rreschran

That sticker's a great find NIck. ... XKE ... one of the hardest cars to lift and tow without a wheellift and without a sling. The key was to release the reverse bonnet and lay a folded towel (longwise) in the gap of the hood and the firewall. Ya' gotta' love today's modern wreckers right? R.

Thanks what I miss about working and living in small towns. Towers are lucky to get support from LE and the FD is usually too busy. Smart choice having the Mico Lock to help hold your truck's in-place. Have a great weekend. R.

Very nice. Thanks Nick. That's what I know too and demonstrates the newbies how to get lift started. I like the idea of inserting skates. R.

What a great tribute to your family's story Nick and nice words spoken about your Dad. It's stories like these that kindle my past and I'm sure many others. Thanks for sharing the history. R.

I guess it's better to have detatched there than at seventy going down the highway ... job security right? Thanks for sharing. R.

Hey Nick ... when those heavy, heavy steel coils are lying flat on the pavement, what technique do you used to get an edge lifted to be able to get chain or a strap threaded through the center-hole ... something to avoid smashed fingers. R.

What's wrong with playing Whack a Mole?

This recent lawsuit is the result of an wrongful injury created by a runaway tow truck. If you're a tow company owner and have an older International tow truck or carrier in your fleet, this court settlement of $3,382,000 against Navistar and a Nevada tow company should be of interest to you. We've discussed how problematic emergency brakes can be and at what dangers to tow operators or the public being run over should one release. When you don't correct the problem here is an example of the results. It's informative stuff. This is good reading and something owners should look into. The site is a bit problematic though. Take a few minutes to review this case ZUHEY COBOS V. JMR & CLS INC. Nevada Superior Court - Case Number: A-15-724639-C Link: https://cvn.com/proceedings/zuhey-cabos-v-jmr-cls-inc-trial-2018-05-01

Good Morning Mr. Grumps. No ... I'm some 300-miles south. Quite honestly, in all my years, I've only seen one bubble nose (out here) and that was a small Mom n' Pop company in a little beach community in Encinitas California. Sixty-something year's later, their tow facility is still a tow yard to this day operated by RoadOne. For them to keep the property is the grace of grandfather clause saying that as long as it remains a tow yard ... it can stay amounst the other bazillion-dollar beach properties. R.

Hey NIck ... question ... did your company have the truck since new? Looking at the seemingly over-build of the, structure's mast, over-sized winch spools and the staggered knobby tires, it looks like it could have been military? What't the truck's history or did I miss that? R.

Sure ... purchasing agents have that, "Get all ya' can get" mentality. When there's plenty of competition for an area's bid, the tow company who will do it all for lower rates and more services typically gets the contract. No longer are contracts awarded to the family company that have been around a zillion years ... if the meet the minimum qualifications with a reasonable past, they can score the contract. Big city contracts do it all the time. Doesn't sound right, but that's how it's done here, especially when there are as many as twenty-six companies to bid on one area. R.

Thanks Uzek for sharing your techniques. A photo essay is a great way for onlookers to see what you can do. May I add four more, "should be's", when stretched cable is the rigging set-up? ... chocks to help hold the wrecker in-place, an orange noodle on the cable to identify stretched cable, add six cones to identify the work-zone, and lastly, the tower puts their foot on-top of the control-side dually rim to feel movement of the wrecker and push-way if the truck were to break away. Sure, all that takes time, but hourly rates are typically being charged one doesn't have to hussle like it's necessary on quick clear. I've never used a reverse roll for quick clear. R.

If ya' line a pickup truck's bed with a plastic shower curtain, you'll have an instant spa if it continues to rain. How redneck is that right Greg? R.

Every operator should be able to reverse roll and to employ a catch-line like we've discussed. I have a lengthy segment on Day-2 hands-on for forward and rearward rolls. To make a simple rollover scenario more difficult ... and if you have a boom-truck to play with, I include a reverse roll telling those working the roll that the winch / cable is broken, but the hydraulics still work. That being the case, I have them rig chain only to provide lift with the boom to create the roll in the same manner the cable would do. While it's something that most likely will never happen, it's fun to watch some of those know it all big-rig drivers work this light-duty problem. It's all about the fun and learning how different systems and a little creativity garners the best results. I prefer reverse rolls especially with a twin-winch catch line. R.

Another great technique from the Pacific Northwest ... thanks Uzek.

These are the kinds of loads where professionals earn their mettle. Nice Work G.

121 ? ? ? Where do you live ... on the Sun? It must be a dry heat right? God Bless you ... I personally wouldn't have a prayer due to medical meltation. R.

Nice example of taking time to Ramp-up. R.

It's admirable to hear that you provide service to your local LE free gratis. Here in the big cities, if you're interested in being awarded a tow contract for some agencies, they stipulate free towing for their police vehicles and sometimes all of their city owned cars and trucks. That in itself can be a losing proposition when break-down volumn is way more than a couple vehicles per month. I really miss working in small town environments R.

You make good points Grumps about prior conversations with the customer PRIOR to your arrival. That's a great benefit as long as there's a name and phone number where the tower is able to provide safety instructions. It starts with call takers and dispatchers getting the complete information and passing it on to the tower. That doesn't always happen. You, being in a smaller community and taking the calls yourself gives you an ability to set the tone of safety before you arrive on-scene. I salute your efforts and comments and sharing them within. If you're interested, here's a California case that's really good reading on the subject: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1616140.html#:~:text=Ruben%20Monarrez%20suffered%20catastrophic%20injuries,held%20liable%20for%20Monarrez's%20injuries.

HI Cooter ... kudo's to you to teach em' young so they learn the proper mentality of working in this industry. Your comments of clueless customers is something I take extra time to cover in my CHP classes. Customers are clueless as to the dangers of the highway. I personally don't want customers helping me or being outside the tow truck ... even to watch. It's my practice to tell my highway customers that I can't start any tow, recovery or service UNTIL they're seated inside the tow truck with their seatbelts on. Behind the rail and up the embankment are other alternatives. My instructions are clearly spoken and explained to the point of being polite but verbally aggressive to get the point across. And then, I escort them to the truck's cab and ask if they understand my instructions while soliciting their, "yes", response. Over many years, I've had maybe four individuals who didn't want to sit in the truck. It takes tact and calm to simply explain the highway dangers and you just want them to be safe. R.

Hi Greg ... Welcome to the forum. How are you and your Mom doing in that 116-melting pot?

I've followed this case closely to learn that the Super Duty tow truck was reportedly stolen from a construction site. The subject in-custody was sought for numerous felony warrants. I'm releived to hear that a tow truck driver wasn't involved. What a weird chain of events. R.

Sandusky man killed on Turnpike UPDATE: The Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the other person killed as 45-year-old Darren Hebner, of Mentor. Hebner was the driver of the disabled vehicle. Troopers said all three vehicles were damaged in the crash, and that the investigation of the incident is ongoing. They also released new information on the driver who allegedly struck and killed the two men. "It was determined that Zachary Santoro was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and impairment is suspected," according to an updated news release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. No criminal charges have yet been filed, the release states. Original post HENRIETTA TWP. — A Sandusky man and another man were killed late Tuesday in a roadside accident on the Ohio Turnpike. Eric Ackerman, 44, a tow truck operator, was assisting the driver of disabled vehicle when both he and the driver were hit by a pickup, according to a news release from the state Highway Patrol. The identity of the second man killed was not released pending notification of his family. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene, the Patrol said. Ackerman, who worked for Interstate Towing of Norwalk, and the other man, were both outside their vehicles on the right shoulder of the Turnpike eastbound, loading two jet skis from a trailer of the disabled vehicle onto the wrecker when they were hit, the Patrol said. The accident happened near mile marker 132 at about 11:23 p.m. Ackerman was was wearing a reflective vest at the time of the crash and the tow truck's overhead emergency lights were activated. The pickup went airborne after hitting the men, the trailer and the tow truck, overturning and landing upside down in the right lane. The driver of the 2009 Chevrolet 2500 pickup, Zachary Santoro, 30, of Bellevue, suffered minor injuries and was transported to Mercy Health-Lorain Hospital by ambulance. "The crash scene remains active at this time and the investigation is ongoing. Traffic is currently being restricted to pass on the left shoulder and the roadway is expected to fully reopen without restriction at approximately 4:30 a.m.," the Patrol's news release said. Editor's note: This story was edited to fix a mistake in the Patrol's original news release. Link: https://sanduskyregister.com/news/268098/sandusky-man-killed-on-turnpike/

Having watched news headlines in the past few days and especially for the towing and recovery industry ... I can only ask, "WHAT'S GOIN' ON ? ? ?" Here's the newest punch in the industry's face. Tow trucks running from the cops, people being pushed from a moving tow truck and run over and KILLED, tow truck driver allegedly trying to drive over the cops, cops shooting at tow trucks? What the HELL is going on? News video link below bad audio: https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/officer-fires-shots-in-brooklyn-anne-arundel-county