American Towman Magazine - May 2013

Nick Testa

towman.com

towmantv.com

towweek.com

Number 176 on Reader Card

Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Impound Money . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

FEATURE CONTENTS

Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

32

Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Marketing 101: True Blue

Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Nick's Towing in N.J. is the newest 5-Star ATSA tower; marketing the brand is a company-wide effort.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

Work Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 On Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .72

48

Tow Americana . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Teamwork Rescue

Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Bill's Towing in Bridgeport, Ohio, was called to this critical recovery and rescue of a child.

Multiple agencies worked with Bill's Towing to save a father and daughter from a crushed truck cab.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

58

Who’s Better to Serve Police Calls?

When it comes to getting local police contracts, professionalism and data go a long way for independent towers.

by Randall C. Resch

62

D8 Goes Under ‘Down Under’ Clayton's Towing Service recovered an excavator that was completely submerged in a silt pond in Australia.

by Brendan Dooley

4 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

Number 109 on Reader Card

Keep Learning and Earning My 11-year-old son Chance came home recently beaming with pride after he scored a high grade on a math test.

It reminded me that the importance of education is not just the knowledge you gain but the confidence it instills.

In any profession, experience is paramount—but education is nearly as important. The pursuit of proficiency in your field refreshes your skills, adds to your expertise and heightens your professionalism; it also equips you with more tools for business and life.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffet teaches kids in his new video series, “Learn more … earn more.” As adults we know that little morsel is absolutely true.

Education doesn’t guarantee more money, but self-assurance and proven abilities have definite value.

So, what have you done lately to further your knowledge? We already know you read faithfully through each issue of American Towman to pick up recovery tips and find information to run your business. In this issue alone, you can further your knowledge on private-property impounds, directing traffic at the

by Dennie Ortiz

scene and much more.

When is the last time you or your operators participated in hands-on training? If there aren’t local training programs available, have you considered other options—like the training offered at trade shows?

In Las Vegas this month, during the AT ShowPlace, we have numerous comprehensive conferences available that range from proper rotator operations to management seminars that assist you in evaluating your business to make your company more profitable. There’s a lot of education available. Beyond Vegas, AT offers educational opportunities at our expos in San Antonio and Baltimore.

Recently, the Women of the Towing Recovery Association of America even started a Business Development Series for—you guessed it—women in the industry.

As I stress the importance of continued education, I’d like to share my appreciation for all the educators and trainers that keep us learning and earning more. I’d especially like to say, “Happy Mother’s Day,” to all the mothers in the industry and my own mother, Mercedes. Parents are our earliest educators who teach the value of discovery.

Rescue, Relocate and Recover

by Brendan Dooley

This issue features three very different recoveries for your enjoyment, each with its own particular challenges and equipment use.

The most dramatic is the rescue effort made by Bill’s Towing of Bridgeport, Ohio (p. 48). The team from Bill’s worked together with local first responders to free a father and his young daughter from the crushed cab of a rented box truck.

In a less precarious situation, Milstead Automotive of Spring, Texas, helped relocate a train caboose (p. 56). They used a selection of equipment on that job, including a rotator and double-drop stretch trailer.

Finally, in a unique situation from “Down Under,” Clayton’s Towing in Australia (p. 62) deadlifted a 40-ton Caterpillar D8 that was completely submerged in muck.

They used two Australian-built Ekebol TU-600 heavy-duty wreckers, and rigged to other excavators as deadmen. Operations Manager Mike Clayton also sent along a pic of their fleet for comparison for towers here.

Of course, there’s a lot more in this issue than just recoveries (like always), so be sure to read cover-to-cover (like I know you always do) to pick up every bit you need to be successful out there.

6 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

First On The Scene!

Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor

Randall Resch

Operations Editor

Terry Abejuela

Field Editor, West

Jim “Buck” Sorrenti David Kolman Bill Simmons

Field Editor, Northeast Chassis Editor Safety Editor

Emily Oz

On Screen Editor

Mark Lacek

Repo Run Editor

Editorial Board Tommy Anderson Roy Carlson Gary Coe Belinda Harris Amado Llorens Ron Mislan Chuck Swider Frank Sanchez

Dallas, Texas St. Paul, Minn.

Portland, Ore. Greensboro, N.C. Hialeah, Fla. Warren, N.J. Chicopee, Mass.

Bridgewater, N.J.

American Towman Staff Ann Marie Nitti Dennie Ortiz Ellen Rosengart Norma Calitri Neila Smith Miriam Ortiz Henri Calitri Toni Vanderhorst William Burwell Emily Oz Steve Calitri

Page Layout Artist Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Acct. Executive VP of Accounts VP Communications Subscription Manager Customer Service Publisher’s Assistant TIW Media Director ATTV Producer President

American Towman Media Headquarters 7 West Street, Warwick, NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546 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 210 on Reader Card

Towers Educate Teen Drivers Polly Salvatore works at Youngstown Auto Wrecking and said she sees hundreds of cars involved in accidents, some fatal. She asked her boss if she could put a car in front of Poland High School to remind students to pay attention when they are behind the wheel.

Her boss agreed and suggested that cars be put in front of every high school in Mahoning County, Ohio.

High school principal Jared Van Kirk said the vehicles are a reminder for students, but parents and other adults can learn from the visual images too.

The cars are delivered to schools free of charge. Towing companies who volunteered their services are Jeswald’s Towing, Jeff Ludt Towing, Arlie Utsinger Towing and Ludt’s Towing. Source: www.wytv.com.

Man Charged in Tower’s Death

A man was charged with intoxication manslaughter following a crash that killed a tow operator in Houston, Texas, April 5.

Ahmed Nassar, 54, was trying to help a stalled motorist. He was inside a Toyota Corolla, putting it in gear to be towed, when a Toyota Tundra plowed into the car. The Corolla was pushed under the flatbed tow truck and crushed.

The female driver of the Corolla was thrown from the collision, and was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

Police took Roger Mark Lovell, the driver of the Tundra, into custody. He faces intoxicated manslaughter charges.

Police say Lovell, 51, was intoxicated when he crashed into the stalled car.

Source: www.abclocal.go.com.

8 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

Move Over Confuses Some The Ambrose-Searles Move Over Act was enacted in 2011 in New York. It is named in part for Robert Ambrose, a state trooper killed on the Thruway in Yonkers in 2002. Last year, the law was amended to add the same protections for emergency responders, maintenance workers and tow-truck drivers.

N.Y. police wrote 13,691 Move Over violations in 2011, and 11,452 tickets in 2012.

Many motorists remain confused or unaware about what they should do as they approach emergency vehicles on roadsides, law enforcement officials say.

“Sometimes people get into a panic and think they need to change

lanes,” said a state police spokesman. “What they are required to do, first of all is slow down, and secondarily, if they can, move from the lane safely.” Source: www.pressconnects.com.

2013 Hall of Fame

Inductees Announced

Nine industry leaders make up the Class of 2013 for induction into the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame in Chattanooga, Tenn.

“Each year, the inductees share common strengths which have led to their nomination into this prestigious group,” said Bill Gratzianna, presi-

dent of the ITRHFM. “This year’s inductees share a dedication to their state and local towing organizations as well as the national towing and recovery community.”

The 2013 inductees are Marc DeWilde of Gentbrugge, Belgium; John H. Glass of Morris Plains, N.J.; Marvin R. Harris (deceased); Rolfe W. Johnson of Snohomish, Wash.; William E. Johnson of Granby, Mass.; Joseph G. Kolodziej of Pinellas Park, Fla.; Michael N. Pool of Odessa, Texas; Joseph A. Wilkinson of New Haven, Conn.; and René W. Zuber of Urdorf, Switzerland.

An induction ceremony is scheduled Sept. 21 in Chattanooga. For more information on the induction ceremony, or to order tickets, call Cheryl Mish at 423-267-3132.

. . . Association execs among inductees . . .

Police Want Tower Input Dallas Township, Pa., supervisors are seeking input from area towing service providers in an effort to consolidate the township’s towing response system.

At the April work session, Police Chief Robert Jolley presented a proposal and supporting documents he compiled.

“It is our objective to ensure the safety of the motoring public and to provide necessary assistance to individuals in need of a timely, efficient and safe manner of towing,” he said.

Towing contractors interested in taking part in future operations within the township are invited to provide input at future work ses sions. Source: www.citizensvoice.com.

Tower’s Gesture Starts Senior Outreach The owner of a towing business in Saltville, Va., sparked a new senior-friendly initiative with a friendly gesture.

Stacey Smith, owner of Smith Towing, approached Police Chief Rob Hall and said he wanted to help the town’s elderly residents with his services.

“It really did catch me off guard. He said if a senior citizen that I knew of needed a tow or repair work to let him know,” Hall said. “That is really how our serving seniors initiative began.”

Called “Good Day, Saltville,” the program is based on two objectives: contact and comfort.

Any senior who wants to participate will get a phone call from an on-duty officer, to check in, say hello and talk a moment or two. The program is voluntary, and those who sign up decide how often and at what time the calls are made.

“I was brought up old school. I respect my elders,” Smith said. “It’s not right these days to have someone older having to choose between a car repair and paying for medicine or their heat bill, so we try to help them out. We don’t advertise. That’s just who we are, and I hope I am teaching my kids the same way.”

“We have gotten a lot of compliments from other residents in town that are glad we are doing this because in a town like Saltville, people want to help their neighbors and are open to doing that,” Hall said. Source: www.tricities.com.

Daydreamers Worst Drivers We’ve all been warned about the dangers of using our mobile phones while driving. But a new study claims that it’s even more dangerous to daydream behind the wheel.

New research by the Erie Insurance Group says it’s actually five times as dangerous to daydream while driving than texting or talking on your phone.

According to Erie’s findings, some 62 percent of all distracted driving accidents in the U.S. each year that resulted in fatalities were blamed on the seemingly innocuous act of being “lost in thought.” By comparison, only 12 percent of distracted driving fatalities resulted from driving while using mobile phones.

Erie sifted through the data on the reported 65,000 fatal car accidents in 2012 and 2011. Source: www.news.yahoo.com.

Parking Solutions Sought in Maryland Business owners and community leaders in Towson, Md., want a parking solution following increased enforcement in a pair of private parking lots downtown that led to 100-plus vehicles being towed.

The two lots are permit-parking only before 5 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends and after 5 p.m. on weeknights, the lots revert to paid parking. But there has been confusion over signage and where to pay to park in the private lot.

Business leaders say signage at the private lot is indistinguishable from the county’s signage.

Ideas include the county leasing the lots, or possible legislation to make signage clearer.

“No one condones illegal parking, but the signage is deceptive and really needs to be changed,” one councilman said. Source: www.baltimoresun.com.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 9

All-Position Radial for On/Off-Highway

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! 4,000-lbs.

Capacity Cobra Lift The Cobra lift from Hide-A-Lift features a 4,000-lbs. lifting capacity, in-cab eight-function control, built-in frame stiffener and double pump for speed and power.

It can load at a 90-degree angle. The lift is quick-connect for easy removal and optimal for a 10,000-lbs.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rated chassis or larger.

A

Stone Rejector Platforms: Help protect belts from potential damage. Stone rejector platforms featured in each major groove on 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 sizes while only on the center groove of the 315/80R22.5 size.

B

Continuous Shoulder Design: Combats tread squirm for long tread life.

C

Multiple Gripping Edges: Provide biting edges that help promote wet traction.

www.hidealift.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Provides excellent traction, increased tread life and improved handling.

Combats stone retention for long mileage and retreadability.

Comfortable Boots for Warm Weather KEEN Utility introduced a selection of spring industrial footwear with high anti-slip ratings and more.

The Albany is a breathable boot built for warmweather comfort and features oil- and slip-resistant outsole with tire-like drainage channels improving

traction and stability. A waterproof leather/mesh upper provide breathability and asymmetrical composite toes bring lightweight comfort and protection.

Other spring boot styles are available.

Help resist cuts, chips and tears for long original tread life.

Resists cuts and improves durability and retreadability.

www.keenfootwear.com Number 201 on Reader Card

Ford Increases Commercial Options Ford Motor Co. launched the all-new Transit chassis cab and cutaway models to tackle a variety of specialized jobs and vocations.

Transit chassis cab features an enclosed passenger compartment and bare frame ready to accept aftermarket body modules. The chassis cab will be offered in 138”, 156” or 178” wheelbases, with Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings from 9,000 lbs. to 10,360 lbs.

Ford also expanded its offerings of alt-fuel vehicles ready to use compressed natural gas and liquid propane gas, including options for the Transit chassis. CNG/LPG engine prep from the factory costs approximately $325 before the customer chooses a partner to supply fuel tanks, fuel lines and unique fuel injectors.

B

www.corporate.ford.com Number 202 on Reader Card

10 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

ridgestone Commercial Solutions launched a new Firestone all-position radial tire for on/off-highway use. The Firestone FS820 is designed for steer, drive and trailer positions for on- and off-highway service and comes in three sizes.

“On- and off-highway use generates conditions where casing damage is a regular occurrence, and small businesses can’t afford to have trucks out of operation,” said Bert Jones, a Bridgestone Commercial product marketing manager. “We’ve designed the FS820 with stonerejecter platforms to protect belts from potential damage and the deep and wide tread provides excel-

lent traction, increased wear life and improved handling.”

The Firestone FS820 All-Position Radial features: • A rugged five-rib design to combat stone retention for longer mileage.

• All-steel casing construction and cap/base compounding to help resist cuts and improve durability.

• Multiple zig-zag gripping edges to promote wet traction.

• Available in three sizes: 11R22.5 (16 PR), 11R24.5 (16 PR) and 315/80R22.5 (20 PR).

www.firestonetrucktires.com Number 203 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 11

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The Century 1130 (30-ton) rotator provides the versatility of a rotator for recovery applications with a weight-conscience design for increased towing payload.

The Century 1140 (40-ton) rotator fits most applications, with options such as a 2- or 3-stage recovery boom, dual 35,000-lb.

2-speed winches, LDU underlift and a combination of auxiliary winch and outrigger systems.

The Century 1060S (60-ton) provides 360-degree continuous boom rotation, a 3-stage recovery boom, optional turretmounted and deck-mounted winches, your choice of outrigger package, and the proven SDU-4 underlift.

8503 Hilltop Drive • Ooltewah, Tennessee 37363

www.millerind.com • 800-292-0330 Call your local Miller Industries distributor for more information.

Number 143 on Reader Card

To tackle your most difficult recovery jobs for heavy loads, rely on the brute strength of the Century 1075S (75-ton), equipped with a 3-stage recovery boom and available with up to 6 winches for a combined winching capacity of 234,000 lbs.

Proper Etiquette Improves Private-Property Impounds

W

hen it comes to the bottom line, most tow companies try to diversify to make sure their trucks and drivers are used in the best possible manner, whether it’s adding motor-club work, having plenty of commercial accounts, hauling equipment, seeking municipal contracts or anything else.

One area some companies shy away from is private-property impounds.

Many feel it is a no-win situation where the “customers” are always upset with the tow company (vs. the business that had them towed). It also seems like the majority of “predatory” or “scam” tower stories in the news revolve around those companies that take advantage of their PPI work; these sto14 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

“If you treat people correctly, I don’t think you need to hide under some second name.”

James Graham

by Brendan Dooley

ries seem to give all towers a black eye in the public perception.

Some companies that do PPI work even create a separate company and company name to keep their “main” brand untarnished.

It doesn’t have to be that way, according to James Graham, owner of Graham’s Towing and Recovery in Portage, Mich.

“If you treat people correctly, I don’t think you need to hide under some second name,” Graham said. He started the business in 1975, and they do motor clubs, commercial accounts with dealerships and independent garages, and a “solid cash customer base with John Q. Public.”

continue to page 18

Turning Unclaimed Cars into Profit A fair percentage of a cars towed from private lots go unclaimed.

James Graham thought he might maximize the value of these cars through TowLot.com.

“We sold 19 cars at the first auction. I was extremely happy with it,” said Graham. “These guys were there with me all the way along.

Brandon Richards would call me while setting up vehicles for the auction and give suggestions on what I could do to enhance the listings.

“Brandon called me to advise which day of the week to schedule the auction based on local car dealer activity he watched; it’s the little things like that you don’t think about that showed me Towlot.com sincerely wanted to help me maximize what we could do with our auction.

“As long as I’ve been in business, very few people have made me feel they were as sincere as Brandon in wanting my business to succeed. I really felt that strongly working with Brandon.”

Graham was also pleased with the added towing work the auction sales created. “Usually, in most auctions, you’re selling to the same three guys every time. Sometimes you make a little extra money towing the cars out, but usually these regulars have their own haul trucks.

Almost every car we sold through Towlot.com, we also got a secondary tow to take it to wherever it needed to go—sometimes they went out of town.”

The diversity of vehicles brought in by private lot towers will do well at auction with a diversified bidder pool. This was Graham’s experience. “By broadening the pool of bidders in the auction beyond the salvage yards and metal crushers, it drove the prices up 50 to 80 percent in selling them to individuals.”

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 15

ADVERTISER

ACTION PAGE

AD INDEX

Fax To: 888-847-6035 Page #

Access Tools 65 Akins Body & Carrier Sales 51 Atlantic Emergency Solutions 25 ATSA 54, 55 AT ShowPlace Las Vegas 17 B/A Products 18 Blades Tow Right 44 Century 12, 13 Chrysler Fleet 34, 35 Crouch’s Wrecker & Equip. Sales 23 Custer Products 24 DewEze Mfg. 24 Dynamic Towing Eq. & Mfg. 61 Eartec 53 Equipment Sales & Service 57 Ford Commercial Trucks 2, 3 iFleet GPS 31 I Tow In, Inc. 42 Industrial Netting 44 Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) 61 Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease 15 KOLO DBS 44 Lift & Tow 38 Lodar 15 Matheny Motor 21 National Automobile Club 44

16 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

RS#

102 126 153 206 206 108 216 143 185 177 128 147 165 133 152 176 166 175 122 110 145 211 139 163 194 178

Page #

RS#

New England Truckmaster North American BanCard NRC Industries

52 5 43

171 109 111

OMG

75

215

Pierce Sales 60 Police Towers of America 31 Progressive Commercial Ins. 42 Progressive Platforms 7 Ramsey Winch 23 Recovery Billing Unlimited 24 Sonetics Corporation 39 Sovereign/Santander 80 Specialty Veh. & Eq. Funding 40, 41 The Order of Towman 45 Tow Expo Int’l 26, 27, 28 TowIndustryWeek 69 TowLot.com 46, 47 Towman 500 67 TowMate 19 Tracker Management Systems 19 TwinState Equipment 31 Vulcan 43 Western States Tow Show 53 Wrecker.com 54, 55 Worldwide Equipment Sales 19 Zacklift 15 Zip’s Truck Equipment 79

117 125 193 210 148 155 172 103 195 206 206 206 159 206 191 184 157 143 122 206 151 121 140

May 2013 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

Friday Exhibits, noon-6 pm Towman Monument Reception, 5 pm Saturday Exhibits, noon-6 pm RibsFest, 5 pm

130 Exhibitors!

400 Exhibits!

IMPOUND MONEY continued from page 14 “We also do a pretty fair amount of private-property impounds because we are a college town,” Graham said.

“The larger apartment complexes actually sought us out.” Graham said these PPI accounts looked to him because they were dissatisfied with other companies who they felt treated the impounded customers “pretty badly.”

Graham has devised a “formula” for his company that revolves around treating impound customers properly and fair.

“The core part of our formula is in just finding a kinder, gentler way to deal with customers who you’ve impounded,” Graham said. “We’re kind to the people and treat them with as much gentleness as possible. We understand that it’s a frustrating thing for people to go through. I think that towers tend to put up a shield the more we deal with it, and end up being less than polite to these people.

We’re just nice to people; we do everything we can to make it faster and easier for them to pick their vehicles up.

From the very beginning of their experi-

ence with us to the very end of the process, we just treat them with every decency,” Graham said.

“Almost every car we sold through TowLot.com, we also got a secondary tow to take it to wherever it needed to go— sometimes they went out of town.”

In addition to being extra courteous and respectful, the company clearly documents every aspect of an impound with information that includes photos, maps and GPS data.

“We very carefully document every car that we get,” Graham said. “We have

Number 108 on Reader Card

18 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

maps of all of our complexes that we serve and any time we impound a vehicle, I can go to the map and show them exactly where the car was, and I can pull up pictures of the vehicle to confirm it was where we say it was. We also provide a GPS printout to show right where the wrecker was when we picked the car up.

“At the end of the day, because we thoroughly document every car we do impound, it really cuts down on the number of disputes we have with owners,” Graham said.

Employees are also fully indoctrinated in the policy of respect, and Graham said he cuts down on the intent to impound more cars by paying drivers on an hourly basis.

“Drivers are paid by the hour and are not commission-based, so they have zero incentive to stretch” any details to impound more cars, he said.

“They also know we have a zero-tolerance policy for not adhering to our procedures.” It’s through these steps to provide better service in all aspects of the business that the bottom line thrives for Graham’s Towing.

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Visit us at AT ShowPlace Las Vegas at booth 410.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 19

Just Say No to Unreasonable Fees

by Mark Lacek

I

f you’re not familiar with repossession forwarding companies, then you had better get with the program. There are many companies who contract with financial institutions on a national level and then forward recovery assignments to its list of recovery agencies.

Primeritus may be the largest, but there are many more forwarding companies who regularly dictate policy and procedures to their agent network.

For today’s recovery company, negotiating directly with the lender is more or less the way of the past.

More and more, national repossession forwarding companies are appearing on the grid; most of these companies pay their recovery agencies less-than-acceptable rates by relying on volume to justify the lower fees.

The following excerpt from “Another Controversial Repo Contract” is shared with AT courtesy of CUCollector.com: “Primeritus Financial Services Inc., who made headlines by its acquisitions of Renovo, USA Recovery, and Skip Master in 2012, sent new service agreements to their network of recovery agents on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, that includes language giving Primeritus, or third parties of their choice, complete access to recovery agents’ yards, offices, records and Primeritus’ clients’ recovered vehicles. Agents must agree that they will never hold or detain any vehicle for any reason and must waive any right or remedies at law, including any lien or additional costs, that would obstruct Primeritus, or third party of their choice, from taking the vehicle.

“Also included in the new agreement are provisions that recovery agents may not charge for storage of vehicles or personal property unless by special instructions by Primeritus or their client. Another section states

20 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

For today’s recovery company, negotiating directly with the lender is more or less the way of the past. that unless precluded by law, all personal property must be made available to Primeritus.

“While Primeritus did lower its recovery fees by only a few dollars, Primeritus increased its demands on the agents by increasing free vehicle storage to 20 days, including standard cut keys at no charge, and transporting the vehicle, if not redeemed by the debtor, to the auction for free for the first 30 miles.

“Additionally, Primeritus included assessable fees on the agents. A $75 fee could be assessed if Primeritus wanted to audit the agent’s yard, a $250 fee could be assessed if the agent failed to remove all contents, including

garbage, from the vehicle before it arrived at the auction. Fees may be charged to the agent’s receivables, allowing no form of redress for the agent.

“Primeritus also rolled out its ‘Fast Cash’ discount program offering faster payment times on recovered assignments. The ‘Fast Cash’ discount program offers payment in seven business days for a 10-percent recovery rate fee (agents would be paid 90 percent of the recovery rate), 14 business days at a 5-percent fee, and 21 days at a 2-percent fee.

“What may just be bad timing for Primeritus, the ‘Fast Cash’ discount program came out just one day after the announcement by Secured Collateral Management to offer same-day payments to their agents without any fees or deductions.

“As agents across the Country read the new agreement, reaction has been mixed with many comments using words like ‘Chase-like,’ referring to last year’s JP Morgan Chase agreement that would have made agents responsible for damage to a vehicle at full vehicle value; and ‘Renovo’d,’ in reference to the failed micro-managed tactics placed on agents by Renovo.”

While these forwarding companies continue to dictate unreasonable fees, there is a major effort on the horizon to put an end to these unfair policies. Repossession associations are coming together with a “Just say no” campaign to put an end to the forwarding companies who are turning record profits off of the efforts of hardworking agents and agencies across the nation.

Author Mark Lacek is a 30-year recovery industry veteran and former editor of Professional Repossessor magazine.

Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com

Number 194 on Reader Card

Directing Traffic at the Scene

by Terry Abejuela

With these cones, from left to right, are 12” (not recommended), 18” (minimum height), 18” with reflective jacket (preferred), 24” (recommended height for higher speeds, but a reflective jacket would be even better).

D

irecting traffic around an incident you’re working is critical to being as safe as possible. This job is best left to trained public agency personnel whenever possible.

However, tow trucks commonly carry cones and flares—two of the most important pieces of personal safety equipment—and tow operators may find themselves in situations that warrant cones or flares when law enforcement is not present.

Tow operators should seek qualified training in the use of cones and flares. This article doesn’t take the place of qualified training; it’s simply a guideline to remember in the field.

How many cones and flares should you carry? Make sure that you meet the minimum requirement for all

22 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

Tow operators may find themselves in situations that warrant cones or flares when law enforcement is not present. federal, state and local laws pertaining to tow trucks … as well as towing programs that you service. Law enforcement contracts, motor clubs and freeway service patrols may have spe-

cific requirements for size, type and quantity. (I recommend at least six cones and 36 flares—an amount that is reasonably easy to store on the truck and handle at the scene.)

Cones Traffic cones should be used for short-term traffic direction when traffic is already blocked, moving slowly or when there is a potential fire hazard.

The size of the cones you carry will depend on the area you work and the common traffic situations you anticipate. Cones should be a minimum of 18” tall and have reflective stripes. If you commonly need cones at nighttime or in high-speed, high-volume areas, a 28” cone is more effective.

When traffic speed is high or visibility

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is obscured, taller cones will be more visible from farther away.

Always keep your eye on traffic.

Place the first cone the furthest away from the scene that you need to block, and work your way back to the scene. Whenever possible, direct traffic in one direction only. Cones should be placed approximately 20’ to 25’ apart. For slow traffic conditions, cones can be placed closer together.

When an incident is located on the blind side of a curve, place two or three cones out before the curve to warn motorists that there is a hazard after the curve. If the incident is on the blind side of a hill, place two or three cones before the crest of the hill.

This may require a large number of cones or a combination of cones and flares.

Cone lighting systems are also available that can be sequenced to produce left or right arrows or strobes to enhance the effectiveness of your cone pattern.

Flares

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Flares may be needed when protecting a large incident scene or when traffic is moving at a high rate of speed and the direction pattern requires more time for motorists to adjust to the proper direction. (Make sure there is no potential fire hazard before placing flares.)

As with cones, make sure you meet all federal, state and local laws pertaining to flares on tow trucks.

Some states require a specific size and quantity, and some do specify the color that can be used. In the towing industry, 15-minute red flares are common. If you frequently need flare patterns lit for longer than 15 minutes, there are 30-minute flares or you can “stack” two of your 15minute flares. To stack, place one flare at the top of the other at the unlit end. When the first flare burns down, it will automatically light the second flare.

Make sure the anti-roll device is working properly so the flares do not roll away. Some flares have a tab on the cap. Remove the cap from the end of the flare that will be lit and

Make sure there is no potential fire hazard before placing flares to direct traffic.

place it on the opposite end. The tab sticking out on the cap will prevent the flare from rolling. Some flares have a metal wire on the end of the flare that should be bent out prior to placing the flare on the ground to prevent rollaway.

The same guidelines for placing cones apply to placing flares.

When lighting flares, strike the end of the flare against the striker cap with the end of the flare pointing downward and away from your body. Turn your face away from the

flare as you try to light it. When the flare is lit, extend your arm to keep it away from your body and keep the flare pointing down. Avoid breathing the toxic fumes emitted by the lit flare.

If you need to extinguish a lit flare, pick it up from the unlit end and tap the lit end on the pavement until the flare is out.

One recent advancement for cones and flares is TowMate’s Safety Alert System. This device alerts the tow operator when a vehicle breaches the perimeter of the cone or flare pattern. The device is an air hose that sends a wireless signal to the horn of the tow truck and locks it on for 16 seconds if a vehicle runs over the hose. The hose can be placed just inside the perimeter of the cone or flare pattern.

To take advantage of any early alert, you will need to plan an escape route in advance. Upon arriving at the scene, it’s always a good idea to identify any locations you feel might offer some degree of safety and plan a route to get there quickly.

Traffic safety cones, flares and the Safety Alert System are great personal safety tools, but they can’t stop cars from hitting you. Always utiTerry Abejuela has lize all established tow 30+ years of lightoperator safety practices, duty towing-andprocedures and guide- recovery experience. lines when working on He is also a lightduty level 1 instructhe side of the highway. tor for the California

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Tow Truck Association since 1998.

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Managing the Young Pups

I

t’s commonly known that, of the domesticated animals we keep, the canine is the smartest and most loyal creature around. Also commonly known is that of the thousands of species of dogs out there, the smartest is the Boston terrier. The American Kennel Club labels him the “All American Animal,” as he’s smart feisty and originally bred for fighting. He’s also the newest addition to our family.

No matter how good your breeding, there are always lessons to be learned. Our two-month-old pup, PJ, is getting schooled every day. He believes he’s larger than life and can dominate the cat, but gets tossed aside like Justin Bieber at WrestleMania. As our full-grown feline playfully swats him down again and again he doesn’t stop. He comes back for more until exhaustion takes its toll.

Some young towers are like our pup. Now wait, that’s not an insult.

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No matter how good your breeding, there are always lessons to be learned.

They’re excited to get out on the road and take on every accident call, fill in all the slots where needed and work as much as possible—until they find

by Don Archer

themselves overworked, overtired and desperately needing rest.

While tow vets “conserve” their energy, these hearty young towers are eager to jump in the water to hook up a submerged car, get knee-deep in mud to recover an off-roading teenager, and some have even rappelled down a ravine.

They’re interested in money, of course, but they’re also interested in figuring it out. A challenge that most would shy away from is heaven-sent for these guys. A truck hung up on a guardrail can be removed without damage using a rotator, or you can use your wits and get it done in a lot less time with a 1-ton truck, once you’ve figured it out. Sure they need time to master their craft, and yes they’ll screw up. Who hasn’t? But with a little guidance and considerable patience they’ll prove invaluable over time.

A young tower’s spirit and initiative can be crushed by envy, fear, and jealousy by less-than-motivated coworkers. This may send him out the door looking for something better if not handled properly. On the other hand, too much appreciation can create an egotistical monster that will do more harm than good.

An operation that promotes for performance and rewards initiative will see better results and create a healthier more-profitable company than one that prides itself on its steadfast commitment to the status quo.

Our cat could rip PJ apart if he chose, but what good would that do?

If he could speak he’d probably reveal that the house was a bit too quiet before the intrusion.

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.

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Marketing

101 True Blue 5 Stars from ATSA the Latest Feather for Nick’s Towing

N

Nicholas Testa opened shop in 1972 in Rutherford, N.J., with a Mobil gas station and a cab-over Jeep with a tow bar.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti 32 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

icholas F. Testa is the driving force behind Nick’s Towing Service based in Rutherford, N.J. He founded the company in 1972 and just celebrated 40 years in business. Nick studied aviation mechanics before he purchased a Mobil gas station in Rutherford (a few blocks away from the present operation). Looking to expand his enterprise, he purchased several other gas stations and eventually bought the property his towing service sits on now.

Nick started towing right away with an old cab-over Jeep pickup with a tow bar attachment. His first wrecker was blue, and that has been his company’s trademark color ever since. His first trucks were all blue; over the years the color scheme changed to a white base color with sharp streaks of the company’s true blue. Flatbed decks are also done in blue and stand out.

“It’s all about company recognition,” Nick said.

Over time, Nick sold the service station businesses and has grown Nick’s Towing Service to the top of the towing industry, with 20 full-time and 12 parttime employees running 30 pieces of equipment that serve the contiguous 48 states.

Nick prides his team on quick response time in the New York metropolitan area to “handle anything and everything,” except AAA and private property impounds. “The only AAA calls we handle are those that come on the Parkway,” he said.

Hauling Nick’s Towing provides towing, recovery and transport services for most commercial vehicles and equipment in the N.Y.C. metro area and throughout the U.S. and Canada. They utilize drop-decks and other trailers that have the ability to transport or haul heavy vehicles. Specially designated Landoll trailers are used for transporting buses, fire trucks or emergency vehicles, heavy trucks, and extra-long vehicles like stretch limos.

“Whether it’s a one-time event or on a regularly scheduled basis, after 40 years serving in the towing and recovery business there is virtually nothing we haven’t encountered, both in equipment or situation,” Nick said.

The company offers 24-hour emergency truck road service, on-site tractor-trailer repair, contract fleet services and mobile truck repairs, trailer repairs and welding services. They will work on units at any out-of-service inspection location for welding,

fabricating and lift-gate services to trailer repairs and diagnoses. They also deal with special needs like out of fuel, clogged fuel filter, dead batteries, lockouts, air leaks, tires and tire repairs, electrical problems, no lights or whatever problem may arise.

Nick’s operators and mechanics will even travel to construction and farming sites to service all makes and models of equipment and/or tractortrailers and have extensive training for electronic engine controls.

Nick has a staff of highly trained, knowledgeable and certified operators that provide expert heavy-duty

A blue Ford Fiesta is used in various capacities for the business, and sports a WWII-style pinup, "Ready for Service," on the hood.

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truck towing services and roadside recovery in emergency situations and specialize hook-ups. An extensive and flexible fleet of heavy- and mediumduty tow trucks and the latest towing equipment and flatbed tow trucks provide all sorts of towing services, both emergency and scheduled. They have a reputation for providing quick, friendly, efficient and cost-effective truck towing.

“The key to my success has always been to offer unique services and go above and beyond the average,” Nick said. “I learned this early on from my mentors.”

Nick is a firm believer in ongoing education and training for his operators on new equipment and techniques; his operators are uniformed and all employees are drug-tested with background checks. He inspires and insists his operators follow the

company’s marketing strategy of promoting customer service.

“Every employee is a salesman for the company and dedicated to customer service,” said Nick, and this is emphasized in regular staff meetings.

“I have one man per truck,” Nick said. “It makes for a better working environment as they take pride in their unit. Our trucks are mobile billboards promoting the company every time they are on the road.”

Five Stars a Big Plus The latest accomplishment for Nick’s Towing is its 5 Star Rating from the American Towman Standards Authority.

The ATSA rates a towing company’s standards of professionalism, based on a points system from criteria including: Uniformed Tow Operators/Drivers, Minimum Liability

Insurance, Proof of “Passed” Vehicle Inspection, Satisfactory Truck Fleet, DMV Reports and more. Based on total accumulated points the ratings go from two to five stars.

“The 5 Star Rating process from the ATSA was a difficult experience trying to piece everything together. George and Brian did an amazing job. But it was well worth the effort,” Nick said.

The effort they put in created an application binder—3” thick—of color-coded sections containing everything ATSA uses to review each company, including all driver and vehicle details along with company mission statement and other documents.

“We use our 5 Star Rating on all of our promotional pieces now; it adds credibility,” Nick said. “I feel it is very important. It is the culmination and justification of 40 years of service and another great marketing tool.

“It takes the worries away from police, insurance companies and towns knowing that we have met stringent criteria. We told everyone in our email database and all of the police and municipalities we work for.

AT Standards notified the New York Thruway, Garden State Parkway and Turnpike.”

Communication

Nick's was among the towers to help at Ground Zero after 9/11, and was recognized

by American Towman for that effort.

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A company newsletter can be an integral and important part of any company’s communications strategy. Company newsletters can go a long way in educating and persuading your clients and prospects to work with you.

Nick uses his newsletter to communicate with customers new and old, and private, commercial and government accounts. Nick has built a database of thousands and also purchased a database. He now has 6,000 names and keeps adding to it. He also has 1,400 emails that he collected by asking for them. At the 2012 Diesel Nationals, he got 650 email addresses by handing out 2,000 goody bags while driving around in a golf cart as a promotional ploy.

He used his 2011 Ford Fiesta and rotator to attract attention. He said Google has been a constant source of ideas and he researches new potential customer leads regularly.

Always looking for ways to boost

Nick's heavy-duty equipment features this 2007 Peterbilt/Century 1075S 75-ton rotator.

"True Blue" from day one, Nick's vehicles all sport the trademark color in some fashion.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 37

Nick's equipment includes a Bobcat with sweeper for cleanup at the scene.

his business and get his message out to a larger audience, Nick has been using his company newsletter as another tool in his marketing toolbox. His wife, Susan, and daughter Joyce are the Internet-savvy duo for the company. Joyce put together the newsletter using Constant Contact.

“Higher brand recall and association, personalized and targeted customer communication, quicker, wider reach, and a cost-effective solution,” were Nick’s chief reasons for the newsletter. He also accounts for the enewsletter being more environmentally friendly, as well as cheaper to send. (Nick does still do some postcard mailings too.)

The website for Nick’s is state of the art and generates plenty of business as well.

“The key is keeping it fresh, so it is updated regularly,” Nick said.

Unique Jobs Nick’s equipment fleet numbers 37 units in everything from light-duty to a Century 75-ton rotator, and attends to many outside-the-box jobs, which have been huge marketing tools and promotional exposure.

Nick’s was hired to help promote the “Transformers 3” movie—he used his rotator to lift cars onto a stage in Times Square for the premiere. It was great exposure with his company name lettered on his trucks and on the backs of his operators. Videos of this and other unique jobs are all over YouTube.com … another great marketing tool.

Other heavy equipment includes a Century 40-ton rotator, two Century 5030 wreckers and a 5130 unit, a Challenger 6807, and a Vulcan V-70; there are also several Century flatbeds. The fleet is mainly Peterbilt chassis with some Kenworth, International and Hino.

Some of his specialty equipment includes a Bobcat sweeper for cleanup, two fully equipped service trucks, an air-cushion recovery trailer, four Landoll trailers, specialized trailer dollies, five semi tractors and the Ford Fiesta.

The Fiesta is painted in the company’s true blue metallic with WWII-era bomber art graphic of a pinup beauty on the hood that’s “Ready for Service.”

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Nick’s flatbeds feature the trademark blue on the decks.

It is basically a rolling billboard promo piece.

Legacy A committed family man, Nick has built his business with a firm foundation of family involvement. Susan, Joyce and son-in-law Jim Powers have all been integral members of the business over the years.

Jim was a heavy recovery specialist for the company; he and Joyce have been a mainstay at the AT Expo every year in Baltimore where he entered a few of Nick’s heavies in the American Wrecker Pageant and proudly brought home a few trophies. (Having trucks on display is another great networking and marketing tool.)

Joyce and Jim have since established Extreme Custom Toy Trucks, doing a big online business with collectors. Jim customizes many of the trucks himself. As a former truck driver and tow operator, he creates the special detailing that make toy trucks exciting and worthy of being collector’s pieces.

Editor’s Note Jim “Buck” Sorrenti, a longtime editor of American Towman, has been our field editor for the past few years. He is a freelance writer and photographer with more than 40 years of experience covering motorcycle, hot rod, truck and towing culture.

An important part of Nick's marketing strategy is customer service. It's emphasized at regular meetings, from the drivers to dispatchers and office workers.

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New Hino President Yoshinori Noguchi has been appointed President of Hino Motors Sales U.S.A., Inc., which operates under the DBA of Hino Trucks.

Noguchi has been serving as a Hino Board Member since June 2010, while also holding the title of Managing Officer at Hino Motors Limited in

Japan since April 2012. Mr. Noguchi joined Hino in 1977 and has held various domestic and Asian overseas assignments in his 35 year career with Hino. Most recently, he was responsible for all overseas business, including the United States. From 2006 through 2009, Noguchi served as President of Hino Motors Sales Thailand, Ltd.

“I am looking forward to working with our dealers to expand Hino’s presence in the U.S. market” said Noguchi. “Our conventional truck line-up has reached an all time high in market share and customer satisfaction, while adding our new cab-over diesel and diesel-electric hybrid provides our dealers and customers with an expanded product offering. This is a very exciting time to lead the Hino Trucks Team!” added Noguchi.

Noguchi was named President of Hino Trucks after Sumio Fukaya announced his retirement effective March 25, 2013.

Hino Trucks, a Toyota Group Company, assembles, sells, and services its environment-friendly lineup of Class 5-7 commercial trucks in the United States through a network of over 200 dealers. In 2012, Hino introduced its Class 5 cab- over diesel-electric trucks.

Check out Hino at www.hino.com or follow the company on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Beacon, Agero Partner on Financing

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Beacon Funding Corp. partnered with Agero to offer Agero Service Providers enhanced truck financing options, including a Direct Pay program where Beacon Funding can automatically deduct a monthly payment from a tow provider ’s bi-weekly Agero payments.

“With Beacon Funding we can offer Agero Service Providers a simple and painless way to finance their next truck purchase,” said Dave Sunkenberg, VP of network management for Agero.

Through the Direct Pay program, tow providers can leverage their longstanding relationships with Agero to access a wider credit window and competitive financing terms. Eligible tow providers may earn up to $300 in Agero Perks Incentives with each completed truck financing transaction. www.beaconfunding.com/agero

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Matheny Expands Sales Department

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Matheny Motors, an authorized Miller Industries distributor, added three industry veterans to the towing division in its commercial truck department.

Danny Horton brings 43 years of towing and recovery experience to his position at Matheny as the director of towing and recovery sales.

“I am thrilled to begin this new chapter of my career. … The company has an excellent reputation and I like how they treat their customers,” Horton said.

Mark Reyburn, a 16-year industry vet, was hired as the towing equipment parts and service specialist for West Virginia and Ohio. He will be responsible for all parts, service and body installation departments.

Steve Kelley was hired as a towing and equipment specialist, following 20 years of commercial truck experience including as VP of Operations for McCoy Freightliner in Huntington, W.V. www.mathenymotors.com

TomTom Debuts App Center TomTom launched a new App Center for its fleet management technology; it is a dedicated web resource that shows a range of partner applications ready for integration with TomTom’s WEBFLEET platform.

“The new App Center will enable companies to identify those solutions that can be swiftly deployed and integrated with their TomTom system,” said Thomas Schmidt, Tom Tom Business Solutions’ managing director.

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Teamwork Resc ues Girl from Wreckage Recovery Underscores Importance of On-Scene Communication

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

A father and his 10-year-old daughter were trapped in the cab of the rental truck.

Bill’s Towing was called to a scene with entrapment because they had worked closely with both police and fire departments on-scene in the past.

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illiam “Bill” Coulson founded Bill’s Towing/Auto Service in Bridgeport, Ohio, in 1981 and has provided road service, auto repairs, towing and recovery around the metro area of Belmont County, Ohio, and Wheeling, W.V., since. As the company has grown, two main additions to the employees were 48 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

sons Chad and Ty, who have grown up in the family business.

One morning in February, Bill’s received a call for a crash on State Route 7 in Martins Ferry, Ohio.

“The Martins Ferry Fire and Police Departments called us to respond to a crash to help with the rescue of a child trapped in a truck,” Chad said.

A rented Penske box truck

slammed into the rear of a moving tractor-trailer, crushing the cab of the box truck with a 10-year-old girl and her father, who was driving, trapped inside. The man’s fiancée was following in a separate vehicle when the accident occurred. She told troopers the man struck the tractor-trailer while attempting a lane change.

Firefighters and paramedics from

multiple area departments worked alongside Bill’s Towing to free the father and daughter from the truck’s mangled cab, which was pinned underneath the fertilizer truck.

The father was trapped for nearly an hour before firefighters and paramedics were able to pry him from the wreckage. The daughter spent about two hours pinned under the crushed

dashboard and seat of the mangled cab of the rental truck.

Responders emptied the rental truck’s trailer in an attempt to cut the girl out of the cab from the rear, tossing cardboard boxes, bedding, parts of a bed frame, a couch and other items from the vehicle and piling them along the guardrail.

“They called us because we have worked closely with both departments and they know we have a rotator that could assist in the rescue and would reduce the chance of causing further harm to the trapped child,” Chad said.

Chad responded with their 50-ton Jerr-Dan rotator and operator Heath Arigoni with their 25-ton Jerr-Dan wrecker. Bill and Ty were also onscene.

“We coordinated with the fire chief and got a plan of action together to lift the passenger side of the trailer up off

of the girl enough to free her from the wreckage,” Chad said. “The trailer was loaded with 44,000 pounds of fertilizer.”

The rotator was rigged up to the rear of the trailer using two 10’, 1/2” Grade 100 recovery chains attached to the tandems on each side of the trailer for the lift. The 25-ton was then rigged to the tractor to pull it forward and to keep it from rolling further back onto the child in the box truck when the trailer was lifted.

“We only had to lift the trailer up about a foot so the child could be extricated through a hole the fire department cut in the back of the cab of the box truck,” Chad said. “Once she was extricated, she was loaded onto a waiting helicopter and flown to the hospital.”

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Two medical helicopters were on-site to fly both victims to Pittsburgh for emergency treatment as soon as they were freed from the wreckage.

The teams coordinated to lift the passenger side of the trailer off of the crushed cab enough to free the girl safely.

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Responders emptied the rental truck’s trailer to cut the girl out of the cab by cutting a hole from the rear.

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two medical helicopters that stood by to fly the victims to Pittsburgh for treatment.

The man was extracted from the vehicle at about 9:55 a.m. and was flown from the scene shortly thereafter, but it took responders roughly another hour to remove the girl from the vehicle and get her into the second waiting helicopter. Both were alert and conscious at the scene, however.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was shaken after the incident, but both he and his teenage son who was traveling with him were unhurt.

“After she was out, we waited for the ‘OK’ to move the damaged vehicles and both were separated and towed back to our storage lot,” Chad said.

The 10-year-old girl sustained two broken legs, a broken nose, a crushed eye socket and numerous bruises about her body. Her father suffered a broken finger and various facial cuts, was treated and released.

The girl was in the Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.

“She was conscious,” Martins Ferry Fire Chief Jack Regis said of the girl. “She was awake and talking to us.

“I don’t think I ever saw a tear in her eye the entire time.”

This extraction/rescue/recovery was accomplished with teamwork and the combined coordinated efforts of the emergency services on the scene.

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Caboose Front and Center

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

I

n business since 1971, Milstead Automotive in Spring, Texas, has had more than its share of unusual situations and has the equipment to handle anything that comes along.

In June 2012, Milstead’s towing division received a call to relocate a caboose from a ranch in Midway, Texas, to a home in Sweeny.

Milstead heavy recovery operator Don Hornback drove out in Milstead’s 1075 Century rotator and operator Jason Dean followed in their Landoll.

“When we arrived at the ranch we found the caboose, built in the ’40s, in the middle of a field under some old oak trees next to a run-down gazebo,” Horback said. “It had been sitting on the ranch for about 10 years.

“During our walk-around, we noticed that the height of the caboose would be an issue in transporting it down to Sweeny on our Landoll. It weighed about 36,000 pounds and was 32-feet long. Considering those dimensions and the height, I decided to remove the running gear and called Holt’s Heavy Hauling in Cypress,

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Texas, to come out with their doubledrop stretch trailer because it has a lower clearance.”

Double-drop trailers allow for hauling tall loads over long distances while meeting all clearance requirements and rides even lower to the ground giving that extra bit of clearance for those unusually high-riding loads.

“Next was to disconnect the running gear from the chassis of the caboose,” Horback said. “I had never done this before, but got underneath and looked at the mechanics till I found what looked like a solid piece of 3-inch diameter pipe with a 6-inch bolt connecting a set of double wedges in the center of the turret that holds the running gear to the chassis of the caboose. I had to pull out the bolt to release the wedges from the lip.”

By this time Holt’s was on scene, so they used 4x6 cribbing stacked like a box at either end of the double drop for the caboose to sit on.

“I lifted the caboose off of its running gear and placed it on to the dou-

ble-drop. I used a continuous loop strap around the caboose to cradle it for the lift. The 1075 has four winch lines on the boom and I used them all.”

With the caboose loaded and secured, Don used the 1075 and lifted the two sets of running gear assemblies onto the Landoll.

“After driving about three or so hours from Midway to Sweeny, we were only about 300-feet from the customer’s property, which was on the other side of a railroad crossing, when we hit an obstacle. The railroad tracks we had to cross were on a steep grade with a high hump. The tracks were too high for the low ground clearance double drop to go over, so we had to offload the caboose in the street and transfer it to the Landoll. … So we unloaded the running gear onto the guy’s homemade track display first, then loaded the caboose onto the Landoll. Even with that clearance, it was tight and slow-going. It touched a little.”

Once they were finally at their destination, Horback and Dean rigged the

caboose and using the 1075, lifted it off of the Landoll and back onto it’s running gear, which Horback re-attached.

“The customer had quite a setup on his property to showcase the caboose. It was on a set of tracks on railroad ties on a bed of gravel to simulate a real track. This was done near his pond in the front yard. Quite a showcase for this old caboose.

“It is roughly 80 plus miles from our yard in Spring, up to Midway and

then about 170 miles from Midway down to Sweeny. With all of those miles to transport, I had to be sure ahead of time that the load would be secure. The most challenging aspects of this relocation were clearance issues.”

Having the right equipment for the job and the experience to use it was key in this relocation story. Milstead’s motto is “We do the job right the first time!”

Show Yours @ TIW Do you have a recovery to share with TowIndustryWeek.com readers? Send some pics and info to the editor at bdooley@towman.com; your recovery may even be selected for print in American Towman magazine!

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Who’s Better to Serve Police Calls?

Police work is a 24/7 operation; understaffed tow companies, especially after midnight, are a problem for police.

by Randall C. Resch

I Instead of Fretting, Police Towers Should Assess What National Dispatchers are Offering

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n American Towman’s December 2012 issue, Editor-in-Chief Steve Calitri warned about San Francisco’s AutoReturn gaining presence in the police-towing arena.

AutoReturn is becoming adept at providing cities with “automated tow dispatch services for purposes of viewing tow and field request information, while managing (dispatch) assignments and status of law enforcement requests for (tow) services.”

It appears their presence has irritated the masses that feel AutoReturn shouldn’t be accepted in local towing processes and contracts. I’ve gathered a pretty good awareness as to

what the issues are, having been involved in law enforcement towing my entire career. I believe the most explainable reason is because towers aren’t correcting old issues that produce poor service.

Because AutoReturn’s approach rattles the industry’s cage, “their presence suggests towers better wake up and pay close attention,” Calitri said in December. AutoReturn operates under contracts in Baltimore County, Md., San Diego, Calif., Kansas City, Kan., San Francisco, Calif., and now possibly Chicago, Ill., … and may be coming to a city near you soon.

What Police Want Whether or not Auto Return is “unstoppable,” the cops simply are looking for a more manageable system of dispatching, archiving information and making information more accessible, including vehicle retrieval.

“Our current towing processes are outdated,” said Rick Powers, Chicago’s director of Code Enforcement. “We believe we can achieve both long-term savings for taxpayers as well as improved service for residents by taking a fresh look at towing practices and by embracing new technology.”

According to Chicago’s needs, their Request For Proposal seeks bidders that will: • Implement a software and data management system to track city-initiated abandoned vehicle tows as well as private tows, to include a public interface.

• Develop a five-year plan identifying additional opportunities for cost savings or efficiency improvements.

• Develop and provide Towing Annual Reports to create greater program transparency.

• Develop a disaster response plan.

• Provide for one-stop vehicle redemption that allows residents to complete administrative steps on-site at the tow yard, or online prior to collecting the vehicle.

In another similar RFP process, Bryan (Texas) Police Chief Bryan

Buske wants to know he’s working with professionals.

“Some of the obvious problems we’re tired of dealing with (include) wreck chasing, drivers not showing up when called out, not being professional, drivers not being licensed, arrested on-the-job for driving under a suspended license, responding to calls while DUI, hit and run, even criminal mischief,” he said.

If local police departments remain unsatisfied with borderline processes and performances … expect change.

These issues may appear petty to some, but police agencies aren’t amused and they’re making changes to their administrative and operational processes. AutoReturn is becoming a major competitor by convincing police chiefs, department heads and purchasing agents that they have a better system to offer.

What’s being experienced in today’s police contract arena is nothing more than old, bad practices that have taken their toll over time. RFP administrators aren’t captivated by hype and false assurances—the cops simply and precisely demand contract companies provide the quickest possi-

ble responses to their calls for services and expect that competent operators arrive with a “Git-’er-done” mentality.

Perfect contract performances are best described with “No’s;” no slackers, no game players, no issues and no excuses. If all of today’s tow companies worked under those guidelines 100 percent of the time, police agencies might find satisfaction and wouldn’t see the need for change.

Officers expect timely arrival by rotation towers. Downsize in agency budgets result in limited personnel, therefore, vehicle stops resulting in tow requests must be responded to quickly so that impounding officers can return to beat responsibilities as soon as possible. Having to wait for no-show or delayed responders slows the officer’s return to service.

Talk to police and they’ll tell you they’ve grown accustomed to tow companies arriving late. Many won’t impound vehicles because they don’t want to wait. While that’s not any agency’s official stance, a slow down in vehicle stops is oftentimes blamed on poor tow company response. It makes sense to me when comparing the declining numbers of vehicles towed per beat area in the last few years.

Police work is a 24/7 operation with the need for impound services around the clock. Tow companies that are understaffed, especially after midnight, are a problem for police. If your phones aren’t answered immediately, an agency dispatcher rolls onto the next company on the list. Especially for big-rig companies, there should be a qualified driver ready to roll at all times.

Companies that send unqualified drivers to tow scenarios by simply filling a seat don’t solve problems for police. An unskilled driver means officers remain on-scene longer; officers expect tower competency and demand professional skills.

I know three Southern California police rotation companies who dispatch only their most experienced drivers to police calls. They don’t take other calls making them ready and experienced for police requests.

Accordingly, they always have the TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 59

• Companies demonstrating the fastest ETAs. • Companies demonstrating the slowest ETAs. • Companies with the most refused calls.

Call data becomes a visual report card for law enforcement on how well companies are serving their contracts.

best ETAs and seldom go past ETA requirements. Using a dedicated group of skilled drivers serves the best interests of their contracts.

But these companies are more the exception than the rule.

No Complacency Companies need to make concerted efforts to better their own inhouse issues and response times.

Towers with current municipal contracts that are relaxed and feel entitled with a sense of, “We’ve had the contract all these years, we’re a shoe-in;” I’m not so sure.

You need to give every bit of fight

now to stay in the game. Keeping accurate data on your company is a big step forward.

Police agencies like data-capturing reports that allow them to monitor how effective their rotation companies treat the contract. In a given reporting period, call data, maintained by the requesting agency, becomes a visual report card of companies serving their contracts.

When reviewed by administrative heads or the agency’s tow boss, data is commonly separated into four typical groups: • Companies responding to the most calls for service.

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For some tow owners, serving law enforcement is a boost for egos and bragging rights. Many have lost sight of what it means to serve law enforcement in the long run. Towers need to strengthen and reformulate ways to keep administrative dispatch processes in-house vs. losing out to outsider competitors.

If your response percentages are behind the norm or your company’s a working nightmare for the municipal tow boss, don’t blame anyone else when competitors get their foot into your police department’s door. If local police departments remain unsatisfied with borderline processes and performances … expect change.

If you’re fearful of major change that’s looming on the horizon … you should be. Don’t wait to fix what the issues might be.

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.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 61

D8 Goes

Under ‘Down Under’

by Brendan Dooley

Excavator Lifted ‘Dead’ from Silt Pond in Australia After a wall gave way, a 40-ton D8 was submerged completely in a silt pond.

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M

ike Clayton, the operations manager at Clayton’s Towing Service in Australia, sent AT these pics from one of their recoveries in the land “down under.” The company has several locations throughout Queens-

land and does 4x4 beach and bush recoveries, heavy-duty operations like this one and anything else.

“This is a 40-ton dozer we pulled out that slipped into a silt pit,” Clayton said. “It was a heavy pull as the tracks were locked up.”

Clayton’s used two Volvo FH16 heavies with Ekebol TU-600 Recovery Units.

Two excavators were rigged as anchor points.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 63

The Australian-built Ekebol TU-600 units are rated to a 44-ton capacity.

The fleet at Clayton's Towing Service in Australia.

64 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

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Large concrete beams were buried in the ground and used as anchor points.

After a wall gave way, the Caterpillar D8 wound up completely submerged below the water line in muck and mud.

Clayton said the company used two Volvo FH16 heavies with Ekebol TU-600 Recovery Units. Each truck is fitted with recovery winches.

Ekebol is an Australia-based wrecker manufacturer, but its history starts in 1959 in Sweden, according to the company, when Orvar Ekebol built an underlift unit for his father.

Today, the company says its “mightiest” units are the TU-600 and TU-800 extra heavy-duty recovery underlifts.

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The TU-600 is fitted with a heavyduty main boom and single-stage recovery boom. The maximum capacity is rated at 44 tons (retracted) and 16 tons (extended), with a 150-ton towing capacity.

“The site was prepped with access trucks built for the tow trucks to be able to position themselves to be able to complete the recovery,” Clayton said.

Large concrete beams were buried in the ground and used as anchor points for the legs on the tow trucks.

Divers hooked up the chains underwater; snatch blocks were set up and

rigged to two excavators as anchor points.

“Due to environmental concerns the covers off the final drives could not be released in the water, so the machine had to be winched dead and locked, back through the silt pond and up the embankment,” Clayton said.

“One day was used for prepping the site; recovery was successfully completed within the following day.”

On the Web www.claytonstowing.com.au www.ekebol.com

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Getting Good Video On-Scene

by Emily Oz

I

f you have a video camera handy, then you have a tool to help collect money and train your staff. Taking video of heavy-duty and complicated recoveries gives you the solid proof you need for insurance companies for collection and liability purposes. Taking video also provides you with a future source of examples of those recoveries that you can pop into a computer or DVD player to train your staff.

Have your video camera and tripod handy in a bag, waiting in your office to go along when crisis calls.

When you arrive on scene and have assessed the situation and done your preliminary work—then it’s a good time to get your initial video. Think of it this way, ideally you want to videotape the scene before, during and at the end of the recovery.

First, establish your scene by getting a “wide” shot. Then look for a few “medium” shots of the action. Then think of the small details you’d like to capture and zoom into “tight” shots to capture those, too. A series of wide, medium and tight shots capture the story best.

Here are some pointers that can help you take better video: • Go easy on the zoom. Overuse of zoom is the No. 1 problem and can actually make your viewers dizzy. I recommend you zoom in and out slowly or simply hit stop, zoom your shot to just where you want it, then press record again. (That way the zooming movement isn’t even recorded.)

• Shoot from several vantage points. For example, say you are recovering a car down a ravine. Setting up the tripod just down the road will capture the whole scene, which will be useful later to establish where you staged your equipment and why.

Move the tripod to the edge of the road

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Using a tripod on-scene is an easy way to get stable video and let the camera roll while you work.

and filming downwards toward the car will capture a different angle your operators will also identify.

• Record the most important moments. If you’ve done your duediligence and recorded the scene, but missed the car being pulled out of the ravine, you’ve probably missed the best part. If you have to leave your camera rolling while you work, that’s OK. But remember you’ll have to sort through that video once you get back to your computer, so try and only record the best moments.

• Talk! While you’re recording, don’t be afraid to narrate what you are seeing. Most digital cameras today record decent audio that you will be able to hear during playback. Most recovery scenes are loud, so just talk louder than you normally would. It’s not going to be high-quality audio, but it will be there for your staff to hear during that ever-important training session.

The biggest difference in shaky amateur video and video you want to watch is simple: a tripod. Using a small, portable tripod (I bought mine for $100 at Best Buy) allows you to remedy the handshake problem and, when necessary, leave the camera rolling on the action while you work.

Also, keep plenty of spare memory cards or tapes on hand. You don’t want to be on-scene and run out of memory—those flashing warning lights on your camera may set you back real money when the insurance company comes calling. (Just as important as extra tape is a spare camera battery.)

You can also use a GoPro HeadCam, which is a small camera you wear strapped to your head much like a miner’s light. The HeadCam allows you to press the record button and go—while it rolls on everything you are seeing from your perspective. Of course, you have to think of capturing video in different terms because your body acts as the tripod. You have to physically move to different locations if you want eventual viewers to see the scene from different vantage points.

If you capture a great recovery on video, let me know about it. We’d like to feature it in an upcoming episode of American Towman TV! Email me at Oz@AmericanTowmanTV.com. Watch American Towman TV at www.AmericanTowmanTV.com.

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

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Pride of the Inland Empire

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

S

tatewide Towing & Recovery in Riverside, Calif., was established in 1986 with two trucks, two drivers and an office in a trailer. Founder Christopher Kirk is still the owner and has been in the towing business since 1979. The family based company includes Kirk’s wife, Tamila, who is a co-owner and son James is the company manager.

Statewide has grown in Southern California’s “Inland Empire” to include four offices with gated yards and branch locations in Banning, Colton and Fontana. Their fleet includes 27 trucks and a large selection of specialty equipment alongside a full staff of drivers, dispatchers and office personnel. Most of their staff and drivers have been with them more than 10 years, which says a lot for the loyalty of this family business.

They handle everything from tractor-trailers to disabled cars and

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private-property impounds. They even move movie trailers and haul construction generators to other states.

Cable TV’s “Monster Garage” has been known to ask them to tow their bus/party barge to the lake.

Always looking to upgrade and add to their extensive fleet, Statewide was in the market for a heavy wrecker that could multi-task, so they called Josh Lovelace of Hydraulic Shop Inc. in Bloomington. Hydraulic Shop is a Landoll Authorized Service Center, a Jerr-Dan Authorized Distributor and specializes in sales of new and used

wreckers, flatbeds and car carriers.

Their service department specializes in light- and heavy-duty tow trucks, and wreckers for all brands and models and handles complete tow-truck conversion, repair, troubleshooting and more.

“We are a Jerr-Dan distributor, but they were in the market for a Century wrecker,” Lovelace said. “We work closely with a Miller dealer in the area, so I contacted him and they shipped us the complete Century 5130 kit.

Statewide has a lot of commercial accounts and does a variety of towing

and recovery jobs. This unit is perfect for their needs.”

This one-of-a-kind rig is a 2009 Freightliner Coronado with the Century 5130 on the business end.

The 5130 is an integrated towing and recovery

unit with a 25-ton recovery boom, dual planetary two-speed 25,000-lbs. winches and 113” of underlift reach. It is equipped with heavy recovery straps, chains, shackles, hooks and anything else needed to handle a variety of jobs.

The 2009 Coronado is a unique chassis choice—it was originally intended as a motorhome chassis.

“I knew of a company that had a few of these Freightliner chassis sitting on their lot,” Lovelace said. “Due to the economic crunch a few years ago, they weren’t building as many motorhomes; so I was able to pick it up and said, ‘Why not build a wrecker?’

“It already had a double frame for strength.”

A Detroit DD13 mated to an 18speed Fuller automatic transmission takes it through its paces and the cab is loaded. It even has captain’s swivel chairs.

“It is set up with an 18-speed Fuller automatic trans, because it was meant to be for a motorhome. We call it the ‘Shag truck,’ because it can do it all from tractor-trailer recovery to trailer

swaps. It is the perfect wrecker for Statewide.”

Hydraulic Shop not only built this unit, they did all of the customized paint and graphic work in house.

“We are a full-service collision and body shop, specializing in, but not limited to, heavy-duty trucks.”

This beauty is an eye-catcher wherever it rolls—but even with its charm and cab comforts, it is a beast when it needs to get the job done.

Tech Highlights Chassis: 2009 Freightliner Coronado.

Wrecker: Century 5130.

Engine: Detroit DD13.

Trans: 18-speed Fuller automatic.

Winches: Dual two-speed planetary 25,000-lbs.

Builder: Hydraulic Shop; Bloomington, Calif.

Extras: Captain’s swivel chairs.

Paint/Graphics By: Hydraulic Shop.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 71

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2013 • 73

Old School Towing

by George L. Nitti

R

ichard Campbell of Campbell’s Towing and Recovery in Warrior, Ala., has been in the towing business long enough to know that “newer” doesn’t always mean “better.” His baby, “The Beast,” is a 1985 GMC Brigadier with a 750 Holmes wrecker.

“Nobody runs mechanical trucks anymore,” Campbell said. “The boom is mechanical; cable-operated and hand-turned. You can see the chain grease and hear the gears engaging. I prefer to use this over a hydraulic truck.”

Campbell said The Beast is rare, big, powerful and sturdy; and it hauls heavy-duty vehicles with relative ease.

74 • May 2013 - TOWMAN.COM

What’s most distinguishable about the truck are its blend of colors: a maroon body with flame-like splashes of yellow and lime green.

“I traded my semi to a friend in South Carolina for The Beast and we painted it and rode it back to its former glory,” Campbell said.

On the door of the truck is a rounded circle with a towing and recovery logo that emphasizes the purpose of the vehicle: Heavy Duty Towing.

Today Campbell has four tow trucks and three transport trucks. At 38 years old, with four boys and his oldest son Tyler working for him, his business is growing nicely.

“In a county that has a lot of hills and mountains, there is plenty of work to go around within our hundred-mile radius,” he said.

As for the future of the wrecker, Campbell said, “it came into this world a Holmes and it’s going out of the world that way.”

Brag About Your Truck!

Should your truck be featured here?

Send a few pictures and your contact information to the editor at: bdooley@towan.com

Number 215 on Reader Card

Success and Communication

by Steve Calitri

F

rom day one I have always been struck by the degree that towers keep in communication with their staff and their customers.

At least the successful towers.

Years ago by pager, then by cell phone, and now by Smartphone, texting, Internet, live video.

A stellar example of staying connected with one’s customer base is Nick’s Towing, featured in this issue.

Seems that rarely a week goes by without Nick’s sending out an email message of one kind or another, often times a newsletter filled with information about motoring and safety.

You can bet that the overwhelming majority of motorists will think of Nick’s when the need arises.

Communication via Smartphones, Internet and video is a subject being addressed during the Six Conferences of Tow Industry Week in Las Vegas, May 16–19. Todd Althouse of Beacon Software and Mike Rappaport of OMG National will be showing tow business owners how to key in dispatch, promotion, and supervision into the tool that has become a mustuse for the towing industry. The Week, by the way, features the American Towman ShowPlace–Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center (over 130 exhibitors and 400 exhibits), May 17th and 18th.

My own perch in this industry is all about communication. Years ago you might picture me like an Editor in Chief of old fielding several telephones on my desk, holding one receiver in one hand, another in the other hand, and yet sill another cradled by my neck, speaking to several sources at once.

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Today it’s even more hectic if not a picture of multiple telephones. I’ll read a hundred emails a day, respond and initiate a few dozen more. I will receive story scripts from Emily Oz for my approval as well as the videos later produced for my okay before they are posted on AmericanTowmanTV.com and youtube.com/americantowmantv. Meanwhile I will check on what Brendan Dooley and his team of field editors have cooked up for the newest edition of TowIndustryWeek.com.

All the while I am writing articles like this, fine tuning the latest issue of American Towman Magazine and working on the various messages we send out via print and Internet on our Expositions and educational programs. The action only slows at any given moment when I receive an oldfashioned phone call from a tow boss from Azalea, Idaho bemoaning some action of City Hall that’s affecting his business.

Now I can forward such a call to John Borowski who has started the Police Towers of America. His organization is about dealing with municipal issues. Borowski is holding the first meeting of PTA at the Las Vegas Convention Center, May 17th. All are invited. Yes, hop on a plane!

Communication played a big role in the Teamwork recovery featured on page 48. Being on the same page with incident-command requires good communication.

Indeed, knowing how to do any job starts with good communication from the boss or trainer. Without communication the world goes dark.

American Towman's June issue will feature this 1917 Ford Model TT with a Holmes Model 285 wrecker, owned and restored by Paul and Vicki Grohsmeyer of Dunlap, Ill. Former owner of Paul's Auto Body & Repair Shop, they now focus on restorations and some heavy-equipment hauling.

Emily Oz continues to push the envelope on video coverage of the towing industry. A recent report captured a flatbed ramming into a car that haphazardly turned right in front of it and a critique from AT's Operations Editor Randy Resch. Check out all the action on TowmanTV.com.

TowIndustryWeek.com recently featured this mini-mixer recovered

by Eagle Towing and Salvage outside Melbourne, Australia using a Kenworth 904 with Century 1130 rotator. Check out recoveries each week on the Road & Track page; go to towindustryweek.com or towweek.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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