American Towman Magazine - January 2013

Tony’s Towing Daniel Wade being lowered from the bridge.

Number 143 on Reader Card

FEATURE CONTENTS Hurricane Sandy brought floodwaters and surges up to 12' in parts of New York and New Jersey last October. Towers will be busy there for months, if not years, cleaning up. Photo: Breen Brothers Towing

24

2013 Towman of the Year The Smartphone has had tremendous impact on this industry over the past year.

by Brendan Dooley

32

Sandy’s Aftermath Departments Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Following towers as they recover after the devastating storm on the East Coast.

by Brendan Dooley

Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . .43 On Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .53

4 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

40

Mustang in the Muck When a car left the Bayway Bridge, Tony's Towing overcame several obstacles for a creative lift.

by Daniel Wade

Number 159 on Reader Card

Choosing Sides

by Steve Calitri

I

f a tow operator had a choice of working on the driver’s side of the wrecker with traffic zipping right by just a few feet away, or on the passenger’s side, oncoming traffic a dozen feet away, why would one, particularly one in charge of a family, choose the high risk of working by the traffic lane’s edge? This question and this issue is addressed by AT Operations Editor Randall Resch. A veteran tower, tow business owner and manager, and police officer, Resch has experience behind his insight, and a very strong opinion on the matter (page 14).

AT’s choice of the Smartphone for 2013 Towman of the Year will surely seem to some as a cop-out. What? Not one tower worthy of the honors this year? Indeed there were several towers under consideration whose dedication and actions made our turn to technology debatable. But if the measuring stick dips into the affect one, or something, has had on the towing industry, Smartphone wins hands down (page 24). To those readers disappointed that AT would add to the world’s dehumanized culture by honoring a machine and not a homo sapien, I fully understand. Right or wrong, though, by making Smartphone Towman of the Year, thousands more tow bosses will awake to the tool they need to use and take advantage of, 6 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

while others currently using it will see even more uses for it to help their business succeed.

The dramatic recovery portrayed on the cover of this issue pretty much captures what attracts people to towing and recovery; the challenges of facing something new are never ending. This recovery epitomizes both the unique challenges and the rare breed of individual dedicated to this trade.

One announcement (page 9) that will be interesting to follow is the Police Towers initiative. If there was ever an industry that needed political clout to help it fight their battles, this one needs that clout now more than ever. We wish John Borowski, a.k.a. “Mr. Industry,” luck with the new Police Towers of America. But you have to wonder if any attempt to organize towers is just Don Quixote fighting windmills. Still, all things considered, you have to applaud the spirit behind the noble cause. Big things are never accomplished by smallminded men.

I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! It will be quite a year (read anything you want into that prediction).

But I would particularly like to address the towing professional who may be zombie-like in his or her expressions from the condition most common in this industry: burnout.

Stress is not something that anyone can totally avoid, or should. The fact is, there is a certain amount of tension in life itself. That tension is what keeps it and us all together. So stress is something that needs to be managed, alleviated and understood. Stress is simply a signal that the tension holding everything together is not being managed correctly.

So don’t think about escaping stress, but rather, managing it.

I’ll end with the words of Don Archer, the tow business owner who writes the Rates & Trade articles on TowIndustryWeek.com: “Once you quit solving problems … you’re dead.”

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 ©2013 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.

Number 111 on Reader Card

Philly Changing Parking Rules In Philadelphia, Pa., authorities are giving up on current regulations aimed at tow truck operators who haul away legally parked vehicles. A new city council strategy is being rolled out to attack the issue.

Having a police officer write a ticket before a private tow could occur didn’t work because it often took too long for an officer to arrive.

The committee recently approved Plan B in which the operator would be required to take a photograph showing the vehicle parked illegally on or off the street in order to tow it. Source: www.philadelphia.cbslocal.com

Tower Killed Unloading Pickup Truck A tow truck driver in Middleburg, Fla., died after being pinned under the front tire of a vehicle.

Napoleon, Ballard III was killed in December after he became trapped under the tire of a pick-up truck he towed.

A sheriff’s deputy said Ballard was unloading a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado from the flatbed tow truck when he tried to stop the pick-up truck from rolling down into a shed by opening the driver’s side door and reaching for the brake. He was knocked to the ground and trapped under the driver’s side front tire.

The truck’s owner sought help to try to jack up the truck; Ballard was pronounced dead at the scene.

Source: www.firstcoastnews.com

8 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

Tower Killed by Train A tow-truck driver was killed by an oncoming train as he was working to clear a stranded SUV near the tracks in Southern California.

Shaun William Riddle, 27, was struck by a southbound Amtrak train in Cardiff; he was the father of two children.

The county medical examiner reported that Riddle got back into his truck and tried to move it out of the train’s path. He could not move the truck in time and the train struck the truck at a high rate of speed, officials said.

Riddle is survived by his wife, two children, and his parents. Saad Rafou, owner of Towex Towing, established a memorial fund. You can donate at any Bank of America branch by depositing to the “Shaun Riddle Memorial Fund.” Source: www.usnews.nbcnews.com

New E15 Gas Confuses,

Could Disable Vehicles A recent survey by AAA finds a strong likelihood of consumer confusion about E15 gasoline, a newly approved gasoline blend that contains up to 15 percent ethanol. With little consumer knowledge and less than five percent of cars on the road approved by automakers to use the fuel, AAA is urging regulators and the industry to stop the sale of E15 until motorists are better protected.

AAA automotive engineering experts have reviewed the available research and believe that sustained use of E15 in both newer and older vehicles could result in significant problems such as accelerated engine wear and failure, fuel-system damage and false “check engine” lights for any vehicle not approved to use E15.

In June 2012 the EPA officially approved the sale of E15 in flex-fuel vehicles and 2001 model year and newer cars, light-duty trucks and mediumduty passenger vehicles and SUVs. Source: www.aaa.com

... initiative can bring all towers the tools they need ...

New Assoc. Will Help Municipal Towers A new initiative, the Police Towers of America, will give municipal towers the tools they need to keep a prosperous relationship with their towns and police departments. The PTA is being organized by towers around the nation and is spearheaded by industry veteran John Borowski.

“Rates, Encroachment, Insurance; these are the three key words that describe the battles that need to be fought on behalf of police towers,” said Borowski, a former president of the Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts and current board member.

PTA members and prospective members will convene in Las Vegas during Tow Industry Week on May 17, 2013, at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, located next to the Convention Center, which is hosting the inaugural American Towman ShowPlace–Las Vegas.

“We believe this initiative can bring all towers the tools they need to successfully collect 100 percent of their towing, storage and cleanup fees,” Borowski said. A company he manages, Amber Scene Clean, in South Hadley, Mass., is known for it successful dynamics in collecting from insurance companies.

Another critical issue now sweeping the nation’s first, second and third tier cities is Encroachment; middlemen forging long-term contracts with municipalities to control the dispatch and rotation of non-consensual tows.

“Outside companies are winning five-year contracts with cities that virtually amount to the tower getting less than 50 percent of the tow fee the motorist pays,” said Bill Johnson, who is advising the PTA. “It’s just wrong. And the only way to stop it is by organizing and offering these municipalities a program that can knock outside bidders out of the box.”

Johnson is a longtime tow boss and has been the president of STA for nine years.

continue to page 46

TOPS Driver App Upgraded TXI Systems launched new upgrades to its TOPS driver mobile application that is free for TOPS users and available on web-enabled phones and Smartphones. The new upgrades give the application an easier navigable interface.

With TOPS driver, drivers have real-time access to see and update calls dispatched to them. Drivers can see details about a call and update status for acknowledged, arrived, hooked and dropped events. The mobile application greatly reduces the need for drivers to

call dispatch. Enhanced turn-by-turn GPS directions from the driver’s current location to the job or destination create improved efficiency.

The TOPS driver mobile application works in conjunction with the TOPS Dispatch and Inventory Management software.

“TOPS driver has improved our response time by 10 percent and has decreased our total call dispatch and completion time by 50 percent,” said Jeff Poquette with Southside Wrecker in Georgia. www.txisystems.com.

Sandy, the Good and the Bad Some operators in New York City have been towing away legally parked cars and scamming owners out of cash. In several cases, towtruck drivers have been arrested for towing cars without the permission of their owners, and stealing stormdamaged cars and selling them for scrap.

The New York Post reported “dozens” of city tow-truck companies were involved; more than 50 companies had their license revoked, according to data from Consumer Affairs.

Source: www.nypost.com Rusty’s Auto Salvage has set up a program where it will donate money to charity for each damaged car it purchases from an owner in the tri-state area. The company promises to donate 10 percent of profits from each car purchased to the American Red Cross in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area.

“Seeing our neighbors and families in the communities where we work and live struggling to put their lives back together made us want to help in any way we can,” said Rob Vogel, Rusty’s CFO. Residents of Hatteras Island, N.C., are dealing with Sandy’s damage too.

The storm damaged the only bridge

Breen Bros. Towing photos.

on and off the island. The damage has inconvenienced most residents, but people with 4x4s can still drive over rutted sand to get through the bad section. Other vehicle owners have been relegated to taking one way twohour-long ferry rides to get off the Island.

A group of tow truck drivers who live and work on Hatteras Island worked out a deal with the authorities for a small fee, and are ferrying cars across the big sandy patch where the highway washed out. Source: www.jalopnik.com Editor’s note: Towing news following Sandy has shown the good and bad elements of this industry. Find some more inspiring stories from Sandy starting on page 32.

TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 9

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT!

Complete Wireless Communications Solution

Stepping Safely Statistics show 40 percent of slips, trips, and falls occur moving from one height to another, like getting in and out of a tow truck. Throw in variables like water, oil, ice, and chemicals, and loss of traction becomes an occupational work hazard.

Serrated fuel steps from Bustin “allow 80 percent of snow and elements to pass right through,” said

Stephen Lukas, Bustin Industrial product manager. He added the steps meet slip-resistance standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and others. The company also offers an ideal hide-a-way step for roll-back operators needing to access a vehicle once it has been safely loaded.

www.bustin-usa.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Zeon Winch Pulls Quieter Warn Industries’ Zeon winches feature a symmetrical design, quieter motor, faster pull speed, and other internal improvements. Available in 8,000-lbs., 10,000-lbs., and 12,000-lbs. capacities, the winches come with wire rope and a roller fairlead.

The 8-S and 10-S models feature Spydura synthetic rope and a polished aluminum hawse fairlead. The innovative convertible control pack can be mounted separately from the winch or it can remain attached for an integrated look.

www.warn.com Number 201 on Reader Card

Move Containers with Ease The Container Skate, CSP6 and CSP5, is another innovative one-piece tool for the towing industry from Rodney Poynter of I Tow In Inc. ITI’s Container Skates have a projection that fits in the corner pocket of a container for securement while loading and unloading, reducing resistance and damage to aluminum and wood decks.

www.skatesiti.com Number 202 on Reader Card

Twist Lock Grab Hooks B/A Products’ new Twist Lock Grab Hooks (patent No. 7967353) feature one of the most secure locks, are easy to install and use and the latch is pad lockable.

They are available in 1/4”, 5/16”, 3/8”, 1/2” and 5/8”.

www.baprod.com Number 203 on Reader Card

S

onetics produces team communication systems for high-noise environments. The company’s headsets are unique in their ability to deliver hands-free, full-duplex wireless communication, along with up to 26 decibels of noise reduction for teams of up to 40.

Instead of relying on push-to-talk radios, teams equipped with Sonetics headsets are able to communicate continuously, simultaneously and seamlessly. The company already delivers clear communications in industrial operations, public works, marine, construction, aviation and firefighting. The company’s systems ensure all team members can hear and be heard, even in the most challenging environments, like towing and recovery.

“Two-way radios often result in garbled or missed

information and require a free hand for push-to-talk operation,” said Carl Azar, Sonetics marketing director. “Sonetics headsets increase safety, effectiveness and productivity for work crews.”

The rugged Apex wireless headsets are specifically designed to withstand demanding environments, provide hearing protection and outstanding voice clarity with a 1,600’ range.

The systems may be pre-configured in four- and eightperson portable sets that include wireless headsets, base station(s), an intercom interface to accommodate an optional portable radio connection, and a built-in rechargeable battery with charging equipment. Systems can be configured to specific requirements and are expandable in four-person increments.

www.soneticscorp.com Number 204 on Reader Card

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TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 11

Number 177 on Reader Card

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Number 109 on Reader Card

Working the Non-Traffic Side

by Randall C. Resch

I

f a vehicle plows into a tow truck whose operator is standing at the traffic-side controls, will the resulting impact be greater to the tow operator or the tow truck? I’ve pondered this topic for years, knowing that readers will dispute this narrative. This topic is near to my heart; I ask that you read this and consider it with an open mind.

While working either side of the tow truck is potentially dangerous, the lesser of two evils is to work the non-traffic side.

Having tracked tower fatalities for years, it’s my belief that the majority of towers killed in past years were working the traffic side when struck. Research suggests that far more driver fatalities occurred on the white-line than on the guardrail side.

Let’s consider four points: • Working or standing within whiteline danger zones are the most common location of tower strikes or fatalities.

• Towers themselves choose to work the traffic side.

• Move Over Laws aren’t wellknown or enforced, and therefore ineffective.

• Small companies don’t have additional personnel or second trucks to assist on every highway-related call.

Tow trucks and flatbed carriers have been around for years. While technologies advance in new designs, trucks and equipment, techniques and training haven’t necessarily kept up. Accordingly, existing factors continue to increase that hurt and kill towers, like increased traffic, more semis on the highway, increased vehicle speeds, distracted drivers with texting and cellphones, and more.

Case in Point I studied a rollover recovery that went dreadfully wrong. First off, I believe there’s no such thing as a “routine” rollover. In this recovery, police were onscene, there was medium traffic, flares illuminated the crash and there was a heavy nighttime rain. The new tower had 14 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

recently completed a tow operator’s safety course, but in the best interests of getting the job done quickly he used questionable recovery techniques with near-fatal results.

The casualty vehicle was well away from traffic lanes and deep onto the shoulder as the tower worked the flatbed’s traffic-side controls. An out-ofcontrol vehicle struck the casualty vehicle and glanced off the tower. Plenty of room was available, if the tower was situated at the non-traffic-side controls, he might have avoided injury as the carrier would’ve taken most, if not all, of the impact.

What’s wrong with this picture? Johnny Cortes demonstrates what not to do when walking back to the tow truck.

towers as now dual side-controls are commonplace.

On one recovery, I winched a casualty vehicle up a 40’ embankment to the highway’s edge. While preparing the casualty for tow, a Nissan Z lost control in the rain, careened across four lanes and hit my tow truck and the casualty truck I was readying to tow. Because I was working the non-traffic side, the impact wasn’t direct—but it did send me down the embankment resulting in a broken leg.

Time for Change

This unexpected impact transformed the original scenario into a dreaded secondary crash where the tower narrowly missed meeting an early demise.

I once drove a mid-’70s Ford F-600, 21’ carrier, appropriately deemed “The Workhorse.” Having only one set of traffic-side controls, I routinely climbed atop the carrier’s deck to hover over the driver’s side rail to operate the controls. This was my choice for survival because I had no other options, but it got me off the white line. Sure, I was painfully aware that my big head stuck out, but I had situational awareness when loading vehicles.

Until technologies and availabilities of second-side controls were added to carriers, my choice was to do everything possible to stay off the white line. Tow truck manufacturers eventually agreed that working the white line was a dangerous place for

Numerous scenarios demonstrate crystal-clear examples of how towers are injured or killed; scenarios that repeat themselves year after year. So, if working the traffic side is a dangerous position, why do experienced towers continue to work (and die) in this all-too-common danger zone?

In April 2012, a southern California tow owner was killed while working on a highway’s on-ramp. As an industry, we need to initiate alternatives in the way towers should work … away from the traffic side. Any change in tow operator thinking is the foundation leading us to increased operator survival. The issue here isn’t drivers getting squashed between one’s tow truck and a nearby guardrail, but getting struck while standing atop or within white-line danger zones. That’s the hard truth.

Using that as catalyst to revise whiteline training, I’ve updated my training processes to teach tow operators to work on the non-traffic side of the tow truck or carrier.

What’s the Problem?

• Inexperienced towers haven’t learned how dangerous their jobs are.

• Tow companies don’t provide adequate white-line training.

• Tow companies knowingly send untrained drivers to highway calls.

• Towers won’t get out of their comfort zones.

• Some towers don’t have the right on-scene attitudes or awareness.

• Towers are oftentimes over confident and don’tworry about death and dying.

• Towers get lazy and complacent.

• Towers don’t readily accept change.

• Trainers may not be passing forward alternative techniques.

• Company procedures don’t mandate safety requirements of working white-line zones.

Industry history proves that using traffic-side controls places the pedestrian operator directly within known danger zones. Move Over laws, reflective vests, flares, emergency lighting, or the presence of police and first responders arouse nothing more than a tower’s false sense of security.

On-going survival requires that towers: • Never forget that semis and DUI drivers are our biggest dangers.

• Know the dangers that working highway scenarios present on every call.

• Know where appropriate hook-up points are located on today’s vehicles.

• Maintain situational awareness relating to traffic, hazards, weather, location, etc.

• Move quickly and efficiently to lessen exposure.

• Be creative when faced with constricted shoulders, K-rails, gore points, etc.

• Whenever possible, use non-trafficside controls.

Using the traffic-side controls places you within inches of hazardous oncoming traffic; there’s no move-over here.

carrier’s deck, working quickly is the prerequisite technique. Some towers contend they have better chances working the white line so their view isn’t blocked by the vehicle they’re loading and they see approaching traffic.

While watching traffic makes perfect sense, what are the chances of first seeing and then reacting to an errant vehicle traveling 60 mph and covering 88’ per second, only to be able to jump out of its way? In a super-hero world, this might be a possibility, but white-line related fatalities suggest towers’ being ready to jump out of the way doesn’t work.

For justifiable reasons, I’ve revised my course instruction to lessen tow operator exposure regardless of type of tow truck or carrier being used. I’ve developed white-line specific techniques I believe work and teach them in tow safety courses as an alternative to standing on the white line. The following is the end-product of my revisions; I’m opti-

mistic that your individual safety awareness might glean the common sense offered.

The Dangers?

• Non-traffic-side (load) techniques must be practiced and performed at competent and proficient skill levels. Suggested techniques lessen operator exposure by placing them in locations other than wide open to approaching traffic.

• Move as quickly as possible while maintaining line-of-sight awareness as to hazardous approaching traffic. Any time spent on the traffic-side demands working quickly during all processes.

• Work non-traffic-side controls unless exigent conditions are present.

• On-coming traffic? Make no movements until safe to do so.

• New techniques require mental

Mind Transformation Do consider this narrative as an alternate to working flatbed carriers and tow trucks from the traffic-side.

Some safety experts say to avoid working the guardrail side because of limited visibility. While vision can be obscured when loading vehicles onto a

When each tow is completed, place the winch cable to the carrier’s passenger side.

TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 15

Semitrailers are your worst enemy when working the white line; obvious no moveover here either.

change. Accept change and discover a revised mindset when working highway load/tow scenarios.

As an alternative to working and standing on white-line kill zones, revised techniques can be initiated into your routine in any manner that is fast and efficient.

How to Work the NTS 1. Upon arrival to casualty vehicles,

16 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

pull in-front-of (tow ready) and as far to shoulder’s edge as possible (depending on center divider/right shoulder).

2. Determine move-over specific lighting based on hazards/conditions.

3. Exit tow truck, preferably out the passenger door, or, if right-side access is restricted; exit when a traffic-break is safe to do so.

4. Move immediately to NTS controls only when traffic break provides clear path for operator to move out of and away from danger zone.

5. With winch cable pre-stowed at passenger’s side rear corner (see red-line photo), activate NTS winch cable out control 3’ to 4’ beyond end of deck; set bridle and cable momentarily atop NTS rear edge.

6. From NTS controls, slide deck out and lower under vehicle’s front; solid to pavement.

7. From NTS hook-up position, driver looks first at NTS underside components to identify location of attachment points, T-slots, suspension, proximate components etc., while not lying on pavement under vehicle.

8. Attach to suitable NTS hook-up

Number 123 on Reader Card

location(s), then slide bridle under vehicle’s nose towards the traffic side.

9. When traffic opening is clear, move quickly to attach to traffic-side location and attach in the same manner while being fully aware of approaching traffic.

Confirm J-hooks or attachments are located in proper hook-up points—no blind hooking.

10. Return to NTS controls and winch onto carrier’s deck as far forward as possible for weight distribution.

11. From NTS, immediately attach passenger-side topside chain or ratchet strap to prevent rollaway.

12. Slide bed forward keeping slight angle to prevent vehicle from rolling forward, but raising rear tailboard to sufficient height to see attachment points under rear.

13. Quickly attach remaining tiedown points being careful not to stand behind vehicle in case of vehicle breakaway or winch malfunction.

14. Apply transmission and e-brake from NTS. 15. Stow the deck.

continue to page 44

Number 212 on Reader Card

Performing Safe, Efficient Jumpstart Service

by Terry Abejuela

B

attery jumpstarts are a substantial portion of the service calls handled by many tow companies and require tow operators to be knowledgeable, up-todate and carry the proper equipment.

Battery jumpstarts have become increasingly difficult to perform without damage to the disabled vehicle. To perform this service effectively, efficiently and safely, you must have the proper tools. At a minimum, tow operators that provide jumpstart service should carry the following equipment: • Safety glasses.

• Gloves.

• Jumper cables.

• Battery cleaning tools.

• Side terminal adapters.

• Portable jumpstart box.

• Flashlight.

The fender cover helps protect the customer’s vehicle from things like acid spills, belt buckles and runaway tools.

Helpful tools for battery service include a fender cover, multimeter, memory saver, battery cleaning tools and more.

18 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

• Fender cover.

• Service manual.

Safety glasses and gloves are a must to safely perform jumpstart service. Use safety glasses with highimpact polycarbonate lenses and side shields to protect your eyes during all battery jumpstarts. Use a crushproof case to protect your safety glasses from impacts, scratches, dirt and dust.

Batteries produce hydrogen gas as a normal function, and a spark near the battery can ignite it. Avoid any open flames or sparks near the battery.

Always make your last jumper cable connection at least 18” away from the battery. A damp rag on top of the battery while performing the jumpstart can help reduce the potential for igniting the hydrogen gas.

the clamp will either light up a green or red light in the indicator. If the red light comes on the cables are reversed.

There are 800-amp jumper cables that are heavier and more expensive, but if you perform a lot of jumpstarts it is well worth the expense and weight.

They are made with 1-gauge wire and have a larger red Lexan plug than the 500-amp cables. They work better for starting diesel vehicles and reduce the time you might need to sit charging a battery before a vehicle will start.

I like to carry a separate set of battery-to-battery jumper cables that are only 10’ long. When the primary set of

jumper cables does not provide enough to start the vehicle, I will attach a second set of jumper cables.

Never test your cables by touching them together to see if it creates a spark. This can result in major damage to the tow truck electrical system.

Instead, use a multimeter to check how much voltage is reaching the cable clamps. Make sure the jaws on the clamps and the sockets on the Lexan plug are kept clean.

Battery cleaning tools include a battery terminal spreader, terminal cleaner, side-post wrench, battery pliers and terminal puller. These tools are

"Battery jumpstarts have become increasingly difficult to perform without damage to the disabled vehicle."

When choosing jumper cables, look for quality heavy-duty cables.

The cheaper small-gauge jumper cables will create a lot of resistance, get hot and not start some vehicles. The larger the diameter of the cable, the more current that will flow through the cables. The standard length for jumper cables on tow trucks is 25’.

While sometimes we need that length to reach the disabled vehicle, it also creates a drop in voltage by the time the current reaches the end of the cables.

Jumper cables that are 4-gauge and 500 amp with a red Lexan plug that inserts into a jump box on the truck are probably the most common for this industry. The design of the plug and the box prevents reverse polarity at the box. These cables also come equipped with a built-in polarity tester. The positive clamp contains a polarity indicator. Touching the tab on

Number 167 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 19

required when a bad connection between the battery post and cable terminal prevents a successful jumpstart. Disconnect the negative terminal first to avoid arcing. Avoid using liquid to pour over connections to clean the corrosion as this may cause liquid to spill on other surfaces of the vehicles or onto a driveway and cause damage. Use a battery cleaning spray to remove corrosion and neutralize battery acid. Use an aerosol battery terminal protector spray on terminals to help prevent corrosion.

Memory Loss

Number 145 on Reader Card

Number 216 on Reader Card

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Number 122 on Reader Card

Many vehicles require reprogramming if the battery goes completely dead or the battery is disconnected.

Before providing a jumpstart, I recommend that you turn the key on to check if the clock is reset to 12 or 1. If the clock is reset, notify your customer that the memories may need to be reset and document this on your invoice.

Steering, throttle control, engine control and automatic transmission shifting can be affected by loss of memory. Some vehicles require expensive reprogramming procedures. A Keep Alive Memory unit will provide power to the various systems to avoid having to reprogram. Make sure to connect the KAM unit before disconnecting a battery terminal. If you are going to use a vehicle power port to maintain memory, make sure the port is hot when the key is turned off. You can test the port by plugging in your cellphone charger with the key off to see if the charger lights up.

A portable jumpstart pack is a very useful tool for the tow operator.

It can be used to jumpstart vehicles when the vehicle is located in an area difficult to reach with the tow truck. It can be used to provide a double jump or as a KAM unit. When purchasing a jump box, choose one that has an On/Off switch, built-in overcharge protection and a reverse-polarity indicator. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the proper use and care of your jumpstart pack to extend service life and reduce the potential for damage to the jumpstart pack or customer’s vehicle.

Using a fender cover protects your customer’s vehicle from tools, belt buckles, greasy gloves, jumper cables and battery acid.

Do not attempt to jumpstart a vehicle if the battery is frozen, a post is broken, the fluid level doesn’t cover the plates in the battery or the battery case is cracked or swollen. If any of these conditions exist, it is not safe to jumpstart the vehicle.

Carrying a motor club service manual is a great resource for battery jumpstart information. Specific instructions from the vehicle manufacturer and battery locations can be easily determined prior to arrival at the scene. Each year, new technologies are incorporated into the newer model vehicles and many of these technologies use computer-controlled systems that are susceptible to damage if proper procedures are not followed.

This information may also be found in the vehicle owner’s manual.

Additional equipment is required to provide battery replacement service such as a battery analyzer, acid spill cleanup kit, battery lifter and hand tools.

Carrying the proper tools for battery jumpstart service will make Terry Abejuela has 30+ years of your job easier, light-duty towing-and-recovery safer and allow experience. He is also a lightyou to perform duty level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association the job in a more since 1998. efficient and effective manner.

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Number 214 on Reader Card

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Number 138 on Reader Card

Smartphone 2013

Photo, Sans Smartphone, Doug Yates Towing & Recovery performing jeep recovery.

Towmanof

by Brendan Dooley

24 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

the Year

T

he 2013 Towman of the Year is an object. Nothing has had greater influence on the towing industry in the past year than the Smartphone and how towing professionals are doing business and connecting with the motorist. By the way, giving such accolades to a machine does have precedence in the publishing world. Time’s “Man of the Year” in 1982 was the PC. In the case of the Smartphone (among the most personal of personal computers), its wide-ranging influences on towing are both productive and destructive. Every tow operator, dispatcher, manager and boss has been impacted on the job by the Smartphone, more so in 2013 than ever before.

There are now dozens of suppliers using Smartphone technology to upgrade their services and many tow companies are developing their own apps for customers to use.

Receiving and dispatching calls, how customers find you, navigating to a call, taking pictures at the scene, scanning a VIN, completing a ticket, even taking payments at the scene … all these and more make the Smartphone “an indispensable work device,” said Todd Althouse, president of Beacon Software.

Apps Apps aren’t just about Angry Birds, stocks and the weather. Beyond Internet searches, some companies have developed Smartphone-specific applications for their customers to download.

Auto manufacturers and motor clubs all have apps for their customers to do everything from managing membership to getting help after accidents or seeking roadside assistance.

A simple search of “towing” in Apple’s App Store alone shows nearly 100 different tow company and motor club apps (which don’t count Android apps for non-Apple Smartphones).

Leading towers featured in American Towman magazine, like Santa Fe Tow Service in Kansas City, Mo., and Interstate Towing in Chicopee, Mass., already have apps for their businesses that they market to their customers.

Jeremy Procon, president of Interstate Towing, said that he was among the first towers to develop an app for his business, in 2007-’08.

“I was the only tow guy on [the App Store],” Procon said. “Now we’re in about 6,600 phones.”

One of the features on Interstate’s app he likes is for commercial accounts to load their own calls directly into Interstate’s system.

“They log in and they just fill in the blanks: what, where, year, make, model, where’s it going. Bang! And it pops up right on our dispatch board. …

And from there, they can log into their account and watch the truck that it’s assigned to on the GPS, where he is exactly.”

“The real power in Smartphones and tablets is when they are fully integrated with dispatch.”

Now it’s easy to find dozens of other towers in the app store. Common features of these tow business apps include appointment setting and invoicing, marketing special deals, and calling or messaging the dispatch center directly if you’re stranded.

And the apps aren’t just for tow companies to better market to their customers. There are plenty of apps available to improve business and efficiency for tow bosses and drivers, according to several seminars at the AT Academy in Baltimore, Md. American Towman TV anchor Emily Oz presented towers with several options for video communication on the job. One of the key pieces to her presentation was the Smartphone.

“One free app, Skype, allows you to talk face-to-face with live video for

free,” said Oz. “So many accident scenes can be hard to describe; Enter Skype.”

This function of the Smartphone allows newer operators to get real-time advice on jobs from the boss in the office who can view the entire scene.

Some towing companies even have mandated that new operators show video from the scene to the office or to more experienced towers with the company before proceeding.

“The quality of Smartphone video is pretty good and can be used to your advantage,” she said. Oz added that those on-scene videos can become fodder for future training sessions and safety meetings.

Beacon Software, Todd Althouse, also presented a seminar in 2013, specific to towing apps. He covered those that are available to help the tow operator. Among the apps highlighted were: • OnSource: Image upload for insurance/legal cases.

• Big Road Trucker, TruckLog: DOT logs and reports.

• Google Maps: Navigation.

• INRIX, Waze: Live traffic and construction reports.

• SmartTruckRoute: Navigation on truck routes only.

• DOT PlaceCards: Hazardous Material plaque lookup.

• GPS Mileage Tracker: Tracks mileage via GPS. • GasBuddy: Best gas prices.

• Go Payment, Square Register, Sage Payments: Mobile credit card payments.

• Vehicle Barcode Scanner: Scans/Decodes VINs. • DA for Drivers: Tool collection for drivers to receive/process and complete calls from dispatch.

• Dispatch Anywhere Mobile: Receiving and dispatching calls from phone or tablet.

• TowSpec Mobile: Towing instructions online.

“And these are just a very few samples of what is available,” Althouse said. He added that apps of use to towers are being continually created and updated, to the point he adjusted part of his presentation because of the rapid changes.

Some of the apps available to towTOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 25

ers include motor club apps that aren’t for the consumer. For instance, Agero’s “Roadside Connect” is an Android- and Apple-ready app that provides realtime communication between the company and its service providers, including consumer and vehicle details, location and turn-by-turn navigation, and consumer contact info. The app also captures signatures and updates the call with timestamps on progress.

Agero also inaugurated a new service in 2011 that brought towers into damaged-vehicle documentation, something the Smartphone can handle.

Dispatching Help Just handing out Smartphones to drivers isn’t going to make much of a difference in a company’s bottom line. There needs to be a plan for the upgraded communications possibilities.

“The Smartphone is not a standalone gadget,” said Jim Shellhaas, president of Ranger SST. “The real power in Smartphones and tablets is when they are fully integrated with dispatch.” He said that devices should automatically share all the data with a job (call/clear times, on-scene pictures, VINs, payments, etc.) so there’s no duplication of effort in entering information by drivers or dispatchers.

Among the advantages of fully integrated Smartphone-dispatch software Shallhaas cited include: • Get dispatchers off of the radio and managing what is actually going on in the field; all the routine information is flowing back and forth with digital messages (not e-mail or text messaging) instead of voice conversations.

• Eliminate paper tickets in the truck. Information entered into the mobile device is automatically entered/stored in your management system.

• Calculate account-specific pricing for the driver on the mobile device, driver can run the customer’s credit card on-site.

• Minimize driver wait times by sending all info for next call as he is completing his current job.

• Consistently direct the driver by sending call coordinates directly into the GPS navigation tool.

26 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

“The integration of GPS tracking/mapping with dispatching creates the opportunity for major improvements in dispatching,” Shellhaas said.

“Dispatchers have all the requisite information for better assignment decisions available on the map for visual dispatch. Better call assignment in turn drives improved utilization of trucks and drivers.”

Customer Searches Another area the Smartphone is revolutionizing is how your customers find you. No longer does a stranded motorist need to wait for law enforcement or someone else to call a tow truck. Even in an unfamiliar area, with a quick Google search on a Smartphone, the driver can locate local companies, read some reviews and dial directly from the website they like best for service.

This changes not just how the customer finds the tow service, but more importantly, how the tow company markets itself online for the best position. Some companies, like Towing.com, are making it easier for companies to take advantage of these changes.

“When someone is stuck on the side of the road … they just want to find a company to get them out of their current situation. So we make it easy to search Google on their phones and very quickly have red buttons to call towing companies on their screen,” said Julie Groteke, marketing director of Towing.com.

Making sure your company is a top local result in online searches, whether through your own IT help or using an industry supplier, is becoming more of a necessity as Smartphone popularity grows.

In Spring 2012, it was estimated there were 110 million Smartphone users in the U.S., Beacon’s Althouse said. A Pew Internet Project survey found that 45 percent of U.S. adults own a Smartphone, and 66 percent ownership among 18- to 29-year-olds.

The Downside As with everything in life, there is good and bad. Every tow operator out there has a story to tell about almost

being hit, or worse, by a distracted driver. Unfortunately, the advent of Smartphones has accelerated the number of distracted drivers out there and there are few signs it will slow soon.

Of course, distracted drivers do provide a certain amount of business for towers as well.

According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, more than 90 percent of Smartphone users keep their phone in their hand, lap, cup holder or on the passenger’s seat; while driving, 67 percent of drivers use GPS, 54 percent make calls, 33 percent access the web and 30 percent email or text message.

Though talking on a handheld cellphone is banned in 10 states, and texting is banned in 39 states, 45 percent of Smartphone users would bring their phone into the car if there was a government ban of in-vehicle technology.

The downside of Smartphones also extends to the tow operator.

“No doubt Smartphone technology is revolutionizing everything we do,” said Michael Geffroy, VP Sales North America for TomTom Business Solutions. “However, I think your readers also need to understand their limits, particularly how it relates to drivers. …

Applications, such as receiving call orders on cellphones, are very risky to operators since they have a high distraction factor.”

He cited a DOT report that showed texting/reading texts “results in 4.6 seconds of lost road visibility. That’s more than 120 yards lost at 60 mph.

“Our devices consider the distraction factor and provide text-to-speech dispatch messages, voice-guided navigation on a fix-mounted 5” display that are easy to read, and have a host of other features to help reduce distraction, like message lockdown while driving, and clear advance lane guidance to prevent last-minute driver turn decisions,” Geffroy said.

“The Smartphone is a great innovation, but needs to be understood in the reality of the operator’s daily environment.”

Wow! Now you can see why this thing is Towman of the Year. AT salutes the Smartphone.

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TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 27

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Auction Benefits Survivor Fund During the 24th annual American Towman Exposition in Baltimore, Md., last November, Pierce Sales and Lodar partnered to benefit the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum Survivor Fund with an allday auction.

The auctions raised $2,760 for the Survivor Fund; items included an air compressor, recovery winches, an air-actuator wireless system and two-function wireless system.

Visit www.internationaltowingmuseum.org for more information to donate to the Survivor Fund.

Ramsey Named a ‘Trailblazer’ Ramsey Industries was recognized by the Tulsa Area United Way as an outstanding Trailblazer company after it was challenged by the charity to meet an ambitious fundraising goal. Company employees also volunteered time at Tulsa Area United Way partner agencies.

In Tulsa, employees of Ramsey Industry subsidiaries Auto Crane and Ramsey Winch raised $40,436, doubling their fundraising results of 2011. www.ramseywinch.com Number 151 on Reader Card

Number 136 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 31

Sandy’s Aftermath

by Brendan Dooley

Towers Talk About Storm’s Impact

Between Hurricane Sandy’s winds and surging floodwaters, cars and boats were tossed around like they were made from Balsa wood. Breen Brothers’ photo.

32 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

H

urricane Sandy’s impact on the news cycle was huge at Halloween and into the first few weeks of November.

Since then, however, outside the East Coast region around New York and New Jersey, Sandy has largely fallen out of the national view.

Of course, for those who live there, the cleanup is an ongoing process with no end in sight (just like the ravages of Hurricane Katrina are still quite obvious to anyone in New Orleans, La.) The federal government awarded more than $180 million in contracts tied to Sandy in the first month after it struck Oct. 29, leaving more than 2 million residents without power, killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless.

“The costs will continue for years, much like Hurricane Katrina,’’ said one former White House official.

“Something as severe and tragic as Sandy clearly is going to involve years of costs.’’

“Katrina, which is the obvious comparison, in many ways was not as impactful as Sandy,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “Because of the density of New York, the number of people affected and the number of properties affected was much larger in Hurricane Sandy than Hurricane Katrina.’’

Katrina, along with Hurricane Rita less than a month later, destroyed

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Everyday Heroes

Danny Breen's brothers, of Breen Brothers Towing, came to Staten Island to rescue him from his home the night of the storm. As floodwaters surged up to 13', they wound up helping so many more people than just Danny. Breen Brothers' photo.

or damaged 215,000 homes, compared with 305,000 in New York from Sandy, Cuomo said. In New York, 265,000 businesses were damaged or destroyed by Sandy, compared with 18,500 by Rita and Katrina, he said.

There are tens of thousands of flooded cars that needed to be salvaged following the storm. Towers are still working to get the salvage and recovery process moving along, and to aid in the clean up; there are also dozens of stories about towers’ heroic efforts rescuing people during the storm surge.

We met some of the hard-working heroes on the AT Expo show floor in Baltimore; it was a pleasure to talk with Joseph, Patrick and Michael Breen of Breen Brothers Towing in Staten Island.

The three of them were in the area of Staten Island hardest hit on the night of the storm to rescue their brother Danny from his residence. Many of the images featured in this article are theirs, along with several we’ve used online at TowIndustryWeek.com. Joey talked the most, but all three chimed in throughout the interview almost as one.

“We were out earlier that night before the storm surged, pulling cars out of the water. We figured things weren’t going to get that bad. And then a couple hours later everything hit the fan. It was like something out of a movie. … It was crazy, transformers were blowing up as you went; it was like a war scene, like Beirut.

“We went back down into that area later (where surge and flooding were highest) to rescue our brother who was stuck in his house. There was 12 or 13 feet of rising water on his street. Everywhere there were people saying, ‘Help me, help me, help me.’ We started pulling as many cars out as we could, swimming to many of them.

“We commandeered a boat to get my brother out of his home and another 60 people off his block. There were so many stories coming out of this; boats and yachts floated into people’s yards.

“In the end it was something tragic that’s bringing a lot of work into the economy. But it’s still hard. … It’s hard to get someone’s car out of something like this and then have to send them a bill, even when they ask for one. You feel bad.

“Our dispatchers were in the office for a week straight.

“The police are actually making the recovery more difficult … they’re just doing their jobs, but with all the scammers coming in the area to steal and take cars, police are slowing things up at each of our yards checking documentation on every car we bring in now. That’s holding us up, when we were just out there helping them during the storm.”

One of the heart-warming aspects of a tragedy like Sandy, is to find these stories about those who strived to make a difference and make things better. One of those towers is Paul “P.J.” Marcel of Triangle Automotive & Towing in Ridgewood, N.Y.; Marcel is EMT certified and a sergeant with the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps in Queens.

On the night of the storm, Marcel and his friend Frank Spallino are credited with rescuing more than 120 people using a war-surplus U.S. Army cargo truck. He personally bought the 1994 A.M. General M35 2.5-ton truck in 2011 “to convert into a recovery vehicle for my volunteer agency … for use during any event in which it would be needed.

“My plans were to purchase and mount a rotating crane and operate it as a vehicle recovery device under the agency’s name,” he said.

That truck came in handy as news reports account for Marcel and Spallino “charging through rising waters” and “ramming cars” to pull up at people’s homes in Howard Beach to get residents to safety “and retrieving EMTs whose ambulances had been submerged.”

CNN’s Anderson Cooper has since interviewed Marcel, but unfortunately the rescue truck is no more.

“The truck has been put out of service because the salt water is eating it alive,” Marcel said.

In addition to all of the local heroes, there have been many towers to reach out and offer support from far outside the Eastern Seaboard. There are many stories about folks like Chris Jordan, who owns Jordan Towing in Plano, Texas.

Jordan and some of his employees headed straight out to the Staten Island area in their tow trucks and with a camping trailer offered whatever assistance might be needed.

Likewise there were several drivers from Auto Works Towing in Miami Township, Ohio. Owner Tug Brock said there were 75 to 100 tow trucks from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky helping in the storm’s wake.

“I can’t believe the devastation,” Brock said. “It’s a good thing to be involved in; the people out there need (our help).”

Many towers have relayed tales of helping rescue personnel during and after the storm as civilians. Breen Brothers’ photo.

Paul “P.J.” Marcel alongside his surplus U.S. Army cargo truck that he used during Sandy to rescue 120 residents in Howard Beach, N.Y. Photo courtesy P.J. Marcel.

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Mitchell Ball of Integrated Leasing took this picture in Merrick, N.Y., the day after the storm. As bad as things seem, there’s always something to inspire faith.

Bad News Unfortunately, following a tragedy like Sandy, there is also plenty of bad news. American Towman has been pointed to several negative stories about APK Towing in Toms River, N.J., who were quoted in the December magazine in the immediate aftermath of flooding. The circumstances there still seem murky and there have been no charges as of press time.

“An order was given by Seaside Heights Borough officials to remove cars from the streets so equipment and trucks could be brought in for cleanup operations following Superstorm Sandy. However, many residents say the Borough’s authorized tow company, APK Auto Repair, overstepped their instructions to tow vehicles off the streets and went onto private property to remove cars,” according to a report by www.examiner.com.

Ocean County prosecutors and the N.J. attorney general are investigating APK. A statement from Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford said in part, “The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether or not there has been any criminal wrongdoing associated with the business practices of this entity. We are collecting facts and information.”

There have been many heroic efforts during and after Sandy. Hopefully that will continue, and the majority of towers will be seen and remembered for their brave actions and willingness to help in clearing streets and delivering necessary supplies.

If you have pictures and stories to share of your company’s assistance following the storm, please send them to AT Editor Brendan Dooley at bdooley@towman.com.

Editor’s Note This report was compiled from various newswire reports and American Towman staff interviews with towers by phone and in-person at the American Towman Expo in Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 16-18.

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Number 142 on Reader Card

Learning on the Job

by Mark Lacek

1973 Ford Thunderbird factory photo. Courtesy of "Old Cars Weekly" archives.

O

nce again the American Towman Expo was a tremendous success. This past November, towing and recovery professionals from around the nation converged on Baltimore, Md., for four days of seminars, networking and, yes, shopping. Many towers bought new equipment or vital supplies, and thousands participated in the AT Academy seminars and continuing education, training and certification.

The event was terrific; American Towman delivered to the industry another fine Expo. Bravo, I say, bravo!

I don’t usually tell war stories, but at the Repo 101 seminar in Baltimore, a few attendees asked if I might share a few memorable moments. I’d like to dedicate this story to a legend in the recovery industry who passed away early in 2012: My partner and best friend John W. Kilpatrick. JW laughed out loud when I talked about this one.

Here’s to you, John.

It was on the dark streets of East Cleveland in 1975 when I repossessed my first car. Armed with a slim jim, a slide hammer (a dent puller to you body shop guys) and a flathead Craftsman 38 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

screwdriver, my partner and I ruled the night air searching addresses for our bounty.

My partner dropped me off down the street from the address. He pulled our ride to the curb, turned off the engine and sat quietly as I approached the house.

It was 3:30 a.m., quiet as an empty church, and there I was slowly making my way up the driveway. My slide hammer was wrapped in a cloth in one hand and the slim jim and screwdriver were in the other; I was nervous and excited. This was my first repo.

In front of me was a 1973 Ford Thunderbird, and a quick check of the VIN confirmed I was about to get busy.

Next to the passenger’s side of the TBird was the side entrance to the twostory house. There I was, at the driver’s side of the bounty, a young rookie repossessor slowly managing the slim jim deep into the door, past the rubber seal and sliding the tool up and down in search of the rod that frees the button lock. It was very quiet as the button popped up, unlocking the door. I barely heard the sound and there wasn’t a peep from the house—no dogs were

barking, no lights were on.

Within a few seconds I was sitting in the T-Bird. I noticed the car started to shake, just a little, but enough to notice.

I reached down and placed my hand over my left leg and pushed it down. As my leg stopped violently shaking, so did the car … back to work.

With quiet precision, I used the screwdriver to pry off the chrome butterfly from the top of the ignition. I placed the screw end of the dent puller into the now-exposed ignition and with my right hand began turning the puller clockwise. After a few turns, the screw was deep enough into the ignition to begin the pulling process.

Up until this point, this repossession process is a quiet procedure. To extract the ignition, the hammer part of the puller must be pounded backwards to complete the process of removing the ignition from the steering column. As you might have guessed, this action creates a rather loud “BAM!” Very often, the ignition will come out after just one quick noisy maneuver. The repossessor

continue to page 52

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“Please deliver it to my residence and while you’re at it check the oil and fluids.”

Catch Boomer Hayes each week on TowIndustryWeek.com.

Penned, drawn and colored by Don Lomax, Boomer finds himself in absurd situations only a tower would know about.

Also found at towweek.com, Tow Industry Week offers original editorial features covering the towing industry.

Number 187 on Reader Card

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The convertible top meant there was no roof to use in the lift.

Mustang in the Muck Convertible Complicates Recovery from Bayway Bridge

by Daniel Wade, General Manager

40 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

O

ur service was requested in August 2012 by the Alabama State Troopers to respond immediately for a Ford Mustang that jumped the I-10 Bayway Bridge that spans Mobile Bay, Ala. Upon arrival, we discovered the Mustang was a convertible and completely submerged in the bay.

A long reach crane boom was required to reach the vehicle for lifting while keeping Interstate traffic flowing on the bridge, so we used our NRC 5065 65-ton rotator.

I was lowered from the bridge with my dad, Tony, at the controls. That was hardly an issue compared with the rigging complications on this car.

Lifting a basic vehicle is typically an easy task; I have done many vehicle lifts either through the roof or by the wheels. In this case, the driver’s side rims were busted apart, ruling out a tire lift. And since it was a convertible, there was no roof to lift from.

Add to this that the Mustang was completely underwater, stuck in thick mud and there was a news crew focused on us.

I knew the windshield post wasn’t the best option, but we had to get the show on the road. Our rotator began lifting enough that I could get to the rims on the passenger’s side. At that point I added two rim straps as somewhat of a safety—in addition to the windshield post—to keep the vehicle as level as possible, prevent any fluids from spilling and make the tow quicker once the Mustang was back on the bridge.

Extreme caution was used to prevent any type of spill into the water system. The Mustang was transported on our rollback to our Fairhope terminal.

All in all, it went off without a hitch. Staying calm helped lead the people watching to believe everything was under control and business as usual. We were even complimented for doing such a great job by officials.

"The Mustang was completely underwater, stuck in thick mud and there was a news crew focused on us."

We improvised the lift using the windshield post to get the car moving, then attached to the passenger’s side rims once they were out of the water.

TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 41

The Mustang was set down on the bridge where we could load it quickly on our flatbed carrier for transport.

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Readers Thankful for ‘Wake Up!’ To the Editor, I want to say thank you for your two write ups in the December 2012 American Towman issue, “Wake Up!” and “Towers’ Group Sues Kansas City.”

Here in Seattle, the city is right in the middle of a new towing contract proposal for a five-year citywide towing and vehicle management bid and Auto Return is one of the companies advancing in the process.

I DO NOT understand why these cities are seeking out-of-state companies for taking control of and overseeing the work that local companies with employees that live right in the middle of their own cities have been doing successfully for many years.

Ray Cooper, Driver ABC Towing; Seattle, Wash

To the Editor, After reading your editorial “Wake up!,” I wanted to let you know that TRAW has recently filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle to stop them from regulating the fees on private-property impounds, taxing each tow to establish another level of government, and plastering our companies with 18 pages of unfair and over-burdensome regulations.

Our biggest challenge is to fund this costly challenge with just slightly less than one-half of the registered towing companies in our state belonging to TRAW. I will use your “wake-up call” at meetings to sound the alarm and, hopefully, bring our industry together to be successful in stopping Seattle’s efforts and send a message to other cities in our state that we will not sit by and watch our elected officials try to take the hard-earned money away from those who actually earn it.

Thank you for your article.

Mike Walcker, Director Towing and Recovery Association of Washington

Number 108 on Reader Card

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BEACONS ON! continued from page 16 16. Return to driver’s position by walking around tow truck on NTS against guardrail or embankment side.

Move to white-line side while using the truck’s body as a shield. Move quickly to driver’s seat at open traffic break.

17. Proceed to delivery destination, stow carrier deck. Pull or winch V-bridle end to deck’s tailboard at passenger-side rear corner; set V-bridle hook in passenger-side eyelet to make ready for next tow.

Whenever possible, do not use freespool handles. Never take your eyes off traffic when laying cones, flares or directing traffic. As a pedestrian, your exposure is greatest when walking anywhere near moving traffic.

Tow operators must be held to higher safety standards. The highway is no place for beginners, newbies or inexperienced operators. Only those having demonstrated skills should respond to highway calls.

Accept the Challenge There’s nothing fancy about what’s presented here; it takes a tower’s willingness to initiate change. If the current state of survival isn’t working, what other options are there?

I challenge our industry’s trainers to consider or modify these techniques as perhaps one realistic approach to not working traffic-side controls. Change demands that company management includes a like-type way of training in a company’s highway safety training. The methods mentioned here take only minutes when practiced regularly. Companies, take the lead in re-training your drivers. Drivers, take heed to these suggestions knowing your ultimate survival is a win-win for everyone.

No matter what kind of tow truck or carrier you operate, the choices you make regarding where you work and stand is key to your survival. Don’t blame the tow truck, don’t blame the

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manufacturers, and don’t blame those dastardly errant drivers; none of them are in control of your ability to work clear of the danger zones.

If these techniques aren’t for you … what techniques will you employ in the New Year to ensure you or your employees don’t become an industry statistic?

Author’s Note: Techniques herein are suggested as an alternative basis of training only. Neither American Towman nor the author advocates this or any technique replace proper operational judgment and common sense. Working highway-related towing and recovery incidents represents incredible dangers to tow operators and roadside service personnel. Special thanks to Johnny Cortes, owner of San Diego’s Cortes Towing for his assistance with this article’s photos.

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 102 on Reader Card

Sharpen Your Tools

by Emily Oz

T

housands of towing professionals gathered in Baltimore, Md., for the 24th annual AT Expo in November. I was on-hand to conduct interviews and gather interesting stories from some of the towers in attendance.

I also gave my first-ever seminar during the American Towman Academy. My seminar was among the 30plus classes available to towers during the daily morning educational component of the expanded three-day Expo.

(Friday included some afternoon sessions as well.) The best way to explain the enriching seminars is that towmen and tow women leave with a few more “tools” in their toolbox after the Expo. They take the new tools to their home office and give them a try to see what will increase core business and streamline operations.

Many seasoned towers were onhand to guide packed classrooms through different subjects, including how to use GPS and smartphones in your operation, how to turn accident cleanup into a revenue source, how to market your business in the digital age, and the ever-popular challenging recovery techniques courses, just to name a few.

My seminar covered the ways towers can use video in their operation.

Emily Oz demonstrates how the GoPro Hero2 Head Camera works during her seminar at the American Towman Academy in Baltimore, Md.

With so many video-gathering mechanisms available today (handheld HD camcorders, GoPro Hero head cameras, Smartphones, etc.), it’s pretty easy for towers to take footage of their jobs. There are many benefits of getting into this practice, whether for insurance purposes, to prove your work during an invoice dispute, or to aid in training your staff or co-workers.

I really enjoyed sharing my video knowledge with the crowd and we had fun bouncing different ideas and stories off each other during the hourlong class.

Over the course of the three days, I interviewed several towers and a high percentage of them said their favorite part of the Expo was the education.

American Towman really puts together a world-class seminar lineup for the annual Baltimore show. After all, a tower who continues to sharpen his tools will be better prepared (than his competition) for the grind of a new workday.

Hats off to another successful American Towman Exposition!

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

MUNICIPAL TOWERS, continued from page 9 Auto Return, based in San Francisco, Calif. has been reaching out to cities across America the past few years. It recently signed up Kansas City, Mo., and has bids currently being considered in Seattle, Wash., and other cities.

If these “middlemen” are successful, said Borowski, they will “divert hundreds of millions of dollars away from towing businesses and suppliers to our industry.”

The third issue that PTA will 46 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

address is the need for equitable Rate Hikes. Borowski said that police towers need the proper presentation tools to successfully make their case to towns for the rate increase they need. To do this they need the right statistics, the right narrative and the right medium.

The biggest problem is the reality that “local towers don’t trust one another and don’t communicate,” said Johnson.

“They’re dog-eat-dog competitors. But

there is a reason for them to unite in their respective towns. This is the common ground they can come together on.

“PTA’s role is to facilitate their coming together, and arm them with the tools they need to win the necessary battles. “ For more information, call John Borowski, 413-575-9333 or email johnborowski@comcast.net.

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TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 47

‘Underdog’ in Shark’s Clothing

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

W

hite-Huff Towing is a family business based in Brooklyn Park, Md., that was established in 1982 and now has six employees and seven trucks.

One of their operators, Rick Spitzer, sent in the photos of the truck he is proud to drive for the company.

Spitzer has been towing for 30 years, having worked for several companies before joining the White-Huff family.

He is a consummate gear-head who has a passion for towing as well as building and restoring hot rods, including doing all of the bodywork on his project vehicles. He is also an avid dirt-track racer.

“White-Huff is truly a family owned and operated company,” Spitzer said. “Russell White is the owner and president, his wife, Barbara, handles all of the paperwork, keeps us in line and the shop running smooth; son Joe is a driver and mechanic.

48 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

Tech Highlights Chassis: 2002 International 4300.

Wrecker: Jerr-Dan Shark bed.

Engine: DT466E. Trans: Allison automatic.

Winches: Ramsey 8,000-lbs.

Extras: 36” stainless door toolbox, trashcan mount, stainless quarters.

Builder: Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales.

Paint/Graphics: Jim at Southpaw Decals.

“They are good people who treat their employees like family and are a great company to work for.”

The rig featured here, “Underdog,” is a 2002 International 4300 powered by a DT466E inline-six diesel engine with an Allison automatic transmission. Maryland Carrier & Wrecker Sales in Baltimore, Md., built this unit.

A Jerr-Dan Steel Shark carrier bed is on the business end. The 5-ton deck has polished aluminum removable raised rails, which add to Underdog’s sleek look and a Ramsey 8,000-lbs. winch handles the pulling chores.

“This truck is a pleasure to drive and the dual-angle deck provides a low approach angle to maximize loading clearance when dealing with lowprofile vehicles,” Spitzer said.

Underdog has LED lighting all around with tasteful touches of stainless including a 36” stainless door toolbox, trashcan mount and stainless quarter fenders.

“Jim at Southpaw Decals did an amazing job with the custom vinyl pin striping and graphics,” praised Spitzer.

This is a no-nonsense working rig driven with pride and kept in show condition by Spitzer and the WhiteHuff family. It is no Underdog — it is a Great White Shark!

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TOWMAN.COM - January 2013 • 51

REPO RUN continued from page 38 must then very quickly insert the screwdriver into the steering column, turn the small gear which starts the car, place the car in reverse and very quickly get gone.

On this particular T-Bird, the ignition was in very tight, after the first “BAM,” the ignition was still intact. Two more quick pounds, “BAM BAM,” and the ignition was out, the screwdriver was turning and the Bird was running. This is when “it” hit the fan.

In training there are small lessons you learn that ultimately make your job easier. Some lessons are about safety.

An example of these lessons for the repossessor would be to make sure the foot does not touch the brake pedal in the evening in someone’s driveway (bright red lights get noticed). Another example is to be certain your arm stays clear of the turn-signal lever. A bright yellow light blinking every second in the darkness of a driveway would be a clear indication someone is in your driveway messing with your ride.

Another valuable lesson: Before you yank the ignition out of a 1973 Thunderbird at 3:30 a.m. in the quiet nights of East Cleveland, always make sure the volume control on the radio is turned to the “Off” position.

It was “Get Down Tonight” by KC and the Sunshine Band that woke every one up on that night in East Cleveland. You guessed it, the car’s owner left the radio volume control on full volume when he had made it home earlier that evening.

As I backed the T-Bird down the driveway, the house lit up like a Christmas tree. One by one the windows lit up as the light switches in about every room turned on. Keep in mind the homes in East Cleveland are about 10 feet apart, enough room for a driveway. The neighbors’ lights went on just as quickly as the owner’s house did.

As I sped off down that dark street, I remember seeing a man in his pajamas in the rear view mirror of the T-Bird running after me down the center of the once-quiet street.

I sped away to the funky sound of KC on the quad speakers of the stereo system. I noticed the car was also shaking a bit, more than before—still my leg shaking, more than ever.

When I arrived at our storage yard, my partner was doubled over laughing. He had watched the entire episode of my first repossession and for many years after reminded me to make sure the radio was off.

Let’s go into this New Year with safety as our top priority. Remember the lessons we were taught. Try to take a continuing education class. A new American Towman show will be in Las Vegas in May with exciting and valuable seminars, continuing education and more vendors than ever! Hope to see you there.

Be safe.

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

Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com Number 180 on Reader Card

52 • January 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

Copyright 2013 American Towman Magazine. Characters and stories are fictitious; no resemblance to real life characters is intended.

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

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