rreschran

Baltimore Tow Operator Steve Tasker, shot and killed July 29, 2019. News Details. Link: https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/tow-truck-driver-who-contracted-with-balt-co-police-is-killed-in-nw-baltimore

Christine and I send our prayers and condolences to Mr. Tasker's family and the company he worked for. What a senseless act. The link below is an additional account with other details. https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/tow-truck-driver-who-contracted-with-balt-co-police-is-killed-in-nw-baltimore

Hey Brian .. SDG&E is looking to slither out from their responsibility of allegedly starting (wires down) back country fire. You're right on both fronts. Even as a USAA member for 35+ years, we've been Jacked-up. Ans, as we speak, i'm neevously watching a 150 acre fire 15-miles to our west. It's tinder dry out here and the slightest error could result in another wildfire of epic consequences.

In light of California's wildfires and to those tow companies in other fire states, have you experienced (yet) a raise in your total insurance coverage for wildfire? My small business is situated in my home and we were just raised $6,000 ... no questions asked ... just pay up. If you haven't been HIT yet, best to start looking now as the smaller insurance companies are fastly NOT providing wild-fire coverage. Also, California Fair Plan is hugely expensive and don't even consider them unless it's your very last resort. Good Luck. R.

Christine and I will be there ... looking forward to it. R.

Winner winner chicken dinner ... center steering on that farm wagon means better positioning to handle a tram of horses. Good on you.

Reports from the FHP also note that the crash was partially in the Gore Point and both the tower and the customer were allegedly standing near the tow truck. We're hoping that Marc Smith recovers completely while Christine and I send our prayers to the Schaeffer family in memory of Daniel. Working on, in, and near gore points is a extremely dangerous process. I personally will request law enforcement to assist, but their presence still doesn't protect towers and cops from being struck as noted in the, January 2019, Michigan on-ramp crash where the tower watched a car slam his carrier as he ran into freeway lanes to avoid being killed by an errant vehicle. Because of the 0230 time of incident and the fact that the female driver went to the hospital, reports indicate that charges are pending ... maybe suggesting those charges may be DUI related. Get well soon Marc. R&C

OK Brian ... now yer' messin with me. The Wood electric has steering in the middle. Not on the left ... not on the right. Why in the middle? Remember our conversation?

Now that IS a shameless plug ... but training none-the-less.

Topic Originally Create on Tow411 in September of 2014. The TIMs CHALLENGE FOR ALL Nebraska TOW PROFESSIONALS 30 September 2014 To The Nebraska Tow Truck Association, Membership, and ALL Professional Towers in Nebraska: I write to ask of you to consider the following narrative … CHALLENGE to all members of your state’s association. In the September 2014 Issue of American Towman Magazine, I CHALLENGED all towers to attend a FREE Traffic Incident Management Course. It simply requires four hours of the driver’s time with hope and intent to change the way we towers and first responders work on America’s highway. I write to ask that you will forward a copy of my CHALLENGE to all of your membership. This is topic specific training every tower, tow business owner and their company’s dispatcher must attend … it’s life-saving information. FACT: Lessons learned substantiates that tow operators are injured and killed working America’s highways because they were working the traffic-side. I believe that companies don’t provide enough white-line (traffic-side) training to best prepare their employees with best on-scene practices. Unless towers firmly grasp the root causes that lead to our own mortality, we’ll continue to repeat the same bad habits that get tower’s killed. FACT: Towers don’t like change, but change is desperately necessary. If you’ve been following the cause and effect of tow operator fatalities, you’ll also have read tow attorney Michael Mc Govern’s posts, calling for a Blue Ribbon Study or some happening that ultimately brings an end to needless tower fatalities. Accordingly, I’m promoting the motto that says … “Not me, not today!” I recently attended the National 12-Hour Train-the-Trainer / Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Course to renew my teaching methodologies. The class was outstanding as it regards on-scene safety and survival. Available to tow owners, tow operators, dispatchers, as well as multiple disciplines working America’s highways and city incidents, is a 4-hour TIMs Course for first responders and roadside workers. I found the course’s material to be what every tower should know to fully understand that best safety practices, habits and awareness’s come from within. In my opinion, the course was the best course I’ve attended in years. And, having been in this industry better than 48-years, I’ve grown tired of tower’s bad attitudes and excuses relating to their safety. I CHALLENGE all industry trainers to attend a Train-the-Trainer Course so to teach towers proper on-scene safety. Tow owners; it’s your responsibility to care about your driver’s longevity and survival, so sending them to a TIMs Course benefits their safety, your company’s professionalism, and your company’s vicarious liability. Towers; don’t wait for your bosses to send you to this course. Take it on your time or take time off to attend. Don’t be stuck in a routine that isn’t 110% at the top of your game. Don’t make excuses and say, “I’ve been doin’ it this way for twenty-years and nothings happened to me yet.” That’s an ignorant response and makes you being a victim closer than you think. Attending TIMs is the catalyst that makes you better anticipate those, “what-if situations”, that are danger close on every call. Take the course because you owe it to yourself, your family, your friends, and your community to come home EVERY NIGHT. If you’re as professional as you think you are, then your professionalism and long-term survive-ability demands you attend this course. Move-Over Laws don’t work; all the lights, cops, sirens, ANSI vests and cones are simply a false sense of security. Don’t sit back and blame motorists and distracted driving for killing roadside workers, there’s something you can do about it. If you’re out there towing cars without assistance, you‘ve got to rely on YOUR best practices or you too might be killed. It’s for these reasons, I challenge all towers to attend TIMs to make you better aware of the dangers you face on-scene. Get smart and attend a FREE 4-hour Traffic Incident Management Course in your areas. FACT: Word ARE cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Attending a FREE 4-Hour TIMs Course (in your area) will increase your chances of survival. And, when you’ve completed your course, e-mail to me a copy of your Certificate of Completion as proof that you’re TIMs smart. I’d like to know that you’re doing everything possible to keep yourself out of harm’s way … and, taking a TIMs course is the first-step in changing old mentalities and excuses that could possibly save your life. Tower Professionals; take destiny into your own hands and accept this CHALLENGE. I’m spreading this CHALLENGE to as many Medias as I possibly can. If you haven’t attended TIMs, it’s easy to say you’re not as prepared as you might think you are. FACT: Too many towers simply fly by the seat of their pants. Are you one of them’? If you need contact information for your state, send me an e-mail requesting the same and I will send you your TIMs coordinators to contact and find a TIMs Course nearest to you. Being TIMs trained is one huge step in decreasing needless tow operator fatalities. I’m asking 500-towers (or more) to get TIMs trained by the end of 2014. Are you up to the CHALLENGE? Do it now and send me a copy of your certificate at ]rreschran@gmail.com Thank you for considering this course. Most Sincerely Randall C. “Randy” Resch Operation’s Editor American Towman Magazine California Highway Patrol Approved Instructor Hall of Fame Inductee #299 Writer, Seminar Presenter, Tow Business Consultation Retired Veteran Police Officer

Great response Brian. Once again ... your comments are well accepted and tow owners should take appropriate heed. In 1984, our police cars had "spiro-graph recorders" that created data when the police car was driven with its emergency lights on, it's siren activated, sudden acceleration and speeds above 65-miles per hour. We called it, "Cop in a Can", as graphs were reviewed for inconsistent or improper vehicle operations by the cop behind the wheel. It DID have an impact on the way officers drove as a means of changing driving behaviors and response protocols. Although telematic data is frowned on by many, I too believe that there's huge value in their systems and they make for a great management tool. Accordingly, if tow operators are driving in the manner that's acceptable to state law, company policy and procedures, the operator shouldn't be worried. That goes hand-in-hand with a tow owner or safety manager that get's out from behind their desks only to follow their drivers on a periodic basis. What also works is a folded up twenty-spot that's stuffed into your driver's pocket that says ... "Thanks for your safe driving habits." R.

I've been a huge Cobra fan forever. In November, the movie, "Ford Versus Ferrari" is coming out. If you are a fan of Carroll Shelby and the paath he created in American musclecars, I think you too will really enjoy this account of Shelby's life. R. Movie Trailer: https://www.google.com/search?q=movie+ford+vs+ferrari&oq=movie+ford+versus&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2.10791j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

As noted ... of the tips offered above, they're a generic finding that doesn't identify a root problem. And, having tracked tow operator fatalities for more than 25-years, my data suggests as many as 308 +/- tow operators were killed for a varied number of reasons ... working the white-line being the greatest cause and 146 +/- operator lives lost in industrial incidents. Based on the data researched in many years, it's my opinon that tow operators are their own worst enemy. R.

Electric vehicles aren't new to towing, recovery or fire-fighting ... perhaps the education of dealing with them is way behind the proverbial eight-ball. As an example... here's a pic of one I transported in 1996. Remember the make of what it was? R.

I love TowForce for the entertainment value it brings. Thanks Ron ... my day needed a smile. R.

For a second ... let's pretend that we're all members of a jury in a wrongful death lawsuit. During closing arguments, the plaintiff's attorney shows this video and you're asked to consider a verdict of guilty versus non-guilty. The 20-second video depicts ... forward of the carrier is a red signal light. A vehicle forward stops for the red light, a motorcyclist stops behind the vehicle, and along comes an over-loaded Ford carrier with a semi on the top deck ... brakes fade to the floor and the carrier travels another 100-feet. What is the pending result of the lawsuit? I'm not practicing law here ... but, looking at the obvious, there's an obvious answer. R.

I'll respond to this scenario looking beyond the video and condier the "what if possibilities" should the attachment break and the loose car rolls away only to injure or kills someone nearby ... stranger things have happened. Besides using 2x J's, I see no use of ground lumber for rollaway protection and question if attaching a Mini-J or T-hook into a T-slot is a proper practice. Although using J-Hooks and cluster attachments are fast, the application is questionable. As there are a million ways to work a rollover, tow operators tend to use what tools or accessories that work for them. The matter of "proper" doesn't come into play until something breaks. By then, proper becomes the issue that's too late to apply. It's my opinion that J-Hooks are NOT for recovery when considering the right tool for the job as any court or jury would. R. Here's an OSHA fatality example of a tow operator fatality killed when the J-Hook failed https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=308435908

A fire-extinguisher is a basic requirement of ALL tow trucks and carriers in California. California Vehicle Code 27700 (a) Tow trucks shall be equipped with and carry all of the following: (1) One or more brooms, and the driver of the tow truck engaged to remove a disabled vehicle from the scene of an accident shall remove all glass and debris deposited upon the roadway by the disabled vehicle which is to be towed. (2) One or more shovels, and whenever practical the tow truck driver engaged to remove any disabled vehicle shall spread dirt upon that portion of the roadway where oil or grease has been deposited by the disabled vehicle. (3) One or more fire extinguishers of the dry chemical or carbon dioxide type with an aggregate rating of at least 4-B, C units and bearing the approval of a laboratory nationally recognized as properly equipped to make the approval. Note: A typical "tow truck fire extinguisher" will NOT have any effect on a vehicle engulfed in flames. R.

Just for a moment, imagine today's industry without cell-phones, telematics, GPS, tablets and modern day technologies. So, Brian ... the Devil's Advocate asks ... Who enforces the, "Blue Tooth Policy"? Forward facing cameras can identify the problem, but, when good operators are hard to find, does a company owner or safety manager dismiss a violator for using his/her cell-phone (in the course of their duties), or, simply look away? Having a Blue-Tooth Policy may work on the administrative side, but operationally, getting the job done typically takes prescedence.

carl4tow is spot on ... getting stabbed through the back is a horrible way to die. The tinsel strength of the headache rack won't stop a loose and forward rolling forklift that spears through the truck's cab. R.

Hi All … the last three posts captured my attention. So far in July, five tow trucks and or carriers have crashed for whatever reasons. And, these are the ones that make the news, so there have to be more. July 2 NH - Carrier transporting mail truck rolls over July 5 FL - Carrier smashes into police car - unloaded July 16 TN - Carrier into a tree - unloaded July 16 OH – Wrecker rolled over - unloaded July 17 FL – Carrier loses control avoiding object - unloaded As tow company owner, what company training do you conduct to try and make tow truck and carrier (driving) operations as safe as possible? What evidence of training can you present to your insurance company to show some form of driver’s training? R.

I've written narrative extensively about working railroad right-of-way and protocols as to stay-off and away from train and trolley tracks. Ron is correct to mention CONFIRM that rail traffic has been notified; however, never assume that a train's operator has been notified. I have recorded (in many years) 15x strikes involving a train versus tow truck crash, to include losing our friend Shaun Riddle in December 2015 after he was struck by an Amtrak train. For train survival techniques, visit Operation Lifesaver's website: https://oli.org/training/professional-drivers and take tessional truck drivers challenge. If your computer is set up to run the video, take the challenge and print out a certificate at the end of the training ... put it in your training file. Note; The training has nothing to do with on-scene protocol. Your best safety defense is STAY OFF AND AWAY FROM THE TRACKS. R.

Ron is right to hold off on my notice ... at least until an official clarification is made. I'm working with my sources to try and determine if this was a towing company that was doing the towing. I can only argue that there are hundreds, if not thousands of tow companies that operate a semi truck that's equipped with a fifth-wheel plate and is used to haul semi-trailers, a Landoll, a DTU, and includes flat-towing for hire. Like Brian said ... it is sad that someone lost their life. R.

Hi All ... More sad news A, 31-year-old, Camarillo, California, tow truck operator was killed yesterday evening while in-process of towing a day-cab semi. While the details are not yet told, the CHP reported a tow truck was towing a truck down a steep hill and went off the roadway and over-turned. The pictures from the news reports show a rolled semi-looking truck that doesn’t appear to be your conventional tow truck, but a semi-tractor having a fifth-wheel plate. It doesn’t look like a DTU-type truck either. On the front of the other truck looks to be a truck tow bar leading me to think that the truck was being flat-towed (this is only my guess based on the photos and my speculation only ... please don't quote me). A passenger in the towing truck survived the crash, so details should be made public as this investigation continues. None the less, Christine and I send our prayers to the tow operator’s family and the company he worked for. R. https://www.keyt.com/news/tow-truck-driver-dies-after-crashing-onto-a-golf-course-in-camarillo/1094504489

Another sad loss. We send our prayers to this towers family and his company. R&C