Defending the Value of Training
By Randall C. Resch
Ya’ can’t go a week without seeing someone poking holes’ in the need for industry training. Forum participants are quick to make aggressive attacks on course content in which towers claim they don’t need formal training because “I learned it on my own” or “I’ve been in business for years and don’t see the need.”
Other long-time “experienced” towers indicate that “training’s expensive” and “it’s a waste of time.”
But could the lack of training be detrimental to towers in the unforeseen event something does happen?
Consider the following...
A Georgia tow company was sued when a motor club customer was dragged by his vehicle and implanted into a house. The operator had no formal training and the seventeen-year-old company provided only a week of orientation and ride-alongs. The plaintiff’s attorney discovered the operator was undertrained and tow tower’s techniques didn’t meet the industry’s Standard of Care. The case settled out of court for an incredible amount.
In California, an experienced operator arrived on-scene to transport a damaged SUV. As he worked to secure the vehicle to the carrier, his customer and her friend were standing on the non-traffic side versus being secured inside their awaiting vehicle or the carrier’s cab. A DUI motorist fell asleep and impacted the parked vehicle. The friend was killed. A well-known “industry expert” threw the tow operator under the proverbial bus saying, “The tow operator failed to meet the Standard of Care.”
Know Your Obligation
Recognized training is about professionalism, industry education and liability. Training has been a requirement for towers serving high-speed highways in California, Texas and other states for decades.
If towers haven’t participated in recognized training and are involved in incidents causing injury, death or extensive property damages, such as in the situations just described, they can be held criminally and civilly responsible.
Regardless of experience in years, towers should welcome the opportunity for training. In today’s litigious society, it’s fact that operator training (or lack thereof) is the first detail that’s attacked in wrongful injury or death lawsuits. You’ll find most juries perceive a lack of training as a disregard for public safety. Juries are sympathetic to injured or killed parties especially when training is easily obtained.
In every tower’s best defense, a recognized training course adds value to one’s career path. I believe there’s value in formal training if not only for the education it provides, but to lessen the impact of a guilty conviction. This isn’t legal advice, but a simple reminder that being trained is a conscious choice.























Dennie Ortiz x213