GRUMPS The Towman

Now that i have some time I am gonna try to get some job pics posted. This is one we did back in January. Around 11:30 pm on a saturday I got a call from one of the local farmers that he had a truck " stuck" Across from the entrance of one of his barns. Being just a mile or so from my partners house, I called him and asked him to go pull him out. About 20 mins later My partner called me back and asked me to come down there with my backup wrecker. This is what the customer claims is "stuck" It is a 1993 International 4x4 that had a load of 6 round bales in it. All but 1 of the bales fell out and rolled down the ravine when the truck rolled over. Using my partners 2012 ram 3500 4x4 / chevron self loader on the rear and my "old bessey" a 1997 ford f350 4x4/ jerr-dann twin line wrecker on the front we were able to upright the truck in short order. I used a two part line from the ford to the frame at the spring hanger and used my second line to secure myself using a "holmes tree on the opposite side. My partner had enough room to get perpendicular with the rear of the casualty for maximum pulling power from his Ram. We then cleaned up all the oil and fluids that leaked out of the truck while it was on its side while the customer got more engine oil from his barn so he could fire it up and drive it into the entrance of his property right across the street. This was on a public road but way out in the country and is not regularly used. We did have my oldest son and my partners daughter ( both 18 years old ) posted at the tops of the roadway for traffic control should anyone try to come through.We did notify the local town due to some damage to the guard rail. My partner returned the next day to assist the customer with retrieving the 5 round bales that rolled down the 50-60' ravine. Other than significant damage to the passenger side of the cab, the truck was otherwise unscathed. We were able to assist the customer further by selling him a cab my partner had lying around from an old truck. ( He is a bit of a pack-rat )

Who here remembers using these?... My back certainly doesnt miss using these beasts. LoL

I feel that determining that the operator contracted the virus while at work is going to be difficult which may be an issue when trying to apply for workers comp. If I understand this right, the virus can incubate for up to 14 days from the time of exposure.

Yes I used my short set of ramps to load it. It might have made it without the use of ramps but it was close and i didnt want to chance it touching. I personally do like the load angle of the jerr-dan although mine is a touch steeper because my truck is 4wd. My buddy who owns another tow company in town has the identical truck to mine but 2wd and parked side by side my truck sits about 4" higher than his. I also used terry cloth towels between my straps and the wheels to prevent scuffs. Vehicles like this get the " no chain " treatment of course.

Grabbed this one after it just up and died on the customer. Finding a shop around here willing to touch it was another matter of sorts. lol

Well I learned something new. I have never heard of Fentron wreckers. I wonder how many I have mis - Identified over the years. They do have that holmes look.

My 1 ton chevy pickup with the 6.0 is the same way. 12mpg empty or loaded with the 26' racecar hauler.

I personally dont see an issue as long as the van isnt loaded to the hilt with tools, gear and such. with the 6.0 gas job, you will be passing everything but the gas stations. She does seem sucked down a bit with that caddy on the hook though. Might be time for a beefier set of springs or airbag levelers maybe? Its your truck so you know it best of course.

Your right chuckud, I stand corrected.440"s were single winches.

It looks like a holmes 440. I dont know about the wheel lift though. I have never seen a wheel lift like that. possibly home built?? I am 90% sure the wrecker body is a holmes 440

That was great !!!

Wow does that pic bring back fond memories !!! My dad had bought one new in 84 ( I was 4 at the time ) and ran it for years. He always said it was his favorite little truck. Although He took it out of service around 91 or 92 I want to say it was 98 or 99 when dad finally decided to get rid of it and had the guys in the shop scrap it out. I remember it was one of the very few times I saw my father shed tears. i spent most of my childhood in the passenger seat of that truck. Thank you for posting it ! It brought me on a great trip down memory lane.😊

Welcome aboard !!

As of now, ( It seems to change every 10 minutes ) NY state has auto repair facilities ( they have towing and transport listed under that category ) as essential business and are to remain open. All the shops i deal with are running skeleton crews. It feels as though we already have been shut down. There is just NO work out there. No body is going anywhere or doing anything around here. Dont get me wrong, I wholly understand It is a nessesary evil to get this virus to run its course. But I would be lying if I said I wasnt afraid for my business. I think your letter is a great Idea Mr. Resch and I hope the right people get to read it... Good luck to you Sir.

I will only go in as far as the very bottom of my wheel and ONLY if I can see whats under the water. if it is murky then it will get winched from dry ground or get left there till the water recedes. There is no exceptions. I remember years back the horror my father went through when he lost a truck to water damage after going about hub deep to recover a police car. Insurance basically told him to go fly a kite and they wouldnt cover a penny of the damages. If i remember right, ( I was like 12-13 ) the transmission and both front and rear differentials took on water.

Old tow, He is basically likened to a ambulance chasing lawyer. He runs a "recovery resolution firm" He is a guy people can call who feel they were overcharged for towing, recovery and storage charges. He will "work" ( more like terrorize and harass ) with towing companies, Police, State legislation, etc... to get a recovery bill lowered.. For a nominal fee of course..

The turd that just wont flush... I personally have never had the displeasure of dealing with him and his bogus "consulting firm" but I have friends who have years back. The stories I have heard are the stuff of nightmares. I wish you the best if he has sank his claws into one of your recoveries.

I have parked myself back behind another towing company working a scene, lights on of course as advanced warning for them if they are in a tricky spot like a the bottom of a hill with a poor line of sight if I just happen to be driving by. And they in turn have returned the favor to me as well. We are not blocking up lanes, just set on the shoulder to get people aware that somethings going on down the road a bit. And I have heard all about whats gonna happen if my truck gets hit doing this, insurance wont cover it and blah blah.. And my response is simple. I will deal with it IF it should ever happen. My truck can be replaced but the life of the operator working 200' in front of me cant be.

It is going to be tight for us. It already is. Work around here has slowed drastically. We are used to the up and down swings being a college city but this is like never before. I can say for sure that my plans of buying another truck this year are right out the window for now. We are just gonna batten down the hatches and try to ride this out. I wish all my fellow owners the best during these tough times. Do all you can to take good care of your crews.This too will pass. Good luck all!!

If your competitor fired this man for those reasons then they did him a favor. Your new operator did not need to be working for a company like that. The way I see it If he is a good operator then you scored on their stupidity. I dont have any employee issues being just my partner and I but I certainly applaud you and any other reputable companies that are willing to work with your employees schedules to ease their burdens at home. Your operators are your lifeblood. Without them your business is nothing more than a yard full of expensive trucks and equipment. Take good care of your men and they will return the favor.

I do agree with you Mr. Resch which is why i said in my statement that advanced warning has its place at recoveries and such meaning difficult loads like a low profile, wheel offs etc. Basically a good size up of the situation dictates what if any advanced warning actions will be needed. Using Rush's senario as a guide for my remarks is why I said 3-5 minutes to load. It appears to be a older chevy malibu, up on all 4 tires, I know where the hook up points are on that vehicle so this would be a grab and go in my opinion. It comes down to knowing how long it is going to take, identifying any issues that will take longer and leave you exposed longer. There is a moderate level of common sense and experience needed to decide whether to grab and go or set up your perimeter. I personally will ALWAYS be one that feels the less time I am exposed to the drooling, knuckle dragging motorists on the road, the better off I am.

Very very glad to hear you are ok. and I am with you. 3-5 minutes on scene is spot on. Get ahold of it and get your ass outta there. Now dont get me wrong, flares, cones and signage have their place at recovery scenes and such but for a disabled tow off a shoulder, Speed and efficiency are key and more than likely saved your life in this senario.

One MAJOR element of preventing free-spool instances is winch maintenance. So many towers overlook their winches untill there is an issue. It is critical in my opinion to maintain your winch and free spool linkage regularly. Loose or improperly adjusted linkage can cause the winch to not fully engage. Bad wraps and bird nested line will "jump" as it is rolled in causing shock load on the line and rigging possibly causing breakage. Proper maintenance and lubrication can prevent many of these instances. Also, when engaging the winch, it is a good practice to stop and visually check that the free spool is completely engaged before putting a load against it. If there is any signs of wear or damage to the winch OR the line, place the unit out of service untill proper repairs are made.

As far as the headache rack, I am gonna say that might be old damage. But with the wire rope, my guess is due to the damage to the drivers controls maybe the p.t.o. was engaged and when the semi struck the controls, the damaged /mangled linkage ran the winch untill the operator shut the truck down after the wreck. Just a guess.

It does happen. It is rare but possible. (obviously). The lower pivot pins on the one that I had seen do it were seized and we came to the conclusion that that was a contributing factor due to the excess stress when moving the boom up and down. I believe it was a jerr-dan unit if I remember right.