Tow Truck Do's and Dont's

Holmes · January 01, 2014, 10:22:54 PM

No, he won't seek any legal retribution. He's an attorney!

Well now ;D the attorney is asking the doctor for legal opinion 8) I think that goes to show how smart you really are doctorb. He is lucky he has you as a friend. I've heard the Drs. and lawyers don't get along. ;) and you know the right place to get some answers. I gave up both of those professions to be a Plumber. You know those 2 professions just don't pay all that well. :D :D :D Holmes

Rockn H · January 01, 2014, 11:16:48 PM

It's been a few years since I owned a towing/ recovery company, but...

1. I had a set of ratchet wheel dollies ( two rollers that went against tires and ratcheted together to lift tires, this all set on 4 caster wheels) that I could use to move cars out to where I could rehook to the drive wheels of the car. If it was a repo, I'd drag car out and then rehook. I never saw any damage done by slowly dragging a vehicle out of a parking space.
2. Most tow trucks can line up at a 45 deg angle with no problem and some up to 90 deg. Say they back up to the car at a 45 deg, when they pull the car out the tow truck isn't going to be going straight away ( this would cause them to hit the car next to it). They are going to be turning so the tow truck doesn't hit the car or curb in front of it. Most wheel lifts can extend out close to ten foot, that's a lot of swing, so the towed vehicle can be made to track really wide behind the tow truck. Also most wheel lifts can be controlled from inside the cab now so there's a lot less getting in and out than there used to be.
3. Most towing companies will not risk damaging a car, however there is a lot of pride and bragging rights in getting a "difficult" car.
4. When I was towing, the operator was allowed to "enter" the vehicle in order to secure the steering wheel and make sure that the vehicle was safe to tow.
5. If the steering wheel was locked in a rotated position several factors come into play.
If the steering wheel wasn't turned very far, pull it as usual. The front end will track to one side, but it's not unusual or difficult.
If the steering wheel is turned fully, and it's going a short distance, really lite traffic.... I've seen the flashing caution lights come on and the vehicle gets towed. It's just going to track really far off to one side.
If the steering wheel is turned fully, tow dollies should be placed under either the front of rear axle and the vehicle towed on the dollies. These take several minutes to take off the tow truck and install under the towed car. Honestly, when dealing with non consent tows most operators do not want to spend any more time hooking up than necessary because you run the risk of very hostile confrontations. Better to get the car away from the scene and then safely secure it for proper towing.

There's basically no way to keep a car from being towed if the towing company has the legal authority to tow it. The trucks and accessaries are designed to tow cars from pretty much any location or position now. The self loader I had twenty years ago would let me hook up to a car and tow it off the property without ever getting out of the truck.

Warbird · January 02, 2014, 12:37:19 AM

For your entertainment, here are some definite DONT'S:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VASRy9xn0M

sharp edge · January 02, 2014, 01:26:03 AM

to bad H/f don't have a tow truck we all would be happy. 8) 8) 8)

SE

beenthere · January 02, 2014, 01:35:41 AM

Here is a new Maryland "Law 2012" for towing cars from private parking lots

http://www.linowes-law.com/news-alerts-49.html

May be of interest to doctorb

sharp edge · January 02, 2014, 01:46:09 AM

I would like to get $100 for every board I cut.

doctorb · January 02, 2014, 05:45:17 AM

WOW!

Wait 'till my friend sees that video!

Thanks for the info Rockn Hand beenthere. I'll tell my buddy he's always in jeopardy of being towed. Appreciate all the responses.

jdonovan · January 02, 2014, 06:50:28 AM

Quote from: doctorb on January 01, 2014, 09:58:38 PM
I think you're probably correct, beenthere. So many cars have alarms these days. What do they do with them?. Unhook the battery?

They ignore them. They aren't starting the car, or trying to drive it, so the disable features don't prevent anything they are doing. And the shock sensor is going to be constantly getting set off as its towed down the road.

Short of putting the car into locked building, or a hole that requires a crane to get it out, there is __NOTHING__ you will do to prevent a tow.

Well, you might have a vehicle that is too big for the rig that showed up. My current daily driver is > 6,000 lbs on an axle, which means most standard wreckers can't lift it.

But they can always call in bigger trucks than you have ;)

snowstorm · January 02, 2014, 07:28:46 AM

during a snowstorm if a car is parked beside the road and is in the way of snow removal it can be towed. i usually try to get them to move it. if they wont or give me a hard time about it. i call the law they will tag it and drag it

Rockn H · January 02, 2014, 08:18:50 AM

Warbird, the very first of that video is a perfect example of my number 5! :D :

That wheel lift looked similar to an American Eagle type lift. I don't think the operator had the wheels strapped in the cradles yet. Tire friction will hold the wheels in the cradle to mover the vehicle around but as you can see they won't stay if you hit something.... :

Raider Bill · January 02, 2014, 10:37:08 AM

Quote from: Rockn H on January 02, 2014, 08:18:50 AM
Warbird, the very first of that video is a perfect example of my number 5! :D : That wheel lift looked similar to an American Eagle type lift. I don't think the operator had the wheels strapped in the cradles yet. Tire friction will hold the wheels in the cradle to mover the vehicle around but as you can see they won't stay if you hit something.... :

Yep pretty much.

Another big money maker around tampa stadium is to charge $$$ to allow you to park your car for games in lot's they don't own then run with the money. The real lot owner then has all the cars towed.

doctorb · January 02, 2014, 11:06:27 AM

That's a great gig, Bill. You watch your lot for the parked cars....let it fill up for the big game, collecting $20 apiece. You know all those people are "occupied" for a few hours, and then tow them for a few hundred bucks. Don't tell me those two "businesses" are not interconnected. Gotta be a kick-back in a scheme like that.....

Red Good · January 02, 2014, 09:20:36 PM

Docb you gotta admit this has the makings of a seriously good joke . If you didn't have 3300 post I would bet on a troll post .

So a doctor and a lawyer were drivng around and parked in the bank parking lot . . . .

Just has so much humorous potential .

I apologise if I got going on it a little didn't mean to , just a softer spot than I realized . Red

js2743 · January 03, 2014, 12:18:39 PM

I dont think they would be allowed to break into the vehicle. Even if a cop wants into a vehicle they would need a search warrant first. I assume a tow truck driver would be on the low end of the pole to be allowed to do it whether on private property or not.

Peter Drouin · January 03, 2014, 12:37:58 PM

You park where you're not to and you get towed, and a no parking sign, what did you think would happen. :

:

then you

:D :D :D :D

Rockn H · January 04, 2014, 09:04:26 AM

Quote from: js2743 on January 03, 2014, 12:18:39 PM
I dont think they would be allowed to break into the vehicle. Even if a cop wants into a vehicle they would need a search warrant first. I assume a tow truck driver would be on the low end of the pole to be allowed to do it whether on private property or not.

I don't know the law for all states, but in some at least a tow truck operator is allowed to enter the vehicle for safety. A police officer is also allowed to enter a vehicle for safety. A police officer may have to have a warrant to search your vehicle, but that would be a different circumstance. He would be looking for evidence of you doing something illegal. I don't agree with it, but the states I'm familiar with here don't look at a car the same as they do your house any more either, as far as needing a warrant is concerned.

Back to the OP. While I know there are some un-reputable tow companies, most operators do try hard and pride themselves in not damaging a vehicle. The price may seem high, but you wind up with a lot of money invested in the equipment. The need to have the right equipment not to damage the vehicle is even greater when doing non consent towing, as you can imagine. Not just the truck, but also what's in the tool boxes. There are so many different situations and you need to have the right equipment not to damage the car. Not just being able to unlock a door or steering column, but winching a car out of the ditch without doing further damage or being able to use dollies to tow it. It's like sawing into a log. They are all different and some are harder to deal with than others so you have to be prepared.

On a side note did y'all know that keys with the cut on just one side usually only have 12 to 15 cut variations, less on a shorter key. I bet if everyone that has a "side box", or truck tool box, looked at the key to it we'd only wind up with about 10 different numbers. And a 501 would be there a lot.

shootingarts · January 04, 2014, 12:12:08 PM

This post is long. All old wrecker men have a million stories!

This is one area where anything but local information is near useless. The laws and regulations governing towing vary widely. An expensive car with an out of state plate is cause for towing anywhere it may be during mardi gras in new orleans for example. No police required, grab and go! The tourist's word they were parked legally, the local businessman's word they weren't.

I am outdated many years but I once owned a wrecker service. I towed for the city, state, and sheriff, commercial calls, and private calls. A matter of pride that no matter what was found at a wreck scene, it was handled quickly and efficiently. Anything an owner can do to try to make a vehicle difficult to tow is nothing compared to what is encountered at wreck sites.

The police had to be present for me to tow a vehicle without the owner's consent, in that time and place. Far from a universal rule though. I also towed for the federal housing authority. As a "private" property, I didn't get police support there. Interesting to crawl under a car with an angry mob of between fifty and a hundred people there.

My worst tow was when a big nightclub shut down as I was loading a lady's car that had all four tires slashed. When everybody left the place many immediately assumed that I was towing for one police agency or another. Roughly five hundred in that angry mob! There were some police working security at the door, they made it very obvious they weren't leaving the door a hundred feet away. I had a .357 under my arm and for awhile it looked like I was going to have to use it to get from the back of my truck to the driver's door. This crowd was packed shoulder to shoulder and an eyeblink from turning into rioters. No doubt more than a dozen guns in that crowd but I had time to think about it and I was gonna put six shots gut high to punch holes in as many as I could and if I made it to my driver's door I was hanging the truck in granny gear and running over as many people as I had to in order to get to the highway. Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six!

When it comes to towing, an old wrecker driver has seen it all and done it all. He can usually have your car ready to tow in less than a minute. Very very rarely did I go inside one. Raise the car up, pull one keeper to remove the transmission linkage, put the car in neutral and go. At the time it was considered safe and standard practice to tow a car up to twenty-five miles on the drive axle in neutral. Further than that we pulled a driveshaft on rear wheel drive cars.

Trying to make your vehicle difficult to tow will only incur additional fees. I never encountered one I couldn't tow. I did occasionally suggest someone else's equipment was better suited when I was there on an owner request.

Like tree men, wrecker operators are extremely knowledgeable in their own little niche. Your chances of outsmarting them at what they do are almost zero. Contrary to popular opinion about 95% of them are ethical professionals too. A few bad apples give the rest a bad name. When running for the police my maximum rates were dictated as was what I could and couldn't do. Running for private individuals I obeyed the same rules even though I didn't strictly have to. The only difference was owner requests got a pretty nice discount.

Hu

timberlinetree · January 05, 2014, 06:56:22 AM

Some times when I have unexpected bills weather my fault or not or seems unfair I try to think of those less fortunate...take a good look at all I have..and try not to make the same mistake twice. Money is a root to all evil.. it's pays to be nice!

shootingarts · January 05, 2014, 11:01:07 AM

Quote from: timberlinetree on January 05, 2014, 06:56:22 AM
Some times when I have unexpected bills weather my fault or not or seems unfair I try to think of those less fortunate...take a good look at all I have..and try not to make the same mistake twice. Money is a root to all evil.. it's pays to be nice!

I went to an area just outside my small town on the highway that I rarely had reason to go to. My back was hurting and I did turn into where I expected a right turn lane to be a little early. There wasn't a right turn lane! Two things annoyed me. One, that ticket was the same price as reckless operation, street racing, major offences, over four hundred dollars! The other thing that annoyed me, they striped the right turn lane the next day! I deserved the ticket and had no issues with the officer writing it at the time. Ridiculous that the stepped fines were gone and they were lining people up ten deep to write tickets the day before they striped the lane!

Hu

r.man · January 05, 2014, 11:41:39 AM

Shootingarts in my area if you have the time you can sometimes get most fines for speeding etc reduced. At the courthouse there is a clerk at a window that takes fine payments or gives you a court date. Most of the time if you ask there is a third option of a lesser fine and or less demerit points off your license to get you to pay rather than tie up the courts time. There is a lucrative business of ex cops and ex court officials who advertise that they will represent you in traffic court and I think much of the time they just go to the clerk and see what will be offered. I also hear of cases being dismissed because the fining officer didn't show up for court. Just heard of an assault case that went that way as well. So if the money is more important than your time and annoyance level.....

shootingarts · January 05, 2014, 07:08:24 PM

Quote from: r.man on January 05, 2014, 11:41:39 AM
Shootingarts in my area if you have the time you can sometimes get most fines for speeding etc reduced. At the courthouse there is a clerk at a window that takes fine payments or gives you a court date. Most of the time if you ask there is a third option of a lesser fine and or less demerit points off your license to get you to pay rather than tie up the courts time. There is a lucrative business of ex cops and ex court officials who advertise that they will represent you in traffic court and I think much of the time they just go to the clerk and see what will be offered. I also hear of cases being dismissed because the fining officer didn't show up for court. Just heard of an assault case that went that way as well. So if the money is more important than your time and annoyance level.....

Thanks for the info! My time wasn't worth much at the moment, recovering from a surgery, but there were other factors too. This happened several years ago, maybe five or six, time flies even when you aren't having fun!

I was guilty as charged and I usually take my lumps since I rarely collect a ticket. Might have been twenty years or more before this one. Also there was a matter of bad timing. I had just been instrumental in getting a ticket voided a few weeks before for my sister-in-law who shares the same last name. She thought she had came to a legal stop but like many now she often "rolls" a stop sign not quite coming to a full stop so I don't know if she stopped or not.

I took pictures of where the officer was parked, the obstacles, and the intersection proving that if she had stopped at the legal distance from the stop sign the officer couldn't have seen it. I wrote up all the documentation too. Figured that had been all the "get over" I was entitled to for awhile! Smallish town and the sheriff knew me from other matters including somebody rear ending my truck and his deputies dropping the ball. Proved my position there and caused some changes in policy.

There are just so many times you can go to the well, whether you are right or wrong, and I figured the third time was probably that one time too many! ;D

Hu

DanG · January 06, 2014, 01:39:22 AM

There used to be a predatory wrecker operator here named George J. Our daughters were friends and I soon found out he was a real jerk. One night I was listening to the scanner at work and heard the dispatcher call the shift commander with the following:

Disp: Sarge, we have a call of 3 men beating up a wrecker driver and no units available. Can I break somebody off?

Sgt: Is it George J. again?

Disp: 10-4

Sgt: Let him wait.

Ol' George weren't too popular. :D :D :D

Ianab · January 06, 2014, 03:25:59 AM

It's a bit like a local guy here that set himself up as a private parking warden.

Locally it's not routine to tow. They clamp your car, and you need to pay a "fee".
Anyway this guy thought he was on to a good thing with a contract to patrol a couple of car parks. Anyone stayed over time, clamp the wheel, and change $90 to release it.

Understandably he got pretty unpopular. Especially when he clamped an unmarked police car, and made them front up with $90 in cash to get the clamp off. BAD move.

Eventually he gets into a fist fight with some tourist... Who do the cops arrest? The clamper of course. He gets charged with assault, and the cops notice he's working without a "security guard" licence. And you can't get one of those if you have recent convictions for assault...

Of course he complains the cops are targeting him, but he's pretty much run out of friends by this point....

shootingarts · January 06, 2014, 01:40:49 PM

Best I remember we had twenty-six wrecker operations with a local population of close to 100,000 counting the city, airbase, and nearby towns. We had one crook. One of his more impressive moves was when he stole eighteen cars from the local bank, and got away with it! He was an older fellow that had been in business forever and the law just kind of shook their heads and let him be.

I worked a lot of wrecks with him since we were one behind the other on the call out list. When two salvage yard operators or even smart wrecker owners arrive at a wreck they grab the most valuable piece of salvage unless one is blocking traffic and the other one isn't. I usually beat J. to the scene simply because I hustled out of bed and was rolling a few minutes after the call came. The old timer worked quite a few "deals" and actually asked the police to make me unhook a car I was fixing to leave with so he could take it. My answer was unmistakable, I wasn't fixing to unhook. Told the officer to tell J. to get his butt out of bed and roll, he was closer to most wrecks than I was.

J. had the Federal Housing Authority's business before I did. He or his men would go to the projects the night before he was supposed to haul abandoned cars to let the air out the tires of some cars that were pretty nice so they looked to have been sitting a long time. That way he was sure to either get valuable salvage or paid for his tows. A real prince!

Hu