-place trophy winner (American Auto Body’s 2015 Ram 4500/Vulcan carrier), and Light Duty-2014-’15 second-place plaque winner (Dezba Asset Recovery’s 2014 Dodge 5500/Jerr-Dan MPL-40). The artist began by painting signs on the streets in Jamaica. “One day I saw a guy painting a sign. I was watching and we began talking. He gave me a brush and I started making signs,” Cecil said. He left for New York in 1985 and began working in a sign shop there. “While I was working there, a previous employee of the shop would stop there in the evenings to buy materials. Then he asked me to help him with some freehand lettering, because he knew I did
freehand lettering back home. So I would go where he was working and do addresses and rates on the trucks.” After a few years working in the sign shop and helping his friend with lettering on outside jobs, he saw what would become his true calling. He saw on different jobs that people would ask his friend to also do airbrush work for them. “He didn’t want to get into it,” Cecil said. “So I bought an airbrush for myself and started doing it; when people noticed my work then they started asking me to do more, and also crazy stuff like the twotone images and all of that.” His self-taught airbrush style worked well; by 1991, he left the sign shop and started working for himself. “I remember the first time I used an airbrush, I just got it,” he said. “The first truck I did that really got a lot of notice was a New York Yankees truck with pinstriping and stitching,” he said. “That truck really got my name going around; I did it just before moving to Florida. I got a call down in Florida from the owner of that truck who said ‘There’s a lot of guys here in Brooklyn
who love that truck and went crazy over it. You need to come back here.’ “So I moved back and started doing more trucks, all through word-ofmouth.” Like the tow businesses he caters too, Cecil’s business is mobile. He will mainly work out of customer’s shops, provided they have a clean dust-free area for him to setup. (He does have a friend’s shop he can take a vehicle to if needed.) Often, he works overnights when the shops are quieter; it’s become a perk for him. “My favorite part is the creative part, when I can work at night and I’m by myself, I play my music and I just work and get stuff done. No people talking to me or following me around the truck as I go,” Cecil said. “I pace myself on trucks, because I do a lot of overnights to get them painted. Most trucks take about four to six weeks to complete,” he said. Those are for an average truck where he and the owner agree on a theme and he has regular access. “Some trucks might take eight weeks,” he said, though there are some “nightmare” jobs
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 25
where the design becomes a moving target. Wraps are becoming so popular for tow trucks that some see his level of detail on a wrecker and assume it’s a computer-generated graphic. But any up-close inspection reveals the freehand work of a true artist. Some of his trucks seem to evoke tattoo-type style and that’s no mistake; he cites tattoo art among his inspirations. “Most of my inspiration comes from years of watching other’s work,” Cecil said. “Much comes from tattoo work; I like that tone. I use a similar process to how a tattoo artist will work. I start from a line drawing of the work and then fill in with colors and flourishes. “I try to make my lines not perfect for enhanced realism and not like a stencil. A lot of guys may go to art school and learn how to airbrush with stencils. I try to draw a lot and then airbrush the color in. … That’s what sets my work apart from a lot of people. I stay away from stencils and figure it out as I go along from my drawing. “What I love is to create. People tell me they are impressed by my patience. Everything that I do, I see it happening before I do it. You have to see to know what you’re working toward. … I have the whole process in my head, and it’s 26 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Burrowes’ style is fantastically detailed in its layering of design and colors, as is evidenced on the A1 F-550’s hood (above). The American Flag, bald eagle and patriotic themes will intertwine on some boom trucks Cecil is currently painting.
Number 174 on Reader Card
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 27
all based on experience. I made enough mistakes way back when and I’ve corrected as I’ve gone along. Now it’s just like I know what’s going to happen.” Cecil doesn’t have a particular favorite between working on lightthrough heavy-duty tow trucks, but he does have a special place for the older Chevy Silverado body style. “There weren’t many curves, just flat sides that made for a nice big canvass to work on,” he said. He does work on cars and other non-wreckers too. But whatever he works on, one thing doesn’t change for him. “It’s all about the artwork. You can’t rush it; you have to give it the time it needs to come out the way it needs to.” Judging by his work at the American Wrecker Pageant, he’s giving his work plenty of time.
Cecil Customs 718-772-2070 cecilcustom@yahoo.com YouTube: bycecilb Instagram: @art_by_cecil.b
Burrowes said he is inspired by the style of most tattoo-type artwork.
Number 183 on Reader Card
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7335 W. 100th Place Bridgeview, IL 60455 Phone: 708-233-1112 Toll Free: 800-344-2397 www.lynchchicago.com
29000 Sharon Lane Waterford, WI 53185 Phone: 262-514-5009 Toll Free: 888-538-0800 www.lynchtruckcenter.com
*New* White 2016 Kenworth T880, Cummins, 18 Spd, Century 9055 50 Ton Wrecker, Dual 50K Winches, 55K Underlift, Dual Reverse Camera, Tailboard Remote, Much Much More. Call for Details! (In Production) (NAP)
*New* Red 2016 Freightliner M2 Extended Cab, Cummins Engine, Auto, AR/AB, Alum Wheels, Century 3212 16 Ton Wrecker, 12K Underlift, Dual 15K Winches, 32K Boom, LED Lightbar, Alum Pylon… Much More (In Productions) (NAP)
*New* White 2016 Freightliner M2 Regular Cab, Cummins Engine, Auto, AR/AB, Alum Wheels, Century 3212 16 Ton Wrecker, 12K Underlift, Dual 15K Winches, 32K Boom, LED Lightbar, Alum Pylon…Much More (In Productions) (NAP)
*New* Red 2016 Freightliner M2, Cummins Engine, Auto, AR/AB, Alum Wheels, Century 29’ Steel LCG (20 Series) Carrier, 6K Wheel Lift, 20K Winch, Full Remote, LED Lightbar, Galvanized Subframe & Pylon (In Production) (NAP) Stk# 3530C
*New* White 2015 Dodge 5500, Cummins Engine, Auto, Alum Wheels, Century 19.5’ Aluminum Dual Angle Carrier, Solid Rails, Wheel Lift, 8K Winch, Stationary Pylon, LED Lightbar, 48” Toolbox…Stk# 3613C
*New* Blue 2015 Dodge 4500, 6.4 Gas Hemi, Auto, Alum Wheels, Chrome Bumper, PW/PL, Vulcan 812 Self Loader, Self Loading Wheel Lift, Alum Body, 8K Winch, Side Toolboxes…Stk# 3493C
*New* White 2015 International 4300 XCab, Cummins, Auto, Hyd Brake, Spring Susp, 22.5 Tires, Vulcan 21.5’ Steel Carrier, Rem Rails, Galv Subframe, Wheel Lift, 8000lb Winch, 48” Toolbox, LED Lightbar…Stk# 3616C
*New* Black 2015 Dodge Ram 5500 SLT, Cummins, Auto, PW/PL, Alum Wheels, Vulcan 19.5’ Steel Carrier, Rem Rails, Wheel Lift, 8000lb Winch, LED Lightbar, 48” Toolbox, Hot Shift PTO…Call for Details. Stk# 19158W
*New* Red 2015 Dodge Ram 5500 4x4, Cummins, Auto, PW/PL, Alum Wheels, Vulcan 19’ Alum Carrier, Solid Rails, Stationary Pylon, Wheel Lift, 8000lb Winch, LED Lightbar, 48” Toolbox, Hot Shift PTO… Call for Details. Stk# 19441W
*New* Red 2016 Freightliner M2, Cummins, Auto, AR/AB, PW/PL, 22.5 Tires, Alum Wheels, Century 21.5’ Steel Carrier, Removable Rails, Wheel Lift, 8000lb Winch, LED Lightbar, 48” Toolbox… Call for Details! Stk# 3610C
*Used* White/Yellow 2008 Hino 258LP, JO8E-TV Engine, Auto, Hyd Brakes, Spring Susp, Century 21’ Steel Carrier, Wheel Lift, 8000lb Winch, Stationary Pylon, 2-48” Toolboxes, Strobe Lightbar, Hot Shift PTO…Call for Details! Stk# 2494U
*Used* Silver 2011 Dodge 5500 Crew Cab 4x4, Cummins, Auto, PW/PL, Alum Wheels, Vulcan 807 Self Loader, Alum Body, Dual Winches, Extendable Boom, Federal Lightbar, Side Toolboxes…Stk# 8342W
*Used* Red/White 2011 International 4300 XCab, Maxxforce DT Engine, Auto, Spring Susp, Hyd Brake, 98,422 Miles, Jerr-Dan 21’ Steel Carrier, Removable Rails, Wheel Lift, 8000lb Winch, Strobe Lightbar, (2) 48” Toolboxes, Rotation Kit…Call for Details! Stk# 2475U
The Right Truck At The Right Price Right Away! Number 149 on Reader Card
*New* 2016 Talbert 4053TA, 40 Ton, 53’ Length, 102” Wide, Traveling Axle, 20,000lb Winch, Alum Outer Wheels, Full Function Remote (Winch/Tilt/Axles), New Design, Additional Keyslots, 37” Loaded Deck Height, …Call for Details! Stk# 3581C
Right Right
Equipment, People by Jeremy Procon,
Interstate Towing; Chicopee, Mass.
Interstate Towing Makes Tanker Recovery Look Easy A snatch block was rigged off the Jerr-Dan HDL1000 rotator to change direction of the pull.
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O
n Oct. 20, 2015 at 4 p.m., the Massachusetts State Police requested Interstate Towing to assist in recovering a milk tanker that had left the road, went through a dingle, left the ground while traveling more than 25’ in the air and wound up in the woods surrounded by trees and brush. When we arrived on scene, we assessed the situation and management spoke with the authorities while our Heavy Incident Response Unit and crew immediately went to stop the leaking fuel tanks and begin pumping off the remaining fuel. While removing the fuel with one team, the other began prepping the truck for removal. Both teams on scene were in constant communication with each other through our JerrDan headsets. The front axle was only connected by the pitman arm but still under the truck. We used chain to hold the axle in place during the process of pulling the unit out, but before we were able to start winching we had a lot of site clearing to complete.
The fire department on scene had decided they would like to assist us by using their equipment and cutting down some small trees and brush. As the fire department cut down the trees, we used our Wacker loader-andgrapple combo to move debris to a location that would not inhibit us from removing the truck. As always the right equipment makes the job easier and the Wacker saved five guys from lumping brush for 30 minutes and completed the same task in a quarter of the time. After the brush was cleared, we connected our 2014 International 7600/Jerr-Dan 500/280 25-ton composite-body unit to the front of the downed unit and snatched off our 2012 Kenworth T800/Jerr-Dan HDL1000 60-ton composite-body rotator to change the direction the tractor was facing. Changing direction brought the tractor closer to our rotator so that it could assist in picking up the nose and keep it from digging into the ground and causing more resistance. Once the tractor was in position we connected the rotator, lifted the front
As always the right equipment makes the job easier.
end and began pulling the entire unit out of the woods. As the night went on, we deployed our Will-Burt Night Scan light tower. This flood/spotlight combo impresses the authorities every time I turn it on; it turns night to day. As the unit was coming out and the tractor was closer to the 25-ton wrecker, we moved the rotator ’s
While one team from Interstate Towing began pumping off gas from the wreck, another was prepping to rig for the lift.
Chain held the front axle in place underneath while pulling the semi up and out.
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 31
efforts to the tank as it was about to come back down the steep hill. The rotator held the lower side up as it was winched back onto the road. We then removed the front axle and prepped for the 20-plus-mile tow back to our yard. When that task was completed, the unit was moved up the road so the cleanup process could begin. We picked up spare parts to include the hood, front axle and other miscellaneous parts and loaded them on our tandem-axle equipment carrier with our Wacker and grapple. We packed up all equipment and checked with the local authorities to ensure they were satisfied with all aspects of the recovery. We then began our trek back to our secure storage facility where we started our process of offloading and restocking for the next wreck. My team made this recovery effort successful, seamlessly and efficiently from beginning to end. Jerr-Dan headsets kept the crew in constant contact during the rigging and re-rigging on this scene.
The 25-ton Jerr-Dan moved the tractor enough to connect it to the rotator, which helped lift to avoid more resistance.
Once the tractor was free, the rotator’s efforts were moved to the tank.
32 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 33
Number 190 on Reader Card
AD INDEX
February 2016
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To receive free information on products or services from our advertisers go to www.TowExtra.com Page# RS#
IGTC 37 Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease 37 Jerr-Dan 92 Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip. M 84 Landoll Corp. 27 Lodar USA 78 Loganville Ford 71 Lynch Chicago 29 Manufacturer Express 55 Matheny Motors 67 Matjack Jumbo Safelift 22 McMahon Trucks M 85 Metropolitan Truck Sales N 86 Miller Industries 2, 3 New England Truckmaster N 87 North American BanCard 5 Nussbaum Carrier & Wreckers 79 OMG National N,S,M,W 86 OnlineParkingPass 40 Pacific General Insur. Agency M 84 Performance Advantage N 85 PowerBilt Wrecker Mfg. 69 Progressive Commercial 25 PWOF 74, 75 Quick Draw Tarpaulin 78 Ramsey Winch 27 Recovery Billing 42
212 145 124 134 174 163 207 149 213 111 186 189 119 143 171 109 168 215 166 193 173 172 127 167 178 197 155
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Renew Truck Body N 84 Safety Vision 19 Santander Bank 43 SavaCOMM 76 Savatech 41 Savatech Training 72 Schaeffer’s Oil S, W 87 Sea Crest Insurance Agency W 87 Smyrna Truck Center S 83 Specialty Vehicle & Equip. Funding 91 SSTA 70 Steck Mfg. 76 Sun Country Trailers N 83 Survivor Fund 44 Texas Towing & Storage Assn. 37 Tow Industries W 85 TowMate 56 Truck Body Sales W 84 Twin Cities Wrecker Sales M 85 USAC/MD 34 Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX W 83 Winches Inc. W 83 World Class Insurance Service W 85 Worldwide Equipment 20, 21 Zips 7
146 157 103 158 118 118 160 156 113 195 107 132 117 131 194 101 191 198 138 190 208 148 184 151 104
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Stunning Presentation by Randall C. Resch
Pinehill Towing’s Morgan Zwicker Jr., Jon Rees and Morgan Zwicker (top). Pinehill Towing’s winning Carrier Presentation with mounted sculpture, homemade stanchions and nylon rope and storyboards at the 2015 American Towman Expo in Baltimore, Md. (above). Zwicker with the original 2’ inspiration chain wrecker (left). The wrecker sculpture in-progress at the shop (bottom).
included a static display of pictures, old-timey accessories, period tools and storyboards, and the new Car Carrier - Best Presentation category saw several rollbacks loaded with a race car, hot rod or exotic car to further their display. This newest class saw some imaginative displays that went beyond the norm.
Creating Winners
T
ow truck beauty pageants—like at American Towman’s Las Vegas, San Antonio (coming to Dallas in 2016) and Baltimore Expos—attract participants from all over America in the hopes of taking home a trophy or possibly Best of Show. However, winners aren’t necessarily those tow trucks and carriers sporting the most bling or are cleanest (by way of being brand new). At the 2015 American Towman Expo in Baltimore last November, we witnessed some of the finest examples of towing and recovery equipment found anywhere. Some participants 36 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
If a pageant truck is set up for show and work, it should have all components, equipment and systems working and operationally perfect. Vote-worthy pageant trucks are the greatest example of what our industry represents. When I’m walking the pageant floor, I’m looking for something that reaches beyond the norm while also meeting all the criteria on the judge’s score sheet. In November, Pinehill Towing & Automotive of Port Royal and King George, Va., caught my eye as well as the Expo attendees’ attention who voted it in for Best Presentation. No newcomer to American Towman’s beauty pageants, Pinehill Towing is known as a solid competitor when it comes to displaying their company’s trucks. Pinehill Towing’s award-winning carrier No. 704 is a 2013 Kenworth T270/Century 21’ Right Approach carrier. Aside from being a nearly perfect display of today’s fully equipped modern carriers, located atop their carrier sat an unusually large weldedchain sculpture of a four-axle big-rig wrecker. While we towers are used to working with chain, Pinehill
puts an unusual spin on it as a sculpture; it combined welding talent, creativity, lighting and originality. It certainly was a crowd pleaser. In true “Where’s Waldo” fashion, some of the identifying features include a 5’ chrome exhaust stack, a (way shortened) driveshaft to mock a hydraulic boom’s ram, a double mini-strobe amber emergency light and a Crosbybrand forged hook at the simulated cable’s end. All-in-all, the wrecker sculpture is more than 22’ long and 12’ tall. Its overall outline is crafted from 4,000 welds of 110’ of 5/8” Grade 40 chain. The sculpture stands easy on outrigger-like legs for stability atop 704’s deck. For the show, there were two storyboards near the truck’s cab showing the sculpture project’s steps and showcasing the company.
Planting Seeds The idea started out last year as a humble 2’ desk ornament, originally fashioned by Steve Zaccardi Fabrications of King George. Zaccardi Fabrica-
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 37
tions is a stainless steel fabricator who creates all of the stainless steel and diamond plate “bling accessories” appearing on Pinehill’s tow trucks and carriers. “Welding a structure this size isn’t your run-of-the-mill statue, but a huge undertaking to say the least,” said Pinehill owner Morgan Zwicker. The entire sculpture is finished in ultra high-gloss powdercoat to emulate the colors of the American Flag. “All in total, there’s 10 pounds of white, four pounds of red, four pounds of black and one pound of yellow powdercoat,” he said. While Pinehill’s carrier (by itself) is always show quality, additional LED strip-lighting, storyboards and the company name are prominently displayed on a huge, double-sided, 4’x12’ stainless steel panel centered within the chain sculpture. Another fine touch is the brown-andblack striped flag hanging proudly opposite of the American Flag. Morgan said he chose brown and black to represent towmen killed in the
line of duty. “Brown-and-black striped flags are seen in Facebook posts by our tower friends across America; it all fits the theme of survival,” he said. As a supporter of the International Towing Hall of Fame & Recovery Museum’s Wall of the Fallen, Pinehill Towing remembers our tow brothers and sisters. Another highlight of Pinehill’s prizewinning display are the six matching welded-chain stanchions, made from the same 5/8” Grade 40 links, powdercoated in a high-gloss red. To shape each stanchion’s base, Morgan wrapped chain around a 5-gal. paint bucket’s base, then dangled the chain from the shop’s forklift as links were welded (in a special gig) to a 4’ total height. Finishing it off is 150’ of red-and-white nylon boater’s rope around the total display. Morgan estimates that both he and son Morgan Jr. have 40-plus hours each involved in welding time on the project. “We used two 30-pound spools of welding wire and a full tank of gas just to do the welding alone. The feeling in my knees is nearly back to normal,” he said.
Number 106 on Reader Card
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“This project was certainly a labor of love and represents a $10,000 investment overall; an investment of time.” Aside from the dollar estimate, don’t forget the value that these father-and-son projects can have in the long run. (That investment estimate doesn’t even include 150 hours running to welding stores, assembly, disassembly, three trips to the powdercoat shop, reassembly and other project missions.) In my book, that’s commitment and tons of fun as well. When all was said and done, Pinehill’s wrecker sculpture overwhelmingly won the inaugural Best Presentation trophy at the 2016 AT Expo. If No. 704’s total display sets the standard for the new Presentation Class, it’s going to be hard to beat. Everyone else better get creative for next year if Pinehill is going to be beaten.
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.
Number 165 on Reader Card
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Getting Under My Skin
by Mark Lacek
Repossession is a timely business in so many ways; waiting on the side of the road for approval to fix collateral mid-repo just isn’t going to happen. BoatUS.com image.
S
ometimes I’m just about over this repossession business. Day in and day out, I find it difficult to determine who is more difficult to deal with, the client or the debtor. Most repossessions are from people who are polite and understanding, people who have simply made some bad decisions. Many clients want too much for too little and do not quite understand we are small business owners trying to make a profit, not just break even. So, here is my first list of rants the year (there will be more). “Hellomynameisashleycanyouholdplease?” Since when did people start talking 100 miles per hour? How many of you small business owners put up with this annoying habit? It drives me crazy and I just don’t put up with it. What I actually hear from these speed talkers is, “Will you please tell me what you want so I can move on to the next call.” If you have a person who answers the phone at 100-plus mph, a whack to the head is in order; I bet you’re losing customers. If you tell me you can do the job, then fail to deliver because your agent can’t pick the ignition on a Freightliner, maybe you should not be in the repossession business. If your website has photos of people around a conference table, or two guys shaking hands and you don’t
Many clients want too much for too little and do not quite understand we are small business owners. know any of them, maybe you need to rethink your approach. After I repossessed the debtor’s car and he told you I stole his Rolex, don’t ask me if I had seen a Rolex. You let the customer redeem his vehicle after I repossessed it and you
want me to repossess it for the second time ... don’t ask me why I cannot locate it. Why are you asking me to send you a condition report before I repossess the collateral? I’m working on this at 1 a.m.; no one is in your office for the report. How do you think it is possible for me to repossess the collateral if you do not send me a vehicle identification number or a serial number? We had to remove the customer’s personal items from the car including her child seat, purse, shoes, coats, collage books, toolbox, cheap tire inflation compressor, umbrella, sticky pennies, broken flashlight, first aid kit and divorce papers. We boxed and tagged all items and placed the items
Number 166 on Reader Card
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in storage. Why are you asking me to waive the property and inventory fees? I don’t care if she is crying. I’m in business to make enough to pay my bills and some extra to afford Obamacare. You gave me four addresses to check to locate the collateral. We located the collateral from the fourth address. Yes, there is an extra charge for that. You sent me to pick up the voluntary surrender and meet the customer at 10 a.m. When I arrived, the customer told me you picked the car up last week. Yes, you will receive an invoice. Don’t call me and ask me how much it’s going to cost in the first sentence. I know you’re going to call the other guy asking him to do the job for less. You asked me to resend my invoice because you said you never received it. Again. Please, just pay what you promised on time. So you are the debtor’s attorney and you need my complete name and address. Yeah, right. Even on a volunteer surrender, I still have to send an agent the same miles and use the same insurance. If there were a gas station that sold fuel for less for voluntary surrenders, I would gladly charge you less for a voluntary surrender.
There was a flat tire on the boat’s trailer that I just repossessed. No, I am not calling and waiting two hours for your approval to have roadside repairs. You made a mistake and you want me to return the repossessed collateral back to the customer’s home? I don’t think so. Your customer is here to pick up his personal property including his handgun and you ask why I will not give him the bullets? After knocking on the door and asking for the car that is locked in the garage, the customer told me he will shoot at me if I return. No, I am not going back tonight. No, I cannot cut the lock on a garage. While picking up his personal belongings after we repossessed the
car, the debtor said all we needed to do was call him and he would have brought the car to our yard. Yeah, sure. So this year, in 2016, maybe I will try a new recovery tactic: For every recovery assignment I receive, I will simply make a call to the debtor and ask him to deliver the collateral to our storage yard. I will not charge for the removal and storage of personal property, and I will offer a tremendous discount for a voluntary surrender. Hmm, maybe not. Have a great new year everyone, but first and foremost be safe.
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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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The 27th AT Expo proved again it is the world’s Monster Tow Show, a world-class spectacle the sum of 50 special events.
Over $120 million was transacted by 14,000 plus attendees from the towing industry, engaging with suppliers that ranged from equipment manufacturers to motor clubs
and national dispatchers. 17 motor clubs/call providers exhibited on the show floor engaged in talks representing over a $billion in call volume.
There were 12 manufacturers of wreckers and carriers and several trailer and chassis manufacturers among the 50 equipment builders on the floor. The most expensive
unit was the heavy duty rotator rumored at $1 million; there were rotators selling at ten different booths. Car and truck lifts spotted the floor engaging tow bosses who own repair facilities.
The American Towman Exposition once again showed it was the event for networking, learning and celebration.
Number 108 on Reader Card
2015
American Towman Medal Recipients Robert Aikey, Aikey’s Body Shop; Jersey Shore, Pa. Incident: On August 10, 2015, in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, a Ford Explorer slid off the road sideways into a tree just above a riverbank. Two people were heavily entrapped in the vehicle that was on its side with the roof wrapped around the tree. The fire department had cut much of the vehicle away, but still couldn’t free them. Robert Aikey arrived on scene and worked to stabilize the Explorer by quickly, carefully climbing onto the SUV and straddling it to attach a snatch block in the tree above it. He then rigged lines to lift the car safely and move it away from the tree to remove the passenger without further harm. Firefighters said Robert was essential in getting the passenger out of the vehicle without further harm (the driver had died on impact). For the simple act of bravery … Robert Aikey. American Towman Medal
Jeremy Dykstra, Eagle Towing; Montague, Mich. Incident: During a January 7, 2015, blizzard on U.S. 31 in Dalton Township, Michigan, Jeremy was working to winch a vehicle out of the median from an earlier accident as 52 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
American Towman Publisher Dennie Ortiz bestows a Towman Medal on a hero towman Jeremy Dykstra during Festival Night of the 2015 American Towman Exposition in Baltimore, Md.
destruction struck all around. Inattentive drivers and the white-out conditions caused a 40-car pileup around the scene. A semi jack-knifed across both lanes completely blocking the highway and a vehicle became wedged under the semi, trapping three passengers. Jeremy’s own truck was knocked by another semi in the massive pileup, but without hesitation he disengaged from his scene, hooked up to the trapped vehicle, pulled it free from under the semi and started basic aid to the driver. For the simple act of bravery … Jeremy Dykstra. American Towman Medal
Fred Scroggs Jr., Westland Car Care Towing; Westland, Mich. Incident: On October 15, 2015, Fred Scroggs Jr. was killed when the distracted driver of an SUV slammed into him while he was helping a stranded driver with a flat tire on an I-96 interchange in Novi, Michigan. Fred is being called a hero for telling the woman he had been helping to stay safely inside her car, while he was fixing her tire. “Fred felt it was unsafe for her to be standing so close to the busy freeway and advised her to safely wait in her vehicle while
he serviced her car and in doing so, was able to save her life. He aided in saving a life right before his was so abruptly taken; he was truly a hero,” said friend Justin Gabbard. Debbie Blake only received minor injuries. “He saved my life,” she said. “I just thank God that [Freddie] saved me.” For the simple act of bravery … Fred Scroggs Jr. (posthumously). (Pictured:Fred Scroggs, Sr., accepting the award on behalf of his late son.) American Towman Medal
Randy Barton, Randy’s Repair; Gower, Mo. Incident: On December 2, 2008, in Grayson, Missouri, a car ran off the road on a cold night and rolled twice down an embankment to land upside-down with a victim trapped inside, pinned by the crushed roof. Firefighters on scene needed better access. Randy Barton arrived and quickly secured the car with a line from his flatbed wrecker and used air cushions to lift the vehicle enough for firefighters to use the Jaws of Life and spreaders to extricate the driver, who eventually made a full recovery. For courageous professionalism … Randy Barton. American Towman Commendation
Robert Bolus, Bolus Truck Parts & Towing; Scranton, Pa. Incident: Late on April 8, 2015, in Manatee, Florida, Robert Bolus was driving in a company car on I-75 when another car got on the expressway going the wrong way headed at him. “After all my years in the business, I immediately reacted to stopping the car,” Robert said. He flashed his high beams repeatedly and stayed in the car’s path and got the driver off to the side of the road, recognized she was impaired and got the keys from the ignition as he called 911. He held her there for police. “I think anyone in our industry a long time would have done the same thing,” he said. For courageous professionalism … Robert Bolus. American Towman Commendation
James Turley and John Wallace, Turley Truck Service; Cranberry, Pa, and Wallace Towing; Harmony, Pa. Incident: On September 8, 2014, in Jackson Township, Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Pennsylvania, a tractor-trailer rolled over onto a pickup truck, trapping both drivers and pinning the smaller truck against a guardrail on a rural road. On scene, the fire chief called John Turley while police asked for Wallace as the rotation tower. Both arrived and worked the scene together to stabilize the semi, lift it steadily and slide it just enough to attach to the pickup underneath and winch it free for emergency personnel to extricate the driver, who did recover. For courageous professionalism … James Turley and John Wallace.
John Turley
John Wallace American Towman Commendation
Mike Kollman, Hillside Auto Sales & Service; Springfield, Vt. Incident: On December 23, 2014, in Rockingham, Vermont, it was a cold, snowy night when a victim became pinned under her own car off the road following a single-car rollover. Firefighters were on-scene, but unsuccessful in stabilizing the car to free the victim when Mike Kollman arrived. He was able to hookup his rotator and lift the car straight up off the victim in the only way she could be freed without further injury. For courageous professionalism … Mike Kollman. American Towman Commendation
Richard Growe Jr, Powder Mill Towing, Parsippany, N.J. Incident: On July 29, 2015, in Saddlebrook, New Jersey, Richard Growe Jr. was passing an accident scene and observed a DOT worker pinned under a vehicle—by-standers were trying to free the victim as there were no emergency responders on scene yet. Richard pulled over and was able to use his truck’s stinger to lift the vehicle off the worker, who survived after spending more than a month in hospital. For courageous professionalism … Richard Growe Jr. American Towman Commendation
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 53
Chad Coulson, Ty Coulson, Greg Reline and Jimmy Orr Bill’s Towing; Bridgeport, Ohio Incident: On January 9, 2015, in Bridgeport, Ohio, after a sudden snow squall, a car was struck by a semi on I-70 and the driver was thrown from the car and became trapped under the semi’s tractor against the median wall with her right arm under the driver’s side tire. Police blocked off the other side of the expressway for a rotator from Bill’s Towing, which was on-scene within 14 minutes of the dispatched call. Chad Coulson, Ty Coulson, Greg Reline and Jimmy Orr worked together on the scene to hook up to the semi’s axle, swing the boom and lift the cab enough to free the victim within five minutes of arrival. Pics show clear, cold day with snow on highway, traffic flowing in lanes next to scene. Police said they saved 20 minutes of extrication time for EMS, and likely saved a life.
For courageous professionalism … Chad Coulson, Ty Coulson, Greg Reline and Jimmy Orr.
Chad Coulson
Ty Coulson
American Towman Commendation
Silver Star T h e J o e D o b l m e i e r M e m o r i a l Aw a r d Steve Rhine has always been a great fan of American Towman, always reading its pages, always coming to the American Towman Exposition where he often gave Joe Doblmeier and Steve Calitri help where needed; many years helping to usher trucks in and out of the wrecker pageant; one year conducting a seminar on incident management. Steve Rhine was a 17 year old kid who went to work at an American Gasoline Station in 1971, eventually driving the station’s only wrecker. He was thrilled. But in 1973, while out carousing with friends about his hometown of Cockeysville, the driver lost control of the car, and flipped over, throwing Steve out onto the ground. When paramedics arrived, Steve told them he couldn’t move his legs. Steve’s jaw, ankles and back had been broken. From that moment on to the present he was paralyzed from the waist down; only muscles in his thigh area were still active. It took eight months to heal inside the hospital, and another four months of rehabilitation to be able to operate a wheel chair and then walk with crutches and leg braces.
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His boss at the station brought him back to help out in the office, but soon Steve was restless and he set out to prove to the State of Maryland that he could drive a car and truck as well as you and I could, in spite of having no feeling below the knees and below the waist in his back. In 1978 Steve bought his first Chevrolet and Jerr-Dan carrier and started Rhine’s Towing, buying a Sinclair gas station with five service bays and a storage yard in Cockeysville, Maryland. By the mid-eighties he owned and operated nine trucks and employed seven drivers. Towing and recovery was his life but he was able to take a break now and then to marry and father four children. In 2004 Steve received the American Towman Medal for being first on the scene of an accident and helping to rescue a driver trapped in his car that had crashed off I-95, a feat that required maneuvering himself over a guardrail to get to the victim. For overcoming adversity and inspiring an industry, Steve Rhine earned the Joe Doblmeier Memorial Award, the American Towman Silver Star.
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• 55
Number 213 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 55
Mark Your Calendar for AT EXPO XXVIIl Nov. 18-20, 2016 AAA AASP/PA Absolute Perfection (Vehicle Wrapping) AC Delco Access Tools pg. 23 Actus Manufacturing ADDCO Advantage Funding pg. 38 Agero pg. 11 Agilis Systems all-Grip Vehicle Recovery Systems Allstate Roadside Services pg. 28 Amdor American Express Open American Safety & Supply pg. 72 American Towman Magazine AmeriDeck Amsoil Anchor Graphics ARI Hetra Arrowhead Automotive Aftermarket Astralease Associates Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales pg. S 87 Atwill Media Automotive Training Institute AutoReturn pg. 73 AW Direct pg. 39 B/A Products pg. 51 B&B Industries Bad Dog Tools Beacon Funding Beacon Software Best Tools
Big Tows/Metro Tow Trucks pg. N 84 C3 Location Systems Capital One Services Capital Trade Events Car-Part.com Century Chesapeake Automotive Equipment Chevron Chevron Commercial pg. 42 Cinema Car Leasing Coach-Net COMEUP USA pg. 76 Commercial Fleet Financing Copart Auto Auctions CRASHFILM pg. 78 Creditors Specialty Service, Inc Crouch's Wrecker & Equipment pg. 35 Custer Products Custom Radio Corp. Dangelo's Custom Built Detroit Wrecker Sales DewEze Manufacturing DK2 Warrior Winches Dom's Wrap-A-Wreck Dual-Tech pg. 57 Dubital Dynamic Towing Equip. & Mfg. pg. 39 East Penn Truck Equipment Eaton - Vehicle Group ECCO Enovative Technologies Excel Sportswear Extreme Toys
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Number 191 on Reader Card
*Supplier names in bold represent display advertisers in this issue with their ad page number cross-referenced.
Eye3Data EyeMax Security EZ Free TV Federal Signal Fleetmatics FleetNet America Fleetway Capital Ford Commercial Vehicles Free State Nam Knights GEICO GM Fleet/Commercial Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel Hi-Dow Professional Incorporated Hino Trucks Holmes Hooks Towing & Recovery Supplies HUB International Ice-E-Liminator I Tow In Icom North America IGTC pg. 37 In The Ditch Towing Products Industrial Netting Insurance Auto Auctions Integrated Vehicle & Equip. Leasing Intek Truck/Equipment Leasing pg. 37 Jerr-Dan pg. 92 Kalyn-Siebert Landoll Corporation pg. 27 Lattimer’s Warehouse Lift And Tow Lodar USA pg. 78 Lynch Chicago pg. 29
Magnet Works/Stamp Works Manufacturer Express pg. 55 Marlow Ropes Martens Johnson Insurance Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales Massage Corner Matheny Motors Truck Company pg. 67 Matjack Jumbo Safelift pg. 22 Metro Tow Trucks Midwest Keyless Miller Industries pg. 2, 3 Minimizer Minute Man Manufacturing Mobile Battery Solutions Mobile Computing Solutions Muncie Power Products Myers, Benner Corp. Nation Safe Drivers (NSD) National Purchasing Partners New Market Solutions (NoTow) NRC Industries NTTS Breakdown Directory Omadi OMG National pg. 86 OnlineParkingPass.com pg. 40 OPS Wireless Optimo Electronics Otto Trading Parker/Chelsea Products Penny Pockets Penske Truck Leasing Service Permco Hydraulics Phoenix USA Photo Card Specialists Pneu-Tek Tire Tools Pop-A-Lock PowerBilt Wreckers pg. 69 Powerhouse Industries
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Power Tac Lights Presto Permits Pro-Vision Video Systems Progressive Commercial Insurance pg. 25 Progressive powered by AhernIT Purpose Wrecker QuakeLED Quest Towing Services R-O-M Corp. Ramsey Winch pg. 27 Ranger SST RC Industries Recovery Billing Unlimited pg. 42 Renew Truck Body pg. N 84 Ricky's Sales & Service Road America Robert Young's NRC Sales & Service Rotary Lift RP Recovery Consulting Rush Towing Systems Safety Vision pg. 19 Santander Bank pg. 43 Savatech pg. 41, 72, 76 SEFAC Sky Patrol Smart Power Specialty Vehicle & Equip. Funding pg. 91 SpeedTech Lights Star Headlight Steck Manufacturing pg. 76 Sun Country Trailers pg. N 83 SuperSprings International Survivor Fund pg. 44 Swoop T-Max Hangzhou Industrial T.R.A.A. Talbert Manufacturing TCF Equipment Finance
Number 192 on Reader Card
TOMAR Electronics TomTom Telematics Tow Canada Tow Life Towbook Management Software Towing.com towPartners TowProgram.com towXchange Tracker Management Systems Trail-Eze/Dakota Manufacturing. Transit Pros Transportation Insurance Professionals Travis Barlow Insurance Traxxis GPS Solutions Trinity Transportation Services Truck Crane Solutions TTN Fleet Solutions TWG–Tulsa & DP Winch United Plastic Fabricating United Road Towing Urgent.ly USAC/MD pg. 34 Vulcan Warn Industries WeldBuilt Wreckers & Carriers Weldex West End Service WEX Whelen Engineering Will-Burt Company Windsor Steel WMDA Worldwide Equipment Sales pg. 20, 21 WreckMaster Xpress Pay Zip's Truck Equipment pg. 7
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 57
Light-Duty 2014-2015 Class 1st
Light-Duty pre-2014 Class
2016 Dodge 5500 2016 Vulcan 894 Morton’s Towing & Recovery Clarksburg, Md.
1st
2011 Ford F-350 2011 Jerr-Dan Element Hawk’s Towing & Recovery Trenton, N.J.
Co-Sponsored by: American Towman Magazine SpeedTech Lights
2nd
2014 Dodge 5500 2014 Jerr-Dan MPL40 Dezba Asset Recovery Mount Sinai, N.Y.
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2015 Ford F-550 Chevron 408 TA Bill’s Service Stamford, Conn.
3rd
2nd
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1986 Chevrolet 330 1986 Jerr-Dan Jerr-lift Parke’s Auto Repair & Sales Elverson, Pa.
2012 Ford F-550 2012 Century 6500-612 South Carolina Collision Aiken, S.C.
3rd
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 59
Carrier Class
Medium-Duty Class 1st
1st
2015 Ram 4500 2015 Vulcan bed American Auto Body Maspeth, N.Y.
2015 Ford F-550 Chevron 408 TA K & S Towing Havertown, Pa.
2nd
2nd
2015 Kenworth T370 2015 NRC TB20 Null’s Towing Cochranville, Pa.
2015 International 4300 2015 Century 12 Series LCG Quickdraw Tarp System Blair’s Towing & Recovery Falls Church, Va.
3rd
2016 Freightliner M2 2015 Century EB-4 Norton’s Tow Squad Philadelphia, Pa.
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 61
Service/Support Truck
Vintage Class
1st
1972 Auto-Car 1972 Holmes 750 Bill’s Service Stamford, Conn.
1st
2013 Chevy 3500 HD 2013 Reading Utility Body K&S Towing Havertown, Pa.
2nd 2014 Freightliner Cascadia Nelcon North Haven, Conn.
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959 Jeep FC150 1959 Canfield M100 Knott’s Towing Denton, Md.
1978 Ford F-350 1978 Holmes 440 Panek’s Garage Livingston, N.J.
3rd
2nd
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 63
Heavy-Duty Tandem Class 2016 Peterbilt 389 2015 Century 5130 Morton’s Towing & Recovery Clarksburg, Md.
1st
2nd
2015 Kenworth T800 2015 Century 5230 Pinehill Towing & Recovery King George, Va.
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Heavy-Duty Single-Axle Class
2001 Kenworth W900L 2005 Century 7035 Payne’s Towing Ruckersville, Va.
2015 Kenworth T-800 Century 5130 Michael’s Towing & Recovery Fredericksburg, Va.
1st
In 2015, the American Wrecker Pageant expanded to a record 70plus entrants across all the categories, and expanded beyond its usual display hall. The pageant
3rd
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trucks served as a fantastic backdrop for Festival Night, Allstate Luxury Vehicle Training and the ACE Awards during last November’s American Towman Exposition.
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 65
1st
Rotator Class 2008 Peterbilt 389 Extended Hood 2014 Century 1140 Waggy’s Towing Dumfries, Va.
2nd
2015 Peterbilt 389 2015 Century 1150 Coleman Motor Fredericksburg, Va.
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2012 Kenworth T800 2012 Century 1140 Michael’s Towing & Recovery Fredericksburg, Va.
3rd
Number 111 on Reader Card
Best in Show
2007 Ford F-550 2007 Vulcan 810 A1 Non-Stop & Recovery Freeport, N.Y.
2015 Kenworth T880 2015 Jerr-Dan HDL1000 Interstate Towing Chicopee, Mass.
Best of Show Working Class
NOTE: The "Working Class (Over 50,000 Miles)"
Best Presentation
2014 Kenworth T270 2014 Century Right Approach bed Pinehill Towing & Automotive King George, Va.
Number 172 on Reader Card
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 69
What’s Your Snatch Block IQ Answer Key? continued from page 18 How much load is on each snatch block? Block C: 1,000 lbs. Block D: 1,435 lbs. Block E: 420 lbs. Block F: 705 lbs. Winch answers: Example 1 (disregard line angles): Line A: 50 lbs. Line B: 50 lbs. Block 1: 100 lbs. Winch: 50 lbs. Anchor: 50 lbs. Mechanical advantage: 2:1 Example 2 (disregard line angles): Line A: 33.3 lbs. Line B: 33.3 lbs. Line C: 33.3 lbs. Block 1: 66.6 lbs. Block 2: 66.6 lbs. Winch: 33.3 lbs. Anchor: 66.6 lbs. Mechanical advantage: 3:1 Example 3 (disregard line angles): Line A: 25 lbs. Line B: 25 lbs. Line C: 25 lbs. Line D: 25 lbs. Block 1: 50 lbs. Block 2: 50 lbs. Block 3: 50 lbs. Winch: 25 lbs. Anchor: 75 lbs. Mechanical advantage: 4:1
Example 5: Line A: 100 lbs. Line B: 100 lbs. Winch: 100 lbs. Block 1: 141 lbs. Anchor: 141 lbs. Mechanical advantage: 1:1 (No mechanical advantage on load). Example 6 (disregard line angles): Line A: 50 lbs. Line B: 50 lbs. Line C: 50 lbs. Block 1: 100 lbs. Block 2: 100 lbs. Winch: 50 lbs. Anchor 1: 150 lbs. Mechanical advantage: 2:1 Example 7 (disregard line angles): Line A: 50 lbs. Line B: 50 lbs. Line C: 25 lbs. Line D: 25 lbs. Line E: 12.5 lbs. Line F: 12.5 lbs. Block 1: 100 lbs. Block 2: 50 lbs. Block 3: 25 lbs. Winch: 12.5 lbs. Anchor 1: 87.5 lbs. Mechanical advantage: 8:1
Example 4 (disregard line angles on running block only): Line A: 50 lbs. Line B: 50 lbs. Line C: 50 lbs. Block 1: 50 lbs. Block 2: 70.5 lbs. Winch: 50 lbs. Anchor 1: 70.5 lbs. Anchor 2: 50 lbs. Mechanical advantage: 2:1
Number 107 on Reader Card
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Field Editor Terry Abejuela has 30plus years of light-duty towing-andrecovery experience. He is also a light-duty Level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association.
Number 196 on Reader Card
Number 207 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 71
Association Wants Tows, Recoveries Billed Same As part of a quest to end overcharged nonconsensual tows, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has filed comments to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. The association asked Louisiana to create a single hourly rate for towing and recovery services and to consider specific changes regarding nonconsensual tows. “Ultimately, a heavy-duty wrecker does not distinguishbetween a tow and recovery,” wrote OOIDA’s Mike Matousek. “Regardless of how it’s being used, a single hourly rate should be applied. We are unable to see why the recovery rate should be higher than the towing rate, but would certainly welcome any justification the commission has regarding these rates.” Matousek also wrote law enforcement surcharges and the actual cost of law enforcement often do not match. “When a towing company submits an invoice that includes charges for law enforcement personnel, the towing company should only be reimbursed for the actual cost of law enforcement and not be allowed to include a surcharge,” Matousek said. “Louisiana has some serious issues that need to be addressed, and we’re now a part of that process,” Matousek said. Source: landlinemag.com.
Number 120 on Reader Card
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Winning at the Towing Game Speed’s Towing CEO Mike Porter will be conducting a seminar on How to Win at the Towing Game, as part of The Uber Towman Conference, one of five “Winning” Conferences during Tow Industry Week in Las Vegas. This informative seminar will give tow owners the keys to success in how to run their business and position their company as a winner in their market area. Topics include how to come up with an action plan, why having a vision is so important, creating a profit and loss sheet, how to figure out how much each kind of tow costs and many other important concepts. Speed’s Towing, founded by Gary Coe in Portland Oregon, has been known across six decades for its progressive practices. Porter will also talk about an innovative flat rate strategy that has increased his company’s revenues. The seminar takes place at the South Point Hotel & Casino, May 13th. Conference goers will be able to attend the American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas at the South Point Convention Center/Exhibit Hall. For more information go to www.atshowplace.com
Check out AT’s digital edition at itowman.com
Number 118 on Reader Card
Agero Donates $15,000 to Survivor Fund
Correction A Trail-Eze DLX5053 trailer was misidentified in a story on page 40 in the January 2016 issue of American Towman.
Agero recently donated $15,000 to the International Towing and Recovery Museum Survivor Fund. Agero’s Donations4Locations initiative was committed to giving back to the towers who risk their lives every day, while also building awareness of GPS technology. “Most people likely don’t realize that the towing industry is an extremely dangerous profession. Sadly, in fact, more than one tow truck operator is killed every week assisting motorists,” said Dave Ferrick, CEO of Agero. “As first responders, frequently along the side of high traffic roadways, these individuals are putting their lives at risk every day in order to help their customers. “As a partner in the service provider community, we are honored to help support the families of those brave men and women, and raise awareness among drivers nationwide of the importance of using caution when passing a roadside incident.” Agero (agero.com) launched its Donations4Locations initiative to encourage their national network of roadside service providers to include GPS location-based statuses on their event dispatches from the company. For each of these dispatches, the company committed to donating 50 cents to the Survivor Fund. Through participation by service providers Dec. 2-4, Agero successfully met its $15,000 goal during the three-day charity event.
Rotary Updates HD 70 Series Lifts Rotary Lift updated its 70 Series heavy-duty traditional in-ground lifts with new user-friendly features and has had the lifts ALI tested and certified. The 70Q and 703Q traditional inground lifts feature a new standard locking system with a “lower to
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 73
Number 167 on Reader Card
Supplier Scoop continued from page 73 locks” feature based on Rotary’s MOD Series locking system. “Our updated traditional in-ground lifts give heavy-duty fleet customers a cost-effective option for retrofits or new construction,” said Doug Spiller, Rotary Lift heavy-duty product manager. “Fleets have relied on Rotary Lift inground lifts for decades, and they know this is a product they can count on to perform every day.”
Custer Names President, Sales Manager
Number 132 on Reader Card
Number 158 on Reader Card
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Brad Custer, CEO of Custer Products Limited (custerproducts.com), recently announced the hiring of Andy Haag as president and Dan Smith as sales manager. “I’m excited to be working with Andy and Dan,” Custer said. “Together, they will help lead Custer to larger market penetration and an increased focus on customer satisfaction.” Haag has served in various marketing, sales and management positions for The Babcock and Wilcox Co., Roadway Express and The Sherwin-Williams Co. Smith brings more than 20 years of business and sales experience to Custer Products; he was previously employed at MACtac."
Number 116 on Reader Card
Man Steals Tow Truck, Fights Cops A Rochester, Minn., man faces multiple felonies after he allegedly stole a tow truck from an automotive business and used it in other crimes. The tow truck was reported stolen Dec. 12 after surveillance footage from the business showed it being moved from its parking spot about 5:30 a.m. A few hours later, Rochester police responded to a car wash business, where a witness said a man had tried to break into a change machine with a hammer then fled in a tow truck, according to police. Police received a call from somebody who knew the owner of the tow truck at 4 p.m. and gave a location where the truck could be found. When the 34-year-old suspect and a 22-year-old woman approached the tow truck, one officer recognized the suspect and another recognized the
clothing as the same as in the car wash surveillance video, the report said. The officers and the suspect got into a fight, Sherwin said, prompting a radio call of an officer in trouble. The man was allegedly armed with a screwdriver and a razor; several officers were cut during the struggle. According to the report, officers found methamphetamine, marijuana and other items in the tow truck. Source: postbulletin.com
Austin, Texas, Goes to AutoReturn The Austin (Texas) Police Department turned to AutoReturn to help it clear accidents on Austin roads, moving on from its past rotation plan. APD began using AutoReturn Jan. 4. Thirty-five of the city’s 41 tow truck operators are participating. “[There’s] about a 95-percent ontime response rate,” said Ron Perry, a
service manager for AutoReturn. He said response times over the first week averaged nine minutes vs. 15-minute response times from the rotation. Perry said the AR program is more accurate when it comes to capturing data because previously officers had to physically call towers and response times were not tracked well. Source: kvue.com.
Tow Yard Evacuated for Suspicious Device A Waimea, Hawaii, towing company was evacuated the morning of Jan. 5 after a possible explosive device was found attached to the front fender of a vehicle that had been towed to the yard following a “Freedom Ride” rally. Police officers blocked access to the tow yard until a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit arrived. “They told me to take my tow trucks and they’ll call me when I can
Number 123 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 77
Number 178 on Reader Card
come back,” said David McCollough, owner of Tow Guys. McCollough said the mid-1980s Mercury Topaz had a round, cylindrical device attached under the bumper with two electrical wires leading into it. A man had called the yard on January 4, claiming that the vehicle belonged to the state and that the police had stolen it. The man appeared to be raving, but also tipped McCollough off that the car might be rigged. “He said, ‘You should go look at the car. Trust me, you should look at the car,’ ” McCollough said. The car, decked out with No Trespassing signs instead of license plates and statements associated with Freedom Ride in the windows, was towed Jan. 2 at police request, McCollough said. At the time, the tow truck driver had noticed the canister but thought it was a homemade contraption to increase fuel economy, he said. When McCollough lifted the hood for a more thorough look, he found wires with a toggle switch leading to the battery. Then he called the police. “I said, this thing is wired to explode,” McCollough said. Police did not immediately have more information. Source: westhawaiitoday.com
Allstate Ranks Safest Driving Cities Number 210 on Reader Card
Number 163 on Reader Card
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The 2015 Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report reveals certain cities are safer than others when factoring rainy or snowy conditions into collision frequency. Recently, the National Safety Council estimated the U.S. is on track for its deadliest driving year since 2007. In the first six months of 2015, NSC reported traffic deaths were up 14 percent from a year ago, and serious injuries were 30 percent higher over the same period. While there are many factors that impact highway safety, an improving economy and lower gas prices have led to an increase in the number of miles being driven. The Federal Highway Adminis-
tration’s latest Traffic Volume Trend Report says cumulative travel for 2015 is up by 3.5 percent. The September report is based on hourly traffic count data reported by the states, using data collected at approximately 4,000 continuous traffic counting locations nationwide. The top 10 safest cities, when factoring in collision frequency and precipitation: 1. Kansas City, Kan. 2. Cape Coral, Fla. 3. Brownsville, Texas 4. Boise, Idaho 5. Madison, Wis. 6. Huntsville, Ala. 7. Fort Collins, Colo. 8. Port St. Lucie, Fla. 9. Cary, N.C. 10. Montgomery, Ala. For the past 11 years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth analysis of company claims data to determine the likelihood drivers in America’s 200 largest cities will experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average.
Police Shoot Tow Truck Thief Salem, Ore., police reported an officer shot a suspect after he drove at him in a stolen tow truck. The shooting was followed by a wild chase. The suspect, Ronald Chilcote, 51, has a lengthy criminal record. Police say they spotted the tow truck behind a barn on Jan. 1. As officers approached it, Chilcote revved the engine and drove at Salem Police Sgt. Tony Moore, who opened fire. Officers say Chilcote crashed the truck after driving into a ditch in a field about a mile away. Chilcote was arrested and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was later released and booked. Source: kval.com
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 79
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • 81
The Uber Towman by Steve Calitri
I
n my years covering the towing industry, talking to towers and visiting their yards, I’ve been struck by how the demands of running an emergency road service fleet (large or small) brings out the utmost professionalism. Not in everyone. After all, we’re not all cut from the same cloth. Some people are smarter, more energetic, more peopleoriented and more dedicated than others. Tow bosses cut this way run amazing operations. No doubt, anyone surviving in this business is pretty special, but to thrive today involves so much more than it did 20 years ago. State-of-theart dispatch today involves using GPS and its reporting capabilities. Marketing a towing business today means building an email database and blasting out a monthly newsletter to customers, making sure your website is effective and atop Google searches. Today your reputation is not just passed along by word of mouth, but through Yelp, Google and Yahoo testimonials. Twenty years ago you could scrape by paying drivers $10 an hour; now you need to be around $20 an hour to attract and keep good people. Operating efficiency is more critical than ever. The tower who thrives today in this most demanding business is an Uber Towman. Not “Uber” as in the cab-app business, but “Uber” as in Super. In Las Vegas during Tow Industry Week, May 11-13, American Towman will be presenting an educational conference on “Winning” with a sem-
82 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
inar on Being Number One in Your Market Area. Another apt title would be, How to Become An Uber Towman. The presenter, Mike Porter, is the CEO of one of the most storied towing companies in the U.S., Speed’s in Portland, Ore., founded by veteran tow boss, Gary Coe. What you need to do, the tools you need to have to be No. 1, and how you need to innovate, will be discussed. Porter has brought innovative approaches to Speed’s Supertow. He’s incorporated a live, online auction element to its live, on-site auctions. He’s instituted an interesting flat-rate structure that has significantly increased the percentage of call-ins converted to tows. How successful have his approaches been? Well, good enough that Gary Coe can take off on a drag racing circuit to have the time of his life. Isn’t that a goal of most business owners, to be able to go off and explore life beyond the shop? For some, being an Uber Towman means diversifying into corollary operations. The Diversification Conference in Las Vegas will address two exciting areas in depth—traffic control and accident cleanup as revenue centers—and other areas that may surprise you as being a great fit. And I’m not talking hot dogs, though for a tower with the right location … Mike Porter
Twelve wrecker and carrier manufacturers who exhibited at the American Towman Exposition were featured in a story produced by American Towman TV and Emily Oz, showing on TowIndustryWeek.com (towman.com). The range and depth of wrecker products in the U.S. market has increased over the past eight years, significantly, making the market more competitive in product quality and pricing. It makes AT Expo the shopping event of the year. American Towman Magazine highlights these wrecker manufacturer exhibits in this issue’s AT Expo photo gallery.
American Towman celebrates 100 Years of Towing at its shows this year, starting with the Centennial Celebration in Las Vegas, May 11-13 at the South Point Hotel & Casino. The big bash caps the show on early Friday evening, and is free to all advance registrants. Repotimes.com is co-sponsoring the Repo Conference being held in conjunction with Tow Expo in Dallas, August 4-6, at the Arlington Convention Center. It’s a must conference for towers considering branching into repossession.
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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 - February 2016 • SOUTH 83
Pricing Your Services for Profit by Don Archer
R
ecently, I received an email from a tower named William who is fed up with his business and said he was about ready to park his truck and look for a job. He complained about the competition, the economy and said he wasn’t even making enough money to pay for insurance. Obviously exasperated, he asked, “How should I price my services?”— what he believed was the problem. I responded with words of encouragement, telling him to price his services so that he always made a profit and stop letting fear be his guide. Towers often believe that pricing their services properly is the hardest part. Some think they have to be the low-price leader, others ride the middle, while others charge what they’re worth and are able to grow their businesses. But how does this last group do it? What is it that these guys understand that the rest don’t? They understand that charging less than what you’re worth is caused by fear; and fear is a poison that will ultimately kill your business. They know that using fear as a factor in determining rates causes you to shoot too low and miss. If fear of losing a tow causes you to price your services too low to pay the bills, you need to change your strategy. Instead of focusing on not losing, focus on winning by charging rates that get you excited to get in your truck and get going. There are four factors that determine your success in the marketplace: supply, demand, quality and quantity. Many towers believe they don’t have any control over the first two, and each firmly believes that they’ve got “quality service” wrapped-up. What many fail to understand is the last one, quantity, and how it can help you to compete while increasing your bottom line.
Your truck is considered an asset and it will have value when you trade or sell, but it must also be considered an expense. (Big Valley Towing won a First Place trophy with this HD Century “asset” at the 2015 Tow Industry Week in Las Vegas.)
Here’s a simple and practical pricing strategy to help you to understand. Use this only as a framework from which to begin. You must determine your rates based on the service provided. Just be sure to consider all the costs. Cost of Doing Business: Add up all of last year’s expenses, everything that’s considered a cost of doing business. Fuel, rent, advertising, insurance, repairs and maintenance, tires, employee expense, damages, office supplies, utilities and phones. Add in the interest paid on trucks and real estate. Then divide that number by the number of calls you did that year. For example: If the total cost was $100,000 and you ran 4,000 calls, then your cost per call would be $25. Determine your expected Return On Investment: Add up the value of your trucks and equipment and real estate, or a percentage of real estate that’s used solely for the purposes of conducting business. Include taxes paid on both. For our example we’ll assume it all comes to $500,000. After
SOUTH 84 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
you know what your investment is you need to then decide what kind of return you want. If you want a 10-percent ROI then multiply that number by 10 percent (.10), ($500,000 x .10 = $50,000) then divide the result by the number of calls you did last year ($50,000÷4,000=$12.50) Trucks and Equipment Replacement: Your truck is considered an asset and it will have value when you trade or sell, but it must also be considered an expense. This is hard for many to wrap their heads around. Each mile you put on your trucks and every time you use your equipment, you lose value. It’s also slowly becoming obsolete. As better, more technologically advanced trucks and equipment become available, yours are becoming less and less sought after. Think about it like a carpenter replacing a table saw. Eight hours per day for 500 days can take its toll. When it’s time to replace it he’ll be looking for something that’ll hold up better, not something that’s already worn
out. So you must work the cost of replacing this stuff into your cost per call. To cover the cost of replacement, I suggest you go by the $1 per mile rule. In other words if you drive 60,000 miles in one year then you need to collect $60,000 from the 4,000 calls that you did. ($60,000÷4,000=$15) Add these three numbers together and you have a good starting point. Some calls will be higher, some will be lower; this is an average to shoot for. (Cost of Doing Business + ROI + Truck Replacement = Starting point) So where does quantity come into the equation? Once you’ve considered all the costs and know that your rates allow you to make a profit you’ll become more confident and your fear will all but disappear. The residual effect will be that you’ll get more customers. No longer will you be that scared guy cold-calling repair shops begging for work. You’ll be happy and helpful in all areas because you know your numbers. And because positivity attracts, you’ll get more work. But that’s not even the best part. When you increase the number of customers you’re serving, you can revisit your pricing strategy. Then, if you choose to, you’ll be able to lower your rates while still maintaining your desired profit. With lower rates you’ll be more competitive and have the opportunity to help more people, creating a snowball effect. Of course some of your variable costs will increase, but so will your income. You’ll drive more miles, but you’ll still be capturing replacement costs. Whatever method you use to determine your rates, remember to never let fear play a part.
Number 180 on Reader Card
Editor’s note: This column first appeared on AT’s sister site, towindustryweek.com, which features industry news, training, recoveries, new products and more. Don’t miss out—make sure to check it out each week.
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.. Number 170 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • SOUTH 85
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Tower Helps Trap Hit-and-Run Driver
Tower Killed in Chicago An Illinois towman was shot and killed Dec. 17 while working on Chicago’s south side. Lutredze Evans, 32, was driving a flatbed about 9 a.m. when someone opened fire at him, according to Chicago Police. He was shot in the chest multiple times through the door of his tow truck and kept driving until he struck a viaduct. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Employees at Turbo Towing where he worked say Evans leaves behind two small children. There were no updates on a suspect at press time. Source: chronicledaily.com.
A towman tracked down a white van after it struck a child in Denver, Colo., on Jan. 4. “Everybody looks at us like we’re, you know, the bad guy out there towing everybody’s cars to the impound. But in actuality we’re here to help everybody,” said Jason De Cesari, of Aaliyah’s Towing. “I stopped at the light at Colfax, right before I-70. I (saw) this white van in the right-hand lane and a car pulling up next to him. The gentleman in the car got out and walked up to the van and started knocking on the window and said, ‘Hey man. You ran that kid over. You need to go back.’ “Well, the guy rolled up his window and fled the scene,” he said. The man then asked De Cesari if he would help. “I got three kids. I mean, my kids are my everything. So you know, I
SOUTH 86 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
wouldn’t expect anybody to do anything less,” De Cesari said. What he did was follow the hitand-run driver in the white van to I270 and Vasquez. Another man was in the van with him. “I had my lights on, I was honking letting people know I was coming through and people were moving over for me. And eventually I got around to the point where I could get in front of him. And that’s when I cut him off and I blocked him in so he couldn’t leave,” he said. The other driver blocked him from the back while De Cesari called police. All the while De Cesari had been towing a load. The 10-year-old boy was not hurt. Source: kdvr.com
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Number 160 on Reader Card
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Number 179 on Reader Card
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • SOUTH 87
Number 126 on Reader Card
Pricing Your Services for Profit by Don Archer
R
ecently, I received an email from a tower named William who is fed up with his business and said he was about ready to park his truck and look for a job. He complained about the competition, the economy and said he wasn’t even making enough money to pay for insurance. Obviously exasperated, he asked, “How should I price my services?”— what he believed was the problem. I responded with words of encouragement, telling him to price his services so that he always made a profit and stop letting fear be his guide. Towers often believe that pricing their services properly is the hardest part. Some think they have to be the low-price leader, others ride the middle, while others charge what they’re worth and are able to grow their businesses. But how does this last group do it? What is it that these guys understand that the rest don’t? They understand that charging less than what you’re worth is caused by fear; and fear is a poison that will ultimately kill your business. They know that using fear as a factor in determining rates causes you to shoot too low and miss. If fear of losing a tow causes you to price your services too low to pay the bills, you need to change your strategy. Instead of focusing on not losing, focus on winning by charging rates that get you excited to get in your truck and get going. There are four factors that determine your success in the marketplace: supply, demand, quality and quantity. Many towers believe they don’t have any control over the first two, and each firmly believes that they’ve got “quality service” wrapped-up. What many fail to understand is the last one, quantity, and how it can help you to compete while increasing your bottom line.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Your truck is considered an asset and it will have value when you trade or sell, but it must also be considered an expense. (Big Valley Towing won a First Place trophy with this HD Century “asset” at the 2015 Tow Industry Week in Las Vegas.)
Here’s a simple and practical pricing strategy to help you to understand. Use this only as a framework from which to begin. You must determine your rates based on the service provided. Just be sure to consider all the costs. Cost of Doing Business: Add up all of last year’s expenses, everything that’s considered a cost of doing business. Fuel, rent, advertising, insurance, repairs and maintenance, tires, employee expense, damages, office supplies, utilities and phones. Add in the interest paid on trucks and real estate. Then divide that number by the number of calls you did that year. For example: If the total cost was $100,000 and you ran 4,000 calls, then your cost per call would be $25. Determine your expected Return On Investment: Add up the value of your trucks and equipment and real estate, or a percentage of real estate that’s used solely for the purposes of conducting business. Include taxes paid on both. For our example we’ll assume it all comes to $500,000. After
you know what your investment is you need to then decide what kind of return you want. If you want a 10-percent ROI then multiply that number by 10 percent (.10), ($500,000 x .10 = $50,000) then divide the result by the number of calls you did last year ($50,000÷4,000=$12.50) Trucks and Equipment Replacement: Your truck is considered an asset and it will have value when you trade or sell, but it must also be considered an expense. This is hard for many to wrap their heads around. Each mile you put on your trucks and every time you use your equipment, you lose value. It’s also slowly becoming obsolete. As better, more technologically advanced trucks and equipment become available, yours are becoming less and less sought after. Think about it like a carpenter replacing a table saw. Eight hours per day for 500 days can take its toll. When it’s time to replace it he’ll be looking for something that’ll hold up better, not something that’s already worn out.
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • MIDWEST 83
Number 134 on Reader Card
So you must work the cost of replacing this stuff into your cost per call. To cover the cost of replacement, I suggest you go by the $1 per mile rule. In other words if you drive 60,000 miles in one year then you need to collect $60,000 from the 4,000 calls that you did. ($60,000÷4,000=$15) Add these three numbers together and you have a good starting point. Some calls will be higher, some will be lower; this is an average to shoot for. (Cost of Doing Business + ROI + Truck Replacement = Starting point) So where does quantity come into the equation? Once you’ve considered all the costs and know that your rates allow you to make a profit you’ll become more confident and your fear will all but disappear. The residual effect will be that you’ll get more customers. No longer will you be that scared guy cold-calling repair shops begging for work. You’ll be happy and helpful in all areas because you know your numbers. And because positivity attracts, you’ll get more work. But that’s not even the best part. When you increase the number of customers you’re serving, you can revisit your pricing strategy. Then, if you choose to, you’ll be able to lower your rates while still maintaining your desired profit. With lower rates you’ll be more competitive and have the opportunity to help more people, creating a snowball effect. Of course some of your variable costs will increase, but so will your income. You’ll drive more miles, but you’ll still be capturing replacement costs. Whatever method you use to determine your rates, remember to never let fear play a part. Editor’s note: This column first appeared on AT’s sister site, towindustryweek.com, which features industry news, training, recoveries, new products and more. Don’t miss out—make sure to check it out each week.
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.. Number 193 on Reader Card
MIDWEST 84 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Number 138 on Reader Card
Number 189 on Reader Card Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • MIDWEST 85
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Tower Killed in Chicago An Illinois towman was shot and killed Dec. 17 while working on Chicago’s south side. Lutredze Evans, 32, was driving a flatbed about 9 a.m. when someone opened fire at him, according to Chicago Police. He was shot in the chest multiple times through the door of his tow truck and kept driving until he struck a viaduct. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Employees at Turbo Towing where he worked say Evans leaves behind two small children. There were no updates on a suspect at press time. Source: chronicledaily.com.
MIDWEST 86 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Towman Electrocuted at Scene The instant Edward Kammerer’s foot hit the ground, he was dead. In the wind, rain and darkness on a late December night, Kammerer did not know the light bar on the cab of his tow truck had snagged a power line from a downed pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Kammerer, 60, was an experienced driver. He had run A-1 Towing out of Strafford since 1986. “He knew the dangers,” said his older brother, Kenneth, 69, a retired towman. “It was not the first time he rolled up on a situation with a power line down.” Kammerer was a one-man operation, with occasional help from one of his sons. He built his own tow truck. Someone had hit a power pole on the north side of the street, just west of Highway 125, according to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. That driver left. Soon after, a different driver swerved into a ditch to avoid hitting the power pole, which lay across the two-lane road. Several agencies responded. When Kammerer arrived, a Greene County sheriff’s department volunteer was on the scene, as were Strafford firefighters. Firefighters had not yet put lights on the downed power pole. Whatever lines were down, they were not arcing. In other words, it was difficult in the darkness to tell if the downed lines were alive or if power was out. Source: news-leader.com.
Tower Helps Trap Hit-and-Run Driver A towman tracked down a white van after it struck a child in Denver, Colo., on Jan. 4. “Everybody looks at us like we’re, you know, the bad guy out there towing everybody’s cars to the impound. But in actuality we’re here to help everybody,” said Jason De Cesari, of Aaliyah’s Towing. “I stopped at the light at Colfax, Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
right before I-70. I (saw) this white van in the right-hand lane and a car pulling up next to him. The gentleman in the car got out and walked up to the van and started knocking on the window and said, ‘Hey man. You ran that kid over. You need to go back.’ “Well, the guy rolled up his window and fled the scene,” he said. The man then asked De Cesari if he would help. “I got three kids. I mean, my kids are my everything. So you know, I wouldn’t expect anybody to do anything less,” De Cesari said. What he did was follow the hitand-run driver in the white van to I270 and Vasquez. Another man was in the van with him. “I had my lights on, I was honking letting people know I was coming through and people were moving over for me. And eventually I got around to the point where I could get in front of him. And that’s when I cut him off and I blocked him in so he couldn’t leave,” he said. The other driver blocked him from the back while De Cesari called police. All the while De Cesari had been towing a load. The 10-year-old boy was not hurt. Source: kdvr.com
Contracted Tow Yard Fined $21,000 In Texas, the city of San Antonio’s contracted towing yard has been hit with a $21,000 fine for multiple violations, according to state records. The fine, issued against United Road Towing by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation last month, covers seven violations over the past two years ranging from operating without a license to charging people unauthorized fees. “I think it’s a racket between the police and towing company. That’s a good deal for them,” Elizabeth Polk said via telephone. Polk filed a complaint against the towing company last year, after she says she was forced to pay close to $1,000 to recover her stolen vehicle from the city tow yard.
Polk’s Jeep was stolen from the New Braunfels area in August 2014 but recovered less than a day later in San Antonio, according to state paperwork. Polk says it took more than three weeks for her to be notified the Jeep was recovered, meaning it sat at the city pound collecting $500 in impound fees. “The registration papers, everything, were still in the Jeep. All they had to do was call us and we would have come down and picked it up,” said Polk. The TDLR offered to reduce the penalty to $15,570 if the company comes into compliance. City Attorney Martha Sepeda released the following statement: “Since 2008, United Road Towing, Inc. has managed Growdon Pound under contract with the City. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation believes that Growdon Pound must be licensed by the state. However, the City disagrees because state law provides that governmentowned vehicle storage facilities, like Growdon, are not required to be licensed. This matter will be resolved in an administrative hearing. To clarify further, URT, Inc. does not perform tows directly for the City. It manages four licensed subcontractors who provide towing services. In order to release a vehicle, the City, through URT, Inc., requires the owner of the vehicle to provide documentation to prove current insurance, registration, and ownership. Any disputes about this process are handled by URT, Inc. and follow City policies.” The statement did not address the other issues cited in the TDLR’s Notice of Alleged Violation, including complaints the company refused to accept suitable forms of payment and failed to give customers a notice of their rights. Source: kens5.com.
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TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • MIDWEST 87
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Tower Killed in Chicago An Illinois towman was shot and killed Dec. 17 while working on Chicago’s south side. Lutredze Evans, 32, was driving a flatbed about 9 a.m. when someone opened fire at him, according to Chicago Police. He was shot in the chest multiple times through the door of his tow truck and kept driving until he struck a viaduct. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Employees at Turbo Towing where he worked say Evans leaves behind two small children. There were no updates on a suspect at press time. Source: chronicledaily.com.
Tower Helps Trap Hit-and-Run Driver Number 198 on Reader Card
WEST 84 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
A towman tracked down a white van after it struck a child in Denver, Colo., on Jan. 4. “Everybody looks at us like we’re, you know, the bad guy out there towing everybody’s cars to the impound. But in actuality we’re here to help everybody,” said Jason De Cesari, of Aaliyah’s Towing. “I stopped at the light at Colfax, right before I-70. I (saw) this white van in the right-hand lane and a car pulling up next to him. The gentleman in the car got out and walked up to the van and started knocking on the window and said, ‘Hey man. You ran that kid over. You need to go back.’ “Well, the guy rolled up his window and fled the scene,” he said. The man then asked De Cesari if he would help. “I got three kids. I mean, my kids are my everything. So you know, I wouldn’t expect anybody to do anything less,” De Cesari said. What he did was follow the hitand-run driver in the white van to I270 and Vasquez. Another man was in the van with him.
Number 184 on Reader Card
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Number 101 on Reader Card
TOWMAN.COM - February 2016 • WEST 85
“I had my lights on, I was honking letting people know I was coming through and people were moving over for me. And eventually I got around to the point where I could get in front of him. And that’s when I cut him off and I blocked him in so he couldn’t leave,” he said. The other driver blocked him from the back while De Cesari called police. All the while De Cesari had been towing a load. The 10-year-old boy was not hurt. Source: kdvr.com
Tower Accused of Stealing Wallet In Oak Bluffs, Mass., a Martha’s Vineyard tower was arrested and charged with stealing a wallet during a service call. According to an Oak Bluffs police release, officers responded to a larceny call where the caller told officers she had called a motor club after her car wouldn’t start. A tower was dispatched to the
address. He was unable to get the car started and told the woman he would return once she had made arrangements for the car to be towed to a garage. After the tower left, the woman went to retrieve her wallet from her purse in the car and discovered the wallet was missing, the release said. Based on the woman’s statement, police were able to identity the driver. The tower was pulled over and questioned about the incident. He reportedly denied stealing the wallet and requested a lawyer, according to police. During a search of the tow truck, officers found two replica pistols, marijuana, Diazepam, Alprazolam and a hypodermic needle, the release said. Officers did not locate the stolen wallet. The tower was arrested and charged with larceny from a person, larceny over $250, possession of a Class C drug and possession of a Class E drug. Source: capecodtoday.com.
Number 215 on Reader Card
WEST 86 • February 2016 - TOWMAN.COM
Minn. Tower Dons Santa Suit on Christmas With a red truck, a red suit and the same first name as Santa Claus, towman Kris Macphail couldn’t resist playing the part during his shift on Christmas in Hopkins, Minn. “Someone got sick earlier in the week and the whole deal was I would work if someone bought me a Santa Claus outfit. [I’m] kind of eating my words know,” said Macphail, a parttime tower for Kustom Karriers. Macphail realized his uniform change also helped change attitudes. “People don’t expect to be in those situations, when you can show up and make them laugh and be kinda funny, joke with them, it kinda changes the situation,” he said. Source: fox9.com.
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