Latest / Towing News Now / Advocacy and Victory: Transforming Safety Standards in the Towing Industry with Anna Wingard

Transcript

Advocacy and Victory: Transforming Safety Standards in the Towing Industry with Anna Wingard · Towing News Now

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Welcome one and all to the American Towing Recovery Institute podcast.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Remember this is your podcast to promote safety, education, positive public relations and networking within the professional and business-minded towing and recovery industry.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: I'm your co-host, dj Harrington, better known as the Tow Doctor, and my other host is Wes Wilburn, over 40-year towing industry veteran, the founder of American Towing Recovery Institute of Fayetteville, north Carolina.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: He has produced and conducted training and certification programs for leading towing companies, equipment distributors, towing associations, dot, fire departments, rescue, as well as military installations across the United States.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Wes has been published over 100 times in major towing publications published over 100 times in major towing publications.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: Wes has developed many courses, including the most recent awareness-level course for all responders that specialize in electric vehicles as well as hybrid, natural gas and hydrogen vehicles.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: Wes has provided insight as the main speaker for over 30 years at more than 900 training classes and has been recognized as one of America's greatest towing trainers.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: He is well known for his straightforward but down-to-earth teaching style.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: No-transcript.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Without further ado, here's my dear friend and a great guy for our industry, wes Wilder.
• 2:16
  Speaker 4: Well, dj, as always, you're way too kind, I certainly appreciate it and I appreciate our listeners.
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: As the podcast continues to grow and grow, we're actually starting to get feedback more and more from listeners.
• 2:28
  Speaker 4: We're trying to listen to them, DJ.
• 2:31
  Speaker 4: Apparently they like the news that we're doing.
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: Hearing the news, we have a lot of listeners that listen right away.
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: I'm learning more and more and they like the news.
• 2:46
  Speaker 4: A lot of times you get current being the big thing.
• 2:49
  Speaker 4: Dj, I hate to tell you, but they also like Tanya, so apparently, she's going to be a part of the show.
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: That's what the people upstairs told us, DJ.
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: So I don't know if we've got to try to renegotiate or what, but that's the status for today.
• 3:07
  Speaker 4: Tanya why don't you go ahead and take it away?
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: See what the future's going to be, DJ, you got it.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: The future's bright and sunshiny if I'm in it.
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: I'll tell you that right now.
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: What?
• 3:22
  Speaker 4: do you think about that, DJ?
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: Give him a chance to talk a little bit Go ahead, doc, give me your.
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: I think the two of you together Are fantastic.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: Whether she calls herself Tanya or Tanya, or whether Wes is still Joe Rogan Of the Towing Podcast, it's just wonderful.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: Tanya or Tanya, or whether Wes is still Joe Rogan of the towing podcast, it's just wonderful.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: I hate it when people say that do not give him a big head, oh my goodness.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: More people have said he's the Joe Rogan of towing, and so he it's because we're the biggest podcast for towers in the industry does not mean that west wolvern is joe rogan, but I guess he's as close as you can get he's gonna be, he's up there, he's up there you know who also I want to talk about right now and we're going to bring your one a little little bit.
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: Another person that's fantastic is Anna Wingard of Wingard Towing in South Carolina.
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: She's also the president of TRAF.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: They just got some legislation.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: There was already a slowdown move over law in South Carolina, but this is incredible the law covered the truck.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: If the truck got hit, the law was covering that, but it didn't cover somebody who was standing outside of it and got hit.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: They met with the governor of South Carolina, governor McMaster, and they finally signed in the newest slowdown move over law in South Carolina.
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: So she's going to be on a little bit.
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: She's incredible.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: She's my kind of person.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: She's persistent, she's tenacious, she's just everything.
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: So she's coming a little bit.
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: What's what you got?
• 5:17
  Speaker 4: So I've seen that Donald Trump's quickly throwing out his cabinet, isn't he?
• 5:23
  Speaker 4: I just noticed.
• 5:26
  Speaker 4: I guess this just happened last night.
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: Okay, sean Duffy, who was with Fox News I guess he just resigned and his wife's with him.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah, she's the weekend.
• 5:39
  Speaker 4: Fox.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Morning.
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, fox News.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, on the weekend, you're right, fox morning.
• 5:44
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah, on the weekend, you're right.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: He's the former.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: He's the former congressman.
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: That's exactly right.
• 5:57
  Speaker 4: He's elected as the secretary of transportation.
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: So I'm wondering how that how do you say it, tanya Does.
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: Does you know that thing that Elon Musk?
• 6:04
  Speaker 4: And how do you say it, tanya, doge, doge.
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: You know that thing that.
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: Elon Musk and Ravik are going to cut waste out of government.
• 6:12
  Speaker 4: I'm wondering how they're going to look at the Department of Transportation.
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: What did you say?
• 6:17
  Speaker 4: There was 5,000?
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: 55,000.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: The Department of Transportation has 55,000 nationwide employees.
• 6:26
  Speaker 4: So that's a lot, isn't it a lot?
• 6:28
  Speaker 4: Am I crazy, or what?
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: The thing about Sean Duffy.
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: I will say and I'm not going to get into any politics at all whatsoever this guy, he seems like a nice guy on Fox News, he's on Fox News Financial.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: This guy, he seems like a nice guy on Fox News, he's on Fox News Financial, whatever that financial network is.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: So he does, he's an expert in financial stuff.
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: Okay, so that's probably a good thing looking at what you have to look at in a department that big.
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: The one good thing I have to say about him is maybe because he is in, he does have that finance background.
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: When he's looking at, like still working on 95 out here all the daggone time, you can't be working with something for that long.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: There's gotta be something going on.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: So maybe maybe once some of the regulations are lifted, who knows, maybe they could make better roads and bridges and airways, but do it with a little bit less money.
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: That's what I'm hoping.
• 7:30
  Speaker 4: Yeah, well, I'm wondering you know how they're going to look at?
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: Different things like some of the towing programs in the country are federally funded.
• 7:40
  Speaker 4: I hope they're not.
• 7:41
  Speaker 4: I hope they look at how they can do that more efficiently, not cutting that out.
• 7:46
  Speaker 4: There's a more direct connect between the towers and the federal government.
• 7:51
  Speaker 4: Without these huge consulting firms involved in between, the dollars coming from the federal government could be spent a lot more efficiently dealing directly with the towing industry to clear the roads.
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: So that leads me into this one thing, wes, if you don't mind.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Sure, this week is and I didn't know this until I was looking it started yesterday.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: This week is Crash Responder Safety Week.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: It started yesterday, that's right.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: It ends Friday and Friday is the slowdown move over day.
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: But looking into this a little bit, speaking like the federal dollars, and maybe looking at the tow industry to see if something with that can be done, there are 7 million traffic crashes annually, 7 million accidents every month, and there's almost 50,000 traffic incident responders that work roadside every day.
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: 50,000 traffic incident responders that work roadside every day.
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: 50,000, I'm going to guess, if you're working roadside as a responder, you're probably towing for the most part.
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: There's 50,000 men and women out there every day on the side of the road recovering these cars and putting themselves in that thin white line.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: Putting themselves in that thin white line.
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: So maybe some of the stuff that he's doing can carry over to what we do, and that's just my hope.
• 9:17
  Speaker 4: Yeah, hopefully.
• 9:19
  Speaker 4: Yeah, changing gears slightly, I'm very happy to share this news with you.
• 9:24
  Speaker 4: Changing gears slightly, I'm very happy to share this news with you.
• 9:30
  Speaker 4: Toe Times Magazine, part of Legacy Media and the tele-industry.
• 9:32
  Speaker 4: They were the second magazine.
• 9:36
  Speaker 4: I guess American Tome was the first magazine.
• 9:39
  Speaker 4: Does that sound right to you, dj?
• 9:41
  Speaker 4: Yes, american Tome was started by an individual, and then Tow Times a few years later, and all this was in the 70s, early 80s.
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: Tow Times magazine started with a group of towers banding together that owned that.
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: One of them was Dave Jones out of Orlando, florida.
• 10:02
  Speaker 4: Dave was a really good guy.
• 10:05
  Speaker 4: I interacted with him more than once.
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: And he was always a very decent individual.
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: But anyway, Toe Times Magazine every year gives an annual award, the Dave Jones Award, and they recognize Jimmy Collins of Casper's Body Shop in Greenville, tennessee.
• 10:24
  Speaker 4: And I know Jimmy personally.
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: I've Shop in Greenville, tennessee and I know Jimmy personally.
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: I've stayed in his home actually.
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: He's hosted several schools over the years and he's a class number one, first class gentleman and it's very nice that he's very well deserving of that recognition.
• 10:39
  Speaker 4: Jimmy talked about when they received the award the humble individual that he is.
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: he talked about how much it meant to him because he had a relationship with Dave Jones, working with him at the Tennessee Toe Show when they started it years ago, and that Dave would give him some good business advice that Jimmy's still capitalizing off of today.
• 11:04
  Speaker 4: So very nice to see Jimmy recognized Super, super deserving and if I didn't mention that, he also is a founding member of the Institute.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: He is a founding member, and didn't Mike McGovern give him the award he?
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: did.
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: That's right.
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: Mike made a very good speech.
• 11:23
  Speaker 4: From what I understand, mike, of course, is a friend of the podcast.
• 11:27
  Speaker 4: We did an episode with him a couple months ago, I guess.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: Maybe three or four months ago.
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: Yeah, thanks for pointing it out, sonia.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: The time flies with me.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: I'm a good time.
• 11:39
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's what we keep hearing what else you got.
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: I think we've covered the news for the week.
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: We're definitely going to have more next week yeah, if we want to hear from our listeners.
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: If you like this new format, we're going to try to change things up a little bit and be more lively interviews and I say lively, hopefully everything's always lively, but more timely timely if I'm on the podcast with you.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: It's going to be really lovely.
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: That's what they say, DJ.
• 12:15
  Speaker 4: That's what they say.
• 12:16
  Speaker 4: Everybody, hang around.
• 12:21
  Speaker 4: We've got a great interview for after the break, so hang around for a short commercial break and we'll be right back.
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: Information in this podcast is made possible by generous sponsorship from Henry's Wrecker, serving the community with quality towing and recovery for over 40 years.
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: Henryswreckercom, traa, the Injured Drivers Fund and legislation that makes all of us safer are what makes this industry special.
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: Ina Towing supports all of this and more.
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: When there is a need, gay Rochester is always one of the first to come forward and ask how can I help?
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: The American Towing and Recovery Institute is honored to have the support of the INA Towing Network.
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: Together we all make a difference.
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: Ina Towing Network simplifiedplified Solutions, superior Service.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: Welcome back listeners.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: You know you're listening to the American Towing and Recovery Institute podcast, the number one podcast in the country, with Wes Wilburn and DJ Harrington, the tow doctor, every week.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: We do our best to give you informative episodes.
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: I just want to remind you we're available on Spotify, itunes, pandora, stitcher, iheartmedia, amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: So, without further ado, let me pass you over to Tanya.
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: Tanya.
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: Yes, that's Tanya.
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: That's right, you always mess it up, but that's okay, I would love to introduce Anna Wingard.
• 14:01
  Speaker 6: Hey, Anna, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
• 14:07
  Speaker 4: Yes, so my name is Anna.
• 14:08
  Speaker 6: Wingard and I operate a business that has been in West Columbia, south Carolina, since 1972.
• 14:12
  Speaker 6: I have only been involved in about the last eight years.
• 14:14
  Speaker 6: I used to be in the medical field and I kind of got thrown into my husband's business, like I think a lot of wives do.
• 14:22
  Speaker 6: So that should be a definitely relatable story about myself.
• 14:26
  Speaker 6: But I got involved in the Towing and Recovery Association first as a member and then a regional board of directors seat, and then vice president, and later now I am the president of the Towing and Recovery Association of South Carolina.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: How long have you been president?
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: I want to say five years.
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: I want to say that, but it's been.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: It's been a.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: It's been a.
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: It sounds like it's been a journey?
• 14:57
  Speaker 6: It definitely has, for sure, and I think it's been a great journey.
• 15:01
  Speaker 6: Lots of things learned and lots of mistakes, but that has, you know, obviously led us to some recent successes in our state.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: It sounds like the Towing Association of South Carolina has benefited greatly by having you involved.
• 15:18
  Speaker 6: I appreciate that, yes.
• 15:23
  Speaker 4: Well, you know, when we worked with you all at the Myrtle Beach event we used to do, you were a great part of that and you put in a lot of effort to it and we really always had a warm place in our heart for the association and you as well.
• 15:34
  Speaker 6: Thanks, I appreciate that.
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: Wes.
• 15:36
  Speaker 4: You're welcome.
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: And from everything that I've seen, this has been an uphill battle for you for what you've done.
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: Can you go into a little bit of that for us?
• 15:46
  Speaker 6: Sure.
• 15:47
  Speaker 6: So I became a part of our towing association because there were changes in my business that I realized that I couldn't make within my own business, and so I got involved with the towing association and realized that was the only way I was going to make change in my own business is to be a part of something bigger than my own business.
• 16:06
  Speaker 6: So I got together with other leadership in the Towing Association and at that time we did not have a lobbyist, and so we all got together and actually hired a lobbying firm that we had in previous years sat down, and this was in 2018.
• 16:23
  Speaker 6: And the lobbyist said well, I need a list of your priorities.
• 16:27
  Speaker 6: What do you want to be changed?
• 16:32
  Speaker 6: And number one, with overwhelming support from all the towing association members at the same table, as us said, the slow down, move over law.
• 16:38
  Speaker 6: So to me, we started this journey in 2018, and if you know anything about politics, it doesn't change, does not happen fast, and in South Carolina, usually if you want a law passed, it's usually advised that it will take two years.
• 16:56
  Speaker 6: You would start either on the Senate side or the House side, and that would go for that year that that state house was open, and then the next year it would roll over into the other side, whether it was the Senate or House, if that makes any sense.
• 17:11
  Speaker 6: It would roll over into the other side, whether it was the Senate or House, if that makes any sense.
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: So we went into this process, knowing that whatever changes we wanted to make, we're going to take about two years, however.
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: So, anna, let me let me interrupt and ask the question You're making changes.
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: Are you making changes to an existing law or are you coming up with?
• 17:36
  Speaker 6: Correct With the brand new law?
• 17:36
  Speaker 6: Yeah, so actually to answer that question, interestingly enough the slowdown move over law that is now an internationally recognized law originated in South Carolina and specifically in Lexington County, where our my personal business operates and actually where I live.
• 17:50
  Speaker 6: Um, so, yes, there was an existing slowdown moveover law and, again, interestingly enough, it was the original, which has had some changes along the way.
• 18:01
  Speaker 6: But for some reason, the slowdown moveover law covered the tow truck, not the tow truck operator.
• 18:12
  Speaker 6: That's what I was reading.
• 18:14
  Speaker 6: Yes, so, and everybody kept saying, well, why?
• 18:17
  Speaker 6: This doesn't make any sense and nobody could tell us how it got to be that way and a lot of people kind of didn't really understand why we wanted to change it.
• 18:26
  Speaker 6: And unfortunately, this isn't going to change whether anybody is going to slow down and move over.
• 18:33
  Speaker 6: It just changes the fact that if a tow truck operator is hit and their tow truck is not, then officers can write a ticket.
• 18:42
  Speaker 6: So what was happening in the state of South Carolina is, if the tow truck was not actually hit, just the driver the tow truck was not actually hit, just the driver officers were pretty much unable to write a ticket for the driver failing to slow down and move over because of the way that the law was written.
• 18:56
  Speaker 6: So it just was very horrible unintended consequences.
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: It could be a hit and run law, but not a move over slow down ticket.
• 19:08
  Speaker 6: Correct, correct, yes.
• 19:12
  Speaker 6: However, what was really happening ultimately is people were hitting.
• 19:18
  Speaker 6: There was even a lady by the name of Sonia Gwynn and she has a towing and recovery business in a body shop out of Beaufort, south Carolina, and she testified at the state house that her mother and the customer were hit on the side of an interstate in Beaufort, south Carolina, and the person who hit both of them did not receive any sentencing at all, never served jail time and never showed up to court.
• 19:42
  Speaker 6: So our point in this was a lot of just making sure that someone who does fail to slow down a move over and hits an operator there are some consequences.
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: That has impact.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: Consequences always have an impact.
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: What's the question you want to ask?
• 19:59
  Speaker 4: I just want to make the statement.
• 20:01
  Speaker 4: It's a wonderful thing, that you did to get that recognized and all those little details are important.
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: Very, very important.
• 20:08
  Speaker 4: Yes, so we're right up to where we need to take a break.
• 20:13
  Speaker 4: Can you hang around until after the break and we'll come right back, of course.
• 20:22
  Speaker 5: The EV Clever app is an app created for all responders and emergency service personnel.
• 20:27
  Speaker 5: The EV Clever app is the only app containing easy-to-navigate quick links to access manufacturer-suggested instructions for emergency situations dealing with electric and alternative fuel vehicles while on the side of the road.
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: That includes hybrid, fully electric fuel cell, compressed natural gas and hydrogen buses and heavy trucks.
• 20:48
  Speaker 5: These quick links are a convenient way to access information quickly.
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: To date, we have a total of 789 passenger vehicles, over 181 heavy-duty trucks, and adding more every day, thanks to our research team.
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: You can go to evclevercom and use the code PODCAST2024, get a free 30-day trial and then after that you get 20% off.
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: The best towing companies offer a combination of great training, efficient operations, along with quality supplies.
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: Towing Equipment Direct is committed to help your towing company stay ahead of the competition by providing the best quality of towing equipment and supplies.
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: Here's why you should choose Towing Equipment Direct for all of your towing supply needs.
• 21:33
  Speaker 3: We provide affordable towing supplies and equipment.
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: All towing supplies and equipment are made from the latest technology and we supply products from the most respected brands in the towing industry, offering the widest variety of towing supplies and equipment in New England.
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: If you're not using the latest towing equipment, there's a good chance your company has fallen behind.
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: Savvy consumers can quickly tell which towing companies provide the best service.
• 21:58
  Speaker 3: In many cases, the quality of your equipment and supplies can make a huge difference.
• 22:03
  Speaker 3: Our representatives are knowledgeable in the towing industry, so for the best towing equipment and supplies, count on the team at Towing Equipment Direct.
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: Browse our catalog online at towingequipmentdirectcom or give us a call at 910-747-9000.
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: That's 910-747-9000.
• 22:22
  Speaker 3: We look forward to serving you.
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: Welcome back listeners.
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: This is the number one podcast in the towing and recovery industry the American Towing and Recovery Institute podcast with Wes Wilburn, dj Harrington and our special guest, anna Wingard.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: By all means remember to like, review and share everywhere.
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: If you want to hear another industry expert like Anna, by all means call the podcast hotline 706-409-5603.
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: And Wes and Tanya and DJ will do our best to get you on the podcast Without further ado, let me pass it back on over to Wes and Tanya.
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: Tanya, that's exactly right.
• 23:13
  Speaker 2: So the caption that I seen, anna, was the other 25 letters in the alphabet, and if plenty doesn't work, I love that.
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: I'm just going to remember that for the rest of my life, exactly what it felt like.
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: It's, I'm sure, I'm 100 sure, I'm sure, but that's what perseverance and just keep moving forward does, that's what it achieves, you know, especially when you consider the pandemic was in the middle of all this yes and for y'all to keep going afterwards.
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: Yes, god bless, god bless so with that mountain that you climbed and I'm sure I'm sure there's still work to be done on the slow down move over.
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: I'm sure there's still little aspects of it that need to be tweaked.
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: But what else are you guys working on?
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: What else is the association doing?
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: Anything current coming up?
• 24:13
  Speaker 6: think sometimes lobbyists have a bad reputation, but lobbying has been paramount for us and we absolutely could not do it without our lobbyists.
• 24:16
  Speaker 6: So I think our lobbyist has given us really, really great advice, and she says that we should always try to make changes non-legislatively.
• 24:24
  Speaker 6: First.
• 24:24
  Speaker 6: We should try to find a way to change policies and procedures, make relationships better, before trying to change the law.
• 24:31
  Speaker 6: So we have spent a good portion of this year investigating those options in pretty much two different arenas, due to the fact that our kind of goal as an association wasn't so much on the towing side, it was more of the impound side.
• 24:48
  Speaker 6: So of course, a lot of towing businesses aren't just towing from point A to point B, but they're bringing a lot of police impounds, private property impounds back to their lot and, as in South Carolina, a lot of our towing businesses are saying, hey, more and more cars are being left with us than ever before, and I think a lot of that has to do with the economy.
• 25:10
  Speaker 6: I think that people are buying vehicles and they are probably spending all the money that they have on a vehicle.
• 25:17
  Speaker 6: They're unable to then properly pay insurance, properly pay taxes, properly pay tag fees, that sort of thing.
• 25:25
  Speaker 6: So when they get pulled over for speeding, they're having multiple violations and they're getting their car impounded.
• 25:31
  Speaker 6: and then they're unable to come retreat their vehicle.
• 25:34
  Speaker 6: So it's kind of just a little summary of why we kind of think that we're being left with more and more vehicles.
• 25:39
  Speaker 6: So we have been trying to exercise our rights by being able to reclaim vehicles the most fastest way that takes the least amount of paperwork, essentially bypassing magistrate court.
• 25:54
  Speaker 6: So the Towing Association.
• 25:57
  Speaker 6: There's two different routes to do that.
• 25:59
  Speaker 6: One route is to go through our South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and another way is to go through that with our Sheriff's Department.
• 26:04
  Speaker 6: So as an association we realized that there was two laws that we can exercise.
• 26:09
  Speaker 6: And then we saw that the Sheriff's Department was not exercising their right on their part by not having a statewide form.
• 26:17
  Speaker 6: So anyway, we worked with the Sheriff's Association in our state to make sure there was a statewide form so that towing services can properly dismantle, sell to a recycler, you know, to crush the vehicle without having to go through magistrate court.
• 26:31
  Speaker 6: So we were able to do that, which we felt like was a great thing because again, that didn't require any laws to be changed.
• 26:39
  Speaker 6: And then we've also been working with our Department of Motor Vehicles Even when a vehicle goes through magistrate court and we're able to get the title later to the vehicle.
• 26:51
  Speaker 6: There's been some titling issues that we've been working with the DMV on.
• 26:55
  Speaker 6: We've been actually working with the DMV on a way that we can take ownership of mopeds without having to go through magistrate court, which kind of sounds silly, but I don't think that towing mopeds are any tow operators favorite thing to tow.
• 27:11
  Speaker 6: But it becomes cumbersome when we have to go through magistrate court for these things that are only worth $500.
• 27:19
  Speaker 6: So we're currently working with our Department of Motor Vehicles so that we can potentially sell a vehicle without having to go through magistrate court, having to go through magistrate court.
• 27:31
  Speaker 6: So those are just a couple examples of things that we're trying to help towing businesses with that are more so on the back end business side of things more so than the towing side.
• 27:41
  Speaker 4: Yeah, well, that's one of the great things of what state associations do?
• 27:44
  Speaker 4: I have a question or two I'd like to ask in there Is private property a big business, private property telling a big business in South Carolina.
• 27:55
  Speaker 6: All over the state, a good bit of private property impound business down there, so much so that Charleston County and even more specific cities like the city of Charleston have government mandated towing rates for private property impounds and even an array of regulations like when the towing service can and can't be open to release vehicles, that sort of thing.
• 28:33
  Speaker 6: So yes, so that definitely is Greenville County.
• 28:38
  Speaker 6: Some people might be familiar with the city of Greenville.
• 28:41
  Speaker 6: There's a bunch of plants or things like that, like BMW plant is up there, and that jurisdiction as well mandates the towing rates and all sorts of things related to private property impounds.
• 28:54
  Speaker 6: So I think it just varies.
• 28:55
  Speaker 6: I'm right outside of a college town and my business does a little bit of private property impounds, but it's not a big portion of what our business does.
• 29:06
  Speaker 4: And one last question on the subject, and we'll move on.
• 29:08
  Speaker 4: And then one last question on the subject, and we'll move on.
• 29:11
  Speaker 4: As far as cars left, is it equal between the private property, percentage-wise, and the law enforcement toes of what you get left with, or?
• 29:27
  Speaker 6: is it more one or the other?
• 29:29
  Speaker 6: I think that it might vary on the nature of the private property impound.
• 29:33
  Speaker 6: If it's a private property impound where someone just parked, you know, at the wrong restaurant for lunch and then came back to get their vehicle 30 minutes later and it's gone, of course they're very likely to pick up their car.
• 29:43
  Speaker 6: That private property impounds on the other side of the spectrum like if a grocery store, shopping center complex calls and says this car has been abandoned on our lot for seven days and it's blocking our dumpster, obviously somebody has already abandoned that car.
• 30:01
  Speaker 6: So the likelihood that they are going to pick it up from the towing service later is slim to none, because it's technically already really been abandoned one time.
• 30:10
  Speaker 6: It's just you're moving the vehicle from one place to another.
• 30:15
  Speaker 6: I think also the nature of a police impound would determine whether it was going to be picked up or not from the tow impound yard.
• 30:22
  Speaker 6: If it's a violation, if they were arrested, then they're most likely to come pick up the car after they get in, you know, out of jail, but also with recs.
• 30:31
  Speaker 6: We are seeing more and more people with loans on their car who do not have active insurance policies like absolutely uninsured.
• 30:41
  Speaker 6: So I really don't think that you could say that the nature of the impound would determine whether it's more likely to be picked up or not from the impound yard.
• 30:50
  Speaker 6: At this point I think there's several factors that are going into it.
• 30:55
  Speaker 4: Fair enough, good answer, thank you.
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: I have a question going back a little bit from what you said.
• 31:01
  Speaker 2: You said that you were working within the laws.
• 31:04
  Speaker 4: first, Rules first Rules the rules first before changing the laws.
• 31:12
  Speaker 2: You said that you work with the Sheriff's Department and DMV Do you have any advice to our 16,000 listeners out there on how to approach that in their states.
• 31:26
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 31:26
  Speaker 6: So I think one of the reasons why I feel like the Towing Association in 2024 has been so successful is we have been knocking on people's doors leadership positions for about two years and we've been told no.
• 31:41
  Speaker 6: And even though we've been told no, like we're not going to meet with you, we're still asking six months later like, hey, nothing has changed.
• 31:47
  Speaker 6: I sent you an email I asked to meet with you.
• 31:48
  Speaker 6: Hey, nothing has changed.
• 31:49
  Speaker 6: I sent you an email I asked to meet with you.
• 31:51
  Speaker 6: Whichever organization it might be, I still want to meet with you.
• 31:56
  Speaker 6: I just definitely think persistence pays off and I think the biggest kind of way that we got our foot in the door with the DMV is being persistent and literally looking up the leadership positions on the South Carolina Department of DMV's website, finding their email address and sending them an email and just not being afraid to do so, and we've essentially that's kind of how we got our foot in the door.
• 32:22
  Speaker 6: And then the next step is because we had started to communicate with the DMV.
• 32:27
  Speaker 6: We were invited this year the Towing Association to the stakeholder meeting for the Department of Motor Vehicles and that was really a home run for us because we were literally sitting at the same table as the head of the DMV, which his boss is, the governor of South Carolina.
• 32:45
  Speaker 6: We sat with the attorney of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and then the other people at the table was the Recyclers Association of South Carolina, the Motor Coach Association, the Association of Counties, so it was every major association in the state of South Carolina that had any interest in vehicles and it was a great, great way.
• 33:06
  Speaker 6: And I was able to tell you know the director of the DMV I've started working on with some people in your leadership on these problems in South Carolina and how the DMV has a way to help us, which then helps the motoring public, which is always important to tie your problems as an association to the general public, public.
• 33:27
  Speaker 6: And basically, at the end of when I had a chance to speak, the director of the DMV said all right, well, we're going to make sure, or I'm going to make sure, that these things, you know, get handled by my leadership.
• 33:42
  Speaker 6: So even though I was communicating with one person in the DMV to help me, the attorney heard it and his boss heard it.
• 33:45
  Speaker 6: So I feel like we're definitely going to be able to get those things changed and we finally feel like we're to a point where our industry is being recognized and understood, that what happens in our industry impacts the DMV and impacts everybody on the road.
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: Not only recognized and understood, but taken seriously because and respected.
• 34:04
  Speaker 2: You definitely made that happen in the state of South Carolina.
• 34:07
  Speaker 2: Yes, yes.
• 34:09
  Speaker 6: So definitely persistence.
• 34:11
  Speaker 6: If you get five no's from somebody, continue on.
• 34:15
  Speaker 6: Find another way to find a yes.
• 34:18
  Speaker 6: One of the things that our state association is really excited to do in 2025, and I'm not sure if other state houses do this, but the state of South Carolina allows for breakfasts and lunches to happen at the state house, and we have been on a wait list for three years to be able to do this, so we are going to be able to, as an association, host a breakfast at the actual state house for all of the legislators and their staff members, and it's at the state house, so we're not asking them to come to our event and asking them to be away from work.
• 34:55
  Speaker 6: This is in their territory and convenient for them and their staff members, and so I would encourage any state association that's listening to this to be sure to see if that's an option for them, because it's a great way for us to be able to I love this statement but to sit at the same table as them, because we could come into their office and talk to them all day long, but there's something very special about sharing a meal, you know, with somebody you want to get work done with.
• 35:23
  Speaker 4: How true, how true, excellent.
• 35:26
  Speaker 2: Sounds like you've definitely set the table.
• 35:28
  Speaker 2: If we want to go back to the table analogy, for it may seem like it's been overnight to some people, but you've been working towards this.
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: Your association's been working towards this, but you've been working towards this for the last five years and here you are and your state has benefited.
• 35:46
  Speaker 2: The towers in your state have benefited from it.
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: Hopefully, they know that benefited.
• 35:51
  Speaker 4: the Towers in your state have benefited from it.
• 35:53
  Speaker 4: Hopefully they know that If you're a Toward in the state of South Carolina, you should definitely consider joining.
• 35:58
  Speaker 4: I guess as a matter of disclosure, I should say I have a warm spot in my heart for the Toward Recovery Association of South Carolina.
• 36:04
  Speaker 4: They made me an honorary lifetime member and I always appreciate that.
• 36:11
  Speaker 2: How do you become?
• 36:11
  Speaker 2: A member in the state of South Carolina.
• 36:13
  Speaker 2: Where do you, where do you reach out to?
• 36:16
  Speaker 6: Sure, normally I would say you would go to trafcnet, but our website is actually being revamped, but our email address is trafc T-R-A-S-C 2015 at gmailcom, and if you just shoot us an email, that that way we can basically send an invoice and basically all the rest of the information about becoming a member, and we're just hoping that we have a nice new website that'll make things easier and that, unfortunately, takes some time.
• 36:43
  Speaker 2: I'm going to do with it.
• 36:44
  Speaker 2: You know it's going to be fabulous.
• 36:46
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 36:47
  Speaker 6: We also have a Facebook page.
• 36:48
  Speaker 6: There is a private Facebook page that a lot of times people try to get into, but really it's just a public Facebook page.
• 36:54
  Speaker 3: It's the Going and.
• 36:54
  Speaker 6: Recovering Association of South Carolina.
• 36:56
  Speaker 6: You've been a great guest Deanna.
• 36:58
  Speaker 6: Thank you so much for having me.
• 37:02
  Speaker 2: Wes anything you want to add to that on the air?
• 37:04
  Speaker 4: No just thank you and keep up the good work.
• 37:07
  Speaker 6: Thanks, wes, I appreciate it.
• 37:09
  Speaker 4: Thank you.