Tow Truck Crashes Into IL Tavern

From the Riverside Brookfield Landmark:

Three bar patrons in Brookfield escaped with only minor injuries last week after a flat-bed tow truck slammed into Slager's, 9308 47th St., demolished part of the front wall and sent building debris and vehicle parts flying into the tavern. The driver of the tow truck and another motorist were also only slightly injured, according to police.

"One of the paramedics told me to buy a lottery ticket," said a 62-year-old Lyons man who was sitting at a table next to the front window of the bar when the truck hit. "I didn't see it coming," said the man, who didn't wish to be identified. "I sort of heard a swishing sound and thought, 'What is that?' Then I went flying and landed on the floor sitting up. I didn't know if a bomb went off or it was a gas explosion."

According to police, it was 35-year-old Jeffrey J. Henzler, who was at the wheel of a 2007 Ford F550 tow truck on March 23 at 7:44 p.m. He collided with another vehicle and lost control of the truck. Henzler was westbound on 47th Street when he allegedly sideswiped a 1995 Buick Park Avenue driven by a 44-year-old Brookfield woman. The Buick careened into a Chevy van parked in front of 9300 47th St. The van was pushed into a Mercury Sable parked next to it. The driver of the Buick was reportedly treated for injuries at Loyola University Medical Center. The tow truck hit a bank of windows along the façade of Slager's. When emergency crews arrived, they saw the truck's front end inside the small tavern. The impact sent bricks, car parts, window frames, tables, chairs and glass flying across the front of the bar. "I got there about a minute later and it looked like a bomb blew up," said bar owner Jimmy Slager, who was on his way to work when the crash happened. It was so devastating. I'm still in shock."

Three patrons inside the bar suffered minor injuries. The man sitting at the table by the window was hit by flying glass and needed stitches in his neck and arm. A 64-year-old woman sitting with him at the table was also thrown from her chair and treated for minor injuries. A 31-year-old Brookfield man sitting at the bar was sitting with his back to the window when the truck smashed into the business said he was hit in the back by a flying brick. The long, heavy wooden bar itself was moved about 4 inches north by the impact of objects hitting it. Incredibly, said Slager, no bottles or glasses along the north wall of the bar - which is only about 12 or 15 feet from the windows - were broken.

Henzler was apprehended at the scene by Brookfield police. He was employed by Kustom Automotive Recovery, 9100 Plainfield Road, Brookfield. Bill Taylor, the owner of Kustom, said that Henzler had been working for him about seven to eight weeks. Henzler has since been fired, Taylor said. "He was not even supposed to be in the truck. He was on call, and we had no tows all day or night," Taylor said referring to March 23. "It was so dead I told him that he could either stay in the office or go home and wait for a call." According to Taylor, the tow truck was totaled in the accident. Slager's, however, reopened for business just 44 hours after the crash.

By the morning of March 24, the bar had been cleaned up, Slager said. After shoring up the front wall and boarding up the opening, Slager was pouring drinks at 3:30 p.m. March 25. Pictures from the crash adorn the plywood south wall across from the bar and Slager said he still has the tow truck's grille, a fender and a tire as souvenirs. "So many people helped me clean up," Slager said. "It was spotless by the next morning."

What Type Of Tow Truck Do You Need For This Police Call?

News item of the day...
NEWARK, Ohio — Authorities in Ohio say a man has been charged with drunken driving after crashing his motorized bar stool. Police in Newark, 30 miles east of Columbus, say when they responded to a report of a crash with injuries on March 4, they found a man who had wrecked a bar stool powered by a deconstructed lawn mower. Twenty-eight-year Kile Wygle was hospitalized for minor injuries. Police say he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after he told an officer at the hospital that he had consumed 15 beers. Wygle told police his motorized bar stool can go up to 38 mph. Wygle has pleaded not guilty and has requested a jury trial.

VA Tow Truck Driver Sentenced After Fatal Wreck

Here's the story from The Hook:

A tow truck driver involved in a September 2007 wreck on 29 North in Culpeper that killed a young couple and left another man critically injured will spend nearly two years behind bars. According to a press release, Culpeper County Circuit Court Judge John G. Berry sentenced Charlottesville Wrecker driver Alvin R. Thompson to 10 years in prison following his convictions on two counts of manslaughter and one count of wounding in the commission of a felony, but suspended all but 21 months.

Congrats on 50 Years In The Business!

Here's to Murray’s Garage and Wrecker Service in Leeds, AL! They celebrate 50 years in operation on April 1.
Here's the story from The Leeds News:Lora Carroll/The Leeds News

When seasoned locals think back to the city of Leeds over 50 years, many can remember trips to Pioneer Hardware for tools and supplies, outings to The Pants Store for clothing, visits to McKinnon or Patterson Pharmacy when sick and of course, a stop off or pull to Murray's Garage if the car needed servicing. These and only a handful of other businesses in the area have managed to weather the test of time.

In fact, Murray’s Garage and Wrecker Service is celebrating its 50th Anniversary as a family-owned business in April and owners Murray and Chip Ash are delighted to reach the milestone.

Murray opened his garage doors to the public in 1959 and has not closed them since. He said there have been times in the past when many thought they were actually opened 24-hours a day because he and the employees did not rest until the job was done.

“Daddy started April 1, 1959,” said Chip. “He was in a little shop right across from the telephone company. He was there for a couple of years until this location came up for sale.”

Murray's Garage moved to Ninth Street and since then, Murray has continuously added on to the location.

“We have been steadily going all along,” said Chip.

Murray bought his garage after returning home from the 34th Infantry Regiment in the 24th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. While in the Army, he worked with engineers and later moved to the Motor Pool.

He was also a mechanic. Murray got a chance to go to school on the G.I. Bill and during that time he learned about automatic transmissions. Then for a few years, he worked at several garages in the area, but always wanted to be out on his own.

“When I was a kid I would think of doing this,” said Murray. “I might be plowing a mule or something, but I would also think of what I was going to do someday.”

Murray said back then he would walk a mile to Leeds to work at a similar business for $5 a day.

“I was just glad to get it,” he said, adding it was hard work, but it taught him to make his way in life. “I used to say I have to do a day and a half every day to ever amount to anything,” he said.

Murray’s offers every automotive need except tire work. They have a full-service body shop, frame machine, wrecker service and more. “We do it all,” said Chip.

They also have two wrecker and impound lots in both Leeds and Moody. The wrecker service operates a 12-wrecker fleet and will work pretty much any accident on the road including 18-wheelers.

Running Murray's Garage has been a sort of family affair. Seven members of the Ash family have worked at the location since it opened including Murray, Chip, Murray's late wife Gaye, Murray's daughter Susan Cooch and Chip's wife Tracy along with their son Matthew and daughter Emily.

“I started down here when I was probably seven years old,” said Chip. “Back then I was pushing brooms and I just grew up doing things at the shop.”

“When Chip came along, that was probably the proudest day of my life,” Murray said. “We tried to get him to go to college. The teachers would tell him that he would not be able to get a job and Chip would say I've got a job waiting on me. He has been here ever since.” Chip said he would work for another 50 years if he had it left in him, joking that he is 47 now and not sure if that will actually happen.

Murray's has 20 part-time and full-time employees. Some have been with the company nearly as long as it has been open. Murray added that Sandra Eden has worked at the shop for over 25 years and Clyde Kelly has been with them for 45 years.

Murray said Kelly is a good one and always has been. “He would never get mad, even if he had to,”said Murray. “He makes a good wrecker man, too.”

Murray and Chip said they couldn't even start to guess how many customers they have had over the years, but both agreed that if it was not for their committed employees and patrons they would not be where they are today. “Thank you all,” said Murray. “We've had good help and tried to do just about anything anybody wanted done. They used to say, years ago, if a mechanic quit with something half torn down that we could finish it.” “We have had a good business over the years,” added Chip.

Murray's Garage is located at 209 9th Street NE and can be contacted at 699-6651.

Jerr-Dan's "Run Hard" Now Available Online

Jerr-Dan Corporation, an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, announced that its custom published magazine, Run Hard, is available now in an easy to navigate electronic on-line format. The newest edition is available beginning today at www.jerr-dan.com.

Run Hard magazine provides towing professionals with timely information on business management and the selection and use of wreckers and carriers to enhance their business and profitability. Each quarterly issue includes features on towing and recovery equipment, news and events, towing company profiles, safety issues and more.

“Since its inception, the Jerr-Dan Run Hard magazine has been a tremendous resource to our customers for relevant news, insightful safety tips, product information and interesting company profiles,” said Mike Walter, Jerr-Dan Corporation president. ”We look forward to continuing the magazine in its new format and with easier access from our website’s home page.”

The Spring 2009 edition includes the following editorial content:
Company profiles on B&F Towing in Delaware and Walters Towing in Illinois + Distributor profiles on Santiam Enterprises in Oregon and Crawford Truck Sales in Massachusetts + Articles on the new Jerr-Dan 6-ton carrier, integrated 50-ton wrecker and rolling tarp system + A 2-page spread featuring photos from various towers
To sign-up for a free online subscription and view back issues, go to: www.jerr-dan.com/life/run-hard.asp.

OR Predatory Towing Law Stalls In Legislature

Here's the story from the Portland Observer:

Two years ago Sean Cruz, a northeast Portland resident, used to start his day with a cup of coffee and a look out his window to see if one of his cars had been towed.

Retriever Towing had assumed Cruz's cars were parked illegally on the nearby property of Hacienda Community Development Corporation, which he suggests was in cahoots with the company, and repeatedly towed his cars.

Cruz said he also watched immigrants with limited English abilities, housed at Hacienda, grapple with towers that would swoop out of nowhere and hitch up their cars as soon as their backs were turned.

The incident set off a long battle between Cruz, then chief of staff to former State Sen. Avel Gordly, D-Portland, and Oregon's towing companies, the recent chapter of which unfolded in Salem earlier this month when a bill that was geared toward ending predatory towing was sidetracked after towing companies howled loud enough about certain provisions in the bill.

Oregon has left towing companies largely unregulated, but had been slowly moving in that direction. The most recent effort to regulate towing companies came in the form of House Bill 2578, a bill sponsored by Rep. Chuck Riley, D-Hillsboro.

The proposed legislation would have prohibited paying tow truck operators by commission; required the property owners OK before a towing occurred; prevented cars from being towed until two hours had passed; and make it illegal for towers to patrol lots looking for potential parking violations.

Portland caps the rate that towers can charge vehicle owners at $161, plus other fees, and requires that towers notify the police. People who have had their cars towed can file complaints, and towers can have their licenses yanked.

Last month alone, over 700 hundred cars were towed in Portland. At $161 a pop, there is money to be made.

Currently property owners enter into a contact with a towing company to keep unauthorized cars from parking in their lot. Many of these companies pay their towers based on the cars they tow.

Cruz said that the commission-based pay that towers rely on is a major problem because it's in the towers' interest to haul off more cars- an arrangement, he says, that lends to predatory practices.

"We need to eliminate the conflict of interest," he said.

The prospects of passing the bill were good, according to Riley, until the proposed legislation went to a public hearing last month before the Oregon House Consumer Protection Committee where tow company representatives made a fuss over some provisions.

"This is overreaching," said Steve Preston, the president of the Portland-based Sargent's towing.

Preston was uncomfortable with the state telling him how he could pay his employees and feels he should be able to pay his employees by commission if he chooses.

He said that the Legislature had no business telling him how to run his operation. In particular, Preston had a problem with the provision that made towers wait two hours before they could tow an illegally parked car, saying that it essentially amounted to free parking.

Preston also took issue with the provision requiring property owners to be notified before a car was towed from their property, explaining that it was unreasonable to expect a property owner to be available all hours of the day.

"Property owners don't want to get up at 5 a.m.," quipped Preston.

Cruz was also present to testify. He said that the bill doesn't do enough to protect disabled people who have their cars towed. Such people may have medicines in the car, and having their cars towed leaves them particularly vulnerable.

"I really feel this is a terrible failure," he said.

According to Kevin Jeffries, a legislative assistant for Riley, the bill was referred to a workgroup that will include advocates for regulation of the industry and tow company representatives.

Although the bill is on hold for the time being, in recent years the legislature has been leaning toward regulating the industry that has largely been left to its own devices.

In 2007, Gordly, successfully passed bills that allowed the state and municipalities to regulate the industry. She also got bills passed that prohibits towers from carting off vehicles just because they have expired tags, required towers to provide vehicle owners with a printed rate sheet if their car is towed, among other provisions.

However, Cruz said he ran into opposition from lobbyists from the tow truck industry and commercial property owners who, he said, wield significant political clout.

Jeffries said he hasn't encountered such opposition, but Cruz remains optimistic.

"Everyone has a towing story," he said.

Don't Mess With Texas...Tow Truck Drivers!

Here's the story from the Dallas Morning News:

Tow truck drivers chase, tackle, capture robbery suspect in Fort Worth

11:19 AM CDT on Monday, March 23, 2009

By KATRINA GUTIERREZ / The Dallas Morning News

Fort Worth police are crediting a father and son for helping capture one of two men accused of holding six hostages during a robbery.

Ollie Ray Whitworth, 43, and his 18-year-old son, Ollie Ray Whitworth Jr., were in a tow truck and leaving the Abandoned Vehicle Enforcement business in the 6800 block of Randol Mill Road on Sunday evening when they saw a robbery taking place in the office.

The Whitworths thought it was a joke until they encountered a second robber wearing a black skullcap, sunglasses and bandanna covering his face. The man pointed his gun at the Whitworths and ordered them into the office, where four other people were being held hostage.

The robbers took the cash register and fled on foot. When the Whitworths heard the robbers shaking a gate to escape, they decided to pursue them.

The Whitworths jumped into their truck and followed the robbers, who were on foot, to a nearby mobile home park. As one of the robbers fired at the Whitworths, the Whitworths knocked him down with their truck. The robber then ran to a white Chevy Caprice and drove away. The Whitworths continued their pursuit, trying to cut off the fleeing car.

During the pursuit, the Whitworths used the radio in their truck to notify other tow-truck drivers about the robbery. Kelly Hedge, 32, who was filling up his truck at a nearby gas station, heard the radio alert and drove to the mobile home park, where he saw the suspect who was on foot. He jumped out of his truck with a handgun and flashlight and gave chase.

Hedge found the suspect under the steps of a mobile home, but the man fled. As Hedge chased him, the Whitworths and the robber in the Chevy Caprice spotted them. Hedge fired a couple of shots at the Caprice, and Whitworth drove head-on toward the Caprice to stop the Caprice from hitting Hedge, police said. The Caprice swerved and hit a street sign. The driver then fled on foot.

The younger Whitworth got out of the tow truck and helped Hedge tackle the other suspect.

Christopher Mayor, 26, was charged with aggravated robbery, Fort Worth police said today. He was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the chase and capture.

The second robber remained at large Monday morning, and police had not released a detailed description.

Here's another story from the Forth Worth Star-Telegram.

Committee Votes Down WV Towing Legislation

Here's the story from West Virginia Public Broadcasting:

March 17, 2009 · The Senate bill addressed disagreements between towing companies and the Public Service Commission When Senate Bill 309 was brought up, it proved contentious. Representatives from both the Public Service Commission and towing companies testified. The towing companies felt they all were having to answer for one rogue toweing company.
The bill adds four provisions to the existing law. Towing companies must have authorization
from the owner of the property where the vehicle is towed from, and the company must contact local law enforcement and inform them as to the vehicle’s location. Also, the bill would require towing companies to accept credit and debit cards, and not to charge for the first 24-hours of storage.

But this legislation is in response to a problem with one company in Morgantown, and the
other towing representatives didn’t think it was fair to impose blanket restrictions on the industry throughout the state.

On Friday, the committee seemed close to passing the legislation, but then heard from Michael
Pifer, past-president of the West Virginia Towing Association.

“So, this situation in Morgantown is going to penalize every tower in the state of West Virginia and make it easier for the Public Service Commission that had one hearing on one towing
company and never did anything to them,” Pifer said. There is another reason the industry is opposed to a bill: the towing association has been working with the Public Service Commission to address the same problems for two years. They reached a settlement in December.

Darrell Summers is the current president of the West Virginia Towing Association.

“The reason we were opposed to this bill is because we’ve been working two years with the
Public Service Commission, and in December we had a settlement that is supposed to be finalized by March 26, which addresses every problem they had with this bill.” Though the committee asked the Public Service Commission whether the legislation would give them more authority over towing companies, representatives didn’t seem to be able to answer the question. Ultimately, the committee voted to defeat the bill.

Senator John Unger is the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“But we also need to address that problem in Morgantown and what I think some of the members of my committee were concerned with, was we were implementing a type of regime on the overall industry throughout the state for a problem that’s occurring in only one part of the state,” Unger said.

“And the question is do we have to do that in order to solve that problem that’s only in Morgantown and not in any other place?”

Towing Caps Run Into Hitch In Greenville, SC

Here's the story from the Greenville News:

A law that would cap what tow trucks can charge when they take a car from private property without the owner's permission is back on the drawing board after sustained opposition from a group of tow operators that grew to about 15 people Tuesday.The proposed caps came after Greenville County officials and truck drivers said some people are paying as much as $1,700, traveling out of state and even losing their vehicles after they were towed from lots where
no-parking signs were poorly posted.

However, Councilman Jim Burns said Tuesday he has received a lot of complaints from opponents of the measure and questioned how a council committee came up with the proposed towing caps: $50 for the lightest vehicles, plus a $10 daily storage fee, and $300 for the
largest rigs, plus $50 a day for storage. Mike Barnes of Barnes Towing in Greer told council members they don't know what it costs to tow a car and said caps elsewhere are $130 or more.
Councilman Joe Dill, a garage owner who chairs the Public Safety Committee and originally brought up the issue, said he didn't know where the county's proposed rates came from.
County Attorney Mark Tollison said the rates in the initial county proposal -- $100 for small cars
and $400 for the biggest rigs -- came from similar laws in other areas both in and out of South Carolina. However, Dill's committee lowered those fees, and Dill later said it was the result of calling towing companies and asking what they charge.

Council members said Tuesday they need a more objective approach to rate caps. Councilman Bob Taylor said people who park on private property are breaking the law, and that the county should pause before giving them consideration instead of towing companies. Dill said the proposed caps may need adjusting and agreed to take the issue back to his committee.A local
insurance official has previously told Dill’s committee that the proposed caps of $200 and $300 for the biggest vehicle categories are “reasonable,” and that the county needs to make sure tow companies can’t get around the caps by adding gate fees and other add-ons.

Progressive Offers Expanded Coverage

What if your tow company was dispatched to pick up a vehicle, and an improper hook up caused transmission damage? Or, your mechanic got into a wreck when he took a car out for a quick test drive while doing repairs? You could be liable for these additional damages.

Progressive has announced “Expanded On-Hook Towing Liability,” which now covers more than just the towed vehicle. Towed property, including cargo like equipment or raw materials and select personal items in towed vehicles, is now covered if it is damaged at any time between pick up and delivery. Plus, coverage for transmission and transaxle damage is now included. Limits for this truck insurance coverage are now available up to $100,000. “Expanded Garagekeepers Liability” now provides coverage for vehicles being serviced, repaired or stored at up to three business locations. This coverage is also now available in limits up to $100,000.

The new on-hook and garagekeepers coverages are currently available in 19 states and are expected to roll out countrywide throughout 2009. For more information, or to find a local independent agent, visit www.progressivecommercial.com.

SouthWest Tow Operators Offers New Benefit

Current and new members of Southwest Tow Operators now have a new benefit: an Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance policy at no additional cost.

The policy will initially start out at $15,000 coverage and will protect those tow operators 24 hours, 7 days a week, on the job or not. Southwest Tow Operators will cover all charges and administrative duties for this coverage. The program began in January.

Southwest Tow Operators will continue to offer its “In the Line of Duty” Benevolent Fund for any licensed, professional tower in the state of Texas that will up to $1,000 to assist family members.
For more information, contact Southwest Tow Operators at (866) 320-9600.

Navistar's New Value Line

In response to the tough economic times, Navistar (NYSE: NAV) is launching a new value line, private label brand of truck parts aimed at cost-conscious truck owners.

Known as PartSmart™, the new product line offers products that cost up to 20 percent less than genuine, original equipment parts. The PartSmart line focuses on fast-moving and fast-wearing parts for all makes of trucks. Some of the parts available include air valves, bearings, belts, clutch, hoses, hydraulic pads and calipers, lighting, rotating electrics, u-joints, seals and wipers. Product lines will continue to be added based on customer feedback.

All PartSmart parts come with a one-year, parts-only replacement warranty and can be purchased at any one of over 500 International® dealers in the U.S. PartSmart will be available globally later in the year. Additional information is available at www.navistar.com/newsroom.

Miller Industries News

Continuing Racing Relationship. Miller Industries will continue, for the next three years, to be the official towing and recovery equipment at race tracks owned by International Speedway Corporation.

Under the agreement, Miller Industries will provide trucks and equipment to California Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Talladega SuperSpeedway, Chicagoland Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway.

The trucks are staffed by experienced tow operators from across the country who volunteer their time and services. They are still required to attend sanctioned training classes that are conducted by Miller Industries Race Director Ken Burdine on the proper techniques and safety procedures on the speedways. The equipment and operators will
cover a wide variety of major races at these tracks that includes NASCAR, Indy
Racing League, ARCA, USAC and Grand American sanctioned events.

For additional information, visit www.millerind.com and click on "At the Races" under galleries.

Also At The Races. Miller Industries has joined forces with AAA to help promote their Slow Down/Move Over campaign to race fans throughout the year, starting with the Daytona 500.

The new Miller Industries ad that is printed in the souvenir race programs at many NASCAR races throughout the year will include the AAA Slow Down/Move Over logo along with an important public service message calling attention to the laws and stressing to race fans to slow down and move over when they see flashing lights from emergency vehicles on the roadways.

GA Tow Truck Operator Dies After Crash

Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of Robert Vaughn Bailey of Macon, GA. The 33-year old died this morning after a crash.

Here's the Macon Telegraph story:

A Macon man is dead and another is in the hospital following a traffic accident near the Interstate 16/Interstate 75 north interchange at 11:30 a.m.

Macon police Sgt. Melanie Hofmann said the white Ford F550 tow truck lost control and hit a guardrail at the intersection just before noon.

Robert Vaughn Bailey, 33, of Chapman Road, was taken to The Medical Center of Central Georgia and pronounced dead at 12:21 p.m., said Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones.

A passenger in the truck, Charles Pittman, 32, was ejected from the truck. He is listed in stable condition.

Both men were ejected from the vehicle, Jones said.

The accident caused traffic to be blocked in all lanes for about a hour, Hofmann said.

Hofmann said the accident is still under investigation by the Macon Police Department.

Tow Truck Operator Hospitalized After MD Bus Crash

Here's the Baltimore Sun story:

By Gus G. Sentementes | gus.sentementes@baltsun.com

7:49 AM EDT, March 12, 2009

An MTA bus struck a parked tow truck this morning in Essex, sending the driver and two passengers to the hospital with minor injuries.

The collision happened about 6:45 a.m., near the intersection of Middleborough Road and Foxchase Lane, according to the Maryland Transit Administration. The driver and two passengers were transported to Franklin Square Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to Jawauna Greene, an MTA spokeswoman.

Greene said the bus crashed into the rear of the tow truck.

MTA officials are investigating the cause of the collision.

Miller Industries (MLR) Approves $5 Million Stock Buyback Plan

From StreetInsider.com:

March 12, 2009 5:18 PM EDT

Miller Industries, Inc. (NYSE: MLR) has approved the repurchase of up to $5,000,000 of shares of the Company's outstanding common stock.

Repurchases, which will be conducted through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, will be made from time to time depending on market conditions and other factors. Repurchased shares will be held in treasury.

Miller Industries, Inc. (Miller Industries) is a manufacturer of vehicle towing and recovery equipment. The Company manufactures a line of wrecker, car carrier and trailer bodies. [SM]

More Info On Miller Industries at MarketWatch.com:

Tow Training In VA This Weekend

The Virginia Association of Towing and Recovery In Partnership with MATHENY MOTORS Presents:

A Wes Wilburn Heavy-Duty Truck Seminar

DATE: MARCH 21 & 22, 2009

TIME: 8 AM – 5:30 PM both days

PLACE: Blairs Volunteer Fire Dept.

Blairs, Virginia

INFORMATION: Call Paul Gammon 434-836-6711

COST: Early Bird Registration up to March 2, 2009:

$250 for MEMBERS of any tow association.

$275 for Early Bird all others….

After 3/2 Cost for ALL will be $300

***** Lunch Will be provided both days *****

The class will be limited to 30 students. Try to get your applications in early for the first come/first served opportunity.

A special thank you to Matheny Motors for the sponsorship of this seminar.

To register, please fill out the attached application form.

TRAA TESTING WILL BE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED….CALL VATRO 800-541-2432.

Kudos To This TX Tower

Seems like B&W Wrecker and this (once again) unnamed tow truck driver went above and beyond to help.
Here's the story from the Corsicana Daily Sun:

By Bob Belcher
An elderly Navarro County man remained hospitalized Thursday after being found about two miles from his stranded pickup truck early Thursday morning.

Walter Early Johnson Jr., 78, had set out on foot to get help after his truck became stuck in mud on NWCR 2060 Wednesday morning. Johnson’s wife, Doris, 75, remained in the truck while her husband went for help. The pair had been in the truck for several hours before Johnson went to seek assistance, said Navarro County Sheriff Les Cotten.

After trying for several hours, Doris Johnson was finally able to reach an OnStar operator by cell phone at about 2 a.m. Thursday, and sheriff’s deputies were dispatched in an effort to find the truck and Johnson. Deputies found the truck and the woman about 4 a.m. Thursday, Cotten said, and called a tow truck to get the pickup truck.

“B&W Wrecker then started driving around in their 4-wheel drive truck, trying to locate Mr. Johnson,” Cotten said. Johnson suffers from health problems, and has both a tracheotomy tube and a feeding tube, Cotten added.

Shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday, Johnson was found by the wrecker driver, lying in a ditch about two miles from where his truck became stuck. An ambulance was called to transport Johnson to Navarro Regional Hospital, where he remained in the hospital’s intensive care unit Thursday night.

Reposessions In A Tough Economy

Seems to be a number of stories these days on how the repossession sector is doing these days...

Here's one from the St. Louis Dispatch:

By Phillip O'Connor

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

03/13/2009

The tow truck driver rolls north on Lindbergh Boulevard, a cell phone to each ear, an elbow on the steering wheel, his head on a swivel.

On this night, he's headed for the Hazelwood apartment of a woman who is $964 behind on payments for her 2004 Mitsubishi Galant.

He scans the passing strip malls, parking lots and traffic looking for any of the other 211 vehicles on his list. Just tonight, he was handed names of seven new people who had property that lenders wanted seized. Bad times are busy times for the repo man.

"I feel sorry for people, but that car on the back feeds my family," he said. Click here to read the rest of the story.

And here's another from The Wall Street Journal:

By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS

SUMTER, S.C. -- You'd think these would be salad days for a repo man.

So why is Tony Cooper laying off tow-truck drivers, trying to sell his impound lot and wasting half the night chasing down a waitress and her lipstick-red 2002 Jeep Liberty?

Bad times for debtors, it turns out, aren't necessarily good times for debt collectors.

"People are doing everything they can now to hold onto what they've got," says Mr. Cooper, owner of Professional Auto Recovery LLC. "Do you think they're going to wait [around] to give up their cars? They hide them. They fight over them."

Click here for the full story.

South African Tow Truck Driver Seriously Injured In Crash

Here's the Independent Online story:

By Thandi Skade

A tow-truck driver is fighting for his life after a head-on collision with a 20-ton brick-carrying truck in Douglasdale, north of Johannesburg.

The drama unfolded at 9.20am on Thursday on Douglas Road when an A1 tow truck driver - speeding to an accident scene - drove on the wrong side of the road and crashed into the truck.

Joburg metro police spokesperson Inspector Edna Mamonyane said the truck driver then lost control of his vehicle, colliding head on with a Toyota Yaris before he plunged through a boundary wall of a property.

ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak said: "Paramedics from ER24 that arrived first found a chaotic scene covered with bricks that were flung from the truck during the collision. The tow truck driver was found barely breathing trapped partially under his vehicle."
The tow truck driver was trapped in his wrangled vehicle for almost an hour before firefighters managed to free him using the jaws-of-life.

He was in a critical condition and placed on life support on the scene before being rushed to Sandton Medi-Clinic for further medical treatment.

The Yaris driver was in a critical condition after he sustained chest and neck injuries.

The truck driver, who sustained a fracture to his arm, and his passenger, who was treated for neck and back injuries, were in a stable condition.

Douglas Road was closed to traffic in both directions on Thursday morning while a bulldozer was used to remove the piles of bricks along the road.

Mamonyane slammed the tow truck driver's reckless driving, saying: "He did exactly what we're trying to curb in the CBD... If he wanted to kill himself, he should have done so some place else where no other person would get hurt," she said.

A case of reckless and negligent driving against the tow truck driver is being investigated, Mamonyane said.