Knuckleboom Cranes Could Revolutionize The U.S. Towing Industry By Adele Yorde Almost daily there are advances in technologies that improve the safety and efficiency of towing and recovery efforts. The most recent, which has stirred as much intrigue as controversey in the U.S., is the use of articulating cranes in heavy commercial recovery efforts. "This kind of equipment could revolutionize the towing industry in the U.S.," says Bill Parks, president of Transport Towing, Inc. in Joliet, IL. In saying so, he's stuck his neck out almost as far as the telescoping Fassi 520XP crane he put into operation last year. Well aware of the knuckleboom crane's growing popularity in traffic incident management in Europe and familiar with its versatility from an earlier career in electric utility work, Parks still had trouble getting U.S. manufacturers to buy into the concept. It took him nine months to find a supplier (V & H Inc., Marshfield, WI) that would sell him a crane for this type of application. It took the same amount of time to rebuild a junked 1973 Oshkosh truck (see side-bar) donated to him by a customer, that shared Bill's commitment to keeping roads open/product moving. Having this support vehicle in his fleet has also significantly reduced the wear and tear on his two rotating base tow trucks ($400,000 units). "All along, my idea was simple," added Parks. "Get a truck designed for heavy duty work (i.e. cement chassis) and marry it to a knuckleboom. Never again worry about going through mud and rough terrain and, once situated at an accident site, have the versatility of working 360 degrees around." These cranes come in a variety of sizes with hydraulic telescoping extensions that allow for lifts as far out as 115 feet. V&H Inc. representative Perry Peterson has given a ringing endorsement of the use of this technology in towing/recovery. "The articulating joints on these booms allow for anywhere from a 50 to 180 degree bend, which proves invaluable in working over bridge decks on interstate highways." The units are rated from 1 to 150 metric ton capacity, depending on terrain, application and budget. We call this unit "SAFER" which stands for Support Apparatus For Emergency Response. Parks' Oshkosh support vehicle debuted at the Illinois Tow Show in August 2002. Putting the hydraulic boom up and out brought the whole show to a standstill. The following day, it was used to re-set the car used in a rollover contest. People quickly noted its efficiency. While it was taking two to three minutes to upright the vehicle, the guy in the boom could turn it over in less than 30 seconds. Parks has fielded calls on a daily basis from towers and federal highway folks ever since. Parks is helping to pioneer the use of articulating cranes in commercial towing and recovery applications across the U.S. for two altruistic reasons: safety and economics. "The quicker we can open up roadways, the safer the situation for emergency responders and the motoring public, plus the greater the cost savings for customers." His commitment to these goals comes as no surprise to colleagues who recognize that Parks has been involved in traffic incident management program development for years, both on the state and federal levels. He currently serves as president of the Professional Towing and Recovery Operators of Illinois (PTROI) and is a member of the Gary-Chicago-Milwaukee Corridor Committee, a tri-state traffic incident management group. In fact, he co-authored the 2003 TIMTOW Guide, a ten-year industry outlook commissioned by the Federal Highway Administration. In it, Traffic Incident Management (TIM) is defined as:the planned and coordinated process to detect, respond to and remove traffic incidents and restore traffic capacity as safely and quickly as possible. It involves the coordinated interaction of multiple public agencies and private sector partners. The Guide significantly expands the towers' role to include, not only the traditional function of Quick Clearance, but also Responder Safety, Secondary Crash Prevention, Traffic Control and Traffic Incident Site Management. "This is the most exciting time to be part of this industry," said Parks. "Towers have finally been identified by the federal government as a resource- a stakeholder in traffic incident management. Towers are now considered responders, integral TIM team members along with law enforcement, fire department, emergency medical services, and other authorized highway personnel. As such, we must always be looking for ways to be proactive in scene safety and property preservation. Integrating knuckleboom cranes into our fleets can help towers mobilize more quickly and work more efficiently while protecting coworkers and the motoring public." Focus On Recovery Transport Towing, Inc. was called to assist in recovery operations of a mangled semi-trailer in Flossmoore, IL. A 13' 6" tall unit had sailed through a viaduct two feet shorter at a high rate of speed sheering off its top and causing its belly to drag. Having cleared the structure by 1500 feet, the trailer loaded with 46,000 pounds of palletized cornstarch, was now V-ed to the ground alongside the roadway. Without the crane, towers would have had to open the mangled back doors and pull freight to the back of the truck, using a forklift to remove pallets one at a time. That would have put as many as seven people in harms' way in a confined environment and taken just as many hours. Using their homemade Oshkosh unit with the Fazzi crane and front stabilizers on the chassis, Transport Towing needed only two people to handle the recovery - the operator and someone in the trailer. The boom reached through the open roof and off loaded all of the pallets onto a flatbed. Once emptied, the crane lifted the trailer off the ground and the "V" in its belly straightened out. Responders chained/secured it into position and the driver was able to drive the rig home. The recovery took less than four hours and was handled without ever having to shut down the state highway. Adele Yorde is a freelance writer from Marshfield, WI. Bill Parks is the owner of Transport Towing, Inc located in Joliet & Morris, IL. He has been involved in the towing & recovery industry for 25 years and has been directly involved with incident management programs throughout Illinois. He is President of the Professional Towing & Recovery Operators of Illinois (PTROI) and a board member of GCM South West Regional Incident Management Sub-group. He also has involvement in Incident Management through FHWA AND ITS.