ESC

On 3/9/2024 at 3:08 PM, DragNTow said:

We have always had a good relationship with NSD. Their volume was low but they paid a "fair" price for services performed. Yesterday we recieved the following .

 

Hello,

"NSD and Quest now requires your company is digital dispatch. Please sign up for digital dispatch. Any Inn Networks not on digital will be terminated."

 

You can sign up for;

 

Towbooks

Beacon

Traxeero

 

Best Regards

 

Beth Carman

 

Well Beth, I guess you can go ahead and terminate me now. When your "Contracted Towers" or whatever you call them turn their phones off at 6:00 PM or go to the lake with their families on the weekends, don't expect us to cover at our FORMER rates.

We stopped working with them all together a few years ago.  Its a shame.  They used to pay our retail rates and we had good luck.  But, over time, rates never went up and their calls all became a wild goose chase.   We made them credit card only at emergency rates with a two hour minimum like all the other clubs.

1 hour ago, dperone said:

 

This area for some reason see a lot of full sends into the woods, and it can be over 30 miles from our shop. If we have a wrecker available we usually just send it with the bed at the initial dispatch because of the extended time it would take to get it out there after the fact. 

We do the exact same.  Send a wrecker and a bed to most every accident, if for nothing else, at least another set of eyes to watch over everything or lend a hand.

So I understand your thought on the straps in the way but there is a reality involved here. The highest towing ability of the unit would be on a old school sling since it would be the closest to the center line of the rear axle. Guys are used to the tow bar attachments on the 408 but in reality, they aren't any real added ability because it's still off the wheel lift. This was their only viable choice sense it isn't set up for a conventional sling. This new unit does have a Tow Bar...it's set up for forks. Put a set of chain forks on it and you could chain sling it off the wheel lift bar, just like the competitors. But the bottom line, till you extend the wheel lift to turn, you will be 8-10" further away from the wrecker back panel so your capacity will be diminished. The one truck down there had the LD sling storage mounted on the boom which adds efficiency for installation but is gaudy to work around. I don't know if I would leave it on or not? I would also like to see what the rating is on that sling compared to the MD sling that was on the older Cougar. 

26 minutes ago, EdsTowing said:

I'll find out more about the Auto Loader today w/ engineering. I know it's in the works. It will be like the new style on the carrier though that swing the arm all the way back. That is going to be the new standard for the MPL series as well.

That right there is exactly what I have in mind.... if they put that new style auto loader on there, I am sold on it! 

Something else Id love as an option is rather than a sling, just a tow bar.  Those sling rubber straps are always the in the way.

I just found a spec sheet at Easter wrecker.com

I don’t see anything about an autoloader option. Just the manual crossbar. As far as the specs go I love everything else. I just have some thinking to do…. Not sure I want to go back to the manual L Arms.  Optional grease fittings instead of the "Lubeless" Technology.... I LOVE it!!   Hated the lubeless crap as the pins never come out.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think the tunnel boxes will take a little getting used to.  I really love the look of my MPL40, but I think the opening of these boxes will have more usability and function.  Looks like a much larger opening and box for more room.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well…. It looks like it’s at the Baltimore show. Still waiting for exact specs.

This is about all I’ve found online so far. Can’t wait to get more details. Was hoping for the auto loader option…. Still hopeful that it’s available as an option.

I’m thinking Dodge 5500 Standard cab with the MPL60 and both tunnel boxes like shown here.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

6 hours ago, usmc041127 said:

I really wanted see what Jerrdan was going to bring to the table with the MPL60 but with little to no information and no tentative dates I had to got with another 2465. 

I sold my backup wrecker last week (MPL40), and im holding out before I order anything else.... super hopeful that Jerrdan will release an MPL60 soon..... Patiently waiting....

A lot of variables.... We have 2 Hino 258's with JerrDan XLP 6 ton beds 25,500 gvw that work great.  Both are air suspension and air brake.   Legally they can haul just shy of 9,000 lbs.... they will handle more when really needed.

I have been working on moving toward something bigger on our next truck to add to the fleet and im leaning toward a new extended cab Freightliner 33,000 gvw with a 23' NRC bed.   I got my CDL last year... its a big step up in truck and its capability is much higher than what we currently have.  I have been working with Nulls Sales here in PA, and by the time I add in all the bells and whistles and new equipment, im expecting right around the 200k mark.

Personally, for what you are doing, I may stick with non CDL, and miss out on a few jobs here and there.   But, if you dont mind getting the CDL... go with the bigger setup.... I cant wait to pull the trigger on one.

We have had hit or miss luck with the beads.  Some of our trucks it works fine, others its terrible.  We finally bought a Hunter Road Force Balancer and the adapters to do the larger wheels.   My truck now rides like a dream balanced properly.   

35 minutes ago, Stubborn66 said:

Laws regarding abandoned vehicles vary from state to state.  You don't mention what state you are in. 

 

I thought that too when I first read it, and then noticed its in the Wisconsin forum, so I am assuming Wisconsin.   I am familiar with the laws here in Pennsylvania, but cant help for WI.  Check with your state towing association.

52 minutes ago, anybody said:

Ron, I see over 1000 views, but no one is replying... 

I didnt reply to this one, as I have posted a few times about Big Wheel in the past, but again they are worth every penny and then some. Amazing people!  Great class!!  Even as a light duty only company its well worth going!  I highly recommend the meet and greet the night before the class at their place.    The tour of their operation is really cool too.  Id highly recommend going to their facility for the class if you can.

Typical.   NSD has gone way down hill with the rest of em.  Too bad, they used to be great when they started up.

Hahaha... Agero doesn't even know.      They go by cheapest price.... at the end of the day thats all i can figure.  We cut them off years ago and now do a $375 min credit card up front when they call us.

3 hours ago, Towman92266 said:

I would love to deploy a "Crash Truck" on every job if I could. Unfortunately I don't think the industry will support it. Regular customers won't pay the extra fee that it would entail. We could probably get away with it on a big accident but the state handles it.

I feel the same way.  I would love to, and I see it happening more and more.   I dont get enough crash volume to be able to put a crash truck in service and employ a driver for it.   The other trouble comes on the billing end.  Adding that onto the bill on a customer pay job would cause all sorts of issues.  I am totally in support of it, but how to get the bill paid on a non insurance job is going to cause all sorts of problems at the moment.

Two options that I know of for what you are asking.

The first one is the rear spade kit. I don’t have this one for my truck however I will add it to the next one. It comes with some hydraulic override valves so u can put it down and close the valve to hold it in place.




The other is the pulley attachment for the wheel lift. Again it comes with a valve to close to keep the pressure off the cylinder. This one I have and to be honest I’ve used it a handful of times. Usually just use the DRings on the tail board.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am not a Ford guy, but I am curious, any reason you chose the F550 and not moving into the F600 with this one?   I sure love that extended cab.  Its going to be a perfect truck!  Cant wait to see the progress!

13 hours ago, EdsTowing said:

We were just talking here and today our new plates showed up....

 

 

Started getting concerned, we did the paper work for this last August or September....

Ours arrived about two weeks ago.  Applied long ago as well.

12 hours ago, EdsTowing said:

I have heard about this recently....PSP must of had a "memo"... I know guys over the years that had this issue come up. I believe the fine was twice the registration fee, which on a F550 is probably around $1500. I believe the actual requirement is that it has to be a registered, titled motor vehicle. I think if they want to, they can go against any piece of machinery? We typically only move our own machinery but even that is probably fair game for them. I have seen guys have issues with sheds & tool box's and what not. Personally, we only do that kind of stuff typically "in town" but that's not a exemption. Brian may have more clarity on the matter though?

Seems like they got the memo for sure!    We switched two of our trucks yesterday to truck tags.   Cost about $600 each to do.  

On the RT tag you cannot legally haul a tool box, shed, lumber, etc.  We do move alot of tool boxes for snap on and a bunch of skidloaders for a local dealer.   Hauling them in for repair is fine on the RT, however when we were caught we were delivering a brand new unit for sales.   I know dad tends to use his flatbed to run to home depot for a load of lumber, or something like that here and there- all an issue on an RT tag.    Our shop pickup (GMC 2500 diesel) also had an RT tag on it, which is also no bueno for some of the things we have been using it for so we switched that to a truck tag too.   Figured for the money it wasnt worth the headache.   There is a ton of DOT officers running around our local areas and PSP has added some more full timers to their fleet.

I just came back to this post on the RT tags after one of our drivers got a written warning from PSP DOT today. Running an RT tag in PA while transporting a brand new skid loader from the dealer to a customer. I don’t want to deal with the hassles so we are switching to a Truck tag on a couple of our trucks. This is the second time I’ve been hassled by PSP on it. The first time was verbal a year or so ago. Guess they are cracking down.

If we were towing it in for repair we would have been on. Since it was a new u it being transported we aren’t allowed to do so on a RT tag.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's the post I was thinking of, thanks for finding it!

Damn! I have no experience with the goat but if it works let me know I'll purchase one. I hope you get paid from the looks of the car it looks like it doesn't have a plate on it. My luck they won't have insurance.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Last night we worked a crash that broke 100+ feet of pvc fence into a million pieces scattered across the road and thru a yard. We went back today to finish the cleanup.

We used a rake and picked up most of it by hand. Not interested in doing that again. Was looking around and found the Billy Goat. Does anyone have experience using them for accident cleanup. Especially cleaning up glass and debris out of grass?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I gave up with them.  After no rate increases we cut them off a long time ago.  Credit Card only with a 3 hours minimum if they want us to go.

here