Fleet Maintenance - 27

Recovery options

confirm as much information ahead of the
service, if at all possible, such as certifications,
licensing, and permits. Additionally, confirm
payment options up front. This includes storage
and disposal fees.
Riker suggests another question to verify as
well: "How much of the job [will they] be handling
in-house versus sub-contracting? This can drastically affect the price for service if a tower must
sub out a large portion of the job; it may be more
economically feasible to hire a different contractor, if the time and situation allows."
Ahead of the service, Riker also says to verify
where the truck, trailer, and cargo will go after
tow or recovery.
"If at all possible, the fleet should make arrangements to have the vehicle delivered to their own
facility and pay the charges due upon delivery," he
says. "This allows the fleet manager to maintain
control over the salvage value of the cargo - if it's
a wreck or spill clean-up - or quickly assess and
return [the vehicle] to service."
In the event the driver is the only fleet representative present, Riker says drivers can help on
the fleet's behalf.
"Have them take as many pictures as possible,
but remind them not to say or sign anything,"
Riker says. "Things to document include the
different pieces of equipment the responders
brought to the scene, how it was used, the extent
of the wreck or spill, and the time on scene from
start to finish."

"Recovery is not exact science," Resch explains.
"The process of winching, lifting, and in-line rolling
may inflict further ground-gouging or cause leaks
from the casualty beyond the [towing] operator's
control. The property owner should be made aware
of that possibility where the tow company is not
held responsible for damages beyond [the service
provider's] control. In some cases, the tow company
may be certified in 'return to normal' site restoration
which may be billed as a separate fee of its own."
If the service call requires vehicle recovery,
providing a short verbal or typed reasoning as
to how the vehicle ended up in the situation can
better assist the service provider, suggests Resch.
He offers the following detailed examples: "The
driver was backing out and went rear wheels into
a ditch and is high-centered on a rock," or "The
truck was dumping its load of sand and tipped
over onto its driver's side."
"A visual evaluation of on-site hazards is necessary, especially those surfaces where heavy wreckers must drive," Resch adds.
When providing details, fleets should note
obstacles such as difficult-to-access driveways or
roadways, fire hydrants, exposed pipes or culverts,
etc. Also note power lines are a hazard for heavy
wreckage recovery vehicles, particularly those
which require the use of raised booms.
"High-voltage energy is capable of arcing as far
as 10 to 20 feet onto metal sources where electrocution is possible," Resch advises. "When working
near overhead power lines, a spotter is required."
When the tow or recovery truck arrives, the
driver of the disabled vehicle should provide the
vehicle's keys to the tow operator. In general, the
driver should not assist with the towing hook-up
process but still provide input and answer questions regarding what happened to the vehicle and
the load details including items hauled and estimated weight of freight.
"The preferred location for the semi driver is to
be seated in the tow truck with their seatbelt on,"
Resch says. "Keep in mind that the attachment
process can take upwards of 30 minutes. If not
seated in the [tow] truck, another place of safety
might be forward of the tow truck's location, on
the backside of the guardrail, or up an embankment if safe to do so. Stay away from the traffic
side of [the scene]."

The cleanup process

For recovery requiring additional cleanup
services, the process can become even more extensive. Some towing and recovery operations have
certifications necessary to handle this. Otherwise,
an additional service provider that specializes in
environmental cleanup may be required.
"Full-service tow and recovery companies are
required to be licensed, permitted, and experienced in capturing, retaining, removing, and
transporting hazardous materials," Resch says.
"They work in dangerous, harsh environments
that demand calculated safety and precision
necessary to not allow or cause run-off, downstream pollutants, additional damage, or create
further risk to the public."

»Heavy duty wreckers, from Day & Nite Towing
and Siewert's Garage in northern Wisconsin,
rig to the underside of a rolled semi.
Photo courtesy of Day & Nite Towing

Provide as much
information as
possible
During an unplanned roadside event
- whether it's a minor issue or a major
accident - collect and share critical details
to expedite the vehicle tow or recovery.
"Determine the situation, location, and as
much detail as possible about the complaint that has caused the request for service," says Jeffrey Godwin, vice president
software solutions, FleetNet America.
Questions to consider:
* Is the driver safe?
* Where is the disabled vehicle located?
* What class of vehicle? (Ensure the appropriate service truck is dispatched)
* What is the year, make, and
model of the vehicle?
* If a tire incident occurred, what is the
position of the tire? Brand or type?
* If law enforcement has been contacted, are
they sending a service provider? Do you have
the option of sending your own provider?
* Is the vehicle blocking a roadway
or in a hazardous situation?
* Is the vehicle leaking fluids? If so, are
the fluids potentially hazardous?
"Get the best description of the known issue
before contacting the service provider to keep
from having to play the telephone game,"
Godwin says. "Knowing the vehicle won't start
is one thing and knowing it stopped running
while driving is even better. Knowing any indicators of an issue before the breakdown or
signs of problems observed now are helpful."
-Information provided by Jeffery
Godwin, FleetNet America

April 2020 | VehicleServicePros.com

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

Fleet Maintenance

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