Coming to the Supply side of towing from the Recovery Industry years ago, I have always felt there was a disconnection between companies supplying Parts and Accessories and the professionals working in the industry. Well, I can honestly say that I have landed in a position with a company that has changed that view for me.

Recently I accepted a position, with Worldwide Equipment Sales, after some years working with another supplier owned by a corporate Giant. It is so refreshing to be with a company deeply rooted in the recovery, transport, and hauler business, family owned, and so deeply dedicated to the industry, rather than trying to branch out into every niche industry they can find to keep margins level though out the year. We do not have a call center in a building somewhere staffed by people, that we all know, have never been associated with the industry until being hired. We staff with people who know the industry, who live and breathe the industry, who have been on the streets and used or built the products that we market.  We actually build and sell new recovery vehicles, used trucks, new and used trailers, and Auto Haulers. We have a service department to service recovery and other units, and we do not pretend to know the recovery industry, we are the recovery industry. We even offer our own line of Asset Tracking hardware, under the DriverLocate.com name, and we deal with real industry issues every day.

Worldwide Equipment Sales has recently built a new website (www.newtowtrucks.com) to help better serve our long list of existing and new customers. The new site has a shopping cart always visible on any page that you are viewing, so that customers know what they have in the cart and amounts at any time, and it figures shipping instantly so you do not have to enter pages of info just to find out what shipping will be. We have enlarged the photos for easy identification, and added complete descriptions so you know what you are getting. We have also included Customer Reviews, written by customers for customers, so that you can hear in terms that everyone in the industry can understand how the products are performing. Now you can make a truly informed judgment that the part is going to work and fit your needs.

Everyone at Worldwide Equipment would like to take this opportunity to invite our existing and new customers to come visit our new site and sign up to win a brand new “Apple iPad.” No purchase necessary; just sign up to receive our completely new platform catalog, and win.

Todd J. Kemntizer
Worldwide Equipment
www.NewTowTrucks.com
www.DriverLocate.com

This is can be one of those confusing benefits or values to belonging to an association. We all wonder what it means, how long will it take, how will it impact me? For the background, we’ve worked with our Lobbyist team for almost 20 years. This leads to great internal relationships, like working with the Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal. Now, with this foundation, remember that just in the 2013-2014 Legislative Session there have already been nearly 5,000 bills introduced. So, we must review them all for impact on us, and attempt to get any we want to introduce onto the floor.

I’d like to give an example of what “Lobbying for our Members” looks like from a recent success story in California. Like most states, ours is low on funds and can’t afford to invest in the enforcement of new laws. With all the regulations we have in California, the towing industry has no specific ones other than in law enforcement towing and the basic motor carrier guidelines. In approaching the concerns with underinsured and often unprofessional towers, we found a means of self-enforcement, which meant we had a chance of getting the legislation passed. The control we have is in the release of vehicles from our impound facilities. By getting legislation passed that allowed us to deny releasing a vehicle to a company without a motor carrier permit, we at least made sure the people coming on to our property were insured and had worker’s compensation coverage, at a minimum protecting ourselves. So, here’s what the timeline looked like and how this law made it onto the books. Remember, this particular one was passed quickly. There were no opposing votes through the entire process. Typically, you should expect longer.

• 2-20-13 Bill begins life sponsored by Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair of the Transportation Committee
• 2-28-13 Referred to the Transportation Committee for Review
• 4-09-13 Passed the Transportation Committee and referred to the Appropriations Committee
• 4-17-13 Passed the Appropriations Committee back to the Assembly
• 4-25-13 Passed the Assembly, referred to the Senate
• 4-25-13 Passed to Committee on Rules for assignment in the Senate
• 5-09-13 Assigned to Committee on Transportation & Housing(T&H)
• 5-09-13 Amended and Re-referred to Committee on T&H
• 5-29-13 Amended again and Re-referred to Committee on T&H
• 6-11-13 Passed Committee on T&) and referred to Committee on Appropriations
• 6-25-13 Read and forwarded to consent calendar(slated for vote)
• 7-01-13 Passed in Senate, referred back to Assembly
• 7-03-13 Assembly approved amendments
• 8-01-13 Assembly passed bill to Governor
• 8-13-13 Governor approved and chaptered by Secretary of State
• 1/01/14 A NEW LAW ON THE BOOKS

In addition to initiating the process, the association publicized the new law, in our newsletter and in a special notification to members, as well as provided a sample printable wall chart for them to post in their offices. After the law was in effect for a few weeks, we came up with a list of five Frequently Asked Questions that were coming in to our office and again sent this info out to the members.

How do you measure this value? Members report numerous salvage towers coming in and just giving up when they realize this revenue stream is gone. Our member towers are getting a more level playing field, as “under the radar” operators will have the same expenses we do so therefore must drop out or raise their prices to a comparable rate.

Larry Muzamel
Executive Director
California Tow Truck Association

If you never had to worry about overheating again, even under extreme conditions, heavy loads, and high ambient temperatures – what would that mean to your bottom line? Cooling system failures account for 40% of maintenance problems, and the resulting downtime is costly. There isn’t a magic bullet to solve all problems, but how about a waterless solution?

The adoption of water as an engine coolant early in the 20th century was logical, but complicated by the fact it freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F. Water is universally recognized as the root cause of corrosion and erosion inside engine blocks and cooling systems. Despite water’s superior heat transfer capabilities, water-based coolants remain far from the “ideal solution.”
Evans Waterless Heavy Duty Coolant has a boiling point of 375°F, providing a separation of over 100°F between the engines’s operating temperature and the coolant’s boiling point. This means Evans has the capacity to safely operate at higher temperatures and protect the engine at temperatures well above the boiling point of water. Evans coolant will not form vapor and operates at a much lower, safer pressure, eliminating hotspots and overboil. Overheating is avoided – even with heavy loads, high temperatures and under hostile operating conditions.

Evans coolant also protects an engine from corrosion, electrolysis and cavitation erosion. Evans demonstrated superior results in the John Deere Cavitation Test with 70% fewer “pits” than the next best tested coolant. With less downtime and decreased maintenance costs, Evans is a cost-effective alternative to water-based coolants.

Evans Cooling
(860) 668-1114
www.evanscooling.com

Jerr-Dan Corporation, an Oshkosh Corporation company and leader in the towing and recovery equipment market, is pleased to announce and welcome Jeff Irr, Hanna Sanford, David Greenfeld and Brad Burkhamer to key positions in the Jerr-Dan team.

“Jerr-Dan continues to improve by streamlining processes and making changes that add value for our customers. One key area that we have recently focused on is our sales team. I am excited to welcome our new Director of Sales, District Sales Managers and Inside Sales Administrator to Jerr-Dan. Each individual brings with them unique and significant experiences that will support and satisfy our customers going forward,” said Richard Del Campo, Jerr-Dan Vice President and General Manager.

As Jerr-Dan Director of Sales, Jeff Irr will report to Joel Amsley, Senior Vice President of Sales. In his new role, Irr will be responsible for providing leadership to the Jerr-Dan sales force. Irr comes to Jerr-Dan with more than 16 years of experience in the commercial truck industry. Prior to joining Jerr-Dan, Irr spent the past 11 years with Mack Trucks & Volvo of North America in multiple sales and marketing positions.

“I am tremendously thrilled to be part the great tradition and iconic brand that is Jerr-Dan. As the Director of Sales, my goal will be to increase our presence with our distributors, and at the same time, get my team to spend more time in front of our customers to understand better how we can help them grow their Jerr-Dan business,” said Irr.

Hanna Sanford has joined the Jerr-Dan sales team as a District Sales Manager; she will be responsible for the company’s business development efforts in the Mid Western Region. Sanford comes to Jerr-Dan with more than 16 years of experience in the commercial truck industry. Prior to joining Jerr-Dan, Sanford was employed at Stahl, a Scott Fetzer Company where she held the position of Regional Sales Manager.

David Greenfeld has joined the Jerr-Dan sales team as a District Sales Manager; he will be responsible for the company’s business development efforts in the Mid Atlantic Region. Greenfeld comes to Jerr-Dan with over 19 years sales experience in the fire and emergency apparatus industry. Greenfeld is an active volunteer firefighter and paramedic for the past 32 years.

Brad Burkhamer has joined the Jerr-Dan inside sales team as a Sales Administrator. Burkhamer comes to Jerr-Dan with over 18 years of sales experience in the general construction and equipment rental industry. Prior to Jerr-Dan, Brad was employed at RSC Equipment Rental as a Territory Manager.

Jerr-Dan Corporation is a leading manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment. Its full line includes light-, medium- and heavy-duty carriers and wreckers, industrial transporters and four-car carriers.  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. 

Larson Electronics’ portable LED light tower (LEDP5W-30-TP1-50CR) comes complete with an IP68 rated 150 watt LED light head, aluminum quad-pod and 50’ retractable cord reel. The light head is waterproof to 3 meters, sealed against intrusion by dust or dust, and constructed to withstand the most demanding environments.  The LED floodlight creates a total of 14,790 lumens of intense light that provides coverage for an area 540’ long by 480’ wide and the lamp can easily be adjusted vertically and locked into position. This unit can also be ordered with LEDs in spotlight configuration to produce a beam 1200’ long by 140’ wide. The LED has a life expectancy of 50,000 hours and is backed by a 3 year warrant. This adjustable quad-pod can be extended to 12 feet, collapsed to 7 feet, and is fabricated from non-sparking powder coated aluminum. Containing 50 feet of 12/2 SOOW cord, our retractable cord reel keeps the cord clear of trip hazards. Operators can easily stow this collapsible light tower after using it for work area illumination, event lighting, emergency operations lighting, or equipment lighting. The LED light fixture assembly can be removed while the legs can be collapsed, aiding in deployment, storage and transport. This quad-pod mounted unit can be used with 12 or 24 VDC voltages depending upon chosen configuration. We can also custom build our lighting equipment according to your specific needs.

(800) 369-6671
www.magnalight.com

Zip’s Truck Month is in its second year, and is a great opportunity for you to get into a high quality, new or used truck, with the added benefit of a parts/service gift card in which you can use to accessorize your new piece of equipment.  Zip’s only offers this promotion once a year, and it’s for a limited time. If you’re in the market for a new wrecker, carrier, service body or trailer, take a look at zips.com, and contact a Zip’s Sales Consultant for more information on the unit you’re interested in. Just for requesting a quote, or an equipment demo, you are qualified to win a 2014 Polaris RZR, Side-by-Side ATV.

“We like to offer our customers and future customers a fun giveaway every year. Last year, we gave away a Harley. This year, it’s a Razor” says David Rottinghaus, Sales Manager at Zip’s.  “Towers have had a long and busy winter! What better way to kick off the summer than by winning a new toy to add to your garage!”

Zip’s kicked off Truck Month at the Florida Show, and hundreds of customers have already signed up. Ron & Lisa from Pine Tree Towing (Cambridge, Ohio) were the very first customers to take advantage of Truck Month, as they brought home the FIRST Century 1150-R Rolling Rotator from Florida (see picture). Zip’s is very excited to offer the innovative 1150-R, and already has a second one on order – ready to tailor to your unique specifications.

You can sign up many different ways: simply give Zip’s a call to discuss the truck you’re interested in, or stop by one of our two locations, either in Detroit, Michigan or New Hampton, Iowa. Our inventory is updated daily at zips.com – we’re excited to show you our expansive selection of new and used wreckers, carriers, service bodies and trailers. Don’t forget to take a look at Zip’s most recent Service Body design, the RSB – it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen!

Best Insurance Agency has been in business since 1952. That is quite a statement. Insurance is one of those things that we all buy and usually don’t think too much about and usually leave it with the same company for many years.  A person or business can do this when they make a wise choice in the first place and select a company that treats you like a person and not a policy.  That is what Best Insurance Agency has been doing for 62 years. The agency handles mostly commercial insurance and lives by the motto “An independent insurance agency treating you as a person, not a policy.”

Brian Smith
(205) 655-2128
bsmith@bestrl.com
www.bestrl.com