Good Story on CA Repo Man

Here's the story from the Lodi News-Sentinel. Nice job on it by reporter Layla Bohm!

When the gray Chevrolet 3500 pulls out of a Beckman Road driveway, the driver is on a mission: He plans to return with another vehicle in tow.

In all likelihood, he'll arrive at an address, effortlessly lower the towing equipment on the back of his truck and drive off within a minute or two.

The driver is a vehicle repossessor working for Lodi-based Accurate Adjustments. He often works at night, using the darkness to his advantage so he can avoid the vehicle's owner.

There are plenty of vehicles to be repossessed, with the economy likely contributing to skyrocketing statistics: Five years ago, 453 vehicles were taken back from their owners in the fiscal 2003-04 year, according to Lodi police. In the fiscal year ending in June, 814 owners lost their vehicles.

Unlike in television shows, those vehicle owners are rarely the drug-crazed deadbeats who trigger brawls lit by flashing police lights.

What's much more likely is that the car's owners will simply watch the repossession process, resigned to the fact that auto payments got to be too much. Sometimes they cry, asking for one more chance to come up with the money, or to at least get their personal belongings out of the car.

That's the real job of a repossessor, according to Shane Freitas, who owns Accurate Adjustments. The sole goal is to retrieve a vehicle safely.

"I try to train my guys not to judge people. They have to have eyes in the back of their head, but they shouldn't judge," he said. "I like to think people thought they could afford the car."

Freitas, who owned his business for 13 years and previously spent a number of years in the industry, sees his profession as a service. Repossession is a way to recover property while avoiding more costly methods such as the court system.

"It saves the consumer money and it keeps the interest rates lower," Freitas said. "If they don't get their collateral back, they'll raise rates for (consumers)."

Freitas, 39, has been around the repo business for much of his life.

Born in Hawaii, Freitas lived there until he was 9, after his mother met a man in the military who settled in Arkansas. Then they moved to California to be closer to family. Freitas' dad became an auto mechanic, and his shop was next door to a repo business.

Freitas got to know the owner, named Nick, who gave him some part-time jobs accompanied by a warning: "He told me, whatever you do, make sure you don't get involved in this business."

That advice didn't stick.

Courtesy pays off

Now he owns a large building on the eastern edge of Lodi, complete with a $40,000 alarm system that's constantly monitored and includes motion-detecting cameras.

Freitas has owned his business for 13 years, and in spring 2008 he moved the company from Stockton to Lodi. He said the reason was because Lodi police respond quickly to building alarm calls.

The tan structure is surrounded by a brick wall and black iron fence, but inside, his nine full-time employees have the use of a modern kitchen. Freitas' office desk is partially taken up by three computer monitors, along with a large iced coffee drink.

A map of Hawaii hangs on one wall, and nearby are photos of his wife and two daughters.

Vehicle repossessions in Lodi

By fiscal years ending in June:
2003-04: 453
2004-05: 433
2005-06: 427
2006-07: 542
2007-08: 621
2008-09: 814
The vehicles ranged from motor homes to boats to dirt bikes, and included many sport-utility vehicles, said Lodi Police Lt. Chris Piombo.
Source: Lodi Police Department

About state repossession licenses

California currently has 278 repossessor agencies, which are licensed through the Department of Consumer Affairs.

A total of 775 licensed employees are working for repo companies, and another 291 people are "qualified managers," which means they are responsible for making sure licenses are current and valid, said spokesman Russ Heimerich.

The license process includes a background check and takes about two weeks, he said. Licenses must be renewed every two years, or if the employee moves to a different repo business.

Accurate Adjustments is the only repo company in Lodi, and is one of only three in San Joaquin County. Two new, small ones are based in Thornton and Mountain House, with two licensed repossessors each. Accurate Adjustments has eight licensed repossessors, according to state records.

To check the license of a repossession business or employee, or others in the security industry, go to www.bsis.ca.gov/online_services/verify_license.shtml.

News-Sentinel staff

A spacious, enclosed garage holds cars that have recently been towed, with sport-utility vehicles on one side and sedans on the other.

They're parked more closely than the typical parallel parking job, but even that doesn't present a problem for the tow trucks, which Freitas demonstrated.

He remote-started a tow truck from a button on the key ring, and a computer turned on inside the truck. Cameras mounted on the truck gave Freitas a complete view as he lowered a boom, opened a claw-like device and slid it under a parked car — all as he sat inside the truck.

Then the claws lifted the front end of the car and swiveled it, pulling it effortlessly out from between two cars and then rolling it on its rear tires.

"People are always curious about how we get their cars without damaging them," he said with a slight smile.

That's another aspect of the job — the people whose cars have been taken.

Often they run outside to their vehicle before the repo truck has left. And, TV-related assumptions aside, Freitas said his employees frequently just knock on a door before leaving with the car.

That's the method that three-year employee Mike Deluna prefers. He hooks the car up to his tow truck, which means it has legally been repossessed, and then he often knocks on the door. That gives people a chance to get their personal belongings out of the car, and he can ask for the keys to make life easier for everyone.

After all, it saves company time from having to take a full inventory of a vehicle and store the items, which fill another room at the business.

As a family man with children, Deluna said he sometimes runs into people whose vehicles he repossessed, and the professional attitude makes such encounters much easier.

Very rarely are people actually surprised when the repo truck comes, Freitas said, since finance companies first try to collect payment directly from the debtors.

When it comes down to the actual repo, Freitas emphasizes professionalism to his employees.

"The repossessor's demeanor sets the tone for the whole operation," he said.

From motorcycles to a Rolls

Freitas avoids most accusations and arguments because of the cameras on his trucks. They record audio and video.

One time, Freitas said, he had hooked up a car to a tow truck when a young woman came running out of the nearby mobile home, clad only in a bra and panties. A man followed her, making threats to shoot Freitas.

Sheriff's deputies were called, and in the meantime the woman had gotten into the car. When deputies came, she said she had been there before Freitas arrived, and he was facing arrest for kidnapping.

Freitas told the deputies it was all recorded, and he pressed the "play" button on the computer in his truck. He was no longer threatened with arrest.

In all his years of work, Freitas has seen plenty of interesting situations. There was the time he towed a motor home and his brother-in-law was helping inventory the contents.

"I'm saying, 'Wow, the only thing missing is the kitchen sink,' and then he tosses a sink out," Freitas said with a grin.

One time a man came to the business hoping to get a camera that had been in his vehicle. He was crying because the pictures meant so much to him, and Freitas eventually found the camera that had become wedged under a seat.

"It's all how you treat people," he said. "Sometimes people just fall on hard times."

He's towed all kinds of vehicles, ranging from motor homes to motorcycles to plenty of cars.

The most expensive car he's towed? A $350,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom, for which the driver still owed $275,000.

"I didn't sleep when that thing was here," Freitas said as he stood in the enclosed garage, adding that he was quite relieved when the finance company's truck came to pick up the car.

Facing a gun

In all his years in the repo business, Freitas said he was only hit once, when he let down his guard and a bunch of men surrounded him, with one punching him.

But that's not the only risk.

"We've had guns pointed at us, we've had knives pulled on us. I had bullet holes in the side of a truck, and didn't even know we were being shot at," Freitas said.

The gun-pointing incident isn't something Freitas has forgotten. He still remembers staring at the barrel of the gun, and seeing that the man's finger was in the trigger.

And the man was crying.

Freitas managed to calm the man down and get him to lower the gun and talk. It turned out that the gunman was so upset because he really had made his car payments. Unknown to him, the auto dealer was pocketing the money.

Freitas had been hearing the same story from other repossession victims — though they didn't brandish guns — and knew something was wrong. Freitas said he got state investigators involved, and ultimately 38 cease-and-desist orders were served on car lot owners along Wilson Way in Stockton.

Freitas still tells the story because it's an exception in his line of work, and because it shows that every situation is different.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.

Closed DC Towing Company Sues District For $10 Million

Here's the Washington Examiner story:

By: Michael Neibauer
Examiner Staff Writer
August 6, 2009

A D.C. towing operator whose business was shut down in 2007 for flouting city towing laws is suing the government for $10 million, saying the District had no authority to revoke his license.

James W. Gee, owner of Youngin's Towing and Auto Body, may have been one of the more despised businessmen in the District until the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs closed his Montana Avenue Northeast business down.

He was accused of, and fined for, charging exorbitant rates, towing with little justification and without notifying the city, requiring cash-only payments, refusing to turn over a vehicle, failing to provide a printed copy of the "Owner's Bill of Rights," and declining to pay for damages caused by his drivers. Some owners complained that Gee junked their cars before they could retrieve them from his lot.

But none of that matters, Gee says in a lawsuit filed last week in federal court. His suit argues that federal law bars any state from regulating the tow truck industry, with two exceptions -- for safety and the price of a tow not requested by the vehicle's owner. The District, Gee said, violated a "federal pre-emption" and lacked the jurisdiction to close him down.

"Sounds kind of crazy, right?" said Donald Temple, Gee's lawyer. "But that's what the federal law says."

Temple said he "is not defending anybody's bad practices." Rather, he said, the lawsuit tackles "more of a legal if not constitutional question." By squashing his business license, the city was guilty of "unconstitutional seizure," and for that Gee is asking $10 million.

"I was treated rotten," Gee said. "I was a hard-core businessman. I did nothing wrong."

DCRA disagreed. In October 2007, when she announced that Youngin's had been shut down and fined $1,500, agency Director Linda Argo described the business as one that "preyed on vulnerable vehicle owners." The D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed DCRA's action this year.

"One of the things we do in this administration is we take action when action is required and we're not afraid to do it," Attorney General Peter Nickles said Tuesday.

As for Gee's federal pre-emption argument, Nickles said it was "ridiculous" given that "towing is inherently a local function."

Youngin's grossed more than $1 million in its last year of operation, according to the lawsuit.

mneibauer@washingtonexaminer.com

Miller Now Tweets

Here's the press release:

Learn about new products coming out from the industry leader, keep track of the excitement of the Miller Race Recovery Team at NASCAR Races around the country or find out what tow show or training events you can meet and talk with the folks from Miller Industries. Just go to twitter.com and sign up to follow the tweets from Millerind, http://twitter.com/millerind

Miller Industries will help keep you informed with all their latest news and events.

South African Tow Truck Driver Killed Last Friday

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of 25-year old Lewies Vermaak, who died in an accident last Friday. He leaves behind a wife and 4-year old son. Here's the story from news24.com:

Arisja Jacobs

Secunda – A young tow-truck driver died in an accident on Thursday, as conflict between local tow-truck operators continued.

Lewies Vermaak, 25, had only been married to his wife, Charné, 22, for three months.

Her mother, Wilna Marais, died three weeks ago in a car accident on the same road where Vermaak died.

Vermaak also left a four-year-old son, Brandon.

Vermaak had been working at Sectri-Auto for the past month. The company's Dawie Greef and Nico Higgs, owner of Modern Auto Repair, claimed the accident scene to which Vermaak had been going, was actually a police trap to catch tow-truck operators.

But Secunda police station spokesperson, Captain Busaphi Sibanyoni, denied this.

Collision with tow-truck

Vermaak got a R500 fine for speeding on his way to the accident scene, in the direction of Evander. On his return, his tow truck, a Nissan Navara, collided with a vehicle driven by Tommy Bronkhorst from Car Doctor.

The Navara rolled over to the right of the road and over the central ridge and double lane of oncoming traffic, finally stopping in long grass at the side of the road.

Vermaak died on the scene. Bronkhorst was unhurt and his vehicle appeared not to be badly damaged.

Greef's wife, Tanya, said Vermaak was very popular in the two-truck community. "He went directly to heaven. Lewies recently salved our vehicles and company so that God would bless us and protect us."

The accident scene was attended by many police and traffic officials, tow-truck drivers and owners and their lawyers.

Accusations of road rage, competition between tow-truck operators and death threats were voiced out loud.

Physical altercations between tow-truck drivers of the roughly eight companies in the area happen regularly at accident scenes. Assault charges are regularly made and then withdrawn.

Owners blamed for conflict

"When will it stop? Will we first have to take one of your bodies from the road before you stop fighting like this?", Captain Floors Steyn of the Secunda detective branch asked a few tow-truck operators about two months ago, after one of them had been attacked with a golf club.

Sibanyoni said on Thursday, "I can't yet confirm whether the accident was related to the continued infighting between the different tow-truck operators. We will investigate all angles."

Stephen Holloway, owner of Car Doctor, told Beeld that Bronkhorst had gotten along well with Vermaak and that there was no bad blood between them.

"Tommy currently tows most of the vehicles in town."

A tow-truck driver, who didn't want to give his name for fear of losing his job, said on Thursday that owners of tow-truck companies were behind the fighting amongst operators. "We are now paid a small basic salary and get commission for every car we tow. Each of the operators have police scanners and our bosses know this."

"We have to race to be first on the scene, otherwise we don't get paid. If our bosses sort it out, then things can change."

- Beeld

Peek In On Miller Industries

From a Miller Industries release:

We just went live with another webcam at our delivery building. This one covers the outside area where Frank & Benji do final inspections.

Go to www.millerind.com and look under the extras tab for "Outside Live Webcam"

towPartners Launches New Online "Advisor Speaks" Column

Here's the press release:

towPartners announced that its website at www.towpartners.com now contains a new column feature called “Advisor Speaks” which will provide an informative daily reading piece for visitors and allows members to submit their own pieces. The “Advisor Speaks” has been initially loaded with over fifty pieces that are

each less than one page in length.

There will be more pieces added by the towPartners organization in the coming months plus there is a feature that allows members to submit items for the Advisor Speaks. This should allow the system to operate with minimal duplication. The stories are published at random each day and any duplication cannot occur until all of the published pieces have been displayed. This will at least prevent any duplication for the next fifty days and longer as new stories are added. Stories submitted to the system will also be considered for publication in the towPartners Advisor magazine, a quarterly publication to the towing industry that is mailed to the more than 25,000 members of towPartners and repoPartners.

The new Advisor Speaks section of the website will include short items about everything from choosing trucks to business practices with advice and information about all aspects of operating a small business, particularly one in the towing industry. The articles range from information about wreckers to topics of interest to tow truck operators and those who work in the towing industry. Contact : Jeffrey Godwin, towPartners, Keller, TX, 877-401-2345, jgodwin@towpartners.com

Everyday Tow Hero in OH Recently Honored

Kudos to tow truck driver Warren Canon, Jr! Here's part of the story from The Chronicle-Telegram. Read the full story here.

ELYRIA — Fourteen heroes from all over the county will be recognized today at a breakfast hosted by the American Red Cross of Lorain County.

Honorees include people from all walks of life including a mail carrier, two policemen, a school counselor, a high school student, a tow truck driver, and a couple young children. They are:

• Warren Canon Jr., a tow truck driver, and Marcus and Maria Rouston called 911 on a freezing night in January when they spotted smoke coming from a Lorain home with a handicapped ramp outside. They all went inside the house and pulled the 88-year-old man inside to safety as the fire destroyed the home. The man inside had been sleeping and was unaware of the fire.

Suspected Drunk Driver Could Face Manslaughter Charges for VA Tow Truck Driver's Death

Here's the story from the Daily Press:

NEWPORT NEWS — By all accounts, Andy Starmer did everything right on Sunday night.

He was wearing reflective clothing. He had the lights on his tow truck flashing. And he was pulled off onto the right shoulder of Interstate 64 near Victory Boulevard in Newport News.

But the Denbigh High School graduate, who would have turned 37 on Wednesday, died after being struck by the vehicle of a motorist who is now charged with driving under the influence.

William Charles Burns, 51, of Newport News, was charged with DUI and reckless driving, and the Newport News commonwealth's attorney will determine whether to charge him also with manslaughter, said Virginia State Police Sgt. Michelle Cotten.

"Our job exposes us to the same dangers as any other emergency responders," said Clarence Patrick, the owner of Superior Towing in Newport News, where Starmer had worked for seven years. "We take the same precautions as police, paramedics and fire and rescue workers when they are responding to a situation on the highway."

Patrick said Starmer's "rollback" tow truck was "as far onto the right shoulder as it could go, less than a foot from the guardrail."

Starmer was removing a disabled vehicle from westbound I-64 when he was hit around 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Patrick said Starmer had placed the vehicle on his wrecker and was securing it with chains when a four-door pickup truck came onto the shoulder, hit the tow truck and then struck Starmer.

Starmer was propelled about 100 feet past the front of the tow truck, and the other truck came to rest another 100 feet up the road, Patrick said.

Starmer was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. Burns also sustained injuries in the accident but is expected to recover.

Patrick, who has been in the towing business for more than a decade, said it is the first time one of his drivers has been hit.

He said Starmer, who had a young son, was one of five drivers working for Superior.

"We're a small company," he said. "Andy was like a part of the family."

VA Tow Truck Driver Killed On Interstate Saved Customer's Life

An everyday tow hero to the very last. Kudos to WTKR-TV for revealing this side of a very sad story:

Even until the end, friends say, Andy Starmer always put others ahead of himself.

As a tow truck driver Starmer was used to rescuing stranded drivers.

But last night, his friends say, Starmer did more than that - he actually saved his customer's life.

Clarence Patrick, who was Starmer's boss at Superior Towing adds, "His last words were to tell the motorist that he needed to go to the other side of truck because it was dangerous out there and he would appreciate him standing to the side of the truck."

Just as the customer moved away from traffic Police say William Burns lost control of his truck and hit Starmer. Starmer died at the scene. The Newport News resident would have turned 37 this week.

Clarence Patrick says being a tow truck driver has its risks, but he says it's something Stramer loved to do.

Starmer was known for being extremely careful when working on the interstate. They say he always followed the rules, like using the appropriate gear. Patrick says last night was not any different.

Patrick adds, "There is no way this should have happened. He did everything he possibly could, to make sure that nothing happened."

And now as his family and those he worked with deal with their grief, Patrick says everyone should take this as a lesson learned: Every time you see a tow truck driver along the side of the road give him plenty of room.

Patrick adds, "When that guy comes by to tow your car for a flat tire or something. He's basically in the line of traffic putting his life on the line. He really is."

Police say Burns is still hospitalized with critical injuries. He has been charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving. The commonwealth's attorney's office will examine the police report and determine whether those charges will be increased to manslaughter.

IL Towing Scandal Snares Ex-Officer

Here's the story from St. Louis Today:

ST. LOUIS — The federal investigation into misconduct involving the St. Louis Police Department and a local towing and parking company expanded Monday with the guilty plea of a former police detective.

Kevin Shade, 35, waived indictment by a grand jury Monday morning and pleaded guilty to a single felony charge of mail fraud. The court proceeding was the first time Shade had been identified as part of criminal activity involved with the towing scandal.

As part of his plea, Shade admitted that over an almost four-year period, he was involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain clear titles for impounded vehicles.

Between October 2004 and August 2008, Shade took cash bribes to sign off on documents that said vehicles he had inspected had no flaws, or only minor flaws. They actually had obvious flaws, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen said in court.

Shade's signature on the forms meant that S&H Parking Systems would receive a normal title to those vehicles from the state instead of a salvage title, boosting the value of the vehicle.

Shade was one of the officers responsible for vehicle inspections in the department, which is allowed to do the inspections under state law. The Missouri Highway Patrol performs most of the inspections.
Shade also admitted that St. Louis Metropolitan Towing manager Gregory P. Shepard "and others" were involved in the scheme. Metropolitan Towing and S&H are associated companies.

Shade has agreed to cooperate in the investigation and potentially testify, Jensen said in court.

Shepard was indicted on multiple counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and bribery on June 25.

That indictment accuses Shepard and the unidentified "others" of a wide-ranging scheme that included attempts to boost fees for storing towed cars by lying to owners to keep them there longer. The scheme also involved inflating the mileage fees Metropolitan charged for towing cars owned by rental companies, the indictment says.

Shepard, a former police detective, oversaw vehicle impounds for years while on the force. He retired in 1999, then joined Metropolitan.

Shepard has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer, Dave Harlan, has said that he is innocent. Harlan declined to comment on Shade's guilty plea Monday, saying did not have any information on the plea.

Prosecutors declined to comment after the brief court hearing. They, investigators and defense attorneys declined to identify the "others" allegedly involved.

Shade's plea comes well over a year after federal investigators began looking into the relationship between Metropolitan Towing and the Police Department. It comes just over a year since the department, after receiving inquiries from the Post-Dispatch, admitted that Metropolitan had been allowing officers and the daughter of then-Chief Joe Mokwa to use towed cars for free.

In subsequent months, the newspaper revealed that Metropolitan shortchanged the city by at least $700,000 on towing revenue that they were supposed to share, and that police and Metropolitan employees improperly towed and kept the vehicles

Metropolitan's owners, brothers William and Kenneth Bialczak, have not been mentioned in either criminal indictment. Their lawyer, Sanford Boxerman, said, "The information available to me suggests that neither Bill or Ken has done anything illegal."

"I'm sure people are forming conclusions. I'm not sure the conclusions that people are forming are the correct ones," he said.

Mokwa's lawyer, Neil Bruntrager, said Mokwa was not involved in wrongdoing and has not been interviewed by investigators.

Shade resigned from the department the same day Shepard was indicted. The department did not immediately respond to questions about the terms of his departure or how those terms would be affected by his guilty plea.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, he could face 12 to 18 months in federal prison. He is likely to get a considerable break, even possibly probation, in exchange for his cooperation, lawyers said.

"It was a difficult decision for … Officer Shade, but he's certainly considered all his options but believed this to be his best option given the circumstances," said Scott Rosenblum, one of Shade's lawyers.

Rosenblum said Shade was willing to accept responsibility for "something he did" and was looking forward to a "bright future and career in something other than law enforcement."

Class Challenges Fresno's $40 Towing Fee

Here's the story from Courthouse News Service:

Class Challenges City's $40 Towing Fee

FRESNO (CN) - The City of Fresno is unconstitutionally collecting nearly $1 million a year by charging tow-truck drivers a $40 "referral fee" for every vehicle the city has them tow, a class action claims in Fresno County Court.
Named plaintiff William Solorzano, whose vehicle was towed, says the $40 fee is an illegal tax. Fresno called it "a new innovative revenue source" in its 2005-06 budget report; it approved the fee in 2004. He claims the city is collecting more than 20,000 such fees each year.
He claims the city admits it is spending $500,000 of that money each year on police programs, though state law requires that it charge only "the amount necessary to reimburse the public entity for its actual and reasonable costs incurred in connection with the tow program."
And he claims that the $40 "fee" is actually a tax, under Proposition 218. Solorzano wants the $40 fee enjoined.
The putative class is represented by Nathan Miller with Miller & Ayala.

SC Man Accused Of Hitting Tow Truck Remains Jailed

Here's the Myrtle Beach Sun News story:

A Murrells Inlet man remains jailed on more than $20,000 bond after a tow truck driver reported the man tried to run him over with his vehicle.

William Kelly Thomas, 28, is being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center on charges of assault and battery with intent to kill, driving under the influence and malicious damage to property with a value between $1,000 and $5,000, according to jail records. His bond is $20,000 for the assault charge, $997 for the DUI charge and $5,000 for the malicious damage charge.

A 37-year-old driver for Tow Time Towing in Myrtle Beach told police that at 9 p.m. Friday he went to tow an illegally parked vehicle near the Eleventh Hour Bar and Grill at 709 North Ocean Blvd., according to a police report.

The driver reported he and another employee got the vehicle ready to be raised to the truck when Thomas came up and began to protest the tow, according to the report. The driver said Thomas got in the vehicle, struck the tow truck and then drove the car onto the sidewalk to flee.

Damage to the truck was estimated at $2,000 and damage to a tow dolly was estimated at $750, according to the report. Police found Thomas a short time later and arrested him in Myrtle Beach.

TX Tow Company Employee Takes Wild Ride

Here's the San Marcos Record story:

A towing company employee wound up on what sounds like a wild ride early Saturday after he jumped into the back of a pickup truck fleeing the wrecker yard.

Police said the 33-year-old employee jumped into the bed of the Toyota Tundra as it crashed through a locked gate at Saucedo's Wrecker Service, then called 911 as the vehicle sped south on IH-35.

San Marcos Police Officer Todd Harrison pulled the truck over on the West Access Road south of Posey Road after following it at a high rate of speed, SMPD Sergeant Fred Wisener said.

The driver, 35-year-old Allen Kluth, was "taken out at gunpoint," and later charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, theft under $100,000 and criminal mischief under $1,500, Wisener said.

The Saucedo's employee told police he was "helping customers" when Kluth came to claim the Tundra, which had been towed. Wisener said Saucedo's wouldn't release the vehicle to Kluth because he "couldn't come up with sufficient proof of ownership," Wisener said.

Wisener said a female with Kluth asked to retrieve property from the Tundra and the employee was on the phone with his supervisor asking permission for that to happen when he "heard someone driving toward the gate."

The employee told police he ran to the scene and the truck hit him in the shoulder and leg, causing pain, though he'd tried to "get out of its way," Wisener said.

EMS checked the employee out but didn't take him to the hospital.

The arrest was made at 2:53 a.m. Wisener said "several officers" were involved.

Man Charged In Crash That Killed VA Tow Truck Driver

Here's the WVEC.com story:

NEWPORT NEWS - The man police say is responsible for a traffic death in Newport News has been charged with manslaughter.

State police say William Charles Burns was driving drunk Sunday night when his pickup struck and killed a tow truck driver on I-64.

William Charles Burns

The accident occurred east of Victory Boulevard in Newport News.

Police say the tow truck driver was helping a motorist in a disabled vehicle when Burns' truck hit him.

State police spokeswoman Michelle Cotton said Burns was arrested Monday night and was taken to the Newport News City Jail.

He is charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter in addition to DUI and reckless driving.

Here's the Virginian-Pilot story.

Tow Trucks Added To AL 'Move Over' Law

Kudos to the lawmakers in the Heart of Dixie! Here's the Dadeville Record story:

Law enforcement officials will begin issuing warnings for Alabama’s Move Over law this week.

The law requires drivers to move over a lane when emergency responders, law enforcement officials or wreckers are working on the side of the road. The law has been in effect for several years, but changes were made recently, including adding wreckers to the law and specifying a minimum speed limit for passing vehicles.

“The new Move Over law includes wreckers along with other emergency responders for which motorists need to move over,” said Dorris Teague, spokeswoman for the Alabama Department of Public Safety.

Teague said the new specifications were added to better protect emergency responders and to clear up confusion about the existing law.

“I believe it just provides an added measure of safety for these emergency responders and clarifies the law for motorists,” Teague said.

Drivers are required to move over one lane, away from the emergency responders, when traveling on a four-lane road.

If that is not possible, drivers must slow the vehicle to at least 15 miles per hour below the posted speed limit.

On two-lane roads, drivers are required to slow to at least 15 miles per hour below the posted speed limit or slow to 10 miles per hour when the speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less.

The law will have a six-month warning period beginning Aug. 1, during which time officers will issue warnings for violations and the Department of Public Safety will educate motorists about the law.

After the warning period, a first violation fine will be $25, a second violation will be $50 and a third violation will be $100.

Enforcing the law can be difficult, if law enforcement officials do not witness the incident. Troopers have issued citations after motorists have sped by them during a traffic stop.

“If you were to see any of these (emergency) vehicles on the side of the road, and you saw a vehicle pass without violating the law, you can pull that car over,” Sgt. Robert Watson said.

Watson said he is glad the law now includes wreckers, since it has helped protect emergency responders since the original law was enacted a few years ago.

“It’s very much necessary,” Watson said. “Historically speaking, we’ve had far more injuries and deaths to law enforcement officers from traffic situation than from assaults. I would like to urge everyone that if they approach any emergency vehicle or a wrecker on the side of the road to move over and use caution.”

Always Nice To See...

...profiles of towing businesses in publications other than Footnotes! Here's one on Green's Towing and Recovery of MI. Here's the Morning Sun story:

Jeremy Gepford has been working in the towing business since he was 18 years old, and he has seen his share of "the bad and the ugly" when it comes to accident scenes.

Gepford, 34, is co-owner of Green's Towing and Recovery, A-1 Towing, Action Towing, and Ace Towing, whose main office is located at 1504 N. Fancher St.

"We've been in business since 1981, and we're a corporation, my mom (Shirleen Gepford), my sister (Tiffany Gepford) and myself.

"It's a family business."

Gepford said that he has seen so many accident scenes that he does not remember the first one he ever saw.

"I've been around it all my life," Gepford said. "I'm used to that.

"Occasionally, I've seen people trapped in their vehicles. But, they all kind of blur into one."

The Green's Towing and Recovery Web site said that the company provides the service of accident recovery both on and off road, battery installation, commercial towing, and flatbed towing.

"We have 24-hour towing, roadside services, unlocks, jump starts, flat tires, light and medium duty towing, and long hauls as far away as Detroit," Gepford said.

Although business has been down somewhat due to the economy, Gepford said that all things considered, the businesses are doing OK.

Between the four towing companies, they employ four office workers and seven drivers.

"Safety is our number one priority for our personal drivers," Gepford said. "We would like for people to know that a tow truck is like any other emergency vehicle, and people need to slow down or move to another lane when you see them working along the road."

The company accepts most major road service insurance groups such as AAA, Allstate, Asurion Roadside Assistance services, Coach-Net Roadside Assistance, Cross County Motor Club, Geico, Road America, and local insurance companies.

"We work with law enforcement," Gepford said. "We're on the police rotation list for accidents and impounds.

"For instance, when they pull over a driver and they're drunk and get arrested and going to jail. We impound their vehicle in a fenced secured lot."

Gepford said that vehicles that have been in accidents get taken to their place where insurance adjusters decide on whether it will be repaired or scrapped.

There is a stack of cars that are waiting "to get crushed" on the office lot, Gepford said.

The company's Web site, www.greens24hrtowing.com lists the contact numbers as follows: in Mt. Pleasant: 989-772-0147 and 989-772-5454, in Rosebush: 989-433-5848, and in Shepherd: 989-828-7372 with office hours Monday thru Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Farewell, Friend

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of 85-year old Ralph Waldo McGuffey, owner of McGuffey's Wrecker Service in Tallahassee, FL. He passed away from natural causes on Thursday, Aug. 6. Here's the WCTV news story of a tribute at his funeral:

A sea of tow trucks made their way from Quincy to Tallahassee, as a sign of respect for a man whose been in the wrecker business all his life.

More than 50 of the huge trucks took over the roads, making their way to the funeral of 85-year old Ralph Waldo McGuffey. He passed away Thursday, leaving behind a lifetime of working in the business he loved.

Those in attendance remember Ralph as a happy go lucky man, who would do anything for anyone.

"My son was like 16 years old he was on a tow truck over here and had some problems with it, he sent a man out, helped my son take care of the problem, wouldn't charge us a dime for helping us," says Spud White, who owns Gulf County Towing.

"I don't know of anybody who's come into contact with him that just hasn't absolutely fell in love with him. He was just a lovable likable man," says Rebecca Sheffield, Ralph's granddaughter.

Even towers who didn't work for Ralph say he treated everyone like family.

"I would consider him a father figure to me personally and to the whole industry, here in town and widespread," says Daniel Bartholf, the regional director for Florida Independent Towing Association.

"Everybody's in competition, but everybody's still like a big family that's how the wrecker business works," says Jeff Jones, of Jones Towing.

Ralph died of natural causes in his home, surrounded by people he loved.

Program No 'Clunker' For Scrap Yards, Towing Companies

Here's the story from Crain's Detroit Business:

With a second round of funding approved for the cash for clunkers program, local car dealers, auto salvage yards and towing companies say the first round has been a boon for business.

The small businesses, which have all had a bad first half of the year, are reporting increases in activity.

Among the biggest beneficiaries of the program so far is Jeff Wojtylko, owner of Taylor Auto Salvage Inc. in Taylor.

In the week and a half between July 29 and late last week, Taylor Auto Salvage picked up about 900 so-called clunkers, or nearly 10 percent of the 10,000 vehicles it purchased last year, Wojtylko said.

The availability of vehicles for scrap spurred him to call back eight employees he laid off in November, bringing his employee ranks back to 18.

Taylor Auto is paying dealers the scrap value of the cars plus a premium for the value of the resalable parts and paying a tow service to move the clunkers, Wojtylko said.

Once the vehicle engines have been disabled by the car dealers, auto recyclers drain oil, gas and coolants from the vehicles, remove batteries, cut catalytic converters and remove mercury switches.

Taylor Auto then puts the cars on its lot so customers can come in with their own tools and remove, for a price, any parts they'd like. The lot holds only 1,000 cars, so the oldest 50 vehicles get crushed each day.

Wojtylko initially put the company's employees on a 60-hour work week, but now has them working 72 hours to keep up with the dismantling and crushing demand.

Other auto recyclers say they've begun to pick up clunker vehicles, but the majority of vehicles promised to them by dealerships are sitting on dealer lots, awaiting government approval.

“Some dealers are getting approvals faster than other dealers, and some are taking a gamble the government will pay them back and taking a risk” by having clunkers towed to auto recyclers in advance of final approval, said Brad Horton, owner of U.S. Auto Supply in Detroit.

U.S. Auto Supply has received about 60 cars since July 29. Horton expects his company to eventually get 300 to 500 clunkers from the program when it gets rolling this week.

The company pays dealers a minimum of $50 for each vehicle, which then gets stripped of fluids, batteries, switches and parts for resale before being crushed for scrap.

A1 Auto Salvage and Scrap in Ypsilanti had been losing money since last September as people held onto vehicles amid decreased scrap prices, said co-owner Jim Burns.

Burns is hoping for an additional 300 cars through the program by the end of August, which would add up to about 500 more tons of steel than the company would normally take in, Burns said.

That could mean an additional $80,000 of gross revenue, minus the scrap price paid to dealers and towing fees, he said.

A1 Auto does not pull parts off of vehicles but instead scraps the vehicle except for aluminum wheels.

Working in tandem with dealers and auto recyclers, some local towing companies are also seeing some benefit from Cash for Clunkers.

Wilk's 24 HR Towing & Recovery Inc. in Taylor has been picking up 20 to 30 clunkers a day since the program began, said owner Brigitte Wilkinson.

“This has put me back in a better income frame now that my flatbeds are moving again,” she said.

Wilk's saw its business fall to about three to five vehicles a day early this year from about 15 to 20 vehicles daily late last year as scrap prices dropped, she said.

The company's annual revenue of about $400,000 had fallen by more than half, year to date, prompting Wilkinson to lay off half of her eight truck drivers.

But new towing demand associated with the cash-for-clunkers program has enabled her to bring back three, she said.

“There's been such a dramatic increase in revenue. ... I'm hoping this continues,” Wilkinson said.

Sherri Begin Welch: (313) 446-1694, swelch@crain.com

VA Tow Truck Driver Killed

Sad, sad news. Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of tow truck Andy Starmer, who died Sunday night after being struck by a suspected drunk driver. Starmer worked for Superior Towing and would have turned 37 this week.
Here's the Daily Press story:

NEWPORT NEWS - The driver of a wrecker truck was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver as he worked on a disabled vehicle on a shoulder of Interstate 64 in Newport News last night.

Andy Starmer, a Newport News resident who would have turned 37 this week, was pronounced dead at the scene on westbound I-64 just east of Victory Boulevard around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. The driver of the pickup truck that struck him, identified as William Charles Burns of Newport News, was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.

Sgt. Michelle Cotten of state police said Burns is expected to recover fully. He has been charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving. The commonwealth's attorney's office will examine the police report and determine whether Burns' charges will be increased to manslaughter.

Starmer, who worked for Superior Towing, had his truck on the shoulder with its lights flashing as he worked on a disabled Plymouth van. Burns, driving a 2005 Mitsubishi Raider, went off the road and struck Starmer on the shoulder.

Cotten said investigators had not yet determined how fast Burns was driving or whether speed was a factor in the crash.

Story on CA's FSP

Here's the story from The Reporter:

By Danny Bernardini

Posted: 08/01/2009 01:00:17 AM PDT

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Anthony Yrigollen, an operator for Freeway Service Patrol, changes a tire on a van Friday on Interstate 80 in Fairfield. The Freeway Service Patrol is a program administered by the state. (Justin Morrison/The Reporter)

Cruising through traffic Friday afternoon on Interstate 80 in Fairfield, Anthony Yrigollen scanned the shoulders for stranded motorists.

Stopping along the way to tag abandoned cars, his eyes continually looked for flashing hazard lights, letting him know it's time for action.

After a minivan clipped a piece wood lying in the roadway, the driver pulled over to examine the damage. Yrigollen stopped quickly to let the those in the car know he was there to fix the flat, before springing into action that would make some NASCAR pit crews jealous.

Yrigollen operates a tow truck as part of the Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) and roams the freeway during peak traffic hours, looking to help out those in need. The free service has been

offered in the Bay Area since 1997, but most don't find out about it until the white tow truck pulls up.

"They're surprised it's free. They are very appreciative," he said while preparing for his shift. "For a while it was like we didn't exist. There is no advertisement. No radio spots. But more and more people are starting to recognize us."

The FSP is a joint partnership between the California Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the California Highway Patrol. Using $1 from every vehicle registration fee, combined with federal funding, the program costs $9 million a year, said Raymond Odunlami, FSP program coordinator.

Knowing the state is looking to eliminate billions of dollars,

Odunlami said he hasn't heard anything to indicate the program is in danger.

What was once a fleet of 12 trucks patrolling a few hundred miles in the Bay Area, it has now grown to include 83 trucks and 540 miles. Locally the coverage extends to Richards Boulevard near Davis.

The trucks are equipped with gas, water, a car jack, pneumatic wrench, jumper cables and whatever else is necessary to get a driver going again. Most of the rescues are made as drivers patrol the shoulders, but

Freeway Service Patrol operator Anthony Yrigollen fills out paperwork after stopping to assist two motorists with a flat tire Friday on westbound Interstate 80 in Fairfield. (Justin Morrison/The Reporter)

occasionally they are dispatched by CHP.

For the stretch of freeway in northern Solano County, Vacaville Tow is contracted for service. About 20 companies are contracted for the service in the Bay Area.

Each of those trucks is equipped with special computers and global positioning systems to help locate problem vehicles and communicate with dispatchers if needed.

One thing slowing the operators down is the new law forcing drivers to pull over to use a cell phone. Yrigollen said he now comes up on several drivers who usually drive off when they see him pull up.

Another job is tagging abandoned vehicles, again freeing up CHP officers to patrol the roadways. Although much of his day is spent slugging along in traffic, Yrigollen shrugs it off as part of his job.

"The more you're moving, the more you come across," he said. "That's why it's so successful."

Nice Profile of CT Tow Operator

From The Cheshire Herald:

August 1, 2009 by Josh Morgan

The front end of the wrecker truck began to wobble and gently lift off the ground as a four-ton shipping container was being hoisted onto the flatbed.
This was how the morning started for Adam Carrano, towing manager for Strollo Bros & Sons, Inc., dba Strollo’s Towing Service. On July 24, Carrano was scheduled to move an 8,000-pound shipping container from Guilford on the construction site of the future Guilford Commons to the University of New Haven campus in West Haven.
“We are hired to do a lot of container moves,” Carrano explained. “We don’t just tow cars, that’s for sure.”
The traffic was light heading down to Guilford on Interstate 95 but, after arriving to the construction site, the first hiccup of the day made itself clear, yet it wasn’t all that uncommon. The container was still loaded with materials such as small machinery, bags of concrete, and job site tools.
“This happens sometimes,” Carrano admitted, as workers gradually emptied out the 20-foot long container.
As soon as the container was bare, Carrano hooked two massive claws to the edge of the box, which were connected to a thick chain. The winch on the back of the flatbed truck hooked onto the center of the chain and began hoisting the immense container upwards. Getting the container on the back of the truck wasn’t as easy as hooking up the chain and hitting a button. Carrano was constantly fluctuating the angle and height of the bed, as well as the force being used to pull the container. When the shipping container made its way onto the bed, Carrano attached tie down straps to stop the container from shifting left or right. Also, he made sure to clean out all the dirt, rocks, and other debris that collected along the outside of the box over the past few months.
“We don’t want (the debris) flying off on the highway and cracking someone’s windshield,” he said.
The container’s location made it tricky to drive straight out, as there were a few dips and divots on the job site. Carrano said he had to take it easy on the way out, as a few tires could come off the ground and a rollover was a possibility if he were too aggressive. After leaving the construction site without incident, it was back on the Interstate to head to the University of New Haven to drop off the container.
“I am constantly checking my mirrors. It’s all I have to see,” Carrano said, noting that, with the container, the truck now weighed close to 28,000 pounds. “The saying ‘if you can’t see my mirrors I can’t see you’ is very true. If you don’t see them, I won’t be able to see you coming.”
The container had to be left inside a small fenced-off area near the faculty parking lot at the University. Together, the location of the fence and the angle of Carrano’s truck almost made a T shape, but somehow, he was able to finagle the truck, and container, into position without hitting a thing. Getting out proved to be another challenge, as the shipping container was taking up precious room in the fenced in area.
“If that fence wasn’t there, we’d be all set,” Carrano said. “I got it in there, so I should be able to get out, you would think.”
Carrano said the “worst part” of being a tow truck operator is the “other drivers on the road.” He said, when he is making a tow, he always has to watch out for “rubbernecking” drivers who are trying to see an accident. A few times, Carrano admitted, he has had to jump onto the wrecker or over the hood of the car because a motorist was passing too closely.
“I had a small hole in one of my pant legs and I jumped out of the way of a car driving by, and I ripped the leg off my pants completely,” Carrano said. “It’s a dangerous part of the job.”
Carrano also responds to local accidents when vehicles need to be towed from the scene. He said you “never know” what to expect when pulling up to an accident, but he explained that the Cheshire Police and Fire departments are usually pretty good about letting him know what type of accident it is and how severe the damage is.
“They are good to us,” Carrano said. “They want those cars removed just as fast as we do.”
After leaving the University of New Haven, it was back to Cheshire to finish out the day, and after three hours of being on the road and moving a large load, Carrano would have enjoyed a bit of downtime, but it wasn’t in the cards this day.
Almost immediately after arriving back at Strollo’s garage on West Main Street, a call for a bulldozer stuck in the mud came in. Carrano and other employees at Strollo’s were going to have to use a variety of different equipment to get the bulldozer unstuck.
Carrano left the flatbed wrecker behind and hopped into a 40,000-pound tow truck with multiple winches. After arriving at the site in the north end of Cheshire, it was discovered that the small bulldozer was in a hole approximately five feet deep that was filled with a foot of water, making the tow even more difficult. To complicate matters further, a small piece of equipment had died almost directly in front of the bulldozer and needed to be moved off to the side. Also arriving on the scene was a Strollo’s dump truck with a large trailer that carried an excavator. Carrano wasn’t sure if the bulldozer could be towed right out, or if the excavator would have to be used to dig down to free the equipment.
Within a matter of a few minutes, Carrano had rigged up nylon straps and chains to the small, 800-pound piece of equipment that needed to be moved. The excavator pulled double duty and, with chains attached to its big digging bucket, hoisted the small equipment and swung it off to the side, out of the way of the stuck bulldozer.
Then, a series of chains and straps were connected to the back of the colossal tow truck and slowly, yet surely, the bulldozer was yanked out of the muck and back onto solid ground. But, the day wasn’t over just yet.
The ground at the site was incredibly soft and the dump truck and trailer started to get stuck in the grass. Not wanting to destroy the person’s property, the tow truck then connected to the dump truck and trailer and carefully pulled the equipment across the yard without doing any damage.
It was around 2 p.m. and Carrano still had a few hours left in his day. He headed back to the garage, where he would take a look at a few cars, perform some routine maintenance on the trucks, and, if needed, do some fabrication. Strollo’s is also an AAA garage, and calls for getting keys out of locked vehicles, jump-starts, and routine tows come at all times. Carrano said the irregularity of each day is the best part of the job.
“The job is so unpredictable, you never know when the phone is going to ring,” Carrano said. “Nothing is ever the same, it’s always a little bit different.”

Bizarre Events In NY Send Four To Hospital

geez... Here's the story from The Buffalo News:

Four people were taken to the Erie County Medical Center after a bizarre sequence of events Friday afternoon that included two crashes, one involving a Buffalo police cruiser, and a stabbing, according to Buffalo police.

At about 2 p. m., two vehicles were involved in a property-damage accident near Grider Street and Northland Avenue.

Then a fight broke out among drivers for two tow truck companies that showed up to tow one of the vehicles, said Michael J. DeGeorge, Buffalo police spokesman.

“The two tow truck drivers started fighting over the tow, and one of the drivers stabbed another,” DeGeorge said.

The driver who stabbed his competitor drove off in his truck along East Ferry Street, with Buffalo police in hot pursuit, police said.

At East Ferry Street and Winchester Avenue, the police cruiser was cut off by another vehicle making an illegal turn from the wrong lane of traffic, triggering another collision, De-George said.

The driver, an unidentified woman, was cited for an improper turn, failure to yield the right of way to an emergency vehicle and driving without a license.

The unidentified officer in the cruiser, the woman who cut him off, the tow truck driver who was stabbed and the competitor who stabbed him wound up in the medical center, where they were all treated for injuries not considered life-threatening.

Tow truck operator Dwayne D. Ferguson, 31, of Norfolk Avenue was charged with felony assault and harassment, police said.

His victim was identified only as Isaiah Washington, no age or address.

Everyday Tow Hero In MO

Cheers to Billy Stealy of Rothmund’s Towing whose quick decision likely prevented a more serious accident. Here's the story from the Pulaski County Daily:

WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Aug. 1, 2009) — Last weekend’s series of three personal injury crashes on Saturday, two on Sunday, and two on Monday doesn’t even count the many wrecks around the county that damaged vehicles but didn’t hurt people.

One rollover wreck in front of Big Louie’s at the edge of St. Robert on Saturday night received wide attention because of its highly visible location, a tractor-trailer crash about 11 a.m. Saturday on westbound Interstate 44 at mile marker 169.2 just across the Phelps County line snarled traffic for about two hours, and other crashes also took up considerable time by emergency responders.

While working at a late-night Monday rollover wreck, Lt. Mike Shempert of the Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District said he doesn’t know why so many crashes happened that weekend, but does know it’s important for drivers to be more careful.

“Pay attention to the road; that’s about it,” Shempert said.

While no one likes dealing with injuries, Waynesville firefighter Dan Kallman said he doesn’t mind hard work and many calls, and said he finds his job exciting.

“It’s an adventure every day when you go to work,” Kallman said.

The victims of Monday’s rollover were lucky in one way: a tow company was right behind the crashed vehicle shortly after it wrecked.

Billy Stealy of Rothmund’s Towing said he was on the way to Wal-Mart when he came up to the pickup near a MoDOT overnight construction work zone.

“We were coming down the on-ramp and spotted headlights and thought it was part of the construction. Well, we stopped and … looked and it was a pickup on its side there,” Stealy said.

Rothmund’s Towing personnel hooked their tow cable onto the pickup to prevent it from completely rolling over and called emergency services to report the crash, subsequently removing the vehicle as well.

Shempert said that action likely prevented the crash from being much more serious. The pickup had two passengers besides the driver and one person was trapped inside the pickup when firefighters arrived, he said. That person had to be extricated by cutting the top off the pickup cab, and would have been pinned underneath the vehicle if it had rolled over completely.

CTTA Opposes City-Owned Vehicle Impound Facilities

Here's the press release from the CTTA on their position:

Palm Springs, CA, August 03, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Responding to concerns of California Tow Truck Association (CTTA) members regarding cities and counties competing in what has been considered private sector business by establishing government operated towing and/or storage facilities, the CTTA Board of Directors is taking a strong stance in opposition to this unfair competition and is currently exploring all avenues to assist privately owned towing companies in California to combat this growing trend.

Many towing companies have invested hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions of dollars purchasing equipment, land, and facilities to comply with the requirements to tow for cities and counties under current contracts. In a misguided attempt to generate additional revenue, it appears that these same cities and counties are willing to use tax dollars to purchase equipment and land to compete in the private sector, thus taking away substantial revenue from the towing companies who have been providing these services for many years. Many of these towing companies have operated their business successfully for decades and now are faced with competition from misinformed public entities that have no proven track record of successfully operating their own towing and/or storage facilities.

CTTA President, James Kruger stated, “It is simply a bad idea for cities and counties to compete with private enterprise. Also, it is highly unlikely that cities and counties will be able to provide these services as efficiently as our companies have been providing them for decades.” Mr. Kruger also observed, “Cities are under the false impression that towing and storage is a risk-free revenue stream. The truth is, they will have increased payroll to staff the facilities, increased liability, and increased training costs to comply with all of the State and Federal motor carrier and safety regulations.”

“This idea is bad for the local economy,” declared Jeff Hunter, Executive Director, California Tow Truck Association. “Cities and counties that open their own towing and/or storage business, in essence, are willing to have services diminished within the community. Private sector towing companies will not have the resources to be able to compete against the city or county and many of these private sector businesses will be forced to lay off employees, have equipment, land and facilities foreclosed upon and for some, make the hard decision to close their doors,” explained Mr. Hunter.. Mr. Hunter further states, “Private sector jobs will be eliminated as well as a certain amount of property tax, income tax and sales tax generated by the owners and employees of these threatened businesses. It is hard to believe that city officials would look at this as a viable alternative for their communities.”

“The real tragedy is that by the time cities and counties figure out that they cannot provide towing and storage services in a safe and efficient manner, dozens of towing companies that have provided these services for generations will have been driven out of business, and the local taxpayers will be forced to pay higher taxes for inferior service,” explained Mr. Kruger. Mr. Kruger stated, “The Association recognizes the impact that this will have not only within the towing industry but within the communities they service.” Mr. Kruger further states, “We feel CTTA has a responsibility to its over 1,000 member companies and to the towing industry in California to educate the motoring public, cities and counties who are contemplating entering into the towing and/or storage business. The hardships that will be placed on these towing companies and the negative effect that it will have within the communities will far outweigh any anticipated revenue these cities or counties may project operating their own vehicle impound facilities.”

“CTTA will take any appropriate measures necessary to protect the interests of the towing industry,” states Mr. Hunter.

About the California Tow Truck Association
Founded in 1969, the CTTA was established to provide a means of united efforts in the solution of problems, and to administer such action as might be deemed necessary to benefit the towing industry, to communicate with government agencies on a state and local basis, and to provide a concerted effort toward giving the Towing Industry a better public image and the professional status it deserves.

Texting While Driving More Dangerous For Truckers

A new study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concludes that truckers who text while driving are 23 times more likely to crash or get into a near-wreck than an undistracted driver, while car drivers face the greatest danger when dialing their cell phones.

Researchers found the most shocking statistic to be the length of time that drivers' eyes were not on the road. For nearly five seconds out of a six-second window, drivers' eyes were averted from the roadway ahead of them and instead focused on their cell phone. A news release regarding the study put this finding into perspective,noting that if a highway driver takes his eyes off the road for even 4.6 seconds it equates to a traveling the length of a football field at 55 mph without ever looking at the road.

The researchers were unanimous in agreeing that texting should be banned. Indeed, they found "no redeeming factors associated with why a driver would be able to text and drive." The researchers acknowledged that they are not legislators, however, but hoped that these findings would help prompt legislation to ban not just texting while driving, but the use of cell phones altogether.

Jerr-Dan Announces Summer Cash Back Promotion Event

Here's the press release from Jerr-Dan:

Jerr-Dan Corporation, an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company and leading manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment, today announces a $1,000 direct-to-the-customer cash-back rebate program on select Ford chassis in stock. When added to the special chassis discount program now available through Jerr-Dan distributors, the combined savings are unmatched in the industry.

Qualifying chassis models include the 2008 Ford^® F-450 4X4, F-550 4X4 and F-650 models equipped with any Jerr-Dan^® wrecker or carrier body. The customer can either choose to receive a $1,000 cash rebate directly from Jerr-Dan or assign the rebate directly to the distributor to use towards the down payment.

“The Ford F-Series chassis is an excellent platform for Jerr-Dan wreckers and carriers, and with this special cash-back program it’s an outstanding time for customers to upgrade their fleets,” said Patrick Cahill, Jerr-Dan Corporation vice president of sales. “When compared to the soon-to be-arriving 2010 models, the savings are more than $7,000.”

To be eligible, retail delivery must be made no later than September 30, 2009. This direct-to-the-customer cash-back rebate program cannot be used in conjunction with any other rebate program. In addition, no additional discounts beyond the special chassis discount will apply or be offered. Contact a Jerr-Dan distributor for details.

And That TX Agency Is Doing Some Investigating...

Here's a story from The Dallas Morning News:

Precinct 1 Constable Derick Evans (shown on far right in photo) uses Dowdy Ferry Auto Services to tow and store most of the vehicles impounded by his deputies.

During a visit to Dowdy Ferry's lot, Evans liked what he saw in an employee there, Margarita Trevino. So he hired her.

Since then, Trevino has apparently been working for both Evans and Milad "Chris" Nasrallah Sr., the owner of Dowdy Ferry, records show.

Dowdy Ferry is currently under investigation by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which regulates towing and vehicle storage operations.

Evans said he was impressed by Trevino and wanted a Spanish-speaking employee. "I told her you need to come to work for me," he said.

In October 2007, Trevino, 49, submitted her application. She was hired as a clerk in Evans' office in January 2008, according to Dallas County officials.

In her job application, Trevino wrote that she worked for Dowdy Ferry since June 2006 as an office manager with duties that included: "development and maintenance of auto impound records" and "daily data entry of auto inventory."

(Those are records that the state is likely poring over).

Prior to that, she worked for Dallas County Auto Salvage for about 10 years, most recently as a sales manager, the application said.

Both businesses are owned by Nasrallah.

Nasrallah didn't return a message left today at Dowdy Ferry. But he said in a court deposition that Trevino still worked for him as of January 2009, court records show.

She had prepared the paperwork for a Dowdy Ferry invoice that was evidence in a lawsuit, according to the deposition. The invoice was for storage and towing fees for vehicles that had been seized under a writ of attachment executed by Precinct 5 Constable Jaime Cortes' office. The vehicles had been stored at Dowdy Ferry, court records show.

When asked about Trevino's dual role, Evans said he thought she may be doing work for Dowdy Ferry in the evenings.

TX Agency Requesting Proposals For Consulting Services

TDLR UPDATE August 4, 2009 PPI Fee Study RFP Issued!

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is pleased to advertise a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consulting services. The purpose is to gather statistical data on the type, nature, and cost of private property towing fees in the State of Texas and advise the agency on implementing the provisions of House Bill 2571 enacted by the 81st Legislature. Please refer to the RFP documents for details: RFP 452-9-1164 Exhibit A: General Terms and Conditions Exhibit B: Execution of Proposal Exhibit C: Proposal Content Exhibit D: Sample Contract Exhibit E: Evaluation Criteria Exhibit F.1: Minimum Cost Proposal - Initial Term Exhibit F.2: Minimum Cost Proposal - Optional Period Exhibit G: Criminal Conviction Certification

Southwest Tow Operators 2665 Villa Creek Drive, Suite 105 Dallas, TX 75234 972-247-9454 Toll Free 866-320-9300 Fax 972-247-1605

Tow Truck Driver In BC Credited For Quick Thinking

Here's the story from BCLocalNews.com:

The driver of a Drake Towing tow truck is being credited for quick thinking after his vehicle began smoking last Wednesday.

Richmond Fire Rescue's Dave Macdonald said the driver spotted smoke around 7 p.m., and then thought he'd move the vehicle away from any nearby buildings.

So he pulled into the parking lot at Richmond Presbyterian Church, near No. 2 Road and Granville.

The vehicle was then gutted by flames, and the Honda sedan it had been towing also sustained some damage.

Macdonald said the fire is still under investigation.

Fire crews were initially concerned because the tow truck was propane powered.

They managed to keep the vehicle's propane tank cool as the vehicle burned, thereby preventing the tank from exploding.

There were no injuries.

Everyday Tow Heroes In IA

Kudos to Glen Mikel and his crew at G&S Towing in Des Moines for their good deed! Here's the TRAA press release:

The Towing and Recovery Association of America, in conjunction with its ongoing effort to improve the image of towers and the towing industry to the general public, would like to acknowledge the recent efforts of a towing company in Des Moines, Iowa.

On June 30, 2009, a boat carried a couple over a dam in Des Moines, leading to a dramatic rescue of the woman and the drowning of her husband. The boat was severely damaged and needed to be recovered from the Des Moines River. On July 3, 2009, G & S Service from Des Moines performed the work for no charge to provide some help after the tragedy.

“We’re doing this pro bono to help the lady out ­— she’s had enough loss,” said Glen Mikel, owner of G & S Service, a towing company in Des Moines.

The boat remained lodged under the dam for two days, but by the time of the recovery it had moved several feet downstream. Employees of G & S Service were able to hook a cable from a boom on its wrecker to the boat.

They towed it downstream and lifted it to a bridge as several dozen people watched the two-hour process.

“I’m glad this company donated their time and effort to do this for the family,” said Betty Lou Smith of Des Moines, one of the onlookers. “They’ve been through so much. It’s a neat thing that this community has come together to do this — first the rescue, now pulling the boat out.”

The full story can be found at http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090703/NEWS/90703008/1001/NEWS

The Towing and Recovery Association of America endeavors to pass along positive news about the towing industry and places press releases in conjunction with these efforts. This release is a part of that effort. News submissions can be sent to jgodwin@towpartners.com.