American Towman Magazine - May 2016

HOP ON A PLANE: LAS VEGAS, MAY 11-13; DALLAS, AUG. 4-6

The Donnie!

THREE ON ONE Tow Women in Dallas

Breaking news at TowIndustryToday.com

FEATURE CONTENTS

28

Three 1-Ton Trucks Tackle Propane Truck

Dale and Elaine Norberg with 'Big Orange,’ Norberg Towing’s 1993 Pete/Holmes 750 rig featured on page 72.

Due to weight restrictions, Zylstra Towing had to send LD trucks to do a MD recovery.

by Jason Zylstra

52

Health Bars Off a Cliff Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Work Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

When a semi loaded with protein bars spilled in N.M., Old West got the call to recover the trailer and salvage cargo.

by Jerome Chavez

56

Tread and Retread Maximize your investment in tires for best mileage, safety and longevity.

by David Kolman

Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .70 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 3

See You in Vegas

by Dennie Ortiz

First On The Scene!

I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at our Tow Industry Week trade show in Las Vegas, Nev., in a few days on May 11-13.

This year’s AT ShowPlace is shaping up to be our largest West Coast ever!

We have more than 130 suppliers ready to showcase their wares and services to will help your business. All of our American Towman editors will be there to greet you and speak with you about the ins and outs of the towing trade as well.

All major wrecker manufacturers will be represented on the show floor and recovery demos will be conducted each day. Demos are scheduled for Jerr-Dan (Worldwide Equipment Sales), Miller Industries and NRC (Eppler Truck Sales).

Keep in mind you need to come one day earlier to the show this year as we have changed the exhibit hall days to Thursday and Friday. The party starts on Wednesday with semi-

nar conferences, heavy-duty recovery training and a recovery demo all culminating with an apple pie Extravagance hospitality.

We start the show off with a bang and finish it off with just as much excitement on Friday night with our Centennial Celebration of Towing, featuring a special one-of-a-kind centennial gift.

AT ShowPlace will also debut the first on-site show use of the American Towman App. During the Expo you will be able to find a specific exhibitor along with their location. Attendees using the App will receive push notifications with reminders of certain event times and will able to peruse the various conference topics you may wish to attend.

Even if you are unable to be at the show, you should still download the free app to have access to our current and archived digital editions of the magazine, news feeds and more. Go to the Apple Store or Google Play to download it.

Viva Las Vegas!

Medium-Duty Workhorse

by Brendan Dooley

There was so much news for the medium-duty truck market at the recent Work Truck Show that we’ve devoted an entire Workhorse column to the show (page 36).

Whether you’re looking for updates from manufacturers, engine news, alternate-fuel info or other aftermarket product offerings, we’ve got a lot in store for you.

Some of the latest news from the show comes from companies including Alcoa, Bendix, Cummins, Detroit, DewEze, Ford, Fuso, Isuzu, Kenworth, Knapheide, Muncie, Ram and Roush.

Get updated on the latest innovations in this segment, and put that knowledge to use with informed questions in the seminars and at the booths in a few days during the AT ShowPlace in Las Vegas, Nev., May 11-13.

4 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Dennie Ortiz 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.

UCMCS Helps Defeat Bill The United Coalition for Motor Club Safety, along with the California Tow Truck Association and the Los Angeles Official Police Garages, teamed up to help defeat California bill AB 2586, dubbed the “Parking Bill of Rights.”

According to a statement by UCMCS President Steve Sgarlato, the bill would have required towers to provide free towing and storage to vehicle owners when their vehicle was towed for illegal parking if the illegal parking was the result of the vehicle being stolen or other third-party criminal activity.

“We argued at the Capitol that while we were certainly sympathetic to the plight of a vehicle owner who has had their vehicle stolen, AB 2586 attempted to address the issue in a manner that merely shifted the problem – and financial responsibility – onto the backs of small tow businesses,” Sgarlato said.

Source: motorclubcoalition.com.

Three Big Recovery Demos in Vegas For the first time ever, Tow Industry Week in Las Vegas, Nev., May 11-13, will feature three recovery demonstrations by major manufacturers.

Always a highlight of the Las Vegas festivities, the demos After the recovery demos during Tow Industry Week in Las are free and provide Vegas, Nev., attendees have plenty of opportunity to learn an opportunity to more on the arena floor; manufacturer demos this year see up-close what include Jerr-Dan, Miller Industries and NRC. the featured equipment can do.

Jerr-Dan and Worldwide Equipment Sales will kick things off on May 11 at 7 p.m.

On May 12, Miller Industries will get to show off their wares to attendees at 5 p.m.

Completing the triumvirate—and demonstrating for the first time— will be NRC Industries and Eppler Towing & Transport on May 13 at 11 a.m.

All three demos will take place at the SouthPoint Arena in the SouthPoint Hotel and Casino during the American Towman ShowPlace—Las Vegas. Register at atshowplace.com.

Long Recovery Ahead for Texas Towman

Houston, Texas, towman Brandon Cheek didn’t realize he was an accident waiting to happen in March. While waiting to be paid for pulling a car out of a ditch, a squealing car hydroplaned and hit the front of his tow truck as another car bookended him from behind and slammed into the back of the original car he towed.

“When I got pushed into the ditch, I could see my leg was broken,” Cheek said.

As soon as he came out of one of his six surgeries, his wife, Patricia, went into labor and Cheek couldn’t be there.

Fortunately, they thought to video-chat the birth so he could see his daughter Avery enter the world.

No one else was hurt in that accident; Cheek said it’ll take him at least six months to recover.

Source: click2houston.com.

8 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Graff Wins

Pink Jerr-Dan A Pennsylvania tower won the pink Jerr-Dan donated to benefit the TRAA Education Foundation and breast cancer awareness.

Mike Graff of Graff Towing in Natrona Heights, Pa., won the pink tow truck donated by Jerr-Dan to benefit cancer awareness and the TRAA Education Foundation. He was announced the winner of the Ford F450 XLT/Jerr-Dan MPL-NGS SelfLoader at the Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida show. The truck debuted at the 2015 AT Expo last November in Baltimore.

“It makes me feel good to win this truck,” Graff said. “In our office one day, I happened to be going through ‘American Towman’ and I saw the ad in there. I told my daughter, ‘You know what? Let’s donate $100 to this cause, because it’s a good cause. Not only that, it would give you a pink tow truck to drive.’ That’s exactly how it happened.”

. . . They were all similarly qualified companies . . .

Clarksville Selects Rotation Companies The town council of Clarksville, Ind., has voted to allow Red Ball Towing and Recovery, S&R Towing and Lockouts and Wheeler’s Towing & Recovery to rotate services for all cars towed by Clarksville Police.

Although there was a committee formed to make a recommendation to the council earlier this year on which company to use, disagreements between council members led to the decision to use all three.

“It seemed that that was the easiest solution,” Council President Paul Fetter said. “We had a division amongst the council on which one would be better and they were all similarly qualified companies and they all were in Clarksville. It just seemed to fit.

Each company will also donate to the town 25 percent of any automobile sales that come from the tows, as per the original requirement from the town for any company selected for the contract.

Source: newsandtribune.com.

Council Limits Tow Charges

The River Falls (Ala.) City Council recently enacted a limit on the amount a contracted towing company could charge for police impounds. Council member Gary Wages said that someone was charged around $330 for an impound. He said he investigated going rates and found them to be $125$150. The council agreed a $150 limit on impounds would only be for regular towing, not extenuating circumstances.

Source: andalusiastarnews.com.

Clarification From page 9 of the April 2016 issue of American Towman: Ace 24-Hour Towing of Bismarck, N.D., should have been credited with the recovery and towing of a plane that landed on the interstate. The company’s trucks are pictured as well.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Towmen Protest Insurance Law Hundreds of Canadian towers tied up traffic routes in Toronto’s Queen’s Park in April to protest the province’s auto insurance law.

The protest was similar to a 2014 demonstration over the same legislation, Bill 15, which passed that year and goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2017.

Canadian towers lined the streets around Queen’s Ontario said the leg- Park in Toronto to protest a new hours-of-service law islation will regulate the set to begin in 2017. CBC.ca image. tow truck industry and reduce auto insurance rates by 15 percent.

Towers said the new rules, which limit the number of hours operators can work, will end up costing customers more and create longer response times, especially during the winter.

Source: citynews.ca.

ITRHFM Benefits Increased The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum board approved an increase in the death benefit paid to each approved application from $2,500 per incident to $3,000 per incident.

If the deceased was employed by a company in good standing as a museum members, 21 or if the deceased was a member in good standing, the benefit increases to $5,000, up from $4,000.

“We are again proud to be able to increase the benefit to the families of our fallen and to do so with a sound financial plan makes this improvement even more exciting,” said Jeffrey Godwin, the Survivor Fund Committee Chairman.

Source: towingmuseum.com.

The Survivor Fund benefits to the families of fallen towers are increasing, according to the ITRHFM board.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 9

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Defender Series Lightbar Updated Code3’s Defender Series Lightbar features an upgraded light design for diffusion, concentration and clarity and many new flash patterns. Features include: • More uniform spread of light.

• Improved light concentration and color intensity in daytime and low-light situations.

• Reduced strain on vehicle’s electrical system.

• Better heat transfer to keep lightheads and interior of the bar cool.

• Improved sealing system • Each lighthead is internally grounded requiring fewer wires to function.

code3pse.com

4-in-1 SafeT-Light Tool Impecca’s new Poweritup SafeT-Light is a four-in-one tool combining a flashlight, device charger, emergency window hammer and seatbelt cutter. The three-level flashlight has 220 Lumens for lighting up to 300’ away. A USB power port recharges smartphones, tablets and more. The emergency escape tool works as a window hammer and seatbelt cutter. The tool is waterproof to 6.5’.

impecca.com

Muncie PTO for Ford F-Series Muncie Power Products, in collaboration with Ford Motor Co., introduced its new FR3C power take-off for F-650 and F-750 Super Duty trucks. The FR3C allows for higher torque capacity by providing the maximum torque available from the Ford Torqshift transmission.

Built with complete, integrated wiring harnesses, the FR3C also contains an enhanced clutch pack, bearings and gear set. Its one-piece housing features fewer leak points and ease of installation.

munciepower.com

10 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Intelligent Mirror Improves Rear View Ficosa’s new intelligent rearview mirror system has an integrated display and works as a mirror or as a monitor that relays images from the high-resolution camera located at the rear of the vehicle. The IRMS was developed with Panasonic. The rearward field of vision is improved up to 50 degrees from a traditional mirror. The IRMS also works in split screen as a mirror and monitor simultaneously.

ficosa.com

uSTART for Class 3-6 Vehicles The Ioxus uSTART engine-starting system is now offered as a drop-in replacement product that needs no special wiring. A built-in jump-start system allows users to charge the capacitor from adjacent “dead” batteries and eliminate stranded trucks.

This replacement of a battery also reduces weight over an AGM battery by up to 50 lbs. The smart power electronics in the uSTART module provide voltage stabilization to the vehicle’s electrical bus. The module continuously watches the bus to inject power when needed to maintain a smooth voltage.

ioxus.com

SSI Adds 12-LED Module Superior Signals expanded its Meteorlite SYFLAT series to include the SYFLAT12, a thin surfacemount module with 12 LEDs and five color options.

These 12V-24V modules have 25 selectable flash patterns with multi-unit synchronization abilities.

superiorsignals.com

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 11

Call Centers Are More Miss than Hit

by Nathan Sink

M

any towers try to cover low-volume hours with a messaging service … some of us have even had the bright idea of trying to find someone that could help take calls all the time. The luckier ones didn’t let that ship sail too far before jumping and swimming back to safety.

Everyone has a different reason why their attempt failed and many have tried. Can you blame them? Most towmen are small-business owners without the volume needed to staff 24/7, so that one call at 3 a.m. always wakes up the most valuable person to the business: the towman.

The messaging service road has led most to failure—not because of the lack of potential on either side, but because of the abundance of wrong tools for the job. Can a small business employ a messaging service to help cover inbound calls?

No … well, maybe.

But why?

For clarification, whether you call it a messaging service, a call center or an answering service, it is most of the time still the same thing: a service that answers the phone for you and then does some predefined task.

The first barrier along this path is language. Most often a towman and call center manager may be using similar words, but clearly not understand each other. The telecommunications industry and the towing industry each have their own jargon with little overlap. Even basic terms like “dispatching” evoke different understandings between the parties.

Most towers understand that dispatching is not a one-step process and in reality there are at least four parts of managing a customer’s service request: • Sales pitch/job estimation.

• Call management (keeping up with the truck, customer payment).

• Follow up.

12 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

• Garnish customer service feedback (and sometimes even lot management).

Industry outsiders see dispatching as a quicker process: take the information, send it out and move on.

Set to Fail When the towman asks a messaging service what their hold times are they will usually get a straight-forward answer; but what about ring times? Long ring times and long hold times are a big first step toward bad customer service. Some bill for ring times (but don’t tell you this); they’ll also bill for patch-throughs which literally cost nothing with modern equipment.

These jargon barriers are the foundation of misunderstandings about what is really offered by a messaging service. To a messaging service, dispatching is synonymous with message-taking; to the tower, dispatching is a sales process. You cannot expect a third party to understand your business process without active communication. A one-time 15-minute phone call to set up your account does not constitute communication between the towman and the messaging service.

At this point you are only 15 minutes from failure.

Most messaging service managers are like the everyday towman; too caught up in the daily process of keeping the wheels on the bus. They are unable to develop the custom process needed to understand your business. On the opposite side, the towman is too distracted by business to be able to develop or effectively communicate a step-by-step guide for their business process.

The level of communication needed for success is a moon shot—possible, but not going to happen often.

Due to the communication breakdown, neither dispatching nor call management is truly offered by most

When using a call center for after-hours service, often the proper technology to get the job done is not available to the operators.

messaging services. Instead they offer literal message-taking. Even the way transfers/patch-throughs are billed encourages both the operator and towman to resort to message-taking only.

When this is your business process, you have established a telephone equivalent of handing a caller a business card and saying, “Call me later.”

Sometimes, even in-house, messages do need to be taken. Responding to these promptly is essential. However, when every call is a message, your customer service experience turns into a constant recovery operation.

Even if you get that initial communication process perfect (you probably won’t), the communication can’t end there. Every towing operation has business specific information that is highly dynamic and most of the time inaccessible to an operator at a messaging service.

Often the proper technology to get the job done is not available to the operators and when it is they aren’t familiar enough with most accounts.

Technology doesn’t need to be software—it can be a three-ring binder— but it does need to be as dynamic as the towman’s business process. Often times it is simply not.

If the right technology is present, operators are switching between sys-

tems too frequently to be efficient and effective. Most messaging services are unwilling to do specialized training for your account because training costs are too high. If you don’t have enough call volume to keep at least one person in the messaging service center busy on every shift, then every one of your incoming calls will be an on-the-job training exercise. This volume issue is magnified by how most messaging service centers handle your calls. It is often a Russian roulette system of next operator up who answers your call; there’s zero guarantee they’ve ever seen your company name before it pops up on their screen.

The last part of this broken communication puzzle is the failure to provide an effective audit process of the customer experience. Most center managers review caller experience too often and are not familiar enough with your account to catch process violations. Reviewing calls yourself is cumbersome with most providers and this requires more of your time and extra phone calls. This lack of quality

14 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

feedback from the customer makes the messaging service center a black hole into which you throw your customers; most of the time they’ll come out the backside as a hot stream of plasma.

Steps to Success Though there are plenty of pitfalls to using a messaging service, for many smaller companies it’s nearly inevitable.

There are some steps you can take to make best use of this kind of service. A messaging service can be used successfully with these principles in place: • Have a well-written set of instructions that document and detail your business process.

• Emphasize patch-throughs before message, always. If you can’t be reached, then take a message. Never default to message-taking. Having a modern in-house telecommunications system can make this seamless for the caller. Don’t try to use yesterday’s phones or cellphones.

• Have high enough volume to make all possible agents very

familiar with your account (very difficult) or find a provider that overcomes the Russian roulette issue with internal processes (preferred).

• Consistent use of one technology within the messaging service center to promote operator familiarity and efficiency with the system.

A center using different technologies for each towman is set up for failure.

• Have a well-established and frequently used audit process.

• Use a provider that gets the basics of telecommunications.

Low/no ring time, low/no hold time, actively communicates with you. There should be open conversation between you and the center manager at least weekly.

About the Author Consultant Nathan Sink, WreckMaster 6/7A, is a managing member at CPAAM Solutions (www.cpaams.com), where he developed a web-based price estimator for the towing industry.

OSHA’s ‘Water. Rest.

Shade.’ Campaign

by Randall C. Resch

The Heat Index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored with the actual air temperature.

As an example, if the air temperature is 96 degrees F and the relative humidity is 65 percent, the heat index—how hot it feels—is 121 degrees F. NOAA graphic.

M

any years ago, our company responded to a California Highway Patrol request of three vehicles 300’ down a rural mountainside, one stolen, and two others that tangled on the mountain’s narrow road in a different crash.

We worked the morning away humping cable and chain up and down the 70-degree slope in temperatures hovering around 100 degrees … you know the drill. All of us drank plenty of water and that seemed to get us through the recovery.

Eventually, when all three vehicles were delivered to our facility, I became disoriented and dizzy and perched awkwardly on my tow truck’s side fuel tank. I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head just before I passed out face first into the dirt.

I awoke a short time later in an ambulance headed Code 3 to an area hospital. I remember that my skin was beet red, I was sweating profusely, my nostrils were packed full with dirt, and my tongue was stuck to the roof of my 16 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

mouth. I was dehydrated, hot, and done.

Today, there are days that I trek into the field to teach tow operator safety training classes and then there are days that I hide from the heat of summer; today’s one of the latter. In Baker, Calif., a 134’ World’s Largest Thermometer, stands where record high temperatures nearly melted nearby Death Valley, reading 134 degrees F in 1913. At 4:17 this afternoon, Baker’s temperature reached 110 degrees.

I know lots of tow owners and towers throughout America that live and work in areas of heat extremes. Some companies—like Baker Towing, T&M Towing and Rasor Road Towing—run their operations from a proverbial blast furnace in the California desert.

In American Towman’s August 2011 issue, I wrote “Avoiding Heat Related Emergencies,” which focused on towers and outside workers to be aware of trouble signs when working in heat extremes. With this five-plusyear drought we’re experiencing here

in California and other parts of the U.S., staying aware of the signs and symptoms of heat stroke and heat exposure are important to everyone’s physical well being.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s “Water. Rest. Shade.” campaign (osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/training_workers.ht ml) highlights the dangers of working outdoors in high heat climates. The site offers additional training and educational resources for workers and employers.

Heat Illness Tow owners and their personnel need to be aware of the dangers that extreme heat presents. Employers should have a heat illness training and protection plan that instructs workers on how to recognize and prevent heat illness. That includes tracking the daily weather and heat index in order to take extra precaution during the hottest points of the day.

As a part of the protection plan, outdoor employees and workers can

protect themselves from the heat by drinking water every 15 minutes (ideally), cooling down in the shade, wearing a hat and light colored clothes, watching for heat illness signs (confusion, fainting, seizures), and taking it easy when exposed to outside work in the heat as the body acclimates to high temperatures.

In OSHA’s campaign, they promote that water, rest and shade are the three major preventative measures of heat illness in outdoor workers.

Heat illness is caused when body temperatures rise to dangerous levels because of hot weather temperatures, high humidity and sweat. Indicators of heat exhaustion and heat stroke include rash and cramps.

Heat illnesses and deaths are preventable and OSHA urges employers to establish a heat illness prevention program within their companies. While heat stroke generally doesn’t kill immediately, it can shut down major body functions that can lead to life-threatening complications. Workers who suffer from heat exhaustion are at a greater risk for accidents because they’re less alert and become disoriented.

Keeping hydrated is a responsibility every employee should have, regardless of work environment. In keeping employees and workers hydrated, employers are required to provide workers with clean, pure, suitably cool, potable drinking water throughout their work shift at no cost to the employee. Even if you bring your own water, the employer must have enough potable water for each employee to drink four cups every hour throughout the entire workday.

Water should have a palatable taste and water temperature should be 50 degrees F to 60 degrees F, if possible.

Caffeinated and sugary drinks may lead to dehydration.

While we all know that drinking water on a regular basis isn’t the reality of the towing and recovery industry, towers and personnel should do their best to stay hydrated, especially when temperatures are on the rise.

Where employees are exposed to an elevated heat index, employers should monitor workloads while allowing more frequent breaks until 18 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Towers and personnel should do their best to stay hydrated. the tolerance of working in the heat is built up or the task is completed. This is especially true of towers who don’t work extreme recoveries all the time and haven’t built up a sufficient acclimation to heat. Workers new to heat extremes or those that have been away from work and are returning can be most vulnerable to heat stress and they must be acclimated.

There’s a natural progression that leads to heat-related injuries in tow operators, especially when they’re driving in an air conditioned tow truck and then are required to handle a lengthy recovery in the heat. Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy when we don’t recognize what our bodies are trying to tell us.

Find Shade Interestingly enough, I’ve never seen a 10’ x 10’ pop-up shade structure in a tow truck or big rig. This simply isn’t one of those tow truck accessories that towers think about. Maybe a shade structure should be considered as a viable piece of equipment for the support truck or trailer?

Here are 10 simple steps to help prevent a heat-related episode: • Wear sunscreen with suitable SPF. • Upon arrival or exposure to outside work, ease into work tasks.

• Wear sunglasses to protect eyes from glare.

• Wear gloves; beware of hot metal surfaces on vehicles, carrier decks, tools and accessories.

• Wear light-colored clothing.

Dark uniforms absorb the rays of the sun and retain heat.

• Wear a hat for shade, but remember that hats tend to retain heat.

• Stay hydrated by drinking water every 15 minutes, even if you’re not thirsty.

• Cool down by taking frequent breaks in shady areas. A wet cloth behind your neck is a great

way to help keep core temperatures down.

• Keep an eye on fellow workers.

• Learn the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency.

Not all towers are subject to working in extreme heat for extended periods of time. We sometimes have the luxury of working in an air-conditioned office or driving a truck with air conditioning. And, then comes the call for some vehicle that’s 300’ over an embankment and you’re the driver dispatched to go get it.

For scenarios like this, heat management is most vital, especially when ambient temperatures haven’t hit the hottest time of the day. When you’re headed to work a canyon recovery in the heat, it makes perfect sense to monitor your individual core temperature as well as drink plenty of fluids; hydration is mandatory.

Under OSHA, employers have a duty to protect workers from recognized hazards in the workplace; heatrelated injuries are a recognized hazard. Heat-related emergencies for tow operators and outside workers should be discussed annually (at a minimum), and optimally before temperatures start to rise. Outside employees who work in the shop and tow facility also need to be aware of the dangers of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. All workers should have access to a cool zone where they can get out of the heat as needed.

In my case, although I drank plenty of fluids, I didn’t take a needed break to cool down. There’s something to be said about the physiological process of becoming overheated. I thought I was doing alright, but a ride to the hospital and three IV bags of fluid proved otherwise.

On the Web • osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/ • youtube.com/watch?v=t1ZZvuhkeEI • youtube.com/watch?v=cR6FA5w8A1o

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.

Proper Carrier Weight Distribution

by Terry Abejuela

A Century carrier was used for the measurements listed in this article.

P

roper weight distribution on a car carrier is important to maintain proper control and avoid overloads. When towers load their car carrier beyond the ratings of the cab and chassis or towing equipment, they cause premature wear and tear on the equipment and put themselves and other motorists at risk. You must determine what size loads you can transport on your car carrier and how to place the loads on the deck and wheel lift in the best configuration to avoid overloading and negatively impacting control of the truck.

When I am teaching classes, I often ask students if they know how much their car carrier weighs. Many do not know and many of those who think they know commonly provide the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. The GVWR is easily found on the doorjamb or B-pillar of the truck.

The Gross Vehicle Weight on the

20 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

other hand is not listed on the truck.

When you purchase a car carrier from a towing equipment distributor, they will work with you to determine the cab/chassis and car carrier equipment that will best meet your needs.

The truck is registered using the GVWR, so they do not need to weigh the truck to register it. The only way you will know what the truck weighs is to have it weighed yourself. You can take it to a commercial scale and have

The weight certificate for the Century carrier used for this article.

it weighed for about $25. When you have it weighed you want to know the weight on the rear axle, front axle and whole car carrier. The truck should be weighed with all of the normal equipment, a full tank of fuel and fuel cans filled.

Once you know how much the axles and cab and chassis weigh, you can compare that to the ratings for the cab and chassis to determine how much payload capacity you have. The ratings for the cab and chassis are provided by the cab and chassis manufacturer and can be found on the sticker on the doorjamb or B-pillar. When you are looking at this sticker, make sure you are looking at the correct number.

The sticker will list two numbers, one in kilograms and the other in pounds.

(These ratings are also dependent on the proper size tires and rims as well as recommended air pressure.)

The car carrier used in this article has the following: GVWR = 25,500 lbs.

GAWR (front) = 8,000 lbs.

GAWR (rear) = 17,500 lbs.

GVW = 17,800 lbs.

GAW (front) = 7,060 lbs.

GAW (rear) = 10,740 lbs.

Payload (front) = 6,760 lbs.

Payload (rear) = 940 lbs.

Payload (total) = 7,700 lbs.

Make sure that your tire ratings meet or exceed the rating of the axle.

When you are looking at the ratings on the tire, make sure you are looking at the correct numbers as both kilograms and pounds will be listed here too.

There will be ratings listed for singleand dual-wheel applications. Use the single number for the front and the dual rating in the rear.

Overload Now that you have done this you have a general idea of what payload you have on the car carrier, cab and chassis. Now you need to determine how much you can load on the car carrier deck and not overload the GVWR or GAWR. You have 7,700 lbs. of payload on the GVWR; does that mean you can load a vehicle that weighs 7,700 lbs. on the car carrier deck? Maybe not. If you can distribute 940 lbs. to the front axle 22 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Loading Process

The Jerr-Dan label on this car carrier gives its effective transport load. The distributor did the work in this case to determine the effective transport load. (The effective transport loads on this truck are higher than the truck used in the article … even though the cab and chassis ratings are the same. This truck may have a lower Gross Vehicle Weight and rear axle weight.)

and 6,760 lbs. on the rear axle, you would be able to transport a 7,700-lbs. vehicle on the deck. The type of vehicle and its weight distribution may prevent the ideal weight distribution that you need causing the front or rear axle to be overloaded.

For most transport jobs on a lightduty car carrier, the rear axle is your limiting factor. For this particular car carrier, you must limit vehicles on the deck to about 6,700 lbs. or less with no vehicle on the wheel lift.

If you want to transport two vehicles with this car carrier, you need to limit the weight of the vehicle on the deck to under 4,500 lbs. to be able to lift about 2,000 lbs. with the wheel lift before you overload the rear axle of the car carrie

When loading a vehicle on the deck of your car carrier, you will normally want to load the heavy end of the vehicle facing forward and get the load as far forward as possible (and centered on the deck).

If you load the heavy end of the vehicle towards the rear of the deck, you will transfer weight from the car carrier’s front axle to the rear axle. This could cause overloading of the rear axle and unsafe steering and braking of the car carrier. Transfer of weight from the front axle to the rear axle on a car carrier is normally not an issue when transporting only one vehicle.

If you follow the general guideline to only tow a vehicle on the wheel lift when there is a vehicle on the deck, you will avoid an unsafe steering and braking problem. If you tow a vehicle on the wheel lift when there is no vehicle on the deck, you may offload more than 50 percent of the car carrier’s front axle weight causing unsafe steering and braking.

When transporting a concentrated weight such as a forklift, you may overload the front axle of the car carrier. It is common on a light-duty car carrier to only have 1,000 lbs. of payload on the front axle.

I recommend that you experiment a little and try different types of loads facing forward, facing rearward, placed all the way forward, placed centered on the rear axle, etc., and have the truck axles weighed to educate yourself on what you can and can’t transport safely.

You must thoroughly understand weight distribution on your car carrier to make an educated determination of how much load is placed on the car carrier axles when transporting a particular load to avoid tickets, collisions and premature wear and tear on the equipment.

Field Editor Terry Abejuela has 30plus years of light-duty towing-andrecovery experience. He is also a light-duty Level 1 instructor for the California Tow Truck Association.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 23

Jerr-Dan Releases Parts Catalog Jerr-Dan Corp. released a Parts and Accessories Catalog as part of its new Tow Support program. A Jerr-Dan release said the catalog contains something for every tower, from parts to get you back on the road faster, to options that will keep your Jerr-Dan vehicle looking great.

“We hope [customers will] use this catalog as a tool to see what’s new, and what might be helpful in growing their own business,” said Christina Foltz, Jerr-Dan Customer Satisfaction Support Manager.

Hard copies will be available through distributors, and an online PDF copy will be at jerrdan.com/customer-support-team/parts-and-accessories-catalog.

New Legal Site for Towers Attorneys Michael McGovern and Nicholas Porto launched TowLawyer

24 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

.com, a website devoted to legal issues facing the industry. The site is designed to provide access to towing-specific laws on subjects such as holdings, collections, non-consensual towing and federal and state labor laws.

An annual subscription fee allows members to access articles, download legal forms, stay abreast of current industry legal issues, receive a free ebook identifying laws specific to their state and chat with a TowLawyer.com attorney for up to one hour per year.

Biz2Credit, Advantage Funding Partner Biz2Credit recently partnered with Advantage Funding (www.advantagefund.com) to back small-business loans originated by Biz2Credit (biz2credit.com). A release said Advantage Funding would gain access to technology and business solutions, including data and risk analytics through Biz2Credit’s patented BizAnalyzer Score.

“We are always looking for ways to expand the services that we offer to our clients,” said Al Damiani, CEO of Advantage. “Through our arrangement with Biz2Credit, we can provide borrowers with easier access to capital than ever before, while mitigating risk and offering competitive pricing.”

“This landmark partnership enables small business owners to secure capital quickly while broadening our network of asset-based loan products and institutional lenders,” said Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit.

Superwinch Adds Industrial Sales Managers Superwinch (superwinch.com) recently hired two Industrial Sales Managers for its sales team: Steve Stein for the U.S. and Canada, and Al Cruz for Latin America and the Southern Pacific.

Stein has 30 years of experience in the North American market. Cruz has 16 years of sales experience in markets

serving Europe and Latin America.

“Steve’s got an amazing capacity to build partnerships with customers,” said Mark Jurman, Industrial Business VP. “Al’s taking our brand into new regions and finding new applications.

Talbert Hires Regional Sales Manager Talbert Manufacturing (talbertmfg.com) hired Jim Eller as its new west region sales manager to work directly with Talbert dealers in 23 states west of the Mississippi River.

“Jim brings more than 19 years of experience with heavy-haul trailers and I know he’ll be an asset to the Talbert team,” said Troy Geisler, Talbert VP of sales and marketing.

Eller worked for 15 years as a sales manager and account executive at three different Alabama-based trailer companies.

“There’s increased demand for heavy-haul trailers and it’s great to work for a company leading the way in innovation,” Eller said.

Skinner to Lead Isuzu Truck Isuzu Commercial Truck of America (isuzu.com) announced Shaun C. Skinner, executive VP/GM since 2008, became president of the company effective April 1.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work more closely with our dealers and our customers as we come off a record sales year and as we look forward to launching the exciting new FTR next year,” Skinner said.

Ramsey Winch Featured on Science Channel Ramsey Winch’s electric winches were featured recently on Science Channel’s “Machines: How They Work – Winch.”

The focus of the show was how electric winches are built and operate.

The episode is scheduled to be broadcast worldwide.

Check sciencechannel.com/schedule/ for updated listings and rebroadcast times.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 25

Three 1-Ton Trucks Tackle Propane Truck 2015 Donnie Cruse Recovery Award for Medium Duty *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.

The propane truck weighed 30,000 lbs. and was on a 35-degree grade with its front axle almost suspended.

28 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

by Jason Zylstra Zylstra Towing; Sturgis, S.D.

The recovery crew had planned to use a 35-ton Challenger, but nearby bridges were limited to 4 tons, so the recovery team decided to use three 1-ton wreckers.

W

e received a call to respond to a 30,000lbs. propane truck off the road. They advised we should send our big wrecker.

We responded in our 1993 Peterbilt/’88 Challenger 35-ton wrecker; when we arrived, we noted three wooden bridges with a load capacity of 4 tons. There was no way we could cross them in the Challenger.

We determined we’d need to send three 1-ton wreckers to do the job, and used a 2011 Ford F-450/Century 412 (short wheelbase), 1997 Ford F350/Holmes 552 and a 1998 Chevy 3500/Holmes 4402B (short wheelbase).

The road had 3” of ice and was on a 13-degree incline covered in snow. We went back to the shop for extra rigging and the three light wreckers. Once back on site, we couldn’t plant the trucks for stability and decided the driveway needed to be plowed and salted.

The next morning, Saturday, we told the company that this was a difficult recovery and would require additional planning and gave a rough estimate. The company was a local outfit, and the boss respected that we gave him an estimate up front. I didn’t

Calculated resistance was 4,400 lbs.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

The plan was to make a 10-part line with two two-part lines for a total of 14 lines to the load from the three wreckers.

want them to get sticker shock after the fact. The recovery would require a lot of rigging in a super-tight area.

The cost and work was approved,

and a plow truck was arranged to clear the road. Fresh snow delayed the recovery until Monday.

After hours of planning over the

There was a limited amount of working space for the three tow trucks.

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 29

They even used a load cell to monitor line load.

weekend, Monday the plow was directed to clear the site. We loaded up all extra rigging that we thought we may need to do the job. We purchased a 300’ spool of 3/8 wire rope. The three 1-ton wreckers, plus an extra man for prep work, arrived on site.

We determined the casualty had roughly 4,400 lbs. of resistance. The casualty was sitting at approximately

30 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

35 degrees with its front axle almost suspended. There was minimal damage to the passenger side step and a broken exhaust hanger. We used four ground anchors to create a 10-part line to the casualty; four more lines from the slingshot trucks made 14 to the entire load.

We used the Century with 100’ of 3/8” wire rope to do the main winch-

ing. We parked a 1-ton Holmes on either side to create a slingshot set-up.

We married the lines on each 1-ton and hooked to the rear duals.

We began winching with a load cell in place to assure our line loads were within proper working load limits. The load cell spiked three times at 3,800 lbs.; we maintained an average load of 3,200 lbs. throughout the recovery.

As the tanker is winched up to the forward most position, the driver’s side truck continues winching in order to rotate the tanker onto the roadway.

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 31

For every 100’ we winched in, we gained 10’ at the casualty. The Holmes units held the propane truck in place each time we re-rigged. We did this three times until the bobtail was on the

32 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

road. The sander truck did not sand where the bobtail would end up sitting so we could spin it on the ice in the middle of the road.

The propane truck was recovered

with no damage and driven home.

The actual rigging and winch time took about 4-1/2 hours. The job was successful with a pleased customer at the end of the day. Paid in full.

AD INDEX

May 2016

Access Tools Advantage Funding Akins Body & Carrier Sales American Towman App American Wrecker sales Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales Auto Data Direct Austin Hinds Motors Austin Insurance AutoReturn AW Direct B & Z Sales Chase Insurance Agency Chevron Chevron Commercial CRASHFILM Crouch’s Wrecker Equip. & Sales Dan-Am/SATA Spray Equipment Danco Products Don Jackson Carrier & Wrecker Dual-Tech Wreckers & Carriers Dynamic Towing & Equipment Mfg. Elizabeth Truck Center Equipment Sales & Services ESTRA Tow Show Florida Wrecker Sales

34 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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

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Innovations Displayed at Work Truck Show

T

he NTEA’s Work Truck Show each spring in Indianapolis, Ind., reveals many updates for commercial vehicles in the medium-duty market. Companies on hand cover the spectrum from truck and body manufacturers to aftermarket suppliers of PTOs, winches and wheels to alternate fuel upfitters. The following list compiles some of the major announcements and unveilings by company affecting the towing industry:

Ford Revamps 2017 Super Duties

design life of at least 500,000 miles—an estimate of miles in operation before 10 percent of engines are expected to require major service).

The 6.7L Power Stroke V-8 diesel and Ford TorqShift HD six-speed automatic transmission are designed for medium-duty use with great power, performance and fuel economy. Three levels are available at 270 hp/675ft./lbs., 300 hp/700-ft.lbs. and 330 hp/725 ft./lbs. torque.

Offering a choice of 64 configurations, up from 58 in the previous model year, Ford Transit’s flexibility is up to 60-plus configurations to

by Brendan Dooley

torque for the F-650 and F-750 with the Torqshift transmission, up to 237 ft./lbs. The FR66 PTO also is optimized for Ford’s Torqshift, managing up to 200 ft./lbs.

Isuzu’s All-New Class 6 FTR Isuzu Commercial Truck of America (isuzucv.com) recently unveiled its all-new entry in the Class 6 mediumduty truck segment—the 2018 Isuzu FTR, slated to go into production

Isuzu’s All-New Class 6 FTR Ford Revamps 2017 Super Duties

Ford said its all-new 2017 Ford FSeries Super Duty chassis cab (commtruck.ford.com), for the F-350, F-450 and F-550 lineup, is optimized to help commercial customers be more productive on the job. Features include front gross axle weight rating of up to 7,500 lbs., gross combined weight rating of up to 40,000 lbs., 330-hp and 750-ft./lbs. of torque.

The company also said engineers have designed the all-new 6.7L Power Stroke V-8 diesel engine for the F-650 and F-750 lineup to travel an even greater distance than a round trip from the Earth to the moon (testing shows a statistically proven B10 engine 36 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

tailor the commercial van to your needs. Enhanced interior ergonomics and utility include a low-profile center console option for those who want easier access to walk from the cab into the back of the vehicle. The feature also makes it easier for fleets to install computer equipment in the center console area.

Muncie PTOs Targeted at Fords Speaking of Ford, Muncie Power Products (munciepower.com) unveiled some custom-designed PTO applications for the F-350 through F-750 models.

A new CS6A-F12 PTO allows direct-mounting of large-displacement hydraulic pumps on the F-650 and F750 chassis. The combination of the CS6 and new Ford adapter maximize torque from the transmission.

The FR3C Series affords max

in the United States in mid-2017.

The FTR will be powered by Isuzu’s 5.2L turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine—a first in the segment. (Horsepower and torque ratings have not been finalized.)

“The overall concept of the FTR is to bring to our customers the next generation medium-duty low-cab-forward truck, one that features a clean, durable, highly efficient four-cylinder engine and is the best Class 6 choice Muncie PTOs Targeted at Fords

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 37

for pickup and delivery in cities,” said Shaun Skinner, executive VP/GM of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America.

The powerplant will be mated to an Allison 2000 Series automatic transmission. The engine carries a B10 durability of 310,000 miles. Eight wheelbase configurations will accommodate bodies from 16’ to 30’. The allnew cab features a clean back-of-cab design that can provide more space for body applications. A 50-degree wheel cut will enable a tight turning radius.

Cummins Adds B, L Series Engines

DewEze Hydraulic Valve System

Harper Industries introduced its DewEze Valve Tank Series System (deweze.com) featuring a PosiFlow reservoir, a tank-mounted valve system that can be fitted to any light- or medium-duty truck.

The VT Series can control up to seven actions and features a priority inlet, which allows end users to prioritize how much oil is sent to a specific action. Typically with an electrical solenoid valve, it’s all or nothing.

With the priority inlet, users can adjust the flow of oil for a more controlled action, regardless of the truck’s RPM. The VT Series is available with three coating options—painted carbon, a polyurethane coated steel or stainless steel—depending on the enduser’s application requirements. The PosiFlow reservoir assures oil is constantly forced to the pump for peak performance and efficiency.

Cummins Adds B, L Series Engines Cummins (cumminsengines.com) recently unveiled its next generation of medium-duty engines: the 2017 B6.7 and L9 models.

The B6.7, with a 200-hp to 325hp/520-ft./lbs. to 750-ft./lbs. ratings 38 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

range, is the next generation of B Series engines. New for 2017 is an increase in fuel economy for the entire range of B6.7 ratings, optimized for stop-and-go duty cycles. The optional Stop-Start system can increase fuel economy as well; the technology allows the engine to operate only when necessary—saving fuel while creating a quieter ride for the driver.

The L9, with ratings from 260-hp to 380-hp/720-ft./lbs. to 1,250-ft./lbs., is ideally suited for tough vocational duty cycles. New for 2017 is a 350hp/1,150-ft./lbs. rating that maintains more power and torque across a wider rpm range.

The 2017 Single Module aftertreatment system combines the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst, Diesel Particulate Filter and Selective Catalytic Reduction systems into a single canister that features up to a 70-percent reduction in space claim and up to 30-percent reduction in weight over current aftertreatment systems.

3500/4500. The M-Series fit applications in Class 2-6 vehicles.

Alcoa’s M-Series wheels are designed to improve straight trucks, commercial vans and heavy-duty pickups in a variety of industries, including towing and service.

The M-Series forged aluminum wheels are designed to reduce maintenance and operational costs. At nearly half the weight of a steel wheel, Alcoa M-Series wheels improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and are recyclable. Alcoa aluminum wheels resist corrosion to reduce wheel maintenance costs and maintain a clean, bright look.

All-Electric Fuso Work Truck

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America (mitfuso.com) previewed a coming all-electric, battery-powered FUSO Canter FE-Series medium-duty cabover work truck. The company said a year of in-use testing on the truck demonstrated the E-Cell trucks can generate a 64 percent savings in operating costs compared to an equivalent diesel-powered vehicle in the same service.

Alcoa Expands M-Series Wheels

Alcoa Expands M-Series Wheels Alcoa (alcoawheels.com) recently expanded its M-Series aluminum wheels for medium-duty commercial vehicles by adding products designed for the Sprinter, Ford Transit and GM

The eight test vehicles also produced zero CO2 or other tailpipe emissions, and delivered a 37-percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to diesel-powered trucks.

Additional testing and customer evaluations were being planned for the U.S.

Ram Commercial Expands PTO Options

Ram Commercial announced its 2016 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab trucks will offer the most power take-off options in their segements.

The PTO capabilities will include right and left sides, for 4x4 and 4x2 and 6.4liter Hemi gas or 6.7-liter Cummins diesel options. The Ram Chassis Cab trucks offer 60-hp of PTO output.

The Ram Commercial Truck brand will expand its presence in the vocational segment by enhancing the capabilities of Ram’s Tradesman series of trucks from half-ton to Class 5 and establishing a network of 950 commercially focused dealers Dave Sowers, head of Ram Commercial, said, “By offering exclusive features and through constant improvement, we continue our role as most upfitter friendly and Ram’s record sales are proof we’re making customers happy.”

The Ram features Gross Combined Weight Ratings of 37,500 lbs. and a towing capability of 29,600 lbs. All configurations can be ordered with a dual fuel tank option that reaches 74gal. capacity (in some models, that will equal 1,000 miles of operating time).

sive availability throughout DTNA’s products will begin when production shifts to Redford.

The DD5 will be available for orders later this year in Freightliner Class 5-6 M2106 trucks. The DD5 initially will offer two power ratings, a 210-hp/575-ft./lbs. torque and a 230hp/660-ft./lbs. torque (more are planned after the shift to Redford). The engines will have a 45,000-mile maintenance interval and be equipped with Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostics.

New Detroit DD5,DD8 Coming Soon

New Detroit DD5, DD8 Coming Soon Daimler Truck North America (demanddetroit.com) gave a first glimpse of the new Detroit DD5 recently; the DD5 is the first of two new medium-duty engines, with the Detroit DD8 planned to follow in 2018.

DTNA said it would invest $375 million to bring medium-duty engine production to its Redford, Mich., facility by 2018. The DD5 will be available for orders later this year in Freightliner Class 5/6 M2106 trucks. More extenWork the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 39

T880 Gains Severe Suspension

The Kenworth T880 (kenworth. com) is now available for order with the Hendrickson Ultimaax advanced severe-duty rubber suspension.

The Ultimaax suspension offers a balance of empty ride quality and loaded stability for driver comfort, while also cushioning the load and protecting the chassis, cargo and body equipment from excessive vibration and road shock due to potholes and rugged terrain.

40 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

The suspension features bar pin end bushings, a progressive load spring design, and a rugged axle connection to extend its service life. Rubber shear springs carry a majority of vertical load in the empty condition, creating a smoother ride. As the load increases, the suspension’s ride and stability characteristics change to meet the application’s needs without an abrupt change in spring load.

For the T880, the suspension is available with axle ratings from 46,000 lbs. to 52,000 lbs., axle spacings of 54” and 60” with 11” ride height.

Nestlé Adds F-650s Using Propane Autogas Nestlé Waters North America is adding more than 150 medium-duty beverage delivery trucks fueled by propane autogas. Over the vehicles’ lifetime, the 155 Ford F-650 trucks will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 24.6-million pounds.

The new medium-duty trucks also will help the company save on mainte-

nance and fuel costs. Propane autogas, a domestically produced fuel, costs the company an average of $1 per gallon, vs. their $2 per gallon cost of diesel.

“We’ve been running propane autogas vehicles since 2014. Because of the proven emissions reductions and cost savings, we knew it was the right choice to expand our fleet with this domestically produced alternative fuel,” said Bill Ardis, national fleet manager for Nestlé Waters North America.

Nestlé Adds F-650s Using Propane Autogas

Each delivery truck is equipped with a Roush CleanTech (roushcleantech.com) propane autogas fuel system with a 45-usable gallon fuel tank.

Roush CleanTech designs, engineers, manufactures and installs propane autogas fuel system technology for light- and medium-duty Ford commercial vehicles.

“By choosing this safe, abundant and American-made fuel, fleets around the nation have reduced operating costs and lowered their carbon footprint,” said Todd Mouw, VP of sales and marketing for Roush CleanTech.

Wingman Fusion for MD Vehicles Navistar added the Bendix Wingman Fusion (safertrucks.com/solu-

tions) driver-assistance system as an option on its medium-duty International DuraStar line, to begin production in June.

Wingman Fusion integrates a roadtested suite of safety technologies with radar, camera, the vehicle’s brake system, and SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS, all built on the foundation of the Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program.

Fusion offers full stability, collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and overspeed alert and action.

By gathering input through radar, video, and the vehicle’s brakes, Wingman Fusion helps drivers mitigate a variety of crash situations, from rearend collisions and sideswipe crashes to rollover and loss-of-control events.

Additionally, data from the system can help fleets and drivers understand what occurred in a specific event and take steps to better address the issue in the future.

Knapheide Custom Service Shelving

Sortimo By Knapheide (sortimo. knapheide.com) added products and options to its Exxpand program of ready-to-market products for customers to organize their service vans, as well as offering a custom-design service.

When a solution is not available with Exxpand, Sortimo design professionals will consult with customers to create a cargo system that is customized to the end user’s needs and vehicle.

New Peterbilt Paint Formula Peterbilt Motors Co. (peterbilt. com) introduced a new formulation for its complete lineup of Axalta coatings used on its heavy-duty truck cabs and sleepers that enhances color qualities and durability. The company said the new coatings make production more environmentally friendly and reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

“The new paint coatings have better color characteristics for greater gloss, reflectivity and luster,” said Leon Handt, assistant GM of Operations. “Resistance to environmental damage, such as acid rain, de-icers and bird debris is also increased.”

If aftermarket repainting or

continue to page 60 Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 41

Bill Targets ‘Tow Abuses’ A bill to curb “towing abuses” cleared a major hurdle in the Illinois legislature.

A new measure introduced by state Sen. Bill Haine would cut tow release fees to $50 in most cases. The measure passed the Senate Transportation committee by unanimous vote and was scheduled to go to the full senate.

An amendment added to the bill tackles so-called “rogue” towing companies that show up at a scene without being called and tow the vehicle anyway. Owners have said they paid $2,000 and $3,000 to get a vehicle back.

Under Haine’s bill, that practice would become a felony.

Another major proposal of the bill would create a statewide Towing Commission, appointed by the governor, to come up with new regulations to curb abuses by towing companies.

The commission would include representatives from the Illinois senate, state police, commerce commission and the towing industry.

Source: fox2now.com..

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TIM Puts Responders on Same Page First responders recently got an opportunity to attend a free Traffic Incident Management training class on highway safety in Franklin County, Va. The training sought to put all responders and others including tow truck services on the same page during traffic accidents.

Virginia State Trooper Ronnie Miller says often scenes are too congested and there’s insufficient communication.

On average, five

“We break it down from the time the call comes in, from the dispatcher, until the scene is cleared and we learn the steps that each of us have to do. It’s not about who’s in charge, it’s about who’s in charge of what?” Miller said.

Miller said if everyone knows their role, there will be faster cleanups and quicker response times in saving lives.

On average, five firefighters are killed each year, one police officer is killed each month and one tow truck driver is killed each week in traffic incidents.

“It’s cars getting stacked up which could lead to secondary accidents, which is a big problem too,” Miller said.

Source: wdbj7.com.

firefighters are killed each year, one police officer is killed each month and one tow truck driver is killed each week.

Towing Bill of Rights?

Chicago (Ill.) Alderman Ameya Pawar is putting together a “Towing Bill of Rights” for the city’s motorists.

It would put some teeth behind exist-

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 43

DISPATCH continued from page 43 ing rules and add some new ones.

Concerns center around retrieval of personal items, requiring dashboard cameras on tow trucks and punishing repeat offender tow companies.

The motivation reportedly comes from repeated complaints related to one tow company. There have been 166 complaints filed since that company’s license was renewed in 2015, resulting in 92 administrative citations alleging overcharging and other violations. Seven complaints led to settlements, the rest are pending.

Almost 3,300 people have signed a petition to close down the company.

Source: chicagotribune.com.

City Council Upholds License Suspension The South Portland (Maine) City Council unanimously upheld the suspension of Yaz Towing’s license to operate following an appeal hearing.

The company also was removed from the city’s tow list.

Councilors said tow owner Payam Yazdanpanah clearly passed the boundaries of proper behavior in seeking payment for towing services from Sierra-Lynn Frost, who initially called him for a private tow in December.

According to the case, Frost’s insurance company dispatched Yaz

44 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Towing to her tow request. When Yazdanpanah arrived on scene, he told Frost there would be an extra $200 charge for the additional labor required to move her car from what he described as a ditch on his bill.

After some discussion, which included Yazdanpanah speaking with a representative of Allstate, it was clear that the insurance company would not cover that extra labor cost. Frost said Yazdanpanah demanded that she sign a statement saying she would pay the extra fee the next day or he would not tow her car.

Frost did sign the statement, but she did not pay Yazdanpanah on either Dec. 12 or Dec. 13. At that point, both Frost and her parents said he began harassing them for immediate payment.

The South Portland police then served a cease-harassment notice.

Source: keepmecurrent.com.

Drones Survey Crash Scene Damages Drones were helping determine the impact of fuel spilled into the Fraser River near Mount Robson Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada, after a tanker truck crashed recently. As many as 20,000 liters of diesel spilled when the truck towing

two tanker trailers rolled onto its side.

An Environmental Emergency Response crew was on-site assessing damage and using drones to survey the area. They are also drawing up a plan for long-term monitoring and sampling of the site.

An official with B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation said there are signs along the highway warning of the curves in the road, and a truck was sanding the route just prior to the accident.

Source: cbc.ca.

W. Va. Adopts New Tow Rules West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin approved changes to how the state’s Public Service Commission enforces its own rules and regulations on towing and recovery operations. “(The new law) basically brings a third-party tow in line with regulations on other tows,” said Rep. Scott Cadle. “For whatever reason, a thirdparty tow has not been regulated in West Virginia.”

The bill gives the commission more direction regarding factors to consider when determining whether a charge is reasonable. Factors to consider include the total time to complete the recovery or tow, the number of employees

continue to page 46

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TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 45

continued from page 44 required to complete the recovery or tow, location of vehicle recovered or towed and materials or cargo involved in a recovery or tow.

In addition, the commission will not be limited to the factors listed in the new law when determining whether or not a tow or recovery was fair, effective and reasonable.

The new law also addresses complaints filed against tow operators relating to nonconsensual tows, or tows ordered by police. Specifically, the burden of proof to show that the tow company’s charges are legitimate would be on the tower.

A separate provision puts in place a process for truck drivers to recover costs associated with tows determined to be in violation of PSC rules.

Source: landlinemag.com.

MnDOT Launches Safety Campaign The Minnesota Department of Transportation launched a safety campaign in April urging motorists to be alert and prepared for unexpected changes near work zones during road construction season.

The state’s Move Over law requires motorists to move over a lane to avoid stopped emergency vehicles, or slow down if it’s not safe to switch lanes; the Minnesota State Patrol last year issued 3,443 citations and warnings.

An employee at Absolute Towing in Oakdale was seriously injured while tending to a disabled motorist in January. Trevor Allison, 39, of St. Paul, was loading a vehicle onto his tow truck, which had its emergency lights flashing, when he noticed an oncoming car hurtling toward him.

He leapt over the low median wall into westbound traffic to avoid it, and was hit by two cars.

Absolute owner Tim Heldman said Allison faces a long recovery.

Many people aren’t aware of the state’s Move Over laws, he said, “and think about the thousands of people violating the law every day.”

“Basically, every time I go out, I’m risking my life for 40 bucks,” said Heldman.

Source: startribune.com.

46 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Health Bars Off a Cliff Perishables Recovery Takes Manpower

A semi wrecked in the median near Cubero, N.M., sending health bars everywhere and shredding the trailer.

The wrecked trailer was in bad shape—it was easier to cut into pieces to recover.

By Jerome Chavez Old West Wrecker Service; Cubero, N.M.

I

n summer 2015, we got a call for a semitrailer wrecked in the median.

When we arrived at the rollover, the tractor and trailer were both mangled pretty bad from the lava rock bed.

The trailer actually was completely torn apart and broken in about four places.

Forty pallets of health bars were strewn across the wreckage.

We sent out our Kenworth W900/Century 5030 and Kenworth W900/Zacklift Z403 and a Landoll 440 trailer for the recovery. We sent about a dozen men and a forklift for scene cleanup.

We winched the tractor out and transported it to the yard with the Landoll, which then came back out for the trailer pieces. What was left of the trailer had to be cut into four pieces for transport; the sides were completely broken off, so it was just easier to cut up for recovery.

52 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

It took mostly manpower to finish clearing the scene

It took mostly manpower to finish clearing the scene; a lot of manhandling of all those pallets of health bars.

The majority of the cargo had to be cleared by hand and stacked into a dry trailer to take back to the tow yard. A dump truck was employed to take away the debris.

The New Mexico heat is not very friendly to chocolate, especially when sitting in a metal box. A climate-controlled facility was needed along with someone to assist with the salvage of the cargo.

Benedict Co. worked with us and the carrier’s insurance company to quickly coordinate the storage and salvage of the health bars. This allowed us to move on to our next call and not worry about chocolate perishables melting in our yard under the New Mexican sun.

Manpower was essential to salvage the perishable cargo from the median.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 53

$30M Overhaul to Dispatch System In Phoenix, Ariz., overhauling the police department’s nearly 30-year-old records management system with a $30-million digital upgrade hasn’t been smooth. It launched several months late and reportedly experienced an outage.

“The city council has been pretty concerned because implementation has been bumpy and ineffective,” councilmember Kate Gallego said.

Gallego wasn’t pleased to hear that it’s also contributing to fewer towing fees.

“Whereas they were used to completing handwritten forms, they are now required to use electronic forms and their printers may malfunction; they may not know how to complete it correctly,” said city staffer Jessica Rothschild.

In fiscal year 2014-’15, Phoenix collected $2,707,926 in towing revenue. During the first eight months of this fiscal year, Phoenix has only collected $1,416,445.

“If there are abandoned vehicles where we could be maximizing revenue for taxpayers and we’re not doing so because of problems with the form, it’s a priority to fix that quickly,” said Gallego.

Police Chief Joe Yahner told the group they have been re-training 2,700 officers, not only on how to fill out towing forms, but how to use the whole system.

Source: kjzz.org.

STA Pressures AIB on Policy The Automobile Insurance Bureau withdrew its recently filed standard auto policy after receiving pressure from the Alliance of Automotive Ser-

STA promised to take every opportunity to weigh in on the policy. vice Providers of Massachusetts and the Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts.

The policy included issues such as labor rates, towing and storage, damage to someone else’s vehicle and bodily injury.

The AIB submitted a replacement filing that must be reviewed by the Rating Bureau and placed on file with the Division of Insurance. AASP/MA and STA promised to take every opportunity to weigh in on the policy.

Source: fenderbender.com.

Visit Us At AT ShowPlace-Las Vegas Booth # 2101

54 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Tread & Retread

Nine Ways to Maximize Your Tire Investment

by David A. Kolman

T

ires are a substantial investment. To get the most return on them—achieving optimal tire performance which contributes to lower owning and operating costs— the proper tires must be selected first, and then they must be maintained right.

1. Purchasing Don’t be tempted to purchase the least-expensive tire available. A particular tire make/model may have a high initial cost, but if it averages higher miles to removal, along with more retreads per casing, the result is a big reduction in overall tire cost per mile.

2. Inflation Pressure Keeping tires properly inflated is the single most critical factor for getting the most out of tires. By maintaining the proper inflation pressure, tires not only last longer, they are safer.

In addition to affecting rolling resistance, and thus fuel economy, tire inflation pressures also influence traction, handling, braking distance, load-carrying capacity and smoothness of the ride.

Be aware that both underinflation and overinflation can cause uneven tread wear, sidewall damage, a rough ride, poor handling and traction and reduced fuel mileage.

impact damage and ozone cracking.

If such problems are detected, the underlying problems can be addressed before they have time to worsen.

4. Dual Tires

3. Fingertip Diagnostics Fingertip diagnostics is a simple and easy method that drivers can employ to inspect tire conditions.

Have them examine the tire by running their hand smoothly across the tread surface, feeling—and visually checking—for signs of irregular wear, 56 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Dual tires are impacted by a host of issues that arise from the nature of two tires mounted to a conjoined wheel assembly.

Even a size differential as small as 1/2” in diameter between a mated pair can shift a significant amount of extra

Today’s truck tires are designed to provide service greater than the tread will last.

Retreading costs about 30 to 50 percent of buying a new tire.

Tire Enemy No. 1 Summer is the worst time of year for potential tire issues. Why? One, there is more tire debris on the highways than any other time of year.

Two, heat is the top enemy of a tire.

As a tire rotates under the weight of a vehicle, it repeatedly flexes, generating heat, which builds up in a tire. Heat is destructive to a tire’s lifecycle because it breaks down rubber compounds.

Increased tire temperatures can lead to fatigue cracking, belt separation, tread-block tearing and chunking. Summer’s high temperatures exacerbate the situation.

weight to the larger tire. This will increase both tread wear and heat on the larger tire, directly reducing its lifespan.

While it may appear as though the larger tire is taking the brunt of the abuse, consider that the tires must travel the same distance since they are bolted together. Therefore, the smaller tire is dragged over the ground in minute intervals per every revolution as its circumference is less than the larger tire.

Proper tire application and maintenance requires that, along with using the same tire size and air pressure, dual tires need to have similar tread patterns and tread designs.

ment settings for front-end tire wear.

Camber—the inward or outward tilt of the top of the wheel—is important because its main purpose is to keep the tire flat on the road while the vehicle is loaded and in motion. If camber is excessive, it will create shoulder wear.

Caster is the forward or rearward tilt of the kingpin. Extreme caster settings can cause handling problems, leading to driver fatigue.

7. Wheel Balancing Wheels need to be properly balanced in order to avoid excessive vibration or shaking and uneven tire

wear. Proper balance is achieved by positioning wheel weights on the wheel assembly to counterbalance heavy spots on the wheel or abnormalities of the tire.

8. Driver Behavior How a truck is being driven directly correlates to tire wear and fuel economy. Drivers should be reminded to: • Drive efficiently and avoid hard braking and hard stops as they contribute to accelerated tread wear.

• Keep away from debris in the road.

5. Vehicle Alignment Vehicle alignment is another element to promoting long tire life and getting more miles per gallon. It should be checked, and adjusted if required, on a regular basis.

Improper alignment can create irregular tread wear that results in tires being removed sooner than planned. Typically, steer tires wear quicker.

6. Wheel Alignment Similarly, wheels need to be properly aligned. Wheel alignment is the positioning of the interrelated angles of a front suspension, rear axle or housing to give the maximum amount of tire life, steering ease, steering stability and increased life of suspension components.

The key factors that need to be considered to achieve proper wheel alignment are: • Toe and tracking.

• Camber and caster.

Toe and tracking settings are for front-end tire wear. Toe is adjustable to reduce tire wear and shimmy in the steering wheel. Excess or too little toe will make the front wheels fight each other, resulting in feathering, diagonal wear or excessive shoulder wear. An out-of-toe condition leads to rapid tire wear. Tracking misalignment also will cause inside-outside wear of the steer tires. Tracking, or thrust, is gauged relative to the vehicle centerline.

Camber and caster are the alignWork the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 57

It’s the Air It is not the tire itself that carries the weight of a vehicle, but rather the air inside the tire. The volume of air also absorbs shock and keeps the tire in its proper shape, allowing it to perform as designed.

Consequently, maintaining proper air inflation is essential. Along with affecting rolling resistance and fuel economy, inflation pressures also influence responsiveness, handling, traction, braking, load-carrying capability and tread wear.

An improperly inflated tire doesn’t roll as smoothly or as easily as it was designed to. It has an uneven, irregular tire footprint—that portion that contacts the road surface—and this inconsistent shape leads to increased wear, reduced traction and performance, handling and ride problems.

• Avoid bumping or hopping curbs when making turns as this can bruise casings and break steel belts that will create problems later on.

• Avoid making sharp turns because it reduces a tire’s overall mileage and is a top contributor to worn tread, particularly at highway speeds.

An underinflated tire can’t maintain its shape and becomes flatter than intended while in contact with the road.

There is a direct correlation between how much a tire is underinflated and how much faster it wears. Wear is the result of friction created between the road’s surface and the tread as the tire rolls along.

An overinflated tire is stiff and unyielding. The size of its footprint in contact with the road is reduced and excessive wear occurs at the center of the tread because it will bear the majority of the vehicle’s weight. In addition to making for a harsher ride, overinflated tires tend to not absorb road hazards and potholes, increasing the risk of sustaining a cut, puncture or impact damage, all of which can cause a tire failure, even at a later date.

Because improper inflation shortens tread life, tires will have to be changed

more often. Industry studies have found that: • For every 10 percent of pressure the tire runs, it prematurely wears 10 percent of its tread.

• Cost per mile almost doubles when tires—whether original or retreaded—are pulled early because of uneven or rapid tread wear.

In addition to the expense of purchasing replacement tires, there are the additional costs for tire service and vehicle downtime.

Industry best practices are to check tire pressure regularly, at least once a week, always using a properly calibrated tire gauge and when a tire is “cold”— before a vehicle has been driven or driven less than one mile. Use valve caps on all valve stems and keep them tight. Metal valve caps are best, as they contain a rubber gasket to provide an airtight seal.

Typically, steer tires wear quicker.

9. Retreading Today’s truck tires are designed to provide service greater than the tread will last. By retreading the tire casing, you can reap the benefits of these highly designed tires. One benefit is lowering money spent on tires.

Retreading costs about 30 to 50 percent of buying a new tire.

The payback from spec’ing the appropriate tires and establishing and following an effective tire maintenance program is clear. Not managing this important area effectively adds up quickly in higher fuel, tire and labor costs, plus increased vehicle downtime and loss of fleet productivity.

AT Chassis Editor David Kolman is a multi-faceted trucking trade journalist with experience in print, online and broadcasting. He has hosted trucker television and radio programs and helped write trucking industry documentaries and video programs.

58 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Avoid bumping or hopping curbs when making turns as this can bruise casings and break steel belts.

continued from pg 41 refinishing is required, such as in the event of collision repair, it can be done through Peterbilt dealerships with the same paint formulations to ensure consistency and maintain durability. *** In other Peterbilt news, the Peterbilt Technician Institute expanded with a third location in Exton, Pa. PTI features exclusive classroom and hands-on instruction of total vehicle and engine diagnostics, maintenance and repairs.

The Exton school is approximately 30 miles west of Philadelphia. The other PTI locations are in Dallas, Texas, and Lisle, Ill.

International Adds Side-Roll Protection International Truck (navistar.com) announced it now offers IMMI’s RollTek seat as an option on its ProStar Class 8 on-highway trucks. The RollTek safety system combines advanced seat belt technology and side airbag protection to significantly reduce the potential for death or serious injury in a rollover.

A sensor located behind the seat constantly monitors the angular position of the vehicle and activates when it detects an imminent rollover. When activated, RollTek deploys side-roll airbags, tightens the safety belt and lowers the seat to help reduce injury risk.

Cummins to Develop MD Plug-In Hybrid Cummins (cumminsengines.com) says it has been awarded a $4.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a Class 6 commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Project partners will include Paccar, Ohio State University, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory, a Cummins statement said.

Cummins researchers will choose the best engine for use as a range extender integrated with the electrified powertrain. Cummins will also optimize the internal combustion engine and use other technologies such as intelligent transportation systems and electronic braking.

60 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

RABF Helps Agents in Need

by Mark Lacek

T

he shift begins with a walk around the truck, a check of the fluid levels, a kick of the tires and off we go. Repossessors go to work every day and night across America. We carry with us our training and knowledge while our best effort is extended forward to assure a job well done. When the task at hand is complete, it is time for a safe return home to our family. But sometimes, even when we are on top of our game and every step we made is in line with our training, tragedy will strike and some of us won’t make it home.

The phone rings as she’s making breakfast. He called about an hour ago and said there was one more address to check on the 2015 BMW. This one has been on his list for two weeks and an informant said the debtor stays at his girlfriend’s house on the weekends and the Beemer gets parked in the alley behind the house.

When she picked up the phone, it was the county sheriff. She spent the next few hours in shock, tears streaming. Her husband was shot and killed while hooking up to a BMW. There are no words to soften the pain; life will never be the same.

Death and disaster often visit quickly and unexpectedly. The world seems to come to a stop, like everything freezes while we weep for our loved one. The truth is, everything is still moving just as quickly as it was before. The mortgage payment is still due, the tuition check must be sent and the electric bill has to be paid. The savings were depleted last month when the car broke down and the refrigerator had to be replaced.

Two days after her husband was murdered, a representative from the 64 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Mike Reiter speaks on behalf of donating to the RABF in an informational video for the fund. RABF image.

Recovery Agent Benefit Fund handed a check to the funeral director. The cost involved in laying the fallen recovery agent to rest was paid. She cried knowing the mortgage payment would be made, and the electric wouldn’t be shut off. Life will go on—but different.

The RABF began in 2002 after Ed Marcum asked the board of directors of Recovery Specialist Insurance Group to donate money to open a bank account for it, and later started the lengthy process of becoming a nonprofit.

For many years, the spokesman for the fund was Mike Reiter from HAR Inc. Reiter ’s company has been

Death and disaster often visit quickly and unexpectedly.

involved in the towing and repossession industry for 30 years. At every repossession industry conference or convention, Reiter would quiet the room with his deliberate and straightforward talk about how the fund is called upon, while requesting donations. Year after year, Reiter would sell tickets working tirelessly to continue to build the fund, traveling at his own expense.

In 2015, Reiter completed his mission with the RABF as HAR Inc. grew to the point where he could no longer travel the country. We thank Mike for his years of dedication and service to the fund.

Never in the shadows, Marcum and the dedicated individuals from RSIG continue working to build the RABF. Marcum and his staff at RSIG manage the efforts involved in helping those in the repossession industry when the need arises.

The RABF has made distributions to more than 60 families—over $279,000 has been disbursed—who called on the fund after falling on exceptionally hard times due to debilitating injury, illness or death. This includes times when the fund was called upon because families did not have the money required to pay the expenses to complete their loved one’s burial.

RABF is available to anyone in the industry regardless of their trade group affiliation or insurance provider, whether they are an owner or an employee. Requests for disbursements are reviewed case by case.

Accounting services for the RABF are donated by an independent certified public accountant; and no one involved with the fund draws any sort

Donating to RABF Donations can be made to the Recovery Agents Benefit Fund online at recoveryagents benefitfund.org, or by mail to RABF; P.O. Box 4102; Manassas, VA 20108.

of financial compensation for their time and efforts.

Generally a disbursement related to the death of an employee in the repossession field is capped at a $5,000 maximum disbursement. Oftentimes, this is not enough, but a cap was put in place to ensure the RABF would be able to assist as many families as possible. It is the long-term goal for the RABF to increase the cap amount.

As the repossession industry’s only recognized 501c3 charitable organization, donations are tax deductible. Other ways to help the RABF is the purchase of raffle tickets for the slide-in unit donated annually by Dynamic Towing Equipment & Manufacturing.

It was shortly after dinnertime when my phone rang in January 2012. I prayed as my wife, Deb, and I rushed to the scene of the head-on collision, wishing that my friend John Kilpatrick would be all right.

John’s wife was with us as we raced to the scene, only 25 miles from home. John died instantly when the drunk driver slammed into him.

I remember how thankful John’s family was when the RABF was there to help pay the funeral expenses.

I have been there when the fund has made donations to a repossessor’s family in need. I have been there in the funeral director’s office when the RABF has made the donation for our fallen repossessors.

Please take some time out of your day and consider making a tax-deductable donation to the Recovery Agent Benefit Fund.

Thank you Repo Editor Mark Lacek authored the and please Certified Commercial Recovery Agent be safe. certification program and has more

than 30 years of recovery experience.

He is the former editor of “Professional Repossessor” magazine. Email him at Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com.

Check out AT’s digital edition at itowman.com 66 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

SERVING THE TOWING AND RECOVERY INDUSTRY SINCE 1966

Exotic, High Performance or Low Clearance vehicles are no problem for Chevron’s Generation II LoadRite carriers. The LoadRite features a unique “drop deck” design with a sloped tail section that improves the load angle an additional 3 degrees. For ease in securing your load, the LoadRite option on a steel carrier features bidirectional chain locks down the inside rail every 12 inches.

Tow Women Storm Dallas Women of the towing industry are heading to Dallas, Texas, for Tow Expo Int’l, Aug. 4-6, for American Towman’s Tow-Women Conference.

The Women’s Conference is one of several that take place next to the exhibit hall inside the Arlington Convention Center, featuring exhibits with more than 100 of towing’s top suppliers. The Municipal Towing Conference and Getting Paid by the Clubs will also be held during the Expo.

The Tow-Women’s Conference will feature seminars by leading tow business owners, women who have been driving their businesses while taking a proactive role in the legislative issues affecting towing. Among the topics, what women bring to the table in ways of leadership, will be discussed.

AT’s Tow-Women’s Conference takes place as the Women’s Towing & Recovery Association of America holds its conference during Tow Expo. Leading WTRAA members are expected to participate in the Tow-Women’s Conference. Women who have been active in the Texas towing industry, Amy Milstead and JoAnn Messina, as well as women from other states will be presenting at the conference.

WTRAA joins TRAA and the Southwest Tow Operators in Arlington on Aug. 4-6 for American Towman’s summer lineup of events, which includes the Centennial Celebration, paying tribute to 100 years of towing. For more information, check out towexpointernational.com.

68 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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631-531-0673 For info please call Craig R. Nadolny “CALL FOR DETAILS” on all units

70 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 71

‘Big Orange’

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

A profile of Big Orange against the beautiful Wyoming backdrop.

N

orberg’s Towing Service in Green River, Wyo., is a nationally respected, award-winning company.

Dale Sheridan Norberg and his wife, Elaine, established Norberg’s Towing Service in 1967 as the I-80 tunnels were developed. Dale “semi” retired in 1996, and passed away in 2013 Dale and Elaine have two sons, Dale Sheridan Jr. and Shawn, and two daughters, Sherry and Shannon. Sheridan Jr. and Shawn manage and operate the family business. Elaine still owns the business and works in the office.

Sheridan Jr. is currently a vice president of the Wyoming Professional Towing Association and was acting president to this group. He is also a past state director for the Towing and

72 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Recovery Association of America.

The Norberg brothers have six trucks in their fleet including one light-duty, two carriers and three very unique heavies. Each heavy has a name suited to it; they are “The Bull-

Tech Highlights Chassis: 1993 Peterbilt.

Wrecker: Holmes 750 with Moeller Brothers conversion.

Engine: 400 Cummins.

Trans: Fuller 13-speed with fourspeed auxiliary.

Builder: Moeller Brothers.

Extras: Holmes Prostar underlift.

Paint: In house.

dog,” “The Eagle” and “Big Orange” (featured here). Each deserves its own spotlight (watch future issues of AT and the pages of TowIndustryWeek.com for more), and since Big Orange was Sheridan Sr.’s pride and joy, it is first up to the gone-but-notforgotten veteran towman.

Big Orange is a 1993 Peterbilt setup with a Holmes 750, built by Moeller Brothers in San Francisco, Calif., in the 1970s. This classic heavy is powered by a 400 Cummins mated to a Fuller 13-speed transmission with a fourspeed auxiliary.

The Holmes 750 with Moeller Brothers conversion is equipped with a 35,000-lbs. Braden winch over the boom and a 30,000-lbs. planetary to raise and lower the boom.

Big Orange and Norberg’s two

Big Orange working to clear a crash and burn on I-80 to open the highway.

The Norberg family.

other heavies are one-of-a-kind nononsense rigs that have handled some extreme recoveries in the rough Wyoming terrain. All are heavy-duty workhorses as can be seen by some of the recoveries they were featured in on TIW over the past year.

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.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • 73

The Spirit Trek: “Move-Over America”

by Steve Calitri

W

hen Chip Kauffman of B/A Products approached us with an idea to promote the Move Over laws, I listened with both ears. Chip envisioned tow trucks crossing the country in an orchestrated effort to bring attention to Move Over and, of course, the sacrifices towers and other emergency personnel make working the perilous roadways.

I told Chip it was a big idea; that such an effort would have to reach out to the mass media, both national and local, if it was to be effective, and there would be a lot involved to accomplish that. Organizing the towers to make it happen would be but half the battle.

To do this right, it would have to be planned way ahead of time.

Chip told me that B/A would help sponsor the project if American Towman would take it on.

Now, it’s not as if I or any of the American Towman staff are not up to our eyeballs in our core operations involving print media, internet media, conventions, trade shows and educational programs. But I said to myself, “We’ve got to do this.” “We” meaning all of us.

Over the years I’ve known towers who’ve been clipped by passing vehicles. I’ve known many tow bosses who’ve lost an operator when a drunken or careless driver took him out on the shoulder. I’ve been at the Wall of the Fallen ceremony and watched family members etch the name of a loved one onto paper from that wall. For 27 years, I’ve presided over a ceremony that has honored the heroic acts of towmen and 74 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

women who have risked their lives.

Every year, 60 or more towers are killed working the roadways. Many policemen, fire fighters and EMT personnel are killed as well at incident scenes.

So we’ve got to do this. Towers should not have to face this kind of risk each day. It can be diminished. We need to make motorists aware that they should slow down and move over … and, by the way, it’s the law.

How will it work? The coffin will be relayed across the country by many towers on the backs of their carriers. We see other carriers joining in on the procession for different legs of the journey. We see towers gathering in cities on the route to hold a ceremony with wrecker booms raised as the coffin-carrier passes.

This “Spirit Trek” across America may take days or weeks or months. We don’t know yet. We are setting up a database for those interested to go to online to cast their lot with this project.

Design of the Spirit casket incorporates an American Flag motif with the vertical colors on one end symbolizing sacrifice and loss.

So American Towman is embarking on a project to enlist towers to join on this ride across America. We are taking Chip Kauffman’s idea and adding some critical visual symbolism we think will help draw the media to cover it. We are going to create a coffin—painted red, white and blue—that will ride atop a carrier bed. Red symbolizing the blood that continues to be spilled, white symbolizing the spirit of the fallen, and blue standing for the practical and emotional devastation to the families of those killed.

We are planning ahead and targeting April 2017 for the launch date and somewhere in California as the launch site. The route of the procession will not be determined until we identify the towns of those who enlist and how many. The journey may be one continuous route heading east, or it may be one zigzagging odyssey. We don’t know yet. We’re setting out on this journey now, and not having all the answers yet is part of the excitement.

Roberts Awarded for Safety

Lee Roberts (right) and Bill Bell.

Lee Roberts of Roberts Heavy Duty Towing & Recovery in Lexington, Ky., recently received a Kentucky Highway Safety award for his leadership and accomplishments in the field, the first time the safety award went to a towing company.

“Lee Roberts has been a positive force for honesty, dedication and professionalism in the towing and recovery business for more than 30 years,” said Tony Young, highway safety specialist at the Federal Highway and Safety Administration. “During his career he has worked, and continues to work, to be a leader who has made a significant contribution to highway safety and traffic incident management across Kentucky.”

Young singled out Roberts for donating time and equipment to the state fire school to help train firefighters, being on-call 24/7 to assist the Lexington Fire and Police departments and for implementing company procedures to enhance the safety of his customers and crew.

“I was floored that I even got nominated,” said Roberts, who accepted the award at the Kentucky Lifesavers Conference in Louisville. “And to actually get it, it’s quite a shock. If it weren’t for the good people who work under me I wouldn’t have got it.

It’s not just me.”

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • NORTH 75

Texas County Considers New Rotation Officials in Montgomery County, Texas, are working with law enforcement, the tow industry and the public to update a policy regarding non-consent towing.

House Bill 2213, passed during the 2015 state legislative session, has made it possible for the county to make changes to existing towing policies to address safety issues on area roadways.

A proposed towing rotation process would create five zones in the county in an effort to cut down on the number of tow trucks that respond to a scene.

The proposed regulations only address non-consent towing.

Dispatch personnel will follow a rotation of towing companies for each zone. A towing company may have a number of positions on the rotation list corresponding to the number of permitted tow trucks in each zone.

Towers would have 20 minutes to respond to a scene within each zone under the initial policy, but the timing is still being tweaked for further review.

The proposed regulations require towed vehicles to be stored within the specific zone in which the vehicle was loaded.

Milstead Automotive owner Amy Milstead said she is in favor of a rotation process to help reduce secondary accidents in the county.

“Our county has experienced rapid growth over the past few years, and traffic is a top concern for each of our citizens,” she said. “The rotation [process] would help with congestion when it comes to accident scenes. We need to move Montgomery County into the 21st century—we are chasing accidents like they did years and years ago.”

Tow operator Clinton Bass said he believed the proposed rotation was a little too drastic.

“The rotation is going to kill us small-business owners,” he said.

“There are different things that were done in other areas of the county— Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North—to limit the number of trucks per NORTH 76 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • NORTH 77

Sponsored by:

NORTH 78 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

wrecker scene that would drastically reduce the number of trucks.”

Tower Dennis Blake said he is in favor of a rotation process as long as it is done fairly.

“This is our livelihood,” he said.

“One truck, one spot or one company, one spot. Give us all a fair advantage.”

Source: communityimpact.com.

TomTom Rates Cities by Traffic TomTom released its TomTom Traffic Index 2016 annual report detailing the cities around the world with the most traffic congestion. This year, Mexico City, Mexico, knocked Istanbul, Turkey, from the top slot.

No U.S. cities were in the Top 5 globally.

In North America, the most congested cities (in order) were Mexico City; Seattle, Wash.; Los Angeles, Calif.; San Jose, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Vancouver, Canada; Toronto, Canada; New York, N.Y.; and Miami, Fla.ource: tomtom.com/telematics.

NORTH 80 • May 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 - May 2016 • SOUTH 75

Sponsored by:

SOUTH 76 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Texas County Considers New Rotation Officials in Montgomery County, Texas, are working with law enforcement, the tow industry and the public to update a policy regarding non-consent towing.

House Bill 2213, passed during the 2015 state legislative session, has made it possible for the county to make changes to existing towing policies to address safety issues on area roadways.

A proposed towing rotation process would create five zones in the county in an effort to cut down on the number of tow trucks that respond to a scene.

The proposed regulations only address non-consent towing.

Dispatch personnel will follow a rotation of towing companies for each zone. A towing company may have a number of positions on the rotation list corresponding to the number of permitted tow trucks in each zone.

Towers would have 20 minutes to respond to a scene within each zone under the initial policy, but the timing is still being tweaked for further review.

The proposed regulations require towed vehicles to be stored within the specific zone in which the vehicle was loaded.

Milstead Automotive owner Amy Milstead said she is in favor of a rotation process to help reduce secondary accidents in the county.

“Our county has experienced rapid growth over the past few years, and traffic is a top concern for each of our citizens,” she said. “The rotation [process] would help with congestion when it comes to accident scenes. We need to move Montgomery County into the 21st century—we are chasing accidents like they did years and years ago.”

Tow operator Clinton Bass said he believed the proposed rotation was a little too drastic.

“The rotation is going to kill us small-business owners,” he said.

continue to page S 78 Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • SOUTH 77

continued from page S 77 “There are different things that were done in other areas of the county— Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North—to limit the number of trucks per wrecker scene that would drastically reduce the number of trucks.”

Tower Dennis Blake said he is in favor of a rotation process as long as it is done fairly.

“This is our livelihood,” he said.

“One truck, one spot or one company, one spot. Give us all a fair advantage.”

Source: communityimpact.com.

TomTom Rates Cities by Traffic TomTom released its TomTom Traffic Index 2016 annual report detailing the cities around the world with the most traffic congestion. This year, Mexico City, Mexico, knocked Istanbul, Turkey, from the top slot.

No U.S. cities were in the Top 5 globally.

In North America, the most congested cities (in order) were Mexico City; Seattle, Wash.; Los Angeles, Calif.; San Jose, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Vancouver, Canada; Toronto, Canada; New York, N.Y.; and Miami, Fla. Source: tomtom.com/telematics.

Colo. Woman Shoots at Towman Police in Longmont, Colo., arrested a woman on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder after they say she shot at a tower she incorrectly thought was coming to repossess her car.

Police said the tower was waiting for calls for service when Lourdes Kouzougian, armed with a shotgun, confronted him.

The tow truck driver climbed into his truck and left, but heard a gunshot and called police. Neighbors were able to direct police to the woman’s house.

When Kouzougian did not respond to requests to come out, the SWAT unit was called. She did surrender peacefully before the team arrived.

No one was injured during the incident.

Source: timescall.com.

SOUTH 78 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Get More Cash Calls

by Don Archer

A

fter selling my towing business and moving into the business of coaching and consulting, I’ve been inundated with requests for help. Some inquiries are from those wide-eyed individuals looking for a way in who don’t yet know about the challenges that exist in our industry.

But most are existing owners, and one of the biggest challenges they mention is the need for more cash calls. What I have to offer today are three ways towing companies can work to get more cash calls.

Be where customers are looking.

One of the biggest mistakes towers make is to believe that all motorists have roadside assistance plans. It’s almost as if they’re wearing “motorclub goggles.” Because of this belief, they fail to properly position themselves where potential customers are looking when they need a tow.

Express your value to your customer.

To dispel the belief that everyone has an 800 number in their back pocket, I ask that you consider the number of people you know who carry liability-only insurance; and of those people, how many do so only because it’s the law?

Then think about those who realize that they are underinsured after being involved in an accident when their car is totaled. Comprehensive coverage doesn’t mean complete replacement.

Most motorists don’t plan ahead.

Have you ever seen a guy at the grocery store wearing pajama pants and Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Your customer values courtesy, cleanliness and their time.

flip-flops? I guarantee you he’s not walking five miles for two gallons of gasoline. If he didn’t plan far enough into the future to have a clean set of clothes for shopping, he probably didn’t consider the possibility of needing help.

To get more cash calls, take off the “club goggles” and be where customers are looking when they need a tow.

Express your value to your customer.

Most of us don’t like talking about ourselves. We believe that if we were to talk about how good we are that it will be perceived as bragging or conceited.

But the only way your customer can distinguish between you and your competition is to express your value as much more than that.

I’m not talking about the number of trucks and the size and scope of your operation; I’m talking about what your customer values. They value courtesy, cleanliness and their time. If you operate in such a manner that recognizes what they value, you’ll be remembered. The small things matter.

Leverage what you’ve got to get more. One way of decreasing your commodity factor and getting more

and better repeat customers is to leverage the customers you already have.

What am I talking about?

If you want to decrease your dependency on the clubs, you need more cash calls. To get more cash calls, you need to partner with other businesses. The way to do that is to give them something they want.

The secret sauce to the growth of any business is more quality repeat customers. If you can show a repair shop owner how partnering with your company can get them more of that secret sauce, they’ll listen. However, the partnership door swings both ways; while you’re expounding the benefits of working with you, don’t forget to ask for what you want in return: referrals.

You have a choice. You can spend all your time and energy complaining about all that is wrong with the industry, or you can use that time and energy to work on making your business work.

Don Archer lives and works in Jefferson City, Mo., where he and his wife, Brenda, own and operate Broadway Wrecker, a 12truck operation that’s been in business since the 1950s. He writes a weekly column for TowIndustryWeek.com. Email him at don@broadwaywrecker.com..

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • SOUTH 79

Company Suspended for Overbilling A tow company that contracts with Lowell, Mass., to tow vehicles from public lots, was suspended from that work for nearly a month after the city said it found the company overbilled motorists.

Christopher's Towing also was the third tow company to be suspended by the city in the past two years. Christopher's did not return phone calls to the local paper seeking comment.

The company allegedly billed motorists for using a tow dolly. Those surcharges cost each vehicle owner an extra $75, according to the Lowell Police Department. Police found more than five such instances in just the first month or so from when Christopher's began its towing contract on January 1, police said.

Source: lowellsun.com.

SOUTH 80 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Roberts Awarded for Safety

Lee Roberts (right) and Bill Bell.

Lee Roberts of Roberts Heavy Duty Towing & Recovery in Lexington, Ky., recently received a Kentucky Highway Safety award for his leadership and accomplishments in the field, the first time the safety award went to a towing company.

“Lee Roberts has been a positive force for honesty, dedication and pro-

fessionalism in the towing and recovery business for more than 30 years,” said Tony Young, highway safety specialist at the Federal Highway and Safety Administration. “During his career he has worked, and continues to work, to be a leader who has made a significant contribution to highway safety and traffic incident management across Kentucky.”

Young singled out Roberts for donating time and equipment to the state fire school to help train firefighters, being on-call 24/7 to assist the Lexington Fire and Police departments and for implementing company procedures to enhance the safety of his customers and crew.

“I was floored that I even got nominated,” said Roberts, who accepted the award at the Kentucky Lifesavers Conference in Louisville. “And to actually get it, it’s quite a shock. If it weren’t for the good people who work under me I ’t have got it. It’s not just me.”

Roberts Awarded for Safety

Lee Roberts (right) and Bill Bell.

Lee Roberts of Roberts Heavy Duty Towing & Recovery in Lexington, Ky., recently received a Kentucky Highway Safety award for his leadership and accomplishments in the field, the first time the safety award went to a towing company.

“Lee Roberts has been a positive force for honesty, dedication and professionalism in the towing and recovery business for more than 30 years,” said Tony Young, highway safety specialist at the Federal Highway and Safety Administration.

“During his career he has worked, and continues to work, to be a leader who has made a significant contribution to highway safety and traffic incident management across Kentucky.”

Young singled out Roberts for donating time and equipment to the state fire school to help train firefighters, being on-call 24/7 to assist the Lexington Fire and Police departments and for implementing company procedures to enhance the safety of his customers and crew.

“I was floored that I even got nominated,” said Roberts, who accepted the award at the Kentucky Lifesavers Conference in Louisville.

“And to actually get it, it’s quite a shock. If it weren’t for the good people who work under me I wouldn’t have got it. It’s not just me.”

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • MIDWEST 75

Texas County Considers New Rotation Officials in Montgomery County, Texas, are working with law enforcement, the tow industry and the public to update a policy regarding non-consent towing.

House Bill 2213, passed during the 2015 state legislative session, has made it possible for the county to make changes to existing towing policies to address safety issues on area roadways.

A proposed towing rotation process would create five zones in the county in an effort to cut down on the number of tow trucks that respond to a scene.

The proposed regulations only address non-consent towing.

Dispatch personnel will follow a rotation of towing companies for each zone. A towing company may have a number of positions on the rotation list corresponding to the number of permitted tow trucks in each zone.

Towers would have 20 minutes to respond to a scene within each zone under the initial policy, but the timing is still being tweaked for further review.

The proposed regulations require towed vehicles to be stored within the specific zone in which the vehicle was loaded.

Milstead Automotive owner Amy Milstead said she is in favor of a rotation process to help reduce secondary accidents in the county.

“Our county has experienced rapid growth over the past few years, and traffic is a top concern for each of our citizens,” she said. “The rotation [process] would help with congestion when it comes to accident scenes. We need to move Montgomery County into the 21st century—we are chasing accidents like they did years and years ago.”

Tow operator Clinton Bass said he believed the proposed rotation was a little too drastic.

continued to page 80

MIDWEST 76 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • MIDWEST 77

Get More Cash Calls

by Don Archer

A

fter selling my towing business and moving into the business of coaching and consulting, I’ve been inundated with requests for help. Some inquiries are from those wide-eyed individuals looking for a way in who don’t yet know about the challenges that exist in our industry.

But most are existing owners, and one of the biggest challenges they mention is the need for more cash calls. What I have to offer today are three ways towing companies can work to get more cash calls.

Be where customers are looking.

One of the biggest mistakes towers make is to believe that all motorists have roadside assistance plans. It’s almost as if they’re wearing “motorclub goggles.” Because of this belief, they fail to properly position themselves where potential customers are looking when they need a tow.

Express your value to your customer.

To dispel the belief that everyone has an 800 number in their back pocket, I ask that you consider the number of people you know who carry liability-only insurance; and of those people, how many do so only because it’s the law?

Then think about those who realize that they are underinsured after being involved in an accident when their car is totaled. Comprehensive coverage doesn’t mean complete replacement.

Most motorists don’t plan ahead.

Have you ever seen a guy at the grocery store wearing pajama pants and MIDWEST 78 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Your customer values courtesy, cleanliness and their time.

flip-flops? I guarantee you he’s not walking five miles for two gallons of gasoline. If he didn’t plan far enough into the future to have a clean set of clothes for shopping, he probably didn’t consider the possibility of needing help.

To get more cash calls, take off the “club goggles” and be where customers are looking when they need a tow.

Express your value to your customer.

Most of us don’t like talking about ourselves. We believe that if we were to talk about how good we are that it will be perceived as bragging or conceited.

But the only way your customer can distinguish between you and your competition is to express your value as much more than that.

I’m not talking about the number of trucks and the size and scope of your operation; I’m talking about what your customer values. They value courtesy, cleanliness and their time. If you operate in such a manner that recognizes what they value, you’ll be remembered. The small things matter.

Leverage what you’ve got to get more. One way of decreasing your commodity factor and getting more

and better repeat customers is to leverage the customers you already have.

What am I talking about?

If you want to decrease your dependency on the clubs, you need more cash calls. To get more cash calls, you need to partner with other businesses. The way to do that is to give them something they want.

The secret sauce to the growth of any business is more quality repeat customers. If you can show a repair shop owner how partnering with your company can get them more of that secret sauce, they’ll listen. However, the partnership door swings both ways; while you’re expounding the benefits of working with you, don’t forget to ask for what you want in return: referrals.

You have a choice. You can spend all your time and energy complaining about all that is wrong with the industry, or you can use that time and energy to work on making your business work.

Don Archer lives and works in Jefferson City, Mo., where he and his wife, Brenda, own and operate Broadway Wrecker, a 12truck operation that’s been in business since the 1950s. He writes a weekly column for TowIndustryWeek.com. Email him at don@broadwaywrecker.com..

Sponsored by:

continued from page 76 “The rotation is going to kill us small-business owners,” he said.

“There are different things that were done in other areas of the county— Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North—to limit the number of trucks per wrecker scene that would drastically reduce the number of trucks.”

Tower Dennis Blake said he is in favor of a rotation process as long as it is done fairly.

“This is our livelihood,” he said.

“One truck, one spot or one company, one spot. Give us all a fair advantage.”

Source: communityimpact.com.

TomTom Rates Cities by Traffic TomTom released its TomTom Traffic Index 2016 annual report detailing the cities around the world with the most traffic congestion. This year, Mexico City, Mexico, knocked Istanbul, Turkey, from the top slot.

No U.S. cities were in the Top 5 globally.

In North America, the most congested cities (in order) were Mexico

City; Seattle, Wash.; Los Angeles, Calif.; San Jose, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Vancouver, Canada; Toronto, Canada; New York, N.Y.; and Miami, Fla. Source: tomtom.com/telematics.

Colo. Woman Shoots at Towman Police in Longmont, Colo., arrested a woman on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder after they say she shot at a tower she incorrectly thought was coming to repossess her car.

Police said the tower was waiting for calls for service when Lourdes Kouzougian, armed with a shotgun, confronted him.

The tow truck driver climbed into his truck and left, but heard a gunshot and called police. Neighbors were able to direct police to the woman’s house.

When Kouzougian did not respond to requests to come out, the SWAT unit was called. She did surrender peacefully before the team arrived.

MIDWEST 80 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

No one was injured during the incident.

Source: timescall.com.

Company Suspended for Overbilling A tow company that contracts with Lowell, Mass., to tow vehicles from public lots, was suspended from that work for nearly a month after the city said it found the company overbilled motorists.

Christopher's Towing also was the third tow company to be suspended by the city in the past two years. Christopher's did not return phone calls to the local paper seeking comment.

The company allegedly billed motorists for using a tow dolly. Those surcharges cost each vehicle owner an extra $75, according to the Lowell Police Department. Police found more than five such instances in just the first month or so from when Christopher's began its towing contract on January 1, police said.

Source: lowellsun.com.

Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • WEST 75

Texas County Considers New Rotation Officials in Montgomery County, Texas, are working with law enforcement, the tow industry and the public to update a policy regarding non-consent towing.

House Bill 2213, passed during the 2015 state legislative session, has made it possible for the county to make changes to existing towing policies to address safety issues on area roadways.

A proposed towing rotation process would create five zones in the county in an effort to cut down on the number of tow trucks that respond to a scene.

The proposed regulations only address non-consent towing.

Dispatch personnel will follow a rotation of towing companies for each zone. A towing company may have a number of positions on the rotation list corresponding to the number of permitted tow trucks in each zone.

Towers would have 20 minutes to respond to a scene within each zone under the initial policy, but the timing is still being tweaked for further review.

The proposed regulations require towed vehicles to be stored within the specific zone in which the vehicle was loaded.

Milstead Automotive owner Amy Milstead said she is in favor of a rotation process to help reduce secondary accidents in the county.

“Our county has experienced rapid growth over the past few years, and traffic is a top concern for each of our citizens,” she said. “The rotation [process] would help with congestion when it comes to accident scenes. We need to move Montgomery County into the 21st century—we are chasing accidents like they did years and years ago.”

Tow operator Clinton Bass said he believed the proposed rotation was a little too drastic.

“The rotation is going to kill us small-business owners,” he said.

“There are different things that were WEST 76 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the Passenger side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • WEST 77

done in other areas of the county— Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North—to limit the number of trucks per wrecker scene that would drastically reduce the number of trucks.”

Tower Dennis Blake said he is in favor of a rotation process as long as it is done fairly.

“This is our livelihood,” he said.

“One truck, one spot or one company, one spot. Give us all a fair advantage.”

Source: communityimpact.com.

Roberts Awarded for Safety L e e Roberts of Roberts Heavy Duty Towing & Recovery in Lexington, Ky., recently received a Kentucky Lee Roberts (right) and Highway Bill Bell.

Safety award for his leadership and accomplishments in the field, the first time the safety award went to a towing company.

“Lee Roberts has been a positive force for honesty, dedication and professionalism in the towing and recovery business for more than 30 years,” said Tony Young, highway safety specialist at the Federal Highway and Safety Administration. “During his career he has worked, and continues to work, to be a leader who has made a significant contribution to highway safety and traffic incident management across Kentucky.”

Young singled out Roberts for donating time and equipment to the state fire school to help train firefighters, being on-call 24/7 to assist the Lexington Fire and Police departments and for implementing company procedures to enhance the safety of his customers and crew.

“I was floored that I even got nominated,” said Roberts, who accepted the award at the Kentucky Lifesavers Conference in Louisville.

“And to actually get it, it’s quite a shock. If it weren’t for the good people who work under me I wouldn’t have got it. It’s not just me.”

WEST 78 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - May 2016 • WEST 79

WEST 80 • May 2016 - TOWMAN.COM