American Towman Magazine - November 2010

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Register online for AT Expo at www.towman.com/expo

FEATURE CONTENTS

24 AT Expo:14 Motor Clubs will be among the 170 exhibitors inside the Baltimore Convention Center, November 20th & 21st

One State Outlaws Independent Towers Connecticut now prohibits anyone towing commercially unless operating with a repair license and a repair facility.

Steve Calitri reports

30

The STO Blueprint The Southwest Tow Operators are pulling together state officials and towers and creating a whirlwind of energy and activity.

by Lou Irtilac

Departments Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . .50 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . .53

38

Dynamically Hands On Anthony and Joey Gentile have taken their hard earned experience as towers and parlayed it into the wrecker manufacturing business.

by Steve Calitri

Photos by: Southwest Tow Operators Cover Design by: Ann Marie Nitti

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Electric Towman

by Steve Calitri

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hy should a town government meddle with the rates of a towing business? Does the municipality get into anyone else’s business besides towing, impounds and storage? Is that their role, to compete with private enterprise? How can we strengthen out relationship with the police and keep them out of our business at the same time? How can we curry favor with the police departments and be on their rotation lists and be respected as professional businessmen?

Those questions and more are being addressed in conferences, seminars (check out the Friday morning seminar on Police/Tower Relationship), and in casual conversations on the show floor of AT Expo inside the Baltimore Convention Center. Like a kite in a storm, AT Expo is attracting all the electrical currents in the towing industry with its intense focus on issues, people, and the tools of the trade.

The Exhibit Hall will be packed with over 170 exhibiting companies and some 200 wreckers, carriers, trailers, chassis, and related equipment, 600 booths total.

Some fourteen motor clubs and national call providers are represented on the show floor to meet with potential service providers and current ones. Both tow bosses and clubs will be exchanging information and starting up new relationships. The volume of tow calls, aggregate, will be phenomenal.

Among the thousands of towers roaming through 200,000 square feet of exhibit floor, hundreds of them will be seeking out seminars on critical issues: Getting Paid For Recovery Work, Cultivating Commercial Accounts, Building Revenue Through Road Service, Getting Paid By The Clubs, and twenty other top-

ics that affect a towing operation, including seminars on recovery techniques, tow management and leadership.

But the power of the Exposition is even simpler than all that, just as electricity itself is a pretty simple dynamic.

The voltage at the Exposition is housed in each professional tower attending the trade show and the twenty special events spread throughout Baltimore’s magnificent harbor.

Inside each tower is a tank of experience; not just in towing and recovery, but in striving to do better, making changes to grow more successful, finding solutions to problems and meeting challenges. Each attendee is a high voltage resource for every other attendee to tap.

Towers in Baltimore will be congregating in the many official Expo hotels, in the restaurants and pubs, in the seminar halls and the breakfast bars outside of them. They’ll be meeting up at special events like the Captains of Industry, the Donnie Cruse Recovery Awards Luncheon, the Towman Cruise on the harbor, the Tow 411 “Hologram” Hospitality, the infamous Back Room, Calitri’s Cuba in the Havana Club, and getting down at the Hard Rock Cafe for Miller Rocks– the Bull & Pig Roast.

Towing professionals will meet ceremoniously for the Order of Towman’s Rite of Passage and at Festival Night for the March of the Heroes. They will get together for cake and coffee and the Towman ACE Buckle. They will celebrate again at the American Wrecker Pageant.

So make sure you’re grounded when you step foot in Baltimore for the 22nd American Towman Exposition, or all the voltage will simply floor you. And I don’t mean running into you local competitor.

***************************************************** Publisher Dennie Ortiz-Sorrenti Editor-In-Chief Steve Calitri Operations Editors Terry Abejuela Randall Resch Chassis Editor David Kolman Safety Editor Bill Simmons Contributing Editors David Bouvia 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.

Frank Sanchez; Bridgewater, N.J. ********************************************************** 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 - November 2010 • 7

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AutoReturn Discussion in Baltimore Baltimore County is facing a takeover by a national operation called AutoReturn, according to one towing association leader, and towers throughout the state are facing news challenges to integrate with incident management. These topics and others will be discussed at a special meeting being held during the American Towman Exposition, hosted by the Towing and Recovery Professionals of Maryland (TRPM).

At the meeting, Maryland tow business owners will have an opportunity to meet with key officials who interact with their towing operations. The following officials will be present November 21st, Sunday between 10 a.m. and noon at the Baltimore Convention Center to meet, talk and field questions: Maryland State Delegate James Malone, Glen Reuschling- Transcon CSI, Alvin Marquess- State Highway Chart Program, Franklin & Porkopik-TRPM Attorney, a representative of the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland Auto Theft Division.

“We’re bringing together officials who have an impact on our industry and the tower’s daily operations,” said Betty Cornwell, executive director of the Towing & Recovery Professionals of Maryland (TRPM).

The meeting takes place before the exhibit hall opens at 11 a.m. on the second day of the show. All Maryland towers are welcome, not only TRPM members. “This is a service for all towers in Maryland,” said Cornwell. “Issues like what is going down with AutoReturn and Baltimore County must be brought out and discussed. What’s at stake is the survival of the small towing business.”

Attendees leaving the meeting will be able to pick up a special gift at the TRPM booth on the show floor.

10 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

City Postpones Move Into Impounds The San Bernardino in a staff report. It City Council has put off would enable the city until January its decito recover traffic sion on a proposal for enforcement costs the Police Department but would deny to open its own vehicle lucrative storage fees impound lot. for six towing comThe postponement panies that contract came after council memwith San Bernardino. bers pressed for the city Towing company staff to look into ways to operators have vigorcollect money from outously opposed the of-town towing firms San Bernardino’s City Hall proposal, saying it not contracting with the would result in 70 lost city but entering San jobs and jeopardize Bernardino occasionally to repostheir ability to continue doing busisess cars, among other things. ness. An attorney for a towing trade Opening a city-run impound lot group contended that opening a citywould require hiring a police lieurun impound lot would violate terms tenant and a lot attendant, Police of its contracts with the tow Chief Keith Kilmer told the council companies.

AutoReturn

Makes Waves in Detroit Controversial efforts to implement new towing rules and seek bids from companies has hit another snag after Detroit officials halted the process amid cronyism complaints.

Smaller towers have long alleged bid-rigging, and at least three pending lawsuits allege some towing firms are being shut out of the towing process. The contract is worth millions of dollars, since the city estimates 180,000 cars will be towed a year at $75 apiece.

City officials issued a request for proposals for companies wishing to tow for the Detroit Police Depart-

ment. But firms flooded the city with concerns, including complaints that the city had rigged the process so that only one company, AutoReturn of San Francisco, would get the contract.

AutoReturn's subsidiary, AutoReturn Detroit LLC, in April filed papers with the state indicating its agent is David Baker Lewis, a lawyer and an adviser to Mayor Dave Bing. Lewis also co-chaired Bing's inaugural committee. Source: detnews.com

...AutoReturn makes move in Detroit...

AT Pays Tribute to Joe Doblmeier When AT Expo’s floor manager, Joe Doblmeier, passed away August 22nd after a battle with liver cancer, the towing industry lost a great friend. Joe was one of the founding fathers of the American Towman Exposition in 1989.

Exhibitors knew him as the friendly man with the cane who would get things done to accommodate them. His big smile and warmth always matched his professionalism, and from the very first year he marked the show with his character. Towers who knew him saw him as a symbol of the Exposition’s excellence.

Doblmeier brought decades of trade show experience to the AT Expo venture in those first years. As the American Towman magazine staff focused on publicizing the show and driving registration, Joe took care of the nuts and bolts of exhibitor sales and service, and running the show floor.

“Joe was one of the reasons the show was hatched in the first place,” said AT Expo founder, Steve Calitri. “I knew I could rely on him for all the things I had little experience with and would not have the time for. He had a wisdom about the nuances of running a show.”

In later years, Doblmeier assisted Doc Calitri, AT Expo president, in customer service and floor management. He was absent from last year’s show due to his illness.

“Joe was a great man to collaborate with, a joy to work with,” said Doc Calitri, “all of us here at American Towman have lost a great friend.”

American Towman Publisher Dennie Ortiz-Sorrenti was the AT Expo event coordinator when she first met Doblmeier in 1998. “I called him my second father. He was always warm and sweet, he always had this big, broad smile. Always genuine. No pretentions.

Always, just Joe.” This year’s American Towman Exposition, November 19th–21st, will pay a special tribute to Joe Doblmeier throughout the Exposition Hall and during the show-opening ceremony.

Towers Commemorate The Fallen A beautiful cloudless day in Chattanooga, Tenn. on September 25th marked the 5th Annual Wall of the Fallen dedication and unveiling at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum.

This year 28 more bronze plaques bearing the names of towing profes- Families gather and pay homage to loved ones sionals who lost their lives at the Wall of the Fallen in Chattanooga, Tenn. in the line of service were added to the Wall of the Fallen. Families of the deceased towers came from all across the country to witness this homage to their loved ones.

Officials from the state including; Hamilton County Sheriff, Jim Hammond, Chattanooga City Mayor, Ron Littlefield, and Chattanooga Councilman, Manual Rico, were on hand to honor those fallen towers and to pay tribute to all towers for their dedication and service to the public.

American Towman Magazine for the second consecutive year proudly sponsored the Fellowship hospitality for the families of the fallen towers.

Recovering the Money on Recoveries The American Towman Academy in Baltimore will feature a seminar by Bob Fouquette from Big Wheel and Recovery Billing Unlimited. Fouquette gives a primer of his famous course that details how to get those big tow bills paid; from the proper way of writing acceptable recovery invoices to obtaining payment from insur- Eric Fouquette and his father Bob ance companies.

Fouquette and his son, Eric, earned Towmen of the Year honors in January for their work in educating tow business owners on billing and collection procedures, a craft his company has perfected over thirty years in the business. Their usual one day class is designed for the tow business owner and his administrative people who handle billing and collections. The class in Baltimore, during the American Towman Exposition, is a one hour primer on key issues of Getting Paid, the seminar’s title. It takes place Saturday, November 20th, inside the Baltimore Convention Center.

TOWMAN.COM - November 2010 • 11

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reckMaster trains towing and recovery operators and roadway vehicle incident responders to employ a routine that minimizes their risk and increases efficiencies and effectiveness. It’s all about getting the most result from the least amount of effort while minimizing the chance of injury, damage, or loss. We refer to this routine as the Discipline.

Simply put, the discipline is the word SCENE – an acronym where each letter has its own meaning: S stands for SURVEY C stands for CALCULATE E stands for EXPLAIN N stands for NO’S E stands for EXECUTE We have covered the first and second steps of the WreckMaster Discipline SCENE Conducting a Survey, and Calculating weights and resistance in previous issues. Now let’s

14 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

move onto the third step which is the “E” in the discipline acronym and stands for EXPLAIN. As one arrives to a roadway vehicle incident scene the first thing to establish should be who is in charge.

Often there will be several different agencies present ranging from law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, fire fighters, DOT and/or traffic control, roadway crews, utility companies, environmental personnel, insurance companies, and lets not forget the victim among an array of others who may be present. With all these agencies on hand it can be difficult to establish who the incident commander is. Generally the fire personnel, if on scene, will take on that roll although the law enforcement officials will often take control of the scene particularly where traffic control may be a consideration. Whoever is in charge or if only the victim or customer is present they need to be addressed. Approach them with confidence and consideration. Be

aware of the situation regardless of who you are addressing as your attitude and appearance will be the first things they take notice of. They will be sizing you up as you approach them.

Posture and stride are characteristics that can make the difference between earning respect and confidence or instilling skepticisms and preconceived notions and stereotyping. Be direct and assertive and avoid industry terminology or technical jargon as it may be misunderstood. Explain yourself clearly as to who you are, company representation, and why you’re there. Ask questions and ascertain what the expectations are. It is imperative to understand everyone’s role and to explain your role and the roles of your team members. Also answer any questions asked of you as best you can, and try to avoid terms like; maybe, it should, it could, I hope, it might and it may.

These terms don’t carry much confidence value. The line drawn between

success and failure in towing & recovery is a very clearly defined line. Either it’s going to work or not!

Everything else is grey area and a guessing game. If you don’t know the answer to a given question your answer should be; “I don’t know. I’ll look into that and get back to you” rather than; “Let’s give it a whirl and see.” No one can know it all and your humility will show your professionalism in that you’re willing to resource rather than jumping in blind.

If there is something you need to address that is beyond your skill, or capabilities don’t be hesitant to call in mutual aid, or ask someone already on scene to assist in that particular area. Don’t take on liabilities you are not prepared to suffer if things don’t work out as anticipated. Always hand off responsibilities to those who have the proper training, equipment, and insurance coverages.

Whenever estimating time information it is important to be honest and realistic and as accurate as possible. It’s always good to pad your predictions by a few minutes as a cushion for any unexpected unpredictable elements that may arise.

This may allow you to finish before your predetermined time frame you will come across as more efficient.

Utilize any and all personnel and or equipment at your disposal and keep those in charge informed occasionally as to your progress. If there are going to be deviations from your original plan or time predictions you’ll also want to communicate adjustments that must be made. Once completing the job reiterate to officials or customer completion and exit strategy. Always get permission to exit the scene from any officials that may be present.

Look to December’s issue for step 4 in the WreckMaster discipline; CHECKING THE NO’S

Editor’s note: David Bouvia is a lead instructor for WreckMaster.

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TOWMAN.COM - November 2010 • 15

Hot and Heavy in Baltimore!

NRC Unveils Composite Body

Century’s Rear Outrigger

A

fter more than two years in design and testing, Century introduces the new “H” beam rear outrigger option for its popular 1060 (60-ton) and 1075 (75-ton) rotators. It will be on display inside the Baltimore Convention Center at the American Towman Exposition. After meeting and surveying multiple users, Miller Industries engineers set out to achieve the same 265inch stance as the front “H” beam outrigger for increased stability while keeping the unit’s weight increases to a minimum for towing applications. At the same time, the goal was also to maintain independent operation of the new Hitch Hiker Underlift (HHU) from the recovery boom.

The new HHU has the same towing capabilities as the

current SDU-4 with 130 inches of reach, or 138 inches of reach when ordered with the Low Rider option. The new package is also available with choice of a 35,000- or 50,000pound drag winch, or with dual 35,000-pound drag winches. Because of the new HHU design, the sheave heads for the drag winches are fabricated into the tailboard jack leg housing, with the winches and sheave heads angled rather than centered.Also available for this new Century is the equally new Mvec Power Distribution Center. It’s equipped with solid state modules that monitor all the unit’s electrical information, dual 20-function all-weather switch panels and a new wireless controller with a docking station.

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F

rom the designers at NRC comes a new Sliding Rotator body. This lightweight composite body is bonded over a stiff and proven high tensile steel structure using a high strength and vibration dampening bonding agent.

A new user friendly carbon like control panel offers proportional joysticks that are now available on all NRC sliding rotators.

The sturdier, lighter and more compact proportional remote control comes complete with waist belt and an easier to change battery pack.

The NRC Sliding rotators now include improved, stiffer auxiliary winch mountings, longer boom hooks for easier axle lift hook up, a two stage axle lift storage position for increased boom clearance and offers larger locker doors for easy access to toolboxes and storage compartments.

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TOWMAN.COM - November 2010 • 17

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Faxed jobs are accurately converted to digital text and sent to Dispatch Anywhere. If a call is sent via fax, the original fax is conveniently a mouse click away when viewing a call.

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Automatic Location Spotting Cross Country has partnered with TechnoCom Corporation™ (TechnoCom), a provider of turnkey enterprise location solutions for faster spotting of vehicles via Automated Location Spotting. Utilizing real-time caller location data obtained automatically from either landline telephones or mobile telephones through the TechnoCom Location Platform™, the system allows Cross Country to precisely locate the address of a disabled vehicle and immediately convey the location information to the responding emergency service provider.

“Location is the most critical data in a roadside assistance call,” explained Charlie Cavolina, Cross Country senior vice president of Service Delivery. “With Automatic Location Spotting, we have made a significant investment in our proprietary systems to obtain precise location information through one of the most accurate methods available.”

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In Connecticut, anyone towing commercially must now have a repair license and two-bay garage.

24 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

stablished tow business owners perennially discuss ways to eliminate the competition posed by so called “gypsy” towers, towers who work out of their homes, operators who tow from the back of pick up trucks, and the like. Recently, towers who make up the Towing and Recovery Professionals of Connecticut (TRPC) acted on their interests, lobbied for and got passed a bill that prohibits anyone from towing commercially unless holding a state license to repair vehicles or re-sell vehicles.

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According to TRPC President Joe Miano, the law means that a tower must operate out of at least a two-bay garage, in order to qualify for the state’s repair license.

“Connecticut was not licensing towers (for all commercial towing), now the law requires wrecker plates and certain other requirements to obtain them. We are not against qualified operators getting into the business. The intent is to get rid of the kind of operator who is towing illegally, operating out of his home without a proper facility, operating without having to pay the insurance premiums the rest of us pay, and the other overhead costs associated with running a commercial facility.”

When asked if he thinks it unfair or even unconstitutional to require at least a two-bay repair facility in order to ply the towing trade, Miano, who owns Friendly Autobody of Hartford, said simply, “No.” From his perspective, the overwhelming majority of tow businesses in his state, 80% or more, operate repair facilities.

Not all states are the same. “In Florida, we have a larger concentration of towing-only businesses,” said Mike Seamon, executive director of the Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida (PWOF). He noted that the independent towers who operate impound lots would not usually have a car-sellers license, either.

“We would prefer,” said Seamon, “that towers operate out of a commercial facility and not out of their homes. In Florida we have tried in the past to mandate a state license that would get rid of the gypsies, but it hasn’t happened.”

“Ridiculous!” said Betty Cornwell, in response to the new Connecticut law that went into effect in October. Cornwell has been either president or executive director of the Towing and Recovery Professionals of Maryland (TRPM) for three decades. She is currently its executive director. “I can imagine what some of those independent towers in Connecticut are thinking right now,” said Cornwell.

“In Maryland,” she said, “80% of the towers do not do repair and most have a commercial storage lot. They either operate out of a trailer on the lot or a small commercial building.”

26 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

Independent tower John Velez operates Norwalk Towing, LLC in Norwalk, Connecticut —with two tow trucks and three employees. In an interview with a local news service he said the stringent requirements in the new law will cost family-owned businesses tens of thousands of dollars.

"I've got 12-to-15 garages that I tow for," Velez told thehour.com. "I depend on them and they depend on me. Not only do they depend on me, their families depend on me."

According to Miano the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles has never recognized an impound lot, though commercially zoned, unless there was a repair facility on the grounds. “The new law now in effect is really not new; it’s a rewording of the law that has been on the books for a long time, now making it enforceable. These towers operating out of their homes have not been towing legally. The current law requires obtaining wrecker plates for the first time for all commercial tows.”

Tom Tedford, Sr. Vice President of United Road Towing (URT), the nation’s largest tow company with several locations around the country, is in full support of the changes in the law. Tedford has an office in Connecticut though URT no longer operates a facility in the state.

Speaking as a State Director for the Towing and Recovery Association of America, he says that it is a bit of an overstatement to call the revised law “new.”

“Police departments and non-consensual towing as well as authorized storage facilities have been required to have licensed repair or dealer facilities for many years in order to obtain a "wrecker" plate allowing them to perform for hire services,” Tedford explained. “There are several thousand licensed facilities in the state now and they are overseen by the CT DMV Dealer and Repairer division in the interests of consumer safety.”

“The issue with "Gypsy" towers has been ongoing for many years as well in the arena of consensual towing. These towers have been operating out of their homes with little to no insurance coverage and the inspectors for the DMV had no authority to inspect and or discipline them for consumer violations. They

have undercut legitimate businesses who have all the proper insurance coverages, training, licenses, and equipment for years with their low towing rates.”

“The new law simply clarifies the old law on the books that to be a tower for hire in the state you must be licensed no matter if it is consensual or non-consensual towing. This allows inspectors to enforce the rules on a level playing ground and ensure the best interests for consumers.”

There are two key issues relating to the Connecticut law. One is the issue of mandating that all commercial towers are licensed by the state. Established towers have generally seen this as a means to keep the industry operating on a professional level and to help screen out the lowballers, though established towers have been just as guilty as small independent towers in wielding super low rates to compete.

The second issue has to do with mandating that a towing operation must be in the repair business. Many see this as unconstitutional, but since the majority of towers in many states have repair facilities, this issue creates a divide within the industry.

Just north of Connecticut, the Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts (STA) is working on updating the towing certificate issued by the Department of Pubic Utilities. Currently pertaining only to non-consensual tows, STA, according to its president, Bill Johnson, is also working to make the certificate applicable to all tows, which will effectively mandate all towers to be licensed. “But there is no intent,” says Johnson, “to tie the DPU Certificate to a repair license.”

John Glass, president of the Garden State Towman’s Association (GSTA) in New Jersey, feels the Connecticut law goes too far. “I don’t see how the state can require a repair facility for the right to tow.” Glass operates a towing and body shop business. “I can see towers mandated to have an impound lot and I can see towers working out of their homes doing motor club calls, or transporting vehicles from one location to another. I think this Connecticut law may be too restrictive. “ The state of Texas two years ago decided to license all towers strictly on

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the merit of competency. There, association lobbying achieved a mandate for certification of all towers. Essentially, every tow operator has to be licensed with the requirement of both classroom and hands-on training. Dan Messina, president and founder of the Southwest Tow Operators, now the largest towing association in the country, was a major

force behind the current Texas regulatory system. Messina operates a towing only business that specializes solely in private lot tows.

The new law in Connecticut has its pluses and minuses looking in from outside the state. The public is apparently well served if this law helps keep unqualified and unprofessional towers

out of the business. The law should also thin out the competition for the established towers with repair garages.

Whether it will have an affect on the lowballing that goes on in this industry remains to be seen.

continue to page 36

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it is one that STO is following like a bible. “How does a tower, or group of towers, get heard? They do it by getting those that can actually get something done to sit down with you and commit to working with you on making the solution possible. They have to be there in order to hear for themselves what is going on.”

STO has reported that attendance from members has skyrocketed at meetings where officials from law enforcement agencies, city and county officials, state legislators, and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) have participated. Recent regional meetings have brought in between 100 and 400 members per meeting. Most state association annual conventions do not reach those attendance figures.

“We think of ourselves as a big hammer, and it takes the industry as a whole to

Left to right, Fidel Cortez (Apollo Wrecker), Ramiro Sanchez (All Valley Wide Towing), State Representative Ryan Guillen, Jess Horton, STO's executive director.

The STO Blueprint How a Texas association is creating a revolution

by Lou Irtilac

Energy and leadership have been two of the reasons for STO’s success.

30 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

T

he Southwest Tow Operators (STO), their growth and their activities, is a dynamic blueprint that other associations around the country may want to study. The direction of this Texas association’s activities is best summed up by the words of one of its leaders, Ramiro Sanchez; “It takes teamwork to solve the

problems in the towing industry.

Only part of that team is actually the towers. Other key team players are law enforcement, city officials, local and state law enforcement, and our state representatives and senators.”

Sanchez is the owner of All Valley Wide Towing and the 2nd Vice President of STO’s Region 4.

It’s not that STO is doing things that other associations have never done, but it’s that constant push toward networking with towers and government agencies, and bringing the two together that has created a whirlwind of energy, understanding, and the belief that towers acting together can drive change on their behalf.

“Whenever we would come together in meetings in the past, “ said Sanchez, “you had a bunch of towers in a room talking about towing issues, griping about problems with TXDOT, or now TDLR, or how some tower or competitor was messing with their business. Nothing really got done.

Why? Because there were no solutions being brought forward, and when there were, who was there to listen to them? No one was there but the towers that attended the meetings. That was the problem all along.”

The answer is not complicated and

bring that hammer directly on the head of that nail they wish to put in its proper place.”

Ramiro Sanchez is representative of why STO has struck a chord with towers across the state. Now four years old, it is the largest towing association in the U.S. with over 1200 paid members. “I used to belong to an association that seemed to cater only to large companies and it was apparent to me that the small companies were being shut out,” said Sanchez. “I could not tell if it was the reason for individual interest and gain, or if it was because they thought that the small companies had nothing to offer. Well, I was one of those small companies, and

I felt that I had a lot to offer.”

“All towers have something to offer, no matter what the size or how many trucks they have. Region 4 is proof of how the small guys and big guys can be heard. And that is spreading to other regions in Texas.”

Sanchez, his energy and leadership, has been just one of the reasons for STO’s success in making things happen. In fact, the leadership is spread over several regions.

Jim Fuller of Fuller's Towing and Recovery, Representative for Southwest Tow Operators Region 7, talks about the nuts and bolt of how the members have taken the initiative: “The Texas Legislature came up with some pretty hard rules and regulations for the towing industry in Texas. And some of the things were pretty hard to deal with when we tried to talk to TDLR. We have been in the towing business for over 30 years and it was increasingly hard to live up to the new regulations and laws enacted.”

“Some of us in East Texas decided that we could meet and talk about our opinions on the laws and regulations, but as most meetings only included towers, it did not help. So we decided to involve our state representatives.

We assembled a group of towers and went to the offices of our state representatives and had some meetings.

The representatives were largely unaware of our plight. And upon being made aware of our collective situation and the burdens imposed on small businesses here in Texas the representatives have been very willing to help.”

Fuller says both members and nonmembers are calling, wanting to lend a hand. He says Texas towers are seeing something really happening with STO. “I look at an association as a tool belt, it is our job to place all of the right tools out there to make our members successful in their businesses, their knowledge, pride in their profession, control of their industry, and in creating a social community within the industry statewide. But a tool is only as good as the person using it. We think of ourselves as a big hammer,

TOWMAN.COM - November 2010 • 31

Strong attendance at STO’s Region 4 meeting in McAllen, Texas.

State Representative Veronica Gonzales and Ramiro Sanchez.

and it takes the industry as a whole to bring that hammer directly on the head of that nail they wish to put in its proper place.”

Executive Director, Jess Horton said the response to inviting in agency officials was exciting: “The minute we opened those doors, a remarkable thing happened. People started listening. Legislators and law enforcement started addressing their issues. City and county governments started seeking communication with the industry for solutions to their own problems with traffic, impoundments, and other issues. Towers started talking more to each other, knowing that they could now bring this forward to open ears.

All of a sudden, towers started talking about community, helping each other, and demanding more meetings, as well as demanding that other towers bring other towers to talk and find ways they can help each other out more.”

Les Julaino of Assured Towing, a Region 3 Director, summed it up: “It (the meetings with legislators and various agency officials) has sparked more involvement by towers we have never seen step forward before. That

continue to page 34 32 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

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STO was founded by Dan and Joanne Messina, who own and operate a small towing firm that specializes in private lot towing. Their modus operandi from the get-go was traveling around the Lone Star state, visiting with towers, and setting up meetings. That energy, spirit, and strategy set the tone for STO’s phenomenal growth and the successful meetings that are now happening. Dan is the president of STO and Joanne is very active as a liaison for the association working with the various government agencies, like TDLR. STO Facts: •Southwest Tow Operators is now just shy of 1200 towing company members, making it the largest towing association in the nation (estimated 7,500+ licensed tow operators represented).

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As to the constitutionality of the law, that issue is a moot point, unless it is seriously challenged by independent towers in court.

“I can not imagine that any government agency would be so far behind the times as to not recognize there exists an entire towing industry,” said Gary Coe, veteran tower out of Portland, Oregon and a past president of both statewide and national towing associations. “Yes, our industry started out of repair shops, gas stations and some wrecking yards.

However, for the last 50 plus years we have seen a movement toward professional towing and recovery operations.”

“Connecticut needs to pull their head out of the dark ages and recognize today's professional towing operators.”

Jon Velez can now no longer operate as Norwalk Towing. He understands the perspective of TRPC, he told American Towman, but he believes the law goes overboard.

“Before this revision, the only towing I could not do was for the police department. But I didn’t want to tow for the police. I towed successfully for motor clubs and other accounts. I should be able to operate as an independent tower serving commercial accounts and the public outside the police towing realm.”

His goal now Velez says is to lobby the state to reverse or amend the law. “When the state was holding hearings on revising the law, the towing association was present, insurance companies, and a motor club but the other side of the story, that of the independent towers was not heard. We have to get our side heard.”

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The “Original” Self-Loader

Anthony Gentile

Anthony and Joey Gentile enjoy being one of the underdogs.

Dynamically

Hands On

by Steve Calitri

38 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

Joey Gentile

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eing one of the underdogs of tow body manufacturers, doesn’t come easy. Consolidation over the past 20 years has gathered as much as 80% of the market share into the arms of two manufacturers; Miller Industries, the leader with five well-known brands and the Jerr-Dan Corporation, a single brand with a full line of light to heavyduty wreckers and carriers.

The biggest challenge the smaller builders have is in sales availability through distributor locations. The two big guys have extensive distributor networks. The smaller companies with lesser networks have a tougher time reaching those buyers who do not have close access to their products.

Dynamic Towing Equipment and Manufacturing in Norfolk, Virginia claims 16 domestic and three international distributors. Likewise other smaller manufacturers, such as Danco in Pennsylvania. Dual-Tech in Tennessee and NRC Industries near Montreal, Canada, have networks that seem sparse compared to Miller Industries, for example, with its 100 plus U.S. and International distributors.

What Dynamic does have are owners with a history that spans three major segments of the industry; towing, equipment distribution, and manufacturing.

Dynamic’s President, Anthony Gentile, at age 17 was an auto mechanic by day and a tower at night with T&A Towing in the Bronx, N.Y. With the financial help of his parents and an aunt, the young Gentile purchased T&A and renamed it A&G Towing in 1976.

He worked seven days a week, night and day and his father, Tony, Sr.,who operated a home delivery milk business, would come in for a couple of hours a day to help keep an eye on things and answer the phones. Anthony was still a mechanic by day. It was a few years before the young man could take a break, and he would do so, drag racing his ’69 Camaro, then moving up to NASCAR competitively racing up and down the east coast.

His first tow truck was a 1953 Chevy with a hand cranked boom (homemade) and no rear body or fenders. Three years later it grew to two wreckers and one service car (64 Chevy Nova).

Gentile tells the story: “After two plus years in the business my lease was coming up and the landlord was trying to double the rent so I was trying to find another building in my AAA area. I was having trouble finding something I could afford. Then I got a phone call from AAA suggesting that I speak to Don Pascale, the largest AAA tower at

that time with several New York City locations. I had a lunch meeting with Don and my father and he explained to both of us that he had some major personal problems and he wanted to down size. We left that meeting trying to figure out how we were going to raise the money needed to purchase Don’s business. We realized there was no way we would be able to. I explained that to AAA and more or less they forced a partnership on us. They made us understand that Don’s experience and my youth would be a good mix.”

Three years later (1980), with a fleet of 10 tow trucks, Anthony and Tony Sr. bought out Pascale’s Don Glo Towing.

His father retired from his milk delivery business and came in to help with the dispatching. His brother Joey, a teenager, would come in to help dis-

Anthony Gentile in his NASCAR heydey.

patch and repair the two-way radios.

Gentile’s Don Glo was the highest volume AAA station in the New York City area. The fleet at one point consisted of 50 plus units, though after 9/11, it lost the city contract, and downsized to 30 trucks. His father passed away in 1994 and brother Joey stepped up to become a partner. It is a very typical family owned and operated towing business.

Anthony’s wife, Sandy, and his mother, Dolly, come in regularly to this day to help with the phones at its upper Manhattan location near the Bronx. He and Joey remain partners in the towing business, a Dynamic distributorship, and the new Dynamic Manufacturing company.

They became Dynamic distributors in 1999 at a time when it was rough seas for the old Dynamic company. It had lost its exclusivity on its patent for the hydraulic self loading wheel lift, when a family squabble resulted in half the rights to the patent going over to Miller Industries, which immediately became fierce competition in that wrecker class.

In 2004, the brothers acquired Dynamic’s assets from a bankruptcy court. Today, they build the self loader and carriers out of two plants; a 57,000 square feet plant currently being renovated and upgraded with new equipment, and in two buildings they purchased on Indian River Road sitting on nine acres. All located in Norfolk, Virginia. “We have the space,” said Anthony, “to expand our production capabilities.”

The Gentiles believe their long-time experience running a towing fleet is a plus for Dynamic’s customers. “We had service trucks in our fleet at Don Glo,” said Anthony, “but never one with a wrecker unit like the ones we are building now. Our understanding of operating a towing business led us to create this kind of service truck.”

“We understand what it means when a truck is down and how customer service from the supplier is critical to cash flow. I put my cell phone out there. It’s on our web site (dynamicmfg.com) and it’s on my business card. I keep it on 24/7 so our customers can reach me at all times.”

Gentile also feels he’s got an inside track in working with other AAA towers, be it independent contractors or AAA owned fleets. AAA out of Garden City, NY buys all Dynamics, self loaders and Dynatraks carriers. “I had a call from a AAA tower in North Carolina the other day. We identified with each other. We talked the same language, if you can believe that, me being from the Bronx.”

On Mondays Gentile drives from his New York home some 400 miles down to Norfolk and returns on Fridays. He is known as a hands-on owner who puts in 16-hour days regularly. He sleeps four to six hours, and is up and at ‘em. The only thing that keeps him from working is eating, his favorite past time. But he doesn’t hit one of his favorite eating TOWMAN.COM - November 2010 • 39

spots until 10 at night. “Not good,” he says, rubbing his waistline.

Being a distributor (DG Towing Equipment) has also strengthened him as a manufacturer. “We have a real appreciation for their needs. We know the problems that come up, why when they call for something they need it now.” He says that the three-year product warranty they offer in large part came about from their sales experience as a distributor.

Being a tower and a distributor influences the little improvements they continue to engineer with their wreckers and carriers, according to Anthony.

“Our rollbacks, for example, feature a 32 point, multiple tie-down system. They also have completely independent valve bodies with steel hydraulic lines. On our self loaders we offer an optional framefork, which we hold a patent on. And no small thing, we now feature larger tool boxes on wreckers.”

“We look at all angles from both a tower’s and manufacturer’s perspective,” said Anthony. “We created the

‘Lightning’ body with more visibility and clearance because I expressed the concern of tightness during hook-ups and then our team came up with the solution. Being a tower had something to do with initiating that improvement.”

“We know towing and we know the full spectrum of towing. Recently, we began building the Slide-In unit when the price of chassis went up, knowing how this would be received by entry towers, and particularly those in the repo business.”

Dynamic’s newest unit, an “Original Self Loader,” with a negative tilt, will be displayed at the Dynamic booth in Baltimore during the American Towman Exposition, November 20th and 21st.

Gentile quickly concedes that building an extensive distributor network is the toughest challenge in competing with the big boys. But he points out that it’s a plus for the towers being a small manufacturer. “If a customer wants something special, we’re small enough to do it. We want his business.

Working harder, whatever it takes, is part of our makeup.”

Gentile feels that the Dynamic product line can compete in both quality and price with anyone. The line consists of light and medium duty self loaders, the Dynatrak carrier, and the T-180 rotating carrier. From the time he acquired the old Dynamic assets, production has risen from 88 wreckers that first year to as many as 640 wreckers and carriers rolling out in one year. He feels that he and his brother Joey and the rest of the Dynamic team have held their own.

“Deciding to step up and get into manufacturing six years ago was not a long drawn out process with Joey and myself,” said Anthony. “The towing company had been using Dynamics since 1994. We believe in the product.

And we both enjoy the challenges of putting out the best product we can.

Because we know as much as any customer the many demands put upon a towing operation, our standards are set pretty high.”

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One Star More ATSA Unveils New Rating Program

W

hat’s one star more was the question asked when the advisory committee to the American Towman Standards Authority (ATSA) met last month in Warwick, New York for the purpose of updating the ATSA Rating System. When towing’s exclusive rating program kicked off 12 years ago, four stars was the highest rating. Those who were rated were either three or four star.

“Hotels and restaurants have up to five stars,” it was pointed out. Even the movies.

So, it was decided to make five stars the highest rating, which essentially elevated the old two stars up to three stars, thus creating a new two star rating that would make the system more inclusive for towers who are striving to be professional.

DJ Harrington, a.k.a. the Tow Doctor is the official spokesman for ATSA’s Rating Program. He feels the program succeeds in being more inclusive while maintaining its strict code of standards.

“Right now, most towing operations that see themselves as professional, will probably meet the criterion to be rated. If you’re only rated two stars, you have benchmarks to shoot for to raise your rating. Same with three and four stars. Not everyone will be five stars out of the gate.

But the system is well defined. In and of itself, the Rating Program is a great man42 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

agement tool – or a blueprint – that any tow boss can use.”

“I have worked within a towing company on the management side and alongside many towing companies in my work with the association – the ATSA program is great for the industry at large, not just individual tow companies,” said Cindy

DJ Harrington

Martineau, executive director of the Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts, and a contributing member of the advisory board on rating specifications. “This rating program has great pontential to help this industry, help make it more professional, and more lucrative for those who are professional,” she added.

The new ATSA Rating Program kicks off at the upcoming American Towman

Exposition in Baltimore, November 20th and 21st. Towers will be able to be prescreened to determine the rating they can expect, by visiting ATSA’s booth on the show floor. ATSA is also offering an exclusive show sign-up program that will include a publicity program targeted to local media, motor clubs, and police departments. “For example,” explains DJ Harrington, ATSA will send out a letter to the police chief announcing that ‘ABC Towing’ has been rated Four Stars, or, Five Stars, whatever the case may be, and essentially what the rating means.”

ATSA’s Rating System is the only program in the towing industry that rates the full towing operation. While it is not a program for certifying tow operators, driver certification is one of the ATSA standards for which points are awarded. The system is point driven. Each standard corresponds to a set number of points.

Each rating level, from two up to five stars, requires a certain set number of points.

Those applying to be rated in Balimore will be mailed a Rating Kit. Essentially the tower will check off the standards they believes they meet, and then put into the kit documentation of proof for meeting each of those standards they marked off. The kit is then audited for the authenticity of the documentation by a third party ratings administration bureau. Listed on page 44 are the 2011 ATSA standards.

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Number 158 on Reader Card

ATSA 2011 Rating Rules 2 Star Rating: minimum 200 points required Satisfactory Truck Fleet: Vehicles predominantly clean with insignificant dents or rust; show company name clearly with phone number: Mandatory. 50 points Minimum liability insurance: $500,000, plus on-hook coverage. Mandatory. 50 points 3 Star Rating: minimum 250 points required Uniformed tow operators/drivers: minimum of company name on collared shirts and meeting ANSI requirements: Mandatory. 50 points Satisfactory Truck Fleet: Vehicles predominantly clean with insignificant dents or rust; show company name clearly with phone number: Mandatory. 50 points Minimum liability insurance: $500,000, plus on-hook coverage. Mandatory. 50 points 4 Star Rating: 350 points must be accumulated from 3 & 4 Star standards for 4 Star Rating, including all mandatory standards Proof of “passed” vehicle inspection for all operating trucks. Mandatory. 50 points DMV reports on all tow operators.

Mandatory. 50 points Proof of background checks on company tow operators. 50 points Company policy handbook. 30 points

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Membership in a towing association: local or state-wide. 30 points.

Membership in a national towing association. 30 points Paid subscriber to a towing industry trade publication, print or online. 30 points Computerized cost management: use of computer to enhance cost management. 20 points On-time service performance: 90% customer satisfaction based on 3rd party survey of a minimum of 50 random customer respondents. 30 points.

Commendations for service performance: minimum of 3 letters within past 12 months. 10 Points 5 Star Rating: 600 points is required for 5 Star Rating: at least 200 points from 4 Star standards, including all mandatory standards Professionally trained operators: trained by experienced professional trainers, such as WreckMaster, CTTA, STO, TSSA, NATI, Luciano; complete list included in ratings kit; 75% of driver force, two-day training – 100 points; 50% of force – 75 points; owner or one driver – 30 points.

Tow Operator Certification: written test on 75% of all company drivers from a nationally recognized (WreckMaster or

TRAA) or statewide-recognized certification program. 75 points Drug free workplace: proof through random testing program. 50 points Safety training program” in-house and ongoing, safety meetings or instructor-based clinics are mandatory for points. Must include safety literature, and or, videos. 50 points Note: a poster/placard based safety awareness program can qualify for 10 points Tow operators procedures handbook: safety orientation detailing basic towing procedures and customer service situations.

30 points Handbook on professional dispatch procedures. 30 points Computerized dispatch, and, or, GPS, used as a dispatching tool. 30 points Passed DOT audit, or processed through “mock” DOT audit. 30 points Recipient of service performance award: recognized by a third party involved in dispatch or oversight of towing and recovery or emergency road service. Award programs like the Order of Towman, nominated by police chiefs, or the Towman ACE, nominated by motor clubs or national dispatchers, would qualify. 30 points 24/7 service: 20 points

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44 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

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Number 102 on Reader Card

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Mitsubishi Celebrates Its Silver Anniversary September 2010 marked the 25th anniversary of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. (MFTA) in North America.

The company celebrated its Silver Anniversary milestone with a gathering of employees, key members of the community, local and state government officials and its business partners, as well as representatives of its dealer council and executives from its parent company, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), Kawasaki, Japan.

MFTA first opened its doors on Sep-

tember 10, 1985, in Logan Township, NJ. In 1986, the fledgling company sold 89 trucks and enlisted 41 new dealers. Four years later, with strong growth established, MFTA introduced the industry's first 4-wheel drive cabover, which remains the only factory-manufactured cabover 4x4 in North America. In 1993, with sales continuing to grow, the company constructed a $2 million parts warehouse facility in New Jersey to serve its growing dealer and fleet customers, and in 1999, expanded into Canada.

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Number 156 on Reader Card

46 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

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Todd Bloom, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, speaks to the 25th Anniversary company celebration. Bloom was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Isuzu Trucks of America before coming to Mitsubishi in the Spring 2010.

By 2001, MFTA had sold 60,000 trucks across the U.S. and Canada. A year later, the company unveiled the FE Crew Cab, with the capacity to seat seven comfortably. The year 2004 saw a new line of FE and FG model (class 3 through class 5) medium-duty cabover trucks, redesigned from the ground up to provide unsurpassed reliability and vastly improved operator comfort and efficiency.

In 2005, recognizing its competitive edge in reliability and ruggedness, Mitsubishi Fuso became the first mediumduty truck manufacturer to supplement its 3-year/unlimited-mileage bumperto-bumper warranty with a 5year/175,000-mile (FE/FG models) or 5-year/250,000-mile (FK/FM models) powertrain limited warranty. Today, its 5year powertrain warranties remain an industry exclusive. In 2007, the company introduced redesigned FK and FM models, and in 2009, expanded its operations into Puerto Rico. The same year, MFTA signed its 200th dealer, and celebrated 10 years of sales growth in Canada. In early 2010, as it approached its 25th anniversary, Mitsubishi Fuso delivered its 100,000th truck in North America.

Todd Bloom, president and CEO of MFTA, noted in his remarks, “We and our parent company remain committed to the North American marketplace.

Plans are being developed now for the introduction of exciting next-generation products, and we continue to build a dealer network that takes great care of our customers. The future of MFTA here in North America is indeed bright.”

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Tough. Unyielding. Gets the job done.

The Vulcan Intruder is your answer to repossessions, illegally parked vehicles, garage work, highway clearance of disabled cars... any towing requiring fast, efficient work.

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AT VULCAN, MAKING YOU LOOK GOOD IS OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL. www.millerind.com • (800) 489-2401

Morton’s Tator

M

orton's Towing & Recovery is a full service; family owned and operated towing company in the heart of Montgomery County, Maryland. They offer towing services in Rockville, Gaithersburg and Germantown, Maryland. Company owner, David Morton, founded the company in 2002. Dave has over 20 years' experience and leads his team by example by winning many awards from AAA, including "Driver of the Year" twice.

He now has 24 employees and 22 trucks, one of which you see featured here. The chassis is a 2011 Peterbilt 388

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti with a Century 1140 40-ton rotator triaxle wrecker body. Miller Industries built this unit and it was spec’d by Paul Craze, Tommy Luciano and it's owner Dave Morton.

“I bought this Century 40-ton Rotator from Matheny Motors at the AT Expo in 2009. I’ve purchased several units from them over the past four years and they are great people to work with. We call this truck “The Tator,”shared Morton.

The Tator is powered by a Cummins ISX500 mated to an Eaton 18speed tranny. It has two 15-ton and two 35-ton D/P winches handling the pulls.

Morton informed, “The Tator is equipped with everything we need to do any kind of recovery work. It has a generator, chain saws, air bags, sawzalls, endless loops, straps, different size snatch blocks and shackles, and a complete Miller chain kit.”

The Tator is loaded with extras as well, including LEDs all around and even underneath the rig. Two 72” Radian light bars up top and tasteful touches of custom stainless highlights the lines of this beauty.

Razor Paint & Graphics Inc. of Fredericksburg, Virginia did the clean and classy paint and graphics.

As striking as this truck is to look at there is no question that this is a working rig. “We did a creek recovery of a car and zoomed it out with no impact to the environment. It was a bone chilling snowy day. We would have normally needed at least two trucks and would have risked splitting the gas can open, but The Tator handled it without any problem," insisted Morton.

“Heavy operator Lee Lint handles the daily driving of this special unit and I'll jump in and share the driving when needed.”

According to Morton, customer satisfaction is his company's number one priority. "Everyone in my company works diligently to ensure prompt, courteous and dependable service for all of our customers and having this unit in our fleet adds another level of service we can offer."

The Tator recovers a car from a frozen creek on a bone-chilling snowy day.

Tech Highlights Chassis: 2009 Peterbilt 338 Wrecker Body: Century 1140 40-Ton Rotator tri axle Engine: Cummins ISX500 Trans: Eaton 18-Speed Winches: D/P two 15-ton and two 35-ton Built by: Miller Industries Truck Name: The Tator Extras: LEDs all around, two 72” radian light bars and custom stainless steel Equipment: Generator, chain saws, air bags, sawzalls, endless loops, straps, complete Miller chain kit snatch blocks, shackles Paint/Graphics by: Razor Paint & Graphics Inc. of Fredericksburg, Va.

48 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

TOWMAN.COM - November 2010 • 49

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Century • Challenger • Champion • Eagle • Holmes • Orange Blossom • Signature Series • Sneeker • Zacklift • Vulcan 52 • November 2010 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 150 on Reader Card

TM

Copyright 2009 American Towman Magazine. Characters and stories are fictitious; no resemblance to real life characters is intended.

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