American Towman Magazine - May 2010

Zoom In - Check out Landoll’s new Chain Drive System

My Baby – Toads Are In At Green’s Garage

FINE TUNE YOUR

MUNICIPAL CONTRACT Beacons On!

Motor Club Benefits Ingenious Transport Handbook For Your Operators Miller Industries Turns 20

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The extremely low load angle makes it ideal for loading vehicles with low spoilers,bumpers or exhaust pipes without the use of ramps or wood.

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When it comes to towing, no one offers you more.

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TONING SYSTEM S www.rushtowingsystems.com

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Hino 258ALP with Jerr-Dan Carrier

Cummins PX-6 300HP, Allison RDS 2500, 10k front axle, 20k rear axle, 26,000 GVW, air brakes, aluminum wheels, Jerr-Dan 6-ton premium carrier, removable rails, 8k winch, 3k under lift, standard L arms, LED light package, two 60" toolboxes.

220HP diesel engine, Allison automatic transmission, 19.5" tires and wheels, 21' 6-ton steel carrier, 96" or 102" wide, removable rails, LED light bar, two 48" toolboxes, 3k wheel lift, 8k winch.

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2001 Peterbilt 378 with 50 Ton Wrecker

Cummins N14 460HP, 14,600k front axle, 40,000k rear axle, 150 gallon aluminum fuel tank, Century 9055 integrated, 50 ton boom, 55k under lift, dual controls, power touch system, remote under lift, dual 50k winches

Cummins N14 460HP, 14,600k front axle, 40,000 rear axle, 20,000k pusher, 100 gallon aluminum fuel tank, Century 9055 integrated, 50 ton boom, 55k under lift, dual controls, wireless remote, power touch system, dual 50k winches, backup camera.

Priced to sell.

Priced to sell.

877-5RUSHTOW

Towing Sales Team: Gregg Wilkinson | Ryan Hindt | Matt Baker | Lonnie Schwem | Sam Davenport | Hunter Smith towingsales@rush-enterprises.com | 8810 IH-10 East | San Antonio, TX 78219 Number 198 on Reader Card

Miller Industries Celebrates 20 Years page 40

FEATURE CONTENTS

24

Define Your Expectations A veteran tow-business manager goes deep into the issues of the Employee Handbook.

by Randall Resch

30

Motor Club Perks Check out what benefits motor clubs are offering service providers today.

by Steve Calitri

Departments Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . .50 Work Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . .53 Photos by: Larry Green , Roy Carslon Jr., Kipp Felice

38

Ingenious Transport Towers are known for their ingenuity...check out how this Minnesota tower accomplished his mission.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

Cover Photo: Larry Green

TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 5

Chevron’s New LCG Carriers -14.7"1~'

Now choose from the Series 12 and the Series 16 Aluminum or Steel LCG. 11{sås;k ,'

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With a deck height of 5 inches lower than conventional carriers, the “Low Center of Gravity” carrier provides super low load angle for low clearance vehicles and exotics.

Perfect addition to your fleet.

Lower deck height allows for transport of taller loads such as fork lifts plus loads are at arms length and easier to secure for transport.” Low Center of Gravity” increases stability and enhances the handling performance of loads.

The high dump angle allows for easier removal of damaged or disabled vehicles.

7320 W. Market St. • US Route 62 • Mercer, PA 16137 Toll Free 800-886-6400 • 724-981-7500 • FAX 724-981-4425 www.chevroninc.com • email: dliston@chevroninc.com Number 154 on Reader Card

Two Key Business Sectors

by Steve Calitri

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his issue addresses two broad business sectors for tow business owners; motor club work and municipal towing (nonconsentual tows dispatched or authorized by police). Either sector can make or break a towing company.

The biggest contribution that motor clubs have brought the towing industry is an increase in nonemergency calls. Battery boosts, tire changes, unlocking car doors are jobs often handled by relatives, neighbors, workmates or the car owners themselves when a motor club is not in the picture. In other words, much of this business wouldn’t be business at all if it weren’t for the clubs who offer this service “free” as part of a membership or car/insurance warranty.

The second contribution has been in the area of group purchasing leverage. You will see which clubs have something to offer along these lines, beginning on page 30. Through certain clubs, towers can save on fuel, tires, financing, and more.

The third contribution is the image of professionalism and the badge of trust. The clubs promote towing as a service industry that is trustworthy and professional. The entire industry benefits from the impact of their promotions. And individually, towing companies benefit when they place a motor club logo in their advertisements, business cards, web sites, etc.

Towers talk to me all the time about the ups and downs of working with motor clubs. My advice is always the same: consider a scenario where motor club work is at no more than 35% of total call volume. Partner selectively with one or two clubs. Build up other business sectors. With this basic plan, a tow company will be able to deliver the kind of on-time service a motor club expects; at the same time, the tow boss will be able to build up higher paying business sectors.

Towing for the town is perhaps the lifeblood of this industry, whether it be towing illegally parked cars to wrecked vehicles. In most towns, towers work off a police rotation list.

Rates are regulated, but the range of town rates across the country are generally above commercial tow rates and at or above the tower’s retail rates.

Whether you tow off a rotation list, or, enjoy an exclusive contract with the town, this sector can be the deciding factor in survival.

Towers generally have two fights on their hands with the towns when it comes to rates. The rate ceiling imposed by the town first of all, and secondly, the attempt to strike at towers fees to feed town coffers. That brings us to our new department, Beacons On!, and this month’s article by John Borowski, An Offer The Town Can’t Refuse. Here, John discusses a way to preempt a town’s move to shake down the tower for a piece of his hard earned revenue. Check it out.

***************************************************** Publisher Dennie Ortiz-Sorrenti Editor-In-Chief Steve Calitri Operations Editors Terry Abejuela Randall Resch Chassis Editor David Kolman Contributing Editors John Borowski Jim “Buck” Sorrenti Editorial Board Tommy Anderson, Dallas, Texas Roy Carlson; St. Paul, Minn.

Gary Coe; Portland, Ore. Frank Child; Cody, Wyo. Belinda Harris; Greensboro, N.C. Amado Llorens; Hialeah, Fla. Ron Mislan; Warren, N.J. Chuck Swider; Chicopee, Mass. ********************************************************** Art Director/Production Manager Ann Marie Nitti Graphic Manager William Burwell Advertising Sales Manager Dennie Ortiz-Sorrenti Senior Account Executive Ellen Rosengart VP of Accounts Norma Calitri VP of Communications Neila Kennedy Internet Developer Henri Calitri ***************************************************** American Towman Network, Inc. President Steven Calitri ***************************************************** Headquarters 7 West Street, Warwick NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546 Fax: 845-986-5181 ***************************************************** E-mail: Publisher: dsorrenti@towman.com Editor-In-Chief: scalitri@towman.com AT’S Digital Edition: itowman.com Weekly Industry News: towman.com Copyright ©2010 American Towman Magazine is published 12 times a year by American Towman Network, Inc. U.S. Subscription: $50–1 yr; $95–2 yrs • US $65 and $105 • International Editorial Policy: the act of mailing or delivering a letter or article to American Towman Magazine, shall constitute permission to publish that letter or article or any portion thereof. American Towman Magazine reserves the right to edit any and all material submitted.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 7

USAC on the Move USAC, United State Auto Club, Motoring Division, has partnered with the Arthritis Foundation to provide superior emergency roadside assistance service to its members.

Through this partnership, Arthritis Foundation members can now receive services at a special discounted rate.

Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance company, headquartered in Lansing, Mich., also chose USAC to provide emergency roadside assistance service to its policy holders. Now Michigan Millers policy holders have the opportunity to purchase USAC services at a special discounted rate. The roadside assistance program offers complete roadside assistance services, from towing to changing flat tires and aiding drivers who are locked out of their vehicles.

USAC is headquartered in Carrollton, TX and is one of the leading providers of roadside assistance to both wholesale and retail markets.

Tower Cuts Off Fleeing Truck On the afternoon of April 1, Matt McBride said he was on his way to assist a motorist when he suddenly found himself in the middle of a high-speed chase along I44 in Oklahoma City. McBride, a driver for Express Towing in Moore, said he knew he had to do something.

McBride used his tow truck to help block the truck eluding troopers and police.

"He never hit my truck, and he ended up stopping," McBride said.

The driver of the speeding truck, Joshua Graham, was first spotted by police speeding through school zones in Blanchard and refused to stop. The chase went from Blanchard to Newcastle and ended in Oklahoma City.

"I really want to thank that tow truck driver," said Blanchard Police Chief Tom Linn. "He really helped us."

Express Towing Manager Russell Anderson first thought McBride was pulling an April Fool’s joke but eventually believed him after hearing reports of the chase on the radio. "I'm very proud of him," Anderson said. Source: NewsOn6.com 8 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

Tower Sues Chief In Connecticut a Danbury tower has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Police Chief Al Baker, claiming it was unfairly removed from the city's towing list.

The lawsuit, filed by James Modzelewski and Modzelewski's Towing and Storage of Federal Road, claims the company was taken off the list after being asked by the police chief to explain its fee structure.

The company says in the lawsuit that towing fees are set by the state's Department of Motor Vehicles, and no other companies

the city does business with were asked to validate the fees they charge.

Charles Volpe, the city's purchasing agent, was also named in the lawsuit, which alleges Volpe told the company it was barred from bidding on city contracts as a result of being removed from the towing list.

According to Modzelewski’s attorney, John Williams, his client's rights as guaranteed by the state and U.S. Constitution were violated. "Violations include the denial of equal protection and a denial of due process." Source: newstimes.com

Open House &

Training Matheny Motors invites members of the towing and recovery industry to the Matheny Motors Open House on Friday, May 7, 2010 from 10AM – 5PM at the Matheny Motors Woodbridge, Va. location: 14716 Industry Court, Woodbridge, VA 22191.

Open House sponsors are B.A. Products for the all day cook-out and Sovereign Bank for the all day dessert station. While all attendees will receive a special gift courtesy of Matheny Motors, Miller Industries and other sponsors; attendees will also have an opportunity to register to win additional sponsor-donated prizes.

Open House attendees will have an introduction to the most current selection of Miller Industries towing and recovery equipment including the new LCG – Low Center of Gravity

Tom Luciano

Carrier. Representatives from Miller Industries will be on hand.

Prior to the Open House, Matheny Motors and Miller Industries will be holding a Heavy Duty Towing & Recovery Class on May 5-6, 2010 in Woodbridge, Va. This class will be taught by internationally recognized instructor, Tom Luciano.

For more information, phone 304485-4418 x557, or email: mmoss@ mathenymotors.com

. . . Bill ties towers' hands in casting out incentives. . .

A Hairy Rotation Rotation lists can get hairy when special accommodations start entering into the picture. Such is the case in Altoona, Penn.

An ordinance calls for dispatchers to ignore the list when vehicle owners ask for a particular towing company. An informal policy also developed for vehicle owners who subscribe to the AAA road service plan. To accommodate them and avoid complications, dispatchers called AAA's primary city subcontractor, Reliable Towing, directly.

Apparently because the roadside plan's subscribers are so numerous, some police officers out of habit would summon the "next available AAA" company –– in other words, Reliable –– even when vehicle owners didn't identify themselves as AAA members, according to Ron Perretta of Professionals Auto Body.

This practice led to a similar policy by which dispatchers called tow operators subcontracted to dealers or body shops where motorists asked for their vehicles to be taken.

Both 911 officials and the towers concluded that it all was getting out of hand and too complicated. They have been meeting to simplify the process. source: altoonamirror.com

Town Tacks on Fees Towing and impound fees will be increased in the city of Watsonville, Calif. after the City Council approved new fees and raised others in a 5-2 vote.

Currently, the towing and impound program run by the Watsonville Police Department runs a deficit of $149,000. With the city facing a $1.9 million deficit and the police department struggling to maintain services such as gang-prevention programs, the city proposed creating a towing service fee of $50 for every towed vehicle, increasing the vehicle release fee to $130 and an impound hearing fee of $39. There would also be a $22.50 citation verification fee for fix-it tickets and tow truck fee storage rates would be increased by $15 for the next two years before transitioning to what the California Highway Patrol charges for such services.

The fees would also be increased in the future according to a ratio guided by the Consumer Price Index.

Cross Country Offers Fuel Program

Cross Country Automotive Services and Pricelock, Inc., have reached agreement to offer a new program to help Cross Country towing and road service partners control their fuel costs.

The addition of Pricelock’s service enables Cross Country to provide its service providers a simple, cost-effective way to manage their costs for gas and diesel fuel by minimizing their exposure to rising gas prices without

requiring a change in how they currently purchase gas.

With Pricelock fuel price protection, Cross Country service partners receive a payout when national average fuel prices rise above their set protection price.

Fuel price protection does not entail pre-purchasing fuel so partners benefit from lower fuel prices at the pump when prices fall.

Pricelock’s fuel price protection is an integrated part of Cross Country’s Perks program, designed to offer instrumental services and promotions to increase the efficiency of Cross Country partners’ businesses.

Cross Country service providers can enroll in the program at www.argosiperks.com or by contacting their Cross Country performance manager.

Bill Outlaws

Incentives

Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill that stems from a KOMO News investigation. Once the law takes effect it will ban towing companies' practice of offering special incentives to get more business.

Some towing companies have offered cash and gift incentives for people, such as apartment managers, to send work their way. Other towing companies complained, calling the practice unethical.

But the practice went on for nearly two decades until KOMO News exposed the practice.

"All we were told is that it was a gray area, the law was a gray area.

Nobody was doing anything about it, so it was time," said Mary Brubaker of Mary's Towing. "We're so excited about the Problem Solvers, (KOMO News) we couldn't have done it without them."

"That's where the bill generated from, from the Problem Solvers," said Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia, sponsor of HB 2592, which deals with impounds and incentive towing.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 9

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Number 176 on Reader Card

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When You Subscribe to American Towman You Now Enjoy Exclusive Benefits Found Nowhere Else That Help Your Towing Business Succeed. Benefits like the Patch And Wall Certificate,Your Listing in wrecker.com, the Tow Operator Recruitment Brochure, & More!

Subscribe Today and Become One of the American Towman Professionals!

ACTION PAGE

ADVERTISER

AD INDEX

Fax To: 888-847-6035 Page # RS#

Page # RS#

1- 800 I’M STUCK

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Hino Motor Sales USA

Access Tools

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Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease

Akins Body & Carrier Sales

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Jerr-Dan Corp.

B/A Products

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Beacon Software

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Century Chevron

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Jerr-Dan Advertorial

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Lift & Tow

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Miller Industries

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Minute Man Mfg., Inc.

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Copart

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National Automobile Club

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Danco Products

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New England Truckmaster

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Dynamic Towing Eq. & Mfg. 28, 29

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Progressive Commercial Ins.

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Equipment Sales & Service

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Purpose Wrecker Sales

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Equipment Sales & Service

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Rush Towing Systems

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RV Cams

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12 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

May 2010 For more product information, please circle the corresponding reader service number on the Action Card to ☛ the right, and send it in. Form is valid for three months

Don’t Judge a Tower

by His Hat I had a quick and yet funny story I wanted to share with you that shows how important proper training is.

On a Friday afternoon in April of this year, I was dispatched to a car over an embankment. After arriving I saw another tow truck there. The operator went down the hill to look at the Ford Taurus and came back up a few minutes later and stated to the officer there were no good hook ups on the car. He went back down the hill and kept looking, after the cop heckled him. He backed the truck up and pulled the wire rope to the car and hooked up to the car and was getting ready to engage in the winchout. I sugested to him that the car is damaged and including the weight transfer and angle he probably should use a snatch block to lessen chances of breaking the rope. I continued on to tell him there is not enough room at the top of the embankment for the car to move up.

After not listening to me he went about the winch-out. He got about halfway up the hill, and his hook-up failed and the car rolled about 10 feet past the original spot. The officer ordered him off the scene, and after about 30 minutes of watching him struggle, I was to do his job. I did a survey, positioned my truck, used a Cruse Loop through the car and on the inside of the rear tires, ran a snatch block to ensure I was inside my W.L.L. and pulled the car up and was ready to go in 10 minutes.

When I was cleaning up, the operator who first tried came over and was questioning me about what I did. I noticed a WreckMaster hat. I told him he learned that in the 2/3 course and he replied, "I never took the classes, the hat was left in the truck when I bought it."

I just wanted to share my story with you.

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Number 213 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 13

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT!

Landoll Chain Drive System

Side Recovery Guide II The Side Recovery Guide is designed to fit carriers with removable rails or stake side pockets. The Side Recovery Guide 2 is designed to fit carriers with rails. Instead of fitting only in stake side holes the Side Recovery Guide 2 goes on top of the rail; allowing any truck to use it, not only trucks with removable rails. Both products can be positioned anywhere along either side of the bed. The workable area is almost the complete radius of the truck instead of directly behind the truck or an angle off the rear of the bed.

No modifications to the truck or bed are required. The SRG fits major manufactures’ carriers. The SRG adds versatility, effectiveness and profitability to every carrier with removable rails or stake side receiver holes.

www.baileystowinginc.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Illuminates The Undercarriage Mohawk Lift’s parallelogram lift is available in 36,000 to 100,000 lb capacities and features optional flourescent runway lighting which illuminates the vehicle undercarriage. Mohawk’s clear work area has no obstructive tie bar between the runways for total access. Mohawk Lifts are proudly designed, welded, and manufactured in the U.S.A and are ALI/ETL certified to meet the one and only ANSI/OSHA nationally recognized safety standard.

www.mohawklifts.com Number 201 on Reader Card

ECCO’s NEW 9021 Concealed Warning Lights Featuring One Controller and Two Heads ECCO’snew 9021 concealed warning light is an extension of the popular 9011 line. Featuring one controller and two heads, the 9021 simplifies installation and minimizes cost. Four 1-watt high-intensity LEDs per head provide exceptional warning and are specifically designed for vehicle headlight and tail light applications.

The 9021’s optic design produces wide angle light dispersion and maximized secondary light output reflected off the vehicle light casing. Sixteen flash patterns are included and multiple units can be synchronized to flash alternately or simultaneously. Additional benefits of LED technology include high intensity light output, low current draw, a long and maintenance-free service life, and colorless LEDs when not illuminated. 5 Year Warranty.

Landoll’s side by side chain allows customers to pull on or push off loads like ISO containers, custom storage boxes and light equipment.

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andoll Corporation, Marysville, Kan. has introduced a chain drive power-on power-off system to their Model 330 traveling axle container trailer line. This new option will give the customer a choice between the standard 12,000 lb. worm gear winch with 1/2” steel cable or the 12,000 lb. gear box chain drive system.

Landoll’s side by side chain allows customers to pull on or push off loads like ISO containers, custom storage boxes and light equipment. Included is the container pull chain bridle, the chain connector with a 1/2” grab hook and a “dozer” push blade. Landoll’s bridle has a twist plate that locks into the corner castings while the push blade

adds more flexibility for customers to push a container rearward to make ground contact or push the container over objects like curbs and sidewalks.

Landoll 330 Container trailers are equipped with 22,000 lb. spring suspension, Grote’s LED lights and wiring harness, two speed landing gear, centralized grease system and hub piloted outboard brake drums as standard equipment. The hydraulic traveling axle trailers are available in 42’, 48’ or 50’ lengths, having 25,000 lb air brake axle with 255 70R 22.5 tires. The entire trailer frame and undercarriage components are powder coated with Landoll’s zinc rich powder primer and durable powder top color coat baked at 400 degrees.

www.landoll.com Number 203 on Reader Card

www.eccolink.com.

Number 202 on Reader Card

14 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 15

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The capacity to get the job done.

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Number 124 on Reader Card

An Oshkosh Corporation Company. The Jerr-Dan name and Jerr-Dan logo are registered trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation, ©2010 Jerr-Dan Corporation.

Jacks or Bags...I Like Bags

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hange is hard. But sometimes when you learn or are shown an alternative way of doing something it could possibly lead to a positive experience, which in turn can lead to a change in mindset.

What I’m referring to here is the way you respond to and traditionally change that “flat tire” call on the highway. The odds are that most of you use either the jack the customer has already placed under the car (which turns out to be a &%**#@* piece of garbage) or you drag a heavy floor jack off your tow truck and slide it under the car and go to work. You go back to the truck for a real lug wrench because the customer’s wrench is no *&#@*ing good. You jack up the car, change the wheel and finish it up.

Whichever way you do it, it takes time and time is the issue here.

Statistically, I would say that the more time you spend on this or any roadside operation, the greater the chances that a distracted driver will come along and contact your truck, or your customer’s car, or you, none of which will be a real positive experience. Dashboard cameras on police units have confirmed this. Frequently, you can read on Tow411.com, stories about towers being hit and injured on the roadside and worse yet, killed. I submit to you that the quicker you can get the job done, the faster you can change that tire and get off that highway, the better your chances of not being entered into a statistical publication (like the official death records at City Hall).

This is not about making money on the call. It’s about not putting yourself in harm's way! Look at it like this: it is much better to visit the “Wall of the Fallen” than it is having folks visiting you at the “Wall of the Fallen.” With all due respect, the object here is to keep your name off the wall.

Loosen up and buy a “lowlift, self contained air bag package” in a suitcase.

This kit has everything you will need to lift the car (the air bag, the hose and an air bottle) without having to run back and

18 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

By Bill Simmons

forth to your truck and getting this or that. Being self contained, you don’t need to run an air line from your truck to the airbag. While you’re at it, get one of those Heavy Duty DC Voltage impact guns and keep it bungee corded to the air bag kit. Now, once you’ve spent your hard earned money on this package and in doing so, have personally stimulated the US economy, constant maintenance is going to be a critical factor. Can you imagine how troublesome it would have been for me if I pulled up on a fire and my air pack had no air in it because I didn’t check it when I came on duty? Or, the first arriving pumper had no water in it because no one checked it? It was a mandated “change of shift” operation and the same principle applies here. If this is going to work for you (time being of the essence) then every driver needs to check this unit out for air supply and battery charge and operational quality, every change of shift and sign off on it.

If you bring this package on a rollback or flatbed, park behind the casualty vehicle and just slightly to the outside of it so the traffic is coming from behind the truck. Raise and tilt your bed and light up every warning light you own. Of course you do this from the right side control panel. If you have driven a “Wheel Lift” unit to the scene, consider getting bigger and

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brighter and more warning lights.

Remember, this is all about keeping your butt from becoming a statistic. Anything you don’t do to keep yourself safe is going to result in an “ I told ya so,” more or less, sooner or later. That drunk driver or the driver who is just barely awake or the driver who’s talking on the cell phone might be two minutes behind you up the road or two hours. Why take the chance? I’ll bet that you can say that your butt is worth a whole lot more than that airlift kit is gonna cost whatever it may be!! Or, you could just tow the car off the highway and change the tire in a parking lot.

There are distracted drivers in parking lots, but hey, they are going a heck of a lot slower.

I can see you guys now, bragging about your newfound Bill Simmons is a NASCAR Pit Crew retired Massachusetts skills. It’s all about Firefighter. He was a “time” when the cars licensed EMT for over and trucks are three 26 years, has an A.S. in feet away from you Fire Science Technology and doing 75 miles an and holds a current hour or more. You OSHA certification in can’t get out of there Hazardous Materials fast enough.

Waste Operations. Bill Think safe out can be reached at bsimthere. We want you to mons@towman.com get home tonight.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 19

An Offer A Town Can’t Refuse

by John Borowski

I

n today’s economy, cities and towns alike are having trouble facing their increasing annual budgets. Normally, there is an increase in property values and an increase in the taxing amount. But with property values dropping and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) running higher averages than normal, cities are facing serious budget deficits. City services are being cut, employees are also being cut. Planners have to find new sources of income.

Usually, these planners will look to the purchasing departments to not only get the best value for the least amount of money but to apply fees anywhere they can. In some cases they will charge a vendor for having the privilege of serving the city. This is where you need to be ahead of your planners and help them find a new source without dipping into your pockets when they look to towing.

I admit that most purchasing agents seem to understand that the towing services that they already receive for the city are grossly undercharged in most cases, yet many still don’t believe or don’t care. At first look you’ll see towers chomping at the bit to do municipal towing because it is steady work that you don’t have to advertise for, the phone just rings. With that many towers fighting for the business it makes agents wonder just how profitable it really is.

20 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

Next, you’ll see a bid come out for towing services utilized by the city for non-consensual towing. Some cities will even break it down for abandoned cars and for illegally parked cars. Then they will look for the lowest price for towing city owned vehicles. After all of this is said, the agent discovers that there are cities that get paid for the opportunity to be on rotation. Then they learn about administration fees applied to every car towed that the tower will be responsible to pay for. This can keep going and going; this is where we need to stop this thought process.

It’s only a matter of time before one of these situations will come to your town. You need to address the matter before it’s done for you. I will share with you what I did in my city and it has worked very well. First off, my state Massachusetts is regulated to the maximum amount charged for police ordered towing, otherwise known as non-consensual towing. Any fees applied by the city and administered by me would hypothetically be paid by me, out of my fee.

Here is my suggestion for you and your city. Have your police department do a motor vehicle towed report on every car towed. This triplicate form will contain all info regarding the vehicle being towed; the last known owner,

address, make, model, plate number and insurance company. There is an inventory section which provides all contents, missing items, trunk contents, existing damage, and finally lists the towing company and officer towing the vehicle including the reason for the tow.

All of this valuable information will eventually protect you the tower and the city against claims of damage and theft.

However, the really big thing for the police officer is the fact that since this is policy for the department to inventory every car that is police order towed, it gives the officer the right to search the vehicle completely and legally. This allows the right to search and seize any unlawful property concealed in the trunk and glove boxes. This in itself will really get your department excited because it allows them a right they may not have had before.

Now, off to the new profit center.

The city needs to charge an administration fee for every car towed because of the paperwork generated by this tow.

Every towed report comes in triplicate form. The top white copy goes to the tow operator at the time of the tow. The second yellow copy will eventually be signed for by the rightful vehicle owner after producing proper identification,

continue to page 22

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continued from page 20 ownership to the vehicle and proof of insurance. If the department wants or needs to hold the vehicle they simply place a hold on the yellow copy until their investigation is complete. The third manila copy becomes a permanent departmental copy proving who picked up the vehicle and when it was released.

This system helps the tower also in the fact, that if an operator is still under the influence after being arrested for DUI, the department will not release to an improper driver.

The fee charged by cities already implementing this process charge anywhere from $15 to $30 per vehicle on the average. Vehicles not picked up are processed by the tow company but do not pay for a release fee unless the vehicle is picked up by its owner or insurance company. This process in its entirety is the best thing that could happen for all parties involved. The city realizes legal search and seizure, reduces the exposure to lawsuits over prior damage, missing contents and controlling the release of the vehicle not only to the proper owner but to the legal operator. The tower has created a profit

center for the city diverting attention from his already undercharged fees while eliminating certain risks for the tow company.

All of this work, is probably already happening, however now the tower has a written receipt for the vehicle including a condition report and inventory. He also obtains the owner information for lien processing. The process is a win, win situation.

Develop a program with your chief before you find fees coming from your pocket and not the consumer, where rightfully it should be coming from!

John Borowski is a two time recipient of the American Towman Medal for heroism. Having owned and operated his own towing business for 19 years, John’ s 40 years of industry experience includes account sales for a coporate towing concern, equipment sales, training and presiding over two towing associations. He was inducted into the Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame in 2002. After a two-year hiatus from the pages of American Towman, John is back with this monthly department, writing about issues that involve the relationships towers have with fire, police, and DOT agencies.

Worldwide Signs On With Minute Man Minute Man Mfg., Inc., manufacturer of add-on, “slide in” autoload wheel lifts, is proud to announce it's newest distributor: Worldwide Equipment Sales Inc. of Rockdale, Ill. “We are excited to work with the team at Worldwide Equipment,” said a Minute Man spokesperson.

“This will allow Minute Man Mfg. customers to be better served in the Chicago/ Northern Illinois Market. Worldwide Equipment Sales has an excellent reputation for offering outstanding customer service and a world class product line and we consider it a privilege to work with them.” Check out at Equipment Worldwide www.newtowtrucks.com

You may know a tower who risked his or her life to save the life of another human being while on the job. To nominate a towing professional for the American Towman Medal, write a description of the incident and send with any corroborative material you may have, such as police reports, letters or newspaper reports.

Include the nominee's name, company, city, state and phone, and your name and phone, and mail to:

American Towman Exposition, Baltimore MD, November 19-21, 2010 22 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

Steve Calitri American Towman 7 West Street Warwick, NY, 10990 or email scalitri@towman.com

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 23

W

ithout an employee handbook to direct a company’s day-to-day tasks, companies may experience nothing less than orchestrated chaos in their operations. There is a critical importance for developing working guidelines to provide employees direction as to what’s required of them as expected by company management. Does your business currently employ specific guidelines to govern your employee’s actions?

Many say that exemplary service is related to their employees and how they provide service to their customers.

Exemplary service is the chief catalyst to influence customers to choose your company for future service. Sometimes the best business advertising comes from satisfied repeat customers. Question : What guides your employees?

Success in this industry is oftentimes determined when companies operate as a unified team while reaching for goals initially written by its founders. Those goals are generally learned by employees during initial training or employee orientation. The document they learn from is commonly called a policy and procedure

manual (PPM), company guidelines, rules & regulations, or simply, employee handbook. Makes no matter as to what it’s called, it’s your company’s premier document that defines day-to-day business administrations, operations, and employee actions. As a direct result of this document, behaviors, attitudes, and reputations are developed, demonstrated, and employed.

I recently read a business article discussing employee retention relating to automotive dealerships. The article, straightforward and well written, recognized the importance of service professionals and their competent actions by asserting, “We sell service and service is provided by people.” While the article wasn’t written about towers, I felt that statement was befitting to our industry.

Savvy tow owners agree that gaining success in their businesses doesn’t come from owning the newest fleet, sporting the fanciest paint schemes, or having the county’s best rates, they’ll tell you that success lies mostly in the actions, abilities, and personalities of their employees. So know this, the wrong employee can and will produce

catastrophic results. Obviously, the right mentality agrees that professional and motivated employees are crucial to their businesses success.

Play by the Rules If you’re not fully informed as to the purpose an employee handbook plays in regards to your business, your employee handbook may lack important narrative as to what they can and or can’t do while under your employ.

You’ll find there are numerous theories as to what describes a good employee, but let’s simplify the definition as to what an employee handbook is and what it does.

An employee handbook sets the company’s tone by lending clarification as to its goals, visions, work statements, ethics, disciplinary actions, and ultimate successes. Likened to sailing a ship from point-A to point-B, guidelines are developed and set down by company management to direct employees as they relate to their positions or tasks they’re asked to perform.

The manner in which guidelines are presented will affect all personnel perhaps in different ways based on their perceptions and understanding of the

Define your Expectations Creating your Employee Handbook 24 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

written word. All narrative must be concise and clearly identified.

Professionally written handbooks contribute greatly to a company’s longterm stability, safety, and well-being of its employees. In the best interest of a company’s success and safe work environment, owners have a responsibility to develop a handbook that specifically addresses its intentions, rules, and procedures in regards to the company’s platform and purpose. While employee handbooks should categorize and identify numerous topics, topics should be developed in the best interest of the company and employees alike.

Consider these 15-narrative specific topics that guidelines should cover: • Introduce visions and operating principles.

• Introduce missions and goal statements.

• Identify the nature of your business by introducing the company, it’s history, and players.

• Identify where services and/or products are provided.

• Identify what hours services and products are provided.

• Address safety and risk management issues.

• Explain to staff and key members how to administer day to day activities.

• Define job descriptions, tasks, and work expectations required.

• Define employee administration (pay, vacation, benefits, annuity program(s), medical, etc).

• Define exemplary performance and its rewards.

• Define disciplinary processes for unacceptable behaviors, ethics, and non-compliance.

• Ensure consistent daily operations despite low staffing or spike(s) in business activity.

• Serve as a blue print for expansion or necessary downsizing (RIFF).

• Serve as a baseline for continuous improvements, growth and long-term successes.

• Provide a foundation to develop long-term relationships.

The Right Stuff Handbook development isn’t always cookie-cutter easy because there are other factors to be covered.

While your handbook’s foundation can be based on templates found on the Internet, handbooks should include narrative specifics to the nature of

An employee handbook defines exemplary performance...

by Randall C. Resch

your business niche and tasks.

Consider the following narrative that addresses specific industry related topics:

Equal Opportunity Statements Equal opportunity statements are usually located toward the handbook’s opening pages. EO statements are huge when extending “equal fairness in the workplace to all employees” without regard for race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, handicaps or veteran’s status. This policy should affirm your company’s commitment to the principles of fair employment, illegal discrimination, and harassment against any employee regardless as to position or company status.

At Will Statement Perhaps the most challenging subtopic within a company’s handbook explains that employees are hired “At Will”. The employee clearly understands they could be dismissed at the company’s will with or without cause.

This statement allows the employee to equally terminate their employment “At Will” without reprisal from the company. If your state allows “At Will

termination”, an At Will Statement should be signed by the employee with a copy placed in their employee jacket.

Job descriptions Job descriptions should identify the employee’s duties (obviously different tasks for all positions). Descriptions should be as detailed as possible to include pay rates, hours worked, potential schedules, and or any other specific narrative that relates to the position. A thoroughly written description may circumvent employees who bear the, “it’s not my job” syndrome.

Issued Equipment If your company provides uniforms, jackets, rain gear, map books, invoice boxes, lockout tools, flashlights, etc., they may be issued at no cost to the employee, however, where the company bears all expense(s) to purchase or rent equipment/clothing for the employees, the company has the right to have it returned upon the employee leaving the company. Provide specific narrative regarding what’s to be issued, the turn-in process, and whether or not the employee will pay to replace lost or damaged equipment/clothing.

Industry Specific Training If the employee’s position requires specific training, can the company deduct training costs from the employee’s pay? Is the training elective versus required by law? If OSHA requires a forklift operator’s certificate, are you allowed to charge the employee for training? Can the employee pay for specific training on their own and have costs reimbursed?

Can the company contract with the employee by paying for initial training costs at no-cost to the employee if the employee remains for an agreed period of time? If the employee leaves prior to that time, can the company deduct training costs from the employee’s pay?

Is that type of deduction contract allowable by your state’s law?

Damages or Lost Monies When tow operators damage a vehicle, or if monies are lost by office staff or drivers, can that be deducted from the employee’s pay? Are damages 26 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

or lost monies more of a performance issue where deductions cannot be taken?

Dereliction to Duty Where there’s need to dismiss problem employees for repeated violations, can you terminate for single or multiple violations? In the Performance Category, include a statement to define dereliction of duty as it relates to poor performance and documentation of disciplinary actions. This area is best suited to employees who can’t or don’t live up to performance expectations set by the company.

Take Home Vehicles At the company’s requirement or agreement with the employee and depending on their position, will they be required to take home a tow truck or other company vehicle? Who’s responsible for the vehicle’s up-keep, fuel and/or insurance? Is the employee an “on-call driver” subject to commission or hourly pay? Can the vehicle be used for personal errands?

The “Excessive Idle Policy” Trucks left to idle excessively leads to potential theft, wasted fuel, and noise complaints. Specify how long a truck can idle when parked and/or left unoccupied by the operator.

Accessibility to Management Employees have a right to access management whenever there are issues involving work, family, or their personal lives, especially if it affects their abilities, ethics, and productivity. It’s been said that happy employees are productive employees. Narrative should explain how to access management via the company’s “Open Door Policy.” Here’s a process where owners can get involved to offer options, solutions, or even help on different levels at their option.

Right to Change Statement As businesses grow and change, include a “Right to Change Statement” where narrative states the company has the sole right to make changes to its operations, work practices, guidelines, workforce, fleet, etc., without the

employee’s permission. Narrative should explain how notification to the workforce will be disseminated.

Customer Service Statement Reiterate your company’s commitment to quality and unparalleled customer service. Use this statement to invite and encourage employees to go beyond the norm while making mention of award and or recognition.

Suggestions & Comments Invite employees to make suggestions, comments, and “positive gripes” without fear of reprisal. Provide employees a suggestion box where they can leave their thoughts and ideas.

Narrative here should explain what will happen to their inquiries and what follow-up steps shall be taken.

Bark & Bite Employee handbooks are oftentimes confusing based on the narrative within, so it’s better received by employees if it’s easy to use, written in language that’s easily understood, and doesn’t appear threatening or intimidating. You’ll find that employees respond better to directives that aren’t over-bearing while allowing them to feel they’ll have a chance to survive dismissal if they slip-up during probation or employment.

While it’s easy to write policy to highlights the nuts and bolts of one’s organization, over-bearing presentation causes employees to form predisposed negative attitudes towards the company’s management. Guidelines should clearly state what actions or performances are expected with an air of firmness to reiterate that employees who commit serious or repeated violations shall be held accountable for non-compliance. Narrative in this manner is reasonable and expected by employees, otherwise an unsafe, free-for-all environment could ensue.

Building non-threatening narrative is accomplished by including descriptive words and phrases like, “welcome aboard, team effort, positive individual performance, periodic performance evaluations, promotability, and long-term employment.” Positive phrases are less aggressive than reminding employees that if they screw up, they’re gone! Remember, guide-

lines are meant to direct while discipline is meant to counsel and mold an employee’s behavior and actions. Over bearing threats of, “you’ll be fired if you mess up”, produces negative behaviors.

No One Told Me! It’s the employee’s responsibility to understand the contents of an employee handbook. Just because you’ve given your employee their handbook and have asked them to read it, chances are few individuals will do so thoroughly. Set aside time for employees to read the handbook during their initial orientation period.

Encourage them to take it home and review it during the first two weeks of employment.

At the end of week two, schedule with your employee an informal meeting to answer questions or clarify questionable wording. Ask if they understand the contents of the handbook and solicit a “yes” or “no” response. It’s recommended you produce an Employee Acknowledgement Statement to the employee when the employee replies they understand and have no questions. At that moment, both of you sign and date the acknowledgment form. Provide the employee a copy and place the signed original in their personnel file.

Employees should be made aware

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as to the importance of the company’s rules, regulations, goals, practices, benefits, and overall expectations as it pertains to their positions and the manner they serve your company. A signed acknowledgement statement bears importance with sole purpose of avoiding the proverbial, “But, no one told me", dialogue that’s common if the employee is subsequently dismissed.

For your company’s protection, obtaining a signed acknowledgement statement is the employee’s affirmation that they received the handbook, read it in it’s entirety, and fully understand the contents within. It’s your affirmation of the same. Doing so may eliminate those pesky termination hearings where former employee’s state they didn’t know why they were dismissed and specific narrative wasn’t in the handbook.

well-written employee handbook (along with the employee’s signature of receipt), it’ll be your best evidence in justifying the employee’s dismissal.

Professionally written handbooks are a company’s commitment to better business and better employee relations.

It’s recommended that an attorney specializing in labor laws review your company’s handbook to ensure its contents are in accordance to your state’s employment laws. If employee retention problems or disruptions in the workplace issues disrupt your company’s operations, look at your employee manual to see if a little overhaul isn’t due.

Final Note: Regardless as to what shape your employee handbook takes, all words are a waste if they don’t comply with your state and federal employment laws. For matters involving termination and or withheld pay, your company’s handbook is the document that sets the tone at the EDD hearing.

While most administrative judges are sympathetic as to why the employees were dismissed or quit, by physically producing your legally correct and

Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been involved in the towing and recovery industry for 40 years as a tow business owner, consultant, and manager. He is a freelance writer/photographer and is American Towman’s Operation’s Editor. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.

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Advantages That Clubs Offer Call providers Speak Directly To Prospective Service Partners

by Steve Calitri

I

n my long career in covering the towing industry, the motor club issue has been the most controversial and paradoxical of all the tow business sectors. Alongside the fact that motor club rates fall on the low end of the spectrum among all the tow business sectors, I have been struck with the following truths: 1) Established and successful tow companies have had long working relationships with one or two motor clubs, sometimes more 2) The repair shop–tower facility can particularly benefit from club work 3) There is a strong rationalization among towers toward benefits beyond the pay.

Based on my talks with tow bosses and surveys published by this magazine, towers have expressed diverse reasons for doing club work. These are the most common: 1) Call volume “keeps the fleet busy” 2) Taking a club’s calls keeps that club’s business from competitors 3) Club calls keep the trucks on the road to act as rolling billboards (advertising) 4) The value of being associated with a major motor club.

Who is to say how sound or unsound the above reasons are.

Every businessman has to chart his own strategy for success and survival. And how can one measure the value of being associated with a major motor club? Hard to qualify, but this reason for doing club work is the one that seems the most sound. Being associated with a brand name club helps a tower attract business, both retail and commercial.

There are other reasons to seek to partner with a motor club.

j225 AAA What perks/benefits does your club offer service providers who partner with you?

Many AAA clubs provide affiliated service providers with access to exclusive discounts and other value-added program benefits from leading industry suppliers, which may include, but are not limited to: AW Direct, Cintas, Ford Motor Company, Fuelman, Knapheide, Miller Industries, NAPA, Service Station Computer Systems, Sprint, Sovereign Bank/Santander, Verizon and Valvoline. AAA clubs also may choose to provide additional varying benefits. See AAA.biz/Auto.

What specific advantages does your club offer towers?

Typically, AAA clubs offer the following: •Ability to earn substantial revenue from a high volume of calls (over 29 million total calls in the United States and Canada annually), resulting in prompt, dependable payments and cash flow.

• Enhanced credibility through affiliation with the leading provider of roadside assistance in North America and one of America's most trusted and respected consumer organizations.

• Ability to earn additional revenue via a robust automotive repair network for those towers who participate in AAA's Approved Auto Repair program.

• AAA Battery Service provides an opportunity to generate new revenue streams and diversify business for affiliated AAA service providers who participate.

• Local field presence and representation.

• Motoring advocate at the local, state and federal level.

• Other advantages vary by individual AAA club.

Several of them offer various perks, from group buying leverage to internet dispatch advantages. Fred Scheler, president and chief executive officer of Henry’s Wrecker Service, the nation’s largest independent towing company, recently told AT his reasons for working with Cross Country, particularly touting CCAS’s Instant Dispatch service: “I have been able to show huge savings on my dispatch center. My call takers and dispatchers have become much more efficient which in turn made my drivers more productive. I'm able to run more calls and have fewer expenses...”

Lugo's Towing in Salinas, Calif. has been a loyal AAA tower for over thirty years. Among its many programs for service providers, AAA offers a battery program where the tower can replace a customer's battery on the road, earning revenue on battery sales and service. According to Kerry Lugo, his company now has three battery trucks in service and the program has been a profitable one.

This leads us to the purpose of this presentation; what the clubs and national dispatchers are offering towers in the way of perks and programs. Rather than edit the clubs’ responses to AT’s questionnaire, or watering down these responses to fit into a grid, AT presents the information straight up for your reading and judgement.

Note: All the motor clubs were given an opportunity to respond to the same questionaire. Most participated. Listed under the club name are the questions that each respective club chose to respond to.

Do you offer rate incentives on performance?

Although compensation plans vary, many AAA clubs provide service providers the opportunity to earn additional incentives based on various criteria. Some criteria examples may include, but are not limited to, customer satisfaction, training, efficiency, productivity, damage claims, etc. Actual details vary by AAA club.

What accounts does your club serve?

AAA responds to over 29 million member calls annually from a total membership of more than 51 million. Both total membership and call volume have remained stable despite the ongoing recession. AAA also provides roadside assistance on behalf of numerous commercial customers.

Do your service providers have to meet any specific requirements or standards?

Actual requirements vary by AAA club.

Can you provide geographic breakdown of annual dispatched calls?

AAA's service network and membership are nationwide in both the U.S. and Canada. AAA captures the latitude/ longitude for most calls serviced, but the geographical distribution of membership and call volume is proprietary.

History of AAA Since its founding in 1902, AAA (American Automobile Association), has been a leading advocate for the motorist and traveler. The trusted AAA brand is synonymous with safety, security and peace of mind. Known primarily for providing emergency road service, maps and travel publications, AAA also operates the AAA-Approved Auto Repair network and the nation's largest full-service leisure travel agency. AAA provides members with financial services and access to speTOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 31

cially-negotiated discounts and special benefits on a wide range of products and services, including restaurants, hotels and themed-attractions around the world. Many AAA clubs also offer insurance products to members. The association remains a leading voice for traffic safety and improved roadways at the local, state and federal levels, and operates the AAA School Safety Patrol program with more than 500,000 participating student volunteers.

Background AAA is a network of independently owned and operated motor clubs providing roadside assistance and other membership services. The combined road service network of all AAA clubs includes nearly 9,000 independent contractors. The association has more than 51 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA's National Office responded to the magazine's questions on behalf of the affiliated clubs. Each AAA club is the sole decision-maker regarding the cost of membership, the receiving and dispatching of calls for roadside assistance, as well as all contractual and business decisions with road service providers, including qualifications and rates.

Coach-Net What perks/benefits does your club offer service providers who partner with you?

Coach-Net utilizes a rating system that is based on many criteria. A top rated provider will receive the majority of the calls.

What specific advantages does your club offer towers?

Coach-Net offers a highly trained staff that will provide all the necessary details pertaining to a service request. We offer easy online invoicing with expedited pay. Access to Regional Reps is a top priority. If a service provider would like to speak to their Vendor Rep, they can rest assured that they will either reach them immediately, or will receive a call back within one business day.

Do you offer rate incentives on performance?

Performance is utilized to drive the calls to specific service providers. A top performing service provider will receive the volume first.

What accounts does your club serve?

Coach-Net’s accounts are made up of automotive and RV OEM’s, RV Clubs, insurance companies, as well as a large retail customer base. We service everything from motorcycles to the largest heavy-duty vehicles.

Do your service providers have to meet any specific requirements or standards?

Service providers are evaluated on multiple levels of criteria which are tied into the rating system. Some of the criteria are: performance level, insurance coverage, background and drug testing of employees and employee training just to name a few.

History of Coach-Net: Formed in 1987, Coach-Net is a leading provider of branded 24/7 emergency roadside assistance, membership fulfillment and other travel related services for various RV, commercial vehicle and automotive segments. As the service provider of choice for major RV chassis manufacturers, Coach-Net has a superior reputation for supporting specialty products and components to both the manufacturer and the end customer.

32 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

Coach-Net offers years of expertise in developing and implementing first-class solutions, partnering with such companies as Winnebago Industries, Ford Motor Company, Hagerty Classic Car Insurance, and Jayco to name a few.

Cross Country Automotive Services What perks/benefits does your club offer service providers who partner with you?

Cross Country has a number of benefits for providers, including access to our award winning billing and management portal www.argosi.net, our free electronic dispatch software “Instant Dispatch”, and Direct Deposit through PayMode at no additional charge.

Cross Country also offers our network of service providers free membership to our industry leading Cross Country Perks program. The Perks program offers discounts on over 60 products and services to assist providers with managing their business costs. Cross Country Perks features discounts on business essentials, such as, fuel, trucks, tires, cell phones, fleet tracking systems and much more.

What specific advantages does your club offer towers?

Cross Country offers the largest amount of private label dispatch volume, with nearly 5,000,000 dispatches last year alone.

Through Cross Country’s award winning online portal Argosi.net, providers have access to a number of online management tools with real time information on call acceptance, ETA accuracy and customer satisfaction scores for every call received from Cross Country. In addition, providers can log onto www.crosscountrysupport.com, and submit account or billing questions, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

We also offer free downloads of our proprietary electronic dispatch software, “Instant Dispatch.”

Instant Dispatch allows providers to receive dispatches online, eliminating note-taking errors or verbal miscommunications. It also works with other dispatch software including Beacon’s TowMagic, Tracker, Ranger SST, and TowXchange.

Do you offer rate incentives on performance?

Yes. Cross Country has a Pay for Performance program that rewards providers for high quality performance such as excellent CSI scores, low ETAs, high accuracy in meeting ETAs and high call acceptance.

We also offer Performance Advantage status to service providers that participate in the Network with the best service metrics. Performance Advantage providers are the first providers called in their designated areas, receiving the highest call volume.

What accounts does your club serve?

Cross Country provides 90% market share of the OEM roadside business. We also represent more than half of the largest automobile insurance carriers. CCAS offers Accident Scene and Secondary calls in addition to Emergency Roadside calls for our insurance clients.

Annual call volume dispatched to towing companies and call profile: In 2009, Cross Country offered nearly 5,000,000 dispatches, including emergency road service, accident scene

management, and secondary towing. Over sixty percent of these were for towing services, and the remaining amount were largely road service events.

Do your service providers have to meet any specific requirements or standards?

Cross Country has instituted a rigorous recruiting process to qualify appropriate service providers. The online application process is free and easy to use, apply today at www.joincrosscountry.com.

To ensure that our service providers are the best in the business, there are several qualifications we look for in every application. These include: • 24 hour coverage availability • Photos of facility and fleet equipment • Drug testing • Driver background checks • Insurance coverage • Completed W-9 form • Negotiated rate agreement • Completed desired territory (zip codes) request • Listing of other business partners/clubs relationships (used to determine volume allocation) To ensure that providers are properly trained, Argosi.net provides access to TowSpec, the industry leading database housing up-to-date OEM specifications.

Can you provide geographic breakdown of annual dispatched calls?

In 2009, Cross Country offered nearly 5,000,000 dispatches in all 50 states.

History of CCAS

For nearly 40 years, CCAS has made roadside assistance our business, commitment and passion. Throughout our legacy, we have delivered leading edge, best-in-class emergency roadside services along with other value-added vehicle services and benefits.

Today, we represent 90% market share of the OEM roadside business, and half of the largest insurance companies, as well as major fleet/rental car companies, and numerous other leading affinity groups. In total, CCAS provides services for more than 100 corporate clients and in excess of 76 million of our clients’ customers.

GEICO What perks/benefits does your club offer service providers who partner with you?

The providers that are able to meet our requirement on our ERS program such as acceptance, ETA and Outstanding Customer Serve have the opportunity to gain additional business opportunities serving our insurance needs in our Accident Network and the Secondary Network. This allows many of our partners to expand their companies.

Do you offer rate incentives on performance?

GEICO feels that we want to pay fair rates from the beginning to be fair to our providers on every call and also to our policy holders who depend on us to offer the best service while we also protect the policy holders premium.

The incentive is also there for the provider. When they

take our calls and offer excellent customer service they are going to increase the number of calls they can be offered in their area.

What accounts does your club serve?

We offer Light Road Service, ERS Towing, Cycle Tow, Accident Tow, Secondary Tow, Medium and Heavy Roadservice and Medium and Heavy Accident Tow.

Do your service providers have to meet any specific requirements or standards?

GEICO expects our providers to serve any possible need for our customer, depending on the contracted network. That would include professional drivers and technicians, professional & clean equipment, meeting our insurance requirements along with state insurance, licensing and training within their local regulations. We also complete background checks on companies before contracting with a company and randomly update that information to continue the relationship.

History of GEICO GEICO started forming our networks to serve the ERS offered to our policyholders and doing our own dispatching in 1997. Our customer base is 100% GEICO policy holders who have selected ERS on their policy as a coverage and of course for any claims activities that need a service from a tow company.

National Automobile Club What perks/benefits does your club offer service providers who partner with you?

Due to the Independent Contractor Relationship with its service providers, National Automobile Club has not offered perks or benefits to its service providers.

What specific advantages does your club offer towers?

New business calls; prompt and accurate payment; experienced dispatchers; online billing.

Do you offer rate incentives on performance?

Not currently.

What accounts does your club service?

Approximately 40% of our accounts are in the insurance industry; 40% are either public or private fleets and 20% is membership.

Annual call volume dispatched to towing companies: Passenger Light Utility: 72% Tire Change: 13% Jump Start: 0% Fuel Delivery: 4% Roadside: 5% Lockout: 12% Tow: 44% Winch: 2% Medium-duty: 15% Tire Change: 11% Jump Start: 8% Fuel Delivery: 1% Roadside: 14% Lockout: 2% Tow: 61% Winch: 3% TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 33

one sol ution

Heavy-duty: 13% (26,000 GVW & up) Tire Change (Replace) 20% Jump Start 1% Fuel Delivery 1% Roadside (Incl Repairs) 18% Lockout 1% Tow 59% Winch 1%

Do your service providers have to meet any specific requirements or standards?

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34 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

To qualify as a contracted Service Unit for NAC, service providers must agree to furnish the types of services provided by NAC upon request 24/7; maintain and operate sufficient equipment and qualified personnel to provide those services in a safe, prompt, effective and timely manner; comply with all applicable laws, orders, ordinances and regulations of Federal, State, County and Municipal authorities when rendering road service; obtain and maintain in effect NAC’s insurance coverage requirements.

Can you provide geographic breakdown of annual dispatched calls?

East Central West Canada Puerto Rico

16% 20% 63% 1% 1%

History of National Automobile Club : 86 years of service. The National Automobile Club (NAC) was born of necessity on February 28, 1924, to assist motorists who were taking to the road in ever increasing numbers. Back then, hard surfaced roads were a novelty, vehicle disablements prevalent, flat tires were commonplace and gas was purchased at the general store. The first headquarters was established in San Francisco, Calif.

NAC expanded its offering of Emergency Road Service to commercial fleets both public and private in the early 1980’s and in the 1990’s to insurance companies, primarily in the five Western United States. As a result of the success of our fleet and insurance company programs, we more recently have expanded them to include the entire United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

We are proud to have assisted over 15 million motorists during our 86 years in business and we remain staffed around the clock to assist our clients and service providers.

Nation Safe Drivers What perks/benefits does your club offer service providers who partner with you?

Nation Safe Drivers (NSD) prides itself on our commitments to our service providers. NSD has leveraged it’s insurance relationships to provide service providers with competitive pricing on liability insurance. As an organization NSD has promoted Fuel Miser™ since this product has industry testimonials, has been tested and proven to reduce fuel consumption, increase mpg and reduce monthly fuel costs. NSD is also providing MEDefile™ an online emergency look up for medications and allergies in the event a provider is injured on the job. We have worked with Condor™ to promote equipment investments to add additional servicing opportunity at a reasonable cost. NSD has worked with CellCharge™ to offer extremely competitive rates on credit card processing, saving service providers thousands of dollars in processing fees, and allow service providers without the capability of taking credit cards to add it to their businesses and increase opportunities with NSD. NSD continues to look for quality products and services that will help our service providers run more efficient and safe operations.

What specific advantages does your club offer towers?

NSD has built a proprietary dispatch software system that incorporates the latest technology to ensure we deliver the best location information, good description of the service event so the provider is prepared for what they will be dealing with and has the proper equipment. NSD does not require our service providers to submit invoices for payment of the services we have requested from them.

We pay immediately what we know about the event from a type of service and contracted cost perspective. We appreciate that sometimes there will be extra time or equipment used that the system does not address. We have a very accessible network management and support team that will be able to accommodate any requests and make any needed payment adjust-

ments. This translates to lower overhead needed to process and track payments from NSD. • Fast Payment • Accurate Disablement Locations • Accessible Field Staff • Quick Resolution to Provider Concerns Additionally, NSD utilizes a real-algorithm and customized programming to adequately identify the needs of the customer and the capabilities of the provider to affect the best result for our clients and customers. For example NSD reviews the past performance from a costing, e.t.a. adherence, customer satisfaction, and GOA perspective of a couple of providers in the area of the disablement location to find the best performing provider for our customers real-time. This means providers dedicated to performance always get the calls.

Our customized programming allows us to cater territories to the exact specifications of the provider utilizing latitude and longitudes, reverse geo-coding, and global positioning. We can also program providers by day and time of day to optimize using them to fill only specific hours of the day. In the past some motor clubs were limited to using only 24-hour facilities but today NSD can customize their availability times to maximize using provider resources when they are available. This allows us to fill gaps in service areas better. NSD also lets the service providers tell us how far they are willing to travel from their base and prevents us from calling them for service in areas that they have communicated they do not want to work in.

Overall NSD feels we are on track in delivering on our industry commitments to be a loyal partner. To be easy to work with and accessible. To be a compliment to the industry and not a detriment, seeking to support industry safety and education.

Do you offer rate incentives on performance?

NSD looks to be fair with all of our service providers and let competition and free enterprise dictate our market. NSD’s provider algorithm supports a balance between cost and service. This allows service providers to set their own pricing to ensure they can adequately cover their costs and those that consistently deliver on managing cost and performance win more opportunity with NSD.

What accounts does your club serve?

NSD services all industries.

• RV Industry • Insurance • Automotive • Service Contract and Warranty • Associations and Organizations • Product Warranty • Telephony and Telematics Industry • GPS

Annual call volume dispatched to towing companies and call profile: Currently, NSD is supporting more than 1.2 million service requests each year. This has been growing exponentially each year.

•Towing: 63% • Flat Bed: 30%

• Light Duty: • Motorcycle, RV: • Jumpstarts: • Fuel: • Tire Changes: • Lockouts: • Winch:

23% 10% 9.5% 2% 9.5% 15% 1%

Do your service providers have to meet any specific requirements or standards?

NSD seeks to primarily contract with service providers that keep updated, presentable equipment, support training for their drivers, conduct drug testing and background checks, belong to their local BBB, support industry associations and more.

We do require an agreed upon service standard to help monitor, maintain and improve performance on key service indices.

Can you provide geographic breakdown of annual dispatched calls?

NSD services roadside programs throughout the 50 United State, Canada, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Mexico.

History of NSD: NSD was founded in 1962 by Michael and Larry Smith.

What started as a small family business has grown into an industry leader in dispatch roadside assistance, products and services for all industry.

Today NSD employs over 300 employees and hundreds more agents and brokers, providing products and services to over 19 million households nationwide.

Quest What perks/benefits does your club offer service providers who partner with you?

• Discounted rates on a company uniform rental program • Fuel Surcharge • Co-ops for uniforms, tires, etc.

• Digital dispatching • Additional revenues through multiple client dispatching • Online invoicing resulting in organized accounting and faster payments • Direct deposits of payments

What specific advantages does your club offer towers?

• User friendly online billing advantages • Fuel surcharge added when national diesel prices rise • Extremely fast pay (within 48 hours if using EFT) • Friendly and knowledgeable customer service reps • Regional and state managers that actually respond to all calls and concerns

Do you offer rate incentives on performance?

• Performance guidelines are outlined in the contractual agreement the service provider enters into with Quest and all services are expected to be performed with a high level of professionalism at the rates agreed to between both parties.

• Quest offers awards and monetary benefits to multiple towers for maintaining these standards.

• Quest was first to offer the automatic fuel surcharge to all contracted service providers.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 35

What accounts does your club serve?

• National and regional insurance companies • Warranty service companies • Some motor clubs

Annual Call Volume Dispatched To Towing Companies And Call Profile: • Jump Start on site 10.1% • Flat Tire 9.6% • Lockout 9.8% • Tow 63.9% • Other 6.6%

Can you provide geographic breakdown of annual dispatched calls?

• Quest Towing Service has dispatched over one million service orders nationwide in 2009.

History of Quest:

Since 1994, Quest has been an experienced claims solutions leader, uniquely capable of delivering customized software and outsource service that enhance customer satisfaction while lowering cost for: • Auto Glass Management •Roadside, Accident and Secondary Towing Programs • FNOL and CAT Services The secret to our success: we attribute our growth to the worldclass service we provide our clients.

We realize that superior customer service is what distinguishes our clients from their competitors and Quest from our competitors. We value our employ-

ees, respect our service providers and have dedicated our resources to our clients and their customers.

USAC/MD What perks/benefits does your club offer service providers who partner with you?

USAC/MD’s network of service providers receive a 30% discount off the price of membership in TowPartners.

This applies to new and renewed memberships and applies to all levels of membership. Through TowPartners, members can take advantage of over 30 different discount programs, from cell phones, computers, office supplies and uniforms to truck tires and movie tickets.

USAC/MD offers a 10% discount on the purchase of motorcycle loading equipment from Condor.

What specific advantages does your club offer towers?

USAC/MD has been a pioneer in the development and deployment of digital dispatch which streamlines the dispatch process for both the service provider and the club. USAC/MD works directly with Beacon, TowXchange, Tracker and Ranger to make this solution available to small and large companies alike.

USAC/MD also prides itself in paying service partners quickly and last year initiated daily direct deposit

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payments. Companies that invoice on-line and use direct deposit can receive their funds within 48 hours.

Our regional managers all have years of experience and a wealth of knowledge about the industry and strive to build relationships with our service partners by being accessible, helping solve problems and being willing to hear both sides of a complaint when a call doesn’t go as planned.

Do you offer rate incentives on performance?

Rather than offer low base rates with performance incentives, USAC/MD believes the best incentive to quality performance is choosing the right companies, starting with fair and equitable rates and developing a relationship whereby the service provider and club work as a team to provide the best service possible for the customer.

What accounts does your club serve?

A few clients who represent the various markets we’re in are Exxon, Chevron and VISA on the retail side, Gainsco and Michigan Millers on the insurance side and the U.S. Post Office on the transport side.

History of USAC/MD: USAC/MD, the “MD” stands for Motoring Division, has been around since 1971 and was owned by the financial services company Associates of North America.

It was later owned by Citigroup and is now independently owned.

USAC/MD started out selling auto club membership in associates loan offices and grew to become one of the largest third party auto club service companies in the country.

In 2007, USAC/MD expanded into Canada through the acquisition of Dominion Automobile Association, DAA. DAA has been providing auto club services to individuals and third parties for over 60 years. As we move into the second decade of the 21st century, USAC/MD and DAA are poised to expand further into insurance programs, transport services and heavy duty roadside assistance.

ADVERTISEMENT

Due to a production error we are re-running this story from Run Hard magazine.

Billings Towing and Repair in

Big Sky Country

Don Blyton Sr. started D.J.’s Towing, a towing and repair shop in Laurel, Maryland in 1984. Within six years he grew the business to include five light-duty trucks, one medium-duty and one heavy-duty truck. Several years later when he began thinking about moving back to his home state of Montana, he found a Montana company for sale that was also named D.J.’s Towing.

In 1998, Blyton purchased the assets of D.J.’s Towing, which had been renamed Billings Towing and Repair. After operating both companies for two years, he sold the Maryland company and moved some equipment to Montana.

Today Billings Towing and Repair operates two flat-bed carriers; a light-duty wrecker; two medium-duty wreckers; three heavy-duty wreckers; a tractor/re-power unit; a heavy haul towing unit; and a step-deck trailer. The company also has support equipment, including a bobcat, loader and air bags.

“Our first flat-bed truck was a 19-foot Jerr-Dan aluminum on an ’88 Ford Super

Duty Chassis. It served us well,” said Blyton.

“Our newest unit is a 2005 International 4300 with a Jerr-Dan steel carrier with a 21-foot deck. It also serves us very well.”

Blyton has long been sold on the value of Jerr-Dan equipment, and as he thinks about upgrading his heavy equipment, Jerr-Dan is high on his wish list. However, he has decided to wait for business activity to stabilize before upgrading his fleet.

Although Blyton has gone back to his Montana roots, he also returns to Maryland periodically to attend the American Towman Exposition – the Tow Show – in Baltimore. In addition, he has attended two Captains of the Industry dinners held in conjunction with the Tow Show.

The Captains of the Industry dinner is a conclave that brings together the industry’s top business leaders, largest tow fleet owners, tow truck manufacturers and association leaders. The group’s open forum facilitates discussions on the latest industry trends and issues, including sharing information, techniques and best practices.

© 2010 Jerr-Dan Corporation, An Oshkosh Corporation Company. All rights reserved.

“The sharing of information on unique and once-used methods of towing or recovery through the Captains of the Industry dinner has been the biggest benefit,” added Blyton. “Also, it’s great to meet different people and observe how they improve the industry’s image by raising awareness of how dangerous or complicated a recovery/tow can be.”

Blyton also believes that to survive in a down economy, towers need to eliminate or minimize unnecessary expenses while maintaining an aggressive business sense. And customers must be the service provider’s main concern.

“Without customer service in today’s market, you won’t be in business long,” cautioned Blyton. “A lot of tow rates are being cut to try to maintain business, but I don’t agree. We try to achieve a most reasonable rate, yet still maintain a profit on every tow. We’ve also aggressively sought new avenues of towing, including motor clubs.”

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Ingenuity In

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

A relocation job in Minnesota calls for thinking outside the box.

T

he interesting aspect of being a tower is that you just never know what you’re going to be called to do. Each day brings different challenges and requires unique solutions. Such was the situation when Budget Towing of St. Paul, Minn., was called to transport a classic 1955 Ford, that was built at the Ford Plant in Minnesota. It seemed simple enough, but there was a twist.

The classic Ford was going to the Minnesota Historical Society to be put inside on display. The only problem was getting the vehicle into the building. There wasn’t a loading dock or drive through access. There was no other way to get this vehicle inside the building except by going up a flight of steps and through an overhead door.

This required some thought. So after doing their walk-around of the only entrance available, the Budget crew came up with an ingenious plan. The 55 Ford was already loaded on their 2006 Nissan/UD with a Century 20’ aluminum bed and transported to the Minnesota Historical Society. So they called for one of their bigger carriers – a 1996 Ford L9000 tandem with a Century 28’ steel bed. The plan was to piggyback the UD, loaded with the 55 Ford onto the Ford L9000. This would give them the height they would need to reach above the stairs to the landing.

space to be able to let the Century aluminum bed on the UD tilt and roll back enough to reach the landing for a smooth roll off of the classic 55 Ford.

Wood was used as chocks under the bed so as not to damage the concrete landing. The Ford came off as smooth as ice and was put on display in its new home. Mission accomplished.

There are no problems, only creative solutions!

Once the vehicles were piggybacked crew members acted as spotters on either side of the truck to guide the Ford L9000 back as close as they could to the stairs using blue railing markers, like landing strip lights, as a guide. The key was to allow enough

At the Minnesota Historical Society there was no loading dock to receive this vintage 1955 Ford.

Equipment used: 2006 Nissan/UD with a Century 20’ aluminum bed 1996 Ford L9000 with a Century 28’ steel bed

Operators on scene: Roy Carlson Sr. Jerry Tam Jack Henderson

Budget Towing, Inc. of St. Paul, Minnesota, is owned by Beverly C. Carlson, the president of the corporation. Roy Carlson, Sr., manages the daily operations.

The company has 15 drivers, three part-time and 12 fulltime. All of the drivers are uniformed and neatly groomed and have at least four years experience in towing and have been properly tested for chemical use and appropriate medical condition. When Budget Towing hires a new driver, the applicant is subject to an interview and a driving record and reference check. New drivers are shown books and tapes on safety and receive road instruction from experienced drivers.

Budget Towing operates 32 units, which includes 25 flatbeds of all sizes. They have a vehicle inspection program in place and its vehicles receive regular maintenance. Some of its vehicles are also subject to governmental inspections. Sixty percent of Budget's vehicles are diesel and 40 percent are gas operated. Budget Towing, Inc. offers tandem wreckers and underlifts, lock out service, light and heavy-duty towing, with commercial accounts being their specialty. Budget has stood out as providing towing of vehicles from private property, including apartment complexes. Over the years Roy has also been a frequent contributor to AT as the guru of good health with his column Roy’sRemedies.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 39

20

Miller Celebrates W

The first decade had the positive effect of the leading manufacturer finding ways to control costs...the second decade brought innovation...

40 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

hen Miller Industries came onto the towing scene in 1990, there were ten wrecker manufacturers in the market. Suddenly Miller, a name unknown to towers, swooped in and acquired Century, Challenger and Holmes, three of the biggest names in the business. Months later it took over Eagle Claw, the self loader being manufactured in California. Overnight, four respected but financially struggling brands were being manufactured under one roof and the industry clearly had a leader well ahead of the pack of tow body manufacturers.

The first years of this consolidation saw a tightening of the belt, and sorting out the right logistics for making and marketing five brands (Miller had created a new carrier brand, Champion, to offer a lower priced carrier in the mix), and ironing out a distributor network that came with loyalties spread over four brands.

A few years later, the owner, Bill Miller, successfully took his company public to trade on the New York Stock Exchange, and in 1996, Miller Industries acquired two European manufacturers, Boniface in England and Jige in

France, and then Vulcan, followed by Chevron, in 1997 in the U.S. The company at that point seemed unstoppable.

The first decade of Miller Industries had the positive effect of the leading manufacturer finding ways to control costs in the manufacturing process, which helped to control the costs of the end product offered to towers. The second decade has seen the world’s largest tow equipment manufacturer in top gear, fostering the success of several innovations that have altered the way towers perform towing and recovery.

One example of this is the self loading wheel-lift. Miller did not invent it, but it acquired the Eagle Claw and then acquired the right to manufacture the hydraulic self loader under the same patent held by the original Dynamic Manufacturing Company. According to Miller Industries Vice President of Marketing, Randy Olson, “today, more self loading wreckers are sold to end users than conventional wreckers.” Certainly much of that trend has to do with the engineering, marketing and distribution clout of Miller Industries.

Miller refined the early European

versions of the integrated towing and recovery unit where the wheel-lift or under-lift was designed as one with the recovery boom, first introduced with the Century 5030. Miller also brought the industry a high tensile steel with high yield where the components are fabricated instead of using formed tube, resulting in much lighter weight heavy-duty wreckers.

25 years ago bigger and heavier was seen as better. Miller has helped change that perception and the economics of heavy equipment.

Another key small wrecker improvement has been with Miller’s modular body design where the sides of either aluminum, steel or composite material slide onto the center piece.

This has controlled the cost of customized wrecker building.

In carrier design, Miller has recently given the industry its LCG unit, or low center of gravity carrier, where the deck and sub-frame dropped six inches. The LCG helps with the loading of most cars on the market today with their fiberglass bumpers and low to the ground

The Century LCG carrier is six inches lower than traditional design accomodating easy entry onto the bed, not only for exotic cars, but the prevailing designs of low frames and fiberglass components. This one carries the SP 8000 Side Puller behind the cab.

Vulcan’s V70 (above) features an all fabricated boom and under-lift integrated with an aluminum modular body. The Intruder (below) features a fabricated boom integrated with a composite body and the hydraulic self loading wheel-lift.

frames. “The LCG,” Olson points out, “also makes it easier for the operator to secure and unsecure the load on the deck.”

Another major change over the past two decades has been the rotator, first introduced by Challenger and further developed by Miller for its Century and Holmes lines. Miller now makes both heavy and medium-duty rotators. “Their versatility,” says Olson, “have caught on. And DOTs have prompted their usage where TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 41

Jeff Bagdley, above left, wasn’t always president and co-CEO of Miller Industries.

He started thirty years ago selling wreckers for the old Challenger company. Here he’s talking wreckers at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore.

quick clearance of the highways has been mandated.”

Miller’s Jige division in France brought the U.S. the Century Right Approach carrier and the technology of the hinge-tail that facilitates entry of the vehicle onto the bed. And Boniface in England touted Miller in the U.S. to the sense of the heavy-duty side puller technology; Miller ended up acquiring a similar product being produced by In The Ditch products. The SP 8000 in the U.S. has made both light-duty wreckers and carriers more versatile and tow fleets more efficient.

A significant change in the manufacturing process at Miller Industries

came in 2006 with the introduction of robotic welders. While skilled workers are still at play in the building of the equipment, the monotonous task of welding has been taken over by computer-driven, articulating machines that produce more consistent welding and improved economics in the process.

Another improvement has been with shot blasts of all light and heavy duty parts, leaving a cleaner prep and better adhesion for the primer.

In the 20 years Miller has been on the scene, other equipment manufacturers have faced a hardball competitor and taking market share away from this Goliath has been a tough proposition. Miller ’s piece of the wrecker and carrier pie has been estimated by some to be 50% and others as much as 60%.

Miller enjoys much less than that in the respective countries it competes in overseas, though collectively the overseas market accounts for 24 % of Miller sales. Miller sells product to Europe, the Orient, South America, Africa as well as throughout North America.

When asked about the economic pressure to building product in another country to bring down labor costs, Jeff Badgley, president and coCEO of Miller Industries, says he can foresee expanding manufacturing capabilities overseas to meet overseas

Miller has been a great supporter of tow shows, towing and recovery training, safety initiatives, towing organizations, and of course, the Towing Hall of Fame and Museum. demand at some point, but he doesn’t see a change in manufacturing at home in the U.S. “I suppose it might be different if we were building widgets, but this is big equipment that has to be fabricated and assembled and then transported. With what the economics of that entails, I think we’ll be building equipment for the home market in the U.S. for a long time to come.”

Badgley first started selling wreckers for the old Challenger company in it’s Indiana plant in 1982. Has much changed in the makeup of towing companies in his time? “It was a family owned and operated industry back then, and it still is pretty much today.

The biggest change has been an increase in professionalism and more concern for education, which has been a positive thing.”

The Century 9055, 50-ton, features an integrated body and under-reach. This one carries an XP850 Side Puller.

42 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

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While Miller has earned a reputation as a fierce competitor while being a leader in product innovation, probably its greatest asset has been its reputation for customer service.

Comments from customers on how this manufacturer stands by its products and how people at Miller always go out of their way to help a customer, are commonly heard by this writer. “They know the wrecker business,” is another often used refrain when speaking about the Miller factory people and sales reps. Randy Olson himself is a former tower, having grown up with his father’s service station and towing business.

Randy Olson, VP Marketing of Miller Industries, came from a towing family.

1990 was a watershed year in the towing and recovery industry when Bill Miller and company entered the towing industry, acquiring respected but struggling wrecker manufacturers. Two decades later it can be said that a brash new kid on the block turned into a great company. Aside from building fine product for towers, Miller has been a great supporter

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of tow shows and Expositions, towing and recovery training, towing organizations, safety initiatives and, of course, the Towing Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn.

It was at the Museum site in 2006 that Bill Miller donated the Wall of the Fallen Monument commemorating those towers who lost their lives in the line of service, providing towing and recovery.

AT salutes Miller Industries on its 20th anniversary.

Miller offers both heavy and medium-duty rotators. Pictured above is the Century 1075S 75-ton rotator. Their versatility and the DOTs push for quick clearance have made them the must recovery unit for competitive fleets. To the left, the Right Approach carrier technology with a tailhinge that allows for easy entry of all cars.

You may know a tower who risked his or her life to save the life of another human being while on the job. To nominate a towing professional for the American Towman Medal, write a description of the incident and send with any corroborative material you may have, such as police reports, letters or newspaper reports.

Include the nominee's name, company, city, state and phone, and your name and phone, and mail to:

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44 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

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Toad Madness

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arry and Joyce Green founded Greens Garage, in Hampstead, Md., on November 4, 1976 with one tow truck, three employees, and a three-bay garage. After 30 plus years of hard work and dedication, it has grown to an operation of 17 tow trucks, 20 employees and a six-bay garage. Along with towing, Greens Garage also provides body repair services, mechanical repairs, flatbed specialties, and paint restorations.

The 17 trucks in Green’s fleet include a 1978 Ford F350 Holmes Commander 1200, one medium-duty, two light-duties, two service trucks, and eleven carriers, including the beauty featured here.

Larry calls this carrier “Toad Mad-

Paint, graphics & lettering artist, Chuck Gamber from Jack of Arts, Ellicott City, Md.

48 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

ness” because it’s a toad thing with Larry. He said, “The inspiration for this paint job was the Green Monster /Toad. This truck stands out and attracts a lot of attention. It is a rolling advertisement for my company wherever it goes.”

Most of his units have some outrageous hot rod gearhead toads adorning them. They are reminiscent of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s Rat Fink and other such hot rod graphics of the 1960’s.

Toad Madness is a 2007 International 4300 with a 2007 Jerr-Dan 21-ft. steel bed with Best-In-Class custom side rails that light up and custom hand rails. It is equipped with Ramsey winches and powered by a Navistar

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

DT466 engine mated to an Allison automatic transmission.

“Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales located in Halethorpe, Md., built this unit for me,” informed Larry.

As for extras it has a custom front bumper made from two Freightliner frame rails, 95 LED lights, twin spot lights, outside sun visor, bumper guides, running boards, custom hand rails on bed, S/S light brackets, rear fender flairs, tube grille, and aluminum wheels. It also has two 3" stacks that add to its big rig look.

Legendary airbrush artist Chuck Gamber, of Jack of Arts in Ellicott City, Md., handled the painting and amazing airbrush artwork. The paint job took about a week to complete.

and back roads, taking whatever job that came along just to survive.

The truckers became my livelihood. Gotta love a pretty truck, and those fellas sure did!”

So far Toad Madness has taken 2nd Place in its class at the 2007 and 2008 American Towman Exposition, 1st Place at the 2008 and 2009 Keep On Truckin, and it was the 2008 and 2009 Commercial Float in the Hampstead Parade.

Here’s to Green’s Garage and Toad-al towing!

Tech Highlights Jack of Arts has been well known in motorcycle, trucking, and towing circles more than 30 years. Having done some of the most outstanding custom airbrush graphics and pinstriping on cars, trucks, motor coaches, choppers, hot rods, low

As for extras it has a custom front bumper made from two Freightliner frame rails, 95 LED lights, twin spot lights, outside sun visor, bumper guides, running boards, custom hand rails on bed, S/S light brackets, rear fender flairs, tube grille, and aluminum wheels.

riders, and Harley-Davidson murals.

They are also well known for their airbrushed true fire, real fire, custom motorcycle paint as well as custom vehicle lettering and signs.

Chuck informed, “I first started Jack of Arts Studio, from backwoods

Chassis: 2007 International 4300 Wrecker Body: 2007 Jerr-Dan 21’ steel bed Engine: Navistar DT466 Trans: Allison Automatic Winches: Ramsey Built by: Maryland Wrecker & Carrier Truck Name: Toad Madness Extras: Custom side rails that light up and custom hand rails Paint, Graphics & Lettering by: Jack of Arts, Ellicott City, Md.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2010 • 49

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.R. Cady is well-versed on what it takes to be successful in the heavy-haul vocational market.

Born into the 47-year-old recovery specialist business at Ten West Towing, Inc., Cady – now vice president of the company – manages the day-to-day activities of this specialty recovery fleet.

“When I was growing up, there was no doubt I was going to be involved in the family business,” said Cady. “Heavy hauling is my passion – it’s what I know – and I’m happy to be a part of the second generation now running the company.”

Cady manages 10 drivers and an onhighway fleet of six heavy wreckers and two tractor and equipment trailers. Specializing in heavy-duty towing across

the California valley, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, the Bakersfield, Calif.-based Ten West fleet handles everything from the recovery of disabled tractor/trailers, railway derailment and heavy equipment, to the transportation of heavy machinery.

“There isn’t a heavy-duty vehicle or piece of equipment that we can’t recover from an accident or break-down,” said Cady. “We have a truck for any type of situation you might come across – from the bad to the really ugly.”

And Cady recognizes that his trucks are crucial to the sustainability and growth of his business. Part of the company’s most recent success is the addition 52 • May 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

of its star truck – a custom built 2009 Western Star® 4900 EX, to be exact.

At 80,000 pounds of pure strength, this massive rotary-boom wrecker recovery vehicle features a triple frame, 515 hp 14-liter Detroit Diesel® Series 60® engine, 18-speed transmission, dual 20,000pound lift axles and 46,000-pound tandem rear axles. And its B&B rotator – the biggest on any Western Star in the United States – can be brought into any accident and positioned to handle any type of recovery that crosses its path.

“Since taking part ownership in the company with my family, together we’ve brought some new equipment to the fleet that has made all the difference in the capacity of our business,” said Cady.

“And Western Star has been a major factor in that change due to its rugged durability and customization options.”

Not only is this truck built to handle the toughest jobs, the ride is just as smooth. Cady, who is 6-feet 10-inches tall, can comfortably sit in the driver’s seat with room to spare. Cady also notes that despite the long wheel base and size of this truck, maneuverability is top-notch, which helps with turning tight corners.

And the exterior of Cady’s 4900 EX is just as impressive as its specs. Featuring a vibrant burnt orange paint color, this truck has all of the bells and whistles, including dropped visors, custom chrome package, leather seats and steer-

This custom Western Star 4900 EX employs a B&B rotator.

ing, and a top-of-the-line stereo system.

“This 4900 EX is the flagship truck of our company, and it’s been one of the most rugged and well-built trucks I’ve owned,” said Cady. “It’s so special that no one drives this truck but me.”

In addition to the 4900 EX rotaryboom wrecker, Cady also owns a 2005 Western Star 4900 EX tow, which features an 82-inch Stratosphere® sleeper, 515 hp Series 60 14-liter engine and 13-speed transmission. And in 2008 he added yet another 4900 EX tow truck, featuring a 40inch sleeper flat top, 475 hp Caterpillar and Zack Tow unit.

Also part of the Ten West fleet are two Western Star 4900 EX on-highway tractors for heavy equipment transportation, which feature the 76-inch Starlite Sleeper®units and 35-ton sliding axle trailers.

Western Star Trucks Sales, Inc., headquartered in Fort Mill, S.C., produces heavy-duty custom trucks for long-haul and vocational applications.

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

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

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ONE HAND JACKS

$139.95

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/ iÊ iÞÊi i i ÌÊ vÊÌ iÊ" iÊ > `Ê $24.95 >V Ê-iÌ]Ê ÕÀÊ >V ÃÊvi>ÌÕÀiÊ>Ê Õ µÕiÊ« Û ÌÊÌ >ÌÊ > iÃÊ ÃiÀÌ }Ê Ì iÊ> ÀÊ >V Êà « i°Ê1 iÊÜi`}iÃÊ SUPER ONE HAND JACK the OHJ won’t damage the ITEM #SOHJ weather stripping.

$29.95

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AIR JACKS / iÊ ÀÊ >V Ê ÃÊÌ iÊ i>ÀÌÊ vÊÌ iÊ >V Ê ÃÞÃÌi °Ê"ÕÀÊ ÀÊ >V ÃÊ>ÀiÊ >`iÊ vÊÃÕ«iÀÊ Ì ]ÊÃÕ«iÀÊÃÌÀ }ÊL> ÃÌ VÊ Þ °Ê1 iÊ ÀÕLLiÀÊ> ÀÊL >`iÀÃ]ÊÌ iÃiÊÃ «ÊÀ } ÌÊ Ì Ê Ì iÊ` ÀÊÜ Ì ÕÌÊ}iÌÌ }ÊÃÌÕV Ê ÊÌ iÊ AIR JACK SUPER AIR JACK ITEM #AW ITEM #SAW Üi>Ì iÀÊÃÌÀ «« }°Ê iÊ Ê Ì iÀt

$29.95

$34.95

SETS & ACCESSORIES

NEW! TRIPLE REACH SET

$299.95 This is the most V « iÌiÊ V ÕÌÊ set that High Tech Tools/Access Tools offers. It is also the most complete ÃiÌÊv ÀÊÕ V }Ê V>ÀÃÊ ÊÌ iÊ >À iÌÊ Ì `>Þ°Ê

AW Direct 800-243-3194 Berlin, CT awdirect.com Tools µi99th y5 scce }ribuu°rs Todd Equipment 800-524-5535 ToolsDf5 Phoenix, AZ towtrx.com Herbert L Flake Tow Parts Now 800-231-4105 866-869-9680 Houston, TX Portland, OR DHŃ =GA ?KI towpartsnow.com Tow Industries D & G Equipment 323-660-4866 212-567-0255 Los Angeles, CA New York, NY towindustries.com dgtow.com ots-

ITEM #PNVL

$29.95

POWER NIGHT Dc cc VISION LIGHT

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ITEM# TRS $59.95 (SAVE OVER $14 WHEN BUYING AS SET)

The combination of three different lengths long reach tools will give Þ ÕÊÌ iÊ iViÃÃ>ÀÞÊyÊiÝ L ÌÞÊv ÀÊÌ>V }Ê ÃÌÊV>ÀÊ «i }Ê Lð

Truck-n-Tow 888-918-8150 Detroit, MI truckntow.com Casanova Towing 800-746-8802 Compton, CA casanovatowequipment.com Robert Young’s 800-246-4785 Roanoke, VA robertyoungparts.com Bliss Auto Supply 267-252-8554 Quakertown, PA Pennsylvania

Southeast T. Supplies 954-563-0158 Oakland Park, FL salstowing.com House of Wreckers 800-594-0005 San Carlos, CA houseofwreckers.com SoCal Tow Equipment 800-400-8085 Anaheim, CA towequipments.com Harding Parts 800-931-3890 Rochester, NY uneedmoreparts.com

Hedinger Equip.

866-869-1717 Indianapolis, IN hedingers.com B & B Chain 866-799-5514 Milford, NH towtran.com Best Equipment 510-569-1288 Oakland, CA bestequipment.net Towtran USA 800-898-8777 Corona, CA towtran.com

24 high-powered LED’s. This innovative product will run for hours on one set of standard AA batteries.

International Distributors

SUPER COMBO ITEM# AM09SC

AA Access (Canada) 800-957-2838 Surrey, BC accessequipment.ca BG Dist. (Canada) 888- 607-0585 Montréal, QC bgdistribution.ca Auckland Auto (NZ) 649-838-7980 West Harbor, Auckland New Zealand Prolux (Germany) +49-7304/9695-0 Blaustein prolux.de

THE LIGHTBAR BRACKET THAT FOLDS, LOCKS, AND LAYS FLAT 3 YEAR GUARANTEE! PATENT PENDING

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM

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800-323-8324 Number 102 on Reader Card

www.fold-n-lock.com

TOWING DOESN'T HAVE -Me

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The Holmes 4400SL hooks up fast and efficiently even in tight conditions

Performance and Reliability doesn 't have to be expensive; Holmes has been providing quality equipment to the towing industry for over 90 years.

The Holmes 440-SL continues that tradition as one of the best valnes in light duty towing equipment today, lo check one ont visit your local Holmes distributor.

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Holmes Snatcher - also ideal f or light towing and repossession work offeiing valneand performance in a smaller packa ge.

F Iw a N c E

A D VA N TAGE

www .mil leri nd.c o m

8503 Hilltop Drive Ooltewah, TN 37363 Phone: (423) 238-4171 Toll Free: (800) 292-0330 Fax (423) 238-5371 Number 143 on Reader Card