This is the January 2005 American Towman Magazine cover
[ Posted on the internet on 5-16-05 ]

Rotation Standard Scores A Hit By Steven Calitri How One Small Town Embraced It “NTRA’s Standard saved us from a towing hell. It was like a gift from the gods.” Connersville, Ind., Mayor Max Ellison felt he had a debt to pay and so he flew to Baltimore with Councilman Gary Weber to speak at the Captains of Industry dinner, the event that kicked off the American Towman Exposition. “We felt we owed it to Bill and John to be there and explain how the National Rotation Standard helped us.” “Saved us from towing hell,” was how he put it to the Captains in Baltimore. How much of a hell? Hot enough that they flew all the way to Baltimore to say thank you. The trouble began in this town of 15,000 citizens when the Mayor, Mayor Max as we now call him, decided to change from an informal rotation list to a single-tower contract. Not only were the towers up in arms but they apparently had a lot of friends in Connersville. “I could not believe the reaction,” said Mayor Max. “I stood firm with the policy change, but the issue wouldn’t go away. In fact, opposition was snowballing.” Mayor Max had decided to switch to a single-tower contract because of kinks in the current rotational system. “We would have an accident and the tower on the list wouldn’t show up in a timely manner.” Mayor Max thought that a tower with an exclusive contract with the town would be more dedicated to providing service. “I was amazed,” said Councilman Weber, “how angry people could become over this issue. I knew nothing about the towing business. I’m a dentist. I ran for the town council because I wanted to see a movie theater come back to the town. Now all of a sudden we’re embroiled in this controversy. I would step outside my house to be ambushed by a tower, giving me his side of the story.” Then, as if in a fairy tale, as Weber, put it, “a tower came to my office and handed me a copy of American Towman Magazine. I was surprised to see that towers had their own magazine. “But I was even more astonished to see in that issue an article on the National Towing Rotation Standard. I couldn’t believe it. It was like a gift from the gods. I read the article and immediately called the referenced phone number. I spoke with Bill Johnson (Chairman of the National Towing & Recovery Association, NTRA) and then John Borowski (lead author of the National Standard). “Over the next several weeks Max and myself spent hours with these gentlemen, going over our situation, pulling from the Standard to construct a rotation policy for Connersville.” Weber didn’t know a wrecker from a carrier from a pick-up with an add-on. Johnson put things in perspective for him by drawing an analogy to his dental equipment, what Weber used today as opposed to what dentists used 30 and 40 years ago. “I realized,” said Weber, “that having basic requirements regarding tow equpment was necessary for the well being of the town and its motorists.” There were other critical issues, like being able to disengage with a tower who is not performing well for the town. A letter of warning will now go out to the problem tower, then a suspension if necessary, and finally removal from the rotation list. Other issues the National Standard helped to resolve and define: Response Time There was no policy in place and towers were showing up at all different times. With the help of the Standard, Connersville set specific parameters on required response time. Insurance Connersville realized it was liable in towing mishaps because the town is technically hiring out the tower. The town now requires a minimum of $1 million liability coverage. Equipment Connersville has also considered equipment requirements. One interpretation of the National Standard is a recommendation for one wrecker and one carrier per tow company for a town of its size. That Mayor Max and Councilman Weber were impressed with Bill Johnson and John Borowski was no surprise. The two men combine over 60 years in the towing business. Johnson is president of the Statewide Towing Association of Massachusetts and Chairman of the NTRA; he runs towing, body and repair businesses in Granby, Mass. Borowski ran his own towing and repair business for 20 years and has been in the industry for 30-plus years. He was vice president of the National Towing Alliance, is on the board of the International Towing Hall of Fame & Museum, is a regular contributor to American Towman Magazine and is the Specialty Markets Manager of the Jerr-Dan Corporation. People call him “Mr. Industry” for a reason. “Without their guidance and insight, we couldn’t have gone forward in an intelligent manner,” said the Mayor. “Their guidance looked after the best interests of both the towers and the town, and when you think about it, it can’t be any other way.” At one point, Johnson was asked if Connersville could regulate the pay rate of non-consentual tows. Johnson told them that other towns across the country do so and relayed to them a sampling of rates in various U.S. cities and towns. The going rate charged by Connersville towers ranged from $45 to $55. After listening to these men, Mayor Max and Councilman Weber decided to set a maximum rate of $70 per hookup. “The towers,” said the Mayor, “need to charge a rate that enables them to operate their business in a successful and safe manner. In that way, the town will be best served.” Another favorable decision for the towers of Connersville was a rule-change that required towers to release impounded vehicles during eight to five daytime hours only. Says Johnson, “Connersville now recognizes that by setting a higher standard for the towers, the towers should be treated with more professional respect. The new approach is a step up for both the town and the towers.” Towing for the town and highway authorities is a major block of business for the towing industry. Acting collectively, towers in any given town can influence contractual issues, including rates. NTRA’s Johnson believes that the National Standard On Rotation Systems is a tool that can help towers and town officials work together to the benefit of both parties. Connersville is one example of this. And other towns are knocking on the door. “As the word gets out, both towers and town officials are calling, looking for guidance, wanting to get their hands on the Standard. Just in the past week we were contacted by Knoxville, Tenn., and Philidelphia, Pa. “The city of Knoxville is segmented into zones for tow service. This has created some issues. For example, on one highway you can break down on the south side and be charged $125 for the hookup and if you break down on the north side, you’ll be charged $49.75. Understandably, Knoxville is interested in the Standard.” As Johnson pointed out at the Captains of Industry Conference, thousands of towns across America are deliberating in a vacuum and shooting in the dark when it comes to towing matters. Hence the reason for creating the National Rotation Standard. The Standard was created by tapping the opinions of hundreds of towers in 2003. These towers attended conferences where the sole focus was the Standard. Then members of the NTRA Board of Governors hashed over the various issues and opinions. Finally, John Borowski took it all in, and played the lead role in authoring the finished document. Industry response has been positive since American Towman Magazine published the Standard in 2004 and NTRA published the official document for distribution. While some people think the Standard to be a bit too “broad stroked” in its content, the framers of the document believe it is exactly what is needed at this time. Better to be perceived as being too general than a straitjacket that towers and towns will reject, is the thinking. The Standard, says Borowski, has just enough details on the critical issues. “The Standard leaves some room for differences in situations from one town to the next. It’s a model, a guideline, not a constitution.” “The Rotation Standard will most likely evolve over time as towers speak out and the needs of both towers and towns are clarified further,” said Johnson. “Right now we have a working document that in the early stages is proving to be successful. It’s a testament to what can happen when dedicated people are brought together to focus on an issue, set a goal, and see the project through to completion.” At the Captains dinner, Johnson thanked those who led forums around the country on the Standard: Wayne Martineau (Mass), Linda Unruh (NM), Donna Coe (Ore.) and the NTRA Board of Governors for its advisory role. He especially thanked John Borowski. “Without John, the Standard would never have been written.” To acquire the Official National Rotation Standard, call the National Towing & Recovery Association (NTRA) at (413) 467-2006.		American Towman’s Captains of Industry Conference is held each year to serve towing industry leaders toward the goal of networking and uniting towing professionals. Left to right, Mayor Max Ellison, Bill Johnson, Gary Weber, and John Borowski, seated Mayor Max Ellison addressing the 2004 Captains Of Industry dinner.