Did Ya’ Set the Truck’s Parking Brake?

By Randall C. Resch             

Eighty-nine years ago, on October 7, 1936, the front-page headline of Tennessee’s Nashville Banner read: “Auto Plunges into Cumberland, Then Hauls Wrecker in After It.” At first glance, the headline may seem comical, but neither the wrecker’s owner nor the police likely saw any humor in the mishap.

The Banner reported that a local garageman was called to winch a car that had failed to negotiate a turn and ran off the roadway. In its path to destruction, the car wound up upside down in the river, where a wrecker was brought in to retrieve it.

Alas, the vintage wrecker from a local garage arrived at the scene, prepared to extract the submerged car. But as the operator climbed out of the cab, the tow truck suddenly began rolling backward at a rapid pace.

In a desperate “Oh, crap” moment, the operator gave chase in an ill-advised attempt to stop it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to halt the truck before it, too, went over the embankment and into the river. Fortunately, in this case at least, the operator escaped with his life.

An Ounce of Prevention

The internet is filled with stories of tow operators injured—or even killed—while trying to stop rollaway trucks. In fact, nearly a dozen operators have lost their lives in industrial incidents after being run over by their own wreckers or flatbed carriers.

More recently, in December 2021, a police dash cam captured a flatbed carrier rolling “driverless” down a highway’s grassy center divider, with its operator in hot (foot) pursuit. Members of the Tow Police forum were quick to accuse the operator of failing to set the carrier’s E-brake. The video quickly went viral.

While official investigations often describe rollaway incidents as “accidents,” the truth is that most are preventable when emergency brakes are properly applied.

Regardless of the type of system—air-assisted, electrical, or mechanical—safety starts with thorough daily inspections to ensure the E-brake can hold the truck’s weight. It’s rare for an emergency brake to “just pop off,” but wear and poor maintenance can cause failure. Air-assist systems may leak, brake cables can overstretch, and foot-pedal ratchets wear down over time. That’s simply mechanical fact.

Operators must verify that their emergency brakes are fully functional and capable of holding the tow truck during parking or winching operations. If the brake won’t hold, it should be reported immediately, and the truck pulled from service until repairs are made.

The Law Says

Every state’s vehicle code requires operators to set the emergency brake before leaving a vehicle unattended. For example, California Vehicle Code Section 22515(a) states: “No person driving, or in control of, or in charge of, a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand on any highway unattended without first effectively setting the brakes thereon and stopping the motor thereof.”

Yet tow operators are notorious for skipping this step. In hands-on training classes, it’s common to see operators forget to apply the brake—even in controlled environments. I’m inclined to think, the company where they’re employed doesn’t demand their use, or company management doesn’t actively check for e-brake compliance.

Best Practices: Brakes and Chock Blocks

Operators are reminded to fully set their tow truck’s emergency brake before exiting the cab in every parking situation. Even better, pairing the brake with chock blocks provides an extra layer of safety.

Best practices call for chock blocks to be used in conjunction with a properly working emergency brake. A fifty-dollar pair of chocks is cheap insurance compared to the damage a rollaway can cause.

Remember: failing to set the brake can result in hefty citations. Worse, an insurance provider may deny coverage if an operator didn’t take reasonable steps to prevent a rollaway.

Don’t put yourself—or others—at risk. Always set the emergency brake, use chock blocks when needed, and never chase a runaway truck. The choice you make in that moment could mean the difference between safety and tragedy.

Operations Editor Randall C. Resch is a retired, veteran, California police officer, former tow business owner and industry advocate. As consultant and trainer, he authored and teaches tow truck operator safety courses approved by the California Highway Patrol. For 55-years, he has been involved in the towing and recovery industry. In 29-years, he has contributed more than 760-safety focused articles for American Towman Magazine, TowIndustryWeek.com and is a frequent seminar presenter and beauty pageant judge at tow shows. In 2014, he was inducted to the International Towing and Recovery Industry Hall of Fame, was the 3rd recipient of the industry's "Dave Jones Leadership Award," and is a member of American Towman’s Safety Committee.

Email Randy at rreschran@gmail.com.