"How the Grinch Towed Christmas"

Gotta say it... Bad headline for this story in the The Standard of Maclenny, FL about a private property towing incident prior to a parade, especially since it seems that Kenny and Kirk Miracle of Miracle Towing and Recovery went waaay above and beyond (see highlights I made in the story below). Should have been "How Two Miracles Saved Christmas."

How the Grinch towed Christmas

Twenty-five automobiles lined the outskirts of a parking lot on Friday night. By Saturday quite a few less faced Macclenny Avenue. Instead some early parking parade goers found their vehicles lined along side a fence in a tow yard, instead of a front row seat they thought they occupied.

Some found themselves a little confused when they arrived in the CVS Pharmacy parking lot on Saturday, only to find the vehicle they parked early to avoid the crowd was gone, towed at the request of CVS Management.

Kenny and Kirk Miracle of Miracle Towing and Recovery pulled into the parking lot of the local pharmacy late Friday night ready to tow over 25 vehicles that took up well over one third of the parking lot. When they recognized several of the vehicles they called the owners and informed them that their car/ truck was next to go. A total of four cars were towed on Friday night and two more on Saturday morning.

When Kirk Miracle got the call, he and his brother both knew the appropriate signs had to be displayed stating that the parking lot was a tow away zone. Miracle relayed to a store manager that by Florida law before you tow vehicles, signs were to be placed around the property so that owners would not call law enforcement to report their vehicles stolen. However, the management insisted that his company tow the vehicles before the signs were up.

Several signs were placed on the property letting drivers know the parking lot was a tow area zone, but it was to late for six owners. When word spread that vehicles were being towed many rushed to recover theirs before it was carted away.

As for the six that 'didn't get away,' Miracle cut them a deal and only charged $45 in fees. CVS management did not return our calls.

NJ May Enact "Move Over" Law

Thumbs up to Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Denville, who sponsored bill S2422, which is called the "Move Over Act." Tow trucks are included! Here's the story from Land Line Magazine:

‘Move Over’ rule sought in New Jersey

A practice followed by professional truck drivers for decades would become law for all drivers in New Jersey in a bill that could come up for consideration in the final month of the regular legislative session. The proposal is designed to protect emergency personnel and certain vehicles during roadside stops.

Sponsored by Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Denville, the bill would require drivers to maintain a safe distance and reduce speed before passing emergency vehicles, tow trucks or highway maintenance vehicles parked by the road with their lights flashing.

Dubbed the “Move Over Act,” the bill would require drivers to merge into a lane further away from emergency vehicles, tow trucks or highway maintenance vehicles, if practical. On two-lane highways, drivers would be required to reduce speed before passing.

Failure to obey the rule would result in up to a $500 fine.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 30 states have implemented similar safety zone rules.

The bill – S2422 – is awaiting consideration on the Senate floor. If approved there, it would move to the Assembly. All legislation must pass both chambers prior to the end of the regular session, which is scheduled for Jan. 8.

To view other legislative activities of interest for New Jersey in 2007, click here.

– By Keith Goble, state legislative editor
keith_goble@landlinemag.com

$450,000 due to MI Towing Co.

Interesting story out of Flint, MI. In August 2004, the mayor canceled the city's towing contract with Complete Towing and the city started its own impound lot. Complete Towing had served the city for 18 years.

From The Flint Journal story:

The lawsuit itself is over storage fees because 286 cars were left until late November at Complete Towing, owned by Jim Patton, after Williamson canceled the contract in August.

A jury agreed in December 2005 that the city owed a $10 daily storage fee for each car, plus attorney fees and interest. The total verdict then was $406,103.

The city now must pay $453,549 because of additional interest incurred while the city appealed the earlier verdict.

"Mayor Williamson is fighting this personal battle with Jim Patton with taxpayer money," said Steven Spender, an attorney for Complete Towing. "That irritates me and that should irritate the taxpayers."

Spender said he does not know why Williamson has a "vendetta" against Patton. Patton declined comment.

More Info on NUG

Here's the link to a release from the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Public Works and Transportation where the National Unified Goal (NUG) was launched. Don't know what NUG is? Read the release here.
Read the Nov. 20 TowBlog post below.

Hall of Fame Nomination Deadline 12/31/07

Do you know a man or woman involved in the towing industry worthy of international recognition? Help them get the acknowledgment and thanks he or she deserves. Nominate this outstanding person for the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame, the highest honor for anyone involved in the towing industry.

A nomination form is available in the Fall 2007 museum newsletter, The Museum View, or download a PDF version online at http://www.internationaltowingmuseum.org/friends.htm.

Vent for the day

In this story from the Journal and Courier Online, a Purdue University student is suing an Indiana towing company for removing his illegally-parked car from an apartment complex. Read the full story here.

Of course, the towing company is being called "predatory" - no matter that the student infringed on someone else's rights by leaving his car in resident-only parking. (Hmmm... Shouldn't he also sue the hosts of the party he attended for not telling him where to park?) He's suing for three times the amount of the tow.

And, let's not forget about the Councilman-elect who is supporting the student in his endeavor because he is working "to improve student life in West Lafayette." Wow - that's lofty.

Let's hope that the judge helps this student learn one a really important life lesson - taking responsibility for your actions.

Is this the best that CNN and AOL could do?

Ok, I'm not knocking the whole article because it's actually one that DOESN'T slam the towing industry. However, it is by CNN/AOL Autos... Out of all of the professionals in the industry nationwide, they could only find one guy in Virginia who doesn't even work full-time as a wrecker operator AND would prefer to remain anonymous? Jeez, at least they gave the International Towing Hall of Fame and Museum a picture. Read the full story here.

Extrication Fest 2008 Announced

What: Extrication Fest Presented By The Emergency Services Training Institute of the Texas Engineering Extension Services (a member of the Texas A&M University System) and Midsouth Rescue Technologies.

When: March 14-16, 2008

Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX

Fee: Courses Range from $125 to $150 (see website for details)

Offerings:

• Three levels of Auto Extrication Training
• Big Rig Rescue
• Patient Care
• Scene Management
• Supplemental Restraint System Technology
• Hybrid Vehicle Anatomy and Extrication
• Expo includes live demos, training exhibits, and free classes

For more information and registration, visit www.midsouthrescue.org.

Update on "Condolences" post

On 10/4, I posted a story about 26-year old Canadian tow truck driver Amanda Frizzley who was killed on Sept. 30 when her Dr. Hook truck was hit by an oncoming GMC Jimmy. The 21-year old driver of the Jimmy, whose blood alcohol level was over the legal limit, was arrested for his role in Frizzley's death. Read the full story here.

Too bad this trailer isn't in Ontario!

In Florida, OC's Auto & Truck Service removed a mobile home that had been left on the side of the road. The dilapidated trailer is flea-infested and the owners are nowhere to be found - nice! Read the full story here.

Ontario Stepping In to Help Towing Companies

According to this story in Today's Trucking Online, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation has agreed to pay towing companies for bills incurred after accidents when the owners don't.

Tow Trucks Off the Hook: MTO guarantees payment 11/26/2007

TORONTO -- Doug Nelson, the executive director of the association representing Ontario's tow-truck industry, brought some good news to the recent Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) annual conference. He said that the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has decided to guarantee payment to tow truck operators, even if the people involved in an accident renege on the bill or skip town. Or don't have insurance. Or write rubber cheques.

The new policy to guarantee tow trucks payments will speed up highway reopening: MTO Non-payment has been a huge issue in the tow-truck business. Nelson says that in recent years, as many as 20 or 30 percent of tows never get paid for a whole variety of reasons and the result was, many Ontario tow operators were becoming reluctant to respond to callouts. Or if they did respond and couldn't get paid up front, would refuse the job. This new MTO guarantee will end that reluctance, Nelson -- who heads up the Ontario Recovery Group (ORG) -- told the conference. Now, if a qualified tow-truck company doesn't get paid within 30 days of the invoice, the Ministry will step in, pay the bill, adding surcharges and fees, and then will try to collect the money from the responsible parties. To qualify for the program, the tow-truck operators must meet specific criteria. The operator must first complete and sign an MTO contract and be approved by the MTO; the tow operator has to try to collect the invoice and the effort must be documented, and the operator must promise to try to help the MTO recover the outstanding debt if the Ministry requests. The program only applies to accidents that happen on provincial highways and for accidents involving vehicles with a GVWR of 6,000 kg or more. According to a spokesman from the MTO, the new program is all part of the plan to speed up the re-opening of highways after collisions. To that end, the Ministry has struck a working group with the trucking industry, the tow-truckers and the police to study other ways to clear accidents faster.

Tow Truck vs. Pool

Pool loses. In a story from Worcester, MA, an unmanned tow truck took a roll down from the top of a steep street and ended up slamming through a white picket fence and into an above-ground pool.

Nobody was injured in the mishap, but pool owner Lucien M. Tuluka, of 6 Lorraine Road, won’t be taking a dip anytime soon. The heavy tow truck buckled one side of the round pool, allowing some water to gush out and run down the street.
Mr. Tuluka said a small amount of the escaped pool water seeped into his basement but didn’t cause any damage.

He was in the basement about 2:45 p.m. when he heard an odd rumbling noise coming from above, he said. It sounded as if his wife was moving furniture upstairs. About five minutes later, when he went upstairs, he caught a glimpse of something big and red through a side window.

“I saw a red car in the pool. I said, ‘Oh, my God. What movie is this?’ ” Mr. Tuluka said.

Evidently, it took another tow truck to drag the other out of the pool and back to the road.
Read the whole story from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette News here.

Thanks for stopping by in Baltimore!

Nice to see everyone at the show in Baltimore this past weekend. Thanks to all of you who stopped by the Towing & Recovery Footnotes booth to pick up a copy of the November issue and to chat with me and the Footnotes crew.

Hey! We CAN all just get along! While these two rivals might have opposing views on who has the best products, they can agree that Footnotes is tops!
On the left, we have Erik Stewart of Sava Products;
on the right, we have Howard "Scooby" Eagan of MatJack.

National Unified Goal (NUG) Announced by NTIMC

On November 20, the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition (NTIMC) announced its 18-strategy proposal called the National Unified Goal (NUG).

NUG has three goals: 1) Responder safety; 2) Safe, quick clearance; and 3) Prompt, reliable, interoperable communications.

The initiative is endorsed by the Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA).

Read more about NTIMC and NUG here.

AAA Launches "Move Over" Campaign

On November 16, AAA announced a year-long awareness campaign promoting "Slow Down, Move Over" laws. According to the press release, 41 states currently have such legislation, but only 24 include tow trucks and other roadside assistance vehicles.

The effort has two primary components. One is enactment in all 50 states of “Move Over” laws that cover tow trucks and other roadside assistance vehicles in addition to law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances. These laws require motorists to change lanes to provide an empty travel lane between their vehicle and emergency vehicles along the roadside, or to slow down while approaching—and passing—a traffic incident, if moving to another lane is not possible.

The second element is a national public awareness campaign that will include the use of public safety announcements and other publicity efforts featuring testimonials from NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver David Ragan. Ragan is the rookie driver of the Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion. His father, Ken Ragan, is a former tow truck driver for AAA. Because race car drivers must “slow down and move over” when an incident occurs on the track, and because of his family experience with the hazards of working along the roadside, Ragan is ideally suited to discuss this topic with race fans and other drivers.

Read the entire AAA press release here.

Definitely a HAZMAT situation...

After a cattle truck went into a ditch in Texas, 65 of the 138 animals on board were killed. It took six wrecker loads to dispose of the carcasses. Here's the story in the Times Record News.

Yeah, I'd say they were "startled!"

From Palatka, Florida in The Palatka Daily News:

Naked man charged with stealing truck

By Ron Bartlett

Employees at Johnson’s Towing were startled Friday morning when a naked man ran onto the business’ property and stole an employee’s truck, authorities said.

According to witnesses, sometime around 10 a.m., the naked man, identified as Wayne Dennis Bolan, 41, came onto the business at 352 N. U.S. 17 and hopped into a pickup truck owned by Dean Johnson, brother of owner Donald Johnson.

“He ran into our lot buck naked and ran straight to my truck,” Dean Johnson said. “One of the guys hollered out, ‘There’s a naked man running through our lot,’ and my brother ran outside. Then the guy cranked the truck and was backing it up.”

Johnson said Bolan spun the tires, shooting gravel everywhere, then crashed into a fence, tearing down the business’ gate.

Dean Johnson said he ran out of the office and jumped into the bed of the truck. At that moment Bolan put the pedal to the floor and began fleeing down U.S. 17.

“I realized what was happening and, like an idiot, I jumped in the back of my truck,” he said. “When he hit the asphalt on 17 I knew that I needed to get out.”

According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the truck began doing “doughnuts” on 17, spinning around and leaving skid marks on the road.

Realizing that he was in real danger due to Bolan’s erratic driving, Dean Johnson said he picked an instant when the tires were spinning freely to bail out. At that moment, however, the truck caught traction and Johnson was thrown out.

Fortunately, Johnson only suffered some bruises and asphalt burns from the pavement and was quickly picked up by his brother, Donald, who had been following in his own truck.

The brothers pursued the vehicle down State Road 100 west through Palm Avenue, when the truck slowed and turned into the parking lot behind Lowe’s Building Supply.

According to the sheriff’s office, Bolan, having cornered himself, jumped a culvert pipe and crashed the truck into a ditch.

Dean Johnson said he and his brother then pulled the suspect out of the truck.

At that moment, Sheriff’s Maj. Gary Bowling and Sgt. Rodney Harper arrived and handcuffed Bolan, who was then taken by ambulance to Putnam Community Medical Center. While there, he was given clothes and medically cleared for booking.

Bolan was booked into the Putnam County Jail, where he was charged with grand theft auto and simple trespassing. His bond was set at $1,508.

Dean Johnson said his truck, a 1987 model with only 80,000 miles, was totaled.

“It’s just crazy,” he said. “How often does a naked guy run and jump in your truck and leave with it?”

rbartlett@palatkadailynews.com

Sad, strange news

This is the most grisly use of a tow truck I've ever come across - decapitation suicide by winch cable. Read the full story here. May his poor soul rest in peace.

Third Quarter Results for Miller Industries Out

Here's a link to CNNMoney.com about Miller Industries' third quarter results.

NYC Tow Truck Driver Speaks Publicly

Here's the link to watch the MSN video of the NYC tow truck driver who was burned in the July steam pipe explosion in Manhattan.

International Towing Hall of Fame & Museum News

The New Hall Of Famers: Seven outstanding industry leaders have been inducted into the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame as the Class of 2007.
Richard D. Bays, Jr. (Watsonville, California), John E. Chambers (Orangeville, Ontario, Canada), Harriet S. Cooley (Bethesda, Maryland), Richard A. Frasier (Hague, New York), Pat Herring (Somerset, Pennsylvania), Randy Olson (Chattanooga, Tennessee), and Joseph Pedigo (Normal, Illinois) were nominated by members of the International Hall of Fame and Museum for their many contributions to the towing and recovery industry, their families and their communities.
The Hall of Fame members were recognized at an induction ceremony held September 14^th, 2007 at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. With the closing of the 2007 Class Induction, the International Towing & Recovery Museum is now accepting nominations for the Class of 2008. Please find the nomination form on the museum’s Web site at www.internationaltowingmuseum.org.

For additional information about the inductees, or a photograph of the Class of 2007, call Cheryl Mish at the Museum.

At the Wall of the Fallen in Chattanooga.
Photo by Al Gregg of Dakota Service & Repair.

The Wall: First Names -The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum has officially unveiled the first addition of names on the “Wall of the Fallen” Memorial Wall that was originally dedicated on September 9th, 2006. The complete list of names is in the November issue of Footnotes.At a memorable and emotional ceremony, 94 names were unveiled on bronze nameplates as hundreds of people watched. The Flag Truck also unfurled for the first time the office flag of the U.S. Department of Transportation in a fitting tribute to our fallen towing operators.
This ceremony was the first annual name unveiling and will continue to be held every year in the City of Chattanooga on the 3rd Saturday in September.
Here's a story about the late Bill Garrett, owner and operator of Garrett Wrecker in Checotah, OK who was one of the fallen honored on the wall.

Here's a video story by WDEF News 12 about the ceremony.

And an additional story about a VA tow truck driver John Drees whose name is now on the Wall.

The Fund: First Donation -The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum’s Survivor Fund recently released the first donation of $1,000 to a towing operator’s family. The Fund was established in November 2005 by the Board of Directors with help from many volunteers.

Survivor Fund money is available to any family that loses a towing operator in the line of service as long as it is applied for within 90 days from the date of death. Money can be applied for with the necessary pertinent information such as a death certificate and police report of the accident. All money must be applied for by an immediate family member (ie. Mother, father, brother, sister, etc.).

For more information about the Survivor Fund including the mission statement and an application, visit www.thesurvivorfund.com.

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum, the world’s only Industry museum, opened September 22, 1995. The museum houses 17 antique tow trucks along with industry displays and memorabilia. The museum is located in Chattanooga , Tennessee , home to the Ernest Holmes manufacturing company, the first U.S. manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment. For additional information, call (423) 267-3132.

Final Farewell to VA tower

Our condolences go to the family and friends of Junior Woody of Woody's Garage in Virginia who died in early October after being crushed by a bus he was trying to tow. Read the tribute to the veteran tower by Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Bill McKelway here.

Great Recovery Pictures!

Check out the series of photos online at Pensacola News Journal of a Dodge Truck being recovered from Florida's Santa Rosa Sound by Fletcher's Towing.

Child Left in Car is Discovered by a Tow Truck Driver

Just last month (check out the September 8 "Yikes!" post about that), there was a story about a toddler left in a car who jumped from that car while it was being repossessed. Now, here's a story about another toddler, this time in TX, who was left in the car that was parked illegally and was discovered by tow truck driver Stacy Holland when he brought the car back to the lot. Read the khou.com news story and watch a clip of the tow truck driver's interview here.

Good Profile on S&V Towing of Canada

...and check out the picture of them doing some ice fishing to retrieve a Hummer! Read it here.

Not just for rescuing cars...

Tow trucks are handy for helping animals, too!

Deer Gets A Lift: Jason Schultz, who drives a wrecker for Preferred Towing of MI, helped pull a 80-to 100-pound buck out of a six-foot well. A six-year old girl from saw the deer go in and her insistence led to the rescue. Read the story in the Times-Herald here.

Towing Company Pulls "Mountain" out of a Pool: Fountain City Wrecker of Knoxville TN helped hoist a 1200-lb horse named Mountain out of a pool behind a vacant home recently. Check out the story and a picture of Mountain here.

More Tow Heroes - AL & TX

Similar to a recent story about a Canadian tow truck hero (see post further down the page), Rusty Whitten of Eagle Towing in Alabama pulled one car away from the fiery wreck of another after a deadly crash. His actions helped to save three occupants, a father and two children.
Read the full story here in The Southeast Sun.
Check out another story on Whitten's actions from WTVY News4.com here.


Two Texas tow truck drivers, Hector Garfias and Todd Saunders, drove into rising waters to rescue an elderly couple who were stranded in their car. Read the CBS11TV news story here and watch the video clip.

Nice story on a CO tower

Found this story by Paul E. Anna in The Aspen Times about Wayne Crain of Ajax Towing. Read it here.

Another Educational Opportunity!

The Extreme Extrication Seminar, a three-day workshop that includes the Great Florida Fire School, will be held in Avon Park, FL. It's hosted by Ex-Team Heavy Rescue and runs from Wednesday, November 7, to Saturday, November 10. There's also a Friday night banquet. Cost to towers is $150. To register, visit www.exteamrescue.com and go to the "Class Information" page.

Haven't heard of the Ex-Team? Read about them here in the first section of the January '06 issue of Towing & Recovery Footnotes on p. 23.


Read about a good example of crosstraining here. Las Vegas Fire and Rescue have teamed with Ewing Brothers Towing to train for quick response to major accidents.

Upcoming Educational Opportunities

Wreckmaster Classes being offered:

OCT. 31 & NOV. 1 - Level 2/3 in Oklahoma City, OK

NOV. 3 & 4 - Level 2/3 in Old Bridge, NJ

NOV. 3 & 4 - Level 4/5 in Roanoke, VA (The Woodland Place, Vinton, VA)

Visit www.wreckmaster.com to register and learn more.

Unsolicited Advice: Keep the gate closed.

Remember that story in early October about the FL football player who stole a car back from a towing company (if you don't, check out the Oct. 4 post below). The property owner didn't press charges. Well, it appears that an average customer pulled the same stunt and police are making sure she gets the same treatment as the football star...

Read The Gainesville Sun story here.

Jerr-Dan Continues to Offer towPartner Memberships

Jerr-Dan will once again provide towPartner basic memberships to the entire towing and recovery industry in 2008.

According to the press release:

towPartners will provide these Basic Members a large number of cost savings benefits including quality programs from trusted brands such as Aramark, Sprint Nextel, Office Depot, Dell, Aircharge, T-Chek and more. With a current offering from well over thirty Supplier Partner companies and more being added regularly, towPartners is uniquely positioned to save the towing industry more money than ever. In 2007, towPartners expects to save its members well over seven million dollars and Jerr-Dan’s provision of these memberships in 2008 promises to save the industry millions of additional dollars.

To learn more about towParnters, visit www.towpartners.com and check out the Towing & Recovery Footnotes' profile of towPartners' vice-president Jeffrey Godwin in the first section of our October issue on page 14.

SIDENOTE: towParnters has also announced that towSearch.com, its online road service provider tool, has exceeded 22,000 listed companies from across the United States. Over 500 offer customers a 10% discount for going through towSearch. Read the whole press release here and check out towSearch here.

Canadian Towing Hero!

A standing ovation goes to an unnamed Canadian wrecker driver who saved a driver from a fiery wreck. Here's the story from TheStar.com:

Rachel De Lazzer
Toronto Star Staff Reporter

A quick-thinking tow-truck driver saved the life of a driver trapped in her car after being struck by a suspected drunk driver in Richmond Hill today, say York Region police.

The victim was driving her Toyota Camry eastbound on Elgin Mills Rd. in the curb lane when she was struck by a Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck travelling westbound in the passing lane around 2 a.m. Witnesses say the driver of the Avalanche suddenly swerved left and crossed the eastbound lanes, striking the south curb and then swerving out again, striking the Camry head-on.

The Avalanche burst into flames and the woman was trapped in her Camry near the burning truck.

A tow-truck driver who witnessed the accident used his truck to pull the Camry away from the burning vehicle.

The driver, who was extricated from her car by Richmond Hill fire services, was taken to hospital where she remains in serious condition.

The driver of the Avalanche was not injured, while his passenger suffered minor injuries.

Investigating officers believe the driver of the Avalanche was driving with an illegal blood alcohol level.

Charged is Robert Roberts, 38, of Aurora.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 28.

New Predatory Towing Legislation Signed in NJ

According to this Associated Press story, New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine signed legislation to protect the public from predatory towing companies on Wednesday, 10/24.

The law, called the Predatory Towing Prevention Act, sets maximum towing fees, prevents towing companies from offering kickbacks for information about illegally parked vehicles and requires tow operators to be registered with the state Division of Consumer Affairs.

Read the full story here.

Here are more details on the legislation from PoliticsNJ.com.

Sometimes, you just gotta tell it like it is!

Here's a story by Mike Gerrity from the Montana Kaimin that had me laughing - especially the last two lines.

Missoula County Search and Rescue volunteers got well acquainted with an Idaho resident this week after rescuing him twice within a few days.

Search and Rescue volunteers went out to the Telephone Butte trail 25 miles from the Blue Mountain trailhead west of Missoula on Friday night to retrieve a pair of hunters who slid their 2003 Ford Explorer off the icy trail and got high centered.

Volunteer Chief R.J. Nelsen said that Roger Woodworth, who owned the SUV, was trying to navigate a very narrow and rough trail.

“It’s pretty treacherous,” Nelsen said. “It’s barely wide enough for ATVs.”

Search and Rescue volunteers later retrieved the stranded hunters using all-terrain vehicles Friday night.

On Monday afternoon, however, Woodworth attempted to retrieve his SUV with the help of Sparr’s Towing Service.

On the way out, the tow truck broke down, and the man had to be rescued again along with Bernie Kuhnf Jr., the tow truck driver.

“So now there’s two vehicles up there,” Nelsen said.

Nelsen added that his crew of volunteers had been awake for more than a day after having to rescue the driver and go to their day jobs in the morning.

“It’s a little frustrating,” Nelsen said.

Kuhnf Jr. said that his towing company will try to retrieve the two vehicles on Wednesday, and the stranded hunters should not have been up on that trail in the first place.

“They were two old idiots,” Kuhnf Jr. said.

Woodworth could not be reached for comment.

I'm betting that there might be some trouble collecting on that tow bill...

It's all over the news...

...so I had to at least mention it. Tony Joiner, senior football captain of the Florida Gators for the University of Florida, was arrested early Tuesday for removing his girlfriend's car from Watson's Towing in Gainesville without paying.

According to the Florida Today story,

[Property owner Stan Forron] Forron says Joiner had actually talked to the dispatcher who was working early Tuesday morning and had made arrangements to
pick up the car. The employee left to get some food, and the gate to the company was left open. Joiner showed up to pay the towing bill, waited for some time and got impatient and decided to go ahead and take the car and worry about the bill later.
But another employee noticed the car being removed and called police. Forron claims a worker at Watson's Towing told the Gainesville Police not to charge Joiner, that the company just wanted the money Joiner was supposed to pay.

Yes, the Towing & Recovery Footnotes website is back online!

Check out the latest issue of Footnotes and all of our back issues at www.trfootnotes.com!

Condolences

Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Canadian tow truck driver Amanda Frizzley. The 26-year old worked for Dr. Hook Towing and was killed when her tow truck was hit by a SUV. Read the story in The Winnipeg Free Press here.

Towers said good-bye to 43-year old Donald L. Wheeler of Weymouth, MA, owner of D&D Towing in South Boston. He died of a sudden illness and his colleagues participated in a 80-truck procession to honor him. As reported in The Boston Globe story, "Wheeler's beige casket was tied with a yellow strap to the bed of his favorite tow truck, a 30-foot International 4300 with a shiny red cab." Read the whole story here.

Strange, Sad News

An Arizona tow truck driver, Cecil Pugh, was shot and killed yesterday in a freak accident. The 59-year old was driving his truck when he was hit by a bullet that came from a rifle being cleaned by its owner. The gun owner didn't think the gun was loaded. From the Associated Press story: "The rifle discharged sending a bullet through a mobile home window covering, a window and across 29th Avenue where it struck the windshield of a tow truck that was traveling east." Read the whole story here.

The One That Didn't Get Away

In this story, a woman drove all the way through a car wash and over a retaining wall. A nice new truck owned by David Wilkens of Jerry's Towing in Wisconsin was put into use for the job. Check out the pictures and article from the Hudson Star-Observer here.

NY Tower To Be Honored on the Wall of the Fallen

Here's some more information about Donald Tubia, a New York tow truck driver who was killed in 1997. He'll be honored at the ceremony this weekend at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum.

Read one story by Eric Monnat of the Herkimer Telegram here.

Read another story from The Observer-Dispatch here.

Heartwarming Story for the Day

A round of applause goes to the employees and management of Jack's Towing of Missouri for their role in helping complete a bus stop shelter for school kids in their community. This is a great example of how towing companies can build a positive image AND garner some free publicity.

Nice story by Dan Hassett in the Waynesville Daily Guide about this project headed up by one mom named Pam Fry. Read it here.

Yep, they're out there...

Nice profile on tow truck driver Melissa White who works for Auto Aide of Corona, CA by Jerry Soifer of The Press-Enterprise. Good pictures by photographer David Bauman, too.

According to the story, White is one of two female operators who works for Auto Aide. Thumbs up to general manager Robert Young for his matter-of-fact attitude. He's quoted: "There's companies everywhere that have women in the towing industry. She (White) gets her job done. That's all we look for."

Thumbs up, as well, to Bob Coleman of Valley Wide Towing in Moreno Valley who initially hired and trained White. He's quoted: "It was a good hire," Coleman said. "She did a good job."

Read the full story here.

Wow! Two articles about towing in one day!

Kudos to Indiana's The Journal Gazette writer K.O. Jackson for two stories today on the towing industry!

Read the first one about the towing industry in general with comments from the chairman of the Indiana Towing and Wrecker Association, Richard Mullins.

Read the second one about "rogue" towers (featuring comments Harriet Cooley of the TRAA) here.

Yikes!

A four-year old boy jumped from a SUV in Illinois after it was repossessed. The child, who was in the back seat, had not been seen by the the two men from Select Recovery of Aurora. Luckily, the child was not severely injured. Read the full story from The Beacon News here.

I am not sure why a four-year old was left unattended in a vehicle though.

Hero or Bum? ***UPDATED***

That's how a Pennsylvania tow truck driver says he has been characterized by lawyers in this story by James Conmy in The Citizens Voice of Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Last September, Bob Kadluboski rammed his City-wide Towing truck into a vehicle that had been involved in a crime. It was the suspect's girlfriend's car and only she was in it.

A jury is now involved to determine whether or not Kadluboski's intent was to injure the woman in the car.

He says he was only stopping the vehicle so that it would not leave the parking lot and cause a police chase that could potentially injure others.

Seems Kadluboski has been involved with two other such incidents in the past, including using his tow truck to stop a car carrying two people suspected in a shooting spree. Just before Kadluboski's trial started on Friday, one of the shooters was given a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison for that crime.

The jury will deliberate on Monday after closing statements.


***UPDATE*** Evidently, he's a Hero... Kadluboski was acquitted of assault charges in this case. Read the story in the Times Leader here.

Illinois "Truth In Towing" Law Signed

Designed to protect consumers at an accident scene from "pirate" towing companies, this consumer-protection legislation was signed recently by Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. It actually goes into effect on July 1, 2008.

Towing companies or "safety relocators" who arrive on an accident scene must:
_be licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
_receive authorization from the vehicle's owner or operator before towing occurs and disclose the impound location, any fees that will be incurred, and provide a list of the owner's or vehicle operator's rights. (These rights must also be posted on a sign at the impound lot.)
_have the company name, address and phone number lettered on the tow truck.

There are other regulations, but it seems that most reputable companies will have most of these requirements already covered. Read the full story by Phil Kadner of The Daily Southtown here.

A Thumb's Up, A Thumb's Up and A Thumb's Down

Thumb's Up to AL tow truck driver Doug Turbeville who brought a father and daughter to safety after their car was caught in a flash flood. Read the WAFF 48 News story here and you can also watch the video.

Thumb's Up to AAA of Northern California for offering free towing to drivers who have had too much to drink over the Labor Day weekend, no AAA membership required. Read the Vallejo Times-Herald story here. ***Sorry. The story has been removed from their website.***

Thumb's Down to the IL man who was arrested for running over a tow truck driver in February. According to the Portage Daily Register story, the man was ruled mentally unfit to stand trial. The unnamed tow truck driver did survive, though both his legs were fractured and his right leg was amputated below the knee. Read the article by Todd Krysiak here.

The best part of being in towing and recovery...

... is the variety of work.

Check out this boat that came off the trailer and landed on the truck that was towing it. Anyone know what FL towing company is pictured?

Here's a story of a volunteer tow truck driver going above and beyond from the the waterlogged Midwest. It was posted on a blog called "Family History" and used with permission.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

An Unusual Flood Rescue

As many of you are probably aware (some of you probably all too keenly!), here in the Midwestern U.S., last week brought severe storms and flooding. We were fortunate in that other than a sleepless night, we didn’t sustain any damage. Many of our neighbors weren’t so lucky. This morning I found an interesting flood rescue story in my e-mail. It came from our local police chief through a neighborhood watch mailing list and he’s given me permission to reprint it along with the photographs.

…Many strange flood stories have emerged, I just have to share one with you. On Saturday afternoon, I had just finished a twelve hour day that started with the Calumet River levy being breached close to the new Cabela’s store. At three p.m., I was up on the I-80/94 Ramp over Indianapolis Boulevard surveying the damage. The boulevard was closed off so it was quiet and peaceful up there, no cars.

Three females and a male were walking up the ramp and stopped to speak with me. They stated that they had left their car in the parking lot of the Amerihost Hotel overnight and they wanted to go back and retrieve it. I asked them if it was a black Chevrolet Equinox and they said yes. Early in the day we had State Auto and Towing remove forty-six cars from the Amerihost parking lot and I knew there was only one car left. A black Equinox with water up to the windows.

When I told them that there car was still in the lot but filled with water, the girls (in their early twenties) began crying hysterically. They then told me something I had never heard before–”Our deceased father is in the back seat of the car.”

I had to do a double take, and asked them again what they were talking about. One of the girls stated that their father had recently passed away, and one of the last things he did was buy the Chevy for his oldest daughter. When he died, they had him cremated and his ashes were in an urn, in the flooded back seat of the car.

I called State Auto on my radio and they sent out a tow truck. Donald Kalina, who is our Chief of Emergency Management (a volunteer unpaid position) was the tow driver that responded. He attempted to get back to the Chevy in his tow truck, but because of the high water, he was unable to get close enough to the car for extraction. When he was advised that the girls’ father’s remains were in the backseat of the vehicle, Don offered to wade into the chest-deep, sewage-filled water, to retrieve the urn.

The girls were incredibly relieved and thankful for Don’s selfless act. If anyone ever tells you that there are very few heroes left in the world, please pass on this story…

Sincerely ,
Chief Brian Miller

A Laugh List in Honor of the Dog Days of Summer

IT'S SO HOT AND DRY IN VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA OR (insert the name of your state here) THAT...
....the birds have to use potholders to pull the worms out of the ground.
....the trees are whistling for the dogs.
....the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
....hot water comes from both taps.
....you can make sun tea instantly.
....you learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
....the temperature drops below 95 F (35 C) and you feel a little chilly.
....you discover that in August it only takes two fingers to steer your truck.
....you discover that you can get sunburned through your truck window.
.... you actually burn your hand opening the truck door.
....you break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 A.M.
....your biggest bicycle-wreck fear is: "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
....you realize that asphalt has a liquid stage.
....the potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter.
....the cows are giving evaporated milk.
....farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

Thanks to my bro, Bo, for sending this to me!

Millerfest 2007

Miller Industries Millerfest 2007 is coming up on September 14th - 16th in Chattanooga, TN.

"Tow Trucks" In Space!

For those of you with a scientific bent, here's a story on Physorg.com
(some of my regular reading material...)

Seems that the Naval Research Laboratory is working on a robotic "tow truck" to retrieve broken down satellites for repair or salvage and also to clear orbits for safety by removing "derelict spacecraft or space debris" to a junkyard orbit. Read it here.

Get 'em, Cowboy!

Check out this CBS 11 news story on a police officer who shot at a driver who tried to run him over in a parking lot and the Texas tow truck driver who leaped into action.

Here's to Towers in SW FL

Kudos to Naples Daily News (FL) writer Ryan Mills for the story "The fourth responder: Tow truck driver central player at rescue scene." Good to read something positive about towing and recovery from an outside-the-industry source. Liked the photos, too.

It features Bud Gruber of Bald Eagle Towing of Marco Island and J.T. Corzo of B&B Towing of East Naples. Bald Eagle Towing's got a nice website at www.baldeagletow.com. Be sure to check out the recovery photos - especially the one of the helicopter recovery.

Recognition for Rick Bays, another September Hall of Fame Inductee

Rick Bays, owner of Speed of Light Towing in Watsonville, CA, was featured in a story by writer Donna Jones in the Santa Cruz Sentinel today. Read the story here. Bays will be inducted into the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame on September 14.

Bays was profiled in our July '07 issue of Towing & Recovery Footnotes, too, on page 20 of Section 1. Read the story by TRF writer, Andrea Evans, here.

Rick Bays, Walker Verdugo, Rocky Bays, and Pio Ramirez with truck 40, a 1998 Kenworth T-800 with a Century 9055, in front of St. Patrick’s Church, one of Watsonville's oldest and most recognized landmarks.

towPartners Announces "Tow Institute"

A new towing industry training school called “Tow Institute” has been announced by towPartners. The goal of Tow Institute is to bring together Field Operations training with hands-on instruction and Business Management training.

Students will register for a preferred study track, plus a variety of elective classes, during the two-day educational sessions (Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday) that will launch in 2008.

Five events have been scheduled:

March 14-16 in Phoenix, AZ

May 2-4 in Philadelphia, PA

July 11-13 in St. Louis, MO

September 5-7 in Seattle, WA

October 17-19 in Atlanta, GA

Tow Institute is operated by towPartners and is sponsored by Jerr-Dan Corporation, Sprint Nextel Corporation and Aramark Uniform Services.

Classes are open to towing operators, business owners, managers, office staff and any others interested in the towing industry. Instructors include Rick Chron, John Borowski, Michele Godwin, Jeb Blount, Grant MacQuilkan, and Jeffrey Godwin.

The class registration fee is $595 per student. If there are three or more students registering, the fee is reduced to $500 per student. The class fee covers classes, workshops, handouts, breakfast, lunch and evening receptions.

Click here to learn more about Tow Institute.

Click here to learn more about towPartners.

2007 Tow Woman of the Year Announced

Angela Roper, owner of TIPTOW of Georgetown, TX, has been named as the 2007 Tow Woman of the Year by the Women of the Towing and Recovery Association of America or WTRAA. Roper, a TRAA Nationally Certified Level 1 Towing and Recovery, is currently serving as the WTRAA’s Secretary and was elected as the TRAA’s Third Vice-President this year.

Roper also serves on the TRAA’s Education Foundation Board and is the chairperson for the new TRAA Safety video committee. She is a member of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum Survivor Fund committee and has served on the WTRAA’s scholarship committee for several years.

Working with other towing professionals, Roper helped to form the Towing Education Council or TEC this year. The TEC was created to educate and prepare towers throughout the country for certification and the first class begins in September at the Austin Community College. Roper has served as the Texas Towing and Storage Association’s treasurer and employed as its Executive Director for three years. She is licensed American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) instructor and a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) Basic Instructor. Roper will be honored in Chattanooga, TN in September.

Click here to learn more about the WTRAA.

Vintage International Wrecker

I came across some nice pictures of this 1931 International equipped with a Manley hand crank on Tow411.net. It's owned by Dennis Lynch of A&A Towing in Reno, NV. According to Dennis in his post, it has the original engine and transmission. "It's all there right down to the split wheel rims. And it came with the work order to install the Manley hand crank in 1936. As well as the original title on the chassis from 1931." He was trying to get an assessment on its value.

I emailed Dennis to ask his permission to post a picture here and to see if he had come up with a dollar value on it. He replied that, based on the responses, that it was difficult to put a number on it, but probably in the $25-$30,000 range. (Thanks, Dennis!)

See his original posts with two other pictures of the wrecker here.

Gee, must be nice...

...to have sooooo much money that you FORGET about your impounded $160,000 Maserati like this Parisian man. Read the story here (and keep right on dreamin'!).

If you like NASCAR and towing...

...here's a good story for you about Mike Potter of Tennessee and the early days of NASCAR by Jeff Bobo in the Kingsport Times-News' www.timesnews.net. Read the story here.

The Bicycling Repo Man; Everyday Heroes; Tow Tater Vandalized

We're all concerned about our health, right? Here's a cool story in The Commercial Appeal about Larry Anderson, a Tennessee repo man, who used two wheels to do something about his health. Read the full story here.

West Virginia Tow Truck Driver and Police Officers Risk Lives, Rescue Man. Don Atkinson of Ace Garage and Wheeling, WV police officers went to the assistance of a man trapped in a burning vehicle. Disregarding the risks to their own safety, the five men stayed with the accident victim and protected him from the flames as best they could until firefighters arrived to put out the blaze and extricated the badly-injured man. Read The Intelligencer report here.

California Tow Truck Drivers Honored for Saving Police Officer's Life. Earlier this month, the California Highway Patrol awarded certificates of commendation to tow truck drivers Leon Vires and Michael Winter. The two towers came to the assistance of Officer Mike Remmel after he was struck by a car on the highway in January 2006. Remmel lost both legs as a result of the incident, but is still working for the CHP. Read the full story from MyMotherLode.com here.

What's up with some people? Tow Tater, the 1951 International boom truck that inspired "Mater" in the 2006 Pixar animated movie Cars, was vandalized at its Route 66 gas station in Galena, KS earlier this month. Read the Route 66 News post here.

Association News from Southwest Tow Operators, Statewide Towing Association of MA, Ontario Recovery Group

Southwest Tow Operators: A year after its formation, Southwest Tow Operators has announced that it now has 100 members following the San Antonio Tow Expo in early August. During the show, the group hosted a compliance seminar concerning the new Texas Towing Act. Representatives from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation or TDLR presented an overview of the legislation received in June. Harriet Cooley, Executive Director for the Towing and Recovery Association of America, was also present to cover information on the newly-required driver certifications. A videotape of the presentation will be available to association members and an update will be given by the TDLR at the April 2008 San Antonio Tow Expo. For more information, contact Joann Messina by email to joann@swautotow.com or call 972-247-9454.

Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts: William Johnson, president of the Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts, was interviewed for a BostonNOW story recently. Tow operators are requesting that the MA Department of Public Utilities allow a fuel surcharge to be added to the regulated price of non-consensual tows. Read the full story here.
Gotta love the bit of editorializing that the writer, Christopher Loh, does here: "A fuel surcharge could increase already-expensive prices for tows that occur when a car is left in an area where is not allowed to be parked."

Ontario Recovery Group: Doug Nelson, Executive Director for the Ontario Recovery Group, was interviewed by Today's Trucking, a website for Canada's trucking industry. Nelson's been busy promoting respect for the industry and providing towing tips for truckers. Way to go, Doug!

"At the Canadian Fleet Management Seminar (CFMS) in Toronto this past spring -- as he will in the presence of anyone who will listen -- Nelson offered truckers advice on how to minimize the costs of towing and recovery.
He has prepared guidelines for trucking companies who want to ensure their fleets get towed efficiently and most cost-effectively. And the tips range from things you can do when you're actually spec'ing your vehicles to business practices that will ensure prompt and professional service when the time to tow arrives."

Read the full story here.

Standing Ovation, Please!

The Miller Family Foundation has gifted $50,000 gift to the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum or ITRHFM. The check was presented by the foundation’s representative, Will Miller, to George Connolly, the ITRHFM chairperson, in August. The funds will be used for the bronze plaques on the Wall of the Fallen Memorial that display the names of individuals in the towing and recovery industry who have lost their lives in the line of service and ongoing maintenance of the Wall.

Miller stated, "I believe it is important that these brave individuals who lost their lives be honored and remembered for their sacrifices. I also hope it helps to increase public awareness to the dangers towing operators face on a daily basis."

Connolly said, "We thank the Miller Family Foundation for their generous and ongoing support of of both the ITRHFM and the Wall of the Fallen. The Wall of the Fallen has had an impact on many of the families and friends who have lost a loved one, providing some comfort in knowing the industry remembered and shares in their grief."

The unveiling of the first set of names on the memorial was held in September, a year after the Wall itself was dedicated. For more information on the ITRHFM and the Wall, visit www.internationaltowingmuseum.org or call 423-267-3132.

East Coast Truck & Trailer Sales First Show & Shine

Thanks to salesman Mark Hinchman of East Coast Truck and Trailer Sales of Portsmouth, VA for inviting yours truly to their first Show and Shine Open House on Saturday, August 18! Great fun and congrats to the winners in the show! East Coast will be posting their own pictures at their website www.ectts.com - check 'em out! Here are some that I took:

West Service Center's pedal car tow truck got three-year old Sam Copeland's vote!

Below, this 1998 Kenworth T800 was the People's Choice Winner. It's owned by Robert West, president of West Service Center in Chesapeake, VA.

This is Rob's 20th year in business and he took home a total of four trophies for his entries on Saturday. He and his crew also raised a total of $1,135 in a 50/50 raffle. Half of that - $567.50 - will be donated to the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum's Survivor Fund. Way to go, Rob!



Below, this beauty took first place in the Wrecker/Rollback Division and belongs to Kyle's Towing of Staunton, VA. It's a 2004 Duramax C4500 with 175,000 miles and a pearlized paint job. "It actually works every day," said manager Doug Snyder who brought it down for the show. Doug has been in the towing industry for 25 years.
Here's Doug with detailer Corey Wood. They put four to six hours a week into keeping things in tiptop condition.

Hey! Another towing industry blogger!

Senior editor Bill Candler recently told me about veteran tower, Rod West, and the blog he started. He owns Blackfork Emergency Services in Richmond, Vermont. You can check out "Towing Notes" for yourself here.

Friday Funnies!

Item #1
I wonder if anyone out there has actually towed the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile? Send me a picture if you have!!!

Check out this story from the Chicago Sun-Times titled "What a weenie" about the hotdog-on-wheels and its brush with the law!


Item #2
No tow truck needed here...

Lawsuit Filed

The guardian of the 21-year old tow truck driver whose truck was caught in the steam pipe explosion at the end of July in Manhattan has filed a suit against the New York City utility company, Con Edison. Gregory McCullough suffered severe burns to the majority of his body and remains hospitalized. McCullough’s passenger Judith Bailey was also injured, but has since been released from the hospital. Bailey has also filed a suit against Con Edison.

Read the full story from Associated Press story in USA Today here.

Say What?

In this story by Bridget DiCosmo in the Southeast Missourian, a Missouri woman uses a shotgun to shoot at a wrecker driver who had inadvertently pulled into her driveway and the two deputies who accompanied him. (They were responding to a report of a stolen ATV to recover.) Thankfully, no one was not hurt and the woman was arrested.

However, I had to do a double-take on the comments by Scott County chief deputy Tom Beardslee at the end of the story. Someone should have prepared his statement, too.

"The driver had never met Davis and could not explain why she would shoot at him, Beardslee said.

'This is just an indication of how a seemingly innocuous incident can escalate into a deadly encounter without warning, and for no apparent reason,' said Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter in a prepared statement.

Police say they believe Davis may have been intoxicated at the time. Police said she refused to take a breathalyzer test.

It's possible she had a car repossessed in the past, Beardslee said.

'People don't usually shoot at wrecker drivers for no reason,' he said."

Read the full story here.

Miller Industries Announces 2007 Second Quarter Results

From the CNNMoney.com report:

"'We are pleased with the results of the 2007 second quarter which saw us maintain historically high production levels, reinvest in our business and improve our overall financial strength," stated Jeffrey I. Badgley, President and Co-CEO of the Company. "During the previous year, we increased production levels to fulfill numerous large orders we received during the past several quarters. During the second quarter, we completed work on the orders for 62 small wreckers for the military and 80 small wreckers for a major municipality, as well as on the orders for the city of New York and DataPath. We also paid down the remainder of the Company's junior debt and in July successfully renewed and amended our senior credit facility, reducing our interest rate on borrowed funds going forward."

Mr. Badgley added, "We continued to work on modernizing our heavy-duty wrecker facility, which remains on schedule for completion this year. Our recently completed small wrecker facility has been performing well, and we look forward to the efficiency, customer service and product quality enhancements that these projects will bring going forward. We were also pleased with our Florida trade show in May, where we demonstrated new products that generated positive feedback from the industry.'"

Read the full story here.

Army Aircraft Recovery

Cool story by Army Captain Jeremy Sauer on the Army's new downed aircraft recovery unit. Read it here.

Scam Alert

A couple in North Carolina has been apprehended after several weeks of ripping off towing companies who buy cars from private parties. The two would find a broken down car on the interstate, call the towing service, give them a key to the car they "owned", take care of the paperwork, take the offered money and promise to bring the title at a later date. Of course, the keys didn't work and the tow companies would be out of their cash.

Here's the full story from WSOC-TV 9.

Another farewell

Thought this was a good story by Bill Kirby of The Fayetteville Observer about Perry Bullock, an old-school North Carolina service station owner/operator, who passed away earlier this week. Read it here.

Ohio Towman to be Remembered on the Wall of the Fallen

Jack Reiman, a tow truck driver for Snyder's Towing in Bay View, OH, was changing a tire on the side of the road last July when he was struck and killed by a car. He will be remembered on the Wall of the Fallen at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanoga, TN.

Read the full story by Chauncey Alcorn of the Sandusky Register here.

Click here to learn more about the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum and the Wall of the Fallen and/or to make a donation.

towPartners Improves towSearch.com

Just In...towPartners has announced improvements to its www.towSearch.com website

Here's what potential customers can expect when they use towSearch to find towing and other automobile-related services:

1. Users of the towSearch system can now save 10% on towing and road service with many towSearch service providers.
2. The towSearch tool is now capable of working with all types of mobile devices including cell phone operating systems and can be accessed and used at no cost by those with wireless internet access.
3. The towSearch search interface now includes the ability to pinpoint your location on a map when searching for the nearest qualified service provider.
4. towSearch has expanded its search capabilities to include companies that offer limousine specific towing and heavy duty repair shops.

Here's how towPartners members benefit:

1. The entire towPartners network is now eligible to be listed on towSearch.com. Of the 36,000 towPartners members, approximately 20,000 service providers are currently listed on towSearch.
2. towPartners members will be listed at no cost through 2008 courtesy of the generous sponsorship of Basic Memberships for the entire towing industry by Jerr-Dan Corporation.

Not a member of towPartners and want to know more? Click here.