Quantifying Industry Impacts from Predatory Towing

[ERSCA]

 

For Immediate Release: 12/22/2022

Contact: staff@ersca.org

 

Washington, D.C. – In November of 2022, the American Transportation Research Institute began circulating a survey, quantifying industry impacts from predatory towing. The survey seeks motor carrier and driver input on the frequency, types, and scope of predatory towing.

 

ERSCA President, Sam Johnson released the following statement in response to the American Transportation Research Institute’s survey:

 

“This survey, which was designed to gauge the opinion of the trucking industry on predatory towing, was heavily biased and did not accurately reflect the views of the larger industry. The questions were leading and targeted, which will undoubtedly result in skewed and unreliable results.

 

Furthermore, the survey does not adequately represent the views of the trucking industry and did not take into account the responses of drivers and operators from a sample including a variety of industry segments. This is a serious issue as it means that the survey results do not accurately reflect the experiences and opinions of a significant portion of the industry.

 

We urge American Transportation Research Institute to reconsider their survey methods and to make sure that all future surveys are fair, unbiased, and representative of the diverse perspectives of our industry. We also call on the media and industry members to carefully consider the validity and reliability of surveys before reporting on their results.”

 

Below are some examples of the survey questions.

 

Please rank which predatory towing practices have had the most impact on you, with 1 indicating the most frequent. Please select "Not Applicable" to the right of any predatory towing practices that you have not encountered.

 

What was the cost of your most expensive towing bill that you consider predatory?

 

At what dollar amount would you consider a tow company’s hourly rate excessive for a heavy-duty wrecker / rotator for a Class 8 truck? Anything greater than $_______ per hour.

 

If you would like to view the ATRI survey, click on the link here: https://www.research.net/r/ATRI-Pred-Towing-Survey