Tow411

KirbysTowing asked the question in January of 2012:

My rollback has a Lodar wireless remote for the bed and side- puller winches, It will work intermittently for about 2 seconds at a time. I have changed the batteries checked the connections etc. I am at a loss, and I use my side-puller all of the time, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

eastendtow66 said:

We have the same sym on our rollbacks when your sil valves have bad coils the lodar will kick out the power so you wont burn out the power box.

Orcas Tow said:

Mine was doing a similar symptom, I noticed that the Lodar would pulse on/off, drop out rhythmically & was in time with my hazard lights flashing, found out the Towmate wireless tow light transmitter was on the same frequency as the Lodar. Towmate gave me a different frequency transmitter & all was well.

KirbysTowing said:

Now that I think of it, both occasions I have had my wireless transmitter for my tow mate lights in. I will try it without and see. Thanks!!

DMHansonWrecker said:

try reseting the code that fixed mine.

Palmettostatewrecker asked this question in July of 2017:

Does anybody use 2 way or fixed radios in their rigs. I am looking at adding a few to ease dispatching. I don't need a cb to talk to other states, but also need something decent to communicate with drivers throughout the area.

Jefftow said:

No we don't anymore, not for several years.This will be an interesting topic to watch, I hope.
I sure miss the days of talking into a mic, either in the cab or in the office.
I just don't feel like I'm talking on a radio if I'm using an two-way app on a smart phone.
When radios went by the wayside, I kept several. They're mostly good for nothing but bookends anymore, but one day they may make a comeback. 
I also still have a programmable 16 channel mobile for the 100 something mhg range and a a couple of hand helds that operated on a repeater but had talk-around. I tried selling them a number of years ago, but they don't even have salvage value. One day I'll be glad I kept them.
Thanks for the Topic.

Roach901 said:

In 2013 the FCC mandated the change in business radio equipment that required most users to purchase new radios.  The "old faithful" radios that had been in many trucks over the years were worthless and illegal to use.  This caused many operations to re-evaluate using cell phones.  Phones were already being used and most businesses just switched to using the phones rather than paying for a whole new radio system.  In SC most law enforcement looked at moving to the existing SCE&G trunking system that was already in place.  Great coverage over all of South Carolina for a low monthly cost. Many businesses followed the same move.  Anyway, two-way radio is still alive and well.  Look at the cost per unit and the monthly service charges for repeater system usage.  Might be surprised at the deals that are out there.  Good Luck !!

MrsHook said:

We do. Most recent upgrade almost created the need for us to put up a tower and set up our own system, but a local company stepped up. New radios were expensive, but crystal clear. Coupled with towbook, we have great coverage now.

Palmettostatewrecker said:

Thanks for the replies..... I was just curious on the topic. I figured grabbing a radio and keying the Mic would be 10x faster at relaying messages verses text message or an actual phone call.

TowZone said:

Two way radios went to the wayside when Nextel became popular. The Groups feature on Nextel was a very good alternative. I my opinion nothing has been as efficient since, some will agree and some will not. I prefer the team to be on the same page, otherwise half the dispatchers out there waste time, money and fuel running trucks around in circles. Even the best software will not assist a dispatcher just trying to get rid of the runs. I find this to be a major reason Motor Clubs want access to the company GPS within the software.

In Memory of NationalAutow who said:

I will be following this for sure and I am curious of those that are currently using systems, what are you using?

Does anyone own their own repeater and or tower?

Will there ever be another Nextel equivalent?

MrsHook said:

We have a local communications company with a series of towers and repeaters....new technology, looks just like old school, sounds incredible, range is amazing. As a plan b, in case their grand plans didn't materialize, we priced towers with repeaters at our locations. I can't remember specifics now....just recall that prices didn't completely scare us off (we were having to upgrade all radios anyway, so anything was going to be expensive). It was nice to think of communications costs with an end in sight ... But knowing there's never really an end, i wasn't looking forward to learning and tracking another set of rules, regulations, and mandatory updates.

We use smart phones and text and dispatch software including software chat....but I'm very glad to have radios for quick check-ins and especially for coordinating several units getting to and from large incidents.

Ed Johnson said:

dperone said:

We used radios from the time we opened in '48 til around the early 2000's. The Nextels cut down on our radio usage, and then our 100' tower got struck by lightning twice and blew out our phone, internet, and a couple computers each time. That was the end of our radio era, as we cut the tower down. I miss the radios, especially as mentioned above during a town wide power outage where the cell towers sometime go down.

DodgeTowGuy134 said:

After more than 15,000 views on January 9th and over 200 respectable replies other than one from Jamie Dougherty where he would Fire both drivers.

On January, 9th 2008 Cliff responded with:

I can't believe 5 pages. I hope everyone has learned from this post. Just a note though, walking this would do you no good, unless you weigh 58,000 lbs., remember the ground would kick up dust as you walked on it. Very hard ground(for the first few inches). Never saw it coming!

Maurice Trevor Andrews responded:

Cliff take the "shoulda woulda coulda" with a grain of salt. The folks that know of you and the operation you run knows that you would'nt go out there knowing that was beneath the surface and like you said, unless you weigh 58,000 pounds you would have never seen it coming either.

An Unknown Member responded:

I am just speechless by what happened here. As someone who works in the excavation business, I have never seen or heard of any ground situation like this ever. It reminds me of the lava flows in Hawaii, hard crust on top that takes considerable force to break through... but when you do, throw out a life ring cause your gonna sink fast. Also remided me of what happens when someone breaks through the ice on a frozen lake.

WOW 100 post and 15000 views. Cliff, your sacrifice of pride by displaying these photos and telling the story has paid dividens in the education of others about potential dangers. I commend you for posting these and want you to know that you should be proud that you touched so many people with your thread.

Tims Truck Service responded:

That makes for a Super bad Week !!! Thanks for Posting the Pics. ..... It gives us all Something to Think about & gives us all a new Perspective before taking a Piece of Equipment off Road again......TIM

DJ The Tow God responded:

I show this to the boss anytime we have an incident. He then begins to realize that his problems aren't quite that bad. Just imagine the actual cost of recovering those trucks. Then add to that the repairs and cost of recertifying everything. Really puts things into perspective.

Brian Bell responded:

LOL  I guess it could always be worse... The " Incident Plan" TouTube video has views in the millions.

This topic was Bumped last in 2017 and was one of the most viewed topics on the old message board system.

Topic Originally Created by cliffwm10069 in November of 2006:

This was a recovery one of our drivers responded to with our 1060 stick. While driving in he was throwing up dust (that should tell you how dry the road was). and then it happened,the road gave out from under us. truck #2 responded and got within 1/2 mile of the red truck and it fell in. Eppler towing and a cat d-7 w/winch was brought in to help retrieve the 2 tows and the bobtail. NOTE; the black cloud over our head for three days, we took the picture of it 5 miles away. did i mention it took 3 18 hour days and a bent boom on the yellow 4024 eppler truck before it was over.

this is what we were heading for.

there's the d-4 with a winch we thought could help

my pickup bringing in supplies(or so i thought)

this should have been a sign!

This is what we did after we were done.

and then company meeting to follow!

THE ART OF DISPATCHING A TOPIC ORIGINALLY CREATED IN NOVEMBER OF 2005:

In this section of the Advisor we will examine dispatching as what it is… an art form. From the level of focus required to the finesse of the intricate dance known as dispatch we will cover this critical component of every towing operation. This article is the first in a series which will appear in every edition of the Advisor.

Dispatching is tough. It requires total concentration, a superb memory, good problem solving skills, common sense and an ability to handle numerous tasks that all need completion immediately. It is no job for a wimp.

A good dispatcher needs two types of abilities. I will classify them as technical abilities and artistic abilities.

The technical abilities involve, among other things, knowing the correct key strokes to make in order to view drivers, assign calls, and read and send messages. It includes the ability to learn and remember the streets and landmarks of the area in which the dispatcher works. These abilities can be taught, with time, through repetition. These abilities are not contingent upon the times of day, the volume of calls, the specific customer, or anything else. In order for a dispatcher to assign a call, he will need to strike particular keys or make specific mouse clicks in a certain order to achieve success. If a dispatcher is deficient in a technical ability, it is usually apparent, and further instruction can be suggested or demanded. Because technical abilities are learned, a dispatcher who is willing to ask questions, experiment, and do whatever it takes to be successful, can normally overcome deficiencies in this area. For this reason, I will focus on the other facet of dispatching – artistic abilities.

The artistic abilities are more problematic for most dispatchers because many of the traits within this area are inherent. A person is usually born with the ability to handle many tasks at once, or not. A person is usually born with the ability to work puzzles, or not. An argument could be made that dispatchers are not made they are born.

A dispatcher can be likened to a painter. A dispatcher can be compared to with a chess champion. A dispatcher can be equated with a football quarterback. All of there comparisons are legitimate, but inadequate. Why? Because a dispatcher not only has to be the painter, he has to create the picture with no input on the colors of the paint. Because a dispatcher not only has to win the chess match, he has to play several games at once, with only limited control over the movement of his pieces. Because a dispatcher has to march his team down the field to score a touchdown, as well as kick the extra point, provide the strategy, call the plays, and motivate all those with whom he competes. A dispatcher has a mind-boggling job that few are able to perform well.

It is with this realization that we explore the formula for success as a dispatcher. The list of ingredients is endless. Therefore, we will focus on a few of the more significant aspects of The Art of Dispatching.

CONTROL

Control the things over which you have control. Realize the variables that are within your ability to control and work hard to maintain control over those things. Leave the uncontrollable issues alone.

Here are a few items that are within the dispatchers’ control:
• A driver who does not provide accurate statuses.
• A driver who repeatedly shows up 10 minutes past his scheduled start time, inflicting the dispatcher with 10 minutes of daily agony.
• A driver who never answers on the radio when called.
• A driver who is rude.
• A driver who habitually breaks company policy.
• A driver who struggles with routing.
• His or her own temper.
• His or her own level of performance.
• His or her own commitment to excellence.
• His or her own attitude.
• The configuration of his or her own workspace.
• Customer expectations.

Here are a few items that are outside the dispatchers’ control:
• The weather.
• The volume of business each day.
• The attitudes of fellow employees.
• Traffic conditions.
• The boss’ attitude.
• Customer expectations.

Yes, customer expectations secure a place in both lists. Many times, a customer calls with an unbelievable request for a job. Instead of feeling aggravated or inconvenienced, it is the job of the dispatcher to do everything possible, in a safe, legal and honest manner, to accommodate the customer’s needs. The dispatcher must be able to communicate and negotiate with the customer so that the customer is satisfied with the performance and integrity of the company. Each time the customer has a positive experience, the expectations of the customer are changed.

If a dispatcher fails in his job due to habitual, inaccurate statuses by a driver, the failure is due only in part to the driver. The dispatcher must assume blame because he has failed to correct the problem. Corrective actions open to the dispatcher to correct many driver problems include training, motivation, confrontation or reporting of the problem to the driver’s supervisor. This is not to say that a dispatcher is responsible for every inaccurate status or late arrival on a call. However, the dispatcher is the only person with the ability to connect all aspects of a successful job – call entry, call assignment and arrival to the call in a timely manner. That is why a dispatchers' job is not just call assignment. Dispatch is the command center of the company. It is the place where hundreds of decisions are made each day that determine the success or failure of a towing company. Because it is the command center, it demands that the dispatcher be in control.

Make a list of 25 things that you confront each day that are within your control. Your list will include some of the items detailed above, as well as many others that are unique to each dispatcher. Do not allow these things to pass without comment, instruction, or commitment when they arise during your shift.

Dispatch demands that the dispatcher maintain control.

-Jeffrey Godwin
 

DennisMHDT said:

 

Brooklyn, We Go Hard.

acuranut said:

i have gotten alot out of these articles. helps keep things in the front of my mind that normally make their way toward the back. thanks to towpartners for providing them.

Greg

PGhrist said:

Dispatchers are VERY overlooked, usually our dispatchers are mentioned when something has wrong on call. I usually never see them being praised? "Don't ask me... I'm just the driver!"

Tow411 Topic Originally Created by firemedic in December of 2007:

I pretty much understand how to figure your costs and what it costs you to run your truck. How do you translate that into an hourly price. I haven't been able to understand that.

doingitall  said:

What I did was keep track of my times per call port to port, and figured out what my retail hook and mileage rates figured out to per hour (it varied per call of course but not by a huge margin). Since I was happy with what I was getting for my retail rates, I translated that into an average hourly rate for local calls, rounded to the nearest $5 mark, and that is my hourly rate. Works out in my case to a little less that my usual hook and mileage rates, but most customers like it better because it is easier to understand, I like is because it's easier to bill! I still charge extra for special equipment, anything that is accident related is more per hour (sharp stuff, glass, etc.), winching is extra, and the rate is higher after hours. It was pretty easy for me as I am a one man show (mostly), so I did not have to take into account the variation in drivers efficiency, or try to collect the information from several sources (drivers).

Overall I am very happy with switching over to mostly hourly rates, has worked well for me!

Andy - A+ Towing

ncoast said:

I use what it cost me for the previous 12 months, total paid out, plus what my truck payment was (its paid now) plus a little. Then I add what I want for wage and profit. I look at this every month.
I divide this, by what I consider a reasonable number of billable hours in a year.
4 hours a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year.
Due to the reality's of pricing in most areas, mine included I can't always charge this.
But in some cases, like winching, equipment moves or anything out of the ordinary I charge at about 20% higher. I also try and charge after hours at time and a half based on this rate.
I'm also a one man show, and my hook and mileage works out about the same. Sometimes more sometimes less.
I have found that knowing this hourly number and dollar amount per. day keeps me motivated to charge enough.
Its also helps to know this so you can pick and choice MC calls. Even with a decent contract alot of MC calls won't come close.

Wade200 said:

If you know your costs it should be simple. Just get an average of how many hours you work each week and divide it out. I have mine figured as if each truck ran 50 hours per week they would need $XX per hour to pay all costs or $XX to pay all costs and make a profit. Once you get an average it's pretty easy to adjust things to figure it more accurately.

FLCOWBOYINIRAQ said:

we tried that by the hour stuff on regular tows but we were losing money. the only time i tell the customer there will be an hourly rate added to the tow is if they want to send me to orlando on friday night or when ever i get stuck in traffic for a long period of time. all recoveries are by the hour port to port that includes if i have to clean my truck or any equipment port to port till my truck is ready to run the next call. when i do have to charge by the hour on a tow i normally just charge what the hook up is.

john fenshw - lakeland fl - tikrit iraq

ncoast said:

Remember even if your truck is paid for, it still needs to be figured in. And some added to go towards replacement cost.
And I use 4 hours a day not because that's what the truck runs, but because it also needs to earn enough to cover time spent on paper work, truck maintenance, cleaning and everything else that goes along with a business.
My main customers are Monday - Friday 7:30 am to about 6 pm
I don't do police towing or very much MC work. So as a result I do very little after hours or weekend work.
I don't keep track of time spent on calls every time, but I have in the past, if I use that to figure my hourly,
it comes out lower than by using hook and mileage. And even thou I do use hook and mileage a lot, having an
hourly rate works better on some calls.
Say I run 50 miles down the interstate to bring a car back, 2 hours and I'm done. But what if I have to run 50 miles and its on back roads, I could spend 4 hours on the same distance.

Lets hear some more ideas

doingitall  said:

That is exactly why I like to do most of my retail hourly - if the weather is bad and slow driving, I still am covered, customer gives bad info and tow/recovery/locating customer takes twice as long, covered, need to include equipment cleanup, covered. I just quote and bill hourly - 1 hour minimum, then 1/2 hour intervals from there.

Andy - A+ Towing

Wade200 said:

In my opinion, the only real down side to hourly rates is inconsistent billing for customers. Today it may take 1 hour to complete the job and tomorrow (with traffic or weather) it may take 4 hours for the same job. I have found that our good shops don't like variable rates like that and some have quit using us due to rates that vary more than a few dollars for comparable tows.

You can't please 100% all the time, so whatever works for you is what really matters.

anaron said:

Daniel, I understand what you are saying but you can bet the shops do exactly that on their repair work. They will give you a bid for a valve job but if they find a crack in the head, it's going to cost more! Not their fault, not your fault - called extenuating circumstances. Everything I do is calculated by the hour but I never quote a job as $xxx per hour. Too open ended and you will lose most of the jobs. I have done this for so long, I pretty much know within a few dollars what the total will be for most everything I do so I give a total "estimate". How much will this cost? "Sir, Based on what you have told me, it's a simple hookup and tow, etc. - should run about $XXX if we do not run into any problems." You have given them an estimated price and left the door open for any unforseen problems. Sometimes they want an explanation of what problems might be encountered, most the time they don't even ask. Should I run into any problems that would significantly increase the cost the customer is immediately advised and given the option of declining my service. I have never had anyone decline the service after I arrived on scene and explained that this job was going to cost $xx more because of whatever. Weather issues should not be a problem because you should be quoting rates based on the weather conditions anyway. Most traffic issues should not be a problem as most the time we know what the traffic situation is at any given time and should quote accordingly even going so far as to suggest a better rate at a better time. You might be surprised to see that most customers understand that a 3 mile tow in a blowing blizzard is going to cost them considerably more than the same tow on a nice sunny day.

Jerrys Road Service said:

Jerry's Towing -Santa Clarita ,Ca - 661-857-6828

 

ncoast said:

his post has gone from how to figure an hourly rate to should you charge hourly, still a good post.

Hourly is for out of the ordinary stuff, not run of the mill hook and book tows.
When I quote a price or write a bill its total only, I never break it down. But do use hook and mileage alot.
When people hear xx + x per. mile they freak and think the worst. I did a tow last year where the customer followed me to the drop, while unloading he said I called xxx and man hes hi, he wanted xx + x to do this. I laughed and said well this was only x miles he woulda been cheaper. He ended up tipping me anyway.

Isn't WFG an approved pricing method

 

Towman26 said:

Daniel, I to understand your concern on the differences in prices but what about the guy that has several trucks towed from one location to another & you do it with different trucks & drivers, I bet if you did 10 trucks you might get 5 or 6 with same milage but i know that Dustins truck odomiter is on the mark, but the others we are constantly having those adjusted. Hell on my wifes Navigator when we go to her surgon in Tampa (which we do every other month for the last 6 yrs & sometimes more) but in my pickup & Dustins pickup the mileage is tow miles different, that could be from were you exactly pushed the button, but in her Navigator, going the same way same speeds, it is 32 miles further!! yes I said it is further & no Tampa didnt move. In town it is fine, right on the doy, but at highway speeds it starts adding miles, & the faster I go the more it adds, once when we had to rush over I satyed at about 110 & it was 44 milesmore. So back to what you were saying about being inconsistant there is problems on both ways Unless the call is at your front door, every call would be over one hr. I would love it if the companies on the FL east side would get into that type of pricing. That is what is going on the west side in tampa, sarasota area, but unfortunatly if 20companies all got together & said we would go to hourly, 2 or 3 would go behind the others back & try to snatch up the customers. I think it is the best way to make it simple for the customer, they know it takes xxx amount of time to get there xx amout to get back, drop & then back to your shop or even stop when you drop, it still is better. That way they dont have to get a long list of things, hook up, mileage, drive line, air, fsc. etc etc. it would be 2.5 @ xx = xxx that it! Like I had stated in another post when you have company's that will do rotations for as much as possible but then turn around & do accounts for as low as they have to to get the customer, like box trucks for $60 & 3 or even $60 flat rate in the county or $70 &3 for loaded t-t. When you have to deal with this its very hard to get change but i still have hope. lol

 

Warren Driscoll --- 877-KW TOWS U

 

FLCOWBOYINIRAQ said:

put a bid together for a local allison shop. how i did it was he told me the furthest he went for trucks in all directions so i towed a few and kept track of the mileage. he really needed a flat rate so he could bid on jobs. so what i did was took the furthest point away added the miles then x by what we were getting a mile rr drive shaft plus air hook. now we towed them there broken down and towed them back to the customer when they were repaired. on the ones going back as long as he had another unit coming back for a repair i would tow the repaired one back for half. and i did not have to remove the shaft on the tow back to the customer.

that hourly stuff is only good on heavy tows i actually tried that and wrote the bill both ways and hook and mileage was better, unless towing a crane or big motor home stuff like that. one thing is what do you do if you have an expirenced operator that can hook and tow very good and safe and then you have one thats not so good and you do the same tows diffrent days diffrent drivers and his bill is more then the others. we tried that with waste management and the bills were very incosistent. they had 5 bills from the landfill back to there shop and all 5 were diffrent.

john fenshaw - lakeland fl

 

In Memory of BROTHERSANDSONS who said:

I've been following this for a little bit, because its one of my favorite subjects. I notice a lot of you saying that Hook up + mileage comes out higher than hourly........that bothers me.....what it says to me is your off on your hourly rate..If your charging, for instance....100 for the hook up and 5/mile( lets leave the shaft out of it and tow it from the rear) and your going 20 miles thats 200 dollars. easy hook and fly thats a 90 minute job to drop, half hour back to your yard... 200 @ 2 hrs .......thats 100 per hour??? Maybe a better cost analysis is in order ( even if you jump up to 150/6 its still only 135/hr) some costs are constant.some are dynamic..without going into to much detail a straight heavy with a quality driver is in the 220-240 range.depending on a few things. thats 440-480 for the same tow........much closer to reality of cost( at dollars/tow.dollars/day is another subject). Specialized units are more, of course.but costs are costs.
as far as the inconsistencies of time and pricing ( traffic ,weather, stubborn drivelines, Texas bumpers etc etc) It ain't my fault or the customers.they are just a fact of life...I give a rate that reflects my costs , not based on what the market is doing.and YES it makes it tough when you have potatoes out there dropping their drawers just to get cash flow. If I had my way we would all have breakfast once a month and decide what the going rate was and everyone would have no choice but to pay it......then some previously mentioned potatoe would undercut us all and we would have to slay him....its something that can be addressed by some standards.....including standards for compensation......I can see it.but, I can't figure out how to make it work.

In regards of how to figure it, I take my monthly costs and divide them by 121.6 ( 30.4 days in the avg month x 4 hrs per day ) and thats even a little low because of the day off factor of drivers.but its close for me. Thats just to pay the costs ( dollars per tow) profit comes into the game when you build up the tows per day to the point of stretching yourself thin and needing another truck..its a constant re evaluation process....fuel, insurance, drivers wages, etc etc............takes up a good amount of my time each month and how do you calculate that into the overhead???? lol....its worth it to be serious about it.it does show up where it counts.in the bank

 

Towman26 said:

Ya I cant see were hourly is less than hook & mileage. Weve done both & everytime hourly is more. I just did one today 40 miles $490. paid hourly. Like I have said I wish we would all go to it .

 

Warren Driscoll --- 877-KW TOWS U

 

anaron said:

I agree with Jan, if your mileage/hookup rate total is more than your hourly rate total, some immediate attention needs to be paid to your hourly rates. Back in the early 80's, I charged $25 hookup and $0.75 per mile round trip and never gave it much thought until I gained a new customer, 8 mile round trip that took 1.14 hours to complete for $31 - opps! Got a problem here! That's when I began taking a good look at my rate calculations and found that over 30% of my tows were losing money because of the time differentiation - started calculating my rates on an hourly basis - problem solved.I calculate my rates on light, medium, heavy, jump starts, lockouts, everything is by the hour. Here's some figures from my data base for a 10 mile simple light duty tow from 5 different locations. These times are an average for each location and I do them on a weekly basis- .58, .66, .68, .72, .75
For simplicity, use $50 hookup and $2 mile round trip for a total of $70. You get $70 for .58 hours and you also get $70 for .75 hours. Now something's wrong with that picture! For simplicity, use $100 per hour - $58, $66, $68, $72, $75 - looks much better as I get paid for my time involved. The problem with hourly is that most companies have no idea how long it takes them to do a tow job. How long did it take? Oh, about 45 minutes when in reality it took 48 minutes. Geez, 3 minutes! That's really nit picking! Back when towing was $25 hookup and $0.75 mile, 3 minutes did not make a lot of difference but at the rates we should be charging today, it makes a huge difference especially over the entire year. Not charging for 3 minutes on each tow adds up to 1500 minutes or 25 hours for 500 tows. Calculate that with your rates! The hookup/mileage would work great as long as you could keep every call at .66 hours or less but we all know that's not going to happen. Now several have commented that hourly rates would be confusing to the customer and your right but so is hookup/mileage. Some companies charge $XX hookup and $X per mile loaded, some round trip, some 1/2 round trip and no telling how many other ways. We should never quote "$XXX per hour" or "$50 hookup and $2 per mile". Your miles and his might just be totally different - kinda like the motorclubs paying mileage based on THEIR charts! We should calculate what we believe the total to be because that is all the customer is concerned with, not how we calculate our rates. How much will this cost? "Sir, Based on what you have told me, it's a simple hookup and tow, etc. - should run about $XXX if we do not run into any problems." You have given them an estimated price but at the same left the door open for any unforseen problems.

John brought up a good point - "we tried that with waste management and the bills were very incosistent. they had 5 bills from the landfill back to there shop and all 5 were diffrent." I firmly believe that this is a problem but it's our problem and not the customer. In my entire career, this has never been a problem for any of my customers. I tow for an electric coop from all their branchs to their repair shop and no two bills from the same branch office has the same total. I have a dirt company that I haul their trucks from their pit to the same repair shop, bills are never the same. No two tow jobs will be identical in time even if locations and mileage are identical. If you are trying to get you invoices to show the same dollars on each tow, you either have to base your rates on the highest invoice which is not fair to the customer, on the lowest invoice which is not fair to you or work out an average and hope you do not get too many tows that end up above the average!

 

firemedic said:

Appreciate all the info.

A few questions:

1. When you do port to port as I assume most do, do you just figure the time to drive to them if you are not at office and to drive back from point of drop off? How do you figure that? 60 miles would take an hour? How do you calculate for traffic, weather, etc?

2. I am assuming that once I figure what my hourly rate should be, how do you figure out the difference from light, medium, heavy? I normally adjust my hookup based on weight and difficulty of hooking up. On medium and heavy I understand where hourly would be better, i.e. that driveshaft that just won't come out when you normally say $XX dollars for driveshaft removal.

Light duty by the hour would be ok, it's just confusing I guess. I heard of someone giving a class at one time about figuring costs and charges, wish I could go. I don't want to undercut myself, I want to make that dirty word "profit". LOL!!

I also don't want to rip anyone off, so that is why I ask, please excuse my ignorance if I seem like "I just don't get it".

 

anaron said:

Glenn asked:
When you do port to port as I assume most do, do you just figure the time to drive to them if you are not at office and to drive back from point of drop off? Yes
How do you figure that? My calculations are easy as the info in my data base consists of all the towing jobs (recovery and accidents are not included) done over the last 15 years showing total mileage, total time, pickup location and drop off location for each job. When I first started, I took the last year of hookup/mileage total revenues and divided that by the total time for the year. Now this will only work if your hookup/mileage rates were calculated on actual costs and profits. It creates a good starting point that can be fine tuned as you go.
60 miles would take an hour? This is a good way to estimate your travel times but 60 miles in an hour is almost impossible on local towing. I do not do long distance towing anymore but back when I did, it pretty much averaged 47 miles in an hour. My 15 year data base for local towing shows that I average 31 miles for each hour. Your average may be different depending on the factors of your area.
How do you calculate for traffic, weather, etc? Fortunately traffic is not much of an issue in my area. Based on experience, I generally know if I should add x amount of time due to heavy rain, traveling thru construction zones or whatever.
I am assuming that once I figure what my hourly rate should be, how do you figure out the difference from light, medium, heavy? Your hourly rate will need to be calculated on each light, medium & heavy. You cannot use one to calculate the other as each is in a world all of its own.

 

Gerry Sienk said:

First question i ask is what did it cost you by the hour to run your light, medium and heavy call? You need to know your cost to calculate a price. I have used an hour meter for service on my trucks, which was recorded monthly. Using the yearly total per truck, and dividing the cost to run the truck for the year, including labor or in case of owner driving the salary I would want per hour, into hour to find out what it cost me to run it last year. Because regardless of whether it was idling to warm up in yard, or on a call, that is what it cost to run the truck per hour even if I was not getting paid, the money had to come from my business to pay that cost! That hourly cost is what you needed regardless of whether you were getting paid that amount. And yes there are some "if, ands and buts" to this figure. As far as how you bid calls, you should have a basic knowledge of how long calls take, on most jobs you can either give a price that will "fly" with the customer and you still make a profit, leaving you open for getting more, or less, it is just of matter of how you communicate with them. But If you know your cost, you know if you made money or not.

 

Tow411 Topic by ESC  in December of 2013:

They really make me laugh with how brianless they can be.  Yesterday and overnight we were hit with snow and ice.  The roads were pretty much unsafe to travel without tire chains.  Any time there is bad weather, we only do Police or Emergency calls in the very immediate area.  At 12:34 am i was called out 8 miles from our shop (which only happened to be 1 mile from my house) for the state police for a Ford Escape into a tree.  Got the job done, etc.  Fast forward to 8:00am... Agero calls wanting a 20 min or less eta to a priority accident.  The location they gave was very close to where i had picked up the Escape.... so i decline the call, and then ask them, would i happen to be a silver ford escape.... and she says, yes... how did you know.  I told her it was picked up for the PD at 1 am.  The dispatcher said, Oh.... so you still cant help us??   They blow my mind.  Not to mention, this thing was hammered in the front, head on into a tree.  Locked, no keys, customer left the scene, etc.  No way would have touched if for Agero.

When we had signed with them, they had told us the priority accidents would be only for cars with fender bender type damage, pulled off into a parking lot, or driveway sort of thing.  no way will i do recovery/accident work for their rates.  Especially at 1:00am in the ice.   Our charges are actually about 15 times what Agero wanted to pay.... plus storage.
 

Here are the pics that i took. Keep in mind the call came from PSP at 12:34 am.... roads were frozen. I have a 4x4 wrecker with tire chains on. No way Agero.... not a chance.

In Memory of NationalAutow who said:

They really don't understand ... the operators get paid to dispatch a certain number of wreckers per hour. It matters not that the wreckers are not needed etc. They don't give a horses patute that you already have the car on a PD rotation etc.

We were contracted with them several years ago and I had a rep tell me to take a GOA on accident calls if I got the same call on rotation. He actually wanted me to double bill for my service. If that doesn't show what type of company you are dealing with then I don't know what does.

I probably should have followed his direction and collected some of the back monies they still owe us but I just could not bring myself to stoop to their level.

Don't blame the operator that called you. He/she is an underpaid and over stressed person in a cubicle that is basically threatened with unemployment if He/she doesn't dispatch enough trucks per hour.

Agero: I KNOW you read this thread. Please come out in public and tell me I am wrong.

Chevy2 said:

The owner probably wait till the next AM to call in the accident to the Insurance CO.

thtdon  said:

Winter brings a whole bunch of problems that we don't have in the summer.  The worst driving conditions are usually the first hour or two of a snowstorm, until the plows and sanders come out.  It is customary for the state police to instruct tow companies working for them to patrol their sections of the highways, and tow any cars that are abandoned on the side of the road, or off the road.  Meanwhile, I would get a call from a motor club to retrieve a car on the highway that had skidded off the road.  Most of the time, after struggling through slow moving traffic to get there, either the car is gone, or it is in the process of being towed by the tower of that section.  So I leave the scene empty-handed.  All of that for a spitting $15 GOA fee.  I stopped responding to such calls a long time ago.  I'll stay in the city and do my thing, and let the guys who work the highways do their thing. 

I already posted my annual motor club winching policy in another thread in this forum.  I got a call for a winch out today.  I asked the dispatcher exactly how the car was stuck.  She said that the driver couldn't get the car out of the driveway.  The plow blocked him in.  So I proceeded to read my winching policy, which I carry in my pocket.  And that was the end of that call. 

Another thing that I have stopped doing starting this winter is towing pickup trucks with plows and/or sanders mounted on them for any motor club.  These people who are plowing snow are charging big bucks.  If they work for the town, they could be getting up to $75/hour.  It seems inappropriate for me to tow that commercial vehicle for a measly motor club fee.  I want them to share the big bucks with me.  After talking to other operators, it seems that I am the only one who was still doing that.  Not anymore.  Pay up!  I'll still tow a pickup truck for Ford, GM, and Chrysler Roadside Assistance.  But without the plow.

thtdon

ESC  said:

Delivered to body shop today... they cut us a check on the spot.

AIKTOW4U said:

they paid me for one of their members who was plowed into but it was at my rates and a surcharge for the credit card. then they had a company come get it to go to the Insurance company "preferred body shop" where they don't charge or get paid for the storage. This one I am sure is a total loss so I gotta wonder how that "preferred" status is working for that body shop now.

Jef said:

Don, most plow trucks are 1 tons (350/3500) so medium duty by default.

thtdon  said:

After thinking about it, I have adjusted what I previously said about pickups with plows.  I have a pickup truck with a plow.  It belongs to me personally, and not to the company, and I do not do any public plowing.  It is registered to me personally with car plates.  It does not have commercial plates on it.  I use it to plow out my shop, my house, my apartments, my mother's house, and my church.  Otherwise, I plow for no one.  So in a case like that, if the truck is personally registered, and not commercially registered, I'll tow the pickup with the plow, if I can.  However, Acme Landscaping, with their Ford F-350 pickup truck with a snowplow, and a sander mounted in the back of the truck, is a cash call.  That's commercial.  No cheapo motor club tow for him.

thtdon

ESC  said:

And here we go again.... not a call from Agero all day long.... now 5:00 pm and a few snow flakes, and the phone is ringing off the hook from them to go to areas that i wouldnt go to for them on a dry sunny day. It blows my mind every time they call.

Just an update... they had called us at 4:11 pm for a tow going 35 miles.... from the symptoms they gave, it sounded like it would just be a jump start.  Since it was just starting to snow, i told them i could go out an attempt a jump, or i could tow the customer back to our shop and get them to a hotel, as i dont want to leave the customer standed, but i am not sending a truck 35 miles away as snow is starting to fall.  At that time, i had a 20 min eta.  Now at 6:35pm they just call back.... again asking me to do the 35 mile tow..... guess the guy is pretty cold by now almost 2.5 hours later.... but since we now have 2-3 inches on the ground, we are only accepting calls at our PD recovery rates which is around 5 times what it would have cost them when they called the first time.  Someday they will figure it out.

Now today, just over 24 hours from the original call... they called at 4:35 pm for the same job.  Apparently its still sitting there.  They didnt want my services the first two times.... no way am i going to sit in Phila traffic for 35 miles since they waited until 5pm to send me the job.   Maybe they will be calling again in another 24 hours.

Always something with these guys.... gotta love the entertainment value.

Just got a call a bit ago from them.... They asked us to respond for a tow from a parking lot just down the street, back to our shop for storage. They told us that a customer had a minor accident, and the police had already cleared the scene, and there was minor bumper damage. The vehicle was supposed to be parked in a parking lot, and the customer was supposed to be with it. I was there within 10 min. What i found of course was slightly different. Approaching the parking lot, we found a large sign for a housing complex had been struck, but i didnt see the car. I continued about 300 feet down a dead end street that leads to a dirt road/construction entrance. I could see a dark blue honda accord about 100 feet from the blacktop stuck in the snow. I quickly checked, and no one was with it. We notified police immediately.  It turned out that the PD had never been notified at all.  Once they arrived on scene, they went to the vehicle owners house and located him. Anyway... since we dont do recovery work for Agero..... we called in and cancelled the PO. PD had us handle the recovery anyway.... what a shame. Turned out this accident was caused by a diabetic issue.

While dealing with this one, Agero called for another tow... a mile away, going 3 miles to a repair shop that is closed since its 8:30 pm. We gave an hour eta, as we were tied up with their first mess..... they insisted on a 45 min or less eta as it was "a valued state farm customer". Its always funny when they call back 30 min later wanting to know if your original 60 min eta would still be good (which would now make the customer wait 90 min). Since they didnt want my help the first time, they can keep looking.

In Memory of NationalAutow who said:

ESC said " Someday they will figure it out."

I seriously doubt it.

thtdon  said:

Who said that it was a valued State Farm customer, Jake from State Farm at 3 in the morning?  LOL!

thtdon

ESC  said:

But of course that was their line..... trying to get me to feel bad i suppose.  Ha. 
They want a rush eta, they need to pay for it.  No way was I going to walk away from a recovery for the police to go to a $50 tow for them.... especially State Farm.   State Farm tries to be very pushy around here..... but we never let em get away with anything.... but they cant expect me to bend over backwards for them.

This unit was sold in 2011, anyone know where it is today?

Details when listed in January of 2011

1988 KENWORTH T-600 & Century 5030 T-35, 322in Wheel Base W/ 48in Sleeper. Twin 150 Gallon Fuel Tanks To The Front, 3406 B Cat, 425 HP, 15sp On Air Ride, 30 Ton Wrecker With DP 35K Planetary Winches, Excellent Lift And Tow Capacity. AZ RUST FREE   DPS & CHP Inspected, Fully Equip. Ready To Rock And Roll Az Stereo, New Strobe Bar, Back Up Camera. at that time Odometer Reading was 417,601

Kentows said:

That truck was put together right (double framed) built by Marvin @ Oklahoma wrecker sales it won the tow show in Texas in 1998 I still have the trophy.

@TowTruckMark @kentows

Topic Originally created by kyd9055 on Tow411 in Aug. of 2007:

First time I've got to tow a mixer so I thought I'd go ahead and post it. Only a little left in the drum, nothing special to it just haven't posted in awhile and thought this was somewhat worthy.

Kim02 said:

Nice job. I usually tow those from the bumper. Use medium forks inward of frame where the braces tie into the pull plate. A heavy rubber square with 2 tabs cut each end lays inside the fork to keep from scratching bumper. Gives more clearance & you aren't lifting as much weight.

Wade200 said:

Nice job. The U-bolt forks work great on those as well.

Wreckmstr said:

I tow em from the back...if you can get to it.

MTA415 said:

tow 'em any way I can get 'em. You got enough machine for it, looks good to boot.... take a little pressure off your 3rd, will give you a little more steer if you need it. Working at the company you are at you'll be great in no time.

Topic Originally Created i=by hpgtow on Tow411 in Aug. of 2007:

Customer called said they had one of there packers stuck in Port Newark and one of the rear tandems were coming off... He advised it was about half loaded... My brother was already in the Port with a tractor so he stopped and gave me hand.... The rear axle was pretty far in so we decided to chain tow... We chained the hooper closed well and tightened the screw clamps that hold the hooper closed... Went to the rear axle with 5/8 grade 100 chains and cross chained it.... Released the brakes.. Pushed the tandems back in..Locked the brakes and put a safety strap to hold the tandems in... hey Al... The truck looks even better close up... Stay well. Steve

Ed Barker said:

Good job Steve,,,looks like it handled it very well,,,,,I like that yellow on your new paint job ,,,it sure stands tall.

Mr Waialae Chevron said:

Steve,
When you tow it like that, do the chains want to crush the hopper?
Thanks Barney

hpgtowing said:

Thanks, Barney.. No it really don't leave chain marks... We have done them both ways..Cross chained and straight ... We have a large supply of old light duty tow sling straps from years ago.... We place them between the chains and the body... They work great.. they also use to work good on bumpers... There was a good amount of gear oil on the inside of the wheels and the top of the body... it looks to have been leaking for awhile ... Thanks.. Stay well.... Steve

FMS Mike said:

I am always amazed at that wrecker!! I love that truck, such a brute..nothing it can't do. HPG Can Do ALL!!
Michael

Jerrys Road Service said:

Jerry's Towing
Santa Clarita ,Ca

 

hpgtowing said:

I had thought about forking it from the chassis.. But I am not crazy about having to lift something with this weight on tall forks and risers... The hump from hooper forces you to have the T-Bar very low and the forks very high... I just never liked that.... Thanks... Steve

 

DMHANSON said:

HEY STEVE did you sell a wrecker to a guy in oklahoma????? there is a shop here in my town with about the same truck set up just wondering.

 

hpgtowing said:

Daryl.. If it is a Paystar like mine with the big 1400 X 24 rubber in the front and it has a 45 ton challenger on it? Then it's Kongs sister which I have been looking for? It should be the same truck as mine... No front outriggers.. and no front winch.. It should have a trebron under reach on it.... If it is the truck? I would greatly appreciate the owner name and number.... Thanks... Stay well.. Steve

 

Byron Coleman said:

Nice work and to anyone that may try this in the future always check the bolts that hold the packer to the chassis.They are often loose and worn at the rear.

 

In Memory of DNDTOWINGCOM who said:

Hey Steve, another good idea with the sling straps. I always used old aluminum truck frame sections about 4' long that had been cut in half long ways to make an angle. Place it between the towed unit and your chains. Disperses the load and the chains won't slide because they bite into the aluminum so the towed unit will not move from side to side.

Dann 
Vegas Heavy Haul Inc.
dba. Big Valley Towing
Las Vegas, NV. 

 

DMHANSON said:

YEAH ITS THAT TRUCK ALRIGHT IT SAYS KONG ON IT 45 TON CHALLENGER YELLOW IN COLOR NOW,SAME TRUCK!!!

 

hpgtowing said:

Daryl... This is how it looked when George Logan owned it.... I guess the boom is still yellow.... This truck was identical to mine expect it had a Trebron Under Reach.. It had no front out riggers, No front winch, No drag winch and no Trebron Winching spade..... Thanks... Steve

 

 

unknown member said:

Kong is a beast. My only suggestion to what is already a masterpiece of towing equipment? ADD A LITTLE BIT OF RED PAINT TO THOSE WHEELS !! All white is too stark looking on that beast. LOL. To each his own. Good luck in reuniting with Kong's sibling.

 

Leroyhedrick  said:

steve ,those trucks of yours are truly awesome!!!! the biger the better in most cases keep up the good work Leroy II, Maysville, WV wm# 99405

 

DMHANSON said:

YES ITS THE SAME TRUCK FOR SURE,good luck getting him to sell.
daryl.

 

hpgtowing said:

Daryl.. I called him right after I spoke to you... He didn't even have time to think about it before he said not for sale! I can't blame him... I would appreciate it if you could get a few pictures of it..... I'd like to see it? Thanks for your help just the same.... Steve

 

FMS Mike said:

Isn't 411 Great, Kong now knows where her sister is!!! Steve have u exhausted all efforts to bring her back to Jersey?
Michael

 

 

Topic Originally created on Tow411 by trekkmstrin Aug. of 2007:

Topic Originally Created by njhook on Tow411 in July of 2007:

Sean Koonz, WM001772 Level 6/7A
Top Ten Wreckmaster 2005
Engel Towing, Inc.
Hope, NJ 07844

 

@njhook

 

Mr Waialae Chevron said:

Wow...never seen one jack knifed like that logger.

I have a question...when you go over bumps, does the trailing end move up and down, or does it stay tight? Could the chains come loose? Do you have to pay attention to it?

These hitches have their place and time in our biz...
Thanks

 

njhook said:

The towed unit behaves exactly like a trailer. When you go over bumps, the rear suspension absorbs the bumps like it normaly would. Those rear chains are pulling down on the trucks' frame. If we were to back up an incline (or go over something that the suspension could not compensate for) the Tru-Hitch would pivot on the 5th wheel of my tractor - still keeping the rear chains tight. The only way those rear chains will loosen is if I were to tilt those lower booms up. When you tow with a Tru-Hitch, you manually lock both the lift and tilt cylinders, so any movement at the pivot points is eliminated. As for the jack knife pic, I was in the process of parking that truck in the lot - 77,000 lbs on the logger in that pic.

Sean Koonz, WM001772 Level 6/7A
Top Ten Wreckmaster 2005
Engel Towing, Inc.
Hope, NJ 07844

 

Joe Cummings said:

Looks like that True Hitch does a pretty nice job. What do you chain the back end to? I would guess frame rails if possible.

By the way I have one of those Aeromax tractors I have been stripping for parts. Not sure if you need anything or not, but if so send me a pm.

 

Mr Waialae Chevron said:

Thanks Sean...I think you and Blkwill are the only ones posting Tru-hitch pics...

 

njhook said:

That's correct, Joe. The booms are chained to the frame. Usually I go over the frame rail and back to the Tru-Hitch booms, however the Tru-Hitch comes with "C-Clamps" that attach to the bottom flange of the frame as well. These are helpful when towing box trucks or other trucks with bodies mounted to the frame preventing the chain from being routed over the frame rail.

Good to know about the parts truck too. I'll keep you in mind if I need anything - thanks!

Sean Koonz, WM001772 Level 6/7A
Top Ten Wreckmaster 2005
Engel Towing, Inc.
Hope, NJ 07844

 

In Memory of DNDTOWINGCOM who said:

So how long on average does it take you to load a tractor? Then unload it? I had a trucking company come to pick up one of their units that blew the motor and I swear it took the guy two hours to get it loaded.

Dann 
Vegas Heavy Haul Inc.
dba. Big Valley Towing
Las Vegas, NV. 

 

Blkwill said:

Dann It doesn't take that much more time to hook up then a under reach. There are so that are pains just the same as forking, but after a few its about a 10 min job to hook a basic tractor. Drive line and air are the same.

 

 

njhook said:

Dann - I agree with Blkwill, it doesn't take much more time to hookup than forking with a standard under-reach. It's like anything else, the more you use it and practice the more efficient you become. I think you may have been watching someone who was not familiar with operating a Tru-Hitch and they might have made it look harder than it is. Think about the first time you uprighted a passenger vehicle at an MVA...45 minutes after dragging mine around on its roof - it finally landed on it's wheels! Now, it's up and loaded in about 10. Same thing with the Tru-Hitch - the more you work with it, the better an operator you'll be. Thanks for looking at our pics and stay safe!

Sean Koonz, WM001772 Level 6/7A
Top Ten Wreckmaster 2005
Engel Towing, Inc.
Hope, NJ 07844

 

Scooby said:

god bless you gentlemen running those

I never personally got a liking to them

 

 

This was taken from a topic created in 2005 on Tow411

I have a 60" tool box under the roll back. I want to find a fixture that I can bolt to the top of the tool box that will hold my shovel and broom. Something that will be sturdy and steadfast yet easy to release the shovel and broom when I need them. ANY IDEAS FELLAS ????????????? Bruce

DrHook541 said:

You should be able to find these in any hardware store. Use two for each tool and they will stay in place without pivoting and still be easy to remove.

C'ya in the ditch.

moranmg said:

Bruce on my flatbeds i weld 4"long pipe to the crossmembars under the bed and slide the broom and shovel handles into it and hold it in place with a bunge so thay can't slide out

auto rescue said:

Instead of using the pipe I used plastic PCV pipe bolted to the bed crossmembers with muffler clamps.John R.

Spitz said:

Thats a good idea, no rust! Did you paint the pipes at all so it didnt look so "hillbilly" or does noone really pay any attention? I was thinking about doing this now, how did you guys secure the broom or shovel in the tube when not in use.. I was thinking about welding a tab on the shovel head, and getting a broom that had a metal handle, so when you slide it in, you have a pin with a hair clip that you just drop in and secure and be on your way..

moranmg said:

Bruce the way i do mine you can't see the pipe or the broom but i do undercotted

Spitz said:

Would any of you mind posting a few pictures if you have the time please??

Clay said:

For your broom get a telescoping handle (paint section in the "Big" home improvement store) and a regular shovel will fit in the box. That way they stay clean and dry (have you used the broom that was out in the winter?).

This Topic was Originally Created by hdtowman65 in December of 2005:

OK, what are the advantages, dis advantages of having the boom mounted opp. direction. Is it just preferance? Seems maybe you get full capacity from your boom more this way, both sides and tail without having to extend, where as standard way only off sides, unless its a SLIDER or TRAVELER.

Gale25yrs said:

If I remember right there were some of the units special ordered this way from Miller to go to Japan. The thing would be heavier on the tail than normal but if your doing mostly recovery then the reach of the back is maximized.

wstowing11 said:

Oh,what a sidewinder could do for that truck!

When we first looked at a tator from Miller in the early years of the 40 and 50 tonners my father wanted his mounted like this and there was some concerns and the unit never came to be. Later another tower in Baltimore ended up with a crane chassis with his mounted like this.

I can see a definate advantage of @ 8-10 feet of reach over a conventional mount. That creating an advantage on lifting capabilities within boom rating off the tailboard and possibly on the rear corners. Getting the angle on the lift and being able to reach your lifting capabilities.

The Japanese might be able to help us with this one because it seems like they have alot mounted like this one over there in Japan.

Topic Originally by Andys in April of 2010:

why does a company who wants to provided top notch road service and runs ads on TV is so hard to contact and talk to reps work out problems we have only want to pay us less than 40.00 per winch out but not tell us about this. you need to communicate with your towers or we wont want to run your calls or only run your call when things are dead its time to get off you butt and develop a good commauctaion system

oklatom said:

"Don't try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig."

If you can't communicate with them, and get paid a fair wage, pick and choose or quit.

ABCDISCOUNT said:

I do not understand them Allstate or Signature either . I have not been able to talk to a human about my South Carolina issues since the Baltimore tow show back in November of 2009 . Keith provider # SC0800056

Eagletow said:

Maybe it is the individual rep .
I had a problem with entering a call on the website this week and I called Bill Dolan to leave a message .I got a return call with in hours ,had a very good conversation regarding a couple issues .I was very pleased with his answers and the outcome .
Is this a fluke ? I dont know but it seems like he was right on top of things and I'm happy .

Pro Max Towing said: March 2012

I have had a few issues to work out with Allstate as well. I spent 8 months trying to get in touch with my PA rep. In that time they did the old shell game and moved them around. No communication from that rep either. I got to the point where I just gave up on them and only except calls as filler work when convenient. If they can not except our calls we can not except theirs. I hate to say it because we had developed relationships with many of their members and they would call us direct only for us to tell them to call the main number.One issue was TOLLS, they did not want to pay us for them. We would explain to the dispatcher that we would need to be paid for tolls from the customer and they would respond "No sir the member is covered" and we would explain that we have never been reimbursed from day one for a single dime of tolls. Here is an idea, Let the member submit for reimbursement "So you are refusing the call then" NO we are trying not to lose money! 

Good Luck Allstate...(and Brian in India..what?)

Towman26 said:

It is still a major issue. We have started to do what Skyline Towing in Denver CO is threatening to do, start liening the customers cars. We have had our letter drafted & have about 100 ready to go out to start. We have sent emails to our rep twice a week since the first of the year & now sent one to every rep. I have taled to at least 50 towers that are having the same problems with payments. 

Barrystowing said:

Is the solution that hard to figure out? STOP taking their PO's !
Towers by nature are resilient, hardheaded and case hardened - but putting up with a deadbeat club is another story-dump the dead weight and find sources of revenue elsewhere.

Tom Jensby said:

For supplemental payments of the fuel and/or tolls you need to call the Provider Hotline @ 800.582.6626.
The representatives there will take up to 5 fuel/tolls per call. If you have more than 5 they will usually ask you to fax the information in to their attention. If you do have more than 5 and they don’t offer to have you fax it in, please ask them if that is a possibility. It will save you time.

You do not want to fax the information in without calling first. If no one is expecting the fax there is a possibility of your fax being misdirected and therefore not processed.

morrisandsons said:

Tom, Where were you when we needed your help? Are you new to Allstate? For many years we have had issues.

Would you care to explain to me and others on this board why your company behaves in this manner?

Please understand that my frustration stems from years of negligence from your company in regards to provider relations, which ultimately led to me refusing to work for your company any longer, and it seems that I am not the only one. Please let me and everyone else on this forum understand how & why these things happen.

Respectfully,
Art

Topic from 2011 morrisandsons referred to above has been added here.

We parted ways with Allstate about 6 months ago. It was cordial, the rep Greg Nelson is a nice guy, but we could no longer afford to work for the rates that were offered, and had been getting a lot of bad information on rental swaps (MAJOR LANGUAGE BARRIERS), and I was getting the impression that we were a backup (especially for MD/HD), and I think too much of my company to accept a back-up role. Then I found out from one of my prominent body shop customers (They are an Allstate Pro Shop) that Allstate is now requiring them to call their roadside if they need a tow for an Allstate customer's vehicle.This is where it get's interesting, as we are the only company that tows for them, and has access to their facility 24 hours a day. My body shop customer tells Allstate that we tow for them, so I get a call from an Allstate rep asking if we could perform body shops tows (They call them Secondary tows, which usually involve payouts). I told her that if we could come to a fair agreement on rates, of course. They insulted me with an offer of less than half of what I asked for! I hope Allstate reads these forums and understands the difference between the type of tow companies that they hire. Why bother calling an elite tow service provider only to low ball them? Are their any Allsate reps on this forum? Where are they getting industry information from in regards to rates? Do they understand what's required in our industry to provide service? I would really like to see a rep on this board answer some of the questions in this forum, if you are going to be a middleman in our industry, the least you can do is try to resolve provider issues and be a part of the industry. I would like to know whether Allstate will face it's demons and have a discussion, or if it will continue to lurk in the shadows like a thief in the night? This behavior has to stop, and BTW, for all tow providers who run calls for Allstate and/or consider themselves patriotic, how are we supposed to feel about the outsourcing of dispatchers to another country, why as a industry are we putting up with this?

The ball is in your court Allstate....

Will you have a discussion with the guys who get dirty?

WEBOSLH said:

I'm just a small timer, L/D, but it's all about money. If they want an elite company, they will pay for it. When the dollar bill comes between insurance co.'s and clubs, etc. and the towers, it will always be the money. Foreign dispatchers are cheaper than American ones. Also what is the market rate in your area. And how many towers are in your area?
It's all bottom line for the "towing brokers." Customer service, is on the back burner. Money is on the front. You and I may bend our policies to help people truly in serious trouble. They won't. Money first, customer service second, and our reputation and community standing ain't even considered.
Try not to take what happened personally. Carry on by what you feel is right for your biz, even if you are the only one.

DodgeTowGuy134 said:

Yes there is one or two Allstate reps how have username accounts to access tow411, BUT they have NOT commented on ANY of the MANY problems that have been posted in any of the forums here on tow411....

Now, as compared to a few other clubs that have reps on here that actually DO work to resolve problems that are posted on here, so good job to the OTHER club reps that actually do care to work things out with the towers who post problems on here, but Allstate is NOT one of those who works any of the posted problems out. As you already termed it regarding them, They lerk on here watching what people say, but only act like a thief in the shadows of the night!

annettemcd said:

I am not sure how it works in other areas, but if we are directed by the customer to tow it to the body shop, then we do that and get paid directly by the body shop. As long as the body shop is approved by the insurance company, they do not object. If we get a call to do the secondary tow, we just inform them that the vehicle has already been towed to the body shop. Since we are the only tower in our area, we do the entire job including the primary and secondary tows. I do not trust any of the motor clubs to pay for the primary job plus storage in full when they pay for the secondary tow. I can see them questioning the entire bill or trying to have it all done at their rates.

There is a possibility that by asking the customer to directly request the secondary tow, we lose out on some storage because we do the secondary tow on the next day that the body shop is open, but we figure that the lost storage fees are well balanced against the clean deal of being paid in full by the body shop for the entire job.

TowZone said:

I have not had any contacts from Allstate reps in months. I will look and see who still has access to this forum. Without the input of the Motor Club Reps in our forums we have no resolve. Without resolve, controversy begins to rage. At some point it must be controlled, I would like for the Motor Club to make the effort to control it, before I have too.

Barrystowing said:

Ron, really this forum is a valuable tool for companies to see what others say about Allstate, before they go out and contract with them. A forum for a reputable Motor Club needs no interference (or moderating)

TowZone said:

For a Motor Club that was Ranked number 8 last time and I was referred to the Kentucky Rep which is not on Tow411 to resolve an issue another rep felt I had with my contract. Then yes this forum does have to be controlled. With that said as of right now it looks as thought Allstate will move up from 8 to 6 in the ranking. You say how is that when members seem discontent here. There are other clubs that members ranked higher last time, yet they are not participating or ranking them this time. I hope Allstate moves up the list, but I hope it is for the same reason AAA is high on the list rather than a lack of participation by the membership.

Barrys towing said:

Not quite sure what a KY rep and another rep and your contract have to do with this? Am I missing something?

TowZone said:

I do not have a contract with Allstate and I am not even in the private sector that I would have a contract. I am the administrator of Tow411.net and I am working to get the motor club reps involved to some degree rather that reverting back to the days of calling members to complain about what they said in an open forum or within these private forums. That is not how the system works and if the motor clubs desire to use Tow411 then they need to participate on a level that reps such as Dennis Richards has in the past. If we do not see an attempt to communicate within the forum then we all assume there was none. If the contact with not that of resolve and that of scolding then there was no reason for that rep to be here to deal with the issue or pass it on to another who was not privy to the dialog making them clueless even to attempt making a contact. I will call the Ky rep back soon.

morrisandsons said:

Judging by the lack of any reply's here, and the fact that I have not had an e-mail returned or a call back, I will safely assume that Allstate has NO concern for it's providers. It's also painfully obvious that they do not possess the ability to determine how much certain providers have invested in training, equipment, facilities, etc. I am very dissappointed in them. It seems as they are becoming like every other industry that is damaging this country, sacrificing quality to quench the greed for the last penny. I am now including them in the group that I will continue to boycott, companies which I believe are doing the most damage to our economy (WalMart, most major chains,etc.). I hope other providers take notice of this and take a stand for OUR country. Think about the jobs that are overseas with their dispatching, etc. I will say this again, why are we doing business with them? Why are not the so called patriots in our industry taking a stand? What are we afraid of? Why are we not boycotting Allstate and demanding the dispatchers from the U.S.?

Barrystowing said:

In Tow Times they're ad reads " Reinventing Roadside Assistance". Whoa, lets not get carried away here.

Topic Originally Created by nullstowing in September of 2006:

Yesterday we moved four tanks for a customer from a place that they have been renting to their new loctaion. a 70 ton crane was used to lift them out of the pit they were in and set them on the Landoll. The tanks were 12 foot around which made us 15 feet high. We made the 8 mile trip three times in order to move all the tanks. Once we were at the new location we used the 45 ton NRC slider to reach out and pick them off of the trailer and set the tanks on the ground. Once all the tanks were moved the crane was moved to the new location and set the tanks in.

We had to help lay this one on its side.

When we were completed we had a mess to clean up!

letsplay2 said:

What was kept in those tanks???

nullstowing said:

Liquid nitrogen...They have been at this location for app. 30 years. So they had all the sludge in the bottom of them from over the years. When we got going down the road it decided to come out.

letsplay2 said:

Sludge.... Pressure Washer's sure love that.

pg904 said:

how much did those tanks weight?

nullstowing said:

25 ton was the big one, the other steel tank was 15 ton and the stainless tanks were 5 ton each.

Topic Originally Created by an unknown member in September of 2007:

Got called out to respond Key West, Fl to lift and transport a U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter that had to land at Key West Navel base while in route to its normal search and rescue missions out at sea, the craft experienced a bad oil leak from it's transmission when it was forced to land, We responded with my 60 ton rotator and 60 ton detach trailer, the U.S. Coast Guard deployed a team of aviation mechanics and engineers to disassemble the craft for transport they also rig the unit for the lift. We had to travel about 150 miles to get there but only took an hour to complete the job. Our lowboy driver had to spend the night because the government would no issue a special permit to transport the craft at night, Go Figure!

Wade200 said:

Nice job, that's funny you would think they could give you a "pass" considering who it was for.

I would have done the same with them rigging it, either they do it or I wouldn't want the job. Could you imagine dropping one of those and it being your fault?

brostow13 said:

Just curious ,why do you need a special permit ?you don't appear to be too wide or too long,are you too tall ?Other than maybe being too tall that is an anytime of the day load here .Again just curious ,other than that cool job and great pics, thanks .
Mark

John Fenshaw said:

great pics nice job. how long did it take yall to get to the keys? what route did yall take to get there. i know i rode my bike there once before for a mini vacation and it seemed like the speed limit was 35mph. thanks for those pics stay safe.

Brett Holcome said:

Have moved the Broward Sheriffs Office Helicopter several times to Opa Locka Airport
Hookup - 0.00
Mileage-0.00
Total =0.00
Its great practice
Brett

wstowing11 said:

I will cut straight to it . Do you still get nervous lifting such valuable pieces of equipment , or is it just normal everyday nothing to worry about stuff ?

I know for the few helicopters we have lifted , I am truly nervous on the controls because I know in the end I am the one on the wrecker controls and they will look at the operator when something might go wrong, no matter who did what, why , or whatever . I still never feel comfortable with the size shackle they attach to the top of the motor for the lift. It sometimes will fit in your palm.

I commend you guys on the successful lifts with extremely valuable equipment on your hooks !

Brett Holcome said:

every time we move one we always have plenty of experts on scene 4 to 5 chiefs & 1 wrecker operator that stands by till all the chiefs decide whose way is the best::: so we just stand by wait @ 0.00 per hour/3hr min. ha ha

Santiam01 said:

My son & I built one of those, out of legos. His was only 29.95 I would have lifted that one no problem! Seriously, nice work. Are you going to Chucks class a Baltimore on aircraft recovery?

Towjoe19 said:

Nice job and great pics! As an Ex-Coastie I especially appreciated this post. Us boat guys used to call that model helo (HH-65) whistling sh#t cans. "Whistling" because of the distinct noise the enclosed tail rotor makes, and "sh#t can" because they like to fall out of the sky....
Thanks for sharing and be safe out there!

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." - Auguste Rodin

Joey Hardrolls @ Hilario's

Topic Originally Created by Towman3137 in October of 2007:

Loaded this truck for a driver and lifted it to remove tires to get under height.

Capptow said:

Im surprised that they didnt tow and put sign on the back that reads "in tow".
ryan

twc84 said:

nice lift good job

BigWheelRecovery said:

NICE JOB GUYS thanks for the nice rigging shown because you are the one that showed me all i can say is thank you . keep the great pictures coming . thanks Eric

Topic Originally Created in November of 2007:

had to lift off driver he was trap nearly an hour before they could get me to scene. luckly he only ended up with broken leg.

sorry no pics of the actual rescue

ResqTator said:

'Way to go, Stan!

Gerry Sienk said:

Hey, we can understand why no pics of the rescue, I'm sure the driver appreciated you not taking any time to take pictures, but the rest is good. Was he loading that can when it fell over?

towwhat said:

no he wasnt picking up. a concrete pumper was tring to back in a spot to pump and the construction workers said he never slowed down and cut around them when he ran off the side of road.

Topic Originally Created by fairway in August of 2008:

Well, I have had bogus claims in the past and they have all been determined to not be my fault. But after 3 years as a AAA contractor, I finally get to pay out for a claim. I got a call to jump start a 2002 Toyota Rav-4 over the weekend. Well Monday morning I was informed that I cracked her windshield, today the field rep looked at the damage and said it appears that the crack originated from the battery area. So I get to lay out $316.00 for a new windshield, for a jumpstart that I got less than $25 for. Fun, fun, fun.

EdsTowing said:

Is there any chance that you could of done the crack? That seems like a stretch to me....

fairway said:

It wasn't cracked when i left. She did take it to a shop and had a new battery installed, but insisted that is was cracked before she took it for the new battery.

EdsTowing said:

That's a tough call Al. There have been times where I thought that "some battles aren't worth the fight"...This is screwy deal though. The shame of it is...the shop probably said it was like that when it came in.... Was the member there when you were doing the job?

It's a judgement call at best. Good luck with your decision.

Auto Rescue said:

I'm sorry but for the life of me as many things as I could see being blamed on a jump start a windshield is not one of them unless a huge gust of wind came along just as I opened the hood and if the windshield did get cracked by it we'd both have known about it at the time it happened.

Wally868 said:

fairway said:

I did this jumpstart myself. The battery is against the firewall. The windshield was not cracked when I left. The field rep emailed me pics and the windshield is completely cracked from one side to the other in two places. I understand what you are saying Ed about "some battles aren't worth the fight". Anyway, I have two choices, either pay the $316.00 or AAA will submit it to my insurance.

WreckMan0920 said:

i had an auto club try the same thing, said we damaged something, we said otherwise, well about a week later I got a call from my insurance man and he tells me that this auto club tryed to submit a claim back door style, i told my insurance guy what happend he said hell no i dont think so, he refused the claim sent it to our investigation team a month later they said no go and refused to pay, that was 4 months ago,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, maybe let it go to your insurance and see what happens.............. good luck

Mr P1nk said:

How did they determine you cracked the windshield jump starting the car?

fairway said:

The battery is against the firewall with a black plastic cover over the battery. They say I must of pressed a pressure point on the glass and when she moved the vehicle the windshield cracked.

Wally868 said:

TOWME2 said:

You might as well pay for it and get it behind , so AAA does not just suck it up from your weekly pay check . I know how these things work sometimes. GOOD LUCK

Ken Nichols said:

Not doing 3a myself. Does their contract give them sole discretion in these maters or can an independent third part make this call? Why did you get blamed if another shop also worked in this same area on the car?

EdsTowing said:

Al, Was this a NE Penn call? I don't want to stick my nose in your business but I would be happy to give them some "input" on the matter. I have a pretty good relationship with them and seem to be able to get things done. It's bogus in my eyes....If the glass was that fragile, she should thank you for showing a flaw in their vehicle.

Let me know.

fairway said:

I really appreciate it Ed, but it is Central Penn. (I'm in Lancaster County). I believe NE Penn is a separate club. I'll email you the pics if you'd like to see them. Thanks. Al

Concord Towing said:

Sounds bogus to me.I say fight it or the next time a 3A member complains on you they will say it was your fault.Stand up against them make them PROVE to you how it could happen.Your ins co adjuster will probably say no pay today.

OCTOWMAN said:

I personally installed a battery in a 03 rav4 today. i looked it over good because of your post. there is no way to break the windshield by jumpstarting the vehicle. does the crack start near one of the clips that hold the plastic cowl on? if it does the crack came from someone trying to remove the clips the wrong way by prying them out. you have to turn the center 90 degrees and then lift the center halfway out, the outside of the clip stays in the panel. it is attached. if the new clips dont match the old ones, I would lay money on it.

Tim
the opinions expressed here are mine. I own the company so they apply to the company also.

fairway said:

It was already missing some clips before I touched it. I used a screwdriver to turn the center of the clips and then I removed the cover by hand. The pics that were emailed to me by AAA show the crack starting at the center of one of the top clips, but that clip is missing now, not sure if it was there when I jumped it or not. It is not the first Rav-4 that I have ever jumped, so I knew how those clips worked, I didn't force anything with this at all.

Topic Originally Created by ROLAND in October of 2008:

make u-turns on the interstates? If you are on AAA call and see the car in the south bound lane and your headed north would you make the u-turn to save the auto club the extra miles or would you go to the next exit? Or would you make the turn and still charge the extra mileage? This would also apply after you pick up the car. I would think making a u-turn is a extra liability and be your choice and not the auto club's............Roland

 

towgodness said:

The fine for crossing the center divide here is very painful. The only time we even consider crossing is if we are responding to an accident and CHP permits it.
Most of the freeways have k-rails or barriers of some sort anyway.
To cross for AAA would never be likely to happen, they don't papy enough for us to take extra risks.

 

Auto Rescue said:

I hate to burst your bubble but 3A will not pay you for the extra miles to the next exit and back and I don't care what state your in you better be darn careful if you elect to make a U turn on the interstate for any reason because the consequences are going to fall on your shoulders and that of your company if something goes wrong regardless of how good a reason you think you have to do it.

 

EdsTowing said:

We can use crossovers when needed. I do get paid to the exit, or in other words whatever in route & loaded miles that I see fit. They have never deducted mileage from us before.

 

unknown member said:

Same goes for us we get paid to the next exit loaded and unloaded..
I will never tell my drivers to use them but as everyone here knows you cant control what there doing out there,
just hope they listen to everything you say...

 

ROLAND said:

It was only a question. We are allowed to cross over as well. In my 33 years I have done so many times. I will say that we don't have any where as much traffic as some states do. I was only asking to see if anyone was risking there life for the auto clubs............Roland

 

cjeswald said:

we make u-turns when needed, but if traffic is too heavy it is advised to go to next exit, also depends on what you are trying to u-turn in and if you are loaded

 

 

Auto Rescue said:

So maybe then my bubbles is burst if some of you are getting reimbursed for it, I'll never say my closet interstate is almost 200 miles away, but I still don't think it's prudent to do U turns on the interstate which is not to say I would not entertain the thought if the situation presented itself but then I also stick by my theory that the consequences fall on you and your company if something goes wrong so it really better be worthwhile if you do.

 

Gigarange said:

would never for a motorclub call empty, nevermind loaded. Just simply for the saftey factor.

If the location description is for example NB Hwy 1 North of Exit 110 and the customer ends up being SB Hwy 1 North of Exit 110 then we get paid enroute milage even if we're still within our service area to get to where the customer actually is.

Even if we didn't, I still wouldn't.

I have gone thru a cross over on the highway once or twice, it was for a situation along the lines of, I was leaving the NB lanes which were at a standstill (not going to have someone comming up behind me as I slow down) to enter the SB lanes at PD approval who had the SB lanes stopped to allow quicker responce to an accident in the NB lanes.

Would never happen for a simple breakdown or without PD doing traffic control in the area.

 

AIKTOW4U said:

I even have permission from state police for the use of the turn around so long as I use my lightbar to notify oncoming traffic. I think even with permission or authorization, it is safer to go to the next exit. I try that approach unless traffic is messed up due to the rubber-neckers or such, in that case I u-turn and watch my a$$ doing so. Sometimes I have been directed to cut accross the median even.

 

DMHANDSONWRECKER said:

we have a span on our turnpike that has a 30 mile span no exits, so yes we have to use the cross overs,mc wont pay 60 miles round for a 5 mile call.

 

Jerel said:

we use them around are area if traffic permits us....if traffic is very heavy then I try not to use them. depending on the call. If it is for a P.D. call then i will but not very often for M.C. calls unless it is evening time when traffic is very light..

Topic was Originally Created by Newberrys in May of 2008:

I was called to go 12 mi to tow a car 7mi then drive 8 more home at my rate it paid 45.90 I told the dispatcher I couldnt do it she said (but you never turn calls down) I said i know but what do i do she said im not supposed to say anything but we are haveing a hard time gettin calls covered everywhere. I said well maybe that should tell corporate something. She asked who the next closest provider was I told her. I later called him and he did the job! drove a total of 68 mi for 78$ WOW do the math on that. No wonder we cant make a stand.

AIKTOW4U said:

maybe that provider was using his motorcycle to tow the members auto and could therefore show a profit. I gotta get me one of them cycles that can tow a truck and recover autos in the ditch.

EdsTowing said:

fairway said:

I don't know Ed. I had lunch with my field rep today and he told me that the club has already exceeded it's budget for the year. So no more money for us. He did pay for lunch though...

unknown member said:

My reps favorite line is " its not in our budget to pay you anymore, we are already over budget by blah millions." I looked him dead in the eyes and said " and do you think its in my budget to pay 5 dollars a gallon while being paid an rate equivalent to that of 2.74 a gallon". funny thing hes never had an answer to tell me.

NEWBERRYS said:

Our field rep for AAA in eastern IA is probably the nicest most down to earth rep of all time. Yes I have tried to negotiate with him but the problem is that it seems that we already make more than some other providers that i have talked to , let me tell ya he is sure to bring that up when asking for rate increase, and always finds a very nice way to say no!!! However he has always been on my side when a question arises about getting what i got coming. For my company I regret to say that MCs are a large part of my light duty towing income, and that concernes me BIGTIME. I just dont have the b@l(s to tell them to fly a kite for good 'cause I feel I need there income even if it leaves a lot to be desired. I am just waaay more selective than ever before!

TOwBoY88 said:

The REP said "You are already one of the highest paid in the area..."

People still fall for that line..?

Topic Originally Created by AIKTOW4U in July of 2008:

looking to gather some info on AAA plus RV. Does AAA pay for the time it takes to remove shafts or axles? Is it profitable to sign up with aaa for this service? We have alot of camping areas and AAA currently has to pay retail to a non-contracted tower (which I think is great) and he is looking to get out of it. I aquired a truck able to provide the service but dont know how AAA looks at this kind of work. Hoping to make it work for me and want to approach the negotiations well informed, thus any input offered would be a great help! C-YA in the Ditch!

Auto Rescue said:

They are already paying private rates why should you get paid less if no one else is doing it and your going to buy equipment to provide them with service?

AIKTOW4U said:

That's why I want to know what I should be getting for this service. If AAA will pay retail now, what are the wages I should get for this service? not exact as discussing rates is not allowed, just in general a ball-park figure so I dont short myself.

EdsTowing said:

Not saying this is for you but it works ok for us with some exceptions. We give them our MD wrecker for their rate but any Class A that requires a HD are billed hourly at our standard rate. We get prior approval on those jobs and they always authorize it.
Did one on Sunday night, a Suburban pulling a camper trailer. Split it down and towed them around 40 miles (rollback for truck, wrecker for trailer). Total was around $420 for the job.

Their HD rate in our area is $85 hook and 3.50 loaded for all / 2.00 in route with 7 free. Up to 30' is a MD rate which is the same but a $55 hook. We get additional for shafts and any added hook up time. I can run my F650 for this but I explained that my 35ton would sit before I could do it for this rate. It typically works out to around 50% of my normal rate. Many guys turn them down but as long as we are all in line with the money I'll take it to the far corners of the country....

annettemcd said:

 

AIKTOW4U said:

The business looking to exit is running a large heavy and the unit is better put to use otherwise. His driver is very good and still running but also looking to retire. His truck is for sale or so I am told but not really advertised as such. I am not looking to cut his throat, just see an opportunity and trying to cash in on it.

 

Towinghondas said:

I would never do the Rvs at thier pathetic rates if you can get you rates. I think we get $45 to hook and ? a mile. I tell my boss no thanks I dont want to touch them!! Private rates on a case by case basis. We really don't have all the goodies to do motorhomes.

 

annettemcd said:

If you get into RV towing, look into the Good Sam which is presently handled by Road America. (But with this musical chair thing going on with which motor club handles whom, you never know who might handle them next year.) Also Coach-Net, All-State, etc. I do not know if our experience is typical, but it seems like the AAA Plus-RV members have small RV while the bigger RVs have Good Sam, Coach-Net, or one of the others.

Good Sam tries to treat its members well. Even with CCMC handling them, we often were asked to do (and get paid for) extra stuff. Also there are service calls with RVs which are totally different from other vehicles: fixing slide-outs and awning which will not retract, changing tires which the owners can not handle, electrical problems related to their multiple batteries, etc.

Also towing RVs is different from other vehicles. They often extend far past the rear axle and what is on the underside back there is vulnerable to damage: septic lines, water lines, etc. Therefore the angle at which they can be towed is limited.

You still need to determine if there is enough business to justify the expense of the equipment to do it. At least in Alaska, there are fewer and fewer RVs on the road these days.

 

AIKTOW4U said:

thanks for the help and info.

 

mooresbp said:

We get paid hourly by AAA for RV calls port to port, I just wish we could get some more calls for them.

 

WheelLiftWarrior said:

I get paid well for our rv calls at a pretty good hookup rate also which isnt to shabby for the extra money on the ones that dont stress you out to much....plus im the only one that usually does them from west palm beach up to port st lucie sometimes when other companies dont want to touch them......give me my enroute plus my MD payment with my hookup driveshaft time increments and im good to go you just have to know what your doing when it comes to motorclubs to make that money

 

ExpressTowAaron said;
Most of what we do now is RV towing and mobile repair. AAA is very fair with us and it is a standardized rate throughout our area. so much for hook (which is a little better than one hour of retail heavy duty rate) pay for pulling and reinstalling shaft/axles and set $ per mileage with no free miles. I've never had a complaint with AAA's RV rates they have always been very fair and very good to me. Very easy to work with for wait time etc...

 

schu said:

I used to work for a backup station .... we would do medium duty for AAA and it was at least what our comercial accounts paid , most of the time it was cash rates . never had a problem getting paid

 

 

Accurate Towing from 2009:

unknown member:

THIS IS HOW FAR NEW JERSEY GOES WITH THEIR INVESTIGATIONS, THIS ONE IS SHRINK WRAPPED TO PERSURVE THE EVIDENCE INSIDE THE VEHICLE.... BELIEVE ME I HATE PICKING UP VEHICLES THIS WAY, I WOULD RATHER BE FIRMLY ATTACHED TO SOMETHING BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T DAMAGE ANYTHING.

Before it was repainted:

Topic Originally Created in July of 2006 by AWOOD:

Got this call from a contractor and said that he had a 140,000 lb. crane that was stuck in a driveway. Upon arrival we found this unit, luckily it was just surface stuck and not mired. The crane was able to help and it was a successful recovery. It was on a slight grade up-hill with a very slick mud surface.

danielswt said:

i think you were definitely rigged for a pull great work

Scooby said:

looks like fun

GAYLOCK1 said:

good rigging ,excellent job!!!!!Paul

ibuytoys said:

Nice rigging!! Did you charge them by the Price Per Pound method $$$$$$$$$Hawaii's only NRC 9240SR Sliding Rotator with five winches
Nationally Certified Crane Operator- NCCCO #050820973
"The Impossible Just Takes A Little Longer!"

BLKWILL said:

Allen,
Nice Rigging job. Two 3 part lines Sure insured safe W.L.L of your line. What were you hooked to his block tie offs or chokes, I can't see it in the pic?
You got it done and We hope you got paid for your labor.Will Cain
Chesapeake Service
410-287-2666

hdtowman26 said:

Very nice job! Thanx for pics.

The Tow God said:

Thats like a 200 ton Grove, it should have all wheel steer and 8 wheel drive. Put that sucker in turtle gear and it should walk itself out. The Liebherr's have hooks on the frame below the bumper to hook to, makes it real nice. In California, they have to put the boom in a dolly to make weight. Looks like a fun job. It probably weigh more like 150,000. The 200 ton Liebherr I ran weighed that much without the dolly. Nice machines, but dont move the boom without the outriggers lol

Mr Waialae Chevron said:

There's a ton of muscle out there....like 150,000 worth!

ForgivenOne  said:

Okay, I'm going to have to join the crowd and say "Good job." You showed me something new or a different way of doing something. Cool, keep these kinds of pics coming and next time show us your hook ups and how you connected the vehicle. I had to zoom the picture and couldn't tell. But I like what you did here, thanks

DW Carter  said:

Nice work Allen. It's nice seeing a job done when the operator cares enough to take care of his equipment. Far better to over rig, than under rig. What's it going to hurt? Take a little longer?DW Carter WM92343