American Towman Magazine - May 2014

The

'Big Dawg' on the

Mountain

Alt-fuel Fleet Options LD Donnie Winner GPS Integration Key towman.com

towmantv.com

towweek.com

Number 176 on Reader Card

First On The Scene

Since 1977

Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tow Americana . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Cover: Brett’s Towing in Ogden, Utah, uses its 75-ton Century rotator, "Big Dawg” to lift a tractor over a guard rail that was 200’ below in a river.

FEATURE CONTENTS

26

Mountain Pass Recovery Brett’s brings back a semi from a river while fighting freezing temperatures.

by Jim “Buck“ Sorrenti

Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .73

36

Overturned 4Runner An SUV recovery in N.M. nets one company the light-duty Donnie award.

by Anthony VanderVossen

42

Alt-fuel Vehicles Is a greener fleet on the horizon for your company?

by Terry Abejuela

46

An Integrated Approach to Towing Telematics are a win-win proposition for towing dispatchers and drivers.

by Matt Gunzenhaeuser

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Due Recognition Positive recognition for a job well done is always a good thing, whether it’s appreciation or acknowledgement of strong performance, hard work or service excellence.

We at American Towman are honored at the international recognition our own colleague, Operations Editor Randall Resch, received recently when he was selected for induction into the Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame Class of 2014 for his lifelong contributions to the towing industry.

Towing has run in Randy’s blood since he was a teen in La Jolla, Calif., working in the family tow business. He has a lengthy list of towing contributions and has been involved in towing for more than 40 years as a tow business owner and manager as well as a trainer, and, of course, as an educator through the pages of this magazine.

We have had the privilege to have him on our American Towman team

Looking Forward

by Dennie Ortiz

for more than 20 years and it has been a great pleasure working with him. He shared these comments with me about being inducted.

“I’m truly humbled that I was accepted,” said Randy. “I’m feeling really proud that the HOF Selection Committee considered my industry related work worthy of the award. It’s so nice to be recognized.”

Through the magazine and our expositions, American Towman has implemented numerous recognition programs, like the ACE Awards for service excellence, the American Towman Medal for heroism and the Donnie Cruse Memorial Recovery Award.

In this issue read about Holmes Wrecker Service in New Mexico and the recovery performance that earned them the 2013 light-duty Donnie award.

So hats off to Randy, Holmes and of course to you the professional tower. We recognize and appreciate the tremendous job you perform on our roadways 24/7/365!

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

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Operations Editor Field Editor, West Field Editor, Northeast Chassis Editor Safety Editor

Emily Oz

On Screen Editor

Mark Lacek

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 Peggy Calabrese 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 Regional Advertising Sales iMarketing Manager ATTV Producer President

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

by Brendan Dooley

This issue kicks off with some history and reflection on the early industry with a Tow Americana piece (page 20) on one of Ernest Holmes’ first tow vehicles in the boom-equipped 1913 Locomobile.

But, more importantly, we spend some time looking forward at where the industry is moving with some coverage of alt-fuel options and the advantages of GPS telematics and integration for your fleet.

Field Editor Terry Abejuela covers some of the basics on alt fuels (page 42).

From Compressed Natural Gas to hybrids to all-electric vehicles, he discusses some of the options that are already active out there greening up some fleets.

When it comes to saving fuel, one option aside from new vehicles is using GPS-integrated software to manage your trucks (page 46). Reductions in fuel costs are a clear benefit of GPS-based management and dispatch software.

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First On The Scene!

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 Editorial Policy: the act of mailing or delivering a letter or article to American Towman Magazine, shall constitute permission to publish that letter or article or any portion thereof. American Towman Magazine reserves the right to edit any and all material submitted.American Towman Media does not test or review products submitted for inclusion in its publications. All included information, specifications and abilities are as claimed by the equipment manufacturer who is solely liable for any defects or misrepresentations in its products.

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Truckers Upset at Tows Resch Named to 2014 Hall of Fame Whether months or years, truck drivers in Easley, S.C., said the lot in front of the old Walmart building in Easley has always been where they park their trailers.

They were shocked recently when their trailers, which were carrying valuable goods, were gone.

“About 45 thousand pounds of beer,” said Michael Tucker, who said he has parked in the lot for nine months without a problem.

“So about a couple hundred thousand dollars right now is sitting in somebody’s parking lot.”

The towing delayed many of the truckers, who had to make shipping deadlines, costing the companies for which they drive more money.

The drivers said they never saw a warning sign in the lot, but the owner of Stone Services, the company that towed the trucks, said he posted the signs March 31 to warn them. The drivers said they only noticed them in early April and that the signs were not easily spotted from where they enter the parking lot.

They also said Stone Services would not take employer-issued credit or debit cards when it came time to pay the tow bill. The owner said he has never accepted anything but cash at his business.

Stone Services said the tows happened at the request of the lot’s owner, who was unavailable for comment. Source: www.foxcarolina.com.

Tower’s Killer Sentenced A judge in Gillette, Wyo., sentenced a man to 14 to 18 years in prison for the DUI hit-and-run killing of a tow-truck driver in November 2012.

Justin Lynn Helsper pleaded no contest to aggravated vehicular homicide in exchange for a recommended 14- to 18-year sentence from prosecutors.

Through sobs and tears, Helsper apologized to the family of Larry Schofield, who was helping a stranded motorist on the side of the road when he was struck.

Helsper had been convicted of drunken driving twice before. Source: www.gillettenewsrecord.com.

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American Towman is proud to announce that Operations Editor Randall C. Resch is among six industry leaders selected for induction into the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame.

The California native is a longtime tower, manager, police officer, industry columnist and trainer, who has contributed articles monthly in American Towman magazine for more than 20 years and weekly in TowIndustryWeek.com since it began in 2011.

“Randy is a thorough writer with a gift for speaking to the tower as one who’s been there and as a trainer who is always looking out for the towman’s safety on the road,” said AT Editor Brendan Dooley.

Other members of the HOF Class of 2014 are Derek Beahan of Dublin, Ireland; Mel Berman

(posthumous); Julie A. Hanifen of Des Moines, Iowa; Luc Migneault of Timmins, Ontario, Canada and Randall L. Schranz of Colorado Springs, Colo.

“This year’s inductees share a dedication to their state and local towing organizations as well as the national towing and recovery community,” said Bill Gratzianna, president of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum.

Tower ‘Rescues’

Jimmy Fallon A Wainscott, N.Y., towing company got a major shout-out from Jimmy Fallon on March 24 after the “Tonight Show” host joked about getting stuck on the beach.

Hammer Towing came to his rescue, and Mr. Fallon gave the company props not only for helping, but also for his creative company name.

Fallon revealed to the audience that he had a stressful weekend in the Hamptons. Driving with his wife and baby daughter, he decided to test out his Range Rover’s four-wheel drive, but the ride was not a smooth one.

While he was trying to exit the beach he got stuck. He showed viewers a photo of his front tire, with the bottom of the SUV buried in sand.

Fallon even displayed Hammer Towing’s business card showing a foot

A screenshot on Hammer Towing’s Facebook page shows Jimmy Fallon holding up the company’s business card for his audience.

with a busted hammertoe. The comedian also found owner Elisha Osborn funny, who he said arrived at the beach and said, “You know you can’t park there.”

“He’s a really, really nice guy— super polite, cool. When I was bringing the chain down, he picked up my chain and brought it back to the truck. He’s not a prima donna,” Osborn said. “He was just a little embarrassed.” Source: www.easthamptonstar.com.

. . . Randy (Resch) is ... always looking out for the towman’s safety . . .

Neighbors Complain About Tow Lot Representatives from the Lancaster, Ohio, City Engineer’s Office plan to visit a local towing company’s lot to make sure it is in compliance with city codes after a council committee meeting.

One councilwoman said she had received complaints from people who live near A&J Towing.

“It’s right near a residential area with a lot of homes, and they say they hear trucks going up and down the street at all hours of the night,” she said. “It’s also an eyesore with cars and trucks parked in the lot.”

George Hill, owner of A&J Towing, said he wasn’t shocked by the complaints.

“There are a couple of people who don’t like us, but we are working with the neighborhood all the time,” Hill said. “We’ve been here around three years now, and we try to be good neighbors. Anyway, this is zoned for light industry, so we have a right to be here.”

Besides, Hill said, the site was originally built in 1950 as a cityimpound lot.

Neighbors said the auto body business located at the site before the towing company moved in used to shut down operations around 5 p.m. every night.

Hill said his trucks do operate 24/7 because of the nature of his business.

But the firm operates in the evening only on an as-needed basis, when trucks are called out for emergencies or traffic crashes and occasionally to check on the business after everyone has left, he said.

Hill tries to help his neighbors, he said, and has staff pick up trash along the bike path, which goes by one of his property lines. Source: www.lancastereaglegazette.com.

Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

Century’s New Rolling ‘Tator’

In April at the Florida Tow Show, Miller Industries (www.millerind.com) unveiled its new Century 1150R rolling rotator models. Both prototypes were on display (and already sold).

“This is one of the most tested booms ever done,” said John Hawkins, Miller heavy-duty specialist, during the introduction demo. “The subframe is unlike any other in the industry.”

The 1150 boom was designed and extensively tested over a two-year period for a military project where reach and strength of the boom, and a reduced weight, were critical. The greaseless, self-cleaning roller system allows the operator to travel the boom

up to 60” on the newly designed subframe, even allowing the operator the ability to stop and start the travel under heavy loads.

The patent-pending 1150R’s traveling technology is available with the four-stage front and rear “H” Beam outriggers and HHU underlift or fourstage rear outriggers, SDU-4 underlift and a 50,000-lbs. deck winch.

The units also feature a patentpending Raptor Wireless Proportional control system that features precision fingertip control of the functions using rotating joysticks and an information screen with load-sensing functions.

Tower Reports Scrap Frauds Muskogee, Okla., police are looking for a man who allegedly sold vehicles that didn’t belong to him for scrap.

Tommy Fulton, the owner of a towing company, also filed reports that he, too, was defrauded by the man.

A man who said he had a relative who had died called the towing company to remove a vehicle. The caller was paid $200 by the tow truck company for the vehicle, a heavily damaged purple Monte Carlo.

The man called again and had a white 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass picked up and again was paid $200.

After a third phone call from the man, the tower became suspicious.

When he arrived to pick up a blue Cadillac from the same location, another man was there to meet the tow truck. The tower told the man he needed a signature, and the man took off running. Source: www.muskogeephoenix.com.

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Check Out What’s NEW and HOT!

Landoll 50th Anniversary Series

Bones Rigging Alternative Bailey’s Towing Accessories says its Bones are a rigging alternative that allow you to turn aluminum or steel truck wheels into a secure winch point. Developed by a towing company, Bones are claimed to be ideal for recovery situations and for attaching to vehicles with hard-to-access winch points, such as coaches and containers. At 8” long and 1-3/4” wide, Bones fit easily between dual wheels and allow you to attach a round sling through the holes in the wheel. Bones are machined from 1018 steel with a phonograph finish for extra grip and claimed to have a 20,000-lbs. working load limit by Bailey’s.

www.baileystowinginc.com Number 200 on Reader Card

L New Truck Radials Continental recently added to its next generation of long-haul, low-rolling resistance EcoPlus truck tires with new steer and all-position offerings.

The Conti Coach HA3 is optimized for outstanding wet handling, mileage, durability and fuel efficiency in steer or all-position use. The Conti

Hybrid HS3 is a steer and all-position tire for the combined regional and long-haul segment for fleets who need to use the same trucks for both long haul and regional routes. Other new tires included the Conti Urban HA3, Conti EcoPlus HS3, and Conti TerraPlus HD3 off-road drive tire.

andoll Corp. is marking its 50th anniversary by partnering with several of their primary component suppliers to offer a specially equipped Anniversary series of trailers.

The 400, 800 and 900 series are being offered with a high-end option package that includes Air-Weigh Scales, Grote lights and wiring harness, Kartech wireless remote controls and Diamond-Vogel powder-paint coatings. Landoll chose these component suppliers because of their high quality

and major customer acceptance in the marketplace.

“We work closely with our primary suppliers to improve our products every day,” said Jim Ladner, sales manager for the Trailer Division.

“We did not hesitate on the selection of suppliers that we chose to use in this Anniversary series. They are the best of the best and that’s what our customers expect. Quality comes from the ground up and every aspect of the trailer has to be first-class.”

www.landoll.com

www.continental-truck.com

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Mobile High-Torque Impact The DC-Matic Model TL-900 24V-DC electric impact wrench is now shipping from JiffyJump; the unit doesn’t need compressed air and can be powered by JiffyJump starters. The TL-900 is a 3/4”-drive, high-torque wrench providing 1,000-ft./lbs. of impact; it has a multi-cluster LED worklight for safer nighttime use.

www.jiffyjump.com Number 202 on Reader Card

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Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

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What’s Your Animal Policy?

by Randall C. Resch

I

t’s not like towers have enough responsibilities already, but there’s a high possibility that vehicles you’re called to tow will have animals within. For rural areas, animals are plentiful where drivers may have their trusty dog with them while they’re out and about.

In most states, when vehicles are impounded, the impounding agency generally has a responsibility to have the animal removed by animal control before the vehicle is impounded (specifically for the animal’s welfare).

Your company should have protocols in place on how to handle animals, especially during law enforcement requests or PPIs where there are no animal owners at the tow location. But, if the vehicle isn’t being impounded and it’s going across town to a repair shop, what do you do when there’s an animal in the vehicle?

Considerations include: • What’s your company’s policy for handling animals in towed vehicles?

• What do your law enforcement

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contracts state on animal care and transport (if included in the contract)?

• Can you charge for the care of an animal if transport is required by contract?

• Does your company’s insurance policy cover animal-related incidents including rescues?

• If the animal dies while in your custody, are you covered?

• If your driver gets bit and loses control of the tow truck that injures or kills someone, will you be liable because you (as owner) allowed the animal to ride up front?

• What if your driver kills an aggressive animal only to be charged with animal cruelty?

• Who’s liable if the animal escapes during tow or transport?

Up Front?

Some pet owners are forceful in demanding that their Fifi ride up front with them in the tow truck. As harmless as Fifi might be, some people, even tow

operators, are extremely fearful of dogs and other animals. Nothing against the dog or its owner, but it should be up to company policy and procedure, and the tower on-scene, to decide whether or not Fifi rides in the tow truck or the customer’s towed vehicle.

Drivers, for all intents and purposes, you don’t have to allow an animal to ride within the tow truck’s cab whether it’s based on your fear of being bitten or attacked, the animal escaping, or even if you are allergic—unless prohibited by state law. However, there is one exception that goes for all: the federal Americans with Disabilities Act says that service animal “is” allowed to ride in the tow truck’s cab.

Based on known behavioral traits of animals around strangers and in unusual environments, reasons for leaving Fifi in the towed vehicle include: • Fifi knows the family’s own vehicle.

• Tow trucks are noisy and loud.

• An agitated dog is more likely to bite.

• As the tower gets in and out of the tow truck, the animal is likely to try to escape.

In matters where customers insist their (non-service) animal ride up front, supervisors should be ready with a solution to deal with a potentially irate customer (or motor-club member). Telling them “No” doesn’t sit well with customer service ratings; however, the safety of the tower and his human roadside customers is paramount.

In most states, as long as the animal rides within the disabled vehicle, it doesn’t need to be restrained.

Injury What if an animal is riding with its owner and there’s a crash that injures the animal? These are scenarios best left to the owner’s handling their animals or animal control. Handling injured animals is risky at best. In most areas, the local sheriff or law enforcement agency handles similar services along with coroner and animal control.

Drivers should determine if there are animals inside vehicles being readied for tow or transport, understanding that animals hide anywhere when they’re scared, especially in motorhomes. Because owners generally travel with their pets, ask owners if their pets are inside before you attempt to enter. Use caution when opening doors so not to let the animal escape.

The most common pet scenarios occur when vehicles are impounded by law enforcement and the impounding officer doesn’t know animals are inside the vehicle. In most police agencies, it’s policy and procedure that impounding officers make arrangements via county animal control to have the animal safely removed.

Let’s say you’ve signed for the vehicle and you never opened the vehicle because the officer didn’t require you to do so. You tow the vehicle to your yard only to discover the animal once you arrive. Call the impounding agency and advise that an animal was found in the vehicle and request they dispatch animal control.

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Your Responsibilities Tow companies that accept aniNumber 212 on Reader Card Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 13

mals, reptiles, pets, etc., are responsible for their care and welfare. It’s rare that animals actually make it to a tow company’s facility. But, for those occasions that an animal isn’t taken by animal control, tow companies should be prepared for incoming animals at the yard by having animal containers or secure shelters. If an animal makes it to your yard, your biggest responsibility is to never allow any animal to remain inside a vehicle, even with windows partially rolled down.

According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, “Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs. On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes.”

That means getting the animal out of the vehicle may save their lives.

As an example to current laws regarding animal care, in the California Penal Code under Cruelty to Animals, it states that “every person who overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks, tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter, cruelly beats, mutilates, or cruelly kills any animal, or causes or procures any animal to be so overdriven, overloaded, driven when overloaded, overworked, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter, or to be cruelly beaten, mutilated, or cruelly killed; and whoever, having the charge or custody of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, subjects any animal Number 116 on Reader Card

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to needless suffering, or inflicts unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, or in any manner abuses any animal, or fails to provide the animal with proper food, drink, or shelter or protection from the weather, or who drives, rides, or otherwise uses the animal when unfit for labor, is for every such offence, guilty of a crime punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony or alternatively punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony and by a fine of not more than $20,000.”

I like stories that end up with the tow company owner or employee becoming the adopting parent of an unclaimed animal. What if the towed vehicle had an animal inside and the vehicle’s owner said they’d return for their vehicle and never did? Stranger things have happened.

Cattle Many years ago, I responded to a crash that involved a semitrailer hauling sheep. The impact killed the driver and the trailer ripped open tossing sheep all over the accident site. Out of the 60-some sheep being transported, more than half were killed and many more injured to

the point where animal control came to euthanize the animals.

In cases where animals are being transported by a commercial hauler, the company doing the transport has two choices: call for another tractor to separate the disabled semi from the trailer, or tow the disabled tractor and trailer as a combination to a chosen destination.

When done in this manner, the tow operator and tow company are not charged with any responsibility to care for the animals, other than to make complete safe transport to the customer’s destination.

What about stories where horses or cattle fall into wells or caverns? What about a moose that falls into a swimming pool and can’t get out? These are scenarios that might require the animal to be sedated before recovery activities begin. If you respond as an animal rescuer, determine a recovery plan that includes any necessary disclaimer where your company isn’t held responsible for potential injuries suffered by the animal during the process of recovery.

Sometimes, trailers hauling horses lose a bearing and need to be trans-

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ported on a carrier or trailer. Attempting to off-load and re-load animals on the highway is a dangerous practice, and not recommended. An animal that bolts may run into approaching traffic and cause an accident that could result in injuries or death.

Because horses are commonly highstrung, keep them inside their trailers and load them in the usual manner. If it requires a large trailer, explain your options to the horse trailer’s owner and give them your best price.

Consider all these incidents as “what ifs,” and have procedures in place before the situations arise. It’s important to be aware of what law enforcement, veterinary and animal control resources are available in your community so you can more easily resolve any issues in the best interests of the animal and the animal’s owner.

Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and has been in the towing and recovery industry for 40 plus years as a tow business owner, manager, consultant and light-duty trainer.

Email Randy at rreschran@aol.com.

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The Locomobile and Wrecker History

The 1913 Locomobile/Holmes 485 wrecker resides in the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

T

his 1913 Locomobile with a 485 Holmes 4-ton wrecker was one of the first wreckers built by Ernest Holmes Sr. The unit, owned by Bob Myers of Bob Myers Towing & Recovery in Batavia, Ohio, is on display at the International Towing and Recovery Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn. This beautiful piece of equipment is from towing’s beginnings and truly is the epitome of Tow Americana.

It is only fitting that this wrecker lives in Chattanooga, the birthplace of the industry. As the story goes, Holmes is credited with inventing the tow truck.

He got the idea one day in 1916 after a driver lost control and crashed their Model T Ford into the Chickamauga Creek, which winds its way through the Chattanooga area in Tennessee.

Since Holmes was a member of the local auto club, he went to help recover the car from the water. It took 10 men 20 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

eight hours to recover the vehicle using blocks and ropes. Doing recovery work this way took a lot of manpower, not to mention taking up a lot of time and effort.

Necessity being the mother of invention and thinking there had to be

a better way, Holmes went back to his garage, started tinkering and formulated a plan to build a wrecker.

His first prototype wrecker was a crane and pulley system bolted to the chassis of a modified 1913 Cadillac.

The idea was that this modified vehicle

The original Holmes 485 built in 1916.

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By 1919 he had secured a patent and was selling branded wreckers, which were mounted on the backs of used cars. His first successful production model was the Holmes 485 that he mounted on a 1913 Locomobile.

The Locomobile

Judging by the front license plate, it is believed that this photo was taken in New York State in 1924. This wrecker was a converted 1915-1916 Locomobile Model 38 or 48.

Newton’s was both a Locomobile and Durant dealer.

could recover distressed vehicles and tow them to a mechanic’s shop for repair. The first time he put it to the test it let him down, and the rescue workers had to fall back on old-fashioned manpower. He quickly came to the realization that his wrecker needed

outriggers to stabilize the vehicle when in recovery mode.

With ingenuity and the American “Can Do” spirit, Holmes made improvements to his design. The addition of outriggers to stabilize the rig while it was recovering did the trick.

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The Locomobile Co. of America, founded in 1899, began by producing steam cars. The name came from combining locomotive and automobile. In 1902 they hired Andrew Riker, a young engineer and racecar driver to create a gasoline car that was good enough to bear the Locomobile name.

He did, and they were made of manganese bronze and heat-treated steel.

In 1903 production switched entirely to internal-combustion-powered luxury automobiles.

The Powerplant, designed by Riker, would quickly gain a reputation for its durability and power. It was initially a twin-cylinder unit, but soon was made into a four-cylinder version featuring automatic inlet valves. By

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1905 Locomobile no longer offered a steam-powered model; only the Thead four-cylinder models remained.

The Locomobile slogan was “The Best Built Car in America.” It was popular to use an older Loco to convert into a light truck, as they were a very powerful, incredibly well-built durable vehicle. This is no doubt why Holmes decided to use it as the foundation for his new wrecker. Unfortunately, the Great Depression was the end for this fabled Bridgeport, Conn., company.

Birth of an Industry The Holmes 485 was basically an outrigger which could be attached to any vehicle, and it evolved over time into the modern wrecker. With his ingenuity Holmes did more than invent a product. He invented an industry.

At the time, the 1913 Locomobile sold for $6,000 and the Holmes 485 wrecker cost $485 (as its name would suggest). Bob Meyers has turned down many offers to buy this legendary unit that is now reportedly worth $250,000!

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum is also home to the Wall of the Fallen.

Visiting the museum is a must for anyone involved in the industry or anyone who loves automobile history and culture.

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Rental Solutions In the Southeast U.S., Wrecker Rentals now offers short- and longterm rentals of light-duty wreckers and rollbacks to fill sudden gaps in your business. They distribute trucks from Atlanta, Ga., across the region to companies that have lost a truck to mechanical issues or collision.

In the case of collisions, they said, when the other driver is at fault, it’s their insurance company that covers the cost of rental (which can even influence how fast your truck gets fixed).

The company said “its primary customer is a towing company looking to expand its fleet for a short period of time or simply replace a truck while it’s being repaired.” Wrecker Rentals (www.rentawrecker.com) fleet are all DOT inspected and USDOT licensed.

Agero Assists Veterans Agero road service sponsored a “Hire A Hero” event at the Florida Tow Show, and will be doing the same at more trade shows this year.

Hire A Hero (www.hireahero.org) is a nationwide resource that connects the growing number of unemployed veterans with job opportunities, education, and social services to help them re-integrate back into the civilian workforce.

Under the partnership, Agero (www.agero.com) service providers that donate $5 to the Armed Forces Support Foundation receive a 30-day posting of a job opening on Agero’s Hire A Hero online job site portal, HireAHero.Agero.com. Agero partnered with Hire A Hero starting in 2013.

“Hiring a veteran is not just good for businesses—they also bring leadership, teamwork skills and discipline.

Furthermore, they can also earn tax benefits through the Returning Heroes Tax Credit and the Wounded Warrior Tax Credit, as enacted by Congress in 2011,” said Bryan Sander, Agero’s SVP of operations. “We consider it a win-win for everyone involved. Plus, it’s simply the right thing to do for our vets.”

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Advantage Funding for towPartners FTI Groups entered a strategic relationship with Advantage Funding to offer towPartners’ members low rates and discounted financing for new and used tow trucks. The new agreement allows for members (www.towpartners.com) to access easy, low-cost financing or lease terms. towPartners members receive special benefits from Advantage Funding that include no fees on leases and loans, waived bank and acquisition fees plus a towing industry specialist to guide members through the financing process.

“Loan, lease and acquisition fees can add thousands of dollars to a new piece of equipment, but Advantage Funding is eliminating those fees for our members,” said Jeff Holland, towPartners program director.

Financing a tow truck or wrecker can be a difficult process, but Advantage Funding’s expertise in truck financing will make the process easier

for towPartners members and allow them to focus on their business.

“We strive to make the financing piece of the tow truck business a painless experience and we look forward to building long-lasting relationships with towPartners members,” said Donald J. Coolbaugh, Advantage Funding’s VP of sales.

Jerr-Dan Adds Four Jerr-Dan Corp., an Oshkosh Corp. company, recently added Jeff Irr, Hanna Sanford, David Greenfeld and Brad Burkhamer to sales positions within the company (www.jerrdan.com).

As Jerr-Dan director of sales, Irr will be responsible for providing leadership to the Jerr-Dan sales force. He

has more than 16 years of experience in the commercial truck industry with Mack and Volvo.

Sanford is a district sales manager for the Midwestern region. She has more than 16 years of experience in the commercial truck industry. Greenfeld is a district sales manager for the Mid-Atlantic region. He has more than 19 years sales experience in the fire and emergency apparatus industry. Burkhamer is a sales administrator with the inside sales team.

“Each individual brings with them unique and significant experiences that will support and satisfy our customers going forward,” said Richard Del Campo, Jerr-Dan’s VP/GM.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 25

Mountain Pass Recovery Freezing Temperatures, Snow, Icy Roads and a Semi 200’ Below in a River The 1075 boomed out, pulling up.

The casualty came to rest almost 200’ down from the highway in a riverbed.

The tractor still on its side, but getting closer to the guardrail.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

A

t 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2013, the Utah Highway Patrol Section 2 called Brett’s Towing in Ogden to handle the recovery of a tractor-trailer that had gone off the road and over a guardrail on I-84 in Henefer. In that area, I-84 winds through a high, wide valley; temperatures that day were below zero, it was snowing and there was ice on the road.

Brett’s dispatched Office Manager Stephen Marrs in a 2014 Kenworth/Century 5130 25-ton integrated wrecker and Tow Manager 26 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

Justin Dearden in their 2009 Kenworth/Century 1075 75-ton “Big Dawg” rotator.

Brett’s is a full service towing and recovery company handling everything from motorcycles to semi accidents, long-haul towing and hazardous material cleanup and disposal (provided by Lincoln Environmental Services, also based at the Ogden location). Brett Bauer started the towing company in 1993 in Ogden; it now has multiple locations throughout northern Utah while also serving Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.

Big Dawg, purchased through Wasatch Truck Equipment in Sandy, Utah, is a 75-ton rotator, has 60,000-lbs. planetary two-speed winches and is equipped with a hydraulic stabilization system that includes front hydraulic outriggers, with more than 17’ of spread, and rear outriggers for stability. The outriggers were invaluable in lifting and anchoring the unit during this recovery.

The Scenario “The driver lost control and slid to the right shoulder and went down a

100-foot embankment, rolled the semi on its passenger side and slid about another 80 or so feet into the iced-up river,” Marrs said. “This part of the canyon has some sharp curves and is marked 55 mph for trucks. The driver made it out of the cab and jumped into the river, crawled up the embankment Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

and flagged a passing car down for help. He had minor injuries, but returned on-scene later that afternoon.”

Dearden and Marrs noticed motor oil and fuel floating down the river.

After a closer inspection, they found both fuel tanks were ruptured and

called for Lincoln Environmental to send a hazmat response team to stop further contamination. The remaining fuel was pumped out of the ruptured tanks, and put into salvage drums for disposal.

Along with calling out Lincoln Environmental, Dearden and Marrs TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 27

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Big Dawg flips the tractor back onto its wheels and prepares to lift it over the rail.

Big Dawg swings the tractor into positon to load it on the Landoll.

Operators and Equipment • Brett Bauer: 1998 Kenworth/2013 Landoll 455.

• Justin Dearden: 2009 Kenworth/Century 1075.

• Stephen Marrs: 2014 Kenworth/Century 5130.

• Jorge Weber: 1998 Kenworth/2002 Landoll 610.

• Mike Higley: 2005 CAT 315 Trackhoe/transport.

• Travis Higley: 2004 CAT 325 Trackhoe/transport.

• Jared Child: 2008 GMC road service truck.

• Rusty Grover: Hazmat Response Team.

• 1998 Kenworth dump truck.

• 2000 Kenworth side dump. also requested additional men and equipment for the recovery. Company owner Bauer drove out in his 1998 Kenworth with a 2013 Landoll trailer (and later switched out with Marrs to operate the 5130). They also dispatched several other operators and equipment that they would need to accomplish the task (see sidebar).

The cab and trailer had to be stabilized while the fuel tanks were being pumped out. The trailer was loaded with thousands of small metal brackets. As a result of the accident, the trailer’s sides had been ripped apart, and the brackets were lining the river bottom, with only a couple of cases still intact within the trailer. The footprint of the metal deposited in the river was about 50’ across by 80’ long; depths varied from 4” to 36”.

“After hooking up the tractor with the main winches from the Century 1075 rotator, we uncoupled it from the trailer and rolled the tractor back onto its wheels and started bringing the unit up the embankment to the roadside,” Marrs said. “Once the tractor was roadside we 30 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

swung the rotator boom around and loaded the tractor onto the 2013 Landoll. Once secured to our Landoll, we focused the recovery effort to the trailer, still located in the river.”

Because of the slippery conditions on the river, along with the ice around the trailer being unstable, they decided to bring it up and not unload the remaining metal pieces for safety reasons.

“Using both the 1075 rotator and also the 5130, the trailer was winched up the embankment to the roadside,” Darden said. “Once accessible, the trailer was unloaded.

The trailer is unloaded and Brett’s crew starts cutting up the broken trailer sides for transport.

The broken trailer sides were cut off, and then all pieces were loaded, and secured on our 2002 Landoll, for transport to the Ogden terminal.”

Cleanup Recovering the remaining cargo in the river was impacted by the steep embankment, ice on the water and below-zero temperatures. Putting personnel in the river in these conditions wasn’t even an option.

“It was decided to bring out our trackhoes to remove the remaining cargo,” Marrs said. “Once the trackhoes were on-site, we removed the remaining posts for the guard rail, and winched the CAT 315 down to the river’s edge with the 1075 rotator.

The CAT 325 was positioned on top of the embankment. The 1075 rotator lowered a gravel boat down to the lower hoe.

Scattered debris along the riverbed.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 31

The 2005 CAT 315 being helped back up the embankment by Big Dawg.

“The lower hoe removed the metal plates from the river and loaded them into the gravel boat. Once loaded, the 1075 rotator pulled it up the hill and the topside hoe reloaded the metal into the side dump and dump truck for transport back to the Ogden terminal. This process

was repeated until all of the cargo was removed from the river bottom.”

As a result of the equipment going up and down the embankment, the hillside and guard rail were both fixed.

All damage to the terrain (rocks, trees, soil) was repositioned, to return to

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32 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

“better than before” conditions before Brett’s crew left the scene.

As per UDOT restrictions, work could not be performed at night. Tirelessly working 14-16 hour days, Brett’s crew took three days to complete this recovery.

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34 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

RS#

102 106 126 153 206 105 169 108 170 143 143 185 177 128 147 165 133 123 152 107 176 212 111 110 145 164 134 208 112 139 163 207 213 142 171

Fax to: 888-847-6035 Page #

North American BanCard 7 NRC 35 Nussbaum Equipment N 71 Pacific General Insurance Agency MW 69 Photo Card Specialists 14 Police Towers of America MW 67 Recovery Billing Unlimited 33 R.P.M. Equipment S 67 Santander Bank cover 4 Santiam Enterprises W 72 Savatech 57 Smyrna Truck Center S 71 Snappy Box 33 Sonetics Corporation 25 Specialty Vehicle & Equip. Funding 5 Steck 48 Synergy Truck Equipment W 69 TomTom Business Solutions 51 TowBook 34 Tow Expo Int’l 61, W 70, 71 TowLot.com 52, 53 Towman Hero Award 65 TowMate cover 3 Transportation Info Systems (TIS) 56 Triple K Industries 25 Twin Cities Wrecker Sales N 67, W 68 TwinState Equipment W 67 United Road Towing 22 Wasatch Truck Equipment W 69 Western States Tow Show 55 Worldwide Equipment 21 WreckMaster 54 Wrecker Rentals 38 Zacklift International 33 Zip’s 39

May 2014

RS#

109 178 168 193 116 104 155 178 103 141 118 127 161 172 195 132 117 180 115 206 159 206 191 137 100 138 146 144 162 168 151 122 160 121 140

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Number 178 on Reader Card

A 2007 Toyota 4Runner was overturned onto its passenger side with its tires near the side of a hill and a large sandstone rock was between the front tires and side of the hill.

2013 Donnie Cruse Memorial Award for Light Duty

Overturned

Runner 4

by Anthony VanderVossen Holmes Wrecker Service; Espanola, N.M.

O

n Aug. 8, 2013, at approximately 7:35 p.m., we were called by AAA for a vehicle stuck on Forest Road 151 in the vicinity of Abiquiu, N.M. Upon making contact with the owner, we were informed that the vehicle was overturned. We told the vehicle’s owner that this was a recovery and would be billed through her insurance company.

The vehicle’s owner agreed and we proceeded.

The casualty vehicle was located 10 miles in on Forest Road 151. There was a lot of rain in the past week, but the road was soft, not muddy. The recovery unit dispatched was a 2003 Ford F-550 4x4 with a Vulcan 882.

36 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

A 3/8” fiber-core wire rope was first attached to the trailer hitch of the 4Runner.

A white 2007 Toyota 4Runner was overturned onto its passenger side with the tires near the side of a hill. A large sandstone rock, weighing approximately 5,000 lbs., was between the front tires of the vehicle and side of the hill. The driver of the vehicle was driving down the road and looked away for a moment. This caused her to drive off the roadway and up the side of the hill approximately 12’ where she struck the rock. The vehicle landed on the passenger side and the rock fell between the front tires of the vehicle and the hill. The owner of the vehicle met us in a 2005 Ford F-250 4x4 weighing approximately 6,300 lbs.

The driveshaft was removed first and the parking brake was applied.

The Toyota 4Runner needed to be backed away from the rock to be able to top-lift the 4Runner. The Toyota 4Runner had a bike rack on the rear so attachment was not possible on the passenger-side frame rail.

A 3/8” fiber-core wire rope with a working load limit of 3,550 pounds was used for this recovery. It was first attached to the trailer hitch of the 4Runner. The wire rope traveled from the rear of the 4Runner to the Ford F250 parked to the rear of the casualty through a 4-ton snatch block, and to the passenger’s side winch of the recovery vehicle that was parked in the middle of the road, just in front of the casualty.

The driver ’s side winch was

attached to a 30’, 4” strap that had been run inside of the casualty’s passenger side tires and under the body against the ground. An 8’ endless loop was added in a basket to the end and joined back to the strap with a 7-ton screw-pin shackle. The end of the strap was positioned in line with the firewall area of the casualty.

The passenger-side winch was engaged to move the casualty away from the rock. The casualty weight of 4,200 lbs. times the damage resistance factor of .666 equaled about 2,798 lbs.

The road sloped to the rear of the vehicle at about 7.5 degrees. I figured a 12.5-percent gradient reduction (2,798 times 12.5 percent) to equal 349.75 or approximately 350 lbs. Total resistance

The Toyota had a bike rack on the rear and an attachment was not possible on the passenger-side frame rail.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 37

to move the casualty back would be 2,798 lbs. minus 350 lbs., which equals 2,448 lbs. Top-lifting a 4,200-lbs. vehicle, resistance would be 4,200 lbs. times 0.5, which equaled 2,100 lbs. of resistance on the driver’s side winch.

As the passenger’s side winch was brought in, the vehicle started to move back and toward our change of direction, but also started to pivot toward the road. The driver’s side winch was engaged and tension was put on the casualty to keep the casualty on its side. The casualty was brought toward the center of the road and away from the rock.

Once the casualty had cleared the rock and was brought away from the hill, the boom was raised and the vehicle was brought to its wheels via a top lift. The front of the vehicle was pointed toward the hill because of the change of direction being in the middle of the road. The driver’s side winch was then attached to the driver’s side frame area and the front of the casualty was brought to the center

38 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

of the road. All rigging was checked and put away. The casualty was properly attached to the tow truck and towed to our yard.

The techniques used to perform this recovery are very challenging and any attempt at duplicating them without proper training could result in injury or worse. This type of critical lift should be done only by a trained and certified operator. *The Donnie Cruse Memorial Recovery Award is presented by American Towman Magazine and WreckMaster.

The Donnie* is co-sponsored by B/A Products and AW Direct.

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How Do I Win a Donnie?

Submit one of your recoveries to win a Donnie Award! You don't have to be WreckMaster certified to qualify. Simply send in your photos or video and a brief recap of your light-, medium- or heavy-duty recovery from 2001-'14. You may be contacted for additional recovery details.

Include your name, title, company, mailing address, email address and phone number.

Mail to: American Towman/Donnie Awards; 7 West St., Warwick, NY 10990.

Note: Applicant agrees to give American Towman exclusive editorial rights on submitted material, text and photographs, for one full year in print and/or online.

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Alt-Fuel Vehicles

by Terry Abejuela

The CNG storage cylinder is in the bed of a pick-up truck at Airport Mobil in Ontario, Calif.

This Ford F-650 rollback is CNG equipped (the long tank under the bed). Miller Industries photo.

Is a Greener Fleet in your Future?

42 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

A

lternative-fuel vehicles in the towing and recovery industry may remain on the horizon for many companies, but, like any business decision, all the options should be researched and evaluated when updating or adding to your fleet.

Basically, any vehicle that uses a fuel source other than gasoline or diesel is considered an alternative-fuel vehicle. Alt-fuel also

refers to vehicles that use technology to power the engine beyond only petroleum.

This includes vehicles that are powered by Compressed Natural Gas, Liquefied Natural Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen, hybrids, and all-electric drivetrains.

Alt-fuel service trucks and tow trucks can be used to reduce your company’s carbon footprint, reduce fuel usage and operating costs, and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Three of the main alt-fuel vehicle options to towing are compressed natural gas, hybrids and all-electric.

CNG Compressed natural gas is made by compressing natural gas—mostly methane—that is stored and distributed in containers at a pressure of 2,900 psi to 3,600 psi. CNG can be used to power traditional gasoline internal-combustion engines that have been modified to run on CNG, in dedicated CNG vehicles or in vehicles designed to use both gasoline and CNG. A report by Navigant Research, a consulting team that analyzes global clean technology markets, estimates that sales of natural-gas fleet trucks and buses will increase more than 100 percent over the next 10 years from 170,200 annually in 2013 to 398,400 by 2022.

Modifications to a gasoline-powered vehicle to run on CNG include the installation of a CNG storage cylinder,

A box between the cab and light pylon houses CNG storage cylinders on this carrier. The CNG storage cylinders inside the box.

plumbing, a CNG-injection system and electronics. The modifications can be expensive, but the cost of the fuel may offset the initial start-up costs. CNG currently costs about $2.09 per gallon (vs. $3.45 for gasoline) and the price is much less volatile than gasoline or diesel.

Operating costs of running a CNG-powered vehicle can be lower too; because CNG doesn’t contain any lead, it eliminates fouling of spark plugs. CNG burns cleaner so it does not contaminate or dilute crankcase oil, so oil change intervals can be extended. Extended engine life can be expected when using CNG vs. gasoline as well.

In California, CNG is used extensively in local city and county fleets as well as public transportation. There are approximately 90 public CNG fueling stations in southern California alone.

Airport Mobil in Ontario, Calif., is currently using a fleet of CNG-powered trucks. According to Jacob Musharabash, of Airport Mobil, it started a few years ago when he found a used utility company truck for sale at an auction that was equipped to run on both CNG and gasoline. He did some research and decided to purchase the Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 43

Alt-fuel service trucks and tow trucks can … reduce fuel usage and operating costs.

A CNG refueling station.

truck to try it out. A few commercial CNG refueling stations are available in the Ontario area only a few miles from his shop. When travelling outside their local area, they use a CNG fuel finder smartphone app to locate CNG fueling stations. Jacob plans to install a refueling station at his shop to lower his cost for fuel even more and even provide an additional revenue source by selling CNG to the public.

The biggest challenge with CNG is space for the CNG storage cylinders. Pick-up trucks used as service vehicles are ideal, as there is space available to use in the bed of the truck for the cylinders. On a wheel lift or car carrier, finding space for the storage cylinders is challenging. On his first few car carriers, Jacob used a box between the rear of the cab and the light pylon to mount the tanks inside. For future car carriers he plans to utilize the space under the deck on both sides to mount the two storage cylinders and eliminate the box behind the cab.

CNG may not be the answer for all areas or tow companies, but the benefits certainly warrant a closer look.

Hybrids Hybrid vehicles are vehicles that are powered by two sources such as a gasoline or diesel engine and an electric motor. Many major manufacturers are offering hybrid commercial trucks, including Freightliner, Ford, Hino, Mitsubishi FUSO and others. As fuel economy and air quality requirements become more stringent, more and more manufacturers will be offering hybrids.

This gas/CNG truck was Airport Mobil’s first alt-fuel vehicle.

A CNG fill receptacle.

44 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

On the Freightliner hybrid, the engine torque is augmented by electric torque. The batteries are charged by regenerative braking and, on vehicles equipped with an ePTO option, by the diesel engine.

The vehicle may be powered by the electric motor or the diesel engine depending on the demand for driveline torque or the battery pack state of charge. If the electric motor is powering the vehicle, the diesel engine will stay at idle.

High voltage cables from the hybrid drive unit are covered in orange insulation and conduit. Each high voltage component is tagged with a warning or danger label.

The ePTO option provides standard hydraulic functions without continuous running of the diesel engine.

Power for the hydraulics is provided by the batteries and hybrid motor.

When the 340V battery pack charge is depleted, the diesel engine will automatically start and recharge the batteries as well as operate the hydraulics.

Hadley Towing in Southern California utilizes 28 hybrid vehicles in their fleet. They use hybrid Hino tow trucks and hybrid Toyota Prius-V as road service vehicles and three allelectric Nissan Leafs as road service vehicles.

Depending on the state, there may be financial incentives available for the purchase of alt-fuel vehicles that can reduce the initial purchase price.

According to Mark Hassan of Hadley Towing, California offers a $17,000 cash voucher on the purchase of up to three trucks per business.

I believe that forward thinking, innovative tow bosses should plan for the future to ensure their companies are sustainable for the long term. This includes managing their vehicle fleets

to reduce fuel costs, reduce greenhouse emissions and reduce operating costs over the long term. Sound investments today in future fleet technologies will help achieve this goal.

Terry Abejuela has 30+ years of lightduty towing-and-recovery experience.

He is also a light-duty level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association since 1998.

All-Electric All-electric powered vehicles contribute zero emissions and need no gasoline at all. They are limited in range and require time to recharge, but may be a viable option depending on your coverage area and use. As battery technology improves, range and recharge times will improve.

The Auto Club of Southern California Special Events department utilizes two all-electric Smart Car vehicles as service vehicles for parking lot service at special events. The small size of the Smart Car allows easier maneuvering in the congested parking lots and eliminates the emissions that would result from a gasoline powered engine running while sitting in heavy traffic. To make the vehicles stand out and promote the green theme they utilize a light bar with green lights.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 45

An

Integrated Approach to

Towing Telematics Are a Win-Win on the Road

by Matt Gunzenhaeuser

T

owers have long been at the forefront in using technology to drive more revenue. In a market where margins are tight, every competitive edge helps squeeze more out of your expensive and necessary resources. That’s why so many towers have management software in place to help drive efficiencies in the business, and many others have telematics systems installed in their vehicles.

As an industry, towers are now beginning to ask, “Why do I have two separate systems that don’t work together?”

Necessity is the mother of invention. Towers have been squeezed for years and it is getting harder and harder to be profitable with motor clubs pressuring you on price and fuel costs going up.

Most everyone in the industry has implemented some sort of tow management software that helps with dispatching, invoicing and other tasks.

46 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

And most dispatch is still done via phone—a call comes in and the dispatcher may consult a GPS map that shows roughly where the drivers are, and then calls the operator that seems closest and available to assign the job.

Squeezing more time out of the process is a win-win, allowing towers to get more done each day. Wouldn’t it be great to reduce the amount of time dispatchers spend on assigning and managing a job? Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a truly clear view of which is actually the closest available driver with the right tools and skills?

Integration can help.

What Is Integration?

Integration means different things to different people.

In some cases, it can be as simple as installing GPS or telematics software in all of your vehicles. This allows the company to develop one cohesive and accurate real-time map that helps to

see where all the operators are in relation to their current jobs and what they are working on. This approach focuses on improving your visibility into driver location.

Or, integration might mean being able to communicate directly with drivers via the GPS units in the vehicle rather than having to call them about a new job. The units in the vehicle provide the office with live real-time job status and ETA updates based on what’s happening in the vehicle. This type of integration plan focuses on optimizing communication between dispatcher and operator.

The most comprehensive approach to technology integration focuses on both location and communication.

With an integrated technology approach that improves both location information and communication, you’ll quickly see a number of benefits.

For every job a towing business does, a decision is made on who gets

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the job. An integrated technology approach eliminates the guesswork around dispatch. In order to make this decision effectively, you need to know both where your assets are and where the job is; otherwise you’re just looking at half of the equation.

Switching between two applications is not good enough. To consistently make the right decision and reduce drive time, trucks and jobs must be shown on the map together.

Real Savings

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With a real-time view of where your trucks are located, current job status, traffic, and exactly where the job is, it’s no longer about making a “best guess” about who to dispatch to the job.

A typical dispatch process involves double entry of job and location information; initially into the tow management system, then duplicated into a separate dispatching solution, or sent as an email, text or phone call. And then, finally, the operator will enter the information into his personal GPS system.

This process is highly inefficient and introduces opportunities for costly mistakes to be made. The most efficient process captures and delivers job information in a seamless fashion. This typically means creating a single work order that is sent to operators in the field electronically. This significantly reduces data entry, associated errors and improves response times.

Rather than managing multiple phone calls, texts and/or emails, the job summary and address information are immediately sent to the operator. They simply accept the job and begin the journey, never having to enter an address or interact with the dispatcher. With an integration that allows you to send job information directly to a device in the vehicle, there’s no need for dispatchers to keep calling drivers until they find one, who may not be closest, that answers the phone.

Integrated GPS/telematics/dispatch solutions can also help streamline your relationship with the motor clubs.

With verified, actual mileage measured by a GPS unit in the vehicle, billing and reconciliation becomes much easier— even bulletproof.

Reductions in fuel costs are another clear benefit. Integration reduces miles driven by consistently dispatching the closest available driver, which in turn reduces fuel costs.

Reducing miles driven has the added benefit of reducing time spent on each call, freeing time to perform more jobs per day with the same amount of operators and vehicles.

Towers have always been early technology adopters.

Chances are very good that you’ve already made investments in GPS, tow management, dispatch software—or some combination of these. If you want to get the most out of these investments, think about ways to integrate these systems to give you a whole lot more visibility into your business.

About the author Matt Gunzenhaeuser is director of sales at TomTom Telematics. Learn more at www.tomtom.com/telematics.

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Number 143 on Reader Card

Flying Together Helps Everyone

by Mark Lacek

Working together helps everyone get where they need easier.

Photo courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

W

hen it comes to the repossession side of the industry, I can’t underscore enough the importance of becoming involved in a state repossession association. Joe Taylor, VP of the Recovery Industry Services Corp., has been involved in the repossession industry since Noah began building his boat (I think). Joe Taylor started the Florida association and has been instrumental in starting many of the other strong and growing state repo organizations.

Joe recently shared some of his ideas on the importance of professional repossessors joining and supporting strong state associations for their industry: “Vigilance, unity, camaraderie, commitment and communication are the cornerstones of a strong state association.

“Vigilance is especially important from the aspect of state regulations. It is of critical importance that our state legislators and law enforcement be educated about the self-help (nonjudicial) repossession process and the 50 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

knowledge and professionalism required of those who provide these services to the lending community while protecting the public safety. It is also critically important to have eyes at legislative sessions to ensure that no detrimental legislation is passed.

“The unity of professionals joining and working together as an association enhances their ability to educate state legislators, law enforcement and the public of the importance of the collateral recovery industry. A state asso-

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily.

ciation has been proven to be a positive image builder to your clients, legislators, law enforcement agencies and your local community.

“Camaraderie, the coming together of like-minded professionals to share information and new ideas, creates more success for its members.

Association meetings lead to new friendships within the industry and makes old friendships last even stronger.

“Commitment, from every participant, takes hard work and some sacrifices, but the rewards and successes more than compensate for the effort.

“The communication through a strong state association promotes ideas and goals that strengthen the association and continue to build membership. When you communicate to your state legislators, law enforcement and your clients as a state-wide organization, you are given far better reception and consideration than as an individual—strength in numbers.”

Taylor also offered his advice on starting an association. As the founder of Florida’s repossessor association,

FLACARS, he has an insider’s viewpoint.

“When contemplating a state association, it is important to have a defined purpose, or mission statement, that addresses the primary goals and aspirations of the membership.

Some of the goals that should be incorporated in the mission statement include: • An association of professionals with vision, integrity and determination for the benefit of the industry, business and family.

• To aggressively address legislation favorable to those who operate legally within your industry and which also addresses public safety.

• To educate law enforcement about the self-help repossession process and the role law enforcement should play in that process.

• To elevate your industry within

the lending community through education and communication.

• To strive together for excellence.

“While each association member/agency may differ in their ways of doing business or in personal objectives and opinions, it is through differences of opinions and communications that new ideas are born.

“Through vigilance, unity, camaraderie, commitment and communication, we can assure ourselves of a successful state association.

“There is no better example of success from standing together than using ‘The Sense of a Goose.’ When you see geese flying along in ‘V’ formation, as each bird flaps it wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. The whole flock adds more than 70 percent flying range than if each bird flew on its own. When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

“People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed in the same direction as we are.”

After considering Joe Taylor’s take on state associations, maybe it’s time to help your state association, or begin the process of building one in your region if one is not available.

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

Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com

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Meet TomTom Telematics TomTom’s business unit providing fleet management and vehicle telematics services has been renamed TomTom Telematics.

The new name reflects its position (www.tomtom.com/telematics) providing Telematics Software as a Service (SaaS). The SaaS platform, WEBFLEET, is the company’s premiere product that helps businesses to improve vehicle performance, save fuel, support drivers and increase overall fleet efficiency.

WEBFLEET can be incorporated with a range of software and hardware, enabling companies to make smarter decisions and keep moving towards their business goals.

Fields Tops at FSW Taking his experience as an automotive mechanic, combined with his success in sales, Jason Fields led the sales teams of Fleet Sales West and its sister California companies for the second year. He started at FSW (www.fleetsaleswest.com) in January of 2011, making his way into the top three sales associates in his first year.

He credits the Miller website as a

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54 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

resource in familiarizing himself with the industry and equipment options.

He toured the Miller plant and has had help from Miller’s Paul Mahnken.

His most memorable project was for Classic Towing in Astoria, Ore., who gave him carte blanche to build the perfect truck. He included many new features exclusive to FSW, such as its Streamliner Tool Boxes.

Rotary Lift Redesigns Site Rotary Lift redesigned its website, www.rotarylift.com, to showcase more videos, images and product information to improve the user experience. The new homepage features a rotating slideshow of the company’s vehicle lifts in action, highlighting the wide variety of products available.

Links below the slideshow enable users to quickly find car lifts, truck lifts and the distributor contact page.

“The new site features a very clean design, but we have still managed to fit more visuals and information on its pages than before,” said David Fischmer, marketing manager for Vehicle Service Group.

From the website, anyone can

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NEWS FLASH continued from page 54 download Rotary Lift’s updated Lift Buyer’s Guide.

The guide provides helpful information about things to compare when selecting a lift, including quality, testing, certification and manufacturer support.

New Fleet Telematics PassTime Fleet Finance and Telematics (http://fleet.passtimeusa.com) has partnered with DRIVING FORCE Vehicle Rentals, Sales & Leasing to bring its comprehensive Fleet Telematics solution to market as part of DRIVING FORCE’s Fleet Management Services.

The new program will offer Service, Transport and Governmental Fleets access to PassTime Fleet Finance and Telematics’ solution and professional services. The offer includes comprehensive hardware and software solutions designed for any size fleet, including fleet and vehicle tracking, driver safety, productivity and performance solutions.

“PassTime has historically been focused on providing GPS tracking and Automated Collection Technology solutions to the automotive lending industry.

We are bringing the experience and expertise we have in offering reliable products and customer service to the fleet space,” said Stan Schwarz, founder/CEO of PassTime.

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With unlimited historic data storage at no extra charge, the solution offers abilities for reporting and driving efficiencies through true business intelligence.

Red Kap Work Wear Videos Red Kap unveiled its new Performance Shop Pants and Shorts by YouTube video featuring reactions to the performance of the new products through the eyes of industry icons and professionals.

The new product launch video showcases three of the many one-of-akind features the Performance Shop Pants and Shorts offer in the Inseam Gusset (roomier fit), Dual-joint Knee Design (easy bending and flexing) and Covered Waistband Button (protects against scratching car surfaces).

These auto-specific features in the Red Kap (www.redkapauto.com) Performance Shop Pants and Shorts offer mechanics and workers the benefits they need and want from their work wear.

recovery body. The Dirty Girl will be on display at the American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas (www.atshowplace.com) on May 15-17.

The Dirty Girl got her name from the work she does at the LVMS Dirt Track that hosts the World of Outlaw Series, the Off Road Track that hosts the Lucas Offroad Series and the Bull Ring that hosts weekly NASCAR and Amateur Series Racing. Wrecker 4’s not-so-dirty work is done at the Super Speedway for NASCAR and the Drag Strip for NHRA. TwinState Equipment (www.twinstateequipment.com), Pritchard’s Auto Co. (www.pritchards.com) and JerrDan (www.jerrdan.com) have sponsored these vehicles since 2010. The

Vegas ‘Dirty Girl’ at AT ShowPlace - Las Vegas Built in 2011, Wrecker 4 is one of six Race Recovery Vehicles stationed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Nicknamed “The Dirty Girl,” it is a 2011 Ford F-750 with a Jerr-Dan HPL60

fleet of 11 vehicles is maintained by TwinState Equipment.

TwinState will be offering a small group of show attendees complimentary tickets and shuttle service to the LVMS Bull Ring Races on Saturday night, May 17. To get your tickets just drop buy the TwinState Equipment booth and mention you’ve seen “The Dirty Girl.

Agents Side with N.Y. New York State has announced agreements with 10 repossession businesses expected to help limit the marketing of short-term loans using cars as collateral.

With so-called title loans, the shortterm borrowing by consumers with poor credit histories often carry high interest rates, making them difficult to pay off and easier to roll over for additional interest.

At the end of the loan, borrowers may face balloon payments or loss of their cars.

According to authorities, 10 companies have agreed not to repossess vehicles at the request of title-loan companies.

Under New York law, unlicensed lenders may not charge an interest rate of more than 16 percent. In an attempt to skirt this law, they say title-loan companies sell and take consumer applications online. Source: www.online.wsj.com.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 57

Madd Maxx, the Mad Mudder Maxx pulling hard at the Kansas Badlands mud pits.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

S

trickland Road Service in Wellington, Kan., has been a family owned and operated company since Charles Strickland started the business in 1984. His wife, Brenda, son Jason and daughter Kayla Betzen are all actively involved in the day-to-day operations.

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Along with being a diversified company, they are very much involved with mud racing and create some amazing specialty built off-road and recovery equipment. One of the most creative pieces of equipment to come out of their shop is “Madd Maxx, the Mad Mudder,” their 4x4 offroad recovery wrecker.

Maxx pulling a pickup hauling an emergency shower trailer down a backcountry road.

Maxx is a 1978 1-ton Dodge Power Wagon.

“Maxx is actually a rare factorybuilt Dodge Power Wagon 4x4 Retriever Weld Built tow truck,” Jason said. “The Weld Built wrecker is from the same time period. It was one of the original Dodge Retriever wreckers.

We purchased it in 1994 and performed the upgrades on it to make it the truck that it is now.”

Upgrades Maxx underwent include a 12” suspension lift and a 2” body lift to accommodate its 44” x 19.5” x 15” Interco Triple Stage Lug Mud Bogger tires. It needed these modifications because they use Maxx for mud and off-road recoveries.

“We revamped the unit in our own shop and took it from an ordinary wrecker to an extraordinary mud battling machine,” Jason said.

A bored-over 360 Dodge engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission powers it. Jason said it will be upgraded to a Dodge 440 when the 360 “gives up.”

“The truck is not all show though; we added a powerful direct-drive Tulsa 15,000-pound winch to replace its stock winch. We also added a Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

Ramsey 9,000-pound electric,” he said.

As for the paint job, the Strickland’s crew did it in house.

“We painted it red because it is our company color. As part of the upgrades, we put a new cab and new fenders on the truck, then painted the truck and bed over a period of about a month. It is due for some freshening up as we have used the truck a lot since its last restoration,” Jason said.

“Every time we take it out it is a memorable experience for our customers,” said Jason. “We always hear the customers rave about how awesome it is and actually how professional it is. We are in a rural area and I suppose that some of our customers would expect ‘Cooter’ to show up to pull them out and maybe a firebreathing jacked-up 4x4 truck fits that mold just a little.

“However, I think the impression that the customer actually receives is that the truck and our operator are serious about completing the task.

They see a specialized piece of equipment with a little bit of personalized flair.”

TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 59

Tech Highlights A good view of the Weld Built business end of Maxx being loaded on one of Strickland’s carriers after a muddy recovery.

Besides being a serious off-road recovery truck, Maxx is a fire-breathing fan favorite at many local parades. It is equipped with propane injection and igniters in its 6” chrome stacks to produce large flames.

“We designed and installed the flame throwers in our own shop.

Everyone, especially kids, love the fact that it breathes fire when we take it through parades.”

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.

Chassis: 1978 Dodge Power Wagon Retriever.

Wrecker Body: Weld Built.

Engine: Dodge 360.

Trans: Four-speed manual.

Winches: Tulsa 15,000-lbs.; Ramsey 9,000-lbs.

Builder: Strickland.

Special Equipment: 44” Mud Bogger tires.

Paint/graphics: Strickland.

Covered in mud (par for the course), Maxx pulls a stuck Ford pickup out of a snowy ditch.

60 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

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1996 Ford 350, Dynamic 701B, Non-Runner.

2011 Hino 258, Vulcan 21’, 110,051 miles.

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2009 Hino 258, Jerr-Dan 21 ft. Carrier, 202,561 miles.

2008 Ford F550, Jerr-Dan 19 ft. Alum Carrier, 79,417 miles.

2012 International, Century 21 ft. Carrier, 102,617 miles.

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62 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

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2012 Ford F550, 19 ft., 74,468 miles.

2011 Ford F550 SC, American Eagle, 65,415 miles.

2012 Ford Super Duty F550, Vulcan 812, 37,237 miles.

2006 Chevrolet C6500, Chevron Carrier, 156,246 miles.

2012 Ford F450, Jerr-Dan Element, 117,853 miles.

2007 Ford F650, Jerr-Dan 21 ft. Carrier, 218,351 miles.

2013 International Terra Star, Jerr-Dan 21 ft. Carrier, 6,330 miles.

2013 Dodge 5500, Champion 19 ft. Carrier, 14,912 miles.

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robertyoungtrucks.com Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • 63

Frog Leap the Mistakes

by Steve Calitri

A

s I was musing over the list of advance registrants to “The Week” (Tow Industry Week and the American Towman ShowPlace–Las Vegas, May 15-17) and the wealth of experience that these tow business owners represent, a certain fact of life became clear to me.

At 62 years of age—being immersed in the towing industry for 30 of those years—I’ve seen a lot of towers come and go and witnessed many a rollercoaster ride among towing careers. I’ve seen towers try this and that. I’ve seen towers succeed and fail. Watching these things with a more objective perspective than the participants themselves, I’ve done a lot of wincing.

Let me explain the “wincing.”

Human nature is such that people only learn at their own individual pace, subject to their own circumstances of the moment. What a person wants to see has a bearing on their ability to learn. If a tow boss wants to grow his or her fleet of wreckers because that vision fits their ambition and ego, they are prone to overlook the pitfalls and trappings that growth will bring. Depending on a particular boss, he or she may not be ready, one way or another, for growth. Emotionally they may be ready, but maybe not financially ready, maybe not established enough with clientele, maybe not experienced enough in people management, etc.

But who is to tell them? Not me. Not you. The marketplace, of course, and their own ability to play the game, and most importantly their ability to ply the trade using intelligence over emotion— all that will speak to them over time.

64 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

What things continually have me wincing? The tower that low-bids a highway or municipal contract just to get it, no matter that he will lose money with it at the rate he will perform the work. The tower so caught up in the pride of doing specialty work, recovery work in general, or something more specialized like aircraft recovery, that he charges for the work undervaluing the specialty of the service, thus losing opportunities to bring in revenue that can make a difference in the success of the business overall. The tower who opts for quick growth by accommodating several motor clubs—trying to please too many masters—without a secure fiscal foundation for the investment. The tower who thinks cheap— cheap labor, cheap training, cheap rates, etc.—who will never rise above a losing approach to doing business.

Aside from the many educational conferences that Tow Industry Week delivers in Las Vegas (ATShowPlace.com), the biggest resource for The Week are the thousands of tow business owners flying in from all 50 states and several nations.

The savvy among them, young and old, will be picking the brains of their peers to learn of alternative ways of doing things and of paths not to go down, paths proven to be detrimental to a tow business’s success.

So rub shoulders with the successful towers in your town. Invite one to grab a bite to eat and talk shop. Or make “The Week.” Join American Towman in Las Vegas. Either way, there are tools to avoid the most common mistakes.

There are ways to be successful without traveling down roads of failure.

American Towman Magazine will be out in full force covering Tow Industry Week’s many events, May 15–17. From the AT Open golf tournament to the Recovery Demo on Thursday and the Corbin concert to the Exhibit floor (May 16-17) and events like the Desert Smoke and the Boomer Bowl, Emily Oz will be shooting the action for American Towman TV.

Attendees will be treated to daily video programming in their South Point Hotel rooms and in the AT ShowPlace registration area.

Emily will be interviewing tow business owners at the show for future ATTV segments found on TowIndustryWeek.com and TowmanTV.com. Those who miss out on all the action will get a glimpse of what it was all about. Those who make it to Vegas for “The Week” will be telling others later, “You had to be there.” After all, there’s just so much modern media can do to capture the live experience. We can’t beam you up to the South Point Exhibit Hall; you still have to hop on a plane to get there if you want to interact with your industry peers and suppliers.

Meanwhile, check out the new face of RepoTimes.com. It’s just the beginning.

Customers in the Middle Matthew Vallis found himself in the middle of a tug-ofwar between his insurance and towing company in Ottawa, Canada.

“I’m essentially a hostage right now. I got involved in an ongoing war,” says Vallis.

Vallis was involved in a collision on March 25. Both vehicles had a flat tire so police on scene called for a tow as a courtesy. Vallis told the tow truck operator to take his truck to a body shop but it went straight to the impound lot. Little did Vallis know he’d become one of more than 50 court cases between Gervais Towing and Intact Insurance.

The towing industry says companies like Intact are taking a hardline by trying to enforce its own pricing index.

“They’re trying to get control of the rates and that’s totally wrong because you and I can’t tell an insurance company what we will pay for their products,” said Doug Nelson of the Provincial Towing Association.

Nelson says the fight goes well beyond these two companies. Still, he admits it’s the customer who often gets caught in the crossfire.

Gervais wouldn’t comment to CTV but confirms it has dozens of court cases against Intact. Source: www.ottawa.ctvnews.ca.

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NEWS FLASH continued from page 65

Tow Owner Indicted, Fined A tow company owner from New Bedford, Mass., and his business have been indicted for failing to pay more than $70,000 over a five-year period to the state’s unemployment trust fund, Attorney General Martha Coakley said.

Charged in the indictments are Ricardo Dopao, 45, of New Bedford and his business, Ricardo’s Towing Service Inc. of North Dartmouth, the attorney general’s office said. Dopao is the president and treasurer of the towing service.

Dopao and his business have each been charged with 23 counts of nonpayment of employer contributions and failure to furnish information to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development’s Department of Unemployment Assistance.

Authorities allege that from April 2008 through October 2013, Dopao continued to pay his employees and file the company’s tax reports, but failed to pay the required unemployment tax to DUA, resulting in delinquent payments of more than $70,000.

“Qualifying employers are required to pay contributions to the unemployment compensation,” Coak-

ley said. “Through enforcement, we aim to level the playing field for those business that already follow the law and ensure that benefits are available for eligible workers.” Source: www.southcoasttoday.com.

Big Fine in Repo Conspiracy A Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, car salesman who assaulted “Fair Go” host Gordon Harcourt during a television investigation has been fined $65,000 in Auckland District Court.

Mount Auto Court director Alan Spiers pleaded guilty to 11 charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act earlier this year after a Commerce Commission investigation into his repossession practices.

His finance company, MAC Warranties, was also convicted of 17 breaches of the Act. Spiers was fined $23,000 and his company $42,000.

Harcourt was in court and said Spiers had caused “a high degree of real harm” to people who used his finance company, MAC Warranties, when buying used cars from Mount Auto Court.

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MAC would repossess cars from defaulting borrowers and sell them to Mount Auto Court at a low value. The car yard would then resell the vehicles for a large mark-up.

Judge Phillipa Cunningham heard how one repossessed vehicle was valued by Spiers to be worth $800, but later sold at Mount Auto Court for close to $7,000, a case in which she said “the disadvantage [to the loan defaulter] is obvious.”

Spiers gained notoriety for assaulting Fair Go’s Harcourt during the television show’s investigations in 2011, leaving Harcourt with a black eye and bloodied nose.

Judge Cunningham said Spiers’s case was about consumer protection and his system of repossessing cars and vehicles, often from low-income or welfare-dependent clients, who often did not know their rights, or Source: them. exercise www.stuff.co.nz.

New Ordinance Increases Tows Wreckers are carting off an average of more than three vehicles a day under a new towing ordinance in Montgomery, Ala. The ordinance states that if a driver is in an accident and lacks either insurance, a valid driver’s license or registration, his or her vehicle will be towed.

The ordinance took effect Feb. 1.

Between then and March 23 there were 158 vehicles towed under the ordinance. In that same time, there were 1,071 total traffic accidents in the city.

Once a vehicle is towed, the owner first must go to the police station, said Capt. Robert Lewis, assistant commander of the Montgomery Police Department’s traffic division.

Drivers cited for lack of insurance must provide proof of insurance. Drivers who did not have a valid driver’s license must either produce one or have someone with a license accompany them to the station. Violators also must produce a title or registration.

Source: www.insurancenewsnet.com.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • NORTH 67

It Was a

A MaineDOT plow truck on its side near New Sweden in January 2014.

Long

Snowplow Déjá Vu

Cold Winter

The Holmes 750 is rigged to the rear tandems of the plow truck and the B&B is rigged to the front axle and the plow frame; the rigging is pigeon-toed off the stiff legs on both units, ready to upright.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

NORTH 68 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

F

or some tow shops in the northern reaches this winter, it was a case of déjà vu, day after day, week after week, and even month after month with the unusually debilitating cold and snow of the 2013-’14 winter months.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • NORTH 69

The Holmes 750 is rigged to the rear tandems of the plow truck and the B&B is rigged to the front axle and the plow frame; the rigging is pigeontoed off the stiff legs on both units, ready to upright.

A high line is rigged from the B&B to stabilize the plow so it can be winched forward.

At Beaulieu’s Garage & Body Shop in Caribou, Maine, brothers Dan and Sam Robertson represent the fourth generation of the family business started by their great-grandfather in 1941. Their father, Jeff, is still the company president. During the frigid winter months, they are always on call for MaineDOT. New Sweden is a small town in Aroostook County, Maine, where Beaulieu’s responded in January for a snowplow that slid off the road into a deep ditch. It was neither the first nor last snowplow call they’d get that day.

“We had just come through a deep freeze of minus-30 derees Fahrenheit just in time for the weather to change to rain. Everything was covered in ice,” Dan said. “With a large load of sand and salt, these plows are very top heavy. The driver corrected but the plow upset onto its right side.”

Dan, Sam and their dad responded in their Western Star with a Holmes 750 and their 2006 Chevy 6500 with a 2008 B&B 14-ton integrated wrecker.

NORTH 70 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

“We had been out until 1:30 a.m. the previous day and we were exhausted,” Dan said. “This plow had actually overturned the night before, but due to us being out for the MaineDOT on another plow in the ditch around 80 miles away, the shop foreman in New Sweden decided to have us do it when the sun came back out.”

They positioned both wreckers across the narrow roadway with the business ends facing the rolled over plow truck.

“It was a country road, and the 750 barely fit across it,” Dan said. “We pigeon-toed off the stiff legs on both units to upright the plow. The 750 was rigged to the rear tandems and the B&B was rigged to the front axle and the plow frame. Once it was back on its wheels we reset the 750 to the front of the plow to winch it out of the ditch. We left the B&B in place and ran a high line to stabilize the plow as it was being winched forward.”

Once the plow truck was out of the ditch and back on the roadway, it was driven away on its own power.

It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again Not so fast, spring!

When the call came in, at 3:30 p.m. on March 14 to recover another MaineDOT plow truck, it was business as usual for Beaulieu’s crew. The setting this time was Woodland, also in Aroostook County.

Again, Dad, Sam and Dan responded in the Holmes 750 and B&B wreckers; towman Andy Dodd was on-scene as well for this one. Dan said that he and Dodd worked the labor end of things while Dad and Jeff ran the wreckers.

“The truck was a MaineDOT plow operated out of Woodland. We just had a foot-and-a-half snowstorm and the plows were running non-stop. The accident happened on the Woodland Center Road … a narrow, deepditched road.”

With the freezing temperatures, the narrow country road was slick with ice.

“It landed in the ditch onto its right side with the plow wing buried very

Agent Fires on Repo Vehicle Williston (N.D.) Police arrested a repo man who fired his gun as the owner of the vehicle in the process of being repossessed attempted to drive away.

The Williston Herald reported an employee of Road Rage Towing chased the fleeing driver for two blocks before blocking off the path of the vehicle and firing at least one shot.

The agent told police he couldn’t remember firing a shot because he was caught up in the heat of the moment, but added that he should have emptied his weapon’s magazine into the vehicle or at least rammed the vehicle for the driver’s actions.

The agent has been charged with a felony for reckless endangerment and a misdemeanor for the discharge of a firearm within city limits. Source: www.sfgate.com.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • NORTH 71

deep into hard-packed snow from a very snowy winter.”

The team went to work and first shoveled the salt out of the 10-yard dump box. They also had to shovel out the ditch side of the truck where the plow wing was buried.

When it was time to recover, they positioned the B&B across the road with its business end to the middle of the truck and rigged to the dump box.

The Holmes 750 was staged and rigged to the front of the plow truck to winch it out of the ditch.

“We put the 14-ton B&B sideways to upright the plow and steady the truck while the 750 winched it out. We ran four lines from our 750, two lines snatch-blocked.”

“The truck only suffered from a broken coolant hose. We helped the MaineDOT with a quick repair and they were able to drive it to their base location,” Dan said. “This plow blade was out pushing back snow banks and did an excellent job keeping it from going over!”

The Holmes 750 rigged to the front of the plow truck.

The Holmes 750 winches the plow forward out of the ditch.

A high line is rigged from the B&B to the dump box to stabilize the plow so it can be winched forward by the Holmes 750.

NORTH 72 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

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

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • SOUTH 67

It Was a

A MaineDOT plow truck on its side near New Sweden in January 2014.

Long

Snowplow Déjá Vu

Cold Winter

The Holmes 750 is rigged to the rear tandems of the plow truck and the B&B is rigged to the front axle and the plow frame; the rigging is pigeon-toed off the stiff legs on both units, ready to upright.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

SOUTH 68 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

F

or some tow shops in the northern reaches this winter, it was a case of déjà vu, day after day, week after week, and even month after month with the unusually debilitating cold and snow of the 2013-’14 winter months.

continue to page 70

Jeep Stolen from Tow Yard The owners of Mitch’s Towing in Elkview, W.Va., are angry and beyond frustrated.

With the help of the police and the public, they are hoping to find those responsible for causing close to $15,000 in damage to their business.

“Things like this need to be stopped,” Billy Young, one of the owners, said.

Glass was shattered and metal doors were torn apart. Detectives were called and are investigating what happened. But who and what exactly happened is yet to be determined.

“I believe stupidity played a key,” Young said. “They came through the front door, and I think, through their stupidity, they couldn’t figure out how to get the secure doors open.”

When the suspects got the garage door opened just enough, Young thinks a Jeep, similar to another Wrangler in the garage, was dragged out and taken away.

But Young said the odd thing is, in a garage full of tools, cars, and fourwheelers, the only thing taken was that Jeep. Source: www.wchstv.com.

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Agent Fires on Repo Vehicle Williston (N.D.) Police arrested a repo man who fired his gun as the owner of the vehicle in the process of being repossessed attempted to drive away.

The Williston Herald reported an employee of Road Rage Towing chased the fleeing driver for two blocks before blocking off the path of the vehicle and firing at least one shot.

The agent told police he couldn’t remember firing a shot because he was caught up in the heat of the moment, but added that he should have emptied his weapon’s magazine into the vehicle or at least rammed the vehicle for the driver’s actions.

The agent has been charged with a felony for reckless endangerment and a misdemeanor for the discharge of a firearm within city limits. Source: www.sfgate.com.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • SOUTH 69

The Holmes 750 is rigged to the rear tandems of the plow truck and the B&B is rigged to the front axle and the plow frame; the rigging is pigeontoed off the stiff legs on both units, ready to upright.

A high line is rigged from the B&B to stabilize the plow so it can be winched forward.

At Beaulieu’s Garage & Body Shop in Caribou, Maine, brothers Dan and Sam Robertson represent the fourth generation of the family business started by their great-grandfather in 1941. Their father, Jeff, is still the company president. During the frigid winter months, they are always on call for MaineDOT. New Sweden is a small town in Aroostook County, Maine, where Beaulieu’s responded in January for a snowplow that slid off the road into a deep ditch. It was neither the first nor last snowplow call they’d get that day.

“We had just come through a deep freeze of minus-30 derees Fahrenheit just in time for the weather to change to rain. Everything was covered in ice,” Dan said. “With a large load of sand and salt, these plows are very top heavy. The driver corrected but the plow upset onto its right side.”

Dan, Sam and their dad responded in their Western Star with a Holmes SOUTH 70 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

750 and their 2006 Chevy 6500 with a 2008 B&B 14-ton integrated wrecker.

“We had been out until 1:30 a.m. the previous day and we were exhausted,” Dan said. “This plow had actually overturned the night before, but due to us being out for the MaineDOT on another plow in the ditch around 80 miles away, the shop foreman in New Sweden decided to have us do it when the sun came back out.”

They positioned both wreckers across the narrow roadway with the business ends facing the rolled over plow truck.

“It was a country road, and the 750 barely fit across it,” Dan said. “We pigeon-toed off the stiff legs on both units to upright the plow. The 750 was rigged to the rear tandems and the B&B was rigged to the front axle and the plow frame. Once it was back on its wheels we reset the 750 to the front of the plow to winch it out of the ditch.

We left the B&B in place and ran a high

line to stabilize the plow as it was being winched forward.”

Once the plow truck was out of the ditch and back on the roadway, it was driven away on its own power.

It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again Not so fast, spring!

When the call came in, at 3:30 p.m. on March 14 to recover another MaineDOT plow truck, it was business as usual for Beaulieu’s crew. The setting this time was Woodland, also in Aroostook County.

Again, Dad, Sam and Dan responded in the Holmes 750 and B&B wreckers; towman Andy Dodd was on-scene as well for this one. Dan said that he and Dodd worked the labor end of things while Dad and Jeff ran the wreckers.

“The truck was a MaineDOT plow operated out of Woodland. We just had a foot-and-a-half snowstorm and

A high line is rigged from the B&B to the dump box to stabilize the plow so it can be winched forward by the Holmes 750.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • SOUTH 71

the plows were running non-stop. The accident happened on the Woodland Center Road … a narrow, deepditched road.”

With the freezing temperatures, the narrow country road was slick with ice.

“It landed in the ditch onto its right side with the plow wing buried very deep into hard-packed snow from a very snowy winter.”

The team went to work and first shoveled the salt out of the 10-yard

dump box. They also had to shovel out the ditch side of the truck where the plow wing was buried.

When it was time to recover, they positioned the B&B across the road with its business end to the middle of the truck and rigged to the dump box.

The Holmes 750 was staged and rigged to the front of the plow truck to winch it out of the ditch.

“We put the 14-ton B&B sideways to upright the plow and steady the

truck while the 750 winched it out. We ran four lines from our 750, two lines snatch-blocked.”

“The truck only suffered from a broken coolant hose. We helped the MaineDOT with a quick repair and they were able to drive it to their base location,” Dan said. “This plow blade was out pushing back snow banks and did an excellent job keeping it fromgoing over!”

The Holmes 750 rigged to the front of the plow truck.

The Holmes 750 winches the plow forward out of the ditch.

SOUTH 72 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

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It Was a

A MaineDOT plow truck on its side near New Sweden in January 2014.

Long

Cold Winter

Snowplow Déjá Vu

The Holmes 750 is rigged to the rear tandems of the plow truck and the B&B is rigged to the front axle and the plow frame; the rigging is pigeon-toed off the stiff legs on both units, ready to upright.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

MIDWEST 68 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

F

or some tow shops in the northern reaches this winter, it was a case of déjà vu, day after day, week after week, and even month after month with the unusually debilitating cold and snow of the 2013-’14 winter months.

continue to page 70

Jeep Stolen from Tow Yard The owners of Mitch’s Towing in Elkview, W.Va., are angry and beyond frustrated.

With the help of the police and the public, they are hoping to find those responsible for causing close to $15,000 in damage to their business.

“Things like this need to be stopped,” Billy Young, one of the owners, said.

Glass was shattered and metal doors were torn apart. Detectives were called and are investigating what happened. But who and what exactly happened is yet to be determined.

“I believe stupidity played a key,” Young said. “They came through the front door, and I think, through their stupidity, they couldn’t figure out how to get the secure doors open.”

When the suspects got the garage door opened just enough, Young thinks a Jeep, similar to another Wrangler in the garage, was dragged out and taken away.

But Young said the odd thing is, in a garage full of tools, cars, and fourwheelers, the only thing taken was that Jeep. Source: www.wchstv.com.

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Agent Fires on Repo Vehicle Williston (N.D.) Police arrested a repo man who fired his gun as the owner of the vehicle in the process of being repossessed attempted to drive away.

The Williston Herald reported an employee of Road Rage Towing chased the fleeing driver for two blocks before blocking off the path of the vehicle and firing at least one shot.

The agent told police he couldn’t remember firing a shot because he was caught up in the heat of the moment, but added that he should have emptied his weapon’s magazine into the vehicle or at least rammed the vehicle for the driver’s actions.

The agent has been charged with a felony for reckless endangerment and a misdemeanor for the discharge of a firearm within city limits. Source: www.sfgate.com.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • MIDWEST 69

The Holmes 750 is rigged to the rear tandems of the plow truck and the B&B is rigged to the front axle and the plow frame; the rigging is pigeon-toed off the stiff legs on both units, ready to upright. above

A high line is rigged from the B&B to stabilize the plow so it can be winched forward.

At Beaulieu’s Garage & Body Shop in Caribou, Maine, brothers Dan and Sam Robertson represent the fourth generation of the family business started by their great-grandfather in 1941. Their father, Jeff, is still the company president. During the frigid winter months, they are always on call for MaineDOT. New Sweden is a small town in Aroostook County, Maine, where

Beaulieu’s responded in January for a snowplow that slid off the road into a deep ditch. It was neither the first nor last snowplow call they’d get that day.

“We had just come through a deep freeze of minus-30 derees Fahrenheit just in time for the weather to change to rain. Everything was covered in ice,” Dan said. “With a large load of sand and salt, these plows are very top heavy. The driver corrected but the

MIDWEST 70 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

plow upset onto its right side.”

Dan, Sam and their dad responded in their Western Star with a Holmes 750 and their 2006 Chevy 6500 with a 2008 B&B 14-ton integrated wrecker.

“We had been out until 1:30 a.m. the previous day and we were exhausted,” Dan said. “This plow had actually overturned the night before, but due to us being out for the MaineDOT on another plow in the ditch

around 80 miles away, the shop foreman in New Sweden decided to have us do it when the sun came back out.”

They positioned both wreckers across the narrow roadway with the business ends facing the rolled over plow truck.

“It was a country road, and the 750 barely fit across it,” Dan said. “We pigeon-toed off the stiff legs on both units to upright the plow. The 750 was rigged to the rear tandems and the B&B was rigged to the front axle and the plow frame. Once it was back on its wheels we reset the 750 to the front of the plow to winch it out of the ditch.

We left the B&B in place and ran a high line to stabilize the plow as it was being winched forward.”

Once the plow truck was out of the ditch and back on the roadway, it was driven away on its own power.

It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again Not so fast, spring!

When the call came in, at 3:30 p.m. on March 14 to recover another MaineDOT plow truck, it was busi-

Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

ness as usual for Beaulieu’s crew. The setting this time was Woodland, also in Aroostook County.

Again, Dad, Sam and Dan responded in the Holmes 750 and B&B wreckers; towman Andy Dodd was on-scene as well for this one. Dan said that he and Dodd worked the labor end of things while Dad and Jeff ran the wreckers.

The B&B 14-ton being rigged to the dump box.

A high line is rigged from the B&B to the dump box to stabilize the plow so it can be winched forward by the Holmes 750.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2014 • MIDWEST 71

The Holmes 750 rigged to the front of the plow truck.

The Holmes 750 winches the plow forward out of the ditch.

“The truck was a MaineDOT plow operated out of Woodland. We just had a foot-and-a-half snowstorm and the plows were running non-stop. The accident happened on the Woodland Center Road … a narrow, deepditched road.”

With the freezing temperatures, the narrow country road was slick with ice.

“It landed in the ditch onto its right side with the plow wing buried very deep into hard-packed snow from a very snowy winter.”

The team went to work and first shoveled the salt out of the 10-yard dump box. They also had to shovel out the ditch side of the truck where the plow wing was buried.

When it was time to recover, they positioned the B&B across the road with its business end to the middle of the truck and rigged to the dump box.

The Holmes 750 was staged and rigged to the front of the plow truck to winch it out of the ditch.

MIDWEST 72 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

“We put the 14-ton B&B sideways to upright the plow and steady the truck while the 750 winched it out. We ran four lines from our 750, two lines snatch-blocked.”

“The truck only suffered from a broken coolant hose. We helped the MaineDOT with a quick repair and they were able to drive it to their base location,” Dan said. “This plow blade was out pushing back snow banks and did an excellent job keeping it from going over!”

Number 146 on Reader Card

Rotator Training May 15–17

Tow Co. Fronts Scooter Theft

Agent Fires on Repo Vehicle

WreckMaster, the world’s premier training organization for towing and recovery, is conducting Rotator Recovery training during Tow Industry Week in Las Vegas, May 15-17, inside the South Point Hotel & Casino Arena.

One need not be WreckMaster Certified to participate.

For the convenience attendees, two classes will be conducted: 1st Class – Thursday, 5/15, 5 pm to 9 pm, Fri. 5/16, 8 am to 1 pm, 5 pm to 9 pm 2nd Class – Friday, 5/16, 5 pm to 9 pm, Sat. 5/17, 8 am to 1 pm, 5 pm to 9 pm WreckMaster instructors leading the class are: Bruce Campbell, Terry Humelsine and Jeff Martin.

Instruction includes both classroom and hands-on inside the South Point Arena. Course fee of $695 includes a Tow Industry Week Conference Passport that grants access into all TIW Conference Seminars, excluding the Recovery Billing Course; Passport includes breakfast Friday and Saturday morning.

The city of Gainesville, Fla., is known for its strict parking rules and prevalent towing companies. But as a result of a GPD investigation, officers say three suspects were using one local towing company as a front to steal vehicles.

Three people are facing felony grand theft charges after two scooters were stolen from an apartment complex last year. Police say the property manager and two towing company employees stole the scooters and kept them at a private residence. They heard GPD was searching for the scooters, and police say that’s when they tried to cover their tracks.

“They drove them back to Canopy Apartments, unloaded them, staged them as if they were illegally parked, took photographs of the scooters, loaded them back onto the tow truck, towed them to the tow yard and then called the scooters into law enforcement as if they were abandoned,” said a GPD spokesman. Source: www.mygtn.tv.

Williston (N.D.) Police arrested a repo man who fired his gun as the owner of the vehicle in the process of being repossessed attempted to drive away.

The Williston Herald reported an employee of Road Rage Towing chased the fleeing driver for two blocks before blocking off the path of the vehicle and firing at least one shot.

The agent told police he couldn’t remember firing a shot because he was caught up in the heat of the moment.

The agent then added that he should have emptied his weapon’s magazine into the vehicle or at least rammed the vehicle for the driver’s actions.

The agent has been charged with a felony for reckless endangerment and a misdemeanor for the discharge of a firearm within city limits.

Source: www.sfgate.com.

WEST 68 • May 2014 - TOWMAN.COM

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