The Week's Features

Explosion of colors make rotator visually compelling

Sometimes it makes no sense to fight the obvious

ARA, TalentValue Revamp Job Site

Revamped site is designed to attract new talent to field

Dispatch Anywhere Has 30+ New Features

New Accounting Package among many new improvements

Towers at Front Line of Epidemic

Exposure to needles, airborne drugs are new dangers towmen face

Digital Edition

Events

Las Vegas, NV.
May 9-11, 2018

Tow Expo Dallas

Dallas, TX.
August 16-18, 2018

AT Exposition

Baltimore, MD.
Nov. 16-18, 2018

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Are you just creating yourself a job or are you a sound viable business? Many towers are great at what they do; but how about at the end of the year with their spreadsheets? Join John Borowski of AutoReturn for his extremely informative seminar, “Towing’s Common Costs Behavior,” during Tow Expo-Dallas. The Expo takes place this week at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, August 16-18, in Grapevine, Texas.

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American Towman Magazine Presents the Week in TowingAugust 15 - August 21, 2018

Towing on the ‘Treasure Coast’

By GEORGE L. NITTI

In 1715, a Spanish fleet carrying a treasure was shipwrecked off the coast of Florida, where it remained for approximately 250 years before it was finally discovered, giving the area the nickname the “Treasure Coast.”

Port St. Lucie is one of several towns on this coast, 45 minutes north of Palm Beach, where Reliable Towing makes its fortunes, due in large part to serving AAA customers over the last 10 years.

“We average 350 calls a week, including dealerships, the Post Office, police rotations, the local schools and larger companies like Waste Pro and Waste Management,” said Donnie Barton. “We’ve added a couple of heavy-duty trucks … and our fleet now totals 18 pieces of equipment.

“When we first put [the AAA logo] on, one of our concerns was that the color and graphics of our trucks blended in with the Triple-A sticker so that our customers and potential customers could see it,” said Barton.

Thus the colors of their new trucks are red, white and blue, as is the case of their newer rollback, a 2012 Peterbilt with a Century flatbed, which won an award for Best in Show at a tow show. Its hood is all white, making it easy to read the number to join AAA.

On the side doors you will find its name “Reliable Towing” in a blue and gold gradient looking sharp against a cutout and jagged red, white and blue American flag.

The flatbed itself is blue and on its narrow sides you will find pertinent company information. Just underneath is visible the triple AAA red and blue decal that pops out and blends perfectly with the colors of their truck.

When the treasure of many tow companies is found through serving AAA customers, it makes sense that credit is given and does not remain buried.

“We give good service and it comes back and repays us,” said Barton.

In this area, along the Treasure Coast, word of mouth is gold.

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Camouflaged Wrecker Can’t Hide on the Road

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By George Nitti

It's a paradox that some objects become more visible when they attempt to conceal themselves. Although that may not be the case with soldiers wearing camouflaged battledress or animals that blend in with their natural environment, when you dress up a 1996 Kenworth with a Vulcan 25-ton wrecker in brown-spotted colors, what you get is a highly visible tow truck.

Which is a good thing; enhancing one's marketing objectives by being remembered in the mind of a customer or helping to protect towers from the many hazards of the road.

"The idea came from my father-in-law," said Louie Salinas, the husband of AT Wrecker owner Noelia Lean. "We kind of went crazy on it."

The camouflaged wrap was done by a graphic company in Fort Texas shortly after its purchase from Rocky Mountain Wrecker Sales in Salt Lake City, Utah.

AT Wrecker, located in Alamo, Texas, is the sister company of Corpus Christie-based Apollo Towing and has three trucks that cover light- to heavy-duty towing.

"I work Interstate 281 and Highway 77 and also do a lot of towing in five outlying cities, where we are part of a police rotation," said Salinas. "In 104- to 105-degree temperatures, you've got to love the air conditioning."

Outside of a unique camouflaged wrap that grabs your attention, what else gives visibility is the LCD lighting around the wrecker.

"It has two energy lightbars on the bottom and 16 lights on the side," said Salinas. "They do magic at night; it's like you're working in the daylight. They light up the entire area that I'm working."

(This article originally appeared in the April 22, 2015 edition of Tow Industry Week)

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Should your truck be featured here? Send a few pics and your contact information to the editor at bdooley@towman.com. You might even be selected to go in print, too, in American Towman magazine!

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