CTTA, ERSCA, Jerr-Dan Partner for Training

Towing Tank Vehicles Safely

By Brian J. Riker

Most every heavy-duty tower has towed a propane or fuel oil tanker at least once in their career, some do it almost daily. Have you ever taken the time to learn about the different types of tanks, their contents and what to look for before servicing them?

The first step for the tow boss before accepting these types of jobs is to make sure you are properly insured, licensed and your operators are trained in recognizing the hazards associated with tank vehicles. Just because most states grant an exception from the CDL endorsement requirements for the first tow of tank and hazmat loads does not mean you are free to just hook and book.

Secondary tows are not exempt from any regulation. You must be registered as a hazmat transporter when engaging in tows from anywhere other than the primary point of disablement.

Many transporters are surprised to find out they must display placards and have a hazmat endorsement on their CDL to transport an “empty” fuel or propane tanker. Unless the tank has been cleaned and purged by a properly credentialed facility, it is not empty. Residue can be just as dangerous — if not more so — than a fully loaded tanker.

If the last product hauled was hazardous and the shipper (truck owner) can’t provide you with a certification that the tank is clean and purged, then you must treat it as if it were loaded. This includes having a manifest for the residual product and a copy of the emergency response guide in the cab of your tow truck. If the tank is certified clean, remember to cover the placards as it is a violation (with a hefty fine) to display placards when they are not required.

Routing can cause trouble when towing a vehicle hauling hazardous materials. Most tunnels, and some bridges, restrict hazmat to certain lanes, time of day or outright prohibit it at all times. Be sure to be aware of these restrictions on your route before beginning as the fines are hefty and can result in the loss of your CDL for violations.

The same holds true for railroad crossings. Passenger vehicles (buses) and vehicles hauling hazmat are required to stop between 15’-50’ from the nearest rail before crossing grade-level tracks. Towmen must make sure the way is clear and there is enough space to fully clear the tracks before proceeding. Failure to do so is an automatic 60-day suspension of your CDL under federal regulations for the first offense.

Perhaps the most important consideration before towing or servicing a tank vehicle is the pre-trip inspection. Here are some things to inquire about before providing service:

• Knowing the reason for the tow is important as it can help you identify issues that may pose an extreme risk, such as a wheel end failure that may result in a fire should you tow the truck away with that wheel on the ground.

• Is the tank loaded or empty (residual or purged)? What product is/was in the tank? It is not advisable to tow loaded tanks from the rear as the weight transfer may overload the steer axle since the product will tend to move towards the lowest part of the tank, putting more weight on the axle left on the ground.

• Is the tank bottom valve closed? Many delivery drivers fail to close this valve between stops. This valve keeps product from leaking should the plumbing under the truck be damaged.

• Are all the other valves and loading hatches closed and secure? If you are not intimately familiar with the tank system, demand a company representative make sure the tank is ready for transport.

• Check closely for leaks using your eyes, ears and nose. Do not touch a substance with your bare hands and when in doubt ask the vehicle owner to provide guidance. It is not normal to smell residual propane or fuel oil coming from a tanker unless it has just finished delivery of product. Other types of tankers, such as liquid nitrogen delivery tanks, do have venting as a normal part of their operation, so if in doubt ask a qualified company representative if the vapor you smell or see is a normal event.

Brian J. Riker is a third generation towman and President of Fleet Compliance Solutions, LLC and is a contributing writer to American Towman Magazine and Tow Industry Week. He specializes in helping non-traditional fleets such as towing, repossession, and construction companies navigate the complex world of Federal and State transportation regulatory compliance. With 25 years of experience in the ditch as a tow operator Brian truly understands the unique needs and challenges faced by towing companies today. He can be reached at: yourdotguy.com.

What’s That Obnoxious Noise?

By Randall C. Resch

The site “Trainhorns.us” is for train horn enthusiasts; their opening statement is, “We believe that, ‘beeping’ your horn is for soccer moms. If you drive a truck, especially a lifted pickup, then you really ought to have a horn that blasts when you need to tell the minivan in-front of you to get out of the way.”

Train horns? I’ll start with this fact: a tow truck is not a train. I’ve heard train horns blast inside at tow shows and they’ll scare the proverbial “crapinski” out of anyone standing nearby when they boom.

To ask towers why they need train horns, many say they need them to help clear traffic when they’re responding to urgent police requests.

Sorry … wrong answer.

A discussion about tow trucks and train horns is comical to me. While the past and current climate of tow truck response suggests a sameness with firefighters and law enforcement responding to emergency calls, some tow operators drive as though they are first responders with the same allowance.

While their actions are well-intended, having first-responder mentality oftentimes causes towers to push their tow trucks faster and more dangerously. The history of the towing and recovery industry has recorded literally hundreds of operator crashes and fatalities where questionable actions have caused towers to lose control, run off the road, crash into others or overturn.

Get Outta’ the Way

California Assembly Bill AB-2245 (regarding the decibel levels of aftermarket horns) is one of those goofy vehicle code sections where the act of being “too loud” is determined by an officer and is an easy citation to write.

An officer who was interviewed in a YouTube video about train horns in cars stated, “It’s technically illegal because it’s unreasonable.” They may violate state vehicle codes at the moment the truck’s operator gives them a joyful blast.

One particular horn can emit an ear-piercing blast anywhere from 115’ (at 10’) to 135’ (at 100’). These kinds of signals are oftentimes used in commercial applications for emergency signaling. It can be bought on-line for nearly $8,000, plus tax. If ya have that kind of cash for this kind of playful spending, God bless ya.

AB-2245 is an act to amend Section 27000 of the Vehicle Code relating to vehicle horns. This bill would prohibit a motor vehicle from being equipped with an aftermarket horn that emits a sound greater than 110 dB(A). AB-2245 was written to ensure that motor vehicle horns, “shall not emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound and a motor vehicle shall not be equipped with an aftermarket horn that emits a sound greater than 110 dB(A).”

Blurrrrrrt …

Notably, train horns are loud and oftentimes obnoxious where a single, in-traffic blast could earn an expensive ticket when not used in an emergency situation.

Accordingly, if you have $8,000 burning a hole in your pocket and you have to have train horns, be sure you know the exact wording of your state’s vehicle code as a means to defend a ticket.

In police officer forums, some cops comment on unnecessary use of train horns saying, “I'm thinking it’s gonna end with an actual arrest for DisCon (Disorderly Conduct) for excessive noise, and then the vehicle being towed at owner's expense unless there is another licensed driver right there at the scene.” Another officer wrote, “What is the point in scaring the living crap out of somebody just for the heck of it?”

Bottom line? To have train horns on your tow truck means it’s best to resist that urge to blast them. It’s not the horn … it’s how they’re used.

Randall Resch is American Towman's and Tow Industry Week’s Operations Editor, a former California police officer, tow business owner and retired civilian off-road instructor for Navy Special Warfare. Randall is an approved instructor for towers serving the California Highway Patrol's rotation contract. His course is approved by the California law enforcement community. He has written over 500 industry-related articles for print and on-line, is a member of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame, and, a recipient of the 2017 Dave Jones Leadership Award.

Hanging On to the Good Ones

By Brian J. Riker

As a tow boss, do you find yourself always looking to hire the next new person just to keep a position filled? If so, have you looked at why people do not stay with your company?

It has been my experience that the majority of turnover happens because of a disconnect in communications between owners and/or managers and employees. Most of this is not done intentionally and it is easily avoidable. Even the most mild-mannered among us will walk away if we feel ignored, disrespected or lied to often enough.

Good employee relations begin with open and honest expectations. Employers need to be upfront with the demands of the job, the resources available and the opportunities for advancement or career progression. As owners we tend to look at our business through rose-colored glasses: What is only a minor inconvenience to us may be a major hurdle for employees.

The most common complaint I hear is the job was not what they were expecting. Now, some of this is normal as applicants eager to move on to a new company often only hear what they want to hear about the job. However, as employers we must be careful how we describe the available position to prospective employees. I have often witnessed people move across the country and only last a few weeks at what they believed was going to be their “forever job.”

This can be avoided with straight-forward information about your company. I avoid using phrases like “our top driver makes $XXX per year” or “we treat you like family here.” Often this does not reflect what a new person can achieve and it sets them up for failure and disappointment.

Another area where employees feel left out is when a company offers a bonus program that seems unattainable. If you want to make part of their pay a bonus for meeting specific goals such as fuel mileage and call volume, then the bonus needs to be achievable by the majority of your employees. If they do not feel they can achieve the bonus, or the amount is not significant enough, they will stop trying and morale will plummet.

Listening to and knowing what is going on in your employees’ lives goes a long way to employee satisfaction. It is amazing the difference in attitude you will see when you ask your employees how they are doing and take the time to truly listen.

I know many great people that are ready to or have moved on from this industry simply because their employer didn’t or wouldn’t recognize the struggles the job was causing. None of these problems are insurmountable; they just require attention, care and some compassion.

Perhaps they are going through a rough patch and could use some grace. Maybe something awesome just happened to them that should be recognized and celebrated. Maybe they have dreams and aspirations of their own. Or maybe they’re just feeling burned out and need a break. We all have different ideas of what success looks like, so keep in mind their idea of success may be vastly different from yours.

Owners should not put profits before people. I believe the loss of productivity that results from constant churn costs more than some kind gestures like an extra paid day off or surprise bonus.

Great leaders hire talented people. Give them a direction and then get out of their way. Trust in your people to do the right thing and you just may be surprised how well they do.

Of course, there needs to be guidelines and expectations. When these are properly communicated to your team, they will already know what to do based on your examples as the leader and the company values.

It can be very frustrating for an employee that has great vision to be ignored or even belittled for their ideas. Yes, there is a time and place for everything and sometimes they can’t see the big picture because they don’t have all the information. But I challenge you to learn from those that surround you. You will be surprised at what you can learn from your team when you just open your mind to a different point of view.

Brian J Riker is a third generation towman and President of Fleet Compliance Solutions, LLC and is a contributing writer to American Towman Magazine and Tow Industry Week. He specializes in helping non-traditional fleets such as towing, repossession, and construction companies navigate the complex world of Federal and State transportation regulatory compliance. With 25 years of experience in the ditch as a tow operator Brian truly understands the unique needs and challenges faced by towing companies today. He can be reached at: yourdotguy.com.