Increase Safety, Speed and Revenue

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Night time recovery operations are challenging even for the most experienced tow professional. Danger created by careless drivers, unseen debris and spills and shadows created by eye-level lighting make a tough job harder than it has to be. Night Scan® Powerlite HDT by Will-Burt is a light tower specifically designed to reduce these hazards.

Created especially for the tow professional, Night Scan Powerlite HDT is mounted directly on the wrecker and provides 360° of recovery scene lighting from up to 15 feet above the wrecker deck. Illuminating the scene from above simulates daylight, which helps to eliminate shadows. Eliminating shadows allows you to see everything at the site. Lights aimed down from high above the scene also allow oncoming traffic to safely see the site from a distance, but it will not blind the drivers.

A minimal amount of space on the wrecker is needed, and the light tower can be incorporated into new builds or easily installed on existing vehicles. No generator is required for the LED lights, which create a total of 84,000 lumens and will last for years.

Night Scan is always with the wrecker, meaning you will never need to call for lighting back-up. The speed and safety of operations will increase, and you can also increase your billings by charging for the lighting equipment.

THE WILL-BURT COMPANY
330-347-8622
www.willburt.com

Road America

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Tow Professional

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Road America is a wholly owned United States subsidiary of the MAPFRE Group (MAPFRE), the largest insurance group in Spain, with annual revenues of over US $27 Billion in worldwide operations. MAPFRE’s strength has been recognized with the A+ (superior) rating by AM Best (since 1999) and A1 rating by Moody’s (since 2002). MAPFRE operates an extensive international assistance network through its specialized subsidiary, MAPFRE Asistencia.

MAPFRE Asistencia, Road America’s direct parent, is a leading multinational Insurance, Reinsurance, and Services Company founded in Madrid, Spain in 1989, providing services worldwide in 84 countries through 44 business units. MAPFRE Asistencia is a recipient of the prestigious ITIJ Award given to best Assistance Company in the world.

Founded in 1978 as a motor club company with headquarters in Florida, Road America was acquired by MAPFRE Asistencia in February 2003. Operating today with a management team that has more than 145 years of combined experience in the motor club industry, Road America understands the areas most important to motorists during an emergency roadside event:

Speed of service
Accuracy
Reliability
Communication

Today, Road America is a leader in the North America roadside assistance market, where it maintains long-term partnerships with significant corporations and services over 21 million of their customers. At Road America, we believe that our decisions are guided by the conviction that all business is about relationships; we will never choose a short-term reward over the value of a long-term client relationship.

Road America
800-442-4690

Ohio Power Systems

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Tow Professional

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Ohio Power Systems made their debut at the Orlando Tow show in April and is looking forward to the Baltimore show. The response had been great. We are now supplying two truck body manufacturers with complete hydraulic valve and electronic control systems. We also have set up new dealers to resell our products and systems. OPS was created 10 years ago by Mike Brooks as a company that specializes in designing and building radio remote and hydraulic valve systems. OPS sells their products mostly to the O.E.Ms directly for applications such as controlling locomotives, drill rigs, utility equipment etc., and has decided to bring that expertise to the auto recovery market after getting a request to upgrade a customer’s truck. OPS did not know what to expect from being at the show but was surprised how many people were interested in rebuilding the trucks they own because of the cost of a new one. Our approach to the market is to give the owners a place they can go to buy a replacement valve remote system or help them upgrade to a proportional system, no matter what size or brand of truck. Our systems, for the most part, are plug and play, and they come with an instruction manual to operate the radio. Plus, we have a full staff of engineers available to support the customers from install to start up. The products are standard off the shelf with all parts available by many distributors.

The major differences we bring to the market with our products are safety and added value. The reason we have a business today is because of the need to reduce accidents in the marketplace, whether it’s running a locomotive or a recovery truck.

Please come by our booth to see the products we offer for your application.

Ohio Power Systems
807 East Findlay Street
Carey, OH 43316
419-294-4985
www.ohiopowersys.com

A Paint Marker that Pulls its Own Weight

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Tow Professional

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Markingpendepot.com announces its newest addition , the Tow Pro, to its website. The Tow Pro is a permanent, solid paint marker with a 1/4 inch tip, used extensively in the towing and auto auction industry, but also spreading in popularity with other industries as well. The Tow Pro comes in 6 bright colors and contains 30 percent more paint than its competitors.

The Tow Pro is smartly priced at $2.50 each and holds the distinction of being one of the few markers in the world that can write under water. Its sleek design and easy application has given the Tow Pro early recognition and praise in the paint marker world. The Tow Pro also works well in extreme weather conditions and outperforms others in tests of durability and reliability.

Directions for use: Remove color cap and clear plastic protective plug. Apply paint as needed for your application. Allow to dry. Recap pen firmly after use. Twist pen base to replenish paint stick tip.

To view the Tow Pro and other great Paint Markers, visit http://markingpendepot.com and select solid paint markers on the left hand side of the home page. The Tow Pro is $2.50 each and $2.25 each in quantities of 48 or more. Additional price breaks are available for bulk quantities.More information can be found online at:http://www.markingpendepot.com/paintmarkers-solid.aspx

Traveling Speed Chock helps Prevent Roll-Off Disasters!

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Tow Professional

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Safety During Loading and Unloading

Not only does this speed chock keep vehicles from rolling off your car carrier’s deck during loading and unloading jobs, but it potentially saves lives in the event of a winch or wire failure. It adjusts to fit most passenger vehicles and has a siped rubber chock for a better hold. Lightweight design makes it easy to set up from either the passenger or driver side. USA made.

About Track What Matters

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Tow Professional

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Track What Matters provides customized GPS tracking solutions for vehicles in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Africa, the Middle East, and portions of Asia. They support companies who need to keep track of assets, containers, trailers and more.

Track What Matters has made a conscious effort to ensure its service is very easy to use while providing comprehensive delivery of vehicle tracking information. Track What Matters, LLC is a GPS tracking company that specializes in creating customized GPS tracking solutions specific to the individual needs of their clients.

Leveraging cutting-edge GPS tracking hardware with vanguard and incredibly powerful yet user-friendly web-based software, Track What Matters, LLC has helped numerous Fortune 500 clients improve returns on investments by reducing waste and inefficiencies elsewhere. With a core philosophy of customized solutions culminated with unprecedented customer service, Track What Matters, LLC is the GPS tracking company that leading companies turn to for innovative and customized solutions and 24/7 accessibility. For more information, visit www.trackwhatmatters.com or call 800-293-0420.

Email twm(at)TrackWhatMatters(dot)com to receive emails that spotlight critical trends in the GPS tracking industry. Get the inside scoop on our GPS tracking strategies – follow us on Twitter: @Trackandsave

Synthetic Rope … a Safer and Better Way to Recover a Vehicle

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Tow Professional

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No recoil, no frayed wires

Synthetic rope weighs less than steel rope but still has excellent strength for the toughest recovery jobs. This smooth rope reduces the chance of cuts or injuries to your hands and won’t get damaged from “birds nesting.” No-memory construction means no kinks or flat spots. Each brightly colored rope floats and can be seen easily during water recoveries. USA made.

Pierce Worm Gear Electrical System Upgrade

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Tow Professional

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Pierce Arrow, manufacturer of winches and recovery equipment, upgraded the worm gear electrical replacement solenoids. The new compact solenoid assemblies are pre-wired for easy installation and offer electrical longevity.

“For years the only economical option was the can solenoid.,” says Jeff Pierce, Pierce Arrow Inc. president and CEO. “We’ve tested the compact-style with our self recovery line and feel confident in its performance for our industrial worm gear winches.”

The assembly includes one compact solenoid, two field wires, one positive wire, one armature wire with boots and eyes, plug wires with spade connections, ground wire, female plug, plastic cover and metal base.

“We are excited to save our customers time and money with these new replacements,” says Ginger Schaffner, operations manager. “The mechanical solenoids are difficult to service but now anyone can upgrade their worm gear with the compact solenoid assembly.”

Pierce Arrow Inc. manufactures recovery equipment, accessories and winches for the towing, farm, ranch, landscaping and off-road industries. Pierce Arrow has been family owned and operated since 1976 in Henrietta, Texas. If you would like to resell Pierce Arrow brand products please contact our sales department at 800-658-6301 or click www.piercearrow.us to see our full product line on the Pierce Sales web site.

Contact:
Tabitha Pierce
Marketing Director
P: (800) 658-6301
tabitha@piercesales.com

Pierce Adds to Threaded Twist Lock to Line

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Tow Professional

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Pierce Arrow, manufacturer of winches and recovery equipment, now offers a threaded twist lock in 5/8”, 1/2”, 3/4” and 1” sizes. Pierce twist locks all have a grease zerk, rubber grip, paintable finish, heavy duty spring and lock. The threaded locks offer extra versatility and convenient replacement. Just unscrew the lock with a wrench to replace whereas traditional versions require a welder to cut off the lock.

“We decided to add the threads because of a customer’s request,” says Jeff Pierce, Pierce Arrow Inc. president and CEO. “These threaded versions are a natural addition to the line.”

Twist locks are popular in the towing industry to lock sling arms in place. They are also used in the oil field, trailer manufacturing, farm and ranch gates, performance equipment and other industries requiring a non-private locking mechanism.

Pierce Arrow Inc. manufactures recovery equipment, accessories and winches for the towing, farm, ranch, landscaping and off-road industries. Pierce Arrow has been family owned and operated since 1976 in Henrietta, Texas. If you would like to resell Pierce Arrow brand products please contact our sales department at 800-658-6301 or click www.piercearrow.us to see our full product line on the Pierce Sales web site.

Contact:
Tabitha Pierce
Marketing Director
P: (800) 658-6301
tabitha@piercesales.com
www.piercearrow.us

Bailey’s Towing Accessories-Jump-Starter/Air Compressor

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Tow Professional

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The JNCAIR Jump-Starter/Air Compressor has a powerful jump-starting performance with an industrial grade compressor. The jump-starter features include: 450 cold cranking amps, extra-long 68″- 4 gauge cables with industrial grade “hot jaw” clamps, battery status indicator gauge and a DC outlet that provides power to small tools and accessories. The air Compressor is designed to fill 4 passenger tires on a single charge, is able to fill one tire from flat in less than 8 minutes, has a built-in pressure gauge, and 12’ coiled air hose and screw-on chuck. Call Bailey’s Towing Accessories for more information, 919-562-2984.

Fuel Your Truck, Equipment and Toys With Transfer Flow’s All-in-one 40-Gallon Toolbox and Refueling Tank Combo

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Tow Professional

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Transfer Flow, Inc., a leading manufacturer of aftermarket fuel tank systems, has introduced a 40-gallon toolbox and refueling tank combo – great for manually filling your fuel tank as well as filling other vehicles or equipment. This innovative new product incorporates a toolbox with over six cubic feet of storage space. It fits domestic and imported full-size pick-ups, and comes pre-assembled with a 12-volt refueling pump, 12-foot hose and nozzle, wire harness with dash-mounted power switch and mounting hardware. And because the fuel fillneck is located inside the locking storage compartment, your fuel is kept safe and secure!

For more information on Transfer Flow’s 40-gallon fuel tank and toolbox combo, call (530) 893-5209, or visit their website at www.transferflow.com.

Custom Tool Boxes

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Tow Professional

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Highway Products -a highly respected manufacturer of heavy-gauge aluminum flatbeds, service beds, headache racks and grill guards – offers a full line of standard and custom Aluminum Toolboxes.

The White City, Oregon, manufacturer of Pickup and Semi accessories builds their unique line of under body and step tool boxes with non-sag doors and uses thickest grade of aluminum stock utilized in the industry: 1/8″ marine-grade, weather-resistant aluminum.

A hefty continuous piano-style stainless steel hinge and “T-handle” stainless steel locks guarantee the safety of stored content.

Highway Products tool boxes come with either “L”-brackets for frame mounting or plate brackets for mounting from overhead cross members.

Boxes are available in many standard sizes or they can be built to custom specifications to fit any application. A 5-year warranty is standard. For more information, visit www.800toolbox.com; 800-866-5269

Bullet Freight Systems Uses Cutting Edge GPS Technology to Track Assets

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Tow Professional

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Logistics Company uses Track What Matters

Flower Mound, Texas – April 30, 2012 – Track What Matters today announced that Bullet Freight Systems in Doral, Fla is using state-of-the art GPS technology from Track What Matters to track its high-value shipments. Bullet Freight Systems currently has 47 trucks and 27 trailers.

“We need GPS because of the security risks in Miami, and we ship high-value cargo,” said Kevin Dindial president of Bullet Freight Systems. With an average value of $1M in shipping goods, knowing where the trailers are at all times is of extreme importance.

Bullet Freight selected GPS asset trackers from Track What Matters because of the extended battery life contained in the units. “We’ve had to place GPS units inside the trailers because when we had them on the outside, they would get lost or broken if the truck brushed up against tree branches,” said Dindial. Units placed inside the trailers require a longer battery life, and we’ve had problems with other systems.”

Because Bullet Freight Systems has experienced great success with the asset trackers from Track What Matters, they have recently equipped all of their trailers with the technology.

More details are available at www.trackwhatmatters.com.

Care and Feed of Your Winch

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Tow Professional

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By Richard Farrell

Winches are generally one of the most used and abused tools that towers have. Over the years, I have seen some amazing things done to winches and cables. Some left my mechanics wondering how these were done. Some types of winches will take abuse better than others, but all need care and maintenance.

There are two basic types of winches used in the towing industry today. The worm gear and the planetary. The differences are easy to spot and both have their own strong and weak points.

Worm Gear

Input or motor on side (90 deg)to drum
This type of winch has been a main stay of the industry for many years. Strong and tough, they can take a lot of abuse. Keep them full of gear lube and the will last for years. (there are some out there over 60 years old and more).

The basic worm gear winch has but 2 moving parts. The worm gear and the bull gear. Repairing a worm gear winch is pretty straight forward and not too difficult. This is the same configuration as your trucks rear end gears. The biggest downside is TOO SLOW! There are a couple of things you can do to speed this up a bit. Of course, ramp up the rpm a little. (1200-1400 max) The other thing is to change the hydraulic motor to a faster speed. You will tend to lose a little max-power but for most people this is not a big deal.(I remember a study done by a very large motor club stating the average load pulled by a flatbed was less than 3000lbs.)So a faster motor is no big deal.

Planetary

Motor on end, in line with drum. This style winch is multi-gear driven . Most all have a cluster or sun gear inside the main housing and a direct (in line) motor arrangement. All will have some type of spring or hydraulically tensioned, internal clutch braking, generally released by the input motor. These winches have the benefit of great speed when pulling with little or no load and slowing down as the weight or load is increased. One thing that should never be done is to hook up to a disabled vehicle and pull by driving rather engaging the winch. This will cause massive damage to the brake assembly and drive section of the winch.

All winches are rated on the first layer of cable. A winch rated at 8000 lbs that is pulling on the third layer has reduced its capacity to approx. 5100 lbs. You can figure about 15% loss per layer.

Keeping your cable straight and even on your drum will save you from expensive repair cost. I have seen many cables get wrapped between the edge if the case and the drum. This is only caused by letting the cable wrap up loose and not watching the cable when winching in the load. Cable tensioners and roller guides help, but you still need to start with a straight and neat drum of cable and by keeping tension (and your eye) on the cable while winching.

Winches have a cable release device for free spooling the cable. This saves time by letting the cable out without winching. Always remember to completely re-engage the free spool clutch before you start winching in your load. Greasing the shaft and handle pivot should be part of your regular maintenance program. When you do release all your cable out keep in mind you need to keep at least 5 wraps of cable around your drum. The bolt or set screw is not rated to hold any load.

Keeping your winch and cable in good working order will save you time and money. By doing these simple things you can keep your down time and repairs to a minimum.

Detroit Wrecker Sales

19630 Fitzpatrick
Detroit, MI 48228

Local:        313-835-8700
National: 877-TOW-0030
Fax:          313-835-4838
Webstore: www.DetroitWrecker.com
Email:     Sales@DetroitWrecker.com

Bailey’s Towing Accessories-Jump Start Box

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Tow Professional

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The JNC660 is a 12 volt hand held jump start box. It is extremely durable and reliable. The box delivers 1700 peak amps of jump starting power, has 1700 peak amps, 425 cranking amps, 46″ long, 4 gauge heavy duty cables, a built in charger. The JNC660 is rugged, durable, & field proven. Call Bailey’s Towing Accessories today, 919-562-2984.