American Towman Magazine - July 2016

American Towman Exposition XXVIII – New Attendee Brochure Inside!

BRING A CUP OF JOE TO TOWINDUSTRYWEEK.COM

REGISTER FOR TOW EXPO @ TOWEXPODFW.COM

Outriggers helped stabilize Milstead Towing’s Century rotator .

FEATURE CONTENTS

24

Truck in a Hole Lifting a tanker truck out of an underground garage proved to be a challenging recovery.

by Charles Miller

30

The Art of the Contract

Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tow Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Events

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Whether you have a verbal or written agreement figures large in the future of your business.

by John Borowski

43

The Greatest Show of All Time Attendee Brochure for 2016 AT Expo is here!

Read all about it!

AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

60

Tow Americana . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Looking Back 40 Years

Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

The founder of American Towman magazine recalls early days and towing’s first black-tie affair.

by Arnold Polizzi

Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 3

Everything’s Hotter in Texas

by Dennie Ortiz

First On The Scene!

Things are heating up in Texas, and more than just the weather.

The Tow Expo in Dallas/Fort Worth coming up in just a few weeks is bigger than ever in both the number and variety of suppliers at the show and new and exciting events taking place.

Women are a vital component and indispensible to our industry.

However, as women in towing, we do face different and unique challenges than our male counterparts.

For this reason Tow Expo will be hosting the Tow Women’s conference. Several prominent tow women will share insights into running successful towing operations as well as growing and strengthening tow associations.

Other conferences at the Expo focus on repo, municipal towing, getting paid by motor clubs and towing business management.

A completely new element to

Tow Expo is “Tow Tank,” based on the “Shark Tank” TV series, where eager entrepreneurs will have a chance to win $5,000 or more at the show. Go to commercialfleetfinance.com to enter and learn more.

As we continue to celebrate the 100th year of Towing, Tow Expo will host a Centennial Celebration from American Towman where you will receive a special one-of-a-kind gift, compliments of American Towman magazine.

Even when the exhibit closes after its final hour, the show will go on. After the doors close, a live recovery demonstration by Miller Industries will engage the crowd alongside the inaugural Steel and Wheel Tailgate party with classic cars and the USA Wrecker Pageant on display.

Those are just some of the highlights of what’s in store for you at Tow Expo in Texas on Aug. 4-6.

Check out TowExpoDFW.com hope to see y’all down there!

Looking Back

by Brendan Dooley

AT magazine founder Arnold Pollizi shared a story with readers this month (page 60) about the early days of AT along with a snapshot of what the industry was like in the late 1970s and early ’80s.

From his first communiqué, “Turnpike Towline,” to the industry’s first black-tie gala welcoming towers and their trucks, he talks about how the industry has grown and changed over the years—mostly for the better in terms of equipment, training and safety.

In a similar vein, Operations Editor Randy Resch looks back at towing’s past (page 64), but in comparison with the logging industry and how equipment in both were very parallel.

Knowing where you come from is essential in figuring out where to go next.

6 • July 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: americantowman.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.

. . . The agreement didn’t keep small businesses in mind . . .

Tower Rescues Senior from Fire A woman in San Diego, Calif., escaped injury from an electrical fire in her home, but her dog and two cats died in a blaze that caused $300,000 in damage.

Heavy smoke and flames were seen coming out of the windows as firefighters arrived at the single story house at about 1:40 a.m., according to officials.

A tower from the towing company next door helped the woman— a senior citizen who uses a walker—escape the flames. He then towed her car out of the driveway to keep it from getting damaged.

Source: fox5sandiego.com.

Towmen Win Spot at Table

Tow truck companies throughout Visalia, Calif., let their voices be heard recently and won a seat at the table to negotiate a new agreement between owners and the Visalia Police Department.

More than 40 owners, family and supporters crowded the Visalia City Council chambers to speak on the matter when Visalia police recently introduced a new agreement that would have required the tow companies to have at least four trucks, 100-car holding capacity and insurance to cover city employees at crash sites.

Company owners said the agreement didn’t keep small businesses in mind.

In the end, City Manager Mike Olmos, who hadn’t been informed of the changes to the agreement before it was introduced, agreed to meet with representatives of tow companies along with police.

Source: visaliatimesdelta.com.

8 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

TRAA Meets with Tesla A Towing and Recovery Association of America advisory committee met with Lisa Cahillane, program manager for roadside assistance with Tesla, during the American Towman ShowPlace in Las Vegas in May to establish a working relationship with the car manufacturer.

“One of our goals was to form advisory committees with the manufacturers and insurance companies to help advise them how to make our jobs a little bit easier,” said Bud Gruber, chairman of TRAA’s Motor Club Communications Committee.* “In a very short order of time, Lisa put together an advisory board of 16 towers who met at the American Towman show in Las Vegas, and we had an excellent meeting.”

San Diego Cuts Ties with Company

TRAA’s Bud Gruber (left) and Gary Coe.

Advisory board member Gary Coe said that Tesla puts a premium on customer service and “has set up their own network of towing service providers. We hope that the other manufacturers may follow suit and see value in that.” *Look for more information on this TRAA committee in an AT interview with Gruber in the August issue. —Ed.

‘Unsung Heroes’

Boat Theft Thwarted by Tower

Lift Dangling Semi When Autorama Enterprises first got the call of an overturned semi dangling off a roadway, Phil Blumenthal didn’t think much of the situation. But when he arrived, he realized he was dealing with something he had never seen before. So he came up with a plan to make sure no one got hurt, and then he got to work.

Blumenthal’s team was successfully able to raise the roughly 30,000lbs. rig, including a nail-biting moment when one towman was standing on top of a white minivan without a harness to get a chain around the back end of the truck.

During the final stage, as they raised the cab of the truck that was leaking diesel rule, smoke started spewing. “The battery actually was on

A towing company that was hit with the largest fine ever by the San Diego (Calif.) Ethics Commission in April also won’t be hooking up cars for the city any longer.

The city decided to terminate the contract of Advantage Towing, effective June 6, according to a city spokesman.

The firm, one of a handful of companies that the city uses to tow vehicles, was fined $128,000 by the Ethics Commission for violating the campaign finance ordinance in the 2012 mayoral race.

The commission said that the company funneled $7,500 to the campaigns of Bonnie Dumanis, Nathan Fletcher and Carl DeMaio through separate individuals, to exceed contribution limits. The donations ostensibly came from employees, but owner Ayman Arekat reimbursed each employee with checks drawn on the company account.

Source: sandiegouniontribune.com.

Autorama operators called “unsung heroes” on local TV. abc7ny.com image.

fire,” Blumenthal said.

The driver of the tractor-trailer escaped serious injury.

Source: abc7ny.com.

Premier Towing driver Ken Davis says he was called out to tow a white Subaru Forester in Southern California, but when he arrived, there was a Ford Explorer with a boat in tow, the first sign something wasn’t right.

“I started asking him for keys and information and whatnot,” Davis said. “The whole thing sounded really shady.”

Davis says the boat was filled with beer and groceries, and the man had a convincing story, but he went with his instinct and called the number on the boat’s “for sale” sign. The owner told Davis he never called for a tow.

Davis says the two men fled after they realized things weren’t going as planned.

Source: actionnewsnow.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Towing Fees Waived for Fire Victims After nine cars were towed from the scene of the deadly four-alarm fire in Manchester, N.H., that killed four people in a massive apartment fire on June 6, victims feared they’d have to pay the towing fees to get Local towers worked with fire and police to waive tow their vehicles back. fees following an apartment fire. nh1.com image.

But in a community effort, that changed. The registered owners will be able to get their vehicles without paying for the towing, police said.

Eastern Auto Body, Queen City Towing, Precision Towing, Auto City and Performance Towing all waived their fees.

“The collaborative effort solidifies the strong relationships formed with our business partners and city agencies,” Lt. Brian O’Keefe said.

Source: nh1.com.

Tow Rig Dedicated to First Responders Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, emergency responders killed or injured in the line of duty won’t be forgotten when one ATRN Towing and Recovery truck comes to the rescue.

It features the “Guns ‘n Hoses” logo used during local fundraisers showing a Idaho towman Matt Mayo salutes first responders police officer, a firewith truck’s design. fighter and the call numbers for late Coeur d’Alene Police Sgt. Greg Moore, former CPD Officer Michael Kralicek and the late Idaho State Police Trooper Linda Huff.

“They are out risking their lives in the middle of the night while many of us are sleeping,” said ATRN owner Matt Mayo. “People take that for granted.

Sometimes law enforcement in general gets a bad rap and that isn’t always fair. “We want (the truck) to be seen around the community and will put it to work.” Source: cdapress.com.

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 9

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! 1,600-lbs. RediJack Dolly B/A Products’ new RediJack auto-positioning dolly features a 1,600-lbs. maximum capacity (6,400 lbs. with four units) and works with tires to a maximum of 36” high and 13” wide. They fit most auto-positioning dolly brackets; additional dolly brackets available from B/A. They are available in right- and left-hand units, feature heavy-duty welds and casters, and a red powdercoat finish.

Safer Driveline Process The Driveline Buddy eliminates time spent removing the driveline while providing a cradle for the driveline when en route; it also acts as a hoist to reattach the driveline post-tow. The system uses a springloaded suspender bar installed into the frame of the truck and Ushaped cradle to rest the driveline in. The Driveline Buddy includes all tools necessary for proper use. Driveline Buddy was invented by longtime towman Dave Barton and is produced at his shop in the U.S.A.

drivelinebuddy.com

Roller Tensioner Aids Winding

baprod.com

Ramsey’s new Overwound Roller Tensioner is applicable for its H, HD, HDG, HSW, and DC Series worm-gear winches. The design produces uniform pressure to reduce bird-nesting and aid in level winding. The bolt-on accessory is permanently lubricated and works on left or right drum rotation, standard and short drums.

Synthetic Chain Links DSM is producing heavy-duty synthetic chain links from its Dyneema fiber. The chains, branded as Tycan, float on water, yet can hold down loads up to a 600-ton power transformer according to DSM. The chains are lighter than steel versions, so they can be handled with greater ease and put into position faster. Dyneema fiber is up to 15 times stronger than steel and is resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals.

dyneema.com

ramsey.com

Lithium-Powered Jumpstart Kit Towmate’s new Lithium Jumpstart Kit (No. TMJSK) features a long-lasting lithium battery jump pack that is powerful enough to jumpstart large diesel engines and still have enough charge left for your phone, laptop or power small appliances. The tool includes an LED Flashlight, red/blue safety strobe and a large selection of connection adapters.

PTO Shaft Extensions for Allison

towmate.com

Muncie Power Products’ EX Drive is a power take-off shaft extension for Allison 3000 and 4000 Series transmissions, with or without a retarder or cooler. The EX Drive replaces the driveline, allowing for direct mounting of large gear or piston pumps while reducing installation time. Its minimized housing diameter allows for installation in tight spaces. The shaft extension is available for both clutch-shift and constant-drive PTOs.

Six-Function Transmitter Lodar’s Six Function Transmitter with Receiver is easy to install and program, features a 200’ range, is protected from reverse polarity and has an internal aerial. Covered by a five-year warranty.

munciepower.com

10 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

lodar.com

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 11

What’s Your Social Media Policy?

by Don G. Archer

I

never thought I would have to worry about implementing a social media policy into my business until this happened: We needed window washer fluid, so I sent one of the guys down to the auto parts store to get a couple of cases. About 30 minutes later he called and said that there was a problem with our account: we were over our spending limit.

So I paid the bill and we got what we needed. No big deal, I thought.

About 30 minutes later, I received a text from one of my competitors. He said I needed to take a look at what was posted on Facebook.

It turned out that the driver who was sent to get the washer fluid put a post on Facebook saying that we hadn’t paid our bill.

I admit it ruffled my feathers. This was one of my most trusted guys. But I calmed down and asked him about it and he graciously apologized, and removed the post.

Still, I felt like I’d been betrayed; but it turns out this kind of thing happens everywhere.

If you don’t have policies in place that inform your employees of your positions on these possibly inflammatory and discriminative items and your integrity is ever called into question, you may be facing an uphill battle.

But this is first amendment stuff, right? It can’t be limited. You can’t control what your employees say and post, and what sites they visit. Can you?

The answer is if you’re an employer, there’s a thin line between what’s right and wrong.

12 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

The National Labor Relations Board says, “Workers have a right to discuss work conditions freely and without fear of retribution, whether the discussion takes place at the office or on Facebook.” You can’t implement policies if “those policies discourage workers from exercising their right to communicate with one another with the aim of improving wages, benefits or working conditions.”

With regards to company-owned email, equipment and websites, the employer has the right to prescribe how they’re used and what’s acceptable. You can legally state that employees should have no unreasonable

expectations of privacy, they should refrain from sexually explicit, abusive language and that the consequences for violation can include termination.

But when it comes to social media you must be more careful.

If your goal is to minimize the embarrassment or harm that an employee can cause your company using social media, but you inadvertently limit their ability to communicate with one another in an attempt to create a better work environment, you are stepping outside of what the NLRB says is acceptable.

So how do you create a Social Media Policy that’s acceptable?

To begin, you could have an opendoor policy that invites employees to make suggestions, ask questions, and have input in your business. Doing this can help you avoid many of the complaints that might end up online.

Secondly, you could create a policy with the intention of informing your employees of what is and isn’t acceptable. Include language that alerts them to the fact that the posting of negative items—with regards to themselves or your company—could cause them harm as well. Not by way of a threat of repercussions by the company; but as a result of a negative image which could lead to lowered sales for the company.

That could directly affect their continued employment.

Lastly, you could make your employees aware that more than 52 percent of employers now check a potential employee’s social media before making a hiring decision. Negative items could threaten any future employment opportunities.

Here’s a good example of the language of a Social Media Policy: “Employees are responsible for the content they post online, whether posted during or outside of work hours. Online conduct that adversely affects (the Towing Company’s) legitimate business interests or the interests of its employees, customers, vendors or other business partners may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Without written authorization from management, employees do not have authority or permission to communicate online for or on behalf of (the Towing Company).”

Controlling what’s said about your business, your customers and your employees online may seem like an insurmountable battle. But if you approach it with thoughtfulness and diplomacy, and don’t take it personally, you stand a better chance of getting the results you’re looking for.

Don G. Archer is a multi-published author, educator and speaker helping others to build and start successful towing businesses around the country at TheTowAcademy.com. Don and his wife, Brenda, formerly owned and operated Broadway Wrecker in Jefferson City, Mo. He is the Tow Business Editor for Tow Industry Week; email him direct at don@thetowacademy.com.

14 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Weldbuilt on Display

Weldbuilt display during Able Equipment open house. Able Equipment Rental image.

Weldbuilt/ABLE Equipment Rental held an Open House at its Deer Park, N.Y., facility on May 5. More than 200 guests consisting of customers, municipalities, contractors and industrial facilities attended the event, including American Towman

editors and staff. Able Equipment said that the many guests in attendance, despite the windy day, made for a successful event at its 109,000sq./ft. facility. The company provided food, music and prizes, and conducted tours and equipment demos.

Miller Updates Marketing Team

Omadi in Oakland

Miller Industries (millerind.com) has announced the promotion of Kipp Kipp Felice Felice to Vice President of Marketing and Business Solutions. He will be responsible for creating and implementing marketing strategies to help Todd Hardless Miller’s distributors with training, sales, product use and business operations, and enhancing the buying experience for the end user.

In addition, Miller expanded its marketing Joseph Keene department with new managers Joseph Keene and Todd Harless.

Both Keene and Harless will manage and implement marketing strategies, communications and public relations activities.

Omadi Mobile Management (omadi.com) recently announced that Auto Plus Towing selected its software platform to manage the dispatching and towing process for police calls in Oakland, Calif. The city selected APT and Omadi to minimize response times, get traffic moving sooner and to improve the safety of officers, towers and citizens.

Oakland police officers will now dispatch the nearest APT tower to the scene of an accident utilizing the Omadi Mobile app. The app allows for an automated towing process that includes voiceless dispatching.

It’s anticipated that Omadi will facilitate more than 11,000 tows a year for APT and Oakland, a release stated.

Omadi and APT will also provide a free roadside assistance service for any city vehicle.

The Long Bar in Arlington

by Steve Calitri

On August 5th at the Arlington Convention Center, Tow Expo's Long Bar will become a part of American Towman lore, held during the evening's Centennial Celebration, featuring casino tables, card games, barbecue food, and live music.

T

exas is known for everything long: from the longhorn steer, to the panhandle to the Rio Grande, to the long wall promised by one presidential candidate. In that tradition, Tow Expo taking place at the Arlington Convention Center, August 4-6, is is all about being long.

Take the Long Bar created for American Towman’s Centennial Celebration; rumor has it to be the longest bar in Texas. Take the Tow Expo exhibitor roster, the longest of any tow show in Texas history, more than 100 exhibitors and growing as AT goes to print. Take the length of the Conference seminars, added to by the TIMS incident management course and the TRAA and WTRAA forums. Plus the long list of events culminating with the Saturday evening Tailgate Party.

The roster of Conference seminars is so long, included are several Motor Clubs presenting sessions on “Getting Paid,” and three seminars of the Tow Women Conference that promotes women taking a leadership role in their companies.

Tow Expo in Arlington is also long on training. There

16 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Arlington Convention Center

are two separate courses, one covering heavy duty conducted by WreckMaster instructors, and one covering light and medium duty, conducted by CIRT. At the Centennial Celebration, Tow Expo is celebrating the long run of the towing industry, 100 years to date from the time Ernest Holmes manufactured the first commercial wrecker in 1916. That’s the long and short of it.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 17

Five Tips to Improve Roadside Safety

by Terry Abejuela

Repetition and practice are the best ways to develop safety skills. Regular training should be a part of that, like this equipment training for towers and emergency responders at Savatech last winter.

O

ne of the most hazardous jobs a tow operator performs is to provide service on the side of a roadway.

The hazard caused by passing traffic is responsible for many of the injuries and fatalities in the towing industry.

According to the Towing and Recovery Association of America, there are an average of 60 towers who lose their lives in the line of duty each year in the United States. This is an average of more than one towman per week. Countless other towers sustain serious life-changing injuries.

As a professional towman, you must do everything in your power to provide for the safety of all those present at a roadside incident. The most important person responsible for your 18 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

safety is you. Following are five tips to consider in improving your roadside safety.

1. Develop a safety culture. Your safety as well as that of your customers, law enforcement and the motoring public must be taken seriously every time you perform your job. According to a survey of motorists, conducted by the AAA

The most important person responsible for your safety is you.

Foundation for Traffic Safety, we are a “do as I say not as I do” safety culture.

Although they are talking about it in the context of safe driving, it definitely applies to tower safety.

We often know what the hazards are and we know how to do the job safely, but we tend to take short cuts to save time. We tend to justify this because we do it when there is a low safety risk. If you do this often enough, it will become a routine. Then when the safety risk is elevated and we try to do the job more safely, it becomes awkward and time-consuming because we have to think about how to do it. We are performing differently than our new-normal routine.

All tow operators are challenged to change this and practice safety on

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 19

every job, every time, so it becomes your routine and conditioned performance.

I have twice received a fortune cookie with the saying, “Practice is the best of all instructors.” I firmly believe that repetition and practice is the best way to develop safety skills, but it can work both ways. If you practice poor safety habits, then that will be your natural reflex. (One common bad habit is crossing between the tow truck and the disabled vehicle. Practice going around the truck or disabled vehicle and not between the vehicles.)

2. Equipment placement. Before responding to any roadside call, be sure you are prepared. Do you have all of your safety equipment? Do you know exactly where all the equipment is stored? Is equipment stored in a way to make it as safe as possible when you are on the roadside?

If the majority of the calls you respond to are on the right shoulder of the roadway, you should put frequently used equipment where it is

easily accessible on the passenger side of the truck when possible.

If you know a call is on the center median, move the equipment needed prior to arriving at the scene, if possible. Consider options such as passenger-side or dual-side controls on car carriers.

3. Always face traffic. As much as possible, face traffic and keep an eye on passing cars. If you are facing traffic, watching, listening and staying alert, you will be able to identify a hazard sooner giving you more time to react. The extra second or two may make the difference between surviving and not.

If you must take your eye off of traffic, limit the amount of time and get back to an eye on traffic as quickly as possible. If possible, wait for a break in cars in the adjacent lane before looking away.

Watch for vehicles that are making erratic movements or are close to or crossing the traffic line.

Watch for vehicles that are chang-

ing lanes and entering the lane adjacent to the shoulder.

4. Work on the non-traffic side. One of the best habits you can develop is to work on the non-traffic side of the truck as much as possible. Obviously the traffic side of the truck is much more dangerous than the non-traffic side. Having the truck between yourself and traffic provides some protection. It does not make it safe, but may improve your chances of survival.

Park your truck with as much buffer space between the truck and the traffic lane as possible. If the disabled vehicle is drivable and space is available, it may be safer to move it further away from the traffic lane to increase your buffer space before attempting to provide service.

5. Plan an escape route. Upon arrival at the scene, evaluate the hazards and identify an escape route.

Look for different options and plan where to go in the event a vehicle is coming at you. Is there a bridge abutment, K-rail, guardrail, callbox enclosure or some other option that might provide some protection?

Avoid laying down or kneeling as it will take you more time to get to your feet to move out of harm’s way.

Quickly visualize how you will escape so you can mentally practice it before you need to move.

One of the most hazardous zones is between the tow truck and the disabled vehicle. Avoid this area as much as possible. If you must work in a space between the truck and the disabled vehicle or a guardrail, be prepared to jump out of the crush zone.

There are many other ways to improve your roadside safety, so learn as much as you can—and practice it.

Do the job safely every time so that safety becomes the normal and not the exception.

Don’t forget the most important person responsible for your safety is you.

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.

20 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 21

The front of the tanker was lifted first to get the fuel tanks off the edge of the hole.

O

Tanker Hole in the

24 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Challenging Recovery Comes Up Easy

by Charlie Miller

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

ur company, Milstead Automotive in Spring, Texas, was called out for a tanker truck recovery right off my own personal bucket list.

The tanker was being used to pump floodwater out of a parking garage. It was parked on the corner of the parking garage, pumping water up out of the garage when the pavement collapsed and swallowed the back of the tanker.

It was lucky the tanker was close to the corner of the parking garage, because that made it easier for us to get to. I backed up near the drivers’ side of the tanker and set up my 2016 Kenworth T880 twin-steer/Century 75-ton rotator. We’ve had this heavy since about January, and done a lot of nice recoveries with it. On this job, the new H-beam outriggers made a world of difference. They helped stabilize the truck and keep it flat, which was key to lift and swing this kind of weight. (We estimated the weight of the tanker to be about 40,000 lbs. to 45,000 lbs.)

I used three endless loops, with two making a bridle on the back of the truck and I used the other long one up front. It worked perfect because the bridle in the back kept the truck from leaning one way or the other.

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 25

After the truck and rigging were set up, I swung the boom around over the tanker. I hooked the frame between the cab and tank. Then I went down into the garage and hooked the wheels on the rear axle. Back up top, I began my lift.

"I rotated it around and didn't scratch or hurt it.”

I lifted the front end first to get the fuel tanks off the edge. I tightened up the rear, then lifted and rotated the tanker slowly until the top of the rear of the tank was clear. Once clear, I could lift the rear by itself and level the tanker out. After it was level, I rotated it around and didn't scratch or hurt it, any more than it already was, and set it down in the parking lot next to me.

I like recoveries that are challenging and make you think a bit. Others we’ve done with this 75-ton Century include loads upwards of 150,000 lbs.; a lot of concrete mixers in precarious positions; and a 250,000-lbs. crane.

Two loops worked as a bridle for the rear of the tanker to bring it up straight with no swaying (above), and the outriggers kept the Century flat and steady as it swung the tanker around (below).

The tanker broke through the parking structure near a corner, which was fortunate for Milstead to get their 75-ton Century in close for the recovery.

26 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 27

Custer Adds SMART Rider Custer Products’ (custerproducts.com) new SMART Rider lights are lightweight with full functionality and connect easily via a wireless transmitter. They feature 42 LEDs for great visibility at the light’s size.

“We’ve created a tow light that we expect will become the standard for the industry,” said Brad Custer, CEO. “SMART stands for Simple Magnetic Alerting Radio-powered Tow light.”

The light is 23-1/2” x 3” x 4-1/2”, is constructed of polyethylene and the LEDs stay bright for 12 hours between charges.

Navistar Adds Parts Sales VP Navistar (navistar.com) named Carlos Junquera as its Vice President of Sales, North America Parts. He will be responsible for the leadership of the North American Parts sales team.

“I am excited about this opportunity to strengthen and lead our parts

28 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

sales efforts,” said Junquera. “I believe in Navistar, we have a great team and we will ramp up our efforts to promote [Fleetrite parts] and work together with our service group to provide the best solutions for our customers.”

Int’l Adds DriverFirst International Truck launched its DriverFirst initiative (internationaltrucks.com/DriverFirst), aimed at giving its customers an edge in attracting and retaining qualified drivers through vehicles designed with a strong emphasis on the driver’s perspective.

The DriverFirst initiative identified four specific areas where International is pursuing ongoing innovations and driver-centric features, based on comfort, safety, productivity and efficiency.

Rotary Offers Lift Tips Four-post drive-on vehicle lifts are easy to install, use and maintain.

Rotary Lift (rotarylift.com) offers several factors to consider in choosing the

right four-post lift for your needs.

They include: • Length. The wheelbases of the vehicles being lifted will play the most important role in four-post lift selection. First, the lift buyer should determine the wheelbase of the longest vehicle that will be serviced. This number will determine the length of the lift.

• Capacity. Once you have determined what length will be sufficient for your wheelbase needs, it is time to consider the weight of the vehicles that will be lifted. Four-post lift capacities range from 14,000 lbs. all the way up to 60,000 lbs.

• Accessibility. Four-post lifts are available with either an open front or closed front design. An open front design eliminates the crossbeam between the runways at the front of the lift, which makes it easier to access engine and front suspension components.

The company also said speed and versatility of add-ons and optional equipment are key to effectiveness.

The

of the

Art

Contract

Oral Vs. Written Agreements

by John Borowski

T

oday’s towers have so much on their plate that adding another stress issue is not very popular.

Why is everybody else so worried about contracts? With day-to-day business and staffing issues, there are enough things to worry about other than contracts … right?

Well, not exactly.

Some will say that they already have their municipal arrangement and don’t feel the need to be concerned.

Most are out there working hard every day and most times are busy just “putting out fires;” they are not exactly concentrating on the financial stability of their company.

Industrywide there seems to be about a 50-50 split of municipal towers that have an oral arrangement vs. a written contract. Recently, during my 30 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Having a written contract is a much safer play for your company than relying on a handshake agreement with no conditions or expectations explicitly stated on paper.

seminar at the Tow Industry Week conferences in Las Vegas, Nev., I polled my listeners about the contracts in

their life (not just towing, but in general). Surprisingly, only about 20 percent felt they were bound by contracts

in their daily life. Everyone is surrounded and bound by contracts in daily life. Cellphone service providers, internet providers, mortgage/rental agreements, insurance policies, vehicle purchases and leases, hotel reservations, credit cards, magazine subscriptions and on and on. Suddenly we realize that we are surrounded by contracts. Why should this matter?

When you look at these different daily services that are contractual, understand the dollar value of the contract cycling life. Some are small annual value and some are many years with a much larger value. Having only 50 percent of the industry in a written contract vs. an oral contract causes serious concern. Why is there such a big split and where should you be?

To better understand where we are, we should fully understand how we got here.

There has been a need for tow trucks since the inception of the automobile. Although, the automobile was invented much before the tow truck, an eventual need for a recovery or tow vehicle arose since there were more and more autos on the road.

Municipalities started calling local garages to tow these cars to open up the roadways. As the motor vehicle counts on the roadways increased, the police departments were becoming dependent on the garages that were able to perform this very necessary service. Of course, body shops developed and they were able to see the importance of the tow truck. Before you knew it, there were several auto shops that would offer this ancillary service called towing.

Just to prove it was an ancillary service I remember purchasing my first new tow truck body from my local auto parts jobber in 1974. There were no wrecker dealers; Holmes was selling its product in the same stores where we bought our tire machines and grease racks. It was not until the 1990s that many began considering towing as more than an ancillary service as it became more an industry with the consolidation efforts of RoadOne, United Road Towing and others.

So back to the contract issue: Towers are making purchases of new lightWork the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

You will have many thousands of dollars invested along with staff. duty equipment near $100,000 each and then committing to a municipality to be available 24/7/365 on an essentially unenforceable oral contract.

Many towers will try to justify their oral contract in that they know the person awarding the contract or have strong political ties; the reality is that your phone could stop ringing for any number of reasons that would leave you no recourse. The problem is that an oral contract is enforceable, but close to impossible to prove in details and validity. In a legal sense any disagreements become a “he said/she said” situation … who do you think will win?

Written contracts are exactly what they are called, a written instrument supported by law. No guessing and very much enforceable. Of course there can be some gray areas, but for the most part the terms, conditions and expectations are spelled out. Personalities and politics are set aside.

The intense danger of an oral contract is that you will have many thousands of dollars invested along with staff depending on this sort of work.

Your entire family, employees and their families rely on that paycheck.

That doesn’t even take into account the huge personal commitment towers take performing non-consent towing contracts. Ask anyone that has done it.

I can verify not ever enjoying a complete Thanksgiving dinner without being interrupted to tow a drunk driver or clean up the accident of a family traveling to see relatives. The list goes on and on of lost family moments and personal time performing this service … and just on a handshake? While you make this heavy commitment of your personal and company resources, you are in danger of losing it all and every-

one else who depends on that paycheck.

Retail business has shrunk because of motor clubs and newer cars that are lasting longer and are more reliable.

Actual retail business is at an all-time low. The bottom line: It is increasingly difficult to keep in the black. Many towers make the mistake of overburdening themselves with a high percentage of business that has little or no profit. The point I am making is that any disruption from profitable business can, and probably will, be catastrophic.

Now, more than ever, written contracts are a necessity. The commitment to do this work is huge. I am not saying don’t do the work—just understand what could happen. During my tenure I was the largest police tower in the northeast doing 22,000 police calls a year alone. It was the majority of my business, but in the early years it was stressful due to the absence of written contracts. Eventually, I was able to swap them all to written contracts. It certainly helped in reducing stomach acid.

If you don’t have a written contract, start working on getting one with any agency you are working for. Make sure you have more than a one-year commitment. Prepare your case in having a written contract to your city officials. If you cannot persuade them, restructure your service commitments to work that will be there tomorrow. If you don’t, you could be out of business suffering huge losses to yourself and your valued employees who have committed themselves to you. The only other alternative to making your municipality understand your position is to look at a towing municipal management company.

Editor’s note: The author will be at the Tow Expo International Aug. 4-6 in Dallas, Texas, speaking on this crucial topic. Learn more at towshow.com.

John Borowski, Vice President of Tow Industry Programs at AutoReturn, is a two time recipient of the American Towman Medal for heroism, an inductee in the Int'l Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame, a past president of the Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts, a veteran tow business owner and manager, and a former towing equipment sales specialist for two wrecker manufacturers. John was Towman of the Year in 2005.

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 31

Navistar, GM Partner on Cutaway

commercial customers. The company’s Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans, which are full-length on frame, are upfitted into utility or service vehicles, ambulance or rescue vehicles, shuttle buses or school buses.

Navistar primarily manufactures its DuraStar and WorkStar models at the Springfield plant.

Virgo Catalog Available General Motors’ G Van will be produced at Navistar plant in Springfield, Ohio.

Navistar image.

Navistar (navistar.com) reached an agreement with General Motors to manufacture the cutaway model of GM’s G Van at Navistar’s Springfield, Ohio, plant starting in the first half of 2017.

With this multi-year contract, Navistar will add at least 300 jobs and recommission its second line at the plant.

“Our Springfield plant is an important part of our manufacturing

32 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

footprint, and we’ve been preparing it for a higher volume concentration of light- and medium-duty products as part of our manufacturing strategy,” said Persio Lisboa, president, Navistar operations. “This is an important step towards our goal to drive automotive quality into the commercial vehicle industry.”

GM produces cutaway vans for

Virgo Fleet (virgofleet.com), a supplier of truck accessories, has a new 84-page full-color catalog available with thousands of products to enhance the appearance of your truck.

It also features towing products and accessories as well as safety equipment.

Get your catalog by contacting Virgo at sales@virgofleet.com or 800270-6003.

AD INDEX

July 2016

AAA Access Tools Advantage Funding Akins Body & Carrier Sales American Wrecker Sales Atlanta Wrecker & Carrier Sales Austin Hinds Motors Austin Insurance AutoReturn B & Z Sales C Tech Mfg. Chevron Commercial ComeUp USA CRASHFILM Crawford Truck Sales Crouch’s Wrecker Equip. & Sales Danco DK2 Warrior Winches Don Jackson Carrier & Wrecker Driveline Buddy Dual-Tech Wreckers & Carriers Elizabeth Truck Center Equipment Sales & Services Ford Commercial Truck

34 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Page# 36, 37 41 19 42 N 84 S 83 S 85 W 83 65 S 84 W 85 19 70 20 N 87 15 17 W 85 34 W 88 21 70 N 85 33

To receive free information on products and services from our advertisers go to www.TowExtra.com Page# Ginn Carrier & Wrecker Sales 40 G. Stone Commercial N 83 HUB International W 84 Intek Truck Equipment/Leasing 67 In the Ditch 2 Kavanaugh’s Towing Equip.

M 83 Kenworth of South Florida 17 Lift & Tow 28 Loganville Ford 39 Manufacturer Express 21 Matjack Jumbo Safelift 91 McMahon Truck Center M 85 Midwest Regional Tow Show 7 Miller Industries 4, 5 New England Truckmaster N 87 North American Bancard 29 North American Training Academy 20 Northeast Wrecker Sales N 85 NRC Industries 13 Nussbaum Equipment N 84 OMG National 32 OnlineParkingPass 66 Pacific General Insur. Agency M 83 Quick Draw Tarpaulin 74

Page# Recovery Specialist Ins. Group (RSIG) 73 Renew Truck Body N 88 Rick’s Auto Sales M 85 R.P.M. Equipment W 87 Safety Vision 71 Santander Bank 92 SavaCOMM 73 Savatech 35 Sea Crest Insurance Agency W 86 Select Truck & Equipment M 84 Smyrna Truck Center S 83 Superwinch LLC 38 Towman Hero Award 59 Tow Industries W 83 TowMate 39 TLC Truck & Equipment S 84 Triple K Industries 67 Truck Body Sales W 84 Utility Trailer Sales S.E.TX W 87 VTS Systems W 86 Western Truck Insurance 66 WorldClass Insurance Services W 88 Worldwide Equipment 68, 69

Transfer Flow Celebrated Transfer Flow (transferflow.com) recently was honored in California by Assemblyman James Gallagher during California Small Business Day. As Small Business of the Year for the Third Assembly District, Transfer Flow was noted for its production and dedication to the community.

“One of the reasons why I selected them for this honor is because of their successful efforts to increase the region’s skilled workforce,” said Gallagher. “I am pleased to honor Transfer Flow to help celebrate the success of their entrepreneurship as well as their dedication to producing the highest quality manufacturing products.”

California Small Business Day honored 85 small businesses for their contribution to the state’s economy.

Transfer Flow was founded in 1983 in Chico by former General Motors engineer Bill Gaines, along with his wife, Jeanne, as an OEM fuel system supplier for recreational vehicles.

38 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Today, Transfer Flow continues to invest in new technology and employs more than 90 people.

Detroit ‘Virtual Tech’ in 5th Year Five years after its launch, Detroit has marked the 200,000th installation of its Detroit Connect Virtual Technician (demanddetroit.com/connect) integrated remote diagnostic system hardware. The 200,000th Virtual Technician hardware unit was installed on a Freightliner Cascadia Evolution truck equipped with a Detroit DD15 engine delivered to Penske Truck Leasing Co. “This is a great combination of the OEM’s knowledge of the truck applied to our own internal systems and processes,” said Paul Rosa, senior vice president, procurement and fleet planning for Penske Truck Leasing Co. When Virtual Technician was introduced in 2011, parent company

Daimler Trucks North America was the first truck OEM to deliver a remote engine and after-treatment diagnostic service. Today, Virtual Technician serves as the foundation of the Detroit Connect suite of connected vehicle solutions.

A new portal, launching in the second half of 2016, will provide Detroit Connect users additional information about overall fleet health, as well as let them take a deeper dive into specific fault events communicated through Virtual Technician.

NATA Adds Online Training New from the North American Training Academy (towingfundamentals.com) is a two-hour training video broken into 16 short units that cover loading and recovery using flatbeds, wheel lifts and dollies and includes equipment ratings, resistance, rollovers, and customer service.

“The time and costs associated

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 39

SUPPLIER SCOOP continued from page 38 with training new drivers can be significantly reduced,” said NATA founder David Lambert. “This program provides an early opportunity to invest in new employees, at a bargain price, that could reap big rewards in the form of less damage to vehicles, equipment and safer operators.”

New drivers are shown the basics of what’s expected of them and how to perform the tasks, in both classroom and hands-on demos.

trucks equipped with a sleeper, wood trim accents continue on the sleeper cabinets and storage compartments. The two-tone sleeper back wall is embroidered with the Heritage logo.

Isuzu N-Series Tops 30,000 Talbert Appoints Two VPs

Pete 567 ‘Heritage’ Special Peterbilt’s new Model 567 Heritage (peterbilt.com) will combine the company’s most modern and technologically advanced work truck with distinctive styling and exclusive features inside and out.

The Model 567 Heritage can be spec’d as a day cab or with a 72” or 80” sleeper. Exterior features include chrome and bright accents, special badging and polished panels. Interior highlights include brown leather seats, wood trim and more. For Model 567 Heritage

40 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

engine that produces 297 horsepower at 4,300 rpm and generates 372-ft./lbs. of torque at 4,000 rpm. An optional version of the engine is capable of being converted to run on compressed natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas.

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America (isuzucv.com) marked its 30,000th gasoline-powered N-Series truck, produced at the Spartan Motors (spartanmotors.com) facility in Michigan, on June 10.

Assembly of Isuzu N-Series gas trucks began at Spartan in April 2011.

The N-Series gas trucks are powered by a Vortec 6L small-block V8

Talbert Manufacturing (talbertmfg.com) has promoted Jim Hall and Jamie Myers to division vice presidents. Hall now serves as VP of operations and Myers works as VP of purchasing.

“Jim and Jamie bring more than 40 years of experience in the manufacturing industry to these vice president roles. They’ll provide excellent leadership to ensure our customers continue to receive the best quality heavy-haul trailers,” said Troy Geisler, Talbert VP of sales and marketing.

Hall will manage engineering, manufacturing and IT processes.

Myers will oversee parts and materials selection as well as warranty and maintenance.

Looking Back 40 Years

by Arnold Polizzi

AT’s Beginnings in 1977

M

arch 1977 was the date on the first issue of “American Towman.”

We produced, printed and mailed 26,000 magazines to all states with addresses we purchased from a letter shop—that’s how it was done in those days. The shop had 52,000 total nationwide listings for “tow and repair garages;” we used the other half on the second issue.

We set out to provide a magazine solely dedicated to the towing business and the “Last American Cowboy,” as we called the readers in the first edition. Why? Because you had to be strong, alone, responsible, work in all kinds of weather 24/7, working the traffic, responding to the call for help.

Just like a cowboy, it’s a hard thankless job most of the time, with an occasional “thank you” from the herd.

But this was the life we chose and we wanted respect for that effort, and we wanted recognition for our hard work; up to that point we had none. I am not and never was a publisher—I was a business owner and operator of a family towing company, just like you, starting in a Chevron station in 1957. By 1977, I had my dream on 4.5 acres, with two locations, just outside New York City, five new buildings all for wrecker installations, maintenance, sales and storage. Our 35 tow trucks were mostly Holmes 750s and two Holmes 850s.

We did not do body work or public repair, only emergency recovery, tow60 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Arnold Polizzi, a tow business owner in Clifton, NJ, started publishing American Towman in 1977. He wanted to help professionalize the last of the American cowboys, as he put it. He sold the magazine a few years later, but stayed in the towing business, later transitioning to wrecker sales.

ing and repair—100-percent towing, that was the new thinking at that time.

Large wreckers were rare; Holmes only produced one 850 per month, we purchased six over time. We were a tower’s tower, covering all tow companies, trucking companies, car and truck

dealerships, car rental companies and police departments that did not have large wreckers, or the personnel to handle the big recovery and tow jobs.

We did not compete for our customers’ work; every man to his own trade—ours was towing.

We wanted to change perceptions of this industry. I wanted to show that we are first businessmen—intelligent thinking, respectful people—who spend a lot of money on equipment, care about the safety of the public and our employees, and we wanted the respect that goes with that concern.

Today, we can all thank Editor-inChief Steve Calitri and the present staff and ownership of American Towman for picking up the torch for those principals and having done all the necessary hard work needed to put forth the items of pride, knowledge, respect, safety and education associated with today’s towing professional, worldwide.

‘Turnpike Towline’ In the 1950s and ’60s, an independent tower or tow company did not exist. The need for the occasional accident or breakdown tow was done by either a local body shop or automotive dealership. Gas stations that owned tow trucks used them only for their customers. The motto on Holmes sales literature was, “The big profit jobs are not driven in; they’re towed in.” Dealerships owned the tow trucks and did almost all of the towing work. Dealerships and local body shops also did emergency police tow work.

As car and truck sales volume grew in the ’50s, dealerships became very busy and were easily convinced that they needed to park their tow trucks and seek outside help. Before the proliferation of motor clubs of today, individual towers, like myself, could approach their local dealerships and freight companies and set their own arrangements for towing. Police work was also opened up, as dealers did not want their people working at night, or weekends, and not be available for the normal day’s work.

Our company had developed to a point that when the new westerly spur of the New Jersey Turnpike was set to open, the people in charge of road safety visited our offices and offered us the job. (That’s not happening in today’s world.) We accepted and became one of 31 garages at that time covering 118 miles of toll road, running from just across the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey, Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

and down to the Delaware crossing. It was very interesting work and had many challenges.

It was difficult at that time to talk with other towers and see if they had the same problems we had. I wrote and mailed a one-page letter called “The Turnpike Towline.” It was designed so you could express your problems or recommendations, on the back and send in by return mail. In this manner we could talk to each other about our unique situation.

I wrote ... a one-page

and writing things down. He also started talking to my men. When we finished, I asked him what was this all about. He then introduced himself as Edward DeYoe, editor of “Fleet Owner” magazine, the most highly read trucking magazine of the time.

He said he was very impressed and never realized the work and preparation that went into truck recovery and tow work in general. He always thought towers were the “bad end” of the trucking business. He took those photos and notes and published an article, calling it “The Delicate Art of the Wrecker,” in their April 1976 issue.

Months later, he returned with the printed story.

AT Is Born

letter called 'The Turnpike Towline.'

My company was suspended from all work on the Turnpike as soon as the letter was shown to the authorities (by parties unknown). I found out quickly that most government authorities did not want any communications between towing companies. … I didn’t stop and we demanded a meeting with the authorities to explain our side. I was able to explain that the letter was to better help the motoring public, avoid misunderstandings on our responsibilities, and better explain fees (or a lack thereof). Toll roads had different rules than public roads at that time. We were reinstated and my former company is still working on the turnpike.

While this was going on, one Saturday morning we towed in a person from the turnpike. He had a disabled car and wanted to return to our garage and call his dealership. What he saw that morning at our yard was our monthly training session; that month we were practicing on a rolled over tractor-trailer with our Holmes 850 and 750 wreckers.

I noticed he started taking photos

We sat and talked about all the problems we had as an industry, and difficulties towers had being credited for all the hard work, and the knowledge, it took to be a good tower. He then convinced me to start a magazine dedicated to my profession and ideals.

It took approximately 10 months after that talk to produce the first issue of American Towman.

To get this magazine up and running, credit has to be given to some industry greats: Jerry Holmes (Century Wreckers, son of Ernest Holmes II); Ron and Cheryl Nespor (Chevron Carriers, a combo of their first names), and their right-hand man, Dan Sabathson, “Mr. Champion Carrier;” and John Hawkins Sr., Florida state towers representative (this relationship also lead to the first Florida Tow Show at the Daytona Beach racetrack). They gave me encouragement and support, backing the idea and pushed hard for its success even before the first edition hit the streets.

Jerry Holmes set the opening date for the first issue. When the Holmes family sold The Ernest Holmes Co. to Dover Corp., Jerry had a non-compete clause not to build or sell wreckers that ended in February 1977. I credit Jerry as being the father of the modern-day hydraulic wrecker, in the same fashion Ernest Holmes, his grandfather, was the father of the mechanical wrecker. March 1977 was the date, that both Century Wreckers TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 61

Arnold Polizzi

Wreckers showed for the “Black Tie Optional Dinner Party” hosted by American Towman (top). Jeff Badgley and Bill DeFalco were among the smarty dressed.

In a different time, the twin towers were still visible during a 1980 tow by Polizzi’s company (bottom).

62 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

and American Towman went into business. Jerry was the first to sign an advertisement contract with American Towman Publishing Corp.

John Hawkins Sr. called me as soon as he became aware of the magazine and wanted me to fly down and help promote his idea of a meeting of all statewide towers in Florida—a tow show—where people would bring their trucks and gather, showing off their equipment and talking to each other and have a social time. In those days, towers would rather fight amongst themselves than eat together.

We both wanted that to stop, and organize our growing industry.

John did make it happen at the Daytona Speedway racetrack. Most towers that day just enjoyed racing their trucks around the track and bragging. I was there trying to sell subscriptions and T-shirts to cover my cost. Very few manufacturers were present, but at the show’s end; we all set around the hotel pool and vowed to be bigger and better the next year.

John and I worked together through those early years and I credit him with being the father of the Florida show.

A Black Tie Event We followed with a tow show of sorts, outside New York City, in a brand new, empty, but fully staffed, 25-story Sheraton Hotel in Secaucus, N.J. American Towman invited all the towers from the surrounding area on our mailing list to attend a “Black Tie Optional Dinner Party;” bring your wife and enjoy the food, drink, music and entertainment. Stay overnight at the hotel with breakfast/brunch in the morning.

Outside in the large parking lot were all the best wreckers of all sizes on display, with waiters serving the towers, who came in work clothes and could not stay. The event was no charge to any tower that accepted the invitation; we even had people from Ohio and Michigan that flew in. We paid the plane fare and had limos bring them to the party. We had to get people’s attention to promote the magazine and bring people together.

The success of the party with so many towers in tuxes in attendance convinced manufacturers that the times were changing—towers wanted more. We later received a check from

Challenger to help support the show and magazine, that was the first for a manufacturer. (Several years later, the next big Eastern tow show was just down the road … in Baltimore.)

A lot has changed, much for the better in terms of safer equipment and better education, but a lot remains the same and needs more effort on all our parts. I wish another 40-plus years “to the leading magazine that promotes professionalism and outstanding communications within our industry,”* and their highly successful tow shows that educate all the members, of this proud profession. *From a California Tow Truck A ssociation p laqu e p resented to American Towman in March 1979.

About the Author Arnold Polizzi started Polizzi Towing Corp. and continued the business for more than 37 years. He was the founder and publisher of American Towman magazine in 1976. He now spends his time custom-building and selling tow trucks for a select group of professional towers. He can be contacted at aptowbiz@bellsouth.net.

This garbage truck fell into a pit in Jersey City, N.J.; the author’s company responded to the scene.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 63

When Worlds Collide

by Randall C. Resch

This 1947 GMC “Bubble Nose” wrecker—restored by Lanser’s Garage in Belgium, Wis., and currently on display at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn.—shares many qualities with the logging equipment of days gone by.

G

rowing up in the family’s towing business, I learned that some techniques used by towers (in the early years) were old-school techniques employed by farmers and ranch hands.

Since my dad grew up on a farm in Michigan, I had it on good authority that he (maybe) was telling me the truth.

(His stories included walking to school barefoot, uphill both ways, in minuszero temps.) As my interests of the industry piqued, I was able to prove (some of) his stories true.

Dad often spoke of using old field 64 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

"It’s interesting when two worlds parallel one another.”

horses or early Ford N6 tractors for pulling stumps that included using lengthy tree posts as a “stiff leg” to aggressively “yank ’em” from the ground. Dad talked of dragging downed trees to the main property to be sawed into firewood and then split and stacked. I could see a spark in his tired eyes; his stories gave me my lifelong passion for old farm implements, tractors and antiques, a passion that ultimately morphed into old towing and recovery equipment.

It’s interesting when two worlds parallel one another; that happened for

me not too long ago in summer 2014, while my Christine and I were on a five-state, 5,000-mile motorcycle trip through America’s west. An early portion of the ride took us through the small town of Weed, Calif., a small (population 2,941), historic logging town. The town is just off I-5 and roughly 50 miles south of Oregon. It was named for Abner Weed, who built the original lumber mill there.

As we rode through old town Weed, I laid eyes on some logging equipment relics rusting away in a back lot of the Historic Lumber Town Museum (siskiyous.edu/museum). I spotted an old logging skid that was built in the shape of the back end of an old tow truck. I started thinking of my dad’s stories that often compared towing to logging and saw just how similar logging equipment is to towing equipment.

were used as primary means to lift, loop and drag. Today, cable loops and straps are used in a similar manner for lifting.

Heavy Equipment “Draggers” were heavy metal super-structures that attached to the rear of a crawler tractor, similar to an old Case or Caterpillar. Manufactured

by Pacific Car & Foundry Co. (now PACCAR), its boom was often mounted on tracks, similar to military vehicles, some having nine-count cast-

iron spokes and double wheels each side.

The top of the boom had a sheave typical to a tow truck boom, equipped with three rollers similar to the fairlead on one of today’s winches, assuming it was to keep centered, thus allowing winching activities to be from the side. They were built much the same way, however, a huge (actual) tree was mounted on the frame used as a boom to provide longer reach.

Located hundreds of miles apart,

It’s Tough Work As gleaned from dad’s stories, I compared some of the farming chores and equipment to the towing and recovery industry. I was intrigued by several techniques used then vs. now, which were very much the same with just 100 years between them: • Stiff leg. Back then, attached to chain and pulled by horses or tractor to remove stumps and posts. Today, towers use the stiffleg technique to roll-over vehicles.

• Skids. Back then, used under flatbed platforms to carry cutoffs, slabs or loads through the snow. Today, modern flatbed carriers handle transport tasks.

• Dollies. Back then, extended rolling carriages (similar to today’s extendable axles) were used for hauling long logs to the mill. Today, modern dollies are used for towing problematic vehicles.

• Block and tackle. Back then, loggers used block and tackle to pull, move and change directions.

Today, snatch blocks are among the most used equipment in the tower’s arsenal for recovery.

• Endless loops. Back then, lengthy cables with loop-ends Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 65

Loggers used block and tackle like these that are oh-so-similar to towers’ snatch blocks (above). This “Dragger” outside the Historic Lumber Town Museum in Weed, Calif., has a sheave at the top similar to a tow truck boom (above right).

An actual tree serves as an extendedreach boom on this "Dragger" (right).

we happened upon a solid lumber “skidder” at a tractor ranch in Montana. Appropriately named, “The Montana Mountain Logger Skidder,” it was a beast of a machine built in Kalispell, Mt., and used in deepwoods logging operations and shipped all over the world. There are living examples of mid-1960 and 1970 models in tractor farms and private collections. Comparably, they looked and worked similar to the rear workings of some vintage tow trucks.

A little later in September 2014, the other side of this equation was located at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum (internationaltowingmuseum.org) in Chattanooga, Tenn., where I laid eyes on one specific tow truck and a tow dolly that set my mind running.

George Lanser, owner of Lanser Garage & Towing in Belgium, Wis., restored an old 1947 GMC “Bubble Nose” tractor found sitting in a field of weeds around 1988 near West Bend.

The tractor was purchased new by the

66 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Pabst Brewing Co. to haul beer; it was sold to a bus company who installed the boom and used it for towing school buses. The Bubble Nose wrecker is now proudly parked at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn. I’m not sure why, but Bubble Nose makes you smile.

Comparably, the Montana Mountain Logger Skidder, was perhaps the best example of two pieces of equipment that were manufactured with many similarities, but were used for different industries.

The Bubble Nose’s stout rear working-end looked nearly identical to the old tree-logger that was used to drag lengths of cut pine from thick forests to areas accessible to semitrailers.

No matter what the chore, both truck and skidder got the job done.

Walking the towing museum was a blast through my past. Many of the tow trucks and artifacts on display were trucks, gas station memorabilia and towing equipment that I’ve used through the years. The journey that this industry has taken in the past 100 years has benefitted from incredible ideas of necessity.

Towers making equipment better and safer has been consistent many times over. This year, the museum celebrates Ernest Holmes and the 100th Anniversary of the first commercial tow truck.

If you haven’t been to the towing museum, you have to go. If you have a relic or historical piece of towing and recovery memorabilia, call to see if there’s a place for it within their walls.

Author’s Note My special thanks for research assistance goes to Cheryl Mish, former director of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn.

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.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 67

CTTA to Honor Industry Leaders The California Tow Truck Association will be honoring the 2016 inductees to the Rich Chappel Industry Leaders at the upcoming Western States Tow Show in San Diego, Calif., October 15.

Ten towing professionals will be honored for their accomplishments and commitment to the towing industry: Frank Andrews (Atlas Sierra Towing); Donna Bookout-Coe (Highland Towing, Speed’s Towing, Fleet Sales West, Coe Consulting); Leon Ginn (Doc’s Towing); Evelyn Harden (Jim’s Towing); Bill McCarty (McCarty & Sons Towing); Glenn Neal (Vacaville Tow Truck Body Sales); Earl Peterson (Phil’s Automotive & Towing); Harold Present (Crescenta Valley Towing); Harry Saehlenou (Anaheim Fullerton Towing); and Pat Sweeny (Alviso Towing, Pat’s Lien Services).

The ceremony will take place at the Town & Country Resort in San Diego. For information, contact ctta@ctta.com.

Source: WesternStatesTowShow.com.

70 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Towers: Don’t Be a Sucker!

by Mark Lacek

T

owing companies beware: Lenders are relying on you not to know the difference between a regular tow and repossession.

Automobile finance companies, subprime lenders, commercial truck and equipment lenders and even “buyhere/pay-here” car lots are all lining up to make a sucker out of you ... or maybe they already have.

In repo, like towing, there are professional companies and those who aren’t. The professional repo companies are certified, licensed, welltrained, and trucks are maintained, staff is competent, insurance is up to date and policy limits are adequate.

Much like the towing industry, drivers are drug tested and background checks are required.

To become a professional repossession company, it takes a considerable investment in time and money. The smart companies have taken the time to attend industry conferences, shows and seminars. Just as American Towman provides training seminars and conferences for towing professionals, the repossession associations present several to the repo industry.

An Easy Call So, your phone rings and the friendliest voice from ABC Finance asks if you could send a truck to tow an abandoned vehicle owned by the bank. The caller will tell you their customer called and gave the address where it could be picked up. You agree to send one of your drivers to tow the car. They happily pay the $125 or so tow bill. It was an easy call; you delivered the car to the requested destination and went on to your next call.

After a few days, ABC calls you again with a similar scenario. You 72 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

P.T. Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Don’t be one of them and get hooked into doing repos disguised as regular tows. Boston Public Library image.

notice after a month that ABC has sent about a dozen tows your way. Then one day, as you run yet another tow for ABC, the customer runs out of the residence, confronts your driver and is yelling that he has no right to take the car. A pushing and shoving match begins. Luckily, your driver gets away from the residence with only a bruised ego.

Then, 30 days later, you are served with a lawsuit. You now have to defend your actions. After speaking with your attorney, it is determined your company is in trouble because you were repossessing without the

proper insurance and licensing. You try to explain they were not repossessions as ABC said they were voluntary surrenders. You learn the hard way that “a repo is a repo,” and you are in big trouble.

The same goes for trucks and equipment. A commercial lender will contact a tow company equipped to tow heavy equipment. The caller might say the trucker left the rig in the back row of a truck stop and ask you to hook it up and deliver it to the truck dealer. Or it might be an excavator off the road at a construction site. You might be told the salesman or com-

pany rep will meet you at the machine. You might be involved with these kinds of tow jobs for years without problems or headaches … until something bad happens to your driver or operator.

The truth is that the lender is trying to save money by cutting corners. The lender has realized repossession fees are 100 percent higher than a regular tow fee. This is because the repossession company is protected by wrongful repossession insurance, and has trained and certified employees on important issues concerning consumer rights, breach of the peace and a host of other consumer protection laws.

Worst Case Seemingly every other day, another news story crosses my desk about a repossession attempt gone wrong. Many of these occurrences feature a towing company conducting repossessions without proper training. Just a couple months ago, a mother of three was run off the road and killed because an untrained “repo man” was chasing after her to repossess the car. The majority of these flagrant violations of moral code start with an employer’s failure to properly certify his employee. People are dying because of untrained, uncertified drivers, operators and agents.

The client could be a big name manufacturer or just a local car lot. The majority of clients today are careful when choosing a repossession company. Before sending a repossession assignment, a responsible lender will request a list of qualifiers that prove a repo company is in compliance with federal and state repossession regulations.

For every lender looking to do business with a professional, there are many lenders who only care about the lowest fees, and are unconcerned with consumer protection law, federal compliance issues or even the simplest breach of the peace situations. And this lender is calling you in hopes you will become one of his suckers.

Most of you have taken extra steps to learn everything there is to know about towing procedures. Your operators are trained, your trucks are well-maintained. Drivers wear the latest safety gear and carry up-to-date communication devices.

Don’t become a sucker; if you are unfamiliar with repossession procedures, wrongful repossession insurance, certification or consumer protection laws, find out what you must do to become compliant. After you get compliant with repo training and certifications, there is a truckload of profit to be made and enough to go around.

At this year’s Tow Expo Int’l in Dallas, Texas, on Aug. 5-6, I helped organize a seminar track with the most knowledgeable experts in the repossession industry. These instructors will bring to your attention the most important issues about repossessing both consumer and commercial assets. Emphasis will be on safety, lawful repossessions, skipRepo Editor Mark Lacek authored the Certified Commercial Recovery Agent tracing and, of certification program and has more course, making than 30 years of recovery experience. money. See you in He is the former editor of “Professional Repossessor” magazine. Email him at Dallas next month.

Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 73

TRAA Backs Increased TIM Training The Towing and Recovery Association of America is encouraging all of its members, and state towing associations and members, to host four-hour national Traffic Incident Management Responder Training. The national TIM training was developed as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Strategic Highway Research Program second iteration.

As towing marks its Centennial this year, TRAA looks forward to the next 100 years with a focus on safety and zero industry deaths; working with interdisciplinary partners to raise public awareness will help achieve that goal, a release said.

TRAA is encouraged that the towing industry is the largest user of the National Highway Institute’s TIM Responder Training. TRAA members and other industry professionals are embracing this valuable technology as a great alternative to incorporate the TIM curriculum into the 24/7 lifestyle of our industry.

TRAA will continue to expand its reach this year by attending the Tow Expo International in Dallas, Texas, from Aug. 4-6, and will host an Association Forum for association presidents

74 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

and executive directors focusing on safety and awareness. James Austrich, a TIM program manager, will be one of the speakers for this meeting.

Additionally, Tow Expo International will be offering the four-hour National TIM Responder Training during the show as well.

The towing community should embrace the opportunity for this free training while it remains available.

Many states are already requiring TIM Responder Training with more states to follow. TRAA recommends all towing companies train their personnel now.

Source: TRAA.

Bill Opposes Truck Tax Increases Sen. Cory Gardner introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 40, expressing opposition toward increasing the 12-percent Federal Excise Tax on heavy trucks and truck bodies.

Last year, House Representatives Reid Ribble and Tim Walz introduced companion legislation, H.Con.Res.33.

Although concurrent resolutions do not have the force of law, they can make a strong statement.

“NTEA commends the Senate on the introduction of this legislation,” said Steve Carey, NTEA executive

director. “FET is a complicated tax which deters the purchase of the cleanest, safest and most fuel-efficient trucks. It is a volatile, undependable funding mechanism for the U.S. highway system, and preventing further increases to this tax is critical.”

FET is imposed on the first retail sale of heavy-duty trucks, trailers, semitrailer chassis and bodies, and tractors—trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 33,000 lbs.; tractors with a GVWR of more than 19,500 lbs. and gross combined weight of 33,000 lbs. or less when paired with a trailer or semitrailer; and trailers with a GVWR of more than 26,000 lbs.

The funds derived from it are deposited in the Highway Trust Fund.

The 12-percent FET was first levied to help finance World War I. The senate and house resolutions help to educate members of Congress about FET-related problems and explain why it should not be increased.

Source: NTEA.

NICB Urges Ill. Governor to Sign Bill The National Insurance Crime Bureau is urging Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to sign into law Senate Bill 2261 a bill that will impact the towing industry in the state.

If signed by the Governor, the bill would create a Statewide Relocation Towing Licensure Commission – a task force that will work over the next year to fully examine the towing laws in the state and report back to the legislature. The commission would have representation from the auto insurance industry in addition to state lawmakers, the towing industry and law enforcement.

The bill would also make it a Class 4 felony for a tower to illegally solicit business at an accident scene and allow a vehicle owner or the owner’s insurer to file suit against a tower that violates the accident scene solicitation section, including recovery of all attorney fees and court costs.

Source: prnewswire.com.

T Best of Show 2016 Peterbilt 389 2016 Century 1135 rotator Hendrickson’s Towing Idaho Falls, Idaho

his spring, in the glitz and glamour of the Entertainment Capital of the World, that is to say Las Vegas, the spotlight shone bright for a handful of tow trucks at the South Point Hotel & Casino on the southern end of “The Strip.”

During the fourth annual American Towman ShowPlace expo, the worldclass wreckers on display in the American Towman Cup featured mostly West Coast metal. The winning machines are featured here for those who didn’t make it to Sin City in 2016.

First Place: Vintage class 1947 Chevrolet 1947 Holmes 515E T&M Towing Eugene, Oregon

Winning Wreckers in

Vegas

76 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 77

First Place: Carrier class 2016 Ford F-550 2016 Jerr-Dan bed T&M Towing Eugene, Oregon

First Place: Heavy-Duty Tandem class 2017 Peterbilt 567 2017 Century 9055 S&R Towing Carlsbad, California

First Place: Rotator class 2014 Kenworth W900B 2014 NRC 5065 CSR Eppler Towing Firebaugh, California

78 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

First Place: Light Duty 2015-’16 2015 Dodge Ram 5500 2015 Chevron 408 TA Baker & Baker Towing Woodburn, Oregon

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TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 79

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80 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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631-531-0673 For info please call Craig R. Nadolny “CALL FOR DETAILS” on all units Work the non-traffic Side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • 81

‘I Am The Greatest’

by Steve Calitri

W

hen Muhammad Ali passed away, I couldn’t have been the only U.S. Citizen drawing comparison between the boxing great, first considered an upstart in the name of Cassius Clay, to today’s political upstart, Donald Trump.

Clay had quite the mouth, so much so that he was nicknamed the Louisville Lip. He was brash, loved to hear himself talk; he was a braggart, and loved to taunt and belittle his opponents. Sounds pretty much like Trump, to me.

Clay quickly put down his opponents and earned a fight with the heavyweight champ Sonny Liston; put him down twice, then the new champ toured the world putting down all contenders.

Last year Trump entered the political arena against 17 Republican contenders and taunted and belittled them off the stage to become the party’s nominee.

Clay, later Ali, had a conceit that many a common man loved to bash. He had a meanness—in and out of the ring—the way he denigrated his challengers, whether speaking to the press, standing opposite his challenger while weighing in, or mocking him aloud between jabs. In spite of that, one was drawn to his persona. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign Trump, in his own way as well, has shown a mean spirit towards all comers. In all fairness to both Ali and Trump, their opponents were trying to knock them off the canvas.

Moreover what the two have in common is that they unabashedly tell it like it is.

Then they follow up such fresh talk by winning.

Ali would predict the outcome of his fights, often with poetic flourish, capturing the imagination of the world. Likewise, Trump showed no false modesty in forecasting his victories. Love him or 82 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

hate him, Trump has captured the world’s imagination, becoming the biggest media sensation of the moment, omnipresent 24/7 for an entire year.

Both Ali and Trump are controversial in their respective fields, boxing and politics. Both of them stirred talk among media elites bemoaning the loss of civility.

The truth is that civility in politics or the fight game is an oxymoron. Whenever it appeared to exist, there were dirty tricks and an all-out war beneath the surface, behind the scenes, and certainly offcamera.

If there is anyone who knows how dirty American politics can be, it is Hilary Clinton. No First Lady endured what she did during her husband’s term in office. It was, you may remember, a nasty circus. I wonder how anyone who experienced such personal exposure would want to be put back under the microscope, and nearing age 70 no less.

She is either nuts, pathologically ambitious, or simply wants to do something great for her country. The voters can decide on that one.

Tow bosses can relate to aspects of all three characters in one way or other. The tow boss knows he has to sell himself to commercial accounts and town authorities. He knows that if he doesn’t speak up for himself and say how great a company he’s got, no one else will … certainly not his competitors. He may have also figured out that if he tells the public how great his towing company is, people will start to believe it. Perhaps for this reason alone, towers relate to Trump, based on what I’ve heard. And they relate to the fighter in all three of them.

The trait all three of these public figures share is the drive to win. It’s what drives them on into the arena. I suspect the most successful tow business owners share this trait as well.

American Towman is spearheading industry news in Dallas, Texas at Tow Expo, August 4-6 with its Tow Women's Conference at the Arlington Convention Center. Industry stalwarts Joanne Blyton, Donna BookoutCoe, Amy Milstead and Joanne Messina will lead the conference exploring women's roles in a man's industry...or is it?

American Towman TV recapped events of May's Tow Industry Week events, including the three recovery demos that took place in the South Point Arena. Miller Industries will feature a recovery demo during Tow Expo.

RepoTimes is presenting the Repo Conference during Tow Expo in Arlington, Texas featuring the Repo industry's leading educators.

TowIndustryWeek.com's Don Archer has an article featured in this issue of AT about how a towing company should come up with a social media strategy, page 12.

Tow Firm Wants in Association The owner of a Leominster, Mass., towing company is alleging that the Leominster Towing Association, the organization responsible for the police department’s towing needs, has unfairly prevented him from joining the association.

“We comply with the law, we’re completely up to date. We pay our insurance; we pay our taxes. All of our trucks are ready to go,” said Adrian Chamorro, owner of A&G Towing & Repair. “It’s ridiculous that we can’t work in our own city.”

Leominster has relied on the fully independent Leominster Towing Association for the last 25 years. About 500 police-requested tows were made Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

in 2015, according to the Police Department.

Working on a rotating basis, locally based towing companies that make up the association evenly split all police calls. The association is also responsible for selecting new companies interested in joining the association.

In the four years his company has been operating in Leominster, Chamorro said he’s continually tried to apply for membership, but has never been approved.

“I’ve been in there over 30 times, but there isn’t even an actual application. There’s no fee. Each time, they never gave me anything in writing to explain why we weren’t let in,” he said.

Companies interested in joining the association do have to be reviewed by the police department, though the department doesn’t have final say on whether a company is actually added to the association.

“If someone wants to join the towing association, we will do an inspection of them to see if they are a

legitimate business, but that’s it,” said acting Police Chief Michael Goldman.

A&G Towing & Repair did go through this inspection process, and was approved by Leominster police.

Goldman said that he’s considering forwarding a recommendation to the mayor that the department’s towing needs should be handled on a contract basis.

Source: sentinelandenterprise.com.

AAA Minneapolis Releases Move Over Video AAA Minneapolis released a new video showing the dangers of cars speeding perilously close to towing operators and emergency responders on roadsides. The new footage reminds motorists to slow down and move over.

Around the Memorial Day weekend, AAA Minneapolis posted an earlier video on its Facebook page that was viewed more than 55,000 times.

“We’re here to help you. Please TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • NORTH 83

return the favor,” the video says.

The video highlights the importance, as well, of paying attention while driving and focuses on the move-over law.

Nationally, AAA estimated that this was the busiest Memorial Day weekend in 11 years, with an estimated 38 million drivers on the roads.

Source: startribune.com.

Assemblyman Plans Predatory Towing Bill New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim recently announced he is introducing legislation to fight “predatory towing.”

The legislation—titled the Predatory Towing Prevention Act—“will improve the current outdated and inadequate law against illegal towing practices and empower the City to act swiftly and decisively against predatory towers,” he said. It will be introduced before the end of the current Legislative session, according to Kim spokesman Tony Cao. The bill aims to do several things: raise the consumer protection bond to a minimum of $50,000 and maximum of $250,000; end the usage of spotters; require towing truck operators to receive written permission from the manager or owner of commercial or private property before a vehicle can be towed; and empower the commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs to revoke repeat offenders’ licenses.

According to Cao, “at least one or two” members of the state Senate have expressed interest in co-sponsoring the bill.

Source: qchron.com.

W. Va. Revokes Tow Company A towing company in West Virginia is no longer allowed to conduct third-party tows after failing to refund an overcharge of more than $10,000 to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

continue to page n87 NORTH 84 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

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TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • NORTH 85

Patriotic-Themed Tow Trucks Shine

Sargeant’s Towing

Crockett Interstate.

A

s Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, it’s a good time to look at some of the ways towmen themselves show their patriotism—year-round— on their trucks.

Many tow companies have dressed up their trucks with patriotic imagery, marked especially with American Flags, stars, red and white stripes, the American eagle, and tributes to the military.

One common denominator is color, where you will find a majority of them in red, white and blue. Pinehill Towing and Automotive dedicates their 2012 Peterbilt 388/2012 Century 1140 to mixing those patriotic colors with their religious imagery, creating an interesting look enhanced by the cut-out metal design.

Some of the patriotic graphics are directly connected to giving tribute to tragic events like 9/11, as in the case of Westway Towing’s decorated 2012 Kenworth/Jerr-Dan 16 ton, highlighted by a beautiful flowing flag on the side of one of their unit’s.

Military-themed trucks often have patriotic themed overtures, such as Crockett Interstate’s stellar graphics on their truck called “Patriot.” A 2004 Peterbilt 330 with a custom boom and a 1982 Holmes 1601 features the face of an imperious eagle and the flowing NORTH 86 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Pinehill Towing.

drapery of the stars and stripes along the side. Sargeant’s Towing gives tribute on their 2015 GMC 3500/Jerr-Dan unit memorializing the POW/MIA cause with a truck that is punctuated by stars.

Some trucks simply exemplify America’s patriotic spirit through their stellar, artistically rendered flags, such as the 2013 Freightliner/Century 3212 integrated owned by Big Boys Towing and Recovery.

Although flags may not be the pre-

Big Boys Towing.

dominant imagery on most tow trucks we see on the road, we know that towers are patriotic through more understated means, such as showcasing a small flag on their truck, or an artistically understated flag such as the one found just above the front wheels on J & M Towing’s 2012 Peterbilt/Century 1140 RXP rotator.

Some companies, however, go all out, like Rusiniak’s, where their entire fleet is embellished in patriotic colors, symbols and themes. Happy Fourth of July!

Rusiniak’s Towing.

continued from page n84 The Public Service Commission of West Virginia ordered on June 3 that Anthony’s Truck Repair have its third-party towing privileges revoked and for all relevant law enforcement agencies to be notified.

Anthony’s Truck Repair had been ordered in December to refund OOIDA $10,067 for an overcharged towing bill from July 2014. After Anthony’s ignored several orders to reimburse OOIDA, the commission opted to remove them from the state’s rotation list.

After failing to pay, the commission ordered on March 30 that Anthony’s would have its thirdparty authority revoked if the payment wasn’t made in 10 days.

OOIDA informed the commission in May that the payment still hadn’t been made.

Source: landlinemag.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • NORTH 87

NORTH 88 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

CopyrightŠ2016 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 - July 2016 • SOUTH 83

Assemblyman Plans Predatory Towing Bill New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim recently announced he is introducing legislation to fight “predatory towing.”

The legislation—titled the Predatory Towing Prevention Act—“will improve the current outdated and inadequate law against illegal towing practices and empower the City to act swiftly and decisively against predatory towers,” he said. It will be introduced before the end of the current Legislative session, according to Kim spokesman Tony Cao. The bill aims to do several things: raise the consumer protection bond to a minimum of $50,000 and maximum of $250,000; end the usage of spotters; require towing truck operators to receive written permission from the manager or owner of commercial or private property before a vehicle can be towed; and empower the commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs to revoke repeat offenders’ licenses.

According to Cao, “at least one or two” members of the state Senate have expressed interest in co-sponsoring the bill.

Source: qchron.com.

Tow Firm Wants in Assoc.

The owner of a Leominster, Mass., towing company is alleging that the Leominster Towing Association, the organization responsible for the police department’s towing needs, has unfairly prevented him from joining the association.

“We comply with the law, we’re completely up to date. We pay our insurance; we pay our taxes. All of our trucks are ready to go,” said Adrian Chamorro, owner of A&G Towing & Repair. “It’s ridiculous that we can’t work in our own city.”

Leominster has relied on the fully independent Leominster Towing Association for the last 25 years. About 500 police-requested tows were made in 2015, according to the Police Department.

continue to page 87 SOUTH 84 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • SOUTH 85

Patriotic-Themed Tow Trucks Shine

Pinehill Towing.

A

s Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, it’s a good time to look at some of the ways towmen themselves show their patriotism—year-round— on their trucks.

Many tow companies have dressed up their trucks with patriotic imagery, marked especially with American Flags, stars, red and white stripes, the American eagle, and tributes to the military.

One common denominator is color, where you will find a majority of them in red, white and blue. Pinehill Towing and Automotive dedicates their 2012 Peterbilt 388/2012 Century 1140 to mixing those patriotic colors with their religious imagery, creating an interesting look enhanced by the cut-out metal design.

SOUTH 86 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Crockett Interstate.

continued from pageS84 Working on a rotating basis, locally based towing companies that make up the association evenly split all police calls. The association is also responsible for selecting new companies interested in joining the association.

In the four years his company has been operating in Leominster, Chamorro said he’s continually tried to apply for membership, but has never been approved.

“I’ve been in there over 30 times, but there isn’t even an actual application. There’s no fee. Each time, they never gave me anything in writing to explain why we weren’t let in,” he said.

Companies interested in joining the association do have to be reviewed by the police department, though the department doesn’t have final say on whether a company is added.

“If someone wants to join the towing association, we will do an inspection of them to see if they are a legitimate business, but that’s it,” said acting Police Chief Michael Goldman.

A&G Towing & Repair did go through this inspection process, and was approved by Leominster police.

Goldman said that he’s considering that the department’s towing be handled on a contract basis.

Source: sentinelandenterprise.com..

W. Va. Revokes Tow Co. A towing company in West Virginia is no longer allowed to conduct third-party tows after failing to refund an overcharge of more than $10,000 to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia ordered on June 3 that Anthony’s Truck Repair have its third-party towing privileges revoked and for all relevant law enforcement agencies to be notified.

Anthony’s Truck Repair had been ordered in December to refund OOIDA $10,067 for an overcharged towing bill from July 2014. After Anthony’s ignored several orders to reimburse OOIDA, the commission opted to remove them from the state’s rotation list.

Source: landlinemag.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - July 2016 • SOUTH 87

Some of the patriotic graphics are directly connected to giving tribute to tragic events like 9/11, as in the case of Westway Towing’s decorated 2012 Kenworth/Jerr-Dan 16 ton, highlighted by a beautiful flowing flag on the side of one of their unit’s.

Military-themed trucks often have patriotic themed overtures, such as Crockett Interstate’s stellar graphics on their truck called “Patriot.” A 2004 Peterbilt 330 with a custom boom and a 1982 Holmes 1601 features the face of an imperious eagle and the flowing drapery of the stars and stripes along the side. Sargeant’s Towing gives tribute on their 2015 GMC 3500/Jerr-Dan unit memorializing the POW/MIA cause with a truck that is punctuated by stars.

Sargeant’s Towing.

Big Boys Towing.

Some trucks simply exemplify America’s patriotic spirit through their stellar, artistically rendered flags, such as the 2013 Freightliner/Century 3212 integrated owned by Big Boys Towing and Recovery.

Although flags may not be the predominant imagery on most tow trucks we see on the road, we know that towers are patriotic through more understated means, such as showcasing a small flag on their truck, or an artistically understated flag such as the one found just above the front wheels on J & M Towing’s 2012 Peterbilt/Century 1140 RXP rotator.

Some companies, however, go all out, like Rusiniak’s, where their entire fleet is embellished in patriotic colors, symbols and themes. Happy Fourth of July!

SOUTH 88 • July 2016 - TOWMAN.COM

Rusiniak’s Towing.

Assemblyman Plans Predatory Towing Bill New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim recently announced he is introducing legislation to fight “predatory towing.”

The legislation—titled the Predatory Towing Prevention Act—“will improve the current outdated and inadequate law against illegal towing practices and empower the City to act swiftly and decisively against predatory towers,” he said. It will be introduced before the end of the current Legislative session, according to Kim spokesman Tony Cao. The bill aims to do several things: raise the consumer protection bond to a minimum of $50,000 and maximum of $250,000; end the usage of spotters; require towing truck operators to receive written permission from the manager or owner of commercial or private property before a vehicle can be towed; and empower the commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs to revoke repeat offenders’ licenses.

According to Cao, “at least one or two” members of the state Senate have expressed interest in co-sponsoring the bill.

Source: qchron.com.

Amarillo Considers New Tow Contracts Amarillo (Texas) Police Chief Robert Taylor recently recommended the city council amend its contracts with wrecker companies to ensure all have the necessary equipment to handle heavy and light wrecks.

The recommendation was part of a series of changes requested following a major wreck in 2015 when an 18-wheeler crashed into an Outback Steakhouse on Interstate 40, damaging 14 vehicles.

In March, council members suggested adding two types of contracts to the wrecker rotation: One for light/medium wrecks, and one for heavy. Taylor said creating such a policy would add too much complexWork the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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ity to the system and might increase possible errors.

The city has contracts with five companies and rotates the towing services between all companies contracted. However, the question of favoritism was raised when an officer on scene of the 2015 Outback wreck specifically requested T-Miller Inc. Councilman Elisha Demerson asked the police chief if T-Miller Inc. was specifically called because they were the only contracted company that could handle towing an 18-wheeler.

The chief said no.

“They were the only one with the ability and expertise to handle the situation,” Taylor said.

Other suggested changes include requiring tow truck training through the fire department, adding a fourth representative to the appeals board and raising the city’s fee charged to the towing companies for each compensated tow.

The city currently charges each towing company a $16.25 fee for every compensated tow and suggested raising the fee to $17.50.

Source: amarillo.com.

Tow Firm Wants in Association The owner of a Leominster, Mass., towing company is alleging that the Leominster Towing Association, the organization responsible for the police department’s towing needs, has unfairly prevented him from joining the association.

“We comply with the law, we’re completely up to date. We pay our insurance; we pay our taxes. All of our trucks are ready to go,” said Adrian Chamorro, owner of A&G Towing & Repair. “It’s ridiculous that we can’t work in our own city.”

Leominster has relied on the fully independent Leominster Towing Association for the last 25 years. About 500 police-requested tows were made in 2015, according to the Police Department.

Working on a rotating basis, locally based towing companies that make up the association evenly split all police calls. The association is also responsible for selecting new companies interested in joining the association.

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In the four years his company has been operating in Leominster, Chamorro said he’s continually tried to apply for membership, but has never been approved.

“I’ve been in there over 30 times, but there isn’t even an actual application. There’s no fee. Each time, they never gave me anything in writing to explain why we weren’t let in,” he said.

Companies interested in joining the association do have to be reviewed by the police department, though the department doesn’t have final say on whether a company is added.

“If someone wants to join the towing association, we will do an inspection of them to see if they are a legitimate business, but that’s it,” said acting Police Chief Michael Goldman.

A&G Towing & Repair did go through this inspection process, and was approved by Leominster police.

Goldman said that he’s considering that the department’s towing be handled on a contract basis.

Source: sentinelandenterprise.com.

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Patriotic-Themed Tow Trucks Shine

Pinehill Towing.

A

s Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, it’s a good time to look at some of the ways towmen themselves show their patriotism—year-round— on their trucks.

Many tow companies have dressed up their trucks with patriotic imagery, marked especially with American Flags, stars, red and white stripes, the American eagle, and tributes to the military.

One common denominator is color, where you will find a majority of them in red, white and blue. Pinehill Towing and Automotive dedicates their 2012 Peterbilt 388/2012 Century 1140 to mixing those patriotic colors with their religious imagery, creating an interesting look enhanced by the cut-out metal design.

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Crockett Interstate.

W. Va. Revokes Tow Co. A towing company in West Virginia is no longer allowed to conduct third-party tows after failing to refund an overcharge of more than $10,000 to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia ordered on June 3 that Anthony’s Truck Repair have its thirdparty towing privileges revoked and for all relevant law enforcement agencies to be notified.

Anthony’s Truck Repair had been ordered in December to refund OOIDA $10,067 for an overcharged towing bill from July 2014. After Anthony’s ignored several orders to reimburse OOIDA, the commission opted to remove them from the state’s rotation list.

After failing to pay, the commission ordered on March 30 that Anthony’s would have its third-party authority revoked if the payment wasn’t made in 10 days. OOIDA informed the commission in May that the payment still hadn’t been made.

Source: landlinemag.com.

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Some of the patriotic graphics are directly connected to giving tribute to tragic events like 9/11, as in the case of Westway Towing’s decorated 2012 Kenworth/Jerr-Dan 16 ton, highlighted by a beautiful flowing flag on the side of one of their unit’s.

Military-themed trucks often have patriotic themed overtures, such as Crockett Interstate’s stellar graphics on their truck called “Patriot.” A 2004 Peterbilt 330 with a custom boom and a 1982 Holmes 1601 features the face of an imperious eagle and the flowing drapery of the stars and stripes along the side. Sargeant’s Towing gives tribute on their 2015 GMC 3500/Jerr-Dan unit memorializing the POW/MIA cause with a truck that is punctuated by stars.

Sargeant’s Towing.

Big Boys Towing.

Some trucks simply exemplify America’s patriotic spirit through their stellar, artistically rendered flags, such as the 2013 Freightliner/Century 3212 integrated owned by Big Boys Towing and Recovery.

Although flags may not be the predominant imagery on most tow trucks we see on the road, we know that towers are patriotic through more understated means, such as showcasing a small flag on their truck, or an artistically understated flag such as the one found just above the front wheels on J & M Towing’s 2012 Peterbilt/Century 1140 RXP rotator.

Some companies, however, go all out, like Rusiniak’s, where their entire fleet is embellished in patriotic colors, symbols and themes. Happy Fourth of July!

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Rusiniak’s Towing.

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W. Va. Revokes Tow Company A towing company in West Virginia is no longer allowed to conduct thirdparty tows after failing to refund an overcharge of more than $10,000 to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia ordered on June 3 that Anthony’s Truck Repair have its thirdparty towing privileges revoked and for all relevant law enforcement agencies to be notified.

Anthony’s Truck Repair had been ordered in December to refund OOIDA $10,067 for an overcharged towing bill from July 2014. After Anthony’s ignored several orders to reimburse OOIDA, the commission opted to remove them from the state’s rotation list.

After failing to pay, the commission ordered on March 30 that Anthony’s would have its third-party authority revoked if the payment wasn’t made in

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10 days. OOIDA informed the commission in May that the payment still hadn’t been made.

Source: landlinemag.com.

AAA Minneapolis Releases Move Over Video AAA Minneapolis released a new video showing the dangers of cars speeding perilously close to towing operators and emergency responders on roadsides. The new footage reminds motorists to slow down and move over.

Around the Memorial Day weekend, AAA Minneapolis posted an earlier video on its Facebook page that was viewed more than 55,000 times.

“We’re here to help you. Please return the favor,” the video says.

The video highlights the importance, as well, of paying attention while driving and focuses on the move-over law.

Nationally, AAA estimated that this was the busiest Memorial Day weekend in 11 years, with an estimated 38 million drivers on the roads.

Source: startribune.com.

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