The Walkaround Searching for Happiness in the New Year Dennie Ortiz Publisher
As we embark on a new year, we start to think about what’s to come, what’s going to be new and different in 2022. The last couple of years have taught the world to expect the unexpected and be ready to adapt to challenges that might never have been thought of before. The “be prepared” way of thinking has always been part of the towing industry’s mindset. Towers have always needed to adjust to their ever-changing environment, whether it be adjusting practices to adhere to new laws or adjusting techniques as needed during a recovery scene. A perennial problem the industry faces is operator recruitment and retention, this continues into the new year with a marked increase expounded by labor shortages across the country. Carolyn Gray, contributing writer, lends her expertise to this issue and offers insights as to how to best position your business to find, hire and keep the right person for the job. How can you provide your operators the greatest protection on the roadway? Randall Resch takes a deep dive into advanced emergency-warning equipment, suggesting the use of arrow boards as an adept way to keep your operators safe. Safety is also top of mind at Elite Services from Louisiana, whose rotator is the feature of this month’s My Baby. Keeping a towing company’s business safe is our resident attorney Josh Brown’s forte, and he discusses a case in which a tower sues the State Police Patrol to justify rates, something many towers can relate to. Happy New Year and stay safe out there!
In All Modesty
Steve Temple Editor
In researching our cover feature on The Towman of the Year, I came away impressed by James Bennett, Jr.’s cool-headed handling of a daunting crash scene. Some of his fellow responders were much more shaken by all the human casualties and massive wreckage, referring to the incident as “horrific.” James downplayed his actions, though, describing his role in this risky recovery as merely “challenging.” So many towers I’ve met in recent months display a similar mindset. They strike me as unsung heroes of the highway, whose stories need to be told. And we feel privileged to do so. So email us at: stemple@towman.com
6 • January 2022 | Towman.com
Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Steve Temple Randall Resch Terry Abejuela Jim “Buck” Sorrenti David Kolman John Borowski Mark Lacek Brian Riker George Nitti
Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Operations Editor Field Editor, West Field Editor, Northeast Chassis Editor Safety Editor Repo Run Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Editor
Editorial Board Tommy Anderson Roy Carlson Debbie Collins Belinda Harris Bill Johnson Ron Mislan Kurt Wilson
Dallas, Texas Saint Paul, Minn. Las Vegas, Nev. Greensboro, N.C. South Hadley, Mass. Warren, N.J. Creve Coeur, Ill.
American Towman Staff Page Layout Artist Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Account Exec. Customer Service Subscription Manager Regional Advertising Sales iMarketing Manager ATTV Producer President
Gina Johnson Dennie Ortiz Ellen Rosengart Henri Calitri Patrice Gesner Peggy Calabrese Ryan Oser Emily Oz Steve Calitri
American Towman Media Headquarters 2 Overlook Drive, Suite 5, Warwick, NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546
E-Mail: Publisher Editor-In-Chief AT’S Digital Edition AT’S Website AT’S Weekly ATTV
dortiz@towman.com scalitri@towman.com itowman.com americantowman.com towindustryweek.com americantowmantv.com
Copyright ©2022 American Towman Magazine is published 12 times a year by American Towman Media, Inc.
Subscription: Single Copy: $10 1 yr: $60 – 2 yrs: $110 International: $75 & $135
All material published through American Towman Media (AT), to include American Towman Magazine, iTowman.com and TowIndustryWeek.com, including advertisements, editorials, articles and all other content is published in good faith. However, AT accepts no liability for any errors or omissions, and does not endorse any companies, products or services that appear. AT does not test or review products submitted for inclusion in its publications. AT does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of content, warranties or claims made or implied by its advertisers. The views expressed are the authors’ alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of AT. The act of mailing or delivering a letter, email or article to AT shall constitute permission to publish that letter or article or any portion thereof. AT reserves the right to edit any and all material submitted. No part of the magazine or websites may be reproduced without prior written consent of AT. AT reserves the right to not publish advertisements that disparage competitors or call into question the integrity of a competitors product or service.