Re: One Fee or Two?

[rreschran]

Just for fun ... consider the following incident. Below is a new link of an incident where a van hits a tree in-front of a Michigan residence and literally is cut in two pieces. You arrive in a carrier and are skilled enough to load both pieces. Both pieces need to be strategically positioned on the carrier and tied down. Obvioulsy, the process is lengthy. Keeping in-mind that technically there's only one vehicle, one license plate and one VIN, how would you price this work to include cleanup and total time on scene?       R.

 

Link:  https://www.buzzfeedzz.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/crash-scene-lafayette-ave-gr/ZZ17xHnv

 

 

[dperone]

It would get billed as one vehicle, but our recovery rate is billed hourly. If it takes 4 hours to get it loaded they get billed 4 hours. Also, if I had to bring a truck to load the other piece or help load both pieces on the one truck, that second truck gets bigger the same hourly rate as the first for as long as it's active in the recovery. Along the same lines, if it was loaded on 2 different trucks there would be 2 separate tow fees.

Clean up gets billed hourly as well, plus materials involved, ie. floor dry, trash bags, barrels etc. Again, if I have to bring in extra helpers they get billed hourly, plus if I need a truck to haul away debris. 

Storage and admin fees would be charged once, as it's still one vehicle. Obviously the bill would be accompanied by many pictures and a detailed narrative as to the services needed and delivered.

 

[fenderbendr6]

No different than any other recovery. Billed at hourly rate for any necessary equipment.

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Same here. The recovery, load and cleanup would be billed hourly. If a second truck is needed for assistance, then That piece of equipment ( if actually used for the recovery )and manpower is added as well. Around here, there were guys who would have 3 trucks show up at a scene, and although they would only maybe use the manpower from those additional trucks, they would charge for their use. Some were charging as much as $450 per truck on scene plus labor rates even though the truck just sat there with its lights on. Naturally, vehicle owners and insurance companies threw a fit when they caught on and Now, The laws in our contract with the county changed to where we can charge a response fee ( basically a show-up fee ) for the additional truck if it is not used in the recovery or tow and charge hourly for the manpower/labor.  

[mooresbp]

I did one a few years ago that was in two pieces and took a lot longer but it is always by the hour, so just one bill.