August 31, 2010, Towing News From American Towman Magazine



The upcoming American Towman Exposition will give tow bosses an opportunity to network with all the players in the motor club industry right on the show floor.


Town Makes Private Tows Difficult

Tow-truck drivers looking to haul off cars illegally parked in private and public lots will face added scrutiny under an ordinance discussed Tuesday by Wilkes Barre, Penn. city council, requiring companies to be licensed and conform prices with a city-mandated list.

"We're just trying to protect our residents from some possibly unscrupulous practices," said council Chairman Bill Barrett, who pushed for the law. "It's a business, and we're mainly focused on the non-consensual part."

If approved, towing companies would register with the Code Enforcement Office and pay $300 for a license, which would be renewed annually, according to a draft of the ordinance. There would be five classes of vehicles, ranging from less than 5,000 pounds up to 80,000 pounds, with maximum fees covered under the law.

The ordinance also imposes maximum fees towers can charge for removing vehicles from private property, ranging up to $125 for a vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds. For tows requested by the city, a company could charge $175, the fee for hauling off a 5-ton vehicle from an accident.

It would also forbid the towing of a car unless the property owner signs a form authorizing the removal of that specific vehicle. If they violate the ordinance, a tow-truck operator risks a fine between $300 and $600 or the loss of their license. Source: citizensvoice.com

Carolina Towns Set Rotation Rules

New policies that spell out specific rotation procedures, services required for local towing companies, along with the maximum fees they can charge, have been implemented by Statesville and Troutman, North Carolina.

Some highlights include: Towing/wrecker companies must respond within 30 minutes and be available on a 24/7 basis. Towing companies are required to respond to at least 75 percent of police requests.

The wrecker company is responsible for clearing the roadway of debris at an accident scene (not including hazardous materials or spills covered by the responding agency).

The maximum towing fees that may be charged are: Non-collision during standard business hours: $125. Non-collision after hours, and on weekends: $150; $155 in Statesville.

Crash towing service during standard business hours: $150; $155 in Statesville. Crash towing after hours, and on weekends: $175. Daily Storage: $25 outside; $40 inside.

The new policies also contain a specific schedule of demerits that will be applied when a company fails to perform in a satisfactory manner. Any company accumulating six demerits will be removed from the rotation list for 90 days. Source: charlotteobserver.com


Hero Watch

On July 15th in Baraboo, Wisconsin tow operators Keith Leathers and Jeremy Dorsey rescued a woman from her car that was stuck in the middle of a road with flood waters running through it. American Towman is looking into the incident to see if it qualifies for the American Towman Medal or the Towman Commendation. The Medal program is in its 22nd year. Festival Night at the American Towman Exposition will again host the Medal ceremony which features the March of the Heroes and Towman Order Salute. In the words of veteran tower, Frank Rice, who attended last year’s ceremony: “You haven’t lived as a Towman until you’ve celebrated towing’s heroic spirit at Festival Night!” Source: nbc15

Town Tacks On Franchise Fee

In California, the Fullerton City Council adopted an ordinance that will impose a $75 per-vehicle franchise fee on tow companies to make up for a quarter million dollars the city loses each year on administrative costs.

Owners of tow companies spoke out at a recent meeting opposing the measure. Tower Russ Welch said that the city should add $100 to the fees residents pay to release their vehicles. "The customer out there is accumulating the fees, not us," he said.

Fullerton Police Capt. Kevin Hamilton said that it wouldn't be appropriate to charge extra fees above the $171 the city currently charges for a typical tow. He pointed out that about a quarter of the tows in the city happen after traffic collisions in which the driver did nothing illegal.

"That would be, in my opinion, completely improper and unethical," he said of adding to the fees.

The council adopted the ordinance unanimously, with the caveat that the amount of the franchise fee be reviewed annually.

Right now the city has contracts with several tow companies that are used on a rotating basis for official police tows. The city will start taking bids from towing companies to award new contracts to as many as three companies. Source: ocregister.com