September 2003 issue.
This past spring I had the pleasure of traveling to Germany, along with some friends in the industry to work with a new piece of towing equipment that has recently been introduced into the U.S. Never having been to Europe, the small German town met and exceeded my expectations of what a German town should be like. Even though we were there for business, we did MANAGE to find time to see a little of the country. The drive alone from the Frankfort airport to Kulmbach, the beer capitol of Bavaria, was worth the trip. One word of advice: stay out of the left lane on the Autobalm if you're doing less than 120 mph. The purpose of our trip was to learn how to operator the Speed-Crane, a combination of flatbed and crane that's been used for 15 years in Europe. The crane has the ability to lift and transport vehicles, using a crane to lift and load, then to transport on a flatbed. My invitation came from Speed-Crane, president, Dave Jacobs. Also on the journey were Fleet Sales West's Gary Coe and Jim Walsh. Dave is importing the crane and Gary, along with Danny Horton, of Horton Truck & Equipment Company are distributors. The four of us attended two days of classroom and hands-on training and found some time for the host town's, specialty beer. I should add here that our host, Michael Moeschel, president of the training academy Verkehrasakademie, was adamant about having a designated driver on those occasions. German law enforcement is very harsh with those arrested for D.U.I. All of us had previously seen the SpeedCrane and had a good idea of how it worked before before going but we were there to certify as crane operators, not necessarily just to learn how to operate the SpeedCrane. This wasn't like any other certification I've taken in the towing industry, but then the equipment wasn't like any-thing I've ever worked with in the field either (there are units already in the U.S.). The flatbed can work like any other flatbed, winching the vehicle, tying it down and transporting. But we didn't tilt the bed and load the car with a winch. Our crane arm reached out, lifted the vehicle and put it on the bed. Whenever I've been around people who are seeing the unit for the first time, the convesation always includes what the unit could be used for. Reaching over guardrails always comes up. During the trip, the four of us came up with a "starter" list of our own. As the unit is used, that list will undoubtedly increase in size. Most were centered on not having to drag a damaged vehicle or a lockout onto the bed and how ground clearances and attachment points should no longer present problems. We added to the list when someone mentioned how it might be a valuable service to law enforcement if a vehicle can be delivered without additional damage or tampering with possible evidence. Lifting the vehicle from the side seemed like it could come in mighty handy in parking lots and on the side of a highway. The fact that it could be loaded in 1/3 the time as a regular flatbed made sense from both a safety and financial stand point. Unloading seemed to offer a definite advantage. The car can be placed anywhere within the reach of the crane's arm. That dealership or repair shop's crowded parking lot wouldn't present the problems it might have before. Less than half the amount of space is needed. Using the cradle attachment, the vehicle is lifted using wheel supports and straps (Photo #2) will grab any size wheel that the unit is capable of lifting (there are several available models.) When the lifting cradle was removed, we used the crane's arm and recovery hook to load the vehicle and to perform a rollover (Photo's #3 and #4). With the versatility of the unit, I suspect we will start seeing the SpeedCrane at some of the more progressive towing companies around the country as owners begin to weigh the cost against the benefits. David Lambert has been in the towing industry since 1982. He teaches courses in light-duty towing instruction and is a frequent seminar presenter at the American Towman Expo and Festival . He's a past member and chairman of the SAE Towability. David is AT's Field Editor, he can be contacted at jdaveLambert@aol.com.
New Towing Technology Catching On
By David Lambert
Photo #1:Using the cradle attachment, the vehicle is lifted using wheel supports and straps.
Photo #2:The adjustable wheel supports will grab any size wheel that the unit is capable of lifting (there are several models.
Photo's #3 and #4:When the lifting cradle was removed, we used the crane's arm and recovery hook to load the vehicle and to perform a rollover. Gary Coe is at the controls in both photos.
Copyright © 1996-2004 American Towman Network, Incorporated