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American Towman Magazine Presents the Week in Towing March 29 - April 04, 2023


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American Towman Today - April 01, 2023
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Oklahoma Towman Struck and Killed

Kyle McCullough, a 27-year-old tow truck driver with Sooner Wrecker was struck on Tuesday night on March 28 while assisting a motorist on I-40 just east of Shawnee, Ok. 

His girlfriend, Christina Skaggs, was in the wrecker and witnessed the event, saying that he had just strapped down a car when he was hit by an oncoming semi-truck.  

“I just felt we got hit. I looked up and I saw Kyle’s body flying and hit the ground,” said Skaggs. 

McCullough was the father of two girls. 

The semi that hit him left the scene, stopping 4 miles later. The driver, Shengjie Li was behind the wheel and was arrested.  

A video camera showed deputies shouting, “Put your hands up! Hands where we can see them! Hands on your head. Hands behind your back. You’re being detained.” 

Li was taken to the County Jail on a $100,000 bond for leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Deputies said he later bonded out. 

There will be a light up event on Friday night at 6 p.m. in Shawnee. 

Source: kfor.com



Kyle McCullough (pictured right)

How Close is Too Close? 

Following Distance Image 1 1 copy b49f6
By Brian J. Riker 

I’m not talking about a close shave but rather safe following distance. As towers we spend most of our day driving yet we tend to overlook any formal driver training and development. This is a dangerous oversight. 

Safe driving begins with the right mindset. Even when you are late for a call, appointment or the end of your shift, it does you no good to speed or cut corners while driving. Studies have shown that even the most aggressive drivers only shave a few seconds off their trip. Think about it. How often have you witnessed someone weaving through traffic, tailgating, flashing headlights and generally being aggressive to get ahead of traffic? What usually happens next? They may make a little progress but eventually you catch up with them by the next traffic light or exit ramp. 

While there are five areas that are equally important to safe driving, I want to focus on following distance today. The distance you follow other traffic is critical to not only your own personal safety but also those around you. We have all witnessed the damage done when a large truck rearends another vehicle, especially a smaller car. Sadly, these collisions are avoidable with just a little driver self-discipline. 

Following distance is measured in seconds so that as your speed changes the distance automatically adjusts to compensate for the differential. The most cited following distance measure is four seconds. This means that your vehicle should take at least four seconds to pass a fixed point, such as a telephone pole or bridge abutment, after the vehicle in front of you has passed that point. While this may work for the average passenger car, it is not adequate for a commercial vehicle, especially a tow truck or carrier. 

Due to the heavier weight of a tow truck, it is recommended to follow other traffic at a minimum of seven seconds, further back when loaded (especially when towing a vehicle without operating brakes) or on wet or slippery roads. 

Why seven seconds you may ask? The short answer is physics. The heavier the vehicle, the more effort it takes to stop. We must also consider perception time, reaction time and brake lag time not to mention the condition of the vehicle’s tires, brakes and road surface conditions. 

The average driver takes about ¾ of a second to perceive a hazard, another ¾ second to begin to react to the hazard and then if the truck is equipped with air brakes there is another ¾ of a second lag time before the brakes even begin to apply. 

When you are travelling at highway speed, say 60 MPH, you are moving at 132 feet per second. When we break this down, no pun intended, this means in the one and a half to two and a quarter seconds it takes to perceive, react and begin to slow down you have travelled between 198 to 297 feet before your truck even begins to slow down. Add in the average stopping distances of commercial vehicles and you have increased these distances by more than double. 

Using the numbers above, your perception and reaction time takes up about half of the standard following distance of four seconds and the braking distance of the average truck with good tires and properly adjusted brakes eats up the other half, or more. This is why it is important to leave that extra cushion for the minor distractions, differences in load dynamics, brake performance and other issues we face on the roadway daily. 

Now, seven seconds may seem like a lot, especially in heavy traffic, and you may say “if I leave the big gap others just jump in there anyhow” and you are correct. Would you allow another driver you do not know to jump in your truck and drive it? I bet the answer is no. So why let another driver that doesn’t understand space management and the dangers of being too close to another vehicle in traffic make your driving decisions? 

All you need to do is let off the throttle for a few seconds and your safety gap will return. Please do not let others make safety decisions for you. You are the professional driver with a duty to protect not only yourself but also to protect the other motorists around you. Good space management is critical to safe driving and following distance is the easiest of the space management tools to manage. 

Rewind...and take step back in time as we feature 3 amazing Vintage Wreckers on Chevrolets racing to win top honors at USA Wrecker Pageant at TowXpo Texas
By Don Lomax
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March 29 - April 04, 2023
A bill in Wisconsin is awaiting the signage of the governor allowing for the towing of vehicles due to reckless driving.

Wisconsin Bill Aimed at Deterring Reckless Driving

As a measure to crackdown on reckless driving, particularly in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s state legislature is presenting a bill passed by the state assembly to Governor Tony Evers for signage, who has indicated that he will sign it. The bill will allow municipalities to tow and impound cars involved in repeat reckless driving.  

A similar policy is already being enforced by the Milwaukee Police Department. Last May, Milwaukee police began towing unregistered vehicles in an attempt to curb the city's reckless driving epidemic. The policy also allows officers to tow vehicles when drivers are cited for driving recklessly, speeding in excess of 25 mph, fleeing an officer, or street racing. 

In October, more than 100 vehicles were towed as a result of the policy within five months. Half of those cars were driven by someone who did not own the vehicle. Milwaukee police say that more than half of those drivers also did not have a valid driver's license. 

Source: tmj4.com

Providence Tow Company Takes City to Court 

A Providence, Rhode Island tow company, State Towing Service, Inc., has filed a lawsuit against the city for not paying invoices and assigning a lucrative towing contract to another company. 

To complicate the matter, the lawyer for the tow company alleged that Councilman James Taylor was seeking a donation from the tow company to his campaign and when he didn’t receive it, went after the company with an internal audit, which the councilman denies. He maintains that his actions were precipated by red flags in State Towing's billing. 

According to the lawsuit, State Towing has been doing various towing work for the city for about 18 years. It has faced increased costs, though, for removing things like campers, ATVs, boats, and trailers, because those vehicles were often filled with debris. Then-Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré assured the company that it would be reimbursed for these additional costs, the lawsuit said. 

But instead, unpaid invoices for towing work piled up. In January 2022, the council-appointed internal city auditor issued a report questioning State Towing’s billing of the city for abandoned vehicles. Gina Costa found that the city overpaid for work, and that tow slips were incomplete or illegible. In some cases, Costa said, State Towing charged more than it was supposed to under its bid. In the 2022 fiscal year, the total amount it charged the city jumped significantly, Costa reported. 

“State Towing has been providing services to the city of Providence for decades,” Paré said in an interview. “And the invoices submitted in the last two years are reflective of the work that they’ve provided to the city. And State Towing should be made whole for those services.” 

In October, after State Towing’s demands, the city paid about $309,000 of $415,000 in outstanding invoices, the suit says. The company says it’s still owed about $106,000. 

In the meantime, the city put out a new request for proposals for towing city-owned and abandoned vehicles. State Towing said it was the lowest, most responsible bidder and was initially recommended to get the whole contract. But the city Board of Contract and Supply ended up splitting the award between State Towing and Sterry Street Auto Sales, with the lucrative “port tow” work going to Sterry Street. “Port tows” refers to towing abandoned boats, campers, trailers, big box trucks and storage containers — the same sort of work at issue in the earlier billing dispute. 

Source: bostonglobe.com

Towman Struck for Second Time

A Minnesota tow truck driver was hit for the 2nd time in two consecutive winters. Tow truck driver Phil Henkemeyer was pulling a motorist out of the ditch about 9:10 p.m. March 16 when a driver going more than 60 mph lost control in central Minnesota and slammed into the driver's side of his truck. 

"It was that godawful sound, again," Henkemeyer said. 

In the previous winter, Henkemeyer’s truck was pulling a vehicle out of a snowbank when it was hit. 

Both crashes could have been avoided if drivers obeyed the Ted Foss Move Over Law. The Move Over Law was enacted in honor of state trooper Ted Foss, who was killed while conducting a traffic stop in 2000. 

"Drive to conditions of the road," said Henkemeyer, who has worked for Collins Brothers Towing in St. Cloud for the past 10 years. "I get people want to get places, but for their safety — our safety — if you see lights, don't put yourself in that position. Your life and safety is at risk." 

Henkemeyer escaped injury both times his truck was hit. But had the crashes happened 10 seconds earlier when he was standing by his truck, Henkemeyer said he, like his truck, may have down for the count, or worse. 

"I must have a really good guardian angel," he said. "Sometimes it's too close for comfort." 

Though the Move Over Law has been on the books for two decades, troopers still see drivers routinely violating it, said Lt. Gordon Shank with the State Patrol. 

Data from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) shows 550 vehicles responding to roadside incidents have been hit from 2018 through 2022. 

As of Wednesday, state troopers had cited 423 drivers this year for failing to move over. That comes after troopers wrote more than 6,300 tickets for the offense from 2020 through 2022, according to DPS. 

Source: startribune.com/

Detroit Cop Pleads Guilty in Towing Scandal 

A former Detroit police officer was found guilty on Friday, 3/24, for taking bribes from a towing company owner.

Michael Pacteles faces up to 10 years in federal prison for accepting bribes, including a vehicle and $3,200 from the unidentified owner. In return, Pacteles provided sensitive police information, including vehicle registration data from the restricted database Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network, or LEIN, prosecutors alleged. 

Sentencing is set for Aug. 30. 

He is the fifth city official to plead guilty in an ongoing federal corruption investigation, "Operation Northern Hook.” The guilty plea is the latest development involving a public official in Metro Detroit charged amid a federal investigation on municipal corruption. 

"Operation Northern Hook" emerged publicly in August 2021 when FBI agents raided multiple locations across Detroit, including City Hall. They searched the offices and homes of Councilman Scott Benson and former Councilwoman Janeé Ayers, along with the homes of their chiefs of staff. 

The four public officials have not been charged with wrongdoing amid the ongoing investigation. 

Four others have pleaded guilty. Former Detroit Police Officer Daniel Vickers was ordered to serve 27 in federal prison after admitting he received more than $3,400 in bribes. Spivey pleaded guilty and is serving a two-year federal prison sentence for receiving almost $36,000 in bribes. Former Detroit Police Lt. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who was in charge of rooting out department misconduct, pleaded guilty to pocketing bribes and is awaiting a possible prison sentence. Former Detroit Officer, Alonzo Jones is serving 15 in federal prison. 

Source: detroitnews.com
 

First Responders Honor Fallen Georgia Towman, Toby Bowden 

Hundreds turned out to honor fallen Georgia towman Toby Bowden, on Thursday, March 22. The tow community came out in large numbers, driving in procession to honor Bowden. 

According to Donna Robards, owner of Twisted Hook LLC, Toby was scheduled to be married in September. “He was a Veteran, serving four years in the marines and came out and went to work as a tow operator,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking to realize how many tow ops and first responders we lose every year.” 

Bowden was assisting a Georgia State Patrol working an accident scene. He was in front of a fire truck that was being used to block the workers when a car driven by a drunk driver swerved around it, hitting a state patrol officer, and then hitting Bowden, killing him instantly.  

To see photos of the procession, visit the source.

Source: times-herald.com/

Towing Companies Opposed to Nevada Bill 

A new bill, considered a refinement on existing law, is being proposed in Nevada, Bill 303, that would restrict towing companies from taking non-registered cars from parking lots. The current law presumably allows that practice; however, towing companies must allow a 48 hour window before charging storage fees. 

A lobbyist for the Nevada State Tow Association said AB303 was far more than a refinement, expanding rules to all non-consent tows, not just apartment complexes. 

Tow companies are particularly opposed to AB303’s provisions to waive towing company fees when they would present a hardship. Those provisions would prevent fees from being assessed when the owner is unable to pay the normal rate charged “for reasons outside of his or her control if the owner provides evidence that he or she:

---Is receiving benefits provided by a federal or state program of public assistance 

---Has a household net income which is equal to or less than 200 percent of the federally designated level signifying poverty as provided in the most recent federal poverty guidelines published in the Federal Register by the United States Department of Health and Human Services 

---Resides in public housing, as that term is defined in NRS 315.021 

---Has expenses for the necessities of life that exceed his or her income 

These conditions, described by towing company representatives as the “hardship tariff discount,” take a significant chunk of the profit out of towing. 

Susan Zinser, owner of D & S Tow in Sparks, said the bill removes accountability. 

“If you can’t afford to register your car, that is a hardship. If you park on a fire hydrant or in a hospital loading zone, that’s not. Towing should be a deterrent to stop that behavior,” Zinser said. She called towing “the teeth” of accountability. 

Source: newsbreak.com

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March 29 - April 04, 2023

Big Sky for a Big, Long Distance, Recovery 

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By George L. Nitti

While having dinner at Chuck E. Cheese in Midland-Odessa, Texas, Travis Turner, lead operator of family-owned and operated Big Sky Towing, was called by crane company TNT to assist in a recovery 200 miles away. 

Travis recounted: “The crane company called and said, ‘We rolled one of our cranes about six hours ago. There’s a tow company working on it. Once they get it uprighted, can you tow it in?’” 

Big Sky is used to traveling long distances for big recoveries. Travis responded in the affirmative, hoping to grab the crane the following morning. However, it was not to be. The crane company was beginning to have doubts that the company working the recovery would get it successfully overturned. 

After previewing pictures sent to him, Travis feared for the worst.  

He said, “I’ve messed with these cranes and know what it takes to get them over. The tow company had been out there six to seven hours and they still couldn’t get it flipped over.  Their booms didn’t reach far enough, their rigging didn’t look right, and their trucks were too small for the job: Two 35-ton wreckers and a 25 ton.” 

Getting ready to leave Chuck E. Cheese, Travis informed that the crane company called back, reporting the tow company “just broke some winch lines and they were packing up and leaving.”  

Travis called the Del Rio police department to notify them that they were on their way and asked B & B Wrecker Service of Pecos to assist in the recovery with their 1050 Rotator. Pulling out of their tow yard around 9 p.m., Big Sky brought their two 50-ton wreckers, a V103 Vulcan and their Century 9055.

Around 3 a.m. in the morning, Big Sky rolled into town, arriving after a long night’s travel through the open Texas landscape. Nearing Del Rio, Travis said, “It’s a little two-lane road. It’s curvy and it cuts in and out through the hills and valleys. I wouldn’t call it mountains but there are rock faces on either side.” 

The crane lay toppled over on the two-lane highway, leaving little room on both sides of the road for the tow operators to maneuver their units.

Travis informed, “On both sides of the road, there were dangerous 4-foot drop offs mountainside and unleveled ground. It took us 40 minutes to position our trucks and another couple of hours before we were able to get it up.” 

Ideally it would have been best if the units were T-boned against the crane, informed Travis. He said, “We were set up in a kind of sling shot. We were trying to do a reverse roll on the crane, but you really need to be in a T-bone position for that.” 

As they lifted the crane, Travis said their booms were pushed to the limits and that the rotator started to float. He said, “My boom was being forced to the left and his was booming out to the right. It was causing the rotator to float and if you are past your limitation and you keep going, you could flip."

Making the recovery more difficult was that the crane would not come over as the dollies were holding it down. But thankfully, the tow operators finally got it up.

After cleaning the scene, Travis informed that he was hooked to the crane at 11 a.m and ready to head back to Midland-Odessa. On their way, they would treat themselves to a Dairy Queen and joke when they saw another TNT crane going back to Del Rio. "I guess they are going to try it again."

Show Yours @ TIW

Do you have a recovery to share with TIW readers? Send some pics and info to our Field Editor George L. Nitti at georgenitti@gmail.com; your story may even be selected for print in American Towman Magazine!

Bigger is not Always Better

dumptruckcover ea2e9
By George L. Nitti

Although tow operators are skilled at maneuvering their units in tight spaces, some spaces prove more challenging than others, requiring a different approach and equipment. 

Last June, McGuire’s Towing & Recovery of Ashland, Kentucky was called in the afternoon to recover a dump truck weighted down with more than 10,000 pounds of gravel. It had overturned on a narrow county road that was partially under repair.  

“The dump truck went up the hill and had to back down the hill,” said principal tow operator Stephen McGuire. “When there’s a lot of weight on a small road and you get too close to the edge, it will give way. So this dump truck rolled right over into a ditch.” 

Ideally McGuire’s would have recovered the dump truck with their 50 or 60 ton rotator, but that was impossible under the circumstances.  

Arriving on scene 65 miles from their location, brothers Stephen and Sam McGuire brought in their 2018 Ram 5500 2465 Century 12 ton/SP 9000 Side Puller and a 2015 Peterbuilt 337 Century 3212 16 ton. 

Stephen said, “The two trucks that we got in there were about as big as we could get in there.” 

Looking at the little room in which they had to maneuver and the extreme angle at which the dump truck was perched, Steve admitted that the recovery looked daunting, saying to himself, “This is going to be a nightmare. Maybe we will come back tomorrow.” 

But as the two brothers prepared for the job (they have been working together since they were kids driving with their father at 8 to 10 years old) they were resolved to finish what they started. 

Stephen said, “Working with my brother – we kind of feed off of each other. We’ve never left anything behind.  Everything we went after, it’s came out and it’s come with us at the time we went to go with it.”  

The first line of business was clearing the area and offloading some of the gravel. Fortunately, a Kubota Excavator was being used along the county road and was available for their use to clear away brush, briar thickets and poison ivy around the casualty.  

“We also had to deal with a huge hornet nest that was buried in that bank on the top side of the dump truck,” said Stephen. 

Then the tow operators positioned their trucks in front and behind the casualty. 

“We had to take the front hubcap off to get the truck in place because there was no room to get any angle. We backed up one truck a mile and half while the Dodge was driven in.” 

Establishing winch lines to the casualty, Stephen ran a three-part line to the front springs of the passenger side of the dump truck while Sam handled the back side, running a two-part line to a tree about 50 feet up the hill and back down, where it was hooked to the backside of the driver’s side. 

Tightening up the lines, they checked for any issues that would have “showed themselves up” during the recovery process and slid the truck up sideways until they were able to upright it by first sliding the rear onto the road and then pulling up the nose of the truck. 

“We had to work quickly,” said Steve. “In these hills it gets a little darker a little faster.” 

With mission accomplished in less than an hour, the truck was drivable, with no damage. 

Show Yours @ TIW

Do you have a recovery to share with TIW readers? Send some pics and info to our Field Editor George L. Nitti at georgenitti@gmail.com; your story may even be selected for print in American Towman Magazine!



Tow Force Ground Zero: Hurricane Recovery in Fort Myers

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By George L. Nitti

On September 28, Hurricane Ian swept into southeast Florida, bringing with it 150 mph winds that caused devastation and ruin. Fort Myers was ground zero, as Ian leveled the city, gutting buildings, demolishing homes, overturning cars and trucks, and tossing boats onto shore.

Much of the recovery work would fall into the lap of Alligator Towing and Transport, as the exclusive  towing provider for the city of Ft. Myers. Alligator has a long-standing relationship with the city of Fort Myers and is actively involved in the community. As the hurricane approached, Alligator was deployed as an official member Hurricane Emergency Response Team.

However, they were not working alone, but under the umbrella of their parent company Guardian Fleet Services, the largest towing, recovery, and specialized transportation provider in the United States. Concentrated in Florida, Guardian’s other enterprises participated, including A Superior Towing, Ace Wrecker, Crockett’s Towing, Kauff’s Transportation Systems, and Professional Towing and Recovery.

With Guardian supporting Alligator, tow forces were mobilized before and after Ian’s arrival. Alligator’s terminal manager, Anthony Pasqualini said, “Team members from Tallahassee to Jacksonville to Miami supported Alligator with additional manpower and trucks into the Ft. Myers markets to facilitate recoveries and aid community efforts.” This included their 100 ton rotator used for specialized recoveries and their severe incident recovery team.

In preparation for the storm, the company did a variety of things throughout the city and surrounding areas to ensure that the city’s and customers’ equipment was properly secured, including machinery transports, and assisting and moving large pieces of equipment.

“Ten days prior to Ian, we were at the height of getting ready,” said Pasqualini. “We were bringing equipment in and staging it.”

Since the hurricane, the breadth of the recovery has been staggering, some of which has included the steady transport of massive transformers, generators, and propane tankers; up righting overturned vehicles and trucks; and recovering more than 50 boats of all sizes, including transport to tow or salvage yards.

Pasqualini said, “For the crew, obstacles abounded, as secondary roads were impossible to travel and it was difficult to navigate around low hanging powerlines.”

Particularly useful during the emergency response was their M100 Century Rotator, purchased in April of 2022.  With 8300 square foot working space and a lift capability of 200,000 pounds, it came in particularly handy working with the utility companies and moving 100,000 + pound transformers.

“We had to work really closely with electrical providers for safety reasons,” said Anthony.  “One transformer weighed over 142 thousand pounds. With the M100, we loaded the transformers onto our transport 13 axle trailers such as the Landolls and detachable low boys. We also trailered huge generators for the power companies.”

In Cape Coral, a seven mile stretch of high-tension power lines folded to the ground, necessitating the company transport transformers, power lines and rolls of wire. Another job entailed up righting 30 semi-tractor trailers a couple of days after the storm that had blown over by the force of the winds.

Countless boats also needed attention. Pasqualini said, “Boats and barges floated over construction sites and landed inside concrete buildings that weren’t finished. We recovered 15 Nortek boats that had floated to a construction site and 60-ton Silverton boats that went into people’s homes, lifting them back in the water.”

One case included tractor tankers that were full of propane that floated from Ft. Myers Beach back over to the mainland of Ft. Myers in somebody’s backyard. Pasqualini said, “You couldn’t access all but a side street and reach over power lines. That was a 6-hour recovery job.”

Pasqualini concluded, “Our team is really about helping each other. They were doing all of this while thinking about their own homes and families. Everybody was so dedicated to the overall goal, restoring Ft. Myers and getting it back up and running.”

Editor's Note: This story was originally published in American Towman Magazine, January 2023 Edition.

Show Yours @ TIW

Do you have a recovery to share with TIW readers? Send some pics and info to our Field Editor George L. Nitti at georgenitti@gmail.com; your story may even be selected for print in American Towman Magazine!






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March 29 - April 04, 2023

How Close is Too Close? 

Following Distance Image 1 1 copy b49f6
By Brian J. Riker 

I’m not talking about a close shave but rather safe following distance. As towers we spend most of our day driving yet we tend to overlook any formal driver training and development. This is a dangerous oversight. 

Safe driving begins with the right mindset. Even when you are late for a call, appointment or the end of your shift, it does you no good to speed or cut corners while driving. Studies have shown that even the most aggressive drivers only shave a few seconds off their trip. Think about it. How often have you witnessed someone weaving through traffic, tailgating, flashing headlights and generally being aggressive to get ahead of traffic? What usually happens next? They may make a little progress but eventually you catch up with them by the next traffic light or exit ramp. 

While there are five areas that are equally important to safe driving, I want to focus on following distance today. The distance you follow other traffic is critical to not only your own personal safety but also those around you. We have all witnessed the damage done when a large truck rearends another vehicle, especially a smaller car. Sadly, these collisions are avoidable with just a little driver self-discipline. 

Following distance is measured in seconds so that as your speed changes the distance automatically adjusts to compensate for the differential. The most cited following distance measure is four seconds. This means that your vehicle should take at least four seconds to pass a fixed point, such as a telephone pole or bridge abutment, after the vehicle in front of you has passed that point. While this may work for the average passenger car, it is not adequate for a commercial vehicle, especially a tow truck or carrier. 

Due to the heavier weight of a tow truck, it is recommended to follow other traffic at a minimum of seven seconds, further back when loaded (especially when towing a vehicle without operating brakes) or on wet or slippery roads. 

Why seven seconds you may ask? The short answer is physics. The heavier the vehicle, the more effort it takes to stop. We must also consider perception time, reaction time and brake lag time not to mention the condition of the vehicle’s tires, brakes and road surface conditions. 

The average driver takes about ¾ of a second to perceive a hazard, another ¾ second to begin to react to the hazard and then if the truck is equipped with air brakes there is another ¾ of a second lag time before the brakes even begin to apply. 

When you are travelling at highway speed, say 60 MPH, you are moving at 132 feet per second. When we break this down, no pun intended, this means in the one and a half to two and a quarter seconds it takes to perceive, react and begin to slow down you have travelled between 198 to 297 feet before your truck even begins to slow down. Add in the average stopping distances of commercial vehicles and you have increased these distances by more than double. 

Using the numbers above, your perception and reaction time takes up about half of the standard following distance of four seconds and the braking distance of the average truck with good tires and properly adjusted brakes eats up the other half, or more. This is why it is important to leave that extra cushion for the minor distractions, differences in load dynamics, brake performance and other issues we face on the roadway daily. 

Now, seven seconds may seem like a lot, especially in heavy traffic, and you may say “if I leave the big gap others just jump in there anyhow” and you are correct. Would you allow another driver you do not know to jump in your truck and drive it? I bet the answer is no. So why let another driver that doesn’t understand space management and the dangers of being too close to another vehicle in traffic make your driving decisions? 

All you need to do is let off the throttle for a few seconds and your safety gap will return. Please do not let others make safety decisions for you. You are the professional driver with a duty to protect not only yourself but also to protect the other motorists around you. Good space management is critical to safe driving and following distance is the easiest of the space management tools to manage. 

Don’t Stack That Bill 

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By Randall C. Resch  

While perusing industry forums, I happened on a topic I’ve not focused on before and was inspired to write this narrative after reading one participant’s post that read, “Towing; because we’ some hungry MoFo’s! Because asking forgiveness isn’t easy to do, is it OK to gouge the motoring public for services not rendered?” 

Stacking charges has been a long-time issue in industries that provide services and products, especially when large scale events occur. For example, a southern California tow company worked as contract service provider for California’s Highway Patrol and a major motor club. As rotation provider, the company was dispatched to an on highway, multi-vehicle collision less than five-miles from the company’s facility. 

Having arrived on scene in a flatbed carrier, a CHP officer directed the tower to an unoccupied vehicle parked on the shoulder alongside a metal guardrail. The vehicle had slight damage to its front and rear bumpers (having been rear-ended).  

As part of the collision, the vehicle’s female driver was injured and transported to a local hospital. Because she was transported away from the scene, her vehicle was towed in-accordance to the CHP’s protocol and Vehicle Code Section 22651(g): “If a vehicle’s driver is injured or incapacitated, it shall be impounded and held for safe-keeping.” 

Load Em’ Up 

On instructions from the CHP officer to the operator, he advised that keys were in the ignition. The officer provided the tower CHP authorization for the tow. The tower signed and took custody of the vehicle and because the vehicle was still drivable, the tower loaded without effort onto the carrier and headed to the yard. 

Hours later, the injured motorist’s husband came to the tow facility to check on their vehicle. Identifying himself as one of the registered owners, his intent was to get the vehicle out of storage and have his insurance company for a second tow out.  

The tow company allegedly presented an itemized invoice that included plenty of made-up charges added to the bill. The company openly charged trumped up fees, alleging two trucks were on-scene, including two-drivers, additional labor and dollies.  

Without creating a scene, the vehicle’s owner attempted to negotiate a reduced price as he already knew the details of the crash. After a lengthy yet mildly heated discussion with the company’s owner, the owner unwillingly paid the tow bill and obtained a receipt showing details of what was charged.  

At the moment of release, the vehicles’ owner identified himself as an off-duty highway patrol officer only to advise the tow owner he was going to file a formal complaint with the department’s command. He also spoke to the CHP officer on-scene to determine the true facts surrounding the easy, load-and-go transport. The entire invoice was a total sham! 

I imagine the details of the complaint would challenge that no second tow truck and additional driver was on-scene, no labor was involved and no-dollies were necessary due to the flatbed transporting said vehicle. Note: The off-duty officer wasn’t pressing “color of authority” and gave the tow company many opportunities to make things right.  

Send Em’ To Jail 

In my book, the tow company knowingly and openly lied and charged fees for services not rendered. That’s untruthful, illegal and prosecutable. Long story short, the tow company was removed from rotation.  

Call it what you want, but is “stacking charges” just another way to gouge the motoring public? “Let’s see, clean deck fee, go get fuel fee, fire extinguisher fee, wash the truck fee, nighttime fee, two-way fuel surcharge, paper dollies and, oh yeah, don’t forget them’ hazard fees!”  

In the Grande’ scheme of things, it’s no wonder insurance companies, motor clubs, and (especially) the motoring public don’t trust tow companies.  

I’m not referring to law abiding, reasonable and professional tow companies; this narrative is written as a stern reminder to those who think gouging is the proper thing to do. Don’t do it!      

Bio: Operations Editor Randall C. Resch is a retired California police officer and veteran tow business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. For 51-years, he has been involved in the towing and recovery industry. In 26-years, he has contributed nearly 700-articles for American Towman Magazine and TowIndustryWeek.com. He was inducted to the International Towing and Recovery Industry Hall of Fame and was the 3rd recipient of the industry's "Dave Jones Leadership Award." Email Randy at rreschran@gmail.com

The Importance of Documenting Routine Training

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By Brian J Riker

Visiting with an old friend recently, the subject of litigation and liability came up. My friend was taken to court for damages that occurred after a wheel separated from a customer’s car on the highway. Despite having clear video from the security camera in the garage showing the technician using a torque stick on their impact wrench while tightening the lug nuts, an industry accepted practice, they were still found liable for damages of several thousand dollars!

They did the job properly, going beyond what many shops would have done, documenting on the invoice that the customer is responsible for having the torque checked within 50-100 miles of driving, even noting the correct torque specification for the vehicle.

The plaintiff was able to argue that despite all the precautions taken, they failed to have routine training for their technicians on basic procedures.  The shop could not produce a written certificate of completion for any routine training, nor could they show the technician had recently completed any outside continuing education or certification programs.

The unfair part of this is that this shop has done it right from day one. The owner firmly believes in proper training, has monthly safety meetings, routine training classes, requires ASE, I-CAR and other certifications for their technicians, WreckMaster and incident management training for their tow operators, even management classes for their office staff.

They were penalized thousands of dollars because even with all this training they lacked documentation. A simple piece of paper in a file would have saved them from the trouble and expense of a trial, or at least the judgement against them. Shortly after this incident, the owner developed a method to provide routine training reminders, documenting compliance with internal and external education requirements.

To prevent a reoccurrence, they decided on a mix of readily available industry specific classes as well as internally developed classes tailored to their unique needs. Today everyone that works in their company, even in their non-automotive related business units, regularly attend professional development courses. Yes, it is tough to find the time to conduct training without disrupting your daily operations; however, the liability it removes from you is priceless.

Routine training does not have to be complicated, nor does it have to be time consuming. A few minutes weekly is all you need. Many companies outsource routine training, especially in areas such as environmental and OSHA. This content is easily delivered over the internet, allowing you to train when it is convenient, without assembling the entire team in one location. Much of this training can be delivered via cell phones, allowing your drivers to maximize downtime by completing continuing education while waiting for the next dispatch.

The bottom line is that you need to remind your team of the basics often, in a written and documentable manner, to keep from becoming complacent. True professionals practice the routine as well as the complex so that when it counts, they don’t have to think about the right thing to do; it is instinctual.

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March 29 - April 04, 2023

Twisted for a Cause 

The owners Jessica Chris Jeff and Ron copy e4fa3
By George L. Nitti 

One of the great opportunities in owning a tow company, besides the opportunity to build a successful business, is the opportunity to give back to one’s community.  

Twisted Hook, LLC., which was established in 2017 in Griffin, Georgia, like most tow companies, started humbly with a tow truck, and gradually added more units. To give back to their community, the company started a non-profit called Twisted for a Cause, dedicating the use of their tow trucks to towing for a variety of causes, with a goal of finding a new cause with each new tow truck that came into their fleet and dedicating a portion of the proceeds to those causes and disbursing those proceeds to members of their community. 

Today, Twisted Hook is towing for six causes: Cancer Research; Domestic Violence; Slow Down Move Over; Substance Abuse and Recovery; Natural Disasters; and Suicide Awareness.  

According to Donna Robards (nicknamed Twisted Mama), who came into the business, along with her husband Jeff, to lend office support to their son and daughter and their spouses, said, “All of the money goes to serve our local community. We don’t give it to big non-profit corporations, because they use the money to pay their salaries and give themselves bonuses.” 

Donna’s daughter, Jessica Morphin, a co-owner, was a catalyst in developing their non-profit, being a survivor of cancer.  

Donna said, “Jessica was struck with blood cancer in 2007 and was not able to get assistance from a large foundation to support her health expenses. It left a bad taste in her mouth when she applied for assistance and was denied.” 

Fast forward 10 years and Jessica found a passion for towing, helped start the business, and now tows with Pinky, the first company tow truck, a 2006 Ford F650 with a Jerr-Dan bed dedicated to cancer research.  

On the hood of the truck is a large decal that states: “Fight for the Cause,” with an image that Jessica designed of a woman cartoon wearing a boxing mitt, a pin-up inspired by a Sailor Jerry tattoo. On the truck one will also find a large cancer ribbon and chosen words along the side of the bed like “Support,” “Victory,” “Love,” “Hope,” “Courage,” and “Strength.” 

Donna said, “Each one of the trucks we have named and are dedicated to causes that have affected someone in our family or our company. Everybody that works with us is family.” 

Going beyond business, the company thrives on community, heading up events and lending support to other causes including homelessness and natural disaster relief like a recent tornado in which they donated water and food, feeding the homeless and making comfort bags for patients. 

Donna said, “The community is what supports our business. So we want to put back.” 

Brag @ TIW!  

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

A Flashy Update 

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By George L. Nitti 

Sometimes a tow truck needs a little extra something – graphically speaking. Call it a makeover. Call it refurbishment. Call it a new design on an old variation. Or call it simply an “update.”  

So says Evan Yocum, an integral part of the family owned and operated business, Yocum Towing & Recovery of Allentown, Pennsylvania, established 2002. 

As the driver of one of their latest acquisitions, a 2021 Peterbuilt 389 with a 35-ton Jerr-Dan, Evan is feeling the pride that comes with a new set of wheels. And a few alterations in design. 

"We wanted to do an update on our graphics and give it a little more flash," he said.

Already flashy like a fire truck, with its bright red colors arresting to the eye, Yocum’s additional changes, like their enlarged tow name on the real estate side of the wrecker, give it more prominence and boldness. The lettering is punctuated in an effervescent silvery modern font, accented with black shadows and written on a downward tilt. 

Cutting through the company name is an oversized tow chain which picks up at the back end of the unit as well. 

Of course, silver is a nice contrast with red, while an orange sun, serving as their logo, takes up space between the red background and company name, giving an aura of 3D. 

“It pops in your face,” said Yocum.  

Helping us to move along the wrecker’s surface are the blue “swirly” lines that add motion like a winding road, snaking along from front to end. 

Bells and whistles you might ask? 

Why of course. “Extra strobe lighting on the side, an underglow, extra marker lights, big chrome visor, window chops....” 

The company door is more modest, with their abbreviated logo, YTR, written in small lettering, the same lettering used on their tee-shirts that they sell. But their Yocum name on the back of the truck, written gargantuan sized, surely makes up for the sizing difference found on the door. 

Together, the deep hues of silver, red and blue all meld together in this special concocted design – giving it a fresh feel. Like spring. Like a spruced-up house.  

Brag @ TIW!  

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

Simple Yet Eye-Catching 

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By George L. Nitti 

Simplicity can be eye catching, such as an all-yellow tow truck with a creatively lettered logo done in a contrasting cool blue stating “Cupertino Towing.” 

Based out of Antioch, California and with a fleet of approximately 30 trucks, many of them flatbeds, the company maintains a robust call volume serving law enforcement, commercial calls and as a large contractor to AAA.  

“We get 4500 – 5000 calls a month,” said Craig Baker, owner of Cupertino Towing and President of the California Tow Truck Association (CTTA). 

Two of their latest acquisitions, 2023 Kenworth’s with Chevron 12 Series LCG’s, embody a tradition of excellence in graphic design. 

The company logo has evolved over time. Until four years ago, their logos were hand-painted, but since then, are vinyl.  

Baker said, “Our lettering guy 'Mike the Stripe' has adapted to the times. But he does not use canned graphics. He can now do what he did by hand in vinyl.” 

Although Baker has always appreciated the artistic integrity of hand painted graphics, he acknowledges that vinyl is more efficient, taking the company less time to get the trucks lettered and more easily removing the lettering when they are looking to rotate trucks out of their fleet. 

“It used to take us hours to remove the lettering with a lot of oven cleaner and heavy duty scrubbing,” said Baker. “Now it takes us less than a half hour.” 

In part, moving to a more efficient system of maintaining their fleet has become a core principle of their operations, due to the havoc Covid wreaked on the industry and the challenges of getting parts. 

Baker said, “We’ve streamlined the fleet to primarily Kenworth’s and Ford’s.” He added, “By streamlining the fleet we can maintain a larger parts inventory in house that is universally exchangeable among all the trucks.” 

The company is also rotating fewer trucks out of their fleet on a yearly basis due to the skyrocketing prices of tow trucks. “The flatbeds that once cost $140,000 are now pushing $175,000,” he said. 

Yet despite post Covid challenges, Baker prides himself on maintaining the family feel of his company, asking of his employees, only what he would do himself. 

Brag @ TIW!  

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

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March 29 - April 04, 2023

Steering Wheel Lock with Claw Hooks

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Prevent the front wheels of a towed vehicle from turning while towing from the rear with this steering wheel lock from BA Products. The strap is equipped with two coated claw hooks to latch onto the steering wheel and the brake pedal. A cam or ratchet buckle cinches the two ends tight.

  • 2" Cam or Ratchet Buckle
  • 1-3/4"W yellow straps
  • Coated claw locks
For more information, visit zips.com

Orange Reflective Traffic Cone

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JBC Revolution Series Cones are the leader in the traffic safety industry. Revolution Series Cones are made from an innovative injection molded design that holds up in all temperatures and maintains color in difficult UV situations. Indented handles at the top allow the cones to easily be picked up and stacked. The black bases are made entirely from recycled materials and are marked with a unique dotted pattern. Spot the dots to know it s JBC!

--Base stays attached to the body, even after being run over by a car
--Non-stick area makes stacked cones easier to separate
--Heavy, 100% recycled black base provides stability
--Engineered to meet MUTCD specifications
--Ultraviolet stabilized color provides maximum resistance to fading
--Recessed Style Cones have an indented area that helps protect the body when stacked
--Size: 28" or 36"
--Base Weight: 28" - 7 lbs, 28" - 10 lbs, 36" - 10 lbs, 36" - 12 lbs, 36" - 15 lbs
--Color: Orange
--Collar: 6" reflective stripe

For more info: zips.com

Essential Long Reach Kit

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Access Tools has a new tool set called the Essential Long Reach Kit. The Essential Long Reach Kit includes all of the required tools for the majority of vehicle openings with the addition of the popular Button Master accessory and a Long Carrying Case to hold everything together. Included in this set is the Quick Max Long Reach Tool, the Button Master, the One Hand Jack Tool, the Super Air Jack air wedge, the 60” Long Heavy-Duty Carrying Case, and the Quick Instructional Manual and Videos. For more information, go to accesstoolsusa.com.

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March 29 - April 04, 2023
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March 29 - April 04, 2023

Car Loan Delinquencies on the Rise 

Car loan delinquencies have been rising. Key factors include termination of loan relief programs post pandemic, rising inflation, higher interest rates, and higher used and new car prices, which have resulted in extended payments on car loans. According to Cox Automotive, the average cost of a new car reached $47,148 as of May 2022. This is a 13.5% increase from the average cost only one year ago, in May 2021.  

According to TransUnion data, 4.35% of car owners ages 18 to 40 were at least 60 days late on their auto loans in early 2022. In 2019, before the pandemic began, Gen Z had a past-due rate of 1.75%. Today, past-due rates have reached as high as 2.21% among Gen Z car owners. Similarly, millennials now show increased past-due rates of 2.14%, compared with 1.66% before the pandemic. 

The percentage of subprime auto borrowers who are at least 60 days past due on payments rose to 5.67% in December from a seven-year low of 2.58% in April 2021. That compares with the peak of 5.04% in January 2009 during the financial crisis. 

Higher interest rates make it harder for Americans who borrow to buy cars to make monthly payments. The average new-car loan rate was 8.02% in December, up from 5.15% in the same period in 2021, according to Cox Automotive. Interest rates for subprime borrowers can be much higher, with some even paying over 25% on their car loans. 

Source: breakinglatest.news

Car Repos Rising 

Car repossessions continue to rise, as consumers fall behind on their car payments due to higher car prices and prolonged inflation, according to a report by NBC News. Loan defaults now exceed where they were in 2019, pre-pandemic. Economists are predicting 2023 to continue that trend, with increasing unemployment, high inflation and dwindling household savings. 

The average monthly payment for a new car is up 26% since 2019 to $718, with nearly one in six new car buyers spending more than $1000 a month on vehicles.  

“These repossessions are occurring on people who could afford that $500 or $600 a month payment two years ago, but now everything else in their life is more expensive,” said Ivan Drury, director of insights at car buying website Edmunds. “That’s where we’re starting to see the repossessions happen because it’s just everything else starting to pin you down.” 

Consequently, the repo business is having a hard time keeping up, as 30% of repo firms left the business when repo rates plummeted in 2020. Jeremy Cross, the president of International Recovery Systems in Pennsylvania, said he can’t find enough repo men to meet the demand. He said lenders are paying him premiums to repossess their cars first in anticipation of a continued increase in loan defaults.  

Source: nbcnews.com

2022 Winners of the RABF Dynamic Slide  

Ana Favela and her husband of Lalo’s Towing in Illinois are the winners of the Dynamic Slide in Unit, which was donated by Anthony Gentile and Dynamic Towing Equipment and Manufacturing. The drawing took place at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore, Nov. 16 – 19, and benefits the Recovery Agents Benefit Fund. 

Ana and her husband entered the drawing after purchasing two raffle tickets on November 19. They purchased two more tickets and ended up having the winning ticket drawn by a young volunteer. Ana said, “I’m happy to support the work of the Recovery Agents Benefit Fund and excited to win this year’s raffle!” 

The Recovery Agents Benefit Fund has disbursed over $44,000 in 2022 to nine families and over $685,000 to date. The unit is valued at over $10,000 and raises thousands of dollars annually, helping families affected by the dangers of the repossession industry and their unfortunate circumstances that can devastate a family.

For more information about donating to the fund, visit www.recoveryagentsbenefitfund.org, contact 703-365-0409, or email at donations@recoveryagentsbenefitfund.org. 

Auto Loan Balances and Delinquencies Rise  

Despite a 19% decline in auto sales over the last 3 months, balances on auto loans and leases are surging due higher priced vehicles and constrained supply. Auto loans also surged because used-vehicle prices had spiked. 

Balances on auto loans and leases increased by 2.2% in Q3 from Q2, and by 6.1% year-over-year, to a record $1.52 trillion, according to data from the New York Fed’s Household Debt and Credit Report. 

The rate of all auto loans and leases – prime and subprime – that were 30 days and more past due rose to 6.2% in Q3, according to the New York Fed’s Household Debt and Credit. 

Source: wolfstreet.com

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