Tow Trucks, Wreckers and Car Hauler Discussion

[HotRodPC]

Sorry about the non stop business. Fortunately we typically do not get that busy here. Nice thing about the batphone is that I don't have to worry about middlemen screwing up the info. I'm glad that I don't work off commission though. I'm straight hourly during my M-F shifts and any after hours work is double time. That makes things nice on days like yesterday where I put in 8.5 hours.

****, you better be on your knees and swallow to keep that job. Paid Hourly? And Double Time after hours???

It won't be near as bad M-F days cuz there is 4 drivers. On weekends and evenings they have just 2. Still be the same call volume per driver, but with 4 drivers, you're likley to have a driver in other areas of the City. OKC Metro area is much bigger than people realize. As far as square mileage OKC is 3rd or 4th biggest city in the nation. And that's just OKC, not including the Metro Suburbs so you can imagine how big our area is.

That's why I liked the last company. We did all over too, but 90% of our calls were in Moore/Norman.

 

[ScottyB]

Our AAA area is the whole northern half of the county from the bay to the top of the mountain. I don't see a lot of police calls, but I get the odd ball call every now and then. Got a call last week for an accident 20 minutes away. I showed on scene and touched base with local PD. As I was going back to my truck to move it into position FD showed up. Apparently the woman in the rear vehicle (the one I was there for) went into labor and that got called in as I arrived. I couldn't do squat til FD cleared, neither could the guy she hit as they were locked. Broke a jack getting them apart and the job that should have taken 40 minutes total ended up taking an hour 20.

Most of my calls are Res to shop tows or jumpstarts. Not usually challenging and usually keeps me busy. I do get the occasional interesting vehicle, like the 73 Jeep Commando I saw last week.

Boss recently picked up Agero. That is one royal PITA. I swear they look at a US Atlas and think we will got 3 counties over because we are only an inch away on the map. I guess they are a bit slow paying as well. Oh well, keeps me busy. Busy means I'm not washing the damn trucks 6 times a week.

 

[HotRodPC]

I had an AAA accident call today. OHP was waiting on scene for me to get there. The damn guy hit the guard rail on a straight away interstate on the fast lane side. Damn you shoulda seen the front of that truck and that guardrail sheered like a can opener got to it. Great weather and no idea how the hell he did it. Lucky he wasn't hurt to bad. He was bruised up a bit, but no blood and no broke bones.

Don't you love educating people? It's a 2010 Tacome X cab 2wd. The guy only has liability. I'm taking it to a body shop. He asks, Do you think this is totaled? As I'm working I ask what year is it? 2010, How many miles? 110,000, Did the air bag deploy? Yes. Yep, it's totalled. Then he says, but you didn't even look at it that close. I said, I've seen enough. There's at least $4,000 in damage here, add $2000-$5000 for the air bag depending on the type, so do you think the truck is worth $6,000-$9000, he said NO. OK, then it's totalled. Then he changed his mind and wanted me to take it 20 miles further in the other direction. I told him, you'll need another dispatch to do that, so let me take it to the body shop and let them give you the bad news, then call AAA for another tow out to your house to part it out on CL since you don't have full coverage but do have AAA Premier and it will cover Primary and Secondary tows for accidents. Hell, I wanted to get home, not go 20 miles the other way. A good thing I did it that way too. Just as I got him dropped I got 2 more calls.

 

[ScottyB]

Had the same deal with the Expedition the Preg lady drove. No air bag deployment but toasted the fronted end and drivers door. What the accident didn't do to the door the FD did trying to get at her. Body shop took a quick walk around and said it was done. He asked what insurance she had then said drop it, he carrier needs the body shop to sign off before they total it. Only time I didn't tie a car down to haul it, body shop was 1.5 blocks away. :O

 

[HotRodPC]

What a fuggin day. Outside of the 2 and 3 am calls, Got my first one at 6:30am and finally caught a break at 9:30 tonight. Lost count, either 19 or 20 calls completed + 2 GOA's. yeah I'm fuggin tired and hurting like a muh fugger. Just around OKC metro, no out of town runs, ran over 300 miles today.

 

[ScottyB]

OUCH!!! That'll hurt you even if you don't have a preexisting back condition.

 

[HotRodPC]

OUCH!!! That'll hurt you even if you don't have a preexisting back condition.

And just finished another one. Fuggin need a rollback for a pick up collision with heavy front end damage and couldn't be loaded on a self loader wheel lift that the other driver has.

It's not just my back. Friggin back issues going all the way into my hips and into my damn knees, ankles and toes. Along with left foot numbness off and on. Pretty damn miserable to say the least, but I'll do wtf I have to do. I hope to get in here, rock and roll like this thru the Spring and hopefully make it through most of the summer. Make enough cash to take care of some financial matters and file for fuggin disability once in for all. I was supposed to do it back in 97 and flat ass refused since I was only 31 then. Did good to make it another 17 years but been struggling like hell the last 8 years of that.

 

[Stewzer55]

Not a bad plan I guess, have you thought about going back to information technology? Yeah you would have to go through BS education but then work from an ergonomic chair. Or just start a rebuilding transmissions.

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[ScottyB]

This is how I spent my afternoon...

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[ScottyB]

This wasn't part of my day, but a buddy of mine took this picture in Iowa today. I added the caption...

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[HotRodPC]

Oops. Uhaul on the loose. I love those tows like the red car. Wait til you do a Rolls.

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[ScottyB]

Yeah, I impressed the snot out of that guy. It was an out of area call with a 90 mile tow. I showed up on scene and asked the owner if he had already powder coated the frame. His eyes got wide because he didn't think anyone would even think to ask that. I pulled out the nylon straps and had him remove the rear wheel skirts so there was no metal contact with his car. On the other end I lowered it right into his shop. I surprised him again by pulling out my 4x4's because the angle was off and I didn't want to scrape it. He didn't expect to have someone take that kind of car of his car, especially in a downpour. I was surprised there was no tip though, but it was still a fun afternoon.

 

[HotRodPC]

Yeah, I impressed the snot out of that guy. It was an out of area call with a 90 mile tow. I showed up on scene and asked the owner if he had already powder coated the frame. His eyes got wide because he didn't think anyone would even think to ask that. I pulled out the nylon straps and had him remove the rear wheel skirts so there was no metal contact with his car. On the other end I lowered it right into his shop. I surprised him again by pulling out my 4x4's because the angle was off and I didn't want to scrape it. He didn't expect to have someone take that kind of car of his car, especially in a downpour. I was surprised there was no tip though, but it was still a fun afternoon.

Right on Dawg, you're getting the hand of this ****. I did the blocks on this guys 100% restored Cougar. OMG, was he ever picky. He even had a painted driveway and didn't want the floor paint scuffed. I was being towed for a broken Harmonic balancer bolt in the crank. He broke it off with a big cheater pipe. It had to be drilled out and a new bolt put in. He was worried about his exhaust tips too. Of course I got it done, not scuffed paint on the driveway, not scuffs on the pipes.

 

[ScottyB]

And this was my day today...Funny how these seem to happen on Fridays.

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[HotRodPC]

It does seem that way. All the nice cars get towed on Friday. Must be the anticipation of the weekend and the owners wanting things fixed for the weekend, or driving them on the weekend and they break down. I guess I'm just a car junkie. I'm not a Ford Fan, but I don't care, when it comes to 50's 60's and early 70's cars, it doesn't matter Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Plymouth, Mercury, Caddy and all the other big American brands, and they've been restored or well cared for, or even a barn find, it just makes my sticker peck out. I've towed some nice ****. Even a Rolls Royce and a Lambo. But even those somewhat exotics don't do it for me like American Muscle, Mustangs, Chevelle, Cutlass, etc. does. I even like the Studebakers and Edsels.