American Towman Magazine - March 2016

News Daily at TowIndustryToday.com

On the cover: Savatech recently hosted a cross-training at its Daytona, Fla., facility to help towmen and firefighters better understand each other’s capabilities.

FEATURE CONTENTS

28 Gulf Coast Repair & Towing helped out during training at Savatech with its new Jerr-Dan JFB Gold Series 60-ton rotator.

Cross-Training Benefits Communication Savatech hosted towers and emergency responders for training to help each learn from the other.

by Brendan Dooley

38

Dredge Recovery

Departments

Complex rigging scenario wins the 2015 Donnie Cruse Recovery Award for Heavy Duty.

by Dale McLaughlin

Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

54

News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

TIMELINE: Towing’s100 years

Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .62 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .74

4 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

A timeline of important events in the advancement of the towing industry and its equipment.

by Brendan Dooley

Historical Context

by Dennie Ortiz

First On The Scene!

Dennie Ortiz

In this issue we take a look back at towing’s evolution in the last 100 years and then some. For while the first commercial tow truck was manufactured by Ernest Holmes in 1916, American Towman records indicate the earliest company that evolved into towing was established in 1883.

As the towing industry celebrates its centennial, American Towman magazine is celebrating its 40th year.

A look at the timeline featured on page 54 will show when American Towman became the industry’s first publication and from that point on helped make industry history. You’ll note our related events like the first American Towman Exposition, which debuted (and remains) as the world’s largest towing

trade show; and you’ll see when the world was given the first permanent tribute to the towing professional cast in bronze, the Towman Monument.

The timeline hits on various milestones covering turning points in wrecker manufacturing, training, dispatch, towing rates and personalities.

The sweep of this time and the changes it wrought fills me with a sense of pride, as it will you. Yet the timeline is just a glimpse of what has occurred; though it’s a meaningful snapshot of where we’ve been, it is by no means a complete look back.

So this year while American Towman is celebrating our 40th year proudly serving this market, we welcome you to join us at our shows in Las Vegas, Dallas and Baltimore as we have planned special events commemorating towing’s centennial.

More than a Lift

by Brendan Dooley

It struck me recently, while attending a cross-training for emergency responders and towmen sponsored by Savatech at its facility (see story on page 28), that there is a greater value to training than just learning load limits, and rigging and lifting techniques.

It appeared that the towmen and firefighters were learning as much from each other about figuring out a better approach to scenarios as they were from the trainers. There was a networking aspect to the time in the field, being that it was a non-emergency situation that allowed all hands to think and consider the steps. (This wasn’t unique to having the two different groups in class either; I realized that I’ve seen this same effect at AT seminars, WreckMaster and other training sessions that involved just towmen.)

When you take time out of the field, and expose yourself to new people and new ideas, you open your mind to new ways of doing things. An open mind is never a bad thing. Next time you’re sitting in a seminar or working a training casualty, consider that the other people there may have a different, perhaps better, approach. Open up … ask them. Maybe even share your take too.

6 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Steve Calitri Brendan Dooley Charles Duke

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Senior Editor

Randall Resch

Operations Editor

Terry Abejuela

Field Editor, West

Jim “Buck” Sorrenti David Kolman Bill Simmons

Field Editor, Northeast Chassis Editor Safety Editor

Emily Oz

On Screen Editor

Mark Lacek

Repo Run Editor

Editorial Board Tommy Anderson 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 Jimmy Santos Miriam Ortiz Henri Calitri Toni Vanderhorst William Burwell Peggy Calabrese Ryan Oser Helen Gutfreund Emily Oz Steve Calitri

Page Layout Artist Advertising Sales Mgr. Senior Account Exec.

VP of Accounts General Manager Subscription Manager Customer Service Publisher’s Assistant TIW Media Director Regional Advertising Sales iMarketing Manager Communications Mgr. ATTV Producer President

American Towman Media Headquarters 7 West Street, Warwick, NY 10990 800-732-3869 or 845-986-4546 E-mail: Publisher: dortiz@towman.com Editor-In-Chief: scalitri@towman.com Editor: bdooley@towman.com AT’S Digital Edition: itowman.com AT’S Website: towman.com AT’S Weekly: towindustryweek.com ATTV: americantowmantv.com Copyright ©2016 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.

N.Y. Governor Cuomo, Towman

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a former towman, assists a stranded motorist on Jan. 23 during a massive snowstorm that blanketed the northeast.

N.Y. Governor’s Office photo.

New York Gov.—and former towman—Andrew Cuomo braved the blizzard that hit the East Coast on Jan. 23 to go out with a crew assisting drivers who were out on the roads in the snow.

Earlier in the day, he had announced a travel ban for New York City and Long Island roads.

A blizzard was expected to dump about a foot of snow on the city, but the storm, called “Jonas,” was worse than expected. Ultimately, Jonas dumped anywhere from 25”-30” of snow, according to estimates.

Cuomo’s office released photos of him going out on the roads.

Politico’s Albany bureau chief noted on Twitter that Cuomo used to work as a towman.

Source: businessinsider.com.

Correction The Medium-Duty Class-First Place truck at the 2015 American Wrecker Pageant during the AT Expo in Baltimore, Md., was K&S Towing's 2011 International 4400/Vulcan V-30. The truck was misidentified in the February issue.

8 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

AutoReturn Adds Austin, Las Vegas The police departments in Las Vegas, Nev., and Austin, Texas, both recently added AutoReturn to manage their towing contracts. Austin began working with AR running its rotation in January, while Las Vegas scheduled AR to start managing its nonconsensual towing in April.

Ewing Bros., Snap Towing and Walker Towing are subcontracted with the new Las Vegas agreement.

In Austin, 35 of the city’s 41 tow truck operators are participating.

The response time under the contract with AutoReturn is 20 minutes or less; but the company claims an average response time of 12 minutes in its other contracts that include San Diego and San Fran-

AutoReturn recently secured new contracts to run towing dispatch for police departments in Las Vegas, Nev., and Austin, Texas.

cisco, Calif., Baltimore (Md.) County and Indianapolis, Ind. Sources: reviewjournal.com, kvue.com.

Magazine Site Celebrates the

American Towman Experience American Towman Magazine fans will tap into the American Towman Experience at americantowman.com.

Celebrating 40 years of publishing to the towing trade, American Towman has brought towers much more than its illustrious pages each month. It helped author the Towman Bill of Rights, created towing's first monument and premier exposition, its first towing-themed chopper and its first ballad. The magazine, first started by a tow business owner in 1977, has grown to be a worldwide sensation with its Exposition in Baltimore hosting towers from 20 nations, and its daily news service at Tow Industry Week (towman.com) engaging thousands of readers daily from around the world.

. . . 539 complaints about towing since 2008 . . .

FMCSA OKs Wireless Lights The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration granted an exemption to allow motor carriers to use rechargeable wireless temporary stop, turn and tail lights during towing situations.

TowMate said it requested the exemption in August. Under current regulations, all required lamps, with the exception of battery-powered lamps used on projecting loads, have to be powered by the electrical system of the truck.

FMCSA said using these wireless systems during towing “will reduce time tow operators spend at the side of the road connecting wired lighting systems between vehicles, thereby reducing their risk of injury and increasing safety.”

Source: ccjdigital.com.

Illinois Focuses on High Tow Fees Ill. State Sen. Bill Haine filed new legislation to bring down high municipal towing fees for minor violations.

A local television station had been spotlighting the cases of municipalities charging release fees of up to $500 when police tow vehicles for minor violations.

On top of that, vehicle owners pay the towing company $400 or more.

Haine was amongst several lawmakers who voted for a bill that passed the Illinois legislature in 2012 that allowed municipalities to charge the fees. He maintained that the law was intended for use in cases where vehicles were used in serious crimes or for DUIs. But it led to cases where mayors were allowing the charges for minor offenses like illegal parking.

The new proposal is intended to address that problem. It would prevent the release fees in cases where the vehicle was stolen or for cases like illegal parking. Additionally, towns could not charge towing fees for cases of unpaid citations.

Source: fox2now.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Oregon Bill Targets Private Impounds The Oregon Legislature will again consider cracking down on “predatory towing.” State Sen. Chuck Riley is sponsoring a bill that would let towers remove a vehicle on private property only after a call from the property owner or agent.

Oregon first cracked down on the practice in 2009, passing a law that requires tow operators to take a photo of the vehicle showing it parked in Oregon legislation is proposed that would add a provision that towers must violation before towing. They can have specific permission from lot owners only monitor lots if the hours during before doing private impound tows. which monitoring occurs are clearly posted. They must release a vehicle before towing if the owner is present, charging only the hook-up fee.

In 2013, the state tweaked the law, allowing cities and counties to regulate towing if they chose. Portland, Gresham and Tualatin regulate tows from private lots.

The Oregon Department of Justice has received 539 complaints about towing since 2008.

Source: statesmanjournal.com.

Towman Helps Competitor after Fire Guts Business Days after Dewayne “Slim” Hogan lost his entire towing business in the Blue Grass Stockyard fire in Lexington, Ky., he was getting help from a competitor.

“He would help me out if it happened to me,” said Lee Roberts, of Bluegrass Towing and Roberts Heavy-Duty Towing and Recovery.

Lee Roberts stepped in to help Dewayne Hogan Roberts will let when Hogan’s tow business in Lexington, Ky., was Hogan use one of his destroyed by fire. Wkyt.com image. trucks and give him some space in the Bluegrass Towing shop to help while Hogan gets his business back up and running.

“To offer as much as he offered, as far as a truck and a place to operate.

That hit me and I didn’t know how to actually take it,” Hogan said.

It shows the brotherhood in the industry is a lot stronger than rivalries.

Source: wkyt.com.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 9

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! 10,000-lbs. Tactical Webbing SuperFlo Safety Systems said its new Ultra Webbing is a universal tactical webbing with a 10,000-lbs. break point. Continuous loops provide multiple lock-in points for a wide range of uses in towing and recovery; it’s similar to a Daisy Chain, but with the strength of a 10,000-lbs. tow strap. SuperFlo said it can be used to secure items, create multiple slings or to pull a car out of a ditch. Available in custom lengths and four colors: 3M Red reflective, red, OD green and black.

www.superflosafetsystems.com

Easy-Mount 36” Lightbar TowMate’s new Power-Link PLC300 Series 36” lightbar mounts simply with two screws and needs just a 12V+ and ground to be connected to any existing wiring. Utilizing the PLC-TX6 six-button Power-Link control pad for “essentially wireless” operation (sold together or

separately), standard models feature: Left arrow, center out, right arrow and strobe. Clear lens versions may be set up to integrate high-intensity white LEDs for additional work light illumination. Chrome bezel included. Made in the USA. Lifetime warranty.

www.towmate.com

DanAm Air DanAm Air is an advanced air piping system for compressed air. The system is for new or expanding projects, DanAm Air is a module system that can easily be expanded or reused.

Uses a measure and cut, push to con-

nect technology, easy to use system with no soldering or threading. DAA is very energy efficient, leak free guarantee and no corrosion. Saving can be over 50% compared to copper installation.

www.danamair.com

10 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Muncie Rear-Mount PTO, New Valves

M

uncie Power Products recently released a new rear-mount power take-off, in collaboration with its European sister company, Hydrocar.

Muncie and Hydrocar created a PTO with available modifications for both the European and North American markets. The rear-mount model takes advantage of rear-mount PTO openings now being offered on trucks sold in North America.

Rear mounts are traditionally easier to install, resulting from a lack of interference problems common with traditional side-mounted PTOs. Their design allows for no frame or exhaust interference. In addition, no gear backlash is required to adjust.

The model number construction can be different for each rear mount, reflecting specific requirements.

This model number begins with Muncie’s traditional rear mount configuration of RS followed by a base PTO model number like P82Z1, P86VM, etc., referencing the collaboration with Hydrocar.

The Muncie team is available to help determine the appropriate rear mount to meet customer transmission and application needs.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Higher Pressure Control Valves Muncie also now offers a family of directional control valves built with higher-pressure capabilities to withstand the most extreme applications.

Featuring high-grade iron castings and nickel-plated or hard chrome spools to meet high-pressure applications, the family includes three series. Different spool, control, positioner and accessory options allow for customization of the V080, V130 and V250 Series.

Muncie’s latest directional control, the V250, allows for higher flow rates. It is designed for a maximum flow capacity of 75 gpm and a max pressure of 4,000 psi.

The V080 is designed for a maximum flow capacity of 30 gpm and a max pressure of 5,075 psi.

With a maximum flow capacity of 55 gpm and a max pressure of 5,440 psi, the V130 is a mid-size option.

www.munciepower.com

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 11

Determining Safe Towing Capacity

by Terry Abejuela

A

towman must know the safe towing capacity for their tow truck in order to minimize the potential for collisions, tickets, litigation, equipment failure and excessive equipment wear.

Towing loads that exceed a tow truck’s safe towing capacity is unsafe and puts you and other motorists at risk.

When determining a tow truck’s safe towing capacity, there are several things you have to consider. The maximum lift for safe steering and braking, the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, the Gross Axle Weight Rating, the Gross Combination Weight Rating, tire ratings, and the lift and tow capacity of the towing apparatus must all be within their range.

Maximum Lift With the maximum lift for safe steering and braking, many of us have exceeded the maximum lift capacity on occasion and not noticed. It is obvious that this capacity was exceeded when the front tires of the tow truck come off the ground during the lift. It was long before that point that the maximum lift for safe steering and braking was exceeded.

The industry standard for many years was that you must maintain at least 50 percent of the tow truck’s front-axle weight to maintain safe steering and braking. If the front axle of the tow truck weighs 6,000 lbs. when it is not towing a vehicle, it must weigh at least 3,000 lbs. when towing a vehicle to have adequate braking and steering.

The formula to determine the maximum lift of a wheel lift or tow sling is 1/2 of the unladen front axle weight multiplied by the wheelbase then divided by the overhang [(1/2 FAW x WB)/OH]. To use this formula you 14 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

To determine your safe towing capacity, take each tow truck to a commercial scale and have it weighed for the front axle, the rear axle and the whole truck.

Make sure you have all of the equipment that you would normally carry, and a full fuel tank and fuel cans.

will need to find out how much the front axle of the tow truck weighs (unladen), its wheelbase and length of overhang (both in inches).

Take the tow truck to a commercial scale and have it weighed. You want to know how much the front axle weighs, how much the rear axle weighs and how much the whole truck weighs.

Make sure you have all of the equipment that you would normally carry on the truck, as well as a full fuel tank and fuel cans when you have it weighed.

Measure the overhang from the center of the rear axle to the lift point of the towing apparatus fully extended.

Measure the truck’s wheelbase: it’s the distance, in inches, from the center of the front axle to the center of the rear axle. If you have tandem axles, you will measure to the center between all of the rear axles. If you have two rear axles, measure to the center between the two axles. If you have three rear axles, measure to the center of the center axle.

Measure the overhang, in inches, from the center of the rear axle to the lift point of the towing apparatus. Do

this measurement on a wheel lift or under reach with the boom fully extended.

Now you have the information you need to work the maximum lift formula.

Here are the specs for the truck used for this article: 2003 GMC C4500 • FAW: 5,630 lbs.

• RAW: 6,530 lbs.

• GVW: 12,160 lbs.

• Wheelbase: 151”.

• Wheel-lift overhang: 96”.

• Tow-sling overhang: 56”.

Maximum lift formula, wheel lift: (2,815 x 151)/96 = 4,427 lbs. maximum lift with wheel lift fully extended. Maximum lift formula, tow sling: (2,815 x 151)/56 = 7,590 lbs. maximum lift with tow sling.

Cab/Chassis Ratings • GAWR (Front): 7,000 lbs.

• GAWR (Rear): 13,500 lbs.

• GVWR: 16,500 lbs.

• GCWR: 26,000 lbs.

• Tires (Front, single): 3,640 lbs.

• Tires (Rear, dual): 3,415 lbs.

Towing Apparatus Ratings • Wheel lift, lift rating: 4,000 lbs.

• Wheel lift, tow rating: 7,500 lbs.

16 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Retracting the wheel lift, reducing the overhang, can transfer some weight back to the tow truck’s front axle.

• Tow sling, lift rating: 3,500 lbs.

• Tow sling, tow rating: 7,500 lbs.

GVWR The next step is to calculate how much load will be on the tow truck if you lift the maximum amount for safe steering and braking before overloading the Gross Vehicle

Weight Rating. To determine the total load on the truck, simply add weight of the tow truck and the maximum lift amount (12,160 + 4,427 = 16,587). If we lift 4,427 lbs., the tow truck will weigh 16,587 lbs. The GVWR for this truck is 16,500 lbs., so we would exceed the GVWR by 87 lbs. To avoid overloading the GVWR, we must subtract the 87 lbs. from the maximum lift which limits the maximum lift to 4,340 lbs.

GAWR The next step is to calculate how much load the rear axle will be supporting if you lift the new maximum of 4,340 lbs.

To determine the load on the rear axle, simply add the weight of the rear axle, the weight of the maximum lift and half of the front axle weight (6,530 + 4,340 + 2,815 = 13,685).

The Gross Axle Weight Rating for the rear axle on this truck is 13,500 lbs., so we are 185 lbs. overloaded on the rear axle if we lift 4,340 lbs. To avoid overloading the rear axle, we must subtract the 185 lbs. from the maximum lift; the new maximum lift is now 4,155 lbs. (On the truck used for this article, do we need to calculate how much load will be on the front axle? No, because on a wheel lift or sling tow you will not be adding weight to the front axle.)

GCWR The Gross Combination Weight Rating only applies when you are able to apply the brakes on the vehicle being towed. If you are not able to apply the brakes on the towed vehicle, the truck is limited to its GVWR. The truck used in

18 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

As long as your tires are rated high enough to meet or exceed the axle rating, you will be limited by the axle rating.

this article has a GVWR of 16,500 lbs. The truck weighs 12,160 lbs., so it would be limited to towing vehicles that weigh no more than 4,340 lbs. total.

Tires Don’t forget about the tire ratings. As long as your tires are rated high enough to meet or exceed the axle rating, you will be limited by the axle rating. When you replace tires, make sure their ratings meet or exceed the axle rating. Overloaded tires are a common way trucks are determined to be overloaded when passing through the commercial vehicle scales.

Towing Apparatus There are at least two ratings on the towing apparatus including the lift rating and the tow rating. The lift rating may also have a retracted and an extended rating. Most light-duty wheel lifts have a 4,000-lbs. lift rating and a 7,500-lbs. tow rating. The towing apparatus is limited to towing vehicles that weigh 7,500 lbs. or less and the end of the vehicle you are lifting is 4,000 lbs. or less.

Once the tow truck is built, there is nothing that will change the safe towing capacity. The front axle weight will remain the same, the gross vehicle weight will remain the same and the wheelbase will remain the same.

Final Countdown After all of these calculations, we have determined that the tow truck used in this article would be limited to towing vehicles that weigh no more than 4,340 lbs. total weight. If we limit our tows with this truck to vehicles that weigh less than 4,340 lbs. total, we will not overload it. (If you are able to apply the brakes on the towed vehicle, you would be limited to towing vehicles that weigh up to 7,500 lbs. and the end of the vehicle you will be lifting weighs no more than 4,155 lbs.)

It is important to go through this process to determine the tow truck’s safe towing capacity. The good news is you only have to do this once for each truck. Once the tow truck is built, there is nothing that will change the safe towing capacity. The front axle weight will remain the same, the gross vehicle weight will remain the same, the wheelbase will remain the same.

The only thing the towman may be able to change is the

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

overhang. By retracting the wheel lift, thus reducing the overhang, the tow operator can transfer some weight back to the tow truck’s front axle.

Make sure you know your safe towing capacity, before towing any vehicles, Field Editor Terry Abejuela has 30to reduce the potenplus years of light-duty towing-andtial for tickets, litirecovery experience. He is also a gation, equipment light-duty Level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association. wear and failure and collisions.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 19

Wires Down: Electrocution Dangers

by Randall C. Resch

E

lectrocution is a silent killer many towers fail to acknowledge. I’ll speculate that most towers have no specific training on high voltage dangers. A few months ago, a veteran tow owner was killed by electrocution at an accident site. While not all of the facts are known, his death brings to the forefront a reality towers face every day.

Towers respond to pole down requests where they’re oftentimes inexperienced on the dangers that exist in and near live electricity. Even the small amount of electricity needed to light 15 watt lightbulbs could cause serious harm if improperly handled.

According to data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s National Traumatic Occupational Fatality Surveillance System, electrocutions were the fifth leading cause of death from 1980 through 1992. The 5,348 deaths caused by electrocution accounted for 7 percent of all fatalities, averaging 411 deaths annually. Because towers respond to incidents and accidents that include downed or damaged utilities, that possibility’s real for this industry.

Some towers go their entire careers without responding to snapped telephone poles, damaged utilities or wire-down incidents, but herein lies the severe dangers associated with situational awareness.

Mike Rottenberg, retired fire chief from the Santee (Calif.) Fire Department, served as a career firefighter and command officer and is one of four Fire Coordinators for San Diego Gas & Electric.

“Even when responding to incidents as common as a vehicle versus power pole, police officers, firefighters and first responders need to be aware that the car could be energized,” he said. “They also need to treat all wires 20 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Even a typical load-and-go scenario could bring you dangerously close to high voltage.

as energized until PG&E confirms that it’s safe to proceed.”

Electrocution is a lurking reality that coexists between man and natural and man-made sources. Knowing that power is located above and below ground levels, electrocution dangers exist nearly anywhere towers respond and work; perhaps not so much on rural freeways, but more so during city tows and industrial activities.

Beware the Source Keeping in mind the nature of what we do, remember, we’re towers; not electricians. Here are two scenarios where towers were electrocuted during recoveries: Scenario 1: An experienced tower responded to a call of a pole snapped by a hit-and-run motorist. When the pole dropped, a second vehicle careened into a ditch to avoid the pole.

A tow truck was called to recover the second vehicle. Barricades were employed to identify the hazard, yet deputies left the scene while firefighters allegedly assumed traffic control.

When the tower arrived, he reportedly drove around barricades—perhaps unaware wires were energized.

The carrier’s lightbar unknowingly snagged low-hanging wires and the tower was fatally shocked exiting the cab. It’s unknown what descriptive information dispatch was provided initially; it was said that lines weren’t snapping or arcing (obviously difficult to detect during darkness).

Scenario 2: A 20-something tower from Florida was electrocuted when loading a vehicle that sheared a power pole on Florida’s I-95. The pole snapped during impact with the car resting at the pole’s base. Unaware that downed lines were energized, he

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 21

was electrocuted when current transferred from the pole to the wrecked vehicle’s front end. The tower died at a local hospital.

These scenarios suggest that towers need to be trained, aware and respectful of everything about potential shock dangers when working electrical incidents. These fatalities confirm the need for towers to know how to employ proper practices with electricity, specifically when recovering vehicles that ran into poles, utilities, homes and businesses.

Information Is Power

Check out AT’s digital edition at itowman.com

22 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Assessing initial risk begins with knowing what underlying dangers might be present at scenes involving utilities, wires and downed poles.

Knowing those dangers firsthand is important to operator safety before arrival on scene. Things to remember: • For other first responders reading this, I ask that you please pass the critical details of downed pole, downed wires and live-wire incidents when describing incident or crash details to your agency’s dispatch. If calling local towers directly, they need to know exactly what existing dangers or special instructions are necessary for safe response.

• Tow company dispatchers and call takers, you’ve got total responsibility to understand what’s told to you when information is passed by an agency’s dispatcher to you.

• When initially receiving details, repeat all information to ensure accuracy. Ask for emergency callback numbers, or get the phone number to the officer on scene.

• Ask if the local power company’s Emergency Response Unit or a Qualified Electrical Worker has been called. Ask for their direct contact number and make follow up calls asking, “Do you have emergency personnel en route to this incident?”

• Provide exact emergency details to your responding tow operator. Don’t send the new guy.

• Tow operators must be trained and proficient in utility-down scenarios, which should be considered as different than hook-and-go operations.

• Towers, don’t accept some caller’s word that power is turned off and don’t take independent action. Locate power company personnel or the on-scene Incident Commander; wait for them to determine electrical status.

• Ask for visual confirmation or explanation of what the QEW did to make the area safe.

• Request that de-energized wires are moved safe distances away from the work area.

• If you’re responding under agency or company guidelines, follow their exact protocol as trained or mandated.

The Cavalry Arrives Law enforcement oftentimes refers to utility-down scenarios as emergencies, and requests tow trucks expedite to the scene. Responding in a hurried and rushed manner is an accident ready to happen and could result in accidentally entering a hot zone before it’s de-energized. Keep in mind we’re towers, not rescue personnel; we don’t have (somewhat allowable) powers, protocols and protections of first responders.

Because electricity may still surge through damaged or downed utilities, not all downed-wire scenarios show visual indication of arcing, snapping and dancing electricity; it’s impossible to visually determine if lines are de-energized. What you can’t see can hurt or kill you.

The same is true for downed street lights/signals in an intersection. Arrival must be slow, cautious, and calculated.

Keep in mind some life-saving tips that could keep you from becoming victim to electrocution or debilitating electrical injuries: • Tow companies are responsible for providing topic-specific training to operators responding to downed-utility incidents.

• Treat wire-down or electrical scenarios as being energized and live all the time. No matter how many years you’ve been on the job, always treat and approach these scenarios as if they’re your Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 23

first. Be cautious, aware and inquisitive. Call 911 when necessary. There are few second chances when dealing with high voltage.

• Never assume power is off.

Always assume power lines are energized until there’s personal knowledge that power is disconnected or shut off, and that power won’t be reconnected/re-energized without warning. There are a number of ways that de-energized lines can become re-energized (automatic re-closing devices, manually operated equipment, backfeed from generators, etc.)

• Avoid standing near downed wires or electrical components, especially if lines are compromised in any way or on wet pavement.

• Never enter accident or incident hot zones by driving around barriers, barricades, cones, flares or traffic direction; always first park tow trucks safely outside hot zones.

• Locate the Incident Commander or police officer on scene and determine if the power company has arrived.

• Never enter hot zones before confirming all safe.

• Shut off of power should be initi-

ated by qualified utilities personnel, QEW or trained firefighters.

Important: Not all fire departments or (volunteer) firefighters are trained in shutting off power. Few if any first responders are trained in dealing with high voltage.

• Situational awareness is key.

Visually scan the immediate area to see if power is on at nearby houses, businesses, signs, intersections or other lights indicating power flow. Consider downed poles, downed wires, or crashed utilities live until on-scene utilities personnel confirm power is totally shut down.

• Never drag or lift downed poles.

Leave removal, repair or relocation for trained utility personnel.

• When loading metal or high-profile debris onto flatbed carriers, work in areas away from overhead lines.

• Never attempt to cut downed wires to make them neutral or clear the way.

Don’t become a victim. If wires are down and lay across the casualty vehicle and someone’s inside, tell them to stay inside until trained help arrives (if there’s no threat of fire or explosion). Attempting a rescue could result in your injury or death and to the trapped motorist.

If a pole or wire lands on top of a

vehicle and someone is trapped within, never extend a tow truck’s boom to attempt to lift the pole or wire off the casualty vehicle. If the casualty vehicle is sitting on top of an energized utility box, don’t attempt to lift the casualty off the utility until completely de-energized.

Online Training For training information regarding employee death by electrocution, visit: cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98 131/pdfs/98 131.pdf Electricity will travel through you or anything connected to you. Booms, cable, chains, poles, etc., can act as an extension of your body. With high-voltage electricity, you don’t have to make direct contact with an energized source. Depending on the voltage, electricity can arc across 10’ to 25’ or more.

Much of working electrified utility scenarios is the responsibility of responding tow operators. Towers have a huge responsibility in knowing when special tactics and recovery techniques should be employed.

Any exposure to electrical shock is potential for bodily injury or death; something not to be overlooked or misjudged. Towers, it’s reasonable and prudent to steadfastly ask, “Is the scene de energized?” Use best judgement when considering your own gut feelings before chancing your life or someone else’s.

Author’s note Special thanks go out to Mike Rottenberg, Fire Coordinator for San Diego Gas & Electric, for his technical advice and review of this column. American Towman and the author intend this narrative as a beginning of training only. Tow operators conducting recovery activities in and near high voltage environments must secure their own topic specific training from competent sources or companies specializing in the same. Contact your local power company for more information or to arrange specialized training.

Operations Editor Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and veteran tow business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. He writes for TowIndustryWeek.com and American Towman, is a member of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame.

Email Randy at rreschran@gmail.com.

24 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 25

Cross-Training Benefits Communication Sava Hosts Towers, Firefighters to Improve Working Relationships

by Brendan Dooley

I

n January in advance of the Fire Rescue East show in Daytona, Fla., Savatech hosted its second cross-training between towers and firefighters to help both sides better understand the other’s needs onscene.

For the second year, Savatech North America Executive VP/Managing Director Dave Lander invited two longtime members of the New York Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit to train firefighters on practice casualties and scenarios in the yard at Sava’s factory.

I’ve been doing cross-training [with Sava] since I joined the company four years ago,” said Lander.

“It’s a way to give back, to bring these two communities together.”

Lander isn’t just thinking of Sava’s bottom line when it comes to training emergency responders and towmen together—he has an extensive background in emergency response work himself. He was an emergency service police officer in Westchester County, N.Y., for 24 years, and a volunteer fireman since he was 18. In that time in fire service, he served all the way up through assistant fire chief, and was a fire commissioner for 10 years. So he knows what can be improved at crash scenes when firefighters, police and towmen know each other and can work together.

For the training, he brought in Randy Miller and George Krant

28 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

On scene at Sava, Miller and Krant walked a few dozen towmen from around Florida and firefighters through some scenarios in a morning classroom setting before getting them out in the yard.

“Each scenario has a fire-only solution, wrecker-only solution and the two combined,” Lander said. “They get the chance to look at each solution and see which is safer and more efficient for them and which may be safer and faster for the victim in the car.”

Equipment in the yard included a selection of Sava’s high- and low-pressure air cushions and catch bags, Edgewater Towing’s Vulcan V-100 50ton rotator, Gulf Coast Repair & Towing’s Jerr-Dan JFB Gold Series 60-ton rotator, and a heavy-rescue truck with assorted recovery tools.

Ego Trip Miller said that he can watch the firefighters’ body language change as they watch properly trained towers making easy work of stabilizing a scene.

“Last year, after we did the practical situations, there developed a genuine respect for the other side,” Miller said of the emergency responders.

Ego is actually one of the big barriers to towers and fire or police working better together on crash scenes, Lander said.

“I think what it comes down to is trust,” added Miller. “Fire rescue is very untrustworthy of people that don’t walk in our circle. You have to earn our trust. … But we have to bridge that gap, because the No. 1 priority is the patient.”

Overcoming that ego is best done

in a training yard, rather than at a hectic scene where minutes count.

“The underlying theme why crosstraining is important is that the time to meet your wrecker operators is on the training ground when nobody is actually hurt,” said Lander. “Get to know one another, the egos come down, they get to know what you have on your vehicle, you see what they have on their vehicle and know the capabilities on each side.”

“When [firefighters] think of a tow truck, they think of a flatbed or small truck, they’re not thinking of a boom wrecker or rotator,” Miller said. “Exposure is good on both sides.

“Knowledge is power, and I think on both sides of the fence, each doesn’t know what the other can offer,” Miller said.

Terry Miller (left) and George Krant (not pictured), both lead instructors with NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit, led a training at Savatech’s Daytona, Fla., facility for firefighters and towmen in January. Wreckers on scene included this Vulcan 50-ton rotator and a Jerr-Dan JFB Gold Series 60-ton rotator (next page).

from the NYPD ESU. NYPD ESU members are elite officers crosstrained in multiple disciplines for high-risk operations including urban search and rescue, victim extrication, SWAT and more. (It’s been said that when citizens need help they call NYPD; when NYPD needs help, it calls ESU.) Miller has 23 years in the NYPD ESU including as a lead instructor, 27 years as a volunteer firefighter, and is a FEMA instructor who’s helping the agency rewrite its structure rescue standards. Krant has 22 years with NYPD ESU including as a lead instructor, 26 years as a volunteer firefighter, and is a New Yorkcertified EMT. Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 29

Towers and emergency responders learning to work together and what each can do on-scene were the main themes of the day’s training.

local fire department: The extra time working together helps to build a common language.

“One of the biggest barriers between fire and towing when working a scene is lack of common language, where equipment is named differently, processes, etc.,” Lander said. “It’s a matter of making sure [towmen and resuce workers] are working towards a common goal and each side knows what the other wants.”

Get It Together

The firefighters’ eyes open at crosstraining events like Sava’s when they see what the towers can do, both trainers said.

“Most of the firefighters who came to the training last year, one of the biggest things they said was, ‘Wow, I didn’t even know the boom could swing like that on these big tow trucks,’ ” Krant said. “They were shocked, especially at how easy it was for the towers to lift a tractor-trailer off a casualty.”

Miller said many indicated they thought the process to lift and stabilize a semi off of a car would take much longer and be more complicated. He said once they understand what a professional towman with the right equipment can do, “it’s a stepping stone process: Tell them do a, b and c on scene like always, but when a wrecker service gets on-scene, work smarter not harder.”

Cross-training also helps emergency responders better understand what they’re dealing with at a crash scene.

“Most fire rescue guys have no idea what things are rated for or what 30 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

When I spoke at the Disaster Conference during the AT Expo last year, one of the things I emphasized to towers was to become an asset and a friend [to firefighters]. critical angles are,” Lander said. “Firefighters learned about the working load limits towers work with, and the safety factors of rigging and chains and what different chains can and can’t do.” He said responders at the previous year ’s training were “floored” to learn what an endless loop can lift and do.

That kind of information for rescue personnel also leads to another benefit of building a relationship with your

Miller feels it will be inherent that towers extend the olive branch as firefighters tend to close ranks. “I would like to see it where firefighters and towers reach out to each other equally, but, honestly, the fire service is hard to crack. … and that’s not in the best interest of the patient,” Miller said.

Beyond just training events with your area firemen, there are other ways to build camaraderie.

“Getting to know your fire department doesn’t have to be a formal training, it can be just … make a phone call,” Miller said. Tell the training officer that you cover their area and want to stop by and show what some of your trucks and equipment can do.

“Let them know you can be an asset to them, especially at three in the morning and a minivan full of nuns ran into the back of a cement truck,” Miller said.

“You need a good working relationship with emergency responders, and you do that with introductions, like talking with the chief or a training officer, or doing demos or loaning salvage cars,” Lander said. “When I spoke at the Disaster Conference during the AT Expo last year, one of the things I emphasized to towers was to become an asset and a friend [to firefighters] and become the guy who offers cars to small municipalities … donate some of the cars that you take in as wrecks to let these guys cut them up. It’s very, very difficult for many fire departments today to get new vehicles to cut on.”

That, he said, is an easy way to bridge the gap from the towman’s side.

AT Open Benefits Survivor Fund USAC has joined with American To w m a n magazine to sponsor the annual AT Open Desert Golf Classic at American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas. The outing will be May 11 at the Revere Golf Club in Henderson, Nev., and will benefit the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum’s Survivor Fund.

Reservations are being accepted for golfers who would like to participate. The cost per player is $125 which includes golf fees and lunch.

There will be skills events to test even the most casual golfer in putting and driving competitions. For more information, contact Henri "Doc" Calitri at 800-732-3869, Ext. 220.

32 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

AD INDEX

March 2016

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34 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

To receive free information on products and services from our advertisers go to www.TowExtra.com Page#

Page#

Ginn Carrier & Wrecker Sales 45 Hale Trailer N 69 Hub International 40 Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease 41 I Tow In 46 Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip.

M 67 Landoll Corp.

41 Loganville Ford 19 Manufacturer Express 16 McMahon Truck Center M 69 Miller Industries 2, 3 New England Truckmaster N 70 North American BanCard 7 NRC Industries 31 Nussbaum Equipment 41 OMG National M 68, W 70 OnlineParkingPass 61 Pacific General Insur. Agency M 67 Performance Advantage Co. N 71 Photo Card Specialists 21 PWOF 36, 37 Quick Draw Tarpaulin 24 Recovery Billing 22 Renew Truck Body N 72 Ricky’s Sales & Services S 69 RPM Equipment S 68

Rush Towing Systems Safety Vision Santander Bank SavaCOMM Sava Training Savatech Lift System Savatech Sea Crest Insurance Agency Smyrna Truck Center South California Tow Equipment Specialty Vehicle & Equip. Funding SSTA Sunshine St. Towing Assoc.

SSTA Sunshine St. Towing Assoc.

Sun Country Trailers Tow Industries TowMate Triple K Industries Truck Body Sales Twin Cities Wrecker Sales Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX VTS Systems Winches Inc. World Class Insurance Service Worldwide Equipment WreckMaster Zacklift International

W 72 5 76 52 23 21 51 W 67 S 68 52 15 S 70 53 S 67 W 68 25 32 W 69 M 68 W 68 S 67 S 69 W 67 26, 27 33, 58 75

Dredge Recovery

The recovery crew only had 95’ of land to stage and work; after placing the D-6 dozers, they had 55’ for their rigging layup.

Dale McLaughlin

*The Donnie Cruse Recovery Award is presented by American Towman Magazine and WreckMaster.

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

by Dale McLaughlin Rich’s Towing & Service; Middleburg Heights, Ohio

W

e were contacted by a customer whose dredge was sinking after a sand wall collapsed onto it. The company had orders to fill by the end of the season, which would cost them millions of dollars if the dredge couldn’t be freed.

Company reps and safety personnel, Ohio OSHA reps, insurance reps, crane company personnel and Rich’s Towing all convened to determine a course of action to free the dredge.

The casualty was a 100’ x 40’ sand 38 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

dredge with a 100’ boom and cutting head; weight of the dredge was 560,000 lbs. A sand wall 65’ tall broke away and collapsed unexpectedly onto the boom section of the dredge rendering it inoperable. Due to the sand wall being so unstable, divers weren’t permitted to enter the water to manually dredge the sand away from the boom to free the dredge or even survey the dredge for other operations. Any crane use was discarded due to the sand wall and its stability and length of reach from solid ground.

One option was to cut the boom off, a common practice in these types of incidents; the other was to winch it out from under the sand wall. We were asked to put a recovery plan in place for their safety department to consider.

We surveyed the area and took note of all the machinery that was on site along with all roadways and terrain around the lake where the dredge was stuck. We were able to gain access to the dredge, which had GPS—that gave us the depth of the cutting head along with the angle of the boom. We

by

20-Part Line 2015 Donnie Cruse Recovery Award for Heavy Duty

also looked at the integrity of the dredge and any and all attachment points to see if we could winch off of it without damage to the dredge.

We were also able to see the sand on top of the boom and get a measurement of how far under the water line the sand was, so we could make some calculation based on a few simple measurements.

The Plan We presented our recovery plan three days later. We found that we could access the high wall almost directly behind the dredge, but only with track machines—no rubber-tired vehicle could make it up on top of the wall.

We found a solid piece of ground 95’ wide that was 720’ away from the dredge. Our plan was to run four 11/4” wire rope leaders to the dredge; each leader would have a five-part layup run to it using 3/4” wire rope.

We were able to use two Caterpillar D6 bulldozers for deadmen; with 95’ of

land, the dozers were set as far back as we could get them which left us 55’ to the edge for our layups.

In total, a 20-part line was rigged using all 12-ton snatch blocks and 12ton (and up) shackles. No trucks could access the area, so we used one John Deere excavator and one Link-Belt excavator for our winches. All equipment used was on site and owned by

Equipment Used • Two D-6 Caterpillar bulldozers.

• Link-Belt excavator.

• John Deere excavator.

• Caterpillar skid-steer.

• Four 800’ sections of 1-1/4” wire rope.

• Four 250’ sections of 3/4” wire rope.

• 22 12-ton snatch blocks.

• 26 12-ton shackles.

• Assorted 5/8” Grade 100 chain.

• Five operators to assist in the rigging.

the quarry; the four sections of 1-1/4” wire rope were able to be reused on the ladder of the dredge once we were done with it.

The dozers cut a shelf into the landing where they were set up as deadmen. Both excavators were used in pulling the ropes from the dredge onto the landing, where each one would be rigged with a five-part line using the dozers as deadmen with each dozer holding two of the five part layups and the live end of the rope would be connected to the excavator’s bucket using a floating snatch block between the two live ropes.

It was determined that both machines had approximately the same drawbar pull (46,600 lbs.), which means how much the machine can pull by tracks only given the terrain it is on.

Research was done to determine at what force wet sand fractures or separates. The term shear strength is used when talking about the fracturing of sand, wet or dry; this includes fric-

The recovery team was able to gather measurements and figure out attachment points and determined that they could winch the dredge backwards and free it from the sand.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 39

They had to ensure that the D-6 dozers could provide the anchorability required, so they dug them into the surface to create mire resistance.

tional resistance and a cohesion factor among the sand particles.

It was determined that .30 would be the multiplier that would fracture the sand particles at a depth of 40’ with a slope of approximately 40 degrees on the boom. It was determined that each machine would have to pull approximately 25,920 lbs. at each of the floating snatch blocks; there was also a certain amount of frictional resistance at each snatch block that was hard to determine due to the amount of dirt that built up in each block. We were set up to make a pull of 259,200 lbs., but could achieve a much greater pull if necessary.

The dredge was winched backward in 5’ increments so that we could watch the dredge closely for possible failures at any of the connections points; it also gave us time to watch over the excavators because they would have to travel at a rate of 5 to 1. So for every 5’ of layup travel, the excavator would have to travel 25’ backwards. After our third pull, the ladder on the dredge was freed and the dredge was able to be moved under its own power.

40 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 41

Reflections on Towing Career, Training

O

n the eve of my 52nd birthday, I was reflecting on my career in towing and recovery—as an employee, manager and owner—and its many highs and lows. I’ve been fortunate over the last 30 years to have been trained and certified by some of the great leaders in the industry, including Dave Jones, Ross Kinman, Joe Soroga, Tom Luciano, Donnie Cruse and Terry Humelsine, to name a few.

I realized at an early age that training and education would set me apart from my competitors, and I was always eager to learn and embrace new ideas and concepts. I sought out training and education to help make me a professional in my industry.

Training, education and certification were always key to my success.

Some of towing’s pioneers also realized the importance of training and education, and took it upon themselves to train the future generations of operators. They unselfishly passed on their knowledge to those who would embrace it.

Now, like always, there is a whole new generation of towmen out there that need the help, knowledge and experience from those who possess it.

There are many things that both companies and individuals can do to increase their knowledge and training.

Staff Training One of the easiest and most cost effective ways a company can train operators and other staff is through inhouse training. Training in-house can be done whenever is the most practical for a company. It’s a great way to train new employees in your company’s standard operating procedures; another benefit is the opportunity to practice a recovery technique in pri42 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

by Frank Sanchez

This cross-training in New Jersey with Big Rig Rescue exposed first responders to the equipment and capabilities of some local tow companies. Training and education will improve a workforce by creating smarter, safer employees.

vate before it’s done in public.

As a boss, one of the things I liked about doing in-house training was the opportunity to go over my equipment and check for missing or worn out parts. It also gave me the opportunity to put things back where they belonged, fill up on consumables, wind and lubricate the wire rope properly, etc. (Organized, neat equipment will help you work more efficiently and look more professional.)

There are several inexpensive training videos from TRAA and WreckMaster that can aid in-house training. They can be viewed together as a company or individually before or

after the training session. It’s best to establish training goals, and a plan to achieve them, before you set in-house training in motion.

Cross-training Another cost-effective method to train and educate employees and also promote your company is to get together with your local fire and police departments and offer cross-training events. You will find that your local first responders and emergency departments will greet these opportunities to train together with open arms.

These cross-training events can be done easily and inexpensively with

just a couple of junk cars that can be set up in various scenarios.

These events and opportunities can not only help train and educate your employees and responders, but also help develop a closer relationship with your first responders and local community. This is another great way to practice new recovery techniques before they are performed in public.

If you perform heavy-duty recovery, you may be surprised how eager your local fire and rescue departments will be to practice a rolled-over truck or cement mixer. They usually don’t have access to larger casualties, so it’s a great opportunity for them to practice with tools and equipment that they don’t use very often (like air cushions).

Cross-training also is an excellent way to show your fire, rescue and police departments a new or unfamiliar piece of equipment they may not know you have. When they are on a scene, knowing what capabilities you have is more likely to get you a call to assist since they already know you have the right equipment and a demonstrated working relationship with them.

of the class, or help pay for a portion.

Company owners should embrace training and education as a way to improve their workforce with smarter and safer employees. They will also see it as a way to lower possible damage claims, and increase professionalism on the streets. Your law enforcement and fire and rescue departments will also give your company more respect knowing employees are properly trained and certified.

Certification is one of the best ways to help market your company and employees. You may even see

your workforce work more efficiently, which will help profits.

Lifelong Learning Even for you seasoned professionals there is always something new to learn, so take that training class. Over the years I have sat in on many entrylevel training classes, and I can emphasize that I learned something new in every class (whether it from an instructor or fellow classmate).

If you are a seasoned professional, then put your money where your mouth is and step up to get certified;

Certification Certify yourself! There are many nationally recognized programs out there to chose from; some offer training and certification, and some offer certification only. If you are new to the industry, a hands-on class that offers testing after the training session is recommended.

If you have been working lightduty vehicles for a time and are looking to step up to medium- or heavy-duty towing, but don’t know where to begin, then certainly a handson training class with certification is a great place to start (and a great way to show your boss you are ready to take the next step).

I have heard many operators say, “My boss is cheap, and won’t pay for training.” I say it’s a small price for you to pay if you truly wish to advance your own career and professionalism. As an employee, when I brought training opportunities to my bosses, they were usually receptive to the idea and willing to cover the cost Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 43

prove to your peers and your customers that you have the knowledge and experience with your certification.

You may even gain a newfound respect from them. Don’t be afraid to show that you are a proud and professional towman.

Seasoned professionals also have an obligation to help the next generation by passing on their knowledge and experience to co-workers and peers.

Show them how training, education and certification can be the cornerstone of professional towing and recovery.

Attend an industry trade show.

American Towman puts on three shows every year, and recognizes the need for continual training and education of towmen at every level. Make time to attend one or all of them in 2016 in Las Vegas, Nev., May 11-13; Dallas, Texas, Aug. 4-6; and Baltimore, Md., (the Monster Tow Show!) Nov. 18-20. Check out towshow.com for more information on each event. AT is the host of cutting edge seminars and conferences to help educate and train the whole of the industry.

44 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Miller Industries’ Tom Luciano leads a recovery critique/training session at the American Towman Expo in Baltimore, Md. Attend an industry trade show as much for the networking as access to cutting edge seminars and conferences.

I hope my reflections help some of you to take the initiative this year to advance your education, training and certification. To move your company in a better, safer and more professional direction, take the initiative to train a new generation of towmen.

About the author Frank Sanchez was American Towman’s 2011 Towman of the Year, 2012 WreckMaster Top 10, and is WreckMaster 6/7 and TRAA Level 3 certified. He co-authored the “Sanchez Paper” blueprint for towers dealing with municipalities and won two Donnie Cruse Recovery Awards for Medium Duty.

Jerr-Dan Tow Performance Calculator Jerr‐Dan Corp., an Oshkosh Corp.

Co., introduced its Tow Performance Calculator, jerrdan.com/tow‐performancecalculator, to help tow professionals optimize their vehicles to meet the specific performance and application demands of their business.

This tool guides tow professionals

through a series of vehicle‐specific questions, including axle configuration and weight, wheelbase length and overhang length to determine if the tow truck configuration will perform with the application casualty in‐tow. By defining the optimum specifications of each tow vehicle, customers are able to maximize their purchase investment by ensuring their unit is designed to go the distance.

“The Jerr‐Dan Tow Performance Calculator takes the guesswork out of the vehicle build process and allows our customers to strike that perfect balance between price and performance,” said Shane Coleman, Jerr‐Dan HeavyDuty Product Manager.

Specialty Vehicle’s ‘Art’ Podrang Passes Arvo “Art” Podrang, Senior Credit Manager at Specialty Vehicle & Equipment Funding, died Jan. 26.

He was 66. Specialty Vehicle said his assistance in the launch and growth of the business was invaluable with his decades of commercial credit experience.

Art’s tenure in the automobile financing business extended back to 1970 when he joined Marine Midland Bank, where his responsibilities grew to encompass the approval of retail finance business, overseeing $50 million in dealer floor plan finance and management of the collection process.

Art had been involved with the National Vehicle Leasing Association since 1992 and became a Certified Vehicle Leasing Executive in 2000. Art leaves behind his wife of more than 40 years, Joan; three children and seven grandchildren.

Trail-Eze Supports Survivor Fund Trail-Eze Trailers (traileze.com) started an account to contribute to the Survivor Fund from every trailer sold to a towing-industry company.

“Being a family-owned company like a lot of towing companies, [TrailEze] believes the Survivor Fund Program is an excellent program developed to provide immediate financial support to the families of the men and women who have lost their lives in the line of service in the Towing Industry,” a company release stated.

The account will include all units sold through the company’s dealers to tow companies.

46 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

USAC/MD

International HX Series for Severe Duty International Truck recently launched its HX Series, a new line of Class 8 vocational trucks for the severe service industry. This is the first all-new vehicle introduced by International Truck since 2010. The new HX (InternationalTrucks.com/HXSeries) will replace the PayStar model.

“The design of our new HX Series is based on indepth discussions with leading users of severe service applications,” said Bill Kozek, president, Truck and Parts, Navistar Inc. Four HX Series models will be offered, with both set-forward and set-back front axle models in either short or long hood, depending on the application.

The HX515 and the HX615 models are powered by Navistar N13 engines, while the HX520 and HX620 models offer the Cummins ISX15 engine.

International is taking orders for this vehicle immediately to be delivered this spring.

TowShow.com

52 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

TIMELINE: Towing’s 100 Years R

esearching the history of the towing industry is a rigorous process, following individuals, pioneers, innovators and entrepreneurs who've makred this trade at every turn with advancements in towing technique, wreckers, and systems.

The emergency road service industry 100 years ago is born of necessity, never stops innovating, and falls in sync with the technology age.

The industry has had plenty of intrique with patent disputes and mergers, breakthroughs with needed product or services, and many attemps to organize an industry that is segregated by its own competitive culture.

Since Earnest Holmes engineered the first tow truck towing was very

1883

1902

1910

1916

1920

1944

Cheever’s blacksmith shop, founded in DeMotte, Ind., is the oldest towing company of record on American Towman’s “Towman 500” list. It evolved into an auto repair shop and “towing” records from as early as 1900 detail “horseless carriages” being pulled to the garage by horse and buggy. They still operate today from the original locale.

AAA was founded to lobby for driver’s rights and safer roads and vehicles. Emergency road services (non-towing), provided by motorcycle fleet, began in 1915.

Weaver Manufacturing Co. established in Springfield, Ill., to build garage equipment, including the Weaver Auto Crane in 1915.

Ernest Holmes Co. begins building splitboom wreckers from his repair shop in Chattanooga, Tenn. An early carrier model would follow a year later. (For more on Ernest Holmes’ tremendous influence on the towing and recovery industry, read our cover story in the January 2016 issue of AT.)

Manley Manufacturing Co. first listed in York, Pa., city directory. The Manley Auto Wrecking Crane was an early competitor of Holmes.

Holmes W45 twin-boom wreckers on Diamond T trucks were essential to the rapid advance of U.S. Gen. Patton’s Red Ball Express convoy that supplied the front lines advancing into Germany.

Advertiser’s Timeline 1903 Ford Motor Company 1920 Savatech Corp.

1922 Ginn Motor Co.

1942 1947 1952

McMahon Truck Center Chase Insurance Agency Smyrna Truck & Cargo

1957 1959 1961

Nussbaum Equipment Equipment Sales & Service Loganville Ford

1949

much tied to the automotive repair industry. As the repair market changed, so did towing, and independent towing operations began to flourish, comprising at least one third of the industry today.

This timeline is a glimpse of what happened across the century to shape the towing industry to this day.

1959

Early 1960s

1966

1968

The Michigan Towing Association is the first state association; next is California in 1969, and Massachusetts in 1970.

Recovery trainer Bill Jackson develops air cushions in the U.K. and founds Wreckers International; he brought them stateside before long. Today’s air cushion market is dominated by MatJack and Savatech. Jackson later pioneers recovery training, followed by Ross Kinman, spawning other trainers like Tom Luciano and Donnie Cruse.

Chevron Inc. began manufacturing car carriers in Mercer, Pa.

Bernie Alm expands Vulcan Equipment line of tire machines and garage equipment with light-duty towing equipment for pick-ups; patents the Cradle Snatcher in 1973.

WeldBuilt established in 1949; patents straight-armed wheel lift in 1962 and is selling its wheel lifts by 1986.

1963 1966 1966

by Brendan Dooley

Landoll Corp.

Akins Body & Carrier Sales.

Don Jackson Comm. & Fleet Sales

1970 1972 1973

Utility Trailer Sales Southeast Texas, Inc. Ricky's Sales & Service Danco Products

1975 1975 1975

ComeUp USA Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel NRC Industries

1970

1972

1973

1974

1975

1977

1979

1980

1982

Quick Service Welding Co. (founded in 1963; incorporated as Landoll Corp. in 1975) creates and patents traveling-axle groundloading trailer.

Jerr-Dan founded by Jerry Pool and Dan Reynolds in Md., to build light-duty tow trucks and carriers in Greencastle, Pa.

Dan Reynolds breaks away from Jerr-Dan to found Danco in 1973.

Century Wreckers founded by Ernest Holmes’ grandson, Gerald Holmes, in Ooltewah, Tenn., to produce hydraulic equipment, and pioneered the single-boom, twin-winch 402 model.

Bill Bottoms begins Challenger Wrecker building heavy-duty wreckers; and the first heavy-duty rotator in 1987. He later starts B&B Industries in 1987.

American Towman, towing's first magazine, is published by N.J. Tower Arnold Polizzi.

NRC Industries founded by Norbert Pigeon in Quebec, Canada; gets first U.S. patent for a hydraulic wheel lift. First with an underlift on a heavy-duty wrecker in 1984; introduced the sliding rotator in 1992.

The Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida is formed in May; in August, hosts its first tow show in Orlando.

Towing and Recovery Association of America is founded by several large tow company owners across the country led by lawyer John Hawkins II. Women’s Towing and Recovery Association sprung off from it in 1981.

American Towman publishes the 1980 Towing Price Guide as an industry-wide reference for towing. Rates for a “normal tow procedure,” i.e. not a recovery scenario, include $35/hour from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and $45/hour from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. for light-duty towing. Heavy-duty tow only rates per hour range from $150/hour to $750/hour, from just tractors up to full rigs.

Trucking Magazine publishers Henri "Doc" and Steve Calitri buy American Towman Magazine. Doc sells his co' shares to Steve in 1987, then returns to AT in 2001 with the goal of expanding shows and events to more cities.

Dover Corp. buys Holmes.

The Statewide Towing Association (Mass.) hosts the first state association tow show and driver competition at the Northampton Fairgrounds.

Advertiser’s Timeline 1977 Austin Hinds Motors 1977 Pacific General Insur.Agency 1977 PWOF / Florida Tow Show

54 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

1978 1978 1980

Twin Cities Wrecker Sales Quick Draw Tarpaulin System ESTRA / Empire State Tow & Rec. Assoc.

1981 1981 1981

R.P.M. Equipment SATA / DanAm Winches Inc.

1981 1983 1983

Zacklift International Inc. Dynamic Towing Equip. & Mfg. I Tow In

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

1985 1986 1986

TowMate Access Tools Intek Truck Eq. Finance & Lease

1986 1986 1986

Photo Card Specialists Sun Country Trailers Tow Industries

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 55

1983

1986

1987

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

Dyanmic Manufacturing’s Calvin Russ and Dave Craze design and patent the Self-Loading Wheel-Lift system. (Dynamic was founded in 1982; acquired by Anthony Gentile in 2004.)

The Eagle Claw self-loader is also patented and brought to market around this time. The Peterson Scoop is patented. WeldBuilt was building a wrecker with a wheel-lift concept as well. Century patents the L-arm, which becomes a standard bearer. Within two years, all the wrecker manufacturers are building wheel lifts.

Emergency Road Service Inc. (now defunct) and Cross Country Motor Club (now Agero) begin establishing roadside assistance plans directly with auto manufacturers, tying road service to new car warranties.

The United States Postal Service issues an 8.5-cent stamp commemorating the tow truck as an integral part of the federal transportation system.

Steve Calitri takes control of AT magazine and begins expansion to 12 monthly issues and planning an industry exposition.

Miller Group acquires Century, Challenger, Holmes and manufacturing/marketing rights to the self-loading Eagle Claw; the company goes public in an IPO as Miller Industries in 1994.

Donnie Cruse founds WreckMaster to train the industry for more efficient, professional recoveries. His brother Ken and Terry Humelsine completed the nucleus of the training organization.

American Towman hosts summit of motor-club executives and tow industry leaders in Atlantic City, N.J., to improve working relationships moderated by AT’s Steve Calitri. A Road Service Commission was formed that was the first of its kind to try to iron out issues between motor clubs and service providers.

AT Expo adds the coveted ACE awards, honoring towers’ service reliability; it was the first national motor club award.

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame inducts its first class that includes Ernest Holmes Jr. and Sr. and Donnie Cruse.

Towers are finally recognized for their heroic acts with the American Towman medal when AT creates its first American Towman Exposition in Baltimore, Md. AT also honors the Towman 500, the Most Experienced Towmen in America. The Exposition spawns the industy’s first educational forum, the American Towman Academy. AT Expo is a hit its first year and goes on a 27-year run as the world’s largest towing event.

1991 1991 1993

1995 1995 1995

Advertiser’s Timeline 1987 Chevron Commercial 1988 B&Z Sales 1989 Crouch’s Wrecker & Equip. Sales

1995

1996

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum establishes first “permanent” home in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn., after a decade on a mobile trailer traveling to regional tow shows; moves to current location in 2003.

American Towman Online, the industry’s first daily news site online, launches.

A landmark Supreme Court case brought by tow boss Jack Gratzianna, O’Hare’s Towing v. Northlake, Ill., deals a blow to political patronage for city contractors.

Advertiser’s Timeline 1998 Big Tows 1998 Elizabeth Truck Center 1998 Hub International

2004

2005

Oshkosh Truck Corp. acquires Jerr-Dan from Littlejohn & Co., a private-equity firm in Connecticut. (Jerr-Dan was previously purchased in 1985 by Durakon Industries, which was acquired

by Littlejohn in 1999).

American Towman names John Borowski the first “Towman of the Year.”

Dual-Tech acquires Nomar; continues manufacture of OEM Nomar parts.

56 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

1989 1989 1990

OMG National Sea Crest Insurance Agency, Inc. Dual-Tech

1990 1990 1990

Miller Industries Performance Advantage Company Truck Body Sales

Miller Industries acquires Vulcan Equipment, Jige (France) and Boniface Engineering (U.K.)

Consolidating towing services is attempted by several companies, including RoadOne United Road Services, Centerline Towing, 1-800-AutoTow and Tow America. Allstate Insurance attempts to Jerr-Dan becomes a full-line franchise towing services nationwide. manufacturer with the All attempts inevitably failed. acquisition of heavy-duty wrecker builder DeWalt.

Miller acquires carrier manufacturer Chevron Inc., keeps plant operating in Mercer, Pa. First move-over law is The Towman Bill of Rights is created by passed in South Carolina.

World Class Insurance Service G. Stone Motors AutoReturn

2006

The Wall of the Fallen memorial, funded by the Miller Family Foundation, is dedicated at the towing museum in Chattanooga with the first 94 names inscripted in 2007. Survivor Fund started to help the families of fallen towers.

Dangelo’s Custom Built Manufacturing begins building heavyduty wreckers in 2006.

2002 2002 2004

American Towman and the National Towing Alliance. Towers line up nonstop for three days at the AT Expo to sign the document. In 2001, industry leaders from England, France, Germany and Poland add their signatures.

Cross Country is first motor club to institute a flat rate; $35 per tow within 15 mile radius.

Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip. Co. New England Truckmaster Worldwide Equipment Sales

Spurred by industry leaders and motor club execs, American Towman creates the first industry standards program, American Towman Standards Authority. The program was updated and revised to a 5-star top rating in 2012.

The Texas Tow Expo is started by Tommy Anderson in Parker, Texas;

2008 2009 2009 2010

in 2003, the show partnered with American Towman magazine and would become Tow Expo International.

Traffic control as a revenue source is pioneered by Bruce Campbell and Standish Towing and Recovery Ltd., in Alberta, Canada; it was spun off as its own company, Standish Traffic, in 2000.

Manufacturer Express Recovery Billing Rush Towing Systems Florida Wrecker Sales

2010 2011 2012

1996 1996 1997

Santander Bank Southern California Tow Equip.

Triple K Industries

1998

1997

2000 2001 2002

Austin Insurance Inc. WreckMaster Safety Vision

Dual-Tech incorporates.

Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales VTS Systems Advantage Funding

1999

2002

American Towman creates the world’s first monument honoring the towman. The bronze “Towman Monument” depicts a heroic scene.

AT Expo attendees view it every year in Baltimore.

American Towman commissions the immense mural, “Lifelines: The Towing Industry on Canvas.”

It spans a city block and is dedicated to towmen.

North American BanCard OnlineParkingPass.com CRASHFILM

Donnie Cruse, wife Mary, daughter Shannon and granddaughter Shaniya were tragically murdered on June 15. The annual Donnie Cruse Memorial Recovery Awards

2012 2013 2015

Detroit Wrecker Sales manufacuterers the Low-Loader.

honoring his legacy began in 2003.

AutoReturn becomes the first towing management and logistics company to manage towing dispatch and rotation for a city (San Francisco), over time growing to administer dispatch for nine major U.S. cities.

Metro Tow Trucks begins manufacturing wreckers.

Specialty Vehicle Funding SSTA Sunshine St. Towing Assoc.

Renew Truck Body

2008

2010

2011

2012

2013

2015

“Wrecked,” debuts on cable TV’s Speed channel. A reality series covering O’Hare Towing and the Gratzianna family in Chicago, Ill.

Accident remediation as a separate revenue stream is pioneered at Hampshire Towing in South Hadley, Mass., developed by Bill Johnson and John Borowski.

Tow Industry Week and American Towman TV, hosted by Emily Oz, debut online.

The Towman Ballad, “The Road Calls,” debuts. It champions the dedication of the everyday tower who rises to heroism; it was written by Steve Calitri and composed

by Calitri and Mike Corbin. They would follow with a memorial ballad, “Booms in the Sky,” in 2015.

American Towman and Tow Industry Week create a week of educational conferences named Tow Industry Week which also features manufacturer and supplier exhibits at the American Towman ShowPlace—Las Vegas.

Statewide Towing Association creates the Towing Traffic Incident Reporting System, a national, online, voluntary reporting site to report struck-by and near-miss events involving tow operator safety.

The Towman Chopper, “Hero,” debuts in Baltimore; it’s the world’s first towing-themed motorcycle.

Wyoming becomes 48th state to add towmen to its Move Over law; only Louisiana and New Mexico remain without this addition as of press time.

“Highway Thru Hell,” a Canadian reality TV series debuts on Canadian cable TV’s Discovery. The series follows Jamie Davis Motor Truck in Hope, British Columbia. It debuted in the U.S. in 2013.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 57

58 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Repos Up, Forwarders Down

U

pbeat is the motto for this month’s column, especially since it appears the majority of the repossession agencies I speak to are busy picking up cars and turning a profit. It is a long time coming.

If you are not in the repossession business (or a professor of economics), you probably don’t have a clue about why repossessions are on the rise. If you believe repossessors are busier in a poor economy, you’re wrong; the very opposite is true. Banks and finance companies have finally opened the floodgates and have started to loan money again. The more paper they write, the more money loaned equates to more repossessions.

The Wall Street Journal reported that 2015 was a record year for automobile sales. In all, automakers sold 17.5 million

60 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

cars and light trucks in the U.S. last year.

Americans overall spent about $570 billion on new rides—fueling an industry revival that is putting more money in the pockets of auto workers, dealers, executives … and repossessors. The WSJ also reported, with gas hovering around $2 a gallon nationwide and credit plentiful, automakers are projecting a continuation of the robust demand for higher-margin pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles again fattening their bottom lines. Kelley Blue Book stated these larger vehicles account for more than half of U.S. sales, pushing the average transaction price to $34,428.

With lenders financing this many auto loans, not all of the deals were sold to customers with an excellent credit score. This is where the subprime lenders

by Mark Lacek

come in. More than $110 billion of auto loans have been originated to borrowers with credit scores below 660, the bottom cutoff for having a credit score generally considered “good,” according to a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Of that sum, about $70 billion went to borrowers with credit scores below 620, scores that are considered “bad.” A new car can be purchased by a consumer with a credit score lower than 620, but usually requires a co-signer with a significantly higher score. It is expected a percentage of the $110 billion will become loans that will require the services of a certified repossessor.

The facts speak for themselves: There are more and more auto loans going bad, because of lower restrictions on both new and used car loans and the record amount of sales. Everyone I spoke to agrees the lenders will need more certified repossessors than ever before, and the professional repossessors are ready to answer the call. Joe Taylor from the Recovery Industry Services Co. (riscus.com) noticed a 20-percent increase in sales of training programs in the last three months. RISC is dedicated to the professional training and certification of collateral recovery specialists. RISC offers the CARS certification program, considered the most comprehensive automobile repossession certification program available.

The national rise in auto sales is not the only reason for the increase in volume the repossession agencies are experiencing. A large part of the increase has to do with the overall performance, or actually the lack of performance, of the repossession forwarding companies.

Over the last 10 years, these middleman/forwarding companies have taken over the repossession assignments from the lenders. For about 15 years, assignment-forwarding companies like PAR North America have courted the auto lender into sending all repo assignments to them. PAR quickly grew into a multi-

million-dollar company from their beginnings in 1992. Since then, more than 100 forwarding companies have emerged in the repo field. Now forwarding companies are competing with each other, creating a price war among the forwarding service providers. As the competition forced recovery fees down, forwarders were forced to utilize the repo companies based on the lowest fees instead of the quality of service.

Suddenly, the best, most successful repossession agencies were not getting the assignments. (Not a single forwarding agency will agree with this statement, but just about every repossession company would.)

Assignment forwarders who hire less professional and/or lower qualified agencies, place themselves and their client in a vulnerable position. Recovery percentages of higher than 90 percent fell to less than 55 percent. This drop in productivity was noticed by the automobile lender. Suddenly, the lender has been unable to recover delinquent accounts and the forwarders were failing to hold true to their promises.

Another problem since the rise of the forwarder is the increase in the number of wrongful repossession lawsuits in the news; I was hired as an expert witness on no less than a dozen repossession lawsuits in 2015. (As I write this, I have five open repossession lawsuit cases sitting on my desk.) More than one of these lawsuits has a death of a consumer involved.

Many auto lenders, including the subprime lenders, are going back to the direct relationship with the recovery agency. Lenders understand and are now rebuilding past relationships, and new ones, with the professional certified repossession agents and agencies.

I said this would be an upbeat column. The writing is on the wall, and the news isn’t good for the forwarder. The life expectancy of the repossessionassignment forwarder is becoming short. It was just a matter of time until the lenders would return to the direct relationship with the repossessor. So the good news is two-fold: A record year for automobile sales, and the automobilelending community rebuilding direct relationships with repossession agencies. Huzzah!

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

During the year I make sure to attend a number of repossession conferences and conventions. I especially look forward to the North American Repossessors Summit every year. This year the NARS conference will be in Irving, Texas, April 14-15 (reposummit.com). Unlike other repossession events, attendees are not required to be members of any repossession association. To attend the NARS Summit, signing up and paying the attendance fee is all that is necessary to attend.

The repossession industry is finally back in the hands of the repossessors.

This year at the Summit, I expect to see more suppliers of products and services than ever. I am so looking forward to a safe and prosperous year for all of my repossession brothers and sisters. Look for me in Texas in April. Be safe.

Repo Editor Mark Lacek has more than 30 years of recovery experience and is the former editor of “Professional Repossessor” magazine. Email him at Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 61

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62 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 63

Versatile DTU Beauty

B

ill’s Service of Stamford has been serving the Stamford, Conn., region for more than 50 years. The company is currently run by father Bill Parker Jr. and sons Jimmy and Billy III. Bill’s grandfather started the towing business in 1950.

Bill’s is a family-owned towing and recovery operation in every sense of the phrase. More than threequarters of the employees are related and anyone that knows them, or has had the pleasure of meeting them at the AT Expo, sees that they are a close family both in and out of the office.

The brothers, cousins, uncles and crew joke, laugh and argue, just like any other family, but are always on their game when it comes to the business of towing and recovery.

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

Tech Highlights Chassis: 2016 Peterbilt 389.

Wrecker: 2016 Holmes DTU Generation II. Engine: 600 Cummins.

Trans: Eaton-Fuller 18-speed.

Wheelbase: 300”.

Winches: 25-ton.

Builder: Dave Hargrove, Matheny Motors.

Extras: LEDs. Graphics: Wraps Graphics of Fredericksburg, Va.

“It’s not just a job; it’s our everyday life,” said Billy III. They have a versatile fleet of award-winning trucks that can handle everything from light-, medium- and heavy-duty towing and hauling to extreme recovery. Bill’s Auto Body also is on the premises and is where he and his crew work on all types of vehicles. Dave Hargrove at Matheny Motors in Woodbridge, Va., built this newest addition to their fleet.

“We are always looking to upgrade and add to our fleet’s capabilities and this truck was a perfect fit. Dave did a great job,” said Billy III. This 2016 Peterbilt 389 has a 300” wheelbase and is powered by a 600 Cummins engine mated to an 18speed Eaton-Fuller transmission. On the business end is a 2016 Holmes DTU (Detachable Towing Unit) Generation II. The Gen. II has been redesigned to decrease rear overhang

by 10”, increase front axle weight and improve towability. The Generation II DTU is a fifth-wheel towing attachment with an adjustable mounting bracket that accommodates different plate heights. This unit can be detached from the rig in minutes so the truck can be multi-functional for both towing and pulling trailers. This rig has the optional 25,000-lbs. planetary winch with remote.

“I wanted a new six-wheeler, but this DTU was less expensive and is a lot more versatile,” Jimmy said. “It’s a tractor and a towing unit all in one.

Handles great. I can turn it loaded without any problems. I get more use out of it than I would with a sixwheeler.”

LEDs, chrome and polished aluminum tastefully adorn this rig and Razors Wraps Graphics in Fredericksburg, Va., did the purple/pink flame wrap. Razor Graphics has been doing vinyl graphics and paint on cars, boats, trucks and trailers for many years and are a 3M-certified installation center.

This unit is a great addition to Bill’s award-winning fleet, whose rigs have taken home many pageant trophies from the American Wrecker Pageant at the American Towman Expo in Baltimore, Md., over the years.

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. He writes weekly for TowIndustryWeek.com.

64 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the Passenger Side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • 65

These Guys Have Fun

by Steve Calitri

R

ecovery has always appeared to be the most interesting and challenging aspect of towing. It’s problem-solving, pure and simple. Towers get hooked on this work and stay in the industry because of it. There’s a special pride in being a recovery specialist. It’s one of the reasons for WreckMaster’s success as an organization that trains and certifies towers in towing and recovery. Becoming WreckMaster-certified fuels the inherent pride of the recovery specialist and makes him one of the elite, as is the case of an Army Ranger or a Navy Seal.

When these guys get together there’s moment of camaraderie that is unparalleled. Only those moments are not often enough; perhaps taking the next level WreckMaster class, running into WreckMasters at a tow show, or attending the Donnie Cruse Memorial Recovery Luncheon in Baltimore provides a time to get together and swap war stories, maybe have a beer and grow a friendship.

All the good reasons for getting together was the impetus of the WreckMaster National Convention taking place during Tow Industry Week in Las Vegas, May 11-13. WreckMasters are hungry for such a get-together.

“It’s not just the higher level WreckMasters who want this,” said WreckMaster President Justin Cruse. “Newly trained towers in the 2/3 curriculum are just as enthusiastic for the Convention.”

The WreckMaster Convention is open to all certified WreckMasters. The Convention will introduce new equipment critical to recovery work, along with the new WreckMaster App, which calculates load and force factors on the job. Those attending will have the app downloaded onto their smartphones, the normal charge waived, and using the app will be demonstrated.

66 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Seminar sessions will cover: Billing, including a template invoice and an examination of line items; Leveraging Your WreckMaster Certification with employee retention and commercial account development; Networking with Trucking and Insurance agents; and In-house Training Initiatives.

The Convention is focused on elevating business success by leveraging the value of being a WreckMaster.

Actually, if there wasn’t any formal program to the Convention, many WreckMasters would show up anyway, just to be among other WreckMasters.

It’s akin to being in the ditch with others who share a passion and love to talk recovery.

Those buying into the WreckMaster Convention at $195 a pop will have the option of coming early and participating in the HD Recovery Training ($595) in the South Point Hotel & Casino’s Arena, which includes rotator training. WreckMaster Conventioneers will also be able to attend several American Towman Seminars, at no extra charge.

The WreckMaster Convention is one of six educational Conferences taking place during Tow Industry Week.

All attending will have plenty of opportunity to attend the exhibits at the American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas inside the South Point Convention Center.

By the way, Tow Industry Week, American Towman’s online news site, recently added a daily news component called Tow Industry Today. Many have remarked how intense TIW is with its weekly fare of news business and recovery articles. Well, it has just upped the ante, editing the news we think you need to know as a tow business owner.

This same intensity will be found in Las Vegas at the South Point in May.

Keeping abreast of daily news pertaining to towing is akin to meeting each morning with several industry peers to share notes on important issues. That of course would take up some valuable time.

That's why American Towman Magazine began dishing out daily news on the Front Page of TowIndustryWeek.com last month. One recent item had to do with the effects synthetic marijuana is having on motorists. One can easily imagine how one tow boss could be telling another about such news as a warning in regards to their own tow operators. The same result of sharing important news is now achieved daily through TIW over a cup of coffee in but a few minutes.

Meanwhile TIW continues to run its weekly news roundup, items selected for their importance and edited for quick reading.

Terry Humelsine

If you missed Emily Oz reporting on Terry Humelsine receiving WreckMaster of the Year, you can still see it up at TIW on the American Towman TV page, along with other recent features such as AutoReturn's expansion into Austin, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada.

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NORTH 68 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

NORTH 70 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Bill Addresses Towing in Ohio Towmen in Ohio need to keep an eye on House Bill 341, according to both the Towing & Recovery Association of Ohio and the Association of Professional Towers-Ohio. In separate releases, each advised its members about the advances of HB 341 and the changes it could place on the industry, including: Major changes to civil penalties that can be charged against towers.

•An easier, quicker manner to process a “for destruction only” title.

•Private Tow Away Zone fee changes and requirements for hours of operation of storage facilities.

•It will address existing towing and storage fees, thus granting PUCO the authority to review those fees every five years and increase those fees based on the consumer price index.

•Will establish permissible fees that towers can charge for the retrieval of personal items from a vehicle after business hours.

‘Ice Car’ Freed

by Towing Crew An “ice car” frozen in a parking space by waves from Lake Erie is defrosting at an auto shop while part of its ice shell remained a memorial.

The Mitsubishi Lancer was frozen in place for three days after it was parked overnight at a Hamburg, N.Y., restaurant and Lake Erie waves created a shell of ice. It was finally broken free by a towing company crew and taken to West Herr Collision Center in Hamburg to defrost.

Lenny Iwanenko, president of Lake Erie Towing & Recovery, said his crew used calcium flakes to weaken the ice shell so it could be pulled out by a tow truck.

“I’ve been in business 28 years, never seen anything like this,” Iwanenko told the Buffalo News. “This is amazing.”

Source: bignewsnetwork.com.

NORTH 72 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Copyright 2016 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

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • SOUTH 67

SOUTH 68 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • SOUTH 69

Bill Addresses Towing in Ohio Towmen in Ohio need to keep an eye on House Bill 341, according to both the Towing & Recovery Association of Ohio and the Association of Professional Towers-Ohio. In separate releases, each advised its members about the advances of HB 341 and the changes it could place on the industry, including: Major changes to civil penalties that can be charged against towers.

•An easier, quicker manner to process a “for destruction only” title.

•Private Tow Away Zone fee changes and requirements for hours of operation of storage facilities.

•It will address existing towing and storage fees, thus granting PUCO the authority to review those fees every five years and increase those fees based on the consumer price index.

•Will establish permissible fees that towers can charge for the retrieval of personal items from a vehicle after business hours.

‘Ice Car’ Freed

by Towing Crew An “ice car” frozen in a parking space by waves from Lake Erie is defrosting at an auto shop while part of its ice shell remained a memorial.

The Mitsubishi Lancer was frozen in place for three days after it was parked overnight at a Hamburg, N.Y., restaurant and Lake Erie waves created a shell of ice. It was finally broken free by a towing company crew and taken to West Herr Collision Center in Hamburg to defrost.

Lenny Iwanenko, president of Lake Erie Towing & Recovery, said his crew used calcium flakes to weaken the ice shell so it could be pulled out by a tow truck.

“I’ve been in business 28 years, never seen anything like this,” Iwanenko told the Buffalo News. “This is amazing.”

Source: bignewsnetwork.com.

SOUTH 70 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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Quickly unlock vehicle doors without causing any damage with the right long reach tools. You'll be to handle all your lock outs with ourlong reach car opening tools.

Sun Country Trailers' 3 ft flipper extensions create the extra space that could make all the difference. Retails at $300 - Don’t leave a car behind!

DriverLocate dash-cams are a great way to record any incidents that might threaten your business such as speeding, accidents and safety.

The hardwired DL2500 gives you the ability to monitor many of your vehicle’s functions with alerts from 1 to 5 minutes.

Southern California Tow Eq.

Sun Country Trailers

Worldwide Equipment

Worldwide Equipment

800-400-8085

602-268-6406

815-725-4400

815-725-4400

Anaheim, CA www.towequipments.com

Phoenix, AZ www.suncountrytrailers.com

Rockdale, IL DriverLocate.com

Rockdale, IL DriverLocate.com

Whelen Justice Towman LED Lightbar with Stop Turn Tail and Work Lights JFOBAAAA $995.

Ricky's Sales & Service

Custom Fabricated Steel Dolly Mounts. Made to fit your truck's head rack, Call for special pricing.

978-534-0120

R.P.M. Equipment

Leominster, MA. www.rickystow.com & rickstrucks.com

Houston, TX www.wreckercapitol.com

281-590-1494

SOUTH 72 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Bill Addresses Towing in Ohio Towmen in Ohio need to keep an eye on House Bill 341, according to both the Towing & Recovery Association of Ohio and the Association of Professional Towers-Ohio. In separate releases, each advised its members about the advances of HB 341 and the changes it could place on the industry, including: Major changes to civil penalties that can be charged against towers.

•An easier, quicker manner to process a “for destruction only” title.

•Private Tow Away Zone fee changes and requirements for hours of operation of storage facilities.

•It will address existing towing and storage fees, thus granting PUCO the authority to review those fees every five years and increase those fees based on the consumer price index.

•Will establish permissible fees that towers can charge for the retrieval of personal items from a vehicle after business hours.

Visit us in the Miller booth at the Florida show

‘Ice Car’ Freed

by Towing Crew An “ice car” frozen in a parking space by waves from Lake Erie is defrosting at an auto shop while part of its ice shell remained a memorial.

The Mitsubishi Lancer was frozen in place for three days after it was parked overnight at a Hamburg, N.Y., restaurant and Lake Erie waves created a shell of ice. It was finally broken free by a towing company crew and taken to West Herr Collision Center in Hamburg to defrost.

Lenny Iwanenko, president of Lake Erie Towing & Recovery, said his crew used calcium flakes to weaken the ice shell so it could be pulled out by a tow truck.

“I’ve been in business 28 years, never seen anything like this,” Iwanenko told the Buffalo News. “This is amazing.”

Source: bignewsnetwork.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • MIDWEST 67

MIDWEST 68 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • MIDWEST 69

Allstate Ranks Safest Driving Cities The 2015 Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report reveals certain cities are safer than others when factoring rainy or snowy conditions into collision frequency.

Recently, the National Safety Council estimated the U.S. is on track for its deadliest driving year since 2007. In the first six months of 2015, NSC reported traffic deaths were up 14 percent from a year ago, and serious injuries were 30 percent higher over the same period. While there are many factors that impact highway safety, an improving economy and lower gas prices have led to an increase in the number of miles being driven.

The Federal Highway Administration’s latest Traffic Volume Trend Report says cumulative travel for 2015 is up by 3.5 percent. The September report is based on hourly traffic count

Mich. Tower Killed Roadside

Jason Schultz was operating the Preferred Towing truck, pulling a vehicle from a ditch when he was struck by a southbound vehicle.

An 18-year-old from Fort Gratiot drove onto the shoulder of the road to pass the tow truck and hit Schultz, killing him instantly, according to a statement from the St. Clair County Sheriff Department.

The Fort Gratiot man’s vehicle also hit the cable pulling the vehicle from the ditch, as well as that vehicle.

Cody Hilliker, 21, of Burtchville Township, was in the stuck vehicle. He was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.

The Fort Gratiot man was taken to the sheriff for questioning.

The crash remains under investigation at press time.

Source: thetimesherald.com.

A 28-year-old tow truck driver was killed in a crash in Clyde Township, Mich.

Towman Helps Catch Burglary Suspects

data reported by the states, using data collected at approximately 4,000 continuous traffic counting locations nationwide.

The top 10 safest cities, when factoring in collision frequency and precipitation: 1) Kansas City, Kan.; 2) Cape Coral, Fla.; 3) Brownsville, Texas; 4) Boise, Idaho; 5) Madison, Wis.; 6) Huntsville, Ala.; 7) Fort Collins, Colo.; 8) Port St. Lucie, Fla.; 9) Cary, N.C.; and 10) Montgomery, Ala. For the past 11 years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth analysis of company claims data to determine the likelihood drivers in America’s 200 largest cities will experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average.

Source: prnewswire.com.

Five men were arrested thanks to the help of a towman who spotted the suspects stealing a safe from a Houston, Texas, restaurant.

According to the Houston Police Department, officers received a call from the towman at 3 a.m. stating that he saw several males coming out of the Frenchy’s Chicken restaurant with a safe.

The wrecker driver actually followed the suspects who left in a car and a pickup truck, while on the phone with HPD. HPD eventually caught up to them. Officers were able to pull over the car first, which had two of the suspects in it, but the pickup truck that was ahead took off leading police on a chase.

Pursuit occurred until the suspects pulled into an apartment complex.

Once there, three males jumped out and fled the scene on foot.

HPD and Harris County Sheriff’s deputies eventually caught all three.

All five suspects were arrested.

The stolen safe was returned to the restaurant.

Source: khou.com.

MIDWEST 70 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Advanced Air Piping System for compressed air. Easily expanded or reused.

Measure and cut, push to connect technology. No soldering or threading.

Custom Fabricated Steel Dolly Mounts. Made to fit your truck's head rack, Call for special pricing.

Dan-Am/SATA Spray Equipment

Elizabeth Truck Center

800-533-8016

908-355-8800 ext. 24

Spring Valley, MN www.danamair.com

Elizabeth, NJ www.ElizabethTruckCenter.com

8 point tie-down Systems keeps wheels from moving forward, backward or side to side. Vehicle rides on its own suspension Multiple lengths accommodates different tire sizes easy to use.

Special Price on Wireless Tow Lights Good Till May 15, 2016, $195.00, Dimensions: 21”3/4”L, 3 ½”H, 2” 2/3D with stop, tail & turn functions.

We have multiple tire chains available.

SUPER Deals! Call us for All your towing Needs.

Kavanaugh’s Towing Equipment Co. 502-454-4960

Louisville, KY www.Kavtow.com Towbiz1co@aol.com

$79.95 EW2461-CAMO Magnetic Rechargeable LED Work Lamp HI/LO Power SOS.

McMahon Truck

Nussbaum Equipment, Inc

R.P.M. Equipment

614-252-3111 • 740-373-7200

717-684-0189

281-590-1494

Columbus & Marietta, OH www.mtccolumbus.com

Columbia, PA www.nussbaumequipment.com

Houston, TX www.wreckercapitol.com

"Hella MST 6 Mini LED Lighthead. Availble in amber, white, red, amber/white, amber/red & red/white."

DriverLocate dash-cams are a great way to record any incidents that might threaten your business such as speeding, accidents and safety.

The hardwired DL2500 gives you the ability to monitor many of your vehicle’s functions with alerts from 1 to 5 minutes.

Twin Cities Wrecker Sales

Worldwide Equipment

Worldwide Equipment

800-287-4210

815-725-4400

815-725-4400

St. Paul, MN www.tcwreckersales.com

Rockdale, IL DriverLocate.com

Rockdale, IL DriverLocate.com

City Updates Towing Ordinance for Crashes In an attempt to control unusually high towing costs following an accident or breakdown, the Anniston (Ala.) City Council approved updates to its towing ordinance.

The new requirements will help the city to better regulate the towing businesses chosen to clear vehicles from roadways, city officials said.

“What we’re trying to do is monitor it so all wreckers are treated fairly, but that the public is treated fairly too,” City Manager Brian Johnson said.

The updated ordinance requires that any business wanting to be on the towing rotation operate an auto repair or body shop that is licensed by the city and generates at least $350,000 in annual gross receipts.

Selected businesses must have also obtained the council’s consent to operate in the city.

Previously, the ordinance required a wrecker have a body shop. But it didn’t specify what qualified as a body shop, said Anniston police Sgt. Michael Webb.

“We’ve had a lot of people say they have a building and some body shop equipment, but they weren’t actually doing any body work,” Webb said.

Webb said that without income from body shop work, to make a living towing for the city, some of those businesses have charged vehicle owners more than the standard $150 tow fee.

“We’ve had complaints from people getting billed too much for towing,” Webb said. “Towing was meant to be a supplement to their business, not a business by itself.”

Johnson said the previously vague ordinance also allowed businesses outside of Anniston, some as far away as Birmingham, to get on the towing schedule. The ability to easily qualify for the schedule ballooned the number of available wreckers beyond the police department’s ability to oversee, he said.

Source: annistonstar.com.

Towing Fees to be Reimbursed

really in line with where it should be.”

The city of Worcester, Mass., reimbursed close to 350 people who had their cars towed after a winter parking ban went into effect during the early morning hours.

A higher-than-anticipated snowfall caused the city to initiate the parking ban around 1 a.m.

The ban was tweeted by the Department of Public Works & Parks’ Twitter account at 1:02 a.m., but the city’s emergency messaging system didn’t send the alert until about 8 a.m. later that morning.

DPW Assistant Commissioner Matthew Labovites said officials incorrectly determined that the ban wouldn’t be necessary.

Source: myfoxboston.com.

For example, the municipality currently pays a towing company $70 for the first mile and $3 per mile thereafter, round trip, during the day and $80 for the first mile and $3 per mile thereafter, round trip at night. The new proposal would raise rates to $80 by day, $90 by night and $5 per mile.

The costs are passed on to the owners of the vehicle being towed. The only time the cost is passed to the municipality is if the vehicle is impounded and forfeited. Then it recoups its cost when the vehicle is auctioned off.

Raising rates is also expected to motivate tow truck companies to give the same quality of service to Washington Township that it would give other towns.

Almer also proposed a change to allow vendors from companies a little farther from the township to be considered for the work of towing heavyduty trucks because companies capable of performing that function are harder to find.

The committee was in approval of the proposed increases. The current ordinance would have to be re-written and approved as a resolution in order for the changes to take affect.

Source: newjerseyhills.com.

Towing Fees Going Up in N.J. Township

Alleged Tow Truck Thief Pleads Not Guilty

A boost in municipal towing fees is in store for towers in Washington Township, N.J., in the near future.

Police Chief Jeffrey Almer told township committee officials that the fees for towing away vehicles in the municipality lagged behind other towns in the area and proposed what would be around a 10-percent increase in towing fees.

“I did some research with our rates with all the towns that surround us,’’ Almer said. “Mount Olive, Mansfield, Hackettstown basically use a lot of the same wreckers that we use. We were below on everything so I came up with a revised payment schedule

A Rochester, Minn., man accused of stealing a tow truck has pled not guilty.

A higher-thananticipated snowfall caused the city to initiate the parking ban.

Spokesman John Hill said 739 people were issued $50 tickets for violating the ban. Police say a total of 347 of those violators had their vehicles towed.

for all of them to bring us up to par. It’s MIDWEST 72 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Nicholas Howard Greenwood, 34, is charged with theft of a motor vehicle, drug possession, obstructing the legal process and damage to property.

His trial is set for April 25.

Greenwood is accused of taking a truck from Bill’s Towing in St. Charles and trying to break into a change machine at Splish Splash Car Wash in Rochester.

When he was arrested, police say Greenwood had meth and marijuana in his possession and officers were cut by razor blades on Greenwood’s person.

Source: kimt.com.

Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • WEST 67

WEST 68 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Bill Addresses Towing in Ohio Towmen in Ohio need to keep an eye on House Bill 341, according to both the Towing & Recovery Association of Ohio and the Association of Professional Towers-Ohio. In separate releases, each advised its members about the advances of HB 341 and the changes it could place on the industry, including: Major changes to civil penalties that can be charged against towers.

•An easier, quicker manner to process a “for destruction only” title.

•Private Tow Away Zone fee changes and requirements for hours of operation of storage facilities.

•It will address existing towing and storage fees, thus granting PUCO the authority to review those fees every five years and increase those fees based on the consumer price index.

•Will establish permissible fees that towers can charge for the retrieval of personal items from a vehicle after business hours.

‘Ice Car’ Freed

by Towing Crew An “ice car” frozen in a parking space by waves from Lake Erie is defrosting at an auto shop while part of its ice shell remained a memorial.

The Mitsubishi Lancer was frozen in place for three days after it was parked overnight at a Hamburg, N.Y., restaurant and Lake Erie waves created a shell of ice. It was finally broken free by a towing company crew and taken to West Herr Collision Center in Hamburg to defrost.

Lenny Iwanenko, president of Lake Erie Towing & Recovery, said his crew used calcium flakes to weaken the ice shell so it could be pulled out by a tow truck.

“I’ve been in business 28 years, never seen anything like this,” Iwanenko told the Buffalo News. “This is amazing.”

Source: bignewsnetwork.com.

Work the Passenger side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2016 • WEST 69

Tow Industry Week Goes Daily American Towman now offers daily news on the Front Page of TowIndustryWeek.com. The decision to go daily, says TIW Editor Charles Duke, was based on the online reading habits that have been expressed over time. It's been told by many towers that they'll either make it a point to check on TIW when the new weekly edition is posted on Wednesday, or they'll kick back on a Saturday morning at the shop to read all the weekly news and articles that TIW offers. But just as many say they call up TIW first thing in the morning, except on Monday, their busiest day. Approximately 20,000 towers access TowIndustryWeek.com each month; 12,000 weekly.

The News page at TIW, says Duke, is one of the most frequented pages. "Each week we select the most important news we can find and edit it for easy reading. We've found that doing this daily was not only feasible but towers we surveyed were overwhelmingly for it. Most readers come back at least once or twice to TIW in the course of the week because there's so much there they couldn't take the time to read on the first stop. Now that the latest news is presented each day makes it more compelling to be back."

The fact that Tow Industry Week presents the latest, important news each day, is good for both tow business owners and industry suppliers, says TIW Media Director William Burwell. "The towing business is alive and chang-

WEST 70 • March 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

ing each day," said Burwell, "whether it's the business of towing or the marketplace. Tow Industry Week is helping everyone to be on top of their game by keeping them informed."

Tow Industry Week can be accessed by several urls: towman.com, towindustryweek.com, towweek.com, americantowmantv.com, and towindustrytoday.com.

Advanced Air Piping System for compressed air. Easily expanded or reused.

Measure and cut, push to connect technology. No soldering or threading.

Custom Fabricated Steel Dolly Mounts. Made to fit your truck's head rack, Call for special pricing.

Special Price on Wireless Tow Lights Good Till May 15, 2016, $195.00, Dimensions: 21”3/4”L, 3 ½”H, 2” 2/3D with stop, tail & turn functions.

Dan-Am/SATA Spray Equipment

Elizabeth Truck Center

Nussbaum Equipment, Inc

800-533-8016

908-355-8800 ext. 24

717-684-0189

Spring Valley, MN www.danamair.com

Elizabeth, NJ www.ElizabethTruckCenter.com

Columbia, PA www.nussbaumequipment.com

Vulcan 810 Intruder. Low-profile boom & low mount planetary Winch.

Body is adjustable from 88” to 94

Are your chain bridles digging into your business? A soft touch bridle means no metal against your high end transports. Starting at $74.95

R.P.M. Equipment

Tow Industries

Truck Body Sales

281-590-1494

323-660-4866

Houston, TX www.wreckercapitol.com

Los Angeles, CA www.towindustries.com

800-233-8898 Sacramento, CA www.tbstowtrucks.com

$79.95 EW2461-CAMO Magnetic Rechargeable LED Work Lamp HI/LO Power SOS

Federal Signal, LPX61D-00017, Legend LPX Discreet, all LED light bar.

Available in 24", 45",53",61", & 70".

DriverLocate dash-cams are a great way to record any incidents that might threaten your business such as speeding, accidents and safety.

The hardwired DL2500 gives you the ability to monitor many of your vehicle’s functions with alerts from 1 to 5 minutes.

Utility Trailer Sales SouthEast Texas

Worldwide Equipment

Worldwide Equipment

888-240-7320

815-725-4400

815-725-4400

Huston & San Antonio www.utilitytrailers.com

Rockdale, IL DriverLocate.com

Rockdale, IL DriverLocate.com