TOW PROFESSIONAL
CONTENTS
Volume 8 • Issue 1 2019
www.towprofessional.com
Feature: Lighting I N D U S T RY NEWS TOWING & RECOVERY
24| Will-Burt 28| TowMate® 34| Command Light 36| Custer Lighting
4| Jerr-Dan 8| CTTA 10| TRAA 14 | Clore Automotive
Feature: Hazmat 40| FlowStop 44| OMG Solutions 48| Hanby Environmental
An Expert Witness 16 | Who’s Got a Hand in the Till?
Insightful talk 20 | Where are Your Tows Coming From?
Company Profile 52 | XINSURANCE 54 | All American Auto Group
Tow Photos 56 | Rosenberry Towing IN EVERY ISSUE 58 |Dealers Place 2
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63 | Market Place 64 | Ad Index
I N D U S T RY NEWS OW WI IN NG G& &R REEC CO OV VEER RY Y TTO TM
Professional Your Resource for Towing & Recovery
PUBLISHER
Counterweighted Winch Bumper
Darian Weaver President & Publisher darian@towprofessional.com
Butch Cole National Sales butch@towprofessional.com __________________________
PRODUCTION Gene Eudy Editor gene@towprofessional.com
Dana Scott Creative Director dana@towprofessional.com __________________________
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
When industry experience counts, Jerr-Dan’s counterweight accessories for Standard Duty and Heavy-Duty Wreckers deliver. The Jerr-Dan Counterweighted Winch Bumper is available with a Pre-Runner Bar and without a Pre-Runner Bar. The Counterweighted Winch Bumper (not painted) is the ideal aftermarket accessory with the following features: • For Ford F450 and F550 • Model years 2017 to current • 2,000 lb. Ramsey Winch • Full weight bar tray with (5) 31.5 lb. removable weights • Designed specifically for towing and recovery • Stainless Steel Jerr-Dan logo • Prepped for paint • Universal mounting brackets for 6 LED lights (LED lights not included) Adjustable Performance Counterweight for HD Wreckers Jerr-Dan’s Adjustable Performance Counterweight is the smart way to improve your fleet’s performance. The counterweight puts weight where it’s needed to improve the performance of your truck. • This accessory is available to most OEM Class 8 Chassis. Modular design for installation and removal. • Hydraulically rotates down 90 degrees to allow the truck hood its full range of motion • Manual pump override • Fully adjustable counterweight between 1700-3600 lbs. • This aftermarket base unit is 1,700 lbs and adjustable in 220 lb increments to a maximum capacity of 3,600 lbs to improve the tow performance of your wrecker. Contact your local Jerr-Dan Distributor to find out more about this unit. . 4
Tow Professional | Volume 8 • Issue 1 | www.towprofessional.com
Perry Beaty - FlowStop Randy Cook - OMG Solutions David Cotsmire - WIll-Burt Brad Custer - Custer Products Charles D Fator - Hanby Environmental James E. Lewis Dan Messina Amy Sperry - Command Light Gunther Vinson - TowMate
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Executive and Advertising Offices 2007 Old Montgomery Hwy, Suite B Birmingham, AL 35244 Toll free: 888-802-8544 Fax: 205-978-1550 www.towprofessional.com Tow Professional is published nine times a year by Over The Mountain Media, Inc., P.O. Box 26308, Birmingham, Alabama, 35260, USA. Tow Professional is distributed free to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified subscription rates are $57.00 per year in the U.S. and Canada and $84.00 per year for foreign subscribers (surface mail). U.S. Postage paid at Birmingham, Alabama and additional mailing offices. Tow Professional is distributed to qualified Towing & Recovery's Top Decision Makers. Publisher is not liable for all content (including editorial and illustrations provided by advertisers) of advertisements published and does not accept responsibility for any claims made against the publisher. It is the advertiser’s or agency’s responsibility to obtain appropriate releases on any item or individuals pictured in an advertisement. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from the publisher.
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I N D U S T RY NEWS OW WI IN NG G& &R REEC CO OV VEER RY Y TTO
The California Tow Truck Association Elects State Officers for 2019 On January 17th, 2019, the Board of Directors of the California Tow Truck Association elected its Executive Committee for the year. The California Tow Truck Association (CTTA) is a 501 c 6, not for profit trade association for the benefit of Tow Truck Companies in California offering education, discount programs, legislative and lobbying activities as well as networking opportunities at regional chapter meetings. The Association’s mission is to cultivate a community of professionals able to provide the highest caliber of towing and emergency road service for the motoring public. The newly-elected State Officers are as follows: President: Quinn Piening, Central Tow & Transport - Fremont, CA Vice President (TROC South): Steven Hendrickson, Western Towing - San Diego, CA Vice President (TROC North): Sam Johnson, Capitol City Towing - Sacramento, CA Vice President (Education South): Sean Van Lingen, Van Lingen Towing, Inc - Torrance, CA Vice President (Education North): Doug Nelson, College Oak Towing - Sacramento, CA Secretary: Andrea Olivarez, Mike’s Towing - Stockton, CA Treasurer: Bruce Johnson, Extreme Towing - Diamond Springs, CA
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Tow Professional | Volume 8 • Issue 1 | www.towprofessional.com
Immediate Past President: Terry Warford, Jr., Dollar Tow Company - Sacramento, CA ERSCA Representative: Craig Baker, Cupertino Towing - Antioch, CA ERSCA Representative: Steve Sgarlato, Dick’s Automotive - Campbell, CA 2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of the CTTA and these new leaders are eager to continue the Association’s growth as the largest state towing association in the United States. As the CTTA looks to the next 50 years of protecting the CA towing industry, the new President, Quinn Piening, is determined to focus on Member outreach, enhancing Member benefits, providing new cutting edge training solutions, continuing the fight for tow operations in our CA legislature, and so much more. “There are many challenges facing towing company owners in our state and I could not be more excited to jump into the fray and fight for our Members,” said Mr. Piening (pictured at left with Immediate Past President Terry Warford, Jr.) after his election. “I want to thank all of the new State Officers sworn in beside me today for their dedication to our industry and their willingness to join me in creating the next chapter of CTTA’s story.” www.ctta.com
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Launches New Certification Program By Elizabeth Martineau-Dupuis
The Towing and Recovery Association of America, Inc.® (TRAA) is proud to announce its launch of the all-new Towing & Recovery Support Certification Program™ (TRSCP™). This innovative certification program, which took effect January 1st, is designed specifically for professionals that aid in incident clearance but are not themselves towing operators; the first program of its kind! Dispatchers, office managers, and administrative staff have a vital role to play in safe incident clearance that has yet to be fully appreciated. The TRSCP™ aims to inform, evaluate, and set the national standard for professionals working in this important capacity. The TRSCP™ covers a wide variety of content from customer service, on-scene and offscene considerations, traffic incident management, post incident activities, and 10
more. The program is open to all eligible participants employed in an incident management field such as towing, fire, EMS, DOT, or law enforcement. As a professional certification program, participants review a written study guide before taking a proctored exam objectively evaluating their content knowledge. Upon successful completion of each level, participants will earn professional designations: Nationally Certified Towing Support Professional™ for the Entry Level and Nationally Certified Towing Support Specialist™ for the Advanced Level. Professional designations, which are unique to professional certification programs, offer benefits for both the participant and their employer. Such as competitive advantage applying for contracts, added credibility, and increased employee satisfaction.
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This is the first new certification program TRAA has launched since the longrunning National Driver Certification Program® (NDCP) premiered over twenty years ago in 1995. As with the NDCP, the TRSCP™ was developed with the encouragement and grant funding of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. TRAA greatly appreciates the support of the Federal Highway Administration and the efforts of the TRSCP™ Advisory Committee for their invaluable contributions to this significant, industry changing project. The TRSCP™ is going to be the baseline for support personnel moving forward! Registration officially opened January 1, 2019; visit: traaonline.com/trscp to learn more! www.traaonline.com/trscp
I N D U S T RY NEWS OW WI IN NG G& &R REEC CO OV VEER RY Y TTO
New Light-N-Carry COB LED Flood Light Clore Automotive introduces a new 1500 Lumen COB LED Flood Light, Model No. LNC2251, from Light-N-Carry. The LNC2251 is an ideal answer when it comes to the tasks of Area/Flood/Site (A/F/S) light illumination. Whether on a building site, in an industrial environment or in an automotive garage, Light-N-Carry A/F/S lighting solutions provide bright illumination, long run times and easy recharging. The LNC2251 combines advanced COB technology, high lumen output, a removable battery, dust/water resistant housing and an easy-to-use micro-USB charging system. The LNC2251 features three intensity settings (1500/1000/500 lumen), allowing the operator to select the setting that best meets their needs based on the application performed. Its work light function is powered by advanced COB LED technology utilizing a Citizen CITILED chip
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for clear, bright viewing, elimination of hard edges, cool, pleasing light and low power consumption. The LNC2251 comes equipped with two removable batteries, which adds convenience and doubles your effective working time, allowing the light to perform for a full work day (each battery enables 4 hours of run time on the high output setting). Plus, each battery serves as a power supply, with a 1A USB outlet to charge small electronic devices. It features an IP64 dust/water ingress protection rating, magnetic 180Ëš swivel arm for easy mounting and a protective rubber bumper casing. The LNC2251 includes two rechargeable lithium batteries, a wall charger with braided charging cord and a Repair Service Coupon. The Repair Service Coupon provides for a low, one-time, fixed fee repair of the unit after the war-
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ranty period, regardless of the reason why the unit is no longer working (original coupon required to participate). The unit comes with a 1 Year Limited Warranty. Clore Automotive is a leader in the design, development and manufacture of automotive service equipment for professionals and consumers, including jump starters, battery chargers, battery testers, power inverters and LED lighting solutions. Clore Automotive products can be found in a wide variety of outlets servicing professionals and automotive enthusiasts, including auto parts stores, mobile tool dealers, industrial MRO distributors, farm and ag outlets and more. More information can be found at www.cloreautomotive.com. www.cloreautomotive.com
AN Expert Witness By James E. Lewis
WHO’S GOT A HAND IN THE TILL?
Increase Your Bottom Line by Reducing Employee Theft and Fraud Employee theft and fraud, often in separate or connected actions, is present in the towing industry just like in many others. It can be as simple and blatant as your employee using their assigned truck to tow his buddy’s car for free or for cash and not completing an invoice to account for the time and equipment usage. There are GPS tracking systems available for you to detect abuses like those. If you have a repair shop, parts and valuable items stolen from impounded cars or outof-service, customer vehicles is another 16
common factor. Cameras are great but not foolproof. Being vigilant and aware of everything that goes on works well beyond what cameras may detect. In my 30-plus years around the industry, I’ve noticed a couple of trends that I’ll give you with two specific examples. In a truck shop in Weatherford, Texas, I caught a young technician transferring valuable items from a customer’s Kenworth--in this case, several high-end knives, a CB radio, and some CDs/DVDs. He put things into a plastic grocery bag
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while he was inside the truck, and then swapped the items over to his lunch cooler, one of the large Playmate coolers that hold quite a bit, located at his toolbox. I worked as a regional manager for Super Shops, a high-performance autoparts chain that shut down in 1997. In one of our stores, employees reported thefts of some large items allegedly by customers: a few intake manifolds, several carburetors, and even a set of wheels and tires. I routinely visited this store on Fridays, so one week, I switched it up. I
Sure enough, the young man topped off his Hino, moved it, and his wife came pulling in with their Ford powerstroke dually, and the guy kept pumping fuel. This one young man was responsible for at least 800 gallons in fuel theft in 3 months. Do the math. The moral of the story is to make sure you know your fuel-tank capacities and do the math on miles-versus-fuel used, and of course, watch for “overfills.” arrived on Tuesday and watched the store from a rental car in the adjacent parking lot. Towards the end of the business day, I saw two of the sales clerks taking two large items outside and throwing them into the dumpster. I stayed onsite until well after the store closed at 6 pm, and sure enough, one of the guys showed up at 8 pm, just as it was getting dark, and went “dumpster diving” to recover the Holley Pro-Jection system and smallblock Chevy intake manifold he’d thrown away which totaled to $1,100 in merchandise. I snapped quite a few photos of the “before and after” and showed up the next day and got the report from them about the missing fuel injection system. I contacted the police, and we viewed my photos together – me, the police, and the sales clerks. I brought in the tire shop guys for good measure.
FUEL THEFT Fuel theft is likely the most common form of employee theft; and if you’re not paying very close attention to your fuel charges, an unethical employee could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. I was training with a company in McKinney, Texas talking with the two owners and determined that they weren’t happy with their net profits despite owning 4 of their 6 trucks outright, having strong income, and no major damage claims. I asked to look at their fuel account records. It took quite a bit of studying, but then something jumped out at me. The Hino 258 LCG with a 22 -foot
bed comes with a 50-gallon fuel tank. So, why were there charges on their fuel card system at a Valero for over 70 gallons at least twice a week? I asked the owners if any of their employees owned diesel pickups, and yes, two did. I asked a few more questions and determined that one of the guy’s wives was going to nursing school in Dallas, and they lived in Anna which was about a 40-mile commute each way, and they didn’t have another vehicle. We all went down to the Valero and were able to view the video from the previous day. Sure enough, the young man topped off his Hino, moved it, and his wife came pulling in with their Ford powerstroke dually, and the guy kept pumping fuel. This one young man was responsible for at least 800 gallons in fuel theft in 3 months. Do the math. The moral of the story is to make sure you know your fueltank capacities and do the math on milesversus-fuel used, and of course, watch for “overfills.” In one more fuel-related example, I was training in Louisiana. I ran a flatbed down to the corner store that was also a very small truck stop, but the boss explained that he’d been doing business with them for years. I walked in to get the pump authorized and started, went out to pump fuel, and then went back in to sign the ticket. The young store clerk asked me if I was new. I explained that I was. He asked if I wanted the “normal deal.” I asked what the “normal deal” was. He explained that since they used a handwritten ticket with our signature, he could put any amount on the ticket that I want-
James E. Lewis is a driver, trainer, and manager in his third decade of experience in the towing industry. He is a published author with works in fiction, self-help, and technical guidance. ed. He told me that most of the guys just do it for $20 over, and he gets $10, and the driver gets $10. I told him to skip that part for now, and I just signed a ticket for the actual amount. I immediately went back to the shop and told the owner--he had 6 drivers and had no idea how long this had been going on! I know that we all want to see the good in people, and we like to think we’ve made good hiring decisions, and most people are good. It only takes one bad person to start a process like I’ve described, and one person can talk several others into joining in – usually so they have a defense or can put if off on others if they’re ever caught. One fatal mistake tow company owners make in scenarios like these is that they don’t prosecute. They just fire the guy or girl–you’re not helping yourself or anyone else. If they’re just fired, they’ll make up some lie and go get a job elsewhere, and then steal from them. If you prosecute, you’ll stop their actions, the word will get around, and you’ll likely save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache in the future. So, by being very aware of everything that goes on, you can increase your bottom line by reducing employee theft and fraud: know who all has hand in the till!
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Insightful talk By D an Mes s ina
With the economy the way it is, all small businesses are struggling to survive. As I travel around the U.S., I talk to towers that get creative and come up with additional ways to generate revenue. 1. One company got rid of his heavyduty business. This cut down on expenses, and he opened a convenience store. 2. One tow company from Alabama also opened a convenience store. 3. A wife of a tower in Shepard, Texas opened a nail and tanning salon in the front office of their storage lot. 4. One tower opened a U-Haul rental from his storage lot. Other ideas you can increase addition20
al revenue are: 1. Tow junk cars and run them across the scales. 2. Offer RV and boat storage. 3. Store cars for new car dealers. 4. Store cars for other tow companies. 5. Offer storage units at your storage yard. 6. Provide overnight parking for tractor trailers as they pass through town. These are some of the ways tow companies are trying to generate new revenue. In some cases, it works, but in most cases, you must have a storage
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yard. Our industry is changing, and we better be prepared to change with it. Politics and business will be a struggle over the next two years. Here is a perfect example: I generated a phone app that sends tows directly to the closest driver to the motorist. I was talking to a tow company in California, and he told me they passed a state law that if a tow truck driver receives a tow on his phone, the driver can keep the money. I have the California Association trying to clarify this law for me. Its legislative time in Texas, and that always makes life exciting for the industry. Between the law makers that had their cars towed and the state agency
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Insightful talk cont inued that monitors the towing industry and interrupts the laws differently every year places our industry in panic mode for the next 6 months. To make matters even worse that there are two associations in Texas, and we each have our own lobbyist fighting for the same thing. I created a new service that benefits
the tow companies, the towing associations, the service provider, and the motorist. It’s a phone app that works like Uber where it finds the closest tow truck to the stranded motorist. This service is free to the tow companies, and it can create new revenue on tows they never had before. Here is a win/win summary of
advantages: For the tow company 1. Gives tows they never had. 2. Reduces their fuel bill. 3. Provides free GPS with real-time tracking.
For the Association: 1. Requires very little work. 2. Provides 20 cents on every tow going thru TowTrax in their state. That doesn’t sound like much, but if I run 1 million tows thru TowTrax in their state, they get $200,000. You are probably thinking a million tows are a lot, but there are over 88 million service calls generated each year by motor clubs, Honk, Urgently, AAA insurance companies, and law enforcement, and I am talking to every one of them about using Towtrax.
For the Service Provider: 1. Provides real-time tracking by customer. 2. Improves ETA’s. 3. Improves communications. For the consumer: 1. Improves ETA’s. 2. Empowers consumer to watch the tow truck come to them. 22
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3. Provides safety and peace of mind since they can see where the tow truck is and how long until it gets there. This is a new money stream using technology and a win/win for all parties involved. One of our problems in the towing industry is we have associations that fight with each other and nothing gets done. All associations are fighting to survive because of the lack of revenue to keep the doors open. I create a Hugh revenue stream for them with very little to do on their part. As I call the associa-
tions and tell them about my new service and how they can make money without too much effort, they tell me they must take it to the board, and in some cases the board votes it down. That amazes me that a Hugh revenue stream would get voted down. There are things taking place regarding training that will require tow companies to test all drivers and get hands-on training. I realize this is a good thing for the industry, but will require money for the tow company owner to educate their drivers. They will need new revenue streams to survive. The same goes for the state associations. Things are being created at a national level without most of the tow companies knowing about it, and that will have a major impact on the industry. We have to start preparing ourselves for major change to survive. Working as planned, my new service will have a
major impact on the industry. The only difference is that my service is a win for all involved. Go to TowTrax.net and check it out. If you like what you see, register your company and start getting free tows.
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TOOLS FOR W B y D av i d Co t s mire
The challenges you face as a tow professional are endless. Working in the dark magnifies the difficulty of your work ten-fold. Thankfully, advances in lighting technology over the past 10 years has provided new and improved tools to make your job safer and easier at night. LED lights came into the market about 10 years ago. The main benefit at the time was that they provided a tremendous amount of light but consumed a fraction of the power of the halogen lights that we had been using for years. The downside was that they were very expensive. Fast-forward to 2019 and the costs have come down dramatically thanks to manufacturing efficiencies and competition and they perform better than ever. Couple the price drop with the fact that LED lights do not require the power of a generator and now you have affordable options to light up the night! Manufacturers who understand the tow market have taken advantage of the benefits of LED lights and have made many products that improve safety and increase your productivity, and some can even directly help you to make more money at night. One product that can be used on any size vehicle is the remote light positioner. These can be mounted nearly anywhere – roof, boom, headache bar – you name it and you can probably put it there. These are powered from your electrical system and allow you to direct the light anywhere you need with a wireless handheld remote control. Some are portable and attach to your vehicle with a powerful magnet. These make the job much easier when you are working alone. They are invaluable when you are searching for a house address in a dark neighborhood or rural area. If you are involved with a repo operation, they are perfect on a rollback and they allow you to get in and out quickly. There are a variety of 24
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LIGHTING
WORKING AT
NIGHT Volume 8 • Issue 1 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional
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options available from several manufac-
oncoming traffic. The best brands come
tion about light towers is that they are too
turers. Light output can range from 1,000 – 40,000 lumens and prices range from $500 - $7,500. LED headlight upgrade kits are available for many vehicles. These typically illuminate twice as much area or more than stock halogen bulbs. Make sure to ask for LED headlight kits that are USDOT approved – these ensure that the optics are aimed properly and will not blind
with lifetime warranties. Light towers are the ultimate tools when it comes to lighting up an accident scene or job site. The advent of the LED light allowed manufacturers the ability to offer what was once only able to be installed on a fire truck with a full-size generator to be customized for the specific needs of the tow professional who works every day and night. A misconcep-
big or expensive for anything other than the outfit that has heavy wreckers and rotators. Thanks to the lightweight and compact design of folding light towers they can be used on any vehicle that has a roof! The roof surface on a standard rollback has more than enough area for a lightweight folding light tower. What benefits does a light tower deliver? Simply put, it provides more light from a higher height. Break it down a bit further – light from a higher point allows the illumination to be focused and spread over a wider area. This gives you more coverage and provides a safer work site. Also, the light from this higher vantage will not blind you. The light is created from above like the sun. This is also important if you are working a traffic scene, it will not blind oncoming traffic. A light tower also gives you the ability to rotate and tilt the lights, so you can focus on the location that you need regardless of the position of the truck or boom. Higher end light towers offer the ability to control two banks of light separately so that you can cast the light a full 360°. Light towers are available in two basic
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LIGHTING configurations: folding, which are designed to be installed on a flat surface and vertical which requires less surface area to install and are typically available in higher heights. Lights typically come in pairs to balance the load and disbursement of light. A light tower gives you the ability to take on nearly any job at night. We have seen examples of house demolitions, moving heavy equipment and providing emergency lighting for municipal emergencies. A light tower, which is always with the vehicle, frees an operator from relying on the fire department or a second crew with a tow behind light trailer both of which can cost extra money or be unreliable. Let’s face it, you are always the last to leave the scene. The light towers’ safety benefits are obvious. You can see to perform the job in near daylight conditions AND most importantly, oncoming traffic will be able to see you. Not so obvious are the various ways you can make more money. Some states
allow the use of a light tower to be charged as auxiliary equipment necessary for the job. We have heard that some charge up to $250 / hour, but many are more in the $250-$500 range / job. Another way is to take on jobs that are more easily done at night when there is less traffic on the road. Moving heavy equipment or demolition jobs are common. Light towers can be installed as part of the original truck build or as a retrofit. The installation is straight forward, and most shops can install a tower in a day or less – there is a good chance you can install it yourself if you are mechanically inclined. A light tower is an investment that will pay off by giving you safer working conditions, enabling you to do the job more efficiently and enabling you to make more money. LED lighting allows today’s tow professional to take full advantage of his or her capabilities 24/7. www.nightscan.com
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®
TowMate TM-FLUX Tow Light B y Gu n t h e r V in s o n - TowMate ® WHERE IT ALL BEGAN In 1985, Bryan Anderson, Owner/ President of TowMate®, vowed to make the towing industry safer for the towing professional. Operating his own towingpool service one frosty night, Bryan received a towing call and jumped into action. Arriving at the scene, he saw an icy cold, miserable situation-- one he was going to be in shortly. At this moment, is 28
when he vowed to create a better and faster way to deploy the safety lighting that makes it legal to tow a vehicle. This process of running cables, attaching the lights, and hoping everything works usually took around 10 mins. -- 10 mins. too long in the frigid cold weather of winter. Bryan thought that if there was a wireless tow-light solution that
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LIGHTING
attached via magnet, operated via trailer plug transmitter, and could be ready in seconds instead of minutes, he could save many lives as well as make the job easier and faster for towing professionals. TowMateÂŽ was born at that moment and has been the leader of wireless tow lights since 1985--that's 34 years of saving lives using innovative and cutting-edge technology. Throughout those 34 years, many dif-
ferent models of wireless tow lights have been developed--some for general use and others for specific industries and needs.
LEAD-ACID BATTERIES The main driving force for innovation in wireless tow lighting has been the everevolving battery systems. In the late 80s, lead-acid batteries were introduced to
wireless tow lights greatly increasing the run time and making maintenance much easier. Due to the low cost, availability, reliability, and high level of consistency, lead-acid battery technology led the way for tow lights for decades. Although leadacid technology has its benefits, it also has many downfalls that made many users seek a better solution for powering wireless tow lights.
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LIGHTING
LITHIUM BATTERIES The introduction of lithium battery technology ushered in the era of the long run tow light: not only does the battery run many times longer than a lead-acid battery, but the lithium batteries also have a lifespan close to a decade unlike the one year expected lifespan of lead acid batteries. Lithium batteries are capable of being in a light, compact form factor such as rechargeable battery packs and charged via an easy-to-use vehiclemounted charge cradle making them ideal for TowMate® wireless tow lights. The Helios, Li26, and TM36Li are great examples of how the lithium age of tow lights has evolved.
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CAPACITANCE CELLS and TOWMATE’S TM-FLUX TOW LIGHT 2019 ushers in yet another era for TowMate® Tow Lights with the introduction of a technology that has been proven in many industries to be a great solution for a fast charge, high-reliability system. The new TM-FLUX embodies this new technology with the introduction of capacitance cells. Providing the ability to fully charge the light bar in 8 minutes and giving a run time of over 4 hours, the TMFLUX tow light gives the in-town tow operator a light bar that will always be ready for use. Providing the basics of “Stop,” “Tail,” and “Turn” functions using a
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wireless transmitter plugged into the trailer light socket, the TM-FLUX is the shorthaul tower’s dream light bar! Simply charge the TM-FLUX on the way to the tow, and you will have 4 hours before the light needs to be charged again. As technology continues to advance at an accelerated rate, so will the line of TowMate® wireless products. There's no way of telling what sort of amazing advancements we will see in the next few years for wireless tow lights, but one thing is for certain, TowMate® will be at the forefront! www.towmate.com
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EULESS B&B WRECKER SERVICE
LIGHTS UP THE SCENE By A my Spe e r, M a r keting Di r ector - Command Li ght
As investigators combed the brushladen creek bed, the sun began to dip behind the Texas horizon. Nearby, a 6.5foot light tower mounted to a truck from Euless B&B Wrecker Service cast a farreaching glow on the scene where an officer had been shot in the line of duty. It wasn’t the first time the B&B crew had been called to illuminate a scene--or the last. In fact, thanks to one piece of equipment — a Command Light Shadow RT light tower mounted to B&B’s Ford F-550 service truck — the 64-year-old towing company has found a special calling in 34
the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A swath of fire and emergency departments across Texas often utilize this tower-equipped service truck to illuminate scenes. So much in fact, B&B charges for the use of the light tower alone. “We have a separate line item just for that light,” says Steve Bell, Euless B&B Wrecker Service Manager. “The tower literally pays for itself.” To deploy the truck, B&B charges a service fee plus an hourly rate while the truck is on scene. In the aforementioned incident, the truck was utilized nearly 20 hours. During
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a typical vehicle fatality, the B&B logs an average of five hours on scene with the truck’s service area spanning nine Texas municipalities. “Really, it’s a cost savings to the community,” Bell explains. “Think about it: if you bring in a million-dollar fire truck to illuminate its scene with a light tower, the truck has to run the whole time that the tower is on, and it requires a crew of four to six people to man the rig. Tax dollars are being eaten up, so we’ve found that you can take those lights and put them on a service truck like ours and bring a valuable service to these departments.”
LIGHTING Plus, Bell points out, a Ford F-550 can go places larger fire apparatus can’t — like creek-side crime scenes. As for the Shadow RT, B&B has been running with the light tower since 2008 “with zero flaws” and looks to add two more towers to the fleet’s rotator tow trucks. “We have a truck-mounted light that moves with the boom, but when we swing the boom around, we often lose lighting in areas where we still need it,” Bell says. “We’ve found that a light tower can really help you direct light.” Command Light, which manufacturers the Shadow RT, offers a variety of towers, featuring 360-degree rotation and optional backlighting capabilities to illuminate opposing scenes. It takes less than 15 seconds to deploy the flood-light system and position these high-intensity lights. Command Light also offers compact lighting and safety products like traffic flow boards. “It’s really important to be able to elevate and control our light source, so we aren’t blinding oncoming traffic,” Bell explains. “If we’re loading facing into traffic, the typical lighting on our tow trucks will blind the traffic and interfere with the cameras on a police cruiser, so it’s not uncommon for a responder to ask us to turn off certain lights on tow truck with an exception of our tower. With our tower, the complete opposite happens. We’re actually ‘loaning’ out the tower because it enhances the safety of everyone involved. When you truly light up a scene, it creates a construction-zone effect that attracts way more attention than a few flashing lights, and departments have recognized that difference.” With more than 25 years in emergency-scene lighting, Command Light is a trusted name in the industry. To view its full product line, visit commandlight.com www.commandlight.com
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CUSTER LIGHTING Excellence in Quality, Customer Service, and Adaptability B y B r a d C u s t e r, Founder - Custer Li ghting Safety lighting and work lights have been evolving for years and will continue to evolve as new technologies are developed. You may still remember the days when safety lighting consisted of an incandescent or halogen bulb in a chrome base with a colored glass or plastic lens and a mirror that rotated around the light source to give the warning flash. This type of light was often referred to as the “bubble gum” light. Early light bars were made in a very similar manner. But as vehicles added more lights, they encountered many power issues since
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the lights took a tremendous electrical drain. Vehicle owners wanted more visible safety lighting but could not keep up with the ever-increasing power demand that the old-style lights required. Today, technology has improved so that vehicles can have multiple lights with significantly less amperage draw than the predecessor light. High-powered LEDs have made equipping a vehicle with safety lights and work lights very practical because of the low power draw. It’s very common to see
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vehicles with multiple strobes and work lights all running at the same time. This is very important for safety at the scene of the job. It is much safer when the work area has proper lighting and nearby traffic can see the warning lights to know to slow down and move over to protect the workers at the scene. As technology improves, the demand for auxiliary safety lighting and better work lights has increased significantly. The rising demand for this type of lighting can also be attributed to the decline in price on LED lights in the last 10 years.
LIGHTING
There is an abundance of selection when it comes to brightness, style, size, and functions of the newer safety lights and work lights. Because of this high demand and the almost infinite selection of lights, we are noticing a continuously growing number of distributors and manufacturers in the lighting industry. A vast number of companies are entering the auxiliary lighting market because
of the lights’ increasing popularity. There are several companies that have been in business for many years and are well known in the industry for their high-quality standards. On the flip side, there is an increasing number of individuals who sell exclusively online through auction sites. They are almost always able to beat conventional sources in price due to little overhead and needing little to no staff,
because when you sell online you rarely have to deal with the customer directly. As an end user, buying online can sometimes be a gamble. Many of these sites have great products, but many of them are also selling product that isn’t properly quality-control checked. You may be getting a rock-bottom price, but what quality are you getting? The best bet when buying auxiliary lighting is to do a little
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research before you buy. Who do I contact if I have a problem? Does this brand have good quality? What’s the warranty policy? Does the product have a low-price sticker but higher incidental costs? I have been to hundreds of trade shows in my 26 years with Custer Products. I am continuously hearing from our customers about inferior products in the marketplace that are almost identical to the high-quality product. It’s not uncommon for people to come up to me with items that look almost exactly like the products I sell but have problems. Most times, these “knock offs” do a great job of matching the physical appearance but do a very poor job of matching the quality of trusted manufacturers. I also get many requests to “match the price” of online auctions. It’s not possible for me to sell my high-quality product to match the price of a poorly made item. We’d be out of business! That would be like asking a car dealership to buy a loaded model for the same price as a basic model. They may appear the same on the outside, but one is a lot better! You get my point. There are many good manufacturers and distributors in the industry, and if you are looking to purchase auxiliary lighting, I’d suggest giving them a call instead of purchasing from someone you don’t know online. As mentioned before, Custer Products has been in business for 26 years. A huge 38
reason that we’ve been able to stay in business and thrive among all of the competition is our excellent customer-service team. We pride ourselves in bending over backwards to meet our customers needs, and when you call Custer, you will always be greeted by a real person, ready to help you with whatever you need. Custer will never be one of those companies with an automated system that tells you “Your call is very important to us,” because your call actually IS very important to us, which is why we will always answer your call (within business hours, of course!). Another factor that sets Custer apart from its competition is that we always stand behind our product. As high quality as our products are, there are occasionally defects. We make it as easy and painless as possible for our customers to address warranty issues. As mentioned before, if you call us, we will answer the
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phone, and we will take care of you. When you buy online, are you getting a warranty with that low price? Who will you call when your light stops working? When you buy from Custer, you can buy with confidence, knowing that if anything goes wrong with your light, you will be taken care of. Along with excellent customer service and a no-hassle return policy, Custer Products also stands out when it comes to the most important aspect: lights! We are continuously putting new lighting products in our line as technology progresses. One of our newest products is our new wireless Light Duty Tow Light or the LDTL for short. This 23” light bar is the newest addition to our wireless lightbar line. All of our wireless light bars con-
products. Our 36-watt, 72-watt and 120watt work light bars now come with both the “L” shaped brackets and adjustable brackets that can move to easily fit the customer’s mounting needs. We’ve also added a new enhancement to our Agricultural kits that meet the ASAE S279 lighting standards and have enhanced brake and turn functions. Finally, Custer Products takes pride in our ability to adapt to change. It’s important to adapt with technology, but it’s
also imperative to grow from a business standpoint. Custer has grown its staff significantly in the last several years and after 25 years at our facility in North Canton, Ohio, Custer Products made the decision to move to Massillon, Ohio in August of 2018. The transition went smoothly, and we have had increased sales and a positive response from the local community. www.custerproducts.com
tain auto-grade circuitry and are individually serialized to prevent cross-talk between bars. We manufacture the LDTL along with all of our wireless light bars right here at our facility in Massillon, Ohio. Other new products include our 56” Amber/White rooftop lightbar with over 30 flash patterns and our 22-watt slim LED work light, both of which were great sellers in 2018. Along with the LDTL mentioned above, we’ve also added a 36” wireless light bar with amber/white strobes, which was one of our top selling wireless light bars in 2018. Custer always seeks to find products that are unique, like our new Build-a-Bar. The Build-a-Bars can be purchased in flood and/or spot, and can connect together both horizontally and vertically to create your own unique light bar. Custer also carries rock lights that can pair with an app on your phone to change the color of the lights and make them flash to your favorite music. We are also continuously looking for opportunities to improve our current Volume 8 • Issue 1 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional
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DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? B y Pe r r y Beaty, O w ner and F ounder - F l ow Stop
Do you lead or follow the competition? Do you set the bar and raise the standards or just go with the flow? Do you complain and hope things change in your favor or do you instigate change? Most importantly, is your business growing or just maintaining its current revenue stream? Do you have the ability and desire to bring about changes or create more business that fits in with your towing/recovery/storage and repair services? These are questions to ponder when you have windshield or alone time. Many tow and recovery operators are leaving profits lying in the road, on the shoulder or in the ditch without realizing how quickly 40
the remediation process of removing and disposing of contaminates caused by traffic accidents can be adding additional dollars for cleanup fees. Growing up working at my dad’s service station, we had a couple homemade wreckers that I was fascinated with--and that later grew into my addiction. I loved going on calls with my dad, and by the time I was legal
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to drive, I had the ability to respond and work accidents on my own. After graduating from high school, I was drafted into the Army and returned home after two years of active duty. My dad wanted me to come back to the business. I had a love for towing and recovery and set out to build that segment into a stand-alone entity--I succeeded. As time went by and Beaty Towing & Recovery grew, we started experiencing wait periods at large truck accidents that had fuel leaks from damaged saddle tanks and even leaks from cargo holds that required a “certified individual” to evacuate the tanks or secure the source of the spill before recovery or towing could be done. After
HAZMAT several encounters of extended wait periods for these companies to respond, I thought the best thing was to take control of the situation and become certified to perform these functions. Why? Response time and road closures due to the lack of quick response was unacceptable and since I was already on scene, I could just handle the entire project. I created another company separate from my towing service and was able to handle most mishaps completely. This business grew rapidly coupled by the fact that my towing accounts were my instant client base and my quick response found favor with the government authorities. As calls for service increased, so did the different requirements for equipment and tools to effectively manage the clean-up. This gave me the idea of a lightweight, low-pressure impervious storm drain plug. It is used when storm water drain pipes are contaminated with spills ranging from hydrocarbons to chemicals. I designed, developed, and received a patent on this drain pipe plug known as
FlowStop Model 1218FT Inflatable Pipe Plug
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“FlowStop.” I continued to work on other projects that would benefit first responders as well as tow and recovery services that needed a “quick fix” for roadside spills. A complete line of FlowStop spillresponse equipment, supplies, and tools are available to compliment tow professionals as well as fire departments. FlowStop offers an air-operated Vac Pump Caddy assembly with aluminum vac stingers and hoses for rapid evacuation of saddle tanks, drums, and IBC’s.
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The FlowStop Air Drill Kits, Dome Lid Clamps, Cargo Tank Stingers, Spill Pools and the ever popular FlowStop Football & Golf ball Containment Plugs are arranged in different spill kit configurations. As mentioned in previous articles, clean-up services are needed by your current customer base and an array of other markets. There are brokerage firms that you can summit your services and rates to that handle calls for their client base of nationwide transportation companies.
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“Hazmat Responder Network” has been designed for HAZWOPER Certification Training for the towing and recovery professional exclusively. HAZWOPER, which is an acronym for “Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response,” includes regulations found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), pertaining to Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT),
HAZMAT which collectively are known as CFR 1910.120. The HAZWOPER certification class consists of required classroom study and hands on exercises. Techniques shared during the course cover the handling, testing, and disposal of soil, contaminated material as well as water treatment and testing for results in order to compose after action reports. Upon satisfactory completion a oneyear period of certification is awarded each individual attendee. A required 8-hour annual recertification is also provided by Hazmat Responder Network. For more information, contact Perry Beaty, 877- 356-9767 or perry@hazmatrn.com, pbeaty@flowstop.net. www.flowstop.net
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OMG Solutions and the ELMN8 Line B y Ra n dy C o o k, O w ner - O MG Solutions
OMG Solutions and the ELMN8 product line were developed in response to a void of effective hydrocarbon-contamination management products throughout Randy Cook’s twenty-five years in the oilfield services industry dealing with hydrocarbon spills. During his time in the oilfield, he encountered every product on the market, but they all seemed to have flaws. Either the product would be effective but highly toxic and expensive or the opposite of the spectrum--it would be 44
inexpensive and ineffective. Other challenges encountered were weather-sensitive products or products that just took
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entirely too long to be effective. Experiencing this void in the market, Cook saw an opportunity, so the development of the ELMN8 product line began. The idea was born to have an inexpensive, highly effective, non-toxic and nonhazardous solution that could work immediately and in place on hydrocarbon contamination. OMG Solution is the sole source manufacturer of ELMN8 for soil and ELMN8+ for water. These products are just that, they are inexpensive, highly effective, and they address hydrocarbons immedi-
HAZMAT ately. The ELMN8 products are sold in 55 gallon drums and 275 gallon totes. The price of ELMN8 (soil) is $25 per gallon while ELMN8+ (water) is $48 per gallon. ELMN8+ requires a different formula that can overcome the dilution by being added to hydrocarbon-contaminated water. Both products have been deployed all over the US and have been proven to be highly effective in immediately eliminating hydrocarbon contamination. The typical application method includes some method of spraying and tilling, but when infrastructure has come into play, the products have been injected and/or poured directly on top and allowed to migrate down and follow the same directional path of the hydrocarbon spill. All methods are highly effective, but the spray and till method provides the fastest results as this process creates the contact of the ELMN8 solution with the hydrocarbon contamination. The injection and dump methods, in contrast, take
WHEN THE ELMN8 PRODUCTS ARE SPRAYED ON HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATION, THEY OXIDIZE IT BY BREAKING DOWN THE CONTAMINATION INTO THE INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON WHICH THEN ATTACH TO OXYGEN AND PRODUCE THE BYPRODUCTS OF WATER AND CARBON DIOXIDE. THERE IS NO NEED TO CLEAN UP OR PICK UP ANYTHING TO HAUL AND DISPOSE OF. a while to travel along the path and contact the hydrocarbon contamination. Whether utilizing the ELMN8 products on soil or water or both, there is no safety concern for the emergency responder or the environment as both products are non-hazardous and nontoxic. In fact, one of the greatest benefits of using these products is they are a flashpoint killer. That’s right; they take the ignition danger out of the hydrocarbon spill response, making the response
a safer environment. Also, unlike other products used in emergency response scenarios, there are no microbes (bugs) or enzymes associated with this product line, meaning that the ELMN8 products have no shelf life and are not weather sensitive. The most common hydrocarbon spills encountered in emergency response are surface spills. These are, by far, the easiest spills for the ELMN8 product line to treat as the hydrocarbons on the surface
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are most easily contacted by the solution’s spray application. When the ELMN8 products are sprayed on hydrocarbon contamination, they oxidize it by breaking down the contamination into the individual elements of hydrogen and carbon which then attach to oxygen and produce the byproducts of water and carbon dioxide. There is no need to clean up or pick up anything to haul and dispose of. The contamination is treated instantly and in place. On average, the savings is 60% over hauling and disposing of the contaminated water or soil. Additionally, when hauled, there is potential for a secondary spill while traveling down our roadways. Emergency responders who have implemented the use of the ELMN8 product line have been pleased with their results. Several responders have cited that they have been able to charge the insurance companies less while completing the cleanup in a faction of the time, and because of these, there has been less of a struggle to collect from the
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insurance companies. Others have cited being asked by insurance companies why they didn’t utilize a product like ELMN8 to treat in real time and in place, as opposed to hauling the contamination
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away driving up the cost of the cleanup and ultimately their bill. OMG Solutions has seen that the insurance industry has keyed into a product like this as being an option of reducing the time it takes to
HAZMAT complete a cleanup and the costs to do it while lowering the environmental impact of the hydrocarbon spill. Furthermore, addressing in real time gets the emergency responders out of danger faster and keeps the contamination from continuing to spread which also drives up cost. This is becoming the preferred method that will ultimate change the way all emergency responders are expected to address hydrocarbon spills. OMG Solutions has teamed up with other HazMat and emergency response experts such as Perry Beaty of FlowStop Pipes and Plugs as the veteran who provides specialized certified 40-Hour HAZWOPER training drawing from his longevity in the emergency response industry to provide real-world expertise to those in his class offered through his HazMat Responder Network as well as teaming up with Charles D. Fator, President and CEO of Hanby Environmental. The three have complementary products that are the ideal solu-
tion for emergency responders during a hydrocarbon spill response. The FlowStop product line provides the means to stop the flow of the hydrocarbon contamination, contain it, and implement a means of getting the bulk of the hydrocarbon addressed. Hanby Environmental products are the Field Test Kits providing the means to have the real-time feedback of hydrocarbon contamination level, documenting the beginning and ending of the cleanup and the progress during the cleanup process. These couple with the OMG Solutions
product line of treating and eliminating the hydrocarbon contamination in place and in real time. The combination of all three product lines are referred to as “The Triple Threat” and have been happily received in the emergency response industry. Responding to hydrocarbon spills, you can’t afford to not implement “The Triple Threat,” so get in contact with all three companies and get the best tools in the industry for effective hydrocarbon contamination management! www.omgsol.com
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Hanby Environmental In-Field Contamination Analysis Solution for Hydrocarbon Spills B y C h a r le s Fa t o r, Pre s ident and CEO - Hanby Envir onmental
When responding to an emergency hydrocarbon spill, time is of the essence in all aspects. The Harby Enbvironmental Field Test Kits were developed by John D. Hanby in 1986 after he rand the lab at NASA for ten years. Having the understanding that a simple, accurate, and cost-effective means of spot testing hydrocarbon contamination was of paramount need for spill response, Mr. Hanby developed the Hanby Environmental Field Test Kits for the immediate analysis of hydrocarbon-contaminated water and soil. Since that time, 48
the kits have been deployed the world over on every major spill response and used domestically daily. The Hanby method is a simple colorimetric analysis. Color is developed for the sample being analyzed and is compared to a calibration book of fixed standards to determine the concentration level using the human eye
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to compare the sample analyzed to those of the calibration photos, placing the analyzed sample between the standard and fixed calibrations. When a hydrocarbon spill has taken place, there is no time for delay. Delays will only cause the problem to get larger, meaning more time and money while increasing the environmental impact of the spill and putting the emergency responders in greater danger. The Hanby Field Test Kits provide results in soil in four minutes and in water in six minutes. Additionally, these results are very accurate. You have an effective field method
HAZMAT if you can obtain a result in the field within 25% of a laboratory result. The results obtained by the Hanby Method have been found to be within 10% of a laboratory result by the US EPA and the US Army Corp of Engineers. The costs of these fast and accurate results are very economical at $25 per test. Comparing to traditional laboratory analysis costs, results can be obtained with a 10 to 14day turnaround at a cost of $80-120, or they can be expedited to 48-hour turnaround at a cost ranging from $200-500 depending on the volume with that laboratory and the logistics. But the greater value here is not the analysis-cost comparison, but rather the fact that the realtime information allows for the cleanup response to continue forward without delayed and high-cost laboratory results. And, of course, the greatest value of all is moving the project forward toward completion allows the emergency responder to get out of the danger zone faster. Prior to beginning the cleanup, the kits
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provide the documentation and insight of the beginning concentration level, which determines how the cleanup will go. The kits also provide documentation, during the cleanup process and at the completion of it. Once the cleanup level has been met, it is recommended that samples be sent off to a third-party laboratory as confirmatory samples to validate the cleanup’s completion. Providing additional documentation of the work performed at the cleanup beginning and ending levels, the new Hanby Mobile Application can be utilized complementing the test kits. The mobile application makes the simple test more accurate and increases the level of documentation. The mobile application also, replaces the human eye as the measuring optical with the camera on your mobile phone, thereby standardizing and replacing the varying human eyes. The mobile app also makes the concentration calculation for you and then immediately generates a pdf report of the results which is instantly sharable and then stored for future reference as well. 50
Emergency responders across the US are using the Hanby Field Test Kits and have been pleased with its ease of use, reliable and accurate results, and its economical per-analysis cost. With the low per-test cost, more analysis is performed without the concern of cost, which provides for more data points, which provides a better understanding for determining the extent and boundaries of the hydrocarbon spill. All this combined is the no-brainer solution to use in a hydrocarbon spill response! Today, Hanby Environmental is under the direction of third-generation Charles D. Fator, grandson of Mr. John D. Hanby, and he has made it his mission to have the kits deployed on every hydrocarbon spill, contributing to the welfare of all involved. He has strategically aligned Hanby Environmental with Perry Beaty of FlowStop HazMat Pipe and Plugs and Randy Cook of OMG Solutions. Combined they are “The Triple Threat.” “The Triple Threat” is a basketball term referring to a player with the basketball having three options: pass, dribble or
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shoot. Likewise, the three companies provide the three options: (1) to implement the FlowStop products to stop the flow and contain the hydrocarbon spill. Then the (2) Hanby products should be utilized to test the hydrocarbon contamination level. Then (3) the OMG Solutions products should be utilized to treat the hydrocarbon contamination repeating use of any or all of these products until the hydrocarbon spill has complete remediation or is cleaned up. This power combination of products is being taught by the emergency response veteran, Perry Beaty, as part of his 40hour certified HAZWOPER course under his HazMat Responder Network that is tailored to the towing industry’s emergency responders. Do yourself the favor and get trained by The HazMat Responder Network to implement “The Triple Threat” and save time and money while lowering the environmental impact of your emergency response and getting out of the danger zone faster! www.hanbyenvironmental.com
HAZMAT
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COMPANY PROFILE
We Say “Yes” When Others Say “No” In good economic conditions or bad, the towing and repossession industries have seen significant growth. While good news for business owners, there are yet considerable dangers inherent in getting the job done. A man fires at repo agents trying to repossess his car. Repo agents are sent to the hospital after attempting to repossess a motorcycle and vehicle. Unfortunately, these headlines are “all in a day’s work.” And while repossession work often deals closely with legal codes and restrictions, even the best of intentioned repo professionals can open themselves up to situations where they could be charged with violations, not to mention property or bodily injury. How, then, does the repo agent or towing company protect itself? Liability insurance is your best protection. However, in today’s world, it has become more and more difficult to find a good insurance partner, especially when trying to get towing and/or repossession insurance. Most markets only have a couple of carriers that are even willing to write these risks. This can sometimes lead you to a company that is not A.M. Best* “A” Rated, leaving you vulnerable with certain contracts you already have or are trying to secure. It’s even harder to find a carrier who can write all the pieces of insurance that you need to operate your business. Couple all this with a few claims and your options become less and less. Fortunately, XINSURANCE is changing all that.
A-Rated Coverage XINSURANCE is powered by Evolution Insurance Brokers, LC, an insurance brokerage backed by the strength of Prime Insurance Company, an excess and surplus lines carrier. The excess and surplus lines market (E&S) provides coverage when standard insurance carries cannot or will not provide it. Fact is, without the E&S market, many businesses like repo/towing companies would be forced to go uninsured or self-insure their risk exposure, which means they’re on their own if an incident, claim or lawsuit occurs. XINSURANCE has a solid foundation in place, as Prime Insurance Company is a financially stable insurance company, rated “A” by A.M. Best. Prime has offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, 52
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Chicago, Illinois and Naples, Florida, and is an exceptionally good company — with strategic relationships with some of the world’s premier insurance organizations, including Lloyd’s of London, Gen Re and RLI. Prime is also a member of the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA).
An Industry “First” XINSURANCE offers 30+ years of diversified underwriting experience for difficult risks in all 50 states, including commercial and garage liability, personal lines, commercial auto (not available in all states), specialty and professional liability. XINSURANCE offers flexible underwriting, risk management expertise, and outstanding claims results for difficult risks, with consideration for good risk management practices. Yet it is perhaps our “All-in-One-Approach” that makes us a standout in the marketplace. It's a unique “ Buy Like a Pro" approach that provides all risks with a $10 million limit in-house, with higher limits quoted within 48 hours after obtaining reinsurance quotes. Coverage for property, general liability, professional, and specialty liability including excess medical and auto (including trucks, buses, trailers, and vans), all fall under one policy.
Deep Understanding of Repo/Towing Specifically, what does XINSURANCE bring to the repo and towing table? We provide Business Auto (not available in all states), Drive Away, Commercial General Liability, Commercial Auto Liability, Garage Keeper’s Legal Liability (GKLL)/Garage Keeper’s Direct Primary (GKDP), Package or Mono-line, property, on-hook towing, and assault and battery. We also understand that when a vehicle has been towed or repossessed, there’s no way to know the kinds of damage that could occur during the transportation or holding period. Our goal is to provide coverage for those gaps to those who need it most where regular insurance companies do not — including risks in the transportation of goods, firearms, active shooter, wind, flood, personal liability risks of employees, security personnel, as well as animal liability risks associated with guard and watchdogs.
Direct Access to Decision Makers XINSURANCE also gives you the added advantage of working directly with the decision makers, underwriters, risk managers, and claims specialists — unlike with many other insurance companies. Your XINSURANCE team is all under one roof, working to provide you with exceptional expertise and service.
Your Claims Partner XINSURANCE will also go the distance for you if an incident or claim occurs. XINSURANCE provides a team of attorneys who will defend you aggressively in court and represent you in mediations with in-depth claims management expertise. We have decades of experience in investigating and documenting claims, with extraordinary claims knowledge of state, local, and federal legislation. We boast a nationwide network of adjusters, inspectors, and other legal professionals, as well as in-house legal experts that work with the insured and producers to establish a claim and go through the process. Court costs, penalties, fees, bonds, expert witnesses, appeals or any out-of-pocket expenses are covered in the premium. If the judgment isn’t decided in your favor, we’ll pay the claim, based on your policy provisions and limits.
Keeping Business Open XINSURANCE has a true commitment to fair and frequent communications in order to provide the best coverage, service and outcome. We initiate a partnership approach that begins with a telephone call to discuss and confirm our shared goals and interests on the risk. We perform on-site inspections and offer valuable insight into safe practices, procedures and guidelines. For example, a Florida waste management company was dropped by its insurance company after a series of accidents. No one would write them except XINSURANCE. The business managed to keep their doors open, and thanks to a safety program created by our team, their drivers were safe and their productivity improved. According to the owner, “They’re willing to take the time to learn our business and listen to us, and very fortunate that XINSURANCE came through and was willing to take the risk. Without XINSURANCE, we probably wouldn’t be here today.” XINSURANCE also partnered with a towing company in Miami that works with the highway patrol and the Department of Transportation. After a small incident, XINSURANCE got involved step-by-step, paid the losses, made sure the company was secure and the equipment was correct. XINSURANCE provided welcome relief to the owner. “I didn’t have to worry about anything in my business, because my insurance was handling the loss.” Success stories like these are no exceptions at XINSURANCE, because XINSURANCE is proud to be there for towing and repo companies when other insurance companies simply
are not. It’s what makes XINSURANCE a preferred provider for specialty liability insurance.
Declined? Canceled? That’s Our Specialty If you’ve been declined, non-renewed or canceled after an audit, or feel your business is misunderstood by the insurance industry, XINSURANCE can help. We can take over existing claims, even underwriting and/or buying into current litigations. For more than three decades, XINSURANCE has worked with thousands of insureds across the United States and consistently received high customer service reviews. Let us show you how we can help your business. For more information, please contact Rick J. Lindsey, CEO and President at RJL@primeis.com or phone 801-304-5510. XINSURANCE is powered by Evolution Insurance Brokers, LC (“EIB”), an excess and surplus lines insurance brokerage. XINSURANCE is a DBA of EIB, which is domiciled in and has its principal place of business in Sandy, Utah. This insurance product is offered by an unlicensed surplus lines insurer. The licensed brokers for EIB are: Rick J. Lindsey (all states except CA) (NPN 91653) & Mike Fennell (only CA) (NPN 1435429). *For latest ratings visit www.ambest.com. Photos courtesy of Downtown Towing.
Follow Us on Social Media and the Web: https://www.facebook.com/xinsurance https://twitter.com/xinsurance https://www.youtube.com/user/xinsurancecom https://www.instagram.com/xinsurance/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/xinsurance/ https://www.xinsurance.com/risk-class/towing-operations-repossession-companies/ Volume 8 • Issue 1 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional
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COMPANY PROFILE
The prestigious All American Auto Group has now added All American JerrDan to our Old Bridge, NJ and Paramus, NJ locations! As an authorized Jerr-Dan dealer, we have one of the largest inventories on the East Coast. We carry an extensive line up of Jerr-Dan StandardDuty Carriers including 6-Ton Aluminum, 6-Ton Steel, 6-Ton Aluminum XLP, and 6Ton Steel XLP. We also have a great selection of 3 & 4 Car Carriers. There’s a wide range of Jerr-Dan Wreckers on our lots, including our two most popular sellers, the MPL40 and MPL-NG. There’s something for everyone here as we carry Ford, Dodge, Freightliner, Hino, and Kenworth with 4x4, 4x2, gasoline, and diesel options. When you shop with All American, we believe that when you find
Visit One of Our 4 All American Service Locations
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the perfect vehicle distance shouldn’t be an issue. When purchasing a tow truck from us, we can offer our reimbursement program to our loyal customers: a single-
way ticket to Newark Liberty International Airport, transportation from the airport, and a one-night stay at a local hotel room. We have all your needs covered from service to sales. We offer a large in-stock inventory of genuine Jerr-Dan parts and accessories, including winches, straps, chains, storage, lights, apparel, and much more! We also offer online shopping of our wide parts inventory, so you can conveniently shop from home. The All American Commercial Vehicle Center is dedicated to heavy-duty service jobs with specialized equipment and heavy-duty service lifts to handle even the biggest jobs. Our award-winning, personalized service team is here to help with anything you need and will make sure you feel like a part of the family. At All American, we are out to be the number one Jerr-Dan distributorship in the nation. We offer the largest selection, best prices, and an award-winning experience!
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market place
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COMPANY
PG
COMPANY
PG
COMPANY
PG
Access Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
INA Towing Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Towbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
All American Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Jerr-Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover
Towing Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32, 33
American Safety & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Lodar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Towmate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Auto Data Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Marking Pen Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
TowTrax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Beacon Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Mike Keith Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
TRAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Budget GPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Nussbaum Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
TRAO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Clore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Progressive Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
United Plastic Fabricating . . . .Inside Back Cover
Command Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
ProLift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
VTS Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Custer Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
PWOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 13
Waters Truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Custom Built . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Recovery Billing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Weiss Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
CW Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Rick’s Truck & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Will-Burt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover
Dynamic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Robert Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
WreckMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21, 61
ECM Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
RP Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Flow Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5, 41
RV Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
G.N. Novelties, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Schaeffer Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Hal Kresser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Southerm Tow Expo & Beach Bach . . . . . .18, 19
Hide-a-Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Talbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Holly's Towing Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
TOPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
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Wrecker Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Wrecker Supply USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 XINSURANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Zellner Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45