SAY NO TO AGERO

[Mike Penn]

We have been unsuccessfully trying to get some issues resolved with Agero/Swoop. As an industry, do we need to say NO TO AGERO/SWOOP for a week to bring attention to our problems? 4th of July week would be a good time. What are your thoughts? 

 

HappyHaulin....................DragNTow

 

[RICHARD PRATTS]

need to stick together or they will take advantage all the time 

[Trucker Jeff]

We don't see a high volume from them but when we do its after hours of a delay for the customer.  However they pay our rate as the calls are sometimes 30 miles away getting towed local there but they do pay port to port . Not sure what the issue is ? 

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Although I think a club wide boycott would get their attention, You must keep one thing in mind, There is always gonna be a scab or fly-by-night clown out there who will do the work for them regardless because they think they are setting the world on fire running club calls. 

For over 5 years I was Agero's only provider in my area, Never had a damage claim or complaint. When another guy came into town and offered to work $5 a call cheaper than me, I was kicked to the curb like yesterdays trash. My point is, There is No loyalty. They dont care about you, your business or how well you provided service. If you dont want to do what they say, they will find someone who will. 

Quitting working for any motor clubs via Contract was the BEST business decision I ever made. 

[jp245]

I am not a fan of motor clubs either, but I do some work for Agero and other clubs through dealer preferred programs where the rates are MUCH higher and can be renegotiated. But I agree with what you are saying. I get approached constantly by other clubs whose rates are lower than what I was getting in the eighties when I started. My question is after the boycott what then? What happens on Monday? Like Grumps says there is always going to be someone, it's their business model and always has been. Look at how the salvage auctions picked up on it and turned themselves into motor clubs, those haulers earn nothing, they fold after 6 months, but someone always thinks they have it figured out.

 

[ESC]

23 hours ago, Mike Penn said:

We have been unsuccessfully trying to get some issues resolved with Agero/Swoop. As an industry, do we need to say NO TO AGERO/SWOOP for a week to bring attention to our problems? 4th of July week would be a good time. What are your thoughts? 

 

HappyHaulin....................DragNTow

 

Why just a weeklong???   haha  I blocked Agero and most other clubs from my cell, so when calls are forwarded to me, my phone doesnt even ring and bother me.    When I do take a club call, its a $375.00 min, credit card up front with a $375 GOA rate.   Eliminates alot of hassles.

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Now that you mention that...

The salvage haulers are a HUGE mystery to me JP25... They are literally getting pennies on the dollar for their efforts yet, It seems like there is a never ending list of companies looking to jump on that wagon...

They have guys travelling between 40 and 60 miles to my area to pick up wrecks, then haul them 70+ miles in the OPPOSITE direction to dump them so they average well over 100+ miles a day dead head just to get back home.. And they are paying them $225 A VEHICLE!!!!! It blows my mind

Does anyone really sit down and run their numbers before they commit to something like that anymore??

[Stubborn66]

Boycott sounds good but like Grumps and others have said, there will always be someone to take the calls and lets face it, we all have mouths to feed and this is our chosen profession.  I would like to know who the "we" is in the original post, was it that persons company or an organization?  I think this is where our state or national towing associations need to get involved.  I looked into getting into the PA state association but I could not see the benefit of paying the dues for what they had to offer.  Does the towing industry even have such a lobbying group? 

 

I know we don't talk about rates on this site but as companies we have two things to offer our customers, Price and Service, not much else.  That goes for the towing and the repair service for those of us who offer that as well.  We need to compete on both of those aspects to stay in business.    As far a loyalty, even with retail customers loyalty is tenuous at best, everyone is looking for the best service at the cheapest price.  

 

Rather than stop working altogether, if the contracted providers simply cancel their contracts with Agero, that would send a message as well.  Agero is a bully where they have multiple contractors to cover an area.  If you are in an area like that, it may be time to work with your local competitors to prove the point to Agero, and others.  But, that will take us working together within our local areas.

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2021 by Stubborn66
hit the send button by mistake

[Stubborn66]

I have a friend who has been in the carpentry business for years, passed down to him.  He built houses, major renovations, minor remodels, you name it.  He recently closed up for good and took a job.  His biggest challenge in the last 10 years or so was the Amish population working for pennies on the dollar or the companies who used illegal's to do the work, he could no longer compete. 

 

Wait till the Amish start to drive tow trucks!!

[mooresbp]

They are credit card only now at my rates!!

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Stubborn brings a good point up with the associations. I was a member of my states for years Until I too realized I was paying dues for basically nothing. 

It becomes a slippery slope. We all as business owners want the freedoms to run our businesses as we choose. More regulation or standardizations from associations or even government can and may earn you that better rate from those clubs But, what else will come with it?? More Mandated services?? Increased Insurance Requirements?? The list can go on n on... 

[GRUMPS The Towman]

14 minutes ago, Stubborn66 said:

I have a friend who has been in the carpentry business for years, passed down to him.  He built houses, major renovations, minor remodels, you name it.  He recently closed up for good and took a job.  His biggest challenge in the last 10 years or so was the Amish population working for pennies on the dollar or the companies who used illegal's to do the work, he could no longer compete. 

 

Wait till the Amish start to drive tow trucks!!

I get what your saying Stubborn And it is already happening in this industry as well. Seems like it is almost daily I see some different wore out roll back or wrecker in town with some weird name scribbled on the side in spray paint or marker. They are around for a few weeks, Then they seem to fade off. You gotta just keep at it, Provide quality services at reasonable PROFIT making rates. ( I know, can be Easier said then done )

 

When I finally quit doing contract work for Agero ( they were my last club I had left ) I was scared shitless. Even though I had gone through the numbers over and over again and I knew I was gonna be ok, it just felt like I was slitting my own throat. 

[Stubborn66]

I do Agero on CC up front full retail rates. 

 

I looked at contracting with them at the point where they were raising the minimum on hook to 150K and told me that it was because they have a contract to haul exotic cars.  I asked them if it payed more and they said "slightly" and would not commit to a price. I walked away at that point, I don't really care what I am moving as long as it makes me money and they tried to sell me on moving fancy cars.  The funny thing is they still call once or twice a week, sometimes I get it some times I don't.  I figure that means I am pricing it right.

[Moose]

KICKED AGERO TO THE CURB, not the least bit interested in more of their lies.

[EKYtow55]

We have slowed way down with them everything has got real bad in the last year been a service provider for over 11 years and have done pretty good, they cut our pay Feb. 15 2021 amended our contract and I never signed now when they call we always get a out of area fee trouble being now with the Swoop deal is they create the invoice and if it's edited by them it won't be paid for at least 30 days and have change the GOA'S TO $ 15.00 !!!!!

[thtdon]

Last December I got suspended by Agero because they raised the insurance limits and they didn't tell me until I already renewed the insurance and I already paid the down payment.  I had to come up with more money down before the insurance company would implement the raised coverage.  And that took some time, especially considering the fact that I wasn't even working for them anymore.  I got a raise from them, the first raise since 1997.  The raise helped a little.  But I told them that I needed a little more volume to make this fly.  I'm doing the same number of calls as before.  I believe that the insurance policy renews at the beginning of December.  If they haven't made some adjustments to fix this, I will not renew the higher insurance limits.  I will put it back where it was.  And I will drop them.  I am in a city, and because of the territory I am in, I pay a lot higher rate than if I was out in the sticks.  As far as towing exotic cars, I refuse to tow them because they won't pay more.  I have been through all of this before.  To them, a car is a car is a car.  Until you damage one.  A few years back, they tried to get me to tow a Ford GT.  That car is worth more than my house.  They wanted to pay me the same rate, as if I was towing a Ford Focus.  PASS.