goodmichael

I am looking forward to seeing many of you this year at the Texas tow show. This is in not in my back yard. It is on my fback porch. If anyone nedds any restaurant recommendations or other than towing things to do, please let me know. We have Natural bridge Caverns, Sea World, Fiesta Texas, as well as fishing on the gulf coast two hours from SA, in addition to the show if you have the d3sire to experience something different with the family. For restaurants do not leave the city before going to Capparelli's on Main, for genuine italian, Blanco Cafe on Blanco Rd just north of downtown, and Sea Island on Rector Street.   

Very , very true.

That was just not cool at all. I hope that at least that was the owner of the recovery truck that made that horrible decision to put himself and his business in harm's way. What are you going to do if that is your only truck? Just what were you thinking?

Unbelievable.

That was refreshing for me personally. Now I do not feel nearly as bad about some of the really stupid things I did before I saw the light. I was a borderline genius compared to that!

Have a safe and blessed weekend everyone!

Go to your local library and check out a book titled "Entree Leadership" by Dave Ramsey. It is a must read. Be cautious in the business seminar arena. There are a large number of snake oil salespeople. The RBU seminar is a real eye opener. I did not know one could complete WreckMaster classes on line. WreckMaster as you have discovered is a widely accepted training curriculum. I always thought you had to attend an active class. 

While it is and will be a struggle, you have to plan and find your niche. You have to do something that will set you apart from the common bear. Other drivers used to laugh at me when I filled up an ice chest with water, gatorade, and sodas to have them available for the customer who was sitting on the side of the road in the deep South Texas heat. The got real quiet when I told them I generally received 600.00 to 900.00 in tips per month. 

Add value to everything you do. Go the extra mile for your client. Believe it or not, there are still people who will pay for quality service.   

Always be on the hunt for talent and positive attitudes. Even if a person is not old enough to hire, make the contact. And follow up with the person. Time spins around pretty quick. Before you know it insurance will be ready tk approve them. 

Enjoy life. Towing is a job. It is a means to provide for your family and sustain your homefront. Your family is your number one priority. Do not ever forget this. You never get those Christmas mornings or Thanksgiving diners back.  I hear people state that towing is a lifestyle. Being a great parent and eating right is a lifestyle. Towing is a job. It sustains your lifestyle. 

First I would ask yourself why you want to be in business for yourself. Being your own boss is great and there are immense rewards, but there is a heck of a lot of responsibility. The buck and final decisions start and end with you.

Write your answers down on paper. 

Ask yourself who will be your target niche. Law enforcement rotation towing is robust, but you are going to have to be available 24/7/365/366 on leap year. Which is this year. Motorclubs provide a lot of work, but their rates do not even cover ones cost many times. 

I strongly suggest taking the RBU class as well as wreckmaster certification classes. RBU will open your eyes to the business end, while wreckmaster will teach you the skillset you will need to be successful in the trenches. 

START SMALL. Yes, I am yelling. When you go to the bank next time look at all the glass, marble, stainless steel, and opulence. That is your money being put into play. 

Banks are not your friend. They are not a great or even mediocre partner either. They are like a tick on a dog. No disrespect to ticks. 

Start small and keep your money in your wallet.  

That commercial that states, "What's in your wallet?" It is a parasite sucking the marrow from your soul.

Nope. No roadside work adjacent to traffic. TOW or No!

25 minutes ago, Old Tow said:

Great video, however SnapOn makes a tool just for that purpose.

Exactly. I have thousands of dollars invested in tools that are designed and engineered for a specific purpose. I have a Proto set for just that task. 

I only purchase quality tools. I do not buy tools made from communist ciuntries or countries that eat dogs. I  do not use any of my tools for any purpose other than what they are intended. 

An operator has to wear multiple hats today. You have to have the mechanical aptitude to complete the hook up and tow. While this is important, it is onlh part of the equation. You must have communication skills to include listening skills to allow a client to vent. You have to have the wisdom to keep your thoughts anf opinions to yourself. You must have the basic math and grammar skills to complete a narrative and total an invoice. You also need to have diplomacy as well as social worker skills. You are dealing with people who many times are at a low point in their lives. Your capacity to do the tow is just a small part of the requirements to complete the job. You can be the best at preparing and hooking up a vehicle, but you will be a failure if you are not minimally skilled in all aspects of towing.

By allowing the behavior of drivers to become more and more reckless, officers who cite and release a person intercepted at such a high rate of speed just enable the behavior. Then when a family is killed when there is a crash, or someone working roadside is struck everyone gets up in arms. When there is a fatality incident how many man hours are spent working the scene? I certainly understand that time limit perspective, but how many calls will be held back to work a fatality

I actually spoke to and was admonished by other officers who stated that it was their policy to cite and release.

I have given up on thinking logically. It is a lost cause.

It will be an interesting case. Here in San Antonio just the other day I observed a driver ticketed for driving 100 mph in a 60 mph zone.  Officers stated that speed alone was not a factor in reckless driving. Had the primary driver in this incident not utilized an unsafe lane change would we be here? There was no reference to the alleged speed of driver #2. 

Interesting case.

I would have liked to have been the fly in that officers unit to hear what he was verbalizing.

We have to develop safer industry and operator habits. As well as have industry standards, procedures and policies driven by safety, not the p&l statement. 

SDMO offers no protection againt an impaired driver. Or the mixed beverage lobbyists.

This forum will provide you with thousands of years of exerience, knowledge, education, and training. 

Take your time with the restoration. The museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee is a great resource. Post some pics please.

Have a great day.

That is a "I'll have to call you back I just had a crash", moment. Text you later.

Why did I not get a text warning me there was a trailer in the road?

Sad and disappointing. A very poor representation of what it means to be a professional. Even worse when you understand and comprehend that this is the perception many have of the industry.

I worked for a man decades ago who always stated and stressed that your word is your bond. Without it you are lacking in value. 

I always value a persons time with family. People should be working to elevate their position in life and improve their status in life for themself and their family. 

If you need time ask for it. And when your employees ask for it do all you can to accommodate them. Life is short. It is meant to be enjoyed. 

I will not work for someone who has no integrity. I will not work for someone who does not value my safety either. Birds of a feather hover under eaves in all kinds of weather.........

Scary indeed.

Instead of squandering money on adds which are a "great" pr stunt, why can AAA not step up and be an industry leader and state we will implement a roadside blocker program. Again, just as locks keep honest people honest, slow down move over only keeps safe drivers safe. It offers zero protection from a drunk or dope fiend driver. 

Those who are seriously and or life changingly impaired have long been forgotten. I strongly believe that a total of injured operators also must be tabulated. As well as a dollar amount that is placed on the injured person's family and employer. 

I still believe that a presentation featuring a mock fatality woulf benefit many operators to see thd real impact of the circumstances following an operator being killed on the side of the road. I know it is morbid, but it just might wake a few people up and get them to take their responsibility seriously rather than the, "It won't happen to me", or "sucks to be you" mentality that seemd to be omnipresent today.

You are correct Brian, the person providing traffic control should be certified and properly trained. And their should be a charge added to the service, just as a charge for go jacks, dollies, or unlocking a vehicle. I margin in a little extra when I use my cribbing blocks, because eventually I have to replace them. 

My attitude in marketing is parallel to the hot dog and beer vendor at Yankee Stadium. I am not out to sell everyone a hot dog and a beer. Those that want a hot dog and beer will pay a premium to have it now. It will be a quality hot dog and an ice cold beer. The mustard will be perfect, the relish will be fresh. I will not spill beer on you. I will not sell you a hot dog that looks like home made soap. But it will cost a premiun for what I have to offer. I am not looking to put a hot dog and a beer in every hand. Because profit is my best friend. 

As an industry standard, this should be a billed service for highway side service. If a number of individuals are doing this as a safety precaution, it should be a compensated part of highway service, either billed as a standard line item or absorbed into the hookup fee just as dropping dollies is.