Tow Manager

restored were fun to hear. Imagine owning an ancient tow truck that’s been restored using computer imaging and water jet metal-shaping technology. Some of the graphics on the trucks were those of towing companies that still are in business today. In fact, it appeared that many of the classic tow trucks were still “working for a living.” In other cases, the graphics were ones you do not see anymore. Apparently, vinyl graphics companies are getting a lot of business reproducing lettering and logo decals for classic tow trucks being restored.

The names on many trucks were those of towing operators who support the annual ATHS Convention with memberships and show trucks. This event is not only about collecting and restoring old tow trucks, it’s about celebrating the history of an industry that thousands of hardworking Americans have grown up in. The convention is an anxiously awaited social gathering for many towers. Other convention-related activities included a truck cruise, tours, speakers, appearance by Tim Ridley of the Road Dog Trucking channel and Greg Evigan of “B.J. & the Bear” TV fame. With nearly 1,300 trucks packed into a mile square space, there were undoubtedly other classic tow trucks in the mix. It is possible to see them all by joining ATHS and getting a copy of the annual Show Time book, a full-color collectible publication that features all the trucks registered for the ATHS’ National Antique Truck Show.

Virtually no two

tow trucks in the

show were

anywhere near

the same.

American Towing’s Kenworth operates out of Ruston, Iowa.

Ernie Vole’s 1971 Pete out of Vernon, Ill., sports bright orange paint that makes it stand out in a crowd. Decker Truck Line’s 1979 Peterbilt 359 from Fort Dodge, Iowa. Decker Truck Line has been family owned and operated since 1931.

Do You See the Light? (Part 2: Cones)

by Randall C. Resch

Acareer firefighter once said, “The sound of a cone under a car is better than the screams of a firefighter being dragged underneath.” Last month’s article, “Do You See the Light (Part 1: Flares),” covered some specifics in identifying a darkened shoulder by means of emergency lighting. Towers who don’t employ cones, flares or triangles to direct traffic away from casualty vehicles or tow trucks give way to motorists’ claims nothing was done to identify tow operators working on shoulders. If cones, signage, flaggers, or flare safety wastes time, why do construction companies and first responder agencies use them prominently? Although I’d like to think that the towing and recovery industry has made incredible advancements in the past 30 years, why don’t we towers get on board? It’s painfully obvious that most in our industry don’t think cones and flares are progressive tools in providing advanced emergency notice. Although some law enforcement contracts require that tow trucks and flatbed carriers be outfitted with cones and/or flares, it seems rare to see them deployed in a towing/recovery work zone. Traffic cones aren’t new; their history goes back nearly 60 years. The idea of traffic cones were patented in 1943 in the U.S. to Charles Scanlon, a California worker in the Los Angeles Street Painting Department. It’s believed that in 1959, Russell Storch, who worked for the Pacific Gas and Electric Co., in Oakland, Calif., suggested placing orange safety cones at the front and rear left corners of trucks to increase visibility and worker safety. (PG&E implemented his idea as policy and awarded him a whopping $45 bucks for his suggestion.) Today, you’ll see many of America’s largest utility, delivery and construction companies use Storch’s safety suggestion.

The Law

Safe on-scene practices and motoring laws demand that tow operators employ emergency lighting and/or safety devices to identify breakdown zones. If your state identifies you as a commercial motor vehicle operator, you’re required to provide notice to approaching traffic when there’s an obstruction parked on or to the side of the shoulder. Because of written law, there are requirements that tow trucks be equipped with authorized emergency lighting, cones, flares and/or triangles. Examples of lighting laws for authorized highway use include: •Montana’s commercial tow truck