TowZone

We need Flora Bama Party Pics... Can anyone post those later. Thanks

I recently posted this question to a FB Group dedicated to "Rotators Only"

 

Here are some of the responses I received and I will use initials though some may be identified by the images they included.

 

HB said:

50 ton all day everyday

 

BB said:

Every day

 

GCS said:

Yup

 

MS said:

Only if we are extremely busy or it’s something heavy ie overweight dump truck or garbage truck

 

PS said:

50 ton with a knee boom all day everyday

 

JD said:

50 and 60 ... everyday

 

RP said:

Won’t pay bills just sitting waiting for a wreck

 

MM said:

A 1075 all day everyday don't think I was ever legal once with the weight

 

MG said:

50 ton all day long

 

TP said:

Both of ours are towing all the time

 

MW said:

Isn't normally not first but yes sir all the time

 

Jay Trgo said:

60 ton Jerrdan, 1135 , 2 -1150's and a NRC 6080 when needed

 

AV said:

4 out of 5 of ours roll all day. The 75 ton twin steer sits for the "big one".......

 

BW said:

JD 60 all day everyday!!

 

FH added:

 

BA said:

Everyday

 

CH said:

1150 every day

 

JB said:

Everyday

 

JP said:

1075 Twin-steer, all-day every day but it stays local and focused on the larger stuff when possible.

 

JD said:

When needed. Out at least Twice a week rowing

 

CG said:

Our 1075 usually once or twice a week

 

ByA said:

50 ton every day, 70 ton never

 

Warren Driscoll said:

Our 1075 will go out only for cranes, pumpers, diesal pushers etc unless the others are busy. We see the rotator as a specialty unit and if its needed its going to be more$

 

SouthernStar1 said:

All the time with my 1060

 

DD said:

Theres an under lift for a reason

 

WL said:

If needed

 

CS said:

All day, everyday

 

Mat Bartlett said:

Every day

 

ZB said:

Every day here

 

NB added:

 

IE said:

Yessir

 

SR said:

Yes we do

 

RM added:

 

CJSE said:

All 3 every day!

 

CC said:

All the time

 

LC added:

 

LN said:

 

AF added:

 

SC said:

 

KL said:

Nah. That's what the DTU's are for. Big Bitches stay inside unless there's work to do

 

JK said:

Yep

 

TCR added:

 

JM said & added:

Only big stuff or unless we are really busy.

 

RH added:

 

DD added:

 

FG said:

Every day

 

TR said & added:

Only when it’s something super heavy or needs a lot of wheelift reach other than that we use it for recovery only

 

BMP said:

It was in my travels so figured why not lmao

 

Brian Bell said & added:

Most tows are done with the B&B or the 5130 but if it’s bigger or if n I feel like it I’ll take the rotator and tow with it.

 

CW added:

 

WH said:

Two here sometimes three

 

ML said:

DID ALL THE TIME

 

BT said:

Everyday

 

JWF said:

Use mine everyday for all kinds of things

 

WD said:

As long as its close enough to still cover if a rotator call comes in, nothing long distance

 

Ron Pratt added:

 

JS said:

Every day.

 

MC added:

 

MC added:

 

JTP added:

 

MS said:

Every day!

 

JTS said & added:

Ten years now but been letting it rest while I use our DTU

 

KWK said:

Every tow I do is in my rotator

 

VA added:

 

BW added:

 

TW added:

 

KM said & added:

1075 towing a bobtail

 

JD added:

 

VC said:

Everyday everyway

 

sweiljr said:

We do with two of the the other one is primarily for recovery just a back on towing

 

JL said & added:

Nope, we take the UL off them as soon as we get them

 

TowZone said:

Wow, more than 100 replies. That's amazing, it's also odd considering I have been trying for more than two months to give away a 36" TowMate Light Bar valued at over $1100.00

Keep em coming, our goal is to giveaway this TowMate Light Bar on or around October 1st. However, we need to get close to the 100 qualifying recovery topics. Sounds like a steep hill to climb, but we never know till we try.

 

Thanks to @Orcas Tow @dperone @ESC @mooresbp for your participation. A decade there would have been numerous members creating posts for a giveaway and the prizes were smaller back then. We're going to get this back on track.

I couldn't make it down to the show. So, someone get us some images and even a FB Live would be fantastic. I'll transfer that over into this topic> Thanks and have a Great Time!

 

Some live it, but many don't... Either way this interview is moving and I am glad to have had it brought to may attention through this series of events. So, if you have time to sit and watch an hour long show, I recommend this interview. I believe a the Lord placed this man in that intersection at that precise time for a reason. Those of faith can relate to what I am saying.

 

Just as I believe the Lord has guided us to this new network message board.

 

The Towing & Recovery Industry lost it's center and it will take a Force to bring it back.

I tried everything to get there, too many taking vacations this month. Have a Great Show!

Old Post, has anyone dealt with Roadside Protect?

Thanks Alex, I am in 100% Agreement. I have been to jersey the home of those jersey barriers. They are even closer to the roadway then ours here in the Midwest and traffic flies just as fast.

 

This starts with the drivers of the disabled vehicle as well: I have had more than one driver stop in the fast lane or lane of traffic because they had a flat tire and there was no shoulder. They just fail to understand the dangers Tow truck Operators and other emergency res-ponders witness.

 

We are all on the same team: Correct we are a Force of Tow Operators, it's difficult to watch out for ourselves in these hazardous situations. Much less watch for others though that often happens and those who fail to understand the dangers are often confronted with them. This situation could have taken many different turns. As they could have been struck prior to the arrival of the tow truck or the tow truck driver could have been struck. There is no good outcome when things go wrong. The fact that you reacted and slowed the bleeding saved a life. Sadly the lack of understanding the dangers we face cost him his leg and impacted not only his life but yours as well. You are a True Hero!

 

 

Amazing and since he is right there in New Jersey I would suspect he could receive a Medal at Festival Night this year.

 

I do not know how many of us could have dealt with this in the same manner. It just re-enforces the reason to know where your customers are at all times. I do not like putting them in the cab. My preference is away from the roadway with a recognizable escape route. Having them within the tow operators vision as that tow operator attempts to watch and listen for the traffic sounds and load the vehicle. It's difficult enough to save ones own life without the need to save another. Had this operator been closer to the victim he likely would have pushed to customer out of the way and become the victim himself. Expect the unexpected!

Dear Tow Operator,

    I saw you on the side of the road today and I did as I had been told. I made sure to slow down and move over to give you room to work.

   I never really thought about it, I just did it because it was the right thing to do. I went on my way, later that night I happen to turn on the news. I heard the reporter say a tow truck operator had been struck and killed.

   My mind rushed back to that scene where I recognized the slow down and move over. Even though I never saw you, I knew you were there.

  The news report went on to give the location and I was glad it wasn’t you. Now, I am sad that another did not recognize the dangers of your job. If only they had followed the same slow down and move over that I had, one of your fellow tow operators would be home with their family as I am with mine.

First Draft by Ron Parrish for review. I'll keep working on it or not.

I will make some changes as I see them now. But, I want your opinions Bad or Good...

Lest we forget them on the long road home

 

The tow operator stood and faced his Maker, which must always come to air.
He hoped his chains were left behind and he hadn't brought them on to bare.
"Step forward now, wrecker driver how shall I deal with you?"
Have you always rendered aid? To your Maker, have you been true?
The tower, with dirt on his hands, said "No sir, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who drive wreckers can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've taken people cars, because life is just that tough.
But I never took a penny, that wasn't mine to keep.
Though I logged a lot of hours when the bills just got too deep.
And I never passed by a cry for help though at times I had little to gain,
and sometimes, please forgive me, I could do little more than feel their pain.
I know I don't deserve a place among the people here.
They only wanted me around in their worst of moments there.
But if you have a place for me here, well...it need not be too grand.
I never expected or had too much so if you don't...I'll understand."
There was silence all around the room where the saints respectfully stood.
As the tow operator waited quietly, for the judgment...bad or good.
"Step forward now, wrecker driver, you've borne your burdens well.
Come tow on heaven streets, You've done your time in hell."

 

Attached is a Death Notification from PTRAA:

 

The Arkansas Tow Industry lost a great man and friend to many, Cale Hopkins. Cale and his wife Michele own Searcy Towing & Autoworks in Searcy, Arkansas. Cale was active member and regional direct with the PTRAA for many years. Cale died suddenly after suffering a heart attack. Cale was dedicated to helping anyone who crossed his path and his memory will live on forever.

 

Memorial Service:
Monday, August 5, 2019 at 6:00 pm
Trinity Baptist Church
1600 E Moore Street
Searcy, Arkansas

 

Thought's & Prayer for this Tow Operator listed in Critical Condition. I have searched for any updates as the is now been more then 12 hours. Do we have any members in Georgia that can provide further details and the current status of the Tow Operator?

 

UPDATE:

One of the Georgia HERO Drivers Posted this on a FB Group>

 

TOW OPERATOR HIT last night - I-285 in Atlanta.
Operator taken to the hospital in critical condition
No Company Name on Truck -

UPDATE: per police on scene he’s expected to be okay.
He was taken from the scene to surgery.

Welcome JT, Nussbaum Wreckers & Carriers was once a an Active & Respected Sponsor Member Company on Tow411. With the move to TowForce and the sale of the dealership, the sponsorship expired. Hope to see All American as one of our active Jerr Dan Dealers soon.

I know many Tow Truck Operators now carry, not sure I would go as far as to say "too many towers who carry" However, keep in mind we do not live in the world we grew up in, the dangers both roadside and domestic have increased. Now Firefighter and EMS carry, even Garbage Collectors Carry. Are more guns the answer, in a perfect world of course not. However, we do not live in a prefect world and we must be prepared for the unexpected. The fear however will be that the person with the gun will not be properly trained. Details of this event involving a Tow Op and A Gun are still pending. Hopefully, at some point we have details and an industry insurance professional that can advise.

 

Now, I open carry and I carry the USCCA Insurance. I highly recommend this to everyone who carries a firearm. While we hope to never use that weapon to defend ourselves. Having the firearm is a responsibility and should be a last resort, not a first response. As more details of this story are revealed we will learn if this is a justified shooting or something that will result in charges. Leaving the scene of the incident brings more unanswered questions.

 

I encourage everyone to be wise and be insured choose USCCA

 

CHECK IT OUT BY CLICKING THIS LINK

 

Another Gone Too Soon. Cale Hopkins joined Tow411 in February of 2008. Cale made the move to TowForce in June of 2018.

 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Family, Friends and those at Searcy Towing & Autoworks

Jacobs Towing wrote:

 

We had a very important and dedicated employee get hit today. Not just a employee but a good friend someone who was always there when you asked him for help. Someone who is known by many as a friend, son, and a father.

 

Everyone please keep him, his family, and friends in your heart and prayers. I know we have all heard of people getting hit but it never hits you until it happens to someone that you know.

 

We all have got to come together and start paying more attention to our surroundings when we are out driving day to day. If you see lights regards if they are red, blue, or amber please slow down and move over. Because we all have family’s, we all have friends and you never know what can happen.

 

Trucks can be replaced but people can’t. Please keep him and his loved ones in your prayers and please slow down and move over.

This Incident which occurred nearly a year ago has been Featured as a safety review.

 

 

TONTO BASIN, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- A trooper was hurt after a car crashed into his patrol SUV while he was assisting a stranded driver on State Route 87 north of Mesa on Monday.

 

The crash happened on southbound SR-87 near milepost 227, northeast of Mt. Ord around 2:27 p.m.

 

The Arizona Department of Public Safety said a trooper was assisting a stranded driver off right with a tow truck at the scene when an elderly man crashed into the rear left corner of the patrol SUV.

DPS said the driver told investigators he "blacked out" prior to the crash.

 

The trooper was sitting inside the patrol SUV at the time of the collision.

 

DPS said the tow truck driver had to dive under his truck in order to avoid being struck by the car.

 

RESOURCE LINK

Not many days go by that I do not recall something Philip said. The Industry lost a huge supporter and active member. Few Step to the plate like Philip. So, it only makes sense that Heaven would take him from us. Now we need a minimum a half dozen to take his place. I am nearly certain he would be proud of how far the TowForce has come in such a short time. Tow411 was breaking about the time he was called home. But, no other social media can replace the organization of a message board. Who will step to the Plate?

 

Topic originally created by bone5k in June of 2007:

 

How much time are you willing to spend on a scene with a member. I.E. winch outs, extra time for unusual circumstances. What are you "recovery/ winchout limits" "standby" limits?

 

unknown member said:

After 30 minutes it cost extra. We will stay as long as the club or member will pay for our time and service. We have never left a job because we run out of time. It is always OKed in advance.

 

fairway said:

15 minutes included in the base per call pay, extra per minute after that.

 

cdntowguy said:

10 min "on scene" for a GOA.-yes we get paid for GOA's
30 min for winching-after on scene - till clearing, member pays after that.

usally 10 min for anything else, if the car wont start after 10 min we would normally recommend a tow to a garage- but some members want to keep on trying. The problem with that, is starters get burnt out and they want you to replace it, or the car is badly flooded it gonna blow the intake right off the manifold.

if "unuasual circumstances" means waiting for a cab, or making sure some one is safe before leaving the scene, we make sure that is done in the most effeciant way we can,regardless of the time it takes.

Steve

 

Tropical Towing said:

I have a 15 minute rule on about anything, if I am not making headway on getting a customer on his way in 5 minutes I am out of their or doing something different and yes I charge for it time is money. Like a jump start, I will put the cables on it and let it charge for 5 minutes, if it will not start at that point either I tow it or go to the next job. If I am on a flat tire and having trouble getting the lugs off or having trouble getting the spare tire out of it's carrier I either tow it or go to the next job, I have other customers to serve. That is where we should charge by the hour and not by the job!

 

unknown member said:

Easy question, On every tire change I dislodge spare tire and check and fill with air before I take other tire off. At times I've plugged spare tire to make operational because AAA member didn't have money for over milage not everybody carries plugs but I do. How much service did you say you needed? Now you can change the flat one. Yes I did say I check pressure and fill with every tire change. I don't get paid extra for that.........Got an air compressor? Use it.

 

unknown member said:

I air up spares, but I don't consider than an "extra" for AAA or anyone. 90% of the time, if I didn't air up the spare, I'd be leaving the customer sitting on a tire as flat as the the one I just took off.

Plug one? Nope nada never no way. I don't do plugs.

As far as AAA customers in general, they don't get any more or less service than any other customer.

 

EdsTowing  said:

We get paid extra to air tires. Unless it is a new car, we check them all. The way I see it, a space saver spare has enough going against it never less being 10 or 15psi low. They have never questioned me. I feel it's just looking out for the safety of their member and it is in fact common for the tire to loose some air over a couple of years. I have an air port right by the drivers door on the truck that you can plug in a chuck with guage and air it with out taking out any hose. It's quick & easy.

 

bigberthastowing said:

We are not a direct AAA provider but have serviced AAA customers when they may not reach the AAA contractor. We spend as much time as needed to satisfy the customer and care for their needs. After 15 minutes we may bill for extended time. Winching is extra. Located in a small town (2500) in the country, we don't have to worry too much about two, five, six calls stacking up behind the customer because it is somewhat slow around here. I can afford to take the time necessary to be sure nothing is left to chance. The exception is a rotation call right in the middle of service. Then I'll go into high speed mode ( from 3 to say 4 miles per hour) to complete the job then proceed on to rotation. We have a pretty good local following but the MC business has just about dropped dead. GE completely died about two months ago and a couple had to be let go for monkey business. WE only service high end MC'c now. Going to check in a few weeks with AAA and ask about placing up on reserve backup. They have always paid the customer when we complete an invoice and a reimbursement sheet. I know that because I make it a point to call back in a couple of weeks to check on it. AAA customers seem to like us well enough to give referrals to other customers, AAA or not. Working in the boonies is good, but the mountains in Southwest Virginia take their share of clutches, brakes, and fuel consumption. We still WILL NOT charge to pry-bar that thar possum offun yo bumper for ya! We take a lot of pride in that!

 

unknown member said:

it all depends on the situation. if it is going to be a covered situation then we bill in 15 min intervals but you have to be carefull because alot of times the place and/or reason the person is stuck is not covered and when they call aaa for service they leave details out so before you take the aaa make sure it will be covered under aaa guide lines.also if you do go out and find it is not covered you can get paid thru aaa as a service call for going to the scene even if the cust refuses service when they find out they have to pay out of pocket.

 

Gullyman said:

I give the members outstanding service because I look at them like they are my customers not AAA's customers. It boosts my image as a tower to be contracted with them which has led me to become a very profitable mature business that will be around for a long time. I'm in a college town with a very captive customer base. I also do repairs at my shop and I'm right on main st. Sure AAA members can be a pain sometimes but outstanding service sets you apart from the competition.

Campus Automotive Inc.
1208 North Main Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060

 

unknown member said:

I agree to a point that they are your customer not the MC once your on scene, but at the same time 95% of MC customers will talk about what a great deal the MC is, because I got there fast and did a great job!!! When you talk to these people they never seem to remember the name of the tow company just how great th MC is. I treat all customers fair but those paying my rates get more bang for there buck then a MC customer that Iam getting 25% less to do the job. At AAA 60% off they got no bang just good professional service, few perks. Ive had paying customers tell me how great it is I would arrange the tow without them being thier, and they would bad mouth the AAA guy cause he would never do that for them, they are always suprised when I say that was me. I beileve most MC Members dont remember who helps them only the MC name good or bad.

 

unknown member said:

We give all our customers the same treatment and have a lot of customers request us when the call there MC

 

unknown member said:

well lets see recovies and extrications are not covered under the aaa policy, so those calls I give them all the services and rescources i have at my disposal, since its at cash rates or insurance in case of accidents. AAA calls i will cut my losses and walk away from it, knowing aaa will not pay for the time it takes. or the equipement.