Lesson 3 Being Dispatched

The most typical way that a customer establishes a request for tow service is via the telephone. The customer calls and gives the dispatcher the information needed to determine where the vehicle is located, what type of vehicle is needing service and what the nature of the problem that the motorist is facing. However, there are so many more critical elements that need to be acquired. Another method of dispatch arrives via email or internet software. There are times when the information entered into these systems can not only be incorrect, but sometimes information can be deceiving. For this reason it should be the goal of every operator to reach out when possible to customers and clients by telephone to verify information and acquire any additional knowledge that may make it easier or safer to complete the task. Knowing what questions to ask and being mindful of possible obstacles will make the job not only safer but more efficient.

In this chaotic world of information technology, it is important to learn how to navigate through the available data and use it to suit you best. You will figure out what information is most important for you! 

Sometimes, something as simple as knowing in advance what side of the street the vehicle is on can help with you arriving with your wrecker faced on the right side of the street to give you easy access to the tool boxes that contain your jack and tire iron so that you can easily preform a tire change with minimal effort! You'll thank yourself later for not having to drag that 2 1/2 ton jack all the way around the other side of your wrecker, especially after  long hot day of towing!

Being able to communicate key aspects of the information is vital. For example, defining a vehicle location and direction of travel cuts down the time takes to arrive on scene to a call in some situations. Knowing in advance that the vehicle is east or west west bound, or which shoulder -outside or inside- helps greatly yet sometimes is routinely overlooked. It is important to establish key factors such as these to be as proficient as possible when responding to a call.

Side Note:
Did you know that in Oklahoma City for example, that the odd numbers are always on the north side of the east and west streets and the odd numbers are always on the west side of the north and south sides of the street? All cities are designed this way, though the placement of east, west and north, south are different in some cities suck as Norman, Ok.

BLOG HIGHLIGHT: Customer Service From The Second You Get The Call

A very important thing to remember is that the customer is going to tell somebody about their experience with you. Very likely these days they are going to turn to social media in a post because this is one of those postable moments in their lives. The frustration of car trouble often leaves customers in the need to call upon friends or family to either refer them to the right people or to vent about the people that they've already dealt with. From the Trooper to the person they wrecked with, they have an opinion about everything that has happened to them! Make sure you're a positive part of that experience.

Lesson 2 What Should Be Aboard Each Wrecker

With different wreckers comes different needs in the field. Maybe a car needs a set of dollies and a wheel lift because it doesn't want to roll. Maybe, the costumer preferes their Rover to be towed on the flat bed. In this section we cover what equipment needs to be on those different wreckers so that they can do the tricks that make them unique and give the customers exactly what they want in their hour of need!

Standard Equipment that should be on any tow truck would include:

Broom & Shovel

Oil Absorbant  

Bucket or Heavy Duty Trash Bags

Pry Bar & Axe

Snatch Block

Floor Jack

Tire Iron

Jump Box or Jumper Cables

Battery Terminal Cleaner

Safety Cones

Tow Lights

Wood

Set of Spline Sockets

Set of Wrenches

Endless Loops

Ratchet Straps

Wheels Lift Straps

Safety Glasses

Gloves

Conventional Wreckers should carry:

Scotch Blocks

Dollies

Supplemental Winch Extensions

Flatbeds Should Carry:

Ball Joint Skates

Motorcycle Straps

Motorcycle Dolly

Loading Planks

Lesson 1 Getting To Know Different Wreckers

In this lesson, we will provide a brief description of the different styles of wrecker, because out in the field it takes different equipment to achieve the common goal of everyone on the scene!

Conventional Wrecker

The conventional wrecker typically picks a vehicle up from one end or another while the other end is trailed on the ground either on it's own wheels or some other means such as dollies. While there are many advantages to the wheel lift, the flatbed has become the more popular choice of most companies operating today.

Flatbed/Rollback

The flat bed has many different names, car carrier, roll back, I've even heard flat top. The principal is the same no matter what you call it. The flatbed has proven to be the most universal piece of towing equipment in most modern situations. It takes away the concern of whether the vehicle is two or four wheel drive, you can load it backwards or forwards in most cases. Accidents are made easier in that there is usually ample room on the bed and in tool boxes to stow crash fallout.

Light Duty

Light Duty Towing usually refers to the basic class of vehicles operated by motorists as a means of getting to and from work or school. A typical light duty tow encompasses the majority of calls assigned by towing companies on any given day. Weights considered to be in the "Light Duty" category vary in different geographic locations and different towing companies. For example, some companies may consider 10,000 lbs. to the limit for light duty while others may allow a maximum limit of 16,000 lbs.

Medium Duty

Medium Duty Towing can refer to a much wider range of weight class depending on the specifications set forth by state and local guidelines as well as the company which will be providing the service which is why it is important to know what your organization has deemed appropriate for safety and billing purposes.

Heavy Duty

Heavy Duty Towing is the top of the weight class for typical towing situations. These can include big vehicles such as garbage trucks, dump trucks and semi tractor/trailer setups. An extensive amount of training and continued education should be had by the operators that deliver this type of service.