Leaderboard

As a tower that also owned an auto transport company those vehicles are treated as any other cargo for the recovery invoice. Just because they are vehicles is irrelevant as they were being hauled by the trailer. Invoice for time and material used to recovery the cargo while protecting the salvage value. They would not be separate tows instead just part of the overall job. My suggestion is to bill for the trucks and manpower as hourly instead of hook and recovery fees for each of the cargo vehicles. Progressive sucks, although it is still better than having the truck, trailer and cargo insured by different underwriters. At least you will only be dealing with one adjuster for the entire invoice rather that trying to split the bill among different parties (which I never would do). As for the cause of that crash, hitch failure is likely. Those wedge trailers hauling cars always have scared me. Way to unstable and if the driver doesn't balance his load properly (as in this case) it puts too much top heavy sideways stress on them and over they go. That load should have been lower on the trailer not all the way up front. Until there are three units on the trailer the load should be at the center or towards the tail as per manufacturer recommendations but most of these wedge drivers are too lazy to move the load as they pick and drop units. In the car haul world there are reports of these types of rollovers almost daily, it is such a problem that the Auto transport Intel YouTube show has a rollover of the week segment featured on their Tuesday night live show. I am scheduled to be on their show at the end of September to discuss weight balance and proper loading of those rigs to prevent these crashes and failures.

Dave's Towing Metro Tow Trucks RTR-50-SL all dressed up and ready to get work.

I can still hear Dad saying that,,,this lexus jumped the bridge hitting a tree in mid air,,,Thank the Lord the driver survived,,, We had to bring it up and over do to drainage pipes coming out of the banks,,,BARKER"S TOWING put it in the books. I love these type of jobs.

All on one invoice, in the grand scheme of things it shouldn't be a problem. It all falls under property damage liability right? I would think the invoice would be in the $4500 + your storage range...just a guess since I wasn't there. Stick to your rates and charge for everything you did. Good work.

We were called by the NJSP for a single vehicle accident about 20 miles away. Knowing the area it was in I was fairly confident it was going to be in the woods. I started out to the scene in my wrecker and called one of the guys to bring a flat bed. Once I arrived I found a Chevy pick up had left the road, waffled a pole and went into the woods, hitting a tree and stopping about 40 feet off the road. Shortly after I arrived the supervisor of the phone company arrived and gave us the bad news that the crew to get the wires out of the way was over an hour away. He gave us the go ahead to work around the wires, so we went to work. I first ran a low line to spin the front seat from the tree and towards the road. Once lined up I moved forward to a spot where the wires were about 10 feet off the ground and started pulling the truck out. Since the trooper took off when he heard the phone companies eta, I grabbed the truck and brought it across the street to a parking lot to load it in comfort.

Found Dad's old 211s. He bought these 2 2 ligjts in 1974 for our 30 ton Weld-Built. Got them back inside and did total refurb and ready to install on my 66 Ford. Coming soon are the 6v and 12v Federal model 17's, used back in the 50's

In December, 2016, NY tow operator, Sal Brescia, was struck and killed by a hit and run motorist. From evidence collection left at that scene. only three small fragments of plastic were collected by evidence techs. But, from those three small pieces of plastic, detectives did a reverse investigation and ultimately back-tracked to a suspect. I followed this case really carefully and wanted to share the outcome of what good investigative work means. There's real value in the careful and thorough collection of forensic evidence that suggests, any crash you work can have solid evidence as part of the crash scene. The Brescia case is an example of good police work. The suspect, Anthony Mangano (51) of Queens, was arrested and since charged with Brescia's death. Here's the link: https://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2017/05/04/i-95-tow-driver-death-arrest/101287164/

Thanks to everyone for all of the info! I got a call this morning from Progressive. They were pretty easy going so far, but they hadn't seen the bill at that time.. They asked for a total with storage through 9/11, so I emailed over the recovery invoice updated through tomorrow. They asked if we could split up the bill for each vehicle, and I told them to take a look at what I send over and we could go from there. I am planning to just tell them to split it up however they would like on their end. Ill keep everyone updated.

Here is a Bulk Tanker Job we did with our friends at Jim Jacobs Towing.

Friday night customer called for his 2012 Bentley that had front struts failed. It was on the ground and that the dealer suggested us with our Detroit Wrecker Low Loader. After we have him the quote he decided to call aaa instead. Sunday afternoon he calls back to have it taken to a local shop instead on Monday after three others came and left. Getting it out of the parking spot was fun doing a 20 point turn lol. The shop needed it inside the bay and Ralph made it look simple.

Lost keys in a tight driveway Electric parking brake stuck on, wouldn't release even with the car running. Towed to the dealer because the check engine light came on, still ran and drove. I was right around the corner and didn't feel like switching trucks. Steering rack failure, would only turn right but the bypass valve wouldn't let it come back left. Came in as a Toyota Camry, found a lowered Saab. No power even with a jump box on it and no release, the rollback we sent out didn't want to tear up the rocks. Ppi, parked at a local quarry to go swimming and ended up going for a long walk after. Rental, guys brother stole the keys so I towed it 45 miles to the Philly airport. I guess not a dolly job, but this bike got a van head on at 70mph.

Every now and then, a real "Holly Sh_t" job comes along...and this was one. Came in Sunday am as a "car in the woods, oh and on a guide wire for a pole"... I called Eddie and he said he was going to head with a wrecker in case it was caught up in a wire... Sent me a picture when he got on scene and I just chuckled...Not what I had in my mind...LoL So I headed up with a rollback to help him with the mess... Yea it's in there...but it started a bit further back... This is where he 1st hit the guard rail and pushed it over for 40 some feet, then hit the opposite rail on the other side of the driveway, and catapulted through the air, in to the poll! Accessed it through a property owners driveway and pulled it to get access with the rollback It was tight getting in but loaded the car & cleaned a pretty big debris field... This Beamer is all done...Now for the real challenge...getting paid for all this!

Acquired some items a few weeks back. Just sitting prevented from going to scrap. 2 525's- 1 515, couple bodies and drag winches. Would like to see some good pics of the transmission and controls of the 515 as that is my project after my 525. Enjoy. Questions and comments welcome. .

Last night at 5:45 pm, just as everyone was about to leave for the holiday weekend we got a call for an overturned, loaded 3 car hauler. I was nearby in my personal car as I had left early to pickup my daughter from school. We went direct to the scene. From the look of things, the fifth wheel hitch may have broken causing the overturn but police are working to find the actual cause. I am a little curious to hear feedback on billing for this recovery. Do you out everything on one bill? Or each vin a different bill? We had two mpl40 wreckers, two flatbeds, our 896 and myself on scene. Time of call until we cleaned up the trucks and headed home was just shy of 4 hours total. After the police finished and gave us permission to get to work, the first thing we did was disconnect the dodge from the trailer. It was still held together by one safety chain. The front of the trailer was winched tight to the truck so we could take tension off the chain so it could be cut. Then the truck was winched onto our flatbed while a wrecker winched the back away from the trailer. Next we stabilized the trailer with two wreckers so our crew could disconnect the straps from the vehicles. Some of which had been compromised during the rollover. The trailer was uprighted using two wreckers. Our fifth wheel plate was used on an mpl40 and the trailer was moved out of the area. A wrecker uprighted the pickup and another hauled it away on dollies. The wrecker uprighted the suv which was hauled away on a flatbed. We swept the roadway and used spill tackle to cleanup and fluids. Each unit was transported to our storage facility. All broken windows were covered. We did find out the hauler has coverage from Progressive, so now we wait to find out about coverage limits and all. We are very familiar with recovery billing and have attended the Big Whee class. But it’s a first for me having multiple vehicles all on the same trailer so I’d love to get some feedback from others. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We got this truck at the end of last year. Our last wrecker had 2 tunnel boxes and this one only has 1, so we were a little short on storage. We added 3 additional boxes. My boss has also let me add stuff to make things more efficient. Simple stuff first, 2 buckets for floor dry/debris 2 Boxes have been placed on each side of the bed, which did make it difficult to watch the winches. So mirrors were added to aid with that. Again, the boxes make backing up to a car difficult to see it. All of our trucks have on board dvr, with 4 cameras. I added a monitor to be able to see. This truck has a compressor and tank, but no gauge, or air hook ups. We do alot of ppi's, and have to call another company to remove any trailers with air. I added an air hook up so we can move empty trailers, or equipment trailers. Also added a psi gauge, I ended up changing the fitting on the back of the gauge so it would fit though. Now my personal favorite addition. The flood lights in the back were......lacking. I had a 42" curved light bar at home that I wasn't using and added to the truck. I also got some smaller led spot/flood lights to add under the tunnel box to aid with nighttime reversing. Before After (That is also just the upper lights. Lowers were not turned on) Lower lights

Great topic … HUGE liability. If I remember correctly, Grumps was a military corpsman trained-in sucking chest wounds, blow-out packs and Narcan events. He was specifically TRAINED in field-recognition and symptoms of injured person’s down. But, most towers aren’t typically trained to recognize these kinds of events as it's not required of the job description. Towers, can you tell the difference between a person having a massive heart attack, a grand mall seizure, an opioid episode, or if they’re just passed-out drunk? I believe Narcan is a good choice for self-carry if it’s for that right-now emergency use on one’s self or that of your team, but there’s huge “vicarious liability” where seven states won’t protect the untrained person if there were an unintended accidental death. What if the product was stored in a tow truck's interior and exposed to temps over 77-degrees? What if the product was expired beyond two-years? In today’s litigious society, it’s really sad to even have to consider trying to help save someone else’s life, but part of initiating lifesaving procedures means you may have to enter an already compromised environment like a garage or a car’s interior. Going forward, and for safety's sake, I recommend tower's wear industrial grade N95 masks and/or respirators on calls. Since ya' hafta' wear masks for the Covid anyhow, that's a process that's easy to follow. Don't simply wade into any vehicle's interior if you don't have to. And, as an added level of personnel protection, ionce you're trained, why not carry Narcan in your shirt pocket for those unannounced emergency exposures? This is a decision that tow owners should understand all complications and liabilities of emergency care for their personnel or if administered to another individual during a right-now emergency. If it’s your intent to carry Narcan, I suggest getting trained by some recognized source. For insight as to recognition and leads toward training, Google the words, “Narcan video training” and choose any of the many videos. Another good source of training, perhaps your company could host a class for first responders asking your local fire-department's trainer, paramedic supervisor, or hospital emergency room to teach a class? It's only a matter of time before you're exposed. Don't hesitate ... Get Trained. R.

Thanks to everyone who made it a success!

This is exactly why I have been carrying Narcan in my in-cab first aid kit for over 2 years now. As if our occupation isnt dangerous enough, Now we have to deal with this..

So, I get a call from Honk the other day and this is what I picked up. In the garage, stuck in park.

New study report about the effectiveness of fluorescent pink road signs w/black text. Do drivers really pay attention to Emergency Scene Ahead signs? https://www.respondersafety.com/News/Move-Over-Signage-Study-West-Chester-PA.aspx

That smell of a burn job is terrible.... but getting a few cars out of the job sure made deal I. With the smell a little easier. [emoji385][emoji383][emoji385] As with my last job, I’m curious to hear how you guys are billing something like this. One bill or three separate? My plan is to put them all on one in hope that the at fault insurance will deal with all three at the same time under liability/property damage. We had a scene supervisor, our cleanup trailer, and three flatbeds. Three hours from the time of call until we were back home and cleaned up. Used a power broom, Spill tackle, 2 disposal drums full of waste. My total is around 3 G’s for the job. The best part is, we know at least two of the vehicles will be covered under liability without any problem. I’ll go into more detail in my description when I have more time. _____________________________________ Today just after 4 pm we were called to the parking lot of the Lionville Giant for three vehicles after a fire. We were advised that one vehicle had caught fire while parked, also catching two others on fire. No one was injured. We were able to get the parking lot cleaned up using our power broom. Each vehicle was loaded into a flatbed truck. All of the loose debris was swept and placed into disposal drums. Our crew worked together to scrape all of the melted plastic and aluminum from the area. Spill Tackle was used to absorb any hazardous fluids from the area. All three vehicles were transported to our storage lot. All remaining debris was washed from our flatbeds. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hot day, fatigued driver who worked two or three calls the previous night and further added to his sleep debt. Now it is 4pm on a hot day, the operator is fatigued. A hot cab here in South Texas could be the difference between an alert driver and a crash. Also a hot cab for a customer waiting on the side of the road on 35 Ssouth is not going to get you accolades from a client.

2016 Freightliner Ext Cab Cummins 260 hp Allison Auto. Air Brake/ Air Ride Alum Wheels Century 21' Series 12 LCG Steel carrier Frame Mounted Pylon 12,000 lb Winch with Dual Air Free Spool Releases 2-60" Tool Boxes w/ Top Trays 243,000 Miles, well Maintained Clean Texas Truck Located in San Antonio,TX

A new to be tow business owner called and asked me what equipment should be on a tow truck or carrier when applying to the highway patrol and law enforcement? The California Highway Patrol is quite specific regarding what basic equipment should be on the truck for tow trucks serving their contract. I find their list quite extensive and specific to law enforcement towing. I recommend towers download the CHP’s, Form 234B, Tow Truck Inspection Guide; Link: https://www.chp.ca.gov/ResearchAndPlanningSectionSite/Documents/Chp234B_052017.pdf The equipment requirements for law enforcement, FSP, highway patrol providers and LE towers is extensive; these requirements are what most California law enforcement agencies require as they refer back to the CHP being the expert entity for police towing. Keep in-mind, if an item is listed on 234B, it must be in maintained and operable condition i.e., all lights work, a broom has to have a handle, a flashlight has to have working batteries, a fire-extinguisher has to be, “in-the-green”, mounted with safety pin and an inspection tag, chain must be rated with a tag, winch-controls have to be labeled, 100-feet of cable must measure 100-feet or more, etc. Go to the provided link and download the two-page 234B and see what a well-equipped tow truck and wrecker should have based on the class towing and recovery it serves. Obviously, these are basic requirements and don’t be afraid to add specialty tools, equipment and accessories to the truck as you choose and afford. Happy shopping. R.

Miller has all that stuff! If the local dealer can not accommodate you call Miller direct. I love old freedom iron. Free from debt!

There is some really really good conversation here and I want to thank ESC for posting this situation. Now with what has been discussed so far, what would change if lets say, ESC was able to recover and tow the trailer with the vehicles still secured to the trailer? They would almost certainly be considered "cargo" at that point, Right? I see this the same as if a semi loaded with cartons of books for instance was laid on its side and the wagon had to be off loaded prior to the recovery. You would have time equipment and manpower that needs to be paid for. Cargo is cargo regardless of what it actually is.

Hey Wayne ... I made it all the way through the video. I'm not so sure this is a great video promoting the trucking industry let alone for tow truck operators. Like YodaBen comments, plenty of towers were the product of teenager's being raised in their mom's n' pop's tow company starting out as beginners. Stuff like responsibility, being on-time, respectability, accountability, learnability, etc, are associated factors that were taught by responsible parents. No matter what the trade or profession ... kids either have it or they don't right? But, if the applicant can go to war to fight for their country ... they should be able to get into a truck. Not every 18 year old is irresponsible or lacking of skills. Proper training and guidance is the key to anyone's success fi you have the patience to see it ... and then follow it up. Perhaps the responsibility is on that of the mentor and their ability to motivate, demonstrate and initiate? R.

For argument's sake, I'm not so sure about a single bill for the entire recovery. For legal reasons, I believe splitting the bill is a better process. I'd bill each individually like Grumps said. Because each vehicle has its own VIN and registration information, I'd bill individually to include hourly (portal to portal here for CHP) labor, storage and whatever other fees are reasonable to the allowed rates set by the initiating agency. Additionally, what if the transport company or their insurance agent argued the, "all inclusive invoice", and refused to pay because it was too high? What about the other owners who have the right to get their vehicle's back? What if they came to get property out of their vehicle? You can't hold the other owner's vehicle ransom for the transport company's error. What if the trailer remains in your facility for two weeks because of a rate dispute? Are you going to charge the insurance company seperate lien fees on the single invoice? Without the individual invoice per vehicle, how can you start a legal lien if there's no invoice for services rendered; especially if you tranported any of the damaged vehicles using seperate tow trucks and carriers? I'd first look real close as to what is allowed by agency and by state lien laws. R.

First off, Nice work on the recovery. It looks Like it was very time consuming but went well. I would guess from looking at the 5th wheel, it was not rated for the load he was hauling and it collapsed. Maybe more of an rv style setup? The insurance company is more than likely going to treat the 2 trailer-loaded vehicles as "cargo" If I had to make an educated guess. So with that being said, It might all be in the wording of your invoice to get your recovery fees covered for each "cargo" vehicle. I would sit down and figure out the numbers for both treating them as individual recoveries and tows as well as treating them as handling, recovering and transporting "cargo" then feel out the insurance adjuster when he comes so you can be ready for whatever way they decide to go with it. Obviously your bottom dollar will be the same amount for either. It is just a matter of wording it the way they see it. If you could post how it turns out for you I would be interested to see how they play it with you Sir.

Two deer came out in the road so a guy stopped his pick up truck...but the Nissan didn't! The car struck the rear of the truck with enough force to flip it on it's roof... Car had front & rear suspension damage so we put it on the rollback... Customer took this last shot, (he was stuck in the traffic) and sent it to us...

I believe this incident could have been corrected at the Club's level by having CAA call-takers thoroughly and completely advise the member they wouldn't be allowed to ride with the tow operator; maybe text to them an attachment for them to read during the dispatch process? The entire motoring public doesn't know or understand Covid restrictions. While the question of being transported from the scene was this member's reasonable request, her attitude and demeanor was more that of entitlement and, "Who's gonna' pay for the taxi?" I watched this video closely and came away with mixed emotions. First and foremost ... this cannot and should NOT be reviewed as an, "issue of color" that's initiated by the member AND the media. What does color have to do with this situation? This interraction is a typical heated example of how easily people are offended and how over-sensitive they are. I found her to be the aggressor who referred to the tower as, "There's something wrong with you," "You're like sick", and, "You're mentally ill", where she's raised the level of confrontation by verbally attacking him. She continued with other verbal threats of him losing his job and the video, "Going all over." No person deserves to be treated with disrespect, harsh words and intentional prodding. It's easy to see though her phoney presentation; noting she doesn't act the same way when the camera's rolling does she? I believe the tower responded in whatever manner he could based on his own lack of training and elevated emotions when name calling got the best of him. His was a natural response for untrained persons. His was a natural response for anyone simply trying to do their job. Accordingly, with all the interpersonal interraction training tow operator's receive (not) in the industry and from auto clubs, his response was understandable although unexceptable. I'm confident that the tow company was doing what they could to satisfy the member, contacting a supervisor, sending another truck, etc., but, we all know that you CAN'T please every customer all the time. I'm hoping to see that CAA continues to handle this appropriately in-support of the current Covid climate and Covid restrictions or there might be a huge backlash from service providers. I believe there's minimal fault of the tow operator and there's no video footage of the initial contact prior to escalation. If CAA needs help investigating this, give me a call, but, know this up-front ... I agree with Mr. Tsai's comments and I'd assign minimal fault with the tower. Sure, he could have handled the situation in a more professional manner, but so could have the member. This is the reality of the business misconception that, "the customer's alway's right." Kudo's to Mr. Tsai for his careful representation and response to the media in an attempt to appease all parties involved. I thought he did a good job representing CAA. R.

Picked this bad boy up in the woods for a friend and brought it to our shop. They are heavy little buggers... It was "Rear Tow Friendly" at least...

This is how many Soldiers take their lives every day. PTSD is REAL and you do not have to be a soldier to be effected. Tow Truck Operators can have PTSD and no one notice until it is too late. Don't wait if you know someone in pain their crying out without using words. Reach too them, once you have saved a life, I assure you that you will never look at the value of life the same way again.

Some pics from a 2 car we did the other night. Guy in the truck started making his turn about 50' before the street and in the path of an incoming car... Decent mess to clean up but that's what we do... Always something to screw up the plans...LoL

Planetary = fast line speed, worm = slow line speed but fabled stronger than planetary. Ive had both & now all my hydraulic trucks are planetary. I cant say that I have ever had to leave anything behind with a planetary, Ive had to use snatch blocks now & then but I prefer planetary, nothing like waiting on a slooooow worm gear winch to wind in 100' of wire rope working on a busy roadway.

Aaron Widmar Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron. Well this explains a lot...should gleefully stick to theater.

Being I usually drive a wheel lift, 9 times out of 10 this isn't an issue for me as the cars stay in park for the duration of my time with it. On the rare case I take a bed, I still prefer to put them in neutral myself. My first action when approaching a customer is and always has been to take the keys from them, this way I know I won't get run over by them putting the vehicle in neutral prematurely, like when I'm underneath it. Too many times they've tried to neutral it while it's facing down hill before I get it secure. I'd rather deal with the 1000 to 1 chance I get covid then be run over, the survival rate is in my favor that way.

Why does it seem there is an increasing number of drivers being struck by hit & run drivers. I would suppose it is related to the increased number of DUI's we are towing more overdoses as of late then drunken drivers. Speedy Recovery to this lucky driver, I say lucky as in he will survive to tow another day following a recovery period.

Wow. Snapped the pivot ears right off the plate.. I have never seen that happen before. I just noticed that Dodge "cargo" truck was a 3/4 ton DIESEL !!!! There is no way I would have put that truck that far up on that trailer.. That thing belongs down bottom, Over the axles IF ( and it is a big if for me ) even on that trailer at all.. I totally get that those trailers are supposidly beefy with their dually tandems and all But they are still rickety and unbalanced. I have never liked them.

GEM Motoring Assist have released this video about Blue Light Awareness ( https://www.motoringassist.com/ ) @mushspeed

Thanks Due to the added front air dam package wheel lift did not fit. Rear pick was only option. ITD positive camber dolly crossbars worked great with plenty of clearance when set & raised. The initial raise HAD to be done in proper sequence to avoid any contact, was a bit time consuming but worked well

*I want to thank you for your response, I found it informative and supportive. I was married to Dale for 17 years, I knew his career was dangerous, as well as physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally demanding. I felt it my job to contain the fear I never could shake and be there to support him and provide a sanctuary in his home where he could find the comfort and peace he needed at times to regenerate, I believed in him and his ability and need of helping others. I regret not taking the time or maybe I was afraid that if I focused on the trully unbelievable way you all are treated that I would jinx him, no matter the inexcusable reason I had I regret not being more knowledgable while he was alive to try and help find a solution to the challenges you all face. I've always believed there is a way to accomplish anything, if only I wanted to find the way. The rules that govern this industry are ignorant and they do not rise to the standard of the services expected in return. No one is expendable but it seems that is the view point of those that do not stand with you to facilitate a change. No matter what anyone thinks no matter thier opinions you all are 1st responders you deserve to be seen as such and I'm sorry those considerations are not at this time extended to you. When I awoke to this nightmare, and after the funeral, when I could take a breath without my heart breaking in two, I promised myself that I would in some way make sure he did not die in vain. I would very much like to help in anyway I can to shine a light on the immeasurable loss this industry suffers constantly, simply because there are inadequate protocols to support a safe enviroment for all of you. Thank you again Lisa Jones