Workhorse

Oshkosh Marks100 Years

by Brendan Dooley

Three Nolte’s Towing units brought up the rear of the parade in case of trouble (above). A 2007 Kenworth T800/Jerr-Dan 50-ton integrated heavy (a former My Baby unit from AT’s October 2016 issue), followed by a 2009 Sterling Bullet/Jerr-Dan Cougar and a 2012 Freightliner/Jerr-Dan 22’ XLP rollback. Jerr-Dan and JLG make up Oshkosh Corp.’s “Access Equipment” unit (below).

Oshkosh Corp. celebrated its 100th year in business with a factory open house and a community parade in its Oshkosh, Wis., hometown last month. The warm weather with a light breeze was perfect for the Saturday morning parade and events. Jerr-Dan, an Oshkosh company since June 2004, had wreckers and equipment both on display in the parade, and with wreckers from local Nolte’s Towing staged around the route (in the unlikely event of a breakdown in the procession … of which there were none). Coincidentally, JerrDan is marking an anniversary this year too with its 45th Anniversary. The 100 Year Anniversary Parade featured dozens of Oshkosh family products across its access equipment (Jerr-Dan and JLG), defense, fire/emergency and commercial lines ranging from antique to new. The parade included the company’s “Old Betsy,” a four-wheel-drive unit built in 1917 that underwent a recent restoration to get road ready for the 100th anniversary, as well as its newest offerings including the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. William Besserdich and B.A. Mosling founded Oshkosh in 1917 on two key patented innovations: a transfer case that transfers power from the front axle to the rear, and improved steering and drive capacity of the front axle. Old Betsy was the prototype display of these innovations that attracted investors. “We’re proud and humble that our company truly makes a difference in people’s lives; building on a foundation that began 100 years ago,” said Wilson R. Jones, Oshkosh Corp. president/CEO. Nolte’s Towing does a lot of work for Oshkosh moving vehicles and chassis. Nolte’s operator Don Davis related an inspiring anecdote talking with one Oshkosh line worker: “I was hooking up an MATV and there was an Oshkosh worker on break and he walked up to me and said, ‘You take care of that, that’s part of me.’ I looked at him and asked what he meant and he said, ‘Well I take pride in my work and that’s part of me because I built that truck.’ “I thought that was pretty neat … because towers take pride in our trucks too, when we keep them clean, wash them, keep them operational and professional.”

Author’s note:

Special thanks go to Nolte’s Towing owner Chuck Anderson for alerting me to the parade and letting me ride with operator Don Davis during the parade to get photos.

Spirit Ride a Social Phenom

OMG National’s contributions are helping drive attention to the Spirit Ride

by Brendan Dooley

As the Spirit Ride crisscrosses America’s highways and byways through cities large and small raising motorists’ awareness of the Move Over laws, the online effort to publicize it is as important as the Spirit Casket and Riders themselves. In each city and town, the Casket transfer ceremony provides opportunities for towers to reach their communities to educate and inform live and especially through local news coverage and social media. To that end, the Spirit Ride is grateful to partner with OMG National—the largest tow marketing agency in the U.S. As a Platinum sponsor and its social media guru. OMG is contributing its social media expertise to propagate stories and video coverage of the Spirit Ride. “At OMG, I’ve been touched by the hundreds of towers we’ve worked with personally,” said Mike Rappaport, Chief Creative Officer at OMG. In fact, Mike and OMG CEO Jesse Lubar have been regulars at the American Towman Expos, going back to the first Baltimore show in 1989. “We immediately became a sponsor when Steve Calitri (AT Editor-inChief and Spirit Ride co-founder) talked with me about the Spirit Ride and its goals to raise public awareness of Move Over to help protect towers,” Rappaport said. “I recognized Spirit Ride as an opportunity to give back to this industry.We became a sponsor donating both money and services to the effort. “OMG is contributing social media promotion and and creating videoreleases to media for the Spirit Ride. It is also providing vital services at cost (to American Towman Spirit Inc.) through its communication specialists, such as media coordination for each ceremony stop, telemarketing towers in each region, sending out press packets and video media kits to the local TV stations to make each ceremony as effective as it can be.” “OMG is going beyond the line of duty on the Spirit Ride,” said American Towman's Steve Calitri. “It's social media effort is ongoing. It goes the extra nine yards with important PR efforts like creating personalized invitation cards that towers at each relay station can distribute.” When American Towman TV's Emily OZ was not able to fly to New Mexico to cover the Tucumcari and Albuquerque Spirit Ride events, OMG made Jennifer Riley and a cameraman available to take the assignment. Jennifer, an experienced newscaster, covered the Rides and interviewed Linda Unruh of All-Rite Towing, who had lost her son, Bobby, on February 19th, when he was struck down by a passing tractor-trailer who failed to move over. Riley also interviewed

Chad Becerra, the tow operator who credits Bobby Unruh with saving his life. “OMG is a great resource for American Towman TV and the Spirit Ride,” says Calitri. “We were looking for a documentary-style feature out of New Mexico that we can distribute to national media outlets. Mike will oversee the production with his people editing. While there were hard costs to the Spirit Ride (air fare, lodging, expenses) Mike will contribute much of the production work.” Calitri added, “He's the man you want in the trenches with you.” OMG had provided additional camera coverage of the inaugural Spirit Ride processional in Las Vegas and the ceremony in May, where the Spirit Casket Bob’s Towing carries Spirit through West Bend, Wisconsin. made its public debut. There he also pitched in with his own creative talents in directing the camera action. Beyond just giving back, supporting the Spirit Ride is a natural outreach for OMG as the route includes and/or passes so many of the company’s partner clients. “Many OMG customers are on the route,” Rappaport said. “We have so many relationships nationwide, it’s a natural for us to reach out to them and help publicize the Ride.” Beyond publicizing the event to towers, OMG’s efforts are supporting those towers who are hosting ceremonial events and joining in the processionals with the Spirit Casket. “We’re building audiences with Facebook and Twitter, creating content, producing videos, making strategic media buys and working with

local towers to maximize the audience at each spot,” Rappaport said. “We’re working with the tower—creating a graphic set unique and specific to their market—and coaching and guiding their own efforts at those specific stops. “Those that are already active on Facebook give us a better foundation to work from, but OMG coaching and consultation have provided value to each of those stops and shows how effective social media and video are in 2017.” As the technical producers of American Towman TV, and with a sharp focus on the marketing needs of America’s tow bosses, it was natural for OMG to help promote the Spirit Ride. OMG National develops websites, videos and on-hold messages for thousands of U.S. tow businesses (the current atspiritride.com was created by OMG). As a Google and Facebook certified marketing agency, OMG manages more than $250,000 per month in online ad spending and is plugged into the current state of internet marketing. In 2007, Mike was in need of a liver transplant due to Hepatitis C. In August of that year he decided to merge his company with friendly competitor, Jesse Lubar’s National Telephone Message Corp. This allowed the two companies to thrive in a changing media world. Mike also received a new liver and lease on life, as well as eradicating the Hepatitis C virus, in 2010. Since then, OMG National has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies five times (at press time they had just been notified that they were on the 2017 list.) OMG National expanded into video production six years ago and soon thereafter partnered with American Towman Media to produce ATTV. “My passion is video production and we’re now shooting video on a national basis,” Rappaport said. He invites any tower who’s interested to visit OMG’s 13,000-sq.-ft. studio center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to see the facility and sketch out marketing strategies. “We’re excited to assist at the Spirit Ride booth at the Tow Expo-Dallas (this month) and American Towman Expo in Baltimore this November,” Rappaport said. “We’ll be answering questions, thanking participants, seeking new ideas for outreach and more.” By the way, Mike got the liver transplant. For that the Spirit Ride, and all the towers making it happen, are grateful.

GPS Has The First Responder's Back

US Fleet Tracking Supports the Spirit Ride

by Daniel Young

The men and women that respond to a 911 dispatch are nothing short of heroes. Police, fire, emergency medical, and tow operators are equally important in first response situations. US Fleet Tracking originally developed its live GPS tracking software to aid first responders by providing accurate and reliable live data. We know towers are first responders as well and we know that every second matters in an emergency. We’ve committed to giving back to our first responders by supporting the Spirit Ride and creating a campaign called Back the Blue to support law enforcement.

Law Enforcement

Last July, I got a call from a police chief of a small suburb near Dallas-Fort Worth. The chief received a complaint that a young woman claimed an officer pulled her over on a speeding violation. After letting the woman go with a warning, she claims she witnessed the officer driving very slowly down her street. She accused the officer of following her home and harassing her. Luckily, every cruiser in the chief’s fleet had GPS. First, I helped show the chief how to run the historical playback on the officer for the night of the alleged harassment. The woman had lived immediately south of the main highway that runs through town. We clearly saw from the playback where the officer had pulled over by the stop registering and the PTO engaged telling us the light bar was used, indicated by red and blue panic on the screen. After the officer turned off his light bar, he responded to a call they had at the local convenience store on the west edge of town. Was the lady wrong? We set up a Geofence around the area and generated a report showing every officer that drove within a block of her address. Sure enough, another officer had driven past her house on a routine patrol of the neighborhood not long after the incident. Fortunately, this story had a happy ending. US Fleet Tracking is rooted in law enforcement. Founder/CEO Jerry

Sean Davis, Arrow Wrecker Service, speaks at Spirit Ride Ceremony in Oklahoma City. Arrow led a procession of over 70 tow trucks and emergency service vehicles.

Arrow Wrecker Service in Oklahoma City.

Hunter identified a need for 5- and 10-second updates in live tracking. During the eight years prior to forming US Fleet Tracking, our team concentrated exclusively on live tracking systems for 911 dispatch, law enforcement and ambulance services. A sheriff once told me that every time an officer does not immediately respond to the radio, his heart sinks and his mind starts racing. Was this going to be the day he had to make a call to a deputy’s wife, or is he simply not within reach of the radio? Safety is key and our live tracking with 10-second updates lets dispatch know where the officers are, not where they have been. It is equally important to keep the officers accountable and transparent in their actions. Speed alerts and monitoring aggressive driving alerts help to verify the officers are being held to the same high standards they hold for the citizens of their community. Up to a year of history on their speed and location ensures that investigators have the data they need to either confirm or disprove allegations against their officers. To pay tribute, US Fleet Tracking created its “Back the Blue” Program to assist law enforcement in acquiring live GPS tracking devices. We’ve also provided an avenue for community members to support this cause and the IACP Foundation to support its injured officers campaign.

Towing

Vanita, the owner of Arrow Wrecker, got a complaint that accused one of her drivers going 80 mph in a 50-mph zone. The witness said the driver was weaving through lanes erratically and she tried to catch up with him to get the number on the side of the truck and couldn’t keep up with him even at 70 mph. She threatened to leave a negative Google and Yelp Review. Vanita had her fleet supervisor Jeff investigate the claim. Using US Fleet Tracking’s live GPS software, Jeff was quickly able to identify the vehicle in question. Using the speeding report, he dismissed the speeding claim. He went ahead and checked the aggressive driving report for hard braking and rapid acceleration just to be on the safe side. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Looking at the historical playback, Jeff noticed the driver was coming from a stop in a residential area. He cross-referenced the dash cam footage from the wrecker and it turns out the operator had just left a repossession call. The woman was embarrassed when she was told the true situation and dismissed the claim. We recognize that tow operators are first responders as well. They serve our communities; helping keep our roads and highways safe and clear of wreckage debris and other roadside hazards. All too often, this service costs them their lives. Much like police, they lay their life on the line while performing their duties. Supporting the towing industry is important to US Fleet Tracking. This is why we chose to sponsor the American Towman Spirit Ride and we are the official live GPS tracking provider. Spirit Ride co-founder Steve Calitri said if the message gets through to our nation and saves just one tower’s life, it will be all worth it. US Fleet Tracking’s commitment to give back to law enforcement and our decision to support the Spirit Ride go hand-in-hand. We serve those that serve us.

Editor’s note:

Daniel Young, an account executive with US Fleet Tracking, has contributed many hours communicating with police and fire departments on behalf of the Spirit Ride.

Tow Industry Mobilizes for Survival

by Steve Calitri

An industry besieged with red tape, high insurance rates, depressed rates, and a tough time getting quality operators…sounds like the towing industry the past forty years. Now it’s worse. Market forces and easy-entry into towing continue to depress rates. Municipalities and states continue to throw more red tape at tow operations cutting into their profit margins; curtailing private tows is one example. Insurance rates have skyrocketed for tow companies, up 300% over the past five years. But the prospect of hiring and keeping able tow operators is bleaker than ever before. Tow bosses report that it’s hard to find anyone to operate a heavy duty wrecker for a$75,000 salary. Light duty operators are just as hard to find, even paying $50,000-$60,000. The reasons are many. There isn’t just one cause. Erratic hours, a changed culture that prepares fewer people for outdoors work, a lack of industry outreach and professional recruitment, and a lack of sophisticated management practices… all play into the problem. “The last three to four years has been a hard time finding new drivers,” Chuck Anerson of Nolte’s Towing in Oshkock, Wisconsin told American Towman. “We are starting to look at other options … a lot of people don’t want to work the hours: on call two nights a week and every other weekend. I don’t want to say it’s a generational thing, a Gen Y thing, but people just don’t want to work how they did even 5 years ago. … A couple months ago, we hired four drivers and after getting them through hiring and insurance and everything, only one showed up to work his first day … and he didn’t last two days.” However the number one cause that keeps people away from towing is the one that tow bosses have responded to like the ostrich: the dangers of the job. It’s always been dangerous out there by the white line. Some jobs have more risk than others: that’s just the way it is. But factors the past thirty years have aggravated the dangers for a tow operator, raised the risk, and our awareness of that risk. The Internet has made the towing industry aware of the scope of the problem. Tow Industry Week has been reporting one to two towers struck and killed on the roadside every week for the past five years. American Towman first began this coverage online back in 1996. The call for a memorial to honor the fallen culminated with the Wall of the Fallen in Chattanooga, Tenn. After all, fire fighters have had their Walls in fire stations all over the country. So it was an awareness that was a long time coming: towers are being knocked off, literally. The frequency of these accidents and casualties (those injured or killed) has increased because cell phone usage, talking or texting, has distracted motorists like never before. Medicated or stress-out drivers haven’t diminished, just the opposite. All of which makes winching a car up a carrier bed, hooking up a vehicle, or changing a flat tire all the more perilous on highways and freeways. “Too many wrecker operators and other responders are dying at the hands of distracted, drunk, drugged and drowsy drivers,” says Jim Austrich, Responder Training Program Manager at the Federal Highway Administration. “We’ve seen fatalities double for Fire, Rescue and EMS responders in the first half of this year. Our records show a tow

All First Responders have taken the Spirit Ride to heart, becoming engaged with each relay, operator struck and killed every six days.” ceremony, and procession all across the nation. For the sane who are job hunting, working two or three feet, sometimes less, from eighteen wheelers barreling by, is as attractive a proposition as a desk job with your back two feet from a cliff. And no net. The towing industry is waking up to the reason why it’s difficult to find humans to put in its tow trucks. With working conditions more risky than ever and poor recruitment practices, combined with a dwindling pool of people cut out for the work, the industry is facing its very survival as we know it. Two things have to happen to change this course. First, tow bosses need to employ a greater and more sophisticated recruitment strategy and implementation. Old ways don’t cut it anymore. Listen to Eric Luchini, owner of Luchini’s Towing & Recovery in Las Cruces, New Mexico. “There’s most definitely been a problem in hiring new drivers over the last eight years—a decline in finding quality drivers. Lets say I put an ad on Craigslist, eight years ago I might have had 20 or 30 applicants … in one day. Four years ago, it might have been 10 in one day. Recently, I had two applicants for driver. … And the minute I say we’ve got to be on call 24 hours a day, weekends, nights, holidays—their eyes pop.”

Date

Time 08/23/2017 10am 08/24/2017 10am 08/24/2017 2pm 08/25/2017 10am 08/25/2017 2pm 08/26/2017 10am 08/26/2017 2pm 08/27/2017 7pm 08/29/2017 10am 08/30/2017 10am 08/30/2017 2pm 08/31/2017 10am 08/31/2017 2pm 09/01/2017 10am 09/06/2017 10am 09/06/2017 2pm 09/07/2017 10am 09/07/2017 2pm 09/08/2017 10am 09/08/2017 2pm 09/09/2017 11am 09/12/2017 10am 09/12/2017 2pm 09/13/2017 10am 09/13/2017 2 pm 09/14/2017 10am 09/14/2017 2pm 09/15/2017 10am 09/15/2017 2pm 09/15/2017 3pm 09/16/2017 10am 09/20/2017 10am 09/20/2017 2 pm 09/21/2017 10 am 09/21/2017 1 pm 09/21/2017 2 pm 09/22/2017 10am 09/22/2017 3pm 09/23/2017 10 am 09/26/2017 10 am

City

State Name North Little Rock AR Tim Moody

Bartlett TN Dave Steward

Covington Dyersburg Martin Scott City Jackson Kansas City Carbondale Vincennes Terre Haute Tilton Indianapolis TN TN TN MO Jimmy Blakely David Lowery Lynn Harper Ron Pratt

MO

Casey Nabors MO Amy Gresham IL Donna Throgmorton

IN IN IL IN Dustin Perry Andrew Haynes Brian Carnaghi Matthew Bartlett

New Point

IN Independence KY Ryan Kegley Dianna Kloeker

West Chester OH Mike Sprandel

London Columbus OH OH Josh Skaggs Brandon Harris

Lancaster Belpre Racine OH OH OH Keith Smith Jerry Radcliff Michael Hill

Crawley Lexington Glade Hill WV VA VA Amanda Anderson James Southers Tim Wall

Lynchburg Staunton Waynesboro Stephens City Hagerstown Hagerstown Thurmont Harrisburg Lancaster

VA VA VA VA MD MD MD PA PA East Petersburg PA Robesonia PA Kevin Jones Douglas Snyder Robert Drumheller Carl Story Sarah Weeks Charles Georg John Reese Kyle Knarr Sherry Morgan Wayne McDade William Arndt

Reading Allentown PA PA Pablo Matos John Yocum

Scranton Scott Twp Harriman PA PA NY Bob Bolus David Duchnik

Relay Station Jhook Towing & Recovery Uncle Dave’s Auto Repair Jim’s Towing Service Lowery’s Wrecker Service Harpers Wrecker Service Midwest Truck N & S Towing GT Tow Service Larrys Towing Knox County Towing & Recovery Express Towing and Recovery Carnaghi Towing and Repair Interstate Delaware & South TDS Heavy Towing & Recovery Judes Towing Quality Towing & Equipment Moving J and J Towing Capital Towing & Recovery Midwest Towing Jerry’s Auto Center Racine Service Center Anthony’s Truck Repair Auto Towing & Repair TNT Auto Body Nations Choice Towing Bee Line Transport Inc Kyle’s Towing Service Drumheller’s Towing & Recovery Commonwealth Auto Transport & Recovery D & D Truck Repair & Towing Road Runner Towing Mike’s Autobody Towing H & S Towing Service Morgan Towing Wayne's Towing & Recovery Arndt’s Recovery Solutions Matos Used Auto Yocum Towing & Recovery Bolus Truck Parts and Towing Duchnik's Towing TBD

Anonymous

09/28/2017 11 am 10/17/2017 11 am 10/18/2017 11 am 10/19/2017 11 am 10/20/2017 10 am 10/20/2017 2 pm 10/24/2017 10 am 10/24/2017 2 pm 10/25/2017 10 am 10/25/2017 2 pm 10/26/2017 10 am 10/26/2017 2 pm 11/01/2017 11 am 11/02/2017 11 am 11/03/2017 10 am 11/03/2017 10 am 11/04/2017 11 am 11/07/2017 10 am 11/08/2017 11 am 11/09/2017 10 am 11/09/2017 11 am 11/10/2017 10 am 11/10/2017 2 pm 11/10/2017 3 pm 11/17/2017 10 am 11/17/2017 5 pm 11/17/2017 9 am New York Rutherford NY NJ

Piscataway Howell Burlington Delran Philadelphia Wayne Cochranville Elkton NJ NJ NJ NJ PA PA PA MD

Grasonville Fruitland Smithfield Meherrin

MD MD VA VA Colonial Heights VA Colonial Heights VA Chesterfield VA Providence Forge VA Bowling Green VA Landover MD

Falls Church Laurel VA MD

Owings Mills Cockeysville Columbia MD MD MD

Baltimore Cockeysville MD MD Nick Testa Mark Bardecker Mike Stahnten Heather Grove Henry Shinn TBD Nick’s 24 Hour Towing Service Blue Streak Transport LLC Certified Auto Mall BMS Towing Lenny's Towing and Recovery TBD

Barry Simes Gwen Null William Cain Ed Cousler Tommy's Main Line Towing Null's Towing Chesapeake Service Center Parks Tire and Auto service Inc

Steve Wallace Auto Medic Towing & Repair

Ryan Brown Joseph Kellum Tricia Palmer

Dave's Service Center Inc Joe's Towing B&T Towing Christy Palmer Archileti "Palmer's Towing & Recovery, LLC" Bruce Eagle Eagle Towing

Jeni Webb Mark Giles Jr Kevin Herbert Fred Scheler Jim Beatty Anthony Pezzella Kathy Linhard Dennis' Towing & Recovery Bud's Towing Charley's Crane Service Henry’s Wrecker Service "Past & Present Towing & Recovery, Inc." Apex Towing Service Linhard’s Towing Inc B/A Products

Kathy Linhard AT Exposition XXIX Linhard’s Towing Inc

The Spirit Ride in the Fall is highlighted by processions through New York City, Washington DC and Baltimore. It routes through the South and West in 2018.

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