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TOW INDUSTRY HEALTH CARD INCLUDES PART-TIMERS

February 28, 2001: The NTA-Pinnacle Health Card coming out this April 1 will be available to part-time employees as well as full time, and a social security number is not required. The national health card was created by Pinnacle Health Care exclusively for the National Towing Alliance. The Card will be available to NTA members for an annual fee of $250 per family (up to ten people). The card is tied into a national health provider network, and secures discounts between 35% and 65% off doctor visits, prescriptions, dental care, vision care, and hospital care.

We're No Common Service

By Steve Calitri

No matter what aspect of the towing business we are engaged in,

we must understand we are in a highly specialized trade.

This characterization of who we are should influence everything else.

Take the subject of rate schedules.

If we deal in work requiring unskilled labor, that would affect the rates we charge.

But we do not.

Liability insurance:

We're not carrying bicycles. Instead, Hondas to Jaguars. The insurance is specialized, and the ins and outs of hooking up many different models is varied.

Service availability:

Having a service vehicle available on or about the time of a breakdown, regardless the hour, requires specialized emergency service management.

Equipment:

You can't call up your brother to tow away your vehicle, though he helped you out by jumping your battery one time before. Towing any sized vehicle requires expense equipment that one needs training to operate.

Training. Towing and recovery training so highly specialized there are not enough trainers to go around to adequately serve the industry. Currently, trainers are like traveling circuses. You have to wait until one hits your region. And then, when you take a weekend class, while you learn a great deal, it's only the tip of the iceberg, so entailed is the vast spectrum of towing and recovery.

Point:

When you have to make a decision on rates, hiring, account management and selling, salaries and training, etc., repeat to yourself, this is a highly specialized field and I am running a highly specialized operation.

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Letter from a Tow truck Driver

I remember when I was in Sue Saint Marie visiting family once. I went for a walk into the woods with my Uncles dog. Any ways I walked so far I ended up on a cliff over facing the highway. I sat there for a while watching the cars go by when a car pulled over on the side of the road. I observed a Husband and Wife get out and check to find that they had a flat tire. Several minutes had passed when they couldn't get the tire off the car because the rims were aluminum and had oxidized the steel to the aluminum. The gentleman got under the car with a hammer and started beating on the rim until the car fell on him. Now we're like 30 kms North of the nearest Hospital and nobody for miles in any direction. So up I got and flew down the side of the cliff to where the car was. I grabbed the jack and reset it and jacked the car back up, all the while the wife is screaming her head off in hysteria. The man was conscious but was having difficult breathing. I told him that I would drive them into town using their car and that I would arrange to have someone pick me up. I got him there and they couldn't thank me enough for being there at the right time.

Act Of God if you ask me.

This is a true story from Ken.

Waterloo

Silver Lining In Gas Prices

By Steve Calitri

The fact that gas prices are up have given many tow men a reason to pause over the issue of overhead and expenses.

For some this has simply caused you to back off on growth plans or equipment renewal.

But this should not be your reason to stop and reflect. As the pilot, you should use the wind of the storm to gather speed, not slow down.

Rather, you should be thinking about your rate sheet. You should realize that now is the opportunity to raise your rates across the board; retail, commercial, and motor club rates. As gas prices have increased by 20% to 30% and greater, raising the hookup fee by 10% to 15% is not unreasonable. Indeed, commercial accounts would expect you to raise your rates.

Yes, now is the time to take a hard look at your numbers and make adjustments. It is not the time to become passive as a businessman. Your plans to update your equipment, train your drivers, or buy new trucks, should not be curtailed by higher gas prices. Indeed, now is the time to move aggressively.

Your reaction to changing costs should be a revised rate card.

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	Active Franks Markles Towing \| home Driver News \| INDIANA TOWER GETS SUED \| Driver Stories \| News Articles 1 \| Police Stories \| Jokes News Articles TOW INDUSTRY HEALTH CARD INCLUDES PART-TIMERS February 28, 2001: The NTA-Pinnacle Health Card coming out this April 1 will be available to part-time employees as well as full time, and a social security number is not required. The national health card was created by Pinnacle Health Care exclusively for the National Towing Alliance. The Card will be available to NTA members for an annual fee of $250 per family (up to ten people). The card is tied into a national health provider network, and secures discounts between 35% and 65% off doctor visits, prescriptions, dental care, vision care, and hospital care. We're No Common Service By Steve Calitri No matter what aspect of the towing business we are engaged in, we must understand we are in a highly specialized trade. This characterization of who we are should influence everything else. Take the subject of rate schedules. If we deal in work requiring unskilled labor, that would affect the rates we charge. But we do not. Liability insurance: We're not carrying bicycles. Instead, Hondas to Jaguars. The insurance is specialized, and the ins and outs of hooking up many different models is varied. Service availability: Having a service vehicle available on or about the time of a breakdown, regardless the hour, requires specialized emergency service management. Equipment: You can't call up your brother to tow away your vehicle, though he helped you out by jumping your battery one time before. Towing any sized vehicle requires expense equipment that one needs training to operate. Training. Towing and recovery training so highly specialized there are not enough trainers to go around to adequately serve the industry. Currently, trainers are like traveling circuses. You have to wait until one hits your region. And then, when you take a weekend class, while you learn a great deal, it's only the tip of the iceberg, so entailed is the vast spectrum of towing and recovery. Point: When you have to make a decision on rates, hiring, account management and selling, salaries and training, etc., repeat to yourself, this is a highly specialized field and I am running a highly specialized operation. Stories Provided By: Letter from a Tow truck Driver I remember when I was in Sue Saint Marie visiting family once. I went for a walk into the woods with my Uncles dog. Any ways I walked so far I ended up on a cliff over facing the highway. I sat there for a while watching the cars go by when a car pulled over on the side of the road. I observed a Husband and Wife get out and check to find that they had a flat tire. Several minutes had passed when they couldn't get the tire off the car because the rims were aluminum and had oxidized the steel to the aluminum. The gentleman got under the car with a hammer and started beating on the rim until the car fell on him. Now we're like 30 kms North of the nearest Hospital and nobody for miles in any direction. So up I got and flew down the side of the cliff to where the car was. I grabbed the jack and reset it and jacked the car back up, all the while the wife is screaming her head off in hysteria. The man was conscious but was having difficult breathing. I told him that I would drive them into town using their car and that I would arrange to have someone pick me up. I got him there and they couldn't thank me enough for being there at the right time. Act Of God if you ask me. This is a true story from Ken. Waterloo Silver Lining In Gas Prices By Steve Calitri The fact that gas prices are up have given many tow men a reason to pause over the issue of overhead and expenses. For some this has simply caused you to back off on growth plans or equipment renewal. But this should not be your reason to stop and reflect. As the pilot, you should use the wind of the storm to gather speed, not slow down. Rather, you should be thinking about your rate sheet. You should realize that now is the opportunity to raise your rates across the board; retail, commercial, and motor club rates. As gas prices have increased by 20% to 30% and greater, raising the hookup fee by 10% to 15% is not unreasonable. Indeed, commercial accounts would expect you to raise your rates. Yes, now is the time to take a hard look at your numbers and make adjustments. It is not the time to become passive as a businessman. Your plans to update your equipment, train your drivers, or buy new trucks, should not be curtailed by higher gas prices. Indeed, now is the time to move aggressively. Your reaction to changing costs should be a revised rate card. Stories Provided by: