I’m Proud of Our Podcast

Vintage microphone and headphones with signboard on air. Broadcasting radio station concept. 3d illustration

It’s my pleasure to be a small part of the fastest-growing podcast produced by a Media Company that represents the Tow Professional Magazine and the fine folks of the towing and recovery industry. Back in 2021 Darian Weaver, the President and Publisher of Tow Professional, and I started a discussion about doing a podcast in which all members of your team could benefit, no matter the age of the listener. We didn’t want anyone to worry about off-color language just in case your 9-year-old son was riding in the truck while the podcast was running. For the first few months, Chuck Camp, the Producer of the podcast, Darian, and I funded the project ourselves.

By the time we had completed the Florida Tow Show, ToBy the time we had completed the Florida Tow Show, Towbook was our guest. Tom Bacon and Dan Smith did a wonderful job explaining that their company supported companies of all sizes. Personally, I liked having no contract or set up fee requirements as well as the 24/7 FREE SUPPORT. No matter where you get your podcasts, all our episodes are available on archive. So, at your convenience, you can listen “live” or “later”. On the episode with Tom and Dan, the tail-end of that episode introduced our dear friend, Tim Smith, from Azuga who shared a warning to drivers which explained the importance of having a camera inside the truck to prevent being wrongfully accused of a dig or dent that could have already been there.

One of my all-time, favorite episodes showcased Ron Pullen from R & P Recovery Consulting Service. Ron is a knowledgeable guy as well as a man of faith. All three of us: Ron, Darian, and I have something in common, because we, “Stand for the Flag and Kneel for the Cross.” There are some other episodes that you need to hear.

Don’t miss our most educational episode on Hybrid Electric Vehicles training by Dalan Zartman from Energy Security Agency. Whether you drive a Jerr-Dan or not, I guarantee you will find Bob Nelson, the Vice President of Jerr-Dan from this 50-year-old company to be very informative and down-to-earth. One day, I hope to meet Bob in person. I know you’ve heard of the next two podcast guests, Brian Riker, Your DOT Guy and Dan Messina. If you’ve read their stuff or heard them at all, you know they were wonderful. So, you don’t want to miss their episodes.

Chris Anderson, the Vice President of Tow Mate, and James Lewis, of course, were guests as well. It would be tragic if you missed hearing those episodes. And, then there’s Linda Unrue, the Tow Woman of the Year, was also a guest. We also had an episode about “Celebrating Women of Towing”. What a wonderful celebration it was too! Wait until you hear those women answer question after question, from ladies such as: Michelle Sukow, Gay Rochester, Geri Roskopf, and Linda Unrue as they talk passionately about this great industry. Another episode that you need to listen to is the most “family-friendly” tow show, the Midwest Regional Tow Show being held in Mason, Ohio. All the details and opportunities are listed so you can plan to attend.

It’s our pleasure to announce that we have a new podcast sponsor. They’re from Recovery Billing UnLimited. The head man, Bob Foakette and his granddaughter, Jade, were on one of the episodes. Check out their episode. Next month, I will announce our newest sponsor who came to us because they saw what we, as an industry are doing, and wanted to lift the spirits of all towing and recovery people, no matter their faith, creed, nationality, or political viewpoint.

Bill Johnson from Hampshire Towing and T& T Towing who is running for State Senate in the great state of Massachusetts graced us with an episode. Beloved by many, it’s a consensus that soon all of us, including Bill’s 70 employees, will be calling him, Senator Johnson.

I could go on and on talking about every episode that we’ve done since 2021 because there’s been a bunch of them. I’m fortunate and proud every week to be a small part of this great industry with some of the kindest and most generous people that help others in their community.

As Darian closes every podcast, “Thanks to the readers and clients.” I’m proud of the magazine that brings the latest in technology, products, and services to grow your business and make your family more profitable. Remember to listen to our Tow Professional podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget that we are available on ALL platforms.

See you on the next podcast.

The Will-Burt Company

David Cotsmire

The history of The Will-Burt Company, today, known at the world’s leading producer of mobile elevation products, can be traced back to 1894. It all began when two brothers, Burton, and John Cope, sought a better way to make a living by opening a general repair shop for farm machinery. By 1900, the business had grown by adding the Cyclone Drilling machine (water and oil drilling rig) to their offerings along with a new partner in William Tschantz. It was this year that the business moved to Orrville, Ohio, a bustling railroad town in the farming heartland, where the business remains today.

Will-Burt went through many changes in the first two decades of the 1900s. John Cope passed away leaving Will and Burt (yes, that is where the name came from, but it did not happen until 1915) to manage the business. The entrepreneurs were prolific inventors. Burt patented a device that moved car chassis from train box cars to auto dealerships for final assembly (in the days before the assembly line). Will earned several patents related to mechanical farm machines and later in life he developed patented meat grinders for use in grocery stores – some of these designs are still used today! Unbelievably, the meat grinders came full circle and Will-Burt’s manufacturing services division makes parts that are used in these meat grinders for the company that holds these patents. One other interesting product that was launched in the era was a carpenter’s vise, later marketed as the Versa-Vise. This was a unique vise that allowed a user to mount it at different angles for any job. Will-Burt manufactured this into the 1980s then sold it to a former employee that still offers them for sale today. Collectors seek the original models.

The Will-Burt Company was incorporated in 1918. Will Tschantz had departed and Ed Baer, Burt Cope’s nephew had joined the business. In 1920, Burt Cope cut a deal with a company in Pittsburgh to make automatic combustion regulating equipment used in coal burning power plants and on steam ships as a contract manufacturer. Will-Burt went from a company of less than twenty people to over two hundred in a brand-new factory on Main Street in just a year. Even though the country was struggling through the Great Depression, Will-Burt expanded into making coal stokers that were used in businesses and homes – you might remember seeing one of these noisy and scary contraptions in your grandparent’s basement, especially if you grew up near coal country. The product line was expanded into furnaces and even water heaters. As natural gas and fuel oil replaced coal for heating in homes, sales of these products shrank to the point where the company closed the line down in 1995.

Going back to the middle of the 20th century, Will-Burt like so many other companies in the USA, supplied products and components for the WWII war effort. The top-quality metal working and painting skills and equipment that Will-Burt possessed earned the company the prestigious Army / Navy “E-Award” for production excellence.

Shortly after the conclusion of the war, Burt Cope passed away. Ed Baer was now CEO. Along with his son Bill Baer, they continued to look for new opportunities to expand the business. The post WWII housing boom helped drive coal stoker sales. Consumerism was taking off and Will-Burt created several products to tap into this. In 1949, Will-Burt’s Little Farmer cultivator was released. A clever walk behind tiller type product that was designed to accept many different implements such as a plow, blade, and even a seed planter. The carpenter’s vise was reworked and branded the Versa-Vise in the 1950s and was sold via mail order and through hardware stores for $12.95 ($140 in today’s dollars).

Will-Burt looked to expand its contract manufacturing business that continued to focus on metalworking in the 1960s. Will-Burt produced parts and components for AMF Bowling, Flo-Tork and many local businesses. We continue to produce parts and assemblies to this day for the construction equipment and defense sectors.

A decision was made in 1970 to acquire a small local business for its production machinery. This decision would change the future course of Will-Burt (even though no one realized it at the time). The tool and die shop that was acquired also made pneumatic telescopic masts that could elevate radio antennas and lights. Sales of the telescopic masts were minimal throughout the seventies and the business was a drag on profits, but technology was changing rapidly and would lead Will-Burt in a new direction.

The 1980s was the most turbulent decade in Will-Burt’s history. The decade starts off with Will-Burt winning a contract to supply a telescopic pneumatic mast for the US Army PATRIOT program. The masts elevate radar and communications equipment for the missile defense system. The PATRIOT system has gone through several updates over the years, but Will-Burt still provides the masts for the system. It was during this time that the commercial need for a 42-foot telescopic mast for use in the burgeoning live broadcast news industry developed. Will-Burt had just the system in the ultra-reliable and now iconic 7-42 non-locking pneumatic mast. This mast was used by nearly every news van in the US to elevate a microwave dish that would transmit a live video feed back to the news station. Most news stations have now transitioned to cellular video transmission technology, so the Will-Burt 7-42 mast is no longer needed in the live news field – but it was a great 35-year run!

1985 was the year the good times came to a screeching halt. Bill Baer, who had been CEO for more than 20 years and had worked for the company since 1936 died unexpectedly. Mr. Baer was the last Cope family member to run the company. Also at this time, the company was defending itself against a frivolous lawsuit that drained resources and caused the Board to resign. Bankruptcy looked imminent; however, the new president who had been with the company for 10 years had a plan to save the company. All outstanding shares were purchased by the company by mortgaging everything available and ownership was turned over to the employees as an ESOP. The next few years were difficult – changes had to be made, modern equipment needed to be purchased to compete and employees were retrained to succeed. By 1990 a new culture of employee ownership and continuous education had taken root that is flourishing today.

The 1990s is when modern Will-Burt starts to take shape. The newly trained and empowered employee-owners start to look for ways to expand the business. It is time to cut loose products from the past that no longer add value such as the coal stoker line. New products are developed such as mobile light towers and more powerful pneumatic masts. Money is invested in sales and marketing and light towers become Night Scan and military masts become Saber then Stiletto. The welding, machining, metalworking, and painting skills of the workforce are used to make GSA registered file cabinets and storage containers for the US government and their contractors. Will-Burt achieves ISO 9001 certification for its Quality Management System. By the end of the decade, Will-Burt starts to focus on exporting products into European and Asian markets.

The dawn of the new millennium saw Will-Burt expand even further under a new CEO. New elevation product lines are added by an expanded engineering department, plant expansions with the doubling of Orrville’s footprint, and continued investments in modern machines and employee training. To help accelerate the growth of the company, acquisitions are made to expand the company’s reach and product offerings.

A company was purchased in Tulsa, Oklahoma that added telescopic lattice towers and elevation trailer integration capabilities to the portfolio. A company was purchased in Waischenfeld, Germany, GEROH, that added cable driven masts, perfect for harsh environments, and spindle driven telescopic masts that are the most precise in the world – exactly what you would expect from a German company. This acquisition gave Will-Burt an excellent launching point for further expansion in Europe. Later, a company that makes pan and tilt positioners, often used on top of masts to move antennas, was purchased in the UK. All the while, sales were expanding in Asia and the Middle East.

Will-Burt’s rich heritage of manufacturing quality products, re-invention, and investment in our employees has led us to where we are today, a company of three hundred employee-owners that are guided by our 7th CEO, Richard Lewin, whose strategic vision focuses on integration, intercompany and internationalism. Will-Burt operates as one company that’s vision is to Elevate Innovation and we look forward to our next one hundred years.

Selling Your Business

Darian Weaver

If you have been following my business over the past few articles, you can see that I have had a lot of exposure in the towing industry. Over the past 25 years in towing, I have met thousands of towers and worked with more owners than I can count. Its an industry that I knew someday I would leave but I was not looking forward to it because I really enjoyed working with the towers.

When I talked to owners, I would tell them if you are getting out of the business you have to prepare for it. Not only who will take over the business, but what will you do once you retire. In today’s world it is getting harder and harder to retire and get out of the business. In a lot of cases, you became a tower because a family member left the business to you. Over the years the business provided a good lifestyle, and you were able to provide a good life for the family. Not so easy today, you face things like:

1. Price of gas going up

2. Can’t find trucks to buy

3. Can’t find drivers to drive the trucks

4. Customers are too demanding

5. Can’t raise prices and compete

6. What is my exit strategy

7. Good employees are hard to find

As I mentioned your children have other interests and towing does not excite them. Outside investors don’t know enough about the business to take a chance on it. If you are one of the few that made it big that is, in itself, a problem. People who know the industry don’t want more headaches and are looking for ways to get out of towing themselves.I have a good friend who called me up just last week and asked me if I know of any buyers; he was ready to sell. I said I would ask around and I needed some info on his business.

He said here is what he has:

1. 32 trucks

2. In debt on half the trucks

3. 4 locations all over Texas

4. Multiple locations

5. Multiple rotations

6. Short of people

He grew a great business, but it will be hard to sell. If you are in multiple cities, you must know their rules and regulations. If you have multiple locations, you must fight the competitors. If you are lucky enough to win the contracts, then you worry about them for the next 5 years.

I remember when I first got in the business 25 years ago. It was fun. Things were not as expensive as they are today. You went to tow shows and partied with other towers, and employees were easier to find. City rates were fair, but so was the price of equipment you needed to run the business.

As I mentioned earlier, I would help tow companies prepare for retirement by helping them set up their company to sale and to prepare them for retirement. I’ll tell you right now – do not retire until you know what to do with yourself.

When I sold my company, I was not ready. I was working with a friend of mine who owned a large tow company in a suburb of Dallas. He needed a location in Dallas, and we were about to form a partnership so he could have a location there when out of the blue a stranger walked into my office and told me he wanted to buy my company. I did not know who he was, but he knew everything about me. He even knew what kind of sprinkles I liked on my ice cream. I was impressed. I went back to my friend and told him I could not be his partner because someone just offered to buy my company.

My friend, knowing the kind of company I had said he would buy my company. What a great position to be in. My friend told me if I sell to him it must be closed within 30 days. I said I would sell to him, but it left me no time to prepare. Things I taught tow companies to do before selling I did not do. Things like:

1. Notifying my good customers

2. Getting the books to look good by selling off equipment

3. Preparing my employees for the sale. These people were my family and now I was leaving them

4. Wrapping up some loose ends that I was working on

5. Preparing myself for retirement

Everyone thinks they are ready, but they are not. Because my sale was quick, I was not prepared to not go to work. Things I left unfinished would remain unfinished, and the people I would see every day were no longer in my life. Not to mention, I now had a bunch of money that I did not know what to do with, or how to spend it. I know you think these are nice things to be faced with, but I assure you they are not. My wife and I ran the business so we were use to working together. The first three weeks running the house together was a disaster. You can only watch so many reruns of Gilligan’s Island to realize retirement was not for me.

I was happy to be going to work because it would get me back into the towing industry. I tried consulting with tow companies, but that did not excite me. Then I remember when I was doing seminars at tow shows, I identified a problem in the industry that I could fix. I wanted it to help the tow companies, motor clubs, and the consumer. I wanted it to be priced right so that everyone would benefit.

In next month’s article I’ll tell ya all about it.

It was only for a minute…

James E. Lewis

Night car accident — Collision between two cars on the asphalt road

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 same.

First – please note that I didn’t use the term “accident.” These aren’t accidents. They’re crashes, wrecks, incidents, and even catastrophes, but they’re not “accidents.” The only “accident” I can fathom is where lightning strikes a tree and it falls on your house or car. There’s no way to prevent something like that, and we just have to deal with it. In every single one of these crashes, wrecks, or incidents, they occurred because someone made a mistake and injured themselves or others.

A trend I’m seeing involves drivers – usually of a commercial vehicle – either miss a turn or hit the shoulder for some other reason. It may be to take a phone call, read and answer a text, or check directions. It’s better to pull over and answer that text or look at your maps program, yes, but it can also wait until you can pull off into a parking lot or take an exit ramp. I applaud people for not texting while driving or interacting with their phone while looking up directions. It seems to be what happens next that causes the most problems – the driver then backs up on the shoulder, or backs out into the road, in order to take that turn they missed or to turn around…and WHAM. They hit someone or someone hits them.

We think, it seems, that because we’re only doing something for a minute or a few seconds, that it won’t cause any issues. We also don’t realize that no one ever plans to have a crash or wreck. Who would? You’re making a to-do list, and you drop in, go to the store, go by the dry cleaners, stop at the post office, and at exactly 10:13 am, a kid will kick a ball into the street and then go running after it, and I’ll swerve and run my truck into a pole. Nope – not one of us has ever planned to have a wreck.

There are two very high-profile groups of people that are being involved in the crashes I’m talking about, and it’s because both groups deliver or pick up things and follow written or GPS-derived directions: Tow operators and truck drivers. Tow drivers, especially, have a job that centers around getting directions and following directions, and going to a place you haven’t driven to before happens several times each day. You miss your turn, whip off the road and grab the shoulder, check your phone – and what happens next will make or break you. People jump back into traffic without looking, start backing up and hit someone or some thing, or stay in place too long and get hit.

I can give you a list of at least 20 scenarios that I’ve seen recently that would drive home my point on all of this, but I think you get it by now. If you miss a turn, don’t slam on your brakes and pull over, and then back up to catch the turn. Keep going, find a good, safe, and legal place to turn around, and then take the turn you missed. If you get a text, it can wait. It can wait until you’re in a parking lot or other safe area to pull into. Following these simple guidelines, I feel can reduce these horrific crashes by 95%.

One last thing – most people I know have never been sued. It’s a devastating situation to be in, and one I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Individual employees get sued during crashes like these because you have absolutely ZERO, NADA, NO protection under the law through your employer if you’re negligent. You don’t have protection under your employer’s umbrella (insurance, management, pay, benefits) for anything that you do, actually. Ask someone who has been in a crash like I’m describing, especially in a commercial vehicle. Everyone is named in the suit.

Everyone. You, your company, your company’s insurance company, the manufacturer of your truck, the dispatch service that sent you to where you were going – everyone. And guess what? Everyone on that list, except you, is covered by insurance and legal precedence. Everyone except you. You’re on your own. I can’t imagine having to explain to my wife that we’re going to lose our house and her new car because I did something stupid in my truck at work and caused a crash that hurt or killed someone. I promise you, though – that’s a conversation you’ll have to have. Run that one by the wife or husband, just for reaction.

Laura Acosta – Perseverance is KEY!

Darian Weaver

Becoming a business owner was never in my plans, especially not as the owner of a tow company. I graduated from California State University at Fullerton with a bachelor’s degree in communications and psychology. The weekend of graduation my father offered me a job at his towing company, and I accepted the offer since I did not have a job at the time. My plan was to stay there for only a year and then go back for graduate school. Well, here I am seven years later operating my own tow company.

In those seven years, I learned how to be effective in handling all the challenges that come with owning a towing company especially from the perceptive of being a woman in this industry. If someone were to have told me seven years ago that I would run my own shop, I would never have wanted that challenge or even have had the confidence in myself that I could be capable of doing so. As my father says, “You have to have tough skin and a stomach made of leather to be able to handle this industry.” As a woman, that behavior does not come naturally, and there’s a lot more that must go into developing that type of character.

I come from a family that has an extensive history in the industry. My grandfather migrated from Mexico back in the sixties with my grandmother and their children. Then he started his tow company in 1978 with one truck. Forty years later, because of the ambition of his sons and key business partners, that company is one of the biggest tow companies in southern California. Thus, the pressure to live up to that name can be overwhelming at times. I must say without my core group of best friends, the support of family, and my faith in God there is no way I could have gotten through it.

Women in this industry are not uncommon, and I have been inspired by them including one of my female drivers who operates a tow truck; but I feel that there is still much more to be done to find acceptance and to be integrated into this male-dominated field. This journey has not been easy; there was so much work I had to put into my own personal growth before I could feel confident in making decisions and introducing ideas into the business that would not have been considered before. I had to gain confidence in my decisions. It was vital for me to master my emotional intelligence to be successful and to learn not to take anything personal. I also knew that I really had to learn the nature of the industry that meant understanding the basic functions of a tow truck, geographical locations, equipment, logistics of towing, etc. I became certified by the California Tow Truck Association (CTTA). This certification included a three-day course of physical and educational instruction. Here I learned how to roll over a vehicle with proper chains and moving the correct cables. It was intimidating but I knew that for me to gain some credibility I had to know what I was talking about. This is a very instrumental point that we may not have to get into a tow truck and tow but at least be knowledgeable in the area. It has gone such a long way for me, I am able to understand what drivers are talking about, even with mechanics. Getting involved in the industry as much as possible is key. I have also joined the Women of the Towing & Recovery Association of America plus local business groups such as city chambers, etc.

Working in this industry takes a lot of hard work and time. It is the nature of towing that it is very demanding in time and dedication, and one must be willing to make the requisite sacrifices. This took some time for me to accept, but as I have learned more about the business, I’ve grown to love it and have become so invested that at this point it doesn’t even feel like I’m working.

With the grace of God, I have been blessed to have an abundant number of resources. My family and key managers at their business have given me support and guidance, and they have never viewed my gender as an issue in working in this industry. I continue to learn all aspects of the business from purchasing of equipment, applying for city contracts, managing human resources, and most importantly establishing a respected name for the company and myself. There are certain points of advice that have stuck with me and have helped when making decisions. For example, my uncle has imbedded in me to always abide by my word, i.e., if I commit to a deal—no matter if I hear of a better one, since I have already given my word, I must stick to the original plan. Another adage from my father is that “in life it is not about what you have but who you are.” I’ve kept this advice in mind in how I treat my employees or people with whom I do business.

Yes, I do not fit the description of a typical tow owner, but that is okay. I bring my own distinctive way of doing business. I may not always be right or make the best decision, but that is part of the journey in growing to become the best possible employer and recognizing that my people are my most important resource. I make it known to my employees that without their hard work and sacrifices, the business is nothing. Employees are such an essential part of the success of the company. I try my best to make them feel that they are part of the team. Taking time to speak with them, asking about their families, working with them when unexpected issues arise, etc. are all key factors in developing a healthy professional work relationship, but the true test of caring is being there during their more challenging times. That is where trust, loyalty and respect are gained.

As an innovative, progressive leader my purpose in continuing with a perseverance mindset in this industry is to show my younger sisters and any other interested women that with hard work, faith, a core support system, and most importantly, the dedicated passion to succeed, it is possible to make a place for yourself in this or any related career. I hope my story inspires women just as I have been inspired by all the other women in this industry

#NoMoreNamesOnTheWall

Darian Weaver

HAAS Alert and the International Tow Museum are once again teaming up to put #NoMoreNamesOnTheWall. The campaign to prevent struck-by collisions is back this year after an enormously successful premier in 2021 which helped to raise over $5,000 to help families of fallen tow operators.

The #NoMoreNamesOnTheWall campaign was launched last year in partnership with the International Towing Museum and the Survivor Fund. In order to help towers and families of towers, HAAS Alert is committed to donating to the Survivor Fund for every demo of Safety Cloud and activation of Safety Cloud, ensuring that families affected by line-of-duty deaths benefit just from towers learning about the power of digital alerting protection in the field.

With this campaign, HAAS Alert aims to raise awareness of Move Over laws and encourage adoption of life-saving digital alerting technology. Combined with the public’s help, we can begin to make tower struck-by incidents a thing of the past, and work towards to ultimate goal of adding #NoMoreNamesOnTheWall.

If you would like to be a part of this life-saving campaign for towers, you can visit haasalert.com/nomorenames. From there, you can read more about the campaign and schedule your custom demo.

Upcoming Shows

HAAS Alert will be on-site at major tow events throughout the fall. Come visit us to learn more about Safety Cloud for tow fleets!

Provincial Towing Association of Ontario Tow Show and Sale (Ontario, September 16-17)
American Towman ShowPlace – Las Vegas (Las Vegas, September 21-23)
Tennessee Tow Show (Chattanooga, October 7-8)

Bruce Davis of Davis Towing & Recovery, Rushville, IN, will be honored by the Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame in Chattanooga, TN.

Darian Weaver

Bruce Davis of Rushville, IN, will be inducted into the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame at a special ceremony here scheduled for October 2022.

Davis was singled out, along with nine other outstanding towing and recovery leaders in Australia, France, Japan and the United States, for recognition due to his leadership and innovation in the towing industry.

The owner of Davis Towing & Recovery Inc. has built his company to be one of the most prestigious towing and recovery companies in the state of Indiana. Davis bought the company from his dad, Bob Davis, also a towing expert, and has invested 35 years in the industry. He is respected by his peers, competitors and community. He is considered an asset to the towing community in central and southeast Indiana.

Davis’ accomplishments include building towing equipment for himself and other towing companies, and using his wreckers in the Indianapolis 500. He has invented equipment used for water recoveries and also to tow large charter buses, a device that is now standard in the towing field. He has recovered every type of vehicle, from boats, helicopter and plane to train, car, truck and more.

Despite competition among towing companies, Davis has been a mentor to many, offering professional advice and hosting classes to help other towing operators gain knowledge and experience.

Davis also is a volunteer in the Rushville community, working with fire, police, sheriff’s, and highway departments, as well as local schools. He was chosen Citizen of the Year by the Rush County Chamber of Commerce.

He will be honored by the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at the Westin Chattanooga during the organization’s annual Museum Weekend.

The International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum was founded over 20 years ago by dedicated towing professionals. It is based in Chattanooga, TN, considered the birthplace of the towing and recovery industry. The Hall of Fame has grown to include over 300 distinguished towing professionals from around the world.

For details visit towingmuseum.com.

The National Tow List

Darian Weaver

The National Tow List, or NTL has been around since March of 2008, and on social media since March of 2010.

The actual NTL website is the largest 100% free to list, and free to use towing phone book anywhere, so the motoring public has an easier time finding a tow, or roadside assistance. Simply go to the site, and use the Help Me Get Home tab. Every yellow pin is a shop, and the customer calls the shop directly- no call centers, and it’s not a paid referral service. To add a shop, use the Get Listed tab (US, or international for outside the United States).

The social media page (through FB) is a daily, fresh post only, towing news page, bringing news articles from all over the globe, and done every morning.

What started as a hobby turned into a passion, and it’s an honor to know so many people who find the page useful beyond what I originally started with, and has an average reach of 20-30,000 weekly.

I make nothing off the site, and most of the time, it’s paid for by myself (there have been a few very generous donors over these last few years, and without them, the site would have folded).

Should anyone wish to donate, you can find the link on the home page of the NTL website. And yes, every little bit helps.

Please, check out the page, and website, and if you like what you see, get your company listed, and follow the FB page to stay up to date on the happenings of the Towing, Roadside, and Repo industry.

Best wishes to all!

Moe Timcoe
Founder/Owner
National Tow List

8.5 Ton XLP Medium Duty Carrier

Darian Weaver

Jerr-Dan’s carrier line includes standard, medium, heavy-duty, multi-car, and industrial models. The 8.5 Ton XLP is versatile enough to handle the work of a light duty carrier but designed and engineered to handle the toughest jobs of a medium duty carrier. With a 17,000 lb. structural capacity available in steel or aluminum, this medium duty carrier is available with deck lengths of 22 ft. to 30 ft., 96 in. or 102 in. wide, and dock stabilizer or wheel lift options of 3,000 lb., 3,500 lb., 4,000 lb., or 5,000 lb.

About Jerr-Dan

JerrDan, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, is a leading manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment and offers an extensive range of light, medium and heavy duty carriers, wreckers and rotators. The company is headquartered in Hagerstown, MD., and its products are backed by industry-leading warranties and a strong service network dedicated to the towing professional. To learn more about Jerr-Dan, visit www.jerrdan.com.

About Oshkosh Corporation

At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs approximately 15,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common cause: to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Pierce®, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™, Oshkosh® Airport Products, London™ and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com.

Autogrid Option for XLP Carrier

Darian Weaver

The new Autogrid option for Jerr-Dan’s XLP Carrier allows an operator to hook to a car quickly and easily without manually installing L-Arms.

Engineered with the operator in mind, the grid design offers a 3,500 lb. rating and a crossbar that can rotate 90 degrees either side of center. The center detent helps to prevent unintended crossbar swing during hook-up. The grid center drop area is designed to provide better support for tires as well as less sidewall push. The long-term cost of ownership and product longevity are addressed with replaceable wear items that include wear pads, L-arm tips, and grid ends.

In addition to these standard elements, Autogrid customers may choose from several add-on options including wireless remote control, a dual-camera system, and a Reese Hitch attachment.

An animated demonstration of this product is available to view at https://bit.ly/3N2bsI0.

See your Jerr-Dan distributor
for more details or visit
www.jerrdan.com.

Dynamic® Launches Tool Catalog for U.S. Customers

Darian Weaver

BRAMPTON, Ont. — As part of its expansion into the U.S. market, the Canada-based Dynamic® tool brand has released a catalog for U.S. customers. It features over 2,000 tools under the Dynamic name and its parent company, Gray Tools, a well-respected manufacturer and distributor of premium hand tools since 1912. The catalog offers a wide selection of professional-quality, budget-friendly tools, most of which are backed by a worry-free lifetime warranty with North American support from Gray Tools.

Dynamic-branded tools include tool storage products, sockets, wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, insulated tools and other specialty tools designed for a variety of uses for many industries, such as automotive, commercial construction, mining, MRO, public transit, military and agriculture.

Gray-branded tools are being used extensively by some of the toughest industries in North America, including natural resources, MRO, telecommunication, as well as military. Many of the tools, including a full insulated assortment, are made in the USA.

The products can be purchased on the company’s website, ShopDynamicTools.com, although some products are noted in the catalog as being available exclusively on partner websites like Amazon.com or Zoro.com.

Those interested can request a printed copy of the catalog online at https://shopdynamictools.com/pages/the-dynamic-tool-catalog. A digital copy of the catalog is also available to download on the same page.

Introduced in 2009, the Dynamic® tool brand was created by Gray Tools, a renowned North American manufacturer and distributor of premium hand tools founded in 1912, to meet the need for high-quality tools at a budget-friendly price. Today, the Dynamic line consists of more than 2,500 products, including sockets, wrenches, pliers, hammers, chisels, locking tools and clamps, which are fully serviced and warrantied by Gray Tools. For more information, visit ShopDynamicTools.com.

Open Letter to the Towing and Recovery Industry from Bob Nelson, Jerr-Dan

Darian Weaver

In 2022, Jerr-Dan is celebrating its 50th year in business. While preparing for this milestone anniversary, we paused to take a look back at the long and winding road that has brought us to where we are today.

As the single brand leader in the towing and recovery industry, it is not often that we stop to look in the rear-view mirror. We generally operate with an eye on the road in front of us.

Today, that road looks a bit daunting.

With inflation rates at a four-decade high, widespread supply chain disruptions, a tight labor market, logistics challenges, increasing fuel and insurance costs and the threat of increasing interest rates, it’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. A major chassis shortage further complicates the situation.

Truck OEMs are unable to deliver the chassis needed to meet the demand of tow equipment manufacturers and have moved to “allocating” available inventory in 2022. They anticipate that supply will fall short of demand through 2023 and perhaps into early 2024.

These shortages limit Jerr-Dan’s manufacturing volumes. And we are not alone. Competitive manufacturers are equally experiencing these market conditions and unfortunately, there is no quick fix on the horizon.

That said, and as difficult as it may be to see today, every business challenge presents an opportunity for improvement.

First and foremost, Jerr-Dan remains focused on building trucks to satisfy customer demand. To do so we are working diligently and getting creative to secure the parts and chassis needed to build product.

To keep driving our business, your business and the industry forward, we have allocated resources to three key areas: proactive customer communications, product development and operator training.

In terms of communication, we are being transparent with customers so that they can work through fleet planning and make business decisions with the most up-to-date information. A customer is the first to know if a part or chassis is delayed which will impact their delivery.

The Jerr-Dan product specialist and engineering teams are heavily focused on working to develop products from customer feedback. This rich level of customer input is helping us define our future products.

And finally, we strongly support operator training. One tower is killed in the line of duty every 6 days. This is an unacceptable statistic we take to heart at Jerr-Dan. We are upgrading our training facilities, capabilities, and programs to get more operators trained to change this statistic going forward.

As an industry, we need to pull together during these tough times. We can’t bury our heads and ignore inflation. We must practice pricing discipline to remain healthy. That means as costs increase, pricing must be adjusted and/or surcharges instituted to keep businesses healthy and tow trucks in service.

In today’s marketplace, if you aren’t changing, you are dying. Gone are the days, at least for now, when customers can arrive at a trade show with the expectation of buying a tow truck. Those on display are in most instances already sold. Customers who want to minimize business disruptions should embrace fleet planning, forecast purchases, and secure financing well in advance.

While this is our 50th year in business, we haven’t seen anything like this in our first 50 years. As always, we are committed to our customers and to doing what we can to mitigate cost impacts. This is how we have led the way since 1972 and how we will remain a market leader for the next 50 years.

Keep Driving Forward,

Bob Nelson
General Manager
Jerr-Dan

To learn more about Jerr-Dan, visit www.jerrdan.com.

HIDE-A-LIFT

Darian Weaver

Hide-A-Lift was established in 1998 in a small town in the Northwest corner of Iowa. Needing a way to tow cars from place to place, then owner and now salesman, Lee Bomgaars, came up with an idea for the first underlift and things took off from there. Hide-A-Lift, located in Doon, IA., is owned by Roy Van Engen and his four sons. They are not only the owners but also do the welding, testing, assembly, installation, and everything involved in the manufacturing process. Take a look at our lifts, and you will see, no matter what your needs are, we have a solution for you!

Cobra Wheel Lift

Looking for a tow unit with a little more power?

Check out our COBRA pick-up repo wheel lift for wrecker trucks:

Heavy-duty lifting 6”x 6” main beam
4,000-lb.+ lift capacity
Suggested minimum 10,000 GVW chassis
72” reach
Full 90-degree loading (great for parallel parked cars)
In-cab 8-function control
Quick connect for easy removal
Double pump for speed and power
Twin 3-½” lift cylinders for more speed and power
Hydraulic claws (no springs to malfunction causing damage)
Self-centering head
Brass bushings on king pin
12,000-lb. winch available
Built-in frame stiffener
Extra frame stiffening recommended

More info: https://hidealift.com/cobra/

Viper Wheel Lift

Need a quick and easy unit to tow most consumer vehicles? Viper costs less, quicker than most competitive self-loaders, is easy to mount, and can be working for you in no time.

Fully hydraulic underlift (in/out and up/down)
Twin 3-½” lift cylinders
4,000-lb.+ lift capacity
Suggested minimum 10,000 GVW chassis
Hydraulic claws (no springs to malfunction causing damage)
Self-centering head
Brass bushings on king pin
In-cab 6-function control
Double pump for speed and power
Extra frame stiffening recommended
Unique under-body construction

For more information: https://hidealift.com/viper/

Raptor Wheel Lift

RAPTOR — A lift that extends with a button instead of manually:

12-volt power pack with 20-ft. remote control
Power up/down, in/out
All parts made in USA
Wheel receivers use cam locks that adjust to towed vehicle’s width
No lost pins with the cam locks
Easy under-body installation
Lifting point is near rear axle not bumper
T-bar turns and hinges for safe and easy towing
One person operation

For more information: https://hidealift.com/raptor/

BOA Wheel Lift

BOA — A quick-and-easy unit to tow in tighter spaces with easy to use functions:

12-volt hydraulic power pack with 10-ft. remote control
Double acting power up – power down hydraulic cylinder
All parts made in USA
Wheel receivers use cam locks that adjust to fit towed vehicle’s width
Cam locks provide fast and easy adjustment – no lost pins
Easy under-body installation, completely retractable to hide under the truck
T-bar turns and hinges for safe and easy turning
Lifting point is near the rear axle, not the rear bumper
Can be re-installed in another pick-up truck
One person operation

For more information: https://hidealift.com/boa/

All Hide-A-Lift units are made, sold, installed, or shipped from our 12,000 sq.-ft. facility. As a family-owned business, we take pride in the workmanship and service that goes into every unit that leaves our doors. Give us a call today! 800-634-9340

Is Your Telescope Set Right?

D.J. Harrington CSP

Even though I’m in my mid 70’s now, I continue to work in the podcast center two days a week completing podcasts for Tow Professional, “On the Go,” as well as one for Brian Riker, “Your DOT Guy,” podcast and another one for the American Towing and Recovery Institute podcast with 40-year industry Veteran, Wes Wilburn who just last month finished his 889th Hands On Classes for Towers throughout the USA. If you are wondering what I do with the remaining three days of the week, I’m proud to say that you can find me at a radio station in Calhoun, Georgia. Somewhere in all that work week, I manage to find quality time with my three grandchildren in the North Georgia summer sun. My grandchildren mean the world to me, and I am sure you’re doing the same this summer with your family.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on how you look at life. Here’s a short story that I hope you will take to heart. It’s about a little boy who wanted to change his situation. There was a big bully down the street who was always bothering this little boy. The little boy was trying to muster enough nerve to stand up to this bully, but he was still too afraid.

Well one day, hoping to divert his son’s thoughts, the father bought the little boy a new telescope. Later he found his son playing with it in the front yard and noticed that his son was looking through the wrong end, raising the larger lens to his eye. On a mission to correct him, the father stepped outside and said, “NO, son! You’re doing it backward. Turn it around and it will make everything bigger like it was meant to do.” The little boy answered, “I know that Dad, but right now I’m looking at this bully. When I look at him this way it makes him so small that I’m not afraid of him anymore.”

Life is like a telescope. Sometimes in life, we might have to turn our telescope around because we’ve magnified a small problem for far too long. It becomes larger only because we are looking at it differently than we should be. A problem might seem impossible to change and that it’s never going to work out. However, if you’ll turn it around, you will see it from the right perspective. It goes back to Dr. Wayne Dwyer’s saying, “Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change.”

Attitude begins as harmless thoughts. Then, with practice, they become layered by habit into unbroken chains to shackle OR strengthen our lives. We are scarcely aware they exist. Just like a comfortable bed, they are easy to fall into, but difficult to get out of.

Talking about people with a great attitude are our three sponsors of the Tow Professional podcast. First, one is Towbook, “Towing software that works for you.” Second, Jerr-Dan, leading the way since 1972 and will always “Keep Driving Forward.” We recently had Bob Nelson of Jerr-Dan on our podcast, and it was a great interview. A must hear! Our newest sponsor is Recovery Billing Unlimited Inc. They are dedicated to teaching fellow towers how to get paid. All three sponsors have a podcast worth listening to on the Tow professional platform.

It’s time to check the lens. How are you seeing things these days? Remember, losers always see thunderstorms. Winners always see rainbows. Losers see all mishaps of icy streets, while winners strap on their ice skates. I, personally know lots of towers, real winners, that always work their way around challenges. We have more of our share of challenges in this industry today, so let’s make the best of it.

Don’t forget that we, as towers, are not responsible for what happens out there or what others do or think. However, we’re only responsible for how we chose to feel, behave, or react.

My final thought. Some of us need to turn our telescope backward and start seeing our challenges through a smaller lens so we can get a proper perspective on how to fix problems going forward.

See you next time or on the Tow Professional podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Jerr-Dan Introduces Autogrid Option for XLP Carrier

Darian Weaver

Jerr-Dan, an Oshkosh Corporation company has announced a new option for their XLP carrier. The all-new XLP Carrier Autogrid allows an operator to hook to a car quickly and easily without manually installing L-Arms.

Engineered with the operator in mind, the grid design offers a 3,500 lb. rating and a crossbar that can rotate 90 degrees either side of center. The grid pivot has a center detent bar that prevents excessive crossbar swing during set-up. The grid center drop area is designed to provide better support for tires as well as less sidewall push. The long-term cost of ownership and product longevity are addressed with replaceable wear items that include crossbar ends, L-arm tips, and plates at strategic locations. In addition to these standard elements, Autogrid customers may choose from several add-on options including wireless remote control, a dual-camera system, and boom level stop.

While Florida Tow Show attendees saw a live demonstration of the Autogrid option, an animated version of that demonstration is available to view at https://bit.ly/3N2bsI0.

See your Jerr-Dan distributor for more details or visit www.jerrdan.com.

The Structure of the Towing Industry

Dan Messina

Raleigh, USA - May 13, 2018: Highway road in North Carolina with closeup of East Coast towing truck car by accident crash

In my last article, I wrote about things that happened to me as I learned about towing. In this article, I want to discuss the structure of the towing industry. Keep in mind that this is my opinion based on things that happened to me and how I look at the towing industry. The industry consists of three parts:

The tow companies
The towing associations
The towing media

As we look at each part, I want to remind you again that this is my opinion.

Tow Companies – My company did private property tows only. Private property towing was not a popular thing with bigger tow companies. As a result, they looked down on me. I was a member of the local Texas association, and even though I was on their board, they still looked down at me. Because of my success in the industry, many tow companies were interested in learning about private property towing. For the next two years, I traveled to all the tow shows and held seminars on private property towing. It was successful, and I would have 50 to 100 people in each class. I got to meet a lot of tow companies and made many friends. I did learn that many of the tow companies did not get along. This created a battle between the big companies and the small companies. The association that I was a member of in Texas wrote a law that was to put the small companies out of business while they made a lot of money. I was trying to get a large tow company in Michigan to register with my current company. She said no and accused me of keeping the smaller companies in business. She went to a customer I was trying to sign up and told them if they used TowTrax they would not tow for them anymore.

That’s when I learned that: Big companies don’t like small companies and small companies don’t like big companies.

Towing Associations – As I watched what the association I belonged to was doing to the smaller companies, I left them and started my own association. The law that was passed required all drivers to be licensed and certified. Certification with the state, and the test they had to pass also cost $150 to the association giving the test. The association that wrote the law went to a national association and made a deal. I was told they would give the national association $25 dollars for every driver that took their test. My association grew fast; I was soon at 1,125 members compared to the other association that had less than 200.

I went to the national association to see if I could use their test. My association was a member of the national association. I was told the other Texas association had an exclusive and they would not let me use their test. I don’t know if you ever saw the national test, but you need a slide rule and a lot of prayers to pass. Again, it was meant for the little guy to fail. The state of Texas told me that since I had my own association, I could write my own test. Because my test was easier, and we did it in Spanish and traveled all over Texas to give it. We tested 97% of the drivers and my association made over a million dollars. This upset the other Texas association and the national association whose members were mostly large companies who lost a lot of money. As I reached out to other associations offering them help, they felt I was trying to do something for my benefit and not theirs. There is little or no trust with associations. I never did figure out how a national association made up of big companies with few members make all the rules for the other 50,000 tow companies. I also found out that most states have more than one association because they can’t agree on the issues that face their state.

Most state associations don’t get along with each other.

Towing Media – The towing media is made up of three magazines. Tow Times and American Towman, who have printed magazines and put on tow shows in various cities. The third is Tow Professional magazine. They are the new kid on the block. When life was good, I was doing seminars and writing articles for all the magazines. Then when Tow Professional entered the scene, they asked me to write articles for them. I was flattered and I started to write articles. Then one magazine did not want my articles anymore, then another magazine decided they did not need my articles anymore. Then I stopped doing seminars at the tow shows. When I attended tow shows all the magazines had booths at the shows. Then that stopped. If you were a magazine that did a show, the other magazines were not allowed to have a booth there. I’m not sure if they are even allowed to attend their shows. It was sad. I was very successful with the seminars and writing articles, but now I can’t for a variety of reasons. I know thousands of towers, and my seminars were standing room only. However, the towers lose because I’m restricted on what I can do based on various rules.

The media that supports the industry just does not get along.

As bad it sounds with tow companies not getting along with other tow companies, and associations not getting along with other associations, and the media not getting along with each other it’s still the best industry I’ve ever worked in. The people work hard, and they deserve better from some of the support groups in the industry.

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