James E. Lewis, Author at Tow Professional

It was only for a minute…

James E. Lewis — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 13:18:11 +0000

I realize that in my job, I see a lot of doom and gloom and negativity – and that makes more jaded than most about truck and automobile crashes, industrial or workplace incidents, or personal injury scenarios – but I’m really seeing a strong trend here and I’d like to help prevent more of the […]

The post It was only for a minute… appeared first on Tow Professional.

A Mentor

James E. Lewis — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:30:50 +0000

My parents both grew up during the Great Depression, with my mom being 8 years old and my dad being 16 when the stock market crashed and the Roaring 20s came to an ugly end. My dad was 50 when I was born in 1963, and my mom was 43. Growing up with older parents […]

The post A Mentor appeared first on Tow Professional.

Mental Health

James E. Lewis — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:00:39 +0000

A little background – I’ve always kept a primary job since I don’t make enough income from my expert witness and writing work to support my household. I’ve also witnessed some colossal meltdowns where towing company owners or managers have thrown tools, equipment, slammed truck doors, or berated an employee or two. Never, though, have […]

The post Mental Health appeared first on Tow Professional.

Yes, OSHA applies to the towing industry

James E. Lewis — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 02:55:24 +0000

Have you ever heard of terms like “general duty” and “multiple employer liability,” along with “multiple employer worksite”? I hadn’t either until I worked on a blockbuster case this year – and a conversation, actually an argument, I had last year suddenly made sense. People in the towing industry, especially, need to pay attention to […]

The post Yes, OSHA applies to the towing industry appeared first on Tow Professional.

No one likes unpleasant Surprises

James E. Lewis — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 16:49:11 +0000

We all like good surprises, like at your birthday or graduation, or surprising your family with a vacation trip. There are other surprises that we don’t like and have adverse reactions to – especially those involving work, our companies, and our personnel. Surprises like an IRS audit, DOT audit, or other – only the surprises […]

The post No one likes unpleasant Surprises appeared first on Tow Professional.

Are You Giving Your Customers Safety Training?

James E. Lewis — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 06:21:08 +0000

Hundreds of people have ridden in my tow trucks over the years. I had a recent discussion with a 20+ year friend who turned a normal thought process into a scary, adrenaline-filled immediate search for answers. I counted back and, of course, had no way to come up with the number of people who had […]

The post Are You Giving Your Customers Safety Training? appeared first on Tow Professional.

There’s No Training Like Real Training

James E. Lewis — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 06:56:14 +0000

I happened upon an article by my new friend Barry Brownstein, and it really opened my eyes. Perhaps the overview of the article will open your eyes too. The article is titled “Why Humans Increasingly Are Unaware of Their Ignorance (And Why it’s a Big Problem).” While that title may sound harsh, even for a self-awareness […]

The post There’s No Training Like Real Training appeared first on Tow Professional.

How to Deal with an Expert Witness

James E. Lewis — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 06:18:05 +0000

This year marks my 20th year as an expert witness. In 2001, I started working directly for a law firm near Philadelphia as an expert witness in the fields of dealership fraud, lemon law, breach of warranty, diminution in vehicle value, automotive repair and maintenance, dealership service, and sales policy and the appraisal of automobiles, […]

The post How to Deal with an Expert Witness appeared first on Tow Professional.

Hiring & Firing Tactics That Might Just Get You Sued

James E. Lewis — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 15:13:13 +0000

Times have changed, so have people. Hiring and firing used to be simple and straightforward. Lawyers now advertise on television, the internet, and the radio – in fact, during just about every television program you watch, they drop eight or ten lawyer commercials per hour. While most are mainly covering slips and falls or car […]

The post Hiring & Firing Tactics That Might Just Get You Sued appeared first on Tow Professional.

Negative Behavior Correction

James E. Lewis — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 15:30:03 +0000

As a follow-up to last issue’s article about negative behavior, complaining, and other detrimental activities your employees may be engaging in, I want to go over several approaches to help you correct this costly cycle of action before it cripples your business. The first and foremost consideration I ask you to realize is that no […]

The post Negative Behavior Correction appeared first on Tow Professional.