rreschran

I'm so embarassed for the autoclub to have not been able to serve one of their "Golden Member", and I'm hoping they make a thorough investigation into the details why this member was left stranded on the highway ... so much for peace of mind. There are so many questions to be answered. I know that Lemore is in the rural part of California, so finding a available tow company could be a needle in that haystack finding. But, why didn't the club's dispatch do followup calls? What ball was dropped? But, somewhere ... I don't understand how the member or her adult son didn't consider calling 911 or the CHP to explain their situation? A bit of common sense goes a long way and possibly would have sped up the process in-getting a tow truck to her location especially when that club call turns into a CHP request for service. None the less, this rare occurrance shouldn't be over-looked and the processes need to be revised and made better. This shouldn't have happened. R.

This topic was already on my radar. I'm hoping American Towman will publish my article in their December edition. More common than tower's think, who knows how many abandoned septic tanks there are across America? You won't know the full extent of responsibility until one of your wreckers or carriers drops-in from above and your faced with a monsterous repair and (hax-mat) clean-up bill. R.

Thanks for your Animosus for your comments. Not the animal recovery I had in mind, but an animal removal none the less. I appreciate your comments and pics. Specifically, I seek info from towers who have lifted live animals from ditches, well-holes or other like type situation ... those not dead and with veterinarian assistance. Thank you for being a BIG part of large animal training in your rural Wyoming area. I'm sure the fire department appreciate's it too. R.

Hi All ... Have you ever worked a horse or large animal recovery or extrication? I'm looking for input on what part you played in the recovery and if you charged for your work? Who paid for the extraction? Was the animals owner present? Was there a veterinarian on-scene? How long did it take? Would you do it again? Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks. R.

Great topic Mr. Ed. Not enough fire departments take advantage of this kind of "hands-on experience" and have no idea that tow trucks are available to assist. Thanks for sharing.

Great response Ron and I'd like others to chime in with their comments. Coming from California to the Tow Show in San Antonio, I saw many, many concealed carry persons and I like the concept of open carry. It's just a weird feeling seeing a concealed hand-gun sticking out from a hiked-up shirt ... so much for concealed carry right? You hit the nail on the proverbial head to mention the responsibilities and factors that come-down to a "last defense" shooting. But, in this case, a justifiable shooting will be hard to prevail. R.

Hey Ron ... What did you think of Sheriff Grady's explaination?

For tow operators, tow owners or tow companies who conduct Private Property Impounds and carry concealed, the following link regards a homicide that occured in May where the alleged shooter was a tow business owner. The shooting occurred in Lakeland, Florida and happened the day-after the impound and during the release process at the tow yard. This video is a great training lesson. Go to this link: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ne-polk-county-illegal-towing-mobile-home-park-20210812-3eu2xad6lbfi3nrc4aaivdegba-story.html and listen to Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd, slowly and completely detail the events that led to the shooting. Note that the tow owner and wife are being charged with as many as 21-violations for alleged illegal impound practices. Pay special attention to the "10-mile rule" that most states and municipalities include in their PPI laws. This 25-minute video is perhaps the BEST narrative I've ever listened to as it regards the process of PPI's. Sheriff Grady provides an excellent breakdown of Florida's PPI laws and give a detail explaination of tower responsibilities and liability similar to other states. Could this shooting could have been prevented had the law been followed? You decide. If you conduct PPI's ... this video is must see TV. R.

To that I add ... "I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six." Think about that statement ... it's powerful and realistic. And, I have the numbers to prove operator down fatalities representing the dangers of being cited for not getting that perfect tie-down. If you're cited for not having a four-point tie down for carriers or lack of traffic side ratchet strap or safety chain on wreckers, let me know and I'll do my best to help you with your traffic court case, but only if the circumstances are reasonable and in that attempt to keep you from being injured or worse. This isn't legal advice, just smart thinking. R.

While I salute Pennsylvania's attempt to curtail drivers who violate SDMO, our law has been in effect since 2007 and it still doesn't work. While I support any news segment that sends a message to motorists (like the one above), law enforcement has to write tons of citations to make a difference by hitting "Them D' drivers in the pockets." If LE doesn't make a concerted effort to enforce SDMO laws, threats of fines fall on deaf ears. Here in, California, attorneys fight SDMO tickets saying SDMO laws were created as a means to generate monies back to the writing agencies ... tickets get dropped in-court because they're extremely hard to prove. SDMO is only one side of the problem that causes operator injuries and fatalities. The other side of importance is operators working off the white-line side. Get that four-point tie-down or safety chains in some other location that offers some level of safety versus increasing time and exposure. I believe SDMO laws, cops on scene, flares, cones, triangles, strobes, blocker trucks and traffic control only lead to a tower's false sense of security. Stop blaming motorists for their inability to drive past your work zone and realize where you're standing and working. And ... that includes understanding SDMO laws typically aren't specific to inner-city tow/load events on city streets. I think the tower's best defense is ... being smart about where they position themselves ALL THE TIME whether on-the-highway or back-streets. R.

I know Ron ... but, these days, every tow company wants to be a police tower. In some locations on the west coast, there are as many as 30-companies on CHP rotation serving the same CHP area, especially in big city. That's got to be a tow boss'es logistical nightmare to maintain relationships and records for all companies. None the less, there's no reason that a reporting process can't be required to report towing and stored vehicles one they hit the storage facility. Hey Ron ... does Louisville still have that problem with the huge number of abandoned cars? So, how do they get reported? R.

Hey Ron ... Without having to go to third party administrators, I think the process is pretty simple. The city's contract, City Municipal Code and state's vehicle code should be revised to require tow companies to report towed vehicles within one-hour of arrival to the tow yard. If a tow company is a police tower, it shouldn't be an issue. The same holds true for tow companies who tow cars from private properties. In California, law was enacted to eliminate the "Lost Vehicle Syndrome" as it regards predatory towing. California enacted Vehicle Code Section 22658(m)(1) and (m)(2), where it requires, "(1) A towing company that removes a vehicle from private property under this section shall notify the local law enforcement agency of that tow after the vehicle is removed from the private property and is in transit. (2) A towing company is guilty of a misdemeanor if the towing company fails to provide the notification required under paragraph (1) within 60 minutes after the vehicle is removed from the private property and is in transit or 15 minutes after arriving at the storage facility, whichever time is less. Here's the link for reference: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=22658

Thanks for your comments Steve ... outstanding post that smartly written and extremely intuitive. I agree with your comments but I firmly believe (and teach) that most highway tows and transports could be handled from the non-traffic side; if only to remove the vehicle to a wide-spot on the shoulder or creep down the shoulder to the first ramp. It's my guess that many tower's killed didn't have formal tow operator (safety) training and they never participated in FREE TIMs training. While reviewing fatality investigations can be ... as you said ... borderline gore, every fatality and tower strike tell's it's own story, but provides valuable lesson's learned. Accident reports are available (in most states) for those who were involved or participants. They're not impossible to obtain. Fatality investigations aren't new and determining cause of operator death is simple to determine with or without seeing the official investigation. Perhaps one-third of all towers killed may have been spared if they only worked the non-traffic side controls, stayed-out of active traffic lanes, or worked according to what industry safety suggests. Industry safety? What's that? For me, having recorded operator strikes and cause of accident for better than 30-years ... this message isn't getting across industry-wide and hasn't gotten across in the 106-years since the wrecker was first invented. I've dilligently recorded and archived 621x tow operators killed working on-highway and shoulder events. The message is there, but something's missing in translation that says working on the highway is a dangerous proposition. A large percent of tow companies want to spend dollars for new trucks, new rotators, new bling and outfit their truck with a hundred spot-strobes ... but they FAIL in providing their employees the proper education which could one-day save their lives. The bottom-line is simple ... Slow Down Move Over laws don't work making every tower responsible for their personal on-scene safety. Unless each tower is a bit "apprehensive" when working the highway, then they too may not have the proper focus to survive. But, to think that some towers forget or refuse to accept signs that spell safety, they may be too lazy, too complacent and too macho to suggest they have that, "it won't happen to me," mentality? Perhaps it's an over-bearing ego with too much testoserone that put's then in harm's way. Since we're all keepers of our own destinies, there's a much needed "culture change" this industry needs. But, as you question ... how do we get there? R.

Here ... again from Southern California, but not listed. Merry Christmas to all. R.

How embarrassing having a deck like that. I'll betcha' the Harley's owner was freakin' out. But, in the grand scheme of things; a Condor-like motorycle device makes perfect sense in-helping to load any bike and keep others off the carrier's deck. For the $500 dollar price of a loading dolly, it pays for itself in a few tows and helps to avoid a costly and expensive wrongful injury lawsuit. Note: My Goldwing has a pin-leak in a fuel line and needs to be transported to a factory mechanic. In my quest to find a tow company that has a motorcycle dolly, I haven't yet found a company who has one. R.

Who would have thought that a car in the 1960's would be so coveted? Barn Finds are the best. Thanks for sharing Ron. R.

Other than what's known, this news segment provides nothing new. I'm confident it will be at least another year before the total results are released. R.

Here ... Southern California.

That's a great recovery vehicle Eric. Thanks for sharing the pics. R.

Good for you Ed with intent to re-invent and assist your business in the face of Covid adversity. R.

I had the honor to sit with Mr. Battelini at the tow show in Jersey talking about his, "Vintage Class", entry I judged at Towman's Beauty Pageant. He was a wealth in towing and recovery stemming way back to the 1920's. I only wish I could have spent more time listening to him ... his eyes would widen and shine when he spoke about the industry. He will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace Mr. Battelini. R.

There are three parties mentioned Ron ... customer caller, driver and the vehicle's owner. I hate these, "He said she said" situations. I spoke to a tow company's owner advising him to have a new key made. Although it was a $250 key, that money was well-spent versus the vehicle's owner trashing the tow company on Facebook and slam the company on BBB websites. That's one of those situations where either a photo of or a hold-harmless paper is signed when the key exchanges hands. This particular outcome was favorable where the same owner called him a week after to have his wife's car towed. R.

I've archived 28x towers killed changing tires nation-wide suggesting there's a safer. While I personally dispise comments by, "the Tow Police", and in due respect to the survival of a California "Freeway Service Patrol" tow operators; this 13-second video demonstrates (in my opinion) questionable safety practices that go against the grain of white-line safety. Because of the rear-tire being flat and situated nearly atop the white-line, its location requires the operator to work in a live traffic lane. I realize tire change protocol is directed by the CHP, but, I perceive six, potentially deadly safety considerations. - White-line tire change versus Tow First? - Tow truck partially parked in live-lane - no cones or flares set to announce warning - no CHP assistance or second blocker truck on-scene - a wandering motorist not seated in the tow truck - a motorist and tower standing between vehicles I commend the work done by FSP operatrors and salute their committment to the motoring public. Perhaps I'm in-correct in my way of thinking, but, wouldn't an experienced carrier operator be able, "load and go", this rear-flat casualty far-faster and safer by changing this tire off-the-highway? What's more time consuming IF the operator is experienced and focused? So, I ask, if you were the safety trainer ... what would your plan be? R.

Maybe, that's old school mentality cuz' I lost the keys a long, long time ago ... I've been starting my old tractor like that for years. R,

Hi Guys ... just for fun ... while doing some research yesterday, I found this vintage pic dated, February 23, 1947, of a wrecker stuck and abandoned in the Maryland snow. While I have to remember its winter somewhere, it's Tee-shirt weather in the mid-70's today. If I want weather like that ... I'll stick my head in the freezer. Here's wishing you all a most wonderful weekend. R.