Tow411

Topic Originally Create on Tow411 in November of 2008. Author has been identified and we are attempted to locate old screen name. In Memory of Da Wash Boss "Danny Casello who said: Those were the days. The trucks look great and the gas prices look even better!!!

This Unit was Sold out of California back in 2016. 2001 Peterbilt 378, ISX 500 with 13 Speed trans Non steerable Drop Axle with Dual Wheels - 81,740 GVWR The Wrecker Body is a Challenger Model 9909 70 Ton Rotator Factory built and installed by Miller Ind.

Topic Originally Created by Nicks in 2014: Ian Tomei said: I like the jerr dan! Anymore pics of it! The sa kW what type of wrecker is that! Ian Tomei Strollostowing said: Been a fan of your equipment for a while. Three rotators now? Wow great fleet. CPG2036 said: Your company has always had nice trucks...Something about that Volvo Rotator just looks tough as nails...I think that is my favorite...I have always liked KW T800s also a great choice for a chassis for a wrecker....Great lookin fleet in Wild Wonderful West Virginia...OOOps forgot you in the buckeye state too...Take Care.....

Topic Originally Created by Nicks on Tow411 in 2014: This Year we Added a Third Rotator to our Fleet 2012 KW 75ton Century (it's Show time) we also have a 2012 KW 40ton Century (nothing but attitude) the third is a 1997 Volvo it has been part of our fleet since 2001 Raddamant said: Very nice. Got some close ups of the Volvo? Looks like a beast Ben said: Great looking fleet, one to definitely be proud of. Towinginmedina said: Very nice. Ian Tomei said: They are beautiful..too bad they are green! Ian Tomei Nicks said: Ian we love Green its the Color of MONEY!! Brinkleys said: Agreed, we love the color of money Heavytowman12 said: Very Nice looks like you have a good size yard to work in to Ian Tomei said: Jodie..i guess your right! But red are the color of rose's!!! Miracle1 aka Kenny Miracle said: You can't buy rotators with rose's..lol Great lookin trucks.. Towman33 said: Those are some Bad A$$ truck's, very nice! internationalstar said: nice units do you have any that are not rotators ? would love to see the whole fleet

Topic Orginally Create by danielswt on Tow411 in November of 2005: im getting tired of having law enforcement stand behind my truck's while i load a vehicle onto the bed. i was looking into possibly getting some sort of a diagram with a small bit of usefull information that describes why this is an unsafe area ,and then haveing them put up in the locker rooms or meeting rooms of our local agencies to help educate them in a polite manner. has anybody everdone this ? do you think it is a good idea ? and do you know where i might be able to find this information already drawn up so i dont have to start from scratch. please e-mail it to me if anyone has something that might work for me. dangerousdantheman@hotmail.com THANKS--- Daniel --- "im only stuck a lil" www.southwesttowing.com FMS Mike said: I do agree with your concern and I agree that a diagram or something to explain the dangers. One thing I am not afraid to do is tell them to get out of the way. It's our name and our responsibility for safety and if I believe there is any type of safety hazard on a scene i am working, I will stop what I am doing and remedy the situation. I'm sure that police officer would rather have a tow truck driver tell him to move rather than having his family told something worse than that. SAFETY FIRST!! Mike Farmington Motor Sports Autorescue said: I've not had a single one question the logic when they've been told to stay out of that zone and granted we have a relatively small police & fire presents here in Marquette, but nobody goes into that area here now including non participants in the event who are now ushered out of that area by police & fire prsonel .John R. Forgivenone said: When I use the flatbed or rollback, I tell all people standing behind me or the truck to stand away from the vehicle's roll path. I let them know that the winch was made by human hands and could possibly fail sometime. If it failed now, that is not the spot you'd want to be. As the tow driver, you are responsible for your scene and those around it. I love getting on the P.A. and telling people to move back at least 110 feet because if a cable breaks, it'll rip through you like a hot knife through butter. You should she them move, it's a funny site. FMS Mike said: Dan, I know how fast they move all too well. One day on a stolen vehicle recovery I was winching the car up the hill after pulling it out of the water. As we winched it 2 cameramen decided to stand next to my rear tires. I said you guys need to move and they said no this is great footage. I said, if this cable breaks it will slice u in half. They moved real quick and apologized. Best part was is they parked the cameras 100 ft in front of my truck , just good enough to get the company name in for the evening news. Mike Farmington Motor Sports Towmaster B said: There used to be one trooper that would constantly do that, even after I had politely asked him not to stand there. One day about three years ago, we were called to a two vehicle crash. That particular trooper was on scene. Again, he was standing behind my truck. I hadn't lowered the bed yet. I started to lower the bed while he was standing there watching traffic go by. I nudged his feet with the end of the bed just enough for him to almost fall over. He didn't even say a word and walked over to the side. He never stood there again. And, yes he did call us again after that. Talmon said: i was pulling a car out of the ditch,when the intoxicated driver walked into the winch cable as i was pulling,and it closed line him,then the officer decides to take him in,he only got charged with pd,no dui,hung over with a sore neck to go along with the head ache Unknown Member said: They had a guy electrocuted in Phoenix (think it was 2002). He was driving 1 of those garbage container trucks, somewhat like a flat bed. You pull up to the big garbage container, hook your cable up to it, and winch the cable in. His cable snapped. The end of it flew up into the air, hitting power lines. It blew out all the tires and fryed the driver who was standing next to the truck, using the hydraulic control sticks. JR said: I just tell them to move and expalain as to why I am asking them to move. I also tell them the deputy that has to come out a write the report for you getting run over is going to be really pissed. Dont be scared to say anything just tell them it is in your own best interest to get out of the danger zone. ncoast said: I tell people that Murphy has a law, about standing behind my truck or near my rope. And it states, that things will only break if someone is there. wreckerman05 said: had one yesterday a yukon-high off the ground had groundeffects-not even close to scraping-lady who owned it -3 times i ask her not to stand behind it while loading-sometimes when i load i will put a safety from front of bed-i did this after the 3rd time of asking-life goes on if we are safe-something can happen in an instance-play safe-have fun FMS Mike said: Yea Safety First is key. I love how people think that our goal is to wreck their car. I had one who's son fell asleep while driving his jetta at 2 am and got caught up in a tractor trailer's tandems and sent him for a ride leaving him half in the shoulder half in slow lane. He was fine but the car suffered a lot of damage. While I was on the traffic side in a poorly lit section of road attaching my four point tie downs the mother though itd be a good point to step into the travel lane to point out to me that the tires only had a hundred miles on them and that I should be careful with them, unaware that 3 of them were taken care of by the tractor trailer. I yelled at her to get back real loud, loud enough for the state trooper to come running and grab her and escort her to the shoulder and explain very sternly how stupid she just was . "Lets be careful out there" Michael Vibert Farmington Motor Sports

Topic Originally created by L.W. on Tow411 in November of 2003 I have recently made an agreement with an owner (whom I used to pull for) about salvaging catalytic convertors from his abandoned vehicles. From what I have been told it is worth the while, and I will use a sawzall to eliminate the fire hazard, so he is comfortable with all of this in his lot. I am curious as to how many do this type of thing, and what all do you pull for core value? I guess the real question is what is worth the effort on the return side- alternators, starters, radiators, what? Obviously, it has to be approached from a time versus $ outlook. But also, at what point do you become considered a recycler or salvage operation? Obviously, I don't want to create a problem, but as these units are usually pretty used up, they usually become crusher material anyways. Pulling the easy rewards off of them wouldn't affect the tonnage much. How far does one go before you are asking for trouble with licensing, liability, etc? I look forward to your replies- it is best to learn from those that have already been there. Thanks TowTrk1 said: I guess it would depend on what you're getting for the converters. Personally, in CT you'd have to be careful about what you dismantled before coming under the watchful eyes of DMV. Of course, this state is so screwed up right now, they would have to add it to the list of things to do before they caught ya. Anyway, if you stuck to converters, it might be worth it. I wouldn't get into starters and alternators, though. For what you'd get for them, after testing them and all, probably wouldn't be worth the time taken to remove them. I would also consider keeping the salvage for your own garage if you do the work. Stay away from salvage retail sales. Money can be made on used engines, control arms, and such that people can't afford new. Offering a used alternative to new can many times get you the repair job, and even make a few bucks on the used part. Given this opinion is based on how CT's laws work. Others areas may be different where your idea may work well. Bill Jim Lunsford said: well I typed out a whole book but it didn't post....just to cut it short the only time i've found that a core is worth anything is when you dont have one to turn in when buying a new part Jim Unknown Member said: I have done some looking into this issue also. The question I have is will the person who buys your scrap keeping paying for them if you pull all the easy cash off first? There is definitely a market for convertors and they get about $5 a piece. I believe there is also a market for starters and alternators. The biggest chunk is probably in the scrap steel. However, if you can get $50 for a clunker is it really worth the hassel? Probably only if you have a huge amount of abandons and access to a shredder. So far the best way to recoup on these for us is to find a good junk yard to work with who can make some money off the steel, convertor, etc. Unknown Member said: What we do here is we wait until we get alot of cars to crush and we let the crusher pull the gas tanks, radiators, tires, cats., alternators etc. We then let him sell the cores and he splits the profit from that with us because he does the work. but, if you dont have alot of yard space this might not work for you. we crush about 200 cars at a time. Jerrys Garage said: I am located at a interstate exit, so we sell a lot of used tires. If we take some to the crusher we have to pull the tanks and tires so might as well make a few dollars. we also pull the radiators, dont get but around 40 at the crusher. Jerry scoobydoo007 said: hello everyone Here in ontario we can get between $10-$60 for a used cat. so we strip off and call a company that buys them. need a lot for them to come down. L.W.Said: Scooby is saying pretty much what I have heard around here. I have been told $5 to $50 depending on size and style. The common GM units were bringing $29 per unit a while back. There are a few guys that come through on a route every so often, and it depends on how many I can collect as to whether they will come to me or if I have to make arrangements to meet up with them somewhere along the way. I will let everyone know how it all works out in the end. Thanks for the responces, and I'd love to here more of your thoughts! Don29yrs aka Thtdon said: We walk a fine line here when it comes to that kind of activity. Removing parts off of cars is the function of a Class 3 dealer's license, which in laymen's terms is a junkyard license. If I got caught removing parts off of cars and selling them, I would run into problems with the zoning board. I operate an impound yard, not a junkyard. I have had someone come in looking to buy converters. Granted, removing them would generate a little revenue. But I don't have the time. The money generated from the sale of the converters would be offset by the salaries of the guys removing them. Unknown Member said: i have found that stripping cars for their parts can be rewarding cat. converters,transmissions,insome cases motors,newer starters,alts,aluim wheels,raditors,air conditioning cores,copper battery wires,tires make excellent xmas bonuses and partiesfor the company.they also help fund repairs on truck equipment. I do not sell any of these part to a salvage yard dealer for they try to cut the price paid to you by half.here in my state we have company's that buyjust those parts.Ex. late model transmission (700 r 2 types the one with the vain on the side) $125. cat.converters gm double $44.al. wheels 55 cents a lb. all year long when you buy a new alt. and they say the core value is $125 then you know some one somewhere is paying atleast $40 for a junk core. scoobydoo007 said: what i usually do for those cars i will get them stripped down by a high school kid i sometimes use in the shop. pay him cash and he gets good learnin experience and cars. can usually get them for fairly cheap because around here most guys dont give them a break. what better to learn on then a junker Marc Melville said: I am in the towing & recovery business,and there are enough headaches, I am not in the salvage business so I do not dismantle. I leave that to the people in that business, as I should. I don't sell used parts , I made a deal with the local junk yard to buy my abandons and junk at what I believe is a fair price, he takes the good with the bad at the same price, sometimes more one than the other but it all comes out in the wash. I am not afraid of someone else making a dollar and I don't want to be a junk yard. Unknown Member said: In NM we get $50 a car reguardless of condition for salvage so to offset the cost of the title and hauling it in to my yard and to the wrecking yard is to pull small parts such as carbs, taillights, emblems anyting that will fot in a 12x12x12 box and then list it on ebay you can make a few bucks and if the stuff doesn't sell just put it in the next junkker to go out...............Sorry to everyone for the caps locks thats the way I type son't happen again L.W. said: Well, this was along time coming, but I finally sold off my converters. I ended up having another buddy with a salvage yard broker then for me, as his buyer has a better rep than some others, and it didn't require me to get as many in a shot. I sold 42 units total. The highest was $45, and the lowest was $6. Overall average was $16.48 per unit. I only ended up with 25 of of the impound lot (many of those abandoned units either did not have one, on they were gutted and were worthless). But my ex boss was pretty happy to get $165 (he got 40%) for basically not doing anything, and he got the same from the crusher for the cars as he would have with them still on. All in all, we didn't get rich, but it was a worthwhile endeavor. I don't think I was in his lot for more than 5 hours maximum, so that is a pretty good hourly wage! All's well that ends well... Later-

Topic Originally Created on Tow411 in Oct. 2008 by hpgtowing: This 1974 Autocar Constructor was once the flagship of our fleet... Purchased brand new from Clifton Equipment (Johny's).... This truck and another just like it were specially built... The front tunnel boxes were cut in half and the crane was pushed forward to the back of the cab... The rear axle was also pushed rearward as far as possible... The control boxes were notched for the wheel openings... The body was so far forward they notched out the body corners for the exhaust... The booms had to be pulled out 1 notch just to be square with the tailgate... Double rail chassis and a fish-plate to the rear of the front springs.... The old girl could really work...She was powered by a 290 Cumins and a RTOO13 Roadranger... double reduction 29,500 lb. rear end with 4:62 Ratio rear end.... This truck done everything we could through at it... and never complained.... This truck was traded into Dirt Cheap Wreckers when we bought Godzilla (50 Ton Century)... Any one have any current pictures of it? Would love to see how it looks today.... I think it went to Virgina? Thanks... Be safe... Steve FMS Mike said: Do you regret selling it? Blue Hills Towing said: that was one beautiful workhorse, would love to see what it looks like now! hpgtowing said: Yeah .... I would like to see it also? So? C'mon folks... Lets see the ole 75 Wrecker.... It's gotta be out there somewhere? Stay safe... Steve

Updated the Images Links

This topic was originally created on Tow411 in 2011 by Orcas Tow: That is the question, I'm sold on the winch remote for the new rollback, any good reason other than WOW factor for the slide & tilt to be remote? What situations would the tilt & slide function be helpful/safer, easier in an awkward load or recovery? Rod VT said: Loading motorcycles (no dolly needed). General safety on the interstate (maybe not so important on your island) Speed (you can walk or talk and extend your bed at the same time) "Cheat" loading of cars (drive on, flatten bed while foot on brake) It's totally worth the extra investment for the added functions. P.S. Consider a Mobile Control System's set-up, much easier install (I have both brands). Uzek. call me if you want details (or a quote, I am a dealer for them). timjohn said: When it raining out you can have the bed on the ground before you leave the truck Brian Bell said: I think they owe you a commission. MTA14 said: what Rod and Tim sez... Ed Barker said: We get the full remote systems on all of ours,, you'll be glad you did,,, you getting a new truck???? Orcas Tow said: Sure did, just down the street from you Ed:), I'll post pictures once she's all lettered up, ran a few calls with her & I'm lovin the Allison! Meggala said: I hope you got the full remote I wouldn't be without it but I have a simple rule any one I train learns with out it. Orcas Tow Said: I bought the 6 function Lodar, installed it today, works nice, I have been paying attention to all the situations I have been in since I ordered it & boy will it make things easier!

This topic was first created on Tow411 in November of 2006: I am tired of everyone here whining about cleaning the bathrooms in this office! what do you guys do? how many pay for an outside cleaner to clean your bathrooms, or who does it in your office?Raymond Ray Tow Zone Inc "I'm the guy the parking signs warned you about..." Placentia, CA KingDragonwagon said: My office staff does all the cleaning , and if it does not sparkle when I go squirt some one is going to get it right. jimmjem said: You have to clean them? moranmg said: I use a cleaning company every week to clean the office and bathrooms. unknown member said: Don't have a bathroom in garage-rent port a pot--they dump and clean twice a week Don29yrs aka THTDON said: NO ONE!!! Actually I do, most of the time. I have a kid that comes in from time to time, and I get him to do it. Sometimes it is worse that before he started. I have those bowl washers with the disposable pad on the end. It only takes a couple of minutes to do it. No big deal. I need a maid! No one cleans up after themselves. I keep dumping half-cups of coffee and soda down the drain. TOwBoY88 said: Oh...I'm not the only one with that problem...? ASAPAutomotive said: If you can use...you can clean it. Should apply to all in the company...except the customer I guess. Unknown Member said: No one...unless I scream! I actually...silly me...made a list assigning everyone a week, for an entire year, to clean the bathroom...it stayed on the wall approximately a month before someone took it down. Now, we just use the screaming approach, works pretty well! Freds Towing said: Our office staff (me) usually cleans the bathroom. I've tried to have others do it, but it gets to a point where I can't stand it anymore...and I just have to clean it. Our drivers can skillfully pick up cars and drop off cars into the tightest spots, you would think they would have better aim! We do have someone that comes in once a month to do a full cleaning of the office area and bathroom. Kelly Fred's Towing Stevens Point, WI 715-341-7576 TNTOW said: When I had several employees, it fell to the Wednesday night man to clean and vacuum the office and bathroom. It really didn't take more than about twenty minutes to do both even if you took your time. Everybody was responsible for cleaning up after themselves and taking the trash out each day. The Sunday driver was responsible for greasing the trucks. We rotated days so you didn't have to do it each week. midriverstowing said: Thankfully not me Doug, mid-rivers towing Oklatom said: The same person that puts new rolls of toilet paper on the roll, and new rolls of paper towels up, and keeps it in soap. ME. In Memory of Dispatcher35 who said: We have a woman (sister of one of our detailers) that comes in 5 nights a week and cleans the whole office area up. One of the detail people hauls the trash and sweeps the shops up at night. Mike Katkiller said: And if it smells all the time one of those aerosol dispensers may be what you need. I've been telling them that at work for years now that's what they need. They wonder why it smells in there all the time...... of course that restroom gets about 50 people a day more or less..-- North County Tow Said: I clean the bathrooms and the kitchen and the floors....... I always thought it was the "pride of ownership"? Karen from Cali. Graciesdad said: I bought a shop with 2 of them, one is mine, the other is theirs. I dont give a rats you know what if they clean it, Im not sitting on the throne. All kidding aside they keep it up pretty well, and they can use the boss's throne when needed.......and yes, I clean it. And yes, I miss........Jay Indiana James Odem: Simple soulition to the problem put a lock on the door and charge them a fee to use it. Kyresqtow said: Who ever ticks me off cleans it schu said: ours stays pretty decent ..... usually its whoever is on the night shift is supposed to keep it up as well as the office area but we all kinda clean up after our selves PJGhrist said: I usually take out trash most nights... we usually take turns cleaning the shop bathroom, the girls in the office keep there bathroom clean! The late night drivers usually vac n mop office and bathrooms when told to! And trying to get people to switch the TP rolls... I'll never see that done! lol http://jeswald.com/ letsplay2 said: If your employee's don't want to clean the restroom then rent a port a potty and let all the people who refuse to clean the restroom use the port a potty and all the employee's that want to clean the restroom use the restroom... Watch how fast they come over to the other side and actually volunteer to clean the restroom.. Devin Bachtowing said: We have a guy that only does restroom cleaning.. he spends about 1/2 hr and it really sparkles for only $15 every other week. He scrubs the sink, toilet, floor and mirror Not a bad deal for him either.. at least it gets done! Preferred said: Im lucky enough to have my own bathroom, so I clean my own. The drivers clean the other bathroom. Since they are the ones using it, they clean it... http://preferredtow.com/ Tow_Zone said: Professionally: have an individual or service come in once a week and clean everything as such. Then the employees must keep it clean in between and pick up after themselves or go home. Owners it may be your place, but unless you take joy in doing such tasks your focus is in the wrong direction. Drivers should never be placed on duties such as cutting grass, picking up the lot or cleaning restrooms and service areas. They are paid to be drivers, in between runs they straighten the lot, clean on the trucks and other tasks related to their job specific duties. If they have time to do that other stuff, then you have to many drivers. I have known several owners that had their drivers doing things totally unrelated to towing or there specific job. Those were the least productive employees and the first to cause damages. I don't clean restrooms, I don't do windows and I don't sweep the shop floor unless I want too. I'm not a good employee, I am an skilled productive team member. OK, so I'll cut some of the owners in rural areas a break as the volume may be lower as well as the pool of drivers. When I have managed other businesses I would hire a retired individual to clean up. The cost was very reasonable I found them rather dependable and looking for something to occupy their time and get a little cash as well. Oh, they generally want more money in time. When it gets close to the cost of a service it's time to find another. jared allpoints said my dad does it somtimes, other times my one part timmer comes in and just does it. i never have to ask let alone tell anyone to do it, they just do. Edit: Seems I forgot it's Friday. I'm off on Friday So I generally have the Kitchen and Bathroom Cleaned up early. Well, I;m but that's not why I came back to this topic. It's that I will clean my own bathroom, I'll even clean pupil restrooms if that is my job description, as a driver that should not be in my job description when hired. Unknown Member said: Try this, If they don't clean up after themselves, unplug and remove key appliances. Kill light to bathroom and see how they like going with the varmints they attract. Unknown Member said: unfortunately im the one who cleans up the place, nobody else seems to feel the need and i believe in choosing your battles, hosing out the bathroom isnt the one to fight in my opinion. Unknown Member said: We have a man who does the bathrooms once a week, the rest of it is done by the office staff. Our office is all women, all our drivers are men, and we have 1 common bathroom, so having it cleaned is a necessity, not a luxury, around here. T. Unknown Member said: still trying to grasp the fact that this is a topic lmao Unknown Member said: That is a pet peeve, I can not stand a dirty bathroom or office for that matter. Not so much for me, but my customers. I have made it every-bodies responsibility to make sure they stay clean, and it works for the most part. I might have to tidy up once in awhile. EastCoast Trailways said: Hire a local kid if available. less money spent. money in their pocket. iFLEET said: My daytime office staff normally keeps the office and bathroom clean. Will soon be giving the responsibility to the overnight dispatcher since the day staff if way more busy dispatching. Unknown Member said: I have the joy of cleaning up...the guys aren't too messy in there, but definitely needs to be done weekly. I want to make sure it stays tidy for anyone that needs to use. Redstow said: I have a retired lady who cleans the office & bathroom once a week. The techs & drivers do the shop bathroom. The biggest problem we have is the mechanic who uses too much hand cleaner then slings it all over the walls! No one would admit to it, but we finally narrowed it down & busted him. Certifiedautomall NJ said: usually when my detailer is slow he does all the cleaning usually once a week sometimes when im bored ill go on a cleaning frenzy and scrub everything but with out fail within an hour someone misses o well if we were to ever build a nother shop im puttin one in for myself with a deadbolt lol my guys in the shop are not allowed to use the bath rooms in the showroom and they are not allowed to wash their hands anywhere but in the shop sink if they do then they will scrub everything on their own time with a tooth brush because they all throw stuff every where. Unknown Member said: Joy and myself. Things like that are beneath drivers and employees. Glen in Sunny Montana! Silverhawk said: We clean up after ourself. If left dirty, it is locked until cleaned When drivers have to go down the street to go, they generally rat on the person who got it dirty. He then is handed the key to clean up after himself. LasVegasRotator said: Every Department has 1 person to clean the floors and the bathrooms. Body Shop, Truck Shop, Big Rig Towing Dept, Light Towing Dept, Mechanic Shop, 5 on site workers just for cleanup. We also have 2 people come in once a week to clean off all the desk and vacuum the floors in the Truck Shop/ Big Rig Dept Tracyd said: Actually the office bathroom is for the office employees only, we have a Port a Potty outside by the garage where the guys can go. Myself or another gentleman in the office clean it, along with our office. Which I should go do..so thanks lol TowTruckMike01 said: Glen, beneath drivers? If the drivers can mess it up, they should definitely be able to clean up. I am surprised that A) this is a topic B) It has lasted this long and D, I mean C) Some of the answers given. While yes, it is menial work to be cleaning a bathroom or sweeping, or cleaning windows, whatever the task may be, but they (myself included) are employees. If you pay your drivers strictly by commission, I can understand drivers/employees not cleaning,(honestly, how much is 35% of a bathroom cleaning?), but if your employee is paid salary or hourly, it should absolutely be in their job description, I would classify it as "general shop cleaning". And like I said, I am an employee, not an owner, so it is usually me doing the cleaning. "It's a s**tty job, but somebody's gotta do it!" Mike Horton "Support your local Hooker!" RedWolfNc said: easy fix, i clean the bathroom.... Then I stay pissed all day... LOL They have learn to clean up after themselves, and keep it clean Unknown Member said: Cleaned weekly by receptionist on day off for extra $$$. Techs and drivers use seperate bathroom. Weekly rule: "If You Sprinkle When You Tinkle, Be A Sweetie And Wipe The Seatie." So the sign says. anaron said: Ah the good ole days when we only had to clean the bathroom once or twice a year - dig a new hole, move the outhouse over and cover up the old hole! annettemcd said: Don't laugh, Ron. We have an outhouse at the house and at the office. We only got plumbing in the office in the last few years, so everyone, including employees and customers, used the outhouse. If the office is locked, there is still the outhouse which works even at 40 degrees below zero. (The seat is made of foam board.) There still isn't any plumbing in the shop, so if employees do not want to bother to unlock the office, they still use the outhouse. That outhouse has been moved to a new location when the old one filled up. (It's better than a honey bucket.) We have had plumbing in the house for almost twenty years, but we did get by without it for a few years before that. Ron Pullen said: That's why I hired SCOOBY Just ask him. LOL In Memory of Scooby who said: actually I prefer....chief custodial officer in charge of operations I have herd rumors of some pics being posted?????? I figure it this way.... you know the guys. the ones that constantly give you their resume. all their awards, so called awards/services/certificates/accommodations/the first to fly...no command...the space shuttle. heck, a few I'm thinking of can't finish a sentence without giving ya the resume. over and over and over again. LOL, I have it memorized...enough already. If I tell ya I'm the janitor, then you can never be disappointed. And ones always impressed because they didn't expect much in the first place. geartow said: Its only fitting that Scooby cleans them he spends most of the day there anyway! gmd1984 said: i am the bath room, main office, my office, bays, trucks, parking lot. cleaner my help says the do it but it never looks like it to me i dont no wear they are cleaning but not hear. i come in in the AM and throw away 6 news papers 10 half coffes, 20 soda and cig packs, and some kinda slime on the counter, rags and napkis every wear,and half eten lunces so that takes up my frist 2 hr every day SAL'S Servicenter LLC 24 hr Towing, Recovery and Road Service 880 RT 35 Cross River NY 10518 (914)-763-5151 (Mike)

Topic Originally Created by LAMB Towing in August of 2007: Well, here it is... After 9 weeks and roughly 500 man hours, the Pettibone is finally nearing completion. After she returns some of that money she took from me, I'll give her a nice new paint job so she matches the rest of the fleet. We received a call this morning for a leaning dump truck. The driver said that his CB fell from the ceiling and hit him in the head, causing him to swerve into the ditch. This is actually the 3rd call that I've done with the wrecker and I still have a few bugs to work out, so I had one of my drivers follow me in the 4024, just in case... Either wrecker could have easily handled this one alone, but since both were there, we used them both. We were on scene less than 15 minutes. ~Billy Answer to questions asked in original topic (some images may be missing) We hooked to the frame on the pass. side in front of the spring hanger. Then routed the chain and strap up over the tires, and around the gate. I was being lazy & didn't want to pull out a bunch of cribbing while trying not to break a board on top of the bed. Looking at it now, I see the point about the bad angles. The gross weight was 34,000 pounds, so we weren't worried about bending the boom or pulling the wrecker over. I had him outweighed by a long shot. But shortcuts lead to bad habits, I'll start being a little more careful. I had Hell trying to find the little parts for this dinosaur. I'd hate to try to find a boom for it... ~Billy TIGGOR said: Billy, In 1982 i worked for Jennings towing in Boca Raton Fla. We had the 2nd magnum ever made as a wrecker. The first one was on a single cab ccc carrier up in jersey. Jim ordered the first full cab magnum with a 5 sided boom. i believe the serial number -2. I have many pics of this truck in service. And can tell you many stories about it. air shifter, stiff legs drag winch. It was kinda short. but the we didnt have a hydro. under reach back then. Jims first hydr. heavy. Let me dig out some old pictures and mail them to you. Bob(Tiger) Lamb Towing said: Small World, huh? This is Jennings' old truck. Any old pictures or info would be greatly appreciated. You can e-mail them to me at lambtowing@hotmail.com or call me any time at 1-800-797-4144. Thanks, Billy Pauls Towing said: I love these old Pettibones. My dad drove one. I would love to see some pics of some other Pettibones. I think it is great that this one is working. Keep up the good work.Doing our best! Here is the one my dad drove http://www.paulstowing.com tiggor said: WOW! Now im starting to feel old,Not as old as "Joe D"! Pauls Towing said: Come on now, it aint that bad, I mean I was only 9 in 1982.Doing our best! Towing4u said: i was 10.lol those are cool looking machines...i remember seeing them at the fla tow show when i was younger. MikeB304 said: I think I would be taking some of the money that you made on that job and buy some new wire rope.....I see that a repair was made. LAMB Towing said: Mike...I just haven't got that far along with it yet. I didn't repair the winch lines, they were like that when I bought the truck. I'm not too concerned with them, though. The lines are braided and triple-clamped. I guarantee you the line will fail somewhere else before it breaks there. Those braids are as strong as anything you can install in the field. If you had seen the condition that this truck was in when I purchased it, you would understand why we haven't got everything repaired or replaced yet. I've had at least one person working on this thing since January, sometimes as many as five people. I'd love to keep five people on it full time, but I've still got a business to run. These projects take time, but it should be as good as new or better by August when I bring it to the show in San Antonio. Thanks for the replies! ~Billy MCBeyersTowing said: i graduated in 1982 stop the old stuff !!Mike "they call me BUFFET" Colman Byers Wrecker Service FMS Mike said: Didn't this truck just get redone bumper to bumper, what kind of bugs? In Memory of BROTHERSANDSONS who said: 1982 is "old"? .hell i graduated in 197...nevermind I have driven one of the Pettibone chassis with a FD pumper on it, cool ride. Feels like your gliiiiding in and out of cornersBITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW......THEN CHEW IT ! tiggor said: Ok I think i made a boo boo, It was pre 1982? not quite sure i'll have to dust off the black and white pictures. GAYLOCK1 said: I was 12 in 1982,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I think,,, yeah 12.................Paul LAMB Towing said: Michael- I bought the truck sight unseen. I was also under the impression that it had been completely restored. After all, that's what was described in the guy's posts here on Tow411, and in his auction on eBay. Unfortunately, pictures can be deceiving. In my book, a few gallons of paint doesn't count as a restoration. We removed and replaced every single air line and fitting, removed and replaced two air tanks, removed and replaced the hydraulic suction and return lines, re-wired the whole truck, installed new headlights, new LED clearance, marker, stop/turn/tail and park lights, a LED light bar, and new work lights. Then, we installed new guages in the dash, installed a new driver's seat, replaced all six air cylinders on the winches, installed two new brake bands on the winches, bought forks so the winches could free-spool, bought new steer tires, installed new batteries, two new windshield wipers and motors, a new chrome exhaust and chrome air intake, fixed both doors where they would open from the outside, and fixed the windows where they would roll up and down. After doing all that, I took it out on a job to see what it was capable of. Then the alternator quit charging. After replacing the alternator, I took it out again on another job and the injector pump went out. That's when we discovered that one of the previous owners had filled the fuel tank with hydraulic fluid. I towed it in, drained the tank, and replaced the injector pump. On the way back from the third job (this one that I posted) the fuel filter stopped up. Twice. You guessed it...more hydraulic fluid in the filters. We drove the truck to Oklahoma City today to have the NRC under reach installed. It made the 50 mile trip with no problems, so maybe we've found all the bugs now... The installation of the NRC under-reach is nearing completion. I received some photos of the progress today from Sooner Wrecker Sales in Oklahoma City. 750 600 said: What are you doing with the Koomia lift.If the price was right I would be interested in buying it. I have one on one of my 750's it works great for me. danielswt said: for the record........in 1982 i wasnt even in exsistance. Towman26 said: It came out great but in my opinion I would have put a Zack Lift Z 404 on it. We have had 3 and had no problems & they lift over the rear wheels. But again just my opinion Bigwheel Eric said: Well LAMB I have spent alot of time looking at your recoveries and I cant see for the life of me why you took such a low blow to me and my family business, by the looks of this job you should not be knocking anybody's job, I can tell you it cost alot more to run a business in New England than it does were you live. Maybe if you had a 4 hour min .for heavy duty recovery's you could up date your gear instead of knocking people We try to help out as much as possible and we do alot of stuff for free when people dont have any money . .THANKS AGAIN ERIC LAMB Towing said: Eric, I'm glad you like the old gal. She's not as purdy as our Kenworth T-2000, Freightliner Century, Peterbilt, or Volvo, but she can sure enough pull! I just bought her in January. Paid cash for her! I thought it would be neat to own a piece of towing history. We're still working the bugs out, but she's slowly getting back up to snuff. We've spent a lot of time and money on her, but she's coming around well. Maybe you can come down to the tow show in Texas this summer and see her in person? She's a beast! Updated April of 2010: SP8000 said: Billy, How about some current pictures of the Pettibone? I'd love to see this old girl in action! Jeff Leavitt 86 Towing Gabriels, NY Thomas Simpson said: well the trucks a lot better then the last time i seen it at the CAR STORE and i drove it when they bought it . it was a good recovery truck but was to short to tow anything heavy Lamb Towing said: I haven't used the truck very much, it just kind of sits around and reminds me of what else I could have done with all that money I spent on it. I jumped in with guns blazing, & spent a small fortune getting it back in shape. Then I just kind of lost interest in it. It got to the point where I just didn't want to keep spending money on it, so I never have done the paint & body work. I'll fire it up & see if I can't get it out on a job in the next day or so, it needs to be doing something anyway. JRhd34 said: I know money doesnt grow on trees but i'd take the blue tip wrench to that girl and mount that wrecker assembly on a nice stretched out tractor and have an absolute ANIMAL...... Updated May 2011: LAMB Towing Added: We haven't done anything else to it. I just always seem to find other projects to spend my time & money on. We use it every once in a while just to justify keeping it around, but I don't have any immediate plans for finishing it. Tommy & I took it out a couple of months ago to teach the NRC how to do heavy Brunostowing said: did the truck in this picture belong to Albert Zolezzi at one time? LAMB Towing said: I don't believe so. As far as I know, it had 2 previous owners in Florida (Jennings & Car Store), then the guy in Ohio (Bob's) that I bought it from. localtowee said: Awesome piece of history id not be breaking it up. TOWBROS said: i like your pettibone we have two , one with the little cab and one like yours, they were both running until hurricane ike flooded both of them out, but were trying to get them going again ill try to find a picture of the other one AppleTowman said: was that truck black with a lot off pictures or jarrafic park and did it have mikes towing on it i think it use to be in brooklyn TOWROS said: yea thats our other one i think we got used from purpose still has the same crazy paint on it

Crash Responder Safety Week (#CRSW) Spotlights Traffic Incident Management To Save Lives Formerly National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week When: November 8-14, 2021 Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) is an opportunity to make a difference individually and jointly for roadway safety during traffic incidents by teaching each other and the motoring public about our common goal and responsibility for safe, quick clearance. Public education and effective TIM practices that alert drivers and prepare them to react properly when encountering emergency scenes, including moving over and slowing down, keep motorists safe, reduce needless secondary crashes, and save lives. The goal of Crash Responder Awareness Week is to reach out to every emergency responder, every driver, and every passenger, to educate them in how to play their part in ensuring safe responses at roadway incident scenes. More details are available from the National Operations Center of Excellence. Use the hashtag #CRSW when posting on social media about your responder safety and TIM activities. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute is an official partner and supporter of Crash Responder Safety Week. ResponderSafety.com and The Responder Safety Learning Network have hundreds of resources to help you plan your Crash Responder Safety Week training to improve the safety of your personnel when responding to incidents on the roadway, including vehicle fires, crashes, medical emergencies, natural disasters, and large scale responses like mass casualties and violent incidents. Here are the main categories of resources available to you. All resources are free. The Responder Safety Learning Network has over 40 online training modules about every aspect of roadway incident response safety Awareness posters to promote key roadway incident response safety practices within the department: Fire Service EMS Law Enforcement DOT & Safety Service Patrols Towing & Recovery A distracted driving prevention poster for public education Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Packages for Instructors with full lesson plans, videos, and model SOPs on 10 critical topics for teaching roadway incident response safety Roadway Safety Shorts are quick, practical videos on recommended safety practices for crucial tasks at roadway incident scenes Written Resources on multiple topics related to roadway response safety Videos on roadway response procedure demonstrations, PSAs, and recommended practices Struck By Incidents articles, reports, and an incident location map Emergency Vehicles information including videos and white papers on high visibility markings and emergency lighting recommended practices High Visibility Apparel information on requirements and recommended practices Resources for PIOs and Public Educators (PSAs, media kits, media advisories, infographic, push, card, and more) Resources for departments serving rural roads Resources for EMS departments If you need somewhere to start, ResponderSafety.com has created the following plan for training options during Crash Responder Safety Week. All Week: Take the National TIM Training Certificate Challenge Challenge your personnel to complete the National TIM Training Certificate from the Responder Safety Learning Network during this week. Set a participation goal and reward if the goal is met. Personnel can prove they completed the certificate by printing and showing the National TIM Training Certificate to their supervisor or commanding officer. During Your Weekly Training Session, Drill Night, or Down Time on Shift There are many different ways to use the topic plans described below. Training Session Focus: Select one or more topics described below as your department's training focus for the Stand Down week's training session or drill night. Full Week of Activities: Do a "weekly plan" where you select one activity from one topic on each day for the entire week from 6/14 (Topic Plan 1) through to 6/20 (Topic Plan 7). Pick the activity in each topic that most closely fits your role in the department. One Topic: Commit to completing one activity in one topic some time during the week. Select a topic and activity most relevant to your role in the department. By Opportunity: Read the topics and activities and select some according to opportunities in your department. For example, during a shift change or at a group meal, play one of the suggested Roadway Safety Shorts. If you have an officers' meeting, go over SOPs or play a TIM in a Minute from the Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Packages on a procedure of particular interest in your department. More Info is available at https://www.respondersafety.com/training/training-plans/crash-responder-safety-week-crsw-spotlights-traffic-incident-management-to-save-lives/

Hard facts: Roadway incident struck-by-vehicle fatality numbers for 2021 to date. A FED Talk for an introduction to PPE for roadway incident response at the FIRE INDUSTRY EDUCATION RESOURCE ORGANIZATION PPE Symposium in Greenville, SC by Jack Sullivan ResponderSafety.com

Topic Originally Created by Ken M in July of 2007: OK, I'm just posting the pics, I'll leave the description to the drivers who were there. I do know it occured all of 2 miles from the shop and the truck part was done very quickly. IDOT spent the rest of the day trying to clean up the mess from the rest of it. S/F....Ken M timstruckservice said: Nice Job of Controlling it's decent back down ! Like that Tater & the 40 Ton Western Star !!!! Nice Recovery , It must have been Empty for them to use Single Lines - One to Lift with and one to lower it ???? TIM

Topic Originally Created by IBuyToys in July of 2007: This was a new boiler unit weighing approx. 9t that we lifted off the flatrack trailer and set into place under the covered awning area. My camera person had to leave after this shot to run another call but from this position set the unit on the ground I moved the truck over to align myself with the hole in the fenced area. I re-rigged using one main winch line and one aux. winch line and spun the unit so it was inline with my boom, using the boom as a spreader bar. The height was an issue getting it under the eve, being that the concrete slab was raised about 6", so after some rigging adjustments it squeezed in there with about an inch clearance on the top of the boom and the bottom of the unit. I picked up my outriggers and with the unit suspended hanging off the boom, I backed through the hole to get it close, and used the slide function on the NRC to set it on the mark. BigWheelRecovery said: I really like that 40 ton slider that to me is the perfect tater not nocking my miller but that 40 ton slider will put that 60 ton in its place .by far. TOwBoY88 said: Nice pics...great truck...good job.

Topic Originally Created by TERRYSTOW in December of 2005: Just wondering what everyone does for thier employees as far as benefits go? health, what % do they pay, vacation, holiday bonuses? Just wondering what other companies do Rudy Smith said: 85.5 hours paid time off, after 5 years 130 hours. 90% of employee's health insurance, they pay for family at discounted rate pre tax. 401K we match 4%. Uniforms paid. Don 29 Years aka THTDON said: I have always paid for 50% of the health insurance. I contribute to a Simple IRA each week. I pay each driver that has his own NEXTEL a $12/week stipend, for MY use of THEIR phone. That's $48/month, which should be about half of the NEXTEL bill. But they still think that I am a cheap bastard!http://tow411.net/images/banners/sigdon29yrs.gif TOwBoY88 said: Chances are if you offered to pay for 90% of it, they would think the same as well. "60% of the time, I am right everytime." Buddy Corgan said: 82% health, best plan offered by BC/BS. Uniforms, steel toed work boots and whatever "Corgan shwag" we have at the time (shirts, jackets or hats with CTI logo). Overtime after 48hrs. Holiday pay. Bonuses depend on how well the company has done fiscally. Peter

Topic Originally Created by OldTrucks in May of 2005: Recently read a post re:Lane Blocking - Here in Maple Ridge B.C. we have a stretch of road where tow work is taking your life in your own hands. A hook up on a wrecker is not as bad as loading a deck - it is the service call for a flat that really scares the pants off a tower. How far back and how much lane should one be taking? Lets see hmmm - 3/4 ton pick-up moving at 80 MPH hits F-450 wrecker parked at 30 degree angle from shoulder of road 30 feet from disabled vehicle ....how long does it take for either truck to kill operator? Think about it..."Tow them like you own them" Towmaster B said: Don't change tires on the side of the road. Drive them or tow them to a safe place far away from traffic first. Stevo said: Ditto...I will tow a car for free off the highway to chage a tire before I change it in traffic.Steve Choice Towing & Recovery Fredericksburg,Va lstyba said: Good to see you on tow 411 Doug. I will be hanging around Maple Ridge Towing as of Nov 1, after my tour bus driving finishes for the year. I have a ton of material for training and lane blockage will be one issue. What I do is look at each situation and determine where I am going to set up my wrecker as to block me from oncoming traffic. I have asked customers to drive it further off road for safety reasons. The big complaint from the customer would be to damage the rim or tire more. My response is you have already travelled on it from highway speeds to a stop. the distance further i am asking you to travel will not hurt it anymore than all ready is, it is for our safety. If they say no, I say well it is not safe so I am leaving the scene, that usually forces the hand. Your safety first Doug, No one can replace you, a wrecker yes.Cya In the Ditch Larry Styba WM# 011088 6/7 AC oldtrucks said: Thanks to everyone for the feedback - much appreciated. Larry - looking forward to having you kicking around the place....will make sure Judy bakes up a big batch of cookies for you...."Tow them like you own them" Divor said: cookies might have to stop in on my next trip down lstyba said: Guaranteed only crumbs left for you Ivor. But I will buy you a coffee. It should be fun Doug. If it is not fun, then what the heck are we doing their? Cya In the Ditch Larry Styba WM# 011088 6/7 AC SHERIDAN said: This is what we had to do for traffic control one night last summer while a load was pulled off of a wrecked trailer. This was done for about 12 hours with full authority from WYDOT and the Highway Patrol. FMS MIKE said: Usually if changing a tire in the shoulder, I will position my truck on an angle about 300 feet back from the car with my emergency lights on. If it is in a very hazardous spot, i will just hook it up and fix it where its safe. If I need to completely block a lane for something, I have no reservations to calling the PD to assist. They encourage us to do that. Mike Farmington Motor Sports SHERIDAN said: David, nobody tried to drive through the cones. If they would have, the only way around the accident scene would have been to drive into the river. What was so funny that night was that how many people could see this from a mile and a half back that the road was closed and pulled up and asked if the road was closed. I only ended up with a few mad people. I told them it was no big deal and they would still have to go back 3 miles and get on the interstate.

Topic Originally Created by Michael McGovern in May of 2005: Do any motor clubs deduct for property damage without first giving the tow operator a chance to fix/pay/deny the claim of the auto club member? If so, which ones? If the club gives you an opportunity to protest damages claims, what has been your experience? Positive? Negative? Corby said: Don can explain all your questions on this. Dave MNPOOL said: Mike good to see you here. Don 29 Years aka THTDON said: Oh boy, here comes Pandora's Box. Being a lawyer, Mike, you would probably think that when we are accused of wrongdoing, we would be presumed to be innocent, until proven guilty. That is not how it works with motor clubs and vehicle damage claims. And all of the motor clubs handle this issue the same way. If a customer complains to the motor club that the tower damaged his car, the tower is told to pay up. A couple of years ago, a customer complained to USAC that I put a chip in the paint on the edge of his door. I had performed the call myself, so I went out to inspect the car. There was a chip about the size of an eraser on the top of a pencil on the edge of the door. When USAC called, I was told that the claim had to be settled within 48 hours. That doesn't give you much time to notify the insurance company, if that is appropriate. In the end, the customer never followed up, so nothing came of the claim. Another time, I was accused of damaging the back of a BMW. When I went to pick up the car, I noticed prior damage before I touched the car. So I had the guy at the filling station sign off on the damage before I towed it. The next day, CCMC notified me that the customer complained that I damaged the rear bumper and trunk lid. They went on to say that they had two witnesses that watched me back the car into a lightpole, then park it elsewhere. I had to provide CCMC with a copy of the signed invoice, noting the prior damage, and they also talked to the guy who signed the slip. That is what saved me. If I hadn't had the guy sign off on the damage, I would have ended up paying for it, no question. I went back to the dealership the next night, and discovered that there was no lightpole anywhere around. No question that the customer attempted to set me up, to get someone else to pay for damage that he obviously had done himself. We tow a lot of cars every year. And cars do get damaged from time to time. Thankfully, for me, very seldom. When we do damage a vehicle, we stand behind our work, and always do the right thing. Unfortunately, the motor clubs always act as an advocate for the customer, and never for the tower. I have had my check debited several times over the years. So I have altered how I conduct myself, to avoid situations where I can be blamed for damage that I didn't do. Lately, I have been declining to tow unattended cars from private homes, because there is no one at home to do the walk around inspection with the driver and sign off on the invoice. And I seldom tow a car to a closed dealership at night for the same reason. When we are put in a position where we must tow an unattended car, we should be held harmless because the customer was not present to sign off on it. If the motor clubs would simply let us handle claims ourselves, we would have an opportunity to contest the damage, and let the insurance company represent us. Let the chips fall where they may. But the motor clubs always declare us to be guilty, and demand that we pay for any damage that the customer claims, whether we did it or not. Personally, I don't think that any motor club has the right to debit our check, but they do it, and there is not much we can do about it. If my check was wrongfully debited, and I decided to sue them to get the money back, there is probably a 50/50 chance that I would win the case. But in the long run, I would lose, as I am sure that I would lose my contract with them. When you look at how much business you do with a club in the course of a year, it is cheaper to let them do what they want. I can't afford to be right, sometimes. And they know this, which is why they crap all over this industry .http://tow411.net/images/banners/sigdon29yrs.gif Ted said: Don, Thanks for spelling this out. Not towing anymore, I want to get some better type of coverage for towing. The options being an insurance policy ( a company with the initials SF was pretty good dealing with the company I used to work for) or a motor club. After seeing some of the postings regarding the way the MC's rip off the towers, they will never get a dime of my money. While not driving anymore, a towers friend I'll always be! unknown Member said: Well, I had a damage claim with CCAS several months ago (there's a long thread about it in this forum). Basically the claims rep ignored me until the claim was old enough to be automatically paid. I finally got ahold of the claims manager, and I was told the claim decision was reversed, but to date they have not returned the money to me... But it's like they say, if you want the MC's money, you have to play their game... Sometimes that involves taking your licks. You just have to stay vigilant... ncoast said: The only damage claim I have had in almost 5 years (knock on wood) was small, and taken care of between me and the customer. If I had one that I thought was wrong, or the customer was trying to get over, the first thing I would do is call my agent, and start a claim. That should stop the MC from deducting any money. Then your insurance company's adjuster decide's weather to pay or not. If the adjuster thinks its a legitimate claim, you can still pay out of your pocket, and it wont affect your insurance rates. I have never read on here, where some one has contacted their ins. co. Then called the MC and told them it was being investigated. You cant stick your head in the sand and hope the claim goes away. You calling the MC and saying We didn't do that isn't going to work. A adjuster saying you didn't will. This isn't directed at any one, Just my opinion. Don 29 Years aka THTDON said: I don't think that you get it. I believe that the motor clubs are obligated to their clients to act as an advocate for the motorist. The way the game is played is, they declare you guilty, and either you, or your insurance company pays. They don't care which. But there is no denying the claim. They do not want to hear that. I had a claim that was made last year that I am positive we did not do. After me arguing with him that we did not do the damage, the motor club damage claim person told me in no uncertain terms that I had 24 hours to provide him with a claim number. And if my insurance company didn't pay the claim, I would pay it by them debiting my next check. If you think that by you establishing a claim, that it will hold off the motor club damage claim person, you have another thing coming. They want these claims settled quickly. They do not care whether or not you really did the damage or not. If a customer complains about damage, they want you to pay, whether you are guilty or not. It is not fair to us how they handle complaints of damage. But they have us all over a barrel. http://tow411.net/images/banners/sigdon29yrs.gif unknown Member said: If you have a claim you REALLY need to fight, you can inform the MC and the customer that if the MC debits the claim from you, you will file a lawsuit against the customer to recover the funds.. I know that's playing hardball, but sometimes that's what is necessary, especially if someone is trying to rip you off! Don 29 Years aka THTDON said: A few years ago, we had a car owner complain about a little underside damage, after her jack broke. This incident did happen, so there was no disputing it. The motor club told me to go to the dealership and look at the damage. I called the dealership, and the woman in service told me to pound sand, and she hung up on me. I only wanted a little information, and I was nice to her. She surprised me with her nasty attitude. Come to find out, the motor club had already paid the customer, and had already debited my check BEFORE they notified me of the problem. So I was dead at the starting line. Not knowing this at the time, I went ahead and also cut the woman a check. So she collected twice. When I got my next check, I was confused that all of the calls that they listed added up to much more than the amount that was on the check. That is when I realized that I had been screwed. I sent the woman a certified letter, threatening to sue her for my money back. Later, I talked to her on the phone, and asked her why she had cashed my check, knowing that she had already collected. Naturally, she played dumb. (Maybe she was not playing?) She did return the money.http://tow411.net/images/banners/sigdon29yrs.gif unknown Member said: That's why I stay away from those factory jacks. You have to have the parking brake set, the wheels chocked, and the vehicle on a level surface for them to work properly. Otherwise, they just fold right up. I use hydraulic scissors jacks from Harbor Freight for pinchweld jacking, they are much stronger than the factory jacks, although I DO have to replace them about every 5 - 6 months because the pins get loose from side loading. However, that 5 - 6 months is hundreds of uses..... The problem is just that the pins are pressed in, a few minutes with the welder and I should be able to double the life of the jacks... dnh Towing said: mike,you know my response on this issue.this week we had a geico cust claim damage.we investigated and it looks like dealer damage from pushing it into the service bay.a geico rep also checked the the vehicle.geico rep said they would probably cover it and not to worry.all our experiences with geico have been handled to our mutual agreement.we can always get someone on the phone at geico. now cc good luck trying to reach someone.i still think its border line ins fraud on behalf of the motor club for just paying out money and expecting results in an unrealistic time frame. dave Michael McGovern said: Thanks for the great responses. dnh and I spoke about this issue at length at the Florida Tow Show. Now, the question that really counts: what, if anything, do your various motor club contracts say about damage claims and how will they be handled? courtesy towing said: Hi Mike, good to see you here . A club has never deducted from my insurance or my check for a claim. They have always given me the opportunity to investigate to an extent. They seem to want us to work through them, but I always bypass them and go through my computer to get the customer's info. I then talk the driver accused, develop pictures, and set an appointment with the customer. I have usually been able to resolve with some mediation. I don't always fight every fight , I pick my battles and always try to make the best business move. Sometimes I pay for BS , but it keeps me out of court and my insurance rates low. We take pictures and note damages prior to towing. That is not the final word if the is a claim . The customer can always state that you took the pictures and noted the damage after it occurred . We also call the club and report any pre-existing damage that appears to be towing related prior to servicing, (like scraped bumpers and torn tow hooks). Our main problem is servicing motor clubs that are insurance based, (ex. Geico, Allstate, ect). These types of clubs do not honor your damage waivers period. Even if a "supervisor" authorizes the waiver, it is useless. Read your contract as their damage claims department will tell you. They will say "Were you so naive to think that a lowly shift supervisor could supersede your written, binding contract that obligates you to all damages that our investigation find you liable for." I could be wrong but if the investigation finds you are not responsible for the damage; then guess who has to pay? The insurance company. DUH??!!!! Do you think there just might be a little bias in that investigation. One of our main problems down here in Florida is the little low riders with one inch of ground clearance. We have been told off the record to GOA these calls and move on. Our damage waivers will not hold water period. If the customer calls you back out there as a cash call then there is no superseding contract obligating you to those damages. It is between you and the customer, and only then you waiver will work . This is obviously not in the best interest of the customer, but we are only playing by the rules they provided. If there is a low rider, pre-existing damage the customer will not acknowledge, or winching, we do the only thing they will let us do based on their rules; Leave that poor guy sitting on the side of the road with no assistance while we drive away with a low pay GOA . Then you wonder if you are going to get sued for that as well. It has already been established that is a tow company leaves a customer stranded they may be held at least partially responsible for additional damages to the car or injury to the customer as a result of you failure to least tow the car or drop the customer off in a safe area. In some states there is a law that states that you cannot refuse to to a customer to a least the next exit on a highway simply because they can't pay for it. What a paradox????? Don 29 Years aka THTDON said: As far as low-riders are concerned, we have a ton of them around here. We have to tow them for the police. So we do the best we can not to damage them. It isn't easy, though. Some **** took a car that was perfectly towable, and turned it into a problem. Now it's my problem. A low rider should not have a valid inspection sticker on in in this state because it is illegal to alter a vehicle from it's factory original height. So when we damage one, that's always my defense. And I have good luck with that. When we did inspection stickers, a low-rider would not make it into the garage because the cement apron is too steep, and the ant-eater spoiler would scrape. When someone calls up to have a low-rider towed for cash, I charge $100 plus mileage. When the customer asks why so much, I point out to him that it is a lot more work to tow a low-rider safely than an unaltered car. Usually, they decline. And I flatly refuse to tow a low-rider for any motor club, for obvious reasons. http://tow411.net/images/banners/sigdon29yrs.gif dnh towing said: i have reviewed all my contracts and the majority have nothing to say about debiting payments for damage claims.some motor clubs ask that they be listed as additional insured on our policy to indemnify them from loss.but that clause means that our ins is to handle any claims. i know this is a problem that has or will effect every towing company now or in the future. some towing companies may be reluctant do discuss damage claim issues they have had,because of the implied threat of sanctions from various motor clubs,i.e loss of income,loss of calls and my company is no exception.some motor club executives could interpret this as an attack aganist them or their company.if thats the case they all have legal departments,maybe its time they start doing their job by coming up with a contract that spells out everything and in layman terms so there's no more misunderstandings. over the years we have had damage claims,some that were clearly our fault and we payed for,others that were down right fraud and we have been successful in having them denied.we have never had any payments debited to date,but i know sooner or later there's going to be an issue that can't be resolved to our mutual agreement. my parents are old school and i was raised that way as well,it may be a bad business decision,but right now if any of our payments were debited and we were clearly not to blame i would fight it,on principal or a matter of right and wrong,or what ever you want to call it,i would fight over a few hundred dollars while risk losing thousands in motor club work.i'll also add bad business decision or not i am open minded enough to get professional advice and do whats best for my company and the people that work for me or as i like to say the people that work with me.so there are alot of things to consider when handling damage claims,alot of hard choices. dave Don 29 Years aka THTDON said: I found the same thing as dnh did. My contracts say that I must name the motor club as the additional insured. No where can I find anything that specifically addresses the motor club having the right to debit our revenue. Kind of defeats the purpose of having insurance, doesn't it?http://tow411.net/images/banners/sigdon29yrs.gif Dennis Richards said: Mike- Its great to see your a neutral party on topics like this, typical lawyer. Let me start by saying my wonderful motor club career started as a Damage vehicle Coordinator at CCAS. I will say my towing back ground really helped in most cases but I will also say I did not blame a Service Provider for one damage when a walk around the vehicle was done by a driver and any and all noted damage was noted on the invoice. If you have this I believe (maybe Mike will put in his two cents in) this will take care you of if the customer takes you to court. When I was at CCAS my team acted as a mediator with damage complaints, I'm not sure if things have changed over the last year they may have. At G/E if the damage team can not come to a conclusion the Regional Manager will get involved and try and mediate the damage also. I will also say this, I know there are a lot of professional companies out there but not all will admit something when there wrong or damage is done especially on a driver level. Drivers do not want to be the one doing damage. i will say I denied a lot of damages, filed Insurance Fraud claims against customers, dealerships, repair shops etc. See ya in the ditch Mike.... Dennis WM94160 Don 29 Years aka THTDON said: Dennis, my question to you is, what do we do when we are asked to pick up a car that is unattended? That seldom happens with the club that you are currently employed by. But it happens every day at the club that you were employed by previously. We are frequently called upon to pick up a car at a person's home. And the person has gone off to work, and there is no one at home to do the walk around, and sign off on existing damage. When I indicate that I want someone to be present to sign off on the tow, I frequently get told that they will call another tower that isn't concerned about liability. So in the course of me covering my butt, and doing the job correctly, I lose the job. So much for the professional tow company. http://tow411.net/images/banners/sigdon29yrs.gif Dennis Richards said: Don- I can't speak of current procedures today at CCAS but what I use to recommend to providers was if your driver arrives on scene and there is damage, contact the customer make he/ she aware of the damage, see how they respond. If its a "yes I know its there", I then would recommend contacting the MC and have them comment the call, I would also get the name and rep ID, you got it, cover your butt. If the owner responds " I don't know what your talking about", I'd recommend telling them to call back there road side company and arrange for service when they can be with the vehicle. This way you don't refuse the call (still keeping good call acceptance) and worst case scenario you get paid a GOA. I will say that a walk around and legible signature at the dealership/ repair facility also will exclude you from any damage done by a Repair Facility. We've been using digital camera's in Worcester along with contacting the customer and we've had 0 damage claims. What you see is the condition of the vehicle at the breakdown location. We do not take pictures of every tow, just the ones when there is no one with it. It also helped on the "I'm missing two CD cases when you towed my car because I got arrested last night" statements. What we say now is, see this picture with officer Smith next to your vehicle, this is a picture of the interior of your car, can you point to those cases that aren't there so I can start looking for them! You should see there faces! Dennis

Topic Originally Create by AllCountyTowing in April of 2013: What do you all think a driver supervisor's responsibilities, duties, and expectations should be? KOENIGS said: Detail trucks, finish paperwork, cover up Oopsies, check fluids, do driver reports, arrange stuff in boxes. OH, you said what Should they be.. not what they really are. In Memory of NationalAutow who said: Supervisor should be a leader by example. He should be your "go to" guy in a pinch. He should be a trusted employee and trusted by management and other drivers. He needs to see a situation and lead others thru it, not sit back to wait and see what happens. He needs to help run things and take the helm when you are not there or able. badbowtie1982 said: As an employee I believe the drivers supervisor/manager has to have a lot of experience in towing. They need to be the go to guy that other other guys feel they can call to ask question etc. Where I work we have light duty manager and an operations manager. Both guys have a lot of experience and I feel more comfortable knowing I can always ask questions if im not sure. And I'm not just saying that because both guys are on this site. Our light duty manager was named only a few weeks ago but is definitely the best guy for the job BlackAutoload said: Having been one, I dont really think the position is needed if the you have an active owner. Basically you ask a guy to act like an owner. Ie babysitter. Schedule , time cards, pee tests, uniforms, training, damage complaints, daily truck inspections sheets , order equip, ... bounty hunter II said: you do the same thing without the title with a lead driver he does all those thing that Blackauto said In Memory of NationalAutow who said: Bounty Hunter: He needs an appropriate title for whatever his job function is and he needs compensation based upon his assigned duties and qualifications. Miracle 1 said: I disagree ...I'm as active as a owner can be without giving up married life...Facing the facts, between my duties with the Towing,Repair,H/D Road service I wear many "hats"and for the most part I'm spread very thin having a Manager or a Driver supervisor would be awesome and well worth the extra $$$$ yearly it cost....No doubt it would free up alot of my time to do other things that need done... Kenny ronin said: Be cery careful in picking this person - the old saying is "in order to see a man's true character, give him authority". Many a good employee can't handle being a supervisor because of their mental maturity and a chip on their shoulder, which causes major friction amongst the ranks.. and can caouse the loss of employees - as in either he goes, or I go. Something to go over with the person you choose so you don't run into that problem. TowingHRandSafety said: Are you seeking a Job Description for a towing supervisor?

Topic Originally Created by showtime93 August 28, 2012. I have left University Towing in Gainesville Fla. I bought Tri-County Towing & Recovery in Chiefland Fla. I have one rollback and a 12 ton medium duty I am looking for a heavy duty. It is a small company with so much potential, this has been a long time coming. For those that don't know me, I have been in the business for 20 years. I started with Lyons Towing in Lake Park Fla, then worked at Kauff's Towing in WPB. I was with University for the last 10 years. Any good advice would be appreciated. Harvey Spencer Cell- 352-672-8486 ibflat2 said: Good luck Harvey, things will go good. hookn4alivin said: Congrats!!! Fredstowing said: Best of luck!Welcome to the world of ownership. mooresbp said: Good luck Harvey svcmgrnow said: Good luck Harvey, maybe you could bring a former co-worker out of retirement to help you, he seems to have a lot of free time on his hands. Right Scott? ptttowguy said: Congrats & good luck on your new endeavor!! Your previous work exposure and experiences have all lead you to this point. Surround yourself with the best people you can find, and you will be successful! Miracle 1 said: Good Luck to you Harvey........Because of your experiences, You're going to make a awesome owner...Best advise I can offer is to do as you have your entire career...Play it smart in every decision and don't take unnecessary chances and you'll do great....If there's any way I can ever help,You know the number...Kenny MTA415 said: Way to go Harvey!!! "Advice???" you don't need advice from us, we need advice from you!!!! You know this game inside and out, you'll do fine. Gee, I wonder who's gonna train your HD driver when you get it? Brian Bell Said: Cool Deal... I saw a post of yours the other day and noticed it said something other then University and thought....That's Strange. Some of the Best Advise I got when I started was ... Now that you are in business for yourself you will have family & friends coming out of the woodwork wanting this and that etc... He then told me if I was going to make it in business I would have to make money off my friends & family. He then said that's right in order to stay in business you will have to do it on the backs of your friends and family.... CAUSE YOUR ENEMIES WON'T CALL YOU!!! bigtow00 said: Congrats Harvey! I'm sure you will do great with it getuone2x said: Good luck Harvey!!! Congrats. unknown member said: Brain Bell........ that was some of the best short advice i have ever read just bc ive had that happen to me starting a small single truck company!!! Best of Luck to you Harvey! Ian Tomei said: BE safe and make some money...Ian Tomei RaymondAutoRepair said: good luck Harvey. to make it in the business world. " just pay attention to your BUSINESS " and go to work everyday, even when you think there is no work!!!! you won't get the call if nobody is at the shop to answer the phone.......... words to live by.. twinbulls said: Good luck.... congrats.... now the pain train begins...... save ,, save stock up on parts...tires,oil, filters, You worked for a couple of the best tow companys out there.... so you seen alot ....do it better and you will do well... Tim Ward mushspeed said: Good Luck Harvey and happy hunting. The customers will soon come ....... when they know they can rely on getting the job done !!! Its all about quality service, Equally a business can be won or lost in the office, just like sitting on the potty......The job's not finished until the paperwork is done !! Good Luck from your colleagues across the pond. John ELIMINATOR II said: Best of luck to you Harvey. I am sure you can do anything you put your mind to Heavytowman12 said: Haven't seen Scott post the last couple days maybe he's packing Good luck with your new business ! SP8000 said: Well it looks like Jason beat me to the punch on the same thought! Call up Scott and tell him to come out of retirement and get back to what he loves. Jeff Leavitt 86 Towing Gabriels, NY mark said: Take care of your equiptment. Every one notices that.. I think having a color scheem helps tremendously. You get more brand recognition.Know your cost....Just because you are turning money dosen't mean your making money. And last but not least...save,save,save. One day you will need it. Good luck! Mark Tri-State Collision Eufaula, Al WreckMaster # 071464 showtime93 said: Thanks everyone,It's going good.There are some days that it is slow and other days that it is busy.I have picked up some motor clubs and some local shops.Iam still looking for a HD wrecker,I think thats were I"ll pickup some work.This area is rual and the closest truck is 50 miles away. Harvey Spencer Cell- 352-672-8486 In Memory of Da Wash Boss who said: Congratulations Harvey from Connecticut.... wishing you the best of luck. Danny Cassello East Hartford, CT Capptow said: Scott is retired from towing. He works for the Red Cross in Asheville NC driving the bloodmobile. i have talked to him several times about coming to work for me. he said he enjoys not having to get up at 2 am anymore. ryan Nicole Spencer said: I am a really happy wife now that Harvey has settled into his new position as owner/operator. We are blessed in this business and its growing fast. Customer service and reputation and the ball is rolling. As for Scott we miss him towbear said: Congrats and hopefully one day I can join the ownership club. gtowman said: Best of Luck.. lantz70 said: my advice....run the company, don't let the company run you. Take time to have a life.Do not be afraid to make money.Sell service,not price.anybody can be cheap,very few are the best....Lastly,do not focus on what your competitions doing.focus on your objectives.

Topic Originally Create by @Jamie Dougherty in 2008: I found these photos a few weeks ago while looking for pictures of my uncle for his funeral, he is actually in the photos. These were jobs that my grandfathers towing company did back in the 70's. Thank you for looking. JAMIE DOUGHERTY JANEWAY TOWING 610-828-1613 In Memory of Da Wash Boss who said: Sorry to hear of your grandfather passing, wow those are 2 great pics. Looks to me like a Holmes 480 on one end a 750 at the other end and perhaps a 650 in the middle. very nice would like to have seen more of that Dodge in the bottom pic. Poor white 9000 living up to its name lying on its side. Thank you for sharing. Danny Cassello Jamie Doughherty said: The end unit in the one picture is a 480 but all of the others were WELD=BUILT. As far as the DODGE she was replaced in 1981 with an AUTOCAR with a WELD-BUILT. JAMIE DOUGHERTY JANEWAY TOWING 610-828-161 Blue Hills Towing said: nice old pics,thanks for sharing.sorry about your uncle. EdsTowing said: Your family has some great history there Jamie, sorry for your loss.

TOwBoY88 Posted this image in 2008. There are no details in the topic.

Topic Originally Created by Rustednut in 2008: The '69 Mack R600 wrecker is finished and just in time for the Brooklyn, Ct. Truck Show. Well, the outside is done. Some stuff on the inside still has to be done. These things are never really finished. Steve....if you look close....the tag on the keys says "Highpoint". I'm still trying to figure out this picture posting thing. please bear with me. Ok....got it. Now, if only the price of diesel would go down. In Memory of hpg1 who said: that sure brings back a lot of memories looking at that mack....i myself and my brother towed hundreds of trucks with it and to count how many roll-overs ,jack knifes, truck wrecks its been on its unbelievable.....thanks for sharing it looks awesome...........bob gentlyrotate said: Wow, that looks fantastic! Years ago we had a red and white R model with a 750 on it, man that was a great truck! rotator60 said: That's a great looking unit..Thanks for sharing it with us.. In Memory of Da Wash Boss who said: Jim, truck looks great!!!!!!!!! You going to be taking that beautiful mack to any local cruises on Sundays? I wish Ellington was still on. Danny Cassello

Topic Originally Created on Tow411 in 2008: Owned @ the time By: Mr. Charlie and Son: Steve Gilchrist If anyone knows who they where .. You have nothing but good to talk about .Fine bunch of people .. bigwolf said: wow back in the day i hadnt seen any of those trucks in 18 yrs in about 2000 i was at your place picking up a car just after yall bought out charlies and you had the kw twin screw with the kemp conversion parked on the south side of the lot Unknown Member said: here is another truck of CHARLIE'S .. Steve had a few and all in fine shape .. Mikey drove this one ... Mikey drove this truck more then his own .. it seemed he was on call in it 24 hours aday .. He loved this truck and he said he paid for a car and a house with it .. ( he said he could tow the smallest to the bigest ) with it !! Unknown Member said: that was a hoss of a truck i loved it there was only one other truck i wanted to drive if not 37 and that was truck 25 and there was nothing you could not do with ole 25 Larry Lange said: Is that a home made conversion or a kemp, or grant etc? Unknown Member said: it was a Holmes 500 but steve turn it to this it had no tool boxes ,no dollys or a wheel lift he put a lot of money and we put lot of hours on making this truck it's one of a kind the only wrecker i ever seen made for a left handed man there was nothing that i could not do with it