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Synthetic Chain Online Marketing Tips The Insurance Bamboozle
AT Expo Brochure pages 43-58
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FEATURE CONTENTS
The Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
16
Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Insurance Bamboozle
Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Insurance costs are rising, but it’s not necessarily due to unscrupulous businesses. by Haley Kirchen
Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Beacons On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Tow Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .78 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Parker Service was called to the same construction location twice in one week for crashed semi-trailers.
20
Deja`Vu Recovery `
Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
A bridge under construction in Indiana resulted in two similar semi crashes within a week of each other. by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti
26
The Great Ceremony The bedrock of the Spirit Ride, its Great Ceremony, is a hit with the media. by Steve Calitri
36
The Hiring Crisis It’s getting harder and harder to get drivers in the trucks. It’s not why you may think. by Brendan Dooley
4 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Tough Times to Recruit, Insure by Dennie Ortiz
The towing industry has always been a resilient one, but even the toughest industries face times of intense difficulty. Right now there are many towing companies struggling to keep ahead and stay alive. To be a tower takes a special kind of person; American Towman has always described towers as a “rare breed.” The number of towing operators is dwindling and finding new recruits to handle this arduous job seems to be falling as well. AT Editor Brendan Dooley looks into this “Hiring Crisis” and what tow bosses are doing to manage and improve the situation. There are other difficulties the tow business owners are currently facing beyond the operator shortage
… there is another widespread problem plaguing this industry and this is soaring insurance premiums. The cost of insuring wreckers has risen to record highs and many tow businesses are unable to absorb these escalating rates. The perennial challenge of towmen to get paid appropriately for their services further reduces the ability of the tow business to put aside more dollars for insurance. In this issue, Haley Kirchen of B&B Protector Plans gives the insurance industry’s viewpoint on what towers can do to alleviate this dilemma. Perseverance is part and parcel of a tower’s makeup. Towers will be able to carry on—because they have to—as almost every person in this country relies on this industry in one way or another.
Tips and Tools in Texas by Brendan Dooley
As I write this, it’s just a few days before I head down to Texas for the Tow Expo-Dallas at its new location at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center. Aside from the heat, and in addition to the hospitality, I’m looking forward to walking the show floor and looking for new innovations in tools, software and equipment for towing and recovery. Similarly, in this issue, Field Editor Terry Abejuela gives a quick primer on a recent innovation that could save towers tons (literally!) of backache: synthetic chain. It may seem like a nonstarter for many, but Abejuela gives a rundown on the pros and cons, and advises towers keep an open mind on advances with equipment. Remember, it’s not too long ago hydraulics weren’t seen as a plus either.
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First On The Scene! Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley Charles Duke
Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Senior Editor
Randall Resch
Operations Editor
Terry Abejuela
Field Editor, West
Jim “Buck” Sorrenti Don Archer David Kolman Bill Simmons Emily Oz Mark Lacek
Field Editor, Northeast Field Editor, Midwest Chassis Editor Safety Editor On Screen Editor 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 ©2017 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.
City Council Limits Wreckers The Clanton (Alabama) City Council unanimously approved capping the tow truck companies on the city wrecker list. During a recent meeting, City Council member Bobby Cook made a motion to discontinue adding more companies to the list for a span of three years. The mayor expressed concern that having so many wrecker services on the list was creating more work for the 911 Communications personnel. Before approving the restriction, the City Council approved a request by T&K Wrecker Service to be added to the list, making a total of nine companies on the rotation. Source: clantonadvertiser.com.
Company Sued over ‘Road Rage’
The family of a truck driver who prosecutors have alleged was shot and killed by a tower in a “road rage” incident in Oak Brook, Illinois, is suing the tow company for the man’s death. A complaint in Cook County Circuit Court alleges the tow company should be made to pay for allowing its employee to carry a pistol in one of its vehicles in violation of company policy. The plaintiff alleges the truck driver was shot and killed during a road rage incident with one of the defendant’s towers. The plaintiff holds the defendant responsible for allegedly failing to train the tower to prevent road rage incidents. Source: cookcountyrecord.com.
Correction The top caption on page 70 of the August issue of American Towman should have read that American Towing is in "Ruston, Louisiana."
8 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Wrecker Club Holds ‘Move Over’ Event North Carolina’s Triad Wrecker Drivers Club held a “Slow Down” convoy and afterward had familyfriendly events in the Hanes Mall parking lot in Winston-Salem last North Carolina towmen educated motorists on month. The purpose Move Over with a “Slow Down” convoy and was to educate the other events. wfmynews2.com image. state’s drivers to the Move Over law and allow tow truck operators to do their job without getting hurt in the process. Justin Cook, a driver with Davis Towing & Recovery, stressed the law’s significance, especially since he’s had several close calls even in the last few days. “People need to understand that this law is not to inconvenience them, it’s to help save a life of either myself or my fellow emergency service personnel,” Cook said. One worker said he was kneeling by the road to check a problem and a vehicle went by so fast and so close, he felt its mirror whiz by over his head. Source: wfmynews2.com.
Malfunctioning Boom
Short-Circuits Big-Rig Event In Junction City, Oregon, the “Truck Function in Junction,” that showcases semi and other commercial vehicles, came to an early end recently when the boom on a heavy-duty tow truck inadvertently elevated and snagged power, phone and cable TV lines, police said. “The heavy-duty boom … was so strong that it snapped telephone poles like twigs, ripped utility service entrance equipment from the roofs and walls of nearby buildings, destroyed transformers, and blew multiple utility circuit breakers,” police said in a release. “There was no indication of criminal negligence or wrongdoing on the part of the driver,” police said. “Alcohol was not a factor in this incident, and the driver, as well as the owner of
A tow truck’s boom snagged overhead power lines after a mechanical malfunction at a big-rig event in Oregon. Junction City PD image.
the truck, were fully cooperative during the investigation of this incident. No citations and/or charges were issued, and none are anticipated.” No one was injured. A mechanical malfunction was cited as the cause. Source: kval.com.
. . . if a threat is made the motor club needs to refuse service . . . Letter Urges Motor Club Policy Change The Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts has sent certified letters to the CEOs of motor clubs and AAA regional offices servicing Massachusetts urging them to change their dispatch policies regarding irate customers. The letter was sent in light of a recent incident in Florida where a towman was shot and killed by a AAA customer after that customer threatened another towman who ultimately refused the call. “Re-dispatching a call when a threat has been made is unacceptable,” said STA President William Johnson, who signed the letter. “Additionally, if a threat is made the motor club needs to refuse service and cancel their membership.” Johnson suggested that towmen get specific information from motor club dispatchers as to the time of call and the disposition of the caller. Source: statewidetowing.org.
Pricing Standards Being Examined
Pennsylvania state Rep. Dom Costa is working on two bills that would require tow companies in Pittsburgh to set fair pricing standards. Erin Dixon, who works for a Pittsburgh car dealership, said his company has been paying “outrageously expensive” tow bills to get their customers’ cars out of tow lots. “I’ll have a $913 tow bill, I’ll have a $2,850 tow bill, a $1,200 tow bill and it happens on a daily basis,” Dixon said. Dixon said the towing companies listen to the scanner, show up to accident scenes and tell accident victims they need to get their car off the road. There are no laws that regulate what those tow companies can charge to take their car and store it. Costa hopes to finalize and introduce the legislation this fall. Source: wpxi.com.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Towman Removes Bus from Building A downtown doctor’s waiting room in San Antonio, Texas, was empty one recent morning when a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus careened through its plate-glass walls and came to a stop lodged deep in the building’s interior. Fire officials said the accident happened when the bus was hit by a pickup truck. Towman Gilbert Gonzales of Mission Wrecker SerMission Wrecker in San Antonio, Texas, helped a bus find its way out of an office vice helped pull the bus building. kens5.com image. from the building. Attaching chains and cables, and using a bit of brute force in small increments, Gonzales was able to pull the bus far enough out of the building for the bus to move under its own power. Bystanders cheered when the bus began backing up to safety and no part of the building collapsed. Gonzales said, “It’s all part of my training and we need to do it again.” Source: kens5.com.
Tow Business Owes $4.9M in Back Pay An Orange County, California, business was assessed $4.9 million in back wages and penalties for underpaying 187 workers at their auto towing companies in Anaheim and Oakland, the state labor board said. Irvine Auto and Yaco Investments, which owns Stride Towing and Recovery Commission rules for towing employees in Oakland, have appealed who allegedly were made to work the citations, the board said. without breaks and off the clock. Two drivers filed a class action suit alleging they were paid a flat rate of $120 a day for working 12 or more hours without overtime pay, meal or rest breaks. Drivers and mechanics also incurred unlawful deductions and were charged for uniforms and for any accidents or damages incurred while working in the field, according to the commissioner’s citations. The company also made them work “off the clock,” falsified their pay stubs and failed to reimburse them for work-related expenses, such as cellphone calls, according to the complaint. Source: ocregister.com.
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 9
Check Out What’s NEW and HOT!
Ranger Eases Info Process Ranger SST recently added License Plate to VIN info, integration with Auto Data Direct and motor-club billing to its platforms. With License Plate to VIN, enter a license plate and VIN, make, model, and other data is returned without further input. ADD integration helps info flow between Ranger and ADD for DMV 123 and DPO processing. Automated billing with motor clubs eases submission of jobs/charges and tracking of payment information.
Super Slings Offer Versatility B/A Products’ new Synthetic Super Slings are strong, versatile and can fit in tight spots a round sling might not, and work on aluminum rims without the damage potential of chain. The slings are offered in four sizes in eye-to-eye or endless loop style. Each sling features a fulllength floating protective sleeve for protection against damage and wear that allows for safety inspections of the rope underneath
rangersst.com
Multi-Tool for Safety, Cutting
baprod.com
Diesel Additive Boosts Cetane Hot Shot’s Secret said its Diesel Extreme fuel additive restores engines and reduces maintenance by cleaning out fuel tanks, lines and injectors, removing moisture, boosting cetane and more. The company said Diesel Extreme includes cetane booster, a lubricity
additive and fuel stabilizer that provides six months of protection and benefits to keep engines running strong. Diesel Extreme is said to be safe in all diesel-powered engines.
hotshotsecret.com
Say Goodbye to Two-Man-Torquing AME International’s new Torque Fin is a torque wrench-stabilizing accessory for commercial fleet tire service. Using leverage, the Torque Fin links to commercial torque wrenches, allowing a single person to torque with precision and ease. The Torque Fin is ideal for service technicians to get off the roadside, yet still provide proper torque. Made in America out of recycled plastic, the Torque Fin is durable and light.
ameintl.net
10 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
The new Extractor tool from Morgan Manufacturing is an automotive safety tool for breaking windows, cutting seat belts, self-defense, scraping ice and more. Features include: • Seatbelt cutter. • Window-breaker tip. • Secure grip. • Quick-release clip. • Multi hex heads. • Tungsten-carbide tip. • Ice scraper. • Self-defense.
extractor.us
Futura Trailers Futura Trailers’ units are designed to transport wide and low race and classic cars without using ramps or a tilting deck. The trailers use a lifting technology to load directly from the ground, are available in four sizes and use lightweight aluminum chassis. Accessories are available to create the trailer you need. Trailers include lightweight thermoplastic stone guards, aluminum tire racks, tie-down system and more.
futuratrailers.com
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 11
Synthetic … Chain?
by Terry Abejuela
C
hains have been made of iron or steel for some 2,000 years and have been a great, versatile tool in the towing and recovery industry. We always should be thinking outside the box and considering how other industries perform similar tasks, possibly with safer more efficient tools. In that vein, Norway’s Load Solutions AS, in collaboration with DSM Dyneema, launched its Tycan synthetic chain in 2015. To some, synthetic chain doesn’t sound right, but how will we know if we aren’t at least open enough to look into it? Any equipment that has the potential to make the job safer, more effective or more efficient is worth a look. Will synthetic chain stand up to the rigors of towing and recovery? Do the pros outweigh the cons? I think we owe it to ourselves to take a look at it. Synthetic chain has many of the same benefits as synthetic rope. It is quiet, lightweight, non-conductive, floats on water, doesn’t rust, reduces the potential for damage, is easy to handle and safer for the operator to use. Tycan chain links are made of eight layers of fabric woven in a Mobius twist, made from Dyneema fiber that is strong, lightweight and abrasion- and cut-resistant. The Tycan chain, hooks and chain binders are available from Zip’s Truck Equipment. For real-world towing insight, Shelli Hawkins, who does Strategic Sales for Zip’s, put me in touch with Daniel Williams of Southwest Towing in Dodge City and Garden City, Kansas. Williams has been using Tycan chain and hooks since March 2017. He was already familiar with synthetics as his
Southwest Towing in Kansas has been using synthetic chain since March 2017.
The synthetic chain is eight layers of material woven into a Mobius twist.
The synthetic chain uses a 2:1 design factor for working load limit.
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It has all of the usefulness of a traditional round sling, with the benefit of adjusting its length like a chain. fleet already had 20 winches equipped with synthetic rope including two quadruple-winch rotators. “I would say that it has all of the usefulness of a traditional round sling, with the benefit of adjusting its length like a chain,” Williams said. The most important benefit of synthetic chain is safety. In the event of chain failure, the synthetic chain has less mass and less recoil than a steel chain, which significantly reduces the potential for injuries at the scene. When working an incident where electrical lines are present or a fire hazard exists, synthetic chain is safer to use because it does not conduct electricity and will not cause sparks. Another great benefit is the reduction in weight of the chain while maintaining working load limit: • A 20’ length of Grade 70 1/2” chain with a working load limit of 11,300 lbs. weighs in at approximately 48 lbs. • A 20’ length of Tycan chain with a working load limit of 11,002 lbs. weighs approximately 6 lbs.
Synthetic chain and binders kit.
(On the ratings tag for the Tycan chain, it has a minimum breaking load of 20 metric tons and a working load limit of 10 metric tons. This is a 2:1 design factor. It is common for steel chain used in this industry to have a 4:1 design factor. I used a 4:1 design factor to come up with the 11,002 lbs. working load limit.) Synthetic chain floats on water because it has a specific gravity of 0.97. This can be advantageous when working on a water recovery (but keep in mind that the metal hooks on the chain do not float). Tycan chain is water repellant and extremely UV resistant, so using it in water or having it in direct sunlight during use will not cause damage to the chain. Oil, dirt, diesel fuel, grease and non-oxidizing chemicals do not have an impact on the Tycan chain. In fact, it can be washed in a washing machine. Synthetic chain is soft and light so it can make contact with painted surfaces on your truck or the casualty and not cause the damage that steel chains can. Synthetic chain can increase productivity because it is easier for the employees to use it, has less injury potential, and has less potential to damage your equipment or your customers’ vehicles; it should pay for itself in the long run.
Field Editor Terry Abejuela has 30-plus years of light-duty towing-and-recovery experience. He is also a light-duty Level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association.
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The Insurance Bamboozle
I
t was 2005 when I was first accused of being a “bamboozler.” I was in Florida and that was the year where we initially felt premiums being impacted by the four hurricanes from 2004. More hurricanes were being predicted and claims were soaring from the preceding year, so insurance premiums were skyrocketing. As a result, there were few insurance companies willing to write any homeowners insurance. I was writing homeowners insurance at the time. It was my job to be the “bearer of bad news” that premiums were tripling and even quadrupling from the historical rates preceding those four hurricanes. (I was even being hit with triple the premium on my own homeowners insurance.) I recall a customer who was sitting in my office and rubbing his temples while he tried to calculate the impact of this news. He suggested that I was “bamboozling” him for nothing more than increasing profit. I empathized with him as I explained I had his best
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interests in mind and had shopped his insurance to numerous companies on his behalf seeking a lower rate with comparable coverage.
Towers Pinched Recently, the towing and recovery industry has experienced a similar trend and, unfortunately, some towing companies are beginning to feel conned, or bamboozled, by those providing this specialized insurance. Believe me, we are all in this together. The insurance industry is a bit like the stock market … everything can go in cycles. As it happened with the Florida homeowners insurance market in the early 2000s, the tow industry has seen premiums skyrocket over the past few years. Two fairly recent factors contributing to these increases are: 1. A surge in accidents from drivers using smartphones and other devices while driving. 2. Lower gas prices that are increasing motor vehicle mileage throughout the United States. These two factors alone have con-
verted into costly, and deadly, claims. It showcases the “shared risk” premise of insurance that has required the pool of tow truck insureds to increase their contribution to cover the surge in claims and future risk. This translates to higher premiums. Some insurance providers have taken steps to mitigate insurance rates to their customers by requiring telematics usage, written safety and driver procedures, monitored alarms, and extensive clean insurance and driving history. The transportation industry also has tried to mitigate claims through technologies such as automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers, among other innovative tools. Law enforcement can play a large role in accident prevention and the resulting claims as well, with consistent enforcement of traffic laws, including cellphone usage and Move Over laws.
There’s action you can take to combat rising premiums by Haley Kirchen
Reduce Your Premiums
vinced that this cycle will turn and the rough seas of our premium cycle will Additionally, tow operators can eventually find smoother sailing execute a few things to keep the claims ahead. down and manage their premiums: More consistent transportation 3. Develop and enforce a safety enforcement, automotive innovations plan for you and your employees. and increased safety controls will help. That includes regular training of those In the meantime, attend the insurance who will determine your business seminars offered at the American Towexperience ratings. Require a cellman shows for more detailed inforphone contract with your drivers. mation, invest in safety Always be mindprecautions with your ful that one driver Some insurance providers have taken own organizations, and can destroy your business and your steps to mitigate insurance rates to their be savvy by engaging with a focused tow reputation with insurance agent who can one or two accicustomers by requiring telematics … best match your needs dents. 4. Create a maintenance schedule secondary operations or side jobs that to your resources. With all of this, perhaps you won’t for all of your vehicles and invest in might make you ineligible for certain safety. Not only is it a federal require- insurance carriers altogether. Those feel like you’re being bamboozled ment, it is the most rational way of who specialize in tow insurance will when you see your insurance premitigating future losses. Many claims likely speak your language, know mium. we see involve easily avoidable situa- your issues, find insurance for your tions such as tire blowouts or damage unique needs, and keep you abreast About the author caused by previously damaged equip- of those factors which may impact Haley Kirchen is the National Program Manager at B&B your premiums. ment on a truck. Protector Plans and has been involved with the insurance So what insurance cycle are we in? and automotive industry for 17 years. Contact her at 5. Strongly consider an insurance agent that specializes in tow truck It’s hard to say, however, I am con- hkirchen@bbprograms.com. Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
insurance (many advertise in American Towman Magazine). They are a terrific resource for you to oversee your risk management program. They regularly use an array of resources to evaluate your operators, and a specialized insurance agent will have access to the insurance companies that align with the needs of your business. They are best equipped to explain the
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 17
Hino Combines Forces in New HQ Hino Trucks (hino.com) and Hino Motors Manufacturing (hmmusa.com) recently held a groundbreaking at the site of its future combined corporate headquarters in Novi, Michigan. A company release said construction is scheduled to finish in late 2018; the new location will combine employees from current headquarters, located both in Novi and Farmington Hills, in a new state-of-the-art facility. “Today’s groundbreaking not only signifies Hino’s growth in the U.S., but also a new beginning for our operations in the U.S. within our new U.S. headquarters, we bring our sales and distribution operations together with our engineering and manufacturing operations under one roof,” said Yoshinori Noguchi, president/CEO of Hino Trucks. *** The Hino Motors Manufacturing (hmmusa.com) facility in Williamstown, West Virginia, recently celebrated 10 years of medium-duty truck production. The company said in a release that the anniversary highlights Hino’s growth since 2007. Production per year has increased by more than 500 percent and the production facility has been expanded and capacities enhanced.
18 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Troubled Waters Bridge Over `
Semitrailer recovery brings feelings of Deja` Vu to towing crew by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti
I
n a bizarre turn of déjà vu—that feeling of familiarity—on May 16, 2017, a semi hauling two trailers of paint veered off of I-69, just south of the I-469 interchange, in Allen County, Indiana. It was the second such crash in that same location in a week. The mangled tractor-trailer was off the roadway and crashed in a creek below an overpass. The area was a construction zone raising supports for a new bridge. At least three warning signs were placed ahead of the lanes veering left and then back right. Everything kicked off when someone called the police and asked, “Hey, that accident from last week still isn’t cleaned up!?” Knowing otherwise, county dispatch sent a unit to the scene and quickly realized what had happened. The semi driver was still alive and trapped under the cab. He had been ejected out the back window of the day-cab Volvo and pinned between it and the river rock; he was fully sub-
20 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Déjà Vu All Over Again This was the second such crash in the same location in a week. The first crash happened at around 5:30 a.m. on May 9 when the driver of a semi sped through the construction zone along I-69 and crashed head-on into the concrete supports of the under-construction span of an overpass. The impact left the cab crushed and heavily damaged. The driver was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, but died from his injuries.
merged, except for his face, for several hours. Police, fire and EMS that rushed to save this man’s life quickly realized they were in over their heads and called Parker Service to assist with the extrication. Emergency crews were called around 6:45 a.m.; about 15 minutes later, the county sheriff called Parker Service in Fort Wayne. “We were called at 7 a.m. and were told that this accident happened somewhere between 4:30-5:30 a.m., and went unnoticed until just before 7 a.m.,” said Christopher Harms, a heavy operator for Parker Service. “The whole kicker to this was that this was the second one at the same spot within a week’s time. Just six days prior at the same exact location, another semi drove off the road and hit the first pillar and cracked it. “Six days later, the [second truck] drove off and hit the already-cracked pillar, broke it in half and hit a second one. The first semi driver passed away
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 21
due to a health condition. We responded to both accidents within the week,” Harms said. Homer Parker started Parker Service in northeast Indiana in 1934 as a gas station/grocery store with a onebay repair shop. In 1954, Homer’s son Larry took over, added another bay to the repair shop and bought the company’s first tow truck. Larry’s son Dan took over in 2008. Today, Dan is the president and Larry is VP of the family business. They now have more than 70 units serving Fort Wayne and six surrounding counties. Parker dispatched veteran operators Harms and Keith Fryback. Harms responded in a 2014 Century 1150 50-ton rotator with five winches. Fryback responded in a 2015 Century 3212 16-ton medium-duty wrecker with a 12,000-lbs. side-puller. “We quickly came up with a plan to get the man we know as ‘Joe’ out of the wreckage,” Harms said. “Using the Century 1150 rotator, I For the second time in a week, Parker Service was called to recover a wrecked semitrailer that went off a bridge under construction.
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boomed out over the bridge. We used B/A Products’ blue round slings and basketed them around the A and B pillars of the cab to secure it for the lift.” Fryback worked alongside the fire department on the ground and Harms stayed with his 1150 rotator and ran the remote. After about 20 minutes, the semi driver was free and conscious. He was airlifted to a local hospital with many broken bones, including a broken pelvis and ribs, and they had to amputate a leg. “It’s because of our operators’ training and equipment that we could help to save this man’s life,” Harms said. “Every day we put our lives on the line to help, but this one was satisfying knowing we helped save someone’s life.” Once the driver was safe and clear, Harms and Fryback went to work rigging the casualties and winching them out of the ditch.
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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The first crash here a week earlier resulted in fatal injuries to the trucker. Fortunately, the second time out allowed Parker Service to help firefighters rescue a trapped trucker underneath his cab in the water, using their Century 1150 rotator.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 25
Great Cerem ony The
by Steve Calitri
The Spirit Ride is Historic Americana
T
he Spirit Ride ceremony held before each procession of tow trucks and emergency service vehicles has many colorful and demonstrative elements, all underscoring the message and mission: increasing public awareness of the Move Over law.
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On one end of the baton are
The focal point of the ceremony and the Ride is the ceremonial casket. Its color scheme represents both patriotism and tragedy. On one end is the likeness of an American Flag; red and white stripes, and faded stars on blue. On the other end are red, white and blue bars; red symbolizes the blood sacrificed, white for the spirit of the fallen, and blue is the loss to family. There are a dozen images painted on the 8’-long casket by wrecker artist, Cecil Burrowes, representing the risk first responders take when working alongside the roads. The casket underscores the reason why the Move Over law is needed and why it needs to be observed. So, the message isn’t a subtle one; the words “Slow Down, Move Over” stand out in yellow below the casket, on the black dolly it is attached to. Usually one sees men and women of the police, fire and emergency medical services lined up alongside the podium and behind the casket. It is a
powerful image. There are photos of these first responders saluting the Spirit casket and escorting it onto the car carrier. The message: all first responders are among the casualties and all first responders are fighting together for the survival of those who work along the roadways. Another curious element of the ceremony is the passing of the Spirit Baton. It’s one of the most powerful moments for those participating in the Ride. In turning over the baton, beads cascade down sounding something like the whoosh of a passing car (as the ceremony’s speaker puts it), representing a moment in time that cannot be taken back. On one end of the baton are the words, “Respect the Peril, Make it Home Tonight.” The people gathered behind the casket pass the baton from hand to hand. If the audience isn’t too large, it is passed among them as well. The passing of the baton represents the collective effort of the Spirit Ride.
The passing of the Spirit Baton has been captured by television news in several of the Rides.
the words, “Respect the Peril, Make it Home Tonight.”
James Bennett Jr. of Beard's Towing, above, hosted the Spirit Ride in Fort Worth, Texas.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 27
The Spirit Ride has been embraced by all first responders.
Color guards have graced many of the Spirit Ride ceremonies. Below, the Las Cruces (New Mexico) Fire Department color guard.
Mike Corbin and his wife, Ilce, have been on every Spirit Ride, staging the ceremonies, performing in them, and recording them for Facebook.
Photos credit: Ilce Corbin
Many of the ceremonies have been graced with color guards, buglers playing “Taps,” bagpipers and, at American Towman shows, the Towman Order saluting the casket. Often there are guest speakers: towers and other first responders who lost one of their own to a roadside accident, fire and police chiefs who stand behind the Ride and its mission, government officials. Always there is Mike and Ilce Corbin who live on the road following the Spirit casket and stage-managing the ceremonies, the photography and video recording and, not least of all, playing a role in the performance of the ceremony. They both read part of the ceremonial script and Mike performs three songs accompanied by his guitar. He sings the Ride’s anthem, “Booms in the Sky,” and the song composed especially for the participants and the ones they honor, “Bless the Spirit Riders.” All the elements of the ceremony pay tribute to the fallen first responders and either directly or indirectly convey the message: Slow Down, Move Over. 28 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
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The American Towman Spirit Ride is the greatest towing project in American history—scratch that—world history. Since the first tow truck was built 100 years ago, there has never been a cooperative effort on such a scale as the Spirit Ride, relaying Spirit in more than 250 towns—large and small—throughout the nation and escorted by 5,000 tow trucks, fire trucks, EMS trucks, police cruisers and highway patrol motorcycles. The Rides have run anywhere from 20 to 80 trucks in a given procession. Tow trucks and fire trucks are pretty spectacular in their own right and so the Spirit Rides are unique American parades. They’ve been observed by passing motorists, by townspeople who come out of their homes to wave at the passing procession, by Facebook users, by television viewers and newspaper readers. It is fitting that this uniquely American parade has an original ceremony second to none. It is fitting that our colorful towing industry is leading the Spirit Ride and the crusade to protect all first responders on the roadside.
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 29
AMERICAN TOWMAN
Join the Spirit Ride processions. For the exact site of the ceremony and procession start-point contact the Relay Station. Date
Time
City
State
Name
Relay Station
09/01/2017 09/06/2017 09/06/2017 09/07/2017 09/07/2017 09/08/2017 09/08/2017 09/09/2017 09/12/2017 09/12/2017 09/13/2017 09/13/2017 09/14/2017 09/14/2017 09/15/2017 09/15/2017 09/15/2017 09/16/2017 09/20/2017 09/20/2017 09/21/2017 09/21/2017 09/21/2017 09/22/2017 09/22/2017 09/23/2017 09/26/2017 09/28/2017 09/28/2017 09/29/2017 09/30/2017 10/03/2017 10/04/2017 10/04/2017 10/17/2017 10/18/2017 10/19/2017 10/20/2017 10/20/2017 10/24/2017 10/24/2017 10/25/2017 10/25/2017 10/26/2017 10/27/2017 11/01/2017 11/02/2017 11/03/2017 11/03/2017 11/04/2017 11/07/2017 11/08/2017 11/09/2017 11/09/2017 11/10/2017 11/10/2017 11/10/2017 11/17/2017 11/17/2017 11/17/2017
10am 10am 2pm 10am 2pm 10am 2pm 11am 10am 2pm 10am 2 pm 10am 2pm 10am 2pm 3pm 10am 10am 2 pm 10 am 1 pm 2 pm 10am 3pm 10 am 10 am 10 am 2 pm 10am 11am 11am 10am 1pm 11 am 11 am 11 am 10 am 11 am 10 am 2 pm 10 am 2 pm 10 am 11 am 11 am 11 am 10 am 11 am 11 am 10 am 11 am 10 am 11 am 10 am 2 pm 3 pm 9 am 10:30 am 5 pm
New Point Independence West Chester London Columbus Lancaster Belpre Racine Crawley Lexington Glade Hill Lynchburg Staunton Waynesboro Stephens City Hagerstown Hagerstown Thurmont Harrisburg Lancaster East Petersburg Robesonia Reading Allentown Scranton Scott Twp Harriman Staten Island Brooklyn Maspeth/Flushing Mount Vernon Milford Canton Hartford Rutherford Piscataway Howell Burlington Delran Philadelphia Wayne Cochranville Elkton Grasonville Fruitland Smithfield Meherrin Colonial Heights Colonial Heights Chesterfield Providence Forge Bowling Green Landover Washington Laurel Owings Mills Cockeysville Cockeysville Columbia Baltimore
IN KY OH OH OH OH OH OH WV VA VA VA VA VA VA MD MD MD PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA NY NY NY NY NY CT CT CT NJ NJ NJ NJ NJ PA PA PA MD MD MD VA VA VA VA VA VA VA MD DC MD MD MD MD MD MD
Ryan Kegley Dianna Kloeker Mike Sprandel Josh Skaggs Brandon Harris Keith Smith Jerry Radcliff Michael Hill Amanda Anderson James Southers Tim Wall Kevin Jones Douglas Snyder Robert Drumheller Carl Story Sarah Weeks Charles Georg John Reese Kyle Knarr Sherry Morgan Wayne McDade William Arndt Pablo Matos John Yocum Bob Bolus David Duchnik TBD Stephen Ruggirello Mike Mazzio Sammy Abate Peter Dinome Kevin Bruneau Jennifer Rindflesh Amy Parmenter Nick Testa Mark Bardecker Mike Stahnten Heather Grove Henry Shinn Kevin Bowe Barry Simes Gwen Null William Cain Ed Cousler Steve Wallace Ryan Brown Joseph Kellum Christy Palmer Archileti Tricia Palmer Bruce Eagle Jeni Webb Mark Giles Jr Kevin Herbert Tarek Aburish Jim Beatty Anthony Pezzella Kathy Linhard Kathy Linhard Chip Kaufman TBD
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 J&J Towing Mike's Heavy Duty Towing American Auto Body & Recovery Inc. Lil Pete Roberts Service Center Collinsville Auto Repair AAA Hartford Nick’s 24 Hour Towing Service Blue Streak Transport LLC Certified Auto Mall BMS Towing Lenny's Towing and Recovery EVB Towing Tommy's Main Line Towing Null's Towing Chesapeake Service Center Parks Tire and Auto service Inc Auto Medic Towing & Repair Dave's Service Center Inc Joe's Towing Palmer's Towing & Recovery, LLC B&T Towing Eagle Towing Dennis' Towing & Recovery Bud's Towing Charley's Crane Service District Towing Past & Present Towing & Recovery, Inc. Apex Towing Service Linhard’s Towing Inc Linhard’s Towing Inc B/A Products AT Exposition XXIX
Founding Sponsors
The Spirit Ride routes through the South and West in 2018.
30 • Septembert 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
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Anonymous
Contribute to the Spirit Ride at www.ATSpiritRide.com
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AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 31
Miller Expands Tennessee Manufacturing Miller Industries Towing Equipment (millerind.com) unveiled its latest investment, a $20 million expansion to its manufacturing facility in Ooltewah, Tennessee. The expansion included a new 30,000-sq.ft. paint facility the company said will increase in wrecker production ability. The addition of the state-of-the-art paint facility comes in the wake of an
environmental award Miller received from the Tennessee Association of Manufacturers. To be and stay a leader in this industry requires “years of hard work, engineering, and a steadfast commitment to quality and our customers,” said Billy Drane, Heavy-Duty Sales, in a release. The Ooltewah plant expansion is part of a larger investment Miller Industries has committed to across their several U.S.-based production facilities.
See us at the OH show
IAA Prepares for Severe Weather Insurance Auto Auctions (iaai.com) announced it has secured 22 locations in 10 states to prepare for the severe weather season and potential catastrophic events. “Strategically expanding our presence helps meet demands for catastrophe services in areas where our customers will most urgently need it,” said John Kett, IAA president/CEO. “We know that being prepared means being proactive, not reactive.” The IAA CAT-related expansions include: Burbank, California; Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, Tampa and Tallahassee, Florida; Savannah and Tifton, Georgia; Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana; Medford, Minnesota; Moss Point, Mississippi; Englishtown, New Jersey; Long Island, New York; Charleston, South Carolina; and Houston, Texas. *** IAA also recently introduced its Active Inventory Management service that enables insurance company customers to save time and resources by outsourcing their entire salvage inventory management process to IAA. The company said the system allows it to actively monitor vehicles, identify issues, and coordinate any resolutions through a dedicated customer service team.
Vanair Acquires Cyclone Air Power Vanair (vanair.com) recently acquired the Cyclone Air Power product line from Sullivan Palatek. The purchase allows Vanair to add to its mobile power offerings. Cyclone Air Power’s primary products are PTO-driven power systems. “We are excited to have Cyclone Air Power as an addition to our mobile power solutions,” said Ralph Kokot, Vanair CEO. “As our company has grown over the years, we have always focused on meeting the needs of our customers. Cyclone Air Power offers another option for customers from our expanding product line.” 32 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
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Tow bosses say they can’t find drivers, or can’t keep them You’re running your business the right way—the right trucks, equipment, tools, contracts, dispatch, software, financing, insurance—everything is in order. What happens when you just can’t find, and/or keep, the right employees to operate out on the road for towing and recovery? You have to park one (or more) of your trucks despite all the other things you’ve got dialed in; once you do that, everything else can start to crumble if you don’t address it, and fast. Tow bosses seem to agree on two things: • It’s always been difficult to find the right people to be wrecker operators. • It’s become progressively harder over the past several years. John Borowski, VP of Tow Industry Programs at AutoReturn, is a former owner, association president and American Towman of the Year, said finding good drivers is plaguing the transportation industry as a whole. “Anybody who needs to hire someone with a driver’s license is having issues right now. It’s bad,” Borowski said. Traditionally, tow companies “have overlooked personal appearance standards, personal hygiene, coming in late ... and still [applicants] are drying up. “When you do hire now in this industry and they accept, you have to wonder, ‘Why?’ … The job is hard. It’s dangerous, but this industry always tracks lots of drivers. Now finding those with great recovery skills, customer skills and good workers overall is getting harder and harder,” Borowski said. “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 … 36 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
in one day. Four years ago, it might have been 10 applicants in one day. Recently, I had two applicants for driver. It’s hard even to get any applicants in,” said Eric Luchini, owner of Luchini’s Towing & Recovery in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Back in May, industry veteran and WreckMaster Lead Instructor Kurt Wilson queried the “Towing & Recovery Training” public group on Facebook: “In an Industry where it is getting hard to find employees, during your interview process, what do you look for? Any question that you always ask? Check for common sense? Or just go with a probation period to see if they make it?”
Few Benefits Several good responses to Wilson’s post primarily suggested probationary periods and longer interview questions and processes. Frank Cretella Jr. of Ludt’s Towing in Youngstown, Ohio, not only talked about ideas to get better operators and treat symptoms, he outlined what he felt was a main cause. “The reason it’s getting harder and harder to find quality employees in this industry is because for the majority of people the industry doesn’t have much to offer,” Cretella wrote. “Most companies offer an hourly rate or straight commission or a combination of both. Very few companies have health insurance, retirement plans, or other incentives such as paid vacations. The reason that many companies don’t have these types of benefits is because they can’t afford them.” Across the board, tow bosses interviewed for this article said a lack of benefits was the biggest barrier to improving operator applications (both in quality of applicant and number of seekers). Luchini currently has seven full-
time operators and three part-time drivers; he said full capacity would be to add three more full-time drivers. “I don’t think the pay itself is the big one, I think all those things that go along with pay are the big ones. Do you have insurance? Do you offer a retirement plan? I think that’s more important to [job hunters] than the pay itself. … Nowadays, insurance is so outrageous. … We’re not a big enough company to offer it, but we are definitely looking at [adding it], most definitely, to attract more, better, candidates.” Added benefits will be more important in attracting people to his company, he said. “First off, you have to get the applicant. Then once you get the applicant in, you have to offer them something good,” Luchini said. “One thing I’d like to get into is offering insurance,” said Chuck Anderson, owner of Nolte’s Towing in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “We’re looking into it, but for a small company like us it’s hard. … We do offer a retirement plan with matching … and disability insurance through AFLAC. “But health insurance is the big one; who knows when that will change?” Anderson said. “We don’t offer health insurance right now because we can’t; it’s just not feasible for us.” Having health insurance, though, would reduce turnover and improve new hires. “With the stiff competition and the steep price of equipment it’s hard to afford an employee the luxuries that many other industries have,” Cretella wrote. “Without a doubt,” adding fulltime benefits on the wanted ad will increase applicant interest, Luchini said. He said he’s spoken with other tow business owners about it as well. “We’re all on the same page … better benefits is the way to go.
by Brendan Dooley
“But this year, we’ve all taken such a hit on the insurance for our trucks, it’s put that step on the back burner, waiting to see what happens with our truck insurance,” before they can discuss better benefits for employees.
Drug Testing Towing is an important part of both the transportation industry and as first responders. So you have a big barrier from the start—whether from law enforcement contracts, federal highway standards or company insurers—to get employees who can pass a drug test. “The issue that we actually have, in epidemic proportions, is, ‘Who’s available that can pass a drug test?’ For the transportation industry as a whole, it’s an epidemic as to how many people can’t pass peeing in a cup anymore,” said Borowski. “That’s a real issue at this point. If they can pass a drug test, they want to make more money and will go work for a trucking company.” “I put specifics in my ads now … that we need a CDL, [and applicants need to be] drug-free and will be drug tested. The specifics in the ads narrow applications down,” Luchini said. “For our area (southern New Mexico), I don’t know if it’s drug-related and people are just reading past our ads, thinking ‘I can’t pass that; I’m not even going to attempt it.’ ” This is especially true in an era that sees marijuana becoming “more accepted” socially (to varying degrees of legality in different states), and opioid abuse has been declared a national emergency by the president. “The real story I hear from company owners anymore is it’s hard to get people to work for you when you can’t pay them that much and then need them to pass a drug test. The only stance you can take is zero tolerance in wake of new marijuana legalization,” Borowski said.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
When When you you hire hire now now in in this this industry industry and and they they accept, accept, you you have have to to wonder, wonder, ‘Why?’ ‘Why?’
Survey: The Reasons Recruiting and keeping drivers is more difficult than ever. Towers surveyed tell why. 36% - Irregular hours, shifts, days 24% - Millennials don’t seem cut out for this work 15% - Pay isn’t competitive with other service industries 13% - Other* 11% - Lack of benefits (health, etc.) 1% - Dangers of working the white line *The prevalence of “other” answers commented “all of the above.” There also were several that said “towing is a lifestyle,” not just a career, and that not everyone is cut out for it. Above answers are results of an online survey conducted by American Towman.
37
Long Hours In towing and recovery, the hours are long. They always have been, they always will be. “Long hours and not enough pay are probably the No. 1 and No. 2 reasons besides the fact that most are new drivers, not rehires. Rehires know what they are facing before applying at a new company and somewhat know what they will be getting paid,” said Tommy Anderson, president of the Southwest Tow Operators Association in Texas. “The last three to four years have been a hard time finding new drivers. We are starting to look at other options … a lot of guys don’t want to work the hours: on call two nights a week and every other weekend,” said Chuck Anderson of Nolte’s in Wisconsin. “I just don’t think people want to work as hard as they did even five years ago. “I don’t want to say it’s a millennial thing, but I think it is. About three 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.” Luchini has had similar experiences in New Mexico. “We recently narrowed down some applicants to five guys [between 21 and 40] … to start interviewing sessions,” Luchini said. “After interviews, the two older drivers, 30- and 40-somethings, looked like the better prospects. … “With the younger three guys—the minute I said we’ve got to be on call 24 hours a day, weekends, nights, holidays—they’re eyes popped, as if to say, ‘That’s not something I want to do.’ ” While the hours won’t change, there are different approaches tow bosses can take. Nolte’s Anderson said he may start looking just at older applicants (in their 30s and 40s) who may be looking for a new career, or experienced overthe-road truckers who want to get off the road and be home on a daily basis vs. being gone a week at a time. Being at full staff also helps with hours. At Nolte’s, Anderson said they have 10 full-time and four part-time operators; he’d like to add another full38 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
time driver and two more part-time. “We try and get our schedules done a month ahead of time,” Anderson said. “It helps the guys plan for changes, trades, adjustments, time-off requests. Especially with this labor pool, you have to keep guys happy.”
Look at Yourself When bringing someone new onboard, you calculate risk by thoroughly screening applicants. They calculate risk by doing a little research online. That means they’re looking at your website, reviews and Facebook page. They’re looking for success stories and images of a happy, fun working environment. What they don’t want to see is some staunch, uptight and dark workplace where everybody hides so the boss won’t yell at them. So before you post your job online, take a look at the way your business is represented there first. Look at it from the perspective of a potential applicant. Accurate or not, what they see is what they believe they’re going to get. The time and effort you put into finding, attracting, and selecting employees will be directly reflected in the results you achieve. —Don Archer, AT Field Editor
Dangers on the Road The risks of recovery and working on the roadside are becoming evermore obvious to motorists as a whole. Media coverage of accidents, cellphone videos by witnesses, Spirit Ride efforts to inform the public of Move Over laws, and reality TV programs like “Wrecked,” “Highway Through Hell” and the like all illustrate the white-line dangers in living color. When it comes to finding and keeping good operators, AT’s Steve Calitri, editor-in-chief, has advanced his towers-as-ostriches theory: that towers are keeping their heads in the sand rather than acknowledge that the life-threatening perils of the job are keeping applicants away or losing new-hires within a week or so. When asked about the dangers of towing being a barrier to applicants,
most tow bosses disagreed. “Absolutely not,” Luchini said, emphatically. “I don’t even think the vast majority of the millennials are even aware of the dangers. I really don’t. They don’t even seem aware of the job titles or duties, let alone the dangers. … I’m sad to say that. Hopefully, the American Towman Spirit Ride will make everybody aware of the dangers [towmen and all first responders] face everyday.” “New drivers and their spouses have no idea about the long hours and the pay along with having to respond no matter what the weather. I include the spouse because they do not want their significant other out all hours of the night after a long day. They worry about the safety factor more then the drivers,” STO’s Anderson said. “Larger companies who run schedules, or different shifts, have much less turnover and a much better safety record then those who run their drivers all hours of the day and night.”
$$$ When it comes right down to it, money is the base factor like every other business: Charging what you’re worth so you can pay appropriately. “If we ever would like to see better-quality of applicants walk through our doors, then we need to raise the standard of what we do in this business,” Cretella wrote in his Facebook post. “We need to stop being cheap and start charging people what a job is really worth.” Borowski agreed that pay is a root cause in the hiring crisis. “There’s already problems with towing’s rate structures, and hourly wages as low as $10 to $12 an hour; I’ve heard of commissions being all over the place, even over 50 percent to cover overnight shifts,” he said. “Company owners are at fault— those who don’t really know what their costs are.”
Editor Brendan Dooley joined AT in January 2011 after serving as the editor of two magazines covering the auto repair industry for shop owners, techs and tool distributors. His experience includes hard news on daily newspapers and editorial leadership at vintage motorcycle and car magazines. Brendan is WreckMaster 6/7A certified.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 39
Daimler Changes in Communications Daimler Trucks North America (daimler.com) recently announced two transitions in the senior leadership of channel marketing and corporate communications for the company. David Giroux is taking over as director of channel marketing, DTNA; it is a newly created position. He will lead the development and implementation of all Freightliner- and Detroit-brand marketing communications and brand strategy. Succeeding Giroux as director, public relations and corporate communications, will be Katja Bott. She will be responsible for DTNA’s public relations strategy, internal and external corporate communications and marketing, as well as media relations for brands including Freightliner, Western Star, Detroit Diesel, Thomas Built Buses, Alliance Truck Parts, and Freightliner Customer Chassis Corp.
cation Department. Key players for the department include education managers Bob Stroh and Sharon Purifoye, and industry expert Paul Stephens. The department was created in 2011 to provide roadside industry personnel information on topics such as roadside safety, recognized service techniques by brand and customer service skills. The team also works closely with OEMs to help manufacturers identify
existing or potential problems. By working with both providers and manufacturers, Allstate Roadside hopes to improve the safety and quality of roadside assistance across the industry. The department regularly hosts informational webinars, publishes newsletters and offers vehicle courses including at all three American Towman Expos, in Las Vegas, Nevada; Dallas, Texas; and Baltimore, Maryland.
Allstate Adds MORE Education In spring 2017, Allstate Roadside Services introduced its Moment of Rescue Education, (MORE) an on-demand education tool. MORE gives roadside personnel easy access to vehicle service information on their mobile device to gather all the necessary technical information prior to arriving on scene to ensure a proper and efficient rescue. The provider can access the actual vehicle specific information in content, picture and video format by clicking on a link embedded in the digital dispatch. The information includes step-bystep procedures for towing, jumpstarts, tire changes and lockouts. Allstate has produced more than 150 videos and documents for MORE covering service procedures for brands such as BMW, MINI, Ferrari, GM, Maserati, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover and the new Karma. MORE was developed by the Allstate Roadside Services Provider Edu-
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 41
Jerr-Dan Helps Surprise Delivery Jerr-Dan Corp. (jerrdan.com) recently assisted Bill’s Towing & Recovery of Bridgeport, Ohio, (billstowingandrecovery.com) with a special delivery. Tracy and Bill Coulson surprised their sons Chad and Ty with their very own 50/60 Ton, 5 axle unit Jerr-Dan JFB 50/60 five-axle rotator. “We were excited to have assisted Bill’s Towing with the special delivery of a brand new rotator for these two hardworking young men who have truly shown a dedication to the family owned business,” said Shane Coleman, Senior Heavy Duty Sales Manager for Jerr-Dan. “The surprised look on their faces as the rotator approached them was very rewarding to see for all of us at Jerr-Dan who made this possible.” To make this happen, Bill’s Towing and Recovery reached out to Rocky Mountain Wrecker Sales (rockymountainwrecker.com) in Salt Lake City, Utah, to assist them with the surprise purchase. “My husband and I are very proud of our sons’ hard work and commitment to the company; therefore, we wanted to surprise them with a special gift by giving them their very own rotator,” said Tracy. “They
deserve it. Our sons work as towers and we hope this truck will help them provide towing and recovery services for years to come.”
Fuso Begins eCanter Production Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. (mitfuso.com) recently announced the start of production of its first all-electric light medium-duty truck, the FUSO eCanter, at the production plant in Tramagal, Portugal. The Portugal plant is where all eCanter trucks for the European and U.S. markets will be produced in line with the conventional FUSO diesel trucks. “With today’s start of production of the eCanter, we become the first global manufacturer to produce an all-electric truck in series,” said Marc Llistosella, president/CEO of Fuso.
Navistar Ending N9/10 Engines Navistar (navistar.com) announced that it will cease all engine production at its plant in Melrose Park, Illinois, by the second quarter of fiscal 2018. The company will continue the facility’s transformation into Navistar’s technical center, including truck and
engine testing and validation as well as used truck sales and reconditioning. The majority of engines produced at Melrose Park are medium-duty 9/10 liter engines used in International Class 6 and 7 vehicles, for which alternative engine options are currently offered in all applications. “Our N9/10 engine family was updated in 2014 and since then has served as a competitive niche offering for specific medium-duty vehicles,” said Persio Lisboa, Navistar COO. “As we approach future regulatory requirements, the low volume nature of the platform could not justify further product development investments on it.” In 2013, Navistar reintroduced the option of a 6.7L Cummins engine for its Class 6/7 medium-duty vehicles, followed in 2016 by a 9L Cummins engine option, both of which have been well received by customers. Over the last several months, the company has added to its investment in Melrose Park by opening a used truck evaluation and reconditioning facility and its flagship Used Truck Sales Center.
PACCAR Redesigns Used Truck Site PACCAR Financial Corp. (paccarusedtrucks.com) recently launched a redesigned used truck website that features enhanced functionality, such as the ability to search by make, model, truck components and miles. Users can save their search parameters and individual truck specs to their profiles. When additional truck inventory is received, the trucks will immediately appear in the users’ saved searches. The site offers a payment calculation tool and product walk-around videos showing the features of the Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks. PACCAR Financial operates three used truck centers in Minooka, Illinois; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Spartanburg, South Carolina.
60 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Use Use of of Rear-Facing Rear-Facing Worklights Worklights by Randall C. Resch
N
ot long ago, I was headed home from a nighttime business meeting and was on one of San Diego’s rural back roads; I’m talking totally blacked out. As I approached a moderate curve, some incredibly bright and blinding white lights blasted my vision. A flatbed carrier operator was in process of loading a vehicle, but hadn’t yet set the carrier’s deck to the pavement. Of the six rear-facing worklights, four of them emitted a blinding wash of light onto approaching traffic. While I understand the reason for having worklights on the rear of tow trucks and flatbed carriers, towers should rethink their (lighting) purpose and evaluate what responsibilities are required when using them. In October 2016, a veteran tow operator was killed loading a disabled dually pickup on a darkened stretch of Kentucky’s Dixie Highway when, according to news reports, a motorist sideswiped the tow truck. A police spokesperson cited several factors in the crash, “It’s extremely dark on Dixie Highway in certain parts and particularly in this area. It’s still very early to know exactly what the definitive reason was, but I can tell you that obviously the poor lighting would be one of the factors; but I don’t know if that’s the single one.” Having reviewed many of the news and associated videos that were taken at that scene, the area was typical
62 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
of total darkness common to rural roadways. From one video showing rear loading lights, I was able to freeze-frame to see that a large dually truck was completely on the carrier’s deck and in the stored position; it appears that the overhead rotor or strobes were on as were upper and lower worklights. At that one window in time, the weight of the truck would have caused the carrier’s deck to drop causing immediate white lights to the rear. Could this possibly be a factor in the collision?
Each state has controlling vehicle code laws to define what kinds of lighting can be mounted on tow trucks and carriers.
Be sure that your worklights are properly adjusted to meet the regulations of your state.
The towman’s techniques were reasonable and consistent in how towers typically operate. Upon closer look, there still may be a lesson in using and aiming rear-facing worklights. Like most rules allowing specialty lighting for tow vehicles, deploying worklights during hours of darkness can be problematic where their use should be sparing. Vehicle codes in most states allow for rear-facing worklights; the questionable factor in their use is the direction and aim of the light beam. When was the last time you adjusted your worklights to meet code requirements? Two areas of the vehicle code in California are specific to rear lighting: “The following vehicles may be equipped with utility flood or loading lamps mounted on the rear, and sides, that project a white light illuminating an area to the side or rear of the vehicle for a distance not to exceed 75’ at the level of the roadway. …
Be sure deck lights are aimed downward to illuminate the tail end of the carrier only.
injury or wrongful death scenario? When a carrier’s deck is fully tilted to the pavement, the lower worklights become obscured. When a carrier’s deck is lowered back to its stowed position, the full brightness of lower worklights immediately return; when the deck is lowered and stowed, there is an abrupt blast of white light aimed at approaching traffic.
The Old Days “Tow trucks that are used to tow disabled vehicles may display utility flood and loading lights, but only during period of preparation for towing at the location from which at the vehicle is to be towed.” While one vehicle code is the enabling section allowing their use, the other section is specific for white light to not project or illuminate beyond 75’ at the level of the roadway. If California’s vehicle code is specific to emitting light at the level of the roadway, are lower worklights the only ones that are proper? Could upper worklights be contested in an
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In the old days of towing, tow operators who worked recoveries found that rear-facing lights gave them an advantage during nighttime recoveries. I remember 45 years ago when our company’s tow trucks had worklights installed in the same locations lights are typically installed. Back then, before carriers hit the towing and recovery scene, worklights were thought necessary for tow trucks to conduct nighttime recoveries … especially those that were off the highway. Worklights gave greater advantage to towers working at night when extracting cars from ditches or into the trees.
Think about the difference of straightaway loading vs. working recovery? Straightaway loading typically suggests that loading lights are mounted and aimed straight away. Recovering a vehicle from a ditch or in the trees meant worklights are aimed in the direction of extraction, and typically not in any direction straightaway to approaching traffic. The difference is obvious and must be considered. Consider the following techniques using rear-facing worklights: • For carrier operations, worklights are mostly safe only when the deck is in the tilted position and deck lights are aimed toward the ground. • In most lightbar applications, when the deck is raised, the rotor or strobe is visible when the deck doesn’t have a vehicle loaded atop it. • When the casualty vehicle is winched onto the deck, emergency amber or emergency rotor or strobe lights becomes
obscured and ineffective when blocked by large or high-profile vehicles and may not be visible to approaching motorists. • Use upper and lower worklights sparingly to avoid creating night blindness for approaching drivers. • Be sure deck lights are aimed downward to illuminate the tail end of the carrier only or illuminate just beyond the wheel lift toward the pavement.
Optional Lighting When worklights beam straight ahead and aim into infinity, persons with night blindness, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or simply distracted by bright lights, may steer toward the tow truck working the shoulder. As an option to straightaway lighting, crossing left and right deck worklights by aiming and lowering their brightness towards opposite corners of the carrier’s tailboard is an option. When a light’s beam crosses in the center of the carrier’s deck, they do not
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
emit straightway beams to the rear. To reduce the amount of unnecessary brightness caused by rear-facing worklights, safe alternatives include: 1. Use the disabled vehicle’s headlights while in process of loading or attaching to the wheel lift. If the disabled vehicle’s lights are operable, from the nontraffic side enter the vehicle and turn its headlights on. Load the vehicle in the same manner and when it’s time to depart, turn the lights off. While I personally don’t like to climb back onto a carrier’s deck, it’s careful practice is far safer than being struck and killed by a motorist who may later claim they were blinded by the tow truck’s worklights. 2. Carry or wear a bright LED flashlight to illuminate loading surfaces. For highway scenarios—and whenever possible—stay off the whiteline controls and conduct most of the loading process from the nontraffic side. Use the LED light to pinpoint and illuminate the work areas for attachment purposes. Tow trucks have been equipped
with upper and lower worklights for as long as I can remember. Each state has controlling vehicle code laws to define what kinds of lighting can be mounted on tow trucks and carriers as well as when they are authorized to use such lighting. Be sure that your worklights are properly adjusted to meet the regulations of your state. Perhaps it’s time to get out that measuring tape and see if your truck’s worklights are within your state’s distance requirements. A careful evaluation could be in order to ensure your lights are operationally legal. Unless you’re working nighttime recoveries that require the added advantage of worklights, a flashlight could be the wiser choice to ensure that accidental blinding doesn’t occur.
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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Talbert Names Top 10 Dealers Talbert Manufacturing (talbertmfg.com) named Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel of Voorhees, New Jersey, its 2016 top dealer for high performance in selling trailers, service and parts. This was Hale’s ninth straight year at the top of the list. Talbert also named Freightliner of Grand Rapids, Michigan, as its Most Improved Dealer of 2016. The other Top 10 dealers, based on sales in 2016, include: Columbus Equipment Co., Columbus, Ohio; Coogle Truck & Trailer Sales, Otterbein, Indiana; Leslie Equipment Co., Cowen, West Virginia; Lucky’s Trailer Sales, South Royalton, Vermont; Monroe Tractor & Equipment, New York State; Reno’s Trailer Sales, Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania; Royal Truck & Trailer Sales & Service, Michigan; and West Side Tractor Sales Co., Naperville, Illinois;
Ford Trucks Marks a Century One hundred years ago in July, Ford (ford.com) introduced its first purposebuilt truck, the 1917 Ford Model TT, forever changing the auto industry—and the very nature of work itself, the company said in a release. A century later, Ford trucks are among the most iconic vehicles in the world. F-Series is America’s best-selling truck for 40 consecutive years and bestselling vehicle for 35 straight years. Nine years after the first Model T, Ford customers were asking for a vehicle that could haul heavier loads and provide greater utility for work and deliveries. On July 27, 1917, Ford responded with the Model TT, which retained the Model T cab and engine. The Model TT came with a heavierduty frame capable of carrying a 1-ton payload. The factory price was $600; 209 were sold that year. By 1928, Ford had sold 1.3 million Model TTs before replacing the truck with the Model AA with a 1.5-ton chassis. By 1941, Ford had sold more than 4 million trucks. Today, Ford has sold more than 28 million “Built Ford Tough” trucks. 66 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Unequal Tire Pressure Hazards It’s common knowledge that the right tire inflation pressure is a major factor in vehicle safety, tire life, fuel efficiency and operating costs. Less frequently discussed, though, is the specific issue of pressure imbalance in dual-tire wheel-ends. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems (bendix.com) recently offered advice to combat this in its Bendix Tech Tips series. Tire underinflation by as little as 10 percent results in a 1.5 percent drop in fuel economy, and underinflation by 20 percent results in a 30 percent reduction in tire life. Bendix highly recommends the use of a tire pressure monitoring system to provide fleets and drivers with real-time information and alerts, enabling them to address potential failures before they occur. A dual-tire arrangement does require additional care in that close attention be paid to keeping both tires inflated to the same pressure. Running
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
imbalanced duals increases the odds of a blowout on the overloaded tire and significantly shortens tire life on the underinflated tire. Industry data has shown that the pressure difference at which this becomes an issue can be as little as 5 psi. Information in the Bendix Tech Tips series can be found in the Bendix multimedia center at knowledgedock.com.
Rush Truck Centers Provide Telematics Rush Enterprises (rushtruckcenters.com), which operates the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America and is longtime sponsor of Stewart-Haas Racing, now keeps the Stewart-Haas Racing fleet of trucks up and running with innovative telematics solutions and access to the RushCare portfolio of services. With a telematics device installed on a truck and an app on a mobile
device, drivers and fleet managers can have quick, convenient access to a dashboard that includes vehicle and driver performance, electronic logs, location and overall vehicle health. All Rush Truck Centers telematics customers can review vehicle inspection reports as well as driver performance reports in the telematics dashboard. Rush Truck Centers’ telematics offerings are installed on Stewart-Haas Racing’s fleet of haulers, which include eight Peterbilt Model 389 trucks and five Ford F-450 trucks. Stewart-Haas Racing is supported by the RushCare Service Connect team, which monitors and can alert SHR to any performance issues, fault codes or needed maintenance on any of their trucks. Since installing telematics on their haulers, Stewart-Haas Racing has already benefited from receiving fault code alerts on a number of minor issues and one major issue of a leaking injector, according to Gary Geissman, SHR’s fleet manager.
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Is Your Online Marketing Working? by Don Archer
I
n 1876, when Alexander Graham Bell first spoke into his new invention, the telephone, there were very few “early adopters.” Just 10 years later, it was quite the different story as thousands wanted this new technology … and the Chicago Telephone Co. smelled opportunity. They knew that, besides talking with friends and family, people were using this new invention to get in touch with local businesses. So they started creating and selling display ads to these businesses in what would become known as the first Yellow Pages directory. From that point on, if you wanted your business to be found, you had to pay, every month, to be included in the Yellow Pages. We were all at the mercy of these publishers. Then came the advent of the Internet with search engines like Yahoo and Google. By 2007, print Yellow Pages revenue began to sharply decrease. Only two years later, three major Yellow Pages publishers declared bankruptcy. It looked like everyone was moving away from the phone book, choosing instead to search for what they needed online. Thanks to laggards though, not everyone was making the switch. Although in steady decline, and pale in comparison to Google’s $19 billion in annual ad revenue, the print Yellow Pages industry still had annual sales of $3 billion as of 2016. Older folks and those in rural areas where Internet service was not as dependable were still using the Yellow Pages. Most would agree that the lifeblood of any business is the ability to quickly and inexpensively acquire new customers. This is especially true in the towing business where customers only need you when they need you. Having a steady stream of new
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customers can greatly impact your bottom line; knowing what marketing channels provide the best return on investment is key. Hands down, online is where the bulk of your marketing dollars should be spent. There seems to be a number of charlatans and swindlers out there, however, promising to get you on Google’s first page for $200 per month. It’s hard to discern fact from fiction. Who can you trust? The problem is multifaceted. The biggest contributing factor lies in our own misunderstanding of what constitutes a solid approach. So what does a smart online marketing strategy look like?
Proper Website A smart online marketing strategy starts with a solid foundation: a properly structured website. Google uses more than 200 factors when deciding what pages to present when a search is performed. Its goal is to provide the most accurate information possible, so people find exactly what they wanted. Although your website should be visually pleasing with content that’s relevant and easily consumed, what matters most is what viewers don’t see. Behind the scenes are hundreds
of on-page elements that must be in harmony for your site to have a chance at being found. For example, if you want a page to show up in a search that includes the term “towing,” that page must include that term in the many elements that exist on that page. It must be in the title tag, the description meta tag, the “H” tags, in the titles of the images, as well as in the alternative for the images. This may seem time-consuming, but this is just the beginning. Every piece of your online presence is affected, either positively or negatively, by how well this foundation is laid. Think about a brick wall: If the footing isn’t level, the bricks look OK at first, but later on, as layer after layer of bricks are stacked up, it just doesn’t work.
Dynamic Content Next comes a commitment to the process. Just like truck maintenance and replacement are vital components to any thriving towing business, the continual optimization of the website is just as important. This aids in increasing your visibility online, which increases your authority. Over time, if it’s done properly, you start showing up in searches you hadn’t shown in before; in some cases
three or four times on Google’s first page. (A couple of caveats: mainstream blogging for towing businesses doesn’t work, and adding dynamic content to a site that has not been properly optimized will do you no good.)
Social Media Once you are committed to the process of building out your site, it’s time to concentrate on social media. Social bookmarking is a link back to your site that, if done properly, will show up in a relevant Google search. This again increases your visibility online. Through the use of both social media marketing and regular social postings and engagement, you can begin to build your brand and foster goodwill in your community. Over time this creates top-of-mind awareness; it’s like putting money in the bank. Down the road, when someone needs your services, they’ll search for a trusted friend—your business— rather than searching “towing near me.”
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Reputation For local searches, Google uses two basic criteria to determine what towing companies to present when a search is performed: location and reputation. They believe that businesses who care about the accuracy and consistency of how they are listed online are more reputable than those who don’t.
If you want to use this powerful marketing tool, it’s up to you to justify the expense—it can be done. This means companies with accurate directory listings show up more often than those with inaccurate listings. You must ensure that your name, address, phone number, hours, services provided, and many other items
are listed accurately and consistently across every directory Google deems important. Reviews also play a significant role in how often your business is presented during a search. Google believes that the more and better reviews you have, the more worthy you are of being presented. As many as 92 percent of consumers use reviews when making buying decisions, choosing the star rating as the No. 1 factor to judge a business’s worthiness. Worried about bad reviews? More good reviews bump your aggregate up and push down bad reviews.
Pay Per Click Many towers, leery of all things online, have not yet tried AdWords. Of those who have, some haven’t been impressed with the results. Either due to mismanagement, a misunderstanding of the needs of the industry, or out-and-out lies, towers have been jaded by some of the onesize-fits-all companies who promise
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to get their phones ringing. This is unfortunate because, if done correctly, Pay Per Click marketing is one of the best investments you can make online. With the right foundation, a Google
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AdWords Certified Partner—with knowledge of the towing industry— can design, test, tweak and continuously optimize an ad campaign specific to your business. Once your ads are up and running, though, you can’t just walk away. You need a way to know if it’s working and bringing in more money than you’re spending. Your marketing company can provide you with reports that show clicks and conversions, but most of the time these companies don’t understand the challenges towing companies come up against. In AdWords, the definition of a conversion is someone who’s clicked your ad and followed through and made the call. In the towing business that call may have been someone looking for an impounded car, or just checking prices. Regardless, it’s still costing you Ad money. This is not a sufficient reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you want to use this powerful marketing tool, it’s up to you to justify the expense—it can be done. The only way to know if your ads are working is to measure. One way to do this is to simply ask the caller where they found your number. The problem is that most callers either don’t understand or can’t articulate the distinction between an AdWords listing and regular organic listings.
Besides, they may have called three other companies before you and forgot where they saw your listing. Rather than relying on what your customers are telling you, the best way of learning where the calls are coming from is through the use of a tracking number and a Call-Tracking System. A tracking number is a phone number that is only found on your ad, and rings through to your number. With a tracking number in place and access to the tracking system’s dashboard, you can get regular reports showing the date, time, duration, and phone number of the person calling you. If you’re collecting at least some of this information from every completed tow call, you’ll have the ability to see if your ads are truly working. It may seem like a daunting task, matching up invoices to the reports from the tracking system, but if done daily, or even weekly, by staff or a dispatcher during downtime, it can provide you with feedback and maybe peace of mind.
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.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 71
Guns and Repos
by Mark Lacek
G
rowing up in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, it was common to see a rifle-yielding hunter venturing into the woods. Many years later, I would become a regular at the local gun range, honing my marksman skills in anticipation of an invasion (alien or Korean, I wasn’t sure). I have no problem living in a society whose citizens have a constitutional right to arm themselves. Protection from those who aim to harm you, in my opinion, is a necessary right. (Any uninvited soul entering my home would understand these rights as the sound of a three-round burst echoes throughout my peaceful neighborhood.) Just as I believe in certification, training and safety in the repossession industry, the same is important in the use of firearms. The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” (The Founding Fathers don’t mention training, which is a pity, though.) I am often asked if I carry a gun while at work … I don’t. If you’re familiar with my work—even just through these columns—you know I rarely place myself, willingly, into dangerous situations. Seldom will you hear about a confrontational setting involving an outraged debtor and me; it hasn’t always been this way. The first time a gun was pointed in my direction was in Youngstown, Ohio. The debtor was standing in front of me while he pointed the small-caliber weapon directly at my face and yelled at me to lay down on the ground. There are moments in life you remember very clearly; this was one of them. As I looked directly into the debtor’s eyes, I calmly said, “No, sir.” Then I told him that if he put the gun away, “I will leave here, and I will not tell the police you pointed that thing at me.” After what seemed like an hour, but in reality was only a few seconds, the debtor lowered the weapon and told me to leave … in so many words. I obliged and left without the asset. I learned that day that the right words defused the situation better than introducing another weapon would have. Was I scared? You bet I was, but I acted with words. I hate to think what might have happened if I’d pulled a gun. The second time I met up with a gun was a bit different. This scene played out in Miami, Florida, in the early ’80s. I was repossessing a bunch of cars back then. If I didn’t have a key for the car, I would call one of the local tow companies (back then, not all repossessors owned a tow truck). On this occasion, in the middle of a beautiful Miami afternoon, the tow operator was hooking to the rear of the
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Education and certification can get you farther with professional repossessions than firearms will.
car and the debtor calmly walked out of the house and said he understood what was going on and asked if he could retrieve his “stuff” from the rear of the car. This guy was being very nice about repossessing his car, so I decided to let the man reach into the back of the car to get his “stuff.” I was about to learn the valuable lesson of never let a debtor into a car while you are repossessing it. The “stuff” the debtor had reached in to retrieve turned out to be a Colt .357 Magnum, and it was now pointing directly at me from a few feet away. This gun was so big, I thought I was looking down the barrel of a howitzer cannon. Before I even had time to consider what I was going to say, something worse happened. The towman, whom I knew very well, pulled out his gun and pointed it directly at the debtor and yelled in his broken English, “He is my friend; I ‘shoot’ you, too.” Now picture this in your mind: The debtor and the tow operator about six feet apart, both pointing their guns at each other, yelling that they’re going to shoot each other ...
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AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 73
and I am standing directly between them as they circle me to gain a better shot at each other. I thought it was very important that I choose my words carefully (as I also tried not to soil myself). I asked both of them to lower their guns and explained I no longer wanted to repossess the car, and the repossession was officially cancelled. I yelled at the towman for pulling his gun and told him to lower the car, unhook and leave. I told the debtor pointing his cannon to put his ****ing gun away, that I was leaving and I wouldn’t return. To my surprise they both slowly lowered their guns. I might have been in shock when I left the scene of the repo because I have no recollection of the remainder of the day. Both of these instances served as reminders that no repossession is worth a life, mine or anyone else’s. I follow a very clear set of rules that allows me to continue my job as a professional repossessor. I have mentioned these rules dozens of times in
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past issues of this column. I push training and certification and have provided information on where and how to receive that training. I stress the importance of education on not only consumer laws governing repossessions, but the respect that must be given to the person whose car is being repossessed. I don’t carry a gun during repossessions; I rely on training and education. I listen to the old timers who have learned from trial and, yes, error. There is no reason to place yourself in a confrontational situation. There will always be an opportunity to repossess the collateral at a time when the situation is safer. Many agents will respond to this column with negativity and email me that clients do not pay enough for a second trip to the address. Agents will respond that clients force them to door knock after being hooked up to the collateral to ask the debtor for the keys to the car. The practice of asking for the keys after you hook up is one of the most dangerous acts a reposses-
sor can perform. The request for keys is almost always asking for a confrontation. If you are not paid enough for performing your job safely, then you need to fire your client. Many of you are charging less than the industry standard to repossess an asset. If you are putting your life in danger because the client dictates your fees, or if you carry a gun because you expose yourself to danger, then it’s on you. Learn, gain knowledge and take the time to certify yourself and your employees before you become a danger to yourself and the public. If a client doesn’t pay enough for you to perform a safe and profitable repossession ... FIRE the client. No repossession assignment is worth a life. 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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AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 75
Title in Limbo after Repo Tamika Pouncil never drives her car without first grabbing a whole lot of paperwork to prove—when she gets pulled over by police—that she owns the car and is desperately trying to get it registered. “Now I have five tickets,” said Pouncil, a Kansas City, Missouri, single working mother of two. “I’m in court in Olathe (Kansas) next month.” Pouncil isn’t upset with police. She knows they are just doing their job. She’s upset with her car loan company. Although she paid off her entire car loan in March, the loan company won’t give her the title. That means she can’t get her tags renewed and is driving illegally. Pouncil said she has no choice but to keep driving. Pouncil’s problems started last February after her car was repossessed because she had fallen behind on her payments. With the help of family and friends, Pouncil paid off the entire car note a few weeks later and got her car back. That was on March 21; in June she still didn’t have her title back. So who has her title? The lender. That’s because the bank repossessed her car and then put the title in its name. The title, however, should have been signed back over to Pouncil on March 21 – the day she got her car back. But it wasn’t. “I can’t get it resolved,” Pouncil said. “I’ve done everything they’ve asked me to do.” But every time she calls the bank to find out where her title is, Pouncil said she is told the lender is still missing paperwork that it needs faxed over. “These are the fourth set of faxes,” she said as she waved a pile of documents. To make matters worse, Pouncil said customer service representatives often won’t return her phone calls. When we talked to her in June, more than a month had passed since she had actually gotten to speak to a representative on the phone. Eventually, Pouncil file a complaint with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency—the federal regulatory agency that oversees many banks and loan companies. Two weeks later, Pouncil got her title. Source: fox4kc.com.
Lizard Lick Removed at NARS A recent eyewitness report from American Towman Repo Editor Mark Lacek says that the team from the “Lizard Lick Towing” cable TV “reality” show was ejected from the North American Repo Summit conference. “Lizard Lick was uninvited, and ordered to leave NARS,” Lacek said. “Jerry Wilson, president of the American Recovery Association, learned the ‘Lizard Lick’ crew was at a vendor booth signing autographs. He immediately had the uninvited crew removed from the NARS conferences.” Lacek said they were kicked out because the repossession industry doesn’t believe the Lizard Lick crew represents the values and professionalism repossessors should aspire to. Source: AT staff. 76 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
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AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 79
Eddie’s Legacy graphic done by Randy Jowers.
Red Legacy
The Pearce family is proud to be recognized as one of the “Towman 500.”
Judy Pearce flanked by her sons Joe and Michael. by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti
P
earce Truck & Auto is a family owned and operated repair and towing business based in Martin, Tennessee. Eddie Pearce started with a DX service station and repair shop in 1965 and added towing in 1967. DX was a popular gasoline brand in the Midwest in the late 1960s; Sunray DX Oil Co. merged with Sun Oil Co. (Sunoco) and continued to market both the Sunoco and DX brands until the late 1980s when the DX brand was retired and Sunoco became the company’s sole brand. Eddie worked side by side with his wife, Judy, and sons Joe and Michael until he passed away in September 2016. “My dad had traveled literally all over the country retrieving wrecks and breakdowns for trucking companies, as well as ourselves, for many years,” Joe said. The Pearce fleet’s numerous pieces
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of equipment include four heavies. The newest addition to their fleet became the flagship. In December 2015, Eddie was in Sedalia, Missouri, to pick up a wrecked semi for a local customer. While he was there, he took a close look at the Challenger 9909 70-ton rotator at Don’s Truck Towing. “It was a healthy monster, standing tall and looking brand new,” Joe said. “It was just like what dad would order if he bought one new: Peterbilt chassis, Cat powered, a sleeper and the wrecker body that left no guessing it would get the job done. “Dad took several pictures of this truck and begged Mr. Don to name a price. Mr. Don refused, as he planned to keep this truck until he retired. Dad called me on his way home and he kept saying, ‘Joe you don’t understand. This truck is huge! I mean huge!’ I’d say we talked until he was halfway home about this truck and
how badly he wanted it! Dad had a taste for the best of quality, not necessarily new.” Sadly, Eddie was diagnosed with lymphoma in May 2016. He began chemo treatments right away and did so until August 2016. He passed away on Sept. 7, 2016. “We remember so much that he taught us,” Joe said. “One thing he taught us was mentioned by one of the preachers at his funeral. Dad’s philosophy was, ‘Go big, or go home.’ He went big in everything, but we’re saddened that he has now gone home.” Some time later, Michael inquired with Purpose Wrecker Sales to see what trucks were coming in. They said they had three “Nused” trucks on the way in and would email information and pictures. “Oddly enough, he only sent information and pictures of one truck,” Joe said. “You guessed it—the Challenger
9909! He attached the information and price with the emailed pictures. It took Michael and I a minute or two to remember where we had seen this before. After zooming in on the door of the truck, we saw the town and immediately recognized that it was dad’s pick!
Tech Highlights Chassis: 2004 Peterbilt 378 sleeper. Wrecker: 2004 Challenger 9909 70-ton rotator. Engine: Caterpillar C15. Trans: Eaton 18-speed. Winches: 60,000-lbs. twospeed main, 50,000-lbs. twospeed auxiliary. Equipment: SDU-2 underlift; power touch controls; camera system; power inverter with battery-recharge station. Graphics: Jowers Sign Co.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
“We put a deposit on the truck right away. We started calling it ‘Big Red’ around the office. We have heard others refer to it by that name in the community, so it spread quickly, I guess.” Big Red is a 2004 Peterbilt 378 sleeper/Challenger 9909 70-ton rotator powered by a Caterpillar C15 mated to an Eaton 18-speed transmission. It is equipped with an SDU-2 underlift, power touch controls, a camera system and a power inverter with battery-recharge station; it has a 60,000-lbs. two-speed main winch and a 50,000-lbs. two-speed auxiliary. “The story behind this truck inspired us to put a reminder of dad. The picture of dad and words around it tell the story, as well as having a reminder that this particular truck is exactly what dad wanted,” Joe said. “It also reminds our customers that we will continue to do business the same way we have for 50 years now with the memorial to dad in the way it is done.”
Randy Jowers, owner of Jowers Sign Co. in Martin, designed the graphics on the side, which are all reflective. “Randy and his crew worked on it for two days and finished the graphics on the Friday morning just before Fathers’ Day,” Joe said. “We weren’t thinking about that until someone locally mentioned it. “How neat to have this truck, that was handpicked by our dad, ready just in time for Fathers’ Day.” In 2013, Pearce was ranked on the “Towman 500,” a list of the most experienced towmen in America compiled by American Towman Magazine. The Towman 500 graphic is proudly displayed at the base of Big Red’s boom.
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.
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • 81
Newsworthy or Not El Paso Proud TV captured Taps being played at the Spirit Ride Ceremony in Las Cruces, New Mexico, hosted by Luchini's Towing & Recovery.
by Steve Calitri
I
t’s a wonder that the Spirit Ride has gotten such great press given today’s proliferation of news outlets and the crowding of sensational, fake and absurd news. Usually the towing industry is in the news for alleged mistreatment of motorists or scandalous behavior with city officials, when it does get in the spotlight. The Spirit Ride is good news about bad news; good is the effort to promote awareness of the Move Over law that can reduce all the bad news of accidents to towers and other first responders working on the roadside. Perhaps it’s the combination of the good and the bad aspects of the Spirit Ride campaign that allures the media. Tow business owners may be able to take away something here. Most business owners would relish free media exposure that show them in a positive light. The public relations industry thrives on this. Towers who have relayed the Spirit casket, led processions and hosted ceremonies have enjoyed positive exposure in their local newspapers, TV news reports and radio features. They earned it by doing something meaningful, unique and interesting. Hundreds of tow companies around the country get involved with town parades, charitable causes and first responder exercises, and these efforts bring them some attention. American Towman ACE and Medal recipients often get great press; not just because of an award, but because of a meaningful act that earned the award. In the case of the ACE, reputable motor clubs nominated them for outstanding service. In the case of the American Towman Medal, they were awarded for heroism. The police and fire chiefs nominated them for the Order of Towman. They get subsequent press because there is substance to the award. One fact about press coverage that
82 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
the Spirit Ride has learned is that it cannot control what happens elsewhere that is “newsworthy” and draws media attention. One of the Rides in the Midwest had to compete with a naked woman on a motorcycle in mid-day traffic. Which event do you think got the most coverage that day?
One of the Rides in the Midwest had to compete with a naked woman on a motorcycle in mid-day traffic. The Spirit Ride is a uniquely American phenomenon and the media sees that. First of all, the trucks in the
procession are amazing, whether it’s a heavy-duty wrecker with a vibrant art scheme or simply a big, red, striking fire truck. The focal point of the procession is the Spirit casket, a true art piece that will someday get a lot of attention in a museum. Then there are the stories of danger and sacrifice told by the first responders of someone they worked beside, and a parent or spouse telling of their loss. The perils of working the white line have never before gotten this much scrutiny. It’s as if the media discovered the game of Russian roulette for the first time and are amazed that people actually work within two feet of cars and trucks zooming past. Now hearing about the casualties—the maiming, dismemberment, paralysis, and death— they have awakened to a new perspective of the work first responders perform … a new respect.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • NORTH 83
Company Fined for Salvage Yard The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources recently announced that Blakeman’s Towing and Recovery in South Royalton had been assessed a $25,000 fine for operating an unpermitted salvage yard and improperly managing hazardous waste. Vermont ANR in 2016 went to state Environmental Court to compel the business to cease operations and clean up the waste, and the two parties reached a settlement that involved a $25,000 fine, the release said. Kyle Blakeman, the owner, denied that his business had mishandled hazardous waste. “Absolutely not,” he said. “I got a fine for not having any junkyard permit. ... There (are) no hazardous materials here.” He added that he was trying to do right by state regulators and his community. “I’m paying the fine,” Blakeman said. “I’m not fighting it. I’m trying to stay on everybody’s good side ... I’m trying to do everything right.” In addition to the fine, Blakeman’s must pay the Natural Resources Board’s enforcement costs, according to the release. The towing company also is required to cease salvage yard operations until necessary permits and compliance with other regulations are in order. Source: vnews.com.
City May Limit Accident Fees The City of Carmel, Indiana, is looking into possibly creating an ordinance to limit how much towing companies can charge when called out to clean up a car accident scene. Officials started considering the measure after a man expressed frustration when he was charged thousands of dollars following a fatal crash, where he was not at fault. Hooman Rahimi was driving along U.S. 31 and noticed a wrongway driver coming right at him. The two collided and the other driver
continue to page N 88
NORTH 86 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • NORTH 87
CITY MAY LIMIT continued from page N 88 died at the scene. Rahimi said the stress that came next was from the towing company called in to clear the crash scene. “Had I known what they were going to charge me, I would’ve not allowed it to happen,” Rahimi said. According to him, he got an invoice from Paddack’s Wrecker and Towing Co. charging him thousands of dollars for towing his truck and trailer. He said the company eventually brought the total amount owed down to $2,500. He said he felt compelled to pay that in order to get back his pickup truck and trailer, with his racecar inside. The owner of the towing company, Jeff Ripley, said in a statement: “Paddack’s has standard operating procedures that apply to every accident/impound that we come in contact with … Mr Rhamini’s [sic] loss in this unfortunate chain of events is completely reimbursable.” Ripley also said the service provided to Rahimi involved more than just a tow and involved large scale
clean-up of the scene. But, Rahimi said insurance will not cover all the damage and expenses associated with the crash. He took his concerns to the city, which then started looking into the practices of towing companies in the area. “Carmel is looking into the possibility of creating an ordinance that would regulate the rate allowed for towing for companies that work with Carmel Police Department when they request a tow,” said Nancy Heck, director of community relations for Carmel. Source: cbs4indy.com.
Wrongful Death Settlement Reached The widow of a towman who was electrocuted in 2015 has reached a wrongful death settlement with City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri. The amount that Betty Kammerer will receive isn’t public yet because a judge has to approve it. Edward Kammerer died on Dec.
NORTH 88 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
26, 2015, when he got out of his tow truck and didn’t know the lightbar on his truck was touching a power line from a downed pole. It sent electricity through the truck and then through him when he stepped on the ground. He died at the scene. Kammerer ran A-1 Towing in Strafford for nearly 30 years. On this night, someone hit a power pole and then left the scene. A different driver swerved into a ditch to avoid hitting the pole, which was across the twolane road. A Greene County sheriff’s deputy asked a dispatcher to call a tow truck to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. That deputy and another one left the scene before Kammerer arrived because they had other emergency calls. Kammerer arrived and found a sheriff’s department volunteer directing traffic. Strafford firefighters were also at the scene. He drove around some barricades to reach the vehicle in the ditch. He didn’t see the downed
continue to page N 90
power lines, and the Strafford fire chief says they were not throwing off sparks. Kammerer’s widow and her attorneys believed City Utilities was responsible for her husband’s death. City Utilities denied it. A date for a hearing in which a Greene County judge will approve the settlement is not set. Kammerer was awarded the American Towman Medal posthumously in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2016. Source: ky3.com.
Spartanburg OKs New Rules In April, the Spartanburg (South Carolina) City Council gave final approval to the maximum fees for the booting, towing and storage of vehicles parked without permission on commercial property. Also approved were measures requiring towing operators to register with the city and to accept payment on-site and release a vehicle if a driver comes back before the vehicle is towed. Recently, however, city staff proposed various amendments to the city’s booting and towing ordinance concerning the storage of towed vehicles. The council recently unanimously approved the proposed amendments. The requirements were to take effect within 30 days. Now, all companies that boot and tow vehicles parked without permission on commercial property in the city are required to have a storage facility located either in the city or within two miles of the city limits. Towing operators will be required to staff their storage facilities at least six days a week and at least four hours a day between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. And vehicle owners and authorized drivers will be able to retrieve belongings from a stored vehicle at no cost. Towing companies that violate the new requirements could face up to $500 in fines or 30 days in jail for each violation. The companies also could lose their towing permit or business license to operate in the city. Source: groupstate.com. NORTH 90 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
NORTH 92 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Copyright©2017 American Towman Magazine. Characters and stories are fictitious; no resemblance to real life characters is intended.
Send your thoughts/suggestions on the Adventures to scalitri@towman.com or American Towman, 7 West St, Warwick NY 10990
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • SOUTH 83
Cheap Tricks Thinking Outside the Box with Carrier Equipment
by Randy Olson
W
ith a car being most consumers’ second largest purchase next to their home, many towers know all too well how finicky they can be when it comes to having their vehicle towed. Here are a couple of items for your carrier that total up to less than $10 that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars in damage claims.
Low Clearance With the low-clearance aerodynamics on most vehicles today comes an increased chance of scratching the paint on the spoiler or lower bumper with your wire rope when loading onto a carrier. Many towers today choose a V-bridle with nylon straps to help reduce the potential of damage as compared to chains. Depending on your attachment point to the vehicle and the length of the legs of your strap, you still may have your winch line come in contact with the painted components of the car as it is loaded. At your local hardware store, you can purchase a piece of foam pipe insulation for less than $2 that can provide some added protection. The insulation is easily cut into various lengths that you can throw into your toolbox; they’re also preslit, so they are easy to install on your wire rope when needed. As an alternative, you can also SOUTH 84 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Foam pipe insulation from the hardware store is pre-slit for easy adaptation to a tower’s needs.
Wrapped around the end of the wire rope, the insulation offers extra protection to paint on low bumpers and spoilers.
do this same trick cutting up foam swimming “noodles.”
Securements When it comes to securing the vehicle to your carrier deck, in most instances today an over-the-tire eight-point system is preferred … but like most things towers encounter with such a wide variety of vehicles, it isn’t always a one-sizefits-all. In some instances, towers may choose an alternative method. One of the choices some towers may choose is to use a strap through the vehicle’s wheels. This provides a secure tie-down point, but you should be very cautious about abrasion on the wheel’s finish from your straps.
Here are a couple of items for your carrier that total up to
Seatbelt pads can help reduce abrasions on wheels.
less than $10. A seatbelt pad that is available from most automotive stores for just a few dollars may be the ideal way to provide extra protection. The pads can be easily installed onto your straps and secured with the Velcro closure to keep them in place. After use, they are easily washable to get rid of brake dust or road grime from the wheels. These are just a couple of suggestions that you can add to your knowledge base that could save you a few dollars from a claim. You should always consult the vehicle or towing manual for the preferred methods, along with attending training classes to keep you abreast of latest changes in equipment and procedures. About the author Longtime towing industry veteran Randy Olson is the VP of Western Operations for Worldwide Equipment Sales. Contact him at rolson@newtowtrucks.com.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
Seatbelt pads are just a few dollars at an auto parts store.
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • SOUTH 85
Spartanburg OKs New Rules In April, the Spartanburg (South Carolina) City Council gave final approval to the maximum fees for the booting, towing and storage of vehicles parked without permission on commercial property. Also approved were measures requiring towing operators to register with the city and to accept payment on-site and release a vehicle if a driver comes back before the vehicle is towed. Recently, however, city staff proposed various amendments to the city’s booting and towing ordinance concerning the storage of towed vehicles. The council recently unanimously approved the proposed amendments. The requirements were to take effect within 30 days. Now, all companies that boot and tow vehicles parked without permission on commercial property in the city are required to have a storage facility located either in the city or within two miles of the city limits. Towing operators will be required to staff their storage facilities at least six days a week and at least four hours a day between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. And vehicle owners and authorized drivers will be able to retrieve belongings from a stored vehicle at no cost. Towing companies that violate the new requirements could face up to $500 in fines or 30 days in jail for each violation. The companies also could lose their towing permit or business license to operate in the city. Source: groupstate.com.
HD Training Schedule Set TTSA and ATRI are offering Medium, Heavy and Rotator classes in Austin, Texas, Oct. 7-8, 2017, and in the DFW Area Oct. 14-15, 2017. These training classes focus on techniques and equipment usage that translate into safer towing procedures. Register at www.ttsa.org. SOUTH 86 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • SOUTH 87
Wrongful Death Settlement Reached The widow of a towman who was electrocuted in 2015 has reached a wrongful death settlement with City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri. The amount that Betty Kammerer will receive isn’t public yet because a judge has to approve it. Edward Kammerer died on Dec. 26, 2015, when he got out of his tow truck and didn’t know the lightbar on his truck was touching a power line from a downed pole. It sent electricity through the truck and then through him when he stepped on the ground. He died at the scene. Kammerer ran A-1 Towing in Strafford for nearly 30 years. On this night, someone hit a power pole and then left the scene. A different driver swerved into a ditch to avoid hitting the pole, which was across the twolane road. A Greene County sheriff’s deputy asked a dispatcher to call a tow truck to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. That deputy and another one left the scene before Kammerer arrived because they had other emergency calls. Kammerer arrived and found a sheriff ’s department volunteer directing traffic. Strafford firefighters were also at the scene. He drove around some barricades to reach the vehicle in the ditch. He didn’t see the downed power lines, and the Strafford fire chief says they were not throwing off sparks. Kammerer ’s widow and her attorneys believed City Utilities was responsible for her husband’s death. City Utilities denied it. A date for a hearing in which a Greene County judge will approve the settlement is not set. Kammerer was awarded the American Towman Medal posthumously in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2016. Source: ky3.com.
TowShow.com SOUTH 88 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
City May Limit Accident Fees The City of Carmel, Indiana, is looking into possibly creating an ordinance to limit how much towing companies can charge when called out to clean up a car accident scene. Officials started considering the measure after a man expressed frustration when he was charged thousands of dollars following a fatal crash, where he was not at fault. Hooman Rahimi was driving along U.S. 31 and noticed a wrongway driver coming right at him. The two collided and the other driver died at the scene. Rahimi said the stress that came next was from the towing company called in to clear the crash scene. “Had I known what they were going to charge me, I would’ve not allowed it to happen,” Rahimi said. According to him, he got an invoice from Paddack’s Wrecker and Towing Co. charging him thousands of dollars for towing his truck and trailer. He said the company eventually brought the total amount owed down to $2,500. He said he felt compelled to pay that in order to get back his pickup truck and trailer, with his racecar inside. The owner of the towing company, Jeff Ripley, said in a statement: “Paddack’s has standard operating procedures that apply to every accident/impound that we come in contact with … Mr Rhamini’s [sic] loss in this unfortunate chain of events is completely reimbursable.” Ripley also said the service provided to Rahimi involved more than just a tow and involved large scale clean-up of the scene. But, Rahimi said insurance will not cover all the damage and expenses associated with the crash. He took his concerns to the city, which then started looking into the practices of towing companies in the area. “Carmel is looking into the possibility of creating an ordinance that MIDWEST 84 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
would regulate the rate allowed for towing for companies that work with Carmel Police Department when they request a tow,” said Nancy Heck, director of community relations for Carmel. Source: cbs4indy.com.
Wrongful Death Settlement Reached The widow of a towman who was electrocuted in 2015 has reached a wrongful death settlement with City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri. The amount that Betty Kammerer will receive isn’t public yet because a judge has to approve it. Edward Kammerer died on Dec. 26, 2015, when he got out of his tow truck and didn’t know the lightbar on his truck was touching a power line from a downed pole. It sent electricity through the truck and then through him when he stepped on the ground. He died at the scene. Kammerer ran A-1 Towing in Strafford for nearly 30 years. On this night, someone hit a power pole and then left the scene. A different driver swerved into a ditch to avoid hitting the pole, which was across the two-lane road. A Greene County sheriff’s deputy asked a dispatcher to call a tow truck to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. That deputy and another one left the scene before Kammerer arrived because they had other emergency calls. Kammerer arrived and found a sheriff’s department volunteer directing traffic. Strafford firefighters were also at the scene. He drove around some barricades to reach the vehicle in the ditch. He didn’t see the downed power lines, and the Strafford fire chief says they were not throwing off sparks. Kammerer ’s widow and her attorneys believed City Utilities was responsible for her husband’s death. City Utilities denied it. A date for a hearing in which a Greene County judge will approve the settlement is not set. Kammerer was awarded the American Towman Medal posthumously in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2016. Source: ky3.com. Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • MIDWEST 85
Cheap Tricks Thinking Outside the Box with Carrier Equipment
by Randy Olson
W
ith a car being most consumers’ second largest purchase next to their home, many towers know all too well how finicky they can be when it comes to having their vehicle towed. Here are a couple of items for your carrier that total up to less than $10 that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars in damage claims.
Low Clearance With the low-clearance aerodynamics on most vehicles today comes an increased chance of scratching the paint on the spoiler or lower bumper with your wire rope when loading onto a carrier. Many towers today choose a V-bridle with nylon straps to help reduce the potential of damage as compared to chains. Depending on your attachment point to the vehicle and the length of the legs of your strap, you still may have your winch line come in contact with the painted components of the car as it is loaded. At your local hardware store, you can purchase a piece of foam pipe insulation for less than $2 that can provide some added protection. The insulation is easily cut into various lengths that you can throw into your toolbox; they’re also pre-slit, so they are easy to install on your wire rope when needed. As an alternative, you can also do this same trick cutting up foam swimming “noodles.”
Securements When it comes to securing the vehicle to your carrier deck, in most MIDWEST 86 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Foam pipe insulation from the hardware store is pre-slit for easy adaptation to a tower’s needs.
Wrapped around the end of the wire rope, the insulation offers extra protection to paint on low bumpers and spoilers.
Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • MIDWEST 87
Seatbelt pads can help reduce abrasions on wheels.
Seatbelt pads are just a few dollars at an auto parts store.
instances today an over-the-tire eight-point system is preferred … but like most things towers encounter with such a wide variety of vehicles, it isn’t always a one-sizefits-all. In some instances, towers may choose an alternative method. One of the choices some towers may choose is to use a strap through the vehicle’s wheels. This provides a secure tie-down point, but you should be very cautious about abrasion on the wheel’s finish from your straps. A seatbelt pad that is available from most automotive stores for just a few dollars may be the ideal way to provide extra protection. The pads can be easily installed onto your straps and secured with the Velcro closure to keep them in place. After use, they are easily washable to get rid of brake dust or road grime from the wheels. These are just a couple of suggestions that you can add to your knowledge base that could save you a few dollars from a claim. You should always consult the vehicle or towing manual for the preferred methods, along with attending training classes to keep you abreast of latest changes in equipment and procedures. About the author Longtime towing industry veteran Randy Olson is the VP of Western Operations for Worldwide Equipment Sales. Contact him at rolson@newtowtrucks.com.
MIDWEST 88 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
Work the Passenger side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • WEST 83
HD Training Schedule Set TTSA and ATRI are offering Medium, Heavy and Rotator classes in Austin, Texas, Oct. 7-8, 2017, and in the DFW Area Oct. 14-15, 2017. These training classes focus on techniques and equipment usage that translate into safer towing procedures. Register at www.ttsa.org.
Towers Refusing to Haul Homeless RVs Motor homes have become a fixture on Los Angeles, California, streets in recent years, a reflection of the growing number of homeless people living out of campers. However, earlier this year, the city hit a snag in responding to the towing requests, after a pair of towing contractors quit, citing the unsanitary conditions of the vehicles and the inability to recoup the cost of towing them. With an average of about 83 motor homes being impounded each month last year, two of the city’s towing contractors, Howard Sommers Towing in Canoga Park and ATS-Northeast Tow in Cypress Park, expressed concerns in September 2016 that they were not up to the task of dealing with the sanitation issues that accompany the campers. In mid-March, the two companies terminated their contracts for towing heavy vehicles like motor homes and house cars. The city put out a request for contractors in April to replace Howard Sommers and ATS, but it got no response. The city was left with one company, Pepe’s Towing in Wilmington, to handle all of the city’s towing jobs for vehicles heavier than 10,000 lbs. Contractors say the campers and RVs are often so dilapidated or damaged, they are in danger of falling apart while being towed. The vehicles frequently contain overflowing or leaking sewer tanks, and can come with pests such as fleas, ticks, mice and rats. It is also difficult to justify the WEST 84 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
cost of impounding the vehicles since few of their original owners, many of whom are homeless, could afford to pick them up, or they often are only able to auction them off at basement rates, many contractors say. Bertha Maldonado, the manager at Pepe’s, said they stuck with their contract because unlike the other two companies, they specialize in heavy-duty towing jobs. Since they began taking on more of the assignments, though, they have had to flea bomb their offices every Sunday. She said the motor homes are “really a pain” to unload, and during auctions, final bids are usually between $50 to $100. But they are able to balance the more complicated, less desirable tows, with the impound fees, which start at several hundred dollars and usually run more than $1,000, while the nicer campers can sell for several thousand dollars. Source: dailynews.com.
Work the Passenger side–Stay Safe!
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • WEST 85
Cheap Tricks Thinking Outside the Box with Carrier Equipment
by Randy Olson
W
ith a car being most consumers’ second largest purchase next to their home, many towers know all too well how finicky they can be when it comes to having their vehicle towed. Here are a couple of items for your carrier that total up to less than $10 that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars in damage claims.
Foam pipe insulation from the hardware store is pre-slit for easy adaptation to a tower’s needs.
Low Clearance With the low-clearance aerodynamics on most vehicles today comes an increased chance of scratching the paint on the spoiler or lower bumper with your wire rope when loading onto a carrier. Many towers today choose a V-bridle with nylon straps to help reduce the potential of damage as compared to chains. Depending on your attachment point to the vehicle and the length of the legs of your strap, you still may have your winch line come in contact with the painted components of the car as it is loaded. At your local hardware store, you can purchase a piece of foam pipe insulation for less than $2 that can provide some added protection. The insulation is easily cut into various lengths that you can throw into your toolbox; they’re also pre-slit, so they are easy to install on your wire rope when needed. As an alternative, you can also do this same trick cutting up foam swimming “noodles.”
Securements When it comes to securing the vehicle to your carrier deck, in most
Wrapped around the end of the wire rope, the insulation offers extra protection to paint on low bumpers and spoilers.
instances today an over-the-tire eightpoint system is preferred … but like most things towers encounter with such a wide variety of vehicles, it isn’t always a one-size-fits-all. In some
WEST 86 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
instances, towers may choose an alternative method. One of the choices some towers may choose is to use a strap through the vehicle’s wheels. This provides a
Seatbelt pads can help reduce abrasions on wheels.
Seatbelt pads are just a few dollars at an auto parts store.
secure tie-down point, but you should be very cautious about abrasion on the wheel’s finish from your straps. A seatbelt pad that is available from most automotive stores for just a few dollars may be the ideal way to provide extra protection. The pads can be easily installed onto your straps and secured with the Velcro closure to
Work the Passenger side–Stay Safe!
keep them in place. After use, they are easily washable to get rid of brake dust or road grime from the wheels. These are just a couple of suggestions that you can add to your knowledge base that could save you a few dollars from a claim. You should always consult the vehicle or towing manual for the preferred methods,
along with attending training classes to keep you abreast of latest changes in equipment and procedures. About the author Longtime towing industry veteran Randy Olson is the VP of Western Operations for Worldwide Equipment Sales. Contact him at rolson@newtowtrucks.com.
AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - September 2017 • WEST 87
Spartanburg OKs New Rules In April, the Spartanburg (South Carolina) City Council gave final approval to the maximum fees for the booting, towing and storage of vehicles parked without permission on commercial property. Also approved were measures requiring towing operators to register with the city and to accept payment on-site and release a vehicle if a driver comes back before the vehicle is towed. Recently, however, city staff proposed various amendments to the city’s booting and towing ordinance concerning the storage of towed vehicles. The council recently unanimously approved the proposed amendments. The requirements were to take effect within 30 days. Now, all companies that boot and tow vehicles parked without permission on commercial property in the city are required to have a storage facility located either in the city or
within two miles of the city limits. Towing operators will be required to staff their storage facilities at least six days a week and at least four hours a day between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. And vehicle owners and authorized drivers will be able to retrieve belongings from a stored vehicle at no cost. Towing companies that violate the new requirements could face up to $500 in fines or 30 days in jail for each violation. The companies also could lose their towing permit or business license to operate in the city. Source: groupstate.com.
Company Fined for Salvage Yard The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources recently announced that Blakeman’s Towing and Recovery in South Royalton had been assessed a $25,000 fine for operating an unpermitted salvage yard and improperly managing hazardous waste. Vermont ANR in 2016 went to
WEST 88 • September 2017 - TOWMAN.COM
state Environmental Court to compel the business to cease operations and clean up the waste, and the two parties reached a settlement that involved a $25,000 fine, the release said. Kyle Blakeman, the owner, denied that his business had mishandled hazardous waste. “Absolutely not,” he said. “I got a fine for not having any junkyard permit. ... There (are) no hazardous materials here.” He added that he was trying to do right by state regulators and his community. “I’m paying the fine,” Blakeman said. “I’m not fighting it. I’m trying to stay on everybody’s good side ... I’m trying to do everything right.” In addition to the fine, Blakeman’s must pay the Natural Resources Board’s enforcement costs, according to the release. The towing company also is required to cease salvage yard operations until necessary permits and compliance with other regulations are in order. Source: vnews.com.
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