Stupid Lazy Wrecker Drivers

[Jim Oaks]

!RANT!

Ya, I said it.

When I was a Trooper in Ohio, Ohio law required wrecker drivers to clean up the debris left by a vehicle they towed from a crash scene. I once told a wrecker driver to clean up the debris he tried to leave behind, and he tried to tell me he didn't have any place to put it. I reminded him that he should have a broom, shovel, and a bucket on the truck, and to just dump the debris in the trunk for now. The vehicle was totaled anyway, nobody was going to give a crap.

Texas must have the laziest and dumbest wrecker drivers. I'm tired of seeing front bumpers and other car parts sitting on the corners of intersections and glass everywhere here from crashes. It boggles my mind that these people think it's ok to leave crap like that behind. They even leave them on sidewalks. I see this all the time. I'm willing to bet it's not just Texas.

For those professional wrecker drivers (like the ones below) that actually do their job, thank you!! For the rest of you:

!RANT OFF!

 

[Dirtman]

I dunno how it works in other places but in NJ you have to jump through alot of hoops to get police towing status which includes responding to accidents. Considering the amount of tow companies out there who would kill for that kinda work you would think the police wouldn't hesitate for a second to cancel a contract with anyone who does a half assed job. When I did police towing for parking enforcement if you were 5 seconds late you were SOL, they called someone else.

 

[Snoranger]

We’ve sent 3 trucks to pick up 1 car. One rollback to get half the car still on the road, a second one to get the other half out of the woods, and a service truck to throw whatever’s left of the car in.
We’ve had to call out a second truck to bring a few more bags of speedi-dry... we’ve even called in a road dept with a dump truck and a street sweeper, to spread sand and pick it back up.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Alot of wrecker drivers (and people in every other industry of the world) have a "not my problem" attitude when it comes to do anything outside their job description.

I think its a societial issue. Its not confined to just one occupation.

 

[Ramcharger90]

They are getting really lazy. Even the heavy duty guys. I broke down up near state college on Tuesday and sat for 6+ hours Penske road service is useless they thought bringing a sub unit out from Pittsburgh was the answer.... cool I got a truck coming but Pittsburgh was 3hrs away from where I was and they have a yard near Duncansville and White deer both an hour and a half away. The guy told me they need to get the truck that broke down unhooked and turned around. No big deal fot it done then it took him 30mins to drop the tractor he brought out then I had to spin it around with night/snow conditions, the damn thing had no fuel in it. Penske sucks...


My buddy has a few rollbacks and wreckers. He got a call from a long time customer who was towed by another company in the area because thats who her insurance company called. She hit a deer and the vehicle was leaking antifreeze. She asked my friend how much the charge would be to back up to a car and winch it up chain and leave. It would have been $150 the company that did the tow charged her $2800. They marked on the bill skates and whole bunch of other things that didn't happen. When she went to pay the bill because she needed her car back they told her just leave the car until the insurance company pays....... guys are getting shady too.... needless to say PSP is looking into it.....

 

[Jim Oaks]

I've known a couple of wrecker owners that are/were true masters of their craft. I really enjoyed watching these guys and was usually impressed by their precision and skill. But there's been other guys that I could see that things were going to go from bad to worse, and I've found myself 'suggesting' a different approach. But some guys recover vehicles like other guys offroad. They just drag the vehicle along whatever object is in their way instead of trying to pick a better line (approach).

 

[Ramcharger90]

I know a guy who will tear up a guard rail and drag a car on its roof and not think twice about it. Im fairly certain he was the guy who loaded a roll over roof down on his roll back....

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I've known a couple of wrecker owners that are/were true masters of their craft. I really enjoyed watching these guys and was usually impressed by their precision and skill. But there's been other guys that I could see that things were going to go from bad to worse, and I've found myself 'suggesting' a different approach. But some guys recover vehicles like other guys offroad. They just drag the vehicle along whatever object is in their way instead of trying to pick a better line (approach).

I would be pissed if the damaged my vehicle out of carelessness and or stupidity on a recovery.

 

[Dirtman]

They are usually not responsible for any damage. When I did parking enforcement we always used dollies when towing AWD's or anything where the drive wheels were on the ground (which is just freaking common sense). Pain in the butt to get out and hook them up and took alot longer but no damage to the car. Most guys would just run up, hook the rear wheels and drive off with the front wheels locked up skidding down the road. At the very least they ended up with huge flat spots on their tires if not a busted transmission. I've also seen guys pull out cars from tight spots by just jamming the wheel lift under the center of the car and dragging it out sideways, no way that didn't cause damage.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

They are usually not responsible for any damage. When I did parking enforcement we always used dollies when towing AWD's or anything where the drive wheels were on the ground (which is just freaking common sense). Pain in the butt to get out and hook them up and took alot longer but no damage to the car. Most guys would just run up, hook the rear wheels and drive off with the front wheels locked up skidding down the road. At the very least they ended up with huge flat spots on their tires if not a busted transmission. I've also seen guys pull out cars from tight spots by just jamming the wheel lift under the center of the car and dragging it out sideways, no way that didn't cause damage.

Seems like in the cases of laziness and/or stupidity theyd be liable for damage.

I mean obviously shit happens but blatent disregard....

 

[Curious Hound]

With the cost of tires what it is these days, I really hate pulling up to an intersection and seeing leftover debris from accidents, screws, glass, vehicle parts, etc. Of course, it's not all from lazy wrecker drivers.

I watched a bunch of episodes of a show on Netflix, recently. I think it was called Heavy Rescue or something like that. It focused on a few Heavy recovery companies around the Toronto area. These guys generally dud a good job of cleanup. Very interesting show. I know it's not really reality. But I believe the show gives a pretty good glimpse of what that job is like. I grew a pretty good respect for wrecker drivers and the dangers and challenges of the job.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

With the cost of tires what it is these days, I really hate pulling up to an intersection and seeing leftover debris from accidents, screws, glass, vehicle parts, etc. Of course, it's not all from lazy wrecker drivers.

I watched a bunch of episodes of a show on Netflix, recently. I think it was called Heavy Rescue or something like that. It focused on a few Heavy recovery companies around the Toronto area. These guys generally dud a good job of cleanup. Very interesting show. I know it's not really reality. But I believe the show gives a pretty good glimpse of what that job is like. I grew a pretty good respect for wrecker drivers and the dangers and challenges of the job.

Maybe im wrong but i kinda feel the heavy wrecker guys are a class above your common everyday hook n' books.

Trying to fish a semi with a tanker loaded with hazmat out of a ravine is alot different then winching a malibu out of a drainage ditch.

 

[racsan]

there was a show ( on discovery ch? ) called “wrecked” about a towing company near ohare airport in chicago. Was a pretty good watch.
Last feb when I rolled the hhr in a field the place I called acted like it was a big deal that the car was on its side. I went out with the ranger and “fixed” it, called ‘em back and said it just needs drug out & transported to the house, not on its side anymore. They had the wrong location and took most of the day to get to it, by the time it was done I had to go to work again, a 10 hr shift on no sleep for over 25 hours. That was a rough night!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I once had a wrecker come get me and asked the guy if there was any license or testing or anything to be a tow truck operator. He said no, you just have to have a wrecker. So I guess that explains things a bit. Plus most people anymore are just plain lazy. They won’t lift a finger to do anything more than they absolutely have to and a lot of times even getting them to do what they have to is a fight because they would rather be on FB or gaming or whatever.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Heck, I used to be able to do some stuff for my vehicles in a shop, like mounting my own tires and some repairs. I’d always be looking to put the junk tires in the proper place or looking for a broom to sweep up rust or whatever and always be getting yelled at to leave it, someone that worked there would take care of it at the end of the day. Just the way I was raised, clean up after yourself even if it isn’t your mess.