TowZone

01-16-05: Marek Gdansk wrote, Hello everybody !!! My name is Marek and I work with my partner Maciek in our company - HOLSERVICE. We work together since 15 years 25 ! hours a day and 365 day a year. I think we must be crazy to love this job as you are Maciek started connect with you 2 weeks ago ans shows you some pics. with our tow trucks. Best regards from Gdansk from Poland Auto Rescue said: Welcome to the forum...John R. Doug Fitzgerald said: Hello Marek, Welcome to Tow 411. Nice to hear from towing operators from other parts of the world. From the pineywoods of East Texas Doug datowman said: hello marek and welcome to the forum. Stay Safe John wonderboys said: Hello Marek, Welcome from East Texas. John buggage said: And welcome from Virginia!! Wow, Poland...that's cool!!Regards, Jase Tow1238 said: Howdy and welcome. Maresco motors said: Welcome from New Jersey. Dennis Bigberthastowing said: Didn't know e-mail could go that far. Ain't it amazing? Welcome! Thomas Be safe and always watch for oncoming traffic while roadside. Stevo said: Welcome...From Virginia,,,:Your going to love this site. Tow Long And Prosper MNPOOL said: Marek: Hello & Welcome from West Texas

There is finally a News Story which has been added above. Our Thanks to courtesytowing for getting this Tower Down to us so quickly. http://www.wtok.com/content/news/Local-tow-truck-operator-killed-on-the-job-on-I-59-470014983.html

Thoughts and Prayers, we'll be watching for a news report.

NationalAuto said: Which problem first? Appears to be a light duty carrier with a 10 or 12K bed and standard wheel lift likely rated at 3500 or 4000 pounds. Any or all of that is a problem while towing this RV Also, nothing on the bed in the way of a counter weight. Some bed manufacturers tell us NOT to tow w/ wheel lift unless bed is loaded. I bet stopping this is a bear. And I only see one light duty safety chain that I can see. I see no light cord so it is either out of view or they are wireless, I hope. Did they pull the drive shaft? Looks like axle shaft on this side has not been removed, ie: no oil I can see. To their credit, the one wheel grid I can see does have a strap. Few towers in this area are aware that straps are required. RLC4523 said: Just because you can doesn't mean you should.............and I agree w the first comments. BigWheelRecovery said: I'M sure the tow company thought they were towing something like a Dodge camper front unit an traveled out there an this is what they found. We along with every other tow co. are asked how much to tow our camper, it's a small one, when you get there your caught an driving back for the goose you loose.Your driver calls back an you say OWell hook it an then call me when you see how it looks if not to bad come in easy. Now with a ramp truck an a vehicle on the wheel lift the ramp has a long extention from the rear axles so the camper will move up an down quite a bit compare to a wrecker where the wheel on the tow truck are all the way back. On the ramp hook up the camper tail end with hit the pavement if the truck just goes over a slight crown in the road or driveway, that's only a couple of safety problems with this I'll name a few more after other add to it. Thanks BOB visit our new website bigwheeltowingandrecovery.com Sirknucklehead said: At least he didn't put it "on" the bed, I've seen that. Agree with the above posts. hti said: what would you estimate the weight to be on a motor home that size ??? NationalAuto said: My "guess" is 8800# RLC4523 said: No at least in Oregon that length combo would be no different than if it was behind our Medium duty and as for weight I think 8800 is underestimated probably looking at closer to 10-12000# I am guessing that MH looks to be a 24ft or so. Also for that RB to pick that MH the wheel lift would have to be so close to the tail board that there would be little to no turning room and I still can't imagine what the stopping capability would be if any when/if they started down the road. And as for the showing up thinking its one thing and finding out its another we have no problem calling for the correct truck or walking away. The amount of money you would charge for this tow would never cover the potentail damage that will be done to the RB. NationalAuto said: You are probably closer on the weight than I am. We would walk away from this too, on a rollback. Our reasoning would include the damage to our equipment but our first concern would be that with all that weight on the stinger, steering and braking are too compromised to even consider doing this job.

Are you or have you done business with INA. If so what was your experience? http://www.inatowing.com/

03-30-2005: Mark Wrote, My insurance now excludes all dogs period. Now matter how big or small, or if they are trained. Does anyone know of insurance for dogs. It seems silly, but in my state if a thief gets injured (including dog bite ) while burglarizing my business; I am responsible and will get sued. Steve said: Thats a damn shame. seems like theres something wrong with the system when someone committing a felony can sue the victim. Someday, one of these dirtbags is going to figure out its better just to fall off the fence and sue instead of actually stealing something. Ronnie said: You need to teach the dog to kill the burglar, dig a hole, and bury the body in the yard. That will eliminate the lawsuit.... lol... Be sure he digs the hole big enough to fit the lawyer. Don said: Do yourself a favor. Get rid of the dogs. I had dogs at one time. After a few dogbites, my insurance company at the time told me to get rid of them, or they would get rid of me. Get rid of the dogs and let the thieves pillage the yard all they want. The liability of that is less that paying for a chunk out of some fat lady's ass! The last fat lady's ass that one of my dogs bit cost my insurance company $10,000 Ronnie said: Mark…you may want to look into razor wire…Check the laws in your area…..We were having problems with theft all the time until about 8 years ago when we installed it on the top of all our fences and gates. You won’t have to shovel up behind the dog anymore. Mark said: Thank-you for the advice. Unfortunately, razor wire in my area requires special permits. Only prisons and detention facilities qualify. But, I have been training the dog to dig holes and bury the intruders. Only problem is for some reason my mechanic is missing . I think that insurance companies have cowered in the wake of BS law suits. They will continue to reduce their coverage's and limit their exposure while raising their rates. I wish that I could do that too. I would start out by doing what my contacts pay me to do. Then, I would only show up and not tow the car, ( God forbid that could be a risk.) and of course rise my price 20% . Then, I won't show up anymore, I'll just answer the phone , ( Got to reduce the risk exposure even more. ) and then increase the price another 20%. Finally, I won't answer the phone anymore and just expect a check in the mail every month for doing absolutely nothing, and I'll charge an extra 20% then too ! I think I'll just get an alarm system and take the dog home and make him the family pet . Do you know of anyone that offers dog insurance on a home owner's insurance???; Because mine won't take on the risk .

This Owners Den will not remain for long. The Owners Den can now be found in Clubs, click Browse click Clubs and then you can request to join the club. The Owners Den is returning to a Supporter Level Forum, members will need to be a Patron or Sponsor. Then verified company owner or manager, drivers have a separate club level forum that does not require a supporter status. Though it may require a minimal annual donation to the survivor fund for those who are not supporter level members. Is that reasonable? Oh, Owners with more than 10 years on Tow411 can request a supporter level waiver access to the Owners Den. Supporter Level Info There is also a supporter level membership portal via the store link. Keep in mind, All of this is being created ahead of our original schedule. In the continuing development of the New TowForce supporter levels can be found at http://www.towforce.net/store/category/1-subscriptions/ There is now more than one payment option. Thank you for your support, without you this is not possible.

01-09-2018: myerstowing wrote, I was looking to see if there is any current census data in regards to how many tow truck operators are employed in the United States. In comparison to other dangerous occupations, the statistics are compared in a per 100,000 workers formula. It is hard to compare the danger of the towing industry when there isn't a good number for comparison. For instance the easy ones to find are; truck drivers 3.5 million (multiple sources), 750,000 sworn police officers, 1,160,000 firefighters, 245,000 paramedics and so forth. Do you think we are categorized under truck drivers? In California our Workers Compensation code designates a class for "towing" so why isn't there data in regards to the number of tow truck operators? KL said: Here's a slightly educated guess. By NAICS code #488410 there are 18,939 tow companies in the U.S. By NAICS 4 digit segment #4884 the companies within that segment average 8.5 employees per company. So best guess would be 18,339 x 8.5 = 155,882 tow company employees. Of course this number does not capture data from companies whose primary business is not towing for example a body shop or trucking company nor does it differentiate between types of employees i.e. drivers vs. dispatchers, etc. MaP said: Latest figures I could find are for second quarter 2017, NAICS code 488410 "Motor Vehicle Towing." For total U.S., there are 9,258 towing businesses employing 62,707 with average weekly wage of $725.

01-11-2006: Ed Barker Wrote, Just was wondering if anyone has any history and pictures of HUBBARD wrecker bodies.If you do I would love to see some posted . Thank You. Chaser8003 said: We had one. That thing was bad to the bone!!!! I think she lives somewhere by the kentucky-tennessee line. We sure do miss that thing. 75 International fitted with 89 Hubbard. Autorescue said: Floyd's always has interesting units! Buddy Corgan said: That thing is down right cool, Chase! hdtowman65 said: I luv it! That is one tuff lookin truck. Towboy88 said: Interesting unit. Can we get a Floyd's fleet picture sometime?

02-17-2006: Originally posted by Spanky 1948 GMC COE, Holmes model 515. VintageTruckNut said: love the old coe we several macks one 1953 big job 750 ford you saw picture 2 yr ago i am sorry ihave not got in touch too busey getting more old iron ithink were at 25 trks still looking. vintagetrknut. Spanky said: I thought it was kinda odd for a Chrysler Dealership, having a GMC Wrecker, instead of a Dodge. Lol

01-10-2006: Written by InTowMan, ...if you could save money on insurance? Here is an interesting article on some trials being conducted in the US and UK...what are your thoughts? For a price, would you let car insurer along for the ride? The entire technology industry is about to go down the toilet as a bursting real estate bubble crushes the world economy. But that's OK, because I just found out how much I can save on my car insurance ... Couldn't resist. Actually, this is more about how technology is going to change the whole idea of car insurance - and how most of us eventually will let insurance companies monitor every move we make in our cars. We'll do it for the same reason we happily use those little grocery store discount cards, which let the grocery store companies monitor every item we buy. That reason is money. Give us a price cut, and we'll give up some privacy. As long as it seems like a fair shake, we're usually on it like seagulls after a dropped Cheeto. Mass car monitoring is still years away. But it's been one year since the launch of two key tests - one in Minnesota and one in the U.K. - that use technology to track aspects of driving. Based on results of the monitoring, drivers can get discounts on their policies. Both tests are going well enough that they're now being expanded. And here's an interesting twist: The monitoring seems to be getting people to drive more safely - not because they're afraid of repercussions, but because they're motivated to get bigger discounts. So instead of red light cams and state troopers with radar guns, maybe the way to get people to obey the rules of the road is to pay them to do it. Big insurer Progressive launched its trial, dubbed TripSense, in Minnesota last August. Customers who sign up are mailed a device the size of a Tic Tac box with instructions on how to plug it into the electronics under the steering column. The gadget tracks only two things: speed, and the day and time a car is being driven. Customers know upfront what behavior brings discounts. For instance, the less the car's speed is above 75 mph - the top speed limit in Minnesota is 70 - the bigger the rate cut. The discount also is bigger if you don't drive at the most dangerous times, such as right after the bars close on a Saturday night. Every few months, each customer unplugs the device and uses a USB cord to hook it into a PC and download the information. As a hedge against fears about Big Brother, Progressive allows the customer to see the info and decide whether to send it in. If you've been driving like Batman during a chase scene, you'd get no discount anyway - so hit delete and just pay the standard amount. About 4,800 Minnesotans are using TripSense. Their average discount is about 12%. Progressive is starting to roll out the test nationwide, hoping to get up to 15,000 participants. "We're still in research mode," says Progressive executive Dave Huber. In focus groups, the company is finding out some interesting stuff. "Participants are more aware of their own driving," Huber says. "They're certainly more aware of their speed. To a person, they say that when they hit 75, the foot comes off the accelerator." However, people seem to have less ability to alter when or how much they drive. Like Tracey Cochran of Rochester, Minn., a night-shift lab technician at the Mayo Clinic, who talked with me about trying TripSense. He drives home from work at the riskiest times, so he rarely gets a discount. "I learned I drive well - it's just at the wrong time of day," he says. When I ask Cochran if he has fears about his privacy, he says, "No, not really." The test in the U.K., though, pushes the concept of privacy to a whole different level. Using technology developed by Progressive and IBM, British insurer Norwich Union has been testing a program called Pay As You Drive. The device includes global positioning system (GPS) technology, plus wireless capabilities so the device can constantly send your driving data directly back to Norwich Union. Users don't get to see their info first and decide to send it in. Norwich Union's system not only monitors when and how fast you drive, it also sees WHERE you drive. If you tend to regularly park behind an adult book store in a dangerous neighborhood, Norwich Union will know. Presumably, the worst consequence is you won't get much of a discount - and such information would never be subpoenaed for, say, a divorce hearing. Norwich Union recently started testing a way to offer this technology to parents of teenage drivers, who typically have car insurance premiums that look like the budget for a NASA mission. If the teen has his or her own car, Norwich Union can use its device to charge for insurance based on usage. Drive safely in the daytime and pay about 10 cents per mile. Drive after 11 p.m. and pay about $2 a mile. A lot of Americans might say they're aghast at Norwich Union's monitoring. But what if you're a very safe driver and you feel that - because actuaries throw you into a pool with all the lane-shifting, speeding, road-raging dregs of humanity - you unfairly pay for others' recklessness? Would you accept a monitor in trade for a much lower bill? Wouldn't you feel better knowing that the guy who cut you off going 90 mph will have to fork over a lot more cash for the privilege? What if monitoring coaxes millions of people to behave better on the roads, making everyone safer and ultimately bringing down all insurance costs - and making it less likely that your kid is going to die in a highway pileup? It seems unlikely that any U.S. lawmaker would ever dare force car monitoring on us, but a decade from now, we might find ourselves buying into it, one person at a time. Then, like those grocery cards, suddenly car monitors could seem as common and acceptable as house keys. By the way, did you know that in Finland, taxis have tiny video cameras that monitor the passenger compartment? But we won't even go there. At least not yet. Kevin Maney has covered technology for USA TODAY since 1985. His column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of Technology columns. E-mail him at: kmaney@usatoday.com. www.usatoday.com/money/in...ring_x.htm Anaron said: (Now Retired) Absolutely not! Insurance companies are just looking for another way to avoid paying claims. There is no such thing as saving money on insurance. They are going to make the amount of money they desire regardless. If I remember correctly, a few years back an investigation of the insurance industry showed that insurance companies were making a huge profit on insurance writing but were losing large amounts of money on investments. Increases in insurance premiums were to offset their investment loses. Granted, there are areas in which the insurance companies do lose money but isn't that what insurance is for - to spread the risk over a much larger area? Not any more! If the claims are too much or too frequent, they simple quit writing that particular insurance or inact exhoribant premiums on that segment. Laws requires us to have insurance but is very lax in the requirements of how insurance companies should perform. Each and every year more and more EXCLUSIONS are added to insurance policies. Instead of insurance companies monitoring us, we should be monitoring the insurance companies. It is rapidly becoming the norm for insurance companies to exclude "things" they should be covering. When I became a tow company owner in the early 80's, one policy covered the tow truck, liability, cargo, the complete operation. In the mid 80's, every year the insurance industry would come up with a NEW policy we must have because we were not covered for such and such! Now, I must have a separate policy for tow truck liability, damage to tow truck, cargo insurance to protect while towing, a policy to cover while hooking/unhooking, nonconsent towing, loss of income, etc. etc. Wonder when we will be required to have a policy covering us while we are fueling up? Back in the old days, you would pay a certain unsavory group a "protection fee" to protect your business, most of the time from the very group you were paying. Not much different today!Ron Burnes Reply by Kelly - Fred's Towing - Stevens Point, WI (No Longer A Member) I don't know about monitoring our tow trucks, but I do have Progressive Insurance for my personal vehicle. I am participating in the Tripsense program. The paperwork that I approved states that I get $50 for every 6 months I keep Tripsense in my car. Also, it states that the information compiled can not be used to raise my insurance rates. It seemed like an okay deal for me. Maybe at some point I will regret having my insurance company know exactly how far I travel and how fast I do that, but for now, $50 is $50. Gerry Sienk said: Insurance companies are in business to make money, not pay claims. I saw a insurance company report back in 1998, the report produced by the insurance companies showed the cost of all claims on autos including medical and rental and underwriting cost was averaged about $226/year per insured auto. So how many of you were paying that? I know some who are paying for minimum coverge were paying less than a year but that is truly the exception!

No you should be able to upload your images into the topic. When creating the topic there is a space below the text Drag files here to attach, or choose files Click choose files then click on your image and click open or drag the image into the topic. Once you click open the image will show in the space below your text. Set your cursor where you desire the image to appear in your post. Then either click the image or drag it to that location.

iqtech Responded: what jumps out at me in that pic is 1: no safety vest 2: service truck is parked incorrectly (should be a bit further back and at an angle) and 3: which one is the service truck driver? no uniform or anything like that. other than that on a nice wide shoulder like that I would have no issue changing the tire instead of towing it. Latta Responded: We will not change a tire on the highway. It seems like the spare is always flat/low, bolts are on way too tight, etc. When one of us goes out, it's a Null, not an employee. I'll be damned if I'll go to my brother's funeral over a tire change. Kochesauto Responded: I too agree with all of the above comments(move vehicle to safer location)makes you wonder how many operators we loose each year doing tire changes and gas calls.the real challenge is to get the motoring public,pd and most of all MOTOR CLUBS that sometimes this is the better way.these days I walk away from a tire change in a bad spot if not allowed to tow to a safer place. Steve Catlett Responded: I will not let my drivers due a tire change on the highway for any one. No exceptions! There well being is my company's top priority. As for the picture I to agree were is this mans safety clothing or a least a fee orange cones. Midwesttowing1985 Responded: I can understand anyone who wants to get a car off of a major highway to do a tire change.But for me, I have been changing tires on the side of I-80 for about 25 years so I guess I am somewhat used to it, but since the topic has come up, I have timed how long it takes me to do the average tire change and then the average load up time of a vehicle with a flat and it turns out that it takes less time to change a tire if it all goes right plus about half of those tire changes are away from the traffic side. I should add that when we do a tire change, we use a small service truck which has everything needed for changing tires. It helps having all the right tools, it makes the the job go much faster. Vernon75 Responded: I agree with midwest towing 100%. The only time it may take longer with me is with a GM or chrysler veh that has the spare under the car. Up here in the north east everything gets corroded and the spare won't drop down. BigWheelRecovery Responded: Sometimes we get set in our ways an you might not be able to see the forest through the trees, then something really bad happens to you or a family member that money can't fix. Then we start with the I should of or could of... but it's to late for that now in 3 days the funeral will be over, we lost a branch on the family tree. Things really sink in when the phone rings an someone is asking for your son Tommy, man you have to say he's no longer with us, then they ask did he quit or get another job, he always said how great it was working with my Dad? Your eyes start to water an you realize it was the lack of proper training he didn't get outside your business, because you were busy an had to have Tommy ready to respond to those cheap motor club calls. Everything you do is fast fast cause its only 20 bucks an now that's the price a life was worth. Lets STOP an think about what has been happening to us an our industry, most of our nearly 100 towers that are killed every year are doing motor club calls and most companies that do these calls have huge turnovers of personal, mainly because the calls pay short money so it's hard to find seasoned and certified people with clean driving records that can pass a drug test for low hourly rates or commissions. Also, tow company bosses are at times not forward thinking, they're still buying dangerous cheaper priced equipment for there people mostly because they're still thinking about what was good 20 years ago. My view, no tow company should be doing Police calls on any highway with a ramp truck that doesn't have an auto grip. It cost $3500 more and when you sell the truck you get $3500 more because it has a Autogrip, it's free. Regular wheel lifts are the wrong tool and should be banned, think about it your guys are on there hands an knee's beside a car or small truck in the middle of the highway with traffic at 80 mph. Getting out of the way of a speeding driver not paying attention, while playing with those L bars an frozen pins, trying to adjust the opening space an install the safety straps, dumb. Also some of us are still buying ramps with the head boards attached to the truck frames, man no thought when into that purchase. I say if you own one get rid of it and order one with the head board is attached to the body. Think for a moment the ramp goes back then you tilt it, guess what you just covered your rear tail lights an because the head board is frame mounted the bed goes up an you are now blocking your take downs an your amber's at 3am, your all blacked out on an unlit highway nothing good will come out of that, just think about it that's all I ask. The last two responders above this post most likely haven't lost anyone yet or had close ties with another tow company that did. So maybe the real danger hasn't hit close to home for them, well they have been lucky so far and that's great. Anyway our company policy, we don't change tires on the highway, we go to the next exit ramp, you have to go there anyway, also don't take your side rails off your ramp they will help you get off the highway faster. Another point, make sure your guys put there level 3 safety vest on before getting into your tow trucks going to all calls, not in the middle of the road at a scene. Maybe with a little thought we can avoid a real tragedy. That's my view if you agree say so, train your crew properly with programs such as WreckMaster. If you have a different opinion speak up, silence won't save any lives here . Thanks again BOB TowZone Responded: Think about it strobes can be mounted to the front corners of the bed when using a stationary headboard. Sadly, many companies have minimal lighting. Then again there does not seems to be a correlation between vests and lighting as a solution to resolving or decreasing the number of roadside deaths. Not to discount any and all safety measures, as we must all take precautions and we must all work to educate others. We do this so that we do not read their name in the paper one day. It is hard to break old habits as I hear I can do it faster on the side of the road. I ask, but can you do it safer? In the instances where drivers have been struck and killed, the majority were wearing a vest. They were conducting a proper tow and they were doing every thing right. They were in control of the situation, except the situation changed and they were not in control of the variables which came from outside their focus area. That control rests with the person armed with a steering wheel. They have the control to Slow Down Move Over, I want to see a campaign which raises the awareness but the focus of most states is still on seat belts. If the public does not get it yet they never will, we need to encourage them to focus more on a plight. In this first discussion, I took the photo... No one will ever know if I altered a destiny by taking the time to stop. Sure there was enough space from the white line, but that is not a bearer. That line does not prevent a distracted driver from crossing it and neither do the bumps on some interstates. It only takes a second, even a driver who is not impaired can become distracted and cross that line. Look at the image and imagine that I am the vehicle that just crossed the line.Think about it, now quickly could you react, your already to late! You even saw it coming because the support vehicle was not positioned in a manner that it would have taken the hit. If you are going to or must do a tire change on the side of the roadway use your vehicle as a barrier, turn the wheel into traffic and not straight. If it is struck then it should take the impact and veer away from you. This practice may very well give you a few extra second to react and save your life. Sadly, I once heard and owner say he would fire a driver who place his equipment in danger positioning it is such a manner. Think about it, is the equipment really worth more than a life? Go over safety procedures regularly, if only with yourself. Littletow Responded: Interesting... I am surprised by some of these comments. Which is more important- Value of Life, your Time, Equipment, or Money? It does not matter what type of a call it was. Safety precautions should always be taken. It takes only a second, the last project I was on, a tower was tightening his load, no vest, on the shoulder, working on the drivers side control, a semi comes by didn't see him, and his 18 year old some watched as his father was tossed into the lanes of traffic, because the semi's mirror tagged him. In the years I have been teaching IM/ Safety across the US, the biggest mistake I have found, is when we become complacent/comfortable in what we are doing, someone loses their life. I challenge each of you to create a public service announcement (PSA) with your phone, upload it to you tube, and post it to your website, and all social media you are involved in. If you want to create awareness, this is the fastest and easiest way to get it out there. This is free marketing and awareness. Give it to your staff to post on their pages as well. Tell your customers about, have it playing in your offices... Many ways to do this. WE are responsible for not educating our staff, our customers and the public. Have safety meetings once a week, this is imperative with your staff. BigWheel Recovery Responded: Rod an I both mentioned in the above discussions that getting everyday work related safety issues out front is important. The picture at the beginning of this post says a lot about what untrained or unsupervised employees do when the boss is not around and exactually what I see as I travel around the country. I drive to most of our seminars including Baltimore, Ohio and Vegas (flew this year first time to Vegas an hated it, you don't see anything). Maybe its just the truck driver in me I guess. When traveling the highlight for me is to stop by some of the companies that have been to one of our classes. I really enjoy seeing their operations. Along the way, I commonly see tow operators changing tires or hooking disables on the Highways with no police around, no vest, and the truck is in front on a tire change. I feel it's time we all slow down a little and have a safety meeting with all operators present. We need to make it mandatory they follow your company safety policy and then have each one sign off that they were instructed on this policy. Place that form in there personal file as OSHA requires. If something happens OSHA will be at your facility with in 6 hrs with a big fine. Also, I see most tow companies buy the same old duplicated equipment you know it worked all those years fine so it must be OK. When hydraulic wheel lifts came out in the big wreckers everyone thought it wasn't ever going to replace the good old cable operated towbar, automatic transmissions in PickUp's and medium duty trucks who would ever buy that? Well look around try to find a big wrecker without a hydraulic lift. Now, if you don't have an autogrip on one of your ramps today then your probably saying what the heck is BOB talking about, I understand that, we have 5/ 550 ramps all equipped with Autogrips and have been using them for many years. We never have to get inbetween any vehicle an can always work the controls away from the traffic side,best part we don't have to use the bed much only for the 4x4's or real twisters.When you go to tow show's you'll only see the same old dianasour wheel lifts on ramps there's never any autogrips on show models simply because everyone is price shopping there not safety shopping. All I can say, if you try one or buy one then you will see how crazy it was to have your crew work with those dangerous on your knee's wheel lifts especially in the snow an rain. Now as far as side rails well that's another pet pev of mine, just watch a tow operator in the middle of the highway at a 2 or 3 car crash, he might not be able to take his vehicle perfectly straight on, he attaches his bridle an winches the damageded vehicle up on to the bed it hits the side rails an is guided up without going on crooked he's off the road. Without the rails, one wheel might be hanging over the side of the bed, the cars crooked and you look bad. Now, I know we all can run snatch blocks from side to side to guide it on but that takes precious time and exposes everyone to oncoming traffic for much longer including the State Police directing traffic.With side rails on, no need to reach over the sides of the bed or climb on the bed all points can be secured from the sides. Oh well that's my thoughts on these safety issues. BOB

From the: Tow It For What is a new series of images submitted for discussion. If you have an image that you want to submit for discussion, send it to admin@tow411.net

Here's a shot of Saul with "Bad Ass".... Take Care... Steve

You can do it with a 1 ton and trailer! Saw this today next to the drivers licence station. I also saw a DOT car drive by. Guess we are doing it all wrong. I took this pic from the stop down the street. I thought at first it was a 3/4 ton. When I drove by it was a 3500 and he did have four chains holding it on. I saw him go through town later and he wasn't driving, how shall we say, slowly. Thought you would all enjoy.George Moore's BP We'll see you on down the road