tow professional issue 4, 2014


PUBLISHERSDarian Weaver

President & [email protected]

Jack HartsfieldVice President & [email protected]

Steve GoodwinSales Manager

[email protected]__________________________

PRODUCTION

Clint W. CabinessArt Director

Hal K. HuberKattie Spence

Graphic Designers

Jill HastyManaging Editor

__________________________

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSFritz DahlinDJ HarringtonDan MessinaBill PutnamDan Watson

Executive and Advertising Offices

2007 Old Montgomery Hwy, Suite B Birmingham, AL 35244Toll free: 888-802-8544Fax: 205-978-1550


Tow Professional is published nine times a year by OverThe Mountain Media, Inc., P.O. Box 26308, Birmingham, Alabama,35260, USA. Tow Professional is distributed free to qualified sub-scribers. Non-qualified subscription rates are $57.00 per year inthe U.S. and Canada and $84.00 per year for foreign subscribers(surface mail). U.S. Postage paid at Birmingham, Alabama andadditional mailing offices.

Tow Professional is distributed to qualified Towing & Re-covery's Top Decision Makers. Publisher is not liable for all con-tent (including editorial and illustrations provided by advertisers)of advertisements published and does not accept responsibilityfor any claims made against the publisher. It is the advertiser’sor agency’s responsibility to obtain appropriate releases on anyitem or individuals pictured in an advertisement. Reproductionof this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without priorwritten permission from the publisher.

ProfessionalYour Resource for Towing & Recovery

TMLETTER

For a new free subscription, address changes or corrections,

please visit www.towprofessional.comand click on the “subscribe” tab.

P U B L I S H E R S

It’s a great day in Birmingham, Alabama!A few years ago, a friend of mine shared with me the poem “Attitude” by Charles Swin-

doll. It made an immediate impact and has forever influenced my daily life. Here it is…readit often:ATTITUDE By: Charles SwindollThe longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past,

than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, thanwhat other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gifted-ness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will

embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact thatpeople will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing wecan do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convincedthat life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.We recently attended (and exhibited) at the Florida Tow Show in Orlando, Florida. As

usual, the show was well attended and was a good one. The weather was not as hot as inyears past, and the skies were clear. It set the stage for plenty of products to be shown andpurchased. We enjoy this show each year, as it kicks off the trade show season and also is agreat indicator that winter is behind us and spring is here.

While at the Florida show, we had dinner our friends from the Midwest Regional TowShow and the Western States Tow Show. Like Florida, these are two of the top shows inour industry and continuing to grow. Each are industry standard in their territories. If youhaven’t made your plans to attend, I encourage you to go ahead and put them on your cal-endar and make reservations:Midwest Regional Tow Show- Mason, OH - September 25-28, 2014Western States Tow Show- San Diego, CA - October 9-12, 2014Next stop is New Orleans, LA, for the first annual Towing and Recovery Management

Summit (hosted by Tow Times). Hope to see you there!In this issue, we offer editorials on Synthetic Rope by Yale Cordage, Dispatching by

Holly’s Message Service, Part 2 of 5 on Cargo Control by BA Products, and Wireless Tech-nology by AW Direct. These are in addition to the standard “Fuel for Thought” by DJ Har-rington, Business editorial by Dan Messina, “Lube Talk” by Dan Watson and plenty ofproduct and company spotlights.

Have a great day,

Darian Weaver and Jack HartsfieldCo-Publishers

Volume 3 • Issue 4 2014


6 Tow Professional | Volume 3 • Issue 4 | www.towprofessional.com

IndustryNEWST O W I N G & R E C O V E R Y

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Jerr-Dan Corporation, an Oshkosh Corporation

company and leader in the towing and recovery

equipment market, is pleased to announce and

welcome Jeff Irr, Hanna Sanford, David Green-feld and Brad Burkhamer to key positions in theJerr-Dan team.

“Jerr-Dan continues to improve by streamlining processes

and making changes that add value for our customers. One key

area that we have recently focused on is our sales team. I am ex-

cited to welcome our new Director of Sales, District Sales Man-

agers and Inside Sales Administrator to Jerr-Dan. Each individual

brings with them unique and significant experiences that will

support and satisfy our customers going forward,” said Richard

Del Campo, Jerr-Dan Vice President and General Manager.

As Jerr-Dan Director of Sales, Jeff Irrwill report to JoelAmsley, Senior Vice President of Sales. In his new role, Irr will be

Jerr-Dan Welcomes New Team Members > > >

responsible for providing leadership to the Jerr-Dan sales force. Irr

comes to Jerr-Dan with more than 16 years of experience in the

commercial truck industry. Prior to joining Jerr-Dan, Irr spent the past

11 years with Mack Trucks & Volvo of North America in multiple

sales and marketing positions.

“I am tremendously thrilled to be part the great tradition and

iconic brand that is Jerr-Dan. As the Director of Sales, my goal will be

to increase our presence with our distributors, and at the same time,

get my team to spend more time in front of our customers to under-

stand better how we can help them grow their Jerr-Dan business,”

said Irr.

Hanna Sanford has joined the Jerr-Dan sales team as a DistrictSales Manager; she will be responsible for the company’s business

development efforts in the Mid Western Region. Sanford comes to

Jerr-Dan with more than 16 years of experience in the commercial

truck industry. Prior to joining Jerr-Dan, Sanford was employed at

Stahl, a Scott Fetzer Company where she held the position of Re-

gional Sales Manager.

David Greenfeld has joined the Jerr-Dan sales team as a DistrictSales Manager; he will be responsible for the company’s business

development efforts in the Mid Atlantic Region. Greenfeld comes to

Jerr-Dan with over 19 years sales experience in the fire and emer-

gency apparatus industry. Greenfeld is an active volunteer firefighter

and paramedic for the past 32 years.

Brad Burkhamer has joined the Jerr-Dan inside sales team as aSales Administrator. Burkhamer comes to Jerr-Dan with over 18

years of sales experience in the general construction and equipment

rental industry. Prior to Jerr-Dan, Brad was employed at RSC Equip-

ment Rental as a Territory Manager.

Jerr-Dan Corporation is a leading manufacturer of towing and re-

covery equipment. Its full line includes light-, medium- and heavy-

duty carriers and wreckers, industrial transporters and four-car

carriers. The company is headquartered in Hagerstown, MD, and its

products are backed by industry leading warranties and a strong

service network dedicated to the towing professional. To learn more

about Jerr-Dan, visit www.jerrdan.com.

For more information, visit Jerr-Dan online at www.jerrdan.com.

www.towprofessional.com | Volume 3 • Issue 4 | Tow Professional 7

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Coming to the Supply side of towingfrom the Recovery Industry years ago,I have always felt there was a discon-nection between companies supply-ing Parts and Accessories and theprofessionals working in the industry.Well, I can honestly say that I havelanded in a position with a companythat has changed that view for me.

Recently I accepted a position, with

Worldwide Equipment Sales, after some

years working with another supplier owned

by a corporate Giant. It is so refreshing to be

with a company deeply rooted in the recov-

ery, transport, and hauler busi-

ness, family owned, and

so deeply dedicated to the

industry, rather than trying

to branch out into every

niche industry they can

find to keep margins level

though out the year. We do

not have a call center in a

building somewhere staffed

by people, that we all know,

have never been associated with the indus-

try until being hired. We staff with people

who know the industry, who live and breathe

the industry, who have been on the streets

and used or built the products that we mar-

ket. We actually build and sell new recovery

vehicles, used trucks, new and used trailers,

and Auto Haulers. We have a service depart-

ment to service recovery and other units,

and we do not pretend to know the recovery

industry, we are the recovery industry. We

even offer our own line of Asset Tracking

hardware, under the DriverLocate.com

name, and we deal with real industry issues

every day.

Worldwide Equipment Sales has re-

cently built a new website

(www.newtowtrucks.com) to

help better serve our long list

of existing and new cus-

tomers. The new site has a

shopping cart always visible on

any page that you are

viewing, so that cus-

tomers know what

they have in the cart

and amounts at any time, and it figures ship-

ping instantly so you do not have to enter

pages of info just to find out what shipping

will be. We have enlarged the photos for

easy identification, and added complete de-

scriptions so you know what you are getting.

We have also included Customer Reviews,

written by customers for customers, so that

you can hear in terms that everyone in the in-

dustry can understand how the products are

performing. Now you can make a truly in-

formed judgment that the part is going to

work and fit your needs.

Everyone at Worldwide Equipment

would like to take this opportunity to invite

our existing and new customers to come

visit our new site and sign up to win a brand

new “Apple iPad.” No purchase necessary;

just sign up to receive our completely new

platform catalog, and win. .

Todd J. Kemntizer

Worldwide Equipment

www.NewTowTrucks.com

www.DriverLocate.com


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Worldwide Equipment Sales, More than Just a Recovery Parts Supplier > > >

This is can be one of those confusing benefits or valuesto belonging to an association. We all wonder what it

means, how long will it take, how will it impact me? Forthe background, we’ve worked with our Lobbyist team foralmost 20 years. This leads to great internal relationships,like working with the Chair of the Assembly Transporta-tion Committee, Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal.Now, with this foundation, remember that just in the2013-2014 Legislative Session there have already beennearly 5,000 bills introduced. So, we must review them allfor impact on us, and attempt to get any we want to intro-duce onto the floor.

I’d like to give an example of what “Lobbying for our Members”

looks like from a recent success story in California. Like most states,

ours is low on funds and can’t afford to invest in the enforcement of

new laws. With all the regulations we have in California, the towing

industry has no specific ones other than in law enforcement towing

and the basic motor carrier guidelines. In approaching the concerns

with underinsured and often unprofessional towers, we found a

means of self-enforcement, which meant we had a chance of getting

the legislation passed. The control we have is in the release of vehi-

cles from our impound facilities. By getting legislation passed that al-

lowed us to deny releasing a vehicle to a company without a motor

carrier permit, we at least made sure the people coming on to our

property were insured and had worker’s compensation coverage, at

a minimum protecting ourselves. So, here’s what the timeline looked

like and how this law made it onto the books. Remember, this partic-

ular one was passed quickly. There were no opposing votes through

the entire process. Typically, you should expect longer.

• 2-20-13 Bill begins life sponsored by AssemblywomanBonnie Lowenthal, Chair of the TransportationCommittee

• 2-28-13 Referred to the Transportation Committee forReview

• 4-09-13 Passed the Transportation Committee andreferred to the Appropriations Committee

• 4-17-13 Passed the Appropriations Committee back tothe Assembly

• 4-25-13 Passed the Assembly, referred to the Senate

• 4-25-13 Passed to Committee on Rules forassignment in the Senate

• 5-09-13 Assigned to Committee on Transportation &Housing(T&H)

• 5-09-13 Amended and Re-referred to Committee onT&H

• 5-29-13 Amended again and Re-referred toCommittee on T&H

• 6-11-13 Passed Committee on T&) and referred toCommittee on Appropriations

• 6-25-13 Read and forwarded to consentcalendar(slated for vote)

• 7-01-13 Passed in Senate, referred back to Assembly

• 7-03-13 Assembly approved amendments

• 8-01-13 Assembly passed bill to Governor

• 8-13-13 Governor approved and chaptered bySecretary of State

• 1/01/14 A NEW LAW ON THE BOOKS

In addition to initiating the process, the association publicized the

new law, in our newsletter and in a special notification to members,

as well as provided a sample printable wall chart for them to post in

their offices. After the law was in effect for a few weeks, we came up

with a list of five Frequently Asked Questions that were coming in to

our office and again sent this info out to the members.

How do you measure this value? Members report numerous sal-

vage towers coming in and just giving up when they realize this rev-

enue stream is gone. Our member towers are getting a more level

playing field, as “under the radar” operators will have the same ex-

penses we do so therefore must drop out or raise their prices to a

comparable rate.

Larry Muzamel, Executive DirectorCalifornia Tow Truck Association


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What Does “Lobbying for Our Members” Look Like for an Association? > > >


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Zip’s Truck Month is in its second year,

and is a great opportunity for you to

get into a high quality, new or used truck,

with the added benefit of a parts/service

gift card in which you can use to acces-

sorize your new piece of equipment. Zip’s

only offers this promotion once a year,

and it’s for a limited time. If you’re in the

market for a new wrecker, carrier, service

body or trailer, take a look at zips.com, and

contact a Zip’s Sales Consultant for more

information on the unit you’re interested

in. Just for requesting a quote, or an

equipment demo, you are qualified to win

a 2014 Polaris RZR, Side-by-Side ATV.

“We like to offer our customers and fu-

ture customers a fun giveaway every year.

Last year, we gave away a Harley. This year,

it’s a Razor” says David Rottinghaus, Sales

Manager at Zip’s. “Towers have had a long

and busy winter! What better way to kick off

the summer than by winning a new toy to

add to your garage!”

Zip’s kicked off Truck Month at the

Florida Show, and hundreds of customers

have already signed up. Ron & Lisa from

Pine Tree Towing (Cambridge, Ohio) were

the very first customers to take advantage of

Truck Month, as they brought home the

FIRST Century 1150-R Rolling

Rotator from Florida (see pic-

ture). Zip’s is very excited to

offer the innovative 1150-R, and

already has a second one on

order – ready to tailor to your

unique specifications.

You can sign up many differ-

ent ways: simply give Zip’s a call

to discuss the truck you’re inter-

ested in, or stop by one of our

two locations, either in Detroit, Michigan or

New Hampton, Iowa. Our inventory is up-

dated daily at zips.com – we’re excited to

show you our expansive selection of new

and used wreckers, carriers, service bodies

and trailers. Don’t forget to take a look at

Zip’s most recent Service Body design, the

RSB – it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen!

Zips > > >

Your team will look and act more profes-

sional to all personal on the scene.

The Recovery scene will start off and re-

main calm during the recovery.

No more yelling and arm waving trying to

get attention of another operator or rigger.

Reduce stress and wasted time being

able to communicate with everyone on all

sides of recovery scene.

Sonetics’ wireless portable 4-person sys-

tem offers a complete solution for effective

communications in demanding conditions.

Rugged and reliable headsets offer full-du-

plex communication with hearing protection

and superb noise-canceling microphone

technology. System can be used in all

weather conditions.

The system includes all necessary charg-

ers and components. Four wireless

headsets and a battery-powered

portable base are enclosed in a Pelican

Case for easy transportation / storage

and charging.

Your choice of colors Grey / Safety

Yellow / Now in Stock Black with One

Side Slotted Ear Cup.

With this technology, you can up-

grade to 16 head sets at a later date

and they all will communicate with

each other, plus you will receive a

Bumper to Bumper 2 Year Warranty on

all components.

Sonetics’ Wireless 4-Person Communication System in the Towman Standard Case > > >

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The Towman Case is only available from

RP RECOVERY

Call Ron Pullen at 315-730-6566 or E-Mail

[email protected]

We will build a system that is just right for

your company.

Find us on Facebook: RP RECOVERY

CONSULTING


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Ever felt like something was just "wrong" and that you should "do"something? Well, that’s how we felt when one of our clients begancomplaining about Wrecker Service Providers (WSPs) in general.As an Adjuster, we’ve worked alongside WSPs for the past 23years, in all kinds of weather, and believe they deserve more re-spect than that. The majority of them are hard-working, family-runbusinesses, just trying to stay afloat.

As a result, we launched our company in January 2013, in aneffort to create a DataBase that would help promote the WSP atNO COST to them. In exchange for a WSP listing their contact infor-mation, and then filling in all of their equipment rates, we providethem with a Free Website page, where they can post pictures ortell the history of their company.

As we talked with various WSPs, we learned that sometimesthey lose 10% to a “Directory,” in exchange for being given a tow-ing job. Naturally, they have to increase their bill to cover this loss.

We know we're going against the grain,but that’s why we changed the way this“Marketing Expense” is handled for theWSPs. Our Trucking & Insurance Com-pany Clients pay an Annual Subscriptionrate in order to access our DataBase.

Our intention is to provide our Truck-ing clients with a quick-reference “TOOL”that will need to accomplish three things:

1) Identify the closest WSP to the scene of an accident (@ccident Locator Map).

2) Separate the good from the bad (Feedback Rating Sys-tem).3) Reward those WSPs who do the BEST work with MOREwork (Repeat Business).

We’re hoping that you’ll take the time to check out our website at“NTRG4U.COM” and will agree to join with us as we attempt to changethe way business is done in the Transportation Industry!

NationWide Towing & Recovery Group, LLC. P.O. Box 3058 • Springfield, MO 65808-3058Phone (417) 595-0712E- Fax (417) 501-4251E-Mail [email protected]

NationWide Towing & Recovery Group > > >. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Larson Electronics’ portable LED light tower

(LEDP5W-30-TP1-50CR) comes complete with an

IP68 rated 150 watt LED light head, aluminum

quad-pod and 50’ retractable cord reel. The light

head is waterproof to 3 meters, sealed against in-

trusion by dust or dust, and constructed to with-

stand the most demanding environments. The

LED floodlight creates a total of 14,790 lumens of

intense light that provides coverage for an area

540’ long by 480’ wide and the lamp can easily

be adjusted vertically and locked into position. This

unit can also be ordered with LEDs in spotlight

configuration to produce a beam 1200’ long by

140’ wide. The LED has a life expectancy of

50,000 hours and is backed by a 3 year warrant.

This adjustable quad-pod can be extended to 12

feet, collapsed to 7 feet, and is fabricated from

non-sparking powder coated aluminum. Contain-

ing 50 feet of 12/2 SOOW cord, our retractable

cord reel keeps the cord clear of trip hazards. Oper-

ators can easily stow this collapsible light tower

after using it for work area illumination, event light-

ing, emergency operations lighting, or equipment

lighting. The LED light fixture assembly can be re-

moved while the legs can be collapsed, aiding in

deployment, storage and transport. This quad-pod

mounted unit can be used with 12 or 24 VDC volt-

ages depending upon chosen configuration. We

can also custom build our lighting equipment ac-

cording to your specific needs.

(800) 369-6671www.magnalight.com

Larson Electronics > > >


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Evans Cooling > > >

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If you never had to worry about overheat-

ing again, even under extreme conditions,

heavy loads, and high ambient temperatures

– what would that mean to your bottom

line? Cooling system failures account for

40% of maintenance problems, and the re-

sulting downtime is costly. There isn’t a

magic bullet to solve all problems, but how

about a waterless solution?

The adoption of water as an engine

coolant early in the 20th century was logi-

cal, but complicated by the fact it freezes at

32°F and boils at 212°F. Water is univer-

sally recognized as the root cause of corro-

sion and erosion inside engine blocks and

cooling systems. Despite water’s superior

heat transfer capabilities, water-based

coolants remain far from the “ideal solution.”

Evans Waterless Heavy Duty Coolant has

a boiling point of 375°F, providing a separa-

tion of over 100°F between the engines’s

operating temperature and the coolant’s

boiling point. This means Evans has the ca-

pacity to safely operate at higher tempera-

tures and protect the engine at

temperatures well above the boiling point of

water. Evans coolant will not form vapor and

operates at a much lower, safer pressure,

eliminating hotspots and overboil. Overheat-

ing is avoided – even with heavy loads, high

temperatures and under hostile operating

conditions.

Evans coolant also protects an engine

from corrosion, electrolysis and cavitation

erosion. Evans demonstrated superior re-

sults in the John Deere Cavitation Test with

70% fewer “pits” than the next best tested

coolant. With less downtime and decreased

maintenance costs, Evans is a cost-effective

alternative to water-based coolants.

Evans Cooling (860) 668-1114 www.evanscooling.com


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Powerbilt Wreckers > > >The Powerbilt PB70SR, 70 Ton Sliding Rotator is POWERBILTWRECKERS Largest Rotator and is comparable with anythingelse on the market. This Rotator is outfitted with dual 66,000LB main winches and dual 35,000 LB Aux, winches. De-signed for Extreme Recovery Operations, this Rotator is de-signed to tackle the toughest recovery applications.

Over-built for performance and longevity, The PB70SR is what will dis-

tinguish you from your competition when trying to secure contracts or

when pulling up to an accident scene. This unit dominates with superior

design, technology and performance.

Powerbilt units are Over-Built to ensure durability and long life; this will

protect your investment and keep you tackling the toughest recoveries

with a safe and quick clearance. This Rotator can turn in a continuous

360 degrees and has dual house locks; the boom can be transported in

forward or a rear position. As with all Powerbilt Wreckers, customization is

the order of the day, and Powerbilt builds all units the way the customer

requests.

Don’t hesitate to inquire with one of our quali-

fied staff members. Standard and Customized

wreckers are surprisingly inexpensive. As with all

of our larger units, we will customize this Rotator to

your specific truck.

Contact us at 636-629-7311 or visit our web-

site, www.powerbiltwreckers.com.

Powerbilt WreckersSt. Clair, Missouri636-629-7311www.powerbiltwreckers.com

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Tow Professional HELPING SUPPORT ASSOCIATI

ION SHOWS “TOW SHOWS FOR TOWERS BY TOWERS”

We have all heard of the 80/20 Rule.

This rule is one of the most helpful of

all concepts of time and life management.

Some people call it the “Pareto Principle,”

after its founder, an Italian economist Vil-

fredo Pareto who first wrote about this way

back in 1895 (and no, I wasn’t there). Pareto

noticed that people in his time seemed to di-

vide up naturally into what he called the

“Vital Few,” the top 20% in terms of money

and influence, and then the “Trivial Many”

will form the bottom 80%.

He believed, and so do I, that virtually all

economic activity is subjected to this princi-

ple. For example, this principle says that

20% of your activities will account for 80%

of your results, 20% of your customers will

account for 80% of your sales, 20% of your


Fuel 4 thought By D. J . Harr ington

products or services will account for 80% of

the value of what you do, and it goes on like

that.

Now listen up to what this means to all of

us in the towing industry. If we have a list of

10 items to do, 2 of those items will turn out

to be worth 5 or 10 times or more than the

other 8 items put together.

Here is something my dad tried to ex-

plain to me and I didn’t catch on to until later

in life. Each of 10 tasks may take about the

same amount of time to accomplish, but 1

or 2 of those tasks will contribute 5 or 10

times the value of any of the others. My dad

would ask me which tasks I like the least,

and then proceed to tell me to do that one

first to get it off your plate first thing in the

morning.

If you know one task means more than

the other nine, do that one first. You get what

I am saying. My dad would say, “Focus on ac-

tivities not accomplishments.”

Remember this, “If you have to eat a live

bug, it doesn’t pay to sit and look at it for very

long.” Do first things first. The hardest part of

any important task is getting started on it in

the first place.

Just thinking about starting and finishing

an important task motivates me and helps

me to overcome procrastination. Your ability

to choose between the important and the

unimportant is the key factor to your success

in life and work.

Please remember that effective, produc-

tive people in the towing industry discipline

themselves to start on the most important

task that is before them. As a result, they ac-

complish more than the average person and

are much happier as a result. This should be

your way of working, as well.

I know you heard of the 80/20 Rule, but

now you know more about it and how it can

improve your life and the towing business.

See you next time! TOW

Oh, and one last thing:

“Kind words can be short and easy to

speak, but their echoes are truly

endless.” — Mother Teresa.

Correspondence regarding this article

should go to:

DJ Says2820 Andover WayWoodstock, GA 10389

D.J. Harrington is an author, journal-ist, seminar leader, internationaltrainer, and marketing consultant. He

works primarily with customer serv-ice personnel, and his clients includesuch world-class companies as Gen-eral Motors, DuPont, Caterpillar andDamon Corporation. He may bereached at 800-352-5252 or by emailat [email protected], 52 weeks a year,we are as close as your telephone, orat www.djanddan.com.



I was giving a seminar in Baltimore to about 70 business ownerson the value of the employees that work for you. After the seminar,an owner approached me with a question. He stated that he hates togo to work and that he hates most of the employees that work forhim and that the feeling was mutual. He asked what he should do.When you are a small business owner, the company starts and endswith you. However you act or feel, your employees will feel the same.It was up to him to change how he felt, and the rest would take careof its self.

When I owned my business, I had many days when it was just notfun to go to work. I use to tell my managers that the stress from ourbusiness would kill me if I let it. I was fortunate enough to have agood wife and partner who I could count on to pick me up when Iwas down. Now I’m not telling you to go and get married, but I amtelling you to find someone you can go to when you are down. Nottoo long ago, I was consulting with a tow company near Houston.The owner was a female, and she was stressed because her compe-tition was ganging up on her. She was at the point of tears and hadno one to turn to who could help. Her husband was a driver, and itwas hard for him to help her.

I could see that she was getting burned out and needed help, sothe first thing I did was let her break down and cry. That relievedsome of the stress and emotions creating the stress. The next thingwe did was identify what she wanted her business to look like andcreated a plan to get her there. Once we had it on paper, it was easyto execute and measure what we were doing. In just three shortmonths, her business was turned around, and her company wasmoving in the right direction. As you read this article, she continuesto grow her company and become successful. I would like to say Imade her successful, but all I offered was an ear to listen to her prob-lems, and once she identified them, her and her husband correctedthem and moved forward. She has a testimonial on our web site ex-plaining how outside sources can be helpful because they are notclose to the problems you encounter.

As an owner of a business, you will always feel stress. The prob-lem is that stress causes burnout. When you let your work get to you,it will create relationship problems at home and at work. Your job willsuffer, and therefore your company will not be successful. All of asudden you create health problems for yourself, and all of this leadsto being unhappy.

By Dan Messina

BURNOUT


What are the signs you are suffering from burnout?

1. As an owner of a company,when you hate to go to work

2. When you start making wrong decisionsthat hurt the performance of the company

3. When you start having problems withemployees that you never had before

4. When you start having problems athome with family members or friends

5. When you get frustratedeasily with the way things aregoing at work or at home

8. Look in the mirror. Youstop taking care ofyourself and it shows.

6. When your job performance fallsoff, which becomes noticeable bythe employees. This will affect theperformance of the company.

7. When you are not motivatedanymore. The ideas to growand compete aren’t thereanymore.


you don’t have to do it alone; there

are outside sources

like djanddan.com who

can help.


I do about 60 seminars a year, and I tell everyone the most

important thing as a business owner is to “surround yourself with

people smarter than you, and have fun.” That’s what the young

lady in Houston did. It’s not that I was smarter than her; she was

just smart enough to bring in a third set of eyes and ears.

We recently held a two-day class in Dallas on running your

business. We advertised locally to get a few people to attend the

class. I received a call from a company in Fort Worth. The owner

said he and his wife were talking about how or what they could

do to improve or change the way they were doing business. He

saw my ad and signed up for the class. Once again, I point out

you don’t have to do it alone; there are outside sources like

www.djanddan.com who can help.

1. Identify what your responsibilities are daily.

Is there any one thing that could relate to your burnout? If so, givethat responsibility to another employee or hire someone to performthat function. Believe me, there were things that I hated to do, but,fortunately for me, those were things my wife enjoyed doing. If therewas something she did not like, we would turn it over to a manager.

2. Since you are the boss, go toanother employee and discuss stress-related issues withthem.

By rearranging a work schedule or reassigning certainresponsibilities, I could fix the problem. I informed my employees on

everything we were doing. Many times, they would come up withthe answerers we needed to fix the problems.

3. Change your work routine. Do certain functions at different times of the day when you are moremotivated to perform these functions. I was a morning person, so Iwould address any problems when my energy level was high. Thisproduced the best results. Figure out the time of day you are at ahigh and make that time for addressing company issues.

4. Take breaks through the day. Take a walk or a ride. If you have time, take a power nap for 20minutes. Close your door and close your eyes. This could give you afresh start. I worked for a major computer company, and my bosshad a cot in his office. He napped every day. Not only was he a goodboss, but we were very productive.


The last five years we owned the company, I enjoyed going to work. It was fun and a challenge, but it wasencouraging to see my staff develop right before my very eyes. I sometimes would think that 35 peoplecounted on me daily to support their families and pay their bills. Some people would let that stress them out,but I looked forward to it. If you follow those two things, you will avoid stress causing you to avoid burnout.Here are a few steps you can take to avoid burnout:

5. Monitor your sleeping hours. To stay healthy, you need your rest. If you change your sleepinghabits, change your eating habits, too. A proper diet and plenty ofrest will keep you physically and mentally fit. I enjoy eating too muchto help you here. I sleep good, but I love to eat. You are on your ownon this one.

6. Take a vacation, even if it’s just a long weekend.

I can’t begin to tell you how good you will feel and you will learn a lotabout your employees. The owner always thinks the company willfall apart if they leave. Not true; in some cases, it could get better.You will be surprised what your employees can do when you letthem.

7. When you are not working, find a new interest.

Play a sport or join a community group. Any outside activity notrelated to work will get your mind off of work. I took up golf. I was notgood, but it got me away from the office twice a week, and it allowedmy employees to develop their skills. In the five years of doing this, Inever had any major problems that my employees could not handle.

As an owner, you feel guilty when you take time off, but, believeme, it’s needed. Your company will benefit in your absence. You willfeel better, your employees will become better employees, and youwill avoid burnout. TOW

Visit www.danmessina.com for more information.


LubetAlk

WHAT IS BYPASS FILTRATION?Bypass filtration refers to systems in which a portion of the oil

pump output, usually no more than ten percent, is diverted to an

auxiliary filter. The system is so-named because in a conventional

bypass system, the oil bypasses the engine and returns to the oil

pan without providing lubrication to the engine. In fact, some refer-

ence manuals refer to such systems as parasitic filtration systems.

It is important to note that while the appellation is not totally with-

out merit, bypass systems do not divert enough oil from the engine

to fall below manufacturer’s specifications. There is also a second

type of bypass system in which none of the oil is diverted from its

flow through the engine - more on that later.


BypassFiltration

By Dan Watson

The advanced exhaust system, including dieselparticulate filters, urea injection systems, exhaust gasrecirculation and catalytic converters is certainly a stepforward in the reduction of emissions into ourenvironment. These controls, however, come at a cost.In a future article, I will explain the how these advancedexhaust systems work. In this article, I want to take alook at what recycled soot does to the engine oil in thediesel engine and recommend bypass oil filtration as aworthwhile protection for this considerableinvestment.

OILbypass filters for large diesel engines are

accepted as a necessity and have been

recommended by several aftermarket filter compa-

nies for many years. As a certified lubrication special-

ist, I have recommended bypass filtration systems as a

solution for many diesel applications, though not for

every application. Prior to the advent of exhaust gas

recirculation (EGR), diesel engines were capable of

dealing with soot. Even if they could benefit from a by-

pass system, they could certainly get by without one.

Not so with the new advanced exhaust systems and

EGR. I absolutely recommend bypass filtration for

these engines.

A typical single remote (parasitic) bypass filtrationsystem diverts a fraction of the oil in order to removesmaller particles that the full flow filter misses.

The need for a bypass filtration system arises when the filtration

provided by the stock, full flow oil filter is insufficient to remove

enough of the oil’s contaminants. Because the standard filter must

allow sufficient oil flow to the engine to keep it properly lubricated,

the filter media inside are, by design, thin enough to allow the oil to

flow relatively easily. Of course, it would be no good to make the stan-

dard filter media more dense – so that it could handle smaller parti-

cles – if this meant that the oil was hindered from getting to the

engine. Nobody wants a molten mass of metal under the hood, no

matter how clean it might be. This means that standard oil filters,

even good ones, cannot deal with particles in the oil that are smaller

than about 15 microns. A bypass filtration system, on the other hand

– by only filtering approximately ten percent of the oil at a time and

leaving the other 90 percent to do the lubrication work – comple-

ments the standard full flow oil filter and allows the overall lubrication

system to both provide sufficient lubrication and filter smaller parti-

cles down to the three-micron range. Even though the bypass sys-

tem only deals with a fraction of the oil on any given pass through

the system, over time, the complete volume of oil is treated by the

finer media in the oil bypass filters.

SOOTSoot is a byproduct of the combustion process that begins as par-

ticles that are sub-micron in size. At that size, they pose no threat

to the engine and if they remained that size, there would be no

need (and it would be very difficult) to filter them. Unfortunately,

soot particles are attracted to one another and join together to

form particles that are big enough to cause damage but small

enough to evade capture by the full flow filter. Soot is more readily

produced in diesel engines than gasoline engines.

Today’s turbo-charged, computer controlled, fuel injected en-

gines are extremely good at mixing air and fuel for clean burning

engines. Earlier turbo-charged diesel engines were as good, if not

better, at burning cleanly; unfortunately, the requirements to lower

emissions resulted in exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Recircula-

tion of exhaust brings up to 35% of soot back into the engine for

re-burning. The soot levels for these engines are significantly

higher than the preceding engines and the soot inevitably finds its

way into the oil through the piston rings. High soot levels increase

the viscosity of the oil and interfere with proper oil flow. When soot

levels are high, soot begins to drop out of solution and can clog


LubetAlk


critical oil galleries and starve com-

ponents of vital lubrication. The re-

quirement to recirculate exhaust

gases is one of the bases of the CJ-4

classification for diesel oils. CJ-4

rated diesel oils are designed to

carry higher levels of soot and to re-

sist soot dropping out of solution.

Using CJ-4 oil in combination with the

highest quality full flow filters will help keep

soot in check to a point. However, the only

way to ultimately remove the soot that re-

mains unfiltered in a system is to drain the

oil. This reality shortens the lifespan of oil

and requires a higher frequency of oil

changes than might otherwise be necessary,

especially for extended drain synthetics. In

the future, I believe that improvements in

diesel oils and better full flow filters will allow

for extended drain periods using the stan-

dard oil filter system. Using the technology

available today, I recommend using a high

quality synthetic CJ-4 diesel oil comple-

mented by an oil bypass filters system that is

capable of filtering out a portion of the soot.

Excellent bypass systems remove 30 to 40

percent of the soot. Even at this level of effi-

ciency, soot levels are manageable. Full flow

filters by themselves essentially remove no

soot from the system

.

VARIATIONS OF OIL BYPASS FILTERSMost bypass filtration systems leave the

standard full flow filter in place and add a re-

motely-located bypass filter. These systems

are the ones sometimes referred to as para-

sitic because they divert some of the oil

away from the main oil flow responsible for

the lubrication of the engine’s components.

The amount of oil diverted is controlled by an

orifice or similar restrictor to make sure that

enough oil is reaching the engine. An alter-

nate design, patented by Amsoil, locates

both the full flow and bypass filter remotely.

Soot and other particlesas small as five micronsare responsible for themajority of abrasivewear in an engine. Agood bypass oilfiltration system willeffectively removeparticles to the threemicron, and sometimessmaller, range.

This dual remote oil filtration system

eliminates the parasitic characteristic of a

typical bypass unit by routing all the oil,

whether it travels through the full flow filter

or through the oil bypass filter, to the engine

components after filtration has occurred. As

with the single remote bypass filter system,

only a fraction of the oil travels through the

bypass filter on a given pass.

Regardless of the design or manufacturer,

the bypass system is a good investment on

any diesel engine. For the modern diesel en-

gine, with EGR, the bypass is a necessity.

Soot is a concern in all diesel engines but

with the EGR system, soot levels can become

destructive. A potential benefit of installing a

bypass filtration system is extended oil

change intervals. When using properly for-

mulated synthetic diesel oil and a high qual-

ity bypass filtration system, it is possible to

avoid the impact of higher soot levels and ex-

tend oil drain intervals significantly. If you

own a turbo diesel with EGR, you are simply

protecting your investment by installing a

good bypass oil filtration system. TOW

www.thelubepage.com(407) 657-5969


The Amsoil dual remote filtration system eliminates the parasitic loss ofoil flow to the engine.


OptimizeYour Switch to Synthetic Winch Lines,

Enlist the ProsBy Bi l l Putnam

ON THE WINCH DRUMS OF TOW TRUCKS NATIONWIDE, HIGH-PERFORMANCE SYNTHETIC

CORDAGE IS RAPIDLY REPLACING WIRE LINE. IT’S A CHANGE DRIVEN DUALLY BY EFFICIENCY

AND SAFETY: SYNTHETICS ARE LIGHTER, EASIER TO HANDLE, AND JUST AS STRONG AS THEIR

STEEL COUNTERPARTS; YET IF THEY DO FRAY OR PART, THEY DON’T CARRY THE SAME THREAT

OF BODILY INJURY FROM RAZOR-SHARP KINKS AND SOME FIBER CHOICES OFFER LESS CHANCE

VIOLENT SNAP-BACKS.

But the most groundbreaking trait of synthetic

ropes is their potential to be customized and opti-

mized. Among the thousands of fiber, size, diameter, and

construction combinations available today, application-

specific synthetic rope manufacturers and certified distrib-

utors help users select or design the safest, best rope for

the job – and train them on how to use it for maximum

safety and product life.

Here are just some of the specific tasks your rope rep

can help you do:

Determine the right synthetic fiber foryour workload, budget, and climate Unlike wire, which is fairly synonymous with steel, the

synthetic winch line category includes a vast array of

fiber compositions. Environmental conditions (tempera-

ture and precipitation) and the primary workload of the

winch (weight, volume, and frequency of use) largely

determine which fiber will work best. Since towers

need reliability in all weather conditions, high-tenacity

polyester jacketing is commonly used to protect the load-

bearing core of the line. The core can be made of polyester;

or for heavier lifts, a high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) or

liquid crystal polymer (LCP) core can bolster breaking

strength.

Choose the construction most conduciveto your environment.Weather is also a primary driver when it comes to rope con-

struction. Rain, freezing temperatures, sand, wind, heat, and

sun exposure all play in to the type of braid you need.

In environments where abrasion is less likely to occur, a

12-strand single-braid rope might be a worthy option, though

any 12-strand rope should still have a protective coating to

prevent premature wear. Example: Yale Cordage’s Ultrex™.

For ropes used in all conditions and for heavier lifts, core-

dependent double braid construction provides the next

level of performance. A core of Spectra™ HMPE, one of the

strongest fibers available, protected by a high-tenacity poly-

ester sleeve, provides ultimate strength and optimum pro-

Synthetic Cordage

www.towprofessional.com | Volume 3 Issue 4 | Tow Professional 35

tection. HMPE is also lighter than polyester, offering excellent ma-

neuverability and sheave cycling capabilities for high-stakes recovery

tasks. Example: Yale Cordage’s Maxibraid Plus™.

Align the strength of your rope with the capacityof your rig.

The breaking strength you choose for a synthetic winch

line typically needs to be five or more times the rated

working load or lifting capacity of your truck winch. Mak-

ing a correct match is essential to preventing accidental

overloads out in the field. But since acceptable working

load to breaking strength ratios can vary, particularly with

newer rope constructions, this is an area where it can be

very helpful for your rope manufacturer or certified distributor to

weigh in.

Analyze your work practices to determine energy absorption needs.A rope of any breaking strength can be compromised if asked to ab-

sorb a dynamic load beyond its energy absorption capability. A

rope’s energy absorption capability is not related just to its breaking

strength; rather, it is ascertained by studying a stress strain curve of

load versus elongation. Rope manufacturers understand the metrics

involved, and can help you determine which fiber and construction

will offer the energy absorption characteristics you need for the loads

you typically handle, as well as how much rope you will need to de-

ploy to avoid shock loads.

Understand the splicing requirements of your lines.When switching from wire, or even older synthetics, to a new synthetic


fiber or construction, you may need to change your splicing protocols.

Whereas the techniques for older rope styles may have been fairly

straightforward, many newer constructions require product-specific

techniques. Most rope manufacturers and distributors offer splicing,

splice training, and technical support for these proprietary products.

Take them up on it.

Custom-fit ropes keep you efficient. These five maintenance tips

will keep you safe:

• Inspect before every use – Check the working eye and the

area adjacent to it for any movement. The rope should have a

Whiplock5 or lock stitching at the eye to prevent movement. If the

locks are not intact, or you notice the eye becoming larger or

smaller in service, replace the rope.

• Use slings – Never choke back on the winch line by securing it

around the load and attaching the rope back to itself with a hook

or shackle. This will wear out the rope, and may create visible

damage for the first four to eight feet above the eye. If you notice

such damage, either replace the rope or end-for-end it, placing

the new end on the drum.

• Invest in a certified splicer – A certified splicer who is trained

on your rope will ensure you get a proper splice every time, with

the added benefit of each splice being tagged and recorded for

you under the rope’s serial number. This data can help large tow

companies effectively track the condition of their ropes and re-

place them on time.

• Consider proactive replacement – Because a line’s life ex-

pectancy can be shortened by shock-loading incidents, and be-

cause it’s difficult to definitively know how much damage each

incident causes, many users proactively retire their lines immedi-

ately after any shock loading occurs. Another common practice is

to end-for-end all ropes every 12 months and retire them after

two years.

• Dispose of retired lines properly –It is important to properly

dispose of a retired rope before it reaches the hands of a user

who could overestimate its strength. All too often, used commer-

cial lines get recycled for personal use – thrown in the back of a

pickup truck as a tow line, or boat line, or to haul a moose out of

the woods. To prevent resultant accidents, retired lines should be

cut into short lengths and recycled or repurposed for non-critical

uses. TOW

Bill Putnam is president of Yale Cordage.www.yalecordage.com

Synthetic Cordage


Yale Cordage was founded in 1950

by O. Sherman Yale. He introduced new

synthetic materials in concert with high-

quality braiding techniques to manufac-

ture rope and related products to better

meet the needs of specific applications.

The individuals of Yale remain focused

on that same objective today while pro-

viding engineering and application sup-

port to a variety of industries. Many of

our products are more than twice the

strength of steel cable of the same diam-

eter, but 8 times lighter.

Our background includes lifting slings

and safety lanyards for industrial use;

winch lines, stringing lines and block

lines for utilities; climbing and hand lines

for arborists; faired electromechanical

cables for oceanographic arrays; and a

variety of marine ropes used in various

applications – from light-duty halyards

for pulling dinghies to hawsers for moor-

ing commercial tankers.

Performance, Passion, Possibilities

TOW

Yale Cordage77 Industrial Park Road

Saco, ME 04072

(207) 282-3396

yalecordage.com

Company spotlight

Yale Cordage creates innovative, application-specific synthetic ropes that will solve problemsand create new opportunities for the progres-sive towing professional.


Is It Time to Seek a

Towing Dispatch Service?

MAKING THE DECISION TO SEEK “OFF-SITE” DISPATCH SERVICES CAN BE DIFFICULT. FINDING THE RIGHT ONECAN BE DAUNTING. WHEN YOU HAVE WORKED HARD TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS, WHETHER IT BE FOR 1 YEAROR 50, GIVING UP YOUR PHONES CAN BE TERRIFYING. ALTHOUGH, WHEN YOU FIND THE RIGHT ONE, AND GAINYOUR LIFE BACK, YOU MAY DECIDE IT WAS THE BEST DECISION YOU EVER MADE.

Weigh your optionsThere are several methods of dispatching Towers are accustomed to:

1. Employee Dispatcher: One daytime and one nighttime dis-patcher. Taking and dispatching calls is their only job.

Benefits: On-site and local familiarity. Your dispatchers know

your area, your drivers, your pricing and are only working for you.

Drawbacks: Hourly or salary employee paid to “wait for the

phone to ring,” health insurance, sick pay, vacation pay, covering

hours when employee is sick, late or on vacation.

2.Owner Dispatcher:Office phones are forwarded to theowner’s home or cell phone so either Mr. or Mrs. Owner can an-

swer and dispatch every call 24/7.

Benefits:Owner is aware of every call coming into his business.

Owner controls who gets the call, as well as whether to take or

deny it.

Drawbacks: Owners are on 24/7. Family events are often

missed or interrupted; holidays are spent on the phone. 365 days

a year, the owner expects and experiences interrupted sleep.

3.Driver Dispatcher: Typically, at night and on weekends,phones are forwarded to the driver on-call. He answers the call,

he does the job.

Benefit:Owner doesn’t have to pay a dispatcher.

Drawbacks: No accountability for jobs being done. Interrupted

work, and answering a call while on the road can lead to injury.

Lost calls due to a driver’s phone being left in the truck, or being in

an area of poor cell phone service risks lost revenue, low motor


club ratings, and the loss of rotation con-

tracts.

Those who found the above methods

to be costly, cause frustration or be ineffi-

cient may have already discovered an-

other option. For those that have not

taken the leap, consider #4.

4.Outside Dispatch Service: Open 24hours, 7 days a week. Multiple work sta-

tions fielding calls on behalf of small to

large towing companies. Regardless of

weather, a holiday, or time of day, dis-

patchers are standing by ready to dis-

patch directly to your drivers.

Benefits: Cost savings. No more paying

by the hour, health benefits or scrambling

to find coverage when your dispatcher is

sick. Freedom! Forward your phones

when you want, answer yourself when

you want. Be with your family and

friends! Go to the movies or get a full

night’s sleep. Get all your calls...not just

the one your driver feels like answering.

Instantly, have multiple dispatchers at

your fingertips. Multiple calls coming in at

the same time are no longer an issue.

Most importantly, keep your drivers safe

while on the road.

Drawbacks: Preparation takes time. It

takes work on your part to get a service

up to speed on how you want things

done, and communicating it to them.

Most likely, the dispatcher is not sitting in

your hometown. Distance can be intimi-

dating. An owner “giving up” his/her

phones also means relying on someone

else to project their image. This can be

scary.

Do your homeworkWhen seeking an outside service, as a

Tower, you want to find a reputable Dispatch

Service. Someone with experience in the

Towing Industry, someone who understands

the importance of immediate dispatching,

never putting the PD on-hold, answering

fast, and who takes the time to find out who

you are, what you do, and how you want

your calls handled. Do your research and ask

questions over the phone or, if local, in per-

son! This company will be your voice at the

times you choose to use them. Hear that

voice! “Email shopping,” although appropri-

ate for initial contact, or to request a call,

does not substitute an interview. Take the

time to get to know them, and let them get

to know you.

1. How long have you been dispatching for Towers?

2. Can you give me references of current customers?

3. Are you part of or associated with any Towing Associations?

4. If the service is not local to you, how will you know our service area?


5. If you are using dispatch software, can this service dispatch through that software for you?

6. What are all of your options for dispatching?

7. What type of reporting is offered so that you or your manager can keep track of jobs going directly to drivers?

8. What types of back-up systems do they have in place to make sure their phones/equipment is always up and running?

If you are happy with what you’ve heard,

and find yourself ready to take your life back,

save money, attend a family function (and ac-

tually stay for the whole thing), and let your

drivers be drivers, not dispatchers, then it’s

time to start “training” your dispatch service.

Training a successful off-site dispatcher: How much can they do from afar?Just as you would show an in-house dis-

patcher the ropes, you also have to provide

your service as much information about your

company and its operations as you can. The

only difference is you may be educating

from a distance, and in writing.

Prepare, prepare, prepare. Define your

service area (unless you go anywhere all the

time) by zip codes, county, city or town

names, mile markers, or landmarks. You know

your service area like the back of your hand!

Help your off-site dispatchers learn it, too. If

you have multiple locations, define each loca-

tion’s area. There is nothing worse than wast-

ing time and gas by sending your drivers on a

wild goose chase. Give your dispatchers the

opportunity to succeed from the start.

Providing a price list to your service will

prevent multiple calls to you, or your drivers,

when quoting a job. There are always excep-

tions based on unusual situations, but taking

a standard motorclub, road service, or cash

call, based on your pricing, should flow

smoothly and take little time on the phone

when your service is provided this informa-

tion. Little time on the phone means faster

dispatching and happy customers!

Finally, define a very clear protocol as to

how calls are to be dispatched. Delivering all

calls verbally, making verbal contact fol-

lowed by a text message, or sending a text

and asking the driver to text back confirma-

tion are all options to be considered when

determining what is most effective for your

company. For the owners who aren’t quite

ready to get that full night’s sleep, requesting

a copy of every call sent out (at the same

time as the driver) may be a good way to

ease into relinquishing your phones.

Most importantly, when making this

sometimes difficult decision, choose some-

one who knows Towing and takes pride it ac-

commodating the hard-working individuals

that make up this industry. TOW

Holly's Message Service(888) 809-6182 | www.hollysMS.com

"Manager, Denise Morel and Assistant Manager, Tracy Farrell are the driving force at Holly's Dis-patch. Whether it's training, scheduling, dispatching or billing, Denise and Tracy have it covered."

HOLLY’S TOWING DISPATCH – The leader in 24/7 Towing Dispatch


How many Towing Dispatch Services do

you have in your town? In your state? Tow-

ers in CT are lucky enough to have ONE. Ask

the same question of towers in MA, FL, TX,

CA or 45 other states. Local or not, Holly’s

Dispatch Customers are likely to say that CT

is the place they have found a dispatch serv-

ice that can serve their needs.

Yes, answering services are everywhere.

They answer for medical professionals,

property managers, tradesman, and anyone

else who wants their calls answered

24/7...but if there is one thing we have

learned at Holly’s Dispatch Service, it is that

TOWING and all the other types of 24/7

businesses do not mix well in the world of

answering phones and dispatching calls.

At Holly’s Dispatch Service, we answer

for Towers 365 days a year, 24 hours a day,

7 days a week. Why? Because there is a

huge need for dispatching services across

the country. A dispatch service that special-

izes in the towing industry, trains in the tow-

ing industry, and understands the

importance of getting every call out imme-

diately is above and beyond what you will

get at your local answering service.

Get your life back! Spend time with your

friends and family! Get a full night’s rest

knowing that your phones are being an-

swered, your drivers are out working for

you, your PD calls are getting immediate re-

sponse, and your motorclub ratings are not

suffering! Let Holly’s Towing Dispatch work

for you, while you work on your

business. Whether you are

looking for night and weekend

relief, 24 hour dispatching, or

just a weekend off once a

month, Holly’s Dispatch Serv-

ice is what you have been looking for.

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Company spotlight


What Our TESTING & RESEARCH ShowsLet’s do a little recap from the first half. Last

month, I showed the reduction in strength when load-

ing a web tie down strap, a 2 inch lifting sling, a V

strap leg and a 3/8” steel core wire rope over a 90

degree corner, and not necessarily a sharp one. The

average reduction in strength was 37% when loaded

over the outside corner of a piece of 2 inch angle iron.

By Fritz Dahlin

CARGO CONTROL

Note: Please be aware that this testing was donewith new product under controlled conditions. NO

product should EVER be used above its WORK LOAD

LIMIT. Minimum break strengths should NEVER be

used to determine the suitably of a product. Failure

to follow these warnings may result in property dam-

age, personal injury or death. The intention of this ar-

ticle is to show the effect of improper loading over a

corner has on the product.

PART 2

CUTTINGCORNERS


I also showed what the same towing tools look like when they are cut, as opposed to

being overloaded. In this article, I want to show how chain reacts when loaded over a corner,

talk about some methods of preventing the same tools from being damaged, and, finally,

what to look for when inspecting your straps, wire rope and chain.

I also need to repeat the disclaimer: Please be aware that this testing was done with new

product under controlled conditions. NO product should EVER be used above its WORK

LOAD LIMIT. Minimum break strengths should NEVER be used to determine the suitability of

a product. Failure to follow these warnings may result in property damage, personal injury or

death. The intention of this article is to show the effect of improper loading over a corner has

on the product.

Time to talk about chain. While chain is arguably the most durable of the tools we are test-

ing, it does have its limitations. When misused or abused, it can fail. Unlike web and wire rope,

chain can tell a story. As our National Sales Manager Chip Kauffman has explained before,

through testing, it can be shown what the highest load a piece of chain has been loaded to.

When chain is made, it is proof tested to twice its Work Load Limit. This stretches the chain

very slightly. For a section of 3/8” Grade 7 chain, the Work Load Limit is 6600Lbs, so proof

test is 13,200 Lbs. Let’s say this same piece of chain is loaded to 19,000 Lbs, nearly three

times its WLL. The chain has already been slightly stretched when it was proofed at 13,200

Lbs, so it will not stretch until the load passes 13,200 Lbs. Once the load exceeds 13,200

Lbs, the chain begins to stretch. This can be seen on the graph when the indicator line

changes direction. The same effect happens when the chain is overloaded. It will not stretch

until the load exceeds the point at which it was overloaded. Once again, the indicator line on

the graph will be nearly vertical until 19,000 Lbs is passed. The chain will begin to stretch,

the indicator begins to move horizontally, and the point at which it does is the maximum load

the chain has seen. To illustrate this, I loaded a piece of 3/8” G7 chain to 18,400 Lbs. Proof

test on this pieces was 15,100 Lbs. The same piece of chain was pulled to destruction. The

previous load of 18,400 Lbs is visible on the graph.

Graph on left shows 18” section of 3/8” G7 chain loaded to 18,400 Lbs. Mark 1 is proof

test load of this chain, 15,100 Lbs. Graph on right shows same section of chain loaded to de-

struction. Mark 1 shows previous maximum load of 18,400 Lbs. Chain has a memory.

In addition, chain has what is known in the industry as a preferential failure. Chain is de-

signed to be pulled in a straight line, end of one link against the end of the adjacent link.

When a chain is loaded in other than a straight line, such as when a grab hook is hooked

over a link to form a loop, the chain will fail at that point, and by as much as 20% below the

minimum.


PART 2CUTTING CORNERS

Enough talk, let’s do some testing. I set up the test bed the same way as I did for the previous tests, with a piece of 2” x 2” x 3/16” angle iron. I

then attempted to load the chain so the link was pulled over the angle. For these tests, I used 5/16” grade 70 chain with a Work Load Limit of

4700 Lbs, and a minimum break of 18,800 Lbs. I pulled one chain to use as a control sample; it failed 19,875 Lb, a shear at the end of the link.

The photo shows the test set up. The links were marked showing which were in contact with the corner of the angle.


All of the links failed in the middle of the

link, unlike the control that sheared on the

end. All three also failed where the link was

in contact with the angle. While it appears

to be a weld failure, the failure occurred ad-

jacent to the weld. There are also contact

marks from the adjacent links and the

angle. In addition, there is no “necking

down,” a reduction of the links diameter

commonly seen in straight pull tests. Due

to the load being concentrated on one side

of the link, and the mechanical damage

caused by bending the link over the angle,

the chain failed below minimum.

Top: Graph of the above link. Bottom: Graph showing reduction ofbreak strength of 5/16 G7 chain-over angle

CARGO CONTROL

The 3 samples tested over the angle failed at 15,055 Lbs, 12,803 Lbs and 15,574 Lbs, for an average of 14,477 Lbs, an average 28% re-

duction in breaking strength. If you look at the links that failed, a pattern emerges.

A close up of oneof the links,showing theweld intact.

Every now and then, I get lucky. Usually when a failure occurs, the parts go flying. In this example, a quick hand on the switch stopped the

tester at point of failure, and the parts remained in place. While the load was being applied, only one leg of the link was in contact with the

angle. At failure, the link rotated 90 degrees towards the camera and came to rest as you see here.




So once again, I have shown that loading over a corner can re-

duce the ultimate breaking strength. How do we prevent this from

happening? There are some general things that can be done that

apply to all the tools I have tested, and some specific things for each

product.

General Precautions:

First thing is to NEVER exceed the products Work Load Limit. In all of

the tests I did, the samples failed above the WLL, and in 3 out of 4, at

twice the WLL. This is not to say that corners or sharp objects will not

damage these tools if the WLL is not exceeded, but it will help re-

duce damage, and is good practice.

Watch how the strap, chain, or wire rope is routed, and avoid con-

tact with anything they may cause wear or damage. This includes

the load or cargo that is being secured or moved.

Regularly inspect and maintain your straps, wire rope and chain.

I’ll go into specifics for each product, but regular inspection can pre-

vent a small problem from becoming a large one.

Make sure your tie down or tie downs have sufficient Work Load

to restrain the object being moved. If not, add tie downs until they

do. In addition, make sure the tie down points you are hooking to are

rated for the tie down. A strap and ratchet with a 3300 Lb WLL

hooked to a D ring with a 1000 Lb WLL is only good for 1000 Lbs!

NEVER shock load any of the tie downs we are discussing.

Product specific precautions:

Web slings and tie downs:Of all the items I tested, web is the most easily damaged. Any place

that web contacts the cargo, the load being moved or the tow vehi-

cle itself must be protected or moved. I have shown that tensioning

a load over a corner, even on as seemingly innocent as the corner of

a piece of angle iron, can damage the web. A hand ratchet can ten-

sion a piece of tie down web to about 1400 Lbs, well below the

WLL of most tie downs. If the strap is tensioned over an edge, the vi-

bration on the vehicle going down the road can and will wear and

possibly cut the strap. In addition, when hauling a vehicle, there can

be some movement, which will also accelerate wear. This can also

happen with V straps. If they are under tension and in contact with

the under frame or suspension, the vibration and movement will

wear the web.

CARGO CONTROL

I did a quick test to show the effectiveness of three different sling pads on a tie down strap. I tested one sample each of a cordura sleeve, a

cordura pad sewn to the strap and a rubber pad. I’ll let the results speak for themselves:



Left: three different sling pads Middle: sewn cordura pad over angle Right: cordura sleeve over angle

Left: rubber pad over angle Middle: sewn cordura pad failed at 8623 Lbs

Right: cordura sleeve failed at8922 Lbs


While the strap still failed where it contacted the angle, the average failure was

9621 Lbs, a 30% increase over the unprotected strap. While further testing is re-

quired to validate the results, I think I can predict that the protected strap will

break at a higher load.

CARGO CONTROL

Top Left: rubber pad failed at 11,319 Lbs

Bottom: graph showing average increase in break strengthpadding provides

Wire Rope:

Wire rope is the second most easily damaged. Improper drum winding, which can lead to crushing and flat spotting, will quickly turn a new wire

rope into a useless piece of scrap metal. This is commonly seen on roll backs. Once the wire rope crosses over itself and a load is applied, the

layer underneath is irreparably damaged.

Wire rope also has a minimum bend radius. Whether the wire rope is being bent around a sheave or another object, wear, fatigue and re-

duction in strength is occurring. The smaller the radius

the wire rope is bent around, the greater the wear and

the greater the reduction in strength. This is com-

monly referred to a D/d ratio, where D is the diameter

of the sheave or other object the wire rope is wrapped

around, and d is the diameter of the wire rope. The

higher the ratio, the lower the wear, fatigue and reduc-

tion in strength, and the lower the ration the higher the

wear, fatigue and reduction in strength. For example, a

3/8” wire rope being pulled around an 8” sheave has

a D/d ratio of 21.3, and this rope would have about

92% of its breaking strength. The following graph

shows the effect the D/d ratio has on the strength of

the wire rope.

Graph shows the effect of D/d ration onultimate strength of wire rope




It is also vitally important that when wire rope is used over

sheaves, such as in a snatch block or at the end of a wrecker boom,

that the sheave grooves be correctly sized for the wire rope being

used. Sheave grooves that are too small can pinch the rope and pre-

vent the individual wires and strands from adjusting (necessary

movement within the rope itself; grooves that are too large will not

support the rope, allowing it to flatten and restrict free movement.

When a change in direction is required in a run of wire rope, it should

always be routed over a sheave or roller. Pulling a wire rope over an

edge (such as the end of a roll back bed) will damage the rope. Yes, I

have seen this done. Finally, lubrication of wire rope can increase its

life. There are several lubrication products specifically for wire rope.

Chain:

While chain is the most durable of the products I tested, it still re-

quires care in its use. Chain is designed to be used in a straight line,

tensioned end of link to end of link. Avoid wrapping chain over itself.

Only use hooks and fittings that are sized properly for the chain

(1/2” hooks on ½” chain for example). Chain should not be twisted,

knotted or kinked. Avoid temperatures above 400 degrees F for

grade 70, 80 and 100.

Inspection:

Most inspection criteria I have seen calls for three types of inspec-

tion: Initial, Frequent and Periodic. Let’s look at each quickly:

Initial: Before any new product is put into use, it should be inspected

by a designed person to verify it is correct of the application and in

undamaged condition.

Frequent:

Before each use, the person using the product should inspect it.

Periodic:

This inspection should be conducted by a designated person. Fre-

quency of this inspection should be based on frequency of the prod-

ucts use, severity of service, and experience gained in the service life

of similar products.

While we can debate the need and frequency of inspections, I

hope we all can agree that they are necessary. But what are you look-

ing for? And who is this designated person? I did a little searching

CARGO CONTROL

and came up with the following: “Designated” personnel means em-

ployees selected or assigned by the employer or the employer’s rep-

resentative as being qualified to perform specific duties. The

designated person should have some background or training that

makes him knowledgeable about the items he is inspecting.

So what is this designated person looking for? I am going to cover

out of service criteria for each group of product that was tested.

WEB SLINGS AND TIE DOWNS: A web sling or tie down shall be immediately removed from service

and destroyed if any of the following are observed:

• If the capacity or material identification tag is unreadable or missing

• If any acid or alkalis burns are present

• If any melting, charring or weld spatters are present

• If any holes, cuts, snags or embedded particles are present

• If there are any broken or worn stitches in the load bearing splice• If there is excessive abrasive wear

• If there are knots in any part of the sling or tie down

• If there is excessive pitting or corrosion, cracked, distorted or broken fittings

• If there is any other visible damage that causes doubt to the strength of the sling

(Photos of these conditions can be found on our web site:

www.baprod.com)

WIRE ROPE: A wire rope winch line or sling shall be removed from service im-

mediately and destroyed if any of the following are observed:

• Kinks, bird caging or popped core in the working section of the wire rope

• Discoloration due to excessive heat

• Corrosion with pitting of the wires

• More than 11 broken wires in six diameters of length

• More than three broken wires in any one strand




• More than two broken wires at the end connection

CHAIN:

A chain shall be removed from service immediately and destroyed if

any of the following are observed:

• Any links or components are worn, bent, gouged or stretched

• Any links or components are cracked or distorted

• Any link measures below the NACM standard thickness as shown in chart XIV found at http://www.nacm.info/welded.php

I hope you have found this article interesting and informative. It is

not intended to be the be all end all discussion; rather, my goal was

to make you aware of some of the common signs of misuse and

abuse that can reduce the strength and useful life of web, wire rope

and chain products. Cutting corners can be dangerous. I encourage

you to use the following links to gain more knowledge:

B/A Products www.baprod.com

National Association of Chain Manufacturers www.nacm.org

Web Sling Tie Down Associationwww.wstda.com

Associated Wire Rope Manufacturers www.awrf.org

Wire Rope Technical Board www.thewireropethenicalboard.org

Fritz Dahlin is vice president of B/A Products Co.,www.baprod.com.

CARGO CONTROL

BusinessFor Sale


Rather than lugging and attaching 30’ to

60’ power cables for tow lights all the time,

consider going wireless and eliminate the

hassles. These new designs are battery pow-

ered and usually last for hours. They’re con-

trolled by a wireless transmitter that simply

plugs into the trailer adaptor at the rear of

your trucks. These transmitters forward all di-

rectional and braking information directly to

the lightbar.

In a similar fashion, electric winches can now be outfitted

with optional wireless remotes. These systems use a wireless

receiver plugged into the standard wired remote socket and a

keyfob remote. They aid in loading trailers by eliminating the

15’ or 25’ remote cord normally used on these types of

winches.

For recovery and commercial operation, the next level of

wireless remotes can control your winch line and other hydraulic controlled sys-

tems, such as raising or extension of the rollback bed. The Lodar and Valve-Mate II

systems can control multiple functions from several hundred feet away. They con-

sist of a permanently mounted receiver and a hand-held transmitter.

Systems are classified as either solenoid connected or hydraulic connected. To deter-

mine which type you can use, inspect your truck’s hydraulic valves and winch to see if

electric solenoids connections are present. These are normally located on the backside of

the hydraulic valves, either behind a cover plate on the main valve body or on a separate

solenoid attached to the valve body. In general, older wreckers have hydraulic only sys-

tems, while newer wreckers have the hydraulics with solenoids.

Wireless Technology –

The TOWMAN’SNew Best FriendWireless technology is changing the way tow operators work in the field, making us more efficient and safer. From smartphones to winch control,technology improves your response, hook-up and drop-off times com-pared to just a few years ago.

There’s no denying smartphones and tablets have greatly helped our industry. The ability

to be in direct contact with customers and your home offices improves the efficiency of your

businesses. Map out directions for pick-ups with GPS software. Credit card payments can be processed through your phones. Tow instruc-

tions via the Internet and receipts emailed instead of paper.

Tow trucks and support vehicles are improving, again thanks to technology. Now, wireless controls can operate your primary warning

lights, tow lights, bed controls and winches remotely.

Most smartphones or other wi-fi enabled devices can send a signal to a receiver mounted in the vehicle via a dedicated app. Then the receiver

sends control signals to a modular expansion unit that can control your lightbars, sirens, directional lights, horns, etc., all from your phone.

Code3 VLink Receiver and Expansion Unit

Towmate wireless lightbar with transmitter

Superwinch’s Certus Wireless Remote for S-SeriesWinch

By Paul A. Ederer, Technical Product Support with AW Direct


Mount the receiver box in the best location

to operate the transmitter and observe the in-

ternal LED’s. That means mounting the re-

ceiver as high as possible and in a shaded

location where wheel spray and heavy vibra-

tion aren’t an issue. If you have the solenoid-

connected type, simply connect the output

wires from the receiver directly to the electric

or electro-hydraulic solenoid coils on your

winch or hydraulic valves. Connect

12VDC/ground, link your receiver/transmitter

frequencies, test and you’re done.

If your wrecker does not have electric sole-

noids, other options are available. The Valve-

Mate II system attaches a valve spool to the

spring return side of the hydraulic valves and

compressed air is use to operate the system.

Lodar uses an actuator, either air-operated or

electric, that attaches to linkages to control the

hydraulics.

Wireless control systems improve the

speed of recoveries, save you money, give

you more control of the accident scene at

the touch of a button, and, most impor-

tantly, keep you safely out of harm’s way.

TOW

AW Direct | (800) 243-3194www.awdirect.com

Lodar Wireless Remote for Solenoids

Lodar Air Actuated Wire Remote System

Lodar Electric Actuated Wireless Remote System

Valve –Mate II Wireless Remote System

Mobile Awareness, LLC VisionStat PlusIntegrated Reversing Camera & Backup Sensor System


FUEL AND TIRES are two of the biggest

expenses in the Towing business. With

the rising cost of fuel, it is crucial to cut

costs wherever you can. The TRU-BAL-

ANCEWheel Centering Products were

designed to help you cut your cost and

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One of the most overlooked ways to

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uneven tire wear and tire vibration that

balancing alone cannot correct.

The bottom line is, you can’t bal-

ance an egg.

The patented line of TRU-BALANCE

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We offer three different “Solutions” to

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Company spotlight

Company spotlight


Web Rigging Supply Inc. is located in the

Chicago suburb of Lake Barrington, IL, doing

business from a 15,000-square-foot sales of-

fice, warehouse, and processing center.

The veteran-owned company supplies

wire rope, galvanized, and stainless steel

cable, and natural and synthetic ropes to

customers in a wide range of industry

throughout the United States, Canada, and

other countries.

Company president Rick Weber says, “In

the past 21 years, we have grown from a

bulk distributor of cable and rope to a sup-

plier of standard and custom wire rope and

chain assemblies, and components.

“If it involves lifting, towing, or stowing,

we’re involved.”

Sean Jacobs manages the sales and

technical duties at the company and has

been in the business for 20 years. He says,

“Our online presence has created many

new opportunities for us. We talk to people

that we never would have encountered be-

fore, and that has allowed us to expand our

capabilities and makes our product line

available to anyone in the world instantly.”

Jon Fitt, who’s been with the company

for over 10 years, manages the order pro-

cessing and shipping. He says, “The variety

of businesses that we serve is interesting

and challenging. Almost all of our orders are

custom. Very few are alike, and that keeps

us constantly looking for new ways to im-

prove and grow.”

You can contact the company by

phone or email. Just go to

www.webriggingsupply.com TOW

Rick Weber

Web Rigging Supply

27W966 Commercial Avenue

Lake Barrington, IL 60010

Company spotlight

Portable roadside protection developed by TowMate

TM-SAS-RC pictured above with emergency green horn receiver

Another product improvement by TowMate is reflected inthe portable version of their Safety Alert System (P/N# TM-SAS-RC). The system is designed to alert those in a work area ifa vehicle has breached the perimeter. The system contains a12’ long trip hose/sensor that should be laid out on the road inadvance of the work site, but where traffic should be movedover by. If a vehicle does not move over soon enough and runsover the hose, the system sends a signal to a wireless receiverthat can be tied to the truck horn or, in the case of their newestdevelopment, a portable/rechargeable horn that can be keptcloser to the roadside responders.

(800) 680-4455 • www.towmate.com

Eye3Data Is Working Hard to Make It Affordable for You to Protect Your People, Property, and Business!!

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HOOKEDUPProfessionalYour Resource for Towing & Recovery

TM


Superwinch® 8,500-lb., 12 VDC Planetary Gear Mountable Utility-Grade Winch – SW8500

This SuperwinchM 8,500-lb., 12 VDC Planetary Gear Mount-able Utility-Grade Winch provides perfect pulling power foryour trailer. Features a planetary gear train and a lever switchfreespooling clutch. Includes trailer mounting bracket, 15’ re-mote and roller guide. Not for commercial recovery use.

(800) 243-3194www.awdirect.com

PSE Amber® 21TR Amber LED Lightbar – PS4708A

This PSE AmberM 21TR LED Lightbar uses Torus LED technol-ogy for incredibly bright signals. Features 8 LED modules with2 LED stop, tail and turn, 2 LED work lights and 12 flash pat-terns with available dimming mode to lessen intensity. 12VDC. Measures 47”L x 12-1/4”W x 2-1/8”H. USA made.

(800) 243-3194 • www.awdirect.com



TM


TM

The NO-JACK

A tow truck operator’s duties typically in-volve much more than just towing dis-abled vehicles, from jump starts, lock outs,fuel deliveries, recovery winching, tirechanges to various on-site repairs. Manyof these duties require the use of a servicejack. From re-positioning broken ball jointsand tie rod ends to prepare for towing, toinstalling spare tires and a myriad of othersituations, a service jack is a necessarytool for any successful towing operator.

NO-JACK allows a self-loading wheellift to be utilized safely as an on-site auto-motive service jack and adds functionality,speed and safety for a towing operator.

The NO-JACK advantage:• Reduces the need for service jacks• Grab handles make it easy to carry, reducing the

potential for back injuries• Zero set-up time reduces the time operators spend

on busy roadsides • Does not require level or solid ground

to lift a vehicle• Low profile loading end allows lifting

of even the lowest vehicles

• Supplements a service jack in situations thatdemand lifting two points of a vehicle

• Compact enough to be stored behind truck seats,in tool boxes or mounted on the outside of the truck

• No moving parts to wear out or fail, safer than hydraulic service jacks

• Rugged powder coated tubular steel body• Turns your wheel lift into a heavy duty floor jack• Capable of pivoting 90 degrees with wheel lift• Extends reach of claws by 10"• Designed with pinch welds in mind• Perfect for rear differential loading• Effortless control arm loading

WorkSafe USA, Inc. (217) 553-0963 www.no-jack.com

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MarketPlace



TM

Agero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Alexander Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Amsoil Synthetic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Anchor Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Austin Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Auto Data Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50AW Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55B/A Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 61, BCBeacon Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 62Best Insurance Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Blingmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Bowers Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Boxes 4 U/ Crashfilm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63BudgetGPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Collins Dollies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49CTTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Custer Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3CW Mill Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Detroit Wrecker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Direct Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61DJ and Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Dynamic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Eartec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53ECM Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Evans Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Eye3 Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Flash Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9FlowStop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Hallmark Consultants Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Holly’s Message Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41I Tow In, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51IAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Industrial Netting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Intek Truck & Equipment Leasing . . . . . . . . . . 46International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame& Museum / Wall of the Fallen . . . . . . . . . . 32-33Jerr-Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Keystone Tape and Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Larson Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43LDC Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Lift and Tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Lodar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Loganville Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Marking Pen Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Mfr. Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Midwest Regional Tow Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Miti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Mobile Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55NationWide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Networkfleet Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51New Pig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26North American Bancard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Ohio Power Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Pillow Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Powerbilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Powerhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52RaceRamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Ram Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Recovery Consulting Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Recovery Billing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Recovery First Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Rick’s Auto Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Robert Young’s Wrecker Sales & Service . . . . 60Rugged Tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24RV Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63S&J Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Steck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40sureFleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63T&L Lifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61TomTom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64TowMart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Towmate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFCTracker Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBCTravis Barlow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Tripple K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Tru-Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Velvac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39VTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Web Rigging Supply, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Weiss Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Windshield Cam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Worksafe USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Worldwide Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Yale Cordage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Zacklift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Zip’s Truck and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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tow professional issue 4, 2014

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