Tow Trucks, Wreckers and Car Hauler Discussion

[89Suburban]

I'm really missing the tow bidness !!!

 

[towjoe]

Hey hot rod I have some tow trucks for sale lol. I've lost 2 of my drivers since things are so slow here and I'm considering downsizing to just 2 trucks from 4. We had new tow company open here doing $25 in town tows, so things have about came to a stop anyway.

 

[HotRodPC]

Hey hot rod I have some tow trucks for sale lol. I've lost 2 of my drivers since things are so slow here and I'm considering downsizing to just 2 trucks from 4. We had new tow company open here doing $25 in town tows, so things have about came to a stop anyway.

$25 tows? He's not only NOT making money, he's losing it. I take he's going for the ole Walmart model type of business? Do Tows cheap cheap cheap for a year or two, run all the mom and pops out of business and then gradually raise his prices over a 6 month period to $75 a tow since he'd then have a monopoly.

Our cheap bastard here in the area does $50 tows and his equipment is junk, his drivers are always new and inexperienced cuz they run their nuts off doing those $50 tows and Cross Country Roadside Service calls and they don't make any money.


I'd love to buy a truck and start doing Moore PD Impounds. On our rotation, I'd get 1 impound/accident daily. That's enough to pay the rent on a small shop and tow yard.

 

[towjoe]

I charge $45 regular tow and $60 flatbed here and I'm the highest tow company in my town. I done math and that's what I need to make a few bucks if nothing breaks. Can't get police rotation here, it's all under contract by the big company's and they've made it so if you don't have a rotator, your sol. They even got them regulated to no more than $85 for a impound or ppi here. I have both wreckers and one rollback setting. I'm running one rollback hauling junk cars and stuff for buddy's car lot all work I have

 

[HotRodPC]

I charge $45 regular tow and $60 flatbed here and I'm the highest tow company in my town. I done math and that's what I need to make a few bucks if nothing breaks. Can't get police rotation here, it's all under contract by the big company's and they've made it so if you don't have a rotator, your sol. They even got them regulated to no more than $85 for a impound or ppi here. I have both wreckers and one rollback setting. I'm running one rollback hauling junk cars and stuff for buddy's car lot all work I have

And I thought we had it bad. Damn, you can't make no damn money like that. State rate here is $65 hook, $3 a mile. Add $25 IF you have to throw dollies or rollback. So Rollback NEEDED is $90 Hook. Now just cuz you show up in a roll back, don't mean you get to charge roll back fee. You have to be able to justify the need for a roll back. Exampe, a 4x4 truck with electronic Tcase and no power. If you can get $25 fee for pulling the driveshaft for a safe mechanical tow, then may as well just do the roll back for a 4x4. If fact, you may get a car that normally would have to be a roll back to not damage it, but if it was in a frontal collision and the front is all tore up now, well then you can sling it now, so you can't charge a roll back fee since a conventional sling could have gotten it without any further damage. So it's a catch 22 on the roll back or dolly fee. Now lets say you are conventional and picking up on the side of the freeway, so you hook in the front of course, and the rear axle is trashed, broke or flat. Then you throw dollies and you CAN charge the $25 for doing so, cuz you damn sure not going to hook in the front and safely make a U turn on the freeway. I guess with that, it makes it all fair. PPI's, the tow companies set their own rate and hell yes, they rip their asses off. $85 Hook, $5 a mile $25-$30 day storage, when the state rate is $16 a day. State Rate here is also $60 and hour or $1 a minute for clean up and that gets fudged on too. It may have taken 15 minutes but most will justify a 30 minute minumum. Clean Sweep is $40 for UP to 25 lbs, so a half cup of radiator leak cost $40. If it's a whole radiator and takes the whole 50lb bag, then it's $80 for the clean sweep. Talk about a rip !!!

 

[towjoe]

I can't get on police work here, It's all under contract and to get in the door takes half a million in equipment. I do a few motorclub calls, couple shops I tow for, most of my friends, my buddys car lot, and my junks. It's enough to keep 2 trucks running most the time except lately. I have bought 10-12 junks this week and done 6 tows about it. Sold a couple cars at the car lot and a few chevy truck parts for lunch money. I'm trying to get a dealership contract for a large buy here pay here lot, but if not I'm getting out of the towing business and going back straight salvage

 

[HotRodPC]

I can't get on police work here, It's all under contract and to get in the door takes half a million in equipment. I do a few motorclub calls, couple shops I tow for, most of my friends, my buddys car lot, and my junks. It's enough to keep 2 trucks running most the time except lately. I have bought 10-12 junks this week and done 6 tows about it. Sold a couple cars at the car lot and a few chevy truck parts for lunch money. I'm trying to get a dealership contract for a large buy here pay here lot, but if not I'm getting out of the towing business and going back straight salvage

That does sound rough. I think I'd hold onto the accounts you have and make the salvage the main source of income. I wish to hell I could catch a break sooner or later and if I get things the way I want them at some point, I hope to have a truck or 2. You know yourself, you really need at least 2, and that's even for a 1 man show. Wreckers have lots of things that can go wrong and you lose alot of biz turning down work for a broke down truck.

 

[HotRodPC]

Squarebody on top of Honda !!!

Any of you other wrecker drivers can mention the fail here.

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[towjoe]

Well for one, there was a lady trying to kill a square with a Honda lol.

Second, how did mower and load ride through crash and as soon as tow truck started to pull, it shifted.

Third why did tow truck drag it forward off hood instead of picking back up and swinging it off to keep damage down?

 

[HotRodPC]

Well for one, there was a lady trying to kill a square with a Honda lol.

Second, how did mower and load ride through crash and as soon as tow truck started to pull, it shifted.

Third why did tow truck drag it forward off hood instead of picking back up and swinging it off to keep damage down?

Yeah you nailed my fail I had in mind. The idiot wrecker operator not lifting off the back end. He totally caused more damaged to both vehicles, especially the square. That maybe all it needed was a bedside and a fuel tank, but he for sure took out the bumper and maybe some shock, spring, shackle or axle housing damage. What an idiot.

Wrecker Driver 101, don't cause anymore damage to any vehicle than necessary and it doesn't matter if it's totalled or not. I had that problem here in the City with the PD, well just yank it this, just do that it's totalled anyway. Uhhhh NO officer, you're right it's totalled now, but it's now the asset of the insurnace company and I rip that oil pan off the bottom of the car, then they recover alot less money due the fact the motor would be considered not salvabable, not to mention the damage to the environment and the EPA wouldn't be very happy if I could have avoided the oil spill. The cops don't get it.

And if you ever haul a Copart, TRA or IAA vehicle, you damn sure better not cause any more damage in moving that vehicle to the auction site after the insruance adjuster has already looked at it and taken pictures of it. The insurance company already has an idea of what the vechile will sell for with the amount of damage done to it, and if it doesn't come up to their expectations, they will find out why.

You even bought a transmission for a Land Rover??? I know a tow truck driver who did and he didn't own a Land Rover and didn't get the transmission either. Totalled out Land Rover, that Runs and Drives. They know they'll get $12-$15 for the vehicle. By the time it got to Copart, it sold for like $5500. Why? Cuz it no longer Runs and Drives. The tow driver didn't flat bed it and burnt up the transmission and Tcase. It's my understanding, Copart paid for that transmission to satisfy the insurance co, and Copart billed the tow company that brought it in, at the tune of $7000. Apparantly a $7000 auto trans and electronic Tcase combo. This was a bad roll over job, but the engine, trans and axles WERE fine.

 

[smurph20]

HR I deal with this all the time now if we are tearing apart a wreck and find damage that couldn't be seen by the adjuster and its been given a value then we show its able to be sold we get the third degree as to what why and how.

 

[foamypirate]

What?! The square didn't burst into flames when someone hit the gas tank?!

 

[HotRodPC]

HR I deal with this all the time now if we are tearing apart a wreck and find damage that couldn't be seen by the adjuster and its been given a value then we show its able to be sold we get the third degree as to what why and how.

The wrecking yards get it, MOST tow truck drivers get it, even most of the members on this forum get it. I mean, a truck is hit hard front end and bent the frame and totaled it. So drag it by it's bedside and tear up a perfectly good bed that someone can put to good use. I don't care if it's $500 bed that someone can get a deal and pay $100 for it, no reason to tear it up. BUT, there are some wreckers drivers that don't give a ****, and the cops damn sure don't. They'll sit there are tell you how to do your job. Not all will, but some will. IT's usually the same power trip happy cops that treat an old lady for speeding like **** as if she's a criminal and they don't have to respect her cuz she's not a cop. Even a car with total frame damage and every body panel is severly damaged, the iterior is all cut up, bloodied up or burnt up, there is still a motor and trans in that vehicle that is probably good, and at worst, at least a core.

I remember once building a Trans for a FWD Plymouth Reliant K car. I finally found a core trans for it. They wanted $250 for the core with no warranty. When I got there, there was another sitting next to it where the bellhousing got broke off all the way to the pump. The reason I was looking for a trans, the one I was rebuilding had broke up parts that were dealer only items at the time, like a front pump, input shaft, a drum and a roller sprag, and a few other marignal parts. All total it was going to be $550 for the known needed parts and 7-10 days to get them. I just needed hard parts. So I asked about the broke bell house core trans. $25 !!! Fuggin A yes I bought it instead. It was a 30,000 miles trans and perfect inside with beautiful fluie. I ended up simply replacing all seals and transferred all those hard parts to the rebuildable case. My customer had approved all these other hard parts too and was expecting a $2500 bill for parts and labor. I ended with the cost of a $25 gasket and seal kit, + fluid, at that time, .89 a quart, a remanned $120 torque converter and did it for $1500. I made a killing and what customer is going to turn down saving $1000? They were happy as **** and I damn sure was. Now that was back in the 80's so don't think those prices are accurate today. Those 3 speed Dodge FWD transmissions are probably a dime a dozen or none at all cuz of no use for them. But yeah, point is, don't damage **** you don't have to. Someone maybe able to use it.

 

[HotRodPC]

What?! The square didn't burst into flames when someone hit the gas tank?!

Oh SNAP !!! That's right, everyone was supposed to die, especially the lady in the Honda cuz it exploded in front of her face and came thru the windshield. She was blown up so bad,, couldn't even view her crispy remains. She was practially creamated right there in the front seat.

 

[smurph20]

HR speaking of completely damaged as in every body panel I've done two cars at work in the last 2 weeks a Trailblazer last week and a Hyundai today that were tornado cars from your area. Both had to be right in the path and surprisingly both ran and drove fine.