Job Well Done!

Kudos to a Mt. Washington, PA tow truck crew who kept an SUV from rolling over after it slid on some ice. Read the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story below.

Mt. Washington tow truck crew prevents SUV from tipping over

By The Tribune-Review
Saturday, January 26, 2008

A Mt. Washington tow truck crew prevented a sport utility vehicle with three passengers -- including a baby -- from rolling onto its roof Friday when they ran to the tipping vehicle and held it upright, Pittsburgh police said.

The SUV drove down Greenleaf Street, above the West End Circle, about noon and slid on ice, skidding past police and crews that were removing two cars from a previous minor crash, police said.

The SUV slid into a hillside at the bottom of Greenleaf and nearly tipped onto its roof before the crew members from MRS Towing ran to it and held it up by pushing against it. They then backed the tow truck into the vehicle to keep it upright. There were no injuries.

The Day's Headlines

From Hollister, CA: Police find guns at former tow truck operator's business; DA could charge gun possession

From Chicago, IL: Principal preyed upon by tow truck company

The Day's Headlines

From Ontario, Canada: Cops put call out for a tow

Bittersweet News...

A convicted drunk driver in MI received three to 15 years in prison for killing tow truck driver Paul Taras on April 20, 2007. Taras was on the side of the road changing a tire when the man ran off the road and struck Taras' flatbed truck. The flatbed was pushed forward, into the disabled vehicle, crushing Taras in between. Taras died on his 58th birthday. Read the whole Daily Tribune story here.

The Day's Headlines

From Knoxville, TN: Icy roads send drivers to the curb, keep insurance agents, tow trucks busy
Another from Knoxville, TN: Tow truck drivers left to clean up mess in Knox County

From Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: Tow truck driver 'assaulted with metal pole'

The Day's Headlines

From Rochester, MN: Towing Towards Safety

From Pocatello, ID: Rexburg Towing Battle Continues

From Lansing, MI: Towing Companies Busy in Cold Weather

From Great Falls, MT: Deep freeze puts tow trucks in overdrive

From Madison, WI: Towing away the winter

The Day's Headlines

From Stroudsburg, PA: Tow-truck drivers see effects of cold weather on engines

Talk about a Wrecker Roundup!

This was originally posted at LiveLeak.com:

South St. Paul A 1,895-pound bull made its way onto westbound Interstate 494 during Friday morning's rush hour after escaping from auction at a South St. Paul stockyard. Officers tried to keep the bull from jumping the median with the help of a driver in a tow truck. The bull also tried to ram one officer who got out of his car to try to stop the bull. The bull eventually wandered into a neighborhood, where police said they had to shoot and kill it to make sure it didn't hurt anyone.

Two Ways of Looking At Things...

My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion. I kept staring at a drunken woman swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.

My wife asks, "Do you know her?" "Yes," I sighed. "She's my old girlfriend. I understand she started drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since."

"My God!" says my wife. "Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?"

So you see, there really are two ways to look at everything...

The Day's Headlines

From Raleigh, NC: Chapel Hill may tweak towing law

From Sioux Falls, SD: Cold Weather Causes Many Car Problems

Aircraft Recovery School

Aircraft Recovery Solutions is offering Aircraft Recovery Training. This class is designed for towing operators wanting to tap into the multi-million dollar market of Aircraft Recovery and transportation. This is the first class of its kind to be offered in the United States . Class is going to be held in Boise , Idaho on May 15^th, 16th, 17^th & 18^th 2008.

The Aircraft Recovery School will teach students how to get the job, how to do the job and how to get paid for the job. Enrollment is limited to the first 17 students, so be sure to register today. For more info go to www.airplanerecovery.com or call 1-800-376-7114.

The Day's Headlines

From Evansville, IN: Wrecker-less driving. Tow trucks grounded in Mt. Vernon.

From Winchester, VA: A busy time for tow trucks

Update on Extrication Fest 2008

Read the latest issue of The Frequent Flyer with updates about Extrication Fest 2008 scheduled for March 14-16 in Fort Worth at Texas Motor Speedway. For more info, visit www.midsouthrescue.org.

2008 TRAA Legislative and Leadership Conference.

Join fellow towers from around the country on March 6, 7 and 8 in Arlington, VA at the Marriott Crystal City Hotel for the Towing and Recovery Association of America’s legislative and leadership conference. This annual forum is held to share information about issues of concern for all towing and recovery operators. Topics will include abandoned vehicles, private property impound towing, and Unified Carrier Registration.

Prior to the conference, on March 5 and March 6, the I-95 Corridor Coalition will hold its first Towing Summit at the Marriott Crystal City Hotel. This summit is separate from the TRAA conference, but will address items of interest to towers.

Registration is $245. Discounted pre-registration of $195 is available before Feb. 12. Lodging is available through Marriott Crystal City Hotel and a special room rate of $149+taxes is available before Feb. 12, too.

For information, visit www.towserver.net or call TRAA at 800-728-0136. A downloadable registration form is available online.

Advanced Level "Complete" Tanker Recovery Course

Sponsored by Wes Wilburn Consulting, this three-day course April 15-18 in Myrtle Beach, SC will cover a variety of different aspects of tanker towing and recovery and feature veteran instructors Wes Wilburn and Tom Luciano. Sessions include theory and hands-on demonstrations, including quicker/safer methods, new ideas from across North America and opportunities to network with other progressive towing operators. Though geared for experienced operators, the classes are open to all levels. The Ultimate Event Package Complete Recovery Class, including accommodations at the Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach, is $1,895. A one-day Advanced Level Light-Duty class with Wilburn will also be offered on April 15 for $195. For more information and registration, visit www.towcoop.com or contact Wes Wilburn at 910-486-8928 or weswilburn@aol.com.

**Discounted packages are available if you pre-register by 2-29-08.**

More about Tom: Luciano is well known throughout the United States as a leading instructor of light to extreme heavy duty courses. His vast knowledge and many years of experience in tanker recovery will bring a great value to the student that comes to get the most out of this class

More about Wes: Wilburn of Fayetteville, NC is a contributor to towPartners, T&R Footnotes and many state association newsletters. He has written and conducts training and certification programs for leading towing companies, equipment distributors, and towing associations across the country.

Sad news...

Our condolences go to the family and friends of FL tow truck driver Michael Patrick Kelly, 34, who died when his truck went off the road and into a canal. Read the story here.

And our condolences also to the family and friends of VA tow truck driver Darrell Jones, 36, who died after a car he was repossessing rolled over him. Read the story of his tribute here.

The Day's Headlines

From Chicago, IL: McHenry County board postpones towing decision

From Santa Ana, CA: Mission Viejo crash still clogging southbound I-5

From Indianapolis, IN: Man Gets 30 Years for Trying to Arrange Wife's Death

From Albertville, AL: Wrecker services speak out in Boaz

The Day's Headlines

From Houston, TX: Crash into tow truck ends 100 MPH Police Chase

From Suffolk, VA: Man killed when repossessed car falls on him

From Bangor, ME: Submerged truck pulled from Ebeemee Lake

From Johannesburg, South Africa: Tow truck driver kills four pedestrians in Durban

The Day's Headlines

From Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Missing man mystery goes on

From Shelbyville, TN: Wrecker ordinance approved

From Denver, CO: Colorado Renaissance Woman is Towing Champ

From Gainesville, FL: Unfair prosecution in towing case?

"Move It Over" in Kansas

Here's a good story specifically about how tow trucks are included under Kansas' "Move Over" law.
Read it here.

Farewell, Friend

Our condolences go to the family and friends of Kenneth Abbott of Abbott's Towing in Benton, IL. He passed away on Saturday. Read the story of his tribute here.

Didn't we just see one like this?

Another car runs up a guy wire (see Dec. 30 post)... this time in Oregon. Check it out here.

The Day's Headlines

From Kalamazoo, MI: Tow Truck Driver Hit by Car Released from Hospital
Another article on this lucky tow truck operator.
And one other.

From Hollister, CA: Free Lance Archives Help Prosecutors Tackle Tow Truck Operator

From Ocala, FL: City Council Approves Tow Truck Ordinance

From Timmins, Ontario, Canada: Snow Brings Road Chaos
Good, creative photo, too.

The Day's Headlines

From Portland, OR: Portland Police Change Towing Policy After Years of Complaints

From Hollister, CA: Tow Truck Owners to Appear In Court Today

From McHenry County, IL: Loophole in Towing Law Could be Closed

From Madison, WI: Pileup Victims Feel Victimized by Towing Charges

towSearch Now Offers More for Fleet Managers

towPartners® today announced that its free towing and road service provider locator tool, towSearch, has been updated to significantly improve its offering to fleet clients. These updates include search capability for extra heavy duty towing and incident management. In addition, towPartners reports that over 1,000 members have opted-in to provide a 10% discount to first time customers using towSearch.
Learn more about towPartners at www.towpartners.com.

Argh...She's Everywhere!

I knew it would happen sooner or later... Britney Spears and the towing industry have crossed paths and I'm blogging about it. To offset the fact that I'm including a link to Usmagazine.com, I'll throw in a couple of $5 words in my summary: Seems that the ubiquitous and beleaguered Spears endured the indignity of a flat tire while driving down Sunset Boulevard. She abandoned the Mercedes in rush hour traffic and hitched a ride from one of the following paparazzi (bet this was one day she was happy to have them around!). LA cops had it removed by Quicksilver Towing. Read the full story here.

Good story on a woman in towing

Check out this profile on Sherri Lawson, a driver for Robert F. Pfeifer Auto Service in Dunedin, FL.

The Day's Headlines

From Madison, WI: Pileup Victims Reunited With Their Cars

From Denver, CO: CDOT Uses Private Tows to Clear I-70 in Snowstorm

From Middleton, NY: Cops Say Drunken Driver Hit Tow Truck

From Henderson, KY: Towing Company Owner Held on Meth Charges

"Tipsy Tow" A Success in MT

Kudos to all of the MT towers who participated to make the holidays safer for everyone! You rock!
Read the KULR-8 TV story and access the video report here.

She will be missed

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Margo Frownfelter of Bolster's Towing in Kalispell, MT. She passed away in early December after a brief bout with cancer. Frownfelter was a dedicated member of the Montana Tow Truck Association, most recently planning the group's September 2007 convention. She had been elected to serve as secretary in 2008.

Read more about Margo of Bolster's Towing here.

Learn more about the Montana Tow Truck Association at www.montanatowing.com.