American Towman Magazine - March 2017

Driverless Car Revolution @ ATShowPlace.com

Rockin’ Recovery Poster inside

Enjoy your coffee at TowIndustryWeek.com

Ted’s Towing, Betts Garage, Phillips Garage and Chesapeake Service Center implemented rotator practice time for operators in December.

FEATURE CONTENTS

28

Training with ’Tators Four companies got together to train operators on rotator operations and abilities.

by Frank Davis

44

Departments Walkaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 News Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Traffic Control What equipment and training do you need to control traffic and protect operators?

by Brendan Dooley

Road Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Beacons On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tow Americana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Tow Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 AD Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Tow Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Repo Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

54

Steering Wheel Securement Know your best practices when securing steering wheels for a wheel-lift tow.

by Terry Abejuela

Towman’s Market . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 My Baby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Low Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Adventures of A.T. . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 3

Mitigating Risks

by Dennie Ortiz

First On The Scene!

Dennie Ortiz Steve Calitri

Our focus for this ness; consider the ability to maintain issue is safety – proper insurance coverage, which being protected we are painfully aware is not so easy from or not exposed to hold onto these days. to danger or risk.

Enhance your knowledge on As a matter of fact, safety procedures from industry all of our issues provide some form experts by reading through these of safety advice and recommenda- pages as there are a multitude of tions to increase the safety suggestions Safety should chances of not being that, if employed, harmed, which would reduce injury always be first and possibly even makes perfect sense in this industry fatalities. and foremost. where there is always We always welan element of risk that needs to be come any safety tips you have mitigated. For many reasons, safety learned that we can share with othshould always be first and foremost ers in the towing community— espein the minds of the towing operator. cially in an industry where Not only do safe practices and experience is such an important operation prevent injury to operators teacher. and others, they can impact the busiStay safe out there!

Training Increases Safety on the Road

by Brendan Dooley

When it comes to increased safety, repeated exposures to different scenarios and equipment from the secure confines of a training facility or tow yard.

To that end, we’ve included a feature this month from Frank Davis about a rotator training they held in December.

The stated goal was to give their less-experienced operators an opportunity to “lay hands on the levers” of the big wreckers in a controlled environment.

A fantastic goal with positive results to come when those same operators find themselves on the white line needing to assess a situation, and already have confidence in knowing their own equipment’s capabilities.

6 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Brendan Dooley Charles Duke

Publisher Editor-In-Chief Editor Senior Editor

Randall Resch

Operations Editor

Terry Abejuela

Field Editor, West

Jim “Buck” Sorrenti Don Archer David Kolman Bill Simmons Emily Oz Mark Lacek

Field Editor, Northeast Field Editor, Midwest Chassis Editor Safety Editor On Screen Editor Repo Run Editor

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

Dallas, Texas Saint 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 ©2017 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.

United Road Files Bankruptcy United Road Towing Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, along with more than 20 affiliates.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, United Road is going up for sale in bankruptcy, with an auction planned before the end of March.

A United Road Towing release said the filing is to “restructure its balance sheet and position for the future.” According to the company, it was profitable in 2016, but the move was necessary due its “overall debt burden plus potential liabilities created by an unfavorable court ruling,” referring to a lawsuit involving the competition rights of former executives and a class-action case from people whose cars were towed without their consent.

United Road lost the class action when it went to trial in 2015, and the company filed for bankruptcy protection just as the $5 million judgment was scheduled to become final. The Chapter 11 filing will halt efforts to collect the judgment.

“The court process will allow us to reduce our debt,” said Jerry Corcoran, URT’s CEO. “We expect that the company will be in an even better position over the long term [to serve] our customers, vendors, and employees.”

The Company secured commitments for new capital, subject to court approval, as of press time. The company said its intent is to emerge from bankruptcy in approximately two months.

Papers filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., estimate the company’s assets at $10 million to $50 million, and its debts at $50 million to $100 million. United Road owes about $14 million to firstlien lenders and $19 million to second-lien lenders, court papers say.

Sources: United Road Towing, wsj.com.

8 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

N.Y. Expands, Educates on ‘Move Over’ New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the expansion of New York’s “Move Over” law with increased awareness and public education and outreach.

“This new law and outreach campaign will offer these brave New Yorkers additional protections that will help ensure they are able to carry out their critically important jobs, while cracking down on avoidable and reckless hazards,” Cuomo said.

In November 2016, in the wake of two crashes that took the lives of a tow truck driver and a Thruway Authority employee, traffic safety and transportation agencies across New York collaborated on the firstever Move Over enforcement and education campaign.

A new public service announcement was developed by the governor ’s Traffic Safety Committee

A new Public Service Announcement developed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office promotes Move Over awareness in the state. Governor.ny. gov image.

which stresses the importance of New York’s “Move Over” law.

Thruway staff, New York State Police Troop T and tow operators engaged in conversations with thousands of customers at service areas along the Thruway and handed out more than 10,000 educational flyers to raise awareness of the Move Over law.

Source: hudsonvalleynewsnetwork.com.

AT Meets with

Football Legend American Towman’s Henri “Doc” Calitri traveled to the nation’s capital the day before the presidential inauguration of Donald J. Trump and attended a reception of some of the country’s faith leaders and sports celebrities in downtown Washington, D.C. The event was to feature the work former NFL great Jim Brown has done through his Amer-I-Can, an innercity youth development program to deter gang violence and crime.

Calitri spoke with Brown about the role automotive service industries like towing could play in opportunities for Amer-I-Can course graduates.

In addition to Brown, in attendance were former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight, former NBA great Elvin

NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown meets with American Towman Expo President Henri “Doc” Calitri to discuss Brown’s Amer-ICan program and how the towing industry can play a role.

Hayes, Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Faith leader Dr. Darrell Scott, who supports Brown’s program and is a founder of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump, spoke to the group and also met Calitri at the fund-raising event for Amer-I-Can.

. . . The vehicles would be abandoned . . .

Tower Crashes through House A Moline, Ill., towman who hit two houses in two weeks may never be able to drive a tow truck again.

Dean Ruefer is charged with DUI from the incident that left a flatbed tow truck in the family room of a Moline home, causing $60,000 in damages according to the homeowner.

Police records show Ruefer drove through three yards before crashing into the house in January. He told the officer that he had taken prescription medication earlier that night before the crash. The records also show Ruefer refused to take a drug test after the accident.

Source: kwqc.com.

$1.2M Settlement in Scheme City officials reached a $1.2 million settlement to compensate the victims of a towing scheme that rocked the King City (Calif.) Police Department nearly three years ago.

The settlement gives each of the identified 229 victims nearly $4,000, and includes $306,250 in plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and $16,000 in costs, in addition to $7,000 towards administering settlement payments.

The settlement stems from a case in which some police officers would pull over drivers and then have their cars towed. The storage company then demanded such large amounts of money in fees that the owners, mostly low-income farmworkers, did not have the means to pay, so the vehicles would be abandoned.

Source: montereyherald.com.

Correction Glenn Landau’s name was misspelled in a caption on page 30 in the January 2017 issue.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Tow Company Awarded for Cow Carry The Oklahoma City (Okla.) Fire Department and Car Cab Wrecker Service were honored by PETA for rescuing a cow from a swimming pool in January.

Crews responded to a residence after a homeowner reported hearing some kind of “snorting” coming from his pool area.

Car Cab Wrecker in Oklahoma City was Authorities arrived to find a honored for its rescue of a cow from a pool. nearly 1,500-lbs. cow standokcfox.com image. ing in the pool behind the home.

“I didn’t believe it at first. You know it was kind of crazy,” said Car Cab Wrecker Service towman David Milligan. “We had like four-inch straps and we just wrapped around its belly, hooked to the hooks and I used the boom to pick it up.”

Milligan said the trickiest part was keeping the cow calm and making sure the animal didn’t get hurt.

Sources: okcfox.com, koco.com.

Tow Lot Hit-and-Run Police in Fairfax County, Md., arrested a 24-year-old woman for the hit-and-run of a tower following an incident at Dominion Towing’s lot in Fairfax.

An employee tried to wave a A GoFundMe page was woman down who was taking her car established for a Dominion without permission, but she ended up Towing employee struck in running him over, possibly dragging him hit-and-run at the tow lot. for a distance, and then continued on.

Fox5dc.com image.

The following day, detectives tracked down Amber Harding, who has been charged with felony hit-and-run.

A GoFundMe page (gofundme.com/EricMedicalFund2017) says the employee remains in critical condition at the hospital with no definitive results or conclusions to his well-being.

Heather Ferguson, Dominion Towing VP, released a statement saying in part: “Our employees and management are all deeply saddened by this incident and have been praying for our employee and his family.”

Source: fox5dc.com.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 9

Dynamic Radius Rotates

Check Out What’s NEW and HOT! Vanair FST3000 Starts 12V and 24V Batteries Vanair Manufacturing’s Fast Start Technology FST3000 uses a Vanair Super Capacitor that can start a vehicle within seconds. It features 3,000 amps of instantaneous power and a 240-amp alternator and is powerful enough to start and charge both 12V and 24V batteries on any type of vehicle. The FST3000 is encased in a heavy-duty, weather-protected enclosure; 30’ of 3/0 polar-grade boost cable is included.

vanair.com

Lightweight KEEN Davenport KEEN Utility is expanding its work footwear with new styles that are lighter and more versatile than the typical work boot. The Davenport is a lightweight, medium-duty boot with 100-percent nonmetallic construction. A waterproof, breathable membrane offers protection from the elements. Featuring nylon eyelets and hardware along with ASTM-rated asymmetrical composite toes, the Davenport is completely metal-free, making for a lighter fit and feel that reduces foot fatigue for long days on the job. The Davenport is available in three unique colors and in an all-leather option.

keenutility.com

Rotary Adds Wheel Service Equipment Rotary recently expanded its portfolio beyond vehicle lifts to include a full line of wheel service equipment, including tire changers, wheel balancers and alignment equipment. The Rotary Wheel Service Equipment line-up offers the latest technology to improve productivity in changing tires, balancing wheels and performing alignments.

rotarylift.com

10 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

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ew from Dynamic Towing Equipment and Manufacturing is a rotating flatbed tow truck that is designed to rotate up to 240 degrees. The company said its new Radius serves as a rollback and recovery vehicle in one. The patent-pending design was engineered in-house and comes with a fouryear warranty.

Dynamic said that with the Radius, towers can pull up beside a guardrail or jersey wall, turn the bed sideways, tip it, pull the casualty onto the bed, rotate it back and be on their way without blocking a lane of traffic.

The Radius also can help out in tight spots in parking lots and on city streets.

Chassis recommendations are for 26,000-lbs. minimum gross vehicle weight, minimum 165” cab-to-axle, and PTO Provision. Standard features include: • 21’ usable deck space with 96” outside diameter.

• 12,000-lbs. rotating deck capacity • Smooth-turning 12,000-lbs. slur gear with a 12,000lbs. positive brake and heavy-duty bearing on the rotating component, monitoring capability with a warning horn when close to full rotation capacity.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

• 12 triple-eye pads with 36 tie-down points.

• 8,000-lbs. planetary winch with winch release, roller guide, 100’ of cable.

• 48” tool box with mounting brackets.

• 4,500-lbs. manual wheel lift.

• Hydraulic outriggers.

• Lodar wireless remote; hard-wired, hand-held alternative remote system.

Optional features include: • Removable rails.

• 102” wide deck upgrade with 6” centers.

• Diamond plate decking.

• Additional pad eyes.

• 10,000-lbs. planetary winch with 115’ cable.

• Self-loading wheel lift.

• Additional 48” or 60” toolboxes with brackets.

• Upper and lower LED work lights.

• Side-pull with integrated controls.

Dynamicmfg.com

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 11

Protect Yourself Working the Roadside

by Don Archer

You should do everything possible to promote the Move Over law in your area. This guy was spotted outside the 2016 AT ShowPlace-Las Vegas during Tow Industry Week. (Registration is open for 2017: ATshowplace.com.)

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towman’s job is a dangerous one when working roadside—the too-close calls, the squeal of brakes, the busted mirrors—in an effort to make a buck. Your heart rate goes up and you work as quickly as possible to get loaded and back on the road, knowing that the longer it takes, the more you’re exposed. Try as you might, staying alert doesn’t always mean staying out of harm’s way. Passing motorists share a huge burden of responsibility for your safety.

In December 2016, Jeremy Okes, a seasoned driver with Bee Line Towing in Lynchburg, Va., was in the process 14 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

of loading a wrecked truck onto his flatbed when a motorist, driving too fast for the slick conditions, rounded a corner and slammed into his truck.

The flatbed then slammed into him, sending him 20’ into the air. The impact was so great it knocked off one of his shoes. Luckily, he escaped with minor injuries.

These incidents are all too common.

Over time, many towers become accustomed to these dangerous conditions. Like the distant sound of sniper fire to battle-hardened soldiers, towmen become numb to 80-mph traffic whizzing by them. As the number of vehicles on U.S. roads continues to

climb and distracted driving increases, getting too relaxed, as Jeremy can attest, would be a mistake.

If you’re going to work roadside here are some facts to consider: • The Centers for Disease Control reports that every day in the United States more than eight people are killed and 1,161 are injured in crashes attributed to distracted driving.

• The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says that a driver traveling at 55 mph, who takes his eyes off the road for 5 seconds—say to look at a text—will have traveled the

length of a football field without looking at the road.

• The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that almost 80 percent of all drivers expressed anger, aggression or road rage while behind the wheel. Many even admitted to tailgating on purpose and yelling at other drivers.

• The Federal Highway Administration says that more than 1.2 million traffic crashes occur each year as a result of adverse weather conditions. It’s not snow or sleet that causes the bulk of these accidents.

73 percent of all weather-related crashes happen on wet pavement, during or after a rain event.

• Night driving might just be the worst; crash fatalities increase by 40 percent at night.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that injuries and fatality rates among emergency responders (and tow truck drivers are emergency responders) are more than twice the national average for all industries.

Although you’re an expert in your industry and know what you’re doing, it would be a mistake to relax while roadside. If you don’t want to end up a statistic, you must do everything within your power to remain alert.

So what can you do to protect yourself and your drivers?

First of all, Move Over laws are great; you should do everything possible to promote the law in your area and get the word out. Hit up your local media, continue posting about it on Facebook/Twitter/Snapchat et al., put it on your trucks and wherever motorists can see and learn about the law, its requirements and the repercussions for non-compliance. Sadly, more than 70 percent of U.S. drivers still don’t know it’s the law.

When you’re out there on the roads, here are some things you can do: • Be proactive. Ensure that you have everything you need and that all your tools are in the right place before you leave on a call. Bird nests, lost gloves, misplaced chains, etc. increase your time spent roadside.

• Don’t wear ear buds or an ear piece. You need the use of all your senses and none of the distractions of music or a phone call. Wait until you’re back in the truck to take the call.

• Keep your eyes on approaching traffic. Many motorists are distracted; it’s up to you to keep a sharp eye out for anyone who’s approaching too close.

• Do as much work as possible on the passenger side of your truck.

Operate the controls on the passenger side of your wrecker.

When dealing with customers, steer them to the passenger side of your wrecker and into your truck as quickly as possible. Keep the chit-chat to a minimum while outside the truck.

• Wear hi-vis gear; shirts, jackets, vests, hats and gloves. If you must wear a coat or jacket that is not hi-vis, be sure you have other hi-vis reflective gear on the outside so it can be seen.

• Limit your exposure. In some areas of the country, towers are refusing to provide any roadside assistance services while in harm’s way through the Tow First movement (thenata.com /towfirst). Rather than changing a tire inches from death, they’re loading the vehicle and taking it to a safe location to provide these services.

• Get authorization for a second truck. Although not a silver bullet, a backup truck with ample lighting can be helpful if it’s strategically placed. In some places, at least one motor club has been willing to pay for this “luxury.”

• Run “reds and blues.” If it’s legal in your area, run red and blue lights on your trucks. Studies show that amber lights attract the attention of passing motorists, which is good, but red and blue ones send up alerts.

• Ask local law enforcement for help. If you’re in a particularly dangerous area, around a corner, just over the knoll of a hill, calling for (and waiting for) traffic control to arrive can give you the extra room needed to ensure your survival.

Avoid being a statistic in a close calls; be ever-vigilant and proactive in your approach to working safely while roadside.

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.

16 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

A Real Rescue Truck

by John Gunnell

“Rescue Garage” is lettered on the quarter boards.

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ooking somewhat like a cross between the Headless Horseman’s ghost coach and a conveyance for Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show, George Skorohod’s 1922 Model T Ford tow truck coughed to life with a kind of “putt, putt-putt, putt-putt-putt” rhythm.

Then, George took his place on line to pick up his Yellow Ribbon award at the 2016 Milwaukee Masterpiece Concours d’Elegance.

The yellow ribbon that was stuck on the Ford’s tall, straight windshield indicated that George had won a Premier Award for Most Original vehicle at the prestigious show. So, he set the choke, worked the “flivver’s” three pedals into the proper relationship and slipped the car into gear. Shaking and rattling like only a Model T can, the truck moved a few more feet towards the announcer ’s podium

18 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

where the award would be handed to Skorohod.

George had brought the Ford all the way to Wisconsin from Lincoln, Neb., to participate in the show on Milwaukee’s lakefront. As he approached the crowd at the trophy stand, he wondered what Tony Wirka would have thought about all the commotion. Wirka had been a mechanic in Rescue, Neb., a village of tiny proportions that has since become a ghost town. Wirka’s one-pump fillin’ station and repair shop is where he fixed broken cars and his homemade tow truck brought the broken down cars to the shop. Car shows were not on Tony’s radar.

Skorohod owns and operates Skorohod Service, a surviving full-service gas station in Lincoln. He purchased the truck 25 years ago at an estate auction, got the truck running and

decided to leave everything else just the way it was.

“I kept it all original,” he said. “I had other tow trucks, but I thought that this was an awful unique machine.”

According to George, the late “Speedy” Bill Smith of Speedway Motors in Lincoln wanted to have the tow truck in his museum. Speedway Motors today is one of the largest auto parts catalog houses in the nation.

George and Bill met in 1958.

“Bill wanted my truck because it came from and was actually built in Nebraska,” Skorohod said. “He didn’t care if it was homemade.”

Like other Model Ts, the truck has a 177-cid four-cylinder flathead engine that produces 20 hp. It is perched on a 124” wheelbase chassis and weighs about 1,500 lbs. The manually operated wrecker unit is completely home-

made and there is also a homemade draw bar made from an old front axle with a variety of fixtures that is designed to be used for towing different cars. After Wirka died in 1989, Skorohod waited for an opportunity to buy the truck.

“We purchased it from his son at the auction,” said Skorohod. “His son is over 78-years-old himself. … He gave us a little more of the story about it—a story that tells what towing was like in the old days when Tony Wirka was hired to do a job for the railroad.”

According to Skorohod, the mechanic was hired by the railroad.

He had to back the truck onto a trestle that was 6’ in the air while sticking his head out a little window on the left side to see what was behind him. The railroad wanted him to lift heavy cement blocks, so he had to run a cable down through an eye and raise the blocks with the cable. The blocks were so heavy that two railroad workers had to bend themselves over the front fenders and lean far forward to keep the front end of the tow truck

20 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Ford made millions of Model Ts but this wrecker is a one of a kind truck.

from lifting up due to the load at the rear.

Amazingly, the truck still looks like it did on the day it lifted the cement blocks.

About the author John Gunnell is a vintage auto and truck author and owns a restoration shop in Iola, Wis.; learn more at gunnersgreatgarage.com.

A Shift in Battery Power TowMate’s lithium battery packs for light- and heavy-duty wireless tow lights.

by Chris Anderson

T

here always seems to be a newer version of a phone, computer or vehicle that is a must-have, until it looks outdated a short time later. Advances in battery technologies have been … slow.

There is evidence that there may have been, by definition, batteries that date back over 2,000 years. The first modern battery was invented in 1800

by Alessandro Volta when he developed what would be known as the voltaic pile. (This basic battery couldn’t even store any functional amount of charge but did fit the criteria for being a battery.)

The first lead-acid battery suitable for automobiles was invented in 1881.

Lead-acid batteries were a game changer that offered a stable current, were rechargeable and had a relatively long lifespan. This is the same technology still used in today’s automobiles and many rechargeable products.

In the 20th Century, further battery advances included nickel-cadmium, alkaline, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium-based batteries. Each step of the way the batteries became smaller, more efficient at storing a charge, and more chemically stable which allowed

24 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

The lights will operate for significantly longer periods of time with battery packs that can last up to 10 years. them to have longer usable lifespans for more applications.

Now the lithium-based power supplies are entering into the towing world. From lithium-ion-driven jumpstart kits, rechargeable flashlights and wireless headsets to lithium-polymerpowered wireless tow lights and warning lights, the golden age of reimagining the tools you use every day has arrived.

These advancing technologies mean that while today you may have to pay a little more on the front end for products integrating these types of

lithium-based batteries, a quick costbenefit analysis can tell you if it is worth it or not.

Wireless tow lights that incorporate lithium-polymer battery packs that snap into place, much like a cordless drill, can be had for around $100 more than the standard lead-acid models. The lights will operate for significantly longer periods of time with battery packs that can last up to 10 years. Consider that additional $100 up front vs. the cost of replacing the lead-acid batteries every 1-2 years at $30 a piece.

As time passes, we will surely see more and more manufacturers moving towards lithium-based power supplies.

Who knows what the future holds for humanity and our ability to harness and store power? With captains of industry like Elon Musk investing heavily in exploring alternate energy solutions and optimizing their production, the time between technological breakthroughs seems to be dwindling. There is a shift in power.

When will you join the revolution?

About the author Chris Anderson is vice president of TowMate.

IAA Names O’Day COO Insurance Auto Auctions (IAAauctions.com) has named Tim O’Day as chief operating officer, reporting to John Kett, CEO/president, John Kett.

According to the company, O’Day will be responsible for managing IAA’s North American auction locations, transportation and logistics, client delivery and catastrophe teams.

“Tim has strong strategy and management expertise and a proven track record of driving customer value through effective and efficient operations,” Kett said.

IAA also announced: · Sidney Kerley was promoted to SVP and General Counsel to lead the legal team, Industry Relations and Customer Quality Assurance. · Jeanene O’Brien was promoted to SVP of Global Marketing to oversee Global Marketing and Buyer Development. · John Krupnik was promoted to SVP and Chief Technology Officer to lead Business Technology and Product Development. · Terry Daniels, Managing Director of Impact, adds responsibility for Canada and Global Market Development. · Eldon Booth was promoted to SVP of Field Operations for U.S. markets.

New Ford Commercial Vehicle Center

Check out AT’s digital edition at itowman.com 26 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Ford introduced its Commercial Vehicle Center program (fordcommercialvehiclecenter.com) to provide fleet and commercial customers nationwide with sales, service and financing at the dealership level.

The network includes more than 650 Ford dealers committed to offering commercial customers the vehicles, financing options and service support their businesses need. The Commercial Vehicle Center program replaces the Ford Business Preferred Network of commercial dealers.

Commercial Vehicle Center dealer service departments are open at least 55 hours per week, and new stocking programs improve parts availability.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 27

A cement mixer was used in two scenarios during an informal rotator training between four competitor tow companies in Maryland last December.

I

n early December 2016, four tow companies—Phillips Garage, Ted’s Towing, Betts Garage, and Chesapeake Service Center—got together at Phillips Garage in Sudlersville, Md., to implement rotator practice and training.

Several casualties were brought to the yard and set up for implementation. Also at the yard were two heavy pieces of concrete at 46,000 lbs. and 36,000 lbs. to help with seeing the effect such solid concentrated weight has on a rotator.

The idea stemmed from the thought that so many towers will talk about practice time, but few actually take time out to do it. After conversations between the tow companies, it was decided to have training that would help the people that generally come out on wreck calls but never actually “get to pull the levers,” so to speak.

The company rotators on scene were (from left): Betts Garage’s 2016 Peterbilt 389 twin-steer/Century 1075S, Ted’s Towing’s 2006 Peterbilt 379/Century 1060S and 2009 Western Star 4900/Century 1060S, and Phillips Garage’s 2008 Peterbilt 367/Century 1075S.

Training ’Tators with

By Frank Davis President, Phillips Garage

Competitors Work Together to Increase Operator Safety

28 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

The mixer was used for a single truck controlled rollover, as well as two companies working together for a controlled roll. (The orange caution sign is a good example of what you can use in traffic control efforts. Read more on traffic control on page 46.)

Four heavy-duty rotators were on site for the training scenarios: • 2016 Peterbilt 389 twinsteer/Century 1075S (Betts Garage) • 2008 Peterbilt 367/Century 1075S with five-winch option.

(Phillips Garage) • 2009 Western Star 4900/Century 1060S with five-winch package. (Ted’s Towing) • 2006 Peterbilt 379/Century Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

I have always felt it imperative that we practice and reiterate how much safety is important for what we do for a living.

1060S with five-winch package.

(Ted’s Towing) Approximately 25 men and women were on site for this training.

The first order of business was to make everyone aware of the training goals for the day. Safety practices were discussed and assignments distributed. Operators and owners talked about what scenarios they’d like to use their trucks in, and get different input on best practices for various TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 29

A ‘simple’ scenario added a crushed passenger car with entrapment to the challenge.

jobs. (Added benefits were the networking with other companies, as well as the team building for individual companies.)

What was real fun about the implementation of jobs on this day was that each company would discuss a strategy and also create difficult scenarios to give operators more to think about during practice. We found this extremely beneficial for the young

operators who did not have as much experience pulling the levers. As each job was being done, we would stop at points for everyone to discuss if things were going correctly or what could change to do things better.

One scenario, planned as a “simple” rollover that was close to a Jersey wall, was changed into a casualty car underneath the truck. The scenario then was that the truck had to be

Concrete slabs were used to demonstrate capabilities and capacities of the rotators on scene.

30 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

lifted off at an angle, but straight up, so as to simulate a person trapped in the car that could not have any further damage.

Another scenario featured a box trailer turned on its side. The novice operator would have to lift a wheel dolly and place it on the kingpin, then chain it off before turning the trailer back over—not an easy feat for someone who is green.

Using a cement mixer in other segments, we did both a controlled rollover and return, as well as two companies working together in turning the mixer on a controlled roll at opposite ends.

I have always felt it imperative that we practice and reiterate how much safety is important for what we do for a living. The new operators that got to operate these ultra-impressive rotators were just ecstatic about being involved in that capacity.

Overall it was a fairly long day, but it was a great day of towing enthusiasm that focused on safety.

Our hope is that we can involve more companies and do this on a semiannual basis rotating to other com-

Less experienced operators got to try their hand at some trailer roll/loading scenarios.

pany’s yards. We are planning another training day in April and hope to have up to 10 companies and their equipment come and make it a twoday event that will also include local fire companies and police involvement

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

in order to cross-train on different real-world scenarios.

In no way do we want to minimalize the great strides that have been made by formal towing trainers. I wish and hope that more companies

would do similar trainings. I am very glad that my friends, who are also my competition, have been so enthusiastic about improving operator training and safety in our area. I really feel it benefits all involved on many levels.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 31

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34 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

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31 Lynch Chicago 49 Manufacturer Express 43 McMahon Truck Center M 71 Miller Industries 32, 33 New England TruckMaster N 68 Nitro Motor Sports 59 North American BanCard 21 NorthEast Wrecker Sales N 72 NRC Industries 15 Nussbaum Equipment 57 OMG National S 72, M W 68 Pacific General Insur. Agency M 68 Performance Advantage Company 45 Prime Industries S 70 PWOF 22, 23 Recovery Billing 26 Renew Truck Body N 72

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Avoiding Carrier-Related Damages

By Randall C. Resch

C

arriers are an awesome truck to enhance any size fleet.

Working carriers during slow business periods allows companies to accept jobs that aren’t automotive related, like transporting hay, portable toilets, boats, sheds, toolboxes, sea-can containers, etc.

When combined with competent and trained operators, companies can successfully conduct a multitude of damage-free transport and recovery scenarios. Operational success in carrier use demands training and experience.

Carrier operations have great potential to inflict damage by operators who aren’t trained in their systems and characteristics. Carriers require specific training to be effective in today’s transport industry and need competent operators when wrecks go beyond simple load-and-go operations. There are lots of opportunities to do damage with a carrier through misapplication or operator error.

As in all towing and recovery operations, damages most likely occur if certain care isn’t taken when loading vehicles or conducting operations. The following causes are those not generally considered when it comes to operator or equipment-inflicted damages.

Damaged Goods Rollaway-Vehicle Syndrome. Perhaps the most potential for fatality or damaging a customer’s vehicle is the overall detaching from the carrier’s deck. When operators fail to sufficiently attach a top-side safety chain or strap to prevent accidental rollaway, any vehicle is susceptible for escape off a tilted carrier’s deck. This is typical to a free-spool handle not fully engaged to hold; vehicles release prematurely and unannounced.

36 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Carriers require specific training to be effective in today’s transport industry. This carrier at a rollover scenario is from the Bobby Tuttle light-duty training during the 2016 Tow Expo-Dallas. AT Staff photo.

Loose-Vehicle Syndrome. If a moving and loaded carrier is impacted from the rear, a properly applied fouror eight-point tie-down should retain the transported vehicle even if the carrier overturns. Tow owners should mandate that operators comply with this process. A winch cable plus only one J-hook is a violation of law and mocks safe transport standards.

Unannounced Free-Spool. This is the violent release of vehicles being winched onto a carrier’s deck. Operators should ensure the free-spool handle is firmly relocked by hearing and seeing the free-spool tab return to its locked positon. Rollaway accidents (like this) occur soon after towers pull cable and fail to make certain relock occurs.

Floor-Surface Damages. Caused

when carrier decks slide on custom concrete, tile or linoleum surfaces.

When operators slide carrier decks while pushing them all the way out, place protection under the carrier’s deck before setting its end to prevent scraping floor surfaces.

Hinge Pins. Typically damaged from overloading or side-pulls; if a deck isn’t a solid platform during rollovers or pivot-winch techniques and is allowed to float sideways, potential damage to hinge pins occur.

Cracked welds at hinge-pin locations are a common cause for carriers to fail inspections.

Bent Bed-Safety Locks. Caused when operators fail to move the deck rearward (approximately 18”) allowing bed rails to clear bed locks located rearward of the truck’s cab. Failure to

do so causes lifted beds to snag and tear bed locks from mounted positions. Failure to level decks fully from tilt to horizontal could cause the carrier’s winch end to contact forward bed locks when stowing the carrier’s deck. (Modern carriers have safety components inplace to prevent this.)

Bent Bed Rails. Caused when operators use carrier decks for extreme side-winching or lifting operations, because the carrier’s deck wasn’t set firmly on the ground’s surface. When conducting pivoting winch operations (to remove vehicles from a parked position between two other vehicles), if the carrier’s deck isn’t set firmly when fully extended, the deck may move sideways enough to cause the deck to bend on its rails.

This is an extensive and expensive repair.

Twisted Deck Rails. Caused during hard recovery winching if operators don’t ensure the carrier’s deck isn’t relatively horizontal to the pavement at the initial setting of the deck. Although carrier decks are designed for minimal twist, hard winching may cause severe twisting to bend underside rail components. Overloading heavy objects onto a carrier’s deck is another means of bending bed rails. Centering the intended load onto the carrier’s deck is important in distributing loads.

Off-Loading Vehicles Aggressively. Bed hydraulics are driven by fluid. Aggressive or untrained towers find it easy to “slam-blam” carrier decks in rocking a

38 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

casualty vehicle off the bed. Doing so creates huge potential of blowing hydraulic cylinders, hoses and fittings.

A blown hose deposits as much as 40gallons of hot, right-now, hydraulic fluid onto the pavement or customer’s floor. Consider using varying techniques like skates, reverse winching, a drag-off pole, forklift assistance, etc.

When the carrier is driven with its deck

Damaged Cab. When operators don’t ensure that topside lumber is restowed in its proper location, 4x4s not laid flat and horizontal could be pushed through the truck’s cab when the carrier is stowed to its normal position.

Damaged Storage Box Doors.

Caused when operators fail to ensure or remember that storage box doors aren’t closed and latched before driving. When storage boxes are entered to gain access to equipment, always remember to completely close and

latch side box doors immediately after opening them.

Damage to Parked Vehicles.

Caused when operators decide to reposition the carrier for better winching access. When the carrier is driven with its deck extended, any turning movements may cause the corners of an out-stretched carrier deck to slice doors of parked vehicles. Never move a carrier with its deck stretched unless in an area where there are no parked vehicles or obstacles.

Deck Gouges. Caused when oper-

extended, any turning movements may cause the corners of an outstretched carrier deck to slice doors of parked vehicles.

Bird-Nested Cable. When operators don’t pay attention to cable when cable is winched in, the cable’s path overlaps other strands allowing cable to smash, fray and bird-nest. Poorly wrapped cable is the leading cause of cable demise. Brand new cable can be ruined in quick time if cable isn’t wrapped and maintained properly.

Broken/Snapped Cable. Sharp edges are cut-points and generally caused when cable contacts the deck’s edged surfaces and aren’t padded.

Also important is the direction cable clips are installed if swaged cable isn’t used due to temporary field repair.

When cable is allowed to rub over sharp edges of a carrier’s deck, it rapidly becomes an extremely dangerous condition that can lead to a runaway vehicle or whiplash situation.

No J-hooks for Recovery. J-hooks aren’t considered proper equipment to use during side-winching operations and are not to be used in place of a snatch block to change cable direction during winching. J-hooks (used in this manner) could cause cable to snap during hard pull or recovery operations.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 39

ators fail to protect the carrier’s deck during winch-on operations. When underside components of casualty vehicles are dragged onto the carrier’s deck (specifically aluminum), employ some kind of protection.

Deck Key Slots. Caused when operators fail to ensure that excess chain applied to tie-down operations is completely set into the key slot and not twisted. If allowed to twist as the vehicle is winched tight into position, links in twisted chain cause the key slot to elongate or become distorted.

Ultimately, key slots must be replaced to ensure that chains remain solid.

Dangling Chain. Towers must ensure that loose chain on a carrier deck doesn’t drop mid-way and through key slots along the carrier’s rails.

Bent Side Rails. Caused when towers attach accessories to rails for winching and hold-down. Side-winching from deck rails could cause them to break free and inflict injury. When loading extra wide duallies, be sure to

40 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

add 4x4 blocks to the side rail to help bear the weight of the vehicle.

Hard Winching. Generally caused when operators conduct a hard recovery-type pull from the winch’s mounted location. Rollovers should be conducted using a snatch block off the carrier’s tailboard.

Hyper-Flexed Deck. Caused when operators set the carrier’s deck onto ground surfaces and then continues to raise the headache rack or lightbar into the air. Hyper-flexing the carrier’s deck in this manner causes underside welds to hyper-flex and break, leading to an early demise.

Loading Motorcycles. Damages are typically caused when carriers aren’t equipped with a motorcycletype loading device, allowing a motorcycle to be safely loaded onto a carrier’s deck. Although skilled carrier operators can usually load motorcycles onto a carrier deck without assistance, progressive companies stock cycle dollies.

Overhead Restrictions. In several

incidents, tow operators have delivered high-profile SUVs to dealerships with a portico. Although there was plenty of room for SUVs to be offloaded, carrier operators raised their decks too high and shoved their SUV’s roof into the ceiling or overhang.

When unsure, always have a GOAL (Get Out And Look).

In order to avoid carrier damages during day-to-day use, be smart about height, width and length considerations and ensure your safe loading or recovery techniques are consistent and safe. While no two towers are exactly the same in technique or experience, knowing potential scenarios up front is your operational advantage.

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.

The Sunshine State Towing Association recently held its fourth Ultra Heavy-Duty Class in Orlando, Fla. Image courtesy of OMG National who documented the training in part by drone.

SSTA Class for Ultra Heavy-Duty The Sunshine State Towing Association recently completed its fourth Ultra Heavy-Duty Class in Orlando, Fla.; it was taught by Miller Industries’ Tom Luciano with classroom sessions held at Crouch’s Wrecker Sales

42 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

(crouchtowtrucks.com) and the handson scenarios conducted at Johnson’s Wrecker Service.

“I would like to thank Miller Industries, Crouch’s Wrecker Sales, Santander and MatJack, along with all the other sponsors who helped make this program a success,” said Sean Loscalzo, SSTA president. “I would

also like to recognize all the outstanding dedicated operators who attended to improve their skills and education.”

Close to 50 students from 10 states successfully completed the three-day program. To learn more about future classes or to become a member, visit sstassociation.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 43

Traffic

Control Bruce Campbell Makes Safety the Bottom Line

by Brendan Dooley

W

ith the seemingly constant bad news of towers being struck on the job, white-line safety is a perpetual concern in this industry whether for highway service calls, tows or recoveries. The opportunity to expand safety beyond a few cones and flares to real, full-fledged traffic control management is one that tow companies need to consider.

Bruce Campbell—president of Standish Towing & Recovery in Banff, Alberta, Canada, and a Senior Lead Instructor with WreckMaster—has been pioneering in efforts to make towers safer working the white line.

He has made traffic management an important part of his safety efforts for his own employees as well as towers everywhere through seminars at the American Towman Expos on the topic.

He said that towers are risking their lives on the side of the road unnecessarily when they work without advance warnings to motorists of their presence.

“With no traffic management, recovery on the side of an icy road without flashing lights and no advance warning of the incident, towers are putting themselves in danger, and the people they’re trying to help,” Campbell said.

44 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Towers need to consider the roadside their work zone; “All government must protect people in work zones to the best of its ability to make a safe working environment,” he said. “It’s tough to have an on-call traffic management company.”

Adding traffic management for

Signage will help, and 30” high and greater are recommended.

This 48” sign is sold by AW Direct.

certain calls doesn’t add a large revenue stream, “but it could work for some, and helps protect your people,” Campbell said. “Better yet is your obligation to the workers you hire to protect them and obviously the customer needs to be protected as well.

“There is a revenue there … and risk; but the risk is there either way and [being safer] is the proper way to go.”

Campbell said that once you have invested in training and proper equipment, there are more opportunities for traffic control than just your own recovery scenes.

“It’s not just a revenue stream for towing at accidents, but also for special events,” Campbell said. “You can market it for running races, holiday parades, concerts … not just for accidents.”

There are different levels of traffic control, and rules will vary by municipality, state or province, Campbell cautioned.

“Just having three orange cones out is not traffic management … it is a first tiny, tiny step in advance warning,” he said. “If you choose to do traffic management though, it lowers risk.

“While some owners object that doing traffic management creates too much liability, there’s much more liability if you don’t do it,” he said. “Too

responders who might only be onscene for a short period of time.”

What To Do

Just having a few cones out isn’t traffic management. When or if law enforcement leaves the scene (if they are even there to begin with), motorists will not notice a few cones like they did those flashing red-and-blue lights.

many times you see towers and police have been hurt and killed on the side of the road, hit in an accident zone and there was no advance warning.

“Unless it’s by an intoxicated driver, most can be prevented and that’s with advance warning upstream of the accident.”

Campbell said he became more aware of traffic control as a separate

46 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

entity observing the other industries that have work zones on the roadside, like when utility companies are working or highway workers are installing guardrails or fixing signs, or roads are being paved.

“They would all have some sort of traffic management established,” Campbell said. “But I never saw towers with anything beyond emergency

To begin instituting a traffic management plan at your company, he said to start with utilizing the personnel you already have by training them in proper control techniques. Then you can “incorporate more equipment to be better prepared to protect your people and those on the road.”

He suggested the first equipment to get is 28”-tall orange reflective cones.

“Anything shorter, studies show people don’t see over the hood of their car,” he said.

The next step is signage, which should be a minimum of 30” by 30” with diamond-grade reflective, similar to what you might see with highway construction details.

“The biggest mistake is people don’t want to invest in those signs,” Campbell said. “The next problem is correct placement.” The position of signage is dictated by traffic patterns, number of lanes, etc.

Too many times you see towers and police have been hurt and killed on the side of the road, hit in an accident zone and there was no advance warning.

Roadside construction crews inherently have more obvious traffic control; towers can’t count on law enforcement to stay on scene and should do more to protect themselves.

“Arrow boards have requirements and regulations that differ for highways from in towns,” he said. “Most have to have 25 lights or more … and be 30” high by 60” wide minimum to shift traffic.

“Most of all, personnel need to be trained on traffic management,” he said, “and be certified for their area, state or province on the requirements.

They also need to have proper uniforms with the proper equipment.

“They are the most important position at nearly every breakdown or recovery; if they don’t do their job,

48 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

everybody else is at risk.”

Campbell advised that setup and takedown are the most dangerous times for traffic control and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“During setup especially, because the first sign up is the first one anyone will see and there’s no protection before that … Taking signs down is not as dangerous, until you get to the first sign which eliminates the advance warning.” Personnel need to be trained here to reduce risk exposure, too.

“You can’t do this half-hearted with one sign and say that you’ve

done traffic control,” Campbell said.

The tow company must inform the end user or responsible insurance company or auto club that traffic management is being used as well.

“You need to build a relationship to support your traffic management efforts,” Campbell emphasized. “It all comes down to education when traffic control must be done on scene to protect people in the work zone.”

Editor Brendan Dooley joined AT in January 2011 after serving as the editor of two magazines covering the auto repair industry for shop owners, techs and tool distributors. His experience includes hard news on daily newspapers and editorial leadership at vintage motorcycle and car magazines. Brendan is WreckMaster 6/7A certified.

UP S GO 1st E C I PR R MAY E AFT

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Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 53

Steering Wheel

Securement

by Terry Abejuela

Use Proper Techniques, Products to Avoid Future Liabilities Some steering wheel clamps are designed to attach to the bottom of the seat frame.

This one is sold by AW Direct.

W

hen towing a vehicle with a wheel lift or conventional tow sling, you must secure the steering wheel so the wheels align straight ahead on every tow. When towing from the rear, this is required to keep the towed vehicle tracking safely.

When towing from the front, this is required to keep the towed vehicle’s steer wheels from turning in the wheel lift and reduces the side-to-side movement of the towed vehicle in the event there is a failure of the primary towing attachment and the safety chains are engaged.

When towing a vehicle from the front with a wheel lift, you should secure the steering wheels straight 54 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

ahead to prevent them from turning during the tow. If the steering wheels turn during the tow, the wheels will drop deeper into the wheel-lift grid and may allow contact between the wheel-lift crossbar and a vehicle component such as the oil pan. The bouncing of the suspension during the tow may cause damage to the oil pan.

Some vehicles are equipped with an aluminum oil pan and contact with the wheel-lift crossbar can and has resulted in a cracked and leaking oil pan.

Do not use the vehicle manufacturer’s steering wheel locking mechanism to secure the steering wheels for towing. This mechanism was designed as an anti-theft device, not for secure-

A spring-loaded pole features hooks at one end and a wedge at the other end to lock the steering wheel. This one is available from B/A Products.

ment during towing. The forces transmitted to the locking mechanism during a tow can cause failure—this is a lesson some had to learn the hard way.

Using the seat belt as a steeringwheel securement device is not recommended. Like the steering-wheel lock, the seat belt was not designed or intended for securement in towing.

Using the seat belt this way may expose you to potential liability if the seat belt fails to function properly in a later collision after it was used to secure the steering wheels for towing.

To secure the steering wheel for towing, there are products designed, intended and manufactured for that use in towing. There are several types available for purchase but unfortunately there is no one device that works well on all vehicles. You may need several different types depending on the year, make and model of vehicle being towed.

Clamps If a program you tow for requires a steering wheel securement device it may require one of these devices as opposed to the common method of using a rope or strap. Even if used safely, a rope or strap may not meet the requirement of the program. You can avoid these issues by using both a manufactured steering wheel clamping device and a rope or strap thereby having a back-up.

Some steering wheel clamps are designed to attach to the bottom of the seat frame. If the seat frame is near the front of the seat cushion this is not a problem; however, some seats do not have a strong enough attachment point near the front of the seat cushion. You may have to reach further under the seat cushion to find an attachment point, causing the strap to put pressure on the seat cushion and upholstery material and may cause damage.

Attaching the device to the brake pedal isn’t recommended. On some vehicles, there is a brake light switch at the top of the brake pedal arm.

When force is placed on the brake pedal arm, it places pressure on this Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

Nylon strap used for steering wheel securement secured in the A-frame.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 55

brake light switch and may cause damage to the switch. If you don’t check the brake lights, you won’t know the switch is damaged. The next time the customer drives the vehicle they may not have any brake lights which could expose you to potential liability.

Poles Another type of securement device uses a spring-loaded pole with hooks at one end and a wedge at the other end. The hooks are placed under the bottom of the steering wheel and the spring is compressed to allow the wedge to be placed in the driver seat. On some seats you may need to pad the wedge end to avoid damage to the seat.

Whichever manufactured steering wheel securement device you choose, you must follow the manufacturer ’s recommendations for proper use, inspection and maintenance.

Rope If you choose to use a rope to secure the steering wheel, make sure it is made of a material that is strong but soft enough to compress when the door is shut on it. Towers commonly use a 3/8” soft nylon rope.

The length needed may vary based on the year, make, and model of the towed vehicle but I recommend at least a 6’ length. Do not use hard plastic ropes that do not compress easily as they may cause damage.

If the vehicle to be towed has a tilt column, tilt it all the way in the direction the rope will be pulling. If the steering wheel is tilted in the opposite direction the force on the tilt mechanism may cause failure during the tow and loosen your steering wheel securement enough to cause an unsafe towing condition.

Many towers secure the steering wheel securement rope at the A-pillar. I would recommend that this procedure only be used if the vehicle has a window frame. I would not trust the window glass to keep the steering wheel secure. Avoid contact between the rope and any dash or door upholstery.

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Nylon strap secured at bottom of door.

Do not use the vehicle manufacturer’s steering wheel locking mechanism to secure the steering wheels for towing.

Nylon rope secured at bottom of door.

A 3/8” soft nylon rope used for steering wheel securement secured in the A-frame.

I prefer the option of securing the steering wheel securement rope at the bottom of the door instead of at the A-pillar if possible. When using the bottom of the door, make sure the rope does not make contact with the seat cushion that may result in damage.

Proper securement of the towed vehicles steering wheels during a tow is vital to the safe operation of your towing equipment. Secure the steering wheels on all tows regardless of the distance.

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

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 57

Zacklift Debuts New Website Zacklift International unveiled its new website, zacklift.com, that helps visitors to “Build-A-Zacklift” with step-by-step pictures and videos of the removable Fifthwheeler product.

The new site includes details, photos and videos covering the 45,000, 35,000 and 25,000 ratings, and the Permanent Mount and Fifthwheeler options.

NATA Announces Classes The North American Towing Academy (thenata.com) has scheduled several Light- and Medium-Duty Training and Certification classes: Tulsa, Okla., March 4-5; Orlando, Fla., April 20-21; Scott AFB, Belleview, Ill., April 29-30; and Orange Beach, Ala., May 4-5. More courses in more regions are still being added.

NATA’s two-day programs are designed to provide comprehensive training to the towing industry. Organizations interested in scheduling sessions can call 407-765-5149.

Fuso FE, FG Includes Mobileye For model year 2017, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America (mitfuso.com) will offer optional Mobileye collisionavoidance systems on its FE and FG Series trucks.

For a limited time, Fuso will install the Mobileye system free of charge on all 2017 FE and FG Series trucks, normally a $1,000 option, the company said.

“We recognize that driver efficiency and safety have direct impact on the bottom line for all of our Fuso customers,” said Otto Schmid, MFTA director of product management. “The Mobileye Collision Avoidance System has proved itself in our testing to reduce the number of incidents that trigger warnings for tailgating, lane departure, urban collision, and rural or highway collision by an average of 50 percent.

GPS Insight Tackles HOS Logs GPS Insight (gpsinsight.com) recently launched its Electronic Logging Device solution for tracking Hours of Service to meet FMCSA guidelines.

The ELD solution bundles an Android tablet hardwired to a GPS tracking device. The ELD tablet features an intuitive user interface to ensure ease of use for all drivers. The management portal is web-based, secure, and accessible via PC, tablet and smartphone.

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Ceccarelli Profiled on CNBC Program

Chuck Ceccarelli, owner of Idaho Wrecker Sales and In The Ditch Towing Products, was profiled on “Blue Collar Millionaires” in February; the episode was still available at CNBC On Demand at press time.

Towing’s own Chuck Ceccarelli was recently profiled on the CNBC TV (cnbc.com) show “Blue Collar Millionaires.”

His segment, titled “The Titan of Towing,” documents Ceccarelli’s rise from modest beginnings in his home state of Idaho to his success in the towing industry.

The broadcast covered Ceccarelli’s invention of the Side Puller, and how

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

that led to the companies he owns today, Idaho Wrecker Sales and In The Ditch Towing Products.

Ceccarelli said in the broadcast that he risked everything to test the merits of the Side Puller on an eastward trek from Idaho.

“By the time we reached Chicago,” he said, “we had received orders for over 30 units; so we knew we had something.” As a result, Ceccarelli went from making $160,000 as a tow company owner to more than $3 million the first year.

The segment could also be seen on CNBC On Demand as of press time.

I Tow In’s Extender Gets Patent I Tow In’s Height Extender for the company’s Control Arm Skate recently was given Patent No. 9,550,511. The owners (skatesiti.com) are excited to offer this fully patented option to expand the capabilities of the Control Arm Skate to the industry.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 59

10 Tips to Safer Repossessions

by Mark Lacek

W

hen the idea of safety is brought up, I immediately think about making it through the day without accidently cutting off my arm, stepping into oncoming traffic or sticking myself with my pocket knife.

The fact is, and you know it’s true, most on- or off-the-job injuries are avoidable.

The process of surviving each day is a job in of itself. Whether you are a tower, a repossessor or office staff, making it through another day is most often up to you.

Consider the yard helper who cleans out the personal property from repossessed automobiles. Repo companies must remove the personal property from the auto, place the items in bags or boxes, and turn in a written inventory form to the office.

Day after day, the yard helper does his job safely until one day he reaches his bare hand under the passenger seat and gets stuck by a dirty needle.

Would a pair of leather gloves have stopped this injury from happening?

Probably.

In the repossession business, as in any other, most accidents or injuries are avoidable by simply following training and instructions, or even just using common sense. How about the driver who jumps into his truck and rolls on down the road without conducting a simple vehicle inspection?

He didn’t give himself a chance to notice the bald front tire before it exploded, causing a horrific accident that injures or kills by-standers.

What if something falls off of the back of the tow truck and crashes through the windshield of the innocent vehicle behind you? These incidents happen much too often, and they can be avoided.

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Conduct a pre-trip inspection on your tow truck before you roll, and a post-trip inspection when your shift is over. All unreported problems fall on you, the vehicle operator. Oregon DOT image.

The other day, a night-shift driver of a friend’s tow company left the gate wide open after completing an impound call. The driver was in a hurry to get home. When the owner of the tow company arrived at work in the morning, he noticed the open gate and someone had vandalized the company’s heavy-duty wrecker. After a couple hours, they also realized the impounded auto was missing. The driver said, later that day, that he wasn’t thinking. The truth is, he was probably thinking of what he was doing next, and not what he was doing now.

I have made my share of mistakes.

While repossessing a truck a few years ago, I let a debtor reach into the back of his truck to retrieve “his toolbox;” instead I wound up looking down the barrel of a nickel-plated Colt .357 magnum. (Not fun.)

While repossessing in one of the worst neighborhoods in Cleveland, I failed to turn the volume down before turning the key on. All of the lights in the house turned bright when James Brown started blaring from the car’s

speakers as I rolled out of the driveway. (It actually only took about two days for my regular heartbeat to return.)

Here is a simple test. Think about the past year if there was a moment when you were almost involved in a life-threatening situation. Maybe you glanced down at your phone for just a second and when you looked up, there was a car stopped in front of you. Maybe you misjudged a yellow caution light and just missed hitting that other car. If this did not happen to you ... you passed the test.

During a repossession, judgment calls happen every day. A repossessor must choose the correct time to safely hook up to the collateral with the understanding he can remove the car without a breach of the peace. A peaceful repossession most often occurs when the debtor is nowhere near the vehicle; every repossessor knows a peaceful repossession is when there is no confrontation with the debtor. Even so, many repossessors will take chances and hook up to a car knowing a confrontation is likely.

There have been multiple cases involving repossessions where the agent ran over a debtor who ran out to their car, with fatal results.

With this said, let me share a top 10 list of safety tips to help you safely make it through the day: 1. If you spot the collateral you are looking for, wait until there is absolutely no chance of a confrontation with the debtor before you “hook and book.”

2. If you’re hooked to the car and the debtor tells you to stop, you must stop the repossession process. Drop the car, be polite and leave. (Sample exchange: “Drop the car *&%$*#@.” You

say, “I will put the car down and I will be leaving. Please contact your lien-holder.”)

3. Do not knock on a neighbor’s door and share personal information about the debtor. (“Where is Mr. Smiths car, he is late on his payments and I am here to repo the car.” … You can say, “I am here to see Mr. Smith, but I obviously came at the wrong time. Do you know where he is, or what time he comes home.”)

4. I know this sounds corny, but get enough sleep. Research indicates the mind works better on at least six hours of sleep a night. Even your co-workers will like you more ... maybe.

5. Conduct a pre-trip inspection on your tow truck before you roll, and a post-trip inspection when your shift is over. If the truck needs a repair or maintenance, make note of the problem and turn in the daily inspection report. All unreported problems fall on you, the vehicle operator.

6. Do not enter a debtor’s home no matter how nice you believe they are. (“Would you like some iced tea, young man?” You say, “No.” Can you imagine what could happen if you are invited into the house and while you are sitting there sipping on your iced tea, the husband walks in and accuses you of something, true or not?)

7. Never reach under the seat or into a glove box without some type of hand protection. Every experienced repossessor understands the importance of carrying a box of disposal Nitrile gloves. I remember the guy who found some poop under the seat of a repossessed car. Yuk! 8. Understand the importance of, and the value of, discretion. Use the word transport before you use the word repossession.

When I introduce myself as a “transport driver,” it’s amazing how much easier it is to communicate with a debtor. Just saying the word repossessor begins the Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

downhill spiral of a conversation. Sometimes acting not so smart makes you pretty smart.

9. After knocking on the door to ask for the car, step back a few feet. You will appear less threatening. Research indicates the closer you are when speaking to someone, your chances of success are diminished.

10. The No. 1 claim for tow trucks in the past three years are rearend collisions. Stop texting and driving!

Signing up for every form of training and/or certification that comes your way will always benefit the job

you are hired to do. The opposite of training is learning by trial and error, which will always have a price to pay.

Sometimes the price you pay is an injury, other times just your hardearned dollars … if you’re lucky.

Remembering your training and thinking before you act will result in a higher level of safety, save you money and possibly save your life or someone else’s.

Be safe.

Repo Editor Mark Lacek authored the Certified Commercial Recovery Agent certification program and has more than 30 years of recovery experience.

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

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 61

USED TRUCKS FOR SALE 2008 Ford F350 Super Duty, 109,982 miles

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

62 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

CALIFORNIA TOW TRUCK ASSOCIATION SEEKING INSTRUCTORS

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CTTA’s Training & Education Program teaches drivers skills & knowledge needed to stay safe & serve the motoring public. CTTA Instructors will meet following for this part-time position: • Willing to travel and coordinate class dates/times with the CTTA Office • Ability to teach a set curriculum put forth by the Association’s Education Department • Prior experience in the industry and/or instruction experience is desired, not required • Ability to read and interpret documents, including technical data, safety rules, vehicle codes and procedure manuals • Ability to speak effectively in interpersonal situations and with groups of people Submit resumes and contact information to: ctta@ctta.com

To Advertise In Towman’s Market Call 800-732-3869 Ellen Rosengart x 203 erosengart@towman.com Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 63

1 Million Miles and Counting

by Jim “Buck” Sorrenti

D

arrell Greer founded Nashville Towing & Recovery, also known as NT&R, in Brentwood, Tenn., in 1985, but has nearly 50 years of experience in the industry. The company handles everything from heavy-duty towing and recovery, to accidents, rollovers, load swaps and shifts, parts delivery, service calls and more.

Featured here is the “Star Car,” Darrell’s 1997 Western Star 5964SS with 72” condo sleeper and a 1997 Challenger CH-30 30-ton wrecker.

“We purchased this truck and wrecker brand new. We special ordered it and Miller Industries built it to our specs. To the best of my knowledge, it’s the only one of it’s kind,” Darrell said. “When we ordered the truck, our main goal was to make the truck lightweight to where we could scale with MCI, Prevost, Eagle, Vanhool Tour Buses. Being that our company is based out of ‘Music City USA,’ there are lots of tour buses in our area, and we travel long distances towing buses back for repairs.

“So that this truck could scale with tour buses, we ordered this truck with no inner boom. The boom goes up and down, but it does not extend in or out.

Not only that, but we ordered the truck with only one winch. With this

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truck not having an inner boom, and only one 30,000-pound planetary winch, it has a weight-saving advantage when compared to the standard 30-ton wrecker and has helped us to accomplish our goal of being able to scale with tour buses.”

About a year ago, the Star Car left active duty for four months of major refurbishment from top to bottom and front to back. Patrick McKenzie and Jarrett Meridith of M&M Paint & Body Shop in Pocahontas, Ark., handled the new paint. The Star Car is back in service and looks better than ever.

“To be honest, this truck has done pretty much everything that your typical 30- and 35-ton wreckers have done,”

Darrell said. “We have towed pretty much anything and everything with it, and we have worked many major accidents and rollovers with this truck. So many people think it’s all about the truck, but with 48 years of being in the towing industry, I am a firm believer of it’s all in the rigging and that’s how this truck has done so much with so little.”

The Star Car is powered by a 470hp Detroit Diesel Series 60 mated to an Eaton Fuller 15-speed transmission.

“Like all companies, we have experienced ups and downs during our 32 years of being in business, especially when the housing market crashed in 2008-2009. At the present moment, we have eight employees and six vehicles,”

Tech Highlights Name: The Star Car. Chassis: 1997 Western Star 5964SS. Wrecker: 1997 Challenger CH-30.

Engine: Detroit Diesel Series 60.

Trans: Eaton Fuller 15-speed.

Winches: 30,000-lbs. planetary.

Builder: Miller Industries.

Paint: M&M Paint & Body Shop.

Darrell said. “Before the housing market crash, we had 27 employees and a fleet of 23 trucks. Most of our business at the time was construction-related— concrete mixers, dump trucks, equipment hauling, etc.—and when so many of our customers went out of business, and construction job sites came to a halt, it greatly affected our company and we had no choice but to downsize.

If it had not of been for the ‘Star Car,’

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

our company would not have been able to survive.”

During its heyday, this rig was running 24/7. NT&R was alternating drivers and on the long runs they were putting team drivers in it so that it was pretty much running non-stop. They were only shutting it down long enough to do oil changes. Now that the economy has picked up, the company has added new trucks to their fleet.

The Star Car remains active, according to Darrell, who said it’s been to 44 states and Canada, including a recent run to New Mexico to bring a Prevost Tour Bus back. Even though the wrecker has “well over one million miles,” Darrell said they don’t treat it any different than their newer trucks.

Here’s to many more miles for this road warrior.

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • 65

Towing’s Greatest Ride

by Steve Calitri

T

he Spirit Ride will be towing’s greatest spectacle: I envision a procession of carriers and wreckers winding along a mountain pass with a drone video camera soaring above focused on the red, white and blue casket designed to celebrate the work towers do, the risks they take and the ultimate sacrifice many have paid. As the procession winds down into the valley’s interstate, it will stand out amid the usual highway traffic.

The procession will pass through state capitols and past town halls, will gather in cornfields and county parks and big stadium lots; down Pennsylvania Avenue, Broadway, Market Street and the Las Vegas Strip; will pause and listen to heartfelt words from police and fire chiefs and towmen.

The procession will stream across TV screens as well as laptops, tablets and smartphones. Towers watching it will either say, “I was part of that procession,” “I was part of the Spirit Ride,” or “I will be in there when it comes my way.”

Towers will make it happen not only with their trucks, but on their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds … by reaching out to their local TV stations, newspapers, mayors, police chiefs, senators and the President.

Everyone supporting the Spirit Ride is doing so to help protect all first responders. Bringing awareness to the Move Over laws, the main purpose of the Ride, can prevent the carnage and heartache that continues to occur on our perilous highways. It’s a tough challenge facing our industry and it’s why the Spirit Ride will be towing’s “greatest ride.”

All first responders are affected; the police who control traffic, firefighters at rescue scenes, EMS workers

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Bird’s eye view of the Spirit Ride envisioned.

tending to victims and tow operators recovering vehicles to clear roads. All of us in this industry know people who’ve been struck.

The Spirit Ride across America will be a poignant spectacle, much like the many wrecker processionals in small towns across the country for towers who’ve passed. The Spirit Casket is so named because it carries the Spirit of sacrifice, those who were felled while trying to help others.

A procession of wreckers under the circumstance of one’s passing is more remarkable when considering

how this is a procession of competitors. More than 200 towers have signed on to the Spirit Ride and we expect that number to soar in the next two months. Meanwhile, state towing associations have contacted us wanting to help make it happen—the publicity, the ceremonies, the organization.

Meanwhile towing’s troubadour, Mike Corbin, is building the casket as we go to print. A veteran carpenter, Mike’s heart and hands will be blessing this ceremonial casket, maybe even singing to himself “The Road Calls” or “Booms in the Sky” while he works.

Corbin also will perform the Spirit Ride Concert in Las Vegas, with all proceeds going to the Spirit Ride project.

Industry suppliers and tow business owners who contribute money through the Ride’s sponsor program do so in heartfelt response. These contributions will qualify for a tax exemption. The Ride is a project of American Towman Spirit Inc. (a non-profit 501c3).

B/A Products, co-founder of this grand project, has been a bedrock of support. The early sponsors listed on ATSpiritRide.com have helped make the custom casket and paint job a reality.

It’s an ambitious project, the Ride and the processions, the networking with police and fire departments, the ceremonies and calling the media to bear witness. I hope you will pull on this rope with us to make it happen. It will indeed be towing’s greatest ride.

From aerial drone coverage to the forces of social media, television and print media, we are going to show the world who we are.

We’re going to save lives. We are the towing industry.

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NORTH 68 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Dozens Turn Out for McGauley

Tow trucks and towmen turned up to help memorialize Daniel McGauley Jr., 33, of Daniels Wrecker Sales and Universal Heavy Equipment and Truck Repair in Nesconset, N.Y. Dan was a heavy-duty tower for Universal and “was proud to serve his community driving a tow truck—the only job he ever wanted.”

He is survived by his parents, Daniel Sr. and Margaret, his siblings, Kim (Michael), Shawn (Lori), Megan, Kate and Laura, and his five nephews.

He loved his family, friends, animals and trucks. Memorial donations can be made to the ASPCA.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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CopyrightŠ2017 American Towman Magazine. Characters and stories are fictitious; no resemblance to real life characters is intended.

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Superior Towing Donates Bikes to Homeless Gainesville’s (Fla.) new homeless shelter and service center received and welcomed a donation of 100 bicycles from Superior Towing.

The shelter, GRACE Marketplace, poses a transportation issue for the homeless because it’s on the outskirts of town. With Superior Towing’s donation, it will make it easier for the homeless to get around.

GRACE works with over 900 people each month, but can only give out 250 bus passes per month to its residents. This figure leaves 72 percent of its clients without a way to get around. Superior Towing stepped in to help meet this need, donating around 100 bikes.

The shelter will require that recipients must perform at least four hours of volunteer service before receiving one of Superior ’s 100 donated bicycles.

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Continued: Bikes to Homeless “People have to work to get them, and that’s what we’re going for. We’re going for a ‘hand up,’ not a ‘hand out,’ “ said Superior’s Mike Weber.

Source: wuft.org.

Towman Helps Deputies Nab Driver It’s an incident towman Robert Crisp won’t soon forget.

The five-year veteran driver for Yoho’s Automotive & Towing in Pinellas Park, Fla., watched as a car got closer and closer to a deputy stopped on a frontage road.

“She never even touched the brake,” Crisp said. “I’m [thinking], ‘Is she gonna turn, get in the other lane?’ Never turned, never flinched, nothing. Ran right into the car, just kept going,” he said.

The driver, Kimberly Kuhlow of New Port Richey, knocked the deputy’s car out of service, deputies said.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • SOUTH 69

“So I [thought], ‘Well, I guess I better go after it. At least get a tag number if I can,’” Crisp said.

He called his boss, who put him in touch with sheriff’s dispatch.

Deputies apprehended Kuhlow a short time later.

Crisp said it appeared Kuhlow didn’t even know she hit anybody.

“When they got her out of the car and they started to put her in cuffs and stuff, she’s like, ‘Oh I’m sorry, I’m sorry, whatever I did. I don’t know but I’m sorry,’” he said.

Arrest records indicated Kuhlow’s previous troubles with the law, with charges of driving without a license, disorderly intoxication and DUI. She faces charges of DUI, DUI with property damage, leaving the scene of a crash and refusing to submit to testing to determine her blood alcohol content.

Source: wfla.com.

S.C. Towmen Want Policy Revisited Several towing company owners are urging the City Council in Greenwood, S.C., to revisit a 12-year-old policy that set up a rotation schedule for companies called in to transport vehicles after accidents or breakdowns.

Although the ordinance establishing a schedule was approved in 2004, it wasn’t enforced until Jan. 1 of this year, upsetting longtime providers such as Bobby Ellis of Wilbanks Collision and Towing Service and Jimmy Haynes, who runs Haynes Towing.

Both men spoke out against the ordinance at a recent city council meeting.

“Pretty much everyone running a towing service in Greenwood doesn’t live within the city, and I feel you should reconsider this,” said Ellis, whose business is located in Greenwood County.

However, Ellis and Haynes argued, they pay the city for licensing fees – which should make them eligible for inclusion on a rotation list.

According to the city manager, SOUTH 70 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Continued: Policy Revisited there are seven wrecker companies active within Greenwood, and 17 with local business licenses but locations outside of city limits.

Haynes said his business in Ninety Six is located about a mile from city limits and typically got three to four calls a month for wreckrelated services before Jan. 1.

“Y’all don’t realize how many people you’re putting out of business,” Haynes told City Council. “Us having to buy a license to come in and tow and not being on the rotation, I don’t agree with that. It’s part of my livelihood.”

Source: indexjournal.com.

Audit Critical of Police Tow Program An internal audit released Dec. 31 by the Oregon State Police was critical of the state police’s non-preference tow program. The audit stated that OSP lacks the staffing, technology and policy to operate a program able to meet even limited oversight.

The audit suggested it is not difficult to get on the list and stated that no tow company had been rejected in the last five years.

OSP does little to inspect or monitor the companies and that nothing in the rules prevents tow businesses “from submitting what could be considered unreasonable charges,” the report stated.

OSP’s own administrative rule prevents the department from setting rates for non-preference tows, unlike Washington and California which have some method of capping tow charges as a result of state patrol calls.

The audit showed state police doesn’t track complaints about tow truck companies, further adding “there is no way to consistently and fairly hold individual tow companies accountable.”

The report made a series of recommendations that would require a substantial rewrite of existing rules and policy.

Source: kgw.com.

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • SOUTH 71

SOUTH 72 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

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Tow Company Owner Takes Plea Deal The owner of an Omaha, Neb., tow company accused of unlawful towing and unlawful fee took a plea agreement recently.

A local newscast investigation last August found Tow Pros owner Joe Livingston charging too much in storage fees and not being open weekends for customers to get their cars. Livingston pleaded guilty to holding a car over the weekend.

Katie Sanchez said she shouldn’t have been on the hook for storage fees when the tow lot is closed with her car locked inside. Her car was towed late from a Benson church lot on a Friday. Katie says she couldn’t get her car back until the following Monday morning.

“It’s not fair he wouldn’t allow me to get my car out, but he charged me the full weekend,” said Katie.

MIDWEST 68 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Continued: Towboss Takes Plea Deal An Omaha city ordinance states, “There shall be no daily storage fee for any day the lot is not open.”

Livingston paid a $300 fine and declined comment when leaving court.

Source: wowt.com.

Mo. Law Would Add More Reports Missouri Rep. Galen Higdon has proposed House Bill 39, which would require law enforcement to complete a report for any party who requests a tow, in addition to the crime and incident report they already complete for abandoned vehicles.

“What this will do is protect vehicle owners and tow operators—to make sure that vehicles aren’t reported stolen and the registered owner is contacted instead of a vehicle sitting somewhere that has not been checked by law enforcement,” said Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett.

Rick Kamler, owner of R&W Tow and Recovery in St. Joseph, Mo., said his company follows procedures and works with police to ensure owners of stolen cars are notified. He said the protocol has been in place for many years and companies that don’t check a vehicle for potential theft are operating illegally.

“Some of these smaller tow companies will just go out and tow anything, and have someone sign a tow ticket,” Kamler said.

He agreed the bill is needed, and tow companies should always be checking for theft. Last year, 612 cars were stolen compared with 486 the previous year, according to a St. Joseph Police Department crime statistics.

Source: newspressnow.com.

will be out of the White House.”

Zeeland resident Ben Lichtenwalner said a colleague drove by the sign and sent him video. He was so stunned, he shared it on YouTube and Facebook and then contacted a local TV station.

“I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was just an embarrassment to our neighborhoods and our community in Michigan,” Lichtenwalner said.

Lichtenwalner said he supports freedom of speech, but that he’d rather see a positive message in front of the business. He said his biggest problem is with the profanity.

“We teach our kids all the time not to curse and yet here’s somebody who’s posting a big digital display ad, making it seem like it’s OK or acceptable or even expected of businesses to do something like that,” he said.

But it’s a private business, and it’s not illegal. Though it may have offended some people, the Ionia

County sheriff stated there’s nothing his department could do about it.

Source: woodtv.com.

Texas County Considering ClearLanes A proposed highway towing plan would help clear freeways of stalled vehicles in Montgomery County, Texas, quicker.

ClearLanes is a program in which wreckers under contract with the county tow wrecked or stalled vehicles off freeway main lanes, including those stranded on the shoulder. The service would be free to the driver and is aimed at keeping traffic moving and motorists safer.

A version of the plan is in effect in Harris County, which dictates wrecker drivers patrol a specific segment of freeway or respond to a call for service to remove a wrecked or stalled vehicle.

In most instances, the wreckers are

Tow Business Displays Profanity on Sign As President Barack Obama’s time in office neared its end, one business in Ionia County, Mich., didn’t pull any punches.

The scrolling message on the digital sign at I-96 Towing & Repair read, “Only a few more days and that a—— Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • MIDWEST 69

Continued: Considering ClearLanes mandated to tow vehicles to safe spots within one mile of the nearest freeway exit. Drivers then call their own wrecker service to take the disabled vehicle to a collision center or mechanic.

The plan is in its beginning stages in Montgomery County. Funded by a grant through the Houston-Galveston Area Council, those plans reimburse wrecker operators for each tow they perform, according to Harris County’s plan.

Source: mysanantonio.com.

Towman Helps Deputies Nab Driver It’s an incident towman Robert Crisp won’t soon forget.

The five-year veteran driver for Yoho’s Automotive & Towing in Pinellas Park, Fla., watched as a car got closer and closer to a deputy stopped on a frontage road.

“She never even touched the brake,” Crisp said. “I’m [thinking], ‘Is she gonna turn, get in the other lane?’

Never turned, never flinched, nothing.

Ran right into the car, just kept going,” he said.

The driver, Kimberly Kuhlow of New Port Richey, knocked the deputy’s car out of service, deputies said.

“So I [thought], ‘Well, I guess I better go after it. At least get a tag number if I can,’” Crisp said.

He called his boss, who put him in touch with sheriff’s dispatch. Deputies apprehended Kuhlow a short time later.

Crisp said it appeared Kuhlow didn’t even know she hit anybody.

“When they got her out of the car and they started to put her in cuffs and stuff, she’s like, ‘Oh I’m sorry, I’m sorry, whatever I did. I don’t know but I’m sorry,’” he said.

Arrest records indicated Kuhlow’s previous troubles with the law, with charges of driving without a license, disorderly intoxication and DUI. She faces charges of DUI, DUI with property damage, leaving the scene of a crash and refusing to submit to testing to determine her blood alcohol content.

Source: wfla.com.

MIDWEST 70 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

S.C. Towmen Want Policy Revisited Several towing company owners are urging the City Council in Greenwood, S.C., to revisit a 12-year-old policy that set up a rotation schedule for companies called in to transport vehicles after accidents or breakdowns.

Although the ordinance establishing a schedule was approved in 2004, it wasn’t enforced until Jan. 1 of this year, upsetting longtime providers such as Bobby Ellis of Wilbanks Collision and Towing Service and Jimmy Haynes, who runs Haynes Towing.

Both men spoke out against the ordinance at a recent city council meeting.

“Pretty much everyone running a towing service in Greenwood doesn’t live within the city, and I feel you should reconsider this,” said Ellis, whose business is located in Greenwood County.

However, Ellis and Haynes argued, they pay the city for licensing fees – which should make them eligible for

Continued: Policy Revisited inclusion on a rotation list.

According to the city manager, there are seven wrecker companies active within Greenwood, and 17 with local business licenses but locations outside of city limits.

Haynes said his business in Ninety Six is located about a mile from city limits and typically got three to four calls a month for wreckrelated services before Jan. 1.

“Ya’ll don’t realize how many people you’re putting out of business,” Haynes told City Council. “Us having to buy a license to come in and tow and not being on the rotation, I don’t agree with that. It’s part of my livelihood.”

Source: indexjournal.com.

Audit Critical of Police Tow Program An internal audit released Dec. 31 by the Oregon State Police was critical of the state police’s non-preference tow program. The audit stated that OSP lacks the staffing, technology and policy to operate a program able to meet even limited oversight.

The audit suggested it is not difficult to get on the list and stated that no tow company had been rejected in the last five years. Once on the non-preference list.

OSP does little to inspect or monitor the companies and that nothing in the rules prevents tow businesses “from submitting what could be considered unreasonable charges,” the report stated.

OSP’s own administrative rule prevents the department from setting rates for non-preference tows, unlike Washington and California which have some method of capping tow charges as a result of state patrol calls.

The audit showed state police doesn’t track complaints about tow truck companies, further adding “there is no way to consistently and fairly hold individual tow companies accountable.”

The report made a series of recommendations that would require a substantial rewrite of existing rules and policy.

Source: kgw.com.

MIDWEST 72 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

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ComSTAR full duplex wireless headsets provide a hands free open line of communication that enhances the coordination and safety of your entire crew.

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CCI handles all Chevron & Vulcan wrecker and car carrier parts. Call us today for all your towing accessory needs. We have chains, straps, ratchets, winches, toolboxes, lighting accessories and much more!

Crouch's offers a complete line of parts and accessories to customize your Tow Truck or Carrier to fit your needs. We also have a large stock of replacement parts to help keep your equipment operating smoothly.

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800-443-5778 Highland, IL chevroncommercial.com

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Custom fabricated window chops made to order.

Bring your truck into our facility to upgrade to the newest hot look! Call for special pricing. #builtbyjimpowers

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The Port-A-Ring is designed to fit into the keyslots of a steel carrier bed. Create an extra way of connection.

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Swink’s is ‘Business of the Year’ Swink’s Towing of Simi Valley, Calif., has been named Business of the Year by the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. Opened in 1962 by Bill Swink, the business is now operated by his daughter, Coleen McIntyre.

For the past 30 years, Swink’s has been the primary AAA service provider in Simi Valley and their drivers are certified through the California Tow Truck Association, according to a release.

The towing company, a member of the Simi Valley Chamber since 1963, provides financial support and volunteer hours to many local events, including the Fourth of July Fireworks and the Simi Valley Hospital Foundation. Swink’s will be honored during the chamber ’s annual Business Achievement Luncheon on Jan. 27.

Source: simivalleyacorn.com.

WEST 68 • March 2017 - TOWMAN.COM

Work the Passenger side–Stay Safe!

TOWMAN.COM - March 2017 • WEST 69

Work the non-traffic side–Stay Safe!

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