an expert Witness BY JAMES E. LEWIS ///
DO YOUR WRECK RECOVERY SCENES LOOK LIKE MONTY PYTHON SKITS?
A
re you training and training correctly or do your wreck recovery scenes resemble a Monty Python comedy skit? In 2014, I met a guy who was seriously the consummate tow guy. He’d been to all the schools, knew half the industry, and could run a rotator like Mickey Gilley plays a piano. He is brilliant at heavy recovery, doing tricks with a rotator and its rigging that could make your head swim. He’s got all the major certifications and has done recurring training almost every year--a true operator’s operator! At the same time, he was horrible with people, and his wreck scenes were always a mess. He didn’t know how to talk to people or train them. His wreck scenes always 22
Tow Professional | Volume 9 • Issue 1
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resembled a Monty Python comedy skit, and not in a good way: disorganized chaos. I had to ask myself why and understand how this happened when dealing such a sharp operator. The problem is with his approach when he tries to train someone, or even work with someone on a wreck site. Ask yourself if you have any of these traits (that he has), and I’ll explain how to fix the problem:
POOR COMMUNICATION He can’t communicate without yelling. Let’s say you are on a wreck scene, and you’re giving out some technical directions. Now it’s very important that the others hear EXACTLY what you want done, and you just rattled off
