American Towman Magazine - Nov. 2016 by dortiz-towman

Wreckers Take Wing Baltimore, November 18-20 ATExposition.com

Enjoy your coffee at TowIndustryWeek.com

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AMERICAN MADE TOUGH

FEATURE CONTENTS

November 18-20

Jae’s Towing in Heath, Ohio, used its Century 1150 and 9055 heavies to recover a rolled semi in a snow-filled ditch.

Winter Rollover Recovery A semi overturned in a ditch on a snowy rural road in Ohio last February. by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Should Everyone Get a Turn? Rotations that include anyone become murky territory where motorists safety is involved. by Don Archer

Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tow Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Work Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

An Industry Takes Flight Musings on the American Wrecker Pageant in Baltimore. by Steve Calitri

Chassis Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .78 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Cover: K&S Towing & Recovery Havertown, PA.

Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . .regional Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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Tow Expo: Where the Action Is First On The Scene!

by Dennie Ortiz

Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri

At one time in my life the month of November would invoke thoughts of turkey, elections and the coming of winter. Having been in the towing industry for close to 20 years, the only thoughts November brings now is that of the American Towman Exposition – the largest trade show in towing and the Grand Finale of the year. It cannot be overstated that the AT Expo in Baltimore is the pinnacle of events serving the towing industry. Nowhere else in the towing world do so many important elements come together: a robust exhibit floor with

every type of towing-related supplier, the most extensive educational forum, the many hospitality events that encourage you to network with peers and the several award programs recognizing the contributions of towing business owners and operators. Nowhere else can you experience so much to learn and improve your towing business in such a short timespan. November is here; will you be where the action is … where the towing world comes together? Join us in Baltimore at the AT Exposition and be part of history as we celebrate Towing’s Centennial at the Greatest Show of All Time.

Building Repeat Business by Brendan Dooley

In an industry saddled with a negative public perception, there are times that owners may be unwittingly contributing to the cause, according to James Roudon, a recent AT contributor. (Roudon offered up some opinions on treating employees with respect in his first article for AT, in last month’s issue.) This month, he wrote about companies that see customers more as one-offs rather than repeat business—no matter how infrequently. To that end, are you promising more than you can give in ETAs or lowball quotes that don’t include miles or other fees? If so, then you’re missing the big picture according to Roudon. Read his thoughts on page 16 in this month’s Tow Manager. As far as repeat business goes, do you have enough work for your rollbacks? In this month’s Tow Boss (page 12), AT Operations Editor Randy Resch gives some tips on towing those behemoth mechanic’s toolboxes. As most of us know, many mechanics will jump from shop to shop on a regular basis. If you can nail down a safe, efficient way to transport these items, you may develop a regular revenue stream through word of mouth. 6 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Brendan Dooley Charles Duke

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Senior Editor

Randall Resch

Operations Editor

Terry Abejuela

Field Editor, West

Jim “Buck” Sorrenti Don Archer David Kolman Bill Simmons

Field Editor, Northeast Field Editor, Midwest Chassis Editor Safety Editor

Emily Oz

On Screen Editor

Mark Lacek

Repo Run Editor

Editorial Board Tommy Anderson Roy Carlson Debbie Collins Belinda Harris Bill Johnson Ron Mislan Kurt Wilson

Dallas, Texas Saint 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 Jimmy Santos 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 General Manager 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: americantowman.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.

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Ohio Towing Rules Alert The Association of Professional Towers—Ohio recently sent out an alert to the state’s towers that Ohio’s first towing-specific rules were approved, paving the way for unprecedented governmental regulation. “The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review approved the Towing Rules, which were created in accordance with the harmful Senate Bill 274, passed in 2014. … Everyone in the industry needs to read these rules and make sure their company is compliant,” APTO said in its alert. The statement included these changes: 1. Establish the acceptable scope of public safety regulations for towing motor vehicles; 2. Establish safety standards for the type of equipment necessary to safely remove and tow vehicles based on the type of vehicle being removed or towed; 3. Establish standards for the removal of a vehicle from a private towaway zone (the standards may vary based on whether the private tow-away zone is located on residential, retail, or other commercial property); 4. Establish an after-hours retrieval fee for purposes of section 4513.69 of the Revised Code. Source: Association of Professional Towers—Ohio.

City Fees the Talk at Captains of Industry Towns and cities more and more are tacking significant administration fees onto the nonconsensual tow rates they regulate. John Borowski, VP of Tow Programs at AutoReturn, will address this issue at the Captains of Industry Conference at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott during the American Towman Exposition, Nov. 17. AutoReturn contracts with cities to manage towing dispatch and rotation. City admin fees are stipulated in all their contracts. Borowski’s address is titled “City Fees and Tow Rate Integrity.” 8 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Councilman’s Second Tow Truck Destroyed A second tow truck owned by a Lumberton, N.C., city councilman was torched recently. The first vehicle belonging to John “Big Wayne” Robinson was destroyed by fire in August and police said that fire was suspicious. Police now believe both fires were intentionally set. “It affects my business 100 percent,” Robinson said after the first one. “Other than being a city councilman, that’s how I feed my family and pay my bills.” Robinson said after the first fire that he believed another towing company targeted him after trying to help a resident settle a bill. He declined to comment on the more recent fire.

Resort Area Companies

Surveillance video gave police a lead on suspect in second tow truck arson. Robesonian.com image.

Lumberton police said a surveillance video shows a man walking onto the property and a burst of flames as the truck catches fire. Source: robesonian.com.

Seek Rate Hike A view of the Ocean City, Md., resort area where towers are seeking an increase in fees. OCvisitor.com image.

Towing rates in Ocean City, Md., which have remained unchanged for eight years, could be going up next year if a unified group of industry leaders in the area gets their way. About a dozen unified tow company operators in the resort area urged the Ocean City Police Commission to consider their request for a raise in the rate schedule for tows in the resort area. The tow company operators cited an increase in their fixed costs along with other changes in the market.

The town code currently sets the maximum for a standard tow at $150. The tow businesses are seeking an increase to $250 for a standard tow, $285 for a DWI tow and as much as $325 for a more complicated accident tow. They are also seeking an increase in the standard rate for the storage of a towed vehicle. Police Commission members promised to research the requested rates before making a recommendation to the full council. Source: mdcoastdispatch.com.

...Often underappreciated for the job they do... New Tow Policy in Michigan The Iosco County (Mich.) Board of Commissioners approved a new towing policy during a recent meeting. Commissioners had delayed making the decision after several tow company owners objected to some of the provisions and requested input into the final policy. They got some, but not all, of the changes they requested, according to Robert Rae, Iosco County Central Dispatch director. Source: iosconews.com.

Favoritism on Mass. Pike Contracts An investigative report by a Boston, Mass., TV station revealed the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and state police played favorites when awarding towing contracts along the state Pike. The report specifically cited one towing company as receiving preferential treatment. The team that reviewed the bids found that committee members lacked adequate experience, training and preparation to evaluate bids. The review revealed the bid committee had prior interactions with the towing company cited in the report and lacked impartiality. The Massachusetts Inspector General’s statement said, “MassDOT officials did not treat bidders for the towing contract in an evenhanded way. Taxpayers and the public are best served when companies compete for government work on a level playing field, bids are evaluated fairly by impartial experts, and qualified companies offering the best terms receive the contracts.” Source: fox25boston.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Ride Honors Kentucky Towman

A procession of tow trucks in Kentucky honored fallen towman Steve Simpson. WDRB.com image.

About 80 tow trucks from Kentucky and Indiana drove in a procession to honor the life of Steve Simpson, 42, a towman who was killed along the Dixie Highway in October. Tow trucks traveled about 20 miles from Ohio Valley Raceway to Meade County High School. “We take care of each other,” said Casey Nanez, who took part in the

ride. “People from all over the state are here right now. The top companies from Kentucky are here. It’s heartwarming to know that there’s that kind of support.” Former co-worker Justin Gordon organized the honor ride to raise awareness of the Move Over law. A GoFundMe page was set up to help Simpson’s family. Source: wdrb.com.

‘Fleet Owner’ Salutes Towing Industry “Fleet Owner” magazine’s website recently featured a photo gallery, titled “A Salute to Tow Truck Operators,” featuring 22 images, mostly of tow trucks, doing what towers do best: assist others. “Often underappreciated for the job they do,” a statement in the tribute reads, “tow truck operators, in many cases, serve as a lifeline for stranded motorists and truckers. They work in all weather conditions, under duress, and in dangerous situations on a daily basis. “It’s time to offer a big thank you to the tow truck operator. This gallery is a look at some of the hard-

Fleet Owner recently saluted towers with an online photo gallery. Fleetowner.com screen capture.

working men and women—and their rigs—who rescue us.” Source: fleetowner.com.

TOWMAN.COM - November 2016 • 9

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT!

WeldBuilt Low-Profile Carriers

ITD Slide-Out Drawer; Dolly, Trashcan Mounts In The Ditch’s new Slide-Out Drawer, No. ITD1613, eliminates fumbling around for small parts or hand tools inside your carrier toolboxes. The drawer can be mounted in multiple locations in Pro Series Toolboxes or under virtually any flat surface. The self-locking drawer has two removable dividers; the shelf can be removed to carry it to your work location. The company also introduced its Modular Speed Mount for composite bodies; the mounts bolt directly to the steel wrecker body, suspending the dolly cradle over the composite side. The

unit features an adjustable dolly cradle, providing up to 22 degrees of tilt. The Axle Support Arm, No. ITD4315, option allows you to secure your dolly axles parallel with the wrecker deck. Mount is only compatible with TD Speed Dollies or SLS Speed Dollies. Their new Adjustable Can/Bucket Mounts, No. ITD1598, are constructed out of 1/8” aluminum to handle cans or buckets from 3 gal. to 10 gal. A 21” bungee strap attached to the bracket holds the can and lid securely in place. The brackets are designed to mount on any flat surface.

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Dynamic Adds Poly Option Especially for towers and repo companies in cold and snowy areas, Dynamic Towing & Equipment Manufacturing has added a high-impact polypropylene body to its lineup. The Dynamic 701 Lightning body, 755 series, and Fusion models all are available with the poly option that helps reduce and eliminate corrosion.

Dynamicmfg.com

Stertil-Koni HD Mobile-Column Lift Stertil-Koni’s newly released ST 1064 is a high-performance, lower-capacity hydraulic mobile-column lift for commercial vehicle maintenance features a capacity of 14,000 lbs. per column, or 56,000 lbs. for a set of four. Each model is equipped with the company’s ebright Smart Control System, a 7” color monitor showing relevant operating information at a glance with a touch pad to configure options. The ST 1064 is available in three models: • Cables with three-phase power (208V/220V/460V) connecting columns. • Battery-operated (Two 12V batteries per column) with wires connecting columns. • Totally wireless.

Stertil-koni.com 10 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Anodized aluminum, bolt-on blade rails are now staneldBuilt’s new, patented WeldBuilt LP dard on all WeldBuilt carriers. Designed to maximize deck Series of low-profile flatbed carriers feaspace and aesthetics, the bolt-on rails’ clear anodized finture an average deck height of no more ish creates a hard protective layer that reduces tarnishing. than 7.5” above the chassis frame rails. WeldBuilt said its friction-stir welding process with The low profile affords the operator a lower approach aluminum beds affords a stronger weld without a heatangle over conventional carriers and makes it possible to reach tie-downs without climbing Friction-stir welding joins affected zone, and allows for the joining of dissimilar metals such as on the deck for a safer, more effialuminum to steel. Friction-stir cient work environment. two pieces of metal welding joins two pieces of metal In addition to the patented without melting through a without melting through a combilow-profile series, the new carriers are being outfitted with 316 combination of high-speed nation of high-speed friction and pressure. marine-grade stainless steel tailWeldBuilt’s carriers range from light boxes and control boxes. friction and pressure. single car to industrial multicar The control boxes have been units. The company said factory customization can redesigned with backlit control plates and LEDs that include headboards, chain racks, toolboxes or other illuminate the area around the operator. This allows details. operators to see the controls in low-light conditions and keep them safer by casting light in their proximity. Weldbuilt.com

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - November 2016 • 11

Specialty Work: Transporting Mega Toolboxes by Randall C. Resch

A typical setup for a professional mechanic can easily reach $15,000 to $20,000 and more for toolbox stack and tools.

very tow business owner knows the up and down cycles of the towing and recovery industry. Carriers that sit in the tow yard don’t generate income; keeping them rolling can be like a board game since just about anything can be loaded onto a flatbed. Being prepared and creative makes good business sense in finding transport work that helps to pay the bills. One hauling idea is transporting those mega-stacked toolboxes when professional mechanics switch shops. On a typical business day in one of America’s largest cities, I responded to a call from our police dispatcher that a well-known towing company had just lost a fully equipped toolbox from the deck of a flatbed carrier. 12 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Upon arrival, it was easy to determine where the incident occurred at an intersection littered with hand tools. I parked my police car free from the debris and approached a forlorn looking young tower who was holding his head in his hands. Lying amidst the glint of scattered tools next to his flatbed carrier was a huge, bright, fire-engine red, triplestacked Snap-on toolbox that apparently was in the process of being delivered. “My Dad’s gonna kill me,” was the kid’s unsolicited first statement. The intersection was, literally, littered with hundreds of wrenches, sockets and other tools; the toolbox was mashed beyond repair. While my recollection is of a somewhat comical

situation, I’d bet no one from the tow company was laughing that day (nor was I, the traffic cop tasked with directing traffic while the red-faced tower picked up spilled tools piece by piece). Most likely, some anxious mechanic was awaiting delivery on the receiving end. I didn’t ask him if he’d already notified the toolbox’s owner.

Simple or Not For us towers, we know that these unfortunate accidents happen—sometimes more than we’d like. For every incident, there are lessons to be learned. For sure this is one occurrence that could have been prevented by understanding what techniques should have been in place before attempting this kind of service.

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A typical setup for a professional mechanic can easily reach $15,000 to $20,000 and more for toolbox stack and tools. When the price of someone’s mega stack is more expensive than most used cars, you can bet that taking on this kind of extra-curricular transport is serious business and requires serious operator ability. An overloaded, awkward 2,000lbs.-plus toolbox requires a capable tow operator to securely load it, carefully negotiate traffic safely off-load at the customer’s destination. Sending the untrained new guy isn’t your best choice.

Can We Do It? To say transporting toolboxes via flatbed carriers is problematic is an understatement. Today’s modern toolboxes are extremely dense and top heavy. (Do you know what a mega stack weighs when drawers and cubbies are full of tools, trinkets and accessories?) In typical transport applications, the box’s owners generally don’t take time to remove tools, so they look to tow companies to haul a fully laden toolbox. Transporting toolboxes is one of those specialty tasks that many learn by trial and error; there’s no how-to manual on moving them from place to place. This is a service that can be most challenging, but lucrative when charged accordingly. Towers don’t commonly remove drawers and contents as a means to lighten the load or lower that center of gravity; it’s simply thought of as a matter of load and go. Most pro toolboxes are designed to roll on level and smooth concrete surfaces like those that are typically found in commercial shops and garages. For casters to be pulled over lip edges on carrier tailboards requires some kind of ramping. Are your carriers appropriately equipped?

Strapped Mega-stack toolboxes have limited locations to thread straps between or attach to. Most toolboxes don’t have sufficient tensile strength to apply straps; being overzealous in tightening ratchets could bend and mar the boxes. 14 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

A misplaced strap can easily bend a toolbox’s edge, rendering drawers and doors damaged and unusable. Just running ratchet straps up and over the top often results in mashed edges. Transporting super stack toolboxes should be attempted only with additional help to move, place or hold straps and padding. Never allow the box’s owner to come onto a carrier’s deck (to avoid slip and fall claims). I prefer to secure the toolbox atop a large wooden pallet, and then load the pallet onto the carrier with a forklift (if available). Doing so provides twice the attachment ability vs. simply trying to attain a four-point tie-down to the toolbox that can still roll on the carrier’s deck. Loading with a forklift has great mechanical advantage. Don’t forget to remove the carrier’s rails for ease of loading if necessary. A simple set down and lift off process ensures casters don’t bend under extreme weight or rolling on and off a carrier’s tailboard. If loading by forklift, place the pallet centered and forward of the carrier’s rear axle (toward the headache rack). Doing so ensures a smoother ride. A toolbox that’s been secured to a commercial pallet will help arrest any potential of rolling should straps come loose during the bounce of transport. A stacked pallet can be chained to the carrier’s deck by applying J-hook chains, bridle chain, winch cable and other ratchet straps that supplement the initial hold-down technique of the toolbox to the pallet. Call me overcautious, but having moved dozens of monster toolboxes I’ve come away with good success and (luckily) no damages. I won’t transport toolboxes that rely on the boxes’ tensile strength or casters themselves. (If the box owner wants to take time to remove the drawers and contents, that’s a different process that’s most welcome.) Some basic recommendations on transporting toolboxes include: • Send your company’s most talented tower. • Have extra 2” straps and ratchets on hand. • Use cardboard, carpet sections, or plywood scraps for edge protection and strength.

• Include heavy, padded moving blankets to prevent strap damages and surface scratches. • L-shaped plastic/metal for additional edge protection. • If going long distances, remove or secure drawers. • Strap boxes atop pallet. • Don’t trust locking drawers. • Wrap with plastic for rain protection and to keep drawers in place, or use 1” motorcycle straps to keep drawers closed. • Secure load to carrier deck in multi-point manner.

Are You Insured? Moving toolboxes is one of those side jobs that seem to be really easy, but there’s huge potential for expensive damage. Because toolboxes aren’t motor vehicles, some towing insurance policies may deem them uninsured if damaged. Knowing that some specialty mechanics seemingly own every widget, gadget and tool in the world, their value could easily exceed thousands and thousands of dollars. If you’re transporting toolboxes, be sure you have appropriate coverage with your company’s insurance carrier. Transporting mega stack toolboxes should be one of those specialty jobs we towers can conduct without inflicting damages or experiencing an overturned toolbox in rush hour traffic. I suggest that your flatbed carriers be outfitted with a full complement of straps and padding to fully secure a rolling toolbox. Taking time to oversecure makes perfect sense when you’re handling someone’s career collection of tools. Remember, you’re delivering somebody’s livelihood and most likely they’re biting their nails awaiting your arrival. Accordingly, here’s hoping that’s not your carrier and your red faced and forlorn driver who’s being interviewed on the 5 o’clock news.

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

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Create Repeat Customers—Honestly by James Roudon

ne of the most common misconceptions owners of tow companies have is that every customer is a one-time-only transaction. This belief often empowers owners to use shortterm moneymaking strategies that will inevitably cost the company repeat customers and quite possibly cause its ultimate demise.

Consumers value honesty in every industry and tend to frequent companies they respect. The towing industry, unfortunately, has a reputation for dishonesty in general; one of the best ways to create repeat business is to prove through one call at a time that your company is different. You have to take advantage of every opportunity you have with the customer to distinguish yourself from the competition.

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Being late on an ETA adds to the customer’s frustration very quickly.

Deceptive advertising, such as promoting a jump-start at a low price and then adding a “service call” fee in the end, marketing “Tows starting at $55” and not listing the per-mile charge, or quoting a hook-up and mileage charge but later billing for additional miles en route to the ticket, are the most common I have seen. These and similar practices leave your customer feeling misled and unhappy with the experience. No one likes to be deceived, but most customers in our industry are a captive audience who will pay the extra fees just to bring a bad end to a bad day. A common saying used to be that a happy customer will tell one person and a dissatisfied customer will tell 10. However, in today’s world of social media and Internet review sites, an unhappy customer can quite easily tell thousands of your potential customers about their bad experience with a short paragraph or two and a press of the enter key. 16 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

If you have done your homework and have priced your services competitively in your market, there is no reason to be vague or misleading in your advertising. Pricing slightly lower than the competition will ensure that you win the business of price shoppers. Proudly list your rates, prominently and honestly. A good practice is to have call takers get the name and contact information on as many callers as possible. If the customer insists on calling around for rates, your staff can make follow up calls and offer a pre-determined discount if they choose to book service with you. Make sure that your call takers/dispatchers are aware of the published rates so there are no misunderstandings. As mentioned before, giving call takers the power to negotiate rates will make sales easier. Have the call takers/dispatchers do hard quotes for tows that have an origin and destination address. This practice eliminates any question of what the bill will be in the end and gives the customer a feeling of stability.

When? Require that the call takers/dispatchers give accurate ETAs to your customers. If they know you are running a 60-minute ETA, don’t allow (or require) them to quote a shorter ETA. Time seems to go by much more

slowly for the stranded motorists we are trying to get to, so any time you are late on an ETA it adds to their frustration very quickly. Being late on an ETA also gives the customer a legitimate reason to ask for a discount.

Thanks! Once you create a happy, satisfied customer, use the narrow window of opportunity to further seal the deal for next time. Offer a discount on their next service call or tow with a small advertising sticker they can put on their windshield, or simply make sure that every customer receives a heartfelt “Thank you” and a business card. If you want to go the extra mile, set up a follow-up system of scheduled calls to inquire about your valued customer’s experience. I practice going over service logs the next business day and select a few customers at random to do personal follow-up calls. I make it short and to the point, thanking them for the business and asking a few simple questions about the service they received and if we could have done better. Everyone wants to feel that their opinion matters so make it clear that you will use their input to further improve your service. Recently I created a web-based survey. I have drivers hand out a company sticker and a half sheet of paper thanking customers for their business and asking them to fill out a short survey. It’s just one more small inexpensive way to enhance your customer base by showing you care about their experience. About the author James Roudon has been doing light-, medium- and heavyduty towing since 1988, has been general manager of five tow companies and currently operates TowBiz Consulting Group. You can reach him at jroudon@live.com or jroudon.com.

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The California Tow Truck Association entered into a five-year agreement with American Towman to mutually benefit both organizations and their supporters. The agreement begins with the 2017 Tow Industry Week and American Towman ShowPlace—Las Vegas next May. By bringing its annual convention, which includes leadership meetings, conferences and a formal membership banquet to Las Vegas, CTTA will forego its own annual exhibit-based show held for the past several years in Reno, Nev., and San Diego, Calif. “We are thrilled to join Tow Industry Week and the American Towman ShowPlace—Las Vegas,” said Terry Warford, CTTA president. “We think we will add significantly to the Tow Industry Week, an event that has gained national stature in our industry, and also benefit from its success and marketing power. “Working with American Towman will help CTTA control its convention costs and also help grow its membership, while giving it a greater platform. The arrangement will also help CTTA to focus on its primary mission: building a more successful towing industry in the great state of California.” “CTTA is one of the industry’s largest state associations,” said Henri “Doc” Calitri, AT Expo president. “The association has a stellar reputation and track record for strengthening its members in California. Working with CTTA will offer many mutual benefits. AT ShowPlace has drawn well from all the Western states, particularly California. Bringing the CTTA Convention into this event will only strengthen our attendance. “Our goal is to help CTTA grow its membership, realize fundraising opportunities, and engage with towers from California and state officials critical to its members’ success,” Calitri said. American Towman is the towing and recovery industry’s oldest and largest circulated monthly trade publication celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Its schedule of three trade shows through its AT Expo division in 2017 are: American Towman ShowPlace—Las Vegas in May, Tow Expo Dallas in August, and American Towman Exposition in Baltimore in November. CTTA is headquartered in Sacramento.

Bendix Endorses ‘Road to Zero’ Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems (bendix.com) supports the aims of the newly launched Road to Zero coalition—whose mission is to eliminate traffic deaths within the next 30 years—along with the role of driverless technologies in helping to meet the target goal. But the company also believes an incremental approach to the development of the technologies is essential. The driving public, Bendix urges, must be given enough

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Calculating Surface Resistance

by Terry Abejuela

ne of the critical steps in performing a successful recovery job is calculating the total amount of resistance that has to be overcome to move the casualty. Performing a recovery job without conducting this critical step could result in damage to equipment, anchors moving, the tow truck moving, equipment failure, injuries or death. To calculate the total amount of recovery resistance, you should consider how much resistance is created by: • Slope. • Terrain. • Rolling resistance. • Base these calculations on the static weight of the casualty. Surface resistance is created by 20 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Surface resistance in recovery calculations is hard, medium or soft. Soft resistance is further complicated by how deep the wheels and tires are mired.

gravity and the friction between the casualty and the surface it must cross during the recovery process. Both slope and terrain are surface-type resistances. When choosing a recovery path, consider a path with the least amount of slope and the firmest surface if possible. The old adage of pulling it out the same way it went in has some merit. Although it is not always true, in some cases it may be the best path. An example would be when a casualty is stuck in soft terrain. The path it created going in would create less resistance than recovering the casualty through another path. Some of the techniques used to determine recovery resistance have

been around for longer than I have been in the industry. Some come from the U.S. Army Vehicle Recovery Operations Manual FM 20-22, published in 1962. A newer version, the Recovery and Battle Damage Assessment and Repair manual, was published in 2014. In these manuals, they use techniques that allow the recovery operator to make quick calculations in the field. In my experience, these techniques result in estimates that are higher than the actual resistance. However in order to make quick calculations and avoid overloading equipment or equipment failure, I believe these calculations are sufficient. I am a firm believer that it is better to rig for more than you need than to rig for less than you need. In

our industry, we rarely get the opportunity to take all the time we need and pre-plan our recoveries. We have to do our planning without exact information, using the resources available at the scene, and it has to be done quickly, safely and efficiently.

Surface Categories Surfaces can be categorized as hard, medium and soft: • Hard surfaces include concrete, asphalt and hard-packed dirt. • Medium surfaces include grass, gravel and soft dirt. • Soft surfaces include sand or mud. Hard surfaces will create approximately 10 percent of the casualty’s weight in surface resistance. A 3,000lbs. casualty would create about 300 lbs. of resistance on a level concrete surface (3,000 lbs. x .10), if all of the wheels turn freely. Medium surfaces will create approximately 33 percent of the casualty’s weight in surface resistance. A 3,000-lbs. casualty would create about 990 lbs. of resistance on a level grass surface (3,000 lbs. x .33), if all of the wheels turn freely. Soft surfaces complicate the calculations, depending on how many tires are in the sand or mud and how deep. The surface resistance can range anywhere from 100 to 300 percent of the casualty’s static weight: If all four tires are in the sand or mud up to the bottom of the rims (referred to as tire depth), the surface resistance would be calculated as 100 percent of the casualty’s static weight. A 3,000 lbs. vehicle with all four tires mired to the bottom of the rims is 3,000 lbs. of surface resistance (3,000 x 1). If all four tires are in the sand or mud up to the hubs, the surface resistance would be calculated at 200 percent of the casualty’s static weight. A 3,000 lbs. vehicle with all four tires mired to the hubs is 6,000 lbs. of surface resistance (3,000 x 2). If all four tires are in the sand or mud over the tires, the surface resistance would be calculated as 300 percent of the casualty’s static weight. A 3,000 lbs. vehicle with all four tires Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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mired over the tires is 9,000 lbs. of surface resistance (3,000 x 3). When it comes to mud this is an oversimplification because there are also different types of mud. Some mud is more watery while other mud may be very dense and cling to the tires. Dense mud that clings may build up around the tires and create more resistance as the mud accumulates around the tires and chassis of the casualty. The other factor in mud is suction. Suction will create additional resistance to movement besides just the rolling resistance. Introducing air around the tires or digging out mud around the tires often will reduce the resistance.

Slope Another factor in surface resistance is grade or slope. This type of resistance may be calculated as positive or negative. Pulling a casualty up a slope will create additional resistance. Pulling a casualty down a slope will be calculated as a reduction in resistance. In the 1962 Army manual, a chart

was provided that allowed the operator to calculate resistance based on the degree of slope. In the 2014 manual, they recommend using 100 percent of the casualty’s weight regardless of the slope because this would be the maximum resistance you would encounter due to slope. For a quick calculation you could do this. Of course if you do this you may rig more lines to the casualty when it is not necessary. From an overloading of the equipment standpoint this would not be a problem as you would be rigging for more than you need. From a time standpoint this would result in more time at the scene as using a two-part line when a single line part would do means it would take twice as long to complete the recovery. To calculate the recovery resistance created by slope, you can use the industry standard (which I believe came from the 1962 manual). The towing and recovery industry has long used the following numbers for slope: 15 percent up slope = 25 percent of the casualty’s static weight 30 percent up slope = 50 percent of the casualty’s static weight

45 percent up slope = 75 percent of the casualty’s static weight Any slope of 45 percent to 90 percent = 100 percent of the casualty’s static weight. If you compare these to the chart from the 1962 U.S. Army manual, they are close to if not the same. Of course if the recovery path is level, you don’t need to add recovery resistance created by slope. If you are recovering a casualty down a slope, subtract the amount from resistance calculations. On all recovery jobs, even the simple ones, go through the process of calculating resistance quickly in your head so with enough practice it becomes second nature for you. An accurate assessment and calculation of the recovery resistance is required to safely and successfully complete a recovery job.

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

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SUPPLIER SCOOP continued from page 18 time to fully understand how the systems work and how they affect driver responsibility at each new level of advancement. The Road to Zero coalition teams the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration with the National Safety Council. The DOT has committed $1 million a year over the next three years to provide grants to organizations working on programs to save lives. The department noted that 2015 marked the largest increase in traffic deaths since 1966. For the first half of 2016, the DOT said, the increase has continued, as preliminary estimates show fatalities are up about 10.4 percent compared to the number in the first half of 2015. Rapid introduction of automated vehicles and advanced technologies, according to the department, is making it increasingly likely that the vision of zero road deaths and serious injuries is attainable in the next 30 years.

WeatherClaws Launches Website WeatherClaws has launched a consumer-facing website, weatherclaws. com, allowing anyone to purchase its tire-chain alternative to their home. WeatherClaws was only available previously to large institutions and state governments. WeatherClaws said that unlike traditional tire chains, its product can be put on tires in less than three minutes. WeatherClaws are made from a patented poly-rubber material the company claims do zero damage to your vehicle or the road, and self clean as you drive.

Toughbook Contest Marks 20 Years Panasonic System Communications Company of North America recently marked the 20th anniversary of its Toughbook mobile computers. “The recognition of Toughbook computers and its dramatic evolution over the past two decades is a testa-

ment to our committed ecosystem of sales partners as well as our internal sales and engineering teams who take pride in the job they do and the customers we collectively serve,” said Magnus McDermid, SVP, Business Mobility Group of North America. The Toughbook product line highlights include: • 1996: Panasonic launched the first Toughbook. • 2003: Panasonic was the first to feature a pivotal touch screen. • 2008: The world’s first fully rugged ultra-mobile PC. • 2012: Debut of first Windowsbased Toughpad. • 2016: The world’s first fully rugged detachable laptop (2-in-1). Panasonic launched its “Who’s The Toughest Contest.” Entrants must submit a video of their oldest working Toughbook computer through Dec.31, 2016. The winner will win a trip to the Toughbook factory in Japan to build their very own Toughbook. Enter at u s . p a n a s o n i c . c o m / To u g h b o o k 20years.

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by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

Two Century heavies and Matjack Air Cushions work together to upright a ditched semitrailer in the snow

A semi-trailer rolled over in a ditch last winter in Lancaster, Ohio, and was recovered by Jae’s Towing & Recovery.

ae’s Towing & Recovery is a family owned and operated business based in Heath, Ohio. Jae Jones started his company in 1992 in a small two-bay garage with no tow trucks and two gas pumps. His son Nick is the Operations Manager and rotator operator for the family business. “Slowly, over the first few months, we saw the need for a wrecker to better serve our customers, so we bought our first one in the end of 1993/begin26 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

ning of 1994,” Nick said. “Since the purchase of our first tow truck, we began growing and needing more equipment to serve everyone. One truck turned into two, then three and eventually the over 30 pieces we currently own today and we continue to add every year.” Early one morning last February, a tractor-trailer rolled over in a ditch in Lancaster, Ohio. The road had been shut down due to snowdrifts, but the

driver ignored the signs and drove past them. He drifted off the shoulder of the road and overturned in a ditch. Jae’s was called by a competitor to handle the recovery. “John Brill, the owner of Brill’s Towing, called us. We received the call around 10:30 or 11 a.m. and arrived at 12 noon to the scene.” Jae’s dispatched Nick to the scene in a 2016 Kenworth T880/Century 1150 50-ton rotator. Company owner

Nick’s command center. Close-up of his Century 1150 rotator’s Raptor remote and Matjack inflate/deflate valve bank controls.

Jae’s Century 1150 rotator lifts the rear corner of the loaded trailer to aid in placement of the Matjack Jumbo Cushions.

Century 1150 rotator boomed over the side of the wrapped trailer, pulling as the air cushions aid the lift.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - November 2016 • 27

Century 1150 rotator boomed up and out working off the side.

Jae and recovery crewmembers Asa Osborn and Kevin Cherup also were dispatched with the company’s air cushion service vehicle. Once on scene, the scale patrolman briefed the recovery crew. The semi’s driver provided paperwork stating that the total combined weight of the tractor, trailer, and its load of cardboard bales were near 80,000 pounds. “Once we were given the limited information, we estimated the load to be around 40,000 pounds of the total

weight,” Nick said. “We quickly devised a plan to use our rotator to start the corner of the trailer up so we could work our Matjack Jumbo Cushions under the load to perform the upright. “We had to be careful with the trailer because the sidewall didn’t want to come up very easily, so it took some time and finesse to slowly move the bags little by little under the trailer and under the load.” The 1150 rotator was staged alongside the trailer with a line to a recovery

strap around the back corner of the trailer. Nick handled the controls of the inflate/deflate valve bank for the MatJack air cushions as well as the Century 1150 Raptor remote for the rotator. Jae was scene manager; Asa and Kevin carefully placed the cushions under the trailer. By that time, operator Justin Smith had arrived with their 2016 Kenworth/Century 9055 50-ton. The 1150 rotator was still staged alongside and boomed out over the

The Century 9055 (foreground) is rigged to the driver’s side front of the tractor; the Century 1150 is rigged around the trailer and the Matjack cushions work together to upright. 28 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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The casualty is back on its wheels. The Century 1150 holds it in place so the Century 9055 can bring it up onto the roadway and transport it away.

trailer. Nick, Jae, and Asa rigged both lines of the 1150 to recovery straps and cradled the trailer. The 9055 was staged with its business end facing the nose of the tractor. Justin rigged the 9055 and hooked to the tractor driver’s side bumper to help pull it over and winch it from the ditch. With everything rigged and the

“It took some time and finesse to slowly move the bags little by little under the trailer.”

cushions in place they used the 1150 and the 9055 aided by the cushions to carefully upright the tractor-trailer unit and set it back onto its wheels. Once the semi was up, they used the 1150 to hold it while the 9055 brought it up onto the roadway. “After it was recovered and on the roadway, we then transported it with our 9055 back to our location,” Nick said. “It was only at our lot for one day, the bill was paid in full and they contracted us to tow it to their home terminal in Indianapolis, Indiana, while they sent another driver to get the still-in-great-shape trailer to deliver the load of cardboard bales.”

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

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4 State Trucks/Bawer Tool Boxes 56 A-1 Merchant Solutions N 85 Access Tools 75 Advantage Funding 50 Agero inside back cover Akins Body & Carrier Sales 51 Allstate Roadside Services 69 American Safety & Supply 62 American Wrecker Sales N 94 Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales S 85 Atlantic Emergency Solutions N 88 Austin Hinds Motors S 87 Auto Data Direct 73 AutoReturn 59 AW Direct 37 B/A Products 47 Bauer Built Tire M 86 Beacon Software 43 B & Z Sales S 83 Casanova Towing Equipment W 87 Chelsea Parker Division of Parker Int’l 52 Chevron Commercial 44 ComeUp USA 40 CRASHFILM 36 Crawford Truck Sales N 90 Crouch’s Wrecker Equipment & Sales 35 CTECH Manufacturing N 87 Custer Products 36, 52 Danco Products 62 Deep South Wrecker Sales/Loganville 37 DK2 Warrior Winches N 91 Dom’s Wrap-A-Wreck 56 Don Jackson Carrier & Wrecker 46 Driveline Buddy N 84 Dual-Tech Wreckers & Carriers 58 Dynamic Towing Equipment & Mfg. 48 East Penn Truck Equipment 43 Elizabeth Truck Center 69 Equipment Sales & Service N 89 Fabco Power 57 Florida Wrecker Sales S 84

34 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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Freightliner G. Stone Commercial Ginn Carrier & Wrecker Sales GPS Insight Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel Hub International In the Ditch Insurance Auto Auctions Intek Truck Equipment/Leasing Isuzu Commercial Truck Jerr-Dan Corp. Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip. Kenworth of South Florida Kold Ban International Landoll Corp. Lift & Tow Lynch Chicago Manufacturer Express Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Matjack Jumbo Safelift McMahon Truck Center Midwest Keyless Miller Industries Mobile Battery Solutions New England Truckmaster Nitro Motor Sports North American Bancard Northeast Wrecker Sales NRC Industries Nussbaum Equipment OMG National Pacific General Insurance Agency Performance Advantage Co. PowerBilt Wrecker Mfg. Powerhouse Industries PWOF Quick Draw Tarpaulin Recovery Billing Renew Truck Body Rick’s Auto Sales Ricky’s Sales and Services

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7 N 86 24 63 N 95 21 13 15 21 33 55 M 85 31 N 83 40 32 67 64 N 84 34 M 83 77 4, 5 72 N 92 76 17 N 87 19 N 90 77 M 85 N 93 30 66 39 36 64 N 89 N 94 N 83

Road America 41 R.P.M. Equipment N 88 Safety Vision 65 Santander Merchant Services 22 Santander Bank back cover SATA Dan-AM Company 76 Sava 18 SavaCOMM 41 Savatech 23 Savatech-Spreader Bar 71 Sea Crest Insurance Agency W 83 Select Truck & Equipment M 87 S&J Metal Manufacturing S 83 Specialty Veh. Equipment & Funding Group 61 Spill Tackle N 86 Smyrna Truck Center S 85 Steck Mfg. 42 Superwinch 66 Talbert Mfg. 44 T.T.S.A. (Texas Towing & Storage Assn.) W 83 Int’l Tow & Rec Hall of Fame/Museum N 96, S,M,W 88 The Tow Academy N92, W,S 86, M 87 Towbook Management Software 53 Tow Industries W 86 Towing Payment Solutions 18 TowMate 38 Triple K Industries 58 Truck Body Sales W 84 United Plastic Fabricating (UPF) 49 Urgent.ly 45 USAC/MD 45 Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX W 85 Virgo Fleet Supply 50 Warn Industries 42 WeldBuilt Wreckers & Carriers 72 West End Service N 91 Will-Burt Company 57 WorldClass Insurance Services W 85 Worldwide Equipment Sales 29 Zacklift International inside front cover

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Isuzu Details FTR Specs Isuzu Commercial Truck of America (isuzucv.com) recently announced key specifications of its all-new entry in the Class 6 mediumduty truck segment, the 2018 Isuzu FTR unveiled this spring. Among the highlights: • 25,950 lbs. GVWR. • Eight wheelbase lengths from 152” to 248”, accommodating bodies from 14’ to 30’. • Dock height. • 215-hp turbocharged Isuzu 5.2L 4HK1-TC engine. • Allison six-speed automatic transmission with power takeoff capability. • Dana axles will have capacities of 12,000 lbs. up front and 19,000 lbs. rear suspension. The FTR is slated to go into production at a new facility in Charlotte, Mich., in mid-2017.

Roper Resigns from Museum

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Dynamic Towing & Equipment Manufacturing (dynamicmfg.com) recently announced a partnership with Casanova Towing Equipment (casanovatowequipment.com) of Compton, Calif., a family-owned and operated towing company, to sell Dynamic towing equipment, service and parts in the southern California region. Casanova’s employees include previous towing operators, equipment builders and sales associates of towing wreckers and carriers. Dynamic said the Casanova staff is professional, knowledgeable and a great fit to represent its product line in southern California.

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Angela Roper, executive director of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum (internationaltowingmuseum.org) is stepping down effective in December. She has been at the helm throughout a successful growth

period for the museum, including many positive changes for the museum facilities, finances, marketing and created the event rental program for a portion of the building.

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Vote Postponed on Tow Contracts The Holyoke, Mass., City Council recently delayed a vote on whether to override a veto issued by Mayor Alex B. Morse of an ordinance that sought to change how towing vendors are hired. The council president said that campaign contributions made by tow company owners and employees create an image of "pay to play.” The ordinance would require the mayor to announce in a legal notice that he is awarding the towing contract. Source: masslive.com.

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TOWMAN.COM - November 2016 • 37

Dynamic Partners with Speedway Motor Sports

Norfolk, Va., facility. Since towing racing vehicles is much different than street cars, some modifications were necessary, he said. “Be on the lookout for Dynamic equipment recovering our race cars at the next race,” Johnson said.

Dynamic Towing Equipment & Manufacturing (dynamicmfg.com) has partenered with Speedway Motor Sports to become the official recovery vehicle for Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Kentucky Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. “My hope is that through this partnership with Dynamic … we can help bring awareness to the Dynamic brand and build on what is already a very strong product,” said Shaun Johnson, Executive Director of Operations at Charlotte Motor Speedway. CMS, one of NASCAR’s most popular tracks, hosts the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Bank of America 500. “It was a great pleasure meeting Anthony (Gentile), Dynamic’s owner,

Dynamic Towing Equipment & Manufacturing now supplies the official recovery vehicles for Speedway Motor Sports at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Kentucky Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Supplied image.

a few years ago at the [American Towman Exposition in Baltimore] and getting to know him and his products better. Dynamic really stood out as a great product and I felt that someday a partnership would benefit us and the Dynamic brand,” Johnson said. Johnson said it is key that Dynamic’s equipment fabrication and engineering is done in-house at its

Hino Certifies ‘Ultimate’ Dealerships Hino Trucks (hino.com) announced its first seven dealerships to reach “Certified Ultimate” status in a new initiative. Designed to raise the bar for an overall dealership experience, the Certified Ultimate program creates new standards for Parts, Sales and Service departments that increases speed, aids communication and provides for higher levels of technical certification. Hino said an extensive process qualifies dealers as Certified Ultimate;

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seven thus far have reached the achievement. They include: • Donahue Truck Sales; Bakersfield, Calif. • Gabrielli Truck Sales; Medford, N.Y. • Industrial Power; McKinney, Texas. • Metropolitan Truck Sales; Lakewood, N.J. • Truck Solutions; Smithfield, R.I. • Valley Hino Truck; Medina, Ohio. • TransEdge Truck Centers; Pittsburgh, Pa. Once recognized as Certified Ultimate, these select Hino dealers are evaluated quarterly and are required to qualify for this elite status on an annual basis.

Allison, VanDyne Set for Demo VanDyne SuperTurbo (vandynesuperturbo.com) and Allison Transmission (allisontransmission.com) announced a collaboration to co-develop a vehicle demonstrator to leverage the performance benefits of VanDyne’s mechanically driven turbocharger in combination with Allison’s TC10 transmission in a Class 8 tractor. The primary objective of the collaboration is to demonstrate how these two products, when paired with an intelligently controlled vehicle, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance, according to a release. Through the deployment of advanced control techniques, the two technologies will maximize the

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benefits of engine downspeeding, efficient supercharging and turbo compounding, the release said. The SuperTurbo utilizes a continuously variable transmission coupled with a high-speed traction drive to control turbocharger speed and allow for bidirectional torque transfer. Key to the combination with the TC10 is the SuperTurbo’s ability to supply on-demand boost pressure that allows the transmission to execute efficient shifts while maintaining beneficial air-fuel ratios and high power levels. Allison and VanDyne launched the evaluation of this unique systems approach to engine downspeeding in 2015 and this first vehicle demonstrator is the next step in the process. The potential applications being evaluated include long haul, regional haul and city driving.

Stertil-Koni Adds Kubatko for Marketing Stertil-Koni (stertil-koni.com) announced that Jill Kubatko, has joined the company as a marketing associate to help create marketing strategy, news writing, web content and management, social media and graphic design for the lift company. “Our mission is to powerfully communicate the value of Stertil-Koni’s exceptional products, service and people and that is precisely why we are delighted to welcome Jill to our team,” said Paul Feldman, director of marketing.

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The Worthington (Ind.) City Council approved the launch of Operation Tow Truck, an effort by the Worthington Police Department to rid the town of an unsightly problem with abandoned or unlawful vehicles, on Sept. 19. The city ordinance allows officers to determine whether a vehicle is abandoned, and clears the way for officers to have the vehicles removed at the cost of the owner. Source: gcdailyworld.com.

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The Evanston (Ill.) City Council approved a recommendation from the city’s Transportation and Parking committee to enter into a five-year contract with North Shore Towing beginning Oct. 1. The agreement runs through Sept. 30, 2021 and is a single source, meaning the city won’t contract with another towing company during this time. To pay for the company’s services, the city will spend approximately $45,000 a year. The funds will be provided through the city’s Parking Enforcement general fund. Source: patch.com.

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Driverless Cars to Shift Liability

Rustad also foresees personal injury attorneys having to change their practices if the new cars live up to predictions that they will greatly reduce collisions. “Auto accidents make up the single largest category of state tort claims,” said Rustad. “We can be assured that self-driving cars are going to be much safer, and they’re coming online sooner than many people realize.”

The advent of the driverless car will be accompanied by a shift in the focus of liability insurance from personal fault to product safety, according to Professor Michael Rustad, the Thomas F. Lambert Jr. Professor of Law and co-director of the Intellectual Property Law Concentration at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Mass.

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Rustad predicts that legal action will shift from driver-involved accident claims to claims against car and component part manufacturers, including the software vendors. “We seldom see car accident cases that involve product liability today, but in time nearly every vehicle accident will generate a product liability case,” said Rustad. He speculates that, in time, there could be a limited liability system created to afford protection to automakers, similar to the federal Vaccine Act, which offers limited recovery to those who suffer adverse effects from vaccines through a victims’ compensation fund. He warns that giving carmakers comprehensive immunity could lead to an abrogation of responsibility. He said that, even if there were a software defect, a driver with hands on the wheel might easily make a correction, and that should be a factor to be considered. Source: Suffolk.edu.

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TOWMAN.COM - November 2016 • 45

STA, AASP/MA Applaud Changes The Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts and the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers recently announced that the 2016 Automobile Insurance Bureau standard Massachusetts Automobile Policy recently filed by the AIB incorporates key changes sought by the two associations. The policy, which became effective October 1, has been filed by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Of particular interest to the towing industry, language under the new AIB policy was changed to read that an insurer will now, “also pay reasonable and necessary expenses for towing, recovery and storage of your auto.” Both associations stated that while they remain cautious to the implementation and interpretation of the new language, they cite it is a “significant improvement” from the policy lan-

guage of the previous year. In 2015, the AIB policy proposal stated that an insurer was only required to pay for amounts dictated by the Department of Public Utilities relative for involuntary/trespass towing. A joint statement, issued by STA President Bill Johnson and AASP/MA President Molly Brodeur, thanked members of both associations for their support, stating that without the advocacy of both associations, “these changes would not have happened.” Source: statewidetowing.org.

Tow Company Cooks Best Chili Amesbury Towing took the judge’s prize at the 12th annual Amesbury (Mass.) Firefighters Chili Cook-off, just hours after firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze Sept. 25. Close to 1,000 chili lovers crowded into a municipal parking lot to sample the culinary delights. The Amesbury

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Police Department finished in second place while the Salisbury Police Department took third. “It was a good year and a perfect weather day,” Amesbury firefighter and Cook-off organizer Iain McGregor said. “We had a great turnout.” Salisbury police also took the people’s choice award. Source: newburyportnews.com.

TV Investigation Ignites Probe A television station’s investigation into a Salem, Ore., towing company has drawn the attention of state and local officials. In most parts of the state there are no restrictions on what tow companies can charge customers. The investigation showed one Salem tow company charges hundreds more than its competitors and there are no regulations to stop the practice.

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Cities and counties can establish maximum rates that tow companies can charge and some, such as Portland and Gresham, do. But many others have no rules. More than a dozen complaints have been logged against one company in particular. State Sen. Chuck Riley is drafting legislation for the 2017 session to crack down on what he calls “predatory” towing. The proposed bill would require signed authorization before a vehicle is towed. Riley is also looking at regulating pricing at the state level and requiring towers to be licensed. The Marion County Commission scheduled a meeting as of press time to consider towing regulations. The Oregon Attorney General’s office said it is also taking a closer look at the tow company that the report stated garnered multiple complaints. Source: kgw.com.

Towmen Work in Danger Every time Joseph Agosti, a driver for Kufner Towing in Cleveland, Ohio, clocks in for work, he wonders if the

day could be his last. He says motorists do not follow Ohio’s Move Over law. “Sometimes some of our drivers get hit by mirrors ... you just never know,” said Agosti. State highway patrol says they’ve documented 2,388 Move Over violations statewide so far this year. In Cuyahoga County, 84 tickets have been issued; in Cleveland, 24. Source: fox8.com.

APTO Releases Compliance Manual The Association of Professional Towers—Ohio has compiled and released its “The APTO Ohio Towing & Recovery Compliance Manual” as a resource to protect Ohio tow businesses. APTO said it created the manual to catalog major changes to Ohio towing laws now in effect so that every towing and recovery professional knows the law. A release from APTO said, “We’ve created the first and only user-friendly resource and a standard tow-away zone sign to help protect your busi-

ness. … This manual is THE source for Ohio towers to learn the laws and find out how to be in compliance.” The guide covers: • Police-ordered tows. • Private tow-away zones. • Obtaining titles to unclaimed vehicles. • Storage facility operations, vehicle release and statutory liens. • Law analysis (in layman’s form). • Compliance checklists. Source: aptohio.com.

Tow Administrator Retires San Diego Police Sgt. Patti Clayton, the city’s Traffic Division tow administrator, has announced her retirement after 25 years of service to the San Diego Police and the citizens of San Diego, effective Sept. 23. Clayton has been a familiar face at the American Towman Expo in past years with interest in learning the total operations of the towing and recovery industry. Source: AT staff report.

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In Irving Park, Ill., a driver for Rosehill Towing and Recovery recently was going the wrong way down a street when he hit a speed bump, neighbors said, and then crashed into several cars. Five of the cars were towed from the scene and were most likely totaled, neighbors said. Two cars that remained on the block suffered heavy front-end damage; the tow truck was also likely totaled and was towed away from the scene, neighbors said. Police did confirm no injuries were reported. Source: daninfo.com.

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Towman Killed on Fla. I-75 A Ruskin, Fla., towman killed in a drunken-driving crash was a kind, generous father who loved his job, family members said.

Troy McGuire of Sun Point Towing was one of several towers who responded to I-75 to load up cars pulled over for racing, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. McGuire was preparing to load the

third car onto his truck, when a car driven by Gregory Miller charged into the shoulder, hitting McGuire. McGuire died at the scene. Source: tampabay.com.

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The City Island (N.Y.) Civic Association is at odds with tow truck companies and is looking to close a state loophole that it says would eliminate some of the problem. The trucks double park, block fire hydrants and unload in the fire lane, according to Bill Stanton and John Doyle of the association. They’re asking state lawmakers to change a law allowing tow truck companies to park vehicles on residential streets. They say that under some circumstances, tow trucks aren’t classified as commercial vehicles and shouldn’t be able to park on residential streets. Source: Bronx.news12.com.

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A-1 Wrecker Service owner Robert Lane (left) and service manager Robert Gilliam. Albanyherald.com image.

he September 2016 issue of American Towman carried reports from the city of Albany, Ga., about a recently implemented “inclusive” police rotation policy. The city commission determined that, in order to open the door to businesses that reflect the taxpayers of the community, it would be in the best interest of the city to reduce the requirements for tow companies to participate in rotation. Robert Lane, owner of A-1 Wrecker Service in Albany, had seen the writing on the wall well before the policy change took effect. “We started talking with city officials a couple of years ago because they kept adding people to the rotation who did not have the proper equipment,” said A-1 Service Manager Robert Gilliam. “We went to them ask-

54 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

If the city put out a bid for road repair and an individual wanted to participate but lacked the knowledge, funding, and equipment to do so, should they still be awarded the job?

ing for help, and instead we got shafted.” In May 2016, Gilliam again voiced the company’s concerns to the commission, before the tier system had been implemented. He came up against city commissioner Bobby Coleman, who championed the policy that removed the requirement for rotation tow companies to own and operate heavy-duty tow trucks. “I’m not in favor of, and I will not support, excluding anyone from this list,” Coleman said during the May 2016 meeting. “We should be a board that supports inclusion. … What we tend to have in this city is people with solutions looking for problems. I’d rather invest our efforts in finding solutions to real problems.” Fire Chief Dan Rowe was asked to come up with a workable plan that

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resulted in a tiered rotation system where 911 operators were instructed to take information provided by police on the scene of an accident to determine which tier of towing company to send; Tier I was for medium- and heavy-duty wrecks (1,600 lbs. and up), and Tier II for light-duty wrecks (below 1,600 lbs.) During a July 2016 business meeting, the Albany City Commission voted to rescind the requirement that towing companies have tow trucks large enough to remove tractor-trailers. They simply changed the rules and put the tier system in place. Then on Aug. 8, 2016, not more than a month after this new policy was implemented, Coleman got his chance

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to see “a real problem in need of a real solution.” An overturned tractortrailer had lost a load of scrap and was blocking the Liberty Expressway. With law enforcement on scene, following this new edict, 911 dispatch was called and a tier-one towing company was requested. But the lines of communication got crossed somewhere and instead of dispatching a towing company with the necessary heavy-duty equipment and manpower to handle the rollover, the 911 dispatcher mistakenly sent a Tier II company. Once the smaller wrecker arrived on scene and it was determined that a mistake had been made, a Tier I wrecker company, A-1 Wrecker, was dispatched. “That company did not have the proper equipment,” Robert Lane told the Albany Herald. “The officer on the scene called his dispatch and asked for a Tier I wrecker, which is a large wrecker able to handle a tractor-trailer. Tier II is when it is small, 1,600 pounds or less. Dispatch responded that Shipp’s Wrecker Service was en route. The officer then got on the radio and told them that this is an overturned semi, a big truck, a tractor-trailer with a load scattered all over the highway. Dispatch told him again that Shipp’s was en route. Shipp’s goes up there, and then calls us to come handle the wreck.” The mistake created an hours-long traffic delay, several hours longer than necessary, that further endangered the lives of emergency personnel and waiting motorists. The Albany City Commission didn’t look to adjust the policy following the accident and rather doubled-down on the tiers. The city simply chalked it up to a learning experience and continued down its path of inclusion for any business that decides to buy a wrecker.

When an accident occurs, the city’s first responsibility is to ensure the safety of the traveling public, not to ensure that everyone gets a chance to play. The city’s role is to get the roads cleared as quickly and safely as possible to decrease the likeliness of a secondary accident.

Safety is much more in the public’s best interest than inclusion. By the number of ordinances in place that support that statement, the city of Albany would seem to agree, where you’re excluded from operating a business without a paid Tax Certificate, you’re excluded from using the City Seal for business purposes, you’re excluded from storing Waste Tires in a hazardous manner and you’re excluded from Telling Fortunes or Reading Palms. These ordinances were put into place because the city believes they are in the best interest of its residents. All of these ordinances have one thing in particular in common: exclusion. They either exclude behavior based on what’s best for the community, or provide specific requirements before inclusion is possible. It seems contrary then for the city to promote a policy of business inclusion that has high potential to reduce public safety. Is it based in shortsightedness, a lack of understanding of the recovery industry, fear of being discriminative? Exclusion has become synonymous with discrimination. The assumption being that if an individual is excluded based on their inability to meet certain requirements, bias is occurring. To remedy the situation, requirements are often lowered, as in Albany’s case. This ideal of “inclusion at all costs” belittles the company’s that improved themselves to meet the real needs of the city vs. those that seek to do the minimum to hang out a shingle and then cry bias towards the bigger successful companies. When you arbitrarily dumb down the requirements to include a larger pool of companies, in this case you’re doing more harm than good where it concerns public safety.

What’s Next? According to A-1 Wrecker Service Manager Robert Gilliam, Albany’s fire and police chiefs were not in favor of the new inclusionary policy. “I don’t know what else we could have done,” Gilliam said. “We had the support of the fire chief and the police chief … I thought it was a slam dunk” that the original policy wouldn’t change. He said they are still working on improvements to the policy that won’t leave the public and first responders in danger, like in that August incident. “We’re not done yet.” It’s a lesson for towers in other communities to stay vigilant when it comes to public policy. Sometimes it’s not enough for law enforcement and other emergency personnel to understand and support towers in their efforts. To effect better outcomes, towers need to go on the offensive. Do your homework and then educate decision-makers on the safety and other aspects involved—specifically in how they affect the voters (um, public). Ask pointed questions: • Exactly how are others being excluded from the Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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opportunity to participate? • Are they being denied loans or other access to the required equipment? • Are there other limitations besides their inability to meet the safety requirements? Draw analogies to bring the issue into perspective: If the city put out a bid for road repair and an individual wanted to participate but lacked the knowledge, funding, and equipment to do so, should they still be awarded the job? Commissioners are elected officials and as such they are influenced by their constituents (many times, by just one or two). So, educating a few vocal people (those who love to make phone calls) can go a long way.

Don G. Archer is a multi-published author, educator and speaker helping others to build and start successful towing businesses around the country at TheTowAcademy.com. Don and his wife, Brenda, formerly owned and operated Broadway Wrecker in Jefferson City, Mo. He is the Tow Business Editor for Tow Industry Week; email him direct at don@thetowacademy.com.

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Towman, Deputy Save Motorist A man survived a fiery crash recently when a Pulaski County, Ark., towman and a sheriff’s deputy pulled him from a burning SUV, witnesses said. Deputy Sam Brandon saw an SUV barrel off the road and into a gas station. The car went up in flames. Brandon ran to the burning vehicle, but the door wouldn’t open. Towman William Manson arrived as Brandon struggled to remove the unconscious crash victim. Brandon and Manson hooked the tow truck to the door, broke it and moved the man to safety. Source: arkansasonline.com.

Train Hits Impounded, Stolen SUV Police in Valparaiso, Ind., said a 21year-old man stole his SUV from an impound lot on Sept. 28 after it was towed by police, and then stalled the vehicle on railroad tracks where it was hit by a train. The man reportedly told police he went home and drank a large amount of alcohol after his vehicle was impounded following a traffic stop for driving with a suspended license. He started the SUV using a hidden key, placed it in four-wheel drive and left the property by driving through a fence. Police referred charges of theft, trespassing and criminal mischief to prosecutors. Source: nwitimes.com.

Towman Attacked in Club Lot Myrtle Beach, S.C., police charged a man for assaulting a towman towing illegally parked vehicles at a club one early morning. The towman and a witness told officers that a woman looked for her car that had been towed from the parking lot. After being told how to retrieve her car, the woman started yelling at the towman. He was hooking up another car when others got involved. The towman said three men Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

attacked him, striking him as he fell. Police arrested one of the attackers, Daniel Owens, 25, for simple assault. Source: myrtlebeachonline.com.

Traffic Deaths Labeled a ‘Crisis’ U.S. traffic deaths jumped 10.4 percent in the first six months of 2016 to a “crisis” level, according to a recent report from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA said road deaths in the first half totaled 17,775 and said the

number was likely to be higher in the second half due to warmer weather and seasonal driving. NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind called the rising deaths a “crisis” and urged swift actions to reverse the rising trend after years of declines. The U.S. Transportation Department said vehicle miles driven rose 3.3 percent in the first half of 2016. Rosekind and other policy makers called for a goal of reaching “zero road deaths” within 30 years. Source: Reuters.

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TOWMAN.COM - November 2016 • 59

An Industry Takes Flight

by Steve Calitri

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A walk through the Pageant Hall of the American Towman Exposition is like a journey through the Land of Oz

60 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

here’s still a child inside of us all. A walk through the Pageant Hall of the American Towman Exposition is like a journey through the Land of Oz; we’re impressed by the marvelous truck graphics while thinking how our own wreckers and carriers compare. Our imaginations are sparked. But think how it is for a true child skipping through these gigantic trucks that tower above them. The colorful images of characters ranging from Captain America to Jesus Christ; of landscapes depicting bear and deer, forests and cityscapes; angels and demons, dragons and dragon slayers, circus scenes and muscle men. Think of the dreams the child has at night, home from the great show. The American Wrecker Pageant is indeed a circus Americana, a unique display of expressions that cut deep into the psyche of the towman’s mind, his attitudes and

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his humor. The spectacle is worthy of an expert appraisal in dream interpretation, maybe even psychoanalysis. After all, you have to be crazy to be in this business to begin with, no? The graphics on tow trucks can make one’s day, particularly if the truck is coming to retrieve one’s broken down car. As if the tower is telling the motorist to smile in the face of adversity. This year’s Pageant inside the Baltimore Convention Center, Nov. 18-20, will shine with bright wheels and chrome custom levers sculpted into figures, fanciful or macabre. The carriers will feature vehicles on the beds, some vintage, some funny, some sporty, vying for the bonus Best Presentation trophy. Near the Pageant trucks is the American Towman Café and live music that filters through the air reminiscent of a carnival. Some 70 wrecker and carriers, even specialty service trucks, will fill the Pageant Hall just beyond the 240 suppliers displaying in the Exhibit Hall. The ambience among the show trucks and its owners standing by is more laid back than the hustle and bustle of the exhibit floor. The truck talk here is as good as it gets anywhere in the world. Without exaggeration one can say the towing and recovery industry takes flight inside the American Wrecker Pageant. In the well-kept equipment and creative graphics, the spirit of an industry soars.

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Seizure Causes Tower Crash The owner of a tow company whose truck careened off the road and killed three pedestrians at a bus stop in New Orleans, La., recently said the truck’s driver suffered a seizure that caused the fatal crash. Owner Brian Ballard said the driver was about to arrive at a drop-off location for a car he was towing when he “completely blacked out” during a seizure.

Ballard said the driver was in good condition after being “dinged up” in the crash. New Orleans Police Department spokesman Tyler Gamble confirmed the driver was released from the hospital and not arrested or cited at press time. Source: nola.com. A towman crashed into several cars and killed three following a seizure while driving. Nola.com image.

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Meadows Towing Destroyed Meadows Towing and Recovery in South Memphis, Tenn., suffered major damage from a fire. No one was injured in the blaze. Three cars on the property also caught fire, which is under investigation. “I’m hoping that everything will be all right, especially for the owner,” Luanna Powers said. “It’s horrible, but I’m hoping that even since it burned down, they’ll rebuild.” Powers, a fellow small business owner, hopes more small businesses can help revitalize the area. Source: wbrc.com.

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Wells Fargo will pay $24 million to settle allegations that it mistreated members of the military, including by illegally repossessing their cars. The bank will pay $4.1 million to settle Justice Department charges that it violated federal law by seizing 413 cars owned by service members without a court order between 2008 and 2015. The bank will pay $10,000 to each of the affected service members, plus lost equity in the cars with interest, and repair their credit. The bank was fined $20 million more by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for breaking three provisions of the same law by denying members of the military certain banking protections, including capping their interest rates at 6%. Those violations began in 2006, the OCC said. Wells Fargo said in a statement that it apologizes for not living up to its commitment of ensuring that all service members “receive the appropriate benefits and protections.” “We have been notifying and fully compensating customers and will complete this work in 60 days,” the company said. Source: money.cnn.com.

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CK-4 Vs. FA-4 Diesel Oil by Kevin Ferrick

arlier this year, the American Petroleum Institute approved two new diesel engine oil standards, API Service Categories CK-4 and FA-4. These new categories resulted from several years of collaborating between engine manufacturers, oil marketers and additive suppliers. When the categories launch on Dec. 1, 2016, it will be the first time since 1994 that there will be two different diesel engine oil categories. Having two categories will require communicating to fleets, technicians and operators of diesel trucks and equipment about which oil they should use.

The new engine oil standards have been developed to protect engines, meet new government regulations and ensure engine oil performance. The new engine oil standards have been developed to protect engines, meet new government regulations and ensure engine oil performance. The new service categories improve upon existing standards by providing enhanced protection against oil oxidation and protection against engine wear, particulate filter blocking, piston deposits and degradation of low- and high-temperature properties.

68 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

A Service Symbol Donut is intended to help technicians and consumers easily identify the API FA-4 diesel engine oil and distinguish it from CK-4 oils. API images.

The new grades are: • API CK-4 oils will replace current API CJ-4 engine oils, will be backward-compatible with current diesel vehicles and will feature improved shear stability, oxidation resistance and aeration control. API CK-4 oils will have similar viscosity grades to current API CJ-4 oils. They have been created to easily replace oils used with current engine technologies and will have a minimum high-temperature, high-shear (HTHS) viscosity. • API FA-4 oils will include lower viscosity grades to meet the needs of next-generation diesel engines built beginning in 2017. The API CK-4 oils will have similar viscosity grades to current API CJ-4 oils. They have been created to easily replace oils used with current engine technologies and will have a minimum high-temperature, high-shear viscosity. The API FA-4 oils are intended to help increase fuel economy while providing strong engine protection. These oils will have limited backward compatibility because some older engines were not designed to operate with lower viscosity grades. API FA-4 oils were intentionally

named FA-4 to prevent their confusion with CK-4 oils, but FA-4 oils have to provide the same level of protection except with a lower high-temperature, high-shear viscosity. Engines designed to operate at the lower viscosity may see a fuel economy benefit compared to oils having higher viscosities. API has introduced a special Service Symbol Donut to help technicians and consumers easily identify the API FA-4 diesel engine oil and distinguish it from CK-4 oils. The new API FA-4 donut features a shaded section and the API CK-4 Service Symbol Donut will look the same as the current CJ-4 Donut. To find out if you’re CK-4 or FA-4, check with your owner’s manual, your engine manufacurer, or go to Diesel OilMatters.com. About the author Kevin Ferrick is the senior manager for engine oil licensing at the American Petroleum Institute.

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TOWMAN.COM - November 2016 • 69

International’s LT Targets Driver Appeal

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The International SuperTruck (left) and new LT Series tractor share some traits, but the aerodynamic efficiencies of the SuperTruck are evident in its sculpting and obvious in its lack of exterior mirrors.

n mid-October, Navistar hosted media for a ride-and-drive event to experience the company’s new International LT Series launched in September, recent HX trucks (launched in February), and check out its platooning technology and SuperTruck mileage advancements. The LT is International’s new flagship series in the Class 8 over-theroad segment. “Everything is based around the driver,” said Jeff Sass, Navistar SVP, Sales and Marketing. He said that the LT advancements were the culmination of input from hundreds of professional drivers, and based on a “cost of ownership” equation from owners who said driver retention is the key statistic. “The new International LT Series reflects our vision for the future of the trucking industry, with a host of

70 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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SuperTruck MPG Navistar also demonstrated its innovative SuperTruck vehicle, CatalIST, which has achieved a freight efficiency improvement of 104 percent compared to the control vehicle, exceeding the improvement goal set by the U.S. Department of Energy for the SuperTruck program. The Navistar vehicle has achieved fuel efficiency of 13 miles per gallon, and demonstrated 50.3 percent Brake Thermal Efficiency.

innovations developed in the SuperTruck program are seeing use in current models as well, like the LT Series. One example is Navistar’s predictive cruise control technology that looks ahead of the vehicle and recognizes the terrain and continuously calculates the most efficient speed and gear for optimal fuel economy in real time. Other improvements included: • Reduction in aerodynamic drag through replacement of cab- and hood-mounted mirrors with a series of cameras and interiormounted monitors.

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Business Is Booming by Mark Lacek

n the March 2016 issue of American Towman, I informed readers that repossession numbers were on the rise. At the Tow Expo-DFW in Arlington, Texas, this August, the attending repossessors spoke of the increase in recovery assignments as well. Since returning from Texas, I reached out to many repossessors across the country and am excited to relay that repossessors across the country are once again very busy. (A number of repossessors I talked to said business is up 100 percent since this time last year!) The increase in volume is great news for the repossessors and industry suppliers alike.

If you’re going to knock on the door anyway and compromise your safety, you don’t need the latest self-loading tow truck for stealth and speed—any old wrecker will do.

More Sales There are a couple reasons for the rise in repossession volume, which must not be associated with a bad economy. I am not an economic wizard, but over the years I have been able to determine the reasons for more repossessions. It is believed by many that a poor economy produces more vehicle repossessions. This is wrong. When banks loan more money, finance more auto loans and open up the floodgates of installment auto loans, this puts more assets on the road. New auto sales are at record highs which means people are trading in their used assets. Subprime lenders are writing more paper than ever before in financing these used cars. Subprime lenders grab a huge share of the used car market by selling cars to customers with lower credit scores. In both a strong and poor economy, there is always a percentage of installment loans that for one reason or another just go bad. 74 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

How does this affect the industry suppliers of products and services? I think it will be easy to look around and realize what is happening. Many of you are reading this column while at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore. I have no doubt the repossessors attending the show will play a very important role on total sales at this year’s Expo. Selfloaders, rollbacks, lockout tools, insurance, software and LPR systems will be at the top of their Christmas list. Many of the repossessors have told me it is time to trade in those older trucks for new equipment. What’s my advice to the vendors at this year’s

show? Prepare yourselves for more sales than ever.

Speed Vs. Safety I was in Miami chasing Peterbilts a couple weeks ago and I drove by a fellow agent who was backing his latest victim into his secure yard. I never miss an opportunity to introduce myself to a younger repossessor, and this guy appeared to be half my age. We talked for a while about procedures and equipment. The subject came up about charging the debtor for retrieving his personal property from the repossessed vehicle. The young man said some of his clients have

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asked him not to charge a fee for personal property. I explained to the repossessor that a service is being provided to the customer. Removing the property from the repossessed vehicle and placing the property in secure storage is protecting the integrity of the debtor’s belongings. Time spent speaking to a debtor, setting the appointment to retrieve, as well as time spent during the process of the debtor picking up the property is a service provided to both the lender and the debtor. I explained to the young repossessor about the bad habits of some clients who manipulate the policy and procedures of repossession companies. When a service is provided, someone must pay. The agent’s response stunned me: He said that after he hooks to the collateral and pulls it out of the driveway and onto the street, he often walks back to the house and knocks on the door and offers a deal to the debtor to remove the belongings in trade for the keys.

When banks loan more money, finance more auto loans and open up the floodgates of installment auto loans, this puts more assets on the road. This is one of the most risky decisions a repossessor can make. The most successful repossession is when there is absolutely no confrontation with the debtor. Letting a debtor reach into his car to retrieve any items could, and often does, result in serious injury and death. Why purchase a $70,000 self-loader truck designed for speed and stealth,

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only to slow down the recovery process to conduct a door knock? I said that if this was his procedure, then a Holmes 220 sitting on a 1980 Ford would be sufficient for the task. Many years ago, I learned this lesson the hard way. It was in Miami back in the 1980s when I had hooked to a car, but let a guy reach into it for his toolbox. Very quickly I was looking down the barrel of a .357 Magnum. Not a good moment. Repossessors across the country are busier than they have been for years, vendors will notice a substantial increase in the volume of sales. The downside of this uptick in business is often repossession agents will sacrifice safety for speed. Pay attention to my words: Apply your training on every assignment with eyes wide open. Be safe.

Repo Editor Mark Lacek authored the Certified Commercial Recovery Agent certification program and has more than 30 years of recovery experience. He is the former editor of “Professional Repossessor” magazine. Email him at Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com.

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‘The Old Reo’

lbert Battelini, president of Battelini’s Garage in Landisville, N.J., co-owns the operation with his brother Anthony and their dad, Dominick. This has been a family business since Alesio Battelini started it in 1921. Albert and Anthony are the fourth generation of Battelini boys that have become men in the family business. They now have 20 employees and a fleet of 20 wreckers … including some awesome vintage iron that represents their many years of service excellence. It started as a one-bay facility with one home-built wrecker unit on the back of a Model A, then upgraded to a Manley hand-crank unit on the back of a 1940 Ford. In years to come, Alesio’s son Dominick

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

would build the 1956 Reo featured here. The family also runs Battelini Wrecker Sales, a full service dealer for NRC Industries and others, servicing New Jersey, Delaware and the surrounding New York City area. They install almost everything they sell in their south Jersey facility. Dominick built the 1956 Reo A603 with a home-built unit and mounted three Holmes 750 bodies on a variety of chassis. This piece of vintage iron was built in-house with an extendable boom in 1960 and has a 40,000-lbs. Garwood military winch. It is powered by a 6V71 Detroit Diesel mated to a Spicer 10-speed transmission. It stayed in-service until 1986. “We have so many old classics that

we just call this one ‘The Old Reo.’ I did the paint inhouse and it took about six months,” Albert said. Albert brought a few of his family’s vintage wreckers to take part in the Centennial Parade in September in Chattanooga, Tenn., including their 1940 Ford/Manley and this Reo. Both were crowd favorites. “These vintage wreckers show our company and industry history,” Albert said.

80 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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Tech Highlights Name: “The Old Reo” Chassis: 1956 Reo A603. Wrecker: Built in-house in 1960. Engine: 6V71 Detroit Diesel. Trans: Spicer 10-speed. Winches: 40,000-lbs. Garwood military winch. Builder/paint: In-house.

TOWMAN.COM - November 2016 • 81

March or Die

eing a member of the American Towman Legion means being proactively engaged; taking the time to read AT’s pages in print or online at TowIndustryWeek.com, participate in American Towman Academy seminars, and travel to its events and Expositions. A towman of the Legion is active on the Industry Theater, using the information and tools American Towman offers to better compete in America’s most challenging service trade. Tow bosses looking to achieve a higher level of success, efficiency or professionalism read American Towman. Those attending AT’s Expositons are making an investment in time and money to network with peers, educators and suppliers who could be allies to their cause. Thousands in this Legion have participated in Academy seminars and engaged on the show exhibit floor. Thousands more have received honors: Towman Order, ACE, and Towman 500 awards, and others, not least of all the American Towman Medal. Towers engaged with their industry through American Towman are a cut above the rest. They’re out there doing. Their eyes and ears are open. Their heads are not in the sand. Tens of thousands of towers comprise the Legion. The intensity of engagement these numbers represent help American Towman publish and broadcast world-class media and produce events that in turn help the Legion compete and celebrate success. Today, American Towman is exploring new services that will feed the Legion’s hunger for greater professionalism and success. American Towman soon will offer exclusive marketing services unique to the towing business as well as the advantage of purchasing power only its Legion can muster. The term “legion” signifies great

82 • November 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

by Steve Calitri

numbers. Through history the word has come to be a formal term of any group of large numbers. There is a movie on the French Foreign Legion, “March or Die,” dramatizing the credo that only together a group moves forward. In the French Foreign Legion you marched through the desert, and if you stopped marching you fell off from the pack, and died. Suffice to say, you can’t go it totally alone and survive, in life or in business. The American Towman Exposition is a place when towmen and tow women come together, enabling everyone to march forward. Those savvy enough to be part of it find themselves in some way catapulted further along the road to success. Maybe it was an idea or business practice shared by another tow boss, maybe it was a lesson learned in a seminar, maybe it was something said by an industry vet on the exhibit floor, maybe it was the spirit that pervaded the show. With thousands of exhibitor personnel and many more thousands of tow business owners, the Exposition is made up of meetings and exchanges that create a whirlwind of positive energy, thoughts and actions. All those attending may generically be termed attendees, but more specifically they are American Towman Legionnaires. Those who pick up a copy of American Towman at the shop are categorized as readers, but specifically they are Legionnaires. Likewise, those logging onto Tow Industry Week online and American Towman TV are Legionnaires. AT Legionnaires of course are not rank-and-file enlistees. They are all Captains of their respective companies in their own theater of engagement. Thus all in the American Towman Legion are Captains.

AT Exposition will have eight American Towman editors on the show floor covering the action, including Emily Oz with cameraman in tow. The world will see news, images and video of the event in the printed pages and online at TowIndustryWeek.com. But in a real sense there will be thousands of individual media recording the Greatest Show of All Time this November 18-20 and posting pics and video on social media as the show is going on, AT Expo is a spectacle and all its witnesses are the spectacle as well. Another addition to AT Media that will be helpful to show goers is the American Towman App. This super app accesses TIW and the magazine and AT Expo events and exhibitors. Plus neat features like slide swipes of the illustrious Boomer Hayes.

To download the App link go to: http://americantowman.mobapp.at

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fighters were able to get a harness around the cow and lift her from the creek. When set down, the cow was too tired to move, Dawdy said. Using the truck, they walked it to a barn where someone fed it some apples and warmed it up. “The farmer didn’t know how long that cow had been in that water,” Dawdy said. “But that cow, to me, looked pretty darn cold.” The whole process lasted about an hour, Dawdy said, who credited TLC Towing for saving the cow’s day. Source: firehouse.com.

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NORTH 90 • November 2016- TOWMAN.COM

The Barnacle is a new parking enforcement device that uses suction to attach to a vehicle windshield and obstruct the view. An Iowa town is considering using a device like this in lieu of towing. Thegazette.com image.

Rouse plans to propose changes to Cedar Rapids parking code that would allow employees to boot cars with five unpaid tickets. Future code changes might reduce the number of tickets before booting, Rouse said. One booting device Rouse has considered uses suction cups to attach to the windshield, blocking a driver’s view. Drivers who discover the device

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could call a phone number, pay the tickets by phone and get a code that allows them to release the device. A driver would then have a few days to return the foldable device to Park CR or pay an additional fine. Another company, Paylock, has a Smart Boot that looks like a traditional boot that clamps to a car tire, but can be unlocked with a code once tickets are paid. Cedar Rapids leases its downtown parking system to Downtown Parking Management Inc., which has a five-member board. The not-forprofit hires Park Cedar Rapids, a private company known nationally as Republic, to operate the system with the expectation parking generates at least $1.1 million for the city to pay debt and maintain parking facilities. Park CR doesn’t tow often — only 32 times in 2015. “We’ve spent a tremendous amount of time helping our employees be extremely customer friendly,” Rouse said.

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The contractor doesn’t make any money from towing. Booting would bring in additional fines for Park CR, but that would be needed to cover the cost of 24/7 phone service for people to pay their fines, he said. Carmela Darrah-Chaifos, president of Darrah’s Towing, said the company doesn’t have a strong opinion about the city’s proposed parking changes. “If there’s another way for them to handle the situation that will work better for them or the community, we’re happy for that,” she said. “If the city needs a tow truck, we’ll send someone.” Proposed parking code changes, including the option to boot, could come before the city council before the end of the year, Rouse said. Source: thegazette.com.

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Cow Rescued With the help of a tow truck, firefighters in Clark County, Wash., hoisted a cow to safety that was trapped in a rising creek. Clark County Fire & Rescue Division Chief Tim Dawdy said firefighters got a call from a local rancher who said one of his cows was stuck in a creek on his property. “He had tried on his own to get the cow out and couldn’t, so he called the fire district directly for help,” Dawdy said. Two engine companies and two fire supervisors responded with ropes and elbow grease, but they couldn’t wrest the cow from the creek, which was rising in the pouring rain. The district called TLC Towing, which has been helpful with getting animals out of such scrapes in the past, Dawdy said. TLC Towing employees and firefighters were able to get a harness around the cow and lift her from the creek. When set down, the cow was too tired to move, Dawdy said. Using the truck, they walked it to a barn where someone fed it some apples and warmed it up. “The farmer didn’t know how long that cow had been in that water,” Dawdy said. “But that cow, to me, looked pretty darn cold.” The whole process lasted about an hour, Dawdy said, who credited TLC Towing for saving the cow’s day. Source: firehouse.com.

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subject to tow. Park CR calls Darrah’s Towing & Recovery and the car is towed to a lot in Hiawatha, Rouse said. “It’s not very convenient,” he said. Rouse plans to propose changes to Cedar Rapids parking code that would allow employees to boot cars with five unpaid tickets. Future code changes might reduce the number of tickets before booting, Rouse said. One booting device Rouse has considered uses suction cups to attach to the windshield, blocking a driver’s view. Drivers who discover the device

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hires Park Cedar Rapids, a private company known nationally as Republic, to operate the system with the expectation parking generates at least $1.1 million for the city to pay debt and maintain parking facilities. Park CR doesn’t tow often — only 32 times in 2015. “We’ve spent a tremendous amount of time helping our employees be extremely customer friendly,” Rouse said. The contractor doesn’t make any money from towing. Booting would bring in additional fines for Park CR, but that would be needed to cover the cost of 24/7 phone service for people to pay their fines, he said. Carmela Darrah-Chaifos, president of Darrah’s Towing, said the company doesn’t have a strong opinion about the city’s proposed parking changes. “If there’s another way for them to handle the situation that will work better for them or the community, we’re happy for that,” she said. “If the city needs a tow truck, we’ll send someone.” Proposed parking code changes, including the option to boot, could come before the city council before the end of the year, Rouse said. Source: thegazette.com.

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The Donora, Pa., council voted in October to eliminate rotation of towing during a recent monthly meeting. By a 5-1 vote, the council awarded exclusive towing rights to the Donora Fire Co., an entity of the Donora Fire Department. The Donora Fire Co. will replace Bulko Collision and Donora Discount Tire, two Donora-based towing companies that were previously part of the borough’s rotation. “This will give the Donora Fire Department another source of income to purchase what they need,” said Councilman Gilbert Szakal Jr. Councilman Dale Shawley Jr. was the only council member who voted against this motion. Source: heraldstandard.com.

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It wasn’t Halloween, but for one owner, a nightmare situation unfolded after their car underwent some unexpected surgery. Police in Waukehsa, Wis., responded to Darrel’s Transmission & Engine Repair on a report of suspicious activity. According to the report, a salvage company accidentally towed the wrong car from Darrel’s—towing a customer’s car from the lot that was undergoing repair work. The report stated that the towing company eventually returned the customer’s car to Darrel’s so it could be returned to its rightful owner. Unfortunately, a salvage company had already cut away and removed parts from the customer’s vehicle. The towing company returned the surgically altered car to Darrel’s, and informed the repair shop the salvage company said it would not pay for the damage done to the car. Police advised that the matter could be taken up in civil court. No criminal charges or complaints were filed. Source: patch.com.

Tower Reports Death Threats A Wethersfield, Conn., man was arrested recently after police learned he’d made comments to a tow operator about shooting and killing the trooper who had pulled him over earlier that day in Windsor and was responsible for his car being towed, a police report said. Police charged the man, Thomas Eldridge, 24, with inciting injury to a person, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree threatening. According to a report, an officer pulled Eldridge over on Interstate 91 and cited him for failure to drive in lane, no insurance, misusing license

plates, and windows too darkly tinted. After Eldrige’s car was towed, the tow operator called troopers and reported that Eldridge had made several comments to him about killing the trooper who had pulled him over, the report said. Police began an investigation into the threats and later arrested Eldridge at his home. Source: journalinquirer.com.

Police Target Move Over Awareness With emergency, utility, sanitation and wrecker vehicles working to clear debris and fix power outages from Hurricane Matthew, the Ormond Beach (Fla.) Police Department worked to remind motorists about the state’s Move Over Law. The Move Over Law in Florida requires motorists driving on a highway with two or more lanes to vacate the lane closest to the emergency, utility, sanitation, or wrecker vehicle or

slow down to 20 mph below the speed limit when approaching these types of vehicles parked on the side of the roadway when their emergency lights or signal are displayed. Source: ormondbeachobserver.com.

Firing at Tower Adds Two Years A Waynesboro, Va., man already convicted in Augusta County will now serve a total of 15 years in prison after pleading guilty recently to charges he fired a gun at a tower. Charles R. Ramsey, 38, was convicted on charges of discharging a firearm from a vehicle and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On the night of Sept. 27, 2015, a Shenandoah County tower was in Waynesboro trying to repossess Ramsey’s 2014 Dodge Avenger. After pulling in behind the car in an apartment complex, the tower said the Dodge suddenly pulled away. The tower was following the

Dodge when it did a U-turn. As Ramsey’s car approached, the tower said he heard a gunshot and saw a flash. Powell said the man couldn’t tell if the gun was pointed at him or up in the air when the shot was fired. Ramsey then fled the area. He was arrested nearly two weeks later in an unrelated case that began when he was spotted in Augusta County carrying two garbage bags stuffed with marijuana. When an Augusta County sheriff’s deputy tried to make contact with Ramsey, he sped away in a vehicle and a 10-mile chase ensued, according to an arrest report. In that case, Ramsey was given a 13-year prison term on charges of abduction, robbery and unlawful wounding. With the new firearms guilty pleas in Waynesboro, two years were added to his sentence, giving Ramsey a total of 15 years to serve. Source: newsleader.com.

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emorable with a simple name is both good for customers and the company, particularly if the name pops out on the truck, like it does at Bill’s Towing and Auto Repair in Lodi, Wis. A good illustration of their logo design can be found on one of their newest acquisitions, a 2016 Peterbilt/Century 1150 rotator. “Since the company was founded in 1993, we’ve had the same logo on our trucks,” said Jason Grams, operations manager at Bill’s. What grabs interest is the sheer size of the name located on both sides of the unit, the forward flow and curve of the graphic and the lettering’s yellow color schematic coordinated against a blue, two-toned background. Part of these graphics is a wrap by Dendy Hill Graphics of Chattanooga, Tenn. “We went with the wrap partly because of the high cost that would be incurred of changing the background color of the manufactured all-white truck,” Grams said. “Also, we were concerned that changing the background color over time would cause the paint to

flake and that it wouldn’t hold up.” They used a partial wrap, discovering that they liked the way it integrated with the all-white background, leaving the hood and cab white. “[Dendy Hill] spent countless hours working on it,” said Grams. “Initially the colors didn’t flow and we weren’t happy about the way the racing stripes were going, so we made numerous changes to the design.” The stripes and the logo have a uniform flow signifying action and movement. Although many trucks have racing stripes, here it’s how they are integrated with the other graphics that promote its design. The company name “Bill” is emphasized on other parts of the unit as well, including the boom, behind the cab and on the backside of the rotator. “It’s a decal that we put over it,” Grams said, “in case we decided to sell the unit. That way a company that

MIDWEST 84 • November 2016- TOWMAN.COM

bought it could keep the wrap just as it is. That’s something that a lot of companies don’t think about.” Editor’s note: This story originally ran on AT’s sister site, towindustryweek.com, which features industry news, training, recoveries, new products and more. Don’t miss out—make sure to read it each week.

George L. Nitti has written for American Towman since 2009. He started out as a news writer and now writes a weekly feature on TowIndustryWeek.com, Tow Illustrated, which spotlights the tow truck graphics.

Kontos: Repos Fluctuating While unemployment rates, gas prices, and other economic factors continue to be the most important data points that Tom Kontos looks at when assessing the state of the auto finance and repossession industries, the chief economist at Adesa Analytical Services has added some unconventional trends to his radar screen.

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NEWS FLASH continued from page M 85 Kontos shared those trends and a lot more during an October webinar hosted by RepoPulse.com. According to Kontos, repossession rates will fluctuate based more on the total number of loans and leases outstanding as opposed to fluctuating based on economic factors. “I’ve always said it takes paychecks to make payments and employment has been solid,” Kontos said. “Most months this year, there have been hundreds of thousands of jobs created.” Kontos is not concerned about a subprime lending bubble because the growth in subprime auto finance activity as a percentage of total auto lending has leveled off. Cars do not pose the same economic risks as houses, Kontos added. Delinquency rates will continue to rise, albeit slowly and not too much, Kontos said, especially as the economy continues to remain stable. Gas prices will also remain relatively low and stable for the foreseeable future, Kontos said. Source: repopulse.com.

Town Wants Boots over Tows In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, parking officials want to stop towing cars, in most cases, and start using a newfangled “boot” that blocks a car’s windshield until the driver has paid outstanding tickets. “Customers can remove it themselves and return it to us,” said Park Cedar Rapids General Manager Jon Rouse. Right now, people who have five tickets at least 30 days past due are subject to tow. Park CR calls Darrah’s Towing & Recovery and the car is towed to a lot in Hiawatha, Rouse said. “It’s not very convenient,” he said. Rouse plans to propose changes to Cedar Rapids parking code that would allow employees to boot cars with five unpaid tickets. Future code changes might reduce the number of tickets before booting, Rouse said. One booting device Rouse has considered uses suction cups to attach to the windshield, blocking a driver’s view. Drivers who discover the device

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Management Inc., which has a fivemember board. The not-for-profit hires Park Cedar Rapids, a private company known nationally as Republic, to operate the system with the expectation parking generates at least $1.1 million for the city to pay debt and maintain parking facilities. Park CR doesn’t tow often — only 32 times in 2015. “We’ve spent a tremendous amount of time helping our employees be extremely customer friendly,” Rouse said. The contractor doesn’t make any money from towing. Booting would bring in additional fines for Park CR, but that would be needed to cover the cost of 24/7 phone service for people to pay their fines, he said. Carmela Darrah-Chaifos, president of Darrah’s Towing, said the company doesn’t have a strong opinion about the city’s proposed parking changes. “If there’s another way for them to handle the situation that will work better for them or the community, we’re happy for that,” she said. “If the city needs a tow truck, we’ll send someone.” Proposed parking code changes, including the option to boot, could come before the city council before the end of the year, Rouse said. Source: thegazette.com.

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Town Moves Rotation to Fire Co. The Donora, Pa., council voted in October to eliminate rotation of towing during a recent monthly meeting. By a 5-1 vote, the council awarded exclusive towing rights to the Donora Fire Co., an entity of the Donora Fire Department. The Donora Fire Co. will replace Bulko Collision and Donora Discount Tire, two Donora-based towing companies that were previously part of the borough’s rotation. “This will give the Donora Fire Department another source of income to purchase what they need,” said Councilman Gilbert Szakal Jr. Councilman Dale Shawley Jr. was the only council member who voted against this motion. Source: heraldstandard.com.

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around the cow and lift her from the creek. When set down, the cow was too tired to move, Dawdy said. Using the truck, they walked it to a barn where someone fed it some apples and warmed it up. “The farmer didn’t know how long that cow had been in that water,” Dawdy said. “But that cow, to me, looked pretty darn cold.” The whole process lasted about an hour, Dawdy said, who credited TLC Towing for saving the cow’s day. Source: firehouse.com.

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WEST 86 • November 2016- TOWMAN.COM

Cedar Rapids parking code that would allow employees to boot cars with five unpaid tickets. Future code changes might reduce the number of tickets before booting, Rouse said. One booting device Rouse has considered uses suction cups to attach to the windshield, blocking a driver’s view. Drivers who discover the device could call a phone number, pay the tickets by phone and get a code that allows them to release the device. A driver would then have a few days to return the foldable device to Park CR or pay an additional fine. Another company, Paylock, has a Smart Boot that looks like a traditional boot that clamps to a car tire, but can be unlocked with a code once tickets are paid. Cedar Rapids leases its downtown parking system to Downtown Parking Management Inc., which has a five-member board. The not-forprofit hires Park Cedar Rapids, a private company known nationally as Republic, to operate the system with the expectation parking generates at least $1.1 million for the city to pay debt and maintain parking facilities. Park CR doesn’t tow often — only 32 times in 2015. “We’ve spent a tremendous amount of time helping our employees be extremely customer friendly,” Rouse said. The contractor doesn’t make any money from towing. Booting would bring in additional fines for Park CR, but that would be needed to cover the cost of 24/7 phone service for people to pay their fines, he said. Carmela Darrah-Chaifos, president of Darrah’s Towing, said the company doesn’t have a strong opinion about the city’s proposed parking changes. “If there’s another way for them to handle the situation that will work better for them or the community, we’re happy for that,” she said. “If the city needs a tow truck, we’ll send someone.” Proposed parking code changes, including the option to boot, could come before the city council before the end of the year, Rouse said. Source: thegazette.com.

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