American Towman Magazine - November 2012

Don’t miss the Recovery Theater at the International Feast in Baltimore!

XPOSITION.COMM E T A

Number 176 on Reader Card

Number 218 on Reader Card

FEATURE CONTENTS

34

At the Mountaintop During the 2011 holiday season, Dillon Towing had four heavies and tons of rigging committed to a mountainside recovery in Colorado.

The crew at Dillon Towing spent three cold weeks on the Continental Divide rescuing huge mine equipment.

by Kelly Robinson

48

Departments Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Drop Etiquette Providing better service should always be a priority, especially when everyone is a potential customer.

by Don Archer

Impound Money . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Beacon’s On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 On Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

58

Gaining Separation Tow King in Waco, Texas, has established itself as a leader by finding the niche areas where they can excel.

by Mickey Mills

My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .77 TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 5

Ears to the Ground

by Steve Calitri

N

ative Americans would put an ear to the ground to track animal prey, find herds of buffalo and detect movement of an enemy tribe or the U.S. Cavalry. An Indian would study a leaf on the ground to forecast the coming winter’s severity.

Parallel Native Americans to Baltimore and you have “Native Towmen” who’ve learned to listen on the show floor and watch for the signs of progress that can carry them through their winters.

The tow boss who talks and listens will find ways to increase revenue and bring down operating costs. The average tow fleet of five trucks can improve annual cash flow by a minimum of $200,000 by employing computerized dispatch and GPS, finding the right insurance company, entering into the 21st Century to auction their unclaimed vehicles online, and finding the right equipment supplier. These are just a few of the broad strokes that a tow boss can make to be more successful in the towing business.

With more than 200 tow industry suppliers on the show floor inside the Baltimore Convention Center, Nov. 1618, there are many more tricks of the trade to learn.

It can be said that the American Towman Exposition, the world’s largest tow show, draws towing professionals who come to listen. Between the 30-plus seminars of the AT Academy and all the expertise among the exhibitors, there is a great deal to hear. For example, from Road America you will learn about opportunity in becoming an EV charging station; from the Automotive Training Institute the opportunity of getting into the repair game; from Insurance

6 • November 2012- TOWMAN.COM

Auto Auctions and TowLot.com the opportunity to drive up your revenue on unclaimed vehicles (IAA with a combined live and live-online bidding auction platform, and just an online auction platform through TowLot.com).

The show floor itself is a treasure trove of details encompassing an entire industry. Young and old tow business owners can learn something new in Baltimore.

Towmen and tow women will also be listening to each other. Twenty special events make up AT Expo, and that’s not including the 30-plus seminar sessions where they turn to each other. Be it the Welcome Cruise Thursday night or the Captains Conference, the Recovery Luncheon or the Bull & Pig Roast (Miller Rocks), Calitri’s Cuba or Festival Night, the Jerr-Dan Diner or Sunday’s International Feast & Recovery Show—at these events and others, towers are listening.

Young tow bosses have come to learn there are a lot of savvy, experienced brains to pick in Baltimore. The savvy, experienced brains discover the same. What can be learned among recovery specialists alone is worth the trip. Finding out how one successful tow boss has increased profitability is worth a great deal more.

I suppose not all Indians had their ears to the ground. There must have been a stubborn few who never got into the habit as their fathers tried to teach them. The meadow beyond the woods filled with buffalo got by those ears. No doubt some towers in Baltimore will fail to listen and look and the answers concerning one’s profitability will pass over their heads. But not many. With all the exhibitors and their expertise and the 10,000 towing professionals in the hall, it’s damn near impossible.

Publisher Dennie Ortiz Editor-In-Chief Steve Calitri Editor Brendan Dooley Operations Editor Randall Resch Field Editors Terry Abejuela Jim “Buck” Sorrenti Chassis Editor David Kolman Safety Editor Bill Simmons “On Screen” Editor Emily Oz Repo Run Editor Mark Lacek Editorial Board Tommy Anderson; Dallas, Texas Roy Carlson; St. Paul, Minn.

Gary Coe; Portland, Ore. Belinda Harris; Greensboro, N.C. Amado Llorens; Hialeah, Fla. Ron Mislan; Warren, N.J. Chuck Swider; Chicopee, Mass.

Frank Sanchez; Bridgewater, N.J. Page Layout Artist Ann Marie Nitti Advertising Sales Manager Dennie Ortiz Senior Account Executive Ellen Rosengart VP of Accounts Norma Calitri VP of Communications Neila Smith Subscription Manager Miriam Ortiz Customer Service Henri Calitri Publisher’s Assistant Sintora “Toni” Vanderhorst Tow Industry Week Media Director William Burwell American Towman TV Program Director Emily Oz American Towman Media Headquarters 7 West Street, Warwick, NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546 President Steve Calitri E-mail: Publisher: dortiz@towman.com Editor-In-Chief: scalitri@towman.com Editor: bdooley@towman.com AT’S Digital Edition: itowman.com AT’S Website: towman.com AT’S Weekly: towindustryweek.com ATTV: americantowmantv.com Copyright ©2012 American Towman Magazine is published 12 times a year by American Towman Media, Inc. Subscription: $50–1 yr; $95–2 yrs • US $65 and $105 • International 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.

Winter Gas Prices May Improve

Ga. Tower Repays $142,000 A Georgia tow truck operator that contracted with DeKalb County repaid about $142,000 the firm allegedly owed to the county from impounded car auctions.

DeKalb’s solicitor last spring reported that Cymill Motors sold 336 vehicles at public auctions without paying the county the profits.

In August, the tow owners were arrested; they agreed to restitution in the case and recently paid the tab in full.

Source: www.ajc.com

B/A Sets Open House B/A Products Co. will hold its sixth annual open house on Nov. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Shuttles will run every 15 minutes from outside the AT Expo in Baltimore, Md. A charity auction to benefit the children of a local fallen tower will be held at 3 p.m. There will be factory tours as well as destructive-testing demonstrations and recovery demos. Food and drink will be available throughout the day.

8 • November 2012- TOWMAN.COM

In Fresno, Calif., tow boss John DeCicco spent more than $100,000 on fuel for his fleet in the past year.

“I could buy a house with what I spend on fuel last year,” DeCicco said.

In this area, it’s $5 a gallon to fill up your tank with premium gas.

Petroleum experts say selling winter-blend gasoline could mean cheaper prices at the pump, at least 15 to 20 cents less a gallon.

That would bring some relief to towers.

“People don’t want to pay to have their cars towed; some of

N.C. Broadens

our contracts with law enforcement are locked in. The higher the gas goes, the less money we make,” DeCicco said. Source: www.cbs47.tv

'Move Over'

North Carolina beefed up its "Move Over Law" recently, bringing good news to people working state highways roads in vehicles with amber lights. A new version of the law now requires motorists to change lanes or slow down as they approach vehicles, including tow trucks, with flashing amber lights. The new law went into effect October 1.

The 11-year-old law included police, fire and emergency medical services, and the Incident Management Assistance Patrol vehicles operated by the state transportation department. It was enacted after a rash of incidents in which motorists

crashed into vehicles whose blue lights were flashing.

Supporters of the law say it has made the roads safer for law enforcement and other emergency responders. They hope the new regulations will do the same for construction crews, surveyors and tow truck drivers. Source: www.charlotteobserver.com

... The city council set out to punish others ...

Tower Assaulted, Robbed at Breakdown Virginia State Police recently responded to an armed robbery on I64 in York County for a tow truck driver who was assaulted.

A tower stopped to assist a brokendown black Honda Accord that was occupied by two men.

Police said the driver of the tow truck was held at gunpoint, assaulted and robbed by the two men who then fled the scene in the Accord. The incident remains under investigation.

Source: www.wavy.com

Couple Attempt to Rob Repossessor Police arrested a Pasadena, Calif., husband and wife after they threatened and tried to rob a tower who was repossessing their car.

The tower was trying to repossess the couple’s car, and they became angry. The husband reached into the driver’s pocket and tried to take the keys to the tow truck, resulting in a physical scuffle, police said.

Meanwhile, his wife threatened to retrieve a gun and shoot the tower.

Police arrived on-scene before things escalated and arrested the couple.

Source: www.sgvtribune.com

Ram Trucks Gains Commercial Division Chrysler Group is creating a new commercial-truck division within its Ram truck brand to target fleet buyers and small businesses.

The Ram Commercial division will have its own dedicated staff in all areas of the company that develop vehicles including product planning and design, according to Fred Diaz, president of the Ram truck brand. Source: www. ramtrucks.com

TIW Readers React to Impound Issue During the w eek o f Oct. 3, TowIndustryWeek.com ran a sto ry that caught a lo t o f read ers’ attentio n. It becam e o ne o f the m o stco m m ented articles o n TIW. The article in sum m ary: A simple impound during a football game in Boone, N.C., ended two weeks later with a new city ordinance requiring tow companies to remain open at least six hours after any tow in the city.

An out-of-town visitor’s car was towed during the game; the vehicle owner was told the towing company was closed until Monday morning. The Boone Police Department ordered the tow owner to bring the car back to the owner or face larceny charges. The tow operator ultimately complied.

The Boone City Council acted quickly on proposed amendments that require towing companies to stay open for six hours following towing a vehicle, towing companies must respond to calls about a towed vehicle within 30 minutes, make arrangements for payment to recover the vehicle in 30 minutes and arrange for the vehicle to be brought back to nearby the location it was towed from within one hour.

The amendment passed with a 31 vote despite pleas from local towers to take time to study the commercial impacts of the ordinance. Source: www.hcpress.com.

A sm all sam p le o f read er co m m ents o n this sto ry o n To w Ind ustryWeek .co m includ ed : “I don’t know this tow company, but it seems to me that they got greedy and thought they could make some extra money at the vehicle owners expense. Because of their actions every company in their area

will now pay the price.”

“I will release vehicles after hours for an extra fee, this is usually waived if the vehicle was towed after hours and is being picked up shortly thereafter. Everyone is being hard on the tow company, without hearing their side.”

“If their vehicle is impounded after office hours and the towing company has a policy of not releasing vehicles after hours I don’t think anyone else should intervene.”

“The Boone City Council has no business making a company stay open 6 hours after an impound unless they are going to subsidize the Towing Firms.”

“The Tow company clearly demonstrated poor customer care and the city council set out to punish others for ones actions.”

Be sure to read TIW every w eek to stay info rm ed and interact w ith o ther to w ers o n natio nal new s and m o re. w w w.to w ind ustryw eek .co m

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 9

Century Takes the ‘Right Approach’

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Video Event Data Recorder

Digital Ally’s DVM-250Plus Video Event Data Recorders may now utilize up to eight cameras while maintaining a dual recording feed.

Automatic record triggers can activate specific cameras. Internal memory may continuously record on a loop while only event recordings are stored on the SD card. Administrators can create their own custom reports or use any of the default options. GPS support also allows vehicles to be remotely located and tracked in real time.

Ready Ramps

Bulldog Towing Products’ Bulldog Ready Ramps are 8.5” wide with a 5” rise to assist with loading angles on flatbeds. The Bulldog Ready Ramp will fit in a 36” toolbox. A short bottom lip and dense material will help with wheel dollies. Custom configurations are available.

www.bulldogtowingproducts.com Number 201 on Reader Card

www.digitalallyinc.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Six-Function Transmitter with Keypad Receiver

If you lose your transmitter or there is a failure in the radio element of your receiver, Lodar’s new Keypad Receiver resolves that problem. The Keypad can be fitted to almost any 15-amp FET receiver, with up to six functions of output.

Directly switching the relays is a cost-effective way of providing a backup. It’s also available for two- and four-function mini, standard and IP systems.

ST 1075 Hydraulic Mobile Lifts

Stertil-Koni’s ST 1075 mobile heavy-duty lifts are ideal for a broad range of vehicle types in bus, truck, military and automotive. The ST 1075 comes with a fully wireless control option, a lifting capacity of 16,500 lbs. per column and Multi Master System technology.

www.lodar.com

www.stertil-koni.com

Number 202 on Reader Card

Number 203 on Reader Card

10 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s race car and the Right Approach will be at the Miller Industries booth in Baltimore.

C

entury introduced its Right Approach option to their patented 12 Series LCG carriers. The Right Approach allows the hinged rear tail section to be lowered to a 6-degree angle making it ideal for low-clearance and exotic cars.

With the lower deck height of the LCG carrier, the second approach angle is also reduced allowing the vehicle to be winched completely up the bed, or the bed can be lowered to provide a straight approach for increased clearance.

With the bed slid forward, the Right Approach/LCG rear deck is secured by a secondary set of bed locks that eliminates the need for manual pins or plungers.

The Right Approach/LCG is also available with the side-mount winch option that allows you to adjust the winch line to achieve a straight pull on a vehicle’s tow eye.

www.millerind.com Number 204 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 11

The Good Old Days Got Better Shifting from Onsite to Online Auctions

by Joe Richard

I

know some folks moan for the return of the good old days when everyone was out there face to face doing business, before the Internet turned the world on its head and made shopping and purchasing more convenient than anyone ever dreamed.

Those folks would look back upon an onsite auction as a true piece of Americana, an event alive and festive.

I’ll admit, there was an element of it that was exciting. Certainly some people made a day of it just to be around the excitement that the auctioneer and the bidders generated.

The fact is, though, 90 percent of those people never bought anything and the only businessmen I know who miss the onsite auction are the hot dog vendor we let on the lot and the auctioneer himself.

I met my auctioneer, who was an older fellow, at a farm equipment auction back in 1977. We became good friends, broke bread on occasion, and his son was the manager of a bodyshop I towed for. This auctioneer was good at his trade and helped me build my auction business for Pro-Tow into my company’s bread and butter.

As the auctions grew larger and more frequent, I was noticing how more and more aspects of other businesses were shifting to the Internet. I’d go to my doctor and his office was using the computer and the Internet to service patients with appointments and prescriptions. I noticed how car and equipment auctions were sprouting online.

As the vision and plan for TowLot.com took hold and it became clear I could save a considerable amount of money and drive sales higher on the Internet, I didn’t want to think of the moment I would tell my

12 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

You can significantly increase the number of serious bidders through an online auction.

Richard’s Pro-Tow lot is in the background above.

friend I wouldn’t be using him anymore. He was a wonderful guy and I didn’t want to hurt him.

Still, the businessman part of Joe Richard kept rearing its calculating mind. As we continued to do on-site auctions, I began to think of what an online auction system would eliminate; the 100 people roaming my lot and in and out of my shop, the necessity of renting portable toilets, hiring off-duty police officers, and all the people, time, and energy that went into an on-site auction.

A good auctioneer pumps up the crowd. I wondered if I would miss that with the online auction. I wondered if the buyers would miss that. The truth be told, there’s a trade off. Something

is lost, and something is gained. When we shifted to online our regular group of bidders, about 40 to 50 of them, made the transition without a hitch and quickly came to prefer the auction process online.

Even considering the human factor, there was something to be gained by not having the bidders physically all in one place. The online process seems to be a great equalizer. For example, the onsite auction could be intimidating to some bidders. One of our regular bidders was a huge fellow and he would tell this other bidder, a skinny fellow, to stand down on a particular car, and he would! But on the Internet, guess what? They’re slugging it out on each car.

Number 109 on Reader Card

Number 142 on Reader Card

The sellers also came to like the convenience of an online system that kept the records. For example, you simply print out the bill-of-sale that includes all the critical data on the vehicle. It helps the buyer too when he goes to the DMV. An online system, because it’s computerized, also has built-in features that house reports for lien compliance.

More than anything else, sellers like the fact that sales prices double and triple with an online auction. No brag, just fact. The reason is simple. An online auction has the potential to attract many times more the numbers of bidders than an onsite auction does. The convenience of being able to bid from your laptop or tablet or smart phone, and not have to drive to an auction site, can’t be beat. Likewise the convenience for the seller of having an auction run automatically online, can’t be beat.

I made a business decision in 2006 to create TowLot.com and shift my ProTow auctions online. That decision has saved me nearly $600,000 in auctionrelated fees over a six-year period. Likewise, it has saved other towers money

that can be used in other areas of their operations.

Do I miss the thrill of the live auctioneer barking out prices? Let me just say it’s a fond memory. Today when one of our Pro-Tow auctions runs on TowLot.com, we occasionally have an office party. We play a little game over who can predict the final sales price of a vehicle. The guys responsible for cleaning up the vehicles watch with interest to see how the cars sell, particularly those they did put some extra time into.

The bidding process online has its own brand of excitement and anticipation. When there’s a lull in the bidding a 10-second clock starts ticking away.

So what we call a “lightning round” auction has an atmosphere where the action hangs on every second.

I had a dream recently, as bizarre as most dreams are, that my old auctioneer was working up a crowd that was running riot all over my property. I awoke with no feelings of nostalgia.

Editor’s note: Joe Richard is the owner of Pro-Tow in Overland Park, Kan. and the founder of TowLot.com.

Number 173 on Reader Card

Number 127 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 15

Number 140 on Reader Card

ADVERTISER

ACTION PAGE

AD INDEX

Fax To: 888-847-6035 Page #

AAA 17 Access Tools 61 Agero 63 Akins Body & Carrier Sales 21 Allstate Roadside Services 79 AT Expo 7 Atlantic Emergency Solutions 60 Auto Data Direct 43 ATSA 66, 67 ATTV 68 AW Direct/Grainger 28 B/A Products 51 Blades Tow Right 68 Century 40, 41 Chevron 33 Comeup USA 69 Crouch’s Wrecker & Equip. Sales 51 DewEze Mfg. 62 Digital Ally 15 Dynamic Towing Eq. & Mfg. 62 ECM Performance 15 Equipment Sales & Service 69 Ford Commercial Truck 2, 3 Freightliner 4 Gwinnett Place Wr. & Carr. Div. 71 Hino Motor Sales USA, Inc. 14 Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) 31 Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease 50 Jerr-Dan Corp.

80 16 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

RS# 179 102 114 126 183 —— 153 197 193 —— 209 108 216 143 154 214 177 147 127 165 173 152 176 218 207 142 110 145 124

Page # Jiffy Jump 26 KOLO DBS 64 Landoll Corp.

19 LDM 39 Lift & Tow 44 Matheny Motor Truck Co. 37 Matjack/International Wreckers 49 New England Truckmaster 54 North American BanCard 13, 32 NRC 29 OMG 46 Pierce Sales 46 Prof. Wrecker Operators of Fla. 50 Progressive Platforms 55 Purpose Wrecker Sales 47 Ranger SST 20 Road America 19 Sovereign Merchant Services 31 Sovereign/Santander 45 Steck 26 TomTom Works 27 TowIndustryWeek.com 66, 76 TowLot.com 25, 52, 53 TowMate 65 Twin Cities Wrecker Sales 64 Vulcan Equipment 23 Worldwide Equipment Sales 43 Wrecker.com 56, 57 Zacklift International 49 Zip’s Truck Equipment 16

RS# 164 187 174 160 139 194 186 171 109 111 101 117 217 210 212 123 156 130 103 132 180 —— 159 191 215 143 151 —— 121 140

NOVEMBER 2012 For more product info, go to www.towman.com and click on the FREE Product info icon.

Or circle the corresponding reader service number on the Action Card to the right, and send it in.

Form is valid for three months

Number 179 on Reader Card

Steps to Improve Credit Worthiness

by Peter A. Ferrara Sr.

Y

ou likely already know that the financial crisis of 2008 included hundreds of billions of dollars in government bailouts of our banking system and that there was a 50-percent decline in the stock market from September 2007 to March 2009. But, what does 2008’s financial “meltdown” have to do with the average tow operator who risks life and limb 24/7 on America’s highways and byways?

That meltdown had, and continues to have, a tremendous effect on the towing industry and specifically the industry’s access to credit.

The most glaring statistic according to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association is that during the period from September 2007 to March 2009, the approval rates for applications for commercial vehicles and capital equipment financing/leasing fell from a high of 76 percent to a low of 59 percent. By the end of 2008, the era of borrowers dictating terms for financing abruptly ended and ushered in the era of lenders dictating terms.

In addition to the obvious tightening of credit standards, the availability of credit was severely limited by the rapid exit from lending to small and mid-sized businesses by major money center, regional and community banks throughout the U.S. Following the banks out of the lending arena were scores of financing and leasing companies who were alternative funding sources.

The bottom line issues of the financial panic on the towing industry were: • Credit for the financing of new/used trucks was more difficult to acquire; • Lenders who remained committed to the industry began to require additional and more detailed financial information; and • The previous era’s straight-forward approach to the credit underwriting process became a cumbersome maze 18 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

and left the towing industry with a set of unprecedented credit-access issues.

Statistics on the economy issued by the government and private researchers would lead one to believe that the recovery from the Great Recession (some would say Depression) is underway. But it’s not yet being felt by many of us, including towers. Financing rates are at near-record lows and the forecast for rates appear to be locked into a narrow range.

Banks and alternative financing sources are cautiously reentering the market. Credit underwriting will continue to be more thorough than in the pre-meltdown era. The basic credit investigatory data, i.e. credit score, cash flow, and collateral, are still the building blocks of making a prudent credit decision.

As the dollar amount of the credit request increases (like to acquire multiple trucks and/or heavy-duty units), the level of required information increases as well. Business and/or personal tax returns, personal financial statements, reference letters from auto clubs (if applicable), disclosure of municipal towing contracts, etc. should be part of this level of financing requests.

The average approval rates for com-

mercial vehicle and equipment leases/loans are back in the high 60-percentile levels, and, interestingly, approval rates for lenders specializing in hard collateral vehicles/equipment categories (including the tow industry) have re-crossed the 80-percent line.

Here are a few suggestions to improve the likelihood of a positive credit decision and speed-up turnaround time:

Application The process all starts with you providing a lender with a credit application and that application is where the lender gets their first impression of you and your company as a loan candidate. You should complete the application neatly and in its entirety. Be sure to disclose other lenders who have extended similar credit to you in the past. Seasoned credit officers will tell you that there is no such thing as an applicant providing too much information.

Interview Many banks and alternative lenders will conduct interviews with an applicant, usually by telephone. When you speak to your representative be enthusiastic about your company and convey

Number 156 on Reader Card

Number 174 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 19

the pride and passion for the industry you’ve selected as a career. Be candid with the interviewer; if you’ve had past credit problems be upfront about the situation. Explain how it happened, what you did to resolve it and what you’ve done to ensure that it doesn’t happen in the future.

Credit Score Right after the interviewer reviews your application and completes their notes on the interview, a file is created and sent into the credit department.

The first thing the credit analyst does is run your personal credit to determine your credit score, commonly called a FICO score. The higher the score is, the better for you. Scores above 700 are considered excellent; scores below 620 typically reflect current or past credit problems. These scores are calculated from many different aspects of credit data in your report. There are five data categories that go into the scoring (with percentage of importance):

• Payment history; a simple look at how you pay your credit obligations (35 percent).

• Amount of credit currently and historically extended to you (30 percent).

• Length of credit history (15 percent).

• How much new credit recently acquired (10 percent).

• Types of credit you use, like mortgages, bank and retail credit cards, motor vehicle credit, etc. (10 percent).

The best advice on maintaining a good credit score is don’t extend your credit beyond your ability to make payments in accordance with the terms. You need to be diligent in making timely monthly payments. Finally, you should try to review your credit report on an annual basis to make sure that your creditors are properly reporting your payment history and that there are no mistakes on your report. A search of the Internet can get you to websites that offer free/inexpensive ways to check your credit history and get your credit score.

Financial Statements Many tow operators use their business/personal tax returns when applying for financing for vehicles or other equipment. Operations that are small, typically less than five trucks, and intend to stay at that size probably will never need to add an accountant’s prepared financial statement to their credit applications.

However, larger operators and operators with long-term strategic growth plans should consult with a local accountant to understand the various levels of financial statements (compilation, review, and audit), as well as the cost and record keeping needed to capture the information. The cost of accountant-prepared financials will easily be offset by the potential of better financing rates and access to greater amounts of credit to help the business grow.

Credit Relationship The towing industry is unique in many ways and it is very capital intensive. There is a constant need to replace, add or upgrade trucks, most of which need to be financed. Make the effort to develop a relationship with a lender who understands the towing industry.

Successful towing operators have strong relationships with a bank or an alternative funding source and the representatives of those institutions. By developing such a relationship, you have someone in the bank that understands your business and can competently communicate that understanding as well as your needs to the credit department as new financing needs arise.

Visit with industry lenders when you attend trade shows or other industry events and look to develop a longterm relationship with someone you consider a real financing industry professional.

Editor’s note:

American Towman Magazine is on Facebook !

20 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Get the scoop, interact with us and share your stories and photos!

Peter A. Ferrara Sr. is the Group Head of The Specialty Vehicle and Equipment Funding Group, a subsidiary of Brookline Bank.

He’s been a lender to the towing industry for more than 35 years.

Number 126 on Reader Card

Positioning Dollies Aid Vehicle Maneuvering

by Terry Abejuela

B

efore vehicle-positioning dollies were an option, many towers would use floor jacks to re-position cars that needed it. Since floor jacks were not intended for this, they’re not safe for this use (and with the advent of unibody designs, the practice is even more hazardous).

Re-positioning may be required when a front-wheel-drive vehicle is head first in a parking stall and no keys are available. Vehicles can be repositioned without having to unlock, with emergency brakes on, the transmission is in park or the steering wheels are turned and locked.

Before operating a positioning dolly, make sure that you read and understand all of the instructions and warnings. In the towing industry we commonly use two positioning dollies.

Most have a label indicating load rating for the individual unit.

Positioning dollies should be properly maintained, including coating the toothed shaft with bearing grease on the both sides and the bottom of the shaft, but not on the teeth. Lubricate the pivot pins with SAE 30W motor oil or light machine oil. The dollies should be inspected as part of your regular truck equipment inspection.

Check for excessive wear, damage or binding. All moving parts should move freely.

Positioning dollies are designed to be used on level and reasonably smooth surfaces and for hand maneuvering of vehicles only. Never attempt to tow a vehicle that is lifted on positioning dollies.

22 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

One of the first vehicle-positioning dollies (and probably the most common in towing) is the GoJak from Zendex Tool Corp.

In use, place one dolly next to one of the tires to be lifted, with the ratchet foot pedal nearest you. Press down on the foot pedal and release the pedal lock. Flip the directional lever on top of the foot pedal to it’s lowered position. Depress and release the foot pedal to release the locking pawl.

Separate the left and right side axle assemblies enough to fit around the tire by grabbing the top of the left axle with your left hand and the center of the foot pedal with your right hand and sliding them apart. (This would be opposite if you are using a left-handed unit.) Slide the dolly under the tire so that the rollers contact the tread. The unit should be parallel to the tire and approximately 3/4” from the sidewall.

Slide the left and right side axles

together. The tire tread of the vehicle should only contact the rollers and not the axle of the positioning dolly.

Once the unit is in place, flip the directional lever up, depress the foot pedal and allow it to slowly lift. Continue until the vehicle tire is about 1” off of the ground. Repeat at other tires to be lifted. Never leave a vehicle unattended while lifted.

Positioning dollies make our jobs easier and safer, but only trained, experienced operators should use them.

Terry Abejuela has 30 years of light-duty towing-and-recovery experience; he's also been a light-duty level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association since 1998.

Number 143 on Reader Card

When Calls Cancel

by Randall C. Resch

I

n this age of multiple-company competition, it’s a fact that some calls you’re dispatched to will be cancelled and for a number of reasons. Today’s bad economy bears tremendous operational costs, increased insurances, and wear and tear on your equipment, and sending a tow truck out for a call that is cancelled is difficult to swallow.

Responding to requests for service is the nature of our business and it hurts when you’ve responded to police requests only to return emptyhanded. This is one of those areas that sometimes can’t be avoided. There are many reasons towers lose out on police tows, even after being dispatched.

While it’s not an intentional or regular practice, there are valid reasons that calls cancel: • Most commonly is when rotation companies fail to answer their dispatch phones in a timely manner.

When your company’s dispatchers aren’t timely in answering incoming

24 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Perhaps the worst reason to be cancelled or sent away is when ... the driver doesn’t have the required skills and competency to work the scene. calls, the agency dispatcher’s will go to the next company on the list (usually after a third ring). This is your inhouse problem that needs to be corrected immediately.

• When officers request tow trucks via Mobile Data Terminal, and if the supplied dispatch software has

glitches, a tow request may duplicate.

It’s not uncommon for three tow trucks to show-up for one vehicle. This could be a departmental issue that must be corrected.

• In cities that operate formal Freeway Service Patrols, suppose an onscene officer initially requests a rotation tow, but an FSP truck arrives (after the initial request) and tows the vehicle to a designated drop zone.

Accordingly, the rotation company might be cancelled unless the casualty vehicle requires a further tow or service.

• In most jurisdictions, vehicle owners have (limited) rights to request their own tow company or service provider as long as the requested company arrives in a reasonable period. If you (the requested tow) arrive onscene before the owner’s tow arrives, the officer has sole-discretion whether to wait for the owner’s tow and cancel you. However, if you’ve arrived onscene before their company’s tow arrives, and the vehicle is still blocking

Number 159 on Reader Card

see us at Booth# 804

Number 164 on Reader Card

an intersection, ask the officer if you can be of assistance … even if it’s only to get it out of the roadway.

• Another common occurrence is when two or more officers unknowingly order tow trucks at the same time for the same incident. This happens when an accident scene involves multiple vehicles.

• When different law enforcement agencies work the same incident and each request tow trucks, the other agency may not know that each requested a tow truck.

• When rotation companies take longer than contract ETAs, officers may re-order the company that’s next on the list. Officers shouldn’t have to wait longer than the specified ETA. This is your company’s in-house problem that must be corrected immediately.

• When two or more tow trucks arrive on scene and the officer gives the tow to the first tower.

• When officers determine there’s no legal authority for the tow or agency errors were made in the first place, but the tow request was already made. This oftentimes occurs when an on-going investigation unfolds and facts surface to determine that a crime did not occur, or, there was no legal authority to tow the vehicle.

• If a driver is stopped for DUI and a tow is requested immediately, the arresting officer may determine, after making the initial tow request, that another person within the vehicle is not impaired and allowed to drive the vehicle away.

• You’re a rotation company dispatched to an accident scene where it’s determined that it’s a fatality investigation. In most cases, if the deceased is still within the vehicle, you may be cancelled because the coroner has not yet responded. (If your company is not an evidence tow provider, most likely you won’t get the return request, as an evidence contractor will be called to respond.)

Getting Uninvited Perhaps the worst reason to be cancelled or sent away is when a tow company sends a driver to an accident scene and the driver doesn’t have the required skills and competency to work the scene. The officer-in-charge may ask, even order, the tower to leave the scene for reasons of incompetency … getting “uninvited” only leads to bigger problems.

Some officers don’t have the patience or time to babysit tow truck operators who don’t have the skills to work their scene. This occurrence most likely will result in the on-scene officer generating a formal complaint where the tow company could be disciplined, suspended or removed from the agency’s list of rotation towers.

Got Solutions?

If the call you were dispatched to cancels, there’s not much that can be done when the tow is given to another company, or the officer cancels your company’s services.

If you’re cancelled based on one or more of the reasons listed above, there might be solutions; however, they must be approached diplomatically.

Number 132 on Reader Card

26 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

What Can You Do? If a call cancels and you’re close to the call’s location, continue to the scene or location until your company’s dispatcher confirms the call is cancelled.

If you arrive and another company is hooked up to your vehicle, park your tow vehicle in a safe and out-ofthe-way location and make contact with the investigating officer. It is reasonable to ask if you’re still needed at the scene. Simply make them aware that you were dispatched to the call, keeping in mind there are reasons for the call canceling. Unless your dispatch has confirmed the cancellation … don’t just drive off.

If the officer advises you that the call is cancelled, request that your company be put back at the top of the rotation list.

If you believe that another company or a non-rotation company has jumped your call and is hooking up to your vehicle, advise the officer. They should (but may not) inquire as to how that company received the call?

If you’ve been cancelled by the officer on-scene and you still believe that the company who got your vehicle jumped the call, advise your company’s dispatch of the offending company name, truck description and call information.

Keep a Cancelled Call Log of instances pertaining to the call’s information and when your call was cancelled. In certain cases, a pattern of call jumping may be evident where you can initiate a formal complaint to your area’s tow boss against the companies you feel are allegedly jumping your calls. It’s only fair to those companies who’ve been awarded rotation or sole contracts.

Making complaints for being cancelled is one of those “be careful” scenarios. When it comes to complaining to your tow boss, unless your company has an outstanding response record, there’s a possibility that the tow boss or whoever investigates your complaint may toss back ETAs in your face. (There are past instances where tow companies make a lot of noise that they aren’t getting their fair share of calls, only to wind up on the bottom side of an agency audit.)

It takes effort to become a rotation tow company or be awarded a law-enforcement contract. Tow companies who’ve successfully bid area contracts have earned the right to get their fair share of vehicles to be towed. For outside companies who aren’t contract providers or rotation towers, it’s law enforcement’s responsibility to enforce whatever laws necessary to prohibit rascal companies from stealing calls.

Companies that respond to calls by “scanning” may not be violating the law. In some major U.S. cities, scanning is commonplace and allowed by law enforcement. Unless state or municipal law prohibits scanning, tow companies have the right to conduct business in that manner as long as business and response is conducted within the letter of the law.

The Bottom Line In the event that you’ve been cancelled for whatever reaNumber 180 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 27

Some officers don’t have the patience or time to babysit tow truck operators who don’t have the skills to work their scene.

sons, you might be obligated by contract to leave the scene immediately.

Never challenge an officer for any reason on the cancellation. Officers owe you no explanation, just that the tow was cancelled—not why.

Diplomacy plays a huge part in dealing with law enforcement. It’s common for towers to take it somewhat personally when another company “get’s your call,” so attitudes and personalities are likely to flare.

There are ways to approach those situations with tact and composure.

But if you experience an unusually high number of cancelled calls, document and evaluate whether to bring the matter to your boss’ attention. If there’s sufficient data, there may be justification for the tow boss to make a surprise visit to an area competitor.

If you’re a company that’s guilty of jumping calls, it’s only a matter of time before you’re caught up in a sting operation. Once the word get’s out that call jumping is an unacceptable practice, perhaps there will be fewer incidents.

Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for 40 years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and lightduty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.

Number 209 on Reader Card

28 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 111 on Reader Card

‘Repo-thug’ or Recovery Agent?

by Mark Lacek

I

f you consider yourself a professional, you darn well should act like it. Here are several tips to being a better recovery agent:

The Right Moment

A good recovery agent will always choose the right moment to repossess the collateral; he understands the best repo is the one when there is no confrontation. If you can back your truck up to the asset, lift and go without the debtor coming out of the house, it is safe for you as well as the debtor. No one wants a confrontation, but the situation often can escalate into violence.

With the introduction of the L-arms and the speed in which autos can be lifted and moved, repossessions can be safer than ever. My best times to recover assets from driveways in bad neighborhoods are between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Saturdays or Sundays. (The worst time in a bad “hood” is Friday and Saturday nights.)

I understand each account has different circumstances. All of the variables particular to the account will show just the right moment to recover the asset. Is it lunchtime at the residence or in the afternoon at the place of business or maybe even Saturday afternoon at the golf club?

Keep Out I cannot tell you how often I have listened to a fellow agent tell the story about when he let the debtor back into the vehicle to retrieve tools, a wallet or purse, a baby seat or something else. In the next moment the repossession agent is standing there looking down the barrel of a .357 Magnum handgun. This does happen, it has happened to me. I promise you this: you learn fast how to talk in a situation such as this. You also make sure you never let it happen again. Be the guy who is helpful, retrieve the items for the debtor, be polite and stay alive.

Never return a weapon back to the 30 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

debtor without letting the local sheriff or police department run the serial number to see if the weapon is stolen or wanted.

Always remove and discard ammunition before returning a weapon to a debtor. I don’t think you want the word “stupid” on your headstone or written into your eulogy.

Never stick your hand behind or under a seat or anywhere in a vehicle without leather gloves or without looking into the area with a flashlight. It just takes one dirty needle to scare the heck out of you or put you in the hospital.

If there is a confrontation ... do your best to defuse the situation.

Confrontations The self-help repossession is deemed legal by State and Federal law as long as there is no “breach of the peace.” The problem is that the definition of breach of the peace is not clearly defined and left to interpretation. Some courts have ruled the presence of law enforcement constitutes breach of the peace simply because of the presence of the “color of law.”

If there is a confrontation during the recovery, do your best to defuse the situation. Leave without the asset if you must; you can repossess at another time.

Never let the client dictate your company policy.

Stay Rolling Imagine the satisfaction of completing a recovery you have been working for a couple of months. A mile or two down

the road you pull over into the 7-Eleven for a celebratory Gatorade only to step outside to see the debtor had lowered the car and is now driving away with your latest trophy recovery.

It’s difficult to know if you’re being followed. Maybe the debtor was returning home as you passed him. Maybe he followed you in another car. Maybe he was a part-time employee at the very same store you visited, saw you and his car come in and went out the back. I am sure you have some coincidences that surprised you. These things happen.

After you repossess the asset, take it directly back to your yard and close the gate.

Take Inventory Everyone has personal items left in the car. By law you must offer the debtor the ability to retrieve these items. An organized repossession agency will inventory and remove these items and place them in separate storage. Most recovery agencies charge a reasonable fee to the debtor for this service.

This process almost always causes the debtor to become upset. Explain to the debtor you have to pay an employee to remove, inventory and protect his property. Explain to the debtor how important it is to you that all of his belongings are returned to him. The safest way to conduct this transaction is to have a separate entrance just for this process. Many agencies have a small room where the debtor enters and speaks through a protective glass barrier. Have the debtor sign for his items before returning them to him. Have one of your employees help place the items into the debtor’s vehicle.

If the debtor is redeeming the repossessed vehicle or if he arrived in a friend’s or relative’s auto, being the nicest person he has met today will go a long way towards safety. Remember the debtor is more than likely going to be

Number 110 on Reader Card

Number 130 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 31

either embarrassed or upset. There is no reason not to be courteous or polite. The speedier the process, the safer it is for everyone.

Off Limits It is against the law for anyone to use the repossessed vehicle for personal use.

Imagine if your pick-up truck was repossessed and the following Saturday afternoon you saw your truck at Home Depot being loaded with plywood. Not only is this an illegal act, it’s just wrong. If you are guilty of this bad habit, you deserve to have your license revoked.

Be Polite You might as well visit the self-help section of your nearest bookstore and stock up on any book which has anything to do with talking, selling or controlling your temper. The recovery business has no place for short tempers or a smartaleck repossessor. Get used to it now, people will call you all kinds of names, and insult your character, your appearance, your wife, your kids and anything else they can think of. Learn how to listen, speak and deal effectively with confrontations.

Dress Professionally We have all watched the characters

32 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

on the “Not TruTV” reality repo shows.

You have read my opinions in the past about these buffoons. Do not go to work looking like these fakes. It is not fear, but respect that will determine if a debtor politely hands over the keys to the asset.

If you show up at a debtor’s door dressed as if you just came from a professional wrestling competition or a mudbog pull, I guarantee you will not be respected. I’m not saying wear a tie, but I do believe in a nice polo shirt and some Dockers or a new pair of jeans.

Keep in mind: If you’re knocking on a door, you are at the beginning of a professional meeting. You are at the door to sell a pitch, to gain information or to ask for keys. If you look like a pro, you will more than likely be treated as such.

Know the Law Don’t just familiarize yourself with your state’s laws regarding the repossession process, but rather really study these very important rules and regulations. Memorize the rules until you can repeat them verbatim. Have printed material available in your office and in your trucks.

I cannot tell you how many times I have given copies of the repossession rules to my local law enforcement about the facts of repossession law. Some states

Number 109 on Reader Card

actually print material for repossession agencies to hand out to the local law enforcement. When you are known as the repossessor who operates within the guidelines of the law, you will gain the respect of the law enforcement in your community.

Go to Shows Many of you operate in a state with a formal repossession or towing association. A smaller state or regional towing or recovery association is a great outlet for a monthly or quarterly meeting or a yearly expo. Many of these events offer continuing education on safety, legal and other issues about our industries. This is a great opportunity to visit vendors who provide products and services to our industries and share stories of the job with others who do the same thing every day.

Attend the seminars, review your state’s laws and consider joining the board of your state association. Become a part of the rule-making process; be the professional whose name is brought up when repossessions or towing are discussed. Be the pro!

Editor’s note: Author Mark Lacek is a 30-year recovery industry veteran and former editor of Professional Repossessor magazine.

Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com

SERVING THE TOWING AND RECOVERY INDUSTRY SINCE 1966

Exotic, High Performance or Low Clearance vehicles are no problem for Chevron’s Generation II LoadRite carriers. The LoadRite features a unique “drop deck” design with a sloped tail section that improves the load angle an additional 3 degrees. For ease in securing your load, the LoadRite option on a steel carrier features bidirectional chain locks down the inside rail every 12 inches.

Number 154 on Reader Card

a long steep face under a jagged section of the mountain where the boulders were as big as houses.

From that viewpoint it was almost intimidating, so we drove up within 300’ of the edge and walked out to see a D8 dozer buried in a hole and hooked to the D10 with its winch line and three or four 90,000-lbs.-rated endless loops.

From the edge to the next level was around 1,000’.

I surveyed the scene and asked how much each dozer weighed. The D11 was 231,000 lbs. and the D10 was 146,000 lbs. I said we could do the job, but we would need them to provide equipment for anchors. We were joined on the mountain by the mine’s lead operator, rescue team, manager and

safety manager to talk about the recovery plan. The department heads stressed safety and said they were not going to put any more of their equipment or men over the edge due to the slope and frozen ground. Then they asked about the recovery.

We needed them to create a pad approximately 120’ by 60’ to accommodate four large wreckers and two anchors (which turned out to be one D10 dozer). They said it would take a couple of days, which gave us time to advise our owner on the job and start calculating the resistance for each machine.

At this point, they gave us the job and offered whatever help we needed, and asked how confident I was we

The crew works the scene early in the process (left). Elevation, slope and distance to the casualties were constant obstacles (below).

At the

The whole crew at Dillon Towing & Recovery in Silverthorne, Colo., was involved in recovering a few million dollars' worth of mine equipment during the Christmas holiday season in 2011. Their four Century and Vulcan heavy units spent a lot of time running atop the Continental Divide.

Mountaintop Photos by Dillon Towing & Recovery; Silverthorne, Colo.

by Kelly Robinson

Three Cold Weeks Rescuing Two Big Dozers

34 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

I

t was an average winter day last December when our office manager, Wanda, handed me a note about two bulldozers in the ditch at a large mine 25 miles southwest from our shop in Silverthorne, Colo. The operations superintendent said on the phone he had a Caterpillar D10 and D11 that were about 200’ over the side of a 50 percent to 60 percent slope at 12,400’ elevation on the Continen-

tal Divide. The D11 was sideways and the D10 was on its right side almost standing on the blade.

I went to the mine with another of our shop’s heavy-duty operators, Aaron, to check out the potential recovery. We met the operations superintendent, updated our MSHA Hazard Certificates and walked out to where he pointed at the dozers near the top of the mountain. They were on TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 35

could do it. I said I knew we could do it, I just needed some time to run the numbers and make sure we had enough rigging.

We drove back to the shop and told the owner, Danny, about this enormous recovery and he could not believe it.

Then we spent the rest of the day going through our rigging and talking about the job until around 10 p.m.

December 9 Danny and I drove up to use a range finder to measure the exact distance to the machines. (Due to the mine’s safety policy, we had to be escorted by mine personnel every trip to the scene.) We measured the distance at 239’ to the machines.

The safety manager and lead operator joined us to discuss the recovery.

Due to the enormous size of the job and the cost of the equipment being recovered, they agreed to have their best

operators doze a road down to the D11 that would be a safer and more level place to winch the machines onto; it also allowed us to drive our rigging down the slope. They estimated it would take another full day to put the road in.

The initial plan was just to simply hook onto and hold the D11 so they could put an operator in it, start it and back it onto the newly dozed road. They said they were not willing to put any of their personnel in it or on it until we had it secured. Then the head mechanic arrived and said that he walked down to the D11 and checked the oil and that they could not start it due to the angle it was at and the probability of oil being on top of the pistons.

We left knowing the distance from the pad level down to the machines; I still had to calculate the resistance and figure out how many parts of line we needed for the rigging. I spent the rest of the day working on that.

December 10 Our crew went to the mine so everyone who did not have a MSHA Hazard Certificate could get certified. Then we drove up the mountain escorted by mine personnel, the safety manager and lead operator to look at the pad and check its specs.

Things looked good, and afterwards I showed Danny the rigging layup. He liked it and added a few things, and we discussed different ideas for the rest of the day while the rest of the crew was inspecting equipment (literally every link and hook and every inch of the winch line on the Century 1075S rotator, 45-ton and 35-ton units and Vulcan V100 we were going to use). We had them checking hydraulic oil levels, inspecting hydraulic lines, winch oil levels, servicing the wreckers and inspecting everything down to the smallest details.

They worked hard into the night making sure everything was in safe working order. Thanks to their dedication, we felt the rigging was ready to go.

December 11 We thought of different things that On the second recovery with the D10 (left), rigging was difficult. Some days were more waiting than recovering (below), as the mine spent most of Dec. 16 trying to get the D11 going on its own.

36 • November 2012- TOWMAN.COM

Number194 on Reader Card

woke us during the night, so we met again in the morning to finalize our rigging plans. After going through all the rigging, we decided that due to the load on each snatch block we would purchase 15 new snatch blocks and 3,800’ of 3/4” 6x37 wire rope and 1,250’ of 7/8” 6x37 wire rope made into 750’ and 500’ sections, with 800’ and 550’ sections where we would stage each wrecker and the anchors.

We came back to the shop and helped the crew go through the rest of the rigging when I got a call from the lead operator saying that the pad should be ready Monday afternoon or night, and that we could start the job Tuesday morning (Dec. 13).

December 12 We started calling our suppliers to see if they had the snatch blocks and wire rope and could cut it into the lengths we needed. We sent our driver Steve to two different suppliers in Denver with our Dodge flatbed to pick it all up. He arrived back at the shop that evening with a flatbed full of rigging— that’s when it started sinking in just how big this job was.

The pad was done and they wanted us to start at 7 a.m. I let the crew know so we could go home and try and get some sleep.

December 13 We met at the shop at 6 a.m. where Cindy, Kelli and Wanda made breakfast burritos for us and the Frisco Conoco (also owned by Danny) made sack lunches for the entire crew. We headed for the mine with the four Miller wreckers, our Dodge flatbed carrying rigging and a four-wheel drive Ford F-350. We met the lead operator, checked in got escorted to the pad and started staging.

I had calculated the resistance on the D11—just in case we did have to recover it instead of just holding it. We got all four wreckers staged; then the safety manager showed up and told us the mine’s mountain rescue team would be the ones who rappelled over the edge of the platform to start running the lines. We had to wait for the rescue team to get their tripod set and their gear on, and then explained the layup. While they were getting prepped, we loaded the Ford almost full with chains, snatch blocks, shackles, endless loops, mud flaps, etc.

The rest of the day was spent waiting for mine personnel to get an ambulance on site and then trying different ways to get the D11 out after we got it hooked up. The rigging was a slow and painstaking process to run lines 239’ down a 60-degree slope, through a boulder field, then down a 20’ vertical drop at the bottom in winter conditions.

The wind at that elevation was constant and sometimes blowing so hard the climber could not hear us, so we had to use two-way radios to communicate with the climber and our personnel at the platform and down at the dozers.

December 14 We arrived again at 7 a.m., checked in, were escorted to the pad and went to work. After some failed attempts by the mine to drag the D11 back onto the road with two D10s, the operations superintendent asked us to, “Please get the recovery into progress.” We started rigging and had the 75-ton rigged and part of the 50-ton done by the end of the day.

December 15 Back again at 7 a.m., we checked in and went back to rigging. Around 3 p.m., we started pulling. I was at the D11 watching all of the snatch blocks, chains and shackles and had each operator tighten one line at a time until each of the 28 lines were taut. I checked every hookup point and every piece of rigging at the D11, while Danny and crew checked over all rigging at the pad.

The mine safety manager wanted to have a safety meeting for everyone before we got started, so we all met at the pad. I had one operator for each wrecker and one spotter for each operator with a two-way radio. Two addiThe 45-ton Century held the D10 in place over the Christmas weekend; mine staffers kept the unit fueled and checked on it until the towers got back to hook up again on Dec. 26.

38 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 160 on Reader Card

Number 143 on Reader Card

afraid they might not start due to the freezing conditions.

December 16

The mine's rescue team assisted with some rigging and safety issues (above). Dillon's four heavy-duty units were assisted by mine equipment as anchors and in some layups (top and bottom).

tional spotters, the lead operator and the operations superintendent also had radios.

I radioed to the first spotter to engage the first winch and take it to 2,000 psi, then the next winch to 2,000 psi, then the next spotter had his operator do the same and so on until all 28 lines were tight and the trucks settled in. Then I kept the bulk of the pull on the 75-ton and 50-ton wreckers, and had the smaller trucks carry a little less. (We also had a Caterpillar D8 with an 80,000-lbs. winch pulling backwards that was tied off to a Cat 345 excavator.)

The operations superintendent and lead operator suggested that they dig the mountain out on the uphill side so that the dozer would sit more level once we got it winched off the rocks and up about 20’. At that point we backed off of the winches and let the 345 excavator get in and start digging. After an hour or so, we went back to winching—for several hours. Our progress was slow but steady, and we measured success a 1/2” at a time until we had the massive D11 sitting on more level ground and partially in the hole from the excavator.

We left all of our wreckers there for the night, running because we were

We arrived again to check in and get our escort to the pad; all trucks were still there and running. We engaged the PTOs and got them warming up. The head mechanic checked the oil on the D11 and they got it running, but it kept overheating before they could move it. We ran out of daylight and the mine manager said we could only work on the mine property for five consecutive days. They wanted to work on the D11 anyways, so we were off the job over the weekend. We unhooked each wrecker’s winch lines from the rigging, packed up and went home for much needed R&R.

December 19 Spent the day hooking our wreckers’ winch lines back up to the rigging while the mechanics tried again to start the D11. They got it running and tried to back it out, but couldn’t

because it was high-centered on a huge boulder.

They tried pulling on the D11 with a D10 and couldn’t budge it. They added another D10 to the first D10 and still couldn’t budge it. They were frustrated and asked us to move the machine off the rock.

We said no problem and winched the D11 to a safe and level spot.

December 20 Danny and I went back in a company vehicle to meet with the lead operator and operations superintendent to talk about a different plan to recover the D10. The initial plan was to winch the D10 up to the pad due to the engine being seized. With the D10 slipping and going over more, it was decided to hook onto it with our 45-ton that now had a better angle than the D8 that had been holding it this whole time.

We revised Plan A and went to Plan B, which was to move all trucks and rigging to the lower pad. To get the best angle, we needed them to excavate the dirt and rock between pads and widen the lower pad about 50’. They wanted their D8 out of there, so we hooked onto the D10 with our 45-ton and they let go with the D8.

Number 151 on Reader Card

December 21 After the morning check-in ritual, we spent the day moving all rigging to the other pad. With 5,100’ of extra wire rope and snatch blocks, shackles and

Number 197 on Reader Card

42 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 43

chains to move, it took all day. There was nothing easy about this job.

Everything was heavy; the footing was uneven and rough. It was cold and very windy, so everything we did took more time than normal. We took all snatch blocks back to our shop to inspect and grease that night.

December 22 The weather was terrible with temperatures at -25 degrees F and 40-mph winds that gusted so hard it could literally blow you over. We arrived at the pad and waited for a while on the weather. Jon, one of our flatbed drivers,

and I went to look for a 1/2” chain that had been misplaced. We were out for about 30 minutes when the operations superintendent said it was just too dangerous to be working in that weather with the freezing temps, blizzard and near-zero visibility.

December 23 The equipment operators were trying to excavate between the pads but were having a difficult time due to the frozen ground. We explained to the operations superintendent that a large boulder was in the path where we would be bringing the D10 up … we

couldn’t even rig around it. He brought his lead operator over and they determined it would take too much time to move it. I said that we could move it within a couple of hours by sawing it loose with a long 5/8 chain and two winch lines from one of our wreckers. He agreed and we got started.

After removing the rock, we were informed that an excavator with a hammer attachment was unable to break another large boulder. The operations superintendent stopped the job; we reevaluated and had to return to Plan A. We had to move all rigging back to the original pad and restage all the trucks and dozers.

It was a good day and we got the D10 rigged to pull it down onto its tracks. We spun it and left it in a hole for the weekend with our 45-ton still hooked to it so it wouldn’t slide or tip during the weekend.

December 26 Back at the mine at 7 a.m. and up to the pad. The 45-ton unit was still running (thanks to the mine crews checking on and fueling it) and holding the D10. We re-rigged the D10 and started tightening lines. The plan was to pull and free up the axles in the final drives. The machine had a seized engine and a ruined tranny and could not be started. The mechanics were able to get the axles out; we left all trucks hooked up and headed for home.

December 27

Number 139 on Reader Card

44 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Got to the mine at 7 a.m. and up to the pad so we could continue winching. Our progress was slow and measured again a 1/2” at a time. We had to winch the machine through a 15’ pile of rock and dirt. This increased the resistance by another 150 percent. The D10 created 262,800 lbs. of resistance until we had to winch it through the dirt/rock pile, then it went to 481,800 lbs.

It was fun and scary at the same time.

(The earlier D11 pull had been sideways and uphill with the blade and ripper both down at a resistance of 415,800 lbs.)

This was the final pull of the job and everyone was tired, excited and bummed out, all at the same time, knowing this awesome recovery was coming to an end.

Number 103 on Reader Card

December 28 We arrived back at the mine for the last time to collect all the rigging and say thanks and good-byes.

This recovery tested each and every one of us mentally, physically and emotionally and was a team effort between

the mine personnel and their equipment and our crew and our equipment.

I would like to thank WreckMaster for their training. The recovery took a lot of time, but no one was hurt, we didn’t break anything and all of the trucks and dozers used as anchors stayed put.

I want to thank WreckMaster’s Don

Number 101 on Reader Card

46 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 117 on Reader Card

Cerovski for going over my rigging calculations and giving me advice and support. I also want to thank our entire staff who helped on this job: Danny, Cindy, Wanda, Aaron, Kelli, Spud, Jon, Mark, Alex, Mike, Jeffrey, Gill, Joe, Jeff, Kelly Foote, Chris, Denise, Jim and Darin.

Number 212 on Reader Card

Drop Etiquette Even a ‘Simple’ Drop-Off Deserves Your Full Attention

Using proper etiquette begins when you pick up the vehicle and have your first interactions with the customer.

Only allow the tires of the vehicle to come into contact with your wrecker’s equipment, and use chains and straps in the proper locations on a carrier.

Take off your work gloves when touching the vehicle, inside or out.

by Don Archer

N

ew to the towing business, Daniel unloaded the 2001 Cadillac in the Ford dealer’s lot and left. The next day, the Cadillac’s owner called asking where it had been taken because the dealer had no record of it being left there.

“We took it to the Ford dealer over on 7th Street,” the dispatcher replied.

“They say it’s not there,” said the Cadillac’s owner.

“OK, I’ll find it and call you right back,” the dispatcher assured him.

It’s not all Daniel’s fault. He took the Cadillac where he was instructed, but left out a couple of key steps in the process. It seems he wasn’t properly trained or instructed in the reasons why towing etiquette is an important part of his job.

Towing Etiquette 101 I can see the eyes rolling now. You already know what to do in every situation. (If that were the case, there would be no room for those sly one-guy-onetruck operations to slip in and take your customers away, but it happens.)

48 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Involvement in the towing business comes with many challenges, only one of which is competing on price. If you want to stay down there with the rest of them and eke out a living, that’s fine; but if you want to compete on a different level, you need to take a look at what you can do to provide better service. Etiquette is one of those things you can always improve.

What should Daniel have done?

Unloading a Vehicle Stay out of the way. Pull into the lot as far out of the way as possible so as not to block any garage doors, lot entrances or exits, and preferably be out of the flow of lot traffic.

Ask where you should put the vehicle. Walk in and politely ask where the shop owner or manager would like the towed vehicle unloaded. It is important that you recognize when the shop owner is busy. You must wait until he can get to you before you interject yourself, especially if he’s with a customer.

Eventually you will develop a relationship with the shop and know where they like vehicles unloaded, but you

shouldn’t assume anything. It’s always good business to ask because situations change. For instance, on one vehicle they may want it inside immediately and ask for your assistance in doing so.

Provide needed information. After you’ve put the vehicle where they want it, you need to write up the invoice. (Put yourself in the shoes of a service writer at a large operation who may see 50 or more cars come and go every day.) You should always provide some kind of written documentation. Provide a legible invoice with: • Vehicle owner’s name and phone number.

• Year, make, model, color and license plate number.

• VIN. • Odometer reading.

• Where it was towed from.

• How the tow is being paid.

• The nature of the problem (if you know).

Even if you are not billing this tow through the repair shop you should provide this information. Why? One day soon that service writer or shop owner will get a call from one of his reg-

Number 121 on Reader Card

Number 186 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 49

ular customers stranded on the road in need of a tow truck. If you have continually made that service writer’s life easy by providing the information above he’s much more likely to call you to take care of one of his valuable customers.

Put up the windows, lock the doors and turn off the lights. This should be a common courtesy; it doesn’t matter why you do it—but do it. A towed vehicle should already have its windows up so that nothing important blows out on the trip. Once you’ve unloaded the vehicle, be sure that the lights are off, doors locked and windows up.

Give the keys to the shop. Missing keys can be very frustrating. If you make a point to take the keys out of the vehicle and give them to the service writer or shop manager, you will save everyone time and an unnecessary headache.

Picking Up Number 145 on Reader Card

50 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 217 on Reader Card

Greet and treat the customer with courtesy and respect. Many towers forget that everything they do from the

Number 108 on Reader Card

Number 177 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 51

After six auctions through TowLot.com, Procon says salvage yards benefit too: "The yards can hand-select the cars they want and say no to the cars they don't – and I'm playing fair to all the salage yards that we do business with."

Number 159 on Reader Card

moment they start their truck in the morning is selling. You can’t hide the fact that you’re driving a tow truck: you’re wearing the uniform and there’s a boom and a wheel lift on the back of your truck—embrace it. Every action you take is either helping or hurting your business, and I don’t care if you don’t own the business. The right choice is to treat every customer with courtesy and respect. It doesn’t matter if their motor club is paying the bill. You should treat each customer like you would want someone to treat your mom, wife or daughter in a time of need.

Listen to the customer. A car represents freedom and it’s the second largest investment most people make after their house. As tow truck operators we see cars and trucks with everything from starter and alternator issues to total losses, so we tend to get desensitized.

We see these problems as merely automotive whereas the vehicle owners see them in a much more severe light. Take just a minute to listen to a story you may have heard before because it matters to

that individual and you might actually learn something. But it goes much deeper than that. When you listen you are beginning to establish a trust relationship that can be invaluable. When you truly care about what the customer has to say and show that you care by listening, they will come to trust you. This trust will pay dividends down the road with referrals and perhaps some understanding if you happen to make a mistake like taking their car to the wrong place.

Ask questions. Ask the customer where they want their vehicle towed and whom they talked with so you know who to talk to when you drop it off. Even if you’ve been told where the car needs to be towed, things may have changed. Ask if they need a ride and if there’s anything they need to get out of the vehicle before you leave. Ask if there are any special instructions or quirks about the car.

Know how the bill will be paid.

Whether billing the service to the repair shop, paying with a motor club or with

Number 171 on Reader Card

54 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

cash, you should know before you arrive how the tow will be paid and if you should collect at the time you’re picking up the car. If you collect payment from the customer give them a receipt.

Treat the vehicle as if it were your own. To ensure no damage is done, only allow the tires of the vehicle to come into contact with your wrecker’s equipment, and use chains and straps in the proper locations when towing on a carrier. Take off your gloves when touching the car inside and out. Leave it in the same condition as you found it.

These are just a few tips the tower can use to provide better services to the customer and remember: everyone’s a customer. You may spend a few extra minutes picking up and dropping off, but the return on your investment will be worthwhile.

Editor’s note Don Archer lives and works in Jefferson City, Mo., where he and his wife, Brenda, own and operate Broadway Wrecker, a 12-truck operation that’s been in business since the 1950s.

Email him at don@broadwaywrecker.com.

Number 210 on Reader Card

Gaining

Separation Tow King Focuses on Differences

by Mickey Mills

The Tow King family includes (from left): Jimmy Garcia, dispatcher; Brandon Anderson, dispatcher; Billy Anderson, driver; Buddy Piper, driver; Willy Boyett, driver; Krystle Warren (kneeling, with Huntlee Warren), Owner Linda Lindgren (holding grandson Wylee Warren), Paislee Warren, Owner James Lindgren, Aimee Hoffman (holding Olivia Hoffman), Owner Gary Hoffman, Richard Webb, driver; and Joe Lynch, driver.

58 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

S

econd-generation tower Gary Hoffman manages every aspect of Tow King in Waco, Texas. In high school, he balanced his time between sports and wreckers; it was common to see Hoffman then clearing highways with his stepdad, James Lindgren.

Rather than jump right into the business full time after high school, Hoffman was pushed to attend Baylor University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Hoffman is now a partner in the 20-year-old business along with his mom, Linda Lindgren, and his stepdad. According to them, Hoffman is the “backbone of the business.”

Over the years, Hoffman concentrated on the little things that separated Tow King from the competition. He’s built on a vision of being “customer-centric.”

“We are willing to jump and go at any time,” Hoffman said. “Some guys won’t take middle-of-the-night calls, but we do and that’s given us a real

Tow King’s Landoll loaded with some street sweepers for delivery (right). The fleet includes a selection of light-duty trucks at both locations (below).

advantage. Loyalty is hard to find, but it really helps. We’ve expanded more in the heavy-duty market and brought in more heavies.”

Nearly 75 percent of the business is commercial accounts, and a lot of that is heavy-duty work for companies like UPS, FedEx, Penske/Ryder and local beer/soda distributors. They also have a selection of auto dealerships and do private-property tows for agencies and nearby Baylor University.

Tow King also provides trucks as a courtesy for Baylor’s home football games to do lockout, tire change, dead battery and other minor services for free.

Tow King expanded in 2009 by adding a shop 130 miles south in San

Marcos (between Austin and San Antonio) that quickly became known and brought in dealership business.

“We found a little niche down there between two major cities. With only a few small wrecker services there, we thought we could go in and provide better service,” Hoffman said.

“We put six trucks (five lights and one medium) down there where most guys were one- or two-truck operations.”

The fleet in Waco includes a mix of Miller, Jerr-Dan and NRC light wreckers and carriers, and medium- and heavy-duty Vulcan and Century units.

The company also has a 48’ Landoll trailer that is bringing in plenty of work.

“We are fortunate to have a street-

sweeper manufacturer here in Waco.

We deliver for them pretty much exclusively all across Texas. We have gone nationwide in the past, but now focus mainly in the state. We deliver to all their dealerships and cities directly buying their equipment.”

Tow King submitted bids for municipal contracts in Waco and San Marcos that are still under review; they do tow on the Texas Department of Public Safety rotation, although it is not a big chunk of business.

“Five years ago there were four companies in the DPS rotation. Today there are 12, so everybody is getting a much smaller piece of the DPS pie,” Hoffman said.

As the business manager, Hoffman’s struggles are typical in the industry, mainly on managing costs.

He keeps minimal administrative staff, so is much more hands-on with the day-to-day tasks and billing and accounting.

In dispatch, the company uses Tracker Management Systems that ties everything together with GPS and Nextel phone integration that streamlines fleet management.

Outside the Tow King office, Hoffman works just as hard to advance the towing industry in the state. He is a VP and founding member of Southwest Tow Operators, one of the largest towing associations in the nation. STO was formed in 2006 and has become the TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 59

Owners Gary Hoffman (left) and James Lindgren are proud Texas towers who proudly display “The Towman Monument” on their wrecker.

face of the towing industry in Texas. It provides certification training and safety awareness programs for its members, as well as actively lobbies

the statehouse on issues related to towing.

The biggest challenge facing tow operations in Texas is the push to reg-

Number 153 on Reader Card

60 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

ulate Incident Management tow fees on a statewide level. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation contracted a research firm to conduct a feasibility study on regulating those fees. The STO distributed a document to its members on how to respond to researchers if contacted.

Hoffman believes a feasibility study done properly can only conclude regulating IM fees across the state is not feasible.

“Regulating the IM towing on a statewide basis would be virtually impossible because the incidents are so varied and the factors involved could be very different,” he said. “The insurance companies, we think, know that, but they are trying to contain their costs. Our equipment has gotten more expensive—fuel’s expensive, insurance is expensive—we have to pay all this stuff, license and permit the drivers and the trucks. They want to cap a fee while we can’t cap costs.

“The question is, if you cap it, where do you cap it? … If for example you set it at $3,000, every truck wreck is

Number 102 on Reader Card

going to be $3,000. It might be a little fender bender that costs $300 but you bill $3,000 to cover those $20,000 accidents you could only bill $3,000 for. …

“The regulations will be harder on those rural one-truck operations that

may get one or two calls a week. So it impacts him much harder than someone in a big city market that is constantly keeping their trucks operating.”

The STO is being vigilant to stay ahead of this issue as the research firm

is working towards a December delivery date so TDLR can present to the Texas legislature in January.

For one of his duties as a VP of STO, Hoffman manned the grill during the Chili Cook-off at American Towman’s Int’l Tow Expo in San Antonio in August. Grilling burgers is his specialty.

“It’s hot and we put in a lot of work doing it, but we don’t mind. We appreciate everyone that comes out to the show and try to reward those that participate in the industry, encourage people to stay involved. It’s giving a little bit back.”

For his part, Hoffman has based his career on a philosophy of giving back and being of service. One look at Tow King’s customer loyalty and employee dedication confirms that.

Editor’s note: Mickey Mills is a freelance writer living in Oklahoma. He is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association and frequent contributor to TowIndustryWeek.com. He is the motorsports editor at Technorati.com.

Number 147 on Reader Card

62 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 165 on Reader Card

Number 114 on Reader Card

Allstate Debuts RoadSmart at AT Expo Allstate Roadside Services scheduled the launch of its RoadSmart technology at the 2012 AT Expo in Baltimomre, Md. RoadSmart is designed to help tow truck drivers locate stranded motorists.

RoadSmart “will reinvent roadside assistance services,” said Anthony Royer, president of Allstate Roadside Services. “We are very excited to share RoadSmart with the industry at the Towman Expo this November.”

RoadSmart is a fully integrated web and mobile dispatch system— available for free to Allstate’s contracted providers—that creates a closer

connection between dispatchers, road service providers and the roadside customer. www.allstate.com

Steck Video Available for BigEasy Steck Manufacturing Co. released an updated video for its BigEasy Lockout kits that shows the latest techniques in opening locked vehicles with all the BigEasy accessories to assist in the process. The video is available on Steck’s website and its YouTube channel. www.steckmfg.com

Trinity Adds Williams as Senior Underwriter Trinity Underwriting Managers Inc. welcomed Jean Williams to its team as a senior underwriter. Williams has 35 years in the insurance industry with a heavy emphasis on underwrit-

Number 215 on Reader Card

64 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

ing for commercial transportation markets.

Williams will be an underwriter for binding transportation programs, focusing on risks for the company’s eastern states. Williams was president of a national commercial agency where she managed the underwriting process for agency captive programs and oversaw the sales and marketing for transportation markets. www.tumi-ins.com

Florida Show Adds Repo Event The Florida Tow Show is adding a Repo Expo to its April events for recovery agents. The events are scheduled April 10-14 in Orlando, Fla. The Downtown Disney Hilton and Holiday Inn will have the exhibits, while The Royal Plaza Hotel will host Repo Expo meetings for FLACars (the Florida repo association). www.pwof.org

Number 187 on Reader Card

Number 191 on Reader Card

by Don Lomax

More Boomer at TowIndustryWeek.com

Nicholas Testa Bill Johnson

Paul Best

David Bigusiak

Number 190 on Reader Card

Number 216 on Reader Card

68 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Hino Truck Adds Pa. Dealership

sureFleet Integrates with BudgetGPS

A new Hino medium-duty truck franchise opened at Bergey’s Truck Centers in Souderton, Pa. The location is Bergey’s second location to add Hino.

The Bergey’s franchise carries a full line of Hino medium-duty trucks backed by a knowledgeable and dedicated Hino sales staff.

Customers have 24-hour access to an extensive Hino parts inventory with certified Hino technicians onsite.

“We’re fully equipped to maintain our customers’ trucks as well as perform warranty work—any time day or night. … And now with locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we can provide our customers with an even stronger support system whenever they need it,” said Steve Rybacki, Bergey’s medium-duty truck manager. www.bergeystruckcenters.com

FTI Groups Inc. integrated its sureFleet Maintenance software package with BudgetGPS from TXI Systems.

This new feature allows users to see the BudgetGPS location of their vehicles inside of sureFleet.

The integration is currently available at no cost to existing customers of both products and to those who begin using both products during the launch period.

The BudgetGPS and sureFleet integration allows users to see the location of all of their units on the dashboard screen of sureFleet and provides automatic updates on miles driven, keeping the sureFleet preventative maintenance alerts accurate and up-to-date. www.surefleet.com

Number 152 on Reader Card

Number 214 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 69

See You Again in Baltimore

by Emily Oz

M

y first-ever tow show was last year ’s American Towman Exposition in Baltimore, Md. My favorite experience, hands down, was Festival Night. It was a chance for me to hear the stories of men whose life-saving heroics and acts of bravery on the job were outstanding.

Each American Towman Medal recipient’s story was an example of what this industry stands for: helping people in their time of extreme need. I was able to interview each of the men after the medal ceremony and play my part in giving them credit where credit is due by telling many of their stories on American Towman TV. Another exciting event was the “Miller Rocks” event on Friday night of the Expo. The idea of so many tow operators and their families in one place at one time having a good time was inspirational. Everyone seemed to be having such a great time eating, drinking and enjoying the music. I now understand how grueling a towman’s work life can be (and for their families!), so for a moment in time it was wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves!

The signature American Towman Monument was another touching source of pride I was able to witness for the first time. If you’ve been to the Expo, you’ll recall the bronze sculpture is always positioned outside the Baltimore Convention Center. The 10’high masterpiece illustrates how towers are so often cast into the role of the hero. The sculpture shows a car submerged, a woman stretching her arm out to a towman for help. While gathering video for ATTV, I was pleased to see so many families making time to take a group photo with their children in front of the statue.

70 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

ATTV's Emily Oz prepares to interview Miller Industries VP Randy Olson in the company's booth at the 2011 AT Expo in Baltimore, Md.

I enjoyed my chance to pose on the American Towman Chopper “Hero” while covering its annual arrival at the Expo. The chopper runs on a six-speed transmission and has every imaginable detail customized to portray some part of the towing and recovery industry. (Think custom grab hooks as foot pegs and a hand-crank tow boom sissy bar!) Both my parents ride their own Harley-Davidsons and so for me, the Towman Chopper was a new fun story to tell my family.

Overall, my first American Tomwan Exposition was a huge success. I interviewed many towers, whose different perspectives (and per-

sonalities) on issues make my job interesting.

I look forward to creating new memories at many of the same events this year, too. I’ll be giving my first seminar, “Recovery and Video,” on Nov. 16 at 10:30 a.m., showing how to document your recovery with video for collection and training purposes.

Even if you can’t make it to my seminar, hopefully we’ll see you at one of the many exciting events or on the show floor!

Emily Oz is the anchor and producer for American Towman TV. You can email her at oz@AmericanTowmanTV.com

Number 207 on Reader Card

Didn’t Need It, Had To Have It

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti Photos by East Coast Towing

J

oseph Romaniello Sr. founded East Coast Towing in Stamford, Conn., in 1980. He also owns East Coast Auto Body in Stamford and Preferred Automotive in Greenwich. He now has 25 employees and a fleet of 30 specialty units, including the heavy-duty beauty featured here.

The 2008 Mack Granite features a Vulcan V-70 integrated unit on the business end. This big Mack is powered by a Mack 500 mated to a Mack 18-speed transmission. Dual 35,000lbs. two-speed planetary winches handle the pulling.

New England Truckmaster built the unit; Chris Lambiase of Truckmaster and Romaniello worked together to spec this rig.

The truck’s name is boldly dis-

72 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

Customer reaction to this unit is a resounding, ‘Wow!’

played on the bug shield, “Didn’t Need It Had To Have It!” “It basically tells it as it is,” Romaniello said. “I already had a fleet of heavies, so I really didn’t need another unit …”

The unique hood mural depicts the new Mack working a recovery with one of Romaniello’s older units. The idea was chosen by Romaniello’s son Joe Jr. “The paint job was done by Lehigh, the company that does the Miller paint, and the mural and lettering were done by Stamford Signs Inc. in Stamford,” Romaniello said.

Customer reaction to this unit is a resounding, “Wow!” As striking as this truck is to look at, there is no question that this is a working rig.

“I’m old school. I don’t build trucks to look pretty and sit. All of my units work,” said Romaniello.

“This is the first big wrecker we had the factory build. We always built our own units and still have three of the heavies we built and a ’73 Mack/Holmes 750 with a Zacklift and it works daily and along with two

Ortiz wreckers.” (P.J. Ortiz built Ortiz wrecker bodies in Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) “I also have a ’62 Mack B81 with a military rotator and big drag winch in the back,” Romaniello said.

“I bought it from a tower in Jersey on the way to the AT show in Baltimore some years back. It was still

garage-kept. I gave the guy a deposit and went to pick it up with my Landoll.

“I didn’t even paint it. I just put my company name on the door and put it to work right away. It passes the State Police inspection every year. It’s one of my trucks on rotation. All of my trucks work!”

Didn’t Need It, Had To Have It Chassis: 2008 Mack Granite.

Wrecker: Vulcan V-70.

Engine: Mack 500.

Trans: Mack 18-speed.

Winches: Dual Planetary (two-speed) 35,000-lbs.

Builder: New England Truckmaster.

Paint: Lehigh.

Graphics: Stamford Signs Inc. in Stamford, Conn.

TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 73

ROBERT YOUNGS SALES AND SERVICE 1-800-246-4785 540-982-3809 Sliding Rortators, Quick Swaps Sliders, Fixed Boom Rollbacks, Air Cushions We Buy Used Heavy Wreckers

robertyoungtrucks.com “World’s Only Full Functioning Wireless Taillight System”

WIRELESS LIGHTS Not all wireless lights are created equal.

Make sure your lights have the Towmate name.

www.towmate.com 1-800-680-4455

Sales and Service 610-235-6657 www.nullssalesandservice.com

k 0@QJHMF 0DQLHSR FORCED k %WOHQHMF 0DQLHSR N E G N I W O k 0K@RSHB (@MFS@FR S k 6HRHSNQ 0@RRDR E M I T L L k ,NF "NNJR A AT k 3L@KK 1T@MSHSX ICLES ED VEH 'S OR HORIZ NER W UNAUT O AT TOWED XPENSE E E ILL BE IC W #TRSNL 3HFMR 'S R TO SEV OPERA ECKERTREET WRMAIN SN, USA W 789 A.B1.C 234UR TO5 5-6 YO 88) 5 (8

k #TRSNL 3G@ODR 3HYDR

ALL TYPE OF CUSTOM PRINTING FOR THE TOW INDUSTRY

Call & speak with one of our personlized service representativies today!!! www.AnchorGraphics.com )D[ info@anchorgraphics.com

74 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

USED TRUCKS FOR SALE 2010 Ford F550 Chevron 19ft Carrier 76,683 miles 2011 Ford Transit Van 33,829 miles 2008 Ford F650 EXT Chevron Series 10 21.5ft 157,179 miles 2011 Ford F650 EXT Chevron Series 10 21.5ft 42,448 miles 2011 Ford F650 Chevron Series 10 21.5ft 43,286 miles 2010 Ford F650 Chevron 21ft 90,268 miles 2010 Ford Transit Van Battery Truck 69,829 miles 2011 Ford Ranger XLT Battery Truck 32,006 miles

631-531-0608

For info please call Craig R.Naldoiny “CALL FOR DETAILS” on all units

ZACKLIFT www.zacklifts.com

HOLMES PARTS

WHEEL-LIFTS Repo • Add-Ons

750, 600, 500, 480 & MORE!

1-800-337-2350 Hamman Engineering Fifthwheelers • Underlifts • Wreckers TOWMAN.COM - November 2012 • 75

sales@lubeaboom.com

Maximize your Return On Investment with protective tapes & films

Contact TomHrynda tom@roiprotectivetape.com 877-445-TAPE (8273) Fax-610-262-4598 www.roiprotectivetape.com Nobody Beats Our Prices Windshield Wrap 36" x 200' roll $50.00, plus extra 5% off for mentioning this ad!

OIL PAN DAMAGE STOPS HERE Never pay out for oil pan damage again 100% SUCCESS RATE, OVER 1,000 SOLD 100% MONEYBACK GUARANTEE Get the facts at www.panpillow.com

780-908 6560 panpillow@shaw.ca

76 • November 2012 - TOWMAN.COM

To Advertise In Towman’s Market Call 800-732-3869 Ellen Rosengart x 203 erosengart@towman.com Dennie Ortiz x 213 dortiz@towman.com

Copyright 2012 American Towman Magazine. Characters and stories are fictitious; no resemblance to real life characters is intended.

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

Number 183 on Reader Card

Number 124 on Reader Card