A side order of hamburgers & hot dogs. (2006)

[BigWheelArchives]

8-11-06

Received a call from Mass State Police to respond to the ramp from Rte. 24S to 140S for a loaded box truck that rolled over and was damaged. They also stated that the truck was leaking fuel. We responded with two 60 ton rotators, one 35 ton wrecker, our hazmat rapid response trailer equipped with speedy dry and HD fuel transfer pump and four 60 gallon hazardous waste steel drums, and our 2005 Volvo HD Front-End Loader with quick disconnect attachments used in different phases of the recovery and as well as off loading when required. Upon our arrival, we discovered that it was a new Freightliner 24' refer truck. In our initial assessment we discovered that the refer box wall was cut in 1/2 on its entire length. We also discovered that the box was loaded with double stacked pallets of boxes of frozen hamburgers, hot dogs, and sausages. We also observed that the load had broke the roof away from the side wall that was down. Food and drug stated that if we opened the box doors then the entire load would be put in the dumpster. We figured alot of cows and pigs would have died for nothing. Our plan was to air bag the truck in an attempt to save the expensive load of meat products. We set up our air bags knowing it would be a tedious job on this particular truck where the box was sliced and there was a lot of weight resting on the damaged wall and the roof was seperated. Little by little propping up the wall as the lift proceeded. We also cross strapped the refer box during the lift using the two rotators. The cross strapping helped support the load during the recovery. After the refer was set back on its wheels, we transported the truck to our Freetown shop for further health dept. inspection of the contents.

 

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Genotowpro said:

Good job!! Hope your guys get to have a cook out and enjoy some of those burgers.

 

Blkwill said:

Save of the week. Nice Job

Will Cain -Chesapeake Service - 410-287-2666

 

Towman26:

Nice job. good thing that didnt happen here. That loader would have been used to push it off the road. the air bags aren't

used here anymore. but its still good to see that your still able to do a great air bag job & have a water cooler too.

Warren Driscoll --- 877-KW TOWS U

 

Unknown Member Asked:

KW you cant use air bags in Florida? Whats up with that?

 

Towman26 said:

not on the Turnpike & soon not on I95 they have a OPEN ROADS POLICY that they want the roads open in 90 minutes. Which is if you had to use air bags you wouldn't have time to set them up, & wreckers then roll it & clear the road. they would take the loader & push it off the road without caring if it broke or not, or just use 3 or 4 rotators & heavys.

 

It is on the Turnpike right now & if the company that is called which is NOT on a rotation list clears the road in 90 min. they get a bonus from the TP Athority.

 

The list of equipment you have to have to be on the open roads is huge. If you bought everything NEW your into about 1.3 mill. I am sure i am a little bias cause the way its going the copmanies that are on rotation are not going to be able to do rollovers on the highway & the 4 in 1 company that was formed here will be getting it all. You don't even have the Owners Request option if the unit is any part over the white line. If it is off the road that's ok But you cannot shut any part of the road down.

 

Since the TP went to this system we have only lost 4 calls & were able to do 8, of those 4 were over the line but we got there before the other company & were able to get it off the white line and/or roll it. But this is the way things are going here & coming soon to a state near you. So while you can do your great recovery's, get pics, cause soon you won't be doing them Unless you have alot of $$ to by alot of useless equipment. BEWARE.

Warren Driscoll --- 877-KW TOWS U

 

Unknown Member said:

I was talking with a guy at the show from I believe "Mross Towing" I believe it was. He was saying about this policy and that he teamed up with a couple of other companys to cover a wide area. I guess when you start buying multiple rotators and 988 Cat loaders it can get exspensive. In our area it seems to be the complete opposite. Guys can have a problem charging addiquitly for rotators by the hour so alot of them bring extra equipment to get the bill where they want it. I explained to the State Police that if you had a loaded container blocking the road and would bring three heavys to do it for lets say $6,000 in two hours, it is worth the same money to do it with a Rotator in a hour and open the road sooner. This is an issue I'm trying to resolve befor I spend $450K!!

 

wstowing11 said:

so would we say wasted effort because the roof is now open, any difference? Not knocking the recovery effort, but it was a major effort alot of work went into this one for the assumption you will bill the customer for the effort , but in the end their load is going to the dumpsters, when it could have been offloaded initially, put into dumpsters, then uprighted with one truck . With an obovious cost difference. I am all for getting what we deserve, but the customer doesn't see it our way, especially when they lose their product after a tower starts a recovery .Only assuming the food and drug stuck to their statement , after the apparent breach of the cargo box.

Second thing is , could you have relocated this unit into the grass area, worked the recovery there and kept that ramp lane open ? We have been asked to do this before down our way, and it usually works out and keeps the motoring public happy.

I would have to disagree with the opinion that on an average air cushion recovery it would take more then 90 minutes to set them up and recover the unit to its wheels, and remove it from the highway . If you start getting timed when you arrive on scene, that gives you ample time to accomplish an air cushion recovery , as long as there is no problems, but in most cases that can be determined during the walk around.

I have had them go longer I will not say I haven't . But in these cases we were bagging up some serious wrecks.

 

BigWheelRecovery  said:

that truck was on its wheels in 40 min you cant beat the bags if you dont know how to use them sh a me on the tow guys dont practace in public with out doing it in private we practice all the time any time you want to time unloading buy hand and then baggen it want to be there you have to really have to train your men to use the bags we saved the load it was worth 40;000 so the recovery is free you still have to clean it up if you would have dragged this truck it would have came a part the job was done very fast and safe ///

 

Timstruckservice said:

That's a Nice looking recovery & Great use of the equipment taken to the scene ( Including the water cooler ) LOL !!
From the Pictures, it looked like it needed the mudflap's between the cushion's & the Box. Great Job Guy's !
 

Ed Barker said:

I personally don't agree with that quick clear like in Florida,,,or at least don't agree with what I know about it,I think the high rollers are trying to put the boot to the smaller companies,,,,which if all companies have the proper equipment I believe they are all entitled to a piece of the pie,,,,I don't agree with companies not having enough equipment ,to get the big jobs,but if you have enough equipment and the proper knowledge then all should be square,,,as far as spending 1.3 million on equipment ,that seems fair enough to me,now days it doesn't take much to get there,,but you know as well as I do that a lot of areas will not be able to support these policicies,,but all jobs should be charged accordingly to compinsate for these policies,,It all comes back to the big guy picking on the little guy,,,,just my opinion,,,,,,,I'm sorry Big Wheel I kind of got side tracked but I think you handled it well and those are some nice trucks.

 

Mike Scheidt said:

The Florida open roads policy is not a state policy it is a national policy signed by press bush and is a direct impact of 9-11 from homeland security. it is not intended to remove the small guy from the business, but to clear these wrecks up faster.

 

If you have to go out and buy all the equipment yes it would cost you about 1.5 mil but if you already are in the HD recovery side not the HDtowing and there is a difference then your investment is very small and yes it requires a rotator and a second truck 50ton or better now i know all of you myself included will say it does'nt need a rotator but with out a doubt a rotator is a time saver and that is what we are talking about. if you take a rollover and you save ten min then you average it out over a year by say 25 wrecks that's 250 man hours overtime ect not paid it does add up plus traffic secondary crashes. if anyone would like to really know how it works you can call me.

mike scheidt
561 248 4035

 

BigWheelRecovery  said:

dont get mad at the people wow spent millions on equiment we started with nothing just like everyone else we worked 24/7 /365 but we knew it was coming you have to clear the roads fast and safe buy pushing tt units with a loaders is not the answer we can upright them very fast and safe we would help any tow company around here but as long as they call us before they destroy the truck and make a huge mess

 

visit our new website bigwheeltowingandrecovery.com

 

Scott to answer your question my crew knows not to hang out we work full speed but careful on every job,besides no job stresses me out but let some one goof off , well it ain t pretty even worst let some one light up a smoke the words just run all together.if you know what I mean.just a pet peeve. Or let me see a ramp going or comming from a call with his overhead light show going, not good. thanks BOB

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PhxPksDave said:

So...Who does the Qualifying? State Patrol? Hwy Commision? And what happens when that Landoll that is part of your required Equiptment is loaded with 30 Minute eta to being clear? And 30 Miles away??

I`ve always found it amazing when Govt comes with new Procedures/Rules before asking the one`s who do the work for Comments.

 

BigWheelRecovery  said:

Dave I cant tell you what other areas do but for perishable foods, Food an drug is called in at least in Mass. Then its there call but I can tell you every time you open the trailer or box doors on a roll over the load goes to the dump. Could be worth 10,000 or 300,000 they dont care.We bag them all keeping the doors close saveing the product. When the insurance company starts crying about the recovery bill we show them the real numbers and that the recovery was acually free,and that they acutally made money doing the job our way.O by the way they still cry. thanks BOB

visit our new website bigwheeltowingandrecovery.com

 

wstowing11 said:

You said it took 40 minutes to recover unit. Does that include being dispatched, setting rotators up in recovery positions, setting up bags , right up to the point the unit was cleared from the roadway ? Or was there more time involved in this ?

 

BigWheelRecovery  said:

Wayne the recovery time was when we started unloading our air bags an pulling wire rope,our time of arrival to the seen from being dispatched was 22 minutes with traffic.The 40 minutes is when the truck was back on it s wheels. Thanks BOB

visit our new website bigwheeltowingandrecovery.com

 

wstowing11 said:

That is a great recovery time, do you have a minimum hourly charge , cause you are getting them done too quick !

 

BigWheelRecovery  said:

Wayne we have a 4 hr. min. on heavy recoverys,with the training an equipment we have available even the heavist casuality are on there wheels in short notice,an the main thing the road is open. thanks BOB

visit our new website bigwheeltowingandrecovery.com

 

JohnMarsee said:

Is this per truck, air cusion rig and Loader plus port to port?

I think you guy's do a great job! Love your equipment!

Now as far as having a quick law! Well that's great but at the same time how many can relate to having that much man power and equipment on I-75 in Ky or Tn were we live? Being more rual roads than city and with maybe 10 TT wrecks a year through out rual ways. Major Cities I understand but even at that Lexington just got a rotater less than a year ago, and I must say he's a Fine person too! Knoxville well I'am 45 miles away and I haven't heard of one yet. London has one if he hasn't sold it yet .

 

BigWheelRecovery  said:

John very good point oviously you live in a nice country area less people ,less stress

an a little more time to smell the roses, your better off John. thanks BOB

visit our new website bigwheeltowingandrecovery.com

 

TAZBOY said:

A couple of issues--First to Ed Barker, this whole thing started in Washington with the I-95 Corridor, it has nothing to do with the "BIG" guys squashing anybody. There have been extensive studies done---IT IS NOT GOING AWAY!!! We were in a meeting this past Monday and Tuesday with the TimeTask Force--there where guys from all over the country here, Arizona, Virginia--it's a big deal.  Secondly, to Eds towing, We struggled with the same issue, "How do we justify 20 minutes with a 65 ton rotator what took two 30 tons and 2 hours"--you just have to have set rates--set up fee and hourly usage with a minimum, if you don't you'll never get your investment back. Take good pics and write a good invoice, you have to be a salesman. Now as far a Big Wheel goes, if you look @ there scenes you would think it's over kill, they're just trying to run up a bill, they're not! If you take they time to research OSHA rules or if you just call Bob /Eric or even better attend a RBU class then they would enlighten you as to the laws you are not following!!

 

TowZone said:

Certainly attitudes have changed since this post originated in 2006. Back then there were many saying they would never be effected by laws and regulations other either had or saw coming. Now many are dealing with them or can see them looming. Rotators are the norm now and the acceptance is similar to when hydraulic units were competing with Mechanical units.The industry will always evolve and adapt, even if it does so kicking and screaming. Learning to invoice properly and professionally is both the key and the challenge.

 

JoeShorline said:

Warren, Once again is seems like big money and politics are traveling together hand in hand  (or should I say hand in pocket) to knock the little guy out of the game.B.S. at it's finest!