Weight billing or hourly
Life is choice. How I charge is choice
By Sean Couch
Isn’t it great to have choices? Charging by the hour is a towing choice.
Isn’t it common within the toing industry to have those who rise up in an attempt to suppress an improvement within the industry? This form of intelligence confirms that charging by the hour has gone us right where we are today.
Anyone can be in the business of towing by Monday, on the rotation list by Wednesday, and towing for auto clubs on Friday; other service industries have lobbied for laws, regulation, structure, conduct and protocol. The general lack of profits has resulted in very poor contributions for the purposes of structure and regulations. With infrastructure, studies are conducted to arrive at numerous fair service values.
All is lacking in towing. Without this organized standard, the business of towing continues to charge whatever the market will bear, whether it is by contract fee, hourly, or weight. None is regulated, and to preach “If we don’t, they will” is idiotic. Towing services are fee to charge any fee that is acceptable to its customer.
If the advocates for hourly fees have the business all figures out, have the figures when they will be in a position to pay an employee a solid income in order for that person to:
· Purchase a home?
· Own a car that is less than four years old?
· Receive two weeks paid vacation?
· Work a 40 hour week?
· Become trained and knowledgeable in the safe operation of equipment?
· Have the respect deserved for the skill the employee possesses?
· Answer these questions and I will support hourly terms (billing).
Here are some more questions I’d like answered:
· Why is it that towing firms cannot buy new equipment with fatigue ratings?
· Why does towing not offer national towing fleet insurance discounts?
· Why are there no comparison reports like Consumer Reports?
· Why aren’t there family health insurance programs?
· Why is it that towers haven’t gained responder status at the accident scene?
· Why does the national association compete with its own?
· Why does the national association have less than 10 percent membership?
· Why are auto clubs owned and operated by non-towing executives?
· Why are truck break-down services owned and operated by non-towers?
· Why is there such a problem getting operators-drivers?
· Since towing is so vital to insurance companies, where are the associate alliances between towing and insurance industries?
I know the advocates won’t relate these issues to money. They will point the finger and have us believe that “if we don’t, they will.” Only the newest towers will listen to this line. Anyone who is dry behind the ears has heard this shock talk all too many times.
It is choice. Life is choice. How I charge is choice. Far too many times, tow operators encounter those who run for office in order to express their own viewpoints, some of whom continue to suppress the financial future of the towing industry.
Without on improved means towards profit, we will never be any farther along than we are. Saying “If we don’t they will” is an ill-informed comment. I say “If we don’t, who will?”
(Editorial was written by Sean Couch from Somerset Hills Towing, Bedminster, New Jersey, and reprinted with permission of Towing and Recovery Footnotes. Appeared in the December 2002 issue on page 5)
