EdsTowing

I agree. The bank never got possession of it. It was more like vandalism...

This one was a little odd... Got a call to jumpstart a 20 KW 680 tractor that parks in a lot up the street from ours. Pretty regular situation... My guy gets there and tries to jump it but there is no dash or cranking - all the lights are strong though. I told him that he was done then and to find out if the guy wanted it towed somewhere. The owner states he wanted it towed to a TA in New Jersey so we make the arrangements. Not where I would take it, (you go there to get a tire put on...not electrical diagnosis) but we were too busy to get in to it so that's where it will go... Talking to the steering wheel holder and he says it's his 1st day on the job. Got sent to pick this truck up that has been sitting since the previous driver quit. Seemed odd to have a problem like this unless something was going on prior to it being parked but whatever? I take it 25 miles to Jersey and drop it in their shop...got paid...and head home. On the way home, I got thinking about a week or so ago, we were sitting in my shop one night and saw a car wrecker come in my yard on the cameras and drive around the building. He parks it in a hidden spot so I immediately head out there with an appropriate amount of hate, discontent & attitude to resolve the situation. Turns out it's a couple of guys repossessing a truck that they said is "pinging" here on my property. I show them the error in their ways and instill a little bit of the fear of God in to them and assure them that there isn't a 2020 Kenworth on my property. He tells me the address and I said it was the lot across the street maybe. They leave in a hurry and it's the last I see of them. Didn't think any more in to it. So I Get a call yesterday morning to go back to pick the truck up and tow it back up here, to Kenworth of Scranton because the truck stop couldn't fix it. They did sell him 2 tires though so all wasn't lost for them. When I get there, their shop manager tells me that the wiring is all messed up at the back of the ignition switch and they recommended taking it to the dealer. Now it's coming together...LoL I bet those rocket scientists that were scouring around in the dark at my place, tried to "hot wire" this truck & take it? I'm sure they seen it on TV...all you got to do is rapidly touch the 2 wires together and they start up... So I go back to Jersey and pick it up right where I left it, and head to Kenworth... I told the dealer there are 2 issues... One is the wiring is messed up at the ignition switch and two, a bank is looking for the truck so plan accordingly. So here's the question of the day...this guy has spent like $1500 with us plus whatever the dealer charges for the repairs, does he have recourse with the Bank's Agent that started this problem? I'd be pretty ticked off if it was my truck. I have to admit...I'm curious as to how all this ends.

Very true...we get on scene and the tires will be all tore up...will probably need a transmission in a few days...LoL. We brought a late model Super Duty dump in the other day from one of our customers. They got stuck and bored until they ripped the axle shafts in half.... We replace the shafts on both sides and do all the seals & brakes ect... Then when my guy pulls the front cover to service the differential while it's there and finds the teeth broken off of the pinion gear as well! So now, back apart and overhaul the complete rear... It was like $6000 when we were done...to save a 300 winch out? Been running Fords since 1986...I have only seen the front axle blown up like this once before which was 3 years ago for the same company...

Nice work.

Had a good one the other night. Utility truck went back a private rd through the woods to a Log Cabin to repair the cable TV and slid off the road. He kept trying until it got in to the trees and did some damage to the truck...then I guess they didn't have a choice... Pics don't do the hill justice... It was pretty steep and ice under the snow... It slid sideways in to the tree which made the only option was to extract it sideways... Ran a line from a tree to pull it sideways and a 2 part line to the rear to bring it up the hill... It tore the driveway up pretty good but I didn't have a lot of choice. My "Spade" attachment hooks to the bottom of the boom and works great but then the boom couldn't be raised up for some vertical lift. I had to use it though since I was pulling more then my wrecker weighed. Once it was strait, I hooked the other line on the back to help bring it up the hill. Pulled the wrecker up & over the hill so we could winch it to level ground... Got him out with no further damage to the truck which was new. Driveway was a little tore up but the Utility company was going to deal with that. Then I followed the guys back out to the main road which was basically the equivalent of a sleigh ride to Grandma's... I wasn't to impressed with the bridge at the end but we didn't have any choice since it was the only way in... I enjoy doing work with the little truck & being the "Under Dog" on the job...it's challenging.

Got a call in the AM that was close to my house so Eddie asked me to take a look at it and see... Pulled up and the guy says I don't think that truck is big enough?.... I said well if you would like, I'll go get the big truck or you can give me 5 min and we'll be out of here? Fully loaded so it was going to need a little lift & pull. It didn't have tow hooks and I couldn't lift on the bumper without damaging it so... So I wrapped a chain around the front spring hanger and through a screw pin shackle that I left at the edge of the bumper hole. Then used a loop strap in a basket to hook to. No scratches and she popped right out...

This customer said they were stuck for 6hrs trying to get it out...I told her next time, just make the call... They stopped when they got close to the tree... Easy job, just had to stay away from the shitty fiberglass body panels...

Had a job tonight that two other towing companies turned down and I'll admit, it didn't sound "fun" on the phone. It wasn't in our normal area, in a neighboring county so I gave a "jump off" price based on the situation as explained and location. The customer agreed and I headed up there... The driveway was about a 100 yards long with twists & turns, up a grade. Wasn't plowed and all ice underneath which is always fun... Couldn't get around him and there wasn't a "Holmes Tree" anywhere where I would need it so the only choice was to back it down the hill... Actually was easy...slid the trailer sideways a couple times and it popped out of the holes it was stuck in. Then we just guided him back out to the roadway.

It wouldn't know if it was coming or going... I had to put it outside today cause we needed the room. It's stripped down & waiting for a day that gets over freezing so we can blast it...hopefully it gets a little nicer next week.

Jerry used to be very active on the board and very involved with the Museum as I recall. Godspeed buddy...Your family is in our thoughts & prayers.

Sorry but with all do respect...I think you put an extra "0" in your claim there - "Grossing over $200k a Month". That would require about $7500 a day, 6 days a week to get near that and it isn't going to happen with a GMC pick Up Truck... He's doing $20-25k a month which is probably pretty good for a one man band but he has to be running non stop.

Of course when I need to blast this chassis, the weather is supposed to be freezing cold all week...

Picked up the new 11' Dump Body for the truck today... The engine & trans is out of the frame now so next week we will blast the chassis components.

All it takes is money Andy....bags & bags of money...LoL I'm setting up the inside of the boxes now. It's getting some custom snatch block holders, a Milwaukee Pack Out system and all of the equipment mounted in there. I'll post some more pics once it's sorted out. Dam it's a pretty fish isn't it?... Eddie did a loaded TT with it the other night, stuck in a development where he shouldn't of been. The truck just sits still & winches like Bear...

Wow that is gorgeous. That car should bring a premium, especially with that history.

Finally got some time for the guys to start my dump truck build. The body is in so we got to get cranking on it. Since it's so much easier to do the engine w/ the cab off, we decided to strip the thing down. It makes for a nicer job when we do the chassis blast & resurface... This truck should look real nice when it's complete and run like a bear!

Yes they are. Honestly I haven't tried them yet...we just got them back mounted on the body again... We altered them so the wheels sit strait up and lowered the bracket some for clearance on the winch motors. Yes we are happy with the job that East Penn did. It went long over the schedule which I will admit was frustrating but the job was right. This dolly mount issue was a learn as we go type issue and I'm sure the installer never thought about the mirror issue we ran in to. But I know this is out of the normal situation with our up-fitting of these winches. I certainly get your concerns too. We literally just finished a body repaint on a brand Ford for a friend of mine. Truck was built by a large east coast builder and the paint quality was terrible.... I was happy with how it turned out but when a guy spends $160k + for a new truck, they shouldn't have to go through stuff like this... Delivered it last week.

We got a little over a foot of snow dumped on us this weekend. It can be good for business but comes at a "cost" on equipment and man power... A lot of preparation has to go in to the property and snow management equipment for storms like this. We have a large facility and 20 or so trucks that pay to park on the lot so everything has to be kept up during & after the storms.. On Large storms, we have aggressive snows mounted for the front of the wreckers that we through on. They do so well in the deep stuff but I don't like driving around with them for the other 90% of the trucks use so we can take them back off... When they aren't on the road, I try to bring everything inside with heaters on them to defrost and get a quick spray off to keep them clean.... Personally, I prefer the snow squalls that come through and drop 1/2" - 2" of snow...it's easy, fast & profitable.

Well the key is, whatever you use - keep within the safe work load of the product and always protect the rope. All of them will perform well if cared for. Fiber core is easy to work with and retains lubricant if properly maintained. The steel core has a higher break strength but doesn't wrap as well on the winch. The swaged rope is supposedly the strongest but personally I think it sucks to work with...it just doesn't want to bend. We use a lot of synthetic rope which is real nice to work with, very strong and the safest to be around but it's costly and susceptible to abrasive issues so you need to be careful.

I would be looking for a restriction somewhere. It takes more pressure to go down then lift up so if it still moves under weight, then you probably have pressure but diminished flow or volume.

So to know what the truck is capable of, we would need to know more about it. The 25 ton unit is very strong and I assure you it will always outwork that chassis. Maybe post a picture of it? What's the wheel base of the truck? I wouldn't call it a medium duty...a light heavy maybe, but it will do probably 90% of a companies typical daily work. Without knowing your business plan and area, it's hard for me to say if it's the right application for business but don't discount the truck...just respect it. You have to respect weight no matter what it is you operate and when you get in to HD work, there's an added concern because the weights you're dealing with can get you hurt. Obviously any single axle has diminished braking ability on a wrecker application. Make sure you get a Brake Buddy or learn to tap in to the systems of disabled trucks. Hooking & booking is all fun & stuff but you got to be able to stop it. Every man needs to know his limitations.... And there is 2 kind of weight factors to be concerned with. The steer weight of what you're lifting is a potential enemy of a wrecker, that's what makes you "pucker". Then the over all gross weight which can seem like a lot but in actuality, just requires ample power to move it and brakes to stop it. Towing a 80,000lb loaded tractor trailer is not a big deal as long as you are prepared. Hooking to a tandem dump @ 58,000 or a loaded tri axle at 73k will school you in a hurry! That is the type of stuff that fills the other 10% of the work out there that you need to avoid. This is why it's necessary knowing what your target audience is. If you are in a metro area, you can do fine with a unit like this. If your region is logging/heavy construction ect..., then this isn't the right truck for you. As for performance, check out Jerr-Dan's performance calculator on their site... https://www.jerrdan.com/tow-link That will answer the math questions....cause that's all it is - physics and math. It doesn't matter who's name is on the ID tag or where the lift cylinders are placed...it's all about weights & measures. As for the last part of your question, there are a number of principle factors that you need to identify in order to sustain. Finding business can be difficult and searching for "Motor Club Type" heavy work will typically leave you in despair, broke & frustrated 5 years from now...assuming you can hold on that long. Anybody that has their hand in your pocket, taking a piece of your hard labor is never beneficial. No different then the LD business, just magnified because of the added cost of equipment, labor and exposure. Try to avoid them at all costs would be my recommendation. Companies like Penske & Ryder can be good accounts because they have thousands of trucks and deal with break downs & accidents every day. Many guys build their business profile around companies like this. The negative aspect is you're going to have to discount to them for any volume. I do work for these guys @ 250.00hr but guys that "do a lot" for them are working for 125-150 typically. You need to decide if you can sustain & prosper at those amounts? Years ago, I did a fair amount for them...now I don't because my business model has changed. Whatever you do, don't whore yourself. Guys doing work for these companies...tractor swaps and what not with a heavy for 100 or 125 an hour are loosing money...PERIOD! If these guys seem to be sustaining, it's because another aspect of their company or an outside source is contributing to their revenue. Remember, it's not magic. Good luck with your venture and please, be careful. The heavy business can be rewarding but it can beat you down. When I started, I had a long, good reputation in our area and was told by dozens of companies that they were going to use us. Maybe 10% actually did. Some of the bigger players would say "well you only have one truck" and give the "what ifs". As I grew (without their help), you remember the folks that helped you get there and the ones that didn't...and charge accordingly. 😉

Came in this morning and my son says "You made the magazine"....to which I had no idea... Now that I'm famous, when do I get the check? 😁

Not that I would want to....but, a small block Chevy would go in there as well if you cant find the big block. All of them are difficult to find anymore but if you came across a 350, it would get the job done. Biggest issue will be revising the exhaust a little and some radiator hoses. Just a thought, good luck with your quest.

I tell my guys 2 important factors... #1 Work close to utilize the ability of the wrecker body instead of relying on the amount of resistance your truck can provide, and #2 protect your line load & rigging. You 3 or 4 part the lines and I don't care what you're hooked to...it will come out or you will simply exceed the ability of the truck - but you wont hurt anything but your pride....

Nice...I love doing big jobs with smaller trucks. There's a "challenge" factor that is hard to get when I'm in my big truck...