Posts by Editorial Staff
New York State Tow Operator Struck and Killed by Repeat DWI Offender
A tow operator was struck and killed Thursday evening, September 15, on the I-87 Northway in Wilton, N.Y. Alex W. Bleickhardt, 33, of Pottersville, was preparing to tow a disabled box truck at approximately 10:41 p.m. when a vehicle driven by Justin P. Rodriguez, 41, of Moreau, veered onto the road shoulder and struck the…
Read MoreAccess Tools Designs Kit with Mechanic Shops in Mind
Access Tools has created a kit specifically for use in mechanic shops. The Master Technician Car Opening Set (#MTCOS) has a space- saving design that takes up half the space of a traditional set of lockout tools without sacrificing the ability to perform any kind of car opening. This 9-piece kit includes the most important…
Read MoreCopart Creates Truck in a Box Program for Entrepreneurs
Copart recently launched a new initiative, “Truck in a Box,” to help aspiring entrepreneurs start or expand their towing companies. “We’re always looking for great partners to help us transport the more than three million vehicles we move every year, so in honor of our entrepreneurial values we’re helping to create those new partners, which…
Read MoreFord Pro Launches Flagship Product to Suite of Fleet Management Solutions for Small Businesses
Ford Pro™ has announced a suite of fleet management solutions designed to help make mountains of paperwork and endless spreadsheets a thing of the past for small business owners moving into a digital age. Ford Pro Fleet Management Software, the suite’s flagship product, is the latest tool added to the Ford Pro Intelligence suite of…
Read MoreVehicles Most Stolen in 2021
Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau For the second year in a row, Chevrolet and Ford full size pick-ups took the top two spots in the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) annual Hot Wheels vehicle theft report, and the GMC full size pick-up made the top 10 list. Of the nearly 1 million total vehicles reported…
Read MoreGet Your Wish List Ready
The 32nd Annual SourceBook for 2022-2023 in the September issue of Tow Times made me think of the Sears mail order catalogs I use to receive. Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, was founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck. It started out as a mail-ordering catalog company. At…
Read More2022-2023 Annual SourceBook, Hazardous Material Spills, Accident Debris Cleanup, Critical Industry Issues and More
The Tow Times September issue contains the 32nd Annual SourceBook, 2022-2023 — the premier buyer’s guide for towing industry products and services. This special issue also features topics that include critical towing industry issues, providing hazardous spill response, cleaning up debris at crash scenes and a look at the International Towing & Recovery Hall of…
Read MoreWords of Advice
Ten years ago, I asked the Wisconsin Towing Association board members what advice they would give to other towers. The following are some of their responses. I believe they would hold true today: Always keep a positive image to make our industry look as good as possible. Train and certify your drivers, and give other…
Read MoreTRAA Industry Update: Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program
Source: Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA) press release: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) requires the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to establish an apprenticeship pilot program that would allow drivers between the ages of 18-20 with an intrastate commercial driver’s license to operate interstate commerce under very specific conditions. To…
Read MoreAAA Activates “Tow to Go” for Labor Day Weekend
AAA is reactivating its “Tow to Go” program for the holiday weekend. The program is active from 6 p.m. Friday, September 2, through 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 6. It’s available in Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Colorado (Denver), North Carolina (Charlotte), Indiana (Fort Wayne/South Bend), and Georgia. When called, AAA dispatches a…
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