towing..and gowing green

Local tow truck company goes "green"
New environmental rules to be implemented starting next year
By Brenda Gazzar, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/16/2010 07:36:17 PM PDT


Jan's Towing heavy duty towing specialist Steve Coffee, from left, president Jan Qualkenbush and driver supervisor D. J. Johnston with a Kenworth 40 ton heavy recovery tow truck that has been retrofitted with a particulate filtering system making it an "eco friendly" diesel at his Azusa towing company May 12, 2010. About 75 per cent of Jan's Towing trucks are environmentally safe diesel engines that are already complying with future air quality requirements. (SGVN/Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb)Like other service shops around the nation, Jan Qualkenbush's towing business suffered a blow during the recession, bringing his profits down at least 15 percent and causing him to reduce his fleet of tow trucks from nearly 50 to 35.

But despite the financial hardships, Qualkenbush has gotten a jump start on making his diesel tow trucks compliant with costly state and federal environmental regulations that go into effect starting next year.

The president of Jan's Towing Inc., which covers much of the San Gabriel Valley, said the company has spent at least $2.5 million so far in purchasing "green" tow trucks for his Azusa and Glendora shops, and at least 75 percent of the fleet has been converted to more environmentally-friendly vehicles.

"Being in business in general with the recession, trying to stay compliant, and trying to do the right thing is very hard these days," said Qualkenbush. "I'm not going to sacrifice safety or polluting the environment. I want to do the right thing."

Although the regulations won't start until 2011, Qualkenbush has taken a more aggressive approach than others in the industry regarding compliance, said Mark Baatz, owner of the Los Angeles-based Tow Industries, which builds and distributes towing equipment to Qualkenbush and other companies in the region.

"He's been very proactive in making sure that his trucks conform to the most recent emission codes so that he never has the issue of having to take his trucks off the road because they don't comply anymore," Baatz said. "He's replacing trucks that aren't going to be made obsolete for another three or four years." The state's regulations are intended to ensure that all regions in the state meet federal air quality standards, and to reduce exposure to harmful soot, said Tony Brasil, chief of the heavy duty diesel implementation branch of the California Air Resources Board. "Reducing pollution is going to reduce premature deaths" largely associated with soot emissions, he said. The new regulations are going to have a financial impact on all diesel tow truck and bus companies, but could hit smaller businesses particularly hard because they tend to run older diesel trucks, Baatz said.

Alfonso Castaneda, owner of Acasta Towing in Pasadena, admitted he was concerned about the costs to upgrade his vehicles. However, he said he hopes to start replacing his three diesel tow trucks as soon as he has the budget.

"I'm all for it," he said. "I think it's great in the green, positive way ... There are companies that are working unprofessionally with their equipment and trucks with things not up to date - that hurts the person doing everything by the book."

The new regulations - which were announced in 2008 and will only apply to diesel trucks and buses over 14,000 pounds - are still being modified, and deadlines will be extended to give companies more time to comply, Brasil said.

The changes will be implemented in stages. By early 2011, fleets must have exhaust filters installed in at least 25 percent of their vehicles. Companies will have to continue the process until their entire fleets are converted by 2014.

Despite the extra costs, Qualkenbush says he believes the changes he's making will ultimately pay off.

"You feel like you've done something positive for the environment," he said. "If they want to call me a tree hugger, they can call me a tree hugger. I don't care."

Tips for Towing Disabled Vehicles

Tips for Towing Disabled Vehicles
Sophisticated new vehicles require great care and different types of towing techniques.

By Ann Job of MSN Autos

Click to enlarge picture

Always make certain that the tow truck driver knows the proper way to tow your vehicle.

On occasion, our car, van, truck or sport-utility vehicle can break down and need to be towed.

Decades ago, it wasn't uncommon to see a friend, family member, neighbor or Good Samaritan towing the stranded vehicle home for a needy driver.

It's rare to see this today—for good reason.

Towing practices, like today's vehicles, are more sophisticated than they were years ago— so sophisticated, in fact, that there are more rules and "don'ts" than ever before.

Even AAA, the largest member-supported roadside assistance service in the United States, offers a towing manual for tow truck operators that has "more than 350 pages of details involving every make and model," said Larry Keller, editor at AAA of Michigan.

As each year progresses, AAA sends out further towing news via service bulletins, Keller said.

So, no, towing isn't a simple procedure where someone throws a rope or chain around a car's front bumper and "tows" the vehicle home.

In fact, if there's one key thing to remember about towing, it is that you should always follow the owner's manual and make sure your tow truck operator does, too. If he refuses to do so, find another tow truck.

Otherwise, you can face the risk of damage to your vehicle.

Safety Considerations
These days, there is much more emphasis on safety in towing, with the realization that there's a potential for injury or even death during towing maneuvers.

For example, in the early 1980s, a Good Samaritan driver was killed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan when he attempted to tow another driver out of a snow bank.

The man died when the chain he had attached to the other vehicle broke and the loose end flew into the back window of his truck cab, striking him in the head.

There are other towing dangers, too.

Do-it-yourself towed vehicles don't have lights and flashers that tow-truck drivers use to alert other drivers that they're approaching a disabled car. So other drivers can come up quickly at the back of these vehicles-in-tow and rear-end them, since they typically aren't keeping up with traffic.

Chris Matthews, an Automotive Service Excellence-approved technician and coordinator of the AAA-approved auto repair program, pointed out that brakes on a DIY-towed vehicle typically are crippled as well because with the vehicle's engine not on, there's no vacuum boost to help the brakes work normally.

Thus, if the vehicle that's pulling a disabled car stops suddenly, it's likely the towed vehicle won't be able to stop in time to avoid rear-ending the tow vehicle.

Steering can be another problem, with so many of today's vehicles featuring power-assist steering systems, not to mention steering wheel locks. Note that when the engine is not operating, there is no power assist, so attempting to steer a towed vehicle requires substantial extra effort.

Avoiding Mechanical Damage
Vehicle owners also should want to make sure their vehicles aren't damaged during towing.

Each owner's manual provides specific instructions and warnings for each vehicle and should be strictly followed.

Subaru spokesman Rob Moran, for example, notes that the owner's manuals for all new Subaru Forester, Legacy and Impreza models—basically every Subaru with standard all-wheel drive—tell drivers that all four wheels need to be off the ground when a Subaru is towed. This is also known as flat-bedding.

Otherwise, "you could get damage to the transmission or differential," he said.

Matthews explained because all four wheels get power and are therefore "tied together," there's really no way to put any of the wheels to the ground and not have the transmission or transaxle "burn up."

The reason? Simply, as any of the drive wheels moves while the vehicle is improperly towed, mechanicals in the transmission and sometimes in the differential move, too. Since the engine isn't operating, there are no fluids flowing to keep the parts lubricated.

The Cadillac Escalade with all-wheel drive has caused special problems in towing, Matthews said.

The Escalade AWD can't be pulled behind a tow truck, but must be flat-bedded for the same reasons described for Subaru vehicles.

Since an Escalade AWD weighs more than 5,500 pounds, a medium-duty flat-bed truck is required, and "they're hard to come by as a lot of [roadside service companies] may not have them," Matthews explained.

Cadillac engineers are working on a solution, he added.

Front- and Rear-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Lubrication is an issue in rear- and front-drive vehicles, too, and draws attention to the need for tow-truck operators to be skilled in different towing procedures.

For example, the Mazda RX-8 is a rear-wheel-drive car and "should have its rear wheels off the ground" if it's being towed, according to the owner's manual.

By keeping the rear wheels, which are the wheels that receive power via the transmission and driveshaft, immobile and off the ground, there's no moving of the linked parts and thus, no lubrication issues.

In contrast, a front-wheel-drive car is generally OK to tow with its front wheels off the ground for the same reason, Matthews said.

In this case, the front wheels are the drive wheels connected to driveshaft and transmission and so need to be kept immobile during towing.

Beyond the driveline issues, owners of vehicles with lowered chassis and sport-body appearance kits should be sure tow truck operators take extra care to ensure the spoiler, lower body kit pieces and/or undercarriage aren't damaged as a vehicle is raised and lowered onto a truck.

Other Towing Insights
You might wonder, then, just how RV owners manage to flat tow vehicles behind their large mobile homes.

Actually, I've long wondered why I see so many Saturns towed behind big RVs.

Sue Holmgren, Saturn spokeswoman, had the answer. In fact, she said lots of RVers know that Saturns are easy to flat tow, and typically don't require major modifications, such as a lubrication pump or driveline disconnection, before towing.

Specifically, all Saturn S-Series and L-Series cars, even with automatic transmissions, and all Ions and VUEs with manual transmissions can be flat towed. Owners must follow instructions in their manuals. But RVers take note: L- and S-Series Saturns are no longer in production.

Automatics tend to be more problematic. Holmgren noted the S- and L-Series Saturns have automatics with bearings, which require less lubrication than do automatics on some other cars that have bushings or thrust washers.

In addition, "the input shaft into the torque converter needs to be able to rotate freely," which is what these Saturns have, she said.

Generally, a vehicle can be flat towed as long as the transmission internals are not turning. Thus, an SUV trailing behind a big RV most likely has had its driveshaft disconnected from the transmission.

Bottom line: It is critically important that vehicles be towed according to the owner's manual instructions.

Ann Job is a freelance automotive writer.

Tow truck driver hurt post-storm

Tow truck driver hurt post-storm
from CBC News
April 30,2010

A tow truck driver, trying to clear a crash after a major snowstorm in southern Alberta, was seriously hurt when a car struck him. The tow truck driver was on Highway 22, south of Cremona, when a southbound Volkswagen Jetta hit him on Thursday afternoon. The Jetta's driver then left the scene in another vehicle, said police. Didsbury police said weather was no longer a factor at the time of the collision. The tow truck driver was taken to the Foothills hospital with serious injuries. He is in stable condition.Charges are pending against a man, 48, who is in custody. Power still out About 1,000 homes are still in the dark in southern Alberta after more than 15 centimetres of snow fell in some areas between Wednesday and Thursday.Electricity provider, Fortis Alberta, has 300 workers restoring power to some homes and businesses south of Cardston and in the High River area on Friday. Helicopters are also being used to spot downed lines as some areas are still difficult to access by road."In some areas, the snow is two to three feet deep. That compounded with the high winds that some areas experienced yesterday certainly didn't help," said Fortis spokeswoman Jennifer McGowan.Some rural residents who are in isolated areas with no power need to call Fortis to ensure crews get to them, she added.

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Car Being Towed Catches Fire On I-95

Car Being Towed Catches Fire On I-95

Tow Truck Driver Escapes Unharmed
POSTED: 9:18 am EDT April 28, 2010

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A tow truck driver escaped unharmed after the car he was towing caught fire early Wednesday morning.

The fire started about 1 a.m. along southbound Interstate 95 near Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard.

WPBF 25 News was first at the scene when firefighters were extinguishing the flames.

The tow truck driver told WPBF 25 News he was towing a car that had been involved in a fire when he saw smoke. He stopped to lower the car from his truck when it burst into flames. No One was injured

Fairness in Towing

Moreno Valley tow truck operators could get rotation system

By LAURIE LUCAS
The Press-Enterprise


Tow truck drivers in Moreno Valley may finally get an official rotation system.

Under the proposed city-wide fee schedule for fiscal year 2010-11, tow truck operators would pay an application fee of $2,828 for a five-year contract and post a $5,000 deposit to cover administrative costs. Owners of towed cars would have to pay $74 to recover their vehicles.

The City Council is expected to vote on the fee schedule tonight after a public hearing , which starts at 6:30 p.m. State law requires that municipalities can only charge fees to recover costs, not to make profits.

Moreno Valley has an ordinance that's languished on the books for more than a decade involving towing service rotation, said Rick Hartmann, the interim assistant city manager.

Most California cities and counties have a rotation set up with area operators so that business is spread out equally.

Hartmann said that currently six tow truck operators serve Moreno Valley. "They've requested a formalized, comprehensive program," he said.

Another suggested change before the council is raising the CPR and First Aid class fees in the Fire Department from $30 to $65 per student so that the program will become self-sufficient. .

In other business, the board will discuss four funding alternatives to help build $6.3 million worth of Eucalyptus Avenue street improvements between Redlands Boulevard and Theodore Avenue. When completed, this segment will include three full travel lanes, sidewalks, bus turnouts, emergency access and extensive landscaping.

This important arterial highway is near the future site of Highland Fairview Corporate Park, with Skechers USA Inc. as the main tenant. Skechers signed an 11-year, $100 million lease for a 1.8 million-square-foot building.

"The conditions of approval don't say the developer has to fund the improvements," Hartmann said. "The conditions say the developer has to build them."

He said the city has come up with proposals for the developer, Highland Fairview, to borrow money from different sources. "This is not considered a violation of the conditions of approval," he said.