American Towman Magazine - August 2022

Learning THE

Wire

Ropes

Instruction on a Rotator

The Road Calls Tips on Taking

the CDL Test

BIG IN TEXAS

TowXpo

USA Wrecker Pageant

Avoiding

Common Vehicle Damages

AT ShowPlace Las Vegas

September 21-23, 2022

TowIndustryWeek.com

AUGUST 2022 AmericanTowman.com

$10

Volume 46 Issue 8

August 2022

Contents

Cover Feature

64

The Family That Tows Together The Banis Boys Make a Great Team

by Steve Temple

Departments 6 The Walkaround 8 News Share 10 Road Tools 12 Tow Manager

Features

20

Track Time

Towers and Motorsports Work Together

by Terry Abejeula

After spotting this colorful rotator at TowXpo, Ryan Oser photographed it by the Alamo Dome and the Tower of Americas in San Antonio, Texas.

20 Tow Boss 24 An American Towman 34 Ad Index 40 Beacons On! 52 Case Closed 62 Towman’s Market 64 My Baby 66 Lowdown 73 Adventures of A.T.

28

Rollin’ on the River

Digging Out a Dump Truck

by Casey Burrows

36

Texas-Sized TowXpo

Kicking Off a Big New Venue in Forth Worth

by George Nitti

4 • August 2022 | Towman.com

First on the scene since 1977

The Walkaround Beauties and a Beastly Recovery

Let us jump right into this issue as there are many articles that will help hone your knowledge on top of being interesting reading.

In our increasingly litigious society it can only be to Dennie Ortiz your advantage to know how to protect your company Publisher to avoid being sued. Larry Oxenham, a seasoned asset-protection expert, details the lawsuit process and why knowing the underpinnings of the legal mindset can help you safeguard your business.

Recovery anyone? Read through to an in-depth account of a challenging recovery performed by the crew at Burrow’s Wrecker Service out of Sligo, Kentucky. Their level of impressive expertise is shown in extensive detail while recounting the recovery of a dump truck from the Kentucky river.

Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, but everybody’s eyes were popping with pleasure as they perused the 35 trucks that competed in the American Pageant during the 2022 TowXpo-Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Go to page 37 to view the winning beauties that took home the much valued trophies.

Another beaut can be found in this issue’s My Baby, featuring Banis Towing & Recovery’s new acquisition. Knowing the Banis family for many years, having first met them in their hometown of San Antonio, I can tell you that without a doubt this 40-ton rotator is their pride and joy!

Rotators, as you well know, and other vehicles with a gross weight of over 26,000 pounds, requires a CDL to operate. Brian Riker breaks down the various requirements needed for this level of license. As a CDL trainer for over 30 years, he offers very specific advice as how to best prepare and acquire this credential, which as he points out can only further your opportunities.

Enjoy reading and as always stay safe out there!

Farewell to a Helpful Friend

Steve Temple Editor

A longtime neighbor of mine, Don Reedy, took the initiative to tidy up my rollaway and assortment of power tools in my garage while I was traveling for American Towman. Having worked many years as a roofing contractor, he knew the value of having tools neatly organized. I had things stored more or less in jumble of “like with like,” but he made the overflowing drawers of my rollaway look like a surgeon’s tray of surgical implements. When I saw what he’d done, I thanked him profusely, which he nonchalantly dismissed as just having some free time on his hands.

Sadly, after battling a number of illnesses over the years, Don passed away while I was working the show floor at the TowXpo in Ft. Worth, and I had to sit down to absorb his passing. It felt like a big hole had just opened up in front of me. His memorial service related several similar accounts of his selfless and generous acts. Since then, I’ve showed my other friends what a great job he’d done for me. So if you really want to make an impact on your fellow towers, lend a hand when you see a need.

6 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Steve Temple Randall Resch Terry Abejuela David Kolman John Borowski Mark Lacek Brian Riker George Nitti Henri “Doc” Calitri

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

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

Dallas, Texas Saint Paul, Minn.

Las Vegas, Nev. Greensboro, N.C. South Hadley, Mass.

Creve Coeur, Ill.

American Towman Staff Gina Johnson Dennie Ortiz Ellen Rosengart Henri Calitri Patrice Gesner Peggy Calabrese Ryan Oser Emily Oz Steve Calitri

Art Director Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Account Exec.

Customer Service Subscription Manager Regional Advertising Sales iMarketing Manager ATTV Producer President

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

E-Mail: President / Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor

dortiz@towman.com scalitri@towman.com stemple@towman.com

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News Share ERSCA Legislative Committee Formed

The Emergency Road Service Coalition of America (ERSCA) has formed a committee to take action on federal legislation, regulations, decisions, and other policies impacting the towing industry at the national level.

This Federal Legislative Committee will be initially comprised of the following towing industry professionals: • Steve Sgarlato, Community Towing (Morgan Hill, CA) - Chairman • Matthew Ross, Pro Auto (Conway, AR) • William Byers, Byers Wrecker Service (Rochester, MI) • Bryan Albrecht, Cavin Wrecker Service (El Reno, OK) • Ron Myers, Pine Tree Towing (Cambridge, OH) • Jeff Poquette, Southside Wrecker Service (Newnan, GA) • Quinn Piening, Central Towing & Transport (Fremont, CA) The Committee held its inaugural meeting in July. Any questions or input for the Committee should be directed to ERSCA.org.

More Money for Road Safety

With fatalities for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes increasing sharply, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it would award over $463 million in grants to States to reduce CMV-involved crashes, fatalities, and injuries through safety programs. The increase reflects a 50 percent rise that was made possible through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) grant program includes funding to State and local law enforcement and other government agencies for safety inspections of trucks and buses. Also for investigations of motor carriers in response to safety concerns, and audits of new trucking and bus companies to reinforce the importance of responsible operation and ensure the safe movement of goods and passengers. All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories will receive federal funds.

Source: fmcsa.dot.gov

8 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Henderson Nevada Police (HPD) assembled to enforce the Move Over law.

Move Over Law

Enforcement Day

In Henderson, Nevada, the police department (HPD) held an enforcement event on July 7 to crack down on motorists violating the “Move Over” law.

According to the department’s twitter page, “Our officers are out enforcing and educating motorists about the Move Over law on St. Rose Pkwy this afternoon!”

HPD says that if you can’t move over safely, you should at least slow down while passing any vehicle pulled over on the side of the road. Twitter responses to the event were favorable, one person commenting, “It’s about time. It should be the whole state of Nevada.”

Source: newsbreak.com

EV Tow Woes

With EVs on our roads in larger numbers, how well can an EV serve as a tow rig? Unfortunately, two firsthand accounts indicate meager mileage figures.

In November, a couple drove their all-electric Rivian RT1, averaging 314 miles per charge, from Detroit to LA, towing a Ford Mustang Shelby GT on a flat-deck, car-hauler trailer that weighed over 6,000 pounds. This extra load understandably cut into Rivian’s mileage, but surprisingly brought it all the way down to 100 miles per charge.

Documenting their trip on their return home, they reported needing to charge their Rivian 27 times to cover the approximate 2700-mile distance from LA to Detroit. They also reported spending between 10 to 20 hours charging their vehicle at charging stations along their journey with various charging speeds.

In a recent road test of a Ford F-150 Lightning, similar numbers were reported, with the Lightning barely making 80 miles with a trailer attached to it. Without hauling a load, the EPA-

Despite averaging an EPA-estimated 314 miles per charge, the 2022 Rivian’s range drops considerably with a vehicle in tow. estimated range is 230 miles, with an extended-range option of 320 miles.

Other challenges include careful planning with a GPS to find charging stations, calculations to optimize charging times, and maneuvering a trailer at a charging station due to its increased length.

With the average price of an electric vehicle at $56,000, these accounts highlight the distance we have yet to go to electrify a vast fleet of vehicles across the country, particularly for towing vehicles.

Sources: westernjournal.com motorbiscuit.com

News Share

Good Will

Record Prices for New Vehicles

on Two Wheels

Cathey Towing of Rowlett, Texas, was on site for the City of Rowlett’s “Fireworks on Main” celebration where a new e-bike response unit debuted.

The unit was operated voluntarily by staff member John James, who serves as dispatch operations manager.

On Independence Day, James patrolled downtown and designated event-parking areas, providing free jumpstarts and lockouts with the goal of providing citizens and visitors a stressfree evening.

During James’ six-hour shift patrolling parking lots, he successfully helped with three jumpstarts, a fuel delivery, and one flat tire, all provided as a courtesy.

The e-bike began as a pilot program, one that has been modeled in Seattle and some European communities. According to James, the company is thinking outside the box, and he stated that,“You

Dispatcher John James on an e-bike he used to patrol and look for motorist troubles. don’t have to be parked in a tow truck waiting for calls, or waiting for things to happen.”

This community goodwill comes back tenfold. “People post on Facebook and on social media about how we made a difference in their lives,” James added.

“For those we helped, you can bet we will be their first phone call the next time they have a problem.”

Blue Light Legislation a Step Closer in Pennsylvania Blue light legislation is now law in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Senate Transportation Committee approved legislation by Senator Doug Mastriano (R-33) which would allow tow truck operators to use rear-facing blue lights while stationary and responding to a disabled vehicle. Under current statute, only flashing or revolving yellow lights are permitted for tow trucks.

Studies by the Texas Department of Transportation and the University of Michigan have demonstrated that drivers routinely ignore the sight of yellow or orange lights when encountered on the road. Blue lights, however, elicit a different response from drivers, and are far more visible

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

in hazardous weather conditions. They also give distracted drivers more time to see and react before a potential accident.

“I believe this legislation has the potential to cut down on roadside accidents and save lives in Pennsylvania,” said Mastriano. “We’ve lost too many Pennsylvanians to roadside collisions. Allowing tow truck operators to utilize blue lights can have a profound effect on driver alertness.

I’m proud to say bill SB 1123 has the full support of the PA Towing Association.”

The bill heads to the full Senate for consideration.

Source: pasenategop.com

Despite the surge in interest rates for auto loans, the average transaction price (ATP) for a new car continues to climb, hitting a record high of $45,844, up by 14.5 percent from a year ago, according to estimates by J.D. Power.

Deliveries of new vehicles, however, have plunged 18 percent from a year ago due to dwindling supplies from chip shortages and the record low incentives offered by manufacturers and dealers.

Since 2019, the price of a car has gone up more than $10,000 per vehicle.

Adding to the supply problem, many manufacturers are not taking orders for several of their new 2022 models.

A shift of motorist behavior toward buying more fuel-efficient vehicles and compact SUVs has also caused a shortage of supplies. Yet dealers are benefitting as their profits per car have soared due to these various factors.

Meanwhile, the average interest rate on new vehicle loans rose to more than five percent in June, and the average monthly payment jumped by 12.8 percent from June of last year.

Source: wolfstreet.com

Tow Truck Protest in South Africa

On June 29, along the Durban/ Johannesburg highway of N3, which connects two of South Africa’s largest cities, disgruntled tow truck drivers caused a huge traffic blockade on the N3 Southbound, Pietermaritzburg, as they embarked on a national protest.

A tow truck driver said the drivers are calling for insurance companies to pay them more. He said despite the fuel hike, they have been operating at the same rates as before the hike which makes businesses unsustainable.

“The peaceful protest is taking place all over the country and we are all angry about this thing,” said the driver. “We are not making a profit and that is why drivers and owners have decided to take to the streets.”

Source: news24.com

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 9

Road Tools Air Supply Shannon Bryant Wrecker’s Air brake releasing kit is a must for medium- and heavy-duty towers. This saves time and minimizes frustration by supplying air to any towed vehicle. No need to make many trips back and forth from the casualty and your tow truck, hunting for the proper tools and correct air fittings to air up the towed unit. This kit comes complete with every tool and air fitting you’ll need for brake caging and to prepare the unit for a proper tow.

The laser-cut components fit snugly, and the air-tight box keeps out water, dirt and debris.

Shannonbryantswrecker@gmail.com

Juice Master

EnerSys.com

Designed for work-truck operators, EnerSys now offers Odyssey Pro batteries, engineered with an advanced carbon additive for more reserve capacity (as much as 10 percent) and longer cycle life. “Odyssey Pro batteries are manufactured to meet the power demands brought on by an increase in onboard electronics…as well as upgrades to the design of commercial fleet applications,” pointed out Dave McMullen, Senior Director of Marketing, at EnerSys. Featuring Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) technology, Odyssey Pro batteries provide deep-cycle reserve power and maximum cranking power, with engine cranking pulses up to 2,150 amps for five seconds, double to triple that of equally sized conventional lead-acid batteries. The rugged, Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) construction and non-spillable design of Odyssey Pro batteries protect against high-impact shock and mechanical vibration. These batteries are designed to handle 400 charge-discharge cycles to 80 percent Depth of Discharge (DOD). Backed by an industry-leading warranty, they feature a three- to 10-year service life and a two-year storage life at 77°F (25°C). They are available in a wide variety of sizes with Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) as high as 2,250.

Safe and Secure

Just because you’ve locked your important belongings in the cab of your tow vehicle doesn’t mean they’re protected. In order to improve protection for your property, Tuffy Security Products has introduced the Model 376-01 Security Console Safe for Ford pickups equipped with a full center console. Designed to be inserted into the OEM console with no drilling required, the latest security safe from Tuffy maintains a stock factory look, while providing superior security utilizing the company’s exclusive Pry-Guard locking system. Manufactured of welded steel, the Tuffy console features a 10-tumbler, double-bitted lock that adds premium security for valuables. When installed, truck owners still have full use of OEM USB and power outlets located inside the console. Installing the Tuffy Model 376-01 console safe insert takes just a few minutes with hand tools, with no drilling required.

10 • August 2022 | Towman.com

TuffyProducts.com

Tow Manager

Making the Grade Tips on Passing a CDL Test

By Brian J. Riker

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

Go for the full class A license right from the get-go so you do not need to repeat training later on in order to upgrade. Also, an unrestricted class A CDL can lead to many more opportunities than a class B or C license.

A

CDL, short for “Commercial Drivers License,” is a very important credential to have in your pocket if you wish to advance beyond a light-duty operator in the towing industry.

Having a CDL opens many doors for advancement from a medium or heavy tow operator to an equipment-transport specialist. The opportunities are endless.

After nearly 30 years holding a class A license, I have personally found them to be plentiful. It has been a great career!

Each state has the right to create its own unique CDL rules, but most follow the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrator’s model CDL program guide, which follows the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulations on issuance of CDLs. With the exception of a few states, the rules and basic qualifications are the same, as are the testing protocols. This article is intended to give general advice, not binding legal guidance, so please verify with your local driver licensing agency for the exact rules and procedures in your particular state.

12 • August 2022 | Towman.com

THE REASON WHY

Do you need a CDL? A common question, as there are some misunderstandings around tow trucks and exemptions from the CDL rules, or if air brakes alone can require a CDL. Here are the basics as a refresher.

With the exception of a few states or specific situations, a CDL is required to operate any vehicle with a gross weight rating in excess of 26,000 pounds. Also, if the vehicle is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver or any size vehicle hauling hazardous materials requiring a placard. Notice the wording “gross weight rating” and “designed to carry,” as even empty a vehicle with either a weight rating or passenger seating design high enough can trigger the CDL requirement.

A Class C CDL is for any vehicle up to 26,000 pounds that requires a CDL. This class would usually be for a small shuttle, school buses or a vehicle hauling hazardous materials.

Next, Class B CDL is for any vehicle

◀

GETTING A CDL

Your maneuvering skills are evaluated by how many times you pull up and reposition the vehicle, if you have to stop and get out, or if you hit any of the cones or boundary lines.

with a gross weight rating over 26,000 pounds, and in all states, can tow a vehicle up to 10,000 pounds gross weight rating.

Lastly, a Class A CDL is for any combination of vehicles with a gross weight rating(s) in excess of 26,000 pounds while towing a vehicle(s) with gross weight rating(s) in excess of 10,000 pounds.

WHAT ABOUT HOTSHOTS?

Please note, in some states a driver can tow a vehicle with a gross weight rating in excess of 10,000 pounds without a CDL provided that the combination weight (or rating) of the truck and towed vehicle does not exceed 26,000 pounds. (That’s how the hotshot pickup and trailer operators get away without having a class A CDL.) This fact is why it is important to fully understand the rules from the state that issued your drivers license, as they limit or permit operation of specific types and classes of vehicles with your drivers license.

It is also important to note that it is very easy to jump from no need for a CDL to a class A CDL being required. In towing this happens most often when a light-duty wrecker is dispatched 14 • August 2022 | Towman.com

to tow a heavy pickup truck or similar vehicle. A typical lightduty wrecker (F-550 or 5500 chassis) has a gross weight rating of 18,000 to 19,500 pounds, which alone does not require a CDL. But if you hook up to a run of the mill Ford F-350 (or similar) with a gross weight rating of 11,000 pounds (very common today), your combined weight rating will be 29,000 to 30,500 pounds—well within CDL territory.

Air brakes are another cause for great confusion. Air brake is a restriction on a CDL, not an endorsement on a drivers license.

This means that unless the vehicle or combination of vehicles otherwise needs a CDL you do not need to “have air brakes” on your license to operate a non-CDL vehicle just because it is equipped with air brakes. Let’s be clear: air brakes alone do not require a CDL, as one of the other factors must be met first. This regulation is one of the most often misunderstood aspects.

Even so, it is always a good idea to have a thorough understanding of how your vehicle works, including the air brake system, even if there is no specific licensing requirement.

Now that we have the basics of CDL requirements out of the way, what is next if you want to obtain one? While the process varies from state to state, the core parts are the same. Here is some advice from my perspective as a CDL trainer and examiner with nearly 30 years of experience in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and a currently registered entry-level driver training provider with the FMCSA. The first step, after obtaining a US DOT medical examiners certification, is applying for a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP). Just as when you got your first drivers license, this will allow you to operate the type of vehicle you want to learn to drive while accompanied by a properly licensed CDL driver. Learner permits are good from between 180 days to one year, and may be renewed.

Some states will allow you to take your knowledge tests and obtain your CLP before any formal training, while others will require you to complete the classroom portion of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Entry Level Driver Training program. This ELDT is provided by independent educators and, effective February 7, 2022, is a requirement for all new CDL applicants or those wishing to upgrade their license. In all cases you will need to complete the classroom, range and on-road portions of the ELDT prior to being issued your completed CDL.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

The best tips for passing the general knowledge and endorsement specific exam(s) are the following: read the stateprovided CDL manual; take a good entry-level training course; and use online practice exams. There are several practice exams available for

A CDL is required to operate any vehicle with a gross weight rating in excess of 26,000 pounds. free that emulate the knowledge test questions found on the state exams.

You will be allowed three attempts to pass each exam and need only 80 percent correct to pass.

One mistake students often make is getting hung up on a question and answering it wrong just to move on. Most states will allow you to skip a question, and if you get the others correct, you may not have to come back to answer it. If the answer is not immediately obvious, skip the question as you may find the answer later on in how another question is phrased on the test. There are no trick questions

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

on the test, but in the CDL exam wording is critical, especially during the air brake and hazardous materials exams.

NEXT STEPS

After you have obtained your CLP, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you can inspect and safely operate the vehicle. The first skill you will be tested on is the pre-trip inspection. This part will have many different steps that depend on the exact type and configuration of vehicle(s) you are testing with. As with the written test, language is critical to passing

the pre-trip inspection exam, especially the air brake portion.

The air brake test is an automatic failure in every state if it is not performed perfectly.

Spend time studying the different vehicle components, their names and functions. Some common things to note when inspecting a component, is that if it is metal, you will be looking for missing fasteners, illegal welds, cracks, rust or looseness. Rubber items (belts, hoses, electrical wiring) will be checked for cracks, frays, abrasions, loose connections, tension and missing hardware.

Tires are checked for condition, cracks, tread depth, uneven wear and debris between the duals.

While there is much more to the pre-trip than those items, these key words will help you use the proper words when inspecting your truck.

◀

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 15

INSIDE THE BOX

Once you have mastered the pretrip inspection you should practice the basic control skills to demonstrate proficiency in maneuvering the vehicle before operating it on public roadways. This is best accomplished in a closed parking lot with lots of room. Searching online will give you the test pad dimensions so you can recreate the boxes you will need to maneuver your vehicle into for the exam.

The basic dimensions are 12-foot wide, and for the parallel park 15 feet longer than the overall length of the vehicle(s). The boundary dimensions depend on the class of license being tested for, but are more than adequate to complete the maneuvers with any normal combination of vehicles.

There are many online videos demonstrating how to perform these maneuvers, although it’s

16 • August 2022 | Towman.com

better that you not just learn exactly when to turn the wheel.

That teaches you nothing except how to pass that specific skill exam.

Take the time to learn how and why the vehicle moves the way it does when you move the steering wheel.

Each maneuver will be scored based on how many times you pull up and reposition the vehicle, if you have to stop and get out, or if you hit any of the cones or boundary lines. Often hitting a cone or crossing a boundary line is an automatic failure, so it is always better to stop the vehicle, set the brakes and get out and look if you are not absolutely sure of where your vehicle is. The examiner will tell you what the criteria is for each maneuver, and how many get out and look or pull-ups you are permitted before being penalized.

Get used to using only the outside rearview mirrors. There

is a penalty for looking over your shoulder out the rear window and it is not permitted to open the door or hang out the window to back up. Some states require the examiner to cover the rear window with cardboard to obstruct your view, and hanging out the window or opening the door can be an automatic failure.

IN THE REAL WORLD

Now that you have mastered the pre-trip and basic control skills it is time to move onto the on-road portion of the exam. This is the easiest part of the exam but also where the most costly of mistakes can occur since it is in real, live traffic on public roadways.

Again, there are no trick questions, nor will you be set up for failure. The examiner will give you clear instructions on what is expected, and will

not intentionally ask you to do something illegal or dangerous.

Remember, you are in control of the vehicle at all times, and if you feel an instruction is unclear or unsafe say something. You are responsible for compliance with all local and state traffic laws while taking your test, including using a seatbelt and no cell phones. So many students have failed over the years because they reach for their cell phone during their road test!

Some of the other common failures on the road test are failing to stop behind the stop line or traffic control device, using the wrong lane to make a left turn and speeding. During the test you will be asked to identify the last regulatory (white with black lettering) traffic sign you saw. This question is not a trick, and you may be asked to simulate a breakdown or railroad crossing. Learn the proper

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

placement of the warning triangles for multiple situations (as that is part of the simulated breakdown), and stopping distances for rail crossings, even if you won’t operate a bus or hazardous material vehicle.

Pay close attention to all the road signs and pavement markings. At one state-run test facility close to my home, the test begins in the parking lot as you exit the skills pad. Drivers often fail before even making it out of the parking lot because they don’t observe the parking lot stop sign.

Yes, even signs on private property are applicable during a CDL exam.

FINAL REMINDERS

In conclusion, the days of just riding with your uncle or dad are over. The rules for obtaining a CDL have changed, schooling is now required, and the testing procedure gets more complicated every day.

Expect to spend 160 hours or more, practicing and studying to obtain your class A CDL. Go for the full class A right from the start so that you do not need to repeat the ELDT training later to upgrade. Also, an unrestricted class A CDL opens so many more doors than a class B or C license does.

One last note: when testing for a class A be sure to use a full tractor trailer with a 5th wheel hitch whenever possible. Otherwise you will be restricted to a truck-traileronly combination and need to retest if you want to drive tractor trailers later on. Same as with transmissions—test in a manual transmission equipped truck if at all possible. If not, you will have an “automatic only” restriction on your CDL. Should you need to operate a vehicle with a manual transmission you will need to go through the whole road test process again.

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 17

Supplier Scoop

Allstate Roadside Awards 2021 Ring of Honor

Allstate Roadside recently announced the winners of their Ring of Honor Award, which recognizes exceptional service providers distinguished by fast response time and great customer service for customers of Allstate Roadside and affiliate programs.

This year, Allstate Roadside was privileged to name Tierney and Earnest Jones of Trac 1 Towing as recipients of the 2021 Ring of Honor Award. Since joining our network in February 2018, Trac 1 Towing has achieved outstanding service levels while completing over 100 tows each week.

They’ve reinvested in their company and have steadily grown their fleet from four trucks in 2018 to eight light-duty trucks in 2022, and they’ve added medium- and heavy-duty capacity along the way.

18 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Allstate Roadside awards Tierney and Earnest Jones of Trac 1 Towing in Memphis the prestigious 2021 Ring of Honor Award.

“Allstate Roadside is a key part of our towing business and helps us take care of our drivers who really make all of this work. It’s easy to do business with Allstate Roadside, and that allows us to focus on customers,” said Tierney Jones.

Trac 1 chose Allstate Roadside as the first national service network (motor club) to work with, and they remain committed to creating a

positive customer experience with every rescue they complete.

Allstate Roadside believes that providers like Trac 1 and leaders like Tierney and Earnest are the heartbeat of our industry. Please join us in congratulating them on this prestigious achievement. We thank them and all great providers for what they do to serve customers and keep them safe.

Tow Boss

A faster way to recover race cars employs a spreader bar attached with straps to the cars’ wheels, rather than the frame.

Track Time

How Motorsports and the Towing Industry Share Common Goals

By Terry Abejuela

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

T

he towing industry has long been involved in motorsports, probably since the first race cars ever crashed. Many tow operators are motorsports fans, and some even take it to a higher level by actively engaging in the sponsorship of race teams, drivers, tracks and or a race series.

On-track service is something many tow operators can only dream of doing.

Most do it for the love of motorsports and the excitement of having your company, trucks and drivers at your local track. Of course, there can also be benefits for the business side. Motorsports fans are known for their loyalty to a brand. When seeing your trucks at their local track supporting one of their favorite racers or teams, they just might remember your company when they need service.

WORKING SAFELY IN SYNC

It’s clear that there’s a great parallel between motorsports and the towing industry when it comes to safety. Both are much safer today than they were in the past. Motorsports is obviously a dangerous environment, and safety is of utmost importance—just like it is when working on the side of a highway. When 20 • August 2022 | Towman.com

a NASCAR race is under a caution flag, race cars may pass an on-track incident at anywhere between 50 and 70 mph, depending on the size and type of track.

As with most industries, the safety on the track has improved as a result of bad past experiences.

NASCAR legend, Fireball Roberts, was badly burned and died in 1964 from an ontrack crash. This tragedy led to the advent of fuel cells for gas tanks.

Also, when you watch a NASCAR event, you can see how drivers today reduce their speed when they enter pit road. Surprisingly enough, however, there was no speed limit for pit road until the 1991 season. Can you imagine how unsafe it is to have race car drivers coming into pit road at high speed with crew members working on race cars? It took the death of crew member in 1990 before NASCAR implemented a pit-road speed limit in 1991.

Auto racing was not always as focused on safety as it is today.

For comparison, think about the progress in the towing industry, and look back at some of the practices that were common in the past, (such as no safety chains or tow lights, working on the freeway without high-visibility garments, and no 4-point tie

downs on car carrier transports). It’s obvious that our industry has also evolved into a much safer industry than it was just 10 or 20 years ago.

We must constantly be evolving and looking for ways to improve safety through equipment improvements, technology, training and developing a strong culture of safety in all of our operators.

SPEEDY RESPONSE

Safety on track includes quick clearance of wrecks from the track during a race. Just ask Ron Myers of Pine Tree Towing in Ohio, who is a big motorsports fan and even has family members who are race car drivers. Pine Tree Towing is involved in race recovery at local tracks in Ohio. His take on how motorsports can benefit operators: “For many tow truck operators who get the opportunity to work race recovery at a track, it is their first experience with quick clearance.”

Working on a hot track with race cars passing you is hazardous even when they are driving slower than race speeds during a caution on the track. Arriving at the incident and clearing the track as quickly as possible is imperative to keeping wrecker crews, first responders and race car drivers safe. Just like out on the highways and freeways, tow truck operators involved in race recovery work side-by-side with first responders to safely remove race drivers from mangled race cars and clear the track before a secondary incident occurs. The entire safety team has to perform a coordinated response in order to ensure the safety of all involved.

got me involved at the NHRA races at the track in Pomona.

Then in 1997 when the California Speedway opened, I got my first opportunity to attend a NASCAR race. This is when I first saw Miller Industries providing the race recovery services. This company provided the tow trucks, and their customers were given the opportunity to sign up to be part of the race recovery team.

At that time Ken Burdine was the Miller Industries coordinator

for the race recovery team. Drivers had to attend training in order to participate on the track. Members of the race recovery team were all issued uniforms, and the trucks were specifically equipped to work the track. Miller Industries and Eaton Corporation teamed up in 2009 to introduce the first hybrid race recovery vehicle at the 2009 Daytona 500. The truck was a colorful white and green 2009 International DuraStar 4300 flatbed.

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COMPANY PROVIDERS

Towing equipment manufacturers also have a long history of involvement in motorsports. I had never attended a race until 1995 when my job with the Auto Club Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 21

NATIONAL EXPOSURE

Some towing companies reach the big show in a particular genre of motorsports, such as Stepp’s Towing in Florida and Jan’s Towing in California. Stepps Towing was selected by NASCAR this year to be the official “Track Recovery Service Partner” for the top-tier Cup series, as well as the Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. The company has assembled a team of trucks and

full-time operators to travel the country and provide race-recovery track response for towing.

The team has received extensive training and utilize both wreckers and car carriers.

They use a spreader bar that is designed to quickly attach to the race car. Prior to the use of this spreader bar the most common way wreckers would tow these cars would be to open the hood and attach to the frame with straps. This spreader bar can be

It’s clear that there’s a great

parallel

between motorsports and the towing industry when

it comes to safety.

attached with straps to the race car’s wheels and the race car removed from the track more quickly.

Jan’s Towing in California started its motorsports involvement in 1999 with the “Irwindale 250 Presented by Jan’s Towing at Irwindale Speedway.”

The program has grown to include involvement in Nitro Rally Cross, the Los Angeles and Long Beach Red Bull Rally Cross Grand Prix, ARCA Menard Series, NHRA races at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and NASCAR races at both the Irwindale Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

Jan’s Towing sponsors races, tracks and race-series drivers.

Prominent billboard signage at the track and sponsorship of race teams provides brand awareness to motorsports fans.

As noted at the outset, “Race fans are loyal and support small business—and we love that support,” says Jan Quakenbush, owner of Jan’s Towing. Jan sponsors local driver Nick Joanides in the Arca Series, as well as the NASCAR Pro Late Series, and Troy Andersen in the NASCAR Spec Late Models Series. Long-time employees of Jan’s Towing who 22 • August 2022 | Towman.com

provide race recovery service include Corky Ellis, Jeff Tarver, Barry Sarver and Mike McIntyre.

A few last thoughts to leave you with: first, what American Towman’s Safety Editor John Borowski advises: “Treat each freeway call like a NASCAR Pit Stop.” Also, practice is the best of all instructors. Practice your hookups and tire changes so much that you are working like at a NASCAR pit stop. That way, you can get the job done and off the highway in record time. But make sure you don’t sacrifice safety for speed!

Find us on Facebook Read more towing news at towman.com

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

HIGH-SPEED HAULER For a little history lesson, the World’s Fastest Wrecker is a Holmes 440 with a West Coast body mounted on a 1978 Chevrolet one-ton that was clocked at 109.330 average lap speed at the Talladega Motor Speedway on August 1, 1979. This means the truck probably hit close to 130 mph on the straightaway. This history making truck now resides at the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum in Chattanooga, TN.

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 23

An American Towman

JASON MAIN Manager, Akron Coach Inc.; Akron, Ohio

Helping the Community

By Charles Duke

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.

J

ason Main is passionate about stock car racing. His Facebook page features several videos shot at nearby Midvale Speedway in Ohio and other area racetracks. His love for the sport started through his father’s work with the family of the legendary Art Arfons, an Akron native who was the world landspeed record holder three times from 1964 to 1965 with his Green Monster series of jet-powered cars. Jason called it his “main getaway” from the family business, Akron Coach, Inc. in Akron, Ohio.

Akron Coach was founded in 1974 by Jason’s grandfather and is run by his mother Nancy today. The company name can be traced to its original business, renting RVs. Later in the 1970s, the company saw a need to add towing to its services. Around 1990 or 1991, the company dropped renting RVs and went 100 percent towing. This change happened around the time that Jason performed his first tow for the company.

“When I was in high school, I pretty

24 • August 2022 | Towman.com

much worked in our lot moving cars around and moving scrap cars,” Main recalled. “As soon as I got my license, insurance wouldn’t pick me up because of my age. But one day we got a bad wreck about five miles from the office, and Mom had nobody to send. So I said, ‘See you later,’ and got in the truck and went.”

Even though Nancy protested that Jason wasn’t on her insurance, he replied, “Well, you gotta get that car picked up. That was my mentality; it had to be done.”

When he got back from handling the tow, somehow she got me insured—but only in one truck. “She wasn’t going to allow me to bounce from truck to truck,” he related.

Jason said his first job was done in a 1981 GMC, backed with a Holmes 440.

He recalled it had a Peterson Scoop for a wheel lift.

“If you know anything about the Peterson Scoop, they were a workout,” Jason admitted. “It was 100 percent

mechanical, and you worked to get that wheel lift under the car! It all ran off your winch line—there’s was nothing hydraulic on it. But I got to drive the tow truck, that’s what mattered to me.”

Today, Akron Coach offers a variety of services that include flatbed towing, roadside assistance, gas delivery, jumpstarts and longdistance towing. Jason said that the police towing and transporting cars for Insurance Auto Auctions has served the company well.

Akron Coach has a fleet of five trucks, with three drivers on staff and two others who they can call when needed. During the winter the staff expands to five drivers, including Jason’s retired father, who drives part-time.

Mom Nancy is the president and “…makes the final call on everything.” Brother-inlaw Dave Schrock also is an operator. Jason serves as the company’s manager.

“I’m the one in the ditch who knows what we need to get the job done,” he said.

Jason said that Akron Coach is so shortstaffed right now that he doesn’t have much time for anything outside of the business.

“Since COVID hit, it really made a big impact in our area as far as finding workers,” he said. “It really hit us hard for the first bit.

I had one operator that had been with me for over 10 years; he contracted COVID and just quit working.”

“We had some layoffs for a while,” he continued. “Probably about a year ago things started turning around. We’re still down from where we should be at this time of year.”

Involvement beyond the tow yard is important to the company. Akron Coach participated in the American Towman Spirit Ride in 2017 and 2018 to raise awareness of the nation’s Slow Down, Move Over laws.

In addition, the company takes part in an annual three-day program called “Safety Town” for kindergartners along with other community first responders. They also are involved in a local festival called “Rock the Docks,” a family-friendly community festival with rides, food, music and events that takes place at nearby Springfield Lake.

“I don’t think of us as being unique,” Jason noted. “I just think of us as being here helping the community.”

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

“THE ONE IN THE DITCH” HELPS SOME STRICKEN SENIORS In the 30-plus years that Jason has been towing, he recalled a job that he did two years ago that stood out the most over the many he’s done. The call came on January 7, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. involving an elderly couple coming from a senior center. Somehow they made a wrong turn out of the center, and their Ford Fusion went over a wall, and was dangling vertically. Police called the job in initially requesting a flatbed, but Jason said it required a wrecker.

“These people were hanging straight up and down in this car,” Jason recalled. “They drove right off the wall from the senior center.”

Over the wall was SR 224, a four-lane highway. Weather conditions were not a challenge, as it was dry but chilly.

Jason said the only challenges to the recovery were the facts that the air bags did not deploy and that the area he had to work with outside of the senior center was extremely tight.

“I secured the vehicle from the top for the fire department,” he explained. “Once secured, the fire department rigged up a ladder system to go ahead and get them out.”

Jason estimates the job took him about 20 to 30 minutes to execute once the fire department helped the couple out.

They suffered only minor injuries.

To remove the car from the wall, he used two JerrDan carriers and a Jerr-Dan Cougar 12-ton wrecker. He positioned one of the carriers at the bottom, so that as the rear end came off the wall it went directly onto the carrier.

There was no further damage.

He also ran a line to the top of the vehicle, rigging it so that the vehicle was pressured against the wall, and couldn’t go anywhere.

“They closed down the eastbound lane on the highway,” Jason pointed out. “I had a low-line to the front of the vehicle and a high-line to the back and pivoted the car around on the front end and brought the car up and onto the carrier.”

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 25

◀

AKRON LENDS A HAND TO ART ARFONS The Arfons family has relied on Akron Coach for more than 20 years, transporting Art’s famous jet-powered land speed cars.

The Arfons know that Akron could be relied on because of the company’s technical know-how in loading odd-sized equipment on a Jerr-Dan rollback.

“We wouldn’t have trusted anyone to do this except for Akron coach,” says Art’s wife Shari. “ He has loaded jet dryers for the Akron Turbine Group to be shipped all over the country and to be shipped to Mexico.”

Art’s first jet dragster, Cyclops, set many records. And his last jet car that he built went after the land speed record on 1989. It went 400 mph at Bonneville before crashing. Art survived, and the cars are now in a private collection in Akron, Ohio.

26 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Due to a collision, the quad-axle dump truck left the roadway and down an embankment into the Kentucky River. Even though there was no cargo in the truck, the resistance load was calculated to be some 42,480 pounds.

Rollin’ ON THE River

Burrows Wrecker Service Digs Out a Dump Truck

By Casey Burrows with Steve Temple

28 • August 2022 | Towman.com

The truck chassis had to be hauled up a substantial grade, at a 45-degree angle and some 175 feet to the roadway, with an elevation difference of about 50 feet.

I

n one of Tina Turner’s most famous songs, “Proud Mary,” she belts out the lyric “Rollin’ on the river,” describing a paddle wheeler boat traveling on the Mississippi river. There wasn’t anything musical, though, nor involving a paddle wheeler, in what happened to a dump truck on the Kentucky River.

According to Casey Burrows of Burrows Wrecker Service, on June 24, 2020, Bruce Tandy of Tandy’s Truck reported that his Peterbilt quad-axle dump truck had been involved in a collision near Worthville, Kentucky and landed in the Kentucky River.

Burrows’ initial response included a Century ultra heavy-duty 75-ton rotator wrecker with a certified operator and qualified rigger, a Century extra-heavy-duty 50-ton wrecker with a certified operator and qualified rigger and a Towing and Recovery Incident Manager (TRIM).

Upon arrival, the TRIM (Casey Burrows) met with law enforcement officers who granted him permission to survey the casualty and surrounding environment. Tandy’s truck was at the bottom of a steep Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

river bank, after striking numerous trees and utility poles. It ultimately came to rest with the front of the truck submerged in the river, and the rear facing up the embankment.

Fortunately, the vehicle’s operator survived the collision without serious injury.

Even though not carrying any cargo when the accident occurred, the casualty’s static weight was estimated to be 30,000 pounds. The steering axle sustained damage and was no longer aligned with the chassis. The driver-side steering tire was missing. Approximately half of the cab was under water. The rear axles were found largely intact, but the bolster (leaf) springs were damaged. Fortunately, the springs remained somewhat aligned with

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The wire rope sling was gathered to an alloy master ring with sufficient veer angle to more efficiently place the load on each leg of the bridle. This multi-leg sling was coupled to a braided wire rope sling, 40 feet in length.

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 29

the equalizing beam assembly.

The rear-most drive axle was the only axle still on dry ground, while the chassis was on a substantial grade, with a 45-degree angle up the embankment toward the road.

The distance from the casualty to the roadway was approximately 175 feet, and an estimated grade elevation difference of 50 feet.

The TRIM concluded his survey and met with responders from other agencies to explain the calculated recovery plan that would lead to the successful retrieval of the casualty. The plan met the approval of the law enforcement officers at the site. They granted unrestricted access to the roadway, surrounding environment and the casualty for the operation to commence.

To prepare for the recovery, several large broken trees were winched out of the immediate area, and multiple smaller trees and shrubbery were cut out with a chain saw. This operation made a path 30 • August 2022 | Towman.com

for the Burrows team members to access the casualty and for its eventual retrieval.

Rigging installed on the rear of the casualty and attachment points had sufficient working load limits to withstand the force required to overcome surface and gradient resistances equaling 42,480 pounds.

This resistance was calculated as a percentage of the casualty’s static weight that needed to be moved.

Weight transfer from the high end of the casualty to its low end was also calculated. There were three types of resistance present: Rolling resistance on a soft surface, damaged resistance and gradient resistance. The appropriate factors for each type and level were applied to arrive at the final figure.

In an effort to potentially reduce the resistance, the rear drive axle parking brakes were manually released by installing caging bolts in its spring brake chambers. The chain slings installed on the rear

of the casualty were secured by screw-pin shackles to a multi-leg, 30-foot long wire rope sling. It was gathered to an alloy master ring with sufficient veer angle to more efficiently place the load on each leg of the bridle. This multi-leg sling was coupled to a braided wire rope sling, 40 feet in length.

These rigging components were selected because of their strength and durability. It was anticipated that a portion of the rigging would be winched into the ground near the crest of the embankment as the casualty was being retrieved. This method of rigging would ensure that components with moving parts (snatch-block pulleys) would not be fouled by contact with the ground during use.

The braided wire rope sling was coupled to a WreckMaster Wrinkle, a large aluminum rigging plate with a 50,000 pound working load limit, via a 25-ton shackle. The rotator wrecker was positioned on

RESPONDING EQUIPMENT Unit#15- Century 1075 Unit#17- Century 9055 The Burrows crew breathed easier once the dump truck was back on the roadway. Note the hardwood timbers for stabilizing the outriggers and distributing heavy forces from the rotator to a larger surface area.

the roadway’s northbound lane, with its rotating boom centered on the casualty’s location. Its outriggers were deployed onto a base of hardwood timbers. This created a stable platform for the rotator wrecker and distributed the forces of the machine to a larger surface area on the roadway. Both of the rotator’s main winch lines were deployed and routed through snatch-block pulleys that were shackled to the Wrinkle which was located approximately 100 feet away from the wrecker.

The method of routing the wire rope winching lines resulted in a 4:1 mechanical advantage system being created. The system reduced load on the wire ropes and would apply sufficient force to overcome the casualty’s resistance against the earth and grade.

To ensure the rotator wrecker remained firmly in position, a restraining system was employed. The wrecker’s drag winch line was deployed and routed through a system of snatch-block pulleys that were anchored to trees on the distal side, away from the attachment points of the wrecker. The rigging system was connected to the rotator wrecker’s rear, turretmounted D-rings.

Momentary operation of the wrecker’s drag winch placed force on the rotator’s turret which would counter the forces of overcoming the casualty’s resistance. The rotator’s main winches were

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Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 31

operated, causing tension to be placed upon the winching layup.

The Burrows qualified riggers inspected the system of rigging hardware for compromising issues.

Minor adjustments to the rigging were made prior to executing the retrieval operation.

The Burrows team communicated via wireless headsets. This enabled constant, real-time communication from the varying critical observation points around the site. The rotator’s operator controlled the wrecker’s functions with a wireless remote control. The TRIM gave the command to begin winching.

Operation of the rotator’s winches imparted force on the rigging and casualty, causing it to start sliding backward up the embankment.

It was winched to a position where chain slings could be

32 • August 2022 | Towman.com

installed on the casualty’s drive axle suspension. Each of the suspension’s equalizing beams was bound by chain and a ratcheting load binder to the frame. This effectively married the damaged suspension and axles to the chassis, ensuring they remained connected throughout the retrieval operation.

Then the winching resumed, pulling the casualty up the embankment, until the master ring from the multi-leg sling emerged at the top of the embankment. A 50Ton wrecker was positioned near the rear of the rotator. A winching line was deployed from the wrecker and secured to the casualty. The winch was then operated, applying tension to hold the casualty in position while the rigging was adjusted. The braided sling was deleted from the rigging layup.

Next, the mechanical advantage

system was extended out from the wrecker and secured directly to the multi-leg sling.

Winching with the rotator wrecker resumed. The winching line from the 50-Ton wrecker remained in service. It was used intermittently to guide the rear of the casualty, steering it away from trees in its path. The casualty was winched onto a terraced area between the river and the roadway where the ground was mostly level. However, it still remained approximately 10 feet below the elevation of the roadway.

The riggers detached all of the specialty rigging and hardware from the casualty and the rotator.

The drag winch system to restrain the rotator wrecker was then decommissioned, and a multi-part winching line from the 50-Ton wrecker was installed on the rear

of the casualty. Operation of this winching line caused the rear of the casualty to be turned to the south for a more favorable retrieval position to the roadway. A two-part winching line was deployed from the rotator’s recovery boom. It was secured via chain sling to the casualty’s front, frame-mounted lifting loop.

Simultaneous operation of each wrecker’s winches caused the casualty to slide up the embankment and onto the roadway. All of the recovery rigging was then disconnected and returned to its storage locations.

The casualty was secured to the 50-Ton wrecker for towing. Its air system was supported by a shoreline from the wrecker which ensured the steerable lift axles remained in the upward position. The casualty and all of our vehicles and equipment were relocated out of the immediate action area to allow an electrical utility crew to finish their work of restoration of power to the area. The roadway was then swept clean.

The process to safely tow the casualty was completed by disconnecting its driveshaft and securing loose items.

It was relocated to Tandy Trucking’s terminal in Madison, Indiana, where it was then unhooked from the wrecker to await damage appraisal and repair.

The remainder of the Burrows Wrecker Service

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

RECOVERY PERSONNEL Casey Burrows, TRIM (Towing and Recovery Incident Manager) Dwight Arnold, Safety Officer Regan Arnold, Logistics Coordinator Tommy Webb, Certified Operator Edward Jasper, Certified Operator Austin Covington, Qualified Rigger Tyler Covington, Aerial Photographer

Incident Management team returned to their base of operations. The experience, knowledge and abilities of the Burrows team and their equipment resulted in the safe and efficient retrieval of the casualty from an extreme environment. They overcame a difficult and challenging situation with professionalism and determination. Their cooperation with all first responders at this incident was excellent and contributed to its success as well. All of which gives them good reason to feel proud.

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 33

AD INDEX Akins Body & Carrier Sales.........................53 All American Jerr-Dan.............. N, S 67, M 69 Allstate Roadside.......................................34 American Legacy Firearms.........................26 AT & T /FirstNet...................................... N 69 Atlanta Wrecker Sales................................58 AT ShowPlace Las Vegas...................... 49-51 Austin Insurance....................................M 70 Captain Recovery..................... N, M 71, S 68 Chevron Commercial..................................44 Crouch’s Wrecker & Equipment Sales.........35 Custer Products.........................................43 Donnie Cruse Recovery Award....................60 DriverLocate.Com......................................59 Dual-Tech Wreckers & Carriers...................23 Dynamic Towing Equipment & Mfg.............27 EdgeTech/Hooks.....................................W 72 Elizabeth Truck Center................................47 Environmental Chemical Solutions..............54 FCar Tech USA...........................................56 G. Stone Commercial.............................. N 71 GM Consultants..........................................42 Guniwheel..................................................58 Hino Trucks................................................76 ITI..............................................................31

34 • August 2022 | Towman.com

August 2022

Jerr-Dan......................................................2 Len Zermenos............................................19 Lynch Truck Center....................................41 McMahon Truck Center..........................M 67 Metrocom..................................................44 MIDCO SALES........................................W 67 Midwestern................................................55 Mobile Control Systems..............................57 Mobile Create USA.....................................48 North American Bancard............................13 OMG Tow Marketing...................................16 Online Impound Auctions............................60 Order of Towman.......................................61 Pacific General Insurance Agency...........M 68 Peak Wrecker.........................................W 71 PeakPTT....................................................61 Performance Advantage Company..............55 Progressive Commercial Insurance.............18 Quick Draw Tarpaulin System.....................32 Recovery Billing Unlimited..........................57 RimSling....................................................26 SafeAll Products.........................................22 Santander Bank.........................................75 Sea Crest Insurance Agency...................W 68 ServiCase..................................................45

Smyrna Truck & Cargo...............................33 Speak Easy Communication.......................43 Specialty Vehicle Equip. Funding..................7 Steck Mfg. Co............................................40 Talbert Manufacturing............................W 70 Texas Towing & Storage Assoc. (TTSA).......46 Tow Brokers Insurance.......................... W 70 Tow Industries.......................................W 68 Towbook Management Software...................3 Towman Hero Medal..................... N, S, M 72 TowMate....................................................56 TowTrack North America............................47 Trail King Industries...................................42 Traxero North America................................15 Urgently.....................................................17 Utility Trailer Sales Southeast Texas........W 72 Warn Industries............................................5 West End Service.......................................48 Will-Burt Company.....................................31 Winches Inc...........................................W 71 Wrecker Warehouse...............................W 69 XINSURANCE..............................................54 Zacklift International..................................46 Zip’s AW Direct.....................................11,21

Texas-Sized TowXpo

i rge Nitt

By Geo

W

Kicking Off a Big New Venue in Fort Worth

hile the City of Fort Worth, Texas is known as “Where the West begins,” we prefer to think of it as “Where tow shows begin.”

American Towman kicked off its first tow exposition of 2022, TowXpo Dallas/Ft. Worth, with several noteworthy events standing out.

The exhibit floor was well trafficked with a record crowd on Friday. Exposition president Henri “Doc” Calitri observed that, “With over 120 exhibitors in attendance, it was the best Friday that we’ve ever had at this event.”

The educational seminars were packed as well. AutoReturn’s John Borowski, who taught a couple of business seminars, said he was surprised by the massive turnout.

“Many of the seminars were full,” he reported. “People were hungry for information. In my class, attendees were overflowing on both walls and the back of the room. It was beyond capacity.”

The Masters of Chaos Dinner, where there were 120 in attendance, was a rousing ceremony honoring the heroic work of towers, police and firefighters working together to clear

36 • August 2022 | Towman.com

the Great Texas Pile-Up of 2021.

Borowski noted the eloquence of the key speakers that included the incident commander and “Towman of the Year” James Bennett, Jr., of Beard’s Towing and Recovery, along with Bill Waybourn, Tarrant County’s Sheriff; and Jim Davis, Ft. Worth’s Fire Chief. Borowski pointed out that, “Each couldn’t emphasize enough the collaboration between tow, fire and police and the team spirit that took place.”

One of the main attractions was the USA Wrecker Pageant, a big success as 35 high-quality trucks and their owners vied for trophies in seven categories, culminating with the Best in Show award.

“It really provided a big boost for the pageant participants to have such an array of great looking trucks in the contest,” Calitri commented.

Also, American Towman’s hospitality, marked by Casino night and Calitri’s Cuba, were yet again favorites.

Overall, “Ft. Worth is a great location to hold a tow show,” noted Calitri. “The Convention Center has ample restaurants, the hotels are close by, and the

atmosphere is vibrant. We were really pleased with the response of attendees by the facility as well as surrounding areas.”

With this being the first show in Fort Worth in TowXpo’s 25-year history, the surrounding area of the convention center was busy with attendees and exhibitors trying out the different restaurants and pubs that have made this city a popular tourist destination to visit,” he added. “Feedback from both visitors and vendors was extremely positive on all counts.”

All told, success of early shows in this industry usually bodes extremely well for our events that occur later in the year, with the American Towman ShowPlace in Las Vegas, and the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore.

The Las Vegas show had a great comeback in 2021 after things loosened up from the pandemic.

As usual, Baltimore continued to illustrate why it is the world’s largest towing industry trade show and conference. Things are really looking up for the show season as we move into the second half of 2022!

2022

USA WRECKER PAGEANT WINNERS Vintage RPM EQUIPMENT COMPANY Houston, TX 1955 Chevy Holmes 440

Service/Support NORTH TEXAS TOLLWAY AUTHORITY Plano, TX 2021 Chevy 3500 HD Knapheide General Body

Light-Duty Pre-2021 CAPITAL TOWING Harlingen, TX 2020 Dodge Ram Century 2465 Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 37

USA WRECKER PAGEANT WINNERS CONTINUED...

Light-Duty 2021-2022 TRI-CITY WRECKER Pflugerville, TX 2022 Dodge Ram 5500 Chevron 408

Carrier CC ROADSIDE Fort Worth, TX 2022 Mack MD6 21’ Jerr-Dan

Medium-Duty BIG SKY TOWING Odessa, TX 2021 Freightliner Vulcan V-30

Heavy-Duty Single BELL'S TOWING & RECOVERY Keithville, LA 2021 Freightliner M2 Holmes DTU

38 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Heavy-Duty Tandem GERALD'S TOWING Slider Scott, LA 2020 Peterbilt 389 NRC 40 CS

Rotator HARMON TOWING Minden, LA 2022 Kenworth 990 NRC 85-Ton CSR

Best Working Class RED RIVER WRECKER SERVICE Texarkana, AR Peterbilt Century 7035

Best of Show ISAAC'S WRECKER SERVICE Tyler, TX 2022 Peterbilt NRC

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 39

Beacons On!

Damage Control

Avoiding the Most Common Causes on Vehicles

By Chris Richard

Chris Richard is Agero’s Vice President of Network Operations, focused on developing new ways for Agero to deliver its services and improve relationships and practices.

Chris’ career with Agero spans over two decades. H e most recently led Agero’s contact center organization and prior to this, spent several years leading corporate initiatives and running client services for Agero’s automotive business.

T

he last few years have been tough for towmen. Besides Covid, you’ve faced increased demand with a high volume and a wide variety of vehicles needing assistance; skyrocketing costs for insurance, equipment and maintenance; and difficulty with labor costs, recruitment and retention challenges. All of which means it’s more important than ever to protect yourself—and your business —from

40 • August 2022 | Towman.com

liability that can arise from inadvertent damage during routine events.

A look under the hood of the damageclaims process reveals a number of issues.

Typically, when a customer files a damage claim, it kicks off what can become a lengthy process. It could require statements from you and the customer, records from the service event, vehicle photos, estimates from appraisers or claims adjusters, and

◀

While they say a picture is worth a thousand words, when it comes to contending with a damage claim, it can be worth thousands of dollars. any waiver-style paperwork from the job. What you, the customer and/or third-parties may need to specifically supply will differ with each business you engage with.

Even though liability, claims and damage specialists in this industry strive to resolve these cases as soon as possible, all too often progress can be delayed or stalled while teams await details from the customer. Meanwhile, you’re left waiting, uncertain if you’ll be responsible for unanticipated expenses. So it

42 • August 2022 | Towman.com

just makes good sense to prevent damage claims in the first place.

In many cases, accidental damage to the customer’s vehicle is avoidable. More often than not, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of the damage claims from ever occurring in the first place. Here are five things to keep in mind: 1. Take Photos, Always: While they say a picture is worth a thousand words, when it comes to contending with a damage claim, it can be worth thousands of dollars

(or even much more). First, photos make the damages review process quicker and, second, can potentially protect you from fraudulent customer claims. But when you take photos is key. In tow jobs, for example, if photos are taken only after the vehicle is already loaded, it can be difficult to prove whether preexisting damage was done by you or the customer. It’s worth taking a minute to walk around the vehicle, take a few photos, and note any existing damage to the vehicle, at both pick up and drop off.

2.

Control the Event Scene: It is a best practice to never allow customers to enter your workspace, whether to provide help, supervise, or participate in vehicle handling in some other way. Allowing customers to enter your workspace can pose serious safety risks to you, them, their vehicle and potentially others.

Customers can inadvertently cause more harm than good by trying to help, and you can be held liable for issues that arise during your service 3.

Communication is Key: Identifying and taking note of any pre-existing markings or damage can be essential. Make sure to include specifics on where and how much damage is on the vehicle. If your business has any of its own damage forms, they can provide valuable information.

4. Confirm Receipt for Inspection: During tow events, it’s recommended that operators have the dealership repair facility inspect the vehicle and sign an acknowledgement of receipt, when possible, upon arrival at the tow-to destination.

5. Don’t Rely on Waivers Alone: While the way in which liability waivers are handled differs from company to company, you shouldn’t rely solely on this document as a way to release yourself from liability due to negligence. Following Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

the advice, and our best practices can be helpful.

MOST COMMON DAMAGES

Accidents happen, but any vehicle damaged while in your care and custody is your responsibility. Agero Operations Manager Widlyne Cazeau shared some of the most common

situations to be aware of where damage can occur: • Lockouts: Lockouts are typically the most likely scenario for damage to occur. With the right lockout kit, however, any unintentional damage can be less severe, resulting in less liability for you.

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LITE-IT UP WITH

CUSTER PRODUCTS

www.custerproducts.com • 800-490-3158 AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 43

• Tire Changes With a Spare: Many customers may not know how to properly drive on their spare tire. Make sure to inform them to drive the vehicle under 50 miles per hour and only for limited distances—even in cases where a full size spare is used. They should have the tire checked promptly by their mechanic or tire shop to change out or re-torque the lug nuts on the spare to avoid damage to the wheels, or potentially falling off while driving. Situations could arise where the customer, who doesn’t understand the limitations of their spare, drives the vehicle for a long period of time, ultimately causing another breakdown situation. These customers could later file a claim indicating that the damage was a result of your work, or not telling them they need to have the spare tire re-torqued.

In addition, while most newer

44 • August 2022 | Towman.com

luxury vehicles today no longer come with spare tires, some models come with a spare that is deflated. These spare tire types can be inadvertently damaged when instructions are not followed properly or they are inflated without enough air.

These spares can cost upwards of $1,000, and improper inflation and installation could cause further damage to the vehicle.

• Vehicles With no Wheels or Tires: While damage waivers won’t necessarily protect you from all liability, most motor clubs will often accept a damage waiver on any events requiring a winch-out and tow if the vehicle is missing all four wheels or tires. While it may not occur to you to have a customer sign a damage waiver for these events, the risk of scraping the undercarriage of the vehicle and causing damage to the

◀

brake rotors is extremely high.

• Unauthorized Vehicle Repairs: While it’s understandable and commendable that you may want to help the customer with a simple fix to send them on their way, and hopefully save on a repair bill, always stick to doing what you’ve been instructed by dispatch.

Even if you think you know what’s wrong with the vehicle, it is unwise to try to fix it. Despite the best of intentions, you might help a customer restart his or her car, only to find out later that this resulted in them having to replace the engine (with you possibly on the hook for the damage). Even if the customer asks, never try to work on or repair the car for them.

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• Tonneau Covers: If the vehicle you are towing has a tonneau or a retractable bed cover, attempt to load the vehicle onto the flatbed front-end first.

Towing the vehicle while it is facing backward can risk the cover detaching and flying off.

• Cracked Windshields: Take multiple pictures of cracked windshields at both pick up and drop off so the dispatching party can properly assess what damage you may or may not be liable for.

• Rear Brake Lights and Sunroofs: These items can easily be broken or further damaged when the vehicle is towed or transported backwards. Better to turn the vehicle around to load it front first onto the flatbed. If you are

using a wheel lift, turn the vehicle around so that the front of the customer’s vehicle is facing your truck, with the rear wheels on the dollies.

A FEW FINAL WORDS

Even though tow operators are often very busy, at the end of the day you need to protect your business from potential liability risks. If you see damage to the vehicle when you arrive on scene, make sure the customer is aware of the damage, document it in writing and take photos as supporting evidence. That way, if the customer tries to file a damage complaint later, it will be much easier to prove that the damage was already there.

The current demands on your business are taxing enough already. By understanding the scenarios where damage is most likely to occur and what steps you can take to minimize liability, you’ll likely be in a better position to protect yourself and your business.

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AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 47

Supplier Scoop

Manual for a Shift Lock Override

Kevin Gantt has been a tow truck owner/operator since 1985, towing autos and light trucks for about 37 years now. Needless to say he has learned a few tips and tricks along the way, and has included many of them in a self-published binder titled “Shift Lock Override Manual.” This practical guide includes 96 directions with illustrations and a simple basic index that covers most but not all vehicles between the years of 1996 to 2011 foreign and domestic.

Since 1992 the federal government required shift interlocks on all vehicles manufactured after 1992. What that means is that in order to take a vehicle out of park CONTINUE TO PAGE 58

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2022 Exhibitors

For a complete list of exhibitors and updates, visit us at ATShowPlace.com As of July 11, 2022 A & H Insurance Access Tools Agero Alliance Funding Group Allstate Roadside - pg. 34 American Towman Magazine American Transportation Insurance Group American Wrecker Sales SC ARI-Hetra Arizona Prof. Towing & Recovery Association Ascentium Capital Auto Data Direct Automobile Club of Southern California Azuga, A Bridgestone Company B/A Products BBSI Worker Comp & Payroll Beacon Funding California Lien Sales Chergey Insurance Collins Dollies Command Light Commercial Best Insurance Services Copart Auto Auctions Crossroads Equip. Lease/Finance Curbside SOS Curtis J Vernon Insurance Agency Custer Products - pg. 43 DewEze Mfg. DiBuduo & DeFendis Insurance Brokers, LLC Discovery Bay Insurance Services DRIVE DriverLocate.Com - pg. 59 Dual-Tech Wreckers & Carriers - pg. 23 Dynamic Towing Equip. & Mfg. - pg. 27 East Coast Truck & Trailer Sales Elite Commercial Insurance Energy Security Agency Environmental Chem. Solutions - pg. 54 ExxonMobil FCar Tech USA - pg. 56 Federal Signal Finex Group First Business Bank FleetNet America Freeway Service Patrol FULLBAY Repair Shop Software

G.L. Anderson Insurance Services GEICO Guniwheel - pg. 58 Haas Alert Honk Technologies Hydraulic Shop, Inc. IAA Idaho Wrecker Sales In The Ditch Towing Products Joyride Autos Junk Car Buyer Academy USA Kalyn Siebert Landoll Corporation LDZ Lift Marketing Group Lubnau Gonzalez Insurance Agency McCandless International Trucks MercurySend.com MIDCO SALES - pg. W 67 Mike Keith Insurance Miller Industries Mobile Battery Solutions Mobile Create USA - pg. 48 Mobile Video Computing Solutions Murphy Bank Nation Safe Drivers (NSD) National Automobile Club Nite Beam Products NRC Industries OMG Tow Marketing - pg. 16 On Call GPS Video Online Impound Auctions - pg. 60 Peak Auto Auctions PeakPTT - pg. 61 Peddle Penny Pockets Phoenix USA Questx Towing Services R. P. Recovery/Sonetics Ramos Oil Company Ranger SST RC Industries RealWheels Corp.

RLX Roadside Protect Roadside Response

RoadSync Robinson Oil Rocky Mountain Wrecker Sales RRA Tow Truck insurance/Robertson Ryan RRCATS.com Safety Up Santander Bank - pg. 75 Sea Crest Insurance Agency - pg. W 68 Sendos Services ServiCase - pg. 45 Southern California Tow Equipment Specialty Vehicle Eq. Funding Grp. - pg. 7 Spill Tackle Stamp Works Steck Mfg. Co. - pg. 40 TEC Equipment The Exchange TJR Equipment Todd Equipment TOMAR Electronics Tow Industries - pg. W 68 Tow World Towbook Management Software - pg. 3 TowToolz Trail King Industries - pg. 42 Traxero North America - pg. 15 Two Way Radio Gear U-Haul International UltraTech Urgently - pg. 17 US Fleet Tracking Utah Professional Towing Alliance Verdant Commercial Capital Warn Industries - pg. 5 Wasatch Truck Equipment Webfleet Wellnex Group Whelen Engineering Co. Whiterail Rcruits Will-Burt - pg. 31 WreckMaster, Inc. Ynot Services Zacklift International - pg. 46 Zellner Insurance Zip’s AW Direct - pg. 11, 21

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

Case Closed

Cover Me!

How to Protect Your Assets

By Larry Oxenham

Larry Oxenham is a senior advisor with the American Society for Asset Protection and is one of America’s top asset protection experts.

O

ne of the keys to learning how to protect your business and personal assets from lawsuits is to understand how they work.

The proceedings of a lawsuit can be broken into six simple steps.

Step 1. Injury or Loss: The beginning of a lawsuit is an injury or loss of some kind.

Step 2. Finding a Defendant(s) Who Can Pay: Most lawsuits are handled by lawyers on a contingency basis, so one of the first things they do before accepting a case is to perform an asset search to see if the defendant would be worth pursuing.

Attorneys search for a candidate with substantial personal and business

◀

52 • August 2022 | Towman.com

An attorney will search for a deep-pocketed defendant and a theory of liability that can be developed against him or her, showing why that defendant should be

held responsible.

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54 • August 2022 | Towman.com

assets available for seizure and/ or significant insurance coverage.

Truth be told, all too often people are named as defendants in a lawsuit not because of fault or error, but for their ability to pay.

Step 3. Construct a Theory of Liability: So if the person immediately responsible for the loss or injury does not have the ability to pay, an attorney will search for a deep-pocketed defendant and a theory of liability that can be developed against him or her, showing why that defendant should be held responsible. The success of the trial attorney is dependent upon this approach. Trial attorneys make up one of the largest lobbyist groups in the country, and have created laws to increase the level of “vicarious liability.” This term means you can be held responsible for the actions of others. Trial attorneys have worked hard to ensure that whoever has the money can be held responsible for negative outcomes through vicarious liability, even if they committed no wrong.

Step 4. Trial: Every day we see trial attorneys winning cases that appear to be irrational, absurd, and without merit. Many attorneys will even pursue a bad case if they can find a defendant with the ability to pay. They hope that they can obtain a settlement, or convince the jury to award cash to the injured, needy plaintiff from the comparatively wealthy defendant. Many jurors have freely admitted that they have overlooked whether the defendant was at fault solely because they felt sorry for the plaintiff.

Step 5. Judgment: If the plaintiff (the person filing the lawsuit) wins the trial and the defendant (the person being sued) is found responsible for the injury or loss, the court renders a judgment to compensate the plaintiff for injury and/or loss. It is now routine for judgments to be in the millions of dollars.

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Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 55

56 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Step 6. Collecting on Judgment: The court provides the judgment, but it is of no value if there is no way to collect. While a family could win a wrongful death case against a murderer, many murderers do not have enough assets to justify a lawsuit. For this reason, it is rare for a murderer to be sued for the wrongly death of their victim.

A famous exception to this was in the case of O.J. Simpson. Although found not guilty during his murder trial, O.J. was sued by the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and was found liable for their wrongful deaths. The courts awarded a judgment of $33.5 million in damages to the victim’s families. O.J. Simpson was sued because he had assets which the attorneys felt they could collect on. While the attorneys for the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman have been able to collect on some of the $33.5 million judgment, most of it has not been collected. Now, decades later, the attorneys continue to work to collect on the judgment.

Step 7. Settling Out of Court: Anytime during the lawsuit process you can come to a settlement to end the lawsuit. Attorneys know that even when you win a lawsuit held against you, you still lose because it costs so much in legal fees to defend yourself. These expense, even against a frivolous lawsuit, can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. The trial will also take time and cause mental and emotional strain.

Your privacy and reputation can be damaged, and the uncertainty of the outcome can result in a high degree of stress and anxiety.

Attorneys exploit all of these factors when they sue you. Trial lawyers know that you may be willing to settle the case—even if the case holds little or no merit—just to have it behind you. If you have available and reachable assets, the attorneys know they have leverage to get you to settle. Many attorneys make a living collecting settlement after settlement from innocent defendants (victims). It’s called legal extortion.

Step 8. The Answer: The best way to defend against a lawsuit it to take away the financial incentive of attorneys to prevent the lawsuit from ever happening.

If you have no reachable and seizable assets, the trial attorney’s strategies of legal extortion will not be effective against you. With proper asset protection in place, such as through a LLC (Limited Liability Company) for your home or other real estate, attorneys will then not want to pursue a lawsuit against you.

That’s because a LLC has what is called “charging order protection” which prevents a creditor from seizing the property.

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 57

Supplier Scoop CONTINUE FROM PAGE 48 you now have to turn the ignition key on. And in some vehicles the engine has to be running while you push down the brake pedal and only then are able to move the gear selector from park.

However, this safety feature can become a big problem in the event of a electrical or mechanical failure (dead battery, no key situation etc.) The good news is that most vehicles, but not all, have a way to bypass this safety mechanism, providing that a person would know exactly where and how that override may be for the specific year make and model vehicle.

This quick reference manual explains how to do the override, not only saving time for the tow operator, but also avoiding a potential safety hazard in a constrained recovery. The manual can be a valuable tool to have when towing many autos between the years 1996 to 2011, and sells for $30.00 plus $10.00 shipping in the U.S. If you wish to buy, call Kevin at (301)863-2387, go to eBay (type in shift lock override manual), or email him at kevinstowing45@yahoo.com.

58 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Supplier Scoop Do the Hustle!

Agero Summer Hustle ‘22 celebrates and rewards the outstanding performance and dedication of its in-network towers hustling through the dog-days of Summer. From June through August, Agero’s tow providers across the country who deliver top performance have an opportunity to win cold hard cash and some seriously groovy swag.

Here’s a list of the latest winners in July: Week 1 • Best Call Acceptance: Pagan Towing (St. Petersburg, FL) and Phenomenal Towing (Las Vegas) • Best NPS: Adkison Towing (Jacksonville, FL) and HD Recovery (Wyoming, Michigan) • Most Improved Call Acceptance: Andres Towing Service (Acworth, GA) and Budget Collisions (Lincoln Park, Michigan) Week 2 • Best Call Acceptance: US Towing & Recovery (Louisville, KY) and Quality Towing & Recovery (Lemon Grove, CA) • Most Improved Call Acceptance: Adkison Towing (Jacksonville, FL) and Fast Stop Towing LLC (Baton Rouge) Week 3 • Best Call Acceptance: All Ways Towing (Summer-

60 • August 2022 | Towman.com

ville, SC) and Total Car Care (Southfield, Michigan) • Most Improved Call Acceptance: 3 S Towing & Recovery (Wickliffe, OH) and Roadway Auto Towing (Escondido, CA) Week 4 • Best Call Acceptance: Yaffo Towing Indy, LLC (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Yaffo Towing & Recovery (Chicago Ridge, Il) • Most Improved Call Acceptance: Miami Master Tow & Recovery (Miami, FL) and Oncall Towing Services (Wylie, TX) Week 5 • Best Call Acceptance: Extreme Towing (Doylestown, PA) and BA Towing (San Antonio, TX) • Best NPS: Val-U Auto (Owego, NY) and Big Z Towing, Inc. (San Antonio, TX) Independence Day Holiday Double Down • Best Call Acceptance: Pagan Towing Services (St. Petersburg, FL) and Phenomenal

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

Towing (Las Vegas) • Best NPS: US Towing & Recovery (Louisville, KY) and Redline Towing Inc. (Chicago Ridge, IL) Weekly winners each receive $500 in Visa Prepaid Cards as well as swag, including travel mugs, hand sanitizer, stickers and Summer Hustle branded t-shirts. Each winner is also in the running for one of our grand prize packages: First Place (2 winners): $15,000 check + trip to AT Showplace worth $5,000 + swag Second Place (2 winners): $5,000 check + swag

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AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 61

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Supplier Scoop TRAA Opposes DOT Rulemaking

Directions & graphics to override shift locks on most cars & light weight trucksforeign and domestic 1996-2011 WRITTEN BY A TOWER FOR TOWERS

Available for purchase on e-Bay (all categories, type in shift lock override manual)

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The Towing and Recovery Association of America, Inc. (TRAA) has filed a comment in opposition to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed rulemaking on Speed Limiting Devices [Docket No. FMCSA–2022– 0004]. TRAA’s comment outlines our concerns regarding responder and motorist safety and addresses the specific questions referenced in the docket. Any proposal that prevents operators from adhering to state Move Over Laws, limits their ability to react to roadway hazards, or has the potential to increase interactions and crashes is dangerous to responders and the motoring public. The proposal would require that, “(CMVs) in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater, that are equipped with an electronic engine control unit (ECU) capable of governing the maximum speed be required to limit the CMV to a speed to be determined by the rulemaking and to maintain that ECU setting for the service life of the vehicle.” A speed has not been determined, but previous proposals mentioned rates of 60, 65 or 68 miles per hour. In addition to submitting a letter of comment in the register, TRAA has also joined forces with other organizations that are also in opposition to the proposal including OOIDA and others. As towers’ voice on Capitol Hill, TRAA is advocating on behalf of the industry and its members. TRAA appreciates the support of each and every member. TRAA’s comments, among all others, on the Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operations; Speed Limiting Devices can also be viewed at www. regulations.gov by entering Docket No. FMCSA-2022-0004 in the search bar.

*Custom colored sleeves require additional fee and delivery time.

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 63

My Baby

The Family That Tows Together…

The Banis Boys Make a Great Team

By Steve Temple

Photos by Ryan Oser and Jason Banis

D

on Banis has been in the towing business for four decades, and still runs his company, Banis Towing & Recovery, based in San Antonio, Texas. Son Jason actually does a lot of the driving and recoveries these days, but it wasn’t always so. Some 30 years ago, Don told Jason that after he graduated high school, “You can go to college or join the military—or work for me.” If he chose the latter, there was an extra incentive: “When I die, you get the company,” Don added.

Jason admits that at the time he was not real enthusiastic about that career path, though.

“I said I would never drive a tow truck my whole life,” he related. “I hated ‘em.” Mostly because his father was always working, and not able to see him ride at the rodeo.

64 • August 2022 | Towman.com

E v e n t u a l l y, however, he came t o appreciate his father’s dedication and w o r k ethic, and at the tender age of 17, he started out in a little wrecker, a lightduty Chevy with a wheel lift.

Little did he know that one day he’d be running a 40-ton Century Rotator, lifting a 60,000-pound fan blade for a wind turbine.

(More about that recovery below, but first a few more details about his formative years as a tow operator.)

“In my early days, I was building trust with my Dad,” Jason recalled. “I had to prove myself.

And he was harder on me than on his employees.” He also disliked getting assigned jobs in downtown San Antonio, due to all the oneway streets and congestion. But he persevered, and when he ran into a snag, he’d call his Dad for help.

“My Dad’s always been a believer, there to help,” Jason notes. “We became best friends.”

Even to this day, the Banis crew, with 11 tow trucks at the ready, will show up to lend a hand, in order to avoid damage or injuries.

And that’s where t h e new

Jason Banis really put his new Century 1140 to the test, recovering a 60,000-pound fan blade for a wind turbine.

Century 1140 Rotator came into play.

A transporter’s trailer carrying a massive fan blade for a wind turbine hit the concrete wall on a bridge, and ripped out the rear axle. A couple of fellow operators from Commercial Wrecker, Jonathan Cleaver and his driver, Ernest Guerrero, called Banis for assistance in retrieving the extra-heavy blade. (Although it supposedly weighed 40,000 pounds, the load cell on the Century rotator indicated 60,000 pounds.)

“That was the funnest recovery I’ve ever done,” Jason admitted. “Nothing ever that heavy from the side.”

Over a period of seven hours, lifting the bulky blade required using two main winches with snatch blocks, double lined and connected with rim slings with D-rings on the blade’s platform. Once connected, Jason had to get the boom in pretty quick with no hesitation. He basically just put the legs down, set up the rigging and swung the boom around. Successfully handling this gargantuan recovery really built his confidence, even though he had taken a rotator class for hands-on training.

Looking back on the recent addition of the Century 1140 to his fleet, Don was careful about his decision.

“Every time I buy a truck,” he asks himself, “Is it what we need right now? I don’t just go out and buy it. I look at how to pay it off first. I’m not a high-school graduate, but I’m not stupid.” This commonsense approach to tow trucks and equipment has held him good stead. More important, though, he trusts his son Jason to get the jobs done.

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

TECH HIGHLIGHTS Chassis: 2021 Peterbuilt 567 Heritage Engine: Cummins X15 Wrecker Body: 2021 Century 1140 Rotator with knee boom Custom Features: Extra lighting, spreader bars, puck flares, auxilary winches, leather upholstery Graphics: Dendyhill Graphics, Inc.

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • 65

Lowdown

The Father and Son Backbone

By Steve Calitri

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

I

nside the Banis family towing business featured in this issue’s My Baby, is the primary thread (or wire rope) of the towing industry’s tenacity to endure.

The father-son bond, and in many cases the mother and son (as noted in An American Towman this issue), is the backbone of thousands of towing and recovery businesses. Just taking a close look at these relationship dynamics exposes how strong in purpose and spirit this industry is.

The son, and sometimes the daughter, is brought into the tow truck at an early age to ride along with Pop. They go out on jobs together. The boy sees what his dad is doing, eventually lends a hand, learning how to attach a vehicle with straps, hooks, and chains, and later how to operate the levers

Banis family members: Cody, Jason, Jolena, and Don

66 • August 2022 | Towman.com

that control the boom.

The son feels an immense sense of accomplishment when he assists his father in winching the car from the ditch and uprighting a car. By the time he has learned to attach and upright a tractor trailer, his father has come to rely on him for the company’s performance and reputation.

Most fathers wish they had the kind of bond that fathers and sons have in the towing industry, a relationship that is regularly flexed throughout the day with emergency calls that service prized commercial accounts, the coveted police call, the S.O.S. of the stranded motorist.

The trust between father and son in a towing company makes our industry uniquely what it is. Its ability to rebound from the recent pandemic can be attributed in most cases to families that had to pull together to keep the company alive. The continued performance of the towing and recovery work kept on by the backbone of the company name, where father and son(s) would not give up.

A boy who has learned the art of recovery growing up in his father’s business has become a problem solver that delivers clear results. He has learned that each job was different from the last in some way large or small. He has learned to meet the challenges each job threw up to him. In time, either tapping his father’s experience or his own, he becomes invincible in his work.

That spirit carries over to the running of the business, and being the father in his own family.

The towing professional may be an imperfect human being (who isn’t?), but his work and his bond with his father has nourished a strength of purpose that is rarely found in industries, or in families.

American Towman salutes the fathers and sons, the mothers and daughters of the towing industry. May God continue to bless your existence.

News Flash Wyoming Proposing Tow Regulations

The Wyoming Department of Transportation has released a revised set of rules for the towing and recovery industry which covers a wide range of practices from equipment to customer service. The regulations are a response to numerous complaints over price gouging and unregulated practices.

With the input of a Towing Advisory Board formed in 2018, the proposed set of regulations will be enforced by the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) within its jurisdiction.

Penalties for violating the outlined rules include levels of suspension or removal from the WHP’s call-rotation list.

The proposed regulations include standards companies must meet to get on the rotation list.

These include provisions that drivers must pass a background check and their equipment must meet a minimum threshold of safety requirements.

The rules also outline how WHP will determine if a company is meeting their obligations to keep rates fair and reasonable. WHP will consider fee schedules, posted rates, quotes and rates charges for similar services.

“I think this is a good start,” said Andy Burg, chairman of the Towing Advisory Board and longtime owner of a towing and recovery business.

“It’s not everything I like or want, but it’s a good start to getting ahold of our state.”

Source: wyomingnews.com

Repo Industry Gathers in Denver

At the North American Repossessors Summit (NARS) held in Denver, Colorado, on June 21 and June 22, a gathering of close to 500 repossession agents, collections and recovery managers from an array of industry service-providers convened to discuss issues of concern to the industry. The two-day

Wyoming released tow regulations to counter price gouging and other unregulated practices.

event was hosted by the American Recovery Association (ARA) and included presentations given by executives from the finance community and repossession agents.

Three executives from the finance community expected repossession volume to rise in the coming months. One of them noted a need to increase loss reserves due to upcoming market turbulence in the next nine to 12 months. Another highlighted that due to the unpredictability of the economy, that the credit-card market could be a good predictor of what is going to happen with repossession rates.

Three active repossession agents comprised another panel. Starr Sawalqah, who runs Alpha Recovery in Phoenix, offered several recommendations to her fellow repossession agents. She insisted that agents “shouldn’t be afraid to be vulnerable” when describing their escalating costs to finance companies. But she emphasized that agents need to back up their claims with plenty of data to show just how much it costs to skip-trace a customer and repossess a vehicle.

James McNeil, the chief executive officer of Day Break Metro, said, “We’re in an industry that’s going to be surprised by how much we’re going to be overwhelmed with assignments.”

Source: autoremarketing.com

North 68 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Honk Technologies Testing Towbook Integration

Honk Technologies, a digital roadside assistance and vehicle transport company, announced that it is currently exploring integration options with Towbook, the leader in cloud-based towing software for dispatching, impounds and reporting.

The initial integration enables partners to receive, accept and manage Honk towing and roadside assistance jobs from within their Towbook system and get paid instantly after job completion.

Testing is taking place in specific cities for a limited time with select Honk Partners.

“When we ask our partners what they’d like to see from Honk, one of the top requests has long been the ability to send Honk jobs through their Towbook dispatching software,” said Corey Brundage, CEO at Honk. “We’ve been working closely with Towbook to ensure that this integration provides the easeof-use, visibility and powerful functionality that Honk partners have come to expect, all from within the platform they use to manage dayto-day operations.”

Source: Honk Press Release

News Flash Maryland AAA Worker Struck and Killed

Anthony Okozi, who was working for AAA, was struck and killed late Tuesday, July 5, in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Okozi, 69, was helping a motorist refuel a vehicle, when he was hit by driver Joseph Anderson, who was driving a Jeep heading westbound on Route 50.

Anderson now faces charges pending further investigation. Okozi’s emergency strobe lights were activated, his cones were set up, and he was wearing reflective gear.

Okozi’s niece said, “He was kind, hardworking, and sincere.”

From Nigeria, Okozi was a former mechanic and had come out of retirement to work for AAA as a way of staying busy and helping people.

His daughter added, “He was still really healthy and he was going to go until he couldn’t go anymore.”

“Our hearts go out to Anthony’s loved ones as well as his AAA colleagues during this very difficult time,” said Kevin Micsko, Vice-President of Fleet Operations at AAA Club Alliance. “We will be forever grateful to Anthony and all first responders who have given their lives while helping others.”

Source: nbcwashington.com

Maryland Proposes Two Tow Resolutions

In Ocean City, Maryland, two tow resolutions were introduced. The first would require tow companies that don’t seek reimbursement for their tows from the city within 90 days to be subject to an administrative fee of 10 percent. Under the ordinance, tow companies are required to seek reimbursement up to 30 days.

Ocean City Police Department Capt. Mike Colbert said, “Last year we had a tow company that didn’t ask for reimbursement for their tows for the whole year, and they made a ton of tows,” he said. “It was well into five figures we returned to them…It took us a while to go back and verify we actually owed it to them.”

Colbert also presented the commission with an ordinance amendment involving towing ordinance complaints.

“This is a piece of paper that needs to be filled out every time a tow company tows off a private lot under the blue sign,” he explained.

“We tightened this form up to a degree because we had an instance of a single tow company excessively dealing in predatory towing.”

One of the proposed changes, he said, is a requirement for property owners or managers to take a picture of the unauthorized vehicle being towed. Colbert said the proposed changes were ultimately written to clarify the rules and prevent predatory towing.

Both resolutions were unanimously approved by a commission and forwarded to the Mayor and Council with a favorable recommendation.

Sources: mdcoastdispatch.com oceancitytoday.com

Poughkeepsie Tow Company Hit with Suit

Bobby’s Towing of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., including its owner Robert Scores, is being targeted with a lawsuit by the New York Attorney General Letitia James for unsavory tow practices in violation of New York’s business laws. Those prac-

tices include rude behavior, illegally towing cars, overcharging for tow fees, falsified tow tickets, and even racist and derogatory comments to vehicle owners.

A total of 16 first-person accounts are included in an affidavit submitted by James, who maintains that Scores operates a predatory business which has “cheated and harassed hundreds of drivers in Poughkeepsie over the past decade.”

James said in a statement announcing the suit Tuesday: “For too long, Bobby’s Towing bullied New Yorkers who depended on their cars to go to work, take their children to school, get groceries, and run errands. No one should have to pay hundreds of dollars to get their car back when they did not do anything wrong.”

The lawsuit seeks compensation for those who were cheated.

James’s Office estimates Scores would owe the 16 drivers who filed complaints with the office more than $6,200. The suit also includes a spreadsheet of nearly 100 incidents in which Scores “wrongfully obtained profits totaling” more than $36,600. The lawsuit also seeks to prohibit Scores from operating a tow business unless a $100,000 bond is paid.

Sources: collisionweek.com poughkeepsiejournal.com

Bobby’s Towing of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was hit with a lawsuit by the NY Attorney General’s office.

North 70 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • North 71

North 72 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Episode 16

Copyright©2021 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, 2 Overlook Dr #5, Warwick NY 10990

Supplier Scoop

Latest Pricing Data on Commercial Vehicles

A look at Work Truck Solutions’ ComTrend analysis indicates that even with many supply challenges in the commercial vehicle industry, the average price of new work trucks dropping slightly, by just over one percent, when compared to prices for Q1 2022. While this seems to be good news for commercial buyers, when comparing new work truck prices to YoY numbers from the same quarter in 2021, they were still up more than nine percent.

Additionally, web leads for new commercial vehicles showed a spike as Q1 2022 ended, but the numbers “normalized” shortly thereafter leading into the second quarter. And finally, stocking levels for new commercial vehicles were up by more than two units per dealer during the most recent quarter when compared to the first quarter

of 2022, suggesting that a little relief may be in sight, for both dealers and business buyers alike.

The median mileage for used vehicles sold was up again, although only slightly, in the second quarter of 2022; but when comparing the numbers to the same quarter in 2021, the jump was almost 30 percent, indicating interest in used work trucks and vans remains strong. Further indications of strong demand for used commercial vehicles was demonstrated by another jump in the average price, which went up by more than $2,000 from the prior quarter. When compared to the same quarter in 2021, the increase was much more significant, coming in at almost a 27 percent increase.

Commenting on the latest data, Kathryn Schifferle, CEO of Work Truck Solutions, said “The second quarter shows the continued demand for both new and used commercial ve-

South 68 • August 2022 | Towman.com

hicles. Given that these work trucks and vans fuel so many businesses throughout the entire economy, it makes sense that shoppers for these vehicles continue to search for and purchase them.”

She went on to say, “Reading between the lines, the statistics also indicate that dealerships continue to have significant opportunities in this market, especially those who stay at the forefront of keeping in touch with customers and potential buyers - those are the ones who will be well positioned going forward.”

Source: worktrucksolutions.com

Find us on Facebook Read more towing news at towman.com

News Flash Wyoming Proposing Tow Regulations

The Wyoming Department of Transportation has released a revised set of rules for the towing and recovery industry which covers a wide range of practices from equipment to customer service. The regulations are a response to numerous complaints over price gouging and unregulated practices.

With the input of a Towing Advisory Board formed in 2018, the proposed set of regulations will be enforced by the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) within its jurisdiction.

Penalties for violating the outlined rules include levels of suspension or removal from the WHP’s call-rotation list.

The proposed regulations include standards companies must meet to get on the rotation list.

These include provisions that drivers must pass a background check and their equipment must meet a minimum threshold of safety requirements.

The rules also outline how WHP will determine if a company is meeting their obligations to keep rates fair and reasonable. WHP will consider fee schedules, posted rates, quotes and rates charges for similar services.

“I think this is a good start,” said Andy Burg, chairman of the Towing

Wyoming released tow regulations to counter price gouging and other unregulated practices.

Advisory Board and longtime owner of a towing and recovery business.

“It’s not everything I like or want, but it’s a good start to getting ahold of our state.”

Source: wyomingnews.com

Repo Industry Gathers in Denver

At the North American Repossessors Summit (NARS) held in Denver, Colorado, on June 21 and June 22, a gathering of close to 500 repossession agents, collections and recovery managers from an array of industry service-providers convened to discuss issues of concern to the industry. The two-day event was hosted by the American

Recovery Association (ARA) and included presentations given by executives from the finance community and repossession agents.

Three executives from the finance community expected repossession volume to rise in the coming months. One of them noted a need to increase loss reserves due to upcoming market turbulence in the next nine to 12 months. Another highlighted that due to the unpredictability of the economy, that the credit-card market could be a good predictor of what is going to happen with repossession rates.

Three active repossession agents comprised another panel. Starr Sawalqah, who runs Alpha Re-

◀

A panel presenting information at the NARS summit included three executives from financial companies.

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • South 69

News Flash covery in Phoenix, offered several recommendations to her fellow repossession agents. She insisted that agents “shouldn’t be afraid to be vulnerable” when describing their escalating costs to finance companies. But she emphasized that agents need to back up their claims with plenty of data to show just how much it costs to skip-trace a customer and repossess a vehicle.

James McNeil, the chief executive officer of Day Break Metro, said, “We’re in an industry that’s going to be surprised by how much we’re going to be overwhelmed with assignments.”

Source: autoremarketing.com

Maryland Proposes Two Tow Resolutions

In Ocean City, Maryland, two tow resolutions were introduced. The first would require tow companies that don’t seek reimbursement for their tows from the city within 90 days to be subject to an administrative fee of 10 percent. Under the ordinance, tow companies are required to seek reimbursement up to 30 days.

Ocean City Police Department Capt. Mike Colbert said, “Last year we had a tow company that didn’t

ask for reimbursement for their tows for the whole year, and they made a ton of tows,” he said. “It was well into five figures we returned to them…It took us a while to go back and verify we actually owed it to them.”

Colbert also presented the commission with an ordinance amendment involving towing ordinance complaints.

“This is a piece of paper that needs to be filled out every time a tow company tows off a private lot under the blue sign,” he explained.

“We tightened this form up to a degree because we had an instance of a single tow company excessively dealing in predatory towing.”

One of the proposed changes, he said, is a requirement for property owners or managers to take a picture of the unauthorized vehicle being towed. Colbert said the proposed changes were ultimately written to clarify the rules and prevent predatory towing.

Both resolutions were unanimously approved by a commission and forwarded to the Mayor and Council with a favorable recommendation.

Sources: mdcoastdispatch.com oceancitytoday.com

Anthony Okozi

Maryland AAA Worker Struck and Killed

Anthony Okozi, who was working for AAA, was struck and killed late Tuesday, July 5, in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Okozi, 69, was helping a motorist refuel a vehicle, when he was hit by driver Joseph Anderson, who was driving a Jeep heading westbound on Route 50.

Anderson now faces charges pending further investigation. Okozi’s

Two resolutions in Maryland would require tow companies to seek speedier reimbursement for contracted services and further regulations connected to nonconsensual towing.

South 70 • August 2022 | Towman.com

emergency strobe lights were activated, his cones were set up, and he was wearing reflective gear.

Okozi’s niece said, “He was kind, hardworking, and sincere.”

From Nigeria, Okozi was a former mechanic and had come out of retirement to work for AAA as a way of staying busy and helping people.

His daughter added, “He was still really healthy and he was going to go until he couldn’t go anymore.”

“Our hearts go out to Anthony’s loved ones as well as his AAA colleagues during this very difficult time,” said Kevin Micsko, Vice-President of Fleet Operations at AAA Club Alliance. “We will be forever grateful to Anthony and all first responders who have given their lives while helping others.”

Source: nbcwashington.com

Poughkeepsie Tow Company Hit with Suit

Bobby’s Towing of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., including its owner Robert Scores, is being targeted with a lawsuit by the New York Attorney General Letitia James for unsavory tow practices in violation of New York’s business laws. Those practices include rude behavior, illegally towing cars, overcharging for tow fees, falsified tow tickets, and even

racist and derogatory comments to vehicle owners.

A total of 16 first-person accounts are included in an affidavit submitted by James, who maintains that Scores operates a predatory business which has “cheated and harassed hundreds of drivers in Poughkeepsie over the past decade.”

James said in a statement announcing the suit Tuesday: “For too long, Bobby’s Towing bullied New Yorkers who depended on their cars to go to work, take their children to school, get groceries, and run errands. No one should have to pay hundreds of dollars to get their car back when they did not do anything wrong.”

The lawsuit seeks compensation for those who were cheated.

James’s Office estimates Scores would owe the 16 drivers who filed complaints with the office more than $6,200. The suit also includes a spreadsheet of nearly 100 incidents in which Scores “wrongfully obtained profits totaling” more than $36,600. The lawsuit also seeks to prohibit Scores from operating a tow business unless a $100,000 bond is paid.

Sources: collisionweek.com poughkeepsiejournal.com

Honk Technologies Testing Towbook Integration

Honk Technologies, a digital roadside assistance and vehicle transport company, announced that it is currently exploring integration options with Towbook, the leader in cloud-based towing software for dispatching, impounds and reporting.

The initial integration enables partners to receive, accept and manage Honk towing and roadside assistance jobs from within their Towbook system and get paid instantly after job completion.

Testing is taking place in specific cities for a limited time with select Honk Partners.

“When we ask our partners what they’d like to see from Honk, one of the top requests has long been the ability to send Honk jobs through their Towbook dispatching software,” said Corey Brundage, CEO at Honk. “We’ve been working closely with Towbook to ensure that this integration provides the easeof-use, visibility and powerful functionality that Honk partners have come to expect, all from within the platform they use to manage dayto-day operations.”

Source: Honk Press Release

Bobby’s Towing of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was hit with a lawsuit by the New York Attorney General’s office.

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • South 71

South 72 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Episode 16

Copyright©2021 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, 2 Overlook Dr #5, Warwick NY 10990

News Flash Wyoming Proposing Tow Regulations

The Wyoming Department of Transportation has released a revised set of rules for the towing and recovery industry which covers a wide range of practices from equipment to customer service. The regulations are a response to numerous complaints over price gouging and unregulated practices.

With the input of a Towing Advisory Board formed in 2018, the proposed set of regulations will be enforced by the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) within its jurisdiction.

Penalties for violating the outlined rules include levels of suspension or removal from the WHP’s call-rotation list.

The proposed regulations include standards companies must meet to get on the rotation list.

These include provisions that drivers must pass a background check and their equipment must

meet a minimum threshold of safety requirements.

The rules also outline how WHP will determine if a company is meeting their obligations to keep rates fair and reasonable.

WHP will consider fee schedules, posted rates, quotes and rates charges for similar services.

“I think this is a good start,” said Andy Burg, chairman of the Towing Advisory Board and longtime owner of a towing and recovery business. “It’s not everything I like or want, but it’s a good start to getting ahold of our state.”

Source: wyomingnews.com

Honk Technologies Testing Towbook Integration

Honk Technologies, a digital roadside assistance and vehicle transport company, announced that it is currently exploring integration options with Towbook, the

leader in cloud-based towing software for dispatching, impounds and reporting.

The initial integration enables partners to receive, accept and manage Honk towing and roadside assistance jobs from within their Towbook system and get paid instantly after job completion. Testing is taking place in specific cities for a limited time with select Honk Partners.

“When we ask our partners what they’d like to see from Honk, one of the top requests has long been the ability to send Honk jobs through their Towbook dispatching software,” said Corey Brundage, CEO at Honk.

“We’ve been working closely with Towbook to ensure that this integration provides the ease-of-use, visibility and powerful functionality that Honk partners have come to expect, all from within the platform they use to manage day-to-day operations.”

Source: Honk Press Release

Repo Industry Gathers in Denver

At the North American Repossessors Summit (NARS) held in Denver, Colorado, on June 21 and June 22, a gathering of close to 500 repossession agents, collections and recovery managers from an array of industry service-providers convened to discuss issues of concern to the industry. The two-day event was hosted by the American Recovery Association (ARA) and included presentations given by executives from the finance community and repossession agents.

Three executives from the finance community expected repossession volume to rise in the coming months.

One of them noted a need to increase loss reserves due to upcoming market turbulence in the next nine to 12 months. Another highlighted that due to the unpredictability of the economy, that the credit-card market could be a good predictor of what is going to happen with repossession rates.

Three active repossession agents comprised another panel. Starr Sawalqah, who runs Alpha Recov-

◀

Midwest 68 • August 2022 | Towman.com

News Flash ery in Phoenix, offered several recommendations to her fellow repossession agents. She insisted that agents “shouldn’t be afraid to be vulnerable” when describing their escalating costs to finance companies. But she emphasized that agents need to back up their claims with plenty of data to show just how much it costs to skip-trace a customer and repossess a vehicle.

James McNeil, the chief executive officer of Day Break Metro, said, “We’re in an industry that’s going to be surprised by how much we’re going to be overwhelmed with assignments.”

Source: autoremarketing.com

Maryland Proposes Two Tow Resolutions

In Ocean City, Maryland, two tow resolutions were introduced.

The first would require tow companies that don’t seek reimbursement for their tows from the city within 90

Two resolutions in Maryland would require tow companies to seek speedier reimbursement for contracted services and further regulations connected to nonconsensual towing.

days to be subject to an administrative fee of 10 percent. Under the ordinance, tow companies are required to seek reimbursement up to 30 days.

Ocean City Police Department Capt. Mike Colbert said, “Last year we had a tow company that didn’t ask for reimbursement for their tows for the whole year, and they made

a ton of tows,” he said. “It was well into five figures we returned to them…

It took us a while to go back and verify we actually owed it to them.”

Colbert also presented the commission with an ordinance amendment involving towing ordinance complaints.

“This is a piece of paper that needs to be filled out every time a tow company tows off a private lot under the blue sign,” he explained. “We tightened this form up to a degree because we had an instance of a single tow company excessively dealing in predatory towing.”

One of the proposed changes, he said, is a requirement for property owners or managers to take a picture of the unauthorized vehicle being towed. Colbert said the proposed changes were ultimately written to clarify the rules and prevent predatory towing.

Both resolutions were unanimously approved by a commission and forwarded to the Mayor and Council with a favorable recommendation.

Sources: mdcoastdispatch.com oceancitytoday.com

Maryland AAA Worker Struck and Killed

Anthony Okozi, who was working for AAA, was struck and killed late Tuesday, July 5, in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Okozi, 69, was helping a motorist refuel a vehicle, when he was hit by driver Joseph Anderson, who was driving a Jeep Midwest 70 • August 2022 | Towman.com

heading westbound on Route 50.

Anderson now faces charges pending further investigation. Okozi’s emergency strobe lights were activated, his cones were set up, and he was wearing reflective gear.

Okozi’s niece said, “He was kind, hardworking, and sincere.”

From Nigeria, Okozi was a former mechanic and had come out of retirement to work for AAA as a way of staying busy and helping people.

His daughter added, “He was still really healthy and he was going to go until he couldn’t go anymore.”

“Our hearts go out to Anthony’s loved ones as well as his AAA colleagues during this very difficult time,” said Kevin Micsko, Vice-President of Fleet Operations at AAA Club Alliance. “We will be forever grateful to Anthony and all first responders who have given their lives while helping others.”

Source: nbcwashington.com

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

Poughkeepsie Tow Company Hit with Suit

Bobby’s Towing of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., including its owner Robert Scores, is being targeted with a lawsuit by the New York Attorney General Letitia James for unsavory tow practices in violation of New York’s business laws. Those practices include rude behavior, illegally towing cars, overcharging for tow fees, falsified tow tickets, and even racist and derogatory comments to vehicle owners.

A total of 16 first-person accounts are included in an affidavit submitted

by James, who maintains that Scores operates a predatory business which has “cheated and harassed hundreds of drivers in Poughkeepsie over the past decade.”

James said in a statement announcing the suit Tuesday: “For too long, Bobby’s Towing bullied New Yorkers who depended on their cars to go to work, take their chil-

dren to school, get groceries, and run errands. No one should have to pay hundreds of dollars to get their car back when they did not do anything wrong.”

The lawsuit seeks compensation for those who were cheated.

James’s Office estimates Scores would owe the 16 drivers who filed complaints with the office more than $6,200. The suit also includes a spreadsheet of nearly 100 incidents in which Scores “wrongfully obtained profits totaling” more than $36,600. The lawsuit also seeks to prohibit Scores from operating a tow business unless a $100,000 bond is paid.

Sources: collisionweek.com poughkeepsiejournal.com

Find us on Facebook Read more towing news at towman.com

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • Midwest 71

Midwest 72 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Episode 16

Copyright©2021 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, 2 Overlook Dr #5, Warwick NY 10990

News Flash

Wyoming Proposing Tow Regulations

The Wyoming Department of Transportation has released a revised set of rules for the towing and recovery industry which covers a wide range of practices from equipment to customer service. The regulations are a response to numerous complaints over price gouging and unregulated practices.

With the input of a Towing Advisory Board formed in 2018, the proposed set of regulations will be enforced by the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) within its jurisdiction. Penalties for violating the outlined rules include levels of suspension or removal from the WHP’s call-rotation list.

The proposed regulations include standards companies must meet to get on the rotation list. These include provisions that drivers must pass a background check and their equipment must meet a minimum threshold of safety requirements.

◀

West 68 • August 2022 | Towman.com

News Flash The rules also outline how WHP will determine if a company is meeting their obligations to keep rates fair and reasonable. WHP will consider fee schedules, posted rates, quotes and rates charges for similar services.

“I think this is a good start,” said Andy Burg, chairman of the Towing Advisory Board and longtime owner of a towing and recovery business.

“It’s not everything I like or want, but it’s a good start to getting ahold of our state.”

Source: wyomingnews.com

Honk Technologies Testing Towbook Integration

Honk Technologies, a digital roadside assistance and vehicle transport company, announced that it is currently exploring integration options with Towbook, the leader in cloud-based towing software for dispatching, impounds and reporting.

The initial integration enables partners to receive, accept and manage Honk towing and roadside assistance jobs from within their Towbook system and get paid instantly after job completion. Testing is taking place in specific cities for a limited time with select Honk Partners.

“When we ask our partners what they’d like to see from Honk, one of the top requests has long been the ability to send Honk jobs through their Towbook dispatching software,” said Corey Brundage, CEO at Honk.

“We’ve been working closely with Towbook to ensure that this integration provides the ease-of-use, visibility and powerful functionality that Honk partners have come to expect, all from within the platform they use to manage day-to-day operations.”

Source: Honk Press Release

Find us on Facebook Read more towing news at towman.com

West 70 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!

AmericanTowman.com | August 2022 • West 71

West 72 • August 2022 | Towman.com

Episode 16

Copyright©2021 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, 2 Overlook Dr #5, Warwick NY 10990