The Business of Towing

Why Do Towers Use Profanity?

Posted by Archer on October 16, 2012

Have you ever been at a get-together and found yourself in the middle of a conversation with someone and realized that you had just spilled a line of profanities while telling a story about a recent recovery you had performed?

Well I have.  I didn’t mean to do it.  I didn’t intend to offend it just came out as easily as answering the phone. Maybe it had something to do with watching too many episodes of “Wrecked” or the new YouTube show “Bill and Sons Towing”.

I decided to investigate the reason for the prolific use of profanity in the towing industry.

So I went to the source, the towers themselves and asked: “Why do you use profanity?”  Simple, straight-forward question right?  I expected to receive the same simple straight-forward responses. What I got was not fit for print so I’ll summarize.

One tower responded: “It’s not something I really think about, I just start talking about the accident and what I had to do get it out of the woods or wherever it was and those words just fit.”

Another tower commented: “I think maybe I use them when I’m remembering back to what I was going through while working an accident and what was going through my mind.”

What I found is that most towers are good people who are proud of the jobs that they do and part of the enjoyment of doing a job well is relaying that information to other towers, friends and family.

(It’s our version of killing it and dragging it home for supper.)

When in the course of relaying information about a particularly difficult situation, we find ourselves in, we tend to get a little excited and use expletives to get our points across.  To the fellow tower it’s a cue that what was happening at that point in the recovery was exceedingly difficult and to the non-tower it’s a hint that they should start paying attention to the story once more.

The use of profane language is not unique to the towing industry you can find it anywhere you look.  Whether you’re hunting for gold, cutting timber or fixing choppers there’s always somebody being bleeped out because of their poor choice of words.

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Victim or Problem Solver? You Have A Choice No Matter The Circumstances

Posted by Archer on September 30, 2012

It’s the winter of 1980, I’m 13 and my younger brother and I must hump water in milk jugs back to our trailer because the thin copper water lines have frozen and burst. We’re part of the solution, trekking 400 yards to the Laundromat with 4 empty milk jugs each, then dragging them back full of water through the knee deep snow only to grab 4 more empty milk jugs and head back.
We didn’t see ourselves as part of the solution. We saw ourselves as victims, child slaves who had to endure humiliation and torture. “How long is this going to last?” We’d ask. “Fix the damn pipe!!” We thought.
What seemed like weeks of never-ending water gathering was in reality only 3 days until the sub-zero temps broke and the repairs could proceed. But to the victim those 3 days were an eternity.
This memory got me to thinking about how we as tow truck operators sometimes play the role of victim and how there really are only 2 roles to play in every difficult situation: Victim or Problem Solver. The great thing is you get to choose what part you play no matter the circumstances.
Take for an example this story: I responded to the scene of a rollover accident with entrapment. It was an icy morning and the pregnant woman in the driver’s seat could not move because the steering wheel had her pinned. She did everything she could to help the firefighters with the extrication. As I attempted to assist I talked with her to keep her calm and she asked me a simple question that stuck with me. “Are you cold?”
She’s stuck in her wrecked car that’s stuck on a tree, she can’t move and she’s asking about me how I’m doing.
Life isn’t always smooth sailing, sometimes you’ll be asked to do more than the minimal requirements to get the job done. She knew that. Maybe it was her mothering instinct kicking in high gear but whatever it was she wanted no part in the role as victim.
The tower’s role is that of problem solver. We’re not allowed to make excuses when things go wrong. We’re supposed to expect adversity and make things happen one way or another. If it doesn’t roll over exactly how you expected it to then deal with that, don’t look around to see if someone saw your mistake. If you’re alive and taking any action in this world you’re going to make mistakes. Mistakes don’t define you unless you allow them.

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“Hello 911, My Neighbor’s A Serial Killer, Er.., Tow Truck Driver, Whatever Get Here Quick”

Posted by Archer on September 24, 2012

Thank you television for again depicting tow truck operators as backward, inbred, and just plain unethical. All we needed was another reason for the traveling public to dislike us and for my kids to grow up not wanting to be involved in towing.

Doug lived in a quiet little subdivision on the west side of town and worked for the local towing company for a little over a year. He’d moved up in the ranks over the past few months due to his hard work and eagerness to learn. That’s when the boss asked if he would participate in the on-call calendar. On-call participation would mean a raise and the opportunity to make extra money from commissions. Being on-call also meant he would take a wrecker home on a regular basis.
The opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time since Doug’s wife was pregnant and they needed the money but little did he know that this most recent benefit to his finances would do him harm elsewhere.
Most of Doug’s neighbors pretty much ignored each other, live and let live I suppose, but when he started taking the tow truck home they started getting nervous.

Those with new cars double-checked their payment books to be sure they were up-to-date, the teenager across the street quit parking the wrong way on the curb, and the friendly lady next door quit being so friendly.

As the weeks and months passed Doug’s situation didn’t get any better, then one day he received a letter from the City Council  informing him that a new ordinance forbids parking commercial vehicles on residential streets overnight.
Puzzled and a little upset by the behavior of his neighbors Doug set out to try to understand. He asked the other towers if they knew why this was happening.  I’m a pretty good neighbor, never bother anyone and always willing to help out when there’s a need, that’s why I can’t see why they suddenly don’t like me.
He was told:
“Even though towers are always available to assist stranded motorists at a moments notice 24 hours a day, a few bad apples and the perpetuation of those bad apples by the media and those with self-serving biased motives has led most people to see tow truck operators in a bad light.”   He was stuck in the middle.

 

This is the world we live in.  Granted it’s not this bad in every community but in many cities and towns across this nation tow truck drivers are treated badly because of the way they are portrayed in the media.

We can curse the darkness or we can light a candle and do something to change it.

But how do you change how 99% of the world views your industry?

We could buy our own television network and put up competing programming like “Who Wants To Be A Tow Truck Driver” and “Everybody Loves The Towman”  but that would cost millions and we might not be able to compete with the Kardashians or Dirty Jobs.

Or we could work on how people in our own cities and towns see us.

Change your situation in your little corner of the world and everyone else will eventually come around.   Yeah I know that’s asking a lot, but relax this isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight.  It took a while for towers to get in this situation so it’s going to take some time for us to get out.

How do you change your situation?

Being involved in charity events, donating to local sports teams, advertising using your mug to make your business more human are all good ideas that do work.  But the best way to change your situation and how the people in your area view your industry is to sway public opinion.  When you sway public opinion you will have them forever in your corner.

Customers have a choice.

Before I got involved in the towing industry I had never used the services of a tow truck.  It’s not because I’ve always had nice cars either.  My first car was a 1976 Mercury Marquis, it was a four door monster that overheated often.  I remember being stranded a few times but with the help of friends or family and a tow rope I was quickly rescued each time.

Why didn’t I call for a tow truck?

A couple of reasons:

1. I didn’t know how much it would cost.

2. I didn’t know anybody with a tow truck.

My fear that the cost to use the services of a tow truck would be exorbitant and because I didn’t know who would show up in that tow truck kept me from even looking into the possibility of having it towed.

I don’t know if the choice I made was because of negative depictions of tow truck operators in the media or if it was for fear of the unknown.  I just know that back then I’d rather take hell from my angry old man than somebody else’s.

I think most customers are the same way.

Customers, having a choice, will choose to use your services if they know who’s going to be helping them during their most vulnerable time.  Even if they are unsure on the price a customer will choose to use a company they are familiar with.  If you happen to be a nice guy, all the better.

But how do you sway public opinion?

Again you don’t need to change the world just the way people think about towing in your area.

Swaying public opinion is done in 2 ways:

1. Allowing as much access to you as possible.  Whether you are a business owner, tow truck operator or dispatcher, when you let them know who you are and that you are out there working to serve them in their time of need they’ll call you.  Highly visible and extremely friendly will slowly push those negative television images of salivating iguanas out the door.

2. Talk about what’s in their best interest?  When asked what the most important consideration is when choosing a towing company most people will say cost.  But the reality is when they need your services, not just shopping around, the most important thing is their family’s safety followed by the knowledge that their car is in competent hands.

When you stay in contact with your potential customers, and let’s face it everybody’s a potential customer, while subtley painting a picture that shows that you care about the welfare of their family you will begin to convince even the most fearful you aren’t so bad after all.

 

 

 

 

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Waiting for A Wrecker To Arrive, Does 15 Minutes Longer Matter?

Posted by Archer on September 12, 2012

A primary incident can be an abandoned vehicle, an accident, or a vehicle left in or out of the roadway for any number of reasons.

Studies have shown the longer a primary incident or accident lasts in or near passing traffic the higher the odds of a secondary accident are of occurring.

If your job doesn’t require you to work in 70 + mile per hour traffic you should be thankful. Those who do work in these conditions know the difference a few minutes can make when removing abandoned vehicles.

When law enforcement makes the call to remove an abandoned vehicle they are not doing it as a punitive measure it’s a public safety issue aimed at ensuring secondary accidents do not occur.

Most motorists could care less about issues such as this until it affects them.  If it were your car being removed or if you were waiting in traffic you might show an interest.

What if the towing company receiving the call to tow the vehicle had to travel a long distance to get there and your loved ones were patiently waiting in that line of traffic?  That might pique your interest.

Why would law enforcement call a tow company that must travel a long distance to get there?

In some rural areas the closest available towing company must come from quite a distance, but most cities have rules in place that ensure there’s always a tow truck available when needed.  They access a list of local, available, capable towing companies and use a rotation to determine which wrecker company should be dispatched.  This rotation allows all towing companies involved to plan ahead and invest in the manpower and equipment necessary to be available whenever the need arises.  On the other hand if you go outside city limits and are in the jurisdiction of the State Highway Patrol of some states they have no such rotation.   Relying only on personal knowledge of and relationships with towers in and around the area, some states leave the decision of what towing company to call up to the individual officer on the scene.  Although this may have worked in the past and is ok in some remote rural areas, this outdated and flawed method leaves a lot to be desired.  If, for example, the officer has a relationship with a tower located 20 miles away and chooses to call him this can create longer lines and increase the time spent on scene.

15 minutes waiting to see the dentist can be excruciating but 15 minutes longer waiting for a tow truck, in some instances, can be a matter of life and death.

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Just Tow Man

Posted by Archer on September 7, 2012

The towing business can be full throttle at times while at other times you can’t buy a tow. Even when it’s slow bills need to be paid, trucks need fuel, and drivers need paychecks. What’s a tow boss to do during slow periods? Do you spend money and go in a direction you have no experience in like auto repair or the tire business? Or do you just concentrate on towing when there’s nothing to tow.

To fully understand the problem you need to know how a towing business makes and spends money. The two biggest expenses incurred on a regular basis are fuel and employee expenses.

Fuel: Most tow trucks run on diesel and since the price spike of 2008 where diesel hit an all-time high of over $4.70 per gallon we haven’t gotten a break. Certainly when you’re not towing you don’t spend as much on fuel but with prices this high it’s an expense that must be considered at all times with every job you do.

Employees: To keep qualified and experienced drivers you must pay them accordingly or they’re going to go drive a dump truck for someone else. This means that you can’t expect them to survive and stay with you during slow times if their only form of compensation is commission. There must be something else that kicks in when there’s no tow calls bringing in the money. Whether they are compensated hourly or with a base plus commission, to keep good people, you, the tow boss, must incur that expense even when no money’s coming in.

Many of the uninformed in our society assume that since a tow truck is used when emergencies arise and is considered an emergency vehicle in those situations that we are funded with public dollars like Fire and Law Enforcement. This is not the case. Towing companies are funded entirely by the dollars brought in from services provided to its customers not through tax payer funds.

This means when there is no need for these services towers must use this time to maintain equipment and train themselves.  Although vitally important to any successful towing operation these exercises don’t bring in any income in the short term.

Should they then diversify and get into other markets so there’s always a constant flow of cash coming in?  I’ve already mentioned a few ideas where a tow company could invest and possibly experience some success, tires and auto repair.  Let’s look at the pros and cons of getting into these businesses.

Tire Business

Pro: A tire machine doesn’t cost that much and you’ve got all kinds of used tires you could sell.

Con: You must always have someone in the shop to change tires and deal with customers.

Pro: Once you pay your tire man your used tire sales are 100% profit.

Con: You must legally dispose of old tires.

Con: Some of your best customers are tire shops and they might look at the added competition as a negative and choose one of your competitors when they need a tow.

Auto Repair Business

Pro: The nature of the towing business is such that you see cars in need of repair services everyday making it a golden opportunity to start an auto repair business.

Con: You must always have licensed and qualified mechanics to do the work.

Con: You must invest thousands of dollars in equipment and tools.

Pro: Having a great supplemental income is a plus.

Con: Many of your regualr towing customers are auto repair shops, once they find out that there’s a new competitor in town and that it’s you they’ll rethink what company to call when their customers need a tow.

The problem you’re going to run into with either of these businesses is losing your existing customer base.  Why would a repair shop call to have you tow their customer’s car in when they might have to worry that one of your drivers would steer that business toward your new auto repair services?  The answer is: They wouldn’t want to take that chance.  Instead the call would simply go to one of your competitors.

If you’re in the towing business be in the towing business.  Embrace the fact that towing is what you do.  Do everything you can to build your brand so that whenever anyone thinks about towing your name comes to mind.  Times are tough now and business will come back, tighten that belt if you must and just tow.

 

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Rolled Over Tractor Trailer

Posted by Archer on August 22, 2012

The moment couldn’t have been made better by a television producer and his entire crew on that crisp, clear, November morning.

We’d been maintaining trucks and equipment, tasks that have become mundane, tedious and relaxing all at the same time.

Always available for whatever motorists can dish up, we patiently waited cleaning and polishing.

But this morning was different.  This morning we got the call.

Not just any call, it was a tractor-trailer rolled over on its side on an on-ramp to the highway.

Can anyone say challenge?

Load shift, driving too fast, or plain old inattentive driving, who knows what happened?  But there it was laying on its side like an exhausted old elephant.

In the trucks and on our way.

Quickly driving the 8 miles to the downed traveler we gathered as much information as possible. We wanted to have an idea what we were dealing with.

Police on scene suggested we check it out first to determine if the casualty could be up-righted with the load in tact or if it must be off-loaded first.

The decision was made to off-load because the chance of having thousands of pounds of paper in boxes slam through the thin aluminum walls of the trailer would mean more work, more damage and longer traffic lines.

As the skid steer operator, with the aid of all available manpower, removed boxes and pallets from the downed trailer the two heavy wrecker drivers coordinated their plan of attack with police to keep traffic flowing until lanes must be shut down.

Getting our ducks in a row.

Hook points must be chosen, chains and brakes must be set,  and winching angles worked out.

Viewing the scene from the eyes of a passing motorist the snap shot may look like chaos but with the assistance of fire, police and a few good men it’s only a matter of details that need tending to.

With the trailer off-loaded and the load transferred to a good trailer the up-righting can commence.

Shutting the lane down we moved into position.

Single axle wrecker on the trailer portion of the disabled truck facing the wrong way in the lane.

Tandem wrecker on the tractor facing the opposite direction.

Chains hooked, spades down, everybody ready?

Now that most of the work is done, what looks like the hard part must be tackled.

Things to think about before you put it back on its wheels:

1. Are the angles such  that there is sufficient room for it to land on its wheels?

2. Will it stick the landing?

3. Don’t want it to roll over on its other side from too much force or momentum.

4. Don’t want a runaway.  The brakes should be set so there’s no chance of rolling down a hill, we’ve all seen that video http://youtu.be/gmBmZsXQcqM.

5. Will there be sufficient down pressure?  We want to pull the high wheels to the ground not the entire truck and trailer sliding to our wreckers.

6. Wreckers working in tandem to get both tractor and trailer units up simultaneously?

7.Wreckers not pulling against each other.

8. Everyone out-of-the-way?  Don’t want this monster landing on anyone.

Ok let’s go…

Seconds later… Cheers and “all rights” all around!

It’s up with no glitches, time to celebrate!

No!

Time to finish the job.

Now that it’s up we’ve got to load that sucker and get it off the road so we can open the lane and clear everyone from the area.

Once complete and towed away we’ll go back to waiting, patiently cleaning and polishing trucks and equipment until next time.

 

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Police Rotation- How Does It Work?

Posted by Archer on August 21, 2012

Not one to chase wrecks Darrell patiently listens to the police scanner in his tow truck with the intention of being available when an accident happens.

He hopes it will be his turn for the most recent accident that has brought traffic to a stop on the main highway through town. He kills time by checking his chains and tools again nevervously waiting for the call from dispatch that will send him to the accident.

Finally some action; The police officer on the scene calls for a no-preference wrecker.

The next 30 seconds are the longest part of the day as Darrell waits for the call.

Silence, “I guess it’s not my turn” He says out loud to nobody.

(Static) Then the sound of the dispatcher calling for him over the 2-way radio:  “Base to Unit 5 I need you to go to an accident at…..”

This scene plays out thousands of times a day throughout the United States as towing companies depend upon the use of the Police Rotation System in order to be available when the need arises.

You probably never thought about how or why a tow truck shows up when you’re involved in an accident.  There are much more important things to consider like making sure you and those around you aren’t injured.

When an accident occurs one of the first things that happens is others want to see what’s going on which leads to distracted driving.  This distracted driving may lead to another accident. Looking over and swerving into the path of an oncoming vehicle or rear-ending the stopped vehicle ahead is how most secondary accidents occur.

To avoid secondary accidents from occurring and to quickly clear the roadways 911 is used to dispatch: Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, and a Towing Company.  Working together they can quickly help everyone involved and get traffic flowing again.

But how does the 911 dispatcher know who to call?

911 dispatchers rely upon the information received from callers reporting the accident to determine the severity of the accident.  They then make a decision about what services to send.  They call Fire and EMS and alert approaching law enforcement officers as to the nature of the accident using J codes.  J-1 being the least severe all the way up to the J-4 which means a fatality has occurred.

The first step is to get the closest law enforcement agency involved and send Fire and EMS if there are any injuries.  Once on scene the police officer can further survey the accident and decide if a tow truck is needed.

If a tow truck is needed the officer will ask the vehicle owner/driver if they have a preference of towing company.

The reason is clear, the vehicle cannot move on its own power and cannot be left roadside in the condition it’s in.

If the owner/ driver of the vehicle is incapacitated (being taken to the hospital) or if they don’t know what towing company to call the officer will then refer to the Police Rotation.  This is done by contacting their dispatcher and requesting a “no-preference wrecker”.

That’s where Darrell comes in.  Waiting in the wings in the hopes that it’s his turn to help he quickly arrives to clean up the mess.

No he’s not the hero, he’s just a piece of the public safety machine waiting to do his part.

 

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Slipping Away, Does Your Insurance Pay For Towing?

Posted by Archer on August 20, 2012

The lightly falling snow flakes weren’t sticking to the road so she didn’t slow down. Quite the opposite in fact, the song on the radio had a lead-like affect on her foot depressing the gas pedal.

Sipping her coffee and cruising a little too fast she felt totally confident and wanted to relax after a long day at work.  The song was over but she wasn’t finished jamming.

As Liz leaned over to grab one of her favorite cd’s that’s when it happened.

The steering wheel felt like a rubber hose when she tried to steer out of the slide.  She lifted her head to see what was now happening but there was no time.

The front of the car was pointing toward the ditch while the rear was careening toward an oncoming truck. Not even a spare second to react.

The last thing she noticed before the life changing jolt was the spilled coffee and cds all over the floor of her usually well-kept Malibu.

She woke up in the hospital with a heavy feeling in her chest and her mother slowly stroking her hand.   Still in a fog she tried to gain an understanding of what happened.

It only took 2 seconds to totally change her world.

She’s glad to be alive.

Liz is going to be ok but what about her car?

The last thing you think about in a situation like this is your car, that’s why you have insurance right? Insurance will cover the damages to your car but what about everything else?

At the scene of an accident Law Enforcement, Fire Fighters, EMT, and Tow Truck Operators all work together to quickly help motorists who need assistance.

In most cases law enforcement and fire are paid through taxes and medical is paid through health insurance.

But how does the tow truck operator get paid?

When you’re involved in an accident, whether you’re injured or not, and you need to have your car towed your automobile insurance will pay for it.

If you have comprehensive or what’s referred to as full coverage insurance, they will pay all fees owed to the towing company.  The only thing you have to do is let them know what towing company towed your car and your done.

The process goes like this:

1. Accident happens.

2. Tow Truck tows your car to their lot or inside storage if they have it.

3. You call your insurance company and tell them what towing company towed your car.

4. Your insurance company sends out an adjuster to the towing company’s place of business to assess the damages.

5. Your insurance company contacts you to discuss options (fix it or total it)

6. If the decision is made to fix it we will tow it to the body shop of your choice.

7. If the decision is made to total it you will be asked to release your car to the insurance company so that a salvage company can pick it up.

8. Before you release a totaled car to the insurance company make sure you have your license plates and have removed  all personal belongings. (as soon as you release your car to insurance they will pick it up and you will be unable to get your belongings).

Contrary to what you may think, tow truck operators can wait to see you.  But if you do have to have an encounter with a tow truck make sure you’ve got full coverage insurance.

Liz?  Yes she’s glad she had full coverage and oh yeah, she vows to take driving more seriously to avoid another up close encounter with an airbag.

 

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Hot Weather Or Cold, Even Your Dog Knows What Your Car Likes

Posted by Archer on August 20, 2012

The seemingly endless days of 100 plus temperatures have taken a toll on all but the hardiest cars recently. Batteries fail, engines overheat, and air conditioners quit working at the worst possible time.

Keeping your car going and in good repair takes a little extra effort with the extremes of summer but the extremes of winter can be just as bad. A car’s battery can quickly lose it’s cranking ability during extreme cold while extreme heat can decrease its overall life expectancy.

What weather makes your car happy? Ask your dog. Your pets would rather stay inside during times of excessive heat and cold and so does your car.

Garaging a car is nothing new to car enthusiasts who keep their classics inside to ensure the paint doesn’t fade and that birds don’t use them for target practice. Even if you’re not worried about the birds it’s a good idea to keep those not-so-classic cars inside as well. Read the rest of this entry »

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For Those About To Tow

Posted by Archer on May 3, 2012

For those about to tow; We salute You!  On a regular basis we go to work never thinking of our car’s ability to get us where  we need to be. There’s a guy in a tow truck, he’s been waiting patiently for your car to overheat he knows that at any given moment his phone will ring and you’ll be asking for assistance roadside.  He’s not some ambulance chasing attorney Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Light Duty Towing | 1 Comment »

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