rreschran

Hi Mr. Chad ... I'll tag on what Grumps mentioned, I once purchased a retired fire truck for our rural community, but, that fastly ended when my insurance company wouldn't approve me for an insurance certificate because I wasn't trained in FF techniques nor could I remotely be certified as a private fire department in California. Note: Each of the responses herein solidly mentions training. Tow company owners balk at the value of training because it's costly. I'm not speaking of in-house training, but formal training recognized by individual states, the law enforcement community and insurance providers. Even with a free TIM training course available to all towers, there are literally thousands of towers who STILL don't know what TIM is. I think Texas has a good concept of state-required training through TDLR that other states should mirror their requirements. It's not perfect but at least it's a start towards any similarity of industry certification. Accordingly, because the industry is so poorly trained as mentioned in these posts, we haven't reached any level of ISO ratings where training and certification is possible. No matter what training certificate a tower holds, none has attained true certification and recognition including my company. As far as regulation goes, don't ask unless you're will to play dodge-ball with what will come with making sure everyone and everything in the industry is in-compliance. But, at the basis of tow operator training and what it means to be a first responder, break the term down to simply see that, "Yes", we do respond to calls, but we're generally NOT the first called out. We're typically LAST to initiate the clean-up phase after all detail gathering is completed, product is off-loaded, fuel cleaned up, injured are extricated, and the deceased are removed by the coroner's team. When you're the last one's in, there's no need for wreckers to roll code three, red lights, siren, horn's blaring. And, because there's NO formal high-speed driver's course for tow trucks and carrier's, first response won't happen Without solid standards of training, regulation and continuing education requirements, this industry will remain in its same state as it has since Mr. Holmes rolled out the first wrecker. While there have been great efforts like TowForce and others, hoping to bring towing and recovery to its best level of professionalism, towers are their own worst enemy of not being together to raise their own value as an industry. It's really too bad to the point of becoming true, "first responders", is just a crappy pipe-dream. For those participants in these forums, I salute you for having the guts to tell it like it is. No apologies are necessary when the truth is seemingly spoken as it is. R.

The arrest and conviction of the motorist only happened through the exhaustive investigative efforts. Bringing Sal's killer to justice is a salute to the value of forensic evidence. Great police work. The motorist was convicted and served only one-year. R https://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2018/12/05/anthony-mangano-sentenced-interstate-95-death-sal-brescia/2215425002/

Thanks Ron for remembering Ed Kammerer. As the result of Ed's death, I wrote an American Towman article, March 2016, having to do with the incident leading up to the events of his death. I in-turn had the opportunity to talk with Betty on the phone soon after he was killed regarding the details that ended in her husband's electrocution death. In that, I wrote articles on the dangers of responding to, "pole down", collisions and the dangers of arching electricity when big-rig booms come in contact with high-voltage wires. I helped nominate Ed Kammerer for inclusion to the Wall of the Fallen in Chattanooga and then nominate Ed for an American Towman Hero's Award. At Baltimore's Tow Show 2016, Betty received Ed's "American Towman, Hero's Award", and then had the honor to hang the award over Betty's neck to recognize that Ed's actions utimately prevented the deaths of a married couple seated in the car sitting atop energized wires. http://towindustryweek.com/12-rates-trade/5931-downed-wires-hot-or-not Although Ed has been gone some time now, he isn't forgotten for his actions. RIP Ed. R.

I post this topic as the result of several posts that are going back and forth about working accidents and incidents with flatbed carriers. For towers following those posts, would you share a quick story having to do with an officer telling you how-to do your job, if you were reprimanded about something, because you were late on-scene, or if you received that unforgettable and unjustified butt-chewing in the past? I'm pretty confident that for towers who've worked this career any amount of time ... you probably have a story to remember? R.

If your asking me Ron ... these attitudes and flippant comments aren't something new (about hard-assed cops). Comments like these come from towers that I've personally heard over my years of business and thirty+years teaching tow classes and seminars. You asked, "Who caused towers' to react that way", is a response that comes from being yelled at, told you're not working fast enough, or from an officer's mis-understanding that sometimes a recovery scene can't be contained in a single lane of traffic. Wouldn't you agree? Up until TIM came around, towers and their needs weren't addressed. They still aren't in some locations. Just like every tower remembers that, "Car from hell", scenario. Merriam Webster's Dictionary defines the term, "Hard-assed", as, someone being, "a tough, demanding, or uncompromising person." I'm pretty sure that each of us, including you, has dealt with an upset, demanding, or pushy cop on-scene. I can I remember several undeserved, "ass chewing's", from the boys in blue. Tomato Tomatoe ... at some time in every tower's career, there will come a time when they'll have to deal with a difficult cop on-scene, especially when a scene or incident isn't working to their time requirements or their perceived recovery plan. I've been there as a tower AND, I've been that demanding cop on-scene when my expectations of tow operator proficiency wasn't met. I personally think this all goes back to expectations, perceptions and the lack of open communication. R.

I solidly owe BlackAutoLoad an apology. Because in my opening post, I set the tone to suggest I was the hard-nosed, uncooperative cop who wouldn’t allow for extra lanes, I realized that (as being that cop) perhaps my ability to listen to the tow operator’s needs, failed to fully understand what was more important to the goal of getting lanes open as fast as possible? Nearly all of my experience in law enforcement and as a tower comes from working in big-city environments where there's a more direct expectation that you work recoveries with the limited space there is. I do remember that working in rural locations, available space isn't necessarily an issue. But, no matter where the wreck is or what the degree of difficulty is, a cop on a power-trip doesn’t help if there isn’t a solid recovery plan. Ron, I think the, “you suck”, comment wasn’t derogatory or defamatory towards anyone, but rather accurate if you’re that tow operator looking for room to work? It wasn’t a personal attack on anyone and I personally learned a great deal in which to apply to the Quick Clear environment, or any scene where there are limitations. To that, I have egg on my face. BlackAutoLoad’s comment was spot-on in the broad-sense of the situation I offered. I agree that my (the cop’s attitude) DID suck. I offer BlackAL a sincere apology for thinking his response was negative or aimed towards me or any one person in these posts. Having taken the human element out of the equation, I realized that an (assumed) attack wasn’t on the cop as an individual, more so, the cop’s unwillingness to provide more lanes. Are there other reasons that lanes can’t be provided to the tower? Possibly … but, ultimately, the officer-on-scene or the Incident Commander has ultimate say in the overall recovery plan. There’s a lesson to be learned here for us towers and the law enforcement community. From both sides, clear and open communications are important between officers on-scene and tow operators. Working highway or inner-city incidents of serious nature require that responders work together. The process of, “open communications”, creates a balance of understanding, trust and team-building. On the tower’s part, all reality says that keeping traffic flowing is the strong intent of Traffic Incident Management. For light-duty responders, if an officer-on-scene can’t/doesn’t/won’t provide extra lanes for your recovery plan, especially when you’re working with a flatbed carrier, it’s time to pull-out your best techniques for tight-order truck positioning, winching and vehicle re-positioning. That’s where training and experience steps-in with a solid Plan B. We know that upside-down recovery isn’t a favorite technique, but, do consider that there could be solid reasoning for doing so. Here’s hoping this bit of narrative returns this topic full-circle to continue to learn what tower’s do when they aren’t allowed extra lanes? Yeah, sometimes a cop’s response of, “No extra lanes”, does suck, but that’s the reality of what we do. Another comment (I read) herein will soon initiate another important area of operator focus as it regards dealing with a hard-assed cop’s on-scene. Regardless as to what side of the fence you sit in working with the cops, I believe understanding the big-picture of Quick Clear, or time-efficient recovery, is based on open communications and the tower’s ability to bend with the proverbial wind. I also believe, in-working for and with law enforcement, it’s a professional operator’s job to follow the officer-on-scene or the IC’s commands and instructions. Better yet, tower’s, don’t be afraid, or too silent to offer solutions or alternate recovery techniques when you know something is potentially dangerous or sketchy. If there’s another way to meet the goals of safe, efficient and speedy recovery … speak-up and let your plan known. R.

OK ... BlackAL ... got it ... no harm no foul. There's much truth to say lots of cops don't play and won't allow for extra lanes. Thats just ups the stakes making for a great challenge in an operator' ability and techniques. I personally train our California operators the techniques of cramped quarter recovery especially when LE doesn't allow for extra lanes. I guess most of us agree that training is key to not having that extra space. R.

Your's are outstanding comments Jeff. ... thank you for jumping in. Your comments are exactly what I'm looking for in simple attempts to dispel the rumors and old wives tales that carriers aren't for recovery. I knew you were involved in the TRIP project as I know that he Time Task Force project was primarily built on heavy-wrecker and large scale incident response. Carriers are the proverbial red-head-stepchild over-looked for their capabilities. So ... why not carriers for recovery? In my experience and contact with manufacturers and tow truck builders, no one manufacturing entity or builder has offered to provide written documentation to show why carriers can't be used to conduct a simple roll-over based on the numbers you used in your comments. Could it be a marketing ploy to sell more wreckers ... I don't know, but, I firmly believe that carriers are a great asset to quick clear as they provide a trained operator any number of recovery and loading options that include debris removal. Perhaps it's time that the law enforcement community take a closer look at the capabilities modern carrier's offer, while manufacturers and state tow associations help promote their use in recovery scenarios. As Jeff says, tow company fleets are 98-percent carriers because tow company's know their overall value. If law enforcement knew what modern carriers could do based on use by a trained operator, they may change their opinions as seeing is believing, right? Perhaps the manufacturers within these forum pages can chime-in here as to why carriers can't be considered or thought as recovery trucks. Hey ... John Coupland, what are carriers considered in the UK as far as recovery capabilities? If I hadn't mentioned it before, thank you all for your insight and opinions. Best Regards. R

Wow, BlackAL ... "you suck", is a little brutal wouldn't you think? And, since there are other comments here including mine, may I ask, are you referring to me? The purpose of these posts are to learn from one another, not to attack or demean any one comment or tower's opinion. I don't know all there is about towing and I'm here to learn from other seasoned towers because I value their opinions. Yes, there are plenty of ways to work roll-overs, even if it means dragging it on the carrier's deck. Not to forget that, an officer may have safety concerns that could trump the time it takes to rig for a roll-over. Dragging a casualty on it's roof isn't the best choice and in many cases not illegal ... it does open lanes quickly and requires a secondary plan for safe and legal transport. I posed the situation of "too little room to work" where another lane wasn't available asking, what other techniques could be employed, like, something simple by parking in-front of the casualty in a T-position, rolling the vehicle in its length, spinning it in its length and then loading it on its wheels if there's time. I too know that there are too many variables for the question posed; that's why I'd like to know what you and others do to conduct the fastest roll-over using a flatbed carrier. But, thanks to your response and others as they do have value to my project. R.

I'm working on a carrier project at the moment and here's my challenge. Let's say I'm one of the cop's on-scene at a roll-over crash that's blocking one highway lane of a three-lane highway. And, "NO", don't ask for another lane. You're in a carrier because the agency's dispatch instructions didn't mention roll-over and the closest, fastest ETA truck to arrive was a carrier. If you're the arriving carrier operator and you are trained and experienced in carrier roll-overs, what techniques do you use to clear the lanes of this average/typical rollover in seven to ten minutes? Do you decline the call based on company policy? If you're an experienced operator in a carrier, please share with us what techniques you'll use to get lanes cleared as fast as possible? I'm not talking debris and clean-up here ... just the roll or getting the vehicle out of lanes in the best interests of work-it or move-it? R.

The California Highway Patrol and many other states have tow guidelines to state that carriers are NOT recovery trucks. Because carriers with experienced operators ARE capable of conducting rollovers, why aren't they considered recovery trucks, especially when a greater number of officers order tow operators to, "drag em' on", and open lanes quicker? We've heard the comments and arguments about upside down rollovers, but isn't it about time the industry reviews their capability? In my tow operator safety course for the CHP and law enforcement, I personally teach a specific, "hands-on module", for carrier use where other associations and training entities don't. Does it make sense to arrive on-scene only to turn-down a rollover request when the on-scene officer forgets to mention the call was a rollover? Does it make sense to cancel the carrier and accept the additional waiting time until a wrecker arrives? Does that thinking negate the concept of quick-clear? If I'm the cop on-scene, you can be sure that I'm expecting a trained, capable and enthusiastic operator to arrive and conduct the roll REGARDLESS as to the type of wrecker, carrier, or, even a Jeep with a strap. I believe an equal part of the having the right tool is the ability to use techniques and tools to get the job done. Besides, the advancements in side-pull devices and on-scene training is the best it's ever been. Carrier's have been getting a bad rap since way, way back when. And, with the increase of tow companies adding more and more carriers to their fleets, should carrier's be part of emergency response? What do you think? R.

I'm constantly amazed at the number of Facebook and YouTube photos or videos where towers post and complain that motorists aren't slowing down or moving over. One tower recently posted a comment that someone ran over one of his triangles that he was setting out. They hit the first of three triangle, but missed him and the parked to truck. Could it be that hitting the triangle brought an immediate wake-up to the motorist who reacted in the nick-of-time to regain focus to the path of their vehicle? I've heard all of the negative comments that flares, cones and triangles take too long or don't work or whatever ... yada, yada, yada. So, fast forward to the courtroom setting after someone plows into a parked wrecker and someone was killed. Cases like these are frequent, especially in California when a judge, jury or plaintiff's attorney asks, "Mr./Ms. tow truck operator, what did you do to identify your work environment", what's your response going to be? First read Federal 49 CFR 392.22 and CFR 373.95 and formulate your response. In today's dangerous climate of roadside response, is it possible that doing something is better than doing nothing at all? If we know what part of the problem is, why don't we do something "visual" to add to our on-scene defense, truck placement and positioning? This question is based on more than 300+-tow operators killed working shoulder events and when TIM suggests that, "advanced emergency warning", is a good thing. If you've attended a TIM course, why do you think they include a module specific to setting cones? I believe that part of identifying a known problem is to know what tools and techniques are available to each and every scenario ... and then, put them to use. What do you think? Hey Brian? R.

My writing today comes from two-fold reasons. First, Christine and I wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We hope you had a quiet time yesterday away from the hustle and hassle that too much merriment brings. We’re happy to know that Christmas Day (yesterday) did not bring us sad news. My second reason is much more poignant, yet in support of the memory of a Canadian tow operator who died in the line-of-duty, December 27, 1954, sixty-five years ago. Edgar Arthur Pilon, a tow operator in small town Lancaster Ontario, husband, and father of four young children, was killed working a recovery on a snowy Canadian highway at the request of the RCMP. Fast forward to October 2019, Christine and I had the honor to meet Mr. Pilon’s wife and sister at this year’s, Wall of the Fallen Memorial, in Chattanooga, and to be with them when their father’s name was added to the Wall. Although Edgar Pilon’s life was taken from him so long ago, let this message be directed to his children and surviving family that we, the towing and recovery industry, uplift, support and remember their father’s memory. Rest in peace Mr. Pilon, you are not forgotten. R. https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-glengarry-news/20190925/page/1

I was in high-school when a local judge brought in his 1968 Old Cutlass 442 for an oil change. The car was brand new, four-speed transmission in white with red striping. I remember the new car smell. Sheesh ... I can't remember what I did two nights ago, but I remember the new car smell. R.

Without having a better means to segue into the, "Who's Who", of the towing and recovery industry, I wanted to say, "Thank you", to Emily Oz who has graced hundreds of towing and recovery segments through the past years. Emily is the Face of American Towman TV and she's everywhere on the floor of tow shows several times a year. I don't know if you've had the opportunity to talk with her, but Emily has is an endearing personality, infectious smile, and a desire to showcase this industry in its best light. Because I don't remember seeing it anywhere else, I thought it timely to give her a shout-out. With warm regards, thank you, Emily for all you do for the towing and recovery industry. R.

Great video Jeff with an extremely important message. But, videos like these seldom, if ever, make it to prime time news segments. R.

That thing takes me back to when I was a kid ... I was a model building fool who favored building all kinds of models. And, after every model came extra parts that were thrown in to a box labled, "extra part". At some point when that box of extra parts was filled up, I built something that resembled a whooziwhatzit. I don't know if it was a log skidder or a tow truck, but I somehow fashioned my box of parts into something remotely creative. Fast forward to today's box of parts that are best known as Rat Rods for us adults who haven't quite grown up yet. R.

I've read many of these repeated news reports for some time now that first were fights and threats. Escalation in violence is getting out of control where Canada's turf-wars are likened to those in South Africa. Since the middle of 2018, I've archived as many as 9x tow operators or tow business owners being shot and killed as a result of towing wars in Durban, Phoenix and Cape Town SA. No longer is it the reality of which company is the most qualified, who is known for providing the best service, and with reasonable pricing that determines who gets the tow? Competition used to be what towers would strive for in considering who was, "King of the hill". R.

For San Diego towers, when rain overwhelms the county and motorists are too ignorant to recognize the dangers of speed on wet pavement, there comes a point where the CHP can't and won't respond to non-injury and non-property damage accidents. Because in-climate weather creates havoc on our highways, the CHP will call and approve that rotation tow companies can stop at accidents and provide tow or recovery services. It's a great day for tow companies to make tons of money, but increasingly more dangerous for the potential of being struck. The motoring public has no clue as to the dangers tow operators face. So, combine in-climate weather with texting, drinking and distracted driving, that's a recipe for deadly results. If there ever was a reason to have one's head on a swivel, just workin' in-the-rain should bring every tower to their most heightened senses as that's no time to let your guard down. R.

Industry instructor, Terry Abejuela, from California, has been teaching this at American Towman Tow Shows for years. He is fun and informative making the process of, "seeing is believing", a reality. It's one thing to see it in a video, but to be part of the live and up-front demonstration makes learning fun. This video is a great tool that explains how snatch-block's work and what mechanical advantages can be gained from their use. R.

Icon is right. Pat was everyone's friend and we had several great conversations. Christine and I send our prayers to his family. R.

I'm always amazed to see laws enacted as the result of some incident involving an official or other important person. But, when it comes time to write laws that benefit this industry ... there's generally blind eyes. Like the narrative says, regulations like this has been initiated in other jurisdictions, however unfortunate that regulation is ... it's a way of rebuilding public trust. R.

Thanks John for sharing your photos and congratulations on your induction to the Hall of Fame. You have earned your place among those who have given so much to the industry. It was great to talk with you in Atlantic City. And ... thank you for the pic of your restored 750. Merry Christmas to you Eileen and your family. R.

This is the first time I've ever seen a red AAA tow truck. West of the Rockies they're generally white and sky blue or yellow and Navy blue. I know ... what's that hafta' do with this post? I'm glad the tower was ok. R.

How horrible for this to happen to a young man just doing his job? Christine and I send our prayers to Mr. Dakan's family and the company he worked for. R.