American Towman Magazine - April 2018 by dortiz-towman

Rate Increase and Rotation: Win Big @ ATShowPlace.com

Justin and Jeff Schaffer, of Shaffer’s Towing in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Enjoy your coffee at TowIndustryWeek.com

Towing’s Week in Vegas, May 9-12 Easier Motorcycle Loads Hydrogen Cell Safety Notes Clean Cabs & First Impressions AmericanTowman.com

Cover: Justin and Jeff Schaffer, of Shaffer’s Towing in Cincinnati, Ohio, analyze Flow Stop in AT's annual Buyers Report section. Pgs 63-76.

Pamela Turner of Lee’s Towing in Louisiana continually seeks industry education to advance her skills and her company.

FEATURE CONTENTS

Holistic Approach to Industry Education Pamela Turner is wise beyond her years in towing in seeking out advice and training. by Charles Duke

Departments The Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Work Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Tow Manager . . . . . . . . . . . .36, 58 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Letter to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . .60 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .94 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . .105 4 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

Shopping at Midnight Auto Supply Especially with take-home trucks, towers must be vigilant to secure and safeguard their truck’s equipment. by Randall Resch

Buyers Report Towers across the U.S. share their thoughts and opinions on industry suppliers and products with you.

Spirit Ride Keeps Rolling in 2018 First On The Scene!

by Dennie Ortiz

his month, the AT Spirit Ride motorists with the hopes of saving begins its 2018 tour with more lives. Follow the Spirit Ride route in than 160 towing companies hosting ceremonies and pro- this issue to see the amount of support the Spirit Ride has received cessions throughout the nation. To give you an idea of what’s from towers, suppliers and individahead: Last year’s Sprit Ride had uals alike. The towing industry is challengmore than 5,000 tow trucks and emergency vehicles rolling in the ing enough just to survive in, let processions that traveled through alone thrive. Featured in this month’s pages is our annual 2,000-plus municipalities. At American Towman The towing “Buyers Report.” In this section you will hear we once again express our deep gratitude to all industry is from fellow towers about which suppliers, the Spirit Ride towers for their hard work and ded- challenging products and services have helped them sucication in helping us raise awareness of the dangers enough to ceed in their business. The Buyers Report is that all responders face unique as our editor, while working the roadsurvive in, Brendan Dooley, conways. tacts each tower directly AT also gives our let alone to find out why and how heartfelt thanks to the the products and sermany towers and supplithrive. vices work for them. It ers who sponsored the AT Spirit Ride to keep it moving. gives you unbiased information One supplier who has increased their directly from the towing business support told me: “I continue to be owners that use the product and/or disappointed as I travel in various service, rather than through the supstates, including Colorado, at how plier themselves ... you know their many drivers continue to not switch endorsement is “for real.” If you are thinking about visiting lanes when a towman/woman has their lights on and is working to help us at the AT ShowPlace-Las Vegas, a stranded driver. Too many needless go to page 42 to see the list of more than 160 exhibiting suppliers that deaths.” It is for this reason that the AT include more than a dozen call Spirit Ride continues in 2018 to honor providers. Between the trade show all fallen first responders while floor, important seminar conferences emphasizing the Move Over laws to and events, it is well worth planning a trip next month to work and play the motoring public. Our combined efforts have in Las Vegas on May 9-11. Hope to see you in Vegas. Stay spurred vast media coverage and awareness of this cause to millions of safe out there!

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Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley Charles Duke Randall Resch Terry Abejuela Jim “Buck” Sorrenti David Kolman Bill Simmons Emily Oz Mark Lacek

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Senior Editor Operations Editor Field Editor, West Field Editor, Northeast Chassis Editor Safety Editor On Screen Editor Repo Run Editor

Editorial Board Tommy Anderson Roy Carlson Debbie Collins Belinda Harris Bill Johnson Ron Mislan Kurt Wilson

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

American Towman Staff Ann Marie Nitti Dennie Ortiz Ellen Rosengart Norma Calitri Jimmy Santos Patrice Gesner Henri Calitri Toni Vanderhorst William Burwell Peggy Calabrese Ryan Oser Emily Oz Steve Calitri

Page Layout Artist Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Account Exec. VP of Accounts General Manager Subscription Manager Customer Service Publisher’s Assistant TIW Media Director Regional Advertising Sales iMarketing Manager ATTV Producer President

American Towman Media Headquarters 7 West Street, Warwick, NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546 E-mail: Publisher: dortiz@towman.com Editor-In-Chief: scalitri@towman.com Editor: bdooley@towman.com AT’S Digital Edition: itowman.com AT’S Website: americantowman.com AT’S Weekly: towindustryweek.com ATTV: americantowmantv.com Copyright ©2018 American Towman Magazine is published 12 times a year by American Towman Media, Inc. Subscription: $50–1 yr; $95–2 yrs • US $65 and $105 • International

All material published through American Towman Media (AT), to include American Towman Magazine, iTowman.com and TowIndustryWeek.com, including advertisements, editorials, articles and all other content is published in good faith. However, AT accepts no liability for any errors or omissions, and does not endorse any companies, products or services that appear. AT does not test or review products submitted for inclusion in its publications. AT does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of content, warranties or claims made or implied by its advertisers. The views expressed are the authors’ alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of AT. The act of mailing or delivering a letter, email or article to AT shall constitute permission to publish that letter or article or any portion thereof. AT reserves the right to edit any and all material submitted. No part of the magazine or websites may be reproduced without prior written consent of AT.

Increased Towing in Charlotte According to news reports in Charlotte, North Carolina, new numbers show towing is on the rise in the heart of the city. NBC Charlotte is also revealing complaints of alleged “predatory towing.” One viewer said a towing company put a boot on his truck shortly after he went to get a coffee, though he admitted he parked in a spot reserved for another tenant. He shared photos with NBC Charlotte that appear to show shrubs blocking the towing sign. “It’s definitely predatory towing because it was so quick and they didn’t really give me a chance to move,” Vanderschouw said. According to the city program, Park It!, there were more than 1,400 tows from October 2016 to November 2017, a three-year high. Source: wcnc.com.

Towman Coady Killed Roadside Towman Dan Coady of Coady’s Towing Service in Lawrence, Massachusetts, was killed in a chaotic fivevehicle pileup on I-495 in Andover in March. State Police said it started with a two-car crash just before 11 p.m. A short time later, Coady arrived and began loading one of the cars onto his flatbed. That’s when police say a Pontiac G6 hit a BMW that was parked in the breakdown lane. The Pontiac then went on to hit the tow truck and Coady, who was standing next to it. The Pontiac was then hit by a Hyundai Santa Fe. Coady, 41, was rushed to Saint’s Memorial Hospital in Lowell, but didn’t survive. Coady had been with Coady’s Towing for 25 years. Source: boston.cbslocal.com.

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Towmen Help Celebrate Birthday operate booms and About a dozen other equipment. towmen met in “I’m just Tu s c a l o o s a , amazed,” said Julie Alabama, recently Kizziah, whose fambefore forming a ily operates a towprocession and ing business. “All traveling to a birththese guys here day party at Fun have on different Factory for John uniforms, but right Henry Patton, who A dozen towers came out in their now they’re all the turned 9. trucks to help John Henry Patton, who same. These guys Patton has has autism, celebrate his ninth autism and other birthday. gadsdentimes.com image. are amazing. … When it comes health problems, down to it, they’re all a big family.” and has loved tow trucks since he The drivers presented John Henry was young, said his mother, Cindy with a toy tow truck that his father Patton. He wants to be a towman had bought before he died unexpectwhen he grows up. edly in December. All the drivers had John Henry clapped and waved signed it. as the fleet arrived with roaring Source: gadsdentimes.com. engines and flashing lights. He had a chance to explore inside the trucks,

Benefit Held for

Towman Struck on I-70 A group of towmen from Missouri and Illinois gathered in Bethalto, Illinois, recently for a benefit for John Nelson, a towman who was struck along I-70 in O’Fallon, Missouri, Feb. 21. The proceeds will help pay for Nelson’s medical expenses. Towman Adam Main said every time he steps out of his truck, he’s worried for his life. “Is this going to be the time I get hit again? People will just not move over,” he said. “We all have families. We want to go home to them. So please slow down; give us some space.” “My husband is out there, putting his life on the line to help your mom, help your dad, help your brother or

Towmen gathered to raise awareness of Move Over after a tower was struck in Missouri. kmov.com image.

sister on the side of the road,” added Main’s wife, Bobbi. Source: kmov.com.

. . . Ledoux pulled the patrol officer away . . . Vegas Registration Open Online

Towmen Assist in Police Standoff on I-90

Online registration is open for American Towman’s Tow Industry Week. The week of educational conferences, taking place May 9-12 at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, will offer a score of seminars, AT’s legendary hospitality, and special events. American Towman ShowPlace exhibits, May 10th and 11th, feature the industry’s top suppliers. Once again, the California Tow Truck Association will hold its annual convention at South Point as part of Tow Industry Week and the American Towman ShowPlaceLas Vegas. The hotel and casino itself features a movie theater, bowling lanes, cabaret club, live Las Vegas shows and great restaurants. Register at atshowplace.com.

In 30 years, Shawn Dadswell of Dadswell’s Pembroke Towing in New York has seen a lot in the towing business; but he said the standoff with weapons on I-90 he had to respond to on Feb. 26 was a first. Dadswell and his sons Brandon and Jacob were at the scene of a police standoff. The scene of the police standoff where towers had to remove a stuck semi under pressure. Troopers needed to remove a thedailynewsonline.com image. large tractor-trailer carrying 70,000 lbs. of plastic pellets at the scene. The tractor-trailer was instructed to turn around near the scene like other vehicles, but it got stuck. A man who troopers said fled from them and was armed was involved in a standoff near the rig. “It was a lot of pressure, get it in, get it out, one of those circumstances you just want to get it out of there,” said Brandon. It took 20 minutes to get in and out for the Dadswells. “It’s busy but having my boys working by my side is why I’m still in this business,” Shawn said. Source: thedailynewsonline.com.

Rates Increase in Florence, S.C.

Hero Towman Honored for Saving Police Officer

The city council in Florence, South Carolina, recently updated its wrecker policy to follow Highway Patrol guidelines; rates will increase for towing for the first time in several years. The highway patrol’s maximum storage charges are $33 per day after the first 24 hours of storage for vehicles weighing less than 7,000 lbs. After the first 24 hours, maximum daily charges are $41 for vehicles weighing between 7,000 lbs. and 17,000 lbs., and $58 for vehicles weighing more than 17,000 lbs. The city’s resolution makes a flat fee standard towing rate of $219 for vehicles under 7,000 lbs. and $311 for vehicles between 7,001 lbs. and 17,000 lbs. An amendment allowed for the increase in towing fees in the city limits, but not the storage fees. Source: scnow.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Jeff Ledoux of Hyde Park, New York, and owner of Just In Time Towing, was honored by the Hyde Park Police Department recently for rescuing one of its police officers. About 4 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2017, Hyde Park police were conducting a traffic stop as part of a DWI patrol. After the driver was arrested Hyde Park Police officer Mike Plass thanks towman Jeff Ledoux for saving his life last and taken back to the police station for processing, a patrol officer December. poughkeepsiejournal.com image. remained on scene to assist Just In Time Towing with removing the vehicle. Ledoux saw a vehicle approaching the scene at a high rate of speed that was veering towards the patrol car and tow truck. Without hesitation, Ledoux pulled the patrol officer away from the speeding vehicle. The driver of that vehicle was subsequently stopped and arrested for DWI. Source: northwestdutchess.dailyvoice.com.

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 9

Isuzu Announces NRR Crew Cab

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Nationwide Two-Way Radio with GPS Mapping

Isuzu announced a Crew Cab will be available for the NRR in 2018-2019.

Mobile Create USA recently announced its premier two-way radio communications product in Japan is now available for the U.S. market, using the AT&T network. The service includes GPS Google mapping. In addition to voice and GPS tracking, Mobile Create USA radios include text messaging and unlimited talk time. Speak to the entire fleet of vehicles or use private conversation as needed.

mcusainc.com

Access Tools Truck Master Set Access Tools said its Truck Master Set includes essential car opening tools and accessories to get into virtually every heavy-duty truck, big rig and commercial vehicle on the road today, including Freightliner, Ford, Chevrolet, Kenworth, Peterbilt, International, Hino, Mack and more. The included manual provides detailed instructions, diagrams and pictures to aid in the opening of the vehicle.

caropeningtools.com

Rotary Heavy-Duty Mobile Tire Changer Rotary recently introduced a full line of heavy-duty tire changers designed to help technicians quickly change tires on virtually any vehicle— including trucks, buses and agricultural equipment—in the shop or on the road. The R560 Mobile HD (right) is designed for both roadside and workshop service. Maximum tire width is 37.4” and maximum diameter is 51”. The R501N Speed Changer HD (center) is able to dismount and mount a truck tire in 30 seconds. Maximum tire width is 21” and maximum diameter is 52”. The R511 Commercial HD (left) can service the widest range of wheels, including truck, bus, super single, lock ring and agricultural. Maximum tire width is 36.4” and maximum diameter is 64”.

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Isuzu displayed an all-electric version of its N-Series truck at the National Truck Equipment Association’s The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis last month.

suzu Commercial Truck of America recently announced its production plans for the 2018 and 2019 model year, including the addition of a new Crew Cab model seating up to seven for the NRR Series. The Class 5 NRR Series (19,500 lbs.) began production in January 2018 and features wheelbases from 109” to 212” with body lengths up to 24’. The NRR is powered by Isuzu’s 5.2L turbocharged intercooled four-cylinder diesel engine rated to 215 hp and 452-lbs./ft. mated to an Aisin A465 six-speed double-overdrive automatic transmission with lockup torque converter plus PTO opening. Other highlights of the 2018-2019 models include: • The only low-cab-forward lineup that includes two EPA-certified diesel engines and a gasoline engine alternative.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

• Cab/chassis combinations offer standard threeseat cabs or Crew Cabs with seating for seven. • Upfit applications accommodate vocational bodies up to 30’ with the standard cab and 16’ with Crew Cab models. • The Isuzu Diagnostic Service System allows diesel-model owners to receive a detailed “Health Report” from Isuzu dealers on performance data. • GVWRs from 12,000 lbs. to 25,950 lbs. • N-Series gas models feature a Vortec gasoline engine that is CNG/LPG capable.

isuzucv.com

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 11

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Are Here by Terry Abejuela

lectric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas are all vehicles that help reduce vehicle emissions and help OEMs meet federal and state emissions mandates. As all of these different technologies advance, it is important for the towing and recovery industry to stay informed in order to be prepared to safely handle these technologies at the roadside as first responders. Vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells are an emerging fuel alternative that many automobile manufacturers are researching and developing to reduce vehicles emissions. Hydrogen-powered vehicles may seem scary to first responders due to the explosive images that come to mind when you add hydrogen to a dangerous situation or accident scene (like the Hindenburg airship disaster). It is important to understand how hydrogen-powered vehicles work so you can feel confident when servicing them. A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is propelled by an electric motor that receives its power from a fuel cell stack and battery pack. Air from outside the vehicle enters the intake and is funneled into the fuel cell stack, while hydrogen is delivered to the fuel cell stack from the hydrogen tank. The oxygen and hydrogen react, causing an electrochemical reaction that produces electricity and water. The electricity is sent to the electric motor to propel the vehicle and the water is expelled through the exhaust pipe. The hydrogen gas is consumed in the electrochemical reaction and is not burned. The big benefit to the motorist is that you do not need to take the time to recharge batteries. All you have to do is fill the hydrogen tanks and keep going. The range on most hydrogen vehicles currently is comparable to most internal-combustion engines.

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A look at hydrogen fuel cell system used in the Toyota Mirai sedan.

The drawback is the limited infrastructure of hydrogen fueling stations. The infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered vehicles is almost exclusively in California. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are approximately 40 hydrogen-fueling stations in the United States; 36 are located in California. California also has current plans and funding for additional hydrogen fueling stations to be built.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Elementary Hydrogen is the most common element on earth. Hydrogen gas is colorless, odorless and tasteless. The natural gas industry adds an odorant called Mercaptan to make it detectable. Currently, all known odorants damage fuel cells, so researchers are working on other methods to make hydrogen gas detectable. Current hydrogen-powered vehicles use sensors to detect fuel leaks. The flame of burning hydrogen gas is somewhat visible in daylight, but much dimmer than the flames from

other types of fuels. Hydrogen flame is a very faint blue and produces almost no heat. It is most easily identified by the mirror-like effect on the air around and above the flame. Hydrogen gas is not toxic for humans except in extremely high concentrations and is also non-poisonous and non-corrosive. There is a potential for asphyxiation if the hydrogen gas displaces air in a confined space. Hydrogen gas is about 14 times lighter than air, so it dissipates quickly in an open area. One big difference between hydrogen gas and gasoline is the temperature at which they auto-ignite. Auto-ignition temperature is when a substance will spontaneously ignite without an external spark or flame. Hydrogen has an auto-ignition temperature of 1,058 degrees F vs. 450 degrees F to 900 degrees F for gasoline (depending on the octane). Approximately 9 million tons of hydrogen are produced in the United States annually, primarily in California, Louisiana and Texas. There are several methods used to produce hydrogen but steam reforming is the least expensive and most common. Most of the hydrogen produced in the United States is used for refining, processing foods and treating metals. NASA has been using liquid hydrogen as an energy fuel for years.

In Use Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity and the Hyundia Tucson Fuel Cell are among the hydrogen-powered vehicles currently available for purchase or lease. Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz all have plans to produce a hydrogen vehicle soon. Nikola Motor Co. unveiled a hydrogen-powered truck in 2016 that has up to a 1,200-mile range. Toyota

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... continued from p. 14 has been working on hydrogen-powered vehicles for 23 years and is currently testing a truck at the port of Los Angeles. The current cost of a hydrogenpowered vehicle is much higher than conventional vehicles, due in large part to the cost of producing fuel cells. Some models of hydrogen-powered vehicles are built on a modified version of an existing model. Toyota’s FCHV (Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle) is based on the Toyota Highlander and also blends in Prius technology.

Service Roadside assistance procedures for hydrogen-powered vehicles will be similar to those of other vehicles in each manufacturer’s line of vehicles … with the exception of the added precautions for the hydrogen fuel cell and high-voltage electrical systems. This means there will be hydrogen storage tanks, fuel distribution lines and regulators, a fuel cell stack, a

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high-voltage battery pack, electric motor, cables and other components. There are a number of safety systems built into these vehicles to prevent hydrogen hazards, such as one-way check valves and storage tanks designed to withstand 2.25times the operating pressure. There are also a number safety features for the high-voltage system, including automatic shut off of electrical flow when front- or side-impact air bags are deployed, front or rear impact sensors trigger, or a malfunction in the fuel cell is detected. All high-voltage electrical wiring will be orange or contained within an orange wiring loom. There will be a 12V battery system that will operate vehicle accessories and the ignition system. Tire changes, lockout service, towing and transport will be similar to non-hydrogen powered vehicles. Some vehicles do not have a spare tire, similar to some of the late model conventional vehicles.

For safety, never assume the vehicle is shut off. These vehicles make little noise, so they might be turned on and could move unexpectedly. According to most OEMs, hydrogen-powered vehicles that are submersed in water do not pose an electrocution hazard. Wheel straps are often recommended for securement on a car carrier to avoid damage to high-voltage wiring. Some models are equipped with an eyebolt for loading and unloading on a car carrier. As always, educate yourself with any safety materials supplied by the manufacturers, motor clubs or other industry training sources.

Field Editor Terry Abejuela has 30plus years of light-duty towing-andrecovery experience. He is also a light-duty Level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association.

Chevy Adds Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD, 6500HD

AT Staff Report

Chevrolet unveiled its 2019 Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD and 6500HD at NTEA The Work Truck Show in March.

uring NTEA’s The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, last month, Chevrolet literally dropped the curtain to reveal its new Silverado 4500HD entry into the medium-duty market (along with a 5500HD), and then figuratively dropped jaws as a surprise 6500HD model was driven into its booth. “We are excited to have Chevy back as another OEM to support the towing industry,” said Jeff Irr, Senior Director, Sales and Marketing, JerrDan. “Chevy is a world-class brand that brings dealer support everywhere our towers are located.” Chevrolet’s first-ever Silverado Class 4, 5 and 6 chassis cab trucks will be available in 2WD and 4WD and will be powered by a 6.6L Duramax diesel engine rated at 350 hp and 700lbs./ft. of torque coupled to Allison

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The contoured hood will allow for increased driver vision of the road.

While the 4500HD and 5500HD announcements were expected, the 6500HD reveal was a surprise to most.

... continued from p. 18 transmissions with a PTO option. “We believe that the addition of the new Chevy Silverado 4500HD/5500HD to the market will add more opportunity for continued growth and strengthened relationships with our customers and suppliers,” said Vince Tiano, VP of Sales at Miller Industries. Features of the new Silverado

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medium-duty models include: • A factory-painted frame with one-piece frame rails, smooth, unobstructed top sections and through-the-frame fuel-fill lines. • Seven cab-to-axle options ranging from 60” to 162”, along with five unique axle-to-back-of-frame lengths sized in 8” increments. • A lightweight, front-hinged

clamshell hood for easy access to under-hood components. • The contoured hood increases the driver’s perspective of the road. • 50-degree wheel cuts for improved maneuverability. • An available, factory-installed rear air suspension.

Continued on p. 22...

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 21

GM Fleet’s John Schwegman said the new models were “designed to solve the most common upfit and ownership challenges fleets have” with medium-duty trucks.

... continued from p. 20 • Triple-sealed, inset doors help reduce wind and road noise. • DEF tank located on the passenger side of the truck— opposite the fuel fill—to eliminate mistakes. “Chevy’s designers and engineers were obsessed with making this Silverado the most customer-focused mediumduty truck of any major competitor … work-ready trucks that are easy to upfit, easy to drive, easy to service and easy to own,” said Ed Peper, U.S. VP-General Motors Fleet. “These new Silverados are designed to solve the most common upfit and ownership challenges fleets have with many of today’s medium-duty trucks,” said John Schwegman, director of Commercial Product and Medium Duty-GM Fleet. Production of the new Silverado begins in late 2018. Order guides will be available this spring and pricing will be announced this summer. “When you consider all of the flexibility, capability and durability we have engineered into the Silverado, along with the proven power of Allison transmissions and the Duramax diesel engine, we have a medium-duty truck line that will appeal to both Chevrolet loyalists and competitive owners alike,” said Schwegman. The Silverado will also be the most connected commercial truck available, thanks to options that include OnStar

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GM Fleet’s Ed Peper introduces the new Silverados to assembled press, customers, upfitters and dealers.

and Commercial Link, a built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless cellphone charging, Bluetooth and support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. “Chevrolet’s return to the conventional cab mediumduty segment is part of a multi-year strategy to earn the business and loyalty of commercial and government customers by expanding into new product segments, delivering innovative business solutions, superior value and an exceptional customer experience,” Peper said. A release from Chevrolet said, “New dedicated commercial and government products, including the Colorado box-delete and Low Cab Forward, have helped turn the brand into a “one-stop shop” for fleet managers and small businesses.”

Truck Art Clinics at AT Expos The “Towman’s Picasso,” Cecil Burrowes, will be on hand at all three 2018 American Towman trade shows instructing attendees on the intricacies of tow truck art. Burrowes’ art has appeared on many award-winning trucks at industry trade shows, and he is the artist who painted Spirit, the iconic casket of the Spirit Ride. He will be making show floor presentations in a big screen, mini-theater setup, giving business owners a chance to learn more about the processes and compare which is best for them. Two revolving mini-clinics will be presented: 1) the process of airbrushing and finishing a hand painting design on a truck; and, 2) comparing the hand-painting process to a digital wrap, and the value of each. Check towshow.com for updates on presentation times of Burrowes’ clinics at each Expo.

Custer Marks 25 Years Custer Products/Lite It (custerproducts.com) recently noted that 2018 marks its 25th year in business. “We’ve never wanted to be the biggest, just the best,” said Brad Custer, CEO. “We think of ourselves as a ‘small giant’ in the towing industry. Our focus is on supplying high quality products, at fair prices, coupled with extraordinary service.” Custer sells hundreds of towing products through a distribution network that covers the Americas, Europe and Australia. In addition to the towing industry, Custer offers lighting products to the trucking, RV, off-road, marine and farm industries. Tow truck artist Cecil Burrowes to present clinics at all three American Towman Expos in 2018. His life and art were the subject of the cover story for the February 2016 issue of American Towman Magazine.

Eimpound.com Partners with Nlets Eimpound.com, which is operated by Locator Technologies, is now a partner of the National Law Enforcement Database, also known as Nlets (nlets.org). Locator makes the eimpound.com database of impounds available for search at no charge to law enforcement. Impounded vehicles in the eimpound.com database are automatically available for search by Nlets users. “The availability of eimpound.com means that Nlets users who want to contribute to and participate in Nlets’ national impound database do not need to invest their own money in developing a new computer application,” said a statement on the Nlets website.

Miller Donates to ITRHFM Miller Industries (millerind.com) donated proceeds totaling more than $10,000 to the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum in March. The donation came at the close of the 2017 WeTow campaign hosted by Miller. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the towing community’s support of charities nationwide, as well as the good deeds towers provide

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Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 25

... continued from p. 24 within the communities they serve. Overall, Miller Industries donated to six national organizations: Susan G. Komen, DAV- Disabled American Veterans, The Miracle League, Shriners Children’s Hospital, International Towing Recovery Museum & Hall of Fame and Wall of the Fallen Survivor Fund. Money raised from the sale of tow truck bracelets made the donations possible.

Verizon Connect Launches In March, Verizon Connect (verizonconnect.com) was launched, completing the integration of Verizon Telematics, Fleetmatics and Telogis. The company said Verizon Connect is the culmination of more than $5 billion in investments, and offers customers a one-stop approach to connected vehicle software solutions and services that help drive safety, productivity and efficiency. A release said that Verizon Connect provides the connectivity and data insights to enable its customers to be more informed about vehicle and worker location, efficiency, safety, productivity and compliance. The Verizon Connect portfolio of solutions and services includes comprehensive fleet and mobile workforce management software platforms, embedded OEM hardware, and Hum by Verizon, a connected vehicle device that helps create a safer, smarter and more connected driving experience for consumers.

Ranger Adds ETA Texting Ranger SST (rangersst.com) recently added new text functionality for sending ETAs to customers. Send pictures of the assigned driver/truck to your customers via text messaging to their mobile phone. There are different messages for en route (“On the way”), approaching the incident (“Please return to your vehicle”), and after the call is cleared (“How did we do?). Messages are user-defined and triggers are configured by account (cash only, etc.)

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WreckMaster Closer to N.Y. Facility WreckMaster is one step closer to opening a Lancaster, New York, location after a recent public hearing before the Lancaster Town Board. The tow and recovery training company is seeking a special-use permit to operate an outdoor vehicle training facility and storage yard, said Jeffery D. Palumbo, attorney for WreckMaster. The company expects to spend $1.5 million on the project. Supervisor Johanna Coleman asked Palumbo about the training involved in towing a tractor-trailer. “We’ll see some trailers tipped over because that is what they do,” said Palumbo. “No fluids will be in the truck, and the tipping will be done on grass.” Source: buffalonews.com

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 27

Holistic Appro ach to Industry Educ ation

Pamela Turner of Lee’s Towing is a staunch advocate of industry training, classes and education

by Charles Duke

photos by Frances Spencer

hances are, if you’ve been to any American Towman trade shows the past few years, you’ve seen Pamela Turner, especially in the mornings. That’s the time Turner, who manages and operates the day-to-day operations of Lee’s Towing in Zachary, Louisiana, takes full advantage of soaking up the knowledge that is disseminated during the seminar programs at those shows. She hustles from session to session, dutifully executing her preshow planned schedule, leaving each seminar feeling she has more knowledge than she had at the beginning. She is a staunch advocate of training and education, and says she doesn’t understand why other towing professionals don’t take full advantage of what’s available to them. The industry education has given Turner the ability to charge her price; and it has given her the confidence to be able to turn down jobs that don’t reflect her training. Many times, those customers still end up utilizing her services. She is wise beyond her years in towing. Though Turner has been towing only for 10 years, she has diligently educated herself to the point

28 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

Pamela Turner runs Lee’s Towing in Zachary, Louisiana, for her mother, Marjorie, who owns the company.

that she is able to present her towing know-how and methods to law enforcement and customers. The education she has received has enabled her success. “Cars are changing all the time,” Turner said, “and you’re always a student. By attending the trainings and the tow shows, I learn different methods, I get to network with other operators, I get to hear what works for them and what didn’t work.” Prior to her entry into the towing industry, Turner attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, majoring in pre-med and biology. She even worked for FEMA for a spell and had applied for a job with the U.S. Border Patrol when her mother, Marjorie, who owns the towing company, called on her to step into the cab. One of the things Lee’s Towing prides itself on is providing damagefree towing; Turner said that the seminars and trainings have saved her a lot on damage claims. “I come to these shows and they teach you the proper techniques on how to load these cars,” Turner said. “A lot of towers tear up their equipment because they don’t know the proper working load limits and weight calculations. I know what jobs I should take and what I shouldn’t take.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

“My biggest thing is I’m always trying to see what the insurance companies are looking for,” she said. One of the insurance classes that she attended at one of the American Towman seminar programs taught her so much that she came back to Zachary and “changed some things,” she said, chuckling.

I have learned from some of the best in the industry. I have listened and learned from some of the costly mistakes they have made. Turner’s approach to attending seminars is what one might call holistic: she’s there for the total package; not only towing application, but also how each aspect affects her business. She’s very diligent in taking notes in

each of the classes she attends, and refers back to those notes when she needs to in the day-to-day operation of her business. Turner related that two seminars really stand out for her; both were sessions led by American Towman Field Editor Terry Abejuela. One seminar covered snatch blocks, the other was on chains. She stated they were eyeopeners; especially when dealing with the maintenance of chains. “When I came back (to Louisiana) I really stopped using chains; but I (now) know how to properly check a chain, if it has a bad link in it,” she said. “When (salespeople) talk to me, I can relate back to them and I know when they’re telling me the truth— just by attending that class.” The pursuit of education in the industry has also greatly helped Turner as a businesswoman through networking opportunities. “These trainings have helped me to save money and earn money in the industry,” Turner said. “I have listened to other women speak on how they got started. Some companies started with one truck and now have a fleet of trucks. I have learned from some of the best in the industry. I have listened

Continued on p. 30 ...

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 29

From seminars, she’s learned about costs, what to charge and even the ins and outs of snatch blocks and chains.

... continued from p. 29 and learned from some of the costly mistakes they have made. This has saved me a lot of damage claims. “It’s great to be able to make connections with others in the industry,” she continued. “These conferences have provided a lot of networking opportunities for me. I have met people from all over the country.” In addition to being a dedicated seminar attendee, Turner is WreckMaster-certified and has gained education and training from the North American Towing Academy. She feels both have been beneficial in being able to set herself and Lee’s Towing apart professionally. “I know what to do when I go on a job,” Turner said. “I don’t know just application and technique; I also know theories of how and why I’m doing stuff, too. That sets me apart from people. When I’m asked something, nine out of ten times I can answer because I’ve been trained by these companies. If I need to reach out to somebody, I have contacts that I can reach out to. Everybody doesn’t have that.” Late last year, Turner received the first-ever Zachary Chamber of Com-

30 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

merce Minority Enterprise Award. She said that the recognition has paid off, business-wise. “It was great. Sometimes you’re out there and you think people aren’t paying attention. It’s a reminder to always do your best because you never know who’s watching. Receiving that award (and the promotion of the company) has helped with sales a little bit. People have used my service from that award. It’s helped with business.”

Tow truck drivers need to realize their worth. Turner also believes in the importance of presenting a clean, professional image. She says it is a reflection of the business, and that it gives her an extra edge that allows customers to have confidence in her ability to do the job. She goes as far as keeping an extra uniform in her truck should one get dirty during the course of her workday. She feels that having that clean,

neat appearance has also gone a long way in allowing her to charge what she needs to charge for the work she does. Her training has also given her the ability and confidence to talk to customers. When she explains some of the techniques and theories that she has been taught to customers, they become confident that they’ve called the right service in Lee’s Towing. “I’m certified in what I do,” she said. “If it wasn’t for the training, I’d still be green because there’s but so much you can learn on the Internet about (operating) a tow truck. “Tow truck drivers need to realize their worth,” Turner said, “and at the end of the day (customers) pay for what you give. If I’m showing up in a timely manner, I’m towing your car, I’m educated, I know what I’m doing and I’m certified? That costs, and that’s how I’m able to generate revenue for my truck.”

American Towman Magazine Senior Editor Charles Duke has written and served as editor for trade, music and nonprofit publications. He also serves as the editor for AT’s online sister publications Tow Industry Week and Tow Industry Today.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 31

Semi Slides into Wreck Scene As a snowstorm passed through southern Utah in mid-March, Utah Highway Patrol troopers and Iron County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to multiple incidents along the interstate. At around 11 p.m. on March 15, trooper Daniel Nielson was dispatched for multiple rollovers in an area, including one involving two women and a man who were waiting outside their crashed vehicle while a tow truck was en route. “I went down to check on them and the elderly females were starting to shiver, so I brought them up and put them in my patrol car,” Nielson said, noting that his car was parked off the road in the inside median. Two wreckers showed up a short while later and parked next to Nielson’s patrol car to help recover the rolled vehicles. As Nielson and the towers were outside discussing how to get to the vehicles, he said they noticed drivers whizzing by the emergency vehicles in both inside and outside lanes without slowing down, despite the winter weather conditions. As they were talking, Nielson said one of the towers noticed a semi start to slide as it headed toward their vehicles in the inside lane. “We saw the tractor and trailer start to go sideways,” Nielson said. The semi’s trailer then hit one of the tow trucks, which slammed into the patrol car, Nielson said, causing the patrol car to spin around and come to rest pinned against the other tow truck. “We got the ladies out of the car,” Nielson said. “They

A semi lost control during a snowstorm and slid into an occupied Utah Highway Patrol car and two tow trucks at a wreck scene last month. Stgeorgeutah.com image.

were both fine – bumps and bruises from getting banged around during everything, [but] everybody ended up fine.” “As he got closer and he saw my lights in front of the tow truck, that’s when he started to slow down,” Nielson said. “That’s when he lost control with his brakes on the ice. “People need to understand they can’t come through when (emergency or amber) lights are flashing during accidents—or even lights flashing period—just five miles under the speed limit and think that’s OK, especially if there’s a storm in the area and the roads are being plowed.” An investigation was ongoing at press time. Source: stgeorgeutah.com.

Visit us at Florida Tow Show Booth #236 32 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

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34 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

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Fitzgerald Wrecker Sales 51 FlowStop S 101 Ford Commercial Trucks 5 Ginn Carrier & Wrecker Sales 89 G. Stone Commercial N 101 Heartland Payment Systems W 104 I Tow In 24 In The Ditch 81 Integrated Vehicle Equipment Finance 26 Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease 60 Jerr-Dan Corp. 108 Kalyn-Siebert 45 Kenworth of South Florida/TruckMax 57 Landoll 89 Len Zermenos 35 Lien Enforcement W 102 Lodar USA 52 Lynch Chicago 47 Manufacturer Express 45 Matheny Motors 33 Matjack Jumbo Safelift 62 McMahon Truck Center M 99 Miller Industries (Century, Vulcan) 12, 13 New England Truckmaster 25 North American BanCard 17 Northeast Wrecker Sales N 101, S 100 OMG National N 100, S M 104 Pacific General Insurance Agency M 103 Phoenix USA 26 Quest Towing Services 50 Recovery Billing 24 Renew Truck Body N, S 103 Rick's Truck & Equipment M 101 Road America 53

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Rocky Mountain Wrecker W 101 Sanderson Truck Equipment 21 Santander Bank 107 Sea Crest Insurance Agency W 103 Select Truck & Equipment M 100 Southern California Tow Equipment W 102 Specialty Vehicle & Equipment Funding 15 Spill Tackle M 103 Steck Mfg. 32 TJR Equipment 84 Towbook Management Software 3 Tow Expo Dallas 87 Tow Industries W 100 Towman Hero Award 93 TowMate 27, 92 TowToolz 22 Transfer Flow 78 Truck Body Sales 92 Urgent.ly 61 USAC/MD 31 US Fleet Tracking 21 Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX W 99 VIAIR Corp. 78 VTS Systems S 99 Warn Industries 34 Weego 25 Wisconsin Towing Association M 101 WorldClass Insurance Service M, W 100 Worldwide Equipment Sales 39 Worldwide Equipment Sales W 99 Zacklift International 2 Zip’s Truck Equipment 7, 23

Are You Ready for Motorcycles? by Don Kein

recently towed a custom Suzuki Hayabusa to the dealership for a rider who was sitting at a light with other traffic when a car ran into him and his bike. The police rotation towman arrived with no cycle towing equipment … or experience. The tower had the rider run the bike up the truck bed and hold it while the tower figured out a way to strap it down. The rider did this while still bleeding from the accident! As spring approaches, it is time to prepare your company—trucks, drivers and equipment—for the motorcycle towing dispatches that will be coming your way. Some tips:

Equipment A quality motorcycle loader or truck-bed provision is a must. Straps and ratchets needed consist of four cycle soft straps, 1” by 7’, four sewnin loop straps, 2” by 8’. I use two unattached J-hooks with two 8’ lengths of 5/16” chain. Adding a few banjo eyes to your truck’s bed in strategic places just for motorcycle casualties can be a big help.

Motorcycle Look for any existing damage and document it! You want to look for fenders and fairings that can cause problems and be careful. Other things to watch for include flat tires, rubber-mounted handlebars, loose seats, all bags and side covers. If anything flies off the bike while its being towed, it can be costly. Check to see if the motorcycle can roll and for safe strapping areas.

Loading With your truck’s bed rolled back, the front wheels of the cycle

Continued on p. 38 ... 36 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

With your truck’s bed rolled back, the front wheels of the cycle loader should be against the lip of the bed.

Be prepared to stop in case the straps loosen or the load shifts.

Straps and ratchets needed consist of four soft straps, 1” by 7’, and four sewn-in loop straps, 2” by 8’.

... continued from p. 36 loader should be against the lip of the bed. The cycle loader should be hooked with cable slack taken up; doing this keeps the cycle loader from moving. Roll the motorcycle up the ramp into the cycle loader and use two soft straps to secure the motorcycle to the cycle loader. Remove the ramp. Winch the hooked cycle loader up the bed, then use a J-hook and chain on the cycle loader to pull it tight with the winch. You should use two sewn-in loop straps, one on each side of the motorcycle, pulling it to the truck’s bed. Strapping the rear tire will prevent it from wandering out of alignment.

Towing Nylon straps, bumpy roads and a top-heavy load means you better keep an eye on what’s happening. Be prepared to stop in case the straps loosen or the load shifts. Watch for anything on the motorcycle that could come loose.

Two unattached J-hooks with two 8’ lengths of 5/16” chain are also good to have.

Nylon straps, bumpy roads and a top-heavy load means you better keep an eye on what’s happening. Unloading After rolling your bed back, remove the straps pulling the motorcycle to the truck. Winch out a couple of inches and remove J-hooks and chains from the cycle loader. When winching the motorcycle down the truck’s bed, make sure the motorcycle stays aligned. When the rear wheels of the cycle

38 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

loader touch the pavement, it’s time to remove all straps and roll the motorcycle out of the cycle loader.

Billing Motorcycle towing includes the use of special equipment. When being dispatched to a motorcycle tow, be sure to notify the dispatcher that dollies will need to be added to the bill.

Motorcycle towing is a tough job, even when you are properly equipped. Many towing companies refuse to do it. I have towed more than a few riders that refused other providers because they lacked the proper towing equipment to tow safely. About the author Don Kein is the owner of Bulldog Towing Products.

Exhibitor Roster 4 State Trucks-pg. 52 AAA-Commerical Insurance

Access Tools-pg. 59 Advantage Funding-pg. 20 Agero-pg. 79 all-Grip Vehicle Recovery Sys.

Allstate Roadside Services-pg. 16 Aluminum Wheels Mfg. Inc. American Alliance Drug Testing Amerian Towman Magazine Anchor Graphics ARI-Hetra Arizona Prof. Towing & Recovery Association Arrowhead Automotive Insurance Auto Data Direct Auto Shop Solutions

AutoReturn-pg. 46 Automobile Club of Southern Calif.

AW Direct-pg. 80 B/A Products-pg. 19 B&B Industries Beacon Funding

Beacon Software-pg. 88 Boxer Tools CalSafe / Metropolitan Transp. Commission CapX funding Car-Part.com

Casanova Towing Equipment-pg. W 104 Centerpointe Insurance Services Century Chevron Sales West Clean Diesel Specialists Inc. Clinic Shape Commercial Best Insurance Services Copart Auto Auctions CTTA Custer Products Custom Radio Dangelo's Custom Built Mfg.

DewEze Mfg.-pg. 48 Discovery Bay Insurance DOT Tie Down

Driveline Buddy-pg. S 104 Dynamic Towing Equip. & Mfg.-pg. 53 East Coast Truck & Trailer Sales/Jerr-Dan Effective Web Solutions

Employers Guardian-pg. W 103 Environmental Chemical Solutions-pg. 91 Excel Sportswear Expo Enterprise Farmers Ins / Khasim Ins Agency Federal Signal Finex Group LLC Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Five Star Registration FleetDown Fleetmatics - A Verizon Company FleetNet America Flitz International Futura Trailers GEICO Global Gadgets

Rocky Mountain Wrecker/Jerr-Dan-pg. W 101 RP Recovery Consulting Safety Vision

Heartland Payment Systems-pg. W 104 Honk Technologies ICW Group Insurance Idaho Wrecker Sales Int'l Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum IQ Technologies IST Solution Isuzu Commercial Truck of America

Kalyn Siebert-pg. 45

*Supplier names in bold are display advertisers in this issue with their ad page number cross-referenced.

Sanderson Truck Equip./Jerr-Dan-pg. 21 Santander Bank-pg. 107 Sea Crest Insurance Agency-pg. W 103 Southern California Tow Equipment-pg. W 102 Specialty Vehicle Equip. Funding-pg. 15 Steck Mfg. Co.-pg. 32 Stertil-Koni, USA Sun Country Trailers Superwinch Swoop TCF Equipment Finance The Will-Burt Company Titanium Payments

Kaper II LED Lighting and Woody's Acces.

TJR Equipment-pg. 84

Landoll Corporation-pg. 89 Lien Enforcement-pg. W 102

Todd Equipment TOMAR Electronics TomTom Telematics

Lift Marketing Group Live View GPS Localis Lubnau Gonzalez Insurance Agency

Manufacturer Express-pg. 45 Many Wain Enterprise Co. LTD McCandless International Trucks MercurySend.com Metropolitan Transportation Commission Midwest Keyless

Tow Industries-pg. W 100 Tow Life Tow Recruiter Tow Times Tow World

Towbook Management Software-pg. 3 Towing & Recovery Assoc. of America Towing Dispatch Services Towing Payment Solutions Powered by Xpress Pay

Miller Industries-pg. 12, 13

TowToolz-pg. 22

Mobile Battery Solutions Mobile Video Computing Solutions Murphy Bank Nation Safe Drivers (NSD) National Automobile Club Nite Beam NRC Industries NXGEN Payment Services Orange County Transportation OCTA Omadi Omega Comp HR

towXchange Tracker Management Sys. TTN Fleet Solutions UniFirst Corp.

OMG National-pg. N 100, S M, 104 Phoenix USA-pg. 26 Planet Halo Q&A Insurance Marketing

Quest Towing Services-pg. 50 R.A. Storelee Insurance Ramos Oil Company Red Peak Camera Systems

Road America-pg. 53 Robert Bell Insurance Brokers Robertson Ryan Robinson Oil

Urgent.ly-pg. 61 US Bank Corp

US Fleet Tracking-pg. 21 USAC / MD-pg. 31 USI Insurance Services

VIAIR Corporation-pg. 78 Vulcan-pg. 12, 13 Warn Industries-pg. 34 We Buy Key Fobs

Weego-pg. 25 Whelen Engineering Co. Whiterail Reviews

WorldClass Insurance Services-pg. M, W 100 Worldwide Equipment/Jerr-Dan-pg. 39, W 99 WreckMaster

Zip’s Truck Equipment-pg. 7, 23

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM -April 2018 • 43

Shopping at ‘Midnight Auto Supply’ by Randall C. Resch

f someone mockingly said to you, “I got my stuff from the Midnight Auto Supply,” would you know what that meant? It may be a dated phrase these days; it’s one we older folks grew up with. However, the activity of stealing parts off parked vehicles is still alive in America. Midnight Auto Supply refers to liberating parts and accessories from someone’s parked vehicle. The practice of parts theft is a devious one that’s been around as long as vehicles have, but when it happens to you I guarantee it’ll make you feel violated and angry. As a tow company owner, don’t you just hate when a driver calls in to report that someone stole equipment off the tow truck while it was parked at their house overnight? Equally so, as the driver who has to report the theft to the boss, I know your hesitation and fear of losing your job. Accordingly, there should be a requirement of direct responsibility in providing reasonable care, i.e. custody and control of the company’s truck and equipment. Tow operators

44 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

should be accountable to ensure items are secured and locked while they’re away from their trucks. To not lock or secure items isn’t in the best interest of the company’s equipment.

Yours Is Mine Towing and recovery equipment is expensive. I responded to a tow company once, that was claiming a $1,000 loss of towing equipment overnight from one of their flatbed carriers parked in a dirt lot … not the tow yard. From what little evidence I found at the scene, the bad guys parked a get-away vehicle behind the truck and loaded it at their leisure. In another incident, an on-call driver departed work Friday evening, went home and parked his carrier across the street from his apartment complex in a less-desirable neighborhood. Since business was slow and the driver had few calls throughout the weekend, the carrier remained parked in the usual spot unattended. (I think you know where this is headed.)

Fast forward to the tower hurriedly heading out on his first call Monday morning. He discovered his carrier was stripped clean of all equipment necessary for safe transport. Why? Partially because there were no company standards dictating how take-home trucks were regulated or what protocols towers should follow. Savvy tow owners need to be proactive in finding ways to keep equipment from being stolen or lost off their tow trucks due to employee error or undetermined theft. Inspections and truck inventory should be a daily process that keeps a company’s operators accountable for retention, care and maintenance.

Free Spree In San Diego, a large metropolitan area, I know of several repo trucks and four larger tow companies that, openly and regularly, park tow trucks and carriers in industrial parks or on residential streets at the end of any

Continued on p. 46...

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM -April 2018 • 45

... continued from p. 44 given business day. You see it all the time: a tow truck or carrier with unsecured equipment, extension lights, Jhooks, chains, bridles and cones laying on the truck’s deck … even wheel-lift retainers not secured. Unsecured equipment and work accessories make for easy shopping. Because lack of security is blatant, some unscrupulous towers or mechanics may take notice and think, “If they’re not too worried about securing their stuff, they’re probably not worried if I help myself.” When tow operators secure from their shifts and then park their trucks to head home, there’s no one to ensure that equipment and parts don’t get stolen during hours of darkness or weekends. Unsecured dollies, brooms, shovels, V-bridles, extension lights, Jhooks and rollover chains easily disappear when tow trucks are parked and unoccupied. What does each of these items of stolen tow equipment have in common? The truck’s operator failed to

46 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

Some unscrupulous towers or mechanics may take notice and think, ‘If they’re not too worried about securing their stuff, they’re probably not worried if I help myself.’ secure items prior to leaving their wrecker or carrier unoccupied. It’s easy to blame bad guys for stealing stuff, but as a tow business owner I believe that when a company tow truck is assigned to a tower for their work and take-home use, there should be clear guidelines to make the tower responsible for the security of company property.

Specifically, the company’s employee handbook should reference processes and techniques that provide ample safety and security during times when trucks are unoccupied. Policy should require the following items be secured to prevent removal or theft: • Dollies: Secured by lock and key to prevent theft, or locked to ensure dolly components don’t walk away or launch from the truck if the tow truck is struck by another vehicle. • V-bridles: Bridles shall be secured either in side boxes or hooked to the rear of the carrier’s tailboard via the carrier’s wire rope and tightened to prevent removal. Wire rope that’s winched tight prevents someone from free-spooling and removing the bridle. • Extension lights: Best secured when stowed in the truck’s toolboxes. Place them magnet-tomagnet and wrap extension

Continued on p. 48...

... continued from p. 46 wires in a figure-eight. Stow lights in a locked side box on the non-traffic side. (When the next opportunity to use extension lights is necessary, the operators instinctively go to the non-traffic side to retrieve them.) â&#x20AC;˘ Rollover chains, J-hooks, brooms, shovels, cones, snatch blocks: Stowed in locked boxes. â&#x20AC;˘ Wheel-lift retainers: On wreckers, with wheel-lifts where retainers slide to adjust to a vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s width, secure via safety chains in a straight chain, cross chain or Christmas tree configuration. Doing so keeps wheel-lift retainers on the wheel lift and prevents them from being removed.

The Rules In your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employee handbook and specific to tow operators, I recommend a detailed narrative that requires securing tools, equipment and towing accessories. If thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no specific wording to mandate security and storing of equipment, management has little to no recourse when items disappear. In my policy manual, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s narrative that identifies ownership of tools, vehicles and equipment for day-today use. Under the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tools and Equipmentâ&#x20AC;? heading: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Company provides vehicles, tools, and equipment for employees to conduct tow related business and

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48 â&#x20AC;˘ April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

... continued from p. 48 operations on a daily basis. Regardless of Company position, ALL items of tools, vehicles, and equipment, found either in/on Company vehicles, tow trucks, in shop areas, and office facilities, are property of the Company. Employees will NOT loan tools to persons outside the Company. Tools and equipment used by employees will be used for mechanical or operational processes intended by the manufacturer, and, within the working load limits they were designed. All activities will be used in such manner to comply with OSHA, other Company rules and regulations, or tasks at hand. Equiment shall be locked, secured and stowed to prevent theft when not in use, to include when parked or out of service, at an employee’s residence, or, other location when unoccupied.” Tow operators can only do so much to provide around-the-clock security for parked tow trucks and carriers. Setting the tone of security begins with a solidly written policy requiring

50 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

some level of responsibilty for stowing gear and locking side boxes.

Who Pays? Company management must be diligent in demanding tow operators secure all equipment when tow trucks and carriers are parked at day’s end. I know that tow operators oftentimes complain that it takes too long to take out and put away gear every day, but that’s simply an excuse to not do it. Just for grins, I shopped prices of new replacement items if they were stolen from the rear deck of a carrier: • Eight-point 14’ straps and ratchets: $185. • Four-ton snatchblock: $210. • Pair J-hooks with 8’ chains: $125. • 50’ of 3/8” wire rope with swivel hook: $60. • Nylon V-bridle with 15” J-hooks: $130. • 24” industrial broom: $41. • 40” industrial shovel-plastic: $41. • 20’ Grade 70 rollover 3/8” chain: $68. Approximate sub total of items

comes to $860. Add another $100 for taxes, shipping and handling and you’re shelling out around a $1,000 per theft event. I assure you that three immediate reactions occur when your tow truck is stripped of it’s operating equipment. One, a police report does little good when having to replace stolen items. Two, a stripped carrier can’t work to its potential when called to police and towing requests. Three, someone else reaps the benefits of your stolen equipment; “Thanks for the goodies, guys.” Prevention is increased by simply locking equipment up or ensuring it’s secured before the truck is parked and left unoccupied. Theft is typically a crime of opportunity and accessibility; remember this ditty, “It’s gonna walk if you don’t lock.”

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.

CTTA to Honor Industry Leaders The California Tow Truck Association announced its 2018 slate of inductees to its Rich Chappel Industry Leaders Hall. They will be honored May 10 during American Towman’s Tow Industry Week, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the South Point Hotel & Casino. The association said that the inductees are being honored due to their positive influence on the towing industry without thought of recognition. The 2018 inductees include Jim Cady, Ten-West Towing; Ken Kay, Tow Pros; Steven Hendrickson, Western

Towing; Frank Scotto, Frank Scotto’s Towing; Coy Moody, Union Square Automotive; and the late Angelo Tomassi Sr., formerly of Great American Towing. CTTA will also be giving out awards to those who have made significant achievements in their Training & Education program. The May 10 festivities will include a silent auction featuring exclusive towing items and a live auction that will include several big-ticket items such as a brand new Futura Trailer. Registration is now open for this event through the American Towman ShowPlace website, atshowplace.com.

SelecTrucks Launches

Roadside Select SelecTrucks (selectrucks.com) launched a heavy-duty emergency roadside assistance program, Roadside Select. The program is powered by Roadside Masters, a 24/7 roadside assistance program for commercial vehicles serving owner-operators and fleets. The company said with response times under an hour, Roadside Select enables owner-operators and drivers to get back on the road as quickly as possible. Services include towing, mobile mechanic services, tire service, fuel and fluid replacement, parts delivery service, jump- and pull-starts and lockout/key services.

ECCO Safety Redesigns Website ECCO Safety Group (eccosafetygroup.com) debuted a new website to showcase its position as worldwide leader in commercial vehicle safety solutions and emergency safety systems. Visitors will now have a more informative experience as they learn about the company’s commercial vehicle and emergency brands, ECCO and Code 3, according to a release. Additional features of the site include an enhanced news section, a history overview and an opportunity to learn about the original equipment manufacturers ECCO serves.

Cummins X12 Makes ‘Top 20’ Cummins (cummins.com) has been awarded the “Heavy-Duty Trucking” Top 20 award for its X12 engine platform, to be available this year. This award signifies the innovation that delivers the lightest heavyduty engine in North America. The engine weight of just 2,050 lbs. was achieved by eliminating unnecessary mass without compromising performance, according to the company. Delivering up to 500 hp, the X12 has the highest power-toweight ratio of any heavy-duty engine from 10L to 16L.

52 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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Spirit Ride’s Traveling Memorial Day As the Ride Ponders its Future, Spirit Rolls Again This Month

by Steve Calitri

Spirit Ride RV graphics for 2018 portrays all four First Responders.

he Spirit Ride rolls into Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on April 11, launching the 2018 route that adds another 160 cities where the ceremonial casket will be relayed. With its mission to promote public awareness of the Move Over laws, the route zigzags throughout the south into Texas, shoots northward into Minnesota and back down through the Great Plains. From there it goes up through the northwest into Washington and down through California, then eastward into Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. That’s the extent of the route so far. Spirit will have to be relayed back east from there. The Spirit Ride picks up again in need of funds to finance the support team that travels in the Spirit Ride RV along the route, and the media outreach effort, which is key to scoring with local media in all the relay cities. The support team of Mike and Ilce Corbin are critical to the Ride: they stage and perform in the ceremonies that pay tribute to fallen First Responders struck down by the roadside and record the Rides with video and pictures for social media.

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Many participants along the route in 2017 have called the Ride a Traveling Memorial Day for Fallen First Responders. There is a move afoot to set up a fundraising structure among relay towers (the Spirit Riders) that will not only fund this year’s campaign but keep the Ride going in perpetuity. AT set up the non-profit 501c3, American Towman Spirit Inc., last year. It has been able to scoot by with contributions from the industry, countless hours contributed to the campaign by many on the American Towman staff, and AT’s own financial contributions. AT will continue to spearhead funding the Ride this year where contributions coming in are not enough. But the future of the Ride will depend on the Spirit Riders. They know what the meaning of it all is to them and to this industry. If they want the Spirit Ride to become a perennial campaign, they will say so through fundraising efforts. Otherwise the Ride will go the way of the Pony Express that ran just two years in the mid-19th Century. The Spirit Ride has touched the hearts and the imagination of First

Responders all across America. The Ride is unique to the annals of this nation’s tributes and parades. Simply put, there has never been anything like it. For the towing industry, the Spirit Ride has raised the level of respect for tow operators in the eyes of the other First Responders. Strengthening relationships with police and fire department personnel is a core necessity for this industry. Their participation in the Ride in 2017, in the ceremonies and the processions, was integral to achieving media coverage. Toward the goal of continuing to draw police, fire, and EMS officials into the program, the RV graphics have been updated to reflect all First Responders at work and at risk. Police and fire chiefs will be invited once again to speak at the Spirit Ride ceremonies. As of this writing, a new song is in the works that celebrates all the primary First Responders: Police, Fire, EMS and, of course, tow operators. Editor’s Note Contributions can be made online to the Spirit Ride at ATSpiritRide.com.

Sponsors

Founding Sponsors

Contribute to the Spirit Ride at www.ATSpiritRide.com

double diamond

Anonymous

AMERICAN TOWMAN

Carnaghi Towing & Repair

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AMERICANTOWMAN.COM -April 2018 • 55

AMERICAN TOWMAN

Spirit Ride Schedule through June 23, 2018 Join the Spirit Ride processions. For the exact site of the ceremony and procession start-point contact the Relay Station. Relay Stations 04/11/18 04/12/18 04/12/18 04/13/18 04/13/18 04/14/18 04/14/18 04/17/18 04/18/18 04/18/18 04/19/18 04/20/18 04/20/18 04/21/18 04/24/18 04/24/18 04/25/18 04/26/18 04/27/18 04/27/18 04/28/18 05/02/18 05/02/18 05/03/18 05/03/18 05/04/18 05/05/18 05/05/18 05/08/18 05/09/18 05/15/18 05/16/18 05/18/18 05/19/18 05/19/18 05/22/18 05/23/18 05/24/18 05/25/18 05/25/18 05/25/18 05/26/18 05/30/18 05/31/18 06/01/18 06/01/18 06/01/18 06/02/18 06/02/18 06/05/18 06/05/18 06/06/18 06/06/18 06/07/18 06/07/18 06/08/18 06/09/18 06/12/18 06/12/18 06/13/18 06/14/18 06/14/18 06/15/18 06/16/18 06/19/18 06/19/18 06/20/18 06/20/18 06/21/18 06/22/18 06/23/18 06/23/18 06/23/18

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Winston Salem Cary Wilson Havelock Jacksonville Wilmington Myrtle Beach Columbia Aiken St. Augustine Orlando West Palm Beach Boynton Beach Pompano Beach Bonita Spring Lehigh Acres Tampa Old Town Panama City Marianna Americus Atlanta Atlanta Athens Westminster Matthews Knoxville Blountville Clintwood Charleston Elizabethtown Paoli Tuscumbia TBC Birmingham Starkville Jackson Grand Bay Biloxi Bay St. Louis Picayune Zachary West Monroe La Porte Bastrop Austin Austin Atascosa Boerne Llano Temple Grand Prairie Denison Muskogee Alma Tontitown Kansas City Washington Monticello Minneapolis Audubon Perley Sioux Falls Omaha Grand Island Kearney North Platte Sterling Heminford Cheyenne Aurora Lafayette Colorado Spring

NC NC NC NC NC NC SC SC SC FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL GA GA GA GA SC NC TN TN VA WV KY IN AL AL AL MS MS AL MS MS MS LA LA TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX TX OK AR AR MI IA IA MN MN MN SD NE NE NE NE CO NE WY CO CO CO

Brandon Hedrick Karl Neal Kevin Raper Michael Gray Whitney Cantrell Johnnie Whaley Rick Rahner Chris Schroeder/Dave MCGee Jeff Corbett John Rogers Randy Donovan Crystal Sheehan Joe Morgado James Jennings Christopher Spears Jennifer Kitley Rocky Ybarra Harvey Spencer Hassie White John Bryan Martin Peacock Greg Greeson Syre Perkins Tyler Mize David Hatley Carl Atkins Joey Walker Brian Monroe Howie Davis Chris Reed Kevin Estes Marcus Roach Andy wayne Smith (Pam) William Douglas Chris Birdsong Jonathan Ratliff Robert Ward (Tray) Brise Blackwell Peggy Linton Bennis Moss Jr Darren Champagne Pamela Turner Brian Heisler Richard Thompson Jacob Schapansky Tasha Mora Hiten Bhatpuria Luis Chacon Paula Hayner Michael Steelman Matthew Jarma Greg Joyner Jenn Green Nik Morgan Tasha Lovelady Donald Rogers Amy Gresham George Moore Steve Koob Steve Schmit Matt Hughes Kasey Hegreberg Paul Giese Unknown Troy Wells Logan Dowhy Unknown Steve Hernandez William Shammel Michelle Krening Jason Thomas Tracy Davison Jason Kane

Sure Shot Towing Colt-Land Towing & Recovery ggressive Towing and Recovery Gray's Towing Excel Body Works, Inc. Kirby's Towing Quality Towing and Service Center Schroeder's Towing /SDR Towing Towing Recovery Association Johns Towing AAA Sheehan's Towing Zuccala Wrecker Service Emerald Transportation Corp G&C Automotive & Towing J & W Towing Stepps Towing Tri County Towing & Recovery White's Wrecker Service John Bryan Auto Peacock Towing INC South Metro Towing Tow Atlanta Barrett's Towing Jims Auto INC Wiliams Wrecker Anytime Towing and Recovery First Line Towing & Recovery Davis Service Public Safety Expo Doug's Towing & Recovery Mark's Garage Andy's Wrecker Service Aban Towing Vestavia Tire Express Champion's Towing Ward's Wrecker Service Inc S&H Truck Parts /S&H Towing & Recovery All About Towing Inc Moss Towing Walker Towing Lee's Towing Plunk's Wrecker Service Itt Texas Pride Towing & Recovery A&A Wrecker and Recovery, LLC Statewide Towing Recvry Rescue Trans Inc Chacon Towing 1 Veterans Towing River City Wrecker Temple Towing, Inc Dave's Hi-Way Wrecker Lone Star Haulin Morgan Towing Alma Auto Service and Sales Donald Rogers Wrecker Service GT Tow Service Moore's BP Amoco, Inc Koob Automotive & Towing Inc Schmit Towing, Inc Bad Boyz Towing K & K Towing Jim and Ron's Service Inc Unknown Lone Tree Towing and Recovery Dowhy Towing & Recovery Unknown A & R Towing LLC Baas 24HR Towing LLC Big Al's Towing & Recovery JW Towing USA Towing, LLC Randy's High Country Towing

The Spirit Ride continues through the Western States, the Northwest and California. Go to ATSpiritRide.com for complete schedule. 56 â&#x20AC;¢ April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

Keeping a Clean Cab by Kris Olson

he driver’s meeting had started at 6 a.m. By eight, it had ended, and the bleary-eyed crew began to break up. As they shuffled out, the boss called, “And remember, clean out those trucks! Remember, that’s your office!” But wait. They’re more than that, aren’t they? To be sure, they’re where you conduct business. Cleaning the inside is just as important as washing the outside, and it should be part of your truck’s upkeep, like checking the motor oil or the tire pressure. Consider this: you’ve almost certainly been to a supermarket. But have you been to the grocery manager’s office? Or the butcher’s office? Or the pharmacist’s? You deposit your paycheck every week or two; have you been in the bank president’s office? Or the loan manager’s office? Most of the time, I’d guess no. The place most of us visit is the lobby. Would you continue to eat at a place where the dining area is unclean, or put your hard-earned money in a bank branch where the lobby is a trashy mess? Many customers we tow will never see more of our operation than the cabs of our trucks. That’s why it’s important that those cabs be clean and professional. It’s easy to tell ourselves that we don’t owe our customers anything. After all, they broke down or crashed, and they’re lucky to get towed at all, right? Wrong. People talk, not only in person, but on Yelp and Facebook and other social media these days. Wordof-mouth reaches a lot further today than it used to. It’s easy to warn others of an unpleasant experience, and social media makes sure that complaints are widely seen. More than ever, our work is for female clients, many of whom may be

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Showroom condition isn’t necessary, but if your cab is ever more cluttered and filthy than a few minutes’ worth of cleaning, you need to reconsider your effort level.

single mothers. It’s been my experience that women, in general, have less tolerance for environments that are unkempt and cluttered than most men do. Where men are likely to be stoic and silent about having to endure a messy cab, women often will express their displeasure in person and online, especially if conditions affect their young ones.

The first impression is a lasting one. Showing up at a scene and asking people to share their ride with empty coffee cups, soda cans and snack wrappers will get you a cold shoulder fast. Those customers won’t call your service the next time their cars break down, and they certainly won’t be recommending you to friends and family.

I know the cabs are like a second home to lots of drivers. I’ve spent more hours looking through the windshield than seeing my own house in the daylight. It’s understandable that those trucks look a little “lived in.” But if it takes more than five seconds to make your “lobby” presentable, you aren’t making enough of an effort. Making the extra effort is important. Long ago, I had a manager tell me, “The first impression is a lasting one.” True words. Get in the habit of gathering up and discarding all trash every time you stop for fuel. Keeping your lobby tidy will mean happier customers who will have one less reason to shop elsewhere when they need a tow next time. About the author Kris Olson is an industry veteran from Richardson, Texas, with more than 25 years of experience in towing and recovery.

AT Magazine, Expos Essential to Building Business

started my business by accident; I didn’t even know motor clubs existed. I bought a tow truck and tried to advertise locally on my own, but no luck. I was suffering. I didn’t even know there was a towing magazine. One day I found American Towman Magazine at an impound yard. I grabbed it and read every single word and every ad; it was like God sent that magazine to me. I had zero experience, I’d never worked a tow truck … I didn’t even know how to load a car. I watched YouTube videos to learn to load cars, but from your magazine I saw ads for the Tow Expo in San Antonio. I couldn’t afford to [take the time] at first; then I decided I had to find a way. I did go and when I walked into that Tow Expo I knew I could make $1 million in revenue! Guess what? Within two years, I was doing just that, all because of American Towman Magazine and the Tow Expos! (Since that first one, I’ve been to almost every one including the Baltimore and Las Vegas Expos.) Every time I go to a Tow Expo, I am in awe that there’s not more people there considering all the resources American Towman puts under one roof. I’ve found motor clubs, equipment suppliers, Internet marketing, towing software; literally everything I do now is based on something I brought back from a Tow Expo. The seminars that my wife and I have attended have all been applied to the business. The Expo contacts made, the resources AT magazine

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offers and the wealth of information the magazine puts out makes American Towman Magazine paramount to the success of any tow company! I had zero experience—I’d never even ridden inside a tow truck before—and by my second year I made $1,000,000 in revenue (well $980,000), but it really was because of American Towman Magazine. —Luis Chacon, Chacon Towing San Antonio, Texas

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BUYERS REPORT What The Users Say *Products reviews of participating advertisers

AAA Helps You Grow

“If you show a commitment to AAA, they’ll show a commitment to you and they’ll help you grow. … With their PSP program, it’s not just cost per call, but part of a whole package. PSP earns me discounts on tow trucks from Ford and Miller—substantial ones—and discounts on uniforms, discounts on fleet stuff and fuel, discounts on NAPA parts. … With financing for new trucks through Santander, AAA PSP is getting rates that are not touched elsewhere. When I looked at the whole AAA package, including all the perks, it works if you take advantage of it. But only if you take advantage of them. I even won a vacation from them last year, and a Ford F-150 this year with the National Hero of the Road campaign. … AAA is working hard to keep providers happy. I really enjoy working with AAA and I think they have a lot of good to offer.”

Nicholas Van, Fox City’s Towing; Appleton, Wisconsin See ad page 49

Access Tools Are Well Made, in Stock “I’ve used Access Tools for at least 17 years. Everything is perfect. The tools are very well made, I believe American made, and nothing has ever broken. Once there was a small defective part in a piece, and they replaced everything in the set. I buy dozens of pieces at a time; with every order there’s no problems. Service is great, they answer questions quickly and they are never out of stock. Everything has always been shipped out right away.”

Stuart Hornik, Lightning Roadside Assistance; Long Island, New York See ad page 59

Akins Body & Carrier Are Helpful, Personable “They’re a great company; I’ve been buying regular trucks from Akins Body & Carrier Sales for 15-20 years. I just started buying rollbacks. They are an individual company like we are, instead of a big company where you won’t know the owner. They have a good staff of knowledgeable people. I like to stay local where you can actually ride and talk to the people, and they’re very good to come and see us for any issues. When we bought our last truck, on the first trip the tire separated (the issue was with Ford, not Akins). They went above and beyond to make sure we wouldn’t be charged on the fix. We were happy. Akins staff is really helpful with issues and will personally handle things instead of bumping you to somebody else. We like our salesman Jeff McKinney; he is very knowledgeable about the wrecker industry and understands what we need. He knows what it is to work the truck and sees both sides of that. He’s not just selling us a truck, but something we can work with.”

Sonya Seymour, Seymour’s Wrecker Service & Garage; Commerce, Georgia See ad page 37

Allstate Managers Respond to our Needs “We have a really unique program with Allstate Roadside Services as the designated luxury brand tower in this market. They have a digital platform that is trouble-free with good integration with our digital dispatch that seems to work better than others. Their management team has been really supportive of us over the years. We have better access to management, especially with unique scenarios including recoveries or handling of damages. Working with them to get through to reps and area managers is easy and they are good at responding. They visit often to meet with us and visit the site and they are always accessible, like at the Tow Expos and reaching out through their roundtables to seek how to be better. They listen and implement our ideas and are good about implementing them.”

Joe DiMarco, Quik Pik Towing; Phoenix, Arizona See ad page 16

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BUYERS REPORT

Atlanta Wrecker Sales Is Best on Price “Atlanta Wrecker Sales is the lowest price on Jerr-Dan units that I’ve found. [There are other dealers closer], but Atlanta Wrecker Sales will pay us to fix stuff that fails or send us parts and they fix or pay. They’re good on that and no questions asked. We had a seal in a brand-new winch that failed—just luck of draw—and they sent us the parts and paid us to fix it here. … I’ve been buying Jerr-Dan the last four years; those early trucks now have 300,000 miles on them and we’ve not had a fail on those Jerr-Dan bodies yet. At some point all hoses wear out, but our Jerr-Dans with 300,000 miles haven’t worn out yet. We don’t sell trucks; we fix them here—replace transmissions, replace engines—and keep them going. The aluminum beds are good and more slip resistant and always the same price as steel beds at Atlanta Wrecker Sales so you can go either way. They’re competitive with everybody else across the board on options, toolboxes.”

Dennis Cleveland, Affordable Towing; Springfield, Missouri See ad page S 101

Austin Insurance Willing to Help “They are wonderful people and a great company to work with at Austin Insurance. They know the towing business really well along with the insurance part of this industry. They know insurance for towers and what you need. We’ve always gotten really good service from them, and reasonable prices. They’ve got a whole team that is willing to help whenever you need it. Whenever you call, you get a person. It’s very important to me not to talk to a machine and they are there whenever you have a question. We’ve been with them since the 1990s, several years. They are really good about coming to you when your renewal is ready. They will bring papers to you and personally check on you.”

Carrie Meeks, Bentonville Towing; Bentonville, Arkansas See ad page S 100

AW Direct Attentive, Prepares Us “I have a fleet of 13 trucks in all and a lot of recovery for municipalities. I buy trucks local, but parts have been a snag at times on customer service. They’ll forget something on an order, and shrug it off. But with AW Direct, my rep has been very attentive to our needs and the work we do and having us prepared for our situations that we encounter. When wire rope breaks or a skate goes missing, they’ll have stuff available. I was surprised on just the shipping; we call and have things in first thing the next morning. With every order, they’ll typically throw in something, like a toy wrecker or flatbed, which is nice and I’ll pass it to the guys to give it to their kids. Little things like that help. AW Direct teaming with WreckMaster is a plus that I can call them and get WreckMaster products. … I deal with my rep almost daily and I haven’t had to worry about anything.”

Oscar Roman; Certified Towing & Recovery; Batavia, Illinois See ad page 80

B/A Products Listens to Customers “Coleman Motor Company has been using B/A Products since 1990; every strap, chain, skate, etc., in our fleet has come from B/A. B/A only supplies products that are built to last. They handpick each supplier and test every product they sell solely based on quality. We are pleased with the superior customer service; B/A stands behind every product, we have had a few instances where the item needed warranty and we got the replacement before we ever sent the item back. It’s first-class customer service. We would recommend B/A Products to anyone who wants quality products and a company that stands behind every item they sell. B/A is one of the few companies that actually listens to their customers and makes improvements and design changes based on customer needs.”

Paul Stephens, Coleman Motor Co.; Fredericksburg, Virginia See ad page 19 64 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

Beacon Software Visuals Ease Dispatch Decisions “We are a fairly new adopter with Beacon Software; we went on-board full operational in October 2017. So far we are extremely happy with the product. Most impressive is the function of dispatch, with the driver tracking and call tracking. We had experiences with a different product and discontinued it, so we were operating old school—non-digital—and it was like operating blind prior to Beacon. The display showing map and trucks and sidebar of calls and info makes things visual for dispatchers to make better decisions. The amount of information makes efficient decisions easier because all the info is readily available. For example, while main dispatch might get inbound call from customer, they can check truck status and volume without flipping through multiple pages, so everything she needs to give an accurate ETA is already right there on the home dispatching page. … I’m looking forward to some of the partner innovations that are coming, like TowZing; digital innovations and the partner relations they have are partners we work with, or want to.”

Sam Johnson, Capitol City Automotive; Sacramento, California See ad page 88

Century Is a Better Truck, Holds Value “We just took delivery of our Century 9055XC in November at the American Towman Expo in Baltimore; it's the XL model with the longer boom and higher capacity on a tandem truck. It’s done everything we’ve wanted it to. There’s more front-axle weight, so it’s better stopping and towing. We own six 9055s, well now seven, and the others we counterweighted for more front-axle weight and we lost a lot of tunnel box space. This one didn’t need it, so it has more storage space. It’s a better truck; it turns better and is a nice piece of equipment. … Our Miller Industries equipment is everything from rollbacks to 20-ton to 50-ton wreckers and 75-ton rotators. What problems I’ve had are very few; I hire good drivers that don’t abuse stuff. Miller’s always taken care of problems with no worries. Miller makes a very good product; I like what we have because we do a lot of heavy towing and heavy-duty recovery work. … Miller trucks always are sought after and hold value well. They have a good dealer network and I like doing business with them.”

Jeff Chambers, William M. Chambers & Son Towing; Viola, Delaware See ad page 12, 13

Chevron Commercial Appreciates You “I’ve been buying from Chevron Commercial for 14 years. Their customer service is always one on one. They let you pick out everything you want, extreme or not. You can spec as much as you want or as low as you want. Other places will have something already in stock they want to sell you. Some will do only two toolboxes instead of four. The details on the Chevron trucks are nicer. Keith Iberg, the parts manager, takes care of you one on one and will ship your order that day and get parts to you as quick as you want them. We get one-to-one time from the owner to sales to parts to the girls in the office; it’s spot on. They call you by name, appreciate you and they care even after you’ve spent the money, whether it was a lot or not a lot.”

Chris Webster, McNamara’s Towing & Transport; St. Louis, Missouri See ad page 91

Condor: Load Motorcycles with One Driver “Before the Condor Products equipment was available, it would take multiple people to load a motorcycle. On older motorcycles it was OK to use conventional straps and so forth, but not so with the newer bikes with plastic fairings and so forth; they’re much harder to strap. But with Condor, now one person can do it. Load and strap and walk away from it. The difference is night and day as far as improved safety of the motorcycle against damage, and it just takes one driver to do it. It’s a very valuable piece of equipment in our industry as far as hauling motorcycles. I think it’s the best one out there.”

Mike Bressie, Nisqually Towing; Olympia, Washington See ad page 90 Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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BUYERS REPORT

Crouch’s Works with You “I’ve been buying from Crouch’s Wrecker & Equipment for about 15 years. The process always goes like it’s supposed to and they always do what they say they’ll do. They work with me on price and any way they can; they call and ask about equipment and they can advise on everything. … I’ve probably bought about 30 trucks from them. David Reed, who I always deal with, has called manufacturers and worked with them and me on any problem.”

Mike Simmons, A-1 Towing & Recovery; Chattanooga, Tennessee See ad page 85

Deep South Wrecker Sales Makes Everything Easy “I love Deep South Wrecker Sales to death because they take care of me, so I buy all my trucks there. They have plenty of stuff available and keep a good stock on hand which always helps, when something breaks down they’re always available to get me something immediately and take care of it. They’ll call to check on us, let us know of recalls, different things like that. They make it easy, they deliver. Anything you need, they’ll do. For someone who never stepped foot into their place, I’ve never been there, they treat me like they’ve known me forever. All my dealings have been by phone. They send people to pick up a truck, they take care of me. I’m not sure if I can but would like to recognize Mike Capozza at Loganville Ford for the service he gives to our company. He works very hard to find what I need and takes care of any problems that may arise.”

Jack Justice, Statewide Towing & Recovery; North Little Rock, Arkansas See ad page 48

DewEze Stands By Its Product 100 Percent “DewEze has been great; they’ve been able to assist us in domestic and international markets finding clutch pumps that work on cab-over or Japanese 24V chassis. They really assist us in providing power to our equipment that is suited for Japanese or other non-U.S. chassis. DewEze is great to work with, for us there can be numerous large-quantity orders and they can produce and supply the orders we need. They stand by their product 100 percent and help us get anything taken care of.”

Brandon Glass, Miller Industries; Ooltewah, Tennessee See ad page 48

Driveline Buddy on All Our Heavies Hanser’s Wrecker has been using the Driveline Buddy for just over two years. This is an extremely high-quality product. It has been used in temperatures from -40 degrees to over 100 degrees and it withstood the elements every time. From country gravel washboard roads to interstates, it holds the drivelines in position for easy reinstallation. Driveline Buddy’s customer service is awesome; great people to work with every time. We have had no issues with the product; Driveline Buddy works exactly as they said it would. I began my journey with Driveline Buddy after two heavy-duty drivers had back issues arise from removing heavy drivelines. We began with two Driveline Buddies on our DTU units, and have since put them on all 18 heavy wreckers.”

Spence Hanser, Hanser’s Wrecker; Billings, Montana See ad page S 104

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Dual-Tech Communicates Honestly, Effectively “We have been using Dual-Tech since 2010. Integrity: Everyone we have worked with at Dual-Tech has always been an honest and effective communicator. Any time that there has been an issue, they have gone above and beyond the call of duty in keeping us informed and fixing the problem. Quality: Dual-Tech uses the best products and materials available and stay on top of the changes in design and functionality of the rollbacks. Moral character: Everyone we have worked with has had a servant’s heart, from the initial specs and design of building our rollbacks to the delivery of the finished product.”

Tom and Heather Anglin, Ace Repair & Towing; Roanoke, Virginia See ad page 31

Dynamic Rotating Rollback Gets Lots Done “We have a Dynamic Equipment T180 rotating rollback and we love it. It does a fantastic job. We have a lot of rural roads—two lanes with steep shoulders. We can rotate down and recover casualties from the ditch right onto the bed and leave one lane open, including over a guardrail. Typically you’d need a heavy or two to crane the vehicle over. … With the remote, you can even be in the cab and steer a car onto the bed. You can get a lot of work done with it. … There’s a lot of condos in a resort area here, a lot of people park where they shouldn’t and are parked in tight. We can rotate the bed and be 90 degrees and pull it right up on the bed. Anthony Gentile is a super guy to work with. There’s a lot of communication back and forth and he takes care of us, whatever we need. It’s a well-built product.”

Allen Scott, Hi-Tech Auto Body & Towing; Osage Beach, Missouri See ad page 53

Eimpound.com Shows You Take Extra Steps to ID “We’ve been using eimpound.com for about a year. It’s really useful to process when DMV doesn’t get a return since it can search any other databases. … Even if the ID process still gets nothing, it shows the extra step we tried to get in touch with somebody. We are in a tri-state area and a lot of cars we process have out-of-state tags. It’s nice to show we go the extra mile to contact the owner and say your car is here. It’s actually very easy to use; we made a free account and enter impound as it goes. We enter storage fees, reason towed, storage address and what’s required if lienholder picks up. It integrates with other systems that are out there.”

Ashley Miller, Dominion Towing; Lorton, Virginia See ad page 84

Elizabeth Truck Center Great for Trucks and Parts “I’ve been using Elizabeth Truck Center since the late ’90s, almost 20 years. We’ve probably bought 20 trucks off them. It’s an excellent company as a truck customer or just getting parts. I use them for all my parts and all my trucks. I’ve been in the business for 30 years and using them for 20. Jim Powers is very easy to work with. He’s knowledgeable about Miller bodies, and also cab and chassis and he knows how to spec the truck out. Their trucks are spec’d very well, so when it's time to sell they get top dollar. I’ve been very happy with them for years.”

Bob Newell, Eagle Truck Services; Parsippany, New Jersey See ad page 61

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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BUYERS REPORT

Employer’s Guardian Handles HR, OSHA Help “I’ve been using Employer’s Guardian for 10 years. They do a lot for us; all of our human resources, they created our new-hire packets. They’re completely electronic with newhire stuff and signatures, process payroll, handle write-ups for managers, terminations, Workman’s Comp issues, and shop Workman’s Comp rates. I have access to their website for training records and manager reports to enter directly. … They provide fantastic service; I can email or call anytime and ask for anyone by name and get answers immediately on no notice, even text if I need. It’s like they take an emotional investment in our business and its best interests. They come out yearly and walk our shops looking for potential OSHA violations to let us know what we need to work on. … They are very diverse in what they can handle.”

Jeff Holzer, Bob Holzer Towing & Storage; Santa Barbara, California See ad page W 103

Environmental Chemical Solutions Aids Insurance Billing We have worked with Environmental Chemical Solutions since May of 2016. … We purchased Gold Crew TC for our spill-response vehicle and have spill kits for our wreckers and flatbeds. These include, absorbent booms, disposal bags, safety gloves, safety glasses and DOT HazMat labels. ECS has been very responsive to all our questions. Most of the products are self-explanatory; the only questions we had in the beginning were centered on the application process of the TC product. We worked with ECS to create a simple three- and four-step process for our guys to remediate as quickly and efficiently as possible. … ECS takes an active role in your business if you let them. I’ve worked with their staff on figuring out local, state and federal environmental law aiding in our billing process. Most recently they have approached us to take over our cleanup billing all together which we are excited about; working with insurance companies to get paid can take a lot of time, so handing that off will free that time back up.”

Christopher Boss, Michael’s Towing; Reedley, California See ad page 91

Fitzgerald’s Trucks Are Moneymakers “It’s going on 11 years since I first bought trucks from Fitzgerald Towing & Recovery Equipment, and each is still running. They are top of the line. I just bought a [Jerr-Dan JFB rotator] from them and have about 30 other units from them that all run great. Tommy and Rick both put a lot of pride in their trucks. I wouldn’t use them if I didn’t believe in them. … I have nothing bad to say about them. I want everything I buy to be Fitzgerald. I’d rather recycle through Fitzgerald; I’m a big believer in their trucks and their quality. They’ve jumped on the few problems I’ve had. These trucks are moneymakers; that’s why I’m in the business. I’m very satisfied with them.”

Jeff Proffitt, Proffitt Trucking; Crossville, Tennessee See ad page 51

Flow Stop Amazes and Impresses My brother Jeff and I have been in the towing and recovery business since we were youngsters helping our father, Don Schaffer. Over the years we’ve performed countless recoveries and environmental cleanups. When I was introduced to the Flow Stop product line four years ago, I was amazed at how the Footballs and Golfballs worked for stopping leaks, mainly on saddle tanks on semis. We now use the entire Flow Stop product line, including the new pump caddy. Their products and services are second to none and the customer support is tremendous from them. I recommend their products all the time and every time I use a Football or Golfball at an accident scene, the fire and EMS are always very impressed at the results—that’s why we use their products.”

Justin Schaffer, Schaffer’s Towing; Cincinnati, Ohio See ad page S 101 68 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

G. Stone Commercial: You’re Not a Number “I’ve been buying from G. Stone Commercial for six years. Every time I go back is because it’s a family-oriented business. You’re not a number; they treat you like family and follow up with you. If I need something with my truck, I call them or I bring it over and they get it right in. If its parts or accessories, they get it for you. They don’t blow smoke. The paperwork process is quick. They do everything they can to get us financed and are fair about it.”

Steve Harrington, E&S Transport; Richmond, Vermont See ad page N 101

Heartland Payment Systems: Switched Without Regret “I was honestly very hesitant switching from Bank of America to Heartland Payment Systems. I didn’t want to go to an outside source and pay extra fees. Don insisted he could save us money and he was right. We are paying a quarter of the merchant fees and credit card costs as we were before with B of A. There wasn’t a major transition. We have a chip reader now, with B of A there was a charge, but not with Heartland. The chip reader works super easy. Don is readily available to answer questions about the system. I can do online checks for reports and deposits … it breaks down everything on all your deposits. Overall it was a smooth transition and I’m very happy I went with them … no regrets.”

Jessica Selesia, Vic’s Towing; Sonora, California See ad page W 104

I Tow In Skates Are Durable, Work Well “I use I Tow In’s skates and ball joint skates; they all work real well and last a long time. I’ve always had real good luck with their products. Anytime I call, they get the order sent to me right away. I’ve been using them a long time, 10 years or longer. Their skates are durable. We use them on everything.”

Darryl Longpine, Tow Service; Wichita, Kansas See ad page 24

In the Ditch Products Are Top Quality “I have been buying from In The Ditch since 2010, everything from shelf dividers all the way up to equipping our carriers from front to back with Pro Series Boxes, box tops and fender boxes. We’re also using their dollies and aluminum cross bars. The quality of the equipment we use from ITD is second to none. For example, the hinges they use on their Pro Series Boxes are problem-free compared to the traditional piano hinge found on many other boxes on the market. The service after the sale has been stellar. Any issue, and there haven’t been many, has been handled with the utmost urgency on their part. I recommend ITD to all my friends. Can you use the door of your underbody toolbox as a step? With the ITD Pro Series, you can. With ITD I’ve found I can keep all of our carriers organized in a similar fashion. This helps drivers find equipment and tools more efficiently if they’re in a truck they’re not typically assigned to. It also helps us check the equipment easier and ensure we have the proper amount and it’s all in safe working order.”

Nathan Buckler, Buckler’s Towing Service; Hyannis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts See ad page 81

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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BUYERS REPORT

Integrated Leasing Is Straight Up, Straightforward “Integrated Vehicle & Equipment Leasing is so good, I don’t use nobody else. I’ve been using them since 2003 on about 35 trucks. Exactly what they say is what they do; nothing more, nothing less, straight up, straightforward. They are the best people I’ve used in that aspect. Anytime I need anything, they go above and beyond for you and after the sale they call you back and make sure you’re still happy. They cover A to Z, and that’s what I like. Anytime it just takes a call and it’s a done deal. Mitch Ball is top-notch. He’s not just a business associate, but a business friend.”

Danny Paris, Dan’s Advantage Towing; Blaine, Tennessee See ad page 26

Intek Leasing Is Easiest Buying Process “Intek Truck & Equipment Leasing is probably the easiest bank I’ve ever dealt with. I can call to say I’m buying a truck and they show up with paperwork and we’re done. It’s the easiest process I’ve dealt with. I’ve been using them for about two years since they were first recommended to me. I financed my rotator with Intek, and about six trucks in total. There’s no question about using them. For me, I find the truck and call them up and say what it is, where the truck is and I’m buying it; I sign the paperwork and the truck shows up at my door. I’m very satisfied with their service.”

Mike Stahnten, Certified Auto Mall; Howell, New Jersey See ad page 60

Jerr-Dan Focused on Improving Industry “I think that Jerr-Dan has the best towing equipment in the industry. Jerr-Dan always stands behind its product, which allows me to do the same with my customers. They offer exceptional support and innovation, like the terrific JFB bodies with the heavies and the XLP carrier that I think is best in class. As a distributor, I’m very happy with the quality of Jerr-Dan’s complete product line that is always improving and has a lot to offer the towing community. I’m able to provide my customers with a superior product at competitive prices with a strong warranty. Jerr-Dan and Crawford Truck Sales treat the tower as if they are family and want that good working relationship. A tower can always contact the factory directly, and Jerr-Dan offers seminars at the AT Expos. Jerr-Dan is focused on tower safety, like when they released right-side free-spool that allowed towers to work safer on the passenger side. They are continually trying to improve the product overall, for the usability and safety of the tower. They’re focused on trying to improve the whole industry.”

John LaMarche, Crawford Truck Sales; Lancaster, Massachusetts See ad page 108

Kalyn Siebert Service Is Phenomenal “My father bought our first Kalyn Siebert trailer in about 1999, a 53-foot sliding-axle trailer and it’s been with us since. We now have two end-dumps, a VersaMaxx bus hauler and 53-foot sliding-axle, all 2017 or newer. … They are trying to find out what they can do to make things simpler for me and make things simpler and safer for the user. Their product isn’t cookie-cutter, but efficient for the driver to work and make it less difficult to get the job done. They aren’t God’s gift at trailer building, but darn close. … They’ve jumped through hoops to make sure service after the sale was phenomenal, which is the big reason why we’re still there. The craftsmanship and build quality is top-notch.”

Shannon Arens, Arens Services; Chappell Hill, Texas See ad page 45

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Kenworth of S. Florida: Finance Without Drama “Kenworth of South Florida works well for me and worked the truck deal I needed and got it financed without a lot of drama. It was the first time I’ve bought from them and I absolutely will look to them for my next truck. I was shopping for two months and they hands down beat the others and, apples to apples, they got me the best of the deal. Everything went pretty easy.”

Doug Farace, Hebbville Auto Repair; Windsor Mill, Maryland See ad page 57

Landoll Trailers Are Quality-Built “I just bought another trailer from Landoll and always had good luck. I’ve never had a problem; that’s why I keep going back. I’m very happy with what I buy from them, going back to the mid-’80s. I have no problems with their customer service, build quality or reliability. I can usually get replacement parts quick when needed. Their trailers are just a quality-built product.”

Doug Thoma, Sandy’s Towing; Dayton, Ohio See ad page 89

Len Zermenos Builds a Hell of a Truck “Len Zermenos is the best company I’ve ever worked with. Of all the tow trucks we bought. We typically buy one a year. They build one hell of a truck. Even two years after I bought a truck, they fixed a problem and went out of their way for us. I’d recommend them to anyone, anytime. They are the best. Len and Jeff build one hell of a truck.”

Don Peyatt, ESS Equipment; Medina, Ohio See ad page 35

Lynch Chicago Is Right There After the Sale “Buying from Lynch Chicago is a great level of service and parts sales, the guys are all very good and in touch with us and us with them. After the sale, they are right there for us with the follow-up on anything we need. I’ve bought light-duty flatbeds to heavy-duty rotators and everything in between. … The quality of their trucks, which is mostly Miller products, is superb. … They always resolve any problems while we’re there or send a tech to me. Their quality is first-rate and pricing is very competitive. All the guys [from the top down] are all very able to help us when we need help.”

Dan Bertagnolli, Berts Towing; Hammond, Indiana See ad page 47

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BUYERS REPORT

Manufacturer Express Is First-Rate “Manufacturer Express is very helpful in anything I need and always good to help me find things and get pricing quickly. There’s never an issue with getting product. All the equipment has been first-rate; never any failures and all has worked as expected and advertised. Doreen has kept in contact with me or me with her ever since we started with them and it's a good working relationship. I can call anytime and she always obliges with answering or calling back quickly. Usually within 24 or 48 hours, we have our product. They’re a pleasure to work with and pricing is very competitive—I’ve never felt like I overpaid for anything.”

Noah Cornell, USA Towing; Charlotte, North Carolina See ad page 45

Matheny Motors Helped After Driver Killed “I’ve bought several trucks from Matheny Motors, and there are a couple things that impress me. We had a driver killed in 2016 and lost a road tractor. A few days after that, there was a brand-new tractor down here from Matheny. They offered it to us to use at no charge while I decided whether to replace it. It was very helpful during that time for our company. … I’ve already bought four trucks from them in 2018. Tim Matheny is very approachable. When I see him at a tow show, he knows who I am though I’ve never dealt directly with him, he checks that things are going good here. They’ve offered to sponsor a meeting for our association and let us use a boardroom there and feed us. They’ve gone beyond anything we’d expect—they’re a class act, no doubt.”

Darrell Summers, Summers Towing & Repair; Morgantown, West Virginia See ad page 33

MatJack Is Good Quality “We have been using MatJack since the mid-’80s. It’s good, quality equipment. We haven’t had any serious issues, but they always take care of them. Once, some hoses weren’t acting right that came from their supplier. They were crimped, with bad airflow. MatJack sent us new hoses, no questions asked, after I sent them a picture. The bags are very durable and simple to set up on a scene. I can take a driver with no experience and explain what to do in a minute and get him working on getting bags in position. … The system works great for us, everything from landing bags to underwater bags and jumbo bags and highpressure bags.”

Steven Weil, Weil Wrecker; Birmingham, Alabama See ad page 62

New England Truckmaster Knows Heavy-Duty “New England Truckmaster has built me quite a few trucks, the last one was my rotator that I picked up in September. Those guys are fantastic. … I’ve bought about six trucks form Chris Lambiase in the past 3-4 years alone. He’s phenomenal. Chris is on top of everything, especially heavy-duty. When you forget something in spec, he doesn’t. He wants every truck to be a showpiece and reflect well. When spec’ing trucks, he knows his stuff. Every single truck he focuses on the details. …Chris spec’ed this truck himself with the extra length so the boom would fit tucked behind the cab at all times for load/weight distribution creating a much more stable driving experience. His placement of the equipment, spreader bar storage and accessibility makes everything much more organized.”

Jim Padgett, Padgett & Sons Auto; New London, Connecticut See ad page 25 72 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

OMG National Goes into Extreme Detail “I believe we started with OMG National about two years ago. The first year was kind of rough, but we voiced our opinion to them, and they told us what steps to take to get more traffic to the site. Then they redid our site and cash calls have gone up exponentially since they took over our social media and it blew up. ... We are top of Google and we are thoroughly pleased. Initially didn’t have a site with them. After that, it garnered more traffic and Google five-star ratings to get to the top of Google. They helped us with our Facebook page and developed it for us and filled it out and got us all set up and it’s been making money ever since. They’ll usually call us monthly with a rundown and performance report. They go into extreme detail in reports that clearly show how it’s working.”

Cody Post, C.P. Wrecker Service; Auburn, Alabama See ad page N 100, S M 104

Quest Listens to Us “We’ve been working with Quest Towing Services for a few years and the relationship continues to blossom. Any issue or concern we have, the resolution is never delayed. Quest’s volume of calls is steady, and their customers are always pleasant. We deeply value the Quest relationship. They are a family company, and you can tell because they communicate very effectively. If there’s an issue with us on a call, with a payment, with an irate customer or a damage claim, there’s always an open line of communication. They are not accusatory; they always request our side of the story, and I feel like they listen to us. We appreciate that.”

Toy Gibson, A Reliable Roadside; Forest Park, Georgia See ad page 50

Rick’s Truck & Equipment Took Care of Me “I started buying form Rick’s Truck & Equipment in 2013. … Their equipment is excellent. I bought a brand-new Kenworth from them, got 200 miles away and the ECM gave out. I called Rick and he put me up in a hotel, comped me $500 for food for two days and was so professional and great about everything. I didn’t worry about anything and he took care of me and took care of the truck. He’s a great guy. I call him once a month or so to shoot the breeze. Bought another truck for my nephew. Every time I call, they are so professional. Don’t see that down here. I really enjoy calling there because it brightens my day.”

Michael Russell, 1 Touch Towing; Las Vegas, Nevada See ad page M 101

Road America Is a Great Motor Club “I work with a couple of motor clubs that we choose to work with; I’m selective with the clubs and Road America is a great motor club. With other clubs, there would be issues with customers or volume or billing; Road America doesn’t have those issues. Any problems are resolved pretty quickly. Payables is on top of things so we don’t have to wait around on payment. Call volume is good, staff is friendly. I talk to my rep whenever I pick up the phone. Communication is key in towing, and communication is pertinent to working relations and it’s definitely there with Road America. No issues with their customers, no real issues with damage complaints. A lot of it is our training with drivers, but a lot is with the type of customer base they have.”

Jason Hendley, Big Toe Towing; Denver, Colorado See ad page 53

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BUYERS REPORT

Rocky Mountain Treats Everyone the Same “We’ve been buying from Rocky Mountain Wrecker Sales for 38 years. My father bought his first heavy from them in 1973. … We have, over the years, bought from other dealers, but Rocky Mountain was always the one who took care of anything no matter where we bought a truck. Service, no questions asked. Over the last 10 years, I’ve been exclusive from them in all but one truck, of 30 or so. Night or day, if I have a problem, they’ll help me. At the scene of an accident, they’ve been out to fix a hose. I always know I’m getting a good deal and taken care of. That goes for all my staff; drivers are respected and cared for to get their trucks up and running. … Workmanship, installation, everything they do is top-notch. I’ve talked to other owners who’ve had the same type of relationship with them whether one truck or 30. They treat everyone the same. That’s what I like.”

Kurtis Stauffer, Stauffer’s Towing; Salt Lake City, Utah See ad page W 101

Sanderson Offers a Personal Connection “Sanderson Truck Equipment is a great group of guys; always very helpful whenever I call there—even with a problem. If I’m having a truck repaired, they’ll get it out as quick as possible because they know we don’t make money when the trucks are being worked on. What keeps me going back is their customer service and the quality of the trucks. I really like the personal connection with them. Beyond just being there to sell, they want to help my company grow and they really put customer service first. I had a truck in an accident that was totaled and needed another ASAP. I called them that morning and said, ‘I need a truck.’ That afternoon I was signing docs and on my way out with a new truck. They really pushed things through for me that day and had me in a truck that afternoon. They knew it was imperative that I have that truck out on the road.”

Jesse Shreffler; Knight Towing; Casa Grande, Arizona See ad page 21

Santander Is Really Pleasant “Santander is excellent. I’ve really enjoyed working with them. They’re always there to answer questions and are prompt, getting financing is simple. It’s really pleasant. I have about 10 trucks that I’ve financed with them. They’re always right there when working with us on a new truck—they’re just on it. I’m really excited to get my rotator through them. It was a big purchase and they worked with us and it wasn’t difficult at all. I work mainly with Justin Green, but I’ve been real satisfied with others in the office as well.”

Debbie Reid, Evergreen State Towing; Spokane, Washington See ad page 107

Specialty Vehicle Has So Much Good “After using Specialty Vehicle Funding for years, I’d say they are hands down the best. They have the least amount of trouble on paperwork, response time and customer service I’ve ever dealt with. … Melanie is very good. I cannot say enough good things about them to be honest, and I can’t say that about many businesses. They’ve treated us about the same across the board. We did have one truck down and we were able to get payoff on the truck and get another truck in house before the other was sold and moved. Interest rates so competitive I wouldn’t even think of going anywhere else.”

Chuck Parker, Bower Recovery Specialists; Fort Worth, Texas See ad page 15

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TJR Equipment Excellent Getting What You Need “It’s been a very good experience using TJR Equipment the past 25 years, using them since Tom’s father was there. Everything out of there always has been pretty good. When he tells you when it will be there, it’ll be there. I can pick up from there if needed too. They’ve been excellent getting me what I need when I call. I get along with everybody there.”

Frank Caprio, Lynch Truck Chicago; Chicago, Illinois See ad page 91

TowMate Service Is Great “The service at TowMate is great. Any time there’s been problems with their lightbars, they’ve been helpful in getting them taken care of. We’ve been using them since they started, now their lights are across our 15 trucks. They have great service and they’ll walk through it on the phone and send a new one or whatever they have to do. They’re alright and service has been great.”

Tony, Lin-Mar Towing; Morton Grove, Illinois See ad page 27, 92

TowToolz Doesn’t Pass the Buck “When Frank Gentilquore started TowToolz, his past customer service warranted us staying with him. We bought two sets of catch bags. Frank’s customer service is direct, no passing the buck. We’ve been able to call him 24 hours a day with tech questions or if we have an issue or about when a product applies to a given situation. Frank’s an old guy like me; we connect very well. All of our boys have his contact info and he doesn’t talk down to you and works with us to help—he’s always been very forthright with information. He’s helped with training, even visited our location and helped us with a cross-training at our location. … He’s at all the major tow shows and events and very accessible and knowledgeable.”

Ron Myers, Pine Tree Towing; Cambridge, Ohio See ad page 22

Truck Body Sales Treats You Like an Owner “I buy all my stuff at Truck Body Sales because they always treat you well. Any time I need service, with a phone call they say bring it in and they jump on it. They treat me like I own the place. Everything they do is right on any order they get for me. The service is right and they treat you right as soon as you walk in. I’ve been to other dealers and left in the sales room and been ignored for 10 minutes. That’s the difference. I can go in Truck Body Sales and they take care of it, even if I show up unannounced. It’s hard to argue with that. They build a great truck. They do what they say, not promise the world and give you something else.”

Dacey Havens, Winters Tow Service; Winters, California See ad page 92

Urgent.ly Pays Immediately, No Issues “I love working with Urgent.ly. I have been working with them for four years, since they started. I was among the first to sign up. I get along with everyone there; zero problems, no issues whatsoever. Volume of calls is pretty good, averaging about 10-15 calls a day, some times 20. … Payments go directly to the bank immediately, no issue whatsoever as far as payments go. The team is great. They’re not that big, so you know the people and can get the answers.”

Mody Moalem, Hollywood Car Carrier; Los Angeles, California See ad page 61 Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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BUYERS REPORT

U.S. Fleet Tracking Saves Time “With our owner Mick Morgan, we’ve been using U.S. Fleet Tracking for several years. … We put GPS tracking in trucks and have ever since. No problems, they’re great. When they upgraded to 4G, they sent us all new GPS devices to swap out at no cost. … Dispatch improved a whole lot because when sending our drivers on calls if they can’t find it, you can look up the address and just guide them right in. I can see where they are pulling a rig and see if they can even make a coming turn. It saves us time and really helps with everything we do here. They’ve been good to us and work great for us and I know it has more capabilities than what we use. We are running about 50 trucks on this system across several locations.”

Glenda Dagenhart, Morgan Towing & Recovery; Muskogee, Oklahoma See ad page 21

USAC/MD Friendly, Accessible “The great attitude everyone has at United States Auto Club/Motoring Division, from dispatch through upper management, was very friendly and accessible. They pay weekly and are good about paying. Rates are extremely fair. Rates are higher than almost anybody. … You can’t work for a better motor club than them, and we do the whole gamut of them. It feels like you’re part of USAC when you’re doing calls for them, you’re not just another provider. Dispatch is the best when they call us. They make you feel like family. USAC’s entire team makes us feel like friends and family and that we matter to them.”

Luis Chacon, Chacon Towing; San Antonio, Texas See ad page 31

VTS Systems Does Everything You Need “We started using VTS in 2014, after having issues with our previous provider not keeping the software up to date concerning Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation changes. Within as little as a week, we were getting rid of the old and installing the new. The VTS Classic System is very user friendly; with a little training you can be up and running within hours. If there is an issue with anything, help is always a phone call away and generally they can talk you through the issue or access your system remotely. … Having multiple companies storing at our lot, once the commission prices are installed, the hardest part of doing payroll at the end of the week is writing the check. The system provides access to MVR databases for over 30 states and logs the information into the system for you. … The system prompts you to send out notification letters, abandoned, auction request forms, as well as certified mail. With VTS, certified mail is sent at the touch of a button, allowing you to spend less time putting mail together. … The system does everything you need from the time the vehicle is entered until the time you are printing out the paperwork after the auction.”

Wayne Gray, Son’s Auto Storage II/Son’s Wrecker Service; Houston, Texas See ad page S 99

Warn Always Trying to Improve “All the Chevron wreckers have Warn winches; working with Warn, Tom is very helpful in customer service. He asks me a lot of questions; I’ve been here 25 years and seen the ins and outs and he takes my feedback and tries to make the winches better. When I have a problem in the field, he always helps me get it resolved quickly without a lot of headaches. He always returns calls promptly, and emails quick and easy. The product is good and gotten better over the years. I like them because of their deep knowledge of the winch and they listened and take my comments to engineers and keep trying to make a better product all the time.”

Keith Iberg, Chevron Commercial; Highland, Illinois See ad page 34

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Weego: You Can’t Go Wrong “We have the Weego 66; the Weego equipment is really great, small, efficient and reliable. You can't really go wrong. It’s really powerful. It jumps anything up to big rigs or a tractor. The device is comfortable to carry in the truck. It tells if the battery is good or not. It won’t jump if it detects a faulty battery. … It’s saved me so many times. It’s better compared to other jump-boxes we’ve used. This one just throws all the power into the vehicle being jumped. More accurate than the others I’ve used. No sparks and much safer for doing a jump-start.”

Mauro Galvez, All Service Roadside; Baldwin Park, California See ad page 25

Worldwide Equipment-West Is Outstanding “Our experience with Worldwide Equipment-West has been outstanding; the service has been amazing and the builds have been great. When we buy a rollback this summer, we’re going right back to Worldwide. What stands out for me is how quickly they respond to issues, even from 300 miles away. They’ll overnight a part, or send a tech to me. They communicate like they are just down the street. … Response from them has been better than any we’ve had locally. … I think the Jerr-Dan product they sell has been the best light-duty wrecker we’ve owned. I’m very impressed with the units we get from them.”

Josh Hettrick, HB Towing; Sacramento, California See ad page W 99

Worldwide Bridges the Gap from OEM to Customers “I’ve been using Worldwide Equipment Sales since 2004, Pat Winer is always available by cellphone. It would be difficult finding a better salesman or owner who’s so willing to help. Jerr-Dan is a great, great product. We just purchased three heavies and we’re learning from them and been pleasantly surprised by their performance. Pat works great with JerrDan to bridge the gap between the manufacturer and the customer for a great relationship that bring all three together on the same page. You won’t find a person in the industry who cares more about their customers than Pat. Customers are like family. On the service side, Rich and Brandon in parts are top notch. They know the parts, are available nights and weekends and anytime on their cellphones, and they really know what they are selling.”

Brad Arrowsmith, Arrow Towing; Council Bluffs, Iowa See ad on page 39

Zacklift Does What I Need It To Do “I have a fleet of 60-plus trucks and units and decided to convert one of my older trucks to have a dedicated Zacklift on it for my own use in bringing my trucks into the shop. It’s worked very well and is very economical. I’ve seen a lot of benefits and am considering having that truck’s driver get certified for towing and adding commercial towing on as a part-time addition to the business. … It can do truck breakdowns and also do RVs, and hook anything to it, even a trailer on the ground; it’s a really nice piece of equipment. … Anything I need to do with it, it’s there.”

Sam Zenaido, Zenaido Martinez Jr. Trucking; Pasco, Washington See ad page 2

Casanova Keeps Me on the Road “I’ve been using Casanova Towing Equipment since they were just a mom-and-pop shop and I’ve watched them grow into a successful business. I’ve been buying from them and having my trucks worked on there and couldn't be happier. It’s the fantastic quality and that they stand behind everything they sell. Anything out of their control that's been wrong, they take care of the same day. They do everything in their power to make sure I’m back on the road as quickly as possible. I’m a very loyal customer and will be buying my next truck from them. … When I have outside-the-box fabricating ideas, I pitch to them and they come back with better versions of my ideas. They know what I like and remember it and do everything they can to accommodate me.”

Mark Mathis, Mr. C’s Towing; South Gate, California See ad page W 104 Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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Commercial Truck Tire Finder Launched GCR Tires & Service, a commercial tire and service network operated by Bridgestone Americas, recently announced the launch of its Commercial Truck Tire Finder. GCR (gcrtires.com) operates more than 150 store locations and 1,500 service vehicles across the U.S. The GCR Commercial Truck Tire Finder provides users with both product-specific and guided search options. Customers who want to view information about a specific tire can navigate directly to the desired product page by searching a product name or tire article number. The guided search process is designed for users who may be less familiar with their tire choices, and focuses on finding the right tires for a specific industry application. The GCR Commercial Truck Tire Finder is optimized for both desktop and mobile use to ensure fleet customers are armed with information regardless of location.

APTO Hosts Two Training Events The Association of Professional Towers-Ohio (aptohio.com) has announced two upcoming training opportunities. On April 28-29, a WreckMaster Level 2/3 training

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... continued from p. 78

Kenworth Donates 76” Sleeper

will take place at Pine Tree Towing in Cambridge. In addition, the Second Annual Miller Industries/APTO Two-Day Advanced Heavy-Duty Training featuring Tom Luciano will take place June 5-6 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Middleburg Heights. Registration begins on April 2 and special APTO hotel rates are available. Cost for the Miller/APTO training is $495 for members; $595 for non-members and will include breakfast and lunch.

Kenworth, FASTPORT and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring our Heroes initiative are joining together for the third consecutive year to promote the trucking industry and discover America’s top rookie military veteran driver, who has made the transition from the Armed Forces to driving for a commercial fleet. Under the “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” recognition program, Kenworth (kenworth.com) will provide the top award: a Ken-

worth T680 Advantage equipped with a 76” sleeper, PACCAR MX-13 455-hp fuel-efficient engine and PACCAR 40,000-lbs. tandem rear axle.

Zip’s Donates to Survivor Fund From their “Slow Down, Move Over” campaign, Zip’s Truck Equipment (zips.com) in New Hampton, Iowa, recently gave $750 to the Survivor Fund for providing immediate financial support to families of towing operators who lose their lives in the line of service in our industry. Last summer, Zip’s created a variety of products to support Move Over, like vinyl vehicle decals in a range of colors and sizes. Continuing on that, Zip’s expanded the product line with T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts and baseball 3/4-sleeve shirts. For more information on the decals and shirts, visit zips.com/slow-downfor-a-cause. For more information on the Survivor Fund, visit internationaltowingmuseum.org/survivor-fund.

Cascadia Gains Collision Mitigation Daimler Trucks North America (daimler-trucksnorthamerica.com) recently announced that the Detroit Assurance 4.0 collision-mitigation system and Meritor EX+ L air disc brakes are standard on all new Freightliner Cascadia truck models. “The safety of all drivers on the road—whether behind the wheel of a truck or in a passenger vehicle—has always been one of our key priorities. We have made significant enhancements to our trucks that are designed to reduce or mitigate collisions,” said Kelly Gedert, director of product marketing for Freightliner and Detroit Components. “We are committed to continuing to test and develop technologies that can improve the safety of commercial vehicles.” In addition to the standard collision mitigation system, the new Cascadia can be spec’d with other optional safety features, such as Lane Departure Warning and Side Object Detection systems. 80 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

Should Connecticut Light Law Be National?

ith the towing industry losing a tow operator on the average of one every nine days, isn’t it in all of our best interest to make any change we can to make things safer for towmen everywhere? I did my tour of duty as a tow truck driver. I was one of the lucky ones to make it out alive although it wasn’t easy. (Read the cover story of American Towman, December 2017 … it just happens to be about me.) From 2011 to 2017, approximately 240 towmen were killed in the line of duty, but none in Connecticut according to OSHA records. It can’t help but make you wonder, are the trucks in Connecticut safer due to the placement of their lights? The Connecticut 8’ light law is a requirement that wreckers need to have a pair of 360degree lights mounted to the widest part of the truck that are at least 8’ above the ground. I often wonder if I’m still here because I towed in Connecticut, where they have a light law that I think is crucial to keeping towers safe. Connecticut is the only state with this law. Mounting the lights in such a location increases visibility to passing vehicles because the vehicle being towed or loaded onto a flatbed doesn’t block the flashing light. Without these lights, the lightbar on your typical tow truck or flatbed can be blocked from view behind the scene. Connecticut’s law was put in place in 1967; wreckers had red lights instead of amber there until 1979. I always thought that a wrecker was an emergency vehicle. Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry has amber lights on their work vehicle, from tree-removal trucks to the U.S. Postal Service, snow plows, municipal trucks, utilities, etc. I think wreckers should have red lights to the rear with amber lights to the front. Fire and ambulance vehicles have amber to the rear for caution, so 82 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

why don’t wreckers have red to the rear for emergency? Additionally, I don’t think flatbeds should run their lights while transporting a car down the highway; they can be a distraction and cause unwanted attention to your truck by other motorists. The only time the lights of a flatbed should be on are at the scene of an accident or breakdown, or possibly when transporting a wreck that has

by Kyle Chirgwin

loose debris or parts that may fall off. Towers in other states should contact their local towing association, state politicians, officials, DMV and others, and try to get something similar to Connecticut’s light law passed. While you’re at it, ask that more state and federal money go to Public Service Announcements and other awareness programs supporting the Move Over initiatives.

Light visibility to rear while loading a casualty in Massachusetts (bottom and Connecticut (top).

... continued from p. 82

Light visibility to rear while loading a casualty in Massachusetts (left) and Connecticut (right).

Light visibility with loaded vehicle on a flatbed in Massachusetts (left) and Connecticut (right).

About the author Kyle Chirgwin is a retired towman, tow business owner and author/co-creator of “My Big Tow.”

Author’s note Special thanks to Katie at Buckler’s Towing for coordinating photo shoots for this story. Photos of trucks in Massachusetts are Buckler’s Towing in

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Light visibility on a light-duty wrecker towing in Massachusetts (left) and Connecticut (right).

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 83

Gearwrench Sets ‘Camaro Challenge’ The Gearwrench (gearwrench.com) hand-tool brand recently announced its “Win A Camaro Challenge” 2018 promotion. The Win A Camaro Challenge is a traveling road show that will tour the country now through Aug. 31, stopping at participating Gearwrench distributor and customer locations. The Camaro Challenge hauler will bring the Grand Prize, a customized 2018 Camaro SS, to each event location, along with displays of Gearwrench products, giveaways, and the Camaro Challenge itself where contestants will compete for the fastest time to complete four activities each using a specific Gearwrench tool. The top three fastest contestants in the nation will be flown to Las Vegas, Nevada, for an all-expense paid trip to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400, to be held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 16 to compete in the Camaro Challenge final. Full promotion details and official rules are at gwtls.co/gwcamarochallenge.

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In Hurricane Andrew’s Wake

An August 23, 1992, photo from the Federal Emergency Management Association shows one small part of the devastation of Hurricane Andrew’s landfall in southern Florida. It was one of the most destructive hurricanes ever recorded in America; 1 million people were evacuated and 54 died. by Mark Lacek

n the middle of August 1992, like an out of control freight train, the Category 5 Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida. The aftermath left the region looking more like a junkyard than a beautiful ocean-side community. Andrew destroyed some 64,000 homes and damaged 125,000 others. Our repossession company was located on a 5-acre lot in a small industrial area near Fort Lauderdale. We were first told that Andrew would come ashore directly on top of us, but during the last few hours the storm changed direction and headed further south. Andrew came ashore 60 miles south of Fort Lauderdale in the city of Homestead, a gateway city to the Florida Keys. Just northwest of Homestead are thousands of acres of farmland, known for supplying our nations produce, and home to The Homestead Farmers Market warehouse and distribution complex. In the commercial repossession

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business, I am often called upon to recover multiple assets from the same debtor. There have been times when I have looked at the repossession assignment to see more than 100 pieces of equipment. Three days before Hurricane Andrew, I received an assignment to repossess 30 trucks and 30 trailers from a company located at the Homestead Farmers Market. The trucks were all Freightliner road trucks with sleepers and the trailers were reefers. This job, as well as all assignments, was placed on hold until after the storm. We had to prepare as a Category 5 hurricane is a big deal and there was work to do. In Florida, hurricanes are common. We boarded our windows, followed our preparedness plans and waited out the storm. Just as we were warned, Andrew pounded us; we stayed hunkered down in our home. After the storm I was without power for a little

more than a week, but our preparation efforts saved us most of the post-storm discomforts. Many roofs were blown off and trees uprooted in our area, but it wasn’t as bad as 40 miles south of us. A few days after Andrew, I decided to go back to work. I packed up my Ford F-250 and headed south to Homestead. The closer we got, the more we noticed, or actually didn’t notice, anything recognizable. Homes were blown off of foundations; streetlights and street signs were gone. As we passed through south Florida, we realized we had no idea where we were. Imagine not being able to know what street you are on … and all the address numbers are gone. When the landmarks are gone, it is very difficult to know exactly where you are. There was just devastation as far as the eye could see; entire neighborhoods were gone … wiped out.

Continued on p. 88 ...

... continued from p. 86 I knew the Market was at the south end of Krome Avenue, so I knew if I could just find that then I could travel south to reach my destination. A group of cows is a herd. A group of monkeys is a troop. It was the troop of monkeys that caught my attention first. About six of these rather large monkeys were sitting on and around a concrete bench at a bus stop. The monkeys were eating donuts. The bench had failed to become airborne during the hurricane, and now seemed the perfect resting area for this misplaced troop of donut-munching monkeys. I then noticed the elephant, two water buffalos and a hippo standing next to the fallen “Donut King” sign. I couldn’t even laugh; it was too bizarre a moment. As I traveled on looking for my destination, I noticed the sign pointing to the entrance to the Miami Zoo. Just the sign, though; the zoo was nothing more than a pile of rubble and fallen trees. It was a couple hours before I was

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able to recognize Krome Avenue. I turned in a southern direction and knew it was just a matter of time before I would be in Homestead. I pulled into the complex that, days earlier, was the Homestead Produce Market. All that was left of this once bustling business was a pile of tangled metal roofing and concrete blocks. The part of the Market I wanted to find was just down a bit and to the right. As I made my way around a pile of twisted metal, I noticed the front half of a reefer trailer lying on its side. I was able to verify the VIN located on the front of the trailer as one of my 30 repos. As I stood there in disbelief, I noticed about a 1/4 mile off in the distance in a field what looked like more trucks and trailers. It was a difficult hour’s walk through dirt and mud, but what I found was more of my repo bounty. There were some 15 Freightliners hooked to 15 reefer trailers, each in a different mangled resting position. I could do nothing more than to verify

a few VINs and turn and make my way back to my own truck. During my conversation with the client later that day, I was told the insurance would cover the damage and pay off the 30 trucks and trailers. I was informed the remaining trucks and trailers happened to be out of state at the time of the hurricane. It had never entered my mind about not being able to complete the repossession. What I remember most was the level of devastation nature could throw at a community. I also remember seeing a troop of monkeys sitting at a bus stop eating donuts. To this day, as hurricane season approaches, I remind myself of the devastation a hurricane can do to a community and how any day can become the worst day of your life. Be safe.

Repo Editor Mark Lacek authored the Certified Commercial Recovery Agent certification program and has more than 30 years of recovery experience. He is the former editor of “Professional Repossessor” magazine. Email him at Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 89

Towman: Assaults Aren’t Rare Conor Gleason, who owns Priority Towing in Phoenix, Arizona, says assaults against repossession agents aren’t rare. “The tow companies that repossess vehicles, they’re picking up collateral that is owed to a financial institution, so it is a very risky business,” he said. Gleason wants people to know that, no matter the situation, the tow companies are usually just doing their jobs. “But there are those risks associated with somebody coming out with a firearm, somebody coming out that’s having a bad week and they want to take it out on you and you’re just the intermediary between the bank and the owner of the vehicle. So, unfortunately, we’re stuck in a bad spot a lot in those situations,” Gleason said. “With today’s technology, you can

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put a magnetic GPS device on a vehicle and wait for it to get to a place where it’s safer to access that vehicle, then just having to grab that vehicle and go right away. “We’re doing a job like anybody else … and the towing profession, there’s a lot of hard-working people involved in it,” he said. Source: 12news.com.

AFA, VTS Finalize Partnership Allied Finance Adjusters and Vendor Transparency Solutions recently entered into an exclusive joint agreement that executives say will add value to members of AFA, subscribers of VTS and the clients utilizing the services of both groups. Executives said VTS subscribers that qualify will be given an exclusive offer from AFA to join the national trade association. They stated this opportunity will provide those pro-

fessionals who take advantage not only the benefits of being a member of AFA, but also access to the only crime policy formally known as the “bond” being offered by the national trade groups. VTS subscribers will gain access to an AFA on-staff attorney for legal consultation at no additional cost. The organizations said this agreement will create a new network of more than 400 professionals who are trained, vetted and carry the only crime policy offered by a national trade association. AFA members will have access to all VTS employee handbooks, policy and procedures manuals and continuing education training modules at no additional cost. Source: autoremarketing.com.

Lots Full of Stolen Vehicles The bust of an alleged million-dollar auto theft ring recently added to coffers in Wilkinson County, Georgia. Stolen vehicles found nearly three years ago on properties owned by former Georgia repo man and wrecker service owner Tracey Michael Ford were auctioned off recently in Macon. “We just started running VIN numbers and everything he had was stolen,” said Baldwin County Sheriff Capt. Brad King at the time. Ford pleaded guilty and began his prison sentence in May 2017. Ford could stay locked up until 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. King said his department had already sold several unclaimed vehicles and equipment through an online auction of abandoned property. “You’ve got to keep in mind some of those vehicles were stolen years ago,” King said. “Once insurance settles, the company becomes the victim.” Owners can’t reclaim their vehicles if the insurance company has already paid them. Before his arrest, sheriff’s deputies would call on Ford to clear accidents or abandoned vehicles from the streets of Wilkinson County. Source: macon.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 91

Woman Struck Agent with Jeep A woman was arraigned on charges she struck a man with a Jeep and slapped another man while they tried to repossess her vehicle. Police in Dallas Township, Pennsylvania, alleged Charlene Marie Burton, 35, ran out of her house screaming and cursing when repo agents Larry Totaro and Michael Wagner arrived to repossess the Jeep recently. According to a criminal complaint, Totaro and Wagner backed up a flatbed truck to the Jeep and attached chains to the undercarriage. As they were doing this, Bruce Hanson emerged from Burton’s house and told the two men he had until 4:30 p.m. to make a payment. Burton ran from her house screaming and cursing at Totaro and Wagner. Wagner told police he stood next to the driver’s door to prevent Burton from entering the Jeep. He claimed Burton slapped him in the face and pushed her way into the driver’s seat. Hanson attempted to unhook the chains as Burton started the vehicle and threw it in reverse, striking Totaro with an open door. Totaro then jumped into the Jeep’s rear seat, telling Burton to stop and wait for police. Wagner told officers Hanson disconnected the chains from the winch on the flatbed truck, leaving the chains still connected to the Jeep’s undercarriage. Wagner said he feared Burton would drive into traffic with the chains, creating a danger for other motorists. Totaro suffered injuries to his legs, but the Jeep was still repossessed. Source: timesleader.com.

TowShow.com 92 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

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‘Hoss’ Power

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

arnett’s Towing in Phoenix, Arizona, claims it is the largest family owned and operated towing and recovery operation in Arizona. Roger E. Barnett started the company in 1963 and began Barnett’s Propane later the same year. He found that it was a good match to the

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towing side of the business and over the years both the towing and propane grew. Barnett’s Towing now has five locations in Arizona with 65 employees (many have been named WreckMaster Top 10s), and Barnett’s Propane is located in three cities. In 1982, Roger co-founded the Ari-

zona Professional Towing & Recovery Association. He served as president, has always promoted the industry and has worked toward educating other towers to work smarter and be profitable. Barnett’s Towing has an incredibly diverse fleet of vehicles that can han-

dle any type of towing, transport or recovery situation. Barnett’s fleet of 67 units has a well-earned reputation for dealing with the most unusual recoveries utilizing rotators and air cushions. Jerr-Dan Corp. built the beauty featured here. This is “Hoss,” Barnett’s Jerr-Dan JFB 50/60-ton rotator mounted on a 2018 Peterbilt 389 tandem-steer. A 600-hp Cummins X-15 mated to a Fuller 18-speed transmission powers it. “This is the first twin-steer rotator in the state of Arizona. It allows us to expand our fleet and give our customers more options in towing,” said Curtis Cousino, Barnett’s Phoenix Division Manager. The JFB Body Series adds aluminum roll-up doors and a non-corrosive exterior made of weather-tight, impact-resistant polypropylene. Hoss is equipped with scissorstyle outriggers, dual planetary twospeed 50,000-lbs. winches, dual Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

took one week,” said Curtis. “It was one of two rotators holding the American flag over the entrance to the 3rd Annual Move Over Awareness Day Parade Event.” That parade featured first responder vehicles, including ADOT ALERT trucks, and was the kick-off to the APTRA Move Over Awareness Day. The event was to bring attention to Arizona’s “Move Over” law, which requires motorists to move over one lane, or slow down if it is not safe to change lanes, when driving by any vehicle with flashing lights pulled to the side of a road or highway.

Tech Highlights Chassis: 2018 Peterbilt 389 tandem-steer. Wrecker: Jerr-Dan JFB 50/60ton rotator. Engine: Cummins X-15. Trans: Fuller 18-speed. Winches: Dual planetary twospeed 50,000-lbs., dual 20,000lbs. auxiliary, 35,000-lbs. underlift drag winch. Builder: Jerr-Dan Corp. Extras: Will-Burt Night Scan light tower.

20,000-lbs. auxiliary winches and a 35,000-lbs. drag winch. It has Wireless Remote Proportional Controls and a Full Incident Management Equipment Kit. Hoss also has a Will-Burt Night Scan light tower to provide scene lighting for nighttime operations. “The paint job was inspired by our signature colors and branding and

Editor’s Note As of press time, we learned of Roger Barnett’s passing following complications after a surgical procedure. He was 75. American Towman extends its condolences to his family.

Jim “Buck” Sorrenti, a longtime editor of American Towman, has been our field editor for the past few years. He is a freelance writer and photographer with more than 40 years of experience covering motorcycle, hot rod, truck and towing culture. He writes weekly for TowIndustryWeek.com.

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • 97

Police Towers and Perspective by Steve Calitri

olice towing or municipal towing—usually through a rotation system, sometimes through an exclusive one-company contract—has been a critical sector that keeps the towing industry afloat. While there are many issues in dealing with towns, they understand that a towing business has significant operating costs and so are willing to regulate rates accordingly and fairly. Still, towers have to fight for rate increases and fight to get on rotation rosters, even, dare I say it, fight through corrupt procedures in many places. The Police Towers Conference during Tow Industry Week offers tow business owners solutions to engineering rate increases and favorable rotation policies. Ron Meyers of Pine Tree Towing in Cambridge, Ohio, is also the Finance Committee Chair for the Association of Professional TowersOhio. He now is heading up Police Towers of America. Meyers will present seminars on Rate Increase and Rotation issues on Saturday morning, May 12, at South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. For police towers, or those towers who want to be on a rotation, this promises to be a valuable conference. Attendees will take away blueprints to successfully negotiating a rate increase and a fair rotation system in their towns. If you are well established in your town, with city officials and the police department, this conference will give you leadership tools to strengthen those relationships while helping you achieve the rates and rotation system you wish to have. The updated

98 • April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

National Rotation System being presented also deals with who should qualify for the town’s rotation list. Among the 20-plus seminars in the conferences in Las Vegas, there are some that tackle modern issues that face all tow business owners. “Reasonable Suspicion” addresses detection of substance abuse among your employees. AT Operations Editor Randy Resch is presenting a seminar on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and how to detect it among your tow operators. Another addresses how to avoid costly lawsuits due to driver intoxication. Check it all out online: atshowplace.com. The greatest value in American Towman seminars results from the perspectives that towers take home. Too often we can’t see the forest for the trees. It reminds me of a friend who was telling me how he saved his marriage. He was emptying the garbage one day while ogling a shapely woman walking toward him, but still a ways down. Wow, was she built, he thought, as he told it to me. He kept staring and sure enough, coming into clear view was none other than his wife. For some reason he had stopped looking at her as the attractive woman she was. The marriage revved up from then on. We often overlook the strengths in the business we run, day in and day out; they become taken for granted. Understanding one’s strengths enables us to go forward in an effective manner. Being away from the business and attending a conference among peers allows us to take on fresh perspectives about what we are doing.

If you’re not checking out TowIndustryWeek.com, you’re missing out on a lot of industry happenings. Aside from the coverage of the industry news and weekly articles laying out technical and recovery issues, there’s a whole lot more going on. The pulse of the industry is taken on a monthly basis with the Tow Boss Poll. The poll not only helps to provide research on the industry, but serves to also provide a voice to let you be heard. A lot of information is drawn from the poll, such as future American Towman seminars and American Towman Magazine articles. Make sure you visit the site to answer the monthly poll EVERY month. The poll as of this writing covered your intake of towing news and information. “I get most of my tow industry news via: my phone; my laptop/desktop computer; local newspaper; or radio/TV.” Speaking of TV, American Towman TV provides video coverage of exciting recoveries, important news and updates on what is happening nationwide in the industry. Special coverage pertaining to the Spirit Ride as well as Manufacturer Spotlights can be found here. In addition, within Tow Industry Week there’s Tow Industry Today, highlighting daily news of interest to the towing professional. All in all, it’s what we do to keep the industry well-informed.

NORTH 100 â&#x20AC;¢ April 2018 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

AMERICANTOWMAN.COM - April 2018 • NORTH 101

City Impound Lot Turns 100 This year marks the 100th birthday of New Orleans, Louisiana’s auto impound lot. Downtown New Orleans was plagued by a parking shortage a century ago, as it is now. Some motorists were accustomed to parking wherever they pleased. Lax enforcement of automobile laws was not uncommon in an era when adoption of the car was not yet universal. Things came to a head in early 1918. That January, the city passed an ordinance that prohibited parking a car, wagon or other vehicle too close to a fire hydrant or at an intersection in a small sliver of downtown. Signs reading “Parking within twenty feet prohibited” were affixed to fire hydrants. A parking lot at the 1st Precinct station was designated as the impound lot. In March 1918, the city began towing vehicles. Before the month was out, 11 motorists had their cars impounded by the city. In that number were members of the Army and Navy and one frantic doctor. “One physician rushed into police headquarters greatly excited and reported that his machine had been stolen, only to learn that it was in the First Precinct station,” according to a newspaper article dated March 17, 1918. “When the physician called there, the clerk held out his hand, saying: ‘Yes, doctor, here is your automobile: not a screw missing; $3 please.’ “The physician smilingly paid the pound fee, glad that his car had not been stolen, as he supposed.” Source: nola.com.

Towing & Recovery in Cambridge, said change is needed. “It’s almost to where it’s not if someone’s going to get hit, but when,” he said. Recent training involved police, fire and towers working together to smooth out communication lines. ODOT is working on getting faster notices of a crash. The department said the key is reducing the number of secondary crashes. Source: abc6onyourside.com.

Dangers to Towers Every time Kerry Muhammad hits the road in his tow truck, he knows potential danger awaits. “In a split second, anything can happen. … There are situations every day where you have close encounters,” Muhammad said, a tow operator for University Towing Services in Madison, Wisconsin. “It is a dangerous situation for the operator or the emergency responder on the side of the road,” Muhammad said of coming snow. Muhammad recalls having a close call of his own when he was nearly hit by a semi. “The semi obviously couldn’t move over. There was a lot of traffic and it just went right by me. I felt my jacket swirl, so I knew it was close.” Source: wkow.com.

Towman Dies in Truck A Kewaskum, Wisconsin, towman from Ken Weber Towing suffered some kind of medical emergency as he was returning from picking up a disabled vehicle and crashed his truck into a home recently in Pewaukee, according to Police Chief Jay Iding. Charles F. “Chuck” Meyer III, 64, died when his truck crashed into and destroyed the front porch on the home. The homeowner, who reported the incident, was not injured. When officers arrived, they found the truck, with an SUV still chained on the flatbed, crashed into the home’s front porch.

When Meyer was pulled from the truck, he was found to be dead, Iding said, adding that he was known and liked by officers. He was a long-time employee of Ken Weber, Iding said. Source: jsonline.com.

PUCO Increases Tow-Away Zone Rates The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio recently voted to increase private tow-away zone towing and storage rates 43 percent. The rates set are $129 for vehicles 10,001 lbs. GVW under and $216 for vehicles over 10,001 lbs. GVW. Storage rates were also increased. “The PUCO responded favorably to APTO’s request for an increase in the rates they initially offered,” the Association of Professional TowersOhio said in a release. APTO stated that it will take at least two months for the rates to take effect. Source: APTO.

Towmen Demand Changes to ‘Move Over’ In light of the recent crash that sent two New York State Troopers to the hospital, towmen in Cohoes, New York, are demanding changes to the Move Over law. A tow truck driver also was hurt. “As a towing industry, we need to say enough is enough—we have to protect our men and women on the side of the highways,” said Tom Brennan, owner of TNT Towing and president of the Empire State Towing & Recovery Association of New York. Brennan wants violations to become a criminal charge. “Right now it’s just a slap on the wrist,” he said. Towman Dave D’Alessandro agreed. He described an instance where a truck almost hit him. “It put the fear of God in me. … I was hesitant if this is what I should be doing with my life.” Source: mychamplainvalley.com.

Freeman Towing Wins Wichita Falls Contract The Wichita Falls City Council awarded a five-year contract to Mike Freeman Towing LLC. The current contract with Jody Wade Enterprises ended March 31.Â Requests for proposals were sent by the city in December 2017, and they received four bids. Of those four responses, two bidsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from Freeman and Wadeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;met or exceeded the requirements. During Wadeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contract with the city, Wichita Falls Police Chief Manuel Borrego said the company offered a great service, and there were no complaints from the WFPD. He added both proposals were similar in that they offered additional incentives such as office space, evidence rooms and storage areas. Borrego said the city is willing to offer Freeman a grace period to complete construction on a new office space and some other requirements. Source: timesrecordnews.com.

Tow Owner Convicted of Fraud The former owner of a towing company was convicted of fraud in Houston, Texas, after buying insurance coverage after a wreck and then filing a claim with the wrong date, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. The former owner of Hemo Towing was fined $10,000 and received seven years or probation after a trial conducted by TDI with the help of investigators from the Harris County District Attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office. The former owner also asked his employees to lie to adjusters and investigators and create fake documents to support the fraudulent claim. Source: insurancejournal.com.

Trooper Accused of Sex Harassment A Utah woman has filed a civil rights lawsuit against a Utah Highway

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... continued from p. N 102 Patrol Sergeant claiming sexual harassment. West Coast Towing is one of three rotation companies with Utah Highway Patrol for Utah County. Their liaison, Heather Leyva, said the sergeant overseeing the program sexually harassed her. In the lawsuit, Leyva claims the defendant used his position as the operation overseer of the “Heavy Duty Rotation” contract for the Utah Highway Patrol to commit various acts of sexual harassment. “She was in a vulnerable position,” her attorney said, and that business calls turned into flirtatious texts. Leyva complained to her boss and when he confronted the Sergeant’s superior; he said he was threatened. When West Coast Towing sued UHP and UDOT for breach of contract in July of 2017, they say the sergeant was removed from that position and work started to pick up. Source: fox13now.com.

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CopyrightÂŠ2018 American Towman Magazine. Characters and stories are fictitious; no resemblance to real life characters is intended.

Send your thoughts/suggestions on the Adventures to scalitri@towman.com or American Towman, 7 West St, Warwick NY 10990

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... continued from p. S 100 In March 1918, the city began towing vehicles. Before the month was out, 11 motorists had their cars impounded by the city. In that number were members of the Army and Navy and one frantic doctor. “One physician rushed into police headquarters greatly excited and reported that his machine had been stolen, only to learn that it was in the First Precinct station,” according to a newspaper article dated March 17, 1918. “When the physician called there, the clerk held out his hand, saying: ‘Yes, doctor, here is your automobile: not a screw missing; $3 please.’ “The physician smilingly paid the pound fee, glad that his car had not been stolen, as he supposed.” Source: nola.com.

Dangers to Towers Every time Kerry Muhammad hits the road in his tow truck, he knows potential danger awaits. “In a split second, anything can

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happen. … There are situations every day where you have close encounters,” Muhammad said, a tow operator for University Towing Services in Madison, Wisconsin. “It is a dangerous situation for the operator or the emergency responder on the side of the road,” Muhammad said of coming snow. Muhammad recalls having a close call of his own when he was nearly hit by a semi. “The semi obviously couldn’t move over. There was a lot of traffic and it just went right by me. I felt my jacket swirl, so I knew it was close.” Source: wkow.com.

where it’s not if someone’s going to get hit, but when,” he said. Recent training involved police, fire and towers working together to smooth out communication lines. ODOT is working on getting faster notices of a crash. The department said the key is reducing the number of secondary crashes. Source: abc6onyourside.com.

When Meyer was pulled from the truck, he was found to be dead, Iding said, adding that he was known and liked by officers. He was a long-time employee of Ken Weber, Iding said. Source: jsonline.com.

PUCO Increases Tow-Away Zone Rates The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio recently voted to increase private tow-away zone towing and storage rates 43 percent.Â The rates set are $129 for vehicles 10,001 lbs. GVW under and $216 for vehicles over 10,001 lbs. GVW.Â Storage rates were also increased.Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;The PUCO responded favorably to APTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request for an increase in the rates they initially offered,â&#x20AC;? the Association of Professional TowersOhio said in a release. APTO stated that it will take at least two months for the rates to take effect. Source: APTO.

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TowShow.com

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Ohio Targets Accident Clearance The Ohio Department of Transportation is working to reduce the time it takes to remove crashed vehicles from highways. ODOT said it is training police, fire officials and towmen on new techniques to clear accidents faster. Ron Myers, owner of Pine Tree Towing & Recovery in Cambridge, said change is needed. “It’s almost to where it’s not if someone’s going to get hit, but when,” he said. Recent training involved police, fire and towers working together to smooth out communication lines. ODOT is working on getting faster notices of a crash. The department said the key is reducing the number of secondary crashes. Source: abc6onyourside.com.

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Towman Dies in Truck A Kewaskum, Wisconsin, towman from Ken Weber Towing suf-

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fered some kind of medical emergency as he was returning from picking up a disabled vehicle and crashed his truck into a home recently in Pewaukee, according to Police Chief Jay Iding. Charles F. “Chuck” Meyer III, 64, died when his truck crashed into and destroyed the front porch on the home. The homeowner, who reported the incident, was not injured. When officers arrived, they found the truck, with an SUV still chained on the flatbed, crashed into the home’s front porch. When Meyer was pulled from the truck, he was found to be dead, Iding said, adding that he was known and liked by officers. He was a long-time employee of Ken Weber, Iding said. Source: jsonline.com.

Freeman Towing Wins Wichita Falls Contract The Wichita Falls City Council awarded a five-year contract to Mike Freeman Towing LLC. The current contract with Jody Wade Enterprises ended March 31. Requests for proposals were sent by the city in December 2017, and they received four bids. Of those four responses, two bids—from Freeman and Wade—met or exceeded the requirements. During Wade’s contract with the city, Wichita Falls Police Chief Manuel Borrego said the company offered a great service, and there were no complaints from the WFPD. He added both proposals were similar in that they offered additional incentives such as office space, evidence rooms and storage areas. Borrego said the city is willing to offer Freeman a grace period to complete construction on a new office space and some other requirements. Source: timesrecordnews.com.

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DOJ Reaches SCRA Agreement The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced that it has reached an agreement with the city and county of Honolulu, Hawaii, and its contracted towing company to remedy alleged violations of the Service Members Civil Relief Act. Under the settlement, the city will provide SCRA compliance training, require military service members to provide additional information for motor vehicle registration, make changes to the Abandoned Motor Vehicle in Custody notice letter and create other policies and procedures for the auction, sale or disposal of vehicles owned by active duty service members. The new procedures will ensure that service members receive notice that their car has been taken into custody by Honoluluâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even if they are

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... continued from p. W 100 deployed off island—and requires the city to obtain a court order or a valid SCRA waiver prior to auctioning a car owned by an active-duty service member. Source: hookelenews.com.

Tow Owner Convicted of Fraud The former owner of a towing company was convicted of fraud in Houston, Texas, after buying insurance coverage after a wreck and then filing a claim with the wrong date, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. The former owner of Hemo Towing was fined $10,000 and received seven years or probation after a trial conducted by TDI with the help of investigators from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. The former owner also asked his employees to lie to adjusters and investigators and create fake documents to support the fraudulent claim. Source: insurancejournal.com.

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Federal Money to Cover SafeClear The Houston (Texas) City Council recently approved a series of agreements, ranging from accepting $5 million in federal funds for the SafeClear program and revising agreements with the 16 towing companies that monitor area freeways. The program would allow authorities monitoring traffic operations remotely or in person to approve towing a stranded vehicle off the freeway, free of charge, 24 hours a day. Restrictions apply, but vehicles would be quickly relocated to a safe location, with the cost of the tow covered by regional transportation money. “It will keep our streets safer, and that is important,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, adding the “enhanced mobility” will make travel times more predictable for all drivers. Source: chron.com.

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