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Towed Over is a blog about the towing industry, tow trucks, repo, wreckers, rollbacks, heavy duty hauling and tow parts
Towing Benchmark: Municipal Support In Managing The Towing Environment
There is an older story that caught my eye recently for a number of reasons. On the surface it seemed very
plain. A heavy snow hit the Midwest city of Cedar Rapids making it very easy
for the police to see which cars had been moved and which were giant, unmoved
snow paperweights.
What
happened next caught my attention. The police announced that everyone whose car
was still sitting there had 48 hours to get them moved or be responsible for a
$150 tow. This was a great way to handle a difficult situation.
Having
the police stress the fact that they are enforcing laws takes pressure off the
towers who are often sent out to a hostile public
The
idea of an additional grace period instead of the immediate start of a towing
blitz showed fairness and compassion to the public
Finally
the $150 fee was high but was reasonable considering the cost involved to tow a
vehicle.
Basically
a difficult environment that towing professionals face was managed in a
way that helped mitigate conflict. Towing vehicles are part of police
enforcement and the public should see it this way. It is also the job of the
municipal government to ensure that fees are reasonable and to take
responsibility for them
The
management of the situation was a terrific benchmark of cooperation between the city government, the public, and the tow professional.
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Sometimes the best solution is a fair solution
One
of the most contentious issues between towing companies and the public is how
much to charge. Article after article is written about the constant battle of
towing companies fighting to get fair fees, and the public screaming that they
are being ripped off.
Both
sides are right some of the time. The problem is a handful of unscrupulous
companies make the vast majority of towers with fair rates look bad. It puts a
shadow of negativity on the whole industry.
The
other problem is that a tow company cannot work for free or wages that do not
allow them to make a living. That is why I say most towers have to charge a
rate that covers their expenses and leaves them enough profit to live on.
We
have a couple of options here.
1. Go on fighting it out in a battle between city
governments, the press, and the towing companies
2. Make an effort to have a set amount that towers and the
community can live with.
I choose #2......Easier said then done
I read in the Seattle Times that the State of Washington
has decided on rates. The intention behind this action, which is documented in a Seattle Times
article, is a start. Unfortunately, The State of Washington has picked a fee determination process which still keeps rates very high. But at least the issue is not being ignored. Hopefully a fair number will eventually emerge from this process.
Ignoring the issue is the worst possible course of (non)action for a municipality. I commend the states that are trying to move
the discussion forward. Eventually a process will emerge that regulates fair rates. Hopefully sooner than later.
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The Spectre Of Gunplay Rears It's Ugly Head..
I wrote about this a few years ago and I sporadically keep reading stories about it. The subject..towing professionals getting into gun related altercations on the job site. I just read about another case in Lexington Kentucky where a person held a gun right to the towers head.
The article I read did not go into intense detail but it did say the person being towed got into an argument with the tow professional. I would imagine this happens a lot. I do not know what was said but I know one thing, the minute the person pulled the gun, no job, no tow, or no argument is worth being dead.
My point is that the time to think about how you are going to handle this situation is long before someone pulls a gun. I am sure the tower did everything they could to avoid this and I am sure it was not his fault. What I am saying, what I have proposed, is that clear set procedures be in place long before hostility culminates in potential gun violence.
An individual tower, or tow company needs to know BEFOREHAND exactly what they should say if the person being towed shows signs of agitation or engages them verbally. Having set mental responses in place will allow you or your tow force to rely on this training and not just have an off the cuff reaction to the person that is threatening them.
Ignoring the patron is also not an option. A clear set of procedures for different contingents is the only option. The key is to try to get away from the job site before it escalates into violence. I talk about this subject in greater detail in a past article I wrote for American Towman. Contact me if you would like the link.
Be safe out there!
http://towindustryweek.com/News-Items-234/newsT-2-13-13gun-drawn-in-towing-dispute.html
===================================================================
Lockout Kit $49.95
T hook $5.95
Hook cluster with S,R,T. & Grab
$12.99
Warn Winch $999.95
Strap Ratchet $12.00
T hook $5.95
Hook cluster with S,R,T. & Grab
$12.99
Warn Winch $999.95
Strap Ratchet $12.00
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