Fort Worth Towing Companies Threaten to Stop Work for Police (TX)

[TowNews]

Tow truck operators in Fort Worth are threatening to stop answering calls from police if the city moves forward with a plan to hire a California company to speed up response times.

The way it works now, Fort Worth police call tow trucks to accident scenes and other incidents on a rotation basis.

About 20 companies are on the list, and the next one up responds.

But now, city managers want to hire a California company called "Auto Return" to speed things up, using an Uber-like GPS app to dispatch the closest truck.

"(It would) use new technology, to kind of bring our towing services up to 21st century,” said assistant city manager Jay Chapa. “The old ordinance required everything to be done by phone and fax and there were a lot of efficiency's lost."

Auto Return bid on the new city contract and won, Chapa said.

But the local tow truck companies are worried the California company will set their rates, effectively run their businesses remotely, and make big profits at the city's expense.

 

[goodmichael]

That is a hoot. A government agency pontificating about "efficiency"

 

I hope they do show the city if Fort Worth how the cow eats the cabbage so to speak. After a few days, Fort Worth will be brought to it's transportation knees.

[Commissar0617]

it's just like using urgent.ly ... which lately, has been pretty garbage in my area. if anything, convert to electronic dispatching. there's a reason tow companies ahve dispatchers, it's because they have more than one source of buisness, and their dispatchers can coordinate their trucks, and know to sent the right ones with the right equipment.

[goodmichael]

I have long held onto the belief that if you want to raise the price of something and really screw it up, get the city, county, or state government involved.