Tow Trucks, Wreckers and Car Hauler Discussion

[HotRodPC]

This might actually belong in the good deeds thread but I thought I would post it here. I was on my way home yesterday and looking forward to watching the bird fight last night (GO HAWKS). Boss called up as I was about 10 minutes out and asked if I would take another call. I was looking forward to the game but double time is kinda hard to pass up so I took the call. I head out to find that the owner of the vehicle has parked out on the pier and his vehicle won't start due to an electrical problem. OK, no sweat, that's what the tow truck is for, right? As I approach the pier I notice the sign advising that there is a 4K/axle weigh limit and I have the big roll back. There was no way I was staying under 4k/axle with his 6.5K van on my deck so I need to start by pulling him off the pier. The owner is an older gentleman who is cold, the fog started rolling back in early. The owner notices the extra effort and care I put into loading his van and we get set to take off to his home, close to 30 miles. Turns out he has had a rough couple years since his wife died and he just needed someone to talk to. I turned down the radio (Didn't want to miss my Seahawks) and listened to him tell his stories. I finally got to his home and got him unloaded in his driveway. He then took the time to show me his pride and joy. I didn't catch the year, but he has an immaculate Model A. He found it in Montana and is very proud of the fact that everything is original. It only has 522 miles on it. It wasn't a big tip or anything like that, but I did enjoy listening as he felt the need to talk and to see the pride as he showed my his baby.

Sometimes it really is about the journey.

Yep, you'll hear some stories for sure. There is only 2 occupations I think that will hear more sad stories than a tow truck driver. Taxi Cab Driver and Bartender. Fact is, when we're needed, the customer is obviously having a bad day already, so the story you're likely to hear is going to be a sad one. Sometimes just listening or a few words might make a turn around in their day.

 

[MrMarty51]

Back to the early seventies, I was driving taxi.
I gave a lady a ride from the VA hospital to the hotel where She was staying, on the way, I listened to the story of how Her Husband had spent two tours in Viet Nam, was discharged and home, working on their house, sawing bricks, or some sort of rocks, without a mask or water. He had breathed in a bunch of dust and plugged His lungs, went into a coma and came back out. He could speak but could`nt walk or get out of bed.
It was a very sad story but She was warm and friendly, a real nice looker too. When I dropped Her off, She asked what time I got off shift, She wanted Me to keep Her company for a while when I did get off, I could`nt do it. Not with Her hubby in the condition He was in. If He had been a real jerk and abusive, yeah, then I`da humped on that all night long, but She had talked about what a kind man He was and all and I just could`nt put Myself through the guilt of screwing a nice lady that was married to a nice and kind man.
Now, if She would`nt have told Me about all of that then OOOOOHHHHhh yeah, I`da been right on that.
Get on um, get in um, get it allll over um.

 

[towjoe]

yea that's why I love the towing industy. we get to meet quite a few interesting people at it that really appreciate what we do. I've enjoyed a lot of conversations with customers and seen a lot of hidin treasures. I hauled a Harley for a guy a few years ago and he had a 1700 mile Shelby cobra signed by Shelby in his garage in mint condition.


I've also met my share of total a$$holes to. Like the motorclub members that think because someone else is paying we should do extra free stuff to. It's so hard to bite your tounge when there trying to tell you how to do your job.

 

[HotRodPC]

yea that's why I love the towing industy. we get to meet quite a few interesting people at it that really appreciate what we do. I've enjoyed a lot of conversations with customers and seen a lot of hidin treasures. I hauled a Harley for a guy a few years ago and he had a 1700 mile Shelby cobra signed by Shelby in his garage in mint condition.


I've also met my share of total a$$holes to. Like the motorclub members that think because someone else is paying we should do extra free stuff to. It's so hard to bite your tounge when there trying to tell you how to do your job.

I have no problem letting a motorclub member know, we don't make crap off motorclub calls, but it's the volume of calls that keeps the truck running and why we do it. I also tell them, tell everyone you know to get some kind of motorclub. Telling them, this is going to be an $85 tow, or a $135 tow and we're going to be doing for $39 hook, $3 a mile after 5 FREE miles, so a $45 tow at what would normally, be $65 Hook, $3 per mile for EVERY mile and $30 roll back fee since it's 4x4 with an auto Tcase, so your $65 annual autoclub membership is more than paid for now. But if you think I like I driving out here 10 miles at 9pm on a Friday night to tow your car 7 miles and make $13 you'd be wrong, but it's the nature of the beat in this biz and you take the good with the bad. You can nicely tell someone to shut the *** up and make them have an oz of empathy for you and they'll chill out. I've even told a loud mouth mf'er that was drunk who was bitching, that I don't appreciate being talked to like that to come out here and make $11 in the fuggin rain to get your ass, and if you don't like that, you can complain to the auto club or my boss and the worst that can happen is someone does me a favor and my boss loses this auto club and I make more money, or he fires me cuz I'm to stupid to quit, and/or I call OHP and let them know some drunk just curb checked his car at 70mph on the freeway and I'm getting ready to tow it home for him, and ask if they want me to take it to impound instead and I make a whole hella lot more money on the impound.... I suggest you cool your fukin jets buddy !!!

But hey, I've got a couple damsel in distress stories that I'd have done for free or even paid just to be able to get the call too that more than made up for those pricks.

 

[HotRodPC]

yea that's why I love the towing industy. we get to meet quite a few interesting people at it that really appreciate what we do. I've enjoyed a lot of conversations with customers and seen a lot of hidin treasures. I hauled a Harley for a guy a few years ago and he had a 1700 mile Shelby cobra signed by Shelby in his garage in mint condition.


I've also met my share of total a$$holes to. Like the motorclub members that think because someone else is paying we should do extra free stuff to. It's so hard to bite your tounge when there trying to tell you how to do your job.

As far as treasures, yes you find them. I won't be buying cig lighters for awhile. I try not to take **** from a car. Not even loose change, but sometimes when you know for 100% fact the outcome, sometimes it just don't matter. I did get a nice set of jumper cables once. Knowing I had a nice set, I gave them to a customer who was out of state, called for a jump and was going to need them again to get home since his alternator was bad. He had no money. I told him to drive it to Auto Zone, get the battery charged for a couple hours, then drive only in daylight, and I showed him how to put the e brake on for 2 clicks and shut the daytime running lights off and should have enough juice to make to the next state, then hit up another Auto Zone or O reilly that will charge and test batts for FREE. I gave him the jumper cables to be able to get a jump start and get where he needed. I did get a call 2 days later, he made it home to the East Coast will 4 stops to get charged and he offered to mail the cables back. I said, NO, they're a gift from some drunk driver. LMAO

But, I noticed one of the guys at Copart wasn't there for a few days. I asked a newer guy, hey where's Ray been? He said, he got fired for stealing loose change out of cars. They thought he was so they set him up and he got fired over $2.31. Then this guy said he found $900 in a zip lock bag under the rear seat in $2 bills. He said oh hell I just knew it was a set up so I turned it in. It wasn't a set up and noone has claimed it either. So guess who get's to keep it?? Yep Copart will keep that ****. They want all the treasures, but yet they'll set up their employees like that. Pretty damn rotton I think. I've also heard they have persoanl property auctions too occasionally for the locals.

At our yard, all that **** goes into a big box. The boss man and lady get to keep what they want first, then the drivers get to fight over what's left. Of course all the good **** is taken by the bosses. This is one reason I want my own yard and trucks. I've even thought of splitting rent with my bosses. They don't need all the space they have if they'd organize it. It's a biggo unorganized junk pit. Gimme 4 of the 8 bays, and 1/3 of the lot, I'd pay half their rent. I want a self loaded conventional with a boom, sling and dolly option, and I want a small roll back, like a Dodge Cummins 5500. Gimme 2 trucks and a little space, and I'll get by just doing PDs, OHP,s and in the right trucks, I can make some money doing motor clubs during biz hours only. And a few local garage accounts, I'd be set. There's plenty of work around here for everyone. If you're starving around here in the tow biz, it's your own fault.

 

[towjoe]

I've done auto salvage for over 20 years. I've found slot of neat stuff one of the latest was a 1965 delta 88 that had been garage kept since new. Last driven in 1992 it's one if the nicest cars I've ever had for the $200 junk price. My brothers first car was a 1965 dynamic 88 so he got that one and has it up and running again. I have boxes of took and buckets of change from all the years of scrapping.

 

[ScottyB]

Today is road trip day. Meeting a customer at the shop this morning for an 8 hour round trip to the Islands to retrieve his 79 Trans-Am. At least I get paid for the time on the Ferry and waiting for the Ferry.

 

[towjoe]

There's not a lot of work in my area. we have a tow giant that owns about every contract, and the local police departments. There still doing $35 shop tows and $40 customer tows. They do so much volume they make money at that with minum wage employees. I pay my drivers on percentage so they love when they get calls and do there best to keep customer happy. Our base rate starts at $45 and $60 rollback. we charge $3 mile in county and $4 mile out of county loaded. I'm the highest rate in my area, but trying to provide a good service to keep us on the rise

 

[HotRodPC]

Today is road trip day. Meeting a customer at the shop this morning for an 8 hour round trip to the Islands to retrieve his 79 Trans-Am. At least I get paid for the time on the Ferry and waiting for the Ferry.

Whew, Thankfully a ferry is involved. !!! I was gonna say, That's a new guy trick bud don't fall for it. Wreckers don't float. Don't forget that.

 

[HotRodPC]

There's not a lot of work in my area. we have a tow giant that owns about every contract, and the local police departments. There still doing $35 shop tows and $40 customer tows. They do so much volume they make money at that with minum wage employees. I pay my drivers on percentage so they love when they get calls and do there best to keep customer happy. Our base rate starts at $45 and $60 rollback. we charge $3 mile in county and $4 mile out of county loaded. I'm the highest rate in my area, but trying to provide a good service to keep us on the rise

That hurts Joe. I know in Norwalk, CA, my hometown in So Cal... I've got friends who have begged me to move back. I did consider it. There was 2 tow big tow companies when I lived there, A Family Owned Vernola's, one side of the city, and Bob and Troys on the other. So I asked ... I was told Vernola's bought out Bob and Troys many years ago and there is ONLY Vernola's now and it's all family operated and ran by the kids, grandkids, and inlaws that if you arenn't family, don't even consider getting a job there. And, one of the older Vernola family members happens to be on the City Council, soooooooooo give up starting a new wrecker service. They've easily monopolized the business and have it locked up.

Moore is not that way. Everything is fair for the most part. Cops and City calls go in rotation by alphabetical order, and there are 7 companies on rotation. Plenty of shops too. We have some accounts, Goodyear being one fo them. They are franchise Goodyears, and we have 3 of them in Moore, and Norman. $55 Hook w 5 FREE miles, then $3 each additional after that, and no roll back fee if it's required and no Fuel Surcharge. At the last company I worked for, they had a couple shop accounts too, and they did a flat $60 for Moore to Moore tows. If it was in City limits, going to City limits, it's $60. Then it was $3 per mile outside the city border. Granted, we cheated for the customers favor sometimes. Depending where you're at, you could have been outside the city limits but it still be a 4 mile tow and we didn't charge additional. The City is more rectangular shaped, so many times, OKC or Norman city limits could be less miles than to go across the city of Moore. Kinda like most of the wrecker companies here, get along just well enough to not play cut throat. I'm aware of the some $50 flat tows that go on too, but there are also some favors going on there too. There is a body shop that gets $50 tows, but if somethings needs some small attention on a truck, the body shop will take care of it at no charge. Like door hinge pins, or reataching a loose fender, straightening a bumper etc.

 

[ScottyB]

Whew, Thankfully a ferry is involved. !!! I was gonna say, That's a new guy trick bud don't fall for it. Wreckers don't float. Don't forget that.

Oh crap!! You mean I don't just inflate the tires to 140 PSI and go???

Actually the customer called last night to confirm and then called first thing this morning to cancel. I don't know if it is going to happen or not but the boss wasn't thrilled with what he quoted the guy so who knows.

 

[Pinski1015]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf72WizMPi0&list=FLuPWYmntgPewsK0dtSKqq8g&index=33
Thought you guys would get a kick out of this.

 

[HotRodPC]

Oh crap!! You mean I don't just inflate the tires to 140 PSI and go???

.

Shhhh, now you're telling secret tricks of the trade !!!

 

[HotRodPC]

I can't find the other video, but there is even a better, self loader type Tow Bike. Great for parallel parked cars or busy traffic tie ups.

[yt]HksurP36JuU[/yt]

 

[smurph20]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf72WizMPi0&list=FLuPWYmntgPewsK0dtSKqq8g&index=33
Thought you guys would get a kick out of this.

Thats pretty cool.