American Towman Magazine - March 2014

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Number 195 on Reader Card

First On The Scene

Since 1977

Ahearn's Towing deadlifted a doubletrailer hay truck from the Clavey River Bridge in Sonora, Calif., last November.

Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

FEATURE CONTENTS

News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

30

Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Towman 500

Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Looking back at where it all started, so much has changed ... and so much hasn't!

by Brendan Dooley

AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

38

Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Strategy in Las Vegas

My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Tow Industry Week offers new paradigms on police towing issues.

by Steve Calitri

Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .69

48

Bridge Deadlift A tough lift on a windy day in northern California is all in a day's work for Ahearn's Towing.

by Jim “Buck“ Sorrenti

56

Rotating in the Middle East Some rotator training for Oman's police kicked up a little sand on some Century 1140s.

by Jim "Buck" Sorrenti

60

Telematics and GPS Software advances and DOT regulations are changing in-cab communications.

by Matt Gunzenhaeuser

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 3

Here Comes the Sun As we begin to thaw out from this harsh winter, we can turn to spring and all that it brings. The winter months brought much needed business to many towers across the country. That’s great for the entire industry—tow business owners and tow equipment suppliers alike.

The trade shows coming up in spring will be a nice respite for towers wanting to escape the colder climes and looking to purchase new equipment to replace the ones that have been used extensively over the last few months.

If your plans include a warm sunny destination to take care of business while also getting some fun in, be sure to check out the AT ShowPlace-Las Vegas from May 15-17. This year the AT ShowPlace is being held in a new venue that has much to offer in new events and educational programs for the progressive-minded tow boss; this is a must-see-for-yourself show.

White Gold

by Dennie Ortiz

As we continue into the New Year, there are some changes brewing in Texas with new proposed rotation policies. In this issue, Operations Editor Randall Resch discusses the benefits of enacting more stringent standards for towing companies. Be sure to let us know if you agree with his opinion.

This year also looks to bring some re-shaping to the collateral-recovery market; specifically how assignments are allocated to recovery agents. In his monthly “Repo Run” column, industry veteran Mark Lacek details how these pending changes may make repossession a more viable and profitable field once again.

As tow business owners you understand the importance of keeping up to speed on the latest technology. Smartphones have become a tower’s best friend, yet their use is becoming limited by law. Later in this issue we cover the dangers of smartphone usage and examine alternatives.

See you next month and be safe out there!

by Brendan Dooley

This winter seems like it has been one freeze after another, with plenty of snow thrown in for good measure.

In Milwaukee, Wis., near where I live, as I write this it is the 11th coldest winter on record with no sign of slowing and plenty of signs of more snowing. Even the south hasn’t been spared, as we all saw the scenes in Atlanta and Tennessee in January and February when snow and blizzard-like conditions took over.

Not that I’m complaining. I happen to like the snowy weather and the cold. I like to be out there skiing and hiking and running on the white stuff.

Towers, too, like the cold and snow because it means more calls for service.

Money. I’ve talked to plenty of towers who said the winter is what makes their year, and who went on to say the past few winters were a bit too dry.

So while most of the media talks doom and gloom with each new storm or freeze, I know the majority of my readers are OK with staying busy.

It sure beats the alternative.

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First On The Scene!

Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley Randall Resch Terry Abejuela Jim “Buck” Sorrenti David Kolman Bill Simmons Emily Oz Mark Lacek

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Operations Editor Field Editor, West Field Editor, Northeast Chassis Editor Safety Editor On Screen Editor Repo Run Editor

Editorial Board Tommy Anderson Don Archer Roy Carlson Debbie Collins Belinda Harris Bill Johnson Ron Mislan Kurt Wilson

Dallas, Texas Jefferson City, Mo. St. Paul, Minn.

Las Vegas, Nev. Greensboro, N.C. South Hadley, Mass.

Warren, N.J. Creve Coeur, Ill.

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

Page Layout Artist Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Account Exec.

VP of Accounts VP Communications Subscription Manager Customer Service Publisher’s Assistant TIW Media Director iMarketing Manager 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 ©2014 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

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Texas City Changes Tow Rules The Bryan (Texas) City Council unanimously and without discussion passed final readings on regulations for tow truck operators Feb. 3, despite a half-dozen public speakers at the meeting who asked for changes.

(Read more about this on page 10.)

Most of the residents who turned up at a special meeting spoke against the wrecker ordinance, which will establish a permit application process for non-consent tows and companies that will be dispatched to the scenes of accidents.

Police Chief Eric Buske said being a business on the police rotation is equivalent to an endorsement, and they wanted to maintain a high level of safety. He said the non-consent towing regulations were patterned to keep it consistent with the city’s taxi permits.

The council also voted to raise the maximum fees for incident management tows, capping tows up to 10,000 lbs. at $150, tows up to 25,000 lbs. at $225 and tows exceeding 25,000 lbs. at $350. Source: www.theeagle.com.

B/A Founder Dies Mel Berman, founder of B/A Products, died on Jan. 24 after a brief battle with leukemia.

He is survived by his wife, Enid, daughters and sons-in-law Lori and Chip Kauffman, Kim and Ray Goldstein, and Patti and Fritz Dahlin; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at www.LLS.org.

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The Corbin Boys in Vegas Featuring f o r m e d the Road cameo solo Calls, I'll p e r f o r Return and mances at other "TowAmerican man BalTo w m a n lads", Mike events the Corbin & the past year; Boys will be South Point headlining will be the the South Adam, Mike, and Brian Corbin join three other first full-band band members for an exclusive engagement at Point Hotel & performace.

South Point Hotel & Casino during Tow Industry C a s i n o , Week Among T h u r s d a y, the six band May 15 during Towing Industry members will be Adam and Brian Week and the day before the openCorbin, Mike's sons. All the Corbins ing of the American Towman Showare singer-songwriters.

Place–Las Vegas.

The newly released CD album, This exclusive concert will be The Road Calls, features 12 original held at the South Point Casino songs. Tickets go for $20 per head Showroom, recently headlined by through advance registration.

Crystal Gayle. Corbin has per-

Towers Pinched

by New Tolls Towers in Norfolk, Va., say the new tolls are hurting their bottom lines. Some have said they’ve had to turn away customers because the job, plus the cost of the tolls, is too much.

“We don’t make a lot of profit like a lot of people think that we do,” said Al Williams, who owns Al’s Towing of Virginia Inc. and Big Joe’s Tow Pros out of Norfolk.

New tolls are hurting towers in Virginia.

After 40 years in the business, Williams knows the costs and the customers’ expectations.

“There’s always another guy out there that’s gonna do it cheaper,” said Williams. “If you raise the price, you’ll lose work.”

Williams says he can’t charge customers more to cover the new tolls at the Downtown and Midtown tunnels, which are two routes he takes anywhere from 10 to 20 times per day. Instead, the cost of the tolls is coming right out of his pocket.

“Customers don’t want to pay for it,” said Williams. “The motor clubs, roadside assistance don’t want to pay for it. And we’re stuck pretty basically paying for it.” Source: www.wavy.com

. . . A dashcam shows he never slowed or moved over a lane . . .

No Rest from Storms

No Justice in Missouri

No time for a break in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This winter, towing services and the Iowa State Patrol are constantly responding to calls for help from motorists.

It was anything but a day off for the crew at Darrah’s Towing. Tow truck dispatchers said they haven’t had any down time in weeks.

“The last month has been the busiest month since I started working here. Every shift, as soon as I walk in the front door, out the back door and one tow right after the other—the whole time,” said towman Gary Hamer.

Business is booming, and crews are towing away all kinds of vehicles.

“They are breaking because they hit a pothole, and all the parts are real cold, and they break,” Hamer said.

“They are sliding through intersections and getting into accidents. Snow removal—people are leaving their cars in the street and police have us come get those. People are locking their keys in their car, because they will start it up to warm it up.” Source: www.kcrg.com.

You might assume it’s impossible “The police officer who wrote the to kill someone with your car and not report testified that there was a violaface charges, but it’s happened in tion of the Move Over law,” said Rob Jackson County, Mo. Sullivan, Gresham’s Eighteen-year-old civil attorney.

Blake Gresham was a A dashcam from a tow truck driver bus shows Wyatt working on the side never slowed his of the Kit Bond speed or moved over Bridge Aug. 27, 2012 a lane before sidewhen he was killed swiping Blake and the by a passing trucker. mirror on his tow The man who police truck. In a video deposay hit him, Thomas sition, Wyatt’s passenWyatt, has never ger described warning been charged.

Wyatt repeatedly that “They’ve done there was a tow truck nothing. They didn’t ahead of them on the Blake Gresham. Interstate write the guy a side of the bridge.

Wrecker Sales photo. ticket,” said James Gresham’s parents Gresham, Blake’s settled with Wyatt and father. He’s mad at Jackson County’s his trucking company for a confidenprosecuting attorney. tial amount of money. They plan to “I feel if it had been an officer or a restore Blake’s truck to use as a firefighter, paramedic or something memorial and raise public awareness they would’ve charged the guy … of Move Over laws. Source: nothing,” said Gresham. “As far as www.fox4kc.com. they’re concerned, it’s dropped.”

Crouch’s Expands Its Second Location Crouch’s Wrecker and Equipment Sales (www.crouchtowtruck.com) recently purchased the Orlando, Fla., location where they expanded more than six years ago. The Tennessee company outgrew its second locale, and the purchase allows Crouch’s to expand its Florida business into the entire building and grounds.

The 80,000-sq./ft. facility has a staff of 12 to provide help from an expanded service and installation department, an expansive parts department and showroom, a large classroom for training seminars from two-plus acres with a selection of new and used equipment. Crouch’s Tennessee and Florida locations offer a complete line of products from Miller Industries.

Stranded Cars Stolen with Tow Truck A 34-year-old man is accused of using a tow truck to take cars that were abandoned in Atlanta, Ga., during the winter storm and traffic jam last week.

Police said Louis Mitchell Amid the chaos of storms down south, Jr. was arrested and charged one criminal used the time to acquire a with auto theft, forgery and tow truck and abandoned cars. other offenses.

Atlanta police said that an officer saw an unmarked tow truck pulling a car. The truck fled when the officer tried stopping it. The driver and passenger fled the truck during a chase, sending it crashing.

Investigators say the tow truck was stolen this month. It was pulling a Toyota that was stranded on Interstate 85. The investigation led police to three other cars taken from highways. Source: The Associated Press.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 7

Fifth-Wheel Underlift Rated to 45,000 lbs.

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Replacement Tips for Reach Tools Access Tools’ new Store-N-Go Handle Replacement Tip Bag contains 12 replacement rubber tips that fit a variety of the company’s long-reach tools, including the Quick Max, Big Max, Little Max, Snap-N-Lock, new Stainless Steel long-reach tools and more. The Store-N-Go handle provides a place to clip the accessory bag during storage but also has a handy compartment inside that holds three extra Long Reach Tool Tips. Every tool featuring this handle is shipped with these replacement tips. When your supply is depleted over time, the Store-N-Go Handle Replacement Tip Bag gives a supply of tips that you can use to refill the storage compartment inside your handle.

www.caropeningtools.com Number 200 on Reader Card

Phoenix USA Galvanized Toolboxes

Phoenix USA introduced galvanized steel toolboxes to its line of work and tow truck accessories specifically designed to withstand the corrosive elements of calcium chloride, which is commonly used to clear ice and snow from roads. These toolbox bodies are made with hot-dipped galvanized steel and have a black, automotive powdercoat finish. For additional rust protection, the boxes are equipped with drain holes with removable plugs and rear vents to help control condensation. The toolboxes are available in two sizes: 36” x 18” x 18” and 48” x 18” x 18”. Each has a three-point latch system, a patented rolled door that adds strength and a piano-style door hinge that allows for top or bottom mounting. Also available are heavy-duty, powdercoated, galvanized mounting brackets.

www.phoenixusa.com Number 201 on Reader Card

Ecolift Adds More Safety Stertil-Koni’s new generation of its heavy-duty scissor lift, Ecolift, features fully flush-mounted aluminum pit covers for increased convenience and safety. The Ecolift is an ultra-shallow, full-rise, in-ground lifting system available in a two-scissor or three-scissor configuration with total lifting capacity of 60,000 lbs. and 90,000 lbs. respectively. Ecolift uniquely combines highpressure, low-volume hydraulics requiring just 3.5 gal. of fluid per scissor.

www.stertil-koni.com Number 202 on Reader Card

T

he True Tilt 5th Wheel Quick-Tach from Triple K Industries is a heavyduty underlift rated to 45,000 lbs. retracted and 24,000 lbs. extended.

It has a clear extension of 140” to the center of the axle forks and nearly 160” to the center of the heavy-duty wheel forks when used. The unit will tilt the full rated load in the given positions.

The hydraulic hoses are all “hidden” in the unit, encased in a nylon tracking chain to keep them in place free from wear and tear. The crossbar is made of a one-piece solid casting made of 100,000lbs. steel. The tongue is also one-piece cast 100,000-lbs. steel.

The 16 nylon wear pads in the boom section are used both top and bottom; the main unit rolls up and down the mount on large 6” rollers. The boom sections are made of 100,000-lbs. steel. The unit features Connex spring bushings in every place there is a heavy weldment or forging. There are 2-1/2” pins throughout the unit and a 3” pivot pin on the crossbar.

There is a wide stance on the mount and pins, especially the hinge pin, so the unit can handle the huge stresses that are induced—like when backing towed vehicles around corners into tight quarters.

Standard items: • Either an electric/hydraulic or with a valve pac to be powered by the trucks PTO system.

• Six-function wireless radio control, plus a 25’ hard-wired remote control.

• Four sets of axle-frame forks.

• Parking stands.

• All necessary hardware to mount to a road tractor.

Options include: • Heavy-duty wheel fork set.

• Boom head.

• Winch mount.

• Hydraulic-valve and air-valve kits available for the winch, with 10-function radio.

www.triplekindustries.com Number 203 on Reader Card

8 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 9

Dealing with New Rotation Policies

by Randall C. Resch

I

read with great interest a recent proposal from the city of Bryan, Texas, regarding contract rotation services, regulation of non-consensual impound permits and their formal administrations. I feel the need to respond as a long-time industry professional with his fingers on the pulse of the storm brewing on Bryan’s horizon that is so similar to what many towers are facing across the country.

To Bryan’s towers I say, and without hesitation, I salute the city’s intent with no disrespect to you or any one specific business or person. What I believe is being presented in the city’s ordinance is a wake-up call to towers who want to do business in Bryan, or any other state entity when looking at the total picture.

The ordinance’s intent asks, “Is it legal for a chief of police to ordain who can do business in his city and who cannot?” It’s my opinion that the police chief has a right and duty to make lawful direction of ordinances directing and guiding its tow providers and their personnel when conducting police-initiated tow services and private-property impounds in the best interests of the community. The criteria for selection is clearly spelled out in the ordinance’s content.

I’m not qualified to make comment on the legality of the chief’s actions or that of the pending ordinance in its entirety. Yet, I believe these stipulations are in line with similar contracts and requirements that have been in place and successfully administered in California and other states for many years.

The intent of the ordinance sends a clear message that tow companies and personnel must have agency approval to be considered for rotation services and appropriate business permits.

My reasoning is reinforced by years of alleged disorderly (and worse) actions by some tow company owners and personnel resulting in unlawful

10 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

impounds from private property, violent interactions between vehicle owners and towers, stolen vehicles, use of weapons, wreck chasing, arrests, poor trucks and equipment, poorly trained operators, no insurance, poor overall service to the contract and more.

Bryan’s proposed ordinance shows they will no longer turn blind eyes to applicants with violent criminal histories, or crimes of specific moral turpitude, that aren’t in the best interest of the community. The ordinance is demanding tow owners and their personnel be held to higher standards. This is in the best interests of the agency, officers in the field and the motoring public. It’s clear they’re seeking law-abiding owners and personnel willing to accept the conditions of service. This proposed ordinance is neither new nor out of line.

There may be areas that need reasonable tweaking in the Bryan proposal.

Example: For towers who are arrested for criminal activities, immediate removal from rotation is unfair if no appeal process is provided. Until proven guilty, the business has the right to appeal—unless the crime of arrest was clearly violent, justifying removal for the safety of the community. Because there’s no mention for appeal within the document and its definitions, I believe this is a point to argue.

New Standards As I’ve repeated many times over, the cops will hold America’s towers to a higher set of standards and eliminate those who don’t comply. The ordinance in Bryan is a testament to just changes that are coming.

To all the naysayers who look upon the Bryan ordinance—and the many similar ones around the country—as a death warrant, know this about working for police chiefs: “If you want to be on the varsity team, play by the varsity rules.” Don’t view this ordinance as being unreasonable and attack it with a defeatist attitude, but rather find ways in which your company can live up to the conditions set forth.

Attacking the chief’s character (before the ordinance is even initiated) suggests certain paranoia like the sky is falling. You haven’t even given the ordinance a chance. What if the entire process made for better service to the community, increased best practices, even made better the competition in your area? Would that not be for the better? (California towers have been successfully working under similar guidelines for many, many years.)

Much of what’s being asked by the Bryan ordinance is nothing more than good old Texas house cleaning for an industry that’s dodged regulation. It’s important to understand that police

chiefs, sheriffs and commissioners nationwide talk about these same issues; this isn’t anything new. Ordinances like these typically don’t come about unless there were actions that demanded change, or the current process of towing is inadequate.

If a tow company can’t follow the rules of the agency or written ordinance, that company shouldn’t be an authorized service provider. However, if a company is ultimately and successfully accepted as a police-authorized tower, where there’s subsequent justifiable and provable reason for the company’s removal as noted in the ordinance, they too should be removed for violation and non-performance of said contract.

Background investigations and criminal history checks are reasonable and should be required in the best interests of the community. Only those persons who, by means of investigation, factually prove they’re not a danger to themselves or the safety of others should be approved for permit and contract services. The same process of approval must be demanded for potential business owners, tow truck operators or permit holders, who might consider a tow business or tow truck as a front to commit illegal business activities under the guise of legit business.

The bottom line is the chief of police or agency head has direct responsibility to ensure the safety of the community, the motoring public and police officers who serve the community. The Texas towing associations should have their legal counsel all over this document to ensure its legality. I openly suggest, however, that towers take note as to the content of the ordinance. I believe this is what the future of towing looks like in Texas. For individual tow owners, get with the meaning of the ordinance and determine the best way to make your company a strong player on the varsity team.

This response isn’t directed at any one company or individual, but as an overall glance into the issues that preceded the Bryan ordinance. There’s much for Texas towers to think about and to work toward here. I believe this ordinance may bring a higher level of professionalism to area companies and challenge tow owners to work coopera-

tively with the ordinance’s intent instead of writing it off as a loss.

After more than 45 years’ experience in the towing and recovery industry, as well as my years as a veteran police officer, I believe that this industry has suffered countless set-backs due to the actions of an unscrupulous few. The ordinance offered in Bryan is simply one community’s attempt to iron out policies and procedures. While it’s true that no one likes change, I see this as a good thing for Texas towing and recovery companies who have a varsity mentality.

Editor’s note The full wording of the new towing rules from Bryan, Texas, is available at www.bryantx.gov. The ordinance received a first reading at a city council meeting Jan. 28, 2014, as this issue of American Towman was being produced. A second reading was scheduled for a following council meeting; price caps in the ordinance were tabled “for further consideration.”

Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for 45 years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and light-duty trainer. Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.

Number 169 on Reader Card

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 11

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Access Tools 27 Advantage Funding 14 Akins Body & Carrier Sales 15 AT ShowPlace Las Vegas 40, 41, 42 AutoReturn 11 B/A Products 22 Beacon Software 43 Century 36, 37 Chevron 71 Chrysler Fleet 28, 29 Crouch’s Wrecker & Equip. Sales 17 Custer Products 50 DewEze Mfg. 54 Eartec 21 Elizabeth Truck Center 43 Equipment Sales & Service 61 Ginn Motor Company 12 GPS Secured 51 Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) 16 Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease 17 Keystone Tape & Supply 20 Lift & Tow 23 Loganville Ford 51 12 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

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March 2014

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BBB Awards Pierce Sales Pierce Sales received the Torch Award for Marketplace ExcellenceLarge Category from the Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas recently during the 17th Annual BBB Torch Awards ceremony at the Wichita Falls Country Club.

Area businesses were celebrated during a luncheon and acknowledged for their commitment to ethics, integrity and their support of the local marketplace.

Businesses are evaluated for their commitment to customer service through exceptional standards for ethical business practices. The independent judges look at how the company engages its customers, employees and the larger community.

They also must meet BBB ethical, advertising and selling standards.

Pierce (www.piercesales.com) has been in Henrietta, Texas, since 1976.

Download music on iTunes and Amazon.com

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14 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

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Rotation Fairness

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The Fort Stockton (Texas) City Council recently tabled an item involving wrecker service rotation until further research is done.

The owners of Affordable Towing, Luis and Rose Macias, recently relocated to Fort Stockton from Alpine.

Rose spoke at length during the public comment period on the inconsistencies where truck rotation is based on the number of trucks a business owns.

Barbee Wrecker Service owns 10 trucks and the Macias’ own three.

Based on those numbers, that company receives three times more calls than Affordable Towing. Macias says on that basis she and her husband will not be able to continue serving the Fort Stockton area.

Macias said she and her husband want the rotation to be one-on-one.

John Barbee spoke next and said that he has over $1 million worth of equipment, and has been serving the Fort Stockton area for 44 years. He

Number 110 on Reader Card

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said he has been towing city police cars, sheriff’s department and Department of Public Safety vehicles for free, and that he lost over $6,000 last year towing junk and abandoned vehicles for the city.

He said that if the rotation changes to him getting every other call, he might just as well move his equipment elsewhere.Source: www.fortstocktonpioneer.com.

New Battery Service BATTERIES 911 (www.BATTERIES911.com) recently launched a 24/7 emergency auto battery replacement service covering Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida. The service dispatches technicians to install a new battery, and remove and recycle the old battery.

The company offers a “50/50 Guarantee” that a technician will arrive within 50 minutes or customers receive 50 percent off the battery replacement service.

Ramsey Celebrates 70 Years The Ramsey spirit of innovation and ingenuity born in 1944 when brothers Claude and Rayburn Ramsey founded Ramsey Brothers Tool & Die still drives Ramsey Winch 70 years later.

In conjunction with a yearlong celebration of the company’s 70th Anniversary, Ramsey (www.ramsey.com) recently launched a new website and plans to roll out products for light- to medium-duty towing and recovery applications.

Correction On page 66 in the February issue, the second place and third place truck information was reversed in the Rotator class awards.

Morton’s second place truck was a 2006 Kenworth T800 with 2006 NRC 50/65 and Risoldi’s third place truck was a 2013 Peterbilt 388 with 2013 Century 1140.

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TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 17

Hydraulic System Inspections, Maintenance

by Terry Abejuela

P

roper care and maintenance of a tow truck’s hydraulic system will reduce costly down time, provide for a safer work environment, ensure the system operates properly and maximize the service life of the system.

In the 17th Century, the French mathematician, Blaise Pascal, created Pascal’s law which states “pressure applied to a confined liquid is transmitted undiminished in all directions with equal force on equal areas.” This is the basis for how hydraulic systems work. One of the first practical applications of Pascal’s law was the hydraulic press, where a small force exerted on a small cylinder filled with fluid transmits that force through the fluid and multiplies the force to another larger cylinder (like how a hydraulic floor jack works). This is similar to the basic principles of other simple machines like the lever, incline plane and pulley we use to make work easier.

Hydraulics can pose significant hazards from hot oil under pressure; only qualified persons should attempt to perform repairs to the hydraulic system. Performing routine inspection and maintenance however is relatively safe and should be performed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. As a tow truck operator (not a hydraulics mechanic), you may be responsible for daily and/or priorto-use inspections. It’s important for towers to be able to identify maintenance issues to avoid equipment failures, down time and injuries.

Most tow truck hydraulic systems consist of a fluid reservoir, hydraulic pump, filters, hydraulic cylinders, hoses, directional control valves, holding valves, hydraulic motors, connectors, seals and, of course, fluid.

The fluid reservoir stores the hydraulic fluid and helps to dissipate 18 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

The hoses going to this hydraulic motor on a winch are protected with rubber material to prevent abrasion.

The transmission-mounted power take-off is painted blue; the hydraulic pump is painted red. The output port on the bottom has a high-pressure connector; the inlet port has a hose-clamp connection.

On this belt-driven hydraulic clutch pump, the top hose is the output-pressure hose and bottom hose is inlet.

heat from the fluid. Some reservoirs are equipped with an external level indicator. The area around the reservoir filler tube should be cleaned before opening to reduce the potential of contaminants entering the hydraulic system. The filler tube should have a screen to remove contaminants from the oil when entering the system. I recommend that a very clean funnel with an additional screen be used to add oil into the filler tube.

In the towing industry, the pump for the hydraulic system is usually driven by a power take-off, a belt-driven clutch pump or in some lighter applications an electric motor. The pumps take the mechanical energy of the drive force and change it into oil flow for the hydraulic system. The rate at which the oil flows will directly relate to the speed at which the system will perform work. The rate of flow for the pumps is stated in gallons per minute.

Inspection of the hydraulic pumps should include looking for leaks; on clutch pumps check the condition of the fan belt.

Hydraulic systems require filters to keep contaminants from damaging the system; most system failures are caused by damage resulting from contamination. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for the type of filter and how frequently it should be changed. Another method is to use a pressure gauge to monitor the pressure drop across the filter. The advantage of this method is you don’t waste money by changing filters before they reach capacity. Filters may be located in the pump’s inlet line or pressure line or in the reservoir return line, depending on the type of system.

Return-line filters are probably the most common in towing.

Hydraulic cylinders are the actuators of the hydraulic fluid system and move the load by extending or retract-

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This hydraulic fluid filter is in the return line to the reservoir.

ing the cylinder rod. Hydraulic cylinders are used on recovery booms, underlift booms, carrier decks and other applications. Cylinders can be single-acting or double-acting and single-stage or multiple-stage. A singleacting cylinder will extend by flow of fluid to the base of the cylinder and

A Zerk fitting is at the pivot point at rod-end of cylinder.

retract by gravity. A double-acting cylinder will extend the same as a single-acting cylinder, but will also retract by fluid flow so it is said to have power up and power down. Hydraulic cylinders should be inspected for fluid leaks at the rod seal and hose connectors. If a hydraulic cylinder’s seals

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20 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

A filter screen is in the filler tube.

need to be replaced, I recommend replacing all of them. Cylinders may also have Zerk fittings at pivot points at the base of the cylinder and end of the rod that require lubrication.

Hydraulic hoses are used to transport the hydraulic fluid flow from the reservoir to the pump, from the pump to directional control valve, then to the actuators (either a hydraulic cylinder or motor on a winch), to the filter and back to the reservoir. Hoses must be inspected periodically to identify abrasions, restrictions and leaks. Hoses should be routed away from areas that may cut or damage; they also can be protected with additional coverings.

Make sure hoses are long enough to avoid bending the hose more than the manufacturer’s minimum bend radius and allow for contraction and expansion of the hose during operation. The hoses must be designed to withstand the system operating pressure.

The directional control valve routes the flow of fluid to the actuator chosen and back to the reservoir. Tow trucks use an open center valve that directs unused fluid flow back to the reservoir. The directional control valve should be inspected for fluid leaks and proper movement of control-handle linkage. Some systems may contain Zerk fittings along the control handle linkage that may require lubrication.

The hydraulic fluid is the lifeblood of the hydraulic system. Try to use the manufacturer ’s recommended oil specifications for your application.

Clean fluid that is kept at the optimal working temperature will help the

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TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 21

The hydraulic fluid reservoir is served by a breather-filler cap.

system work properly and extend the service life of the components. In cold weather, a fluid with a lower viscosity may be required. Follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule for oil changes based on your application.

Another method of determining

when to change the oil is to use an oil analysis tool. The benefit of this method is it avoids changing the oil too soon before it has degraded. However, while changing oil too soon costs money, changing oil too late will cost even more.

Take your truck to a qualified person for hydraulic repairs. Inspection and preventive maintenance performed regularly by the operator or a designated employee will help reduce costly down time, provide for a safer work environment and ensure that the system operates properly for its full life expectancy. Tow truck operators should always conduct a quick visual inspection of the hydraulic system before operating it.

Terry Abejuela has 30+ years of light-duty towing-and-recovery experience. He is also a light-duty level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association since 1998.

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TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 23

Number 136 on Reader Card

Forwarding Companies’ Swan Song

by Mark Lacek

A

trend in 2014: Out with the national repossession-forwarding companies, in with dealing directly with the recovery agents.

We all are aware of the negative effects the forwarding companies have on the repossession industry. Repossession assignments sent directly to the recovery agency from the lender is said to have dropped anywhere from 50 percent to 70 percent. Many recovery agencies have fallen victim to the decline in business and have closed their doors.

But there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

The forwarding companies first arrived on the repossession scene in the late ’90s with the introduction of companies like Remarketing Solutions and Par North America. These companies would play the role of the middleman for years to come. For the repossession agency and its owners, this meant working the assignments at a reduced rate as the forwarder sliced as much as 50 percent from the pie.

There is a light at the end of this tunnel.

Banks, leasing companies, credit unions and other auto lenders soon realized calling one of these national repossession companies would afford the lender the opportunity to reduce staff while dealing with a “one-call shop” for all of its recovery needs. The lenders were soon able to reduce the size of the collection offices saving thousands of dollars per location.

26 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter for repossession agencies in 2014.

Repossession agencies were forced to either go out of business or tighten belts and make cuts to remain in business. Many agencies just could not hold on to such a thin bottom line and went out of business. Many of the

repossession companies falling by the wayside were well-established professional companies, taking with them experience and industry knowledge second to none.

continue to page 44

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The

by Brendan Dooley

TOWMAN America’s Oldest Towing Companies

500 “Most Experienced Towmen in America”

T

here are some 38,000-plus towing companies across the U.S., and many of them are recent start-ups over the past 10 or 15 years by up-and-coming tow bosses with grit and gusto and a desire to succeed. What they are building on is a solid industry foundation of legacy companies American Towman celebrates as the “Towman 500.”

Saluted with a luncheon during the American Towman Exposition last November in Baltimore, Md., we will again celebrate these companies, stretching back two centuries into the 1800s, during the American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas, May 15-17.

“They would pull cars in

Simonar Service in Luxembourg, Wis., has plenty of fun tow stories going back to its founding in 1932. They have more than a few farm rescues, animal and machine, and have improvised when it comes to equipment from car carriers to tow dollies.

alogue so many advances, adjustments and improvements in tow trucks and equipment, the auto and truck industry, roads and highways— it boggles the mind.

For Cheever’s, one advancement is easy to see: there are fewer smithy tools around the shop!

with a rope and horse.”

The Towman 500 cover an amazing 105 years, starting in 1883 with our oldest continually operating tow business in Cheever’s Towing & Recovery in DeMotte, Ind., and currently counts tow shops started through 1988.

Think of all the changes that have happened in and around the industry over that time … then think about the changes just from 1988 to 2014. To cat30 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

“[We were] established in 1883 when my great-great-grandfather opened a blacksmith shop and built his own tow cars,” said Crystal L. Rose. “We have been a continuous family run business since 1883, still in the same location. My two sons—the 6th generation—work with us and my grandson—the 7th generation—helps around the shop.”

For other companies, big changes have come in the tow machines themselves.

“Everyone always asks what our first tow truck was … it was a horse,” said Brian Carnaghi of Carnaghi Towing & Repair in Danville, Ill. “We had one of the first service stations on Illinois Route 1 in 1924. Grandpa said we could not afford a truck back then, so they would pull cars in with a rope and horse.”

Not every business started with a horse. The evolution of tow vehicles can vary from shop to shop.

“My grandfather Stanley started the business in 1925. … the original shop was just a metal shed he built. He did repairs and battery charges on cars,” said Bill Blinstrub, of Stanley Service in Jamaica Plain, Mass. “He found many of his customers needed to have their vehicles brought into the shop, so he built, with the help of his railroad buddies, a vehicle to tow the

In the early 1980s Simonar Service was on-scene to lift a new pea combine that drifted off the road on the way home.

disables back to his shop.” Blinstrub has been told that first tow vehicle was a converted Ford Model T. “After [World War II], my father and uncle added heavy-duty towing to the business with a Walter Snow Fighter wrecker that was purchased from the railroad,” Blinstrub said.

“This thing was massive. I recall it having a ladder to get into the cab. It had a mechanical crane and a top speed of 40 miles per hour. It was slow but would pull anything.”

Other company trucks Blinstrub recalled were “My father’s pride and joy, his new 1954 GMC with a Holmes W-45 wrecker,” and a 1960s Ford F-350 with Weld Built wrecker he drove on some calls as early as 13.

In addition to the equipment, every company has some memorable recoveries. Some more than others …

“Some of the more interesting tow jobs have been getting a live bull out of an 18-foot well in the middle of a farmer’s field,” said Gary Simonar, Simonar Service in Luxembourg, Wis. The company was started in 1932, three generations ago by John “Jack” Simonar “with a 1932 1-1/2-ton truck which he converted into a wrecker.”

With that bull, they called a veterinarian who said they should rig around its neck.

“The bull’s head was looking down. So we lowered a chain with a hook and were able to hook the nose ring to lift the head so he was looking

“We have been a continuous family run business since 1883, still in the same location.” up,” Simonar said. “Then we lowered a rope lasso around the neck, attached the rope to the winch and lifted him out. The bull was unharmed and ran to the barn.”

Simonar remembers several farmbased recoveries from their rural area, like getting a cow out of a water tank, uprighting a new pea combine in the 1980s, rescuing a tractor from a manure pit in the ’70s and even “pulling a barn straight after a wind storm.”

One goal in common for tow companies, new and old, is summed up best by Daniel L. Wallen of Wallen’s Towing & Recovery in Corbin, Ken. “My grandfather started in 1933 and we have worked hard ever since to build an excellent reputation.”

And the best reputations are built on hard work and solid customer service.

“We are third generation in a diverse city where many have opened and closed. We have not closed since we opened in 1928,” said Patrick Assad of Boulevard Garage and Towing in Worcester, Mass. He said that the company is built on “good, honest, hard work and teachings” throughout the family. I am consistently “working and maintaining our mission statement: To treat all and every tow customer, regardless of tow, the same.”

At Stanley Service in Jamaica Plain, Mass., started in 1925, the early fleets have included home-builts, railroad equipment, and "Dad's pride and joy" 1954 GMC with a Holmes W-45 (left).

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 31

The compilation of the Towman 500 is based on those companies who responded to promotions and applied in print or online.

TOWMAN 500 1883 1900 1901 1914 1917 1919 1920 1920 1920 1921 1923 1923 1923 1924 1924 1924 1925 1925 1926 1926 1926 1926 1927 1927 1928 1928 1928 1928 1931 1931 1931 1932 1932 1932 1932 1932 1933 1933 1933 1933 1933 1936 1938 1938 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1940 1940 1940 1941 1941 1941 1943 1943 1943 1944 1944 1945

Cheever’s Towing & Recovery A G Birrell Company Elk Garage Sirl’s Automotive Shafto’s Garage G Gambardella & Son The Rasmusson Company Rudy Smith Service Thomson’s Garage Brelsford Motors & Equip.

Fender’s Wrecker Hanifen Company Panek’s Service Center Hyatt’s Garage Cole’s Wrecker Service & Garage Carnaghi Towing & Repairs Stanley Service Battelini Transportation Hamilton Body Shop Guaranteed Motor Towing Serv.

Johnny’s Auto & Truck Towing Chesters Towing & Recovery McKnights Emer. Wrecker Serv.

Fryer's Towing Service Keene Auto Body Peytona Garage Peacock Towing Boulevard Garage and Towing Simonar Service Throne Auto Service Tauber’s Service J.E. Herring Motor Co. Zeniers Towing Service Mac Towing Gray's Towing Tilton Body Works Duffey Towing Eastwood Towing Haines Towing Service Roskopfs Serv. & Towing LLC Wallen's Towing & Recovery M.W. Roosevelt & Son Fritts Motor Co. J D Bousquet and Sons Joe Ballor Towing Racz's Towing Davis Garage Cahillane Auto Body Jeswald Auto Truck Service Mandic Motors Andy’s Towing Bateman Auto Parts Turley Truck Service G & M Auto Company Beaulieu's Garage Willow Spring Towing & Recovery Wheeler’s Collision Service Cloverleaf Garage Lackey’s Hurley’s Garage Mac’s Towing Services Archer Garage & Towing

DeMotte IN Kinsman OH Elk CA Parma OH Neptune NJ Yonkers NY Cedar Falls IA New Orleans LA Lake George NY Co.Muncy PA Newport KY Des Moines IA Livingston NJ Hopewell Jun. NY Sanford MI Danville IL Jamaica Plain MA Landisville NJ South Bend IN New Brunswick NJ Akron OH Pt. Washington AL West Fork AR Daytona Beach FL Keene NH Waddy KY Americus GA Worcester MA Luxemburg WI Toledo OH Lithicum MO Somerset PA Hazleton PA Kirkland WA Cincinnati OH Lakewood NJ Monroe MI Waterbury CT Bordentown NJ Menomonee Falls WI Corbin KY Canajoharie NY Winston-Salem NC Manchaug MA New Haven MI Keasbey NJ Winston-Salem NC Northampton MA Austintown OH Huntington Beach CA St. Cloud MN Olney IL Cranberry TurnpikePA Cleveland OH Caribou ME Chantilly VA Deposit NY Michigan City IN Seagoville TX Troy NY Fayetteville NC South Chesterfield VA

32 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

1945 1945 1945 1945 1945 1945 1945 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1947 1947 1947 1947 1947 1947 1947 1948 1948 1948 1948 1948 1948 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1949 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1951 1951 1951

Al’s Auto Body Service Harold’s Garage Pee Wee’s Garage Chico Towing Falzones Towing Service Nieman's Service Hunter Auto & Wrecker Service Siewert’s Garage Tomlinson’s Bud’s Wrecker Service Peter B Cura & Sons L Thomas Body Shop & Towing John’s Garage Ramona Auto Dismantling City Towing Co Vince's Wrecker Service Pitts & Sons Black & White Towing Van Lingen Body Shop Simmons Wrecker Service Heflin’s Lowe's Garage & Towing Coffeys Towing Groat Brothers Auto Supply White Motor Company Summers Towing & Repair, Ruehles Towing Hogeland Body Shop Jim Bowe Towing Wood’s Towing Service Currie's Standard Johnson's Towing Lakeview Garage Plunk’s Wrecker Service Bartley Garage & Towing T.W. Scott Enterprises Bob Parker Service Center Elyria Towing Service Polifly Towing Service Cumming Motors H & H Towing LLC Van’s Towing & Transport Whites Wrecker Service Coleman Motor Compay Sunrise Side Towing LLC Bermans Towing Bill’s Service of Stamford Red’s Towing & Repair Service Breezy Point Garage Blystone’s Towing & Radiator Louis & Sons Reliable Towing Service P.E.R. Towing Ramont’s Tow Service Lloyds Towing & Service Beauman's Garage Miles & Sons Towing, LLC Scotty’s Carriage Works Sprinkels Towing & Recovery Crow’s Wrecker Service Jess Jr's & Sons Body Shop Byers Wrecker Service

South Amboy NJ Northampton MA Scranton PA Bremerton WA Wilkes Barre PA Wisconsin Rapids WI Charlotte NC Red Wing MN Ashland WI Junction City KS Watertown CT Heidelberg PA Wanatah IN Ramona CA Portland OR Leland MS Saraland AL Pacoima CA Torrance CA Meridian MS Fredericksburg VA Knoxville TN Dayton OH Wyandotte MI Forrest City AR Morgantown WV Mt Clemens MI Marshalltown IA Conshohocken PA Stafford TX Big Rapids MI Scranton PA Hammonton NJ West Monroe LA Charleston IL Belle Vernon PA Jackson TN Elyria OH Hackensack NJ Altoona PA Bettendorf IA Roseville MI Panama City FL Fredericksburg VA Sterling MI Baltimore MD Stamford CT West Springfield MA Stratford CT Portage WI Sewickley PA Muskegon MI Sparta WI Modesto CA Medina OH Lockport NY Steelville MO Cameron MO Fincastle VA Grove Hill AL Cambridge MD Rochester MI

1951 1951 1951 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1956 1956 1956 1956 1956 1957 1957 1957 1957 1957 1957 1957 1957 1957 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958

Noecker’s Garage Centerport Heck’s Wrecker Service West Memphis Thomas Rogers Automobile Service Cairo Walt’s Towing & Radiator Roseburg John’s Body Shop Binghamton Page’s Service Center Conneaut Lake Smith Bros. Garage Shrewsbury Broadway Garage & Body Shop Hopewell Ramsey Motors & Wrecker Service Morganton True's Towing and Recovery Dowagiac Broome Service Center Jackson Marietta Garage Towing Marietta Lange's Safety Service Muscatine Ken Betts Towing Oakland Dicks Wrecker Service Medford Keller’s Towing Selinsgrove Coastal Automotive Service Bay City Stew's Auto Body Washington McDaniel's Services King George Eddies 24 hr Towing Service Deer Park Sandy's Towing Moraine Doc’s Towing & Transport Oakhurst Silver Grove Motors Silver Grove Sano’s Towing Palisades Park Bob’s & Swise Towing & Repair Canton Holmes Wrecker Service Espanola Beard’s Towing Fort Worth Benham's Service & Garage Berkley Heights Jamaica Towing Jamaica Archer’s Towing Service Davidson Johnston Wrecker Service Fort Smith Benefiel Towing Hamburg Alaska Towing & Wrecking Anchorage Schwartz 24hr. Wrecker Service Salem Carey's Towing Laurel Brown’s Wrecker Service Bloomington Brown’s Super Service Topeka Lewis Wrecker Service Baton Rouge Palm Avenue Motors San Mateo Goldbeck Towing Service, LLC La Crosse Bert's Towing, Inc. Hammond Lowery’s Body Shop & Wrecker Svc. Dyersburg Blessing’s Service Sparta Chuck’s Garage Batavia Ralph Phillips Towing Svc. Dellslow Dick's Automotive Campbell Dave's Hi-Way Wrecker Grand Prairie Bauer's Auto Wrecking Fresno Roger's Service & Towing, LLC St. Libory City Towing San Jose Reeds Massillon Null’s Towing Cochranville Patterson’s Wrecker Service Blacksburg Coastal Wrecker Service Rocky Mount Brecht’s Towing & Service Dryden Ray Harris Towing/Hauling Greensboro Dewey’s Towing Service Beloit Anaheim Towing Anaheim Omps Garage Winchester Gate City Towing Greensboro Driscoll’s Towing Service Palm City Matt’s Auto Service Eden Prairie

PA AR NY OR NY PA PA VA NC MI SC SC IA CA OR PA TX NJ VA NY OH CA KY NJ IL NM TX NJ NY NC AR IA AK MO DE IL KS LA CA WI IN TN NJ IL WV CA TX CA IL CA OH PA SC NC NY NC WI CA VA NC FL MN

Year Established

1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1958 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963

Tomei’s Towing Dans Towing David's Towing Service M & N Towing River Drive Service Center Holmes Auto Repair Bob's Towing Services Callahan’s Wrecker Service Karas Auto Parts A + B Towing Neenah Main Auto Body Rogner’s Towing & Recovery Fedor Towing & Recovery A-Z Service Courtney’s Service Center Sherer Auto Parts Floyd & Sons Don Kerns Wrecker Service Jim’s Wrecker & Storage Murrays Garage Inc Archers Vineland Service, Inc. Day and Nite Towing LLC Stepp’s Towing Service Berk’s Towing LLC Trip’s Auto Sales Twin City Auto Sales D & S Towing Burl's, Inc. Stan's Pro Tows Luchini's Towing & Recovery Whitaker Towing Service, LLC Loran W. Critchett & Sons Woodpecker Truck & Equipment Kichline’s Service Station Atkinson Service Strollo Brothers & Sons Inc Taylor’s Towing & Auto Wrecking Stoneham Towing & Transportation Wolff’s Body Shop Smitty's Wrecker Service Ken’s Crescent Springs Service Melvin Snyder Used Cars-Wrckr Mauldin Body Shop Hunter Towing Wahlstrom Ford Ken's Auto Body Livingston Collision American Auto & Truck Towing Plummer & Plummer Used Ours Garage & Wrecker Service Rouse’s Towing & Recovery Thompson’s Auto Service Mike’s Wrecker Service O'Hare Towing Service Grand Aberdeen Service Smith Brothers Standard Excel Body Works Buddy’s Wrecker Service Dyke’s Garage Point Auto Repairs Brown & Brown Wrecker Service Telway Towing Valley Towing Co Santa Fe Tow Service Barnett's Towing LLC Jack Hockenberger Motors Seto’s Towing & Service Marty’s Towing

McKees Rocks PA Forest Lake MN Garfield NJ Parkesburg PA Harrisburg PA Fort Walton Beach FL Campbell CA Senath MO Waterbury CT Lawrence NY Neenah WI Palatine IL Norwalk CT Riverdale NJ Pittsburgh PA Bennett CO Racine WI Gainesville GA Newton NC Leeds AL North Hollywood CA Baldwin WI Tampa FL Bellingham WA Berryville VA Scott City MO Tamaque PA Mayfield KY Pocatello ID Las Cruces NM Guntersville AL Alsip IL Pendleton OR Hellertown PA Kenmore NY Cheshire CT Cottage Grove OR Stoneham MA Croghan NY Muscle Shoals AL Crescent Springs KY Helena AR Canton GA Chicago IL Chadron NE Spanish Fork UT Livingston NJ North Jackson OH Factoryville PA Hebron OH Spokane WA Huntington WV Saginaw MI Northlake IL Chicago IL Columbia City IN Jacksonville NC Union City TN Bear Lake PA Somers Point NJ Chamblee GA Redford MI Phoenix AZ Joplin MO Sierra Vista AZ Zelienople PA Kitty Hawk NC Grand Island NY

1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1965 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1966 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1969 1969 1969 1969

Fischer’s Garage Crystal Spring Murphy’s Towing Service Rahway Panorama Towing Service Santa Clarita Plainview Towing Plainview Hensler’s Towing & Recovery Pocomoke City Biondi's Service Center Quincy Home Motors San Angelo Merwin’s Towing & Repair Montrose Emerald Transportation Pompano Beach Franks Auto Service Amsterdam Hickory Wrecker Hickory Joe Bensons Service Rochester Kennedy’s Garage Troy Mason’s Auto Repair Service Annapolis Nicholson Auto Salem Camcar Towing Columbus Mesaros Towing & Service Youngstown Bill’s Wrecker Service Texas City Ross Body & Frame Works Allentown Wyatts Towing Denver Rau's Sunoco Service and Towing Montague Pizzagoni's Towing Brentwood Hanser's Automotive & Wrecker Co. Billings Martines Service Center Middletown Jim’s Towing and Road Service Monroe Cartee Inc. Towing & Recovery Seneca George T Morgan Towing Svc. Lancaster Michael’s Garage Charlestown Young's Service Station Pine Bush Mayville Service Center Mayville Sid’s Towing Service Dayton O’Hare Towing Lockport Mike’s Wrecker Service Vero Beach Rosa's Garage Fall River Chambers Wrecker Service Wilmington Mangum Service Center Eastland Parke’s Auto Repair Elverson Edwards Truck Serv. & Body Shop Goldsboro Robinson’s Towing Service Loysville Mandy’s Service Center Edison Roxborough Towing Service Philadelphia Interstate Service Center Fredericksburg Southside Towing Winston Salem Bud’s Wrecker Service Haddock Norberg Towing Green River B & F Towing Co Newcastle Twilight Towing Conway World Truck Towing & Recovery Seville Pearce Truck and Auto Martin Mike Willimon Towing Greenville Stuppy Auto Sales & Wrecker Serv. Sainte Genevieve Rockdale Towing Co. Reisterstown Stovall’s Body Shop, Wrecker Service Fayetteville Miller’s 24 Hour Towing Service Akron Woodys Auto Repair & Towing Pelham Moore’s Garage Felton Charley’s Crane Service Landover Barger Towing & Recovery Richmond John’s Towing Davenport Casey’s Wrecker Towing & Recovery Russellville Rohnert Park Towing Rohnert Park Intermountain Tow Services North Salt Lake Bill’s Towing Warren London’s Wrecker Service, LP Longview L.D. Hooten Auto & Towing Springfield Nuhlicek’s Service LLC Kewaunee Bang’s Towing Amityville Herb Daniel’s Truck Titusville

PA NJ CA MN MD MA TX CO FL NY NC NY NY MD WV OH OH TX PA CO MA CA MT NY MI SC PA RI NY NY OH IL FL MA NC TX PA NC PA NJ PA VA NC GA WY DE SC OH TN SC MO MD TN OH NH DE MD KY IA AR CA UT MI TX OH WI NY FL

1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1970 1970 1970 1970 1970 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1973 1973 1973 1973 1973 1973 1973 1973 1974 1974 1974 1974 1974 1975 1975 1975 1975 1975 1975 1976

Hugh’s Transport & Truck Kauff’s Towing Custer Street Towing Johnson Towing Service Ben Ward’s Towing Kozloski Towing Airline Towing Alton Towing & Repair Frontier Towing Jim’s Towing Suburban Towing Red's Towing Larry’s Towing Andy's Towing Don's 24Hr. Towing Rusty's Towing Service Joe's Towing & Recovery Keizer Towing Cherokee Towing T & M Towing Finger Lakes Wrecker Service Bill's Towing & Recovery Hampshire Towing Story City Trucking & Tow Sportsman’s Towing & Auto Stouffer’s Auto Service Ace Wrecker Service Naftzinger Auto Wrecking St. Denis Towing Monaghan Car Care Whitmore’s Wrecker Service Speed of Light Towing & Recovery Ricky’s Towing & Recovery Overland Tow Service Squeaky’s Towing Service Dunn’s Wrecker Service Freeburg Towing Nick's Towing Service Glenn's Wrecker Service Boulder Valley Towing Statewide Wrecker Service Williamson Wrecker Service Mikes Garage Gerald’s Towing & Repair Bolus Truck Parts & Service Caveman Towing McCarters Towing & Recovery Freehold Towing Cioffi Towing Toad’s Garage 24 Hr Wrecker Serv.

Robbie's Wrecker Service Kellogg's Service & Towing Bob Gaydos Auto Body Hooe’s Towing Larry’s Garage Sunpoint Auto & Towing Emergency Starting & Towing Dente Bros Towing L & M Towing Pooser’s Servicenter Frank Scotto Towing Dave's Towing Service Jim's Towing Service Dave's Truck Repair RJT Motorists Service C&J Wrecker Service Beaufort Motorsports, LLC A-Albuquerque Towing

Troutville VA West Palm Beach FL Manitowoc WI Amherst WI Leitchfield KY Green Bay WI Calumet Park IL Godfrey IL Tucson AZ Bakersfield CA Louisville KY Plains Twp. PA Carbondale IL Marshfield MA Champaign IL Washington PA Bloomington IL Salem OR Jefferson City TN Eugene OR Ithaca NY Yelm WA South Hadley MA Story City IA West Hempstead NY Shippensburg PA Orlando FL Auburn PA Mountville PA St. Petersburg FL Waukegan IL Watsonville CA Leominster MA Overland Park KS Conway SC Raleigh NC Freeburg IL Rutherford NJ Guild TN Boulder CO Corpus Christi TX Wadesboro NC Stockton MO Scott LA Throop PA Grants Pass OR Rockaway NJ Freehold NJ Cherry Hill NJ North Wilkesboro NC Eunice LA Mead WA Kerhonkson NY Baltimore MD Hanover MI Ruskin FL Watertown WI Newark NJ Vermilion OH Orangeburg SC Torrance CA Simi Valley CA Elmhurst IL Chambersburg PA White Plains NY Patterson LA Yemassee SC Albuquerque NM

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 33

TOWMAN 500 1976 1976 1976 1976 1976 1976 1976 1976 1976 1976 1977 1977 1977 1977 1977 1977 1977 1977 1977 1977 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1978 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1979 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1981 1981 1981 1981 1981 1981 1981 1981 1981 1982 Number 172 on Reader Card

34 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

Calistoga Tow Don’s Truck Towing & Truck Wash TBS Inc. dba THE Body Shop Hunter’s Truck & Tire Service Breen Bros. Towing Reeds Wrecker Service Blittersdorf’s City Service Company Ramsay Towing Tornquist Garage Wheat’s Auto Body Kumbier Towing AA Action Towing Jack's Wrecker Service Bachs Towing & Service Center Zuccala Wrecker Service Schober’s Towing & Repair Gene’s Auto Frame Serv. & Repair J M Wrecker Services Jims Auto Service Skip’s Wrecker Service Arens Services McGann & Chester LLC Mikes Wrecker & Towing Allan’s Wrecker Service Daves Service Center Perlmans Towing and Recovery St. Johns Auto Body North Redford Towing Mike & Son Towing Ron's Towing Wallace Towing B.J.S. Wrecker Seth’s Auto Shop Chuck’s Wrecker Service Bauer’s Service Lewis Transportation Service Ponderosa Tow Vaughn's Auto Repair&24hr Towing North Shore Towing Johns Towing Moyer’s Body Shop Ace Towing Enterprises Lewis Truck & Towing Service Bud's Towing and Recovery LLC Gordy's Towing & Repair B & D Automotive Service Haas Towing Mike’s Towing & Recovery Sabil & Sons Tommy’s Tire & Towing Waupaca Truckstop Bryant’s Tires & Towing Hon's Automotive DATOW Software Universe Towing Berryville Auto Parts Lynn’s Auto Center Vito’s Towing Country City Towing Pinellas Auto Body and Service Ridgewood AutoSpring Five Seasons Auto Rebuilders General Automotive Towing & Rec. Gemini Towing Bardy Farms Towing & Recovery Tuleburg Towing

Calistoga Sedalia Liberal Lisbon Falls Staten Island Helenwood Toughkenamon Kent Kanab Hightstown Waterloo Minocqua Las Vegas Melbourne Elma Boynton Beach St. Regis Fort Myers Clute Lake City Howard Waller Pittsburgh Mocksville Victoria Smithfield Albany Palatka Redford Blue Spring Dallas Porterville Tulsa Shippensburg Beaumont Pompton Lakes Opelika Mariposa South Amherst Evanston Tonawanda Zerbe Lakewood Opelka Cortland Norfolk Columbia City Rockford Bridgewater White River Jct. Bluffton Waupaca Lake City Cochran Long Beach Bronx Berryville Caliente Clifton Anaheim Clearwater Ridgewood Cedar Rapids Searcy South Plainfield Watchung Stockton

CA MO KS ME NY TN PA OH UT NJ IL WI NV FL NY FL MT FL TX FL OH TX PA NC TX VA NY FL MI MO TX CA OK PA TX NJ AL CA OH IL NY PA CO AL OH NE IN IL NJ VT SC WI FL GA CA NY VA NV NJ CA FL NY IA AR NJ NJ CA

1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988

LaSalle’s Garage Everett Hall’s Towing Service Jackson Steve Luongo’s Towing Media Bullocks Towing Salt Lake City East Coast Towing LTD Stamford Daves Towing Service Palm Springs Rob's Automotive & Collision Center Bristol Lee's Towing Jessup Coastal Towing & Recovery Richmond Doug’s Auto Campbelltown Banis Towing Service San Antonio Schoemann's Road Service Buffalo C & R Towing Ltd. Richmond Hill Zobadak Towing & Recovery Central City Rivers Edge Towing Hood River Moore's Auto Repair & Towing Michigan City Elden Dattage Towing Logan A-One Towing Zanesville Auto Towing & Repair Lexington Dependable Tow Truckee Car Cab Wrecker Service Oklahoma City Toot’ N Tellem Mishawaka Excalibur Towing Service Corp.

Miami Llewellyn's Towing & Repair LTD Powhatan South Florida Towing Cutler Bay Action Towing Williamsport New Beverly Auto Clinic Beverly Sweet Towing & Repair Owatonna American Towing Prescott Southern Maryland Towing Ridge Am Pm Towing Lillington Dee Jay Bee Inc/D J's Towing Billins Jeff’s Towing Englewood Rapid Transport System New City Duvals Towing Goffstown 2001 Towing & Recovery Bordentown Lanagan’s Wrecker Service Edmond C H Autos Jackson Danbury Towing Williamsburg ABC Towing Comstock Park Carr Towing Westminster Charlie’s Towing Service, Inc. Islip Terrace Harvey’s Auto Body & Towing Baden Tom DeLucas Towing Branchburg Myers Towing Modesto Klaus' Towing Colorado Springs Strickland Road Service South Haven Pro-Tow, LLC Overland Park Ken's Towing Service Hilo Dave’s Tiltbed & Storage Clarion Seiverling Service Bethel All Points Towing Service Hackensack J & M Towing Wayne Fero’s Auto Repair & Towing Serv. Whitewater Westfall Auto Sales Cadiz Federal Towing Danbury California Coach Auto Body &Tow Walnut Tri-County Towing Casselberry A-1 Towing Ronkonkoma Sibby’s Automotive Naugatuck Leo’s Towing Service Pembroke Pines Mayflower Towing Plymouth Consolidated Towing Bend Randys Repair Gower Belmont Tire Pueblo Pro-Tow Auto Care Hackensack

PA MS PA UT CT CA PA MD VA PA TX NY NY IA OR IN UT OH VA CA OK IN FL VA FL PA MA MN AZ MD NC MT CO NY NH NJ OK NJ OH MI CA NY PA NJ CA CO KS KS HI PA PA NJ NJ WI OH CT CA FL NY CT FL MI OR MO CO MN

Number 143 on Reader Card

Strategy in

Las Vegas

Tow Industry Week Offers New Paradigms on Police Towing Issues

T

he Week features of course the American Towman ShowPlace–Las Vegas with the industry’s top suppliers packing the Convention Center at the South Point Hotel & Casino. But the progressive tow business owner will want to check out the many educational conferences of Tow Industry Week, May 15–17, featuring some noteworthy industry “firsts.”

As part of the Police Towers Conference, for example, AutoReturn will be conducting a seminar designed to share with tow business owners the reasons for its success at contracting cities. AutoReturn has contracted with several cities across the U.S., giving the San Francisco based company control of dispatch and rotation. Many towers have expressed satisfaction at working with AutoReturn and others

Dan Scanlan

John Wicker

38 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

by Steve Calitri

have expressed concern that the company is taking control away from towers in this critical business sector.

AutoReturn’s John Wicker and his team will share what it does in working with municipalities so that towers may take whatever they can and apply it themselves in their own working relationships with town councils and police departments. AutoReturn will also explain the opportunities they offer towers and how they can work together.

There has been a lot of rumor about how AutoReturn affects a town’s regulated rates. This seminar also gives towers an opportunity to get the facts straight, straight from the horse’s mouth.

In another “first”, John Borowski of Police Towers of America and Amber Scene Clean will team with

Darryl Birdsong

Darryl Birdsong of Birdsong’s Environmental Services and Spill Response for the Accident Remediation Seminar. Both men are experienced in making accident cleanup a significant revenue center for their towing companies.

In another Police Towers Conference seminar, American Towman’s Randy Resch is presenting “Preserving Evidence.” Here one will learn how to satisfy law enforcement’s requirements and expectations pertaining to evidence tows.

Recovery Specialists will find Tow Industry Week a bonanza of learning opportunities. WreckMaster’s Bruce Campbell and other core instructors will be conducting two Rotator Training classes inside the South Point Arena (South Point Hotel & Casino). Bob Fouquette of Big Wheel

Randy Resch

Bob Fouquette

fame will be addressing the business side of owning a rotator, opportunities to economics. Miller Industries HD Specialist John Hawkins will conduct a seminar on Recovery Logistics as part of the Recovery Conference, while AT’s Terry Abejuela will address challenging light duty recovery techniques. The Week will also feature a recovery demonstration by Miller Industries on its new Century 50-ton rotator (Thursd ay evening, May 15th) inside the South Point Arena.

In the past two years, auctions services have awakened the towing industry to new options in auctioning one’s unclaimed vehicles. The Impound Conference is bringing in three companies that offer auction ser-

vices: Alteso, Insurance Auto Auctions, and TowLot.com. These seminars will underscore the fact that the “junk” cars sitting in tow lots are valuable assets. How to maximize the value of these assets while complying with lien laws and required record-keeping are part of the discussions.

To view all the Conferences and seminars, check out www.ATShowPlace.com.

Las Vegas and the Strip is a great backdrop for the unique special events of “The Week.” Take the Desert Smoke being held in the Gazebo by South Point’s pool. Attendees may simply choose to participate in complimentary style or purchase the Desert Smoke VIP Passport which

gives them several perks that include a special Co gnac Tasting Bar. This event promises to be the classiest of the American Towman smokers.

While the Strip offers a destination city packed with destination-city hotels and first class cuisine, American Towman is wining and dining its readers at the Thursday welcome reception and the Saturday Ribs Fest. All one has to do is advance register.

Ribs Fest, May 17 Rotator Training will be conducted by WreckMaster at the South Point Arena.

Terry Abejuela

The Desert Smoke being held in the Gazebo by South Point’s pool.

John Borowski

John Hawkins

Bruce Campbell

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 39

Exhibits, Conferences, Training, Special Events

Exhibits inside South Point's Convention Center

Mike Corbin & the Boys, May 15 In Concert at South Point Casino Showroom

Rotator Training, May 15–17

by WreckMaster

AT Open, May 15 Sponsored by USAC/MD

Register online @ ATShowPlace.com AT’s Legendary Hospitality Welcome Reception, May 15 Ribs Fest, May 17

Desert Smoke, May 15 Sponsored by Savatech

Recovery Demo with New Century 1150 Rotator in the South Point Arena May 15, Sponsored by Miller Industries

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REPO RUN continued from page 26 As time passed and more forwarding companies arrived on the scene, repossession agencies continued to cut back or close doors. As quickly as some doors closed, others opened. As the U.S. economy worsened after 2008, the forwarding companies put the word out they needed more repossessors to forward accounts to and young entrepreneurs answered the call.

It reminded me of the old trucker who learned his skill on an old Mack Model B truck back in the ’50s. As time passed, he was forced to retire and a fresh youngster out of truck-driving school took his place. The problem was when a situation would present itself that was not covered at the truck academy; the new driver would not know what to do.

Lasting Impacts What happened next was predictable; the forwarding companies were unable to reach the recovery percentages of the past. Paying a reduced fee to the repossession agency had taken its toll. Sources within the forwarding companies have said recovery percentages are as low as 50 percent. Cars just were not getting picked up. Agents in the field prioritized the assignments that paid more (and from the companies who pay faster). One employee from a forwarding company told me some agents

were waiting up to 120 days to get paid while others have said some were not paid at all.

Repossession agents were choosing to cut the ties with forwarders and focus on local neighborhood lenders.

Forwarders were forced to utilize the less experienced and non-certified agencies that accepted the reduced recovery fees.

Litigation … has increased dramatically over the last few years.

Litigation resulting from failed, inappropriate or unlawful repossession attempts has increased dramatically over the last few years.

Defending these lawsuits has cost the automobile lenders millions upon millions. It seems every day we hear of a repossessor or a lender’s customer getting injured or even killed from a recovery effort gone bad.

Many of us in the repossession business think this is a result of inexperience on the part of the repossessor.

We also think the recovery agent has been placed under pressure from the forwarder who only pays if the agent is successful in the recovery attempt.

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Agents who in the past would wait for the safest moment to recover the auto are now taking chances the more experienced agent would never allow.

For 2014, the light at the end of this tunnel is getting closer. The banks and lending companies have realized doing business directly with the repossession agency will greatly reduce litigation cost while increasing the recovery percentages.

I have heard of problems facing the forwarding companies that will force them to make major changes in their business model; most will not survive.

News of this is just around the corner.

More and more repossession companies are receiving calls from clients who want to rebuild past relationships. Recently while attending an industry conference, I was approached by lenders explaining how they are discontinuing relationships with the national forwarders. The men and women I spoke with were corneroffice decision makers.

Positive changes are right around the corner; hang in there.

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

Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com

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Bridge

Deadlift

Ahearn’s Crew Recovers Semi from Windy Canyon Ahearn’s Ford/Century 1040 (foreground) and Peterbilt/Century 4024 (background) are in position on the bridge.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti A view of the Clavey River Bridge from 100’ down.

Lifting the wrecked tractor and the first trailer over the guardrail.

A

hearn’s Towing, based out of Sonora, Calif., started as a one-man, one-truck operation in 1989. Today, Ahearns Towing is spoken of as one of the best towing companies in Tuolumne County, known for handling some very difficult recoveries. With a crew of six recovery specialists trained by owner/operator George Ahearn himself, the company now has a fleet of heavy-, medium- and light-duty trucks, a special vehicle-transport trailer, Landoll and a skid-steer with five attachments for various cleanups.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 49

Deadlifting the International and one of its trailers together.

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Ahearn’s handles everything from big rigs and heavy equipment to motorcycles and golf carts. In November 2013, Ahearn’s was called to handle a loaded double-trailer hay truck that went over a bridge.

Tight Spot A 26-year-old man was driving a 1989 International Harvester pulling a set of doubles hauling super bales of hay. The company was contracted to bring in hay to help with the recovery process of the huge Rim Fire that burned thousands of acres of Yosemite National Park and Tuolumne County in August 2013.

The driver was heading eastbound on Cottonwood Road approaching the Clavey River Bridge. This is a small two-lane road with rock wall on one side and a cliff on the other. It’s a road not traveled much by truckers; vets of the logging days will tell you the road is not to be taken lightly. With

its tight switch-backs, falling rocks, narrow bridges and very steep grades, one wrong move or missing a gear can spell disaster for any trucker.

The Clavey River Bridge is at the bottom of a very steep two-mile down slope, and this is where making the wrong move came into play. Witnesses said they saw the brakes of the trailers smoking a lot right before the truck picked up speed on the steep hill.

The young driver was going along in excess of 45 mph down a long grade towards the bridge and was not able to slow the vehicle prior to a righthand curve in the roadway. The vehicle rolled to the driver’s side of the cab and went through a metal guardrail on the bridge and plummeted approximately 100’ to the river canyon below.

The rig came to rest on a boulder and its own trailer. The driver was pinned in the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

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The second trailer coming up and over the guardrail.

Uprighting the tractor and trailer on the bridge.

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Rigging It When Ahearn’s Towing received the call to recover the tractor and two trailers, Ahearn, shop manager Mick Price and heavy driver Richard Birthtold headed out.

The trucks they brought were a 2001 Peterbilt with Century 4024 20-ton, 1979 Ford cab-over with Century 1040 40-ton and a Peterbilt with Landoll trailer. Agencies that were on scene and helped out were the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire, Toulumne County Search & Rescue, and the U.S Forest Service.

The spilled hay over the rocks made it very dangerous to work.

George and his crew knew that rigging this accident would have to be spot-on the first time around. Since the tractor landed on the now-twisted trailer, there was no way of separating them down at the bottom. They would have to be lifted and brought up together.

“We started by using four different chains from the frame of the tractor to the frame of the trailer,” Price said.

“After that was completed, we had to chain down the cab of the truck back to its frame because it broke its frame lock during the accident and started to tilt open.

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TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 53

“After we did a double- and even a triple-check, it was time to do the deadlift off the bridge. There was no other way to recover the truck and trailers. The sides of the bridge were too steep and covered in big rocks and lots of trees, so the only way it was coming out was by going up.

“We didn’t know when we started to lift if we would open up an oil line or something of that nature and leak

It was dead quiet on that bridge as the lift was being done.

fluid into the Clavey River, which would have had a really bad impact on the environment,” Price said of the challenges on this job. “Also the spilled hay over the rocks made it very dangerous to work.

We could not see what was solid ground or just hay covering water. … Heck even trying to climb down to the accident was a challenge. … At one point we even had to have ropes to aid us in getting down and up the hillside.”

The crew knew that once they started this lift there was no turning back.

“It was not like we could just set it down and re-rig. Once we had her off the rocks it was ‘Go time,’ ” Price said. “[The Century 40-ton] was doing the heavy lifting; we had both cables with snatch block hooked to the truck’s frame, and [the 20-ton Century] was used to balance the trailer so it would all come up evenly.”

The Wind Blew

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About 50’ up, they ran into a small problem. The canyon wind kicked up and started to blow the truck and trailer around like a rag doll.

“You could feel the whole bridge moving with the wind and every time the wrecked truck would swing, you could watch our tow trucks move ever so slightly,” Price said. “Knowing the wind would not die down, we just kept on the winches and inch-by-inch she came up.”

While Ahearn was looking over the railing, he was directing Price and Birthtold on what cables they needed to be tightening and which cables needed to stay still.

“It was dead quiet on that bridge as the lift was being done,” said Price.

“All you could hear was the humming of the trucks and the creaking of the bridge under the weight of all three trucks and one trailer.”

All eyes were set on Ahearn’s hands, waiting for the next order. As the wrecked truck reached the top of the guardrail, it was time to boom up.

“Now this is where the fun part comes into play,” Price said. “See George is, well in my eyes, one very smart and one hell of an operator. To get the truck back over the railing, we had to pull both trucks forward and

turn them slightly at the same time— and doing this all with the wrecked truck hanging off the hooks and not pulling the other tow truck over on its side. But, heck, he made it look easy.”

Once the wrecked truck and trailer were on the bridge, they put it on its wheels and then separated them and placed them off to the side. They went back to get the second trailer, then used the same technique as before for the truck and trailer; it wasn’t as heavy this time.

By the time they got the truck, both trailers and all the pieces of the truck and trailer cleaned up, the sun had set and the temperature dropped. They stacked the two trailers onto the Landoll as best they could and put the tractor behind the Century 20-ton and headed home.

Total time to recover the truck and trailers was about 17 hours.

“I would like to extend a big thank you to my other two crew members Ben Roberson and Mat Wood,” Price said. “These two guys ran the shop,

Boomed out and ready to lift the second trailer.

answered the phone, released impounds and made sure our company ran smoothly while we were out doing this recovery.

“I have to say George Ahearn is one heck of a mentor in the towing industry. He is so willing to teach people who are willing to shut there mouths and open there ears, cause I

feel the best way to learn is by watching the older guys work their magic on the sticks.”

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.

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Luciano poses with the class of Royal Oman Police after the training exercises were successfully completed.

Water tanker on its side, rigged and prepped to lift.

Rotating

Miller’s Tom Luciano explains the tilt function on the underlift to increase clearance from fragile engine components, which is crucial when towing on rough terrain.

in the

Middle East Miller Industries Trains the Royal Oman Police

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

T

his training exercise took place in December 2013 in Muscat, the capital city of Oman, an Arab state on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It has a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Tom Luciano, Miller Industries’ Director of Training, conducted the class along with Tom Griffin, Miller’s Director of Export Sales. More than 30 operators and support personnel attended the class.

The Royal Oman Police had recently taken delivery of four Mercedes Actros 8x8 chassis, equipped with Century 1140 40-ton rotators with SDU-4 underlifts through Miller’s European operations.

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Luciano demonstrates being able to rotate the recovery boom to the forward position to achieve better weight transfer.

Preparing to tow a bus.

The 1140s work together on lifting a container.

Rough Terrain The Actros is an innovative chassis built to withstand the toughest conditions for each operational area and every terrain. It is known as a great choice of mission-proved superstructures as palletized load systems, semitrailers, cargo/cranes and recovery.

The Century 1140 40-ton rotators, designed to be a versatile weightconscious unit for towing and recovery, were chosen for the ROP’s needs.

The 1140 unit has dual 35,000-lbs. planetary two-speed winches. These units are equipped with Miller’s SDU-4 underlift. The SDU stands for super duty underlift. Tom explained the tilt function on the underlift to 58 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

increase clearance from fragile engine components, which is crucial when towing on rough terrain.

Water tanker being lifted and rotated.

Variety of Training The training included not only recovery, but also towing. Luciano’s objective was to train the ROP in the most up-to-date recovery methods for using this equipment. With that in mind, Luciano set up various scenarios for the 1140s to be used in.

In lifting an extremely heavy vehicle, he demonstrated being able to rotate the recovery boom to the forward position to achieve better weight transfer. When hauling mixers, cranes or snorkel trucks, this also allows you to retract the load further to reduce overhang.

In one session, a bus was hooked up using a heavy-duty tire lift.

Buses are very common throughout the area. There is also much construction going on with many mixers, snorkel and heavy construction trucks on the road, so the use of frame forks and rotating the boom forward was also taught to the operators.

As in the U.S. and many other parts of the world, incident management and quick clearance has become more critical as the roads become more congested; with recent rapid growth, Oman is no different. In one exercise, a container was lifted using one of the Century 1140s on each end and then as the booms were rotated, the container was passed from one side, between the two rotators, and then set down on the opposite side.

This maneuver has been demonstrated at most Miller rotator seminars and proves useful when bringing a casualty over a bridge or guardrail and back on the road with minimal lane closure.

As with all recovery training it is always advised to practice the methods beforehand to provide smooth, safe operation when at an actual incident; this procedure does require good coordination and communication between both rotator operators.

In another scenario, they wanted to be able to lift an overturned water tanker and barrel roll it in the air. The 1140s were not equipped with

Water tanker being rotated to the rear of the recovery unit.

spreader bars, but they wanted to simulate attempting to keep the cables a distance apart so as to not crush the sides of a load. Both lines were two-parted using a snatch block and connected to the vehicle with a chain in a V-bridle formation, one on each side of the casualty. An additional block was placed in a D-ring on the second stage of the Century 1140’s boom to keep the one line separated further. As the vehicle was lifted and righted, it was then rotated to the rear of the truck.

Other demonstrations with the rotator included showing the ability to be able to work over the front of the recovery vehicle in situations where you cannot get around or to the side of a casualty.

Miller Industries puts a great emphasis on not only selling quality state-of-the-art equipment, but also training their customers in the most up-to-date recovery methods for using the equipment. Besides the training classes and seminars they hold across the U.S., the Miller team logs many frequent flyer miles training towing professionals around the world.

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.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 59

Telematics

and

GPS T

Fleet Management Monitors Safety, Liability

60 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

by Matt Gunzenhaeuser

he Department of Transportation considers the act of sending or receiving information on a tablet or smartphone while the driver is behind the wheel of a commercial motor vehicle to be texting, which is prohibited for holders of commercial driver licenses. Additionally, state court decisions in California and elsewhere have determined that handling a phone while driving violates distracted driving laws.

“The primary evil sought to be avoided is the distraction the driver faces when using his or her hands to operate the phone,” wrote Judge W. Kent Hamlin.

“That distraction would be present whether the wireless telephone was being used as a telephone, a GPS navigator, a clock or a device for sending and receiving text messages and emails.”

The good news is that the DOT specifically excludes GPS devices from this restriction.

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As commercial applications for GPS units add more sophisticated telematics and mobile communications capabilities, they can easily replace mobile phones as the primary communications and dispatch platform for tow operators. The right investments in fleet management technology can help reduce driver distraction, company liability and save money.

running can help you track down a stolen truck.

More importantly, a smartphone can’t monitor driver behavior, which is a significant indicator of distracted driving and a potential landmine of liability issues. Some sobering facts from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration:

Audible and visual cues help coach drivers on their behavior— like speeding and harsh braking—and avoid distracted driving and accidents.

Smartphone Dangers Smartphones are phenomenal tools for a mobile workforce, but should be avoided during in-cab activities, such as communication and navigation.

Even though they are great for communications, and even have GPS capabilities, they put the driver, rather than the company, in control. For this reason, smartphones cannot replace the value of a hard-wired black box.

By permanently installing a black box into the power, ignition and PTO wires of a vehicle, businesses are assured of knowing where their vehicles are and what they’re doing. The best solutions also provide GPS, accelerometer and cellular connectivity, where every minute the vehicle is running, the device is sending location and driver behavior data to the cloud.

Every time dispatch or the driver want to communicate, they can do so in a hands-free, safe way that protects everyone from liability issues.

Workers can’t turn it off, throw it out the window, run the batteries down, forget it at home, or talk/text on it. A modern black box also monitors when a vehicle is idling (wasting fuel) and when a secondary motor is in use (great for monitoring unauthorized PTO use). Notification that your vehicle is moving when the engine is not 62 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

• Drivers who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than non-distracted drivers.

•Engaging in visual-manual subtasks (such as reaching for a phone, dialing and texting) tripled the risk of getting into a crash.

•Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds; at 55 mph, it’s the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.

• Harsh braking is the best indicator of distracted driving. GPS vehicle tracking systems today record this activity.

Safer Driving Today’s sophisticated fleet management solutions go beyond the Big Brother aspect of monitoring your drivers’ behavior, and can actually coach them on their driving in real-time. This Active Driver Feedback can appear right on the navigation device in the vehicle, presenting audible alerts accompanied by visual cues when they are speeding or braking too hard. This can help them to develop better habits—and become more invested in the process by giving them the same information that the back office is getting.

Does this sound too good to be true?

With active visibility into how your drivers behave, you can move to a model where each employee treats your vehicles as well as they treat their own. In that scenario, towers can see significant reductions in driving incidents, and also enjoy lower maintenance costs. Plus monitoring PTO and after-hours driving can eliminate side jobs and non-revenue generating driving.

Still worried about staying in touch with drivers? While phones do get the job done, calls going back and forth with dispatch questions and updates can not only overwhelm your back office, but also distract your driver.

Today’s fleet management solutions include GPS devices that can integrate with your dispatch and work order systems to send the relevant information directly to the vehicle. This allows them to accept and navigate to the job site without breaking any laws or stopping their vehicle. They can also pair their smartphones with their navigation device for safe and legal handsfree communication.

Reduce Liability Having the latest technology is important, but combining that with the right business practices is what really makes the difference. Setting policies and then deploying the right technology to help measure compliance is the best way to make a real impact.

If you manage performance and bonuses with driver scores and key performance indicators, you can see significant changes in how your drivers behave on the road, and reduce your company’s exposure to liability in case of an accident.

Today’s telematics solutions deliver all of the dispatch and driving information a driver needs to the vehicle, can be voice-enabled, and allow onetouch and hands-free calling if the driver does need to call the office.

About the author Matt Gunzenhaeuser is Director of Sales at TomTom Business Solutions; http://business.tomtom.com.

Number 104 on Reader Card

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‘Big Blue’ Wrecker

D

avid Thompson of A&R Truck Equipment Inc. in Chamberlain, S.D., owns the rig featured this month. A&R began in 1946 when two hard working brothers established Thompson Transfer, a successful trucking company that operated out of Chamberlain for 21 years. David’s father, Avery, was one of those brothers.

The company excelled at hauling livestock, rock and mail, among other things. In 1967 they shifted their focus to truck repair and the company grew into the top repair center of its type in the state and in 1971 Avery added a wrecker. David grew up in the business and took over as the owner in 1983. A&R today is a full-service operation offering wrecker service and 24hour emergency roadside assistance.

“We have found the business we are in is just like the hospital or health business,” David said. “It is a service that needs to be there every day of the week. By having a large inventory of parts and a wide array of tow, wrecker and service trucks, we are there when our customers need us.”

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

The A&R rig featured here is known as Big Blue. It’s a 1993 International 9400 with a Holmes 750/Trebron conversion on the business end.

Norbert “Bert” Bertling, the owner of Trebron Inc. in Coralville, Iowa, converted this rig into a custom wrecker.

Bert is one of the legendary people in the towing and recovery industry. After years of working for other towing companies he founded Trebron in 1982, with its original product being an add-on hydraulic stiffleg. Bert’s next major product contribution to the industry was the Trebron heavy-duty underlift. In addition to manufacturing add-on equipment, Bert has designed and fabricated hydraulic boom conversions. More recently he has designed and built complete heavy recovery units from “scratch,” customized to fit the needs of individual users.

“Bert does a helluva good job,” David said. “He used the Holmes 750 mask and reinforced it with his own hydraulics.”

Big Blue has a 460-hp Cummins N14 diesel engine mated to an EatonFuller 10-speed transmission with a Spicer auxiliary four-speed to get it down the road. It has Eaton Tandem DS402 3.90 ratio with Watson/Chalin steerable pusher axle 13,200-lbs. rear ends. The front is a 20,000-lbs. steerable axle.

“One of Bert’s guys painted the unit while it was there so that when we got it back we wouldn’t have any more down time,” David said. “He did a great job.

“Bert used an aluminum body up front to cut weight. The toolbox is aluminum and so are the custom-built boxes under the sleeper. The back end is all steel where it needs to be solid.

“Big Blue is built to be a working machine and it is and does everyday.”

Tech Highlights Chassis: 1993 International 9400.

Wrecker: Holmes 750/Trebron conversion.

Engine: Cummins N14.

Trans: EatonFuller 10-speed w/Spicer auxiliary four-speed.

Winches: Holmes 750.

Length: 320” wheelbase.

Builder: Trebron Inc. Paint: Trebron Inc.

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TOWMAN.COM - March 2014 • 67

Municipal Towing, Generals & AutoReturn

by Steve Calitri

A

great general visits the trenches where his men live and ready to fight. Leaders like Napoleon and U.S. Grant could be found in the thick of the action spurring their soldiers onto victory. Being where the action was allowed them to improvise battle plans based on what was happening now, on the front.

Tow bosses, of course, find themselves all too often on the front lines, doing a recovery job themselves or overseeing a team on a big job. This goes with the territory of being a tow business owner whose experience is invaluable to tasks at hand.

Generals also have to be able to see an overview of the business battlefield, whether using maps or high vantage points with the aid of binoculars. Nowadays more sophisticated visual tools are at play. Likewise the tow business owner has to be able to assess his business operations from a far-off vantage point.

Always being on the streets or in the dispatch room can be a detriment. Call it tunnel vision if you will.

Unlike war generals and other highranking officers who meet regularly and strategize, the tow boss rarely is meeting with other tow bosses to share how they are dealing with the issues of the day in running a tow operation. It’s unusual that a tow business owner takes a lunch with a competitor in town and it’s a small percentage of them who show up at an association meeting where they can compare notes with towers from other towns.

The tow business owners who I notice with a sense of the general who views the battlefield from afar are the ones I see at the American Towman shows that offer significant networking and educational venues. As close to their business as their smartphone, they enjoy a few days out of the office and away from home streets that nag with the usual daily stress and distractions. Hun68 • March 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

dreds, even thousands of miles away, they may be talking to another tow business owner leaning against a wrecker on the exhibit floor, breaking bread with another at a hospitality event or sitting in a seminar room learning something new.

The Week coming up May 15-17 in Las Vegas is designed for tow bosses to get away and be able to get fresh perspectives on running a successful tow business.

Tow Industry Week offers several conferences, training courses, networking events, and, of course, features the American Towman ShowPlace at the South Point Hotel & Casino. The dynamics of what happens in Vegas can affect a tow boss and his or her operation like a sea change. So, just like the general climbs to high ground to get a better perspective on the battlefield, a progressiveminded tow boss breaks away from the home turf to go where the other generals gather, strategize, and yes, kick back, light up a cigar and exchange war stories.

One such example of how a tow boss can appraise the situation from the high ground is a seminar that is part of the Week’s Police Towers Conference. The seminar, conducted by John Wicker, CEO of AutoReturn, will share with tow bosses how AutoReturn successfully enters into five-year contracts with cities across the U.S., what AutoReturn offers that is attractive to cities and their police departments, and how the company manages dispatch and rotation for a municipality.

This seminar will give smart tow business owners an opportunity to take from AutoReturn’s approach and apply similar practices in their towns and/or to see if AutoReturn is a company to partner with in serving police. This seminar alone is worth the trip to Las Vegas in May. It gives the general (tow boss) an opportunity to take a fresh look at this critical sector of municipal towing.

All American Towman media is gearing to cover our industry’s “Week” in Las Vegas, May 15–17 at the South Point Hotel & Casino and Convention Center. American Towman TV will be there as Emily Oz covers Tow Industry Week’s special events, from WreckMaster’s Rotator Training to the Rotator Recovery Demo conducted by Miller Industries’ John Hawkins; from the many educational Conferences to events like the Desert Smoke, the Boomer Bowl, the AT Open and the Mike Corbin & the Boys Concert in the South Point Casino Showroom.

American Towman Magazine will be hosting the second annual American Towman ShowPlace in South Point’s Convention Center and helping to cover the show in advance with articles like the one in this issue on the Conferences.

TowIndustryWeek.com will be giving everyone the skinny on the “Week” on its Events page.

TowIndusryWeek.com has now incorporated RepoTimes.com in a way where RepoTimes is both a stand-alone news site for the repo industry and yet under the umbrella of Tow Industry Week.

Copyright 2014 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

SERVING THE TOWING AND RECOVERY INDUSTRY SINCE 1966

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