Why some tow truck drivers want a tougher Move Over Law

[TowForce]

 

[The Shadow]

Every one of the guys in my company has at least a few close-call stories. One, has had to jump onto his flatbed, under, was almost hit several times. Another was very close to being run over.
I've had to duck under my truck before because cars just would not clue in that they need to give me space to work. I have no choice but to stand in that lane.

We all know just how dangerous it is out there. We absolutely need better protections.

[EdsTowing]

So I have some different thoughts about the "Move Over" laws in this country....

 

The risks are real...

The dangers are real...

The statistics are real...

The mind set that your government is going to "Fix" these problems is not...

 

We as an industry have to solve this problem or at least tackle it within our own companies. Waiting for government agencies to make stiffer fines to people not obeying the law is a monetary gain for them but I believe a minimal effect on our true problem. Face it, most of the incidents where an operator gets hit involve other extenuating factors where the vehicle operator is already breaking the law. DUI's, cell phones and other circumstances that create distracted driving habits are already against the law. Who benefits when you or your operator gets hit on the highway and the police give them a bigger fine for the MOL? No the key is to prevent the incident from happening all together which we all know isn't possible but that's the goal we need to strive for.

 

One of the ways to prevent incidents is to use a blocker truck, sign truck or Traffic Management Attenuators. Now there are a lot of possibilities, obviously some much more elaborate & expensive then others, but each make a huge impact on safety. 

 

 

We send ours out whenever we are on the interstate in a dangerous area or inclement weather...and it works.

 

 

Now I have had guys say "what, are you going to send it out ever time your rollback is on the highway?" And I say "You mean like Penn DOT, the companies fixing the bridges, the guys replacing damaged guard rails ect...." Every other sub-contractor you see working on the highway handles their own site security. Now I can appreciate that there are a lot of small operations out there that don't have the manpower or equipment to accomplish this so then you have to outfit your truck as best as possible to accomplish the same or similar results. Many guys complain about being able to get paid for the added safety. We have found that most companies will cover the cost of this when it is described & categorized correctly. One of the 4 main OSHA concerns is "Struck By" in your work zone. Can you get paid a buck & a half to send a additional truck out to assist when you are only getting $50 or 75 for the tow? Probably not...so maybe re-evaluate your exposure and business plan to address the root problem there. 

 

The bottom line is that I believe that the safety of you and your operators falls on the business owner first & foremost. Don't wait for the government to solve all of your problems.

 

Of course these are just my opinions...I could be wrong.