GRUMPS The Towman

There is No way I could justify traveling 40 miles let alone 85 miles for something as trivial as a winch out. Are you charging in route mileage to this call? I would assume It was a relatively easy winch out if some dude with a pickup and a rope pulled them out and sent them on their way. Lets do a basic break down on this with the info provided. you got 1-1/2 of travel time at the very least if not more due to weather, 3/4 of a tank of fuel again at minimum. Even if the casualty was still there, you throw a line on him and pull him to the roadway, what do you charge for a basic roadside winch out? As for around here we charge $100 for basic light duty winch out service. It wouldnt have been profitable even if the casualty was still there. Again I am just going off of the information available. Maybe there were other circumstances that made this job more profitable to attempt. Please dont take this as I am bashing you. What I am trying to do is point out that you have to look at the big picture before running out on these types of situations. Not only to the original poster But, any new guys out there on this forum who may read this. I do hope that your taking them to small claims was a simple process and you collected. As Mr. Resch stated, It is generally not even worth the effort.

Ahh, the good ol days When you built what you needed out of what you had laying around. Cool looking machine!!!

Always hard to say goodbye to a good rig. May the new owners enjoy her and good luck with her replacement!!!!

I agree with Orcas tow. First thing to buy is some education on med/heavy towing. Spring shackles and risers will be your best friend for that under reach. but you must keep in mind that short/ low lift under reach set up is pretty limited on what you can do. I would certainly get a set up for the F550/5500 trucks because that truck is ideal for that kind of towing. I dont feel like you have enough reach or lift for coaches or buses. Not knocking your truck at all Its a good looking rig, but what you have there is a good sized medium duty rig. I wouldnt really call it a heavy by todays standards. Perfect for 6 wheelers and maybe the odd empty 10 wheeler.

Ive been "mirror slapped " before. I remember how scared s#!%less i was. Heres to hoping for a speedy recovery for the operator

They must have been HAULING A$$... Whats the speed limit there?? Nasty wreck. Nice job on the recovery. Looks like it went as well as it could have given the circumstances.

Unbelievable.... 4TH dui..... Should have been in PRISON after the first one.. With any luck the attempted murder of a state trooper will finally put her away.... Oh wait, they wont charge her with that.. she will get another dwi on her record and do 500 hrs of community service.

Glad to hear the operator is ok. And thank you to Watertown Towing for allowing photos of your damaged equipment to be shown. As a business owner I know it can be difficult to display your tore up equipment like that because it can give the general public a negative perspective of your business, But people NEED to see this and realize the carnage they cause when they dont pay attention. SLOW DOWN AND MOVE OVER!!!!!!!!

The murderer apparently spoke to the operator BEFORE he went into his room, grabbed a gun and opened fire through the window of his motel room.... So did the operator say to him I am stealing your $500 turd?? ...No... I am sure the operator told him his s#!t box was being repossesed for non payment. And whats worse is I can picture this dirtbag saying to him "ok I will get the key for you" which made this young, inexperienced operator stay and wait for the key. The murderer baited the operator. of course this is just my OPINION and I do not have any inside info regarding this cold blooded MURDER, It is just the way I see it happening.

Agreed. I keep a door key on my person at all times that way I can leave the truck running and locked. My truck is locked whenever it is out of my sight or if i am working in any shady neighborhoods. I had a towaway customer once try to jump in my truck while i was loading his illegally parked car. Thankfully I had locked the cab.

While I commend his efforts to ensure his load was secured, You MUST take the appropriate measures to ensure your safety. could it have been possible to travel down the road just a bit further and pull off to check your rigging? As a business owner I would prefer to have damages to pay for than have to attend one of my operators funerals. Get your lights on, reflective wear and work off the curb side to stay alive. There are too many people out there who just dont care or pay attention to anything happening around them. You must watch your own back because no one else will.

I didnt realize that myself untill you said that. My insurance is STRICT. 24 years old only. even my own son cant work for me legally till he is 24. hes 18 now n knows how to drive and operate better than most local operators around here. we are a small 2 man operation so maybe that has something to do with it. I dont know.

The charges should be MURDER..

its a medium duty truck if you use it as one.... isnt it???..... GVW is just a suggestion right???

Another selfish drunk who thinks NOTHING about anyone else has killed a man. Another tow brother. I pray for our lost brother operators family. I know this pain all too well. as of the 19th of this month will be 18 years since i lost my father in the same manner. Another life taken by a drunk. May he rest in peace with the love and memories of those he left behind.

Well deserved!!!! Congratulations Operator Heykoop

I am saddened to hear that the driver who did not obey the move over law died but I am very grateful to hear the operator is ok. Hopefully the operator involved was following a standard operating procedure such as running his equipment from the curb side. Sending prayers out to all affected

YOUR FIRED!!!!!!! And i wouldnt be able to keep myself from choking that dummy out so i would have to have my wife confront him with the sad news that he is no longer employed....

BEAUTIFUL Truck!!!!!! Congrats to Mothers Recovery.

That was a HARD impact. Trees dont give too much. That operator is lucky to be alive.

Got a call from a customer around 1130 pm stating his son had gone off the roadway on a seasonal road and rolled his 2500 chevy pickup. This particular road goes up a steep hillside into the back country where a lot of local hunters venture. Upon arrival I noticed the entire roadway leading to the casualty was sheer ice. I made the decision to walk the 3/4 of a mile up the hill to take a look at it. We brought spill containment supplies and straps and chains to secure it and prevent it from sliding down the hillside any further. After securing the casualty and insuring there were no fluid leaks We decided it was best to leave the casualty vehicle there for the night and have a go at it the next day after it warmed up and the road was passable. At 11 am the next day my partner and I got our equipment up the hillside and performed the recovery. Using both trucks we were able to slide the casualty forward about 5 feet to clear a tree stump, up-righted the vehicle and winched it right up the embankment and on to my roll back. Total time including the night prior was 1-1/2 hours The scene was cleaned up of all debris and the the truck was towed to the customers home.

I pray that for your safety and the safety of those who are around you that this is a joke or something you found online.. If your willing to abuse your equipment like that for a photo op then all i can say is I will say a prayer for your business.

Well deserved accolades to a REAL hero !!!! In a society that holds singers and tv personalities as "heroes" this man is the true meaning of the word.

Sadly, they got you. As time goes on you will get a feel for these situations. MUST get a cc up front and run it for at least what you would get for a goa before saddling up and heading out on it. Explain to the customer there will be two separate charges on their card at the completion of the service totaling the amount agreed upon. Explain that this is done to cover your expenses for dispatching your resources. If there is no cc available then its better to cut bait and walk then risk sending your man power and equipment out for nothing. The only towers rights you have are your own. Keep that in mind.

Welcome aboard and congratulations on the start up of your business!!! If your like most of us on here, then you like long hours, cold rainy and snowy nights and cold leftovers. glad to have you 👍