Tow Professional - Volume: 11 Issue: 8

THIS YEAR’S BEEN A BLUR

Am I the only one who feels this year just started, and now we are deep into November? Time flies when you are having fun! Fun, is that really what we are calling 2022 - a year of rising cost, and lack of supply chain product? As they say, life is what you make of it! There will always be storms around us. It’s not the storm; it’s simply how we react during it! Welcome your problems! Without Goliath, David would have just been a sheepherder! Your Goliath is there to springboard you to greatness! It’s all in how you look at it!

In this issue, we take an in depth look at Dynamic Mfg’s Service Truck. This is a time proven piece, that can be equipped to contain everything you need to be the best on the scene! We also look at roadside assistance apps from some of the top providers: Towtrax, Curbside SOS, and Eemerg. Lock out tools are an essential item for our tow professionals. In this issue, two of the key providers of these products: Access Tools, and Steck Manufacturing will feature insight on some of the top tools for the job.

Don’t miss the industry news in this issue on the three-day Extreme Heavy-Duty Training hosted by Austin Hinds Motors! Tom Luciano and John Hawkins of Miller Industries were on hand at the world-renowned Barbour Motorsports Park outside of Birmingham, Alabama. This event brought in over 60 tow professionals throughout the country for three days of training from two of the top trainers in the industry!

In this issue, our Expert Witness covers the importance of basic training. Dan Messina “Turns the Page,” with t his installment of “Insightful Talk” giving insight on his business ventures continuing to bring help and change to an ever-evolving industry. DJ Harrington’s editorial this month, “Fuel for Thought,” really hits the heart! Prayer Warriors are in need for a precious family after a terrible accident here at the holidays. I ask all my readers to lift them up in prayer!

Tow Professional is celebrating our 12th year anniversary in the industry! After 25 + years in publishing, I can say hands down, “This industry has some of the most wonderful, caring, selfless people from our vendors, owners, dispatchers, trainers, and drivers!” That is why I love it, appreciate all of you, and am happy to come to work daily and provide everyone with a top-quality publication! Thank you all for 12 years of belief in me from my vendors, and for reading and sharing from our devoted tow professionals! Here’s to many more to come!

God bless this industry and all that serve it!

Darian Weaver President & Publisher, Tow Professional

PRODUCTION

Clint

Boogie Cat as Office Manager

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

D. J. Harrington CSP James E . Lewis Dan Messina

Darian Weaver Holly Weaver

Executive and Advertising Offices

1005 Mountain Trace

Birmingham, AL 35242

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., 1005 Mountain Trace, Birmingham, Alabama, 35242, 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.

For a new free subscription, address changes or corrections, please visit www.towprofessional.com and click on the “subscribe” tab.

Jerr-Dan Supports Survivor Fund Museum Weekend Auction with Sponsorship and Donation

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Jerr-Dan, an Oshkosh Corporation company (NYSE: OSK), sponsored the auction night that kicked off the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame annual induction weekend. Jerr-Dan’s vice-president and general manager Bob Nelson also presented the Survivor Fund with a $20,000 donation on behalf of the company.

Since 2007, the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum’s Survivor Fund has provided immediate financial support to families of towing operators who lose their lives in the line of service. Auction Night, held this year at the Chattanooga, Tennessee Westin on Friday, October 7, opened the annual Hall of Fame event. Proceeds from the auction benefit the Survivor’s Fund. When the total was finalized, donations from the 2022 silent and live auctions set a record— more than $335,000, far above the previous record. The successful tone of the evening was set when attendance was so much greater than predicted that the room’s wait staff had to scramble to add tables to accommodate the larger crowd.

After the successful conclusion of the night’s official

activities, Nelson commented on the importance of supporting the Survivor’s Fund.

“Of course, we all enjoyed the evening and the auction itself, but we can’t lose sight of this event’s purpose. As individuals and corporations, we came together to financially assist the families of our industry’s heroes. We all need to maintain that commitment to grow and strengthen the Fund the other 364 days of the year as well. As a company, we appreciate our opportunity to sponsor the auction and make a special donation tonight, but we also want to urge all who can to participate in the Museum’s continuing supporter program.”

For more information on the continuing supporter program, click on the link: Survivor Fund.

For more information on Jerr-Dan, visit www.jerrdan.com

TRAA Represents Industry During Accelerating Infrastructure Summit by White House Invitation

TRAA’s Executive Director, Cynthia Martineau, attended the Accelerating Infrastructure Summit last week at the invitation of the White House. The Summit focused on the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R.3684) which passed in November 2021, supplemented by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R.5376), and represents the nation’s largest-ever investment in infrastructure (rebuilding roads, bridges, airports, rail, transit lines, etc.).

Under the Infrastructure Package, Federal Highway Administration’s Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative will expand its work to encompass additional transportation technologies and innovative solutions. EDC is designed to identify and deploy innovation aimed at reducing the time it takes to deliver highway projects, enhance safety, and protect the environment. New innovations are championed every two years. TRAA is proud to be a member of the EDC 6 NextGen TIM Group, having served on the workgroup since it launched in 2020.

Those on Capitol Hill view this as a once in a lifetime opportunity for our nation. While many aspects of the Infrastructure Package do not directly affect the towing industry, many of the included projects will have a positive impact on our daily lives and our businesses. Improvements to our nation’s highway systems will make it easier and safer for traffic incident management responders to save lives and clear the nation’s roadways. As we know, the longer responders are on the roadway, the greater the risk to themselves and the motoring public. TRAA will continue to monitor the package’s progress and advocate for the best interests of the industry.

Our mission is to:

• Evoke the public conscious to understand they are the most powerful source to define life and death on our Nation’s highways.

• To educate and make them aware they need to make a life change so first responders can live theirs!

• To unite all common industry first responders to train, educate and motivate the public we serve to just

Towing Industry Business Brokerage

GM Consultants has been marketing towing businesses and automotive salvage companies for over a decade, and is the only business brokerage in the country specializing in these areas. The brokerage was founded by George Metos.

commitment is made by the owner or the brokerage. In some cases, owners may want to work the company for a few more years to build value. In other cases, the parties may move directly to a listing agreement. Neither party is committed to the other unless they mutually determine that a sale is feasible. The parties then decide whether it makes sense to go to market.

He is experienced at evaluating and selling all types of towcos: HD & Recovery, MD, PPI and Light Duty. The first step is to have a casual and confidential chat with the owner to understand the operation, its personality, and to determine the prospects are for selling the towco.

The listing agreement is similar to any commercial real estate listing, because there is typically a facility to sell or lease. But in this case, there is also a significant towing business to sell. George is properly licensed for this work. He relies on a network of known buyers of towing companies as well as discreet advertising. It is grueling work to get a buyer to part with millions of dollars, but after some arm wrestling, a deal is eventually made if there is true value in the towco.

George then does an in-depth analysis of the operation, inspecting company tax returns, income statements, equipment list, towing contracts and relationships, strategies, and other factors that affect the business. He does this free of charge for operators who agree that a sale may be viable.

Seller’s attorney will protect the tow company owner contractually. There will be negotiations, contract submissions and revisions, and some trauma along the way. However, good deals have a way of getting done. Wires are made from the buyer, and the seller translates all of the hard work into cash.

George can complete the initial evaluation within a week or two of receiving the documents. Then it is time to chat about options. This is done before any contractual

Call George Metos for a confidential conversation 385695-5916 or text him at 801-440-3176. Email him at GeorgeMetos@aol.com

Please visit his web site www.businessbrokergeorge.com and see his profile on LinkedIn.com

Towing Industry Takes the Stage at the ITS World Congress Show

By: Holly Weaver

Members of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) recently joined in Los Angeles September 18-22, for the ITS World Congress 2022. As you know, anyone who is involved in the Towing and Recovery Industry understands the magnitude of this worldwide event and what ITS entails. To support FHWA and our First Responder partners, TRAA board and company members along with media specialist, Darian Weaver of Tow Professional, attended the ITS World Congress in Los Angeles, CA.

TRAA was able to provide stellar tow equipment representation for Emergency Responder Day with participation from JR Cady and team from Ten West Towing, Bakersfield, CA. The Emergency Responder Day event was a full day of seminars and special events to raise awareness for Emergency

Responder Safety. Also, there were programs geared toward TIM Training and Incident Management.

TRAA members, Darian Weaver along with the Ten West team were able to meet and interact with varied agency leaders in attendance to discuss TRAA initiatives. Darian was able to interview some agency attendees and get their input on the towing industry partners.

The knowledge and relationship building at this highlevel event was a great win for TRAA driven by efforts from the TRAA Executive team. The strong partnership with FHWA and other transportation leaders continues to bring TRAA strengths to the forefront. TRAA lobbyist team adds significant impact to legislative concerns facing tow companies nationwide.

This event offered those in attendance to see the advanced technology from transportation entities around the world. Again, the magnitude of this event was above and beyond outstanding.

There were live demos of varied technology platforms that would benefit the towing industry in saving the lives of first responders. The equipment from the Ten West team was showcased as well during these demos and viewed as another lifesaving tool by reducing crash clearance times. An absolute must in our industry.

We were proud to see a TRAA member benefit partner, HAAS Alert highlighted as well for their leading safety technology for the towing industry.

It was a time of learning, unity, integrity, acquiring new skills, staying vigilant about emergency safety and preparedness as well as learning about the technology and advancements that is desperately needed in the industry. Knowledge is power and it was powerful to witness Policy Makers, World Leaders, Practitioners, Agency Leaders, Researchers, Private Industries from around the world to unite for our family and friends of the Towing and Recovery Industry. It was an honor for Darian Weaver of Tow Professional to be invited and attend such an innovative, compelling and effective event. A special and gracious “THANK YOU” to TRAA representatives who traveled to the ITS World Congress on behalf of the nation’s towing and recovery industry including Gay Rochester, TRAA’s WTRAA Representative, Michael Wildman, TRAA Treasurer, and Linda Unruh, TRAA Associate Member Representative for all the hard work, dedication and commitment to keeping the men and women of towing safe. Your commitment and servants’ hearts don’t go unnoticed. Again, thank you!

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Barber Motorsports Park Extreme Heavy Duty Recovery Training

By Darian Weaver (Publisher/ Tow Professional)

By Tim Smith (Azuga)

Photos

Barber Motorsports Park is an 880 acres multipurpose racing facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. The park was built by George W. Barber and includes the 230,000-squarefoot Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Barber Motorsports has been the site of the IndyCar Series’

Grand Prix of Alabama since 2010. This was a tremendous spot for the first ever heavy training at the park. A great thank you goes out to Greg Hinds of Austin Hinds Motors for putting this together! Training included an all-star lineup with industry experts, Tom Luciano, and John Hawkins of Miller Industries.

The first Extreme Heavy Duty Recovery Training took place Oct 26th through Oct 28th at Barber Motorsports outside Birmingham, Alabama!

Extreme Heavy Duty Recovery Training

This event brought in over 60 drivers and owners throughout the southeast for a hands-on and A-Z instruction on all aspects of Heavy-Duty recovery. The students were treated to many different scenarios from: an excavator down off an embankment, a rolled over cement mixer on a hill, a garbage truck deep in a ravine, a tractor trailer off an embankment, and a simulated lift of a passenger bus from over a bridge railing.

This was first class training, at a one-of-a-kind facility! The students attending the training were blown away by the beauty of the facility, hands-on instruction, and wonderful food provided during the training event. Safety was a huge overtone of the training, emphasizing not only the importance of being a tow professional on every call, but possessing knowledge to bring every tow professional home safe after every call!

Barber Motorsports Park

Barber Motorsports Park Extreme Heavy Duty Recovery Training

This class sold out to record capacity in no time and will be a reoccurring event in the future that you will not want to miss! Tom Luciano and John Hawkins have a brilliant way of presenting in-depth classroom knowledge, combined with years of experience, and clear hands-on instruction of some of the best rigging techniques used in real life scenarios.

Tremendous thanks go out to Miller Industries distributor, Greg Hinds of Austin Hinds Motors, for his tireless effort to put this event together! A special thanks goes out to the following sponsors, for their passion, and support of the industry!

Sponsors for 2022:

BY

BASIC TRAINING

Have you ever had one of those situations that just freaked you out? I mean, shaking your head, worried about mankind, and scared for the general public kind of freaking out?

I bought a new tractor. I should say that I upgraded my small farm tractor after buying a 25 horsepower compact with a manual transmission and found that with the land clearing I needed to do on our farm, I needed more power, weight, and a hydrostatic transmission. I reached out to the guy at the new

tractor dealer where I got the original unit several months back, and after a bit of searching, he found just what I was looking for. This one has 20 more horsepower and weighs 700 pounds more than the first one I bought. They gave me a great trade-in number on the smaller one, and I pulled the trigger.

This takes me back to June when I got the first tractor delivered. An older guy and younger guy showed up with two trucks – one pulling the 20-foot flatbed trailer I was buying as part of the package, and

the other was a long gooseneck that carried all the implements I’d bought. When the two guys started unloading the tractor, the bucket, the 60” mower/shredder, the forklift fork attachment, the auger, and the box blade, I wasn’t paying too much attention to what they were doing. I did notice that they were having a lot of trouble getting some of the

implements off the bigger trailer –they were using chains to lift and pull, much like we would do in a recovery. Neither guy really knew what they were doing. Luckily, the guys didn’t get hurt and neither did my tractor or implements.

Fast forward to this past week. The older guy (from the previous visit) showed up with my larger tractor on a gooseneck trailer, and I quickly noted that he had wimpy ¼” chains secured with ratchet binders, but as he pulled into

INGENUITY

AN EXPERT WITNESS

BY JAMES E. LEWIS ///

an open area near my shop, the chains and binders were bouncing around. No tensions at all on the chains. Hmm... The second thing I noticed was that the chains were set up on the tractor to pull one way – not against each other. Both were tensioned towards the rear,

assumedly to ensure that the tractor would be “caught” if it tried to roll forward. I wanted to be respectful, and you know I have a lot of time in a training environment, so this was killing me.

After the guy unloaded the new tractor and drove my trade-

in tractor onto the trailer, I began helping him set up his chains. I set up the rear chain to pull towards the rear of the tractor, and then went forward and set up the chain to pull toward the front – opposite directions. The older guy had a puzzled look on his face.

Proper way of writing invoices

Are you still writing your RECOVERY invoice on a TOW slip? That’s a thing of the past.

Accident scene clean up

Are you leaving car debris and oil behind at the accident scene? You can be liable for this even YEARS later. We show you how to make site remediation profitable not an expense.

Keeping the paper trail

Learn how to properly document the scene from start to finish so you will have all the info you need back at the office.

Billing on property damage liability insurance only

Have you heard that your customer is not covered? We show you different avenues to get paid.

Communicating with insurance/ private companies

We show you how to work WITH insurance/private companies NOT AGAINST them.

Laws that are on your side

Overview of federal and state laws to help you get paid!

Obtaining

payment for proper billing

There are many steps that go into collecting a check for your hard work. We teach you how to go about the process from start to finish.

I asked him if he saw why I did what I did. He shook his head. He explained that he was concerned about only one chain to “catch” the load in case he had to stop suddenly. I told him I understood what he was saying, but when he pulled onto my property, because there was not opposite tension on his chains, they had both become slack and he risked the possibility of one or both of them coming loose. I then realized that this guy had never had any real training on securement and hadn’t been given the opportunity to understand basic physics and geometry.

Guest

speakers Lawyer and Insurance Executive

He has been with this tractor dealership for 12 years and has been doing it this way all along. I asked him, respectfully, if he was given any training when he first started, and he replied that he was asked by the owner if he had ever hauled anything on a trailer, and he said “Yes.” That was it. Start moving equipment.

I immediately went back, in my mind, to my first towing job where the gas station owner in Abilene, Texas, showed me how to work the levers on a Holmes 440, told me I’d figure out the rest as I went along, and by the way, you have a police call out on the interstate for a rolled over Oldsmobile 88. I tore the living heck out of that car trying to figure out how to roll it over. I learned by trial and error for the next few years until I went to work for Bruce Anderson in

Aloha, Oregon, and he gave me real, hands-on training. He showed me how physics can make or break a recovery. He taught me very valuable lessons in proper recovery securement, and final securement once I was ready to tow. I quickly learned that the basic training he’d given me was priceless, and I jumped on every chance since then (1995) to take any kind of formal or casual training I was offered.

I asked the guy from the tractor dealer if it would be ok if I showed him a few things and explained why things work the way they do. We spent about 15 minutes –that’s all – and I could tell that the lightbulb over his head was shining bright and he’d just learned more in a few minutes than he did in 12 years. And that’s a shame. Further

discussion showed me that he’d been injured several times while securing and loading equipment. Luckily for him, these were minor injuries – pinched fingers, a smashed hand, and getting lightly whacked on the chin with a breaker bar. I cautioned him to not take this seemingly minor “near misses” for granted – near misses are a prequel for a major disaster, and that’s been proven time and time again.

In this article, I centered on my recent tractor experience because

I know that 90% or more of the towing companies out there haul equipment at one time or another, or maybe on a regular basis. You’re making a huge mistake if you assume that your people know what they’re doing. I mean no disrespect, but this tractor dealer

owner took this guy’s word for his experience, and it could’ve gotten the guy hurt or killed. Or a customer hurt or killed. Or a tractor or trailer damaged. And none of these costs are anything you want to deal with, and every element is very preventable.

Take the time to give your people that basic training. Set aside your ego and theirs and show them how you want it done. Show them safety. And then follow-up. You can hold formal or informal training at any time. Use your time wisely. Document the training. That is the very least you owe yourself and your people

TurningthePage

In the last article, I sold the business and was ready to sit on the recliner and watch Netflix. Well, that lasted about three weeks. Since I was not ready to completely retire or shoot myself, and I missed the people in the towing industry, I decided to start a new business. In the past when I attended tow shows and held seminars, I identified a problem in the industry. I discovered that tow companies did not get along with motor clubs, and motor clubs were not real fond of tow companies, so I decided to fix a problem.

Uber was just catching on when I started TowTrax, so my thought was to develop a phone app that worked like Uber and would find the closest tow truck to the incident. I put together a business plan and started to develop a staff. It started out with four heavy hitters in the tech industry, and it took us a year to develop the product we wanted. We finally got our first customer to sign on and give us a try while my tech team decided this was not for them and left. I had to put the customer on hold.

I had to make the decision on spending three hundred

thousand and buy my expartners out and develop a new app or go back to the recliner. I knew there was a problem in the industry, and I knew I could fix it so I spent the money and started over. I found my own tech team, and we laid out a plan that would be a win win for all involved.

WIN – The motor club – who would have ATA’s less than 30 mins. that would give their customer a good experience, and we could save the motor club money.

WIN – The tow company – they would get a fair tow rate from the motor club, get paid within three days, know exactly what they would be getting, and give them tows they never had before.

WIN – The consumer – no waiting on the side of the road for hours, watch the tow truck come to them, and have a pleasant experience.

As we were developing the app and testing, I needed money to fund this business. When I looked at others who have tried this they had

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as much as $75 million to get started. I had a few thousand in the bank, but I had some promising investors lined up. I presented to some investors,

and they were ready to invest when a pandemic hit. Everyone went and hid so I had to come up with a new plan to fund my project. Then

I thought, who knows more about what I was trying to do than tow companies. I started to shake the bushes and offer stock to the tow company.

Each investor had to buy a minimum of 25,000 shares of stock at $1.09. I reached out to strangers I never met before, and they purchased stock. My wife and I flew to Oregon to meet one of the investors. We flew up and rented a car. We went to the investor’s house, and he made us a nice lunch. We then got in the car and drove back to Texas. It took about five days to go through Oregon, Utah, Idaho, and Colorado. What an awesome trip! Over the next three months, this investor ended up investing another $300,000. I then flew to Harrisburg, PA to meet with another investor I

never met before. We stood in the back of his shop, and I threw his dog a ball while he asked questions. When we were done, he told me to go into the garage and get a check from his wife. I made several trips like to Minneapolis, MN and Wisconsin to pick up checks and meet my investors.

The best story was a tower from Alabama. He called and asked if I would take cash. We drove to Alabama and picked up $50,000 in cash. After two months, we were doing so good we had to drive back to Alabama and pick up another $50,000 in cash. We needed to raise $800,000 and we did, but this was not the way to do it. It was time to raise another $1,000,000, so I reached out again. I ended up with 17 tow companies trusting in me to

make them money. I also got a few vendors that sell at the tow shows to invest as well. My best story was, I was sitting at a dog park getting my dog his exercise when a gentleman sat beside me. He said he was retired; I told him I tried but it was not for me. He asked what I did and I told him. He got on his phone and looked at the website. After showing him our business plan three weeks later, he invested $450,000.

Our business is going well. We have five customers, and we are in 31 states and over 150 cities. We are connected to a major dispatch software company that allows us to send out our tows through their dispatch to our towers. New customers are calling us all the time and we continue to grow. We will be SOC 2 certified soon which will

make our product even stronger. There are over 100,000,000 events such as tows, tire changes, locked keys in the car, and out of gas. We at TowTrax think we can capture 3% of the market and create a nice return for our investors.

If you think you might want to invest in TowTrax and would like more information, call me at 469774-0340, or e-mail me at dan@towtrax.com.

We don’t make any major decisions unless we go out to our tow company investors and get their opinion. This allows us to get the best results. We would love to have you on our team.

PrayerWarriorsNeeded!

First, I promise, if you’ll help me now, I will write about towing topics that are specific for the Tow Professional readers or the Tow Professional, “On-the-Go Podcast” listeners. For now, though, two precious people have been heavy on my heart for over a month. Here’s what happened. My neighbors, Kelly and her daughter, Madison, were struck by a car in a hit and run accident in Philadelphia. It happened the day after they watched the Atlanta Braves lose to the Phillies in late September.

Kelly and Madison had been trying to cross a busy road to get to a sandwich shop before heading to another Braves game. The first car waved them on,

but the second car didn’t stop. When Kelly saw the danger, she pushed her 9-year-old daughter to the side. In doing so, Kelly was struck by the second car. The driver exited the scene, leaving his wife and child inside the car that came to a stop inside a vacant store front. This man will face no charges. Madison’s right leg was fractured in several places and eventually needed a pin surgically inserted for better healing. We are praying that Madison will be able to walk and run without any problem. Kelly on the other hand suffered life-threatening injuries. If it had not been for two doctors waiting in line for their sandwich orders, Kelly surely would have died on the spot. Madison plays with my granddaughter on Kelly’s basketball

team. Kelly loves the game and even played basketball in college at the University of Georgia. After arriving at the hospital, the doctors went to work on Kelly’s brain bleed and eventually inserted a permanent fluid draining shunt. Time has allowed other numerous cuts and lacerations to heal nicely, and it’s been over a month since Kelly was put into a coma in ICU but she’s off that medication now. We’ve been told that it still might be weeks before Kelly wakes or is well enough to travel to Georgia. Madison is presently being cared for by her dad and stepmother that she doesn’t visit or know well. Now that these details are revealed, you know better how to pray for Kelly and Madison.

I say all of this to let you know we covet prayers for this family. Neither Kelly nor her family need your financial support because they are financially set. Part of the trip they were on in Philadelphia was to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and had planned a second Braves game at the end of that day, which they never got to see.

People on my street were asking fellow neighbors for prayers. One neighbor referred to Kelly as the basketball coach, “very easy on the eyes.” Yes, before this accident, Kelly was a very beautiful person on the outside, but also on the inside. My wife has 12 prayer warrior friends located here and there across this country. As soon as she has an update, she lets all of them know how to pray in the moment. Kelly’s mom and dad told us last Friday night that there are people praying for them as far away as Nicaragua and Sri-Lanka, and they can feel all the prayers. How can you help?

Since I write articles for four separate magazines every month that goes to over 100,000+ readers and subscribers, wouldn’t it also be nice if some of us could also lift up Kelly and Madison and their family to God? If only 10% of us lifted them up in prayer, that would be over 10,000 prayers. A simple prayer could be, “Heavenly Father, giver of life and health, comfort and relieve your hurting servants, Kelly, and Madison, and cover them with your healing power.

FUEL 4 THOUGHT

BY D.J. HARRINGTON CSP ///

Station encouraging believers to minister to their emotional needs and give them peace during this time so Kelly can heal enough to return to Georgia.”

If you’ve been reading my articles each month, you know that I stand for the flag and kneel for the cross. I hope you will take a minute to say a prayer for them. Just text or call me at 770-301-4122 to get on my prayer list and let me know that you’re going to pray for Kelly and Madison.

Kelly’s healing has been good over this past month, and so today they will even up Kelly’s hair cut so she’ll like it better when she sees it. Until now, due to stitches and surgeries this had been avoided. We’ve been told that this will be a long, healing process for Kelly and could also be for Madison. In the end, I bet Kelly will say it was worth going through all of this to save Madison’s life. I bet our Lord said the same thing to HIS Father after HE returned from dying on the cross for all of us. Thank you, Jesus!

If you’ll commit to pray for Kelly and Madison, I’ll keep you posted with updates. My wife and her prayer warriors will also pray for your needs. I

believe in prayer because prayer changes, providence provides, and perseverance accomplishes.

See you on the next Tow Professional, “On-the-Go” Podcast.

Bene

ting

for the families of our fallen

If each company in the industry gave just $5 when a tragedy occurs, we could generously support the families of our fallen in so many new ways.

Can you give $5 when a tower dies?

Help us support those left behind by the dangers of our profession.

The Survivor Fund

The “Survivor Fund” was created in 2006 to complement the International Towing and Recovery Museum’s Wall of the Fallen. This fund was established to help those families who have lost a loved one in the line of service.

A Survivor Fund committee was formed of people from all over the United States from the towing industry. The committee is given the information regarding the fallen and the application is processed within 24 hours of receipt. Once the decision is made, a check is sent right away to the family to assist with immediate nancial issues during this tragic time in their lives.

Company owners, family members, or friends can submit the application for bene ts on behalf of the family of the deceased. The application can be found on the website at www.thesurvivorfund.com and can be submitted by mail, fax, or e-mail.

Fourteen years of service to the towing and recovery industry worldwide

Managed by industry professionals

Pledges replenish funds and allow payout growth $7,500 bene t, $9,500 for museum members

Immediate funds to help at the time of tragedy

Funded by donations only

Hundreds of families supported

Tiered system allows payout increases based on reserves Hundreds of thousands of dollars paid out to date

Survivor Fund Continuing Support

To ensure the longevity of these bene ts as we work to build a perpetual fund, we are asking each person, company and organization in the industry to participate in supporting the Survivor Fund and these families when a tragedy occurs. Your pledge to become a Survivor Fund Continuing Support Partner represents a commitment to our industry.

As a Continuing Support Partner, you will receive an e-mail from the Survivor Fund when a tragedy occurs and meets the governing guidelines of the Survivor Fund for disbursement. As always, the ITRHFM Survivor Fund will handle direct payment to the families. We will simply solicit your contribution in the pledged amount to replenish and build our fund after each approved payout. The e-mail you receive will provide information on the current tragedy as well as information on how to remit the payment to honor your pledge.

www.thesurvivorfund.com/pledge

Make your pledge today to support our industry.

By Shirley Ogburn

Dynamic Towing Equipment and Manufacturing has another solid towing solution to the industry! Dynamic worked with motor clubs and towers across the country to design a service truck specifically tailored to satisfying the customer’s needs. We spoke directly with those who already owned our trucks and even spoke to our potential customers who are considering them. Listening to what they said, we then turned their feedback into features that empower them to work more efficiently and quickly resulting in higher revenues and lower costs of operation. Specifically, we found that an effective service truck needs plenty of storage, additional recovery capabilities, and increased safety, so here is what

SERVICE TRUCKS

we did to design a service truck that delivers what our customers need:

WE CREATED PLENTY OF STRATEGIC STORAGE SPACE.

The Service Truck is equipped with four rollup-door storage compartments for safe and easy curbside access totaling an amazing 80-cubic feet of usable space. The fenders are poly, so no more rust, and they are lighter, so you can carry more cargo weight without the risk of being overweight. These huge compartments can be delivered

with an optional adjustable rack system for vehicle batteries and can provide safe stowing of up to 36 batteries in large boxes able to hold enough batteries to cover most vehicles on the road. The boxes have adjustable shelves with tie-downs, so the batteries are always secured while in motion. In addition, both sides of the Service Truck have wide toolboxes and another large storage compartment on the deck for a total of seven compartments. Accompanying deck space measuring 54” x 85” allows for plenty of space for dollies, go jacks, and additional storage options.

Also, tool-box compartments are installed to accommodate all normal roadside assistance tools and equipment as well as an air compressor with front and rear quick disconnects to allow the tech complete flexibility to service vehicles in all positions. Even with the additional storage boxes, the center deck is still open for additional storage of equipment.

WE INCREASED OUR TRUCK’S RECOVERY CAPABILITIES ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR MULTIPLE VEHICLES.

We decided to add a 5000-lb. wheel

603-422-6608 Jeremy Taskiris | JT@afg.com

Alliance 4.49% for Dealer Referred Rates New and used No blanket liens Not on personal credit

Funding Group (AFG), was founded in 1998 and has grown to become one of the largest privately held equipment finance companies in the U.S. Having funded over $2 billion in equipment, we can offer complete 100% tax write-off No age restrictions

Consequently, because of the increased capabilities of our Service truck, we don’t have to dispatch a tow vehicle to complete the service call and tow the customer to their repair facility; our Dynamic service truck can handle the job. The customer does not have to wait for another vehicle to arrive, and you as an owner do not have to send multiple vehicles to the same breakdown location. We improve operational efficiency saving on fuel, vehicle wear and tear, and overhead while still providing the same high level of service our customers have come to expect.

WE IMPROVED SAFETY THROUGH OUR STORAGE-COMPARTMENT DOOR DESIGN.

Our units have roll-up doors that do not swing out into the path of traffic, but rather roll up into the truck. This eliminates the possibility of passing vehicles catching an open storage compartment door and creating a traffic incident with the service truck endangering the life of the tower or customer.

Now even though utility and safety for our customers are premium values to us, we didn’t sacrifice aesthetics--we wanted our trucks to look good. As a result, the sleek body style makes this service truck a definite eye-catcher on the road and within the industry.

Dynamic’s new service truck is truly a solid towing solution to the needs of the industry with its practical and spacious storage compartments and enhanced recovery capabilities, all while providing more protection for the lives of towers. It’s a Dynamic solution!

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS:

• 4-year warranty

• Designed to us a 60CA OR 84CA chassis with an additional 24-in. tunnel box

• All poly-fender construction

• 4 large roll-up door compartments with shelving

• 3 fold-down door compartments with plenty of additional storage

• Optional adjustable battery racking system

• Optional 5000-lb. wheel lifts with or without winch and recovery boom.

• Open deck space to store dollies, go jacks, cones, and fuel and water tanks.

For more info on this great product, distributers near you, or other products that we offer visit www.dynamictow.com

CURBSIDE SOS Emerges As An Alternative To Traditional MOTOR CLUBS

Motor clubs take advantage of roadside assistance providers because their business model is simple - buy low and sell high. A typical motor club job pays out ~$50 to the service provider but makes ~$150 from insurance companies. While this may be a big profit center it puts a target on the back of the motor clubs.

Curbside SOS quickly built a national presence by offering full rate jobs to roadside providers. Instead of being matched by a club, Curbside’s technology allows the motorist to choose their provider based on ETA and cost. Unlike other digital platforms, Curbside can not evolve into another roadside club because the customer

always selects the provider, never the platform. This way Curbside ensures that you only accept jobs at your prices. Just like in real life, your business will depend on the speed and price of your service.

Motorists and providers both win if Curbside SOS successfully introduces a marketplace to the roadside assistance industry. It is clear to see how customers selecting their service provider based on ETA and price is a better experience for everyone. ISPs across the country are rooting for Curbside SOS so they get paid more for their work. Consumers and law enforcement are hoping that Curbside can help clear incidents faster.

Free market drives innovation

Innovation in roadside assistance has been scarce other than new equipment. AAA was founded in 1902 and regional motor clubs were around long before then. New technology and ideas are turning their roadside assistance model upside down. Mobile technologies leveraging GPS and real time messaging are being applied in our industry to increase transparency and speed of incident response.

Allowing consumer choice is the basis of a free market economy. Connecting buyers with sellers in real time has proven to be the most efficient way to optimize a price for both parties. New technology platforms have supported the rapid growth of digital consumer marketplaces to the advantage of buyers and sellers globally. These digital consumer marketplaces are very common in other industries such as travel (Expedia, AirBnB), taxi (Uber, Lyft), real estate (Zillow, Redfin) and restaurants (Grubhub, Doordash).

Motor clubs are the opposite of a free economy because a single seller dictates prices that everyone else must accept. Frequently independent service providers (ISPs) have to choose between losing money on every job or not getting any jobs at all. Neither option is sustainable for a business. Curbside SOS is

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able to reduce the cost and duration of incidents by cutting out the middleman.

Innovation drives a better experience

Like most successful businesses, good roadside providers prioritize better paying jobs. In addition to return on investment, we all want our efforts to be respected and appropriately compensated. When providers are paid well they show up faster and take more pride in their work. Curbside does not release statistics on their typical service quality but they indicated at a recent tow show that their average “Rescue Response Time” was meaningfully better than the current industry average.

Using new technologies that were built for the rideshare industry, Curbside presents an extremely simple user interface to help stranded motorists find roadside assistance providers. Once contracted, motorists see who their drivers are and watch them en route to the scene via a digital map. After using Curbside SOS, Trish Mears from central Florida said that, “Watching Mitch drive toward me on the map helped me stay calm in a very stressful situation.” During and after their service, Curbside supports motorists so roadside providers can focus on resolution.

Instead of forcing low rates on providers like roadside clubs, Curbside SOS only charges 10% of the new business they bring, plus

credit card processing. Curbside likes to say that they only make a dime when you make a dollar. This pricing is inline with other digital marketplace platforms like that charge ~20% of sales plus processing costs. Typically all transactions are placed and paid via the platform because digital native consumers now expect everything to happen on their apps.

National coverage ramping

Like the automobile, Curbside SOS was founded in Michigan but providers are now seeing increasing jobs throughout the country. “Calls are really picking up now and I’m making so much more per job”, said Sandy from California. Some providers are even extending their

We’ve Got Your Six

service areas with additional fees to take advantage of more job opportunities. Don from Arkansas said, “I’ll only go 10 miles for a motor club but I’ll drive 50 miles for Curbside rates!”

Local law enforcement has been very interested in partnering with Curbside to help simplify incident tracking and communication with roadside providers. Currently most 911 dispatch organizations manually telephone ISPs to assign and track incidents. Curbside SOS supports multiple 911 centers with automated tools to digitally assign providers to incidents as a free service to their communities. Curbside only provides tools, local authorities always define incident assignments and Curbside does not charge law enforcement or service providers for these police jobs.

Get more information or sign your roadside business up for full priced jobs from Curbside SOS here.

Eemerg is building a nationwide network of qualified service providers to help with towing, jump starts, flat tire changes, emergency fuel delivery, and locksmith services, and we need your help. With your help we can provide consumers the best pricing available in the area. Eemerg roadside assistance marketplace is here to help you reach thousands of people needing roadside assistance now. Come be a part of our team!

We have an open network of providers, assign and manage your full fleet through our provider portal. Reclaim your time! Set, your own hours, without penalty. With our flexible schedule you have the opportunity take jobs when you want to.

Receive payments by direct deposit every week. Join our network for free and start making some extra cash.

SERVICE PROVIDER PERKS

We want to become the industry standard for roadside assistance. Offering the best service for our customers as well as an open platform for the service providers that choose to be a part of Eemerg.

“I love the quick payouts. I get to make all my own choices with no penalties”. — C. Sellers, CMC Towing

• No Paperwork.

• No Hassle.

• Real-Time Dispatch.

HONEST MARKET

As a provider you have a fair opportunity to win every job. Ultimately the customer chooses their provider.

TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN

Our innovative marketplace allows provider the opportunity to be compete for EVERY job. Our technology driven software matches local companies to stranded motorist offering a faster simpler solution.

PROVIDER DRIVEN MARKET

Our marketplace is provider driven. We created Eemerg to build a local economic funnel, create jobs and better wages for providers across the US. Contact us today! www.eemerg.com

Our service platform is a win, win, win, for everyone

TowTrax is a technology enabled roadside assistance service that distributes opportunities to towers and road service providers allowing them to generate considerable income in the most efficient way possible.

Our proprietary app was designed by and for the towing industry using state-of-the-art technology to pinpoint the stranded motorist, dispatch the nearest service provider, and put them back on the road, quickly and safely.

We are currently building a high-performance network of savvy tow and service companies across the United States to provide the best possible service to our customers utilizing the most efficient, seamless technology in the industry.

WIN - The Service Provider

1. Provides New Tow and Service Opportunities

- TowTrax will receive requests from several

different clients and seamlessly pass those opportunities onto our network.

2. Reduces Expenses – By locating the nearest service provider to a breakdown, our process allows our network of service providers to do more tows and services in a day. Most of our services are less than 7 miles, which also saves on fuel and maintenance costs to your fleet.

3. Simple App. – All the service provider needs to do is register their company and have all their drivers download our proprietary app. Once registered, we can immediately start sending service requests to their areas.

4. Quick Pay – TowTrax pays its service providers twice a week through ACH.

5. Fair Pricing – TowTrax pays market rates on all completed services.

6. Dispatch Control – TowTrax has the capability to send tows to the dispatcher to determine driver assignment.

7. Quick Decision – The TowTrax app displays the service fee on the phone / website when a dispatch opportunity is sent. Once accepted, TowTrax will pay the tow company directly, via ACH, two times per week. By using TowTrax, service companies will have access to thousands of calls per year.

Win – Roadside Service Clients

1. ATA’s are averaging less than 30 minutes –Because of our growing network and our process to locating the nearest provider to a breakdown event, our ATA’s are averaging less than 30 minutes.

2. Follow Each Tow – TowTrax drops breadcrumbs on each service so our clients can follow the progress.

3. Reduces Costs – Our process significantly reduces the need to make manual phone calls to find an available provider. Our clients simply pass the event to TowTrax electronically and we take it from there. No more wasted handle time minutes trying to locate providers and negotiate prices. This creates tremendous savings.

4. Happy Customers – Long wait times are the most common complaints among roadside assistance customers. Our process is designed to facilitate quick arrival times, creating a very satisfied customer.

Win – The Customer

1. No More Long Wait Times – Quick ATA’s solves one of the most prevalent complaints in the industry.

2. Professional Service Provider – All TowTrax providers are vetted, insured, and professional companies ready to provide the best possible roadside assistance service in the industry.

LOCKOUT TOOLS

Theundisputedleaderin lockouttools

Access Tools products make your job easier and more professional when working as a Tow Truck Operator or Repossession Agent. The process of Car Opening can either be easy and profitable, or difficult and costly. Access Tools products are designed to make every lockout efficient and professional whether the technician is a seasoned pro or novice.

Access Tools makes a wide variety of Long Reach Tools in all different lengths and for a variety of vehicles. The popular Quick Max Long Reach Tool shares many of the same features as the other Long Reach Tools, such as:

• a protective vinyl coating that prevents damage to a vehicle’s delicate painted surface;

• a special EPDM rubber tip that provides excellent grip for manipulating buttons and switches;

• a Store-N-Go Handle that holds extra tips for the long reach tool as well as a place to clip the accessory bag;

• precise bends that put the tool in the right position for any job.

The One Hand Jack and Super One Hand Jack are unique wedges that function as pry-bars grabbing just the lip of the door frame avoiding any contact with the weather stripping or other delicate parts of the door typically damaged by traditional wedges.

Each of the four sizes of the Air Jack air wedges from Access Tools are manufactured of ballistic nylon, which makes them extremely durable. They feature unique

rounded edges, which in combination with the internal stiffener, make any Access Tools air wedge easy to insert into a vehicle without risk of damage to the delicate weather stripping. The extremely durable ballistic nylon is double sealed at all seams, making them leak proof and strong enough to last for many years without failure.

The Glassman Wedge is designed specifically for frameless window vehicles such as high-end BMWs, Mercedes, and other convertible vehicles. These vehicles are susceptible to easily broken windows when using

designed to include a wide variety of long reach tools and accessories to make entry into any vehicle an efficient and damage free process. This 21-piece kit is the most comprehensive and complete long reach tool set ever made. This kit includes one of Access Tools top selling specialty accessory tools, the Glassman Wedge. This wedge was designed specifically for frameless window vehicles such as BMWs and Mercedes Benz’s. Vehicles with frameless windows are a real danger with automotive glass known to shatter with just the slightest wrong move. This Glassman Wedge puts a protective layer of material between the long reach tool and the window glass, all while creating the space needed to safely insert the tool into the vehicle ensuring no damage is done to the delicate glass. With this kit in your toolbox, you will never need any other tools to perform world class professional lockouts.. www.AccessToolsUSA.com | 800-323-8324

traditional wedge methods, and so the Glassman Wedge functions as a protective double-sided wedge that distributes the force of your long reach tool over a wide surface of the glass, reducing the chances of shattering an expensive window.

Access Tools has compiled its tools into various sets or kits of tools. Access Tools makes a set of tools for every budget and level of expertise making unlocking any vehicle from a Toyota to a Jaguar a cinch. The addition of specialty accessories and tools is another thing that makes Access Tools unique.

Taking things one step further, Access Tools has developed the Ultimate Long Reach Kit. This tool set is

TOOLS

BigEasy Lock Out Kit for Professionals

Tow Drivers unlock cars in seconds without damaging car doors by using Steck Manufacturing’s BigEasy Lockout Tool. Over the last 15 years this one tool has become the tool of choice for tow truck drivers. It is simple to use by first inserting the Easy Wedge into the top of the door to allow enough room to then insert the BigEasy tool to press or hook the door lock from inside the window rather than using the door panel. The ease of the BigEasy to open doors from inside the window reduces liability issues with traditional lockout tools which have the potential to disable wiring systems inside the door panel.

Also available is our optional BigEasy Night Light (P/N 32933) which is flexible PVC suction cup illuminates the inside of a vehicle at night to allow the tow drivers to locate the vehicle interior door lock or keys while using the BigEasy Lock Out tool or other similar devices to unlock the vehicle. Also available is our BigEasy Carrying Case (32935) which stores the BigEasy and all of the components.

We also have many accessories to assist the Tower and shops like our new 4th Wheel Loader (71480) to assist moving vehicles with damaged wheels, Tie Rod Pliers (71465) and Tie Rod Coupler (71470) for temporary

Tow Professional Quarterly Digital Edition

• Comes out 4 times a year

• Mobile and accessible for readers to use and for towers on the go.

• Editorial and Ads are interactive with the use of Links and Videos to show more information and direct readers to your website.

• Emailed to our 11,000 registered owners

• Promoted on Social Media: Facebook, Linked-In, as well as in our print publication.

• Easily Promoted on your Social Media platforms through sharing...

• Cost effective Full Page and Half Page sizes.

steering assistance.

Kits and products are available at most truck and parts supply dealers as well as from local tool supply jobbers.

Check it out with smart phones and computers on YouTube: http://www.youtube. com/user/SteckMfg#p/u. Further information check our website for a complete listing of all our products www.steckmfg.com and videos or by contacting Steck Manufacturing at Sales@steckmfg.com or calling 1-800227-8325

HONORING

THE TRUCK IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

When you start up your new Hino truck, our journey with you is just beginning. That’s because every 2023MY Hino comes standard with an industry exclusive Allison 5-Year Transmission Warranty, 24/7 HinoWatch, and Hino Edge Connected Vehicle Solution. Why? Because taking care of you and your truck is what we call the ULTIMATE OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE.