Published: Wednesday, October 30, 2024
By Brian J Riker
While I applaud towers for finding new revenue streams, and moving forklifts or other industrial equipment is one of those streams, it is critical to understand what you are doing and how to do it safely. Recently I have noticed a trend of moving forklifts with light duty rollbacks, and I’m not talking class 6 trucks like Freightliners, Internationals or Hinos, but rather, Ram 4500 and 5500, Ford 450 and 550 size trucks.
This is dangerous, often illegal and just plain dumb to do!
Let’s start with the basics. The average forklift weights around 9,000 pounds with some as light as 3,000 and many well over 10,000 pounds. While these weights sound similar to the average car or light truck, the weight is concentrated differently than a car or truck as is the center of gravity.
A typical class 5 chassis, meaning a Ram 4500, 5500, Ford F-450, F-550, etc., has a gross vehicle weight rating between 16,001 and 19,500 pounds. This is the maximum that the truck chassis, any body mounted on it, tools, driver, fuel and cargo carried can weight to be within the manufacturer’s design specs and to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. When built into a typical rollback, these class 5 vehicles have a tare (empty) weight around 12-13,000 pounds. This gives them an average payload (cargo) capacity of between 3,000 and 6,500 pounds.
So, with an average payload of 6,500 pounds as a best-case scenario, using say a 5500/550 chassis and a lightweight carrier body, one would expect to be able to load an average car or light truck and maybe even a small forklift. Not so fast!
Load distribution is critical. Yes, the typical light duty carrier deck has a capacity rating of 10,000 to 12,000 pounds; however this is measured as an evenly distributed load across the entire surface of the deck, not concentrated in a tiny spot as found with a forklift. Anyone that does heavy haul will know their trailers have an overall maximum weight rating and then a separate rating for concentrated loads expressed in either psi or pounds in any ten-foot area of the trailer deck. Light duty carriers do not have this rating as they are not intended to haul concentrated loads.
What all this means is with a class 5 chassis and a typical carrier deck, you are overloading your equipment beyond its intended use and failure will happen. Probably not immediately, but down the line, often when least expected, a component will fail (often with much lesser force than its designed capacity due to fatigue).
What about class 6 chassis, they are much bigger, so they are safer, right?
Again, not really. Even though a class 6 chassis will have a greater payload capacity, often with an average of 8,500 pounds, this doesn’t mean hauling a forklift is any safer. These trucks are built using the same carrier subframe and deck as the class 5 trucks, so the limiting factor is the design and intended use of the carrier deck more than the chassis, at least with forklifts at or under approximately 8,000 pounds.
The proper chassis for moving forklifts is a class 7 or 8 chassis, with at least a 33,000 GVWR and an industrial carrier deck designed for concentrated loads.
How about securing them, what should I do?
First and foremost, your winch is not a securement device, and likely it isn’t even rated for winching a forklift onto your carrier’s deck unless you have an industrial carrier or larger than standard winch. Remember, your winch is rated for maximum pull on the first layer of wire rope, and the average light duty carrier’s winch only has a rope rated for 4,300 pounds. Once you start up the angle of your deck with an 8,000+ pound forklift you add an angle multiplier that far exceeds the rating of your winch and wire rope.
Driving a forklift on and off a carrier is also risky business. Besides OSHA requirements that you be trained on the use of each specific type of powered industrial truck, your smooth deck surface and the smooth tires found on most indoor forklifts do not make for a safe, high traction environment. If you are going to transport forklifts with a smooth surface deck, dock to dock is the only acceptable way to go as you are remaining level while loading and unloading. And do not use your wheel lift as a dock leveler to bring your deck up to dock height unless it is specifically designed to be used as such, otherwise you are stressing the carrier mounting point at the rear of your truck frame.
Lastly, never load forks toward the cab, but always have the forks facing the rear of your truck. If you were to get into a crash or even just have a hard brake event and the tie-downs failed, those forks will pierce your headboard and cab like a hot knife through butter.
Always follow the US DOT regulations related to the number and types of tie-downs, and no, over the wheel type straps are not intended to be used on forklifts nor are J-hooks or the hook clusters found on your automotive tie-downs. Use the proper type and rated hook, manufacturer’s recommended hook points (on both the forklift and your deck) and proper sized chains, ratchets or binders. Tie down low to prevent tipping over, using an X pattern that secures all four corners and do not use the roll cage as a tie-down point.
Published: Monday, October 28, 2024
By Randall C. Resch
From inside lien sale cars, you never know what gets left behind. No matter what reasons people leave vehicles behind, oftentimes precious memories and collectibles are inside. When towed, wrecked and impounded vehicles go the lien sale’s route, anything part of the vehicle’s contents ultimately becomes the tow company’s property.
As part of individual’s moving locally or out-of-state, household items, clothing, or whatever is piled into a car’s interiors for moving day. Unfortunately, for reasons out of a motorist’s control, they’re involved in an accident, impounded by the police, or the vehicle is stolen.
All That Stuff
When my mid-size tow and recovery business was active, and once vehicles cleared lien, our process would make lien sale vehicles ready for auction. There were two trains of thought: either leave the auction vehicle to include its contents; or separate the contents by cleaning interiors. I’m mildly amused by the sometimes-higher prices paid by over-zealous buyers who hafta’ have a handful of cheap tools left behind on a car’s floorboards.
For consideration two, contents are removed and stored in 40-foot containers. Items are arranged in sections; i.e., sporting goods, camping gear, household items, furniture, stereos, TV’s and electronics, construction tools, automotive parts and clothing. What might seem a labor-intensive process and waste of time, twice a year we offered an “employee’s only sale” to company personnel. At “pennies on the dollar” savings, employees (and their families) get first pick on items that otherwise would cost higher prices.
Obviously, items not chosen by employees don’t go the wayside, but after the employee’s only sale, remaining contents are offered (on auction day) to buyers to bid on contents as an all-inclusive lot, sold to the highest bidder. We stipulate they have seven-days, post-sale to remove all items. Once removed, the process starts over.
Returning Valuable Memories
If you’re willing to do recreational research, the internet is the greatest source to find information if you know where to look. Websites “approximate” or “pinpoint” a trail of residences and relocations. Some sites are free, while others require minimal cost.
The fun is in-the-search when I experience the heartfelt appreciation from family members who ultimately have their loved one’s belongings returned. While some find it creepy to trace one’s existence, to the contrary, I find great satisfaction when research success locates an unsuspecting family through online research. Some of my favorite research projects included;
-- A wallet contained identification, photos of kids and grandkids along with $600 cash discovered within a totaled Mustang. One family’s father was struck and killed by a drunk driver and was subsequently disregarded as a violent ending. As the Mustang was readied for scrap, the wallet was brought to me. Through research, the wallet was returned to the family. With tears streaming down a daughter’s face, she handed me (the found) $600 asking me to give it to the person who found the wallet? Atop that, I added another $400 so to deliver a $1,000-reward honoring my employee’s honesty.
-- A local woman died of natural causes inside an old motorhome. Having lived there for years, and amongst a hoarder’s pile of dirty clothes, spoiled food and trash, was a trophy box of neatly stored photos, a baseball and a vintage baseball glove. While examining photos of a youngish boy in his baseball uniform, scrawled on the baseball glove was the boy’s name and other clues. Researching Facebook, LinkedIn and other sites led me to his whereabouts. I ultimately arranged to return to him these childhood memories.
-- An old steamer trunk contained collectible family memorabilia, including vintage, framed photos from a well-known, southern California private school, a passport, and beautifully written letters dating to the 1930’s. Having contacted the school, the missing contents were ultimately returned to a granddaughter who had long since graduated from school, but was located on the school’s Alumni Page.
-- Perhaps my favorite return of all things was a Burial Urn, discovered in an auction car’s trunk. Having researched websites like Findagrave.com, Ancestory.com and Newspapers.com, the urn was returned to its family.
To experience a family’s special appreciation in having their loved one’s belongings returned I find great satisfaction in “reaching out.” While some find it “creepy” to trace someone’s forgotten existence, to the contrary, there is great enjoyment to be successful locating family members through online research.
While it’s true “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” returning lost memories and treasures is something well worth the effort. If you have an inner investigator within you, I invite you to play a sort of “Where’s Waldo” in trying to return what otherwise could wind up in the landfill. I’m confident you’ll find genuine satisfaction in returning those memories to perfect strangers.
Operations Editor Randall C. Resch is a retired, veteran, California police officer, former tow business owner and industry advocate. As consultant and trainer, he authored and teaches tow truck operator safety courses approved by the California Highway Patrol. For 51-years, he has been involved in the towing and recovery industry. In 28-years, he has contributed more than 735-safety focused articles for American Towman Magazine, TowIndustryWeek.com and is a frequent seminar presenter and beauty pageant judge at tow shows. In 2014, he was inducted to the International Towing and Recovery Industry Hall of Fame, was the 3rd recipient of the industry's "Dave Jones Leadership Award," and is a member of American Towman’s Safety Committee.
Email Randy at rreschran@gmail.com.
Published: Wednesday, October 23, 2024
By Brian J. Riker
Many tow bosses don't worry about drug and alcohol testing for non-CDL drivers because there is no universal policy requiring it, except when mandated by specific contracts or agencies they work with. This is a business operational choice, albeit a poor one, usually driven by the cost of maintaining a testing program and how, especially with the changes in societal perception of the use of marijuana, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a light duty operator that can pass a drug test.
Where this can really hurt a towing company is when an applicant is less than honest on their application or is trying to get around a previously failed drug or alcohol test record. Although a light duty (non-CDL) driver does not need to pass a drug or alcohol test to be permitted to drive, they must still be drug and alcohol free per federal, and most state, regulations to operate any vehicle over 10,000 pounds GVWR for business purposes.
A tow boss may think they have “hit the jackpot” when they get an application from a driver with a CDL for their non-CDL job; after all, isn’t having more license and driving experience than required a good thing? Maybe, but probably not!
In the fleets I manage or consult, I have noticed a sharp rise in applicants for non-CDL jobs by people that have a CDL, or recently gave up their CDL. These applicants almost always say things like “I just want to drive a little truck, had enough of the tractor trailers” or “I’m burned out with over the road and want to give local a try.” Both of these statements immediately make the hair on the back of my neck rise. They may seem innocent enough, and in a few rare cases may be true, but ask yourself why a seasoned, experienced CDL driver suddenly wants an entry level driving job?
Four letters come to mind, DACH, or the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.
In an effort to stop commercial drivers from operating impaired, the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT), through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), has long required drug and alcohol testing for drivers operating, or expected to operate, vehicles requiring a commercial driver’s license (CDL). The rules have been in place since the early 1990’s, although how the test results are reported and verified has changed with the introduction of the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH), which went into operation on January 6, 2020.
A large part of this program is designed to catch drivers that job hop to avoid responsibility for a failed test. To help stop this effort, Phase II of the Clearinghouse rule becomes effective on November 18, 2024, which will require states to downgrade a CDL if the driver is listed in prohibited status or has failed to complete the return to duty process after failing a drug or alcohol test or having a violation reported to the DACH. So, with a downgraded CDL, and being in prohibited status, this “over experienced driver looking for an easier job” is really a liability and not qualified at all, which is why they came into your towing company looking for a light duty job, hoping you will not know the Clearinghouse rules.
Simply put, per 49 CFR 382.501(c): no driver shall perform safety sensitive functions while in prohibited status, including interstate operations of non-CDL vehicles. So, when you hire this former CDL driver that is in prohibited status and they get a roadside DOT inspection, the motor carrier enforcement officer will run their Clearinghouse record and find them prohibited, placing them (and your truck) out of service. This is costly, embarrassing (especially if they have a customer with them) and could be a huge liability in the event of a crash.
To avoid this situation, an employer of non-CDL drivers may, but is not required to, query the DACH during their pre-employment investigation of any applicant that has, or previously has had, a CDL or commercial learners permit (CLP), within the previous three years to check if they are in prohibited status. I strongly suggest you make this a part of your hiring process and pay close attention to motor vehicle reports when they mention the applicant having a CDL previously or use words like downgrade or departmental action, suspension, revocation or similar language.
Lastly, always make direct contact with any previous employers listed on the employment application. You are required to check the safety performance history for the previous three years for all new hires anyway, so you might as well ask the previous employers if there are any known drug or alcohol violations.
Remember, all professional drivers must always be drug and alcohol free, including recreational or prescription use of marijuana, CDB oils, creams and other similar substances. Just because an employer is not required to test their non-CDL drivers for these impairments doesn’t mean they are not prohibited (49 CFR 395.15) or will not become a major issue after an injury or crash.
Phase II of the Clearinghouse regulation will result in about 171,000 CDL drivers being downgraded because they have not completed the return to duty process. It is very likely that more than one of these drivers will find their way into your office looking for a job. Be prepared to catch them before they cost you everything.