rreschran

GoodMichael's words of personal dilligence ring true, not only for the Holiday Season, but the big picture of towing. And, if your company is one of those providing free tows to drunk drivers, so, don't forget that that drunk driver will most like be riding in your tow truck. R.

The rope-routing is about the goofiest thing I've ever seen, but the pics are great to show drivers what a carrier's understructure looks like. Thanks fir sharing. R.

Thank you for your service John. RIP

a valuable lesson to be learned for sure. We're also glad he's ok. I appreciate his honesty to admit hecwas sta ng ding on the white-line. R.

BB wreckers were legendary and Bill could convince you of the same. I had the pleasure of talking with him at different tow shows. A true gentlemen, Bill ... you will be missed but not forgotten. R.

Nice ... will you show us a copy of your invoice so towers' can see how it's listed in billable services? Perhaps tow companies should consider this a billing practice for the future as long as the service is provided (take pictures of the blocker truck or traffic control unit) that are enclosed with the bill as evidence of on-scene coverage. It makes sense to me as long as towers don't use it as a means to pad their bill. I like the concept. R.

Now ... two month's later ... it appears this thread lost its momentum. And, have you noticed that three tow operators were killed in November only four days apart,and all three in that 51-year's-old range. Is age an associated factor? I don't think so, and GoodMichael mentions the, "safe culture experience", suggesting tower's are individually responsible for their own safety or early demise. With all of these lessons learned. why isn't the message of white-line safety reaching the forefront of every tower's existance? R.

It's my opinion that a vehicle can be loaded onto a flatbed carrier entirely from the non-traffic side. If that means a two-point tie-down is attached initially and then moving to a safe location to complete tie-down to four points, standing on the white-line is a sure receipe for disaster. GoodMichael's words are spot on accurate and I also believe that law enforcement should be on-scene, but their police presence still does not guarantee that approaching traffic will slow down or move over. Blocking is a process I believe in, yet too many owners cite liability as the key issue that boils down to dollar signs over common sense. R.

Merry Christmas John to you and your family too. I'll look forward to your messages in the future. Radny

It was great to meet you in Baltimore after these years. Here's wishing you a very Happy Christmas and continued safety for you and yours. Also good luck for your Slow-Down Move-Over advances you're trying to make. Stay in touch OK? Best Regards, Randy & Christine

You should know that there are many, many GOOD tow truck opportunities elsewhere that seek a professional and competent tow operator with the right attitude and passion for the towing and recovery industry. The hard part is reaching out to companies that are not local. Moving away from stability and working outside your comfort level is always challenging. If the new company offers you stability, growth and stimulation, There's nothing wrong with seeing what else is out there. I salute you for re-inventing yourself and wish you the best. R.

Thanks Minchar ... I agree with you. As in all vehicle code sections, the perception of the reader comes into play. A vehicle on the stinger is a towed vehicle, so I believe the wording to be true as, but not that of a carrier with only a car on the deck ... just like any other load considered product. R.

Tonight at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, we saw three carriers driving with o/h emergency lights on, two were loaded with cars on the deck. What is MD's law regarding lighting? Allowed?

...as usual Brian ... outstanding work. See you in Baltimore. Safe travels. R.

HI Silverhawk ... thanks for your idea, but I think shorting the tracks has huge liability and associated dangers. Two-years ago I contacted California's Operation Lifesaver regarding tow truck response on railroad right-of-ways. I was to told to NEVER cross-jump the tracks with a steel bar or jumper cables as it has potential to short-out the rail switching device. Doing so could possibly cause a derailment of a different train where the short occurs. (Imagine that bit of information leaking out to a few teenagers with vandalism in mind). My law enforcement experience and interaction with rail right-of-ways suggest using road flares as an EMERGENCY RED SIGNAL to visually notify the train's engineer that a right now emergency is on the tracks with hope to try and stop an approaching train. The problem with flares ... they have to be situated at least a mile in both directions. I suggest contact your local fire department to learned what their response protocol is by state while continuing to employ a call to 911 when working train incidents. R