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Best Insurance Agency

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

Turn Your Abandoned Cars into Cash with IAA

2013 AUSTIN DH 1797

2013 AUSTIN DH 1797

Leading Auction Company Brings Highly Popular Seminar to Florida Tow Show

iaa-booth

Are you a towing professional interested in learning how you can turn your abandoned cars into cash? You can find out how with Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA), the leading live and live-online auto auctions company and wholly owned subsidiary of KAR Auction Services, Inc. (NYSE: KAR) at the 2014 Florida Tow Show and International Expo taking place April 11-13 in Orlando. IAA has been driving the salvage auto auction industry for more than 30 years, providing the best value to buyers and high returns to sellers.

IAA will offer to Florida Tow Show attendees a special “Don’t Crush Your Cash” seminar on April 11 in the Gardenia Room.  In five easy steps, this free educational seminar will give towers an understanding of the selling process for lightly damaged, high-mileage, repossessed, impounded and abandoned vehicles through IAA’s combined live and live-online auction system. Professionals will also share helpful tips for turning unclaimed cars into cash and ensuring the best return possible.

2013 DALLAS DH

Attendees will also have the opportunity to speak with representatives from IAA’s Tow and Abandonments and Transportation divisions.  IAA’s unique business model offers a single solution for disposition of vehicles, from navigating the title procurement system and calculating the value of abandoned vehicles sitting on their lots to transportation.  The company has solid relationships with more than 900 independent and national towing companies and has sold millions of vehicles to buyers worldwide.

Be sure to visit the IAA booth (#150/151) throughout the Florida Tow Show and come to the Gardenia Room for the “Don’t Crush Your Cash” seminar. For more information on IAA, visit www.IAA-Auctions.com.

Lift and Tow – Z-Series

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Lift and Tow is a company that has been in the Towing and Recovery market for 15 years.  Company President & Owner Cal Roth stated that safety is the upmost importance and a lot of thought went into making his line of lifts for his towers.

The Z-series is their top-of-the-line lift. What’s so special about the lift and tow system? It is the fastest and most efficient way to get any tow job done. You can literally pick up a car in 36 seconds, and be on your way. Besides its speed and efficiency, the system can be installed on a large variety of vehicles, and is hardly noticeable, so there is no need to purchase a separate tow truck or rollback; just install it right onto your work truck.

The Z-series has upgraded double wall construction. The power boom is equipped with 6 function hydraulics and a wireless remote. It allows you to power up or down while extending or retracting. When retracted, however, the T-bar extends past the bumper 4-10” (depending on your truck model). This unit is fully self -loading and has in-cab controls. Once in place, just lift and go!

Unit comes with straps and wireless remote.

Christopher King of KingSize Enterprises stated, “I brought my first lift package in 2009, from Lift and Tow, and I certainly got my money’s worth. I started my business KingSize Enterprises with a 2003 Chevy 2500 Silverado and the 5 series tow package from Lift and Tow. Almost five years later, I am still impressed with the lift but needed to upgrade to save time and, of course, money. I call the folks at Lift and Tow, and we upgraded my lift to the Z series type. It has been the best decision I’ve made lately for my business! KingSize Enterprise is a small operation here in North Carolina, and we repo about 25 cars a week and tow about 10. In less than a month, my operation has become faster, smoother and less stressful as a result of upgrading to the Z series from Lift and Tow. A good product plus a good price equals a customer for life. Parts and customer service are always the most important factors in forming good customer relationships. My friends at Lift and Tow has met all of my towing lift needs, and I am completely satisfied with my new Z series lift from Lift and Tow.”

For more information on the 3, 5, and Z-Series lifts, give the team a call at Lift and Tow!!

Lift and Tow
www.liftandtow.com
1-866-494-6500
717-532-5558

Ohio Power Systems

Maxi

Maxi

This year, we have seen harsh weather blanketing most of the country. This has meant that recovery specialist products are being put to the test. Manufacturers want to build the most reliable product that they can. OPS is excited to share its knowledge on products that are made to withstand these harsh conditions.

Ohio Power Systems is educating these manufacturers as to why our products are superior to the other products that the market has been using. Our product line covers both simple on off winch systems to full rotator systems.

The products we supply are built to withstand some of the harshest of weather conditions with -15 F to 160F rating and no less than IP65-IP67 water rating.  All of these radios use FHSS RF technology so that you will not compromise safety by risking cross talking with other vehicles at the recovery site.  Some manufacturers are building products with no IP rating, and they only use fixed frequency technology in this market.

Ohio Power Systems
807 East Findlay Street
Carey, OH 43316
Office: 419-294-4985
Fax: 419-396-4045

www.ohiopowersys.com

Recovery First Insurance

Recovery First Insurance

Recovery First Insurance

The Recovery First Program started with one client who was having trouble with insurance coverage. They satisfy the requirements set forth by Major Lenders and Forwarders.  Over the past 15 years, Recovery First has grown to insure over 200 repossession companies nationwide, including some of the major repossession industry associations themselves.

Recovery First’s Insurance uses insurance companies that meet the AM Best Rating Guideline of A- VII or higher.

We are here to guide you with online explanations and definitions. You can email us or call us with questions anytime or call us during business hours. We want you to understand what you are buying and feel comfortable with your decision.

Jim Deason
CIC  Program Manager
(800) 687-4631
jim_deason@ajg.com
www.recoveryfirst.com

TomTom Business Solutions hires Ty Lambert

Tom Tom Fleet Management

Tom Tom Fleet Management

TomTom Business Solutions announced the hiring of Ty Lambert as account manager for the towing industry.  Ty’s responsibilities including consulting with new customers, providing training on TomTom’s solution, and managing relationships with the more than a dozen software partners integrated with TomTom’s fleet management solution.

“Ty’s capabilities are a perfect fit for our towing partners and customers.  As TomTom is the only GPS solution that integrates with all the major dispatching software companies, he will help towing business owners navigate through the muddy waters of GPS and find the right solution for them.  Towing software partners that integrate their solutions with TomTom now have a dedicated resource to help shoulder the ever-changing GPS features that their customers need to understand,” said Matt Gunzenhaeuser, Sales Director, TomTom Business Solutions.

Lambert is a Kansas native and lives outside of Portland, Oregon. Connect with Ty at ty.lambert@tomtom.com, by phone (360) 450-1941, or meet him at TomTom’s booth (#274) in Orlando and receive a live demo and enter to win a TomTom PRO navigation device.

TomTom Business Solutions offers an out-of-the-box fleet management solution for commercial vehicle fleets.

TomTom offers towers an out-of-the-box GPS vehicle tracking and connected navigation solution. Integrate dispatching, tracking, navigation and reporting into your operations with most tow management software. We serve more than 330,000 vehicles worldwide and have over 27,000 satisfied business customers.

Velvac Announces Acquisition of ViewMaster Product Line

velvac-2

Velvac, Inc., a leading manufacturer of components to the truck, bus, recreational and specialty vehicle industries, has announced that it has acquired the assets of the ViewMaster mirror product line from the former Mirror Lite Company. ViewMaster mirrors are used on vehicles in the refuse market, as well as other heavy and medium-duty trucks.  Velvac now offers the refuse industry’s broadest line of rear-view mirror products, covering OEM vehicle applications for the full range of vehicles in that market.

“The refuse market has a number of unique and critical vision system requirements,” noted Velvac President and CEO, Jeff Porter, “and the acquisition of the ViewMaster product line strengthens our presence, positioning Velvac as the leading tier-one vision system provider to this segment. We believe the ViewMaster product line, which is modular and flexible in its design, will have good application in other truck market segments, as well.”

velvac-1

“While Velvac’s primary focus has been to grow organically through product innovation and design leadership, this acquisition will enable us to better leverage advanced technology in our new product pipeline specifically dedicated to the refuse industry,” added Sean D. Custis, Director of Marketing at Velvac. “ViewMaster offers true synergies with our current served markets and product roadmap, and will allow us to expand our leadership in advanced vision systems on multiple chassis platforms.”

For more information on this and other Velvac vision solutions, visit www.velvac.com.

Jerr-Dan 8.5 Ton XLP

Con-Expo-2014-8.5-Ton-Carrier

Con-Expo-2014-8.5-Ton-Carrier

This unit appeals to those who need a lower deck height for transporting taller loads that would otherwise be over height on a standard height deck.

Con-Expo-2014-8.5-Ton-Carrier-2

In addition, the lower deck height makes tying down a load more accessible from the ground. The 8.5 Ton XLP also gives the operator additional capacity and deck length over a standard carrier for more flexibility on the job.

Also, improved load angle another benefit of the design that accommodates loading low clearance vehicles or other equipment.

This product is a medium duty cross over carrier that bridges a car carrier with a heavy industrial carrier, creating a multipurpose unit and offering more versatility. It has increased deck and wheel-lift structural capacity for heavier equipment/vehicles.

Baltimore-2013

“The introduction of the Jerr-Dan 8.5 Ton XLP continues the expansion of our low profile carriers into the medium duty product line,” said Jeff Soldner, Product Director for Jerr-Dan. “This gives the customer additional options when selecting a carrier that fills the needs of their particular application. The main benefits being increased payload capacity, lower deck height, lower load angles and increased wheel lift capacity that allows the customer to maximize their productivity.”

XLP benefits:

  • Low load angle
  • Low deck height
  • Lowest maintenance and cost of ownership in the industry
  • Exclusive No-Lube ™ pads and pivot points
  • Galvanized steel cross-members
  • Galvanized wire rope standard on aluminum beds
  • Patented Steel Beam Technology™
  • Standard 3 year warranty
  • Optimized deck design for maximum payload
  • High strength materials
  • Roll formed steel/ extruded aluminum rub rails
  • Deck, subframe, tilt cylinder saddles and tow options
  • Exclusive 6 inch cross-members (steel deck)
  • 3,500 lb low profile wheel-lift
  • 5,000 lb high capacity wheel-lift
  • Designed for long life and durability
  • Advance hose/ wire cable-tracking
  • All standard LED lighting
  • Both supply & return hydraulic filtration
  • Automotive grade electrical system
  • 12 standard key-slots for maximum flexibility
  • Dual lighted, corrosion resistance control stations with hydraulic pressure gauge

American Towing and Recovery Institute presented a check to Alabama Towing & Recovery Association

American Towing & Recovery Institute Presented with a Check

American Towing & Recovery Institute Presented with a Check

Fayetteville, North Carolina, March 4 – American Towing and Recovery Institute proudly presented a check for $4,765 to the Alabama Towing and Recovery Association on February 24, 2014, to help benefit the towers of Alabama.

These are the proceeds from an ongoing joint relationship between Alabama Towing & Recovery Association and American Towing & Recovery Institute from Training & Certification courses held by both groups in 2013.

Alabama Towing & Recovery Association is a nonprofit trade organization that serves the interests of the professional towing operator in Alabama. Activities include Training, Legislation, Networking and Civic volunteer projects.

American Towing & Recovery Institute is a not for profit membership-based organization founded in 2013 to promote safety, education, positive public relations and networking within the professional and business minded Towing & Recovery Industry.

ATRI provides and promotes live hands-on towing & recovery education seminars, Public Service Announcements promoting issues of common concerns between motoring public and the professional towing industry, exclusive member discounts for products and services, business consulting, expert witness, recovery bill mediation or review, networking opportunities between member and outside clients and community events (i.e., toy drives, etc).

For additional information on Alabama Towing & Recovery Association, call 205-314-8989.

For additional information on American Towing & Recovery Institute, visit www.americantowingandrecoveryinstitute.org contact us at 910-747-9000 or info@americantowingandrecoveryinstitute.org.

Pictured left to right: Lynn Hurst, President of Alabama Towing & Recovery Association, Wes Wilburn, Founder of American Towing & Recovery Institute

LiftAll® 3”W & 4”W Cargo Straps/Corner Guards

AW Direct Cargo Straps

AW Direct Cargo Straps

LHS12, LHS13, LHS14, LHS20, LHS30, LHS40, LHG110

USA-made, LiftAll® Cargo Straps and Corner Guards are perfect for securing loads during over-the-road transport. Flat hook styles fit under rub rails and into stake pockets. Triangle styles fit over load pins, and the chain end styles lock into stake pockets or attach to D-rings. All straps have a 5,000-lb. WLL and require a ratchet or cargo winch for tightening. Imported Corner Guards are made of rustproof copolymer and fit webbing up to 4”W. Guards come in a package of 10.

QuickCable® 12 VDC Portable Jump-Start Pack Rescue, Model 1800 – QCJP03

AW Direct Jump Pack

The QuickCable® Rescue Portable Power Pack 1800 is our best value: it’s both heavy-duty and affordable. Perfect for use with all 12 VDC engines. Features 4000 peak amps, 62”L/2G cable, built-in overcharge protection, AC charge cord, on/off switch, 2 internal batteries, DC outlet, voltmeter, built-in work light, LED indicator, test switch and more.

(800) 243-3194
www.awdirect.com

T3 Power Plug Pro 30

T3 POWER PLUG PRO 30

T3 POWER PLUG PRO 30

Serving the Lifting, Rigging, & Load Securement Industries

FEATURES & BENEFITS

  • Extra Long 30’ Cables with 5’ Truck Harness.  Made with Tangle-Free Vutron Cable.
  • Fits Top and Side Post Batteries.
  • Standard Plug is Interchangeable with Most Popular Brands.
  • Protective Coated Steel Clamps with Ergonomically Designed Handles.
  • All cable connections are sealed with heat shrink tubing. 
  • All Mounting Hardware and instructions are Included.
  • Heavy 4 Gauge Conductors Made with 100% Copper Wire.
  • Built in Polarity Indicator.  When Green Indicator Light is Lit the Cables are Properly Connected.  If Indicator is Not Lit, Check for Proper Connection.
  • Replacement Parts are Available.
  • 500 AMP Capacity.
  • Designed for Heavy-Duty Demands.

BA-Products

B/A PRODUCTS CO.
8925 McGaw Court
Columbia, MD 21045
(800) 327-3301
WWW.BAPROD.COM

Crashfilm for Temporary Protection

Crash Film

Crash Film

Crashfilm is a self-adhesive protective film. It applies easily to vehicles that have been involved in a collision, (broken windows) in auto storage, (preserve interior) or repair (body shops). Easily applied by one individual.

The blue roll is 36”x 200’ and has a 45 day UV protectant. Apply to a clean dry surface to protect the interior from rain, dirt and snow. Crashfilm is temporary protection that will release without leaving residue.

Boxes 4 U
1401 E. Plano Pkwy.
Plano, TX 75074
888-672-2548
www.crashfilm.net

Larson Electronics Offers Wrecker Lighting Solutions

Larson Lighting

Larson Lighting

Larson Electronics’ LEDP5W-30-TP1-50CR is a portable LED light tower that comes complete with a 150 watt LED light head, an aluminum quadpod and a 50’ retractable cord reel. Operators can easily stow this collapsible light tower after using it for temporary scene lighting. The LED floodlight creates a total of 14,790 lumens of bright white light that provides coverage for an area 540’ long by 480’ wide and retractable cord reel keeps the cord clear of trip hazards.

Larson Electronics, LLC
800-369-6671
www.magnalight.com
sales@magnalight.com

Steck’s Super Easy Wedge

Super Easy Wedge in Action

Super Easy Wedge

Many of today’s new vehicles may require additional pressure and surface area to spread the force along the door when performing unlocks.  New vehicles are being built with sturdier window frames that may require additional pressure when unlocking the vehicle.  Larger vehicles have larger doors, which also may require additional pressure when performing unlocks.

Super Easy Wedge in Action

Super Easy Wedge (PN 32923) is a larger version of the Easy Wedge to be used as an accessory with our BigEasy Lockout kits. The Super Easy Wedge, as well as our Easy Wedge, is inserted to create a controlled opening of the vehicle door. Once inserted, inflate the wedge to the desired size, and you can insert your BigEasy tool to safely unlock the vehicle.  Our bigger wedge can provide more power, as well as a bigger opening to be able to maneuver the BigEasy lockout tool.

Super Easy Wedge is made in the USA and is a 7 x 9” inflatable wedge made from ballistic nylon, preventing slippage in extreme weather. The Super Easy Wedge will also have a taffeta print on the exterior with a 30 gauge polypropylene insert for stiffness, which will lead to ease of insertion into the vehicle. The Super Easy Wedge has a contact area of 2-1/2 x 4-1/2, giving the wedge 168.75 pounds of force. The bulb has been increased by 50%, allowing for fewer compressions to fill the wedge.

Labor/Material Savings: Provides more power and has a larger surface area, allowing for larger openings and better weight distribution, resulting in a smaller chance of damage to a vehicle when trying to unlock it.

Steck Manufacturing Co.
1115 S Broadway
Dayton, Ohio 45417
800-227-8325
www.steckmfg.com

Towmate at the Florida Tow Show

Towmate

Towmate

It’s that time of year again to break out the flip flops and sunscreen and head to the Florida Tow Show! As always, there will be a number of authorized dealers carrying the latest TowMate wireless tow lights and cutting-edge LED products. Look for scorching hot deals and be sure to stop by to see what’s new. Often imitated, never duplicated…stick with the best!

www.towmate.com

Ph: (800) 680-4455

TRAA Launches New Website

TRA Website

A New Look for Our New Chapter

TRA Website

The Towing & Recovery Association of America (TRAA) is pleased to announce the launch of our new website, www.traaonline.com. This new site will enhance TRAA’s interaction with our members with the ability to easily update the content, keeping the site new and fresh. We thank towPartners for their tremendous assistance with the development of this new and exciting site.

“Our goal is to continue to build this new site to become a clearinghouse of information for the industry. This will be a central location for state associations to list their upcoming events, share ideas and reach out to our members,” states Cynthia Martineau, TRAA Executive Director.

TRAA plans to add even more features to the site in the near future. As with all technology, it is a “work in progress.” A new element is our Affiliate Member Event page, providing the opportunity for our members to post state association/industry events and meetings.

“Love the new site! It really pops and is filled with easy to find and valuable information,” states Chuck Schmidt of C Schmidt & Sons, Roslyn, NY.

TRAA has been the “The Voice of America’s Tow Truck Industry” for over 35 years. Our mission is to serve the needs of the towing and recovery industry through legislation, education and communication.

Working diligently with state associations and members, we strive for professionalism and a fair and profitable industry. Our National Driver Certification Program (NDCP), developed through a grant from the Federal Department of Transportation, is recognized as the national standards for tow truck operators. TRAA is proud to have contributed to the safety of our industry through the certification of over 15,000 tow operators across the country.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Cynthia J Martineau at 888.392.9300 or email at contact@traaonline.com.

700 12th St NW, Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20005