American Towman Magazine - March 2023

The Walkaround

Are You Staying Safe?

Dennie Ortiz Publisher

The old adage “it’s better to be safe than sorry,” applies to many different areas in our industry. Though one realm that you may be overlooking is right in your office—cyber safety. Brian Riker breaks down the manner in which your company can be exposed and how to protect your systems.

Our coverage of towing and recovering electric vehicles continues with contributing writer, Ed Grubbs, providing a detailed overview of the hazards involved and how to potentially avoid them. You will see more editorial in the coming months on EVs as the risk grows with more of these vehicles on the road.

Randy Resch, not shy in his opinions, suggests that every tower explicitly understand the laws of their state as it relates to their standing as a first responder. Specifically he is laser-focused on how to safely and legally respond to an emergency call.

Terry Abejuela brings us back to the basics by detailing the fundamental ways that towers use simple machines on every tow. A very interesting read that will test your knowledge, and remind you how incredibly well these machines work.

On a lighter note, featured in this month’s My Baby department is an impressive rotator that Big Al’s, out of Wyoming, works every day yet keeps looking fabulous.

Have a great read and enjoy the photos too. As always stay safe out there!

New Series! Hands-On Tech

Steve Temple Editor

We’re always looking for ways we can better serve towers with practical articles on a wide variety of subjects. So in addition to the safety articles noted above by Dennie, we’ve launched a new series highlighting hands-on technical subjects by Terry Abejuela. With a wealth of experience as a towing instructor he has other articles in the works, covering subjects such as anchoring techniques for recoveries and the use of towing dollies, among others. But we’d like to hear from you towmen about your real-world tech tips for handling various types of towing equipment. Especially practical advice that ensures towers’ safety, something we include in every issue. We all benefit from pooling our knowledge and experience. And to celebrate the history of towing, don’t forget to send us photos of your vintage tow trucks for our Classic Wreckers department as well.

Dennie Ortiz

Steve Calitri

Steve Temple

Randall Resch

Terry Abejuela

David Kolman

John Borowski

Mark Lacek

Brian Riker

George Nitti

Henri “Doc” Calitri

President Editor-In-Chief Editor Operations Editor Field Editor, West Chassis Editor Safety Editor Repo Run Editor

Contributing Editor

Contributing Editor

Contributing Editor

Editorial Board

Tommy Anderson

Roy Carlson

Debbie Collins

Belinda Harris

Bill Johnson

Kurt Wilson

Dallas, Texas Saint Paul, Minn. Las Vegas, Nev. Greensboro, N.C. South Hadley, Mass. Creve Coeur, Ill.

American Towman Staff

Anne Ruzsilla

Dennie Ortiz

Ellen Rosengart

Henri Calitri

Peggy Calabrese

Ryan Oser

Emily Oz

Art Director

Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Account Exec. Customer Service

Regional Advertising Sales iMarketing Manager ATTV Producer

American Towman Media Headquarters 2 Overlook Drive, Suite 5, Warwick, NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546

President Editor-In-Chief Editor Subscriptions

E-Mail: dortiz@towman.com scalitri@towman.com stemple@towman.com subscriptions@towman.com

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

DRIVE Joins Forces With American Towman

American Towman Magazine is teaming up with DRIVE to offer management conferences targeting tow business owners in the towing and recovery industry. Titled “Work Smarter, Not Harder,” these conferences will enlighten towmen on how to be more efficient in managing their businesses with the ever-evasive increase in profitability being the ultimate goal.

DRIVE, a leading management consulting and training company in the collision and auto repair shop industry, has expanded its programs into the towing market. It has been exhibiting at the American Towman shows for the past two years and presented several sessions on key management topics at the American Towman Academy conferences.

DRIVE’s mission is to enhance the quality of life and improve the standard of living of tow business owners. The entire DRIVE team believes “Tow Bosses” deserve to be well compensated for their hard work.

“They have earned it,” points out David Saline of DRIVE. “Success and profit go hand in hand. An increase in profits requires sharp management skills. We want to arm Tow Bosses with every executive ability needed to win in a very competitive market.”

DRIVE will offer an in-depth, sixhour course at the American Towman ShowPlace—Las Vegas on May 16, followed by TowXpo Dallas/Fort Worth in July, and the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore in November.

“American Towman is very excited to team up with DRIVE in presenting this unique program to our industry via our three trade shows and conferences,” says Henri “Doc” Calitri, president of A. T. Expo Corp. “Our Tow Bosses will benefit tremendously from what DRIVE has to offer and we are quite proud to be able to include this as part of our commitment to educational excellence for tow business management personnel.”

Registration is now open for the DRIVE conference in Las Vegas. Go to www.atshowplace.com for more details.

AAA Study Touts

Vehicle Message Signs

In a pair of studies conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, they found an electronic vehicle-mounted Variable Message Sign (VMS) was very effective as a countermeasure in promoting roadside safety.

With a VMS activated, drivers changed lanes and slowed down more often than when a VMS was not operating. The odds of a vehicle moving over were 95 percent higher when the VMS was used. Passenger vehicles were more responsive to the VMS than trucks or buses, although both were more likely to move over when VMS was active than when not.

Other countermeasures, such as

cones, flares, and emergency flashing light patterns, also studied showed effectiveness. The researchers found these led to significant lane shifts by drivers, but were less effective at reducing speeds or increasing the distance to the passing vehicles that did not change lanes.

The results from these field studies suggest that using VMS, nighttime light patterns, cones, or flares can positively impact the behaviors of passing motorists under most circumstances. The AAA strongly recommends service vehicles or fleets utilize these features.

Source: AAA

Oregon Towman Says ODOT Short Staffed

After tow truck driver Arthur Walker was struck and hospitalized from a hitand-run incident involving another tow truck driver, James Jerome, the owner of Northwest Towing, said the outcome could have been different if Oregon’s Department of Transportation (ODOT) was not short staffed.

“I 100-percent think things would’ve been different, and I’m not blaming ODOT,” says Jerome. “I know that since COVID the whole economy has changed, and I know that finding employees and getting shifts covered is impossible for some outfits.”

A spokesperson for ODOT says because of staffing, Traffic Incident Management truck drivers are only available Mondays through Fridays

from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends. Walker was hit around 7 a.m. on Sunday. A spokesperson for ODOT said the department hopes to increase staffing levels as funding allows.

Source: kptv.com

Message signs are getting motorists to slow down and move over.

Jerome James of Portland’s Northwestern Towing says short staffing is a concern.

Storm Creates Highway

Havoc

A winter storm that hit most of Texas, and as far east as Tennessee, brought freezing rain and sleet, causing slick and dangerous roadway conditions.

In a couple of incidents, I-20 in the Dallas Metro area was backed up when a semi-tractor jackknifed, colliding with another semi-tractor and caused long delays. On I-40 in Arkansas, a section of highway was shut down due to downed utility lines.

Dylon Rainwater, regional manager of Pantusa Towing and Recovery of San Antonio, saw a spike in call volume and publicly cautioned drivers to stay off the

road if they were not accustomed to the severe weather conditions.

Source: weather.com youtube.com

Incident Data and Call to Action

With multiple fatal incidents this year involving responders on highways, the TRAA points out that it’s now more important than ever to educate the public and work the scenes more safely to prevent these tragedies.

To facilitate this initiative, the Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) has a nationwide database to collect detailed information about incidents on the roadway where emergency responders or their equipment were struck by a vehicle while operating at a scene. Available at ReportStruckBy.com, the database accepts reports from all roadway responders, including towing and recovery. The goal is to improve the voluntary reporting, tracking, and analysis of struck-by incident data to prevent future incidents.

Any roadway responder can report a struck-by incident to ReportStruckBy.com, whether that incident resulted in death, injury, or property damage. Reporting is anonymous and the reporting form takes about three to four minutes to complete. All fields are optional so you can report as much as you know, and skip what you don’t. The site is responsive to mobile devices for easy reporting from the field or the station, and all reports are welcome. ERSI wants as much data as possible on the continuing problem of secondary crashes and struckby incidents at emergency scenes on the roadway.

In a related development for the safety of towers, the TRAA has answered the U.S.

Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy “call to action” on behalf of the nation’s towing and recovery industry. The campaign is part of the agency’s multiyear plan launched in 2022 to reduce serious injuries and deaths on our Nation’s highways, roads, and streets using a Safe System Approach.

As an Ally-in-Action, TRAA is committed to promoting the Post-Crash Care and Safer People elements of the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) by:

• Encouraging participation in the Federal Highway Administration’s National Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Responder Training to increase safety of roadside responders and prevent secondary crashes.

• Promoting Slow Down Move Over Law awareness and enforcement to reduce the risk of injuries and deaths incurred by the nation’s traffic incident management partner disciplines.

• Supporting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s many annual campaigns to encourage safe, responsible driving and behavior by roadway users.

The TRAA is proud to join with the Department of Transportation and other private and public partners to support their shared goal of reducing deaths and injuries on our nation’s roadways.

Source: TRAA

Craig Baker Elected CTTA President

The California Tow Truck Association (CTTA) announced that Craig Baker has become the new President for the 2023-2024 term. Baker was one of the founding members and a past president of UCMCS (now ERSCA). He has worked on many of AAA’s committees as a contractor over the years. Additionally, he has represented Motor Club North for the past six years on CTTA’s Towing Regulatory Oversight Council.

“As a newly elected President of CTTA, my commitment is to always represent this association and industry in a professional manner,” Baker stated. “We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, so let’s roll up all of our sleeves and get to work.”

At the age of 20, Baker recalled that he fell in love with the towing industry and never looked back. At 24, he started Cupertino Towing with three trucks and a staff of six. Today, he has a fleet of 33 trucks and a staff of more than 60.

Source: CTTA Press Release

Ferrari Hoisted From Elevator Shaft

Due to a malfunctioning car elevator at a dealership in Florida, a Ferrari became stuck, causing a fuel leak. An emergency response team was summoned, requiring assistance from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBFR) and Kauff’s Transportation Systems.

Special Operations Units mitigated the leak by placing a portable standpipe system on the first and third floors, which allowed firefighters a constant water supply should the fuel ignite.

Kauff’s brought its new rotator wrecker to help remove the car from the hoist way. Using the full 45-foot extension of the wrecker’s boom and several 50,000-pound rated winches, the PBFR personnel and Kauff were able to remove the vehicle without additional damage to the building or any other vehicles.

Source: wptv.com

A jackknifed semi-tractor blocked Interstate 20 in the Dallas Metro area.

Get on the Stick

New from SafeAll is Roll King, an adjustable rollover stick towing professionals can use to overturn passenger vehicles that have come to rest on their roofs. Designed for one-person operation, this product minimizes the risk of personal injury from repeated climbs onto a casualty vehicle. Keeping the operator safely on the ground, the Roll King also eliminates the need for additional help on scene. A pair of welded grab hooks and a welded eyelet provide three points of contact for two recovery chains and the winch line. A claw foot and two-inch lip keep the Roll King in place to prevent repositioning. Made from double-wall steel tubing, the telescoping Roll King extends to two lengths (36 and 42 inches) and collapses to just 29 inches for convenient storage and handling. Unlike PVC pipe or wooden posts, the steel tube can not fail under pressure and will not slip, even if the winch line goes slack.

SafeAllProducts.com

Just Ask Ynot

Looking for a way to take the headache out of parking management and enforcement? Ynot Parking offers a solution that’s customizable in color, layout and functionality. So if there is a look or function that your company needs, Ynot can provide it. The owner of Ynot Services, Tony Jones, has worked in the towing industry for more than 15 years, and also has a background in law enforcement and electronic engineering. He used his knowledge to create online tow tickets and pictures for managers. Ultimately, Tony developed a license plate reading (LPR) program to make the job of locating unauthorized vehicles faster, easier and safer. He has now integrated the LPR with a Property Management Program, with the option for prompt changes in functionality, including links to your company’s website and other user-friendly features.

Stress-Free Transactions

To make transactions more manageable for the heavy-duty repair and tow market, RoadSync now offers a product suite expansion. By focusing customers’ needs and leveraging an understanding of the market, RoadSync’s new solutions are placing better industry-built tools in the hands of shop owners and their customers. Providing new ways to pay and get paid, RoadSync’s Digital Wallet and Card Readers make it easier to make and accept payments for customers and heavy-duty repair and tow operators, as well as improve cash flow for shop owners via Instant Payouts. For instance, customers and drivers who frequently make payments at RoadSync merchant facilities, the Digital Wallet allows users to securely save a credit card or ACH information to their account, and access it for future payments. Stored financial information is encrypted, giving customers peace of mind and increasing the security and speed of each payment transaction.  Also, with RoadSync’s Card Reader and Instant Payouts, heavy-duty repair and tow shops ensure secure payments can be collected anywhere, and getting paid faster means same-day. The mobile card readers and compatible kiosks allow users to handle transactions with a tap, swipe or insert of a card to protect themselves against fraud, whether on the road or in the shop resulting in faster and more secure credit card transactions.

“At RoadSync, we believe heavy-duty repair and tow customers shouldn’t have to settle for complicated, outdated payment processes,” states Robin Gregg, CEO, RoadSync. “Our solutions solve this challenge by mirroring consumer payment technologies that we’re all used to experiencing.”

Electric Storm

Shocking Issues of EV Transport and Storage

By Ed Grubbs

As more and more consumers are transitioning to driving an electric vehicle (EV), tow operators are encountering a number of serious challenges. Roadside recoveries require more time and new protocols, along with increased dangers and costs. Towers need to look to identify these exposures and modify the Tow Service Agreement (TSA) to handle these changes.

More than two million EVs are on U.S. roads today, and about 7.8 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide in 2022, a 68 percent increase from 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some estimates project as many as six times the U.S. figure by 2030. So towers need to begin adjusting to this trend now, and not wait until this electric storm hits, since EVs add a new set of potential problems.

THERMAL RUNAWAY

For instance, despite their green image, lithium batteries can turn ugly if damaged. They are surrounded by coolant, and if damaged, the batteries can heat up and catch fire. Most EV battery fires are due to faulty designs, thermal runaways, a short circuit, penetration from an accident, or some other kind of failure.

To reduce the possibility of these batteries going into thermal runaway, EV makers are installing a number of precautionary devices. These might include fuses and circuit breakers that disconnect the batteries when

The division of the batteries into an array (as opposed to one large battery) is also partly a safety choice: The batteries are separated from one another to prevent fire from spreading through the entire battery system.

OTHER RISKS

Not only can accidents lead to Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) fires, submerged EVs can also catch fire. One dramatic example of this is the number of EV fires erupting from cars in hurricane Ian in Florida.

These vehicles also contain a highvoltage charge, and the IMT (Incident Management Tower) must avoid touching or cutting into the highvoltage units as the consequences can be deadly. Vehicle designers have worked hard to reduce the fire and electrocution risks, but they haven’t been eliminated.

The fire risk from EVs appears to be less than for conventional vehicles,

significant loss of property. As noted above, each vehicle is different and trying to know all the manufacturer’s recommendations for handling a wrecked EV is nearly impossible. Handling the car improperly opens the possibility of creating a serious fire or in a rare event, electrocution. Understanding each vehicle and what to do and not do with the vehicle can be critical.

PUTTING OUT AN EV FIRE

Unlike fossil-fuel vehicles, with EV fires you do not want to use a firefighting foam since it traps heat under its blanket and the EV may burn violently. If the highvoltage battery is on fire, extra combustion products such as lithium hydroxide will be emitted. The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) recommends these fires be extinguished with water, but this could take many hours and require a great deal of water. (There have

The Electric Vehicle Hazardous Containment Unit (EVHCU) was designed by towers for safe storage of damaged EVs. This patent-pending unit is semi portable, and designed to prevent damaged EVs from contaminating a tower’s facility from hazardous discharges. These include both battery fluids and the fire suppression water from any firefighting activities. The EVHCU’s unique design allows fast and easy fire department access to quickly cool and extinguish battery fires with a built-in drainage port for recovery and disposal of the firefighting water. The standard pulley system easily allows a pull-in or pull-out application for a damaged EV without the use of hoists.

been some reports of as much as 22,000 gallons of In various countries, water tanks in which an electric vehicle can be immersed are used in order to extinguish the burning battery and contain the extinguishing water.

The difficulty of dousing an EV fire is not the only issue. According to one study conducted by an insurance company AXA in Switzerland, EVs are 50 percent more likely to be involved in an accident. Not because of the technology, but due to driver behavior. It seems this higher accident rate is due to the fast and sharp acceleration that surprises drivers, especially those new to these cars.

In addition, the heavier weight of the EVs creates more damage in accidents. If the estimates that anywhere from 30 to 60 percent of the vehicles will be electric by 2030 prove true, this massive shift will create serious concerns in the near future for the (IMT) as the number of EVs accidents will also increase.

HANDLING RECOVERY ISSUES

Upon arriving at the scene of

an EV accident, an IMT faces an additional set of responsibilities. In a normal situation with conventional vehicles, the first priority is always safety from traffic. Then there is the decision of properly removing the vehicles, and lastly addressing the proper cleanup of the scene.

With an EV incident, however, IMTs have additional responsibilities. Before moving an EV, they need to have an idea of the possible condition of the vehicle. As noted above, damaged EVs can catch

fire when the batteries going into thermal runaway. Thermal runaway is the battery having been damaged or short circuited, which causes a chemical reaction that triggers a violent ignition.

Without having an assessment and the recommendations from the vehicle manufacturer, just moving the vehicle could trigger a fire event. Note too, that the fire danger is not just immediate, as these vehicles have caught fire more than 40 days after an accident!

INFORMATION RESOURCES

Knowledge of these vehicles and the challenges they pose is slowly improving. There are resources today available to support the IMT, from how to address the vehicle if it has been in an accident to how to tow it correctly. The NFPA has an online Alternative Fuel Vehicles Training Program for Emergency Responders, and is highly recommended for IMTs. The class is self-paced and costs only $25.95 (nfpa.org/EV).

There are other resources available on the NFPA website which are especially focused on the IMT’s

role with EVs and fire. In addition, the Federal Highway Administration has published a document on “Interim Guidance for Electric and Hybrid-Electric Vehicles Equipped with High Voltage Batteries.”

Also, there is a support organization available today that can give you assistance on scene. The Energy Security Agency (ESA) (energysecurityagency.com) can provide aid at the scene, advising the IMT about the individual vehicle involved in the accident. ESA requests pictures of the EV before moving it, and will respond within

five minutes, giving an assessment of the vehicle and providing precautions necessary in handling that particular EV. ESA can also give you the recommendations from the manufacturer of each vehicle. At this time, this agency is even paying the IMT for contacting it. ESA also lectures around the country as well as the American Towman events. Attending these classes can help protect you, your employees, and your equipment.

PROPER PROCEDURES ON SCENE

As IMTs approach an accident scene, they first need to correctly identify the vehicle as an EV. If the vehicle requires a tow, first determine if it is a hybrid or total EV (EVs usually require transport on a carrier). Then assess if it has been involved in any type of collision, experienced battery damage, fire involvement and/or

First determine whether the casualty vehicle is either an EV or a hybrid (shown here), as their required recovery methods differ greatly.

been exposed to large amounts of water. Even if the battery does not look impacted, don’t ignore the potential threat. Use sight, smell, and sound to determine potentially hazardous conditions.

Is there any arcing or smoke which could be escaping toxic and explosive gas (note sidebar). Is there any odor? A sweet cherry smell could indicate battery gases. Listen for any buzzing, popping or hissing sounds. If any of these sight, smells or sounds are present, move everyone at least 75 feet away from the vehicle and alert fire personnel.

Before moving the vehicle, consider calling ESA at 855/ ESA-Safe to help conduct an assessment. The goal of ESA is to make sure the vehicle is in a safe state for towing and recovery. This keeps the tow compliant with the requirements for documentation,

chain of custody, labeling, energy isolation and overall hazard management.

After loading the EV (always load the vehicle with skates or set it on wheels), and cleaning the scene properly, maintain awareness that the vehicle could still catch fire even while transporting it to your storage area. In some rare instances it might be necessary to have the fire department follow the carrier back to the storage area.

The likelihood of a vehicle’s battery failing is becoming ever more less likely. Even so, the number of EVs on the road is increasing at a high rate, so thermal runaway events are still likely in the foreseeable future. In a followup article, we will cover safety aspects of EVs on your storage yard and how to protect your facility from environmental impacts.

Cleanup Tips

The electrolyte fluid in EV batteries converts to Hydrofluoric acid (HF) in the presence of air or water. HF has physical, chemical, and toxicological properties that make it especially hazardous to handle. Also, HF and aqueous solutions are clear, colorless, and highly corrosive liquids. When exposed to air, they produce pungent fumes, which are also dangerous. HF shares the corrosive properties common to mineral acids but possesses the unique ability to cause deep tissue damage and systemic toxicity. Prevention of exposure or injury must be the primary goal when working with HF. However, anyone handling HF must be intimately familiar with the appropriate first aid in case of an exposure, and the use of an acid neutralizer.

Mechanical Advantages

The Simple Physics of Towing and Recovery

By Terry Abejuela

What is a machine? And why are the six simple machines important to us in the towing and recovery industry? When you think of a machine what normally comes to mind are complex machines such as an automobile, but a pry bar, hammer or screwdriver are also machines. A simple definition of a machine is any device that helps you do work. It may help you perform work by transferring force from one place to another, changing the direction of the force, increasing the magnitude of the force or changing the speed of the force.

A compound machine is a machine that uses one simple machine acting on

another simple machine. A complex machine is a machine that is comprised of two or more simple and or compound machines.

The six simple machines are the lever, wheel and axle, screw, wedge, incline plane and pulley. We use these six simple machines in some form or another everyday in the towing and recovery industry, so it’s good to be familiar with their capabilities.

Before we get into the six simple machines, let’s start with the definition of work in physics. Here’s the formula:

Work = Force X Distance

So if you lift a 10-pound weight 10 feet off the ground, you have performed 100 foot pounds of work:

Work = Force (10 pounds) X Distance (10 feet) = 100

If you lift a 5-pound weight 20 feet off the ground you have performed the same amount of work 5 X 20 = 100 foot pounds of work.

Simple machines help us perform work by allowing us to apply less effort over a longer distance to perform the same amount of work. It is a tradeoff of effort for distance. This basic principle is applied in many other machines like a hydraulic ram.

GETTING SOME LEVERAGE

The lever is the simplest machine that consists of a rigid bar and a fulcrum. The earliest known writings about levers from Archimedes date back to the 3rd century BC. (His famous claim: “If you give me a lever and a place to stand, I can move the world.”)

Most will recognize the elementary school playground seesaw as a lever but

Field Editor Terry Abejuela has 40-plus years of light-duty towing and recovery experience. He is also a light-duty Level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association.

In a third class lever, the closer the effort is to the load the more mechanical advantage you will gain.

there are actually three types of levers: first class, second class and third class. The seesaw is an example of a first class lever. A wheel barrow is an example of a second class lever, and a fishing pole is an example of a third class lever.

In a first class lever the fulcrum is located between the effort and the load. If the fulcrum is in the middle of the rigid bar, it will require equal effort to lift the load. If the load weighs 10 pounds it will require 10 pounds of effort to lift. Using 10 pounds of effort to push down on one side of the rigid bar will raise the 10-pound load at the other end of the rigid bar. Pushing the rigid bar down one foot will raise the load one foot. So the mechanical advantage is one to one.

On the other hand, if the fulcrum is moved closer to the load you will gain mechanical advantage. If you have a six-foot long rigid bar and you place the fulcrum at the two-foot mark closer to the load, then you will have two feet between the fulcrum and the load, and four feet from the fulcrum to where the effort will be applied. Now it will only require five pounds of effort to lift the 10-pound load. Now you will need to move the effort side of the rigid bar two feet down to move the load one foot up. You have a mechanical advantage of two to one.

OTHER METHODS

In a second class lever the fulcrum is located at one end of the rigid bar, the load is in the middle, and the effort is applied at the other end of the rigid bar. The closer the load is to the fulcrum the more mechanical advantage you will gain. But remember when you gain mechanical advantage, it requires less effort but over a longer distance.

In a third class lever the fulcrum is also located at one end of the rigid bar, but the effort is in the middle and the load is at the other end of the rigid bar. The closer the effort is to the load the more mechanical advantage you will gain.

A few examples of tools and equipment that use a lever in our industry include pry bars, lug wrenches, jack handles, many hand tools, breaker bars, floor jacks. The tow truck itself is a first class lever.

INCLINE PLANE

Recalling the formula for work noted at the outset (Work = Force X Distance), imagine loading a 3,000-pound vehicle on your flatbed if the deck could not tilt to an incline plane. If the deck is four feet off the ground, you would have to perform 12,000 foot pounds of work.

The simple machine known as the incline plane allows us to gain mechanical advantage. This advantage is determined by dividing the length of the incline plane by the vertical rise. So if the car carrier deck is 20 feet long, and the vertical rise is four feet, the mechanical advantage is five. The amount of effort required to pull the

When loading a vehicle on the deck (an incline plane) of a car carrier, the deck of a car carrier will become a first class lever. The effort is the weight of the cab of the truck, the fulcrum is the rear axle of the truck and of course the vehicle you are loading is the load.

This demonstration shows the use of a snatch block to transfer a load from one point to another. Commonly called a “highline technique,” it requires heavier trucks than would normally be needed for a passenger automobile because of the tension required to keep the winch rope supporting the load tight enough to be effective.

A pulley is a spinning lever that allows attaching multiple lines to the load with one or more traveling blocks to reduce line tension. In a simple pulley system you can count the lines directly attached to the load to determine mechanical advantage, and also remain within the working load limit of the winch rope.

3,000 pound vehicle up the deck is now only about 600 pounds (3,000 pounds divided by five= 600 pounds). Compare that with the 12,000 foot pounds of work noted above.

A few examples of tools and equipment that use an incline plane in our industry include a car carrier deck. We also use a natural incline plane to recover vehicles down an embankment by choosing a recovery path with the least amount of slope, which would be a longer distance than a more vertical path. In this case we are using the terrain as a simple tool to help us perform work.

THIN EDGE OF THE WEDGE

A variation of the incline plane is a wedge that can be used to lift a heavy load a short distance, or split something like wooden log. The mechanical advantage of the wedge is determined by dividing the depth of penetration by the length of the separation of the wedge surfaces.

A few examples of tools and equipment that use a wedge in our industry include lockout wedges, wheel chocks, and an axe.

KEEP ON ROLLIN’

The wheel and axle setup is one of the most significant inventions in the history of the world. It obviously helps us move heavy objects across distances by reducing the friction involved in moving the object. Instead of sliding across a surface it rolls.

A few examples of tools and equipment that use a wheel and axle in our industry include tow trucks, tow dollies, floor jacks, go-jacks,

OTHER USEFUL TOW TOOLS

The screw is an incline plane wrapped around a shaft. It turns a rotational force into an up and down force. A few examples of tools and equipment that use a screw in our industry include lug nuts, nuts and bolts, fasteners, and worm-gear winches.

The pulley is just a spinning lever. The most common pulley we use in our industry is the snatch block. Using a simple pulley system, we can rig multiple lines to the load with one or more traveling blocks to reduce line tension, or use fixed snatch blocks to ◀

redirect our force.

In a simple pulley system you can count the lines directly attached to the load to determine mechanical advantage. After calculating the total amount of resistance to overcome in a recovery job, divide the total amount of resistance by the working load limit of the winch rope to determine how many lines you need to use to remain within the working load limit of the winch rope.

Examples of tools and equipment that use a pulley in our industry include snatch blocks, boom end sheaves, wire rope boom supports, approach plate pulleys, and side pullers.

The better you understand the basic concepts of how simple machines help us perform work the more likely you will be able to utilize them to help you perform your work. Your imagination and hands-on experience are the only limits to what you can do.

These three types of levers are used in tow recoveries. The first class lever is commonly used to gain mechanical advantage, with the closer the fulcrum (or pivot) is to the load, and the longer the effort arm, the more mechanical advantage can be achieved. A truck when towing is a first class lever. You must determine how much you can lift before you reduce the weight on the drive axles to less than 50 percent of the original weight.

The second class lever is also commonly used to gain mechanical advantage. The closer the load is to the fulcrum and the longer the effort bar, the more mechanical advantage can be achieved. We commonly use a pry bar as a second class lever to move fenders away from a wheel to allow it to roll.

The third class lever is commonly used to increase the distance a load can be moved. A recovery boom is a third class lever. The closer the effort (hydraulic ram) is to the fulcrum, the more the load will move at the end of the boom. This allows a short movement of the ram to translate to a larger movement of the load at the end of the boom.

classic wrecker

Some folks say that half of life is just showing up. Well, at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore last November, Barbour’s Towing & Truck Repair displayed its classic 1963 “B” Model Mack Wrecker with a Holmes 750. Much to owner Jerry Barbour’s surprise, attendees voted it the Best of Show at the Wrecker Pageant!

Not expecting such an enthusiastic response, Jerry was modest about his intentions: “I just wanted to put it in a tow show that was recognized around the country and share its history.”

The vintage firetruck-red unit, although not an original family heirloom, was built new as a wrecker in the early 1960s, and sold to a wrecker service in Durham, North Carolina.

“So it stayed here in the area as a tow truck,” recalled Barbour, who’s based in Raleigh, North Carolina. “The company

picked it up in 1983 or so, where it was used until the motor stopped working. When I picked it up from my uncle in 1994, it wasn’t running.”

Why not? Barbour noted that as the tow industry made strides in the early 1980s with the innovation of the underbody wheel-lift, the wrecker was used less as it often required removing the front bumper, obviously a time-consuming process.

“That made it more difficult to use the truck in your everyday towing,” he explained.

So today, the wrecker is reserved mostly for special occasions—parades, special events, and tow shows. In an industry heavy with brand names like Kenworth, Peterbuilt and International, the Mack is

George L. Nitti has written for American Towman since 2009. He started out as a news writer and now writes a weekly feature on TowIndustryWeek.com, Tow Illustrated, which spotlights the tow truck graphics.

Note the custom pin striping surrounding the headlights.

more of a rarity, where one sees few and far between working the roadways. But not for lack of durability.

“Being a Mack, it was pretty much indestructible,” Jerry observed. “Today, where you see the brand is with bigger, heavier stuff like dump trucks and concrete mixers.”

No surprise, then, that despite the “… scratches, dents, dings, bangs and whatever it’s been through over the years,” Barbour noted, “There has been no overhauling other than replacing components that need to be replaced.”

As a further testament to the truck’s rugged durability, its engine, a 237hp Maxidyne that was part of Mack’s early F-Series production, is still intact, as are the original transmission and rear end. The brake system, however, was changed to a parking-brake system because over time the original brakes

The big dog logo on the side is a fitting image for this massive Mack

◀ The driver’s seat provides a commanding view, and the quilted headliner is original.

became harder to replace.

The Holmes 750 wrecker back in the day was cutting edge, costing a tow company approximately $9000. Ads targeted the 25-ton twin boom mechanical wrecker to mediumand heavy-duty professional tow operators, selling them on its dependability and longevity. The first unit was shipped in 1962 and production continued until 1990. All in all, 7000 units were built during a 28-year production run.

Describing the tow rig in detail, Barbour noted that, “It’s got the extendible booms on it. It’s got the drop support legs on the back. It’s got a tow sling on it. It’s got 250 foot 5/8-inch cables with each chain driven winch still operable.” The

The Holmes 750 has extendible booms, drop support legs and a tow sling, but this old-school rig is operated manually.

The orange bubble beacon still functions, a signal to the early days of towing.

boom goes up and down manually, with no lever and hydraulics, while the regular PTO and its shaft are also intact.

As for the interior, Barbour made some upgrades, changing out the army green seats for a darker gray, or what he calls “Mack Silver” and putting the original headliner back

into it.

“All the gauges are working,” Barbour points out. “I’ve done a lot of wiring on it to keep up with the LED lighting that the older lighting wouldn’t hold up on.”

Besides the sparkling chrome fender and front grille with its iconic Mack Bulldog hood ornament, other

notable exterior features include the intricate, yellow pin striping outlined around the headlights, the hand-painted logo of a bulldog, and hand-painted, white lettering with company information. To top it off, a Bubble Beacon Light still rotates, giving shine on a slice of life in the good ol’ towing days.

Fresh “Mack Silver” upholstery and rewiring for LEDs modernize the cab.

The burly shape of Barbour’s Mack wrecker, plus its vertical stack and Holmes 750 split-boom setup, made a huge impression on attendees at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore.

An engraved Mack bulldog is a fitting addition to the seat back.

Hino Trucks’ New President

Mr. Glenn Ellis has been appointed to the position of President and Chairman of the Board for Hino Trucks. Glenn succeeds Mr. Shigehiro Matsuoka, who retired after holding the position for four years, and will become the first U.S.-born President of Hino Trucks. In addition, Glenn will also serve as an Officer of Hino Motors Limited, Hino Trucks’ parent company.

Mr. Ellis joined Hino Trucks in 2004 and has led the efforts to build Hino Trucks’ brand in the U.S. market. In his most recent role as Senior Vice President of Customer Experience, Glenn focused on expanding Hino’s dealer network and product offering to include zero-emissions trucks while continuing to grow Hino trucks’ market share.

As President, Mr. Ellis will continue to focus on the dealer and customer relationship. Glenn will grow the brand by driving Hino Trucks’ product development, adding enhanced technology and innovation, and supporting a faster decision-making process.

Hino Trucks also announced several other organizational changes as part of its overall restructuring to support widening product options and growth in the U.S. Mr. Bob Petz, who previously served as Senior Vice President of Vehicle and Parts Sales, is now Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. Mr. Petz joined Hino Trucks U.S. in 2004, and in addition to product development, all sales, parts and service operations

will report to Bob in his new role.

Mr. John Donato, previously Vice President of Parts Operations, will take over as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

www.hino.com

Vehicle Market

Work Truck Solutions released its 2022 analysis of the commercial vehicle market. This company collects national data reflecting the customization of commercial vehicles done after the chassis or van is manufactured by an OEM.

Data for commercial vehicle (CV) sales compiled for 2022 revealed average prices, availability, mileage, and days to turn (DTT) confirmed what was expected: a supply chain devastated by a global pandemic. On the other hand, there’s a slow but steady recovery marked by four quarters of positive trends. The outlook for the coming year is

for continued recovery, although likely at a slow pace as there are still supply chain hurdles to overcome.

Availability of new vehicle inventory is, of course, a prime concern for dealers and business owners alike. The good news for 2022 was that new on-lot CV inventory per dealer was up 36% in Q4 compared to Q1. Although the total numbers were still approximately half of what they were in Q4 2020, the averages re-

Glenn Ellis has assumed the leadership role at Hino.

veal an upward direction throughout 2022, a trend unseen in the previous two years.

When examining used work trucks and vans, there were a couple of key takeaways. Used on-lot commercial inventory per dealer continued to skyrocket, reaching an all-time high for the past three years in Q4 2022 and marking a 144% increase over Q4 2021.

The increasing availability of new work trucks and vans is having an effect on used vehicle sales and pricing. For example, while the average price of a new CV reached an all-time high of $53,162 in Q4 of 2022, the average price of a used CV declined in both Q3 and Q4 of 2022, representing an 8.3% drop from Q2 2022.

Overlaying the increase in dealers’ new on-lot CV inventory with the reduced DTT—average DTT for new commercial vehicles was down 16% Q4 2022 compared to Q1 2022, and down a whopping 48% Q4 2022

versus Q4 2020— suggests that pre-order sales are finally being fulfilled. Even though more new vehicles are arriving on dealers’ lots, they are moving faster than ever—likely presold and sent out to be upfitted for immediate duty. This is a trend that will likely continue in 2023.

www.worktrucksolutions.com

Ram Recall

Ram is notifying owners of over 340,000 heavy-duty pickups to park outside, and not near other vehicles, due to the risk of a fire. The affected vehicles use an older type of heater-grid electrical connector that is no longer in use. Included in this latest recall are certain 2021-2023 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups, along with 3500, 4500, and 5500 chassis cab models. All of the affected trucks are powered by Ram's 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine.

Tow Log

In 1996, a client of Jeff Moriarty asked him to create a vehicle storage log. He decided to use a sturdy 11 x 17-inch accounting post binder because of heavy use in the towing environment, and created a user-friendly design, making sure the fields were large enough to fit the entries. Once Jeff finished his mockup, he realized that he had a product for the towing market in general. Even though computers have changed the way towing companies record impounds, his Tow Log is a companion to modern technology. After all, what if the power is out and the Internet is down? Also, in states like California, towing firms are required to have a written record of stored vehicles available for inspection by law enforcement. Tow Log satisfies that requirement.

www. towlog.com

AIR SUPPLY

Cushioning the Recovery of a Heavy Semi

Courtesy of WreckMaster and Tegeler Wrecker and Crane

Righting an overturned trailer can get complicated, especially with a shifted heavy load and the risk of leaking fuel. That was the case on September 2, 2022 at 11:30am, when Tegeler Wrecker and Crane was requested by the Johnson

2022

County Sheriff’s department to respond to a collision involving a tractor and trailer. The incident occurred on the entrance ramp to Highway 218 North from Melrose Av enue in Iowa City, Iowa.

As the stricken semi was raised to its tipping point, a Matjack landing cushion handled the controlled descent.

After Tegeler’s air cushion recovery team hooked up hoses and the valve system (foreground), Matjack Jumbo Cushions were inflated under the loaded trailer.

Donnie Cruse Recovery Award

Presented by American Towman Magazine and WreckMaster

2022 Winner: Tegeler Wrecker and Crane

Tegeler Wrecker and Crane immediately dispatched lead scene coordinator, Chris Powers, to assess the situation. He arrived at 11:40 a.m., and introduced himself to emergency personnel and began a thorough scene survey.

He found several damaged areas. The tractor cab mounts were disconnected from the chassis, and a bulge in the trailer’s roof was caused by the shifted cargo. Also, the trailer’s passenger side top rail was broken near the rear

of the trailer, caused by hitting a light pole during the collision.

RESPONDING EQUIPMENT

Century 1075 rotator

Jerr-Dan 50/60 rotator

Century 50-ton wrecker

Chevy 3500 Dually pickup with 28-foot trailer for Emergency Response Equipment (both Matjack cushions and spill-response supplies)

To determine the weight of the cargo, about 1,100 bags of dry dog food, Powers obtained the bill of lading. The load weighed 46,000 pounds, and the gross combination weight was approximately 80,000 pounds. The trailer’s shipping seals were still intact, so an inspection door located at the rear of the trailer was opened for a look inside. From what could be observed from the small opening, Powers concluded that the load was still shrink wrapped to pallets and mostly intact.

At the conclusion of his survey, Powers included law enforcement officers at the scene in the formulation of the recovery plan. Together, they decided that

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Choose the most challenging recovery your company has performed with excellence. Send in your photos or video of the recovery along with your name, company, address, phone # and email, and you may be contacted for further details. Recovery must have been performed between 2001 and 2022. Send submissions to stemple@towman.com.

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A traffic control system closed the ramp and the casualty was made ready for the recovery.

The heavy load of dry dog food inside shifted during the rollover, damaging the trailer.

Once the air cushions were supplied with air, then the winching lines from the rotators were engaged.

since the casualty was positioned out of the travel lanes, it would be best to execute the recovery during non-peak traffic hours. The decision to defer their efforts until 7:00 p.m. the same evening ensured that a proper closure of the ramp could be established. This approach enhanced safety at the work zone for Tegeler’s towmen, and reduced the impact of traffic congestion in the vicinity of the incident. Powers contacted the highway maintenance manager for that district to obtain permission to close the ramp, which was granted and Iowa Traffic Management was notified of the upcoming closure.

At 6:30 p.m., Tegeler’s recovery team was assembled for a meeting, and then dispatched to the scene. Responding personnel and assets included Powers in an emergency response vehicle pulling an emergency response trailer. The trailer was equipped with

RESPONDING PERSONNEL

environmental response gear and the air cushion recovery system.

The towing and recovery units were a 50-ton wrecker and two 50-ton rotators (Jerr-Dan 50/60 and Century 1075). A traffic control system, to safely close the ramp was also dispatched. The closure of the ramp was executed at 7:00 p.m. and the casualty was made ready for the recovery. The contents of its fuel tanks were evacuated to mitigate the risk of diesel fuel spillage. The tractor was prepped for the tow while still on its side. The drive shaft was removed and a provision was made to supply air to the tractor’s air brake system. The cab was then secured to the frame of the trailer.

While preparations for the tow were being completed, the rotators were positioned. Two recovery belts, each 12 inches by 30 feet, were rigged to the trailer. A low line directed off a front outrigger was secured to the steering axle of the tractor. The drag winches from both rotators were attached to spike the rear drive axle and the trailer tandems. This rigging system was engineered to disperse the load forces across the entire casualty.

Concurrently, the air cushion recovery team installed Matjack Jumbo Cushions under the loaded trailer. Matjack Landing Cushions were also put in place. Then the trailer’s rear doors were cross chained to retain structural integrity of the door frame. A final walk around of the casualty was done prior to executing the recovery.

The air cushions were first supplied with air, and then the winching lines from the rotators were engaged. The casualty began to rise off the ground, and as the load approached the balance point, the rotator wreckers completed the uprighting maneuver. The landing cushions ensured the tractor, trailer and cargo came to rest back on the pavement safely in a controlled manner.

Next, the rigging was disconnected and stored back in the recovery vehicles. The air cushions were deflated and returned to the emergency response trailer. After the casualty was secured to a wrecker and towed back to Tegeler’s secure storage facility, collision site was restored by Tegeler’s environmental response team.

Back at the storage facility, the trucking company had authorized removal of the shipping seal to allow for a more thorough inspection of the cargo. After viewing photos, the receiving company authorized acceptance of the load. It was transferred by forklift onto a replacement van trailer at Tegeler’s dock, and continued onto its destination.

The efficient management of the emergency scene and the proficient execution of an air cushion recovery was commendable. On behalf of WreckMaster and in the memory of Donnie Cruse, congratulations and an award were given to Chris Powers and Tegler’s Wrecker and Crane for a job well done.

Chris Powers

Jake Schrader

Josh Farley

Holly Paris

Once the semi was back on its wheels, Tegeler rigged it for towing back to the storage yard.

Tegeler employed a couple of rotators to right the semi.

Don’t Commit Sirencide!

Keep a Cool Head in a Stressful Response

By Randall C. Resch

Adash cam video captured a flatbed carrier heading to an accident scene in full expedite mode. Its driver aggressively weaved between slowed traffic, blaring the truck’s horn as he irately pounded the steering wheel. At one point, the tow truck’s mirror clipped a commercial trash truck. While the tower’s actions are questionable, it’s reasonable to ask: “Does state law provide him authorization as a first responder?”

By suggesting tow operators have first responder abilities, it’s led to an overabundance of risky driving behaviors and mentalities. A large percentage of today’s tow operators believe they have total, first responder capability. Is that really the case?

There’s much confusion regarding an overused and misunderstood catchphrase suggesting that, “Tow trucks are first responders.” True to Traffic Incident Management (TIM) training, there are some references indicating that tow trucks are indeed first responders. Let’s dig into the details and some of the possible pitfalls of this mindset.

OVER-FOCUSED

As an example of the potential danger of a first responder mentality, on September 29, 1989, two firefighters were killed and three seriously injured when a Volunteer

Fire Department’s firetruck in Catlett, Virginia was broadsided by an Amtrak train. Firefighters were responding to a vehicle fire, and in sight of a burning vehicle, when the firetruck’s driver failed to yield to the speeding train.

The crash investigation raised the question as to why the firetruck failed to stop at the crossing. It was suggested that firefighters were so focused in responding to the fire that they overlooked stopping at the crossing.

As one investigator commented, “When a person’s arousal level is unduly increased by stressors, the focus of attention is narrowed to performance of the task perceived to be the most important; while the quality of performance of any peripheral tasks deteriorate.”

In some first responder circles, this phenomenon is known as “Sirencide.” The investigator’s observation can be compared to tow operators who have a “Get outta’ my way!” mentality. His statement is in line with similar accounts of tow truck crashes where towers had “tunnel vision,” losing sight of reasonable and prudent speed while expediting to urgent calls. How do towmen view this serious issue?

Operations Editor Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and veteran tow business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. He writes for TowIndustryWeek. com and American Towman, is a member of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and recipient of the Dave Jones Leadership Award. Email Randy at rreschran@gmail.com.

Just because tow trucks respond to traffic accidents doesn’t make them authorized emergency vehicles.

NOT SO FAST

In online forums towers snipe at each other when it comes to first responder status. There’s constant bickering over whether or not tow trucks are considered first responders. The topic isn’t new, yet has a brutal personality of its own. There’s an egotistical, “disrespectful battle of wits,” with towers claiming title of “First Responder,” even though the definition varies from state to state.

It’s obvious that towers don’t fully understand the safe nature of our services to law enforcement and the motoring public. Based on laws of individual states, the manner in which some operators respond is illegal, dangerous and downright deadly. In light of services towers provide; let’s approach this topic realistically, asking you to consider what this narrative means to you.

Looking back some 50 years, in my experience tow operators weren’t

remotely considered anything other than, “just a tow truck driver” until early 2004. It was then that the Volunteer Firefighter’s Association in Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania

thought to formalize on-highway response. Other states soon followed as incident management formally developed. California’s protocol developed in 2007 when first

responder fatalities tallied 27 individuals killed during onhighway situations.

Police and firefighter training modules regarding emergency response describes it as, “The process of rolling (Code-3) with emergency lights and siren.” Code-3 means “Getting on-scene as fast as possible using emergency lights, a siren and responsive driving skills to not create an accident or put the public at risk.”

Knowing there’s a psychological response that cops, firefighters and towers alike experience (at a dispatcher’s urging), it’s common for responders to become “tunnel blinded,” engaging in risky driving maneuvers such as speeding, not yielding at intersections, cutting others off, etc. Towers, be honest with yourselves and admit you’ve experienced the same reaction when your dispatcher excitedly tells you: “Expedite!”

UNAUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Some 35 years ago, tow companies typically were private businesses dispatched to respond to on-highway accidents, incidents and recovery scenes. In the scheme of on-highway response, tow services weren’t initiated until extrications were completed, investigations conducted, victims were removed, and then, once the crash, “went cold,” towers arrived last to clean up the mess.

In contrast, wreckers in rural America were used in emergency rescue scenarios, permitted to use whatever means necessary to be on-scene to assist. This was allowed without official sanction. To be considered an “Authorized Emergency Vehicle,” there must be written legislation and law indicating such. Just because tow trucks respond to traffic accidents doesn’t make them authorized

emergency vehicles.

As one example, California Vehicle Code’s Section 165 (e), “Authorized Emergency Vehicles” states that, “An authorized emergency vehicle is: Any vehicle owned or operated by any department or agency of the United States government when the vehicle is used in responding to emergency fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls or is actively engaged in law enforcement work.”

Note that California’s section describing first responders doesn’t include defining terms such as “tow truck” or “wrecker.” So California’s tow trucks aren’t emergency vehicles, and don’t have the same response capabilities due to the lack of specialty (blue) lighting, sirens, and more important, applicable training.

Like other states, California has no legislation authorizing tow trucks to respond Code-3 in an emergencylike manner. Tow trucks responding to urgent requests that are described as “a life-saving call” may create an unauthorized, unlawful response.

In contrast, in Missouri, flatbeds and wreckers are allowed to operate red and blue lights as well as sirens. However, they’re authorized to use red, blues, and sirens only when responding under requests from their police departments, sheriff’s office, or Missouri’s State Highway Patrol. For other states, tow trucks responding with amber lights “on” aren’t authorized emergency vehicles; making driving with ambers on illegal under some circumstances.

When the law doesn’t have wording to define, “authorized emergency lighting,” it’s not an emergency vehicle, regardless of its current assignment. That would require tow trucks to be classified as, “authorized emergency vehicles”, which (for some states), legally isn’t the case.

Blue emergency lights are typically

reserved for law enforcement. Paramedic rigs and firefighting equipment are allowed special considerations in an emergency response mode.

A couple of other points worth noting: There’s no formal, highspeed driving course that formally instructs tow operators in emergency tow truck response. And, in most states, there’s no current legislation authorizing high-speed emergency response to tow trucks.

LEGAL LIABILITY

Towers should also keep in mind your company’s “Vicarious Liability”, relating to your operator’s responding in a reckless manner. Operators must understand that the dynamics beyond any reasonable or prudent speed are an accident waiting to happen. There’s huge liability in vehicle operations and not all state laws approve such.

So know your state’s laws specific to your tow truck being an authorized emergency vehicle or not. Even if your state’s vehicle code refers to tow trucks as “first responders”, expedited tow trucks don’t have literal license to drive outside the law.

A 30-year, career firefighter teaching TIM commenting on tow trucks as first-responders summed up the situation this way: “A tow truck could legally be considered anything your state legislature or other law making body decides it is. If a bill is approved that classifies the tow truck as an emergency vehicle, then legally, it is one. If a bill is passed that classifies it as a submarine, then legally it is one. Laws are funny that way.”

The bottom line: if your state’s vehicle code doesn’t define tow trucks as authorized first responders, you’re not, regardless of what your ego says.

Cyber Security

How’s Your Defence Against Computer Hackers?

By Brian J. Riker

Cyber crime is one of the fastest growing crimes worldwide. According to a recent article published by Forbes Magazine, cybercriminals can penetrate 93 percent of all company networks, usually taking less than two days to infiltrate a network. The most popular way is via compromised credentials, such as simple passwords. This method accounts for 71 percent of all data breaches (note tips in sidebar).

These attacks are becoming more sophisticated every day, giving great concern to security experts worldwide. In 2022, there was a dramatic increase in the number of phishing attempts coming through my business and cell phone. Which tells me that there’s some validity to the general warning issued by the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) last year.

So such threats are real, and although not often mentioned in the press, towing is a critical part of the U.S.

transportation infrastructure, so don’t think for a moment you’re not a target. If you haven’t reviewed your cybersecurity plans recently, or don’t have any, now is the time to think seriously about updates to policies, procedures, and who really needs connected access. CISA is asking transportation providers to thoroughly review all their procedures and heighten their cybersecurity posture.

GO PHISH

Some of you are likely asking, “What is phishing and how can it affect me?” Simply put, phishing is when a hacker sends a fraudulent email or text message pretending to be a reputable company, and tries to get you to reveal personal information (such as passwords or credit card numbers) by clicking on a link. This step can then also allow them to install malware on your device or network and do harm to your data and system.

As an example, my company received an email saying my payroll would not be processed because of missing bank info. The giveaway? There’s no payroll system at my company! Same concept with “expired” internet security, cell phone bills, health insurance—you

name it and it has shown up in my company’s inbox or cell phone.

While phishing is a leading security concern, how could it affect the average tower? Besides the distraction and disruption to your business and personal life, poor cybersecurity can allow access to sensitive business records or computer systems that could end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars (or more) to repair or replace.

Don’t think that it is only your office staff that you need to train on these issues either. Anywhere a digital device is used there is a potential entry point for malware. From your driver’s cell phone (especially if they use their own device for personal and business use) to the data terminal in your truck, or even the wifi connection popular in the newest cars and trucks. Every place there is a connection to the internet or between multiple devices is a target and potential weak spot. (Also of note, TikTok software, owned by the Chinese government, has recently been banned from most federal digital devices.)

Imagine if your entire dispatching system suddenly went dark, your internet phone system stopped working, and all your billing records were erased. How would you

Brian J. Riker is a third-generation towman, with 26 years of experience in the ditch as a tow operator, and president of Fleet Compliance Solutions. He specializes in helping navigate the complex world of federal and state transportation regulatory compliance. He can be reached at brian.riker@fleetcompliancesolutions.net

A phishing attack is computer poison, allowing hackers to install malware on your device or network which harm your data and system.

recover from that? Even worse, what if the data bus (a group of electrical wires that sends data between two or more components) on your fleet was hacked and your trucks were rendered inoperable? Or worse yet disabled while in motion and made to wreck?

HACKER ATTACKS

This scenario is not from a science fiction movie but rather a likely result from a widespread infrastructure attack by hackers, especially those backed by a foreign state. Think about the damage done when the Colonial Pipeline was hacked back in May 2021, or how about the time in 2015 when a hacker took control of a Jeep Wrangler remotely, disabling its engine, while it was being driven by an editor from Wired Magazine?

These attacks have been refined into very complex assaults, with hackers claiming to be a customer service representative from a vendor, or maybe even pretending to be an internal employee of a company, using information they found on social media to gain your trust. This process uses social media for spear phishing, a fancy way of saying they read your Facebook posts and then target you, or your company. Those cute little games and surveys that ask what was the first truck you drove or where you grew up might seem like innocent fun. But more likely they are purpose-built to gather the answers to your security questions or other information so the attacker can take advantage.

Some of the more common of these attacks target bank information by claiming to be your bank, an online retailer, health insurer, or other institution, and their messages are getting harder to detect as suspect every day. Others simply aim to create havoc and destroy information, while some even attempt to ransom your data for a

large amount of money.

VULNERABLE TOWERS

Cybersecurity is not just all foreign national hackers working in some dark, remote basement. They often use physical breaches to gain access to your networks. Towers

are especially vulnerable to this as we often allow customers inside our trucks, offices and handle their personal belongings.

Several physical threats include accessing an unlocked tablet, cell phone or computer when nobody is looking, swapping out a

Every place there is a connection to the internet or between multiple devices is a target and potential weak spot.

Anti-Phishing Tips

Individuals with bad motives may use jwpub.org accounts to email dangerous links. Such links are purposely designed to trick you into visiting malicious websites. Since cybersecurity concerns are ever increasing, it is vital that you pay close attention to the following information to protect your computers from hacking:

-Do not enter any personal details, including your username or password, on any website that you did not intentionally visit or that has an address you do not recognize.

-Protect your password with a complex combination of 12 characters or more, or biometric authentication, such as fingerprint/face recognition.

-Do not share your password with others. If you receive such a request, do not respond.

-If possible, make use of the more secure identity verification methods such as the use of an authenticator app or receiving a code by email.

-If your password becomes known by someone else, change it immediately.

-Ensure that your password is unique and not used for any other account.

-Some web browsers offer to remember your password or keep you signed in. Do not use these features on any shared computer, phone, or tablet.

-Always log out when finished using any shared computer, phone, or tablet.

-Always check the website address in the address bar carefully. If you are not sure it is an official website, do not enter your user-

cell phone’s charger cord with a seemingly innocent cord that actually has a backdoor key or other malware hidden inside. Or stealing your device and using it to access information before you notice it missing.

Even towers being curious and plugging in a random USB drive or memory card they found laying somewhere could introduce malware into your system. Yes, these hackers go as far as planting tempting devices for others to “steal,” thereby unwittingly hooking infected devices up to their own networks.

With all the modern payment methods we accept it is even possible to send a high-quality, yet fake,

name and password.

-Do not be quick to click. Opening harmful links could lead to your account being compromised or to your computer, phone, or tablet being infected. If you do not know the sender, use one of the following methods to determine whether a link is safe: Computers: Hover over the link with your mouse pointer, but do not click on it. The real address of the link will display. If you do not recognize the real address, do not click on the link.

Phones and Tablets: Press and hold the link. The real address of the link will display. If you do not recognize the real address, do not tap on the link.

-Apply security updates. Regularly apply the latest security update to all your devices, including computers, phones, and tablets. Older devices or operating systems that are no longer supported by the manufacturer should generally not be used because of known security vulnerabilities. Currently, devices using the Android 7, iOS 11, or Windows 8 operating system (or an earlier version) are not considered secure.

-Whenever possible, enable the encryption setting on all your devices that support it. Many new devices come with encryption already enabled. See the manufacturer’s instructions for your device to learn how to enable encryption.

-Secure your mobile devices in a physically secured location when not in use.

payment link or introduce malware into a network using wireless data exchange such as tap-to-pay or radio frequency identification skimmers. This type of fraud is very popular with credit card payment terminals, especially those used at the fuel pumps or in remote stores.

TOO QUICK TO CLICK

Be very careful of clicking any text links or email links, even when you were expecting them, without first closely inspecting them. Look for bad grammar, misspellings and substitutions like the number zero in place of an upper case letter “O” in an email address or website name. These are not simple mistakes, and

just one letter or number different takes you to a completely different website. Even if you just get a “page not found” error, it is likely too late if its’ a phishing attack. The landing page likely already loaded malware into your system!

It should go without saying, but always have up to date anti-virus software on all your devices, not just computers. Cell phones, tablets, smart watches and even truck data terminals are all open to attack and could be the gateway into your network or personal information. Limit wireless sharing such as AirDrop or Bluetooth to only trusted and recognized devices, and avoid public wifi hotspots like the plague unless you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

WEAKEST LINKS

Passwords and user IDs are where we are weakest. They should be something easy to remember but hard to guess. Most security experts recommend at least 16 characters with a mix of letters, numbers and special symbols. Don’t use family names, birthdays or other easy-to-find information. Never repeat the same pattern and use a different password for every account, especially critical accounts, so that if your information is compromised on one account, then the damage can be controlled. All too often people use the same user ID and password for everything, which is a huge security risk.

Two-factor authentication is a great tool to control access to critical accounts. Not only would a hacker need to properly guess your login credentials, but they would also need to convince you to send them the text or email code you just received. Hint: if anyone contacts you looking for a code you just established, it

is a phishing scam. Do not reply and report it to your company’s I.T. security team.

Many cyber experts also recommend using a password generator software, which is an app that will create random access codes and manage all your online activity. While that might be a good approach, some business owners have concerns that all your online identity could be compromised if a hacker gained access to a single source. For that reason consider keeping everything to yourself and changing passwords on a rotating basis and using different ones for each account and system.

Other physical security solutions include immediately changing your router or access point network name and admin login credentials. Most of these devices come with easy-to-guess or publicly known administrator credentials that must be reset as soon as you install the device. Do not

leave the default settings on, even for a guest network you create. Speaking of guests, never allow a guest to use your main wireless network, always create a separate, restricted, network for guests and others not under your direct control. Change the access codes frequently, and limit who you allow to access your guest network.

Consider keeping remote backups of your critical files off-site, maybe even in multiple locations such as a cloud-based service and a physical hard drive located at one of your other facilities or even your home.

Lastly, always lock your computer or cell phone, even if you are only

away from it for a moment. Set a short timer to black out the screen, be aware of who is looking over your shoulder (especially in crowded public places), and do not leave passwords or usernames written down in easy-to-find places such as your wallet, backpack or on the wall of your office.

For more information on this threat warning and more, visit the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s website atcisa. gov/shields-up

Don’t let your important office files become an open book by keeping computer passwords in plain view, such as on a whiteboard or sticky note.

My BaBy Lady in Red

You Can Call Her Scarlett

By Steve Temple

Giving a treasured tow truck a nickname doesn’t always come from the owner, but sometimes from admiring onlookers. That’s the case with this 2020 Peterbilt with a Jerr-Dan rotator at Big Al’s Towing in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The owner’s name is actually Dave Rose, but he goes by Big Al for some reason. His firm was founded by his father about 25 years ago, who started out years before with a junkyard. He got into towing

by custom-building a wrecker, and Big Al still keeps its twin booms in memory of his father.

After upgrading from a 30-ton straight-stick Jerr-Dan wrecker to the 50/60-ton rotator shown here, Big Al made sure both had the same bright-red paint scheme, hence the nickname “Scarlett.”

There’s no connection with the name of the actress in the classic movie Gone With Wind, nor Scarlett Johansson from the Avengers films, but it does have a

celebrity status of sorts.

Big Al’s Manager Cory Bouchard, who operates this wrecker on a daily basis, is meticulous about its polished looks and cockpit detailing, making sure to buff it out monthly. As a result, the truck is known for its sparkling appearance in the his service area.

“That’s just good marketing and publicity,” Cory wisely points out. And he also likes to participate in local parades and trick-or-treat

Big Al’s Jerr-Dan rotator handles a wide array of jobs, including some construction applications.

Cory Bouchard keeps Scarlett the rotator looking her best, always ready for public events.

events for kids, passing out candy from the boom.

Scarlett isn’t just for show, of course, as Cory has put over 60,000 miles on this wrecker in the last year and a half. One job consisted of pulling an 110,000-pound excavator out of a muddy ditch with the help of Reliable, a fellow tower, and a second Jerr-Dan

TECH HIGHLIGHTS

Truck: 2020 Peterbilt 567

Wrecker body: Jerr-Dan Rotator JD50/60 with five winches (two primary 50,000 pounds; three auxiliary 20,000 pounds; and a drag winch 50,000 pounds)

Engine: Cummins X15 Performance Series (605 hp and 2050 lb/ft torque)

Custom features: chrome accents on wheels; cab visor, miter-cut stacks, front fender covers with logo

Reliable is a trusted fellow tower that joins forces with Big Al for extra big jobs.

This Jerr-Dan Rotator JD50/60 is outfitted with five winches, and runs a Cummins X15 Performance Series diesel that cranks out a beefy 2050 lb/ft of torque.

wrecker. Eight winch lines in all were needed to extricate the excavator.

Other work included recovering a car from a drainage canal, loading an expensive wake-boarding boat on a hot-shot trailer’s for a trip to Florida, and transporting a dog trainer’s large shed. To raise it off the ground, he had to used air bags, wooden cribbing, straps underneath and a custom spreader bar.

All told, Cory feels the Jerr-Dan can do the work of two trucks, and feels strongly about having the latest in tow trucks, and was responsible for encouraging Big Al to acquire it. Cory then attended training at Jerr-Dan’s facility in Pennsylvania to get familiar with operating the rotator’s controls.

As result of Cory’s and other operators’ diligent efforts, Big Al was given an ACE award at American Towman’s Expo in Baltimore last Fall. Scarlett blushes with pride about her role in this significant industry recognition.

Heavy weather is a regular challenge in Wyoming.

Blame Game

Who is Liable for Damages On a Roadside Call?

By Josh Brown, Esq.

Who is responsible when somebody gets hurt while their vehicle is undergoing roadside repairs? In California, a motor club had a system for providing roadside emergency services to its members. It certifies technicians and hires certain roadside service providers as independent contractors. When a contractor sends a certified technician to provide roadside service, the club will pay for the service, directly to the contractor. But the club requires companies to meet certain standards before they can be contractors,

and must also adhere to certain guidelines when assisting club members.

One of the club’s independent contractors was a company called AM/PM Towing, with a certified technician named Felix. He was called to assist a driver stranded due to a flat tire. The stranded driver was struck by a car and seriously injured while Felix was working on the driver’s car.

So in a lawsuit for damages caused to the driver, who should be responsible? The driver sued Felix, AM/PM, and the motor club. Obviously, most companies would say that the stranded driver is the only one who should be liable. After all, he is the only party with control of his activities during the call. However, for argument’s sake, let’s just assume that Felix shares some fault for the injuries to the driver. Obviously, Felix has a

Josh Brown is an attorney at Cassone Law Offices, LLC. where he represents dozens of small businesses throughout Ohio as business counsel and litigator.

liability problem. However, what about his immediate employer and the club?

The primary question is the subject of “agency.” Every state has particular laws for agency. Generally speaking, an employee is going to be liable for injuries caused in the course of doing acts which are part of their employment.

If the acts are outside the scope of employment, the employer can become liable if the employer ratifies the act. Ratification can happen if the employer knows about the acts and does nothing to stop it. So the court is going to look at whether controlling the stranded driver is part of Felix’s employment.

The driver would argue that the technicians must take control of the site, since this roadside service is a regular activity for the technician, and not for the driver. The driver would say that Felix should refrain from working until he is sure the drivers are safe. Also, AM/PM should have procedures in place to prevent accidents.

AM/PM would say that Felix has no control of these drivers, their passengers, and others. It is not his job to control them. Perhaps, to a certain extent, AM/PM and Felix have a right to assume people have enough common sense to avoid getting hit by passerby cars (assuming the passerby car drivers are not liable).

What about the club’s liability? At what point does a “certified technician” who is acting under specific guidelines from the club, and ultimately being paid by it, become an agent of the club?

The answer is likely going to be when the technician is engaging in an act that was specifically directed by the club itself. For example, if the club has a certain requirement in order to maintain the certification, Felix meets that requirement, and the requirement itself causes the damages—then the club could have some liability exposure. (In this particular case, however, none was found.)

To minimize liability exposure for the acts of roadside technicians, each company should have a detailed employee field manual. That manual should give specific direction on the technician’s responsibilities. An experienced lawyer and the company’s insurance company should review and assist with editing the manual. This procedure will help create clarity as to what is within the “scope of employment.” Further, in the technician’s employment contract, it should be clear that the company is not liable if he deviates from the manual.

To minimize liability exposure for the acts of roadside technicians, each company should have a detailed employee field manual.

Tomlinson Proudly Wore the Title

By Steve Calitri

When the Wall Street Journal called me six years ago to do an article on our work at American Towman, I told the writer Clare Ansberry about the various aspects of what we had created, not least of all the Adventures of the American Towman. I gave her Bill Tomlinson’s name to talk to, and she did, quoting him in the article. Bill may have been the biggest fan of the comic series. He loved recovery jobs, the challenges and the logistics. The Adventures featured plenty of dramatic recoveries.

It was humbling and exciting to know that a veteran recovery specialist loved reading the Adventures. He said he waited like a kid for each issue of AT to arrive, even after he retired.

I saw Bill and his wife leaving Festival Night at the Exposition, maybe nine years ago and he remarked about the Adventures. He still spoke about the series on a phone call to me a couple of years ago.

I suppose Bill was a big kid

all along his career as a towman who always relished playing with those big toys. I remember one of the Expositions in Baltimore when he showed me some photos of recoveries that he and his company had performed. Listening to him, you could tell there wasn’t anything else he’d rather be doing.

I first crossed paths with Bill at the very first American Towman Exposition. He and Barb travelled all the way from Ashland, Wisconsin to receive his Towman 500 plaque. Back in 1989, Tomlinson’s was ranked 24th of the 500 oldest and most experienced towing companies. Bill and Barb would come to many more of the Expositions over the years.

There was a lot more to Bill’s dedication to our industry, a lot more. His obituary listed many of his industry achievements:

Bill was awarded the George Lansar Award as ‘The Special Person,’ from the Wisconsin Towing and Recovery Association.

“Bill was an active member in the Towing and Recovery Association of America where he also held many titles. He was a Charter Member, was on the Education and Training board, Special Education Committee, Legislative committee, the Chairman of the Truck and Equipment Specification Committee, along with being the Chairman of the Council of States Towing Association.

Steve Calitri Editor-in-Chief scalitri@towman.com

“He was a Charter Member, Board Member, and Board Chairman, of the Wisconsin Towing Association and the Chairman of the Towing Convention and Towing Education Committee. In the ’80s and ’90s, Bill headed up the Saturday demonstration of uplifting semitrucks, as a recovery trainer. He enhanced this training by organizing a tractor-trailer demonstration, which involved 12 young children that pulled cables with their hands and body strength to upright it. He was an early moderator of the Saturday morning ‘Talking Towing.’

“Bill was inducted into the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame where he was a Charter Member of Friends of Towing. He was a part of the Hazmat Special Training Group.”

The obit went on to mention, “One will never forget that Bill pioneered the ‘By-Jesus’ hook up method.

Bill, and the rare breed who are like him, make this the greatest of all industries; an industry of doers, problem solvers, and contributors to the greater good. There was no greater title Bill would ever have wanted than ‘towman.’”

A tow truck procession to Bill’s place of rest will be held on Friday, May 26, 2023.

Bill Tomlinson, 1940 - 2023

Cathy Tennis, President of PA Towing Association, Passes

Cathy Lynn Smith Tennis, 61, who owned a towing company and served as President and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Towing Association, passed away on Sunday, January 30, 2023, following a lengthy illness.

Tennis and her husband John were the owners and operators of John Tennis Towing Company until

their retirement in 2022. During her career in the towing industry, she served as President and Executive Director of the PA Towing Association where she spearheaded an event known as “Hooking Up and Hanging Out” for their association meetings.

Source: legacy.com

San Diego Looking at New Tow Policies

As a result of an audit in San Diego, several city council members are desiring a change in its towing policy. The audit found that towing practices disproportionately hurt low-income people, and that the city is losing $1.5 million dollars a year with its towing program.

Changes considered include a “text before tow” program, parking boots, community service instead of fines, fee forgiveness, income-based payment plans and eliminating tows when the only infraction is failure to pay registration fees.

“Our towing policy worsens inequities and has devastating impacts on people’s lives,” pointed out Council member Stephen Whitburn. “The city should not take people’s cars and sell them to collect small debts, or punish people for minor violations.”

The audit found the top two reasons a vehicle gets towed—registrations expired longer than six months, and violations of the 72-hour parking rule on many city streets—typically affect low-income people more than others.

Source: sandiegouniontribune. com

Late Payments on Car Loans Increasing

Key factors causing more delinquencies in car loans include termination of loan-relief programs post pandemic, rising inflation, higher interest rates, and higher used and new car prices, resulting in extended payments on car loans. According to

Cathy Lynn Smith Tennis

Cox Automotive, the average cost of a new car reached $47,148 as of May 2022. This is a 13.5 percent increase from the average cost only one year ago, in May 2021.

According to TransUnion data, 4.35 percent of car owners ages 18 to 40 were at least 60 days late on their auto loans in early 2022. In 2019, before the pandemic began, Gen Z had a past-due rate of 1.75 percent. Today, past-due rates have reached as high as 2.21 percent among Gen Z car owners. Similarly, millennials now show increased past-due rates of 2.14 percent, compared with 1.66 percent before the pandemic.

The percentage of subprime auto borrowers who are at least 60 days past due on payments rose to 5.67 percent in December from a seven-year low of 2.58 percent in April 2021. That compares with the peak of 5.04 percent in January 2009 during the financial crisis.

Higher interest rates make it harder for Americans who borrow to ◀

buy cars to make monthly payments. The average new-car loan rate was 8.02 percent in December, up from 5.15 percent in the same period in 2021, according to Cox Automotive. Interest rates for subprime borrowers can be much higher, with some even paying over 25 percent on their car loans.

Source: breakinglatest.news

Towman Turns Himself In

A tow truck driver in Portland, Oregon turned himself into local police after realizing he was involved in a hitand-run crash involving another tow truck driver.

Arthur Walker of Northwestern Towing was loading a disabled vehicle on his tow truck before he was hit, badly hurt and hospitalized.

The towman who hit him said he saw the story on the news and thought he might have been involved. An officer met with him and found that he had damage that matched that of the crash on his 2019 Ford F-350 tow truck.

The towman explained to the officer that a top

came loose from another vehicle and landed on his windshield, blinding him. He said he heard the thump, but didn’t know what happened. He said when he pulled the tarp off at the next exit, he went back but said he didn’t see anything.

No arrests were made and the injured tower was released from the hospital.

Source: kptv.com

Car loan delinquencies are clearly on the rise, as shown here.

The towman who was hit was found on the pavement in front of his truck.

Cathy Tennis, President of PA Towing Association, Passes

Cathy Lynn Smith Tennis, 61, who owned a towing company and served as President and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Towing Association, passed away on Sunday, January 30, 2023, following a lengthy illness.

Tennis and her husband John were the owners and operators of John Tennis Towing Company until their retirement in 2022. During her career in the towing industry, she served as President and Executive Director of the PA Towing Association where she spearheaded an event known as “Hooking Up and Hanging Out” for their association meetings.

Source: legacy.com

San Diego Looking at New Tow Policies

As a result of an audit in San Diego, several city council members are desiring a change in its towing policy. The audit found that towing practices disproportionately hurt low-income people, and that the city is losing $1.5 million dollars a year with its towing program.

Changes considered include a “text before tow” program, parking boots, community service instead of fines, fee forgiveness, income-based payment plans and eliminating tows when the only infraction is failure to pay registration fees.

“Our towing policy worsens inequities and has devastating impacts on people’s lives,” pointed out Council member Stephen Whitburn. “The city

should not take people’s cars and sell them to collect small debts, or punish people for minor violations.”

The audit found the top two reasons a vehicle gets towed—registrations expired longer than six months, and violations of the 72-hour parking rule on many city streets—typically affect low-income people more than others.

Source: sandiegouniontribune. com

Late Payments on Car Loans Increasing

Key factors causing more delinquencies in car loans include termination of loan-relief programs post pandemic, rising inflation, higher interest rates, and higher used and new car prices, resulting in extended payments on car loans. According to Cox Automotive, the average cost of a new car reached $47,148 as of May 2022. This is a 13.5 percent increase from the average cost only one year ago, in May 2021.

According to TransUnion data, 4.35 percent of car owners ages 18 to 40 were at least 60 days late on their auto loans in early 2022. In 2019, before the pandemic began, Gen Z had a past-due rate of 1.75 percent. Today, past-due rates have reached as high as 2.21 percent among Gen

Z car owners. Similarly, millennials now show increased past-due rates of 2.14 percent, compared with 1.66 percent before the pandemic.

The percentage of subprime auto borrowers who are at least 60 days past due on payments rose to 5.67 percent in December from a seven-year low of 2.58 percent in April 2021. That compares with the peak of 5.04 percent in January 2009 during the financial crisis.

Higher interest rates make it harder for Americans who borrow to buy cars to make monthly payments. The average new-car loan rate was 8.02 percent in December, up from 5.15 percent in the same period in 2021, according to Cox Automotive. Interest rates for subprime borrowers can be much higher, with some even paying over 25 percent on their car loans.

Source: breakinglatest.news

Towman Turns Himself In

A tow truck driver in Portland, Oregon turned himself into local police after realizing he was involved in a hitand-run crash involving another tow truck driver.

Arthur Walker of Northwestern Towing was loading a disabled vehicle on his tow truck before he was hit, badly hurt and hospitalized.

The towman who hit him said

Cathy Lynn Smith Tennis

Car loan delinquencies are clearly on the rise, as shown here.

he saw the story on the news and thought he might have been involved. An officer met with him and found that he had damage that matched that of the crash on his 2019 Ford F-350 tow truck.

The towman explained to the officer that a top came loose from another vehicle and landed on his windshield, blinding him. He said he heard the thump, but didn’t know what happened. He said when he pulled the tarp off at the next exit, he went back but said he didn’t see anything.

No arrests were made and the injured tower was released from the hospital.

Source: kptv.com

Heavy Rescue 401 in Final Season

Discovery Channel’s Heavy Rescue 401 is in its final season of production. The show has run on the Discovery Channel since 2016 and features Gary and Colin Vandenheuval, the fa-

ther-son towing duo from Sarnia, Ontario and their family business, Preferred Towing.

“It’s been bittersweet,” shared Gary in a radio interview. “It was a great run for seven years and a neat experience to showcase the industry and business across 170 countries.”

While they were filming the show, Gary said a crew of three men would stay in Sarnia in a rental house from late November to March and wait for Preferred Towing to get a call, then meet them out in the field.

“We’ve had them there as long as 16 hours on a couple of the bigger wrecks,” he said.

Gary’s son Colin said that he’s been a role model for others who might want to enter the tow industry.

“You know, now I’ve got kids showing up at the door saying I watch you, I wanna do what you do,” he said. “And, you know, that’s neat for me because I’ve influenced a generation to look at a different career because not a lot of people think of towing as a career.”

Gary said that the show has resonated with many people because it’s made them, “aware of the challenges and skillsets that’s needed to remove these large vehicles and keep these highways open.”

Source: cbc.ca

The crew of Heavy Rescue 401 with Emily Oz at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore in 2019.

News Flash

career in the towing industry, she served as President and Executive Director of the PA Towing Association where she spearheaded an event known as “Hooking Up and Hanging Out” for their association meetings.

Source: legacy.com

San Diego Looking at New Tow Policies

Cathy Tennis, President of PA Towing Association, Passes

Cathy Lynn Smith Tennis, 61, who owned a towing company and served as President and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Towing Association, passed away on Sunday, January 30, 2023, following a lengthy illness.

Tennis and her husband John were the owners and operators of John Tennis Towing Company until their retirement in 2022. During her

As a result of an audit in San Diego, several city council members are desiring a change in its towing policy. The audit found that towing practices disproportionately hurt low-income people, and that the city is losing $1.5 million dollars a year with its towing program.

Changes considered include a “text before tow” program, parking boots, community service instead of fines, fee forgiveness, income-based payment plans and eliminating tows when the only infraction is failure to pay registration fees.

“Our towing policy worsens ineq-

uities and has devastating impacts on people’s lives,” pointed out Council member Stephen Whitburn. “The city should not take people’s cars and sell them to collect small debts, or punish people for minor violations.”

The audit found the top two reasons a vehicle gets towed—registrations expired longer than six months, and violations of the 72-hour parking rule on many city streets—typically affect low-income people more than others.

Source: sandiegouniontribune. com

Late Payments on Car Loans Increasing

Key factors causing more delinquencies in car loans include termination of loan-relief programs post pandemic, rising inflation, higher interest rates, and higher used and new car prices, resulting in extended payments on car loans. According to Cox Automotive, the average cost of a new car reached $47,148 as of May 2022. This is a 13.5 percent increase from the average cost only one year ago, in May 2021.

According to TransUnion data, 4.35 percent of car owners ages 18 to 40 were at least 60 days late on their auto loans in early 2022. In 2019, before the pandemic began, Gen Z had a past-due rate of 1.75 percent. Today, past-due rates have reached as high as 2.21 percent among Gen Z car owners. Similarly, millennials now show increased past-due rates of 2.14 percent, compared with 1.66 percent before the pandemic.

The percentage of subprime auto borrowers who are at least 60 days past due on payments rose to 5.67 percent in December from a seven-year low of 2.58 percent in April 2021. That compares with the peak of 5.04 percent in January 2009 during the financial crisis.

Higher interest rates make it harder for Americans who borrow to buy cars to make monthly payments. The average new-car loan rate was 8.02 percent in December, up from

Cathy Lynn Smith Tennis

5.15 percent in the same period in 2021, according to Cox Automotive. Interest rates for subprime borrowers can be much higher, with some even paying over 25 percent on their car loans.

Source: breakinglatest.news

Towman Turns Himself In

A tow truck driver in Portland, Oregon turned himself into local police after realizing he was involved in a hit-

and-run crash involving another tow truck driver.

Arthur Walker of Northwestern Towing was loading a disabled vehicle on his tow truck before he was hit, badly hurt and hospitalized.

The towman who hit him said he saw the story on the news and thought he might have been involved. An officer met with him and found that he had damage that matched that of the crash on his 2019 Ford F-350 tow truck.

The towman explained to the officer that a top came loose from another vehicle and landed on his windshield, blinding him. He said he heard the thump, but didn’t know what happened. He said when he pulled

the tarp off at the next exit, he went back but said he didn’t see anything.

No arrests were made and the injured tower was released from the hospital.

Source: kptv.com

Car loan delinquencies are clearly on the rise, as shown here.

The towman who was hit was found on the pavement in front of his truck.

News Flash

Cathy Tennis, President of PA Towing Association, Passes

Cathy Lynn Smith Tennis, 61, who owned a towing company and served as President and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Towing Association, passed away on Sunday, January 30, 2023, following a lengthy illness.

Tennis and her husband John were the owners and operators of John Tennis Towing Company until their retirement in 2022. During her career in the towing industry, she served as President and Executive Director of the PA Towing Association where she spearheaded an event known as “Hooking Up and Hanging Out” for their association meetings.

Source: legacy.com

Late Payments on Car Loans Increasing

Key factors causing more delinquencies in car loans include termi-

nation of loan-relief programs post pandemic, rising inflation, higher interest rates, and higher used and new car prices, resulting in extended payments on car loans. According to Cox Automotive, the average cost of a new

car reached $47,148 as of May 2022. This is a 13.5 percent increase from the average cost only one year ago, in May 2021.

According to TransUnion data, 4.35 percent of car owners ages

Car loan delinquencies are clearly on the rise, as shown here.

18 to 40 were at least 60 days late on their auto loans in early 2022. In 2019, before the pandemic began, Gen Z had a past-due rate of 1.75 percent. Today, past-due rates have reached as high as 2.21 percent among Gen Z car owners. Similarly, millennials now show increased past-due rates of 2.14 percent, compared with 1.66 percent before the pandemic.

The percentage of subprime auto borrowers who are at least 60 days past due on payments rose to 5.67 percent in December from a seven-year low of 2.58 percent in April 2021. That compares with the peak of 5.04 percent in January 2009 during the financial crisis.

Higher interest rates make it harder for Americans who borrow to buy cars to make monthly payments. The average new-car loan rate was 8.02 percent in December, up from 5.15 percent in the same period in 2021, according to Cox Automotive. Interest rates for subprime borrowers can be much higher, with some even paying over 25 percent on their car loans.