June 4, 2024 • 47 mins
Ever wondered why the towing industry is constantly butting heads with bureaucracy? This week, we unpack listener Joe's insightful comment on the challenges faced by those directed by industry outsiders and dive deep into the bureaucratic maze of large roadside assistance companies. We also address perceptions about our show's alignment with industry figures, underscoring our independent take and respect for their contributions.
In Ontario, the towing industry is facing a tough reality check. We discuss how egos and conflicting opinions among industry leaders are stalling progress and why this is a cause for concern about the future. From a listener's exciting mention of a customized F-250 to reminiscing about the classic 1986 film "Short Circuit," this segment is a mix of industry critique and nostalgic fun.
Lastly, we take a hard look at the controversial use of dual-facing dash cams through our trial with Samsara. We debate the pros and cons, tackle privacy concerns, and explore the role of AI in detecting risky behaviors like cell phone usage. From integrating cutting-edge technology in tow trucks to transitioning to paperless operations, we share our thoughts on innovation, resistance to change, and financial considerations for small towing companies. Your feedback continues to shape our show, so keep it coming!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hey everyone.
I'm Brad from Calgary.
This is Sean from Cambridge,ontario.
I'm Terry from Cornwall,ontario.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hey, this is Larry from Pit Metals, British
Columbia, and you're listeningto the Towing Life Podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Welcome to the Towing Life Podcast, where the ditches
are deep, the trucks are loaded, but the drivers are not.
I am your host, Tow man G, and,as usual, I'm joined by my
co-host, friend and formerco-worker, the man with very
strong opinions, Mr Plain Guy.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
What is going on?
G.
What is going on?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
playing guy.
What is going on, gee?
What is going on, oh, in theland of milk and honey, except
for milk it's better than thatand honey it's not feeling well.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah, it's a beautiful long may weekend as we
sit down and record episode 138.
Um, so you cannot complainabout the weather that we've had
and that does suck that you'refeeling bad.
It's.
We're in June, july, weather uphere it is.
It is absolutely unreal.
Um, as you said, welcome toanother episode of the tone life
(01:14):
podcast.
We have some good stuff on tapa little bit of followup from
last week, a little bit of newstuff for this week.
Uh, we have it all, um.
That being said, your questions,comments, concerns everything
that you have for the show isalways appreciated.
So where can you find us?
You can reach out.
You can head over to ourwebsite at wwwtowinglifeca.
(01:35):
You can visit us on Facebook atthe Towing Life Podcast, or you
can email us directly atthetowinglifeatgmailcom.
If you're watching over onYouTube, do not forget, you can
comment right down below.
Hit that thumbs up everythingelse while you were down there.
If you are listening over onspotify or any of the audio apps
(01:55):
, uh, there is a text us optionthat sends us an email directly
with any comments or questionsyou have.
I don't think we can reply toit, um, but if you have an idea
for the show.
It's that easy.
You've already got it open.
You're listening.
Pull over into a safe spot ifyou're driving, click the tab,
send us over a message and wewill do our best to get to any
questions that you may have onthe show.
(02:15):
I did all that while uploadingthe slide for the show.
That I forgot to do.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
I was wondering why my internet really went to shit,
yeah, yeah.
You haven't moved for a solid20 seconds on my screen.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I realized as I got into that intro I'm like I
didn't upload the slides that wewanted to talk about today, so
I've got the script so memorizedthat I'm able to do it while
working in the background.
It only took 138 episodes.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Speaking about the comments and questions.
Speaking of the comments andquestions from last week, I do.
We did get quite a few commentson uh youtube from the last oh,
did we ever looked at?
we had one from joe saying goodshow guys, joe.
Yeah, he also says I just had ameeting with my area rep for
the us three-letter roadside andtheir supervisor told him it's
(03:05):
real interesting how we asdrivers are told what to do and
how to do our job by someone whohas never driven or even does
the job for a period of time tounderstand it.
They were telling us on how toget greet members and explain to
them everything that we'redoing while loading the vehicle
so that we can have good reviews.
So I mentioned everything thatwe're doing while loading the
vehicles so that we can havegood reviews.
(03:25):
So I mentioned everything thatwe do is all about reviews and
it's not for their safety.
After a long silence by them anda bullshit answer, that's
pretty much what it is.
So in a way, it's like thegovernment telling us what to do
because they have no idea howto do our job or what it
requires.
Just think the higher ups asthe government and, to be frank,
(03:48):
most big three-letter roadsidesare corporations and they have
a lot of bureaucracy and theyrun a lot like governments do.
And yeah, it's all about ourthree-letter roadside Cover ass
always.
That's all they got to do andthey just want what's best for
their stockholders, and that'sto get the bottom line up, make
(04:10):
the company.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Look, yeah, but that is that's.
That's it.
That's where you can't comparethem to government, because the
government is working withpublicly funded money, um, so at
the end of the day they'rethey're not overly concerned.
There's, there's very littleaccountability lately,
especially for um.
You know what I mean, what thebottom line is with the
government, where there is a lotmore when it comes to these
three letter road sides andthese corporations.
So I get the comparison you'retrying to make, um, but there's
(04:33):
obviously big leading factorsbetween the two decision-making
Um.
I'm reading, actually, thecomments that I do like playing.
I really missed the boat on tosee uh sounds, I really missed
the boat on.
Tasia sounds a lot likeregurgitated Doug and Joey
rhetoric.
Sorry, you feel that way.
Anyone that knows me knows thatI respect those individuals on
(04:54):
what they have done for theindustry.
However, I have my fair shareof difference of opinions.
That has been, you know, notpublicly talked about on the
show, but definitely throughoutmy career I've not shied away
from.
So, if you feel that way, youknow again, I'm not influenced
by anything that they say or do,but maybe there is some you
(05:17):
know.
So I say there's, there mightbe some in.
You know there might be sometruth to what they're saying.
They're they're professionalsin the industry that have been
around for a long time.
Right, obviously they know whatthey're doing, one much more
than the other.
I would like to make thatabundantly clear.
I won't say which is which, butI think they know, and I think
you will know as well.
One has successfully grown amassive towing company.
(05:40):
The other is kind of just aplay setter, in my opinion.
It's true, and you know what.
I wasn't going to get into this, but let's get into this.
Um, okay, it was ironic, uh,the timing, because I don't
think we talked about that parton the show.
So we talked last week aboutontario's call to action and and
I know there's probably someontario companies that are
(06:02):
starting to their ears, aregoing up with this kind of stuff
, and and you know they'relistening to specific episodes
because we cover things directlyinvolving them there was a
letter put out sent out.
Sorry, it wasn't a letter, itwas a news article.
I'm going to try and pull it uphere now.
It was a news article that wasput together in trucker news.
(06:25):
I want to say, um, in regardsto this day of action.
Now I hated it.
I absolutely hated this article.
The government, the insurancecompanies and everyone have
given us a run around in thetowing industry because we have
failed to stay united, at leaston a certain amount of of.
(06:49):
You know our points on what wewant we're trying to accomplish
with the towing industry.
Right, we have three differenttowing or towing associations
that are talking to thegovernment.
We have the ORG, the Ontariorecovery group.
We have the ORG, the OntarioRecovery Group.
We have the PTAO, theProfessional Towers Association
of Ontario, and the NAAPTD.
(07:10):
I don't know what it stands for.
It's still an association.
Whether we acknowledge thatit's a, you know it's still an
association.
It's a stakeholder in theindustry.
So the PTAO unofficially Idon't really want to even say
them towers within the pta orthe ones that called for this
day of action.
(07:30):
I'm not saying the pto wasbehind it.
They don't.
I don't believe they support it.
I don't think they publiclycome out and say they support it
, but clearly, by the messagesent here, the org is in
disagreement, which is fine.
You can disagree with anothertowing association's direction,
an article put out intrucknewscom.
Our members will not beparticipating in this job action
(07:52):
.
Many of them will likely beready to assist the police in
any matters deemed necessary.
I have serious doubts that 50tow companies will be
participating in this job.
Action, said nelson uh, whichis doug n, the executive
director of the ORG, in an emailto trucknewscom.
When you do the numbers, evenas CTV News has provided, it
(08:13):
comes out to less than 4.5% andnot likely to be a problem.
Joey Gagne, president of AbramsTowing, agrees it'll be a
non-event.
He noted there are 1,260 towingcompanies in Ontario.
While many of them, who work inremote areas, have a legitimate
gripe, he admits none of theGTHA-authorized towing companies
are expected to participate.
So that is the tow zone pilotcompanies in Toronto.
(08:38):
He adds we, the OntarioRecovery Group, continue to have
a robust dialogue with thegovernment to find solutions to
these challenges and expect someprogress in the near future.
Here's my problem with this thegovernment's already got you by
the balls, towing industry,because you can't get your shit
together, and I mean thatrespectfully.
I mean you guys can not all geton the same page, let alone in
the same goddamn book, when oneassociation whether you agree
(09:02):
with the day of action, you candisagree with the day of action,
you can disagree with the dayof action.
I did not participate in theweekend of action.
I have no problem.
I'm not trying to away fromthat.
I did agree with certain pointsthat they had, but I would not
publicly come out and show thatdivide in the towing industry to
only further empower thegovernment and insurance
companies.
If you don't agree with the dayof action understandable we
(09:25):
will not be participating inthis weekend of action, a day of
action, whatever they want tocall it.
However, we understand thatthere is issues within the
towing industry and governmentthat need to be resolved and we
look forward to working on thatsolution together.
That is all you have to say.
You do not have to say it'll bea non-event.
That is all you have to say.
You do not have to say it'll bea non-event.
(09:46):
You do not have to say you knowthat you have serious doubts
that this many companies will doit.
All you are showing is themisorganization and the division
that still exists within thetowing industry.
Put your egos aside.
Right, this is the them versusus.
We have a different view, theyhave a different view.
They have a different view.
Egos are very high on this oneand it is causing.
(10:10):
It's causing the government notto take us seriously.
Let's be honest.
So, um, it's been aninteresting time in ontario, we
know that.
So, um, I won't call your namejust because it looks like it
might be a towing company, butyour comment over on YouTube,
that sounds a lot likeregurgitated rhetoric.
Like I said, I can assure youthere is no love lost between
(10:32):
those individuals.
I respect what they've done forthe industry for many, many
years, but our views align verydifferently whenever it comes to
the current tides within thetowing industry.
So, that being said, mr TowmanG once again has reconnected
after losing internet service.
(10:53):
Welcome back, sir.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Hi, the webpage hasn't even loaded yet.
Okay, okay, I'm unable to loadthe layouts of our stream yards.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
That's fine.
You just need to sit there.
You're up up, you're lookingpretty and, uh, you're
participating.
That's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
You get a trophy, perfect it is 2024 and I expect
a participation trophy.
However, I did miss pretty muchmost of everything that you
talked about, but I canreiterate that that's the
biggest issue in our industry isnot being able to come together
as a collective whole, andwe've talked about this
previously on the show is, ifyou go into, like facebook
(11:33):
groups for police officers orfirefighters, you don't see each
other bashing each other thesame as you do in the towing
industry.
We are are very cutthroat toeach other and when the public
looks in at this or articles getwritten, they're like the
towing industry just looks to bein shambles because they're
going after each other when weare should all be fighting for
(11:57):
the collective growth and goalof the industry, in whatever
manner that is, regardless.
If, like you were saying, ifyou don't see eye to eye with
one person's push to better theindustry, respect their effort
to at least try to do somethingto better the industry, whether
you support it or not, and justsit at the sidelines.
(12:19):
If it fails, it fails, but atleast if it succeeds and you
didn't bash it, well then it'sstill a success for you and
you're not spiteful becauseyou're like I didn't agree with
that, but it worked.
Now I feel stupid, or I can'talign myself with them again,
because instead of staying onthe straight and narrow together
(12:41):
, you've divided even more in awhy, and I feel that's when a
lot of resentment can show upand a lot of this.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Like you know, it's one thing to go on a level and
people might want to call me ahypocrite for it and knock
yourself out where, oh well, youguys are showing the divide by
talking about it on the show.
Yeah, fair enough, right, like?
And even last week, when wetalked about, uh, the post put
out on facebook about this wholeaction that was being taken,
and I didn't agree with manyparts of it, and that's fine, I
didn't bash it, I, there's there, you know, the points are valid
(13:14):
.
I I didn't think it would beeffective.
The difference is is I'm notthe head of the associations
that is going out to the media,that is going out to the um, the
, the government, and havingthese conversations.
They are the ultimately theones that are going to make the
decision.
And when egos get involved and Ibelieve a lot of it is about
egos you have one ego over heresaying this is what we need to
(13:38):
do.
You have another one over heresaying no, this is what we have
to do.
Both of these men arewell-represented and well well
established in the towingindustry and what they?
You know their opinions carry alot of weight, right, and you
need to be able to put thataside, and I feel like it's a
race to say, well, I want to bethe guy that says that I fixed
(13:59):
the industry.
Well, guess what?
The right leg can't do anythingwithout the left leg.
Right, and I don't think theoption is amputation.
The option is to start workingtogether to figure out how we're
going to better the industrythrough.
You know, you don't have toagree with everything, right,
it's just, it's it's been a painin the ass and, and as much as
(14:21):
I respect individuals on bothsides of the argument, they have
both come out with very, verystupid ideas, in my opinion.
Um, you know, I'm not gonnagive them out loud, because one
has already threatened my jobyears ago, um, or at least tried
to um.
So you know, it is what it is.
I really, really hope theassociation in Ontario can turn
(14:43):
it around, but I have my fears,and I have.
I, I don't have the faith inthe leadership that we have.
You know, I don't have faith inI shouldn't say the leadership,
but the direction we have withthe government right now.
I'm really worried about whatthe future holds for the
industry.
So enough government talk forall you Americans.
(15:04):
They're goddamn Canadians, andwhat do they have to complain
about?
They got year-long maple syrupand free healthcare, and all
these guys can do is bitch abouthow their towing industry is so
goddamn broken.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, we also had a comment, I think, from Chris.
I can't.
I lost it being pulled upsaying that they have a F-250
with one of the ramps.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Motorcycle lift.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah and uh, something like that.
I can get behind 100% of pickuptruck, yep.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
I don't know where the comment said came from, from
ACE, ACE diamond, uh, Hayeslaser lips.
So I know that line hey laserlips.
Your mama was a snowblower.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Uh, no blower.
Uh, did I come up in lastweek's show that I?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
don't remember or I don't know, did we?
I saw that.
I was like I don't know.
Do you know that line?
Do you know that movie?
No, I don't.
Oh my god, um, short circuit.
It's an old school movie.
It's fairly old now and it'sabout a robot that comes alive.
I mean, it's like it is notlike ai shit alive, it is like a
box of magnets and bolts thatgot put together somehow comes
alive.
And it's like a box of magnetsand bolts that got put together
somehow comes alive.
And it's like a military uhrobot.
(16:07):
Old school, very old school.
And he has a line where he, youknow, he gets a conscience and
he's fighting the other robots.
You know it's comedy.
He goes hey, laser lips.
Your mama was a snowblower andI always like that line.
So I'm not sure where the line,why the comment popped up, but I
definitely get the reference.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
You know something that's sad and this was brought
to my attention we are closer to2050 than we are 1990.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
And you saying that the movie is old, just reminded
me of that.
Okay, so Short Circuit and I'mterrible for remembering I, the
actor in it, short circuit theoriginal was 1986.
Wow, um, yeah, like it is not a.
That's why I say it's an oldermovie.
Um, it's starring I don't knowany of these people who's the
(17:01):
main guy.
I don't even recognize him.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I think, just getting older, like I'm not that old by
any means, I'm approaching mythirties and that's kind of
shitty to say, um, but time justkeeps marching on and it
doesn't slow down for nothingand it's just, I don't know,
nope, all all my friends now arenow having kids and stuff and
married or getting married.
(17:24):
Now having kids and stuff andmarried or getting married, and
it's like, uh, I'm sitting heredoing a stupid little internet
show with this asshole over hereoh, you're calling the show a
stupid little internet show.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah it's a stupid little internet show that's kind
of comedic and sometimesinformative don't, don't take
yourself loathing out on theshow, okay, don't take your you
know, depressive state thatyou're in out on our wonderful
podcast.
That is, that is just mean.
So anyways, let's talk about me.
(17:56):
Let's talk about somethingthat's very controversial and no
, it's not ontario towing lawsor the people behind them.
We recently, recently, havestarted a trial with a company.
I can give the company a shoutout, I don't care, it's a trial,
I'm still on the fence about it.
It's called Samsara.
Samsara offers fleet trackingservices as well as dash cams.
(18:17):
Dash cams for tow trucks.
It's all integrated.
It's a fairly nice system ofwhat I've seen on the play.
On the play uh, on the you knowtrial, so far very expensive
system comes with a cost.
Right, like everything in theworld, it comes with a cost.
The argument becomes with dashcams in the towing industry.
We are currently trialing outtwo dual facing dash cams.
(18:40):
What I mean by dual facing isobviously one faces outwards and
one faces inwards towards ourdrivers and their passengers.
Now I'm sure there's beensomething that has been debated
for a long time, but dual facingversus front facing, cameras,
pros, cons, concerns of driversI want you to try, and I know g
(19:04):
with his cult mentality,probably has so many privacy
concerns about this that he isgoing to voice to me and I will
try and answer the best that Ican on reasonings why, or
justifying reasonings why, orwith my experience through this,
this company, already, if thereis things that that put your,
your at ease, so it's funny thatyou bring this up.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
I'm not sure if you've seen it, but a little
while ago there is a semi truckthat drove off a bridge.
Yes, and the dash cam video wasreleased.
Yes, and the lady driving whenthat truck came out and she hit
it, she turned the wheel to theleft and proceeded to steer the
(19:47):
truck off the bridge.
I didn't notice that part.
Yeah, so the truck hit andshe's like whoa all over the
place and then proceeds to keepturning the wheel left because I
guess a semi oncoming, that'slike 300 meters away.
She was worried about hittingthat and would rather go off the
bridge instead of turning rightand trying to control the truck
(20:10):
and stay on the bridge.
And that's if you don't knowwhy trucks don't have airbags,
because if you get into anaccident, you're supposed to be
able to hopefully maintain sightlines and hopefully steer to
avoid secondary collisions isthat really reason why that they
don't have airbags?
correct?
Yeah, because if you thinkabout it, if you're in an 80 000
(20:32):
pound rig going down a hill anda smart car that pulls out in
front of you, yeah you, you'rekilling the person in the smart
car.
As bad as that is, you are.
But if you lose control of therig that's 80 000 pounds, it's
not stopping.
And now you can't see what'sgoing on in front of you.
You don't know if you're goingto drive into another minivan
(20:55):
full of kids or into a brickwall or into a ditch and safely
crash a truck into the tree andhopefully you make it out alive
okay I'm not calling I'm notcalling you a liar, but I just
re-looked at this footage andyou are incorrect.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
What happened is is you got to look at where, in
relation to the cab, she'ssteering?
She's steering towards thepassenger seat, but the overlay
of the cameras, I think it gotyou confused.
It looks like she's steeringinto it whenever you overlay the
cameras that way, but no, sheis actually steering towards the
passenger seat.
She's trying, cranking,cranking, and there was
(21:30):
obviously some damage.
That probably.
So there goes your argument.
Now.
Okay, um, front-facing dash cams, I believe, are a bare minimum
within the towing industrynowadays.
Yeah, um, right on, mostvehicles are starting like.
Dash cams are becoming evermore popular.
Dual facing got some backlashright now.
(21:53):
I made a joke.
Some people took it well, somepeople didn't.
I said it's no problem if youdon't want a dual facing dash
cam in your truck, I understand.
So here's the steps that youcan take you can go to the bank
and you can take a loan and youcan buy your own goddamn tow
truck and then you can decidewhat kind of cameras you want to
have in your truck.
Until then, when you weredriving somebody else's piece of
(22:21):
equipment there, you know whatI mean there is lines to to draw
.
Now again, it isn't about atrusting.
I can tell you this app that Ihave.
I get incidents and I'm stillfiguring out how to set the
parameters to what I want.
Right, one of the big ones cellphones.
It is ai.
It does have ai technology,which means that it will
recognize a cell phone in yourhand and it will alert, it'll
warn the driver first put downthe phone.
If the driver does not put downthe phone, then it sends off a
(22:44):
video.
Okay, so there's a nudge thatthe driver receives first,
because I'm hoping that issomething that corrects itself.
Yeah, okay, that being said, II'm playing now with the speed
threshold on it because you knowI got a violation that pops up
and it's a guy going through ouryard, moving, you know, just
doing 10 kilometers an hour,crawling through our yard and
(23:05):
he's, you know, checking thecall that he just got.
Okay, that's fair, you candismiss these.
You know these incidents, yeah,right, now again, it's where
you play with the speedthreshold and you get everything
going else, right, harshbraking, incidents, all that is
on it.
You know, I mean the biggest,the biggest for me, is the cell
phones and the distracteddriving in today's day and age,
(23:27):
because I mean those tickets areno joke.
Like if you get in ontario, ifyou get convicted of a
distracted driving, like of acell phone ticket or a handheld
device ticket, there is, Ibelieve, a one or a two-day
suspension of your license uponconviction.
That happens, yeah, like itdoes not just pay a ticket and
move on with it, like there is asuspension involved with it
(23:50):
it's short but it's stillinvolved and the insurance costs
and the increase and everythingwith that.
And then, not to mention ifthat cell phone caused, right,
like when that dash cam footage,that outward dash cam footage
at least, and even inward, wouldprotect that driver.
In that instance, here's thevehicle that popped out in front
of you.
Here is the fact that you werenot on a phone.
(24:11):
You were not.
I mean, she looked like she wasfalling asleep at first, like
she was quite relaxed.
But you know what I mean.
It can go two ways.
It can either validate thedriver or it can help convict
them.
Yep, the main.
I I'm a big believer that thepeople that do not want inward
facing dash cams is because theydon't do things that they
(24:33):
should be doing or they dothings that they should not be
doing.
Yep, because it's not a spytool.
And now I'm not saying thatthere isn't companies that would
use it as a spy tool, right.
But you know, most managers andowners, depending on where
you're at, don't have the timeof day to just randomly like I
still haven't figured out.
(24:53):
I think it's an extra featurethat I haven't unlocked that you
would have to pay for.
Extra.
That I have no interest in is alive view.
I I don't need a live view.
I don't need to go see what itis you're doing at that time.
My concern is for coachingwhenever there's an incident
that comes up, because, hey, youcan put all the policies you
want out.
You can put a policy of no cellphones right, no distracted
(25:16):
driving policy.
How are you enforcing that,unless a customer is calling in
because they spotted it, theygot a ticket or you witnessed it
yourself?
You cannot, yep.
So the policy is bullshit andit's just a piece of paper that
gives you a right, if you docatch them to, to take action.
But instead of that, how aboutactually being able to, you know
, monitor it and regulate itRight?
Speaker 1 (25:43):
So able to, you know, monitor it and regulate it
right.
So I think and this is goingout on a limb here and just from
what my personal experience isa lot of people that are against
the inward facing dash cams aresmokers that are smoking in a
company vehicle.
That is illegal, right, andI've had the conversation with
managers before where they say Idon't care as long as you don't
(26:03):
get caught and I don't see it,and as long as the truck doesn't
smell and no customercomplaints.
If a customer complains, thenthere's going to be hell to pay
and I understand that and Irespect that and I know it's
illegal and I have taken theonus because that ticket is a
driver ticket, not a companyticket, and I understand that.
(26:24):
Um, it's a workplace, so youcan't smoke in the workplace,
you can't vape in a workplace.
Yada, yada, yada.
I understand that.
Um, the cell phone thingsunfortunately, with our job, a
lot of drivers aren't set up ina way, or they weren't provided
or they didn't go out on theirown accord and get a proper
(26:45):
mount to mount a cell phone orwhatever the excuse is.
A lot of times we have to takecalls while we're driving.
A lot of times, dispatch mightsend a text with information
that you might need.
Um, sometimes the the towdestination might get changed
and the excuses that I've madeand I'm sure a lot of other
(27:07):
drivers have made is well, if Igot to do that, okay, right.
If that's, if that is thethreshold, if you are going to
(27:29):
lose 20% of your productivity,to be legal, right, that's the
law is you can't operate yourdevices while driving.
If that is what the law says,then in theory, the inward
facing dash cam is holding youaccountable, holding the company
accountable, and it gives theability to do that.
(27:50):
It's just like the smokingthing if you get caught, that's
on you, okay.
Well, if you got your cellphone in your hand and you get
caught, well, we, there's proofof that, right, you we can
either.
It's not just on you, though,that's on the company I know we
can confirm it or we can deny itif something bad happens
because we have that camera now.
(28:10):
I worked for a company previousthat had inward facing dash
cams and a lot of people coveredthem up.
The owner got upset when theinward facing dash cams were
covered up, and rightfully so.
But it wasn't a hill that hedied on Right, it wasn't a big
thing.
Obviously, if somethinghappened and they're covered up,
he was pissed that the only waythey could get a live feed into
(28:42):
the cabin of the vehicle thatwe're driving is if they're
sitting at home on theircomputer, bored and had nothing
better to do.
It's not something they couldpull up on their cell phone nice
and easy while they'rethemselves are going down the
road or just being nosy rightand at the end of the day at the
end of the day, it is theirequipment, it is their
investment.
(29:05):
You are their employee.
I don't think there's any senseof privacy in the workplace per
se that you are entitled to.
I'm not 100% sure on thelegality of that, but I highly
doubt that there's anythingillegal about inward-facing dash
cams.
You might have to sign off onsomething, maybe to for the
company to cover their ass.
I think companies could dosomething like that just to
(29:27):
avoid pointless litigation downthe road, in case someone is
real butthurt.
But uh, personally, do I likeit as on an individual level, no
.
Do I understand why the companydoes it and why they're
protecting their asset?
Yes, would I probably put aninward-facing dash cam in my own
(29:47):
tow truck if I had one,especially letting someone else
drive it 100% Just because Coveryour ass always.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
So I want to touch on a couple points that are there.
So, yes, there is the the youknow the productivity argument
that can be made.
Now, um, it depends on thecompany as well.
I can.
I can assure you, like the wayour trucks are currently set up,
I have a doubt.
I have a tablet mounted in thetrucks on every truck.
Every tow truck has a tabletmounted with all of the apps
that the driver needs googlemaps, uh, you know we're a big
(30:18):
fan of tosoft.
Um, all you know all that stuff.
It's all.
It's all mounted on tablet.
They can remove the tablet whenneed be to do calls and
pictures, whatever.
It's mounted right up in a goodspot, so yep.
As for the texting issue, um,you know, dispatch calling
whatever, first of all calling.
There's no reason in 2024 thatyou don't have a wireless
(30:38):
headset, a bluetooth orbluetooth in the truck or
bluetooth in the truck.
There is zero excuses that canbe made for that.
You can get them for 20, 30, 40dollars, like they're.
As a driver, that one would beone if they went.
Well, I don't have a way tothen go buy one like that, come
on.
But amazon, it'll be heretomorrow, yeah.
(30:59):
But a big solution to that iseven we have added in all of our
trucks radios, a full radiosystem, because although you
cannot operate a handheld device, you can use a radio, a
push-to-talk two-way radio.
Yep, yeah.
So push-to-talk, notnecessarily a two-way radio, but
, yes, a push-to-talk open-airradio, whatever you want.
So again, we're a littleprivileged in that sense.
(31:22):
Um, it was an investmentobviously we made for the
company.
It's great when trucks cancommunicate together and
dispatch can communicate withthem.
Do they use it as effectivelyas I would want them to?
God, no, still constantlycalling each other on cell
phones, dispatch calling thedriver, like there's still flaws
in the system that we need towork out.
But so to say that you wouldlose efficiency, not really
(31:44):
other than having to re-punch inan address and god, google maps
, is voice activated, for christsakes.
Like there is a mic button thatyou can say an address now,
concessions might play into thatand rural areas right.
It's a lot easier to say thishey, plain guy, you live in a
small town, you know a lot ofthose town roads are picked up.
It's very easy, um, you know toadjust things on the fly, um,
(32:09):
but if not, I mean pull overfive seconds, punch in the new
address and go.
I don't think.
I think I'm in a boat.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
I think I'm in a boat with a lot of people you're in
a boat all right, I embrace thetechnology to a certain extent.
I very rarely usevoice-activated stuff on my cell
phone just because I don't likeit right.
Why are you worried?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
about the government stealing your voice.
I hate to break it to you.
You have a weekly podcast wherethey can get everything they
need and more.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
I'm well aware.
I'm well aware AI could be ableto steal my voice and call my
mother and say I'm in jail andeat bail.
That's, that's a real thing.
That's happening, um, anyways,but I'm a firm believer in the
technology that we have, but Ialso don't like implementing all
these things in my life,because I'm at that point now
where I'm getting stuck in myways of what I grew up with and
(33:00):
I don't like change, and I thinka lot of people in the industry
don't like the change, andthat's where we're seeing these
issues of well, I've never hadan inward facing dash camera
before.
I've never talked to my phonebefore to change the address on
Google, and I understand that aswell.
But times are changing and theycould be changing for the
better or the worst, dependingon the path everything takes.
(33:22):
But you see that a lot Everyonewants to go paperless and we
can talk about that more laterand it's just.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
A lot of things are changing and it's if you embrace
it and what avenue you areembracing, and I think that's
where the hiccup lies for a lotof people well, and it's funny
that that is a problem in thetowing industry, and the reason
I say that is because the towingindustry is constantly pushing
(33:51):
new innovations, whether it bewith equipment, whether it be
with recovery techniques,whether it be with all that
stuff.
The towing industry is evolvingconstantly, you know, like
exponentially since itsinception, and so it's funny
that you know we talk aboutbeing stuck in the old ways when
you know how much everything ischanging as a whole in the
(34:11):
towing industry regulation.
You know everything else.
So, yes, it is something I wantto talk about.
Like, we have almost, almost,almost gone completely paperless
.
Yeah, we are so close to it.
I, recently, I'm I'm testingout with my drivers right now an
app that we created, um forcommission entries.
(34:32):
Right, that was one of the fewpaper things that the driver
still had in his truck where hehad a piece of paper and he'd
write down his calls like a runsheet, and I've now found a way
to make a very smooth um, youknow, web, like app-based setup.
Um, we're in the process.
I got a couple drivers tryingit out this weekend to see how
(34:53):
it goes.
Um, that is the problem as youstart to go paperless and and as
, start to evolve, like the dashcameras, like the.
You know what.
Ironically, the dash camera theone guy that I don't get cell
phone violations from is myoldest guy in the fleet Because,
again, they you know what Imean.
They weren't born to textingand driving.
(35:13):
They weren't you know what Imean.
Like it was if you had someonewho called somebody and he's got
you.
He has a headset, whatever,like it it's.
It's actually the newergeneration that's giving me more
of the problems with the newtechnology.
Um, but that being said, yeah,some of the older generation
towers coming in and you try andand and onboard them with an
application like tow soft, whichtow soft is is so user-friendly
(35:34):
from a driver's point.
It has its glitches, like likeeverything, it has glitches.
Sometimes our page doesn't load, a vehicle won't allow you to
impound it, whatever, like minor, minor, minor glitches.
And this is coming from a guywho does a ton of volume on
towsoft.
Um, you know, there is the oddthing it's gonna happen.
That being said, like towsoftis so user-friendly.
And, man, the guy who's notgetting caught on his cell phone
(35:55):
is also the guy that has a.
I mean, I hope you can see iton the youtube side, because on
my side it looks like a blurrymess you have going on there,
yeah, um, but the guy that's notgetting caught on the cell
phone is also the guy having ahard time with this technology.
Right, it's when you, when youcome from a generation where
(36:15):
technology you weren't born withit right, it came out when you
were in your later years, likeyou said, you getting set in
your ways in your late 20s yeah,are you 30, yet 28?
Then you are not setting yourways.
Shut the hell up, jesus christ,I'm 35 and I'm not set.
I think I'm 35, I think I'mmaybe 35 I don't know what I am
(36:36):
and I'm not even setting my waysyet.
I'm a very old man at heart.
I don't care.
You get set in your ways nowand that's when we worked at the
company together.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
The owner says you remind me of my grandfather when
I was 20?
Speaker 2 (36:51):
yeah, because I was an old man then because you're
lazy and stuck in your ways whenyou shouldn't be and you're not
up for change yeah, I don'tlike change.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
I'm just not a big change type of person and that's
okay.
I feel like a lot of people arelike that.
I think one of the issues is isthe world is evolving so fast
and that's why time just feelslike it's just going even faster
.
And I think a lot of people myage are like no, no, I don't
like, let's slow down and thisavenue or a different avenue,
(37:21):
because you just want somecontrol and the whole world just
seems so out of control.
You want to be able to controlwhat you do.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Yeah, I know, but at the same time, you have to
embrace innovation, the towingindustry as a whole, especially
if you're going to be in it.
You need to embrace innovationor you're going to fall behind,
and you're going to be in it.
You need to embrace innovationor you're going to fall behind
and you're going to be,unfortunately, like the company
in which we we work, that fellbehind and then eventually the.
You know the best option forthem was to to exit.
You've got to stay on top ofthings.
(37:50):
You've got to stay on top ofchange, whether it be in the
world or whether it be in theindustry.
It's the only way that you'regoing to move forward.
Right, we've said that before.
The towing industry is verymuch in a state where it's
either adopt or die, and so ifyou have this old school
mentality on you that you knoware stuck in your ways,
mentality where I've been doingthis for 20 years and it's
(38:10):
worked well, it's it's that yourthe clock is ticking well, I
think another thing I thinkanother thing is.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
So let's say you've been in business 30 years and
everything's been all hunky-doryand you, you've been making
consistent increasing and profit, just as inflation and
everything goes, and you've doneeverything with paper bill
copies and everything's justbeen all hunky-dory.
And then you, you see all thesenew things like ToeSoft and I
(38:41):
love ToeSoft, toesoft's a greatpiece of equipment.
Or you see differentinnovations like the dual-facing
, the inward-facing dash cams,and you're like okay, I make
let's say, the company makes$50,000 worth of profit a year.
That's a very low number, butanyways, you make $50,000 profit
a year.
That's a very low number, butanyways, you make fifty thousand
(39:02):
dollars profit per year.
And you're like well, if Ibring in tow soft and I get
these subscriptions for the dashcams, and well, those things
might not necessarily increasemy revenue anyway, it's just
taking away from profits.
And if you're a small company tobegin with you'd be like well,
it's been working fine, I don'treally see any profit being
(39:24):
added to my company.
Sure, it might make a couple ofjobs easier, it might save a
little bit of labor here andthere.
Investing in a bigger andbetter truck, like, instead of
getting a new Sentry or Jordanbed, I'll get a 20 TB NRC bed
(39:45):
and now I can frame fork things.
You can see where that is goingto potentially increase your
revenue In your company when anapp on your phone just might not
do the same.
And for a lot of these smallguys, I can see where they're
coming from and I respect that.
Of these are the numbers that Ihave, and that truck could
(40:07):
drastically increase my profitwhere this app or different
applications might not.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
Oh my God, that is a problem with a lot of the
industry.
It is.
You cannot look no, no, no, no,no, no, no, because your
situation that you just gave is100% the thought that is going
through people's minds at times.
The problem with that is it'sall wrong through people's minds
at times.
The problem with that is isit's all wrong.
You cannot look at an app liketoe soft, let's say and say,
(40:34):
well, it's not going to generateme any more revenue.
The argument I cannot make.
The argument on that one,you're right.
It will not generate you anymore revenue, right.
But to say that it won't affectyour profit is bull.
That'd be reason for it.
It's going to make some jobseasier.
No, it's going to make somejobs more efficient.
Right, it is going to take youradmin staff, whoever you have,
(40:56):
whether it be your dispatcher,whether you have a secondary
person in the ability to trackthese calls, see these calls, do
the billing on them, send theinvoices out to clients, put the
statements together.
All of that.
It is going to do that moreefficiently, which means it is
going to leave that time thatyou can either amalgamate that
position or give that positionmore responsibility.
You start to throw that in withwith geo tracking on the trucks
(41:21):
.
Not only now are you going,yeah, if I put a fleet tracker
on my trucks, well, it's notgoing to make me any more money.
It's not it could, but it'sgoing to cost you less money,
meaning you have to justifythese investments in that way.
You cannot just go well, I'm notgoing to make any more money if
I put fleet tracking.
No, you have to look at it, itgoes.
How many times do I have truckscrossing each other empty?
(41:43):
How can I be more efficientwith my dispatching?
Fuel prices are going up up.
How can I save on my fuel?
I can save my fuel by havingfleet tracking, by possibly
tracking idling time, bycalculating, you know, if I'm
leaving extra guys on call atnight and they're driving 20
minutes home every night incomparison to a guy who lives in
town.
There's all these things thatyou can evaluate through that to
(42:03):
offset the cost of the product.
But no one looks at it that way.
Everyone, everyone just looksat it as well.
I'm not doing this because I'mnot going to make more money
with it.
Well, at the end of the day,you can make more money with it.
It will not come in the form ofjust generated revenue, but it
can come in the form of profit.
It can be that you are spendingless in other ways because of
(42:25):
these products, right, okay,perfect example Can a cell phone
, a cell phone ticket and theincrease on the driver's
insurance for getting a cellphone ticket within the fleet
could be thousands of dollars.
Yep, right, thousands ofdollars.
Now I'm not saying the dash camscan fully solve it, but when
you start to retrain yourdrivers and give them the nudge
with the thing now I'm avoidingit.
(42:46):
You know, the argument wouldhave to be I'd have to avoid
getting a ticket because of thissystem.
That system can then offset.
Or if he does get the ticketand he's no longer insurable and
I have to relieve that driver,I need to bring in a new driver,
I need to train a new driver.
That comes with a cost, right,so can this system?
Right, you cannot look at it asthis system will not make me
(43:09):
money.
And I I'm not saying you needevery system.
I'm not saying you're atwo-truck operation that needs
dual-facing dashcams, fleettracking, tow soft.
I'm not saying that's realisticnecessarily for you, but what
I'm saying is, as you start togrow in five, six trucks would
be the threshold you need to.
You know what I mean.
You need to invest the money inthe right ways in in to to get
(43:31):
the right outcome that you want,and too many people the
industry has been so stuck inthat way of the exact thing and
what you mentioned.
I'm not buying that becauseit's not going to make me more
money and that is how you don'tinnovate, that is how you don't
grow and that is how you justcontinue in the same spot.
There I'm not saying you won'tgrow, but you're gonna grow and
(43:54):
now you're gonna be a 10 trucksand, oh shit, I gotta start
implementing this kind ofequipment, this kind of support.
You know what I mean.
If you can justify it, at thepoint that you can justify it
financially, is the point thatyou should start doing it,
because it'll help progress yourgrowth and really help elevate
you to the next level.
Speaker 1 (44:08):
You see that in everything like especially when
I was young and just gettinginto vehicles it's like, okay, I
could spend my money on gettingsome new LED lights for my
vehicle and make it look alittle bit nicer, I could get a
new set of mirrors and biggertires, or I could get a new
front axle, which the truckdesperately needs, and get the
(44:29):
four-wheel drive working, but noone will see that.
I know it's something I need todo, but no one will see it.
I can't show off right, and itcould be the same thing.
Speaker 2 (44:40):
There might be a little ego involved in that,
exactly.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
It's like I could go out and I could spend this money
that I've been saving up andget a new truck and make my
fleet look good, and I can showoff and beat my chest and be
like, oh look at me, I've gotbig tow truck.
Or I could make my existingfleet that there's nothing wrong
(45:03):
with better on the back end andbe more streamlined for all my
drivers, all my office staff,myself being the owner, and yeah
, it's.
All those things are goodthings and things that should
really be done.
But the new truck that canpotentially always make you
money has always been a more ofa priority, I feel like, because
(45:26):
it's something you can see.
It's like tangible evidence inyour hand, immediate
satisfaction.
I don't have to sit down andlook at numbers and say, okay,
well, is this more efficient.
I don't have to do the bookwork per se that no one really
enjoys.
I can go out there and do thoserollovers and tow two or three
cars at once and do the big coolthings that I can post on
(45:47):
Facebook and beat my chest somemore right, and you get that
with everything.
Do I buy a turbo for my car ordo I do fix the uh, the low
compression on cylinder one.
Well, if I put the turbo on,I'm going to really notice that
I've got low compression oncylinder one, but I got a turbo
now.
So you're going to buy theturbo first and then deal with
(46:09):
the repercussions afterwards.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
No, and that's the problem, and that is the view,
unfortunately, g, that you'recoming from, from a driver, and
I mean that with no disrespect,because anybody in their right
mind that is running a businessdoes not look at it that way.
And if you do run a businessand you look at it that way, you
won't be running a business forvery long.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
Well, I think some old guys are looking at it that
way still, and they are runningbusinesses I'm sure there is.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
Egos in the industry exist, right?
Egos in the towing industry aredefinitely a thing we've gone
over it before whether it betypes of personalities and
whatnot within the industry.
Egos, you know, egosunfortunately exist in the
towing industry and until theday that we can eliminate egos
in the towing industry, we maybe cursed to continue on with
the same pattern that we've beengoing through year after year
(46:57):
after year.
So, that being said, it was agreat talk.
We will check both of our egosat the door as we gracefully bow
out until next week.
Don't forget if you have anyquestions, comments, concerns
for the show.
Give us your opinion on thedash cams.
You can visit us attowinglifeca.
Um, you can email us at thetowinglife at gmailcom.
(47:18):
Visit us over on Facebook atthe towing life podcast.
Don't forget, if you were onYouTube, comment down below.
We always enjoy reading them.
We'll get to them again nextweek.
Uh, those that thought myopinions were off.
Thank you for those thatthought my opinions were on.
On behalf of myself and mywonderful co-host, mr Tomangie,
we thank you for joining us foranother episode.
(47:38):
Take care, toodles.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
I wonder how long this is going to take to upload.
I don't know.
Hey everyone.
I'm Brad from Calgary.
This is Sean from Cambridge,ontario.
I'm Terry from Cornwall,ontario.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hey, this is Larry from Pit Metals, British
Columbia, and you're listeningto the Towing Life Podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Welcome to the Towing Life Podcast, where the ditches
are deep, the trucks are loaded, but the drivers are not.
I am your host, Tow man G, and,as usual, I'm joined by my
co-host, friend and formerco-worker, the man with very
strong opinions, Mr Plain Guy.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
What is going on?
G.
What is going on?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
playing guy.
What is going on, gee?
What is going on, oh, in theland of milk and honey, except
for milk it's better than thatand honey it's not feeling well.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah, it's a beautiful long may weekend as we
sit down and record episode 138.
Um, so you cannot complainabout the weather that we've had
and that does suck that you'refeeling bad.
It's.
We're in June, july, weather uphere it is.
It is absolutely unreal.
Um, as you said, welcome toanother episode of the tone life
(01:14):
podcast.
We have some good stuff on tapa little bit of followup from
last week, a little bit of newstuff for this week.
Uh, we have it all, um.
That being said, your questions,comments, concerns everything
that you have for the show isalways appreciated.
So where can you find us?
You can reach out.
You can head over to ourwebsite at wwwtowinglifeca.
(01:35):
You can visit us on Facebook atthe Towing Life Podcast, or you
can email us directly atthetowinglifeatgmailcom.
If you're watching over onYouTube, do not forget, you can
comment right down below.
Hit that thumbs up everythingelse while you were down there.
If you are listening over onspotify or any of the audio apps
(01:55):
, uh, there is a text us optionthat sends us an email directly
with any comments or questionsyou have.
I don't think we can reply toit, um, but if you have an idea
for the show.
It's that easy.
You've already got it open.
You're listening.
Pull over into a safe spot ifyou're driving, click the tab,
send us over a message and wewill do our best to get to any
questions that you may have onthe show.
(02:15):
I did all that while uploadingthe slide for the show.
That I forgot to do.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
I was wondering why my internet really went to shit,
yeah, yeah.
You haven't moved for a solid20 seconds on my screen.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I realized as I got into that intro I'm like I
didn't upload the slides that wewanted to talk about today, so
I've got the script so memorizedthat I'm able to do it while
working in the background.
It only took 138 episodes.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Speaking about the comments and questions.
Speaking of the comments andquestions from last week, I do.
We did get quite a few commentson uh youtube from the last oh,
did we ever looked at?
we had one from joe saying goodshow guys, joe.
Yeah, he also says I just had ameeting with my area rep for
the us three-letter roadside andtheir supervisor told him it's
(03:05):
real interesting how we asdrivers are told what to do and
how to do our job by someone whohas never driven or even does
the job for a period of time tounderstand it.
They were telling us on how toget greet members and explain to
them everything that we'redoing while loading the vehicle
so that we can have good reviews.
So I mentioned everything thatwe're doing while loading the
vehicles so that we can havegood reviews.
(03:25):
So I mentioned everything thatwe do is all about reviews and
it's not for their safety.
After a long silence by them anda bullshit answer, that's
pretty much what it is.
So in a way, it's like thegovernment telling us what to do
because they have no idea howto do our job or what it
requires.
Just think the higher ups asthe government and, to be frank,
(03:48):
most big three-letter roadsidesare corporations and they have
a lot of bureaucracy and theyrun a lot like governments do.
And yeah, it's all about ourthree-letter roadside Cover ass
always.
That's all they got to do andthey just want what's best for
their stockholders, and that'sto get the bottom line up, make
(04:10):
the company.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Look, yeah, but that is that's.
That's it.
That's where you can't comparethem to government, because the
government is working withpublicly funded money, um, so at
the end of the day they'rethey're not overly concerned.
There's, there's very littleaccountability lately,
especially for um.
You know what I mean, what thebottom line is with the
government, where there is a lotmore when it comes to these
three letter road sides andthese corporations.
So I get the comparison you'retrying to make, um, but there's
(04:33):
obviously big leading factorsbetween the two decision-making
Um.
I'm reading, actually, thecomments that I do like playing.
I really missed the boat on tosee uh sounds, I really missed
the boat on.
Tasia sounds a lot likeregurgitated Doug and Joey
rhetoric.
Sorry, you feel that way.
Anyone that knows me knows thatI respect those individuals on
(04:54):
what they have done for theindustry.
However, I have my fair shareof difference of opinions.
That has been, you know, notpublicly talked about on the
show, but definitely throughoutmy career I've not shied away
from.
So, if you feel that way, youknow again, I'm not influenced
by anything that they say or do,but maybe there is some you
(05:17):
know.
So I say there's, there mightbe some in.
You know there might be sometruth to what they're saying.
They're they're professionalsin the industry that have been
around for a long time.
Right, obviously they know whatthey're doing, one much more
than the other.
I would like to make thatabundantly clear.
I won't say which is which, butI think they know, and I think
you will know as well.
One has successfully grown amassive towing company.
(05:40):
The other is kind of just aplay setter, in my opinion.
It's true, and you know what.
I wasn't going to get into this, but let's get into this.
Um, okay, it was ironic, uh,the timing, because I don't
think we talked about that parton the show.
So we talked last week aboutontario's call to action and and
I know there's probably someontario companies that are
(06:02):
starting to their ears, aregoing up with this kind of stuff
, and and you know they'relistening to specific episodes
because we cover things directlyinvolving them there was a
letter put out sent out.
Sorry, it wasn't a letter, itwas a news article.
I'm going to try and pull it uphere now.
It was a news article that wasput together in trucker news.
(06:25):
I want to say, um, in regardsto this day of action.
Now I hated it.
I absolutely hated this article.
The government, the insurancecompanies and everyone have
given us a run around in thetowing industry because we have
failed to stay united, at leaston a certain amount of of.
(06:49):
You know our points on what wewant we're trying to accomplish
with the towing industry.
Right, we have three differenttowing or towing associations
that are talking to thegovernment.
We have the ORG, the Ontariorecovery group.
We have the ORG, the OntarioRecovery Group.
We have the PTAO, theProfessional Towers Association
of Ontario, and the NAAPTD.
(07:10):
I don't know what it stands for.
It's still an association.
Whether we acknowledge thatit's a, you know it's still an
association.
It's a stakeholder in theindustry.
So the PTAO unofficially Idon't really want to even say
them towers within the pta orthe ones that called for this
day of action.
(07:30):
I'm not saying the pto wasbehind it.
They don't.
I don't believe they support it.
I don't think they publiclycome out and say they support it
, but clearly, by the messagesent here, the org is in
disagreement, which is fine.
You can disagree with anothertowing association's direction,
an article put out intrucknewscom.
Our members will not beparticipating in this job action
(07:52):
.
Many of them will likely beready to assist the police in
any matters deemed necessary.
I have serious doubts that 50tow companies will be
participating in this job.
Action, said nelson uh, whichis doug n, the executive
director of the ORG, in an emailto trucknewscom.
When you do the numbers, evenas CTV News has provided, it
(08:13):
comes out to less than 4.5% andnot likely to be a problem.
Joey Gagne, president of AbramsTowing, agrees it'll be a
non-event.
He noted there are 1,260 towingcompanies in Ontario.
While many of them, who work inremote areas, have a legitimate
gripe, he admits none of theGTHA-authorized towing companies
are expected to participate.
So that is the tow zone pilotcompanies in Toronto.
(08:38):
He adds we, the OntarioRecovery Group, continue to have
a robust dialogue with thegovernment to find solutions to
these challenges and expect someprogress in the near future.
Here's my problem with this thegovernment's already got you by
the balls, towing industry,because you can't get your shit
together, and I mean thatrespectfully.
I mean you guys can not all geton the same page, let alone in
the same goddamn book, when oneassociation whether you agree
(09:02):
with the day of action, you candisagree with the day of action,
you can disagree with the dayof action.
I did not participate in theweekend of action.
I have no problem.
I'm not trying to away fromthat.
I did agree with certain pointsthat they had, but I would not
publicly come out and show thatdivide in the towing industry to
only further empower thegovernment and insurance
companies.
If you don't agree with the dayof action understandable we
(09:25):
will not be participating inthis weekend of action, a day of
action, whatever they want tocall it.
However, we understand thatthere is issues within the
towing industry and governmentthat need to be resolved and we
look forward to working on thatsolution together.
That is all you have to say.
You do not have to say it'll bea non-event.
That is all you have to say.
You do not have to say it'll bea non-event.
(09:46):
You do not have to say you knowthat you have serious doubts
that this many companies will doit.
All you are showing is themisorganization and the division
that still exists within thetowing industry.
Put your egos aside.
Right, this is the them versusus.
We have a different view, theyhave a different view.
They have a different view.
Egos are very high on this oneand it is causing.
(10:10):
It's causing the government notto take us seriously.
Let's be honest.
So, um, it's been aninteresting time in ontario, we
know that.
So, um, I won't call your namejust because it looks like it
might be a towing company, butyour comment over on YouTube,
that sounds a lot likeregurgitated rhetoric.
Like I said, I can assure youthere is no love lost between
(10:32):
those individuals.
I respect what they've done forthe industry for many, many
years, but our views align verydifferently whenever it comes to
the current tides within thetowing industry.
So, that being said, mr TowmanG once again has reconnected
after losing internet service.
(10:53):
Welcome back, sir.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Hi, the webpage hasn't even loaded yet.
Okay, okay, I'm unable to loadthe layouts of our stream yards.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
That's fine.
You just need to sit there.
You're up up, you're lookingpretty and, uh, you're
participating.
That's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
You get a trophy, perfect it is 2024 and I expect
a participation trophy.
However, I did miss pretty muchmost of everything that you
talked about, but I canreiterate that that's the
biggest issue in our industry isnot being able to come together
as a collective whole, andwe've talked about this
previously on the show is, ifyou go into, like facebook
(11:33):
groups for police officers orfirefighters, you don't see each
other bashing each other thesame as you do in the towing
industry.
We are are very cutthroat toeach other and when the public
looks in at this or articles getwritten, they're like the
towing industry just looks to bein shambles because they're
going after each other when weare should all be fighting for
(11:57):
the collective growth and goalof the industry, in whatever
manner that is, regardless.
If, like you were saying, ifyou don't see eye to eye with
one person's push to better theindustry, respect their effort
to at least try to do somethingto better the industry, whether
you support it or not, and justsit at the sidelines.
(12:19):
If it fails, it fails, but atleast if it succeeds and you
didn't bash it, well then it'sstill a success for you and
you're not spiteful becauseyou're like I didn't agree with
that, but it worked.
Now I feel stupid, or I can'talign myself with them again,
because instead of staying onthe straight and narrow together
(12:41):
, you've divided even more in awhy, and I feel that's when a
lot of resentment can show upand a lot of this.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Like you know, it's one thing to go on a level and
people might want to call me ahypocrite for it and knock
yourself out where, oh well, youguys are showing the divide by
talking about it on the show.
Yeah, fair enough, right, like?
And even last week, when wetalked about, uh, the post put
out on facebook about this wholeaction that was being taken,
and I didn't agree with manyparts of it, and that's fine, I
didn't bash it, I, there's there, you know, the points are valid
(13:14):
.
I I didn't think it would beeffective.
The difference is is I'm notthe head of the associations
that is going out to the media,that is going out to the um, the
, the government, and havingthese conversations.
They are the ultimately theones that are going to make the
decision.
And when egos get involved and Ibelieve a lot of it is about
egos you have one ego over heresaying this is what we need to
(13:38):
do.
You have another one over heresaying no, this is what we have
to do.
Both of these men arewell-represented and well well
established in the towingindustry and what they?
You know their opinions carry alot of weight, right, and you
need to be able to put thataside, and I feel like it's a
race to say, well, I want to bethe guy that says that I fixed
(13:59):
the industry.
Well, guess what?
The right leg can't do anythingwithout the left leg.
Right, and I don't think theoption is amputation.
The option is to start workingtogether to figure out how we're
going to better the industrythrough.
You know, you don't have toagree with everything, right,
it's just, it's it's been a painin the ass and, and as much as
(14:21):
I respect individuals on bothsides of the argument, they have
both come out with very, verystupid ideas, in my opinion.
Um, you know, I'm not gonnagive them out loud, because one
has already threatened my jobyears ago, um, or at least tried
to um.
So you know, it is what it is.
I really, really hope theassociation in Ontario can turn
(14:43):
it around, but I have my fears,and I have.
I, I don't have the faith inthe leadership that we have.
You know, I don't have faith inI shouldn't say the leadership,
but the direction we have withthe government right now.
I'm really worried about whatthe future holds for the
industry.
So enough government talk forall you Americans.
(15:04):
They're goddamn Canadians, andwhat do they have to complain
about?
They got year-long maple syrupand free healthcare, and all
these guys can do is bitch abouthow their towing industry is so
goddamn broken.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, we also had a comment, I think, from Chris.
I can't.
I lost it being pulled upsaying that they have a F-250
with one of the ramps.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Motorcycle lift.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah and uh, something like that.
I can get behind 100% of pickuptruck, yep.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
I don't know where the comment said came from, from
ACE, ACE diamond, uh, Hayeslaser lips.
So I know that line hey laserlips.
Your mama was a snowblower.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Uh, no blower.
Uh, did I come up in lastweek's show that I?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
don't remember or I don't know, did we?
I saw that.
I was like I don't know.
Do you know that line?
Do you know that movie?
No, I don't.
Oh my god, um, short circuit.
It's an old school movie.
It's fairly old now and it'sabout a robot that comes alive.
I mean, it's like it is notlike ai shit alive, it is like a
box of magnets and bolts thatgot put together somehow comes
alive.
And it's like a box of magnetsand bolts that got put together
somehow comes alive.
And it's like a military uhrobot.
(16:07):
Old school, very old school.
And he has a line where he, youknow, he gets a conscience and
he's fighting the other robots.
You know it's comedy.
He goes hey, laser lips.
Your mama was a snowblower andI always like that line.
So I'm not sure where the line,why the comment popped up, but I
definitely get the reference.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
You know something that's sad and this was brought
to my attention we are closer to2050 than we are 1990.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
And you saying that the movie is old, just reminded
me of that.
Okay, so Short Circuit and I'mterrible for remembering I, the
actor in it, short circuit theoriginal was 1986.
Wow, um, yeah, like it is not a.
That's why I say it's an oldermovie.
Um, it's starring I don't knowany of these people who's the
(17:01):
main guy.
I don't even recognize him.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I think, just getting older, like I'm not that old by
any means, I'm approaching mythirties and that's kind of
shitty to say, um, but time justkeeps marching on and it
doesn't slow down for nothingand it's just, I don't know,
nope, all all my friends now arenow having kids and stuff and
married or getting married.
(17:24):
Now having kids and stuff andmarried or getting married, and
it's like, uh, I'm sitting heredoing a stupid little internet
show with this asshole over hereoh, you're calling the show a
stupid little internet show.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah it's a stupid little internet show that's kind
of comedic and sometimesinformative don't, don't take
yourself loathing out on theshow, okay, don't take your you
know, depressive state thatyou're in out on our wonderful
podcast.
That is, that is just mean.
So anyways, let's talk about me.
(17:56):
Let's talk about somethingthat's very controversial and no
, it's not ontario towing lawsor the people behind them.
We recently, recently, havestarted a trial with a company.
I can give the company a shoutout, I don't care, it's a trial,
I'm still on the fence about it.
It's called Samsara.
Samsara offers fleet trackingservices as well as dash cams.
(18:17):
Dash cams for tow trucks.
It's all integrated.
It's a fairly nice system ofwhat I've seen on the play.
On the play uh, on the you knowtrial, so far very expensive
system comes with a cost.
Right, like everything in theworld, it comes with a cost.
The argument becomes with dashcams in the towing industry.
We are currently trialing outtwo dual facing dash cams.
(18:40):
What I mean by dual facing isobviously one faces outwards and
one faces inwards towards ourdrivers and their passengers.
Now I'm sure there's beensomething that has been debated
for a long time, but dual facingversus front facing, cameras,
pros, cons, concerns of driversI want you to try, and I know g
(19:04):
with his cult mentality,probably has so many privacy
concerns about this that he isgoing to voice to me and I will
try and answer the best that Ican on reasonings why, or
justifying reasonings why, orwith my experience through this,
this company, already, if thereis things that that put your,
your at ease, so it's funny thatyou bring this up.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
I'm not sure if you've seen it, but a little
while ago there is a semi truckthat drove off a bridge.
Yes, and the dash cam video wasreleased.
Yes, and the lady driving whenthat truck came out and she hit
it, she turned the wheel to theleft and proceeded to steer the
(19:47):
truck off the bridge.
I didn't notice that part.
Yeah, so the truck hit andshe's like whoa all over the
place and then proceeds to keepturning the wheel left because I
guess a semi oncoming, that'slike 300 meters away.
She was worried about hittingthat and would rather go off the
bridge instead of turning rightand trying to control the truck
(20:10):
and stay on the bridge.
And that's if you don't knowwhy trucks don't have airbags,
because if you get into anaccident, you're supposed to be
able to hopefully maintain sightlines and hopefully steer to
avoid secondary collisions isthat really reason why that they
don't have airbags?
correct?
Yeah, because if you thinkabout it, if you're in an 80 000
(20:32):
pound rig going down a hill anda smart car that pulls out in
front of you, yeah you, you'rekilling the person in the smart
car.
As bad as that is, you are.
But if you lose control of therig that's 80 000 pounds, it's
not stopping.
And now you can't see what'sgoing on in front of you.
You don't know if you're goingto drive into another minivan
(20:55):
full of kids or into a brickwall or into a ditch and safely
crash a truck into the tree andhopefully you make it out alive
okay I'm not calling I'm notcalling you a liar, but I just
re-looked at this footage andyou are incorrect.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
What happened is is you got to look at where, in
relation to the cab, she'ssteering?
She's steering towards thepassenger seat, but the overlay
of the cameras, I think it gotyou confused.
It looks like she's steeringinto it whenever you overlay the
cameras that way, but no, sheis actually steering towards the
passenger seat.
She's trying, cranking,cranking, and there was
(21:30):
obviously some damage.
That probably.
So there goes your argument.
Now.
Okay, um, front-facing dash cams, I believe, are a bare minimum
within the towing industrynowadays.
Yeah, um, right on, mostvehicles are starting like.
Dash cams are becoming evermore popular.
Dual facing got some backlashright now.
(21:53):
I made a joke.
Some people took it well, somepeople didn't.
I said it's no problem if youdon't want a dual facing dash
cam in your truck, I understand.
So here's the steps that youcan take you can go to the bank
and you can take a loan and youcan buy your own goddamn tow
truck and then you can decidewhat kind of cameras you want to
have in your truck.
Until then, when you weredriving somebody else's piece of
(22:21):
equipment there, you know whatI mean there is lines to to draw
.
Now again, it isn't about atrusting.
I can tell you this app that Ihave.
I get incidents and I'm stillfiguring out how to set the
parameters to what I want.
Right, one of the big ones cellphones.
It is ai.
It does have ai technology,which means that it will
recognize a cell phone in yourhand and it will alert, it'll
warn the driver first put downthe phone.
If the driver does not put downthe phone, then it sends off a
(22:44):
video.
Okay, so there's a nudge thatthe driver receives first,
because I'm hoping that issomething that corrects itself.
Yeah, okay, that being said, II'm playing now with the speed
threshold on it because you knowI got a violation that pops up
and it's a guy going through ouryard, moving, you know, just
doing 10 kilometers an hour,crawling through our yard and
(23:05):
he's, you know, checking thecall that he just got.
Okay, that's fair, you candismiss these.
You know these incidents, yeah,right, now again, it's where
you play with the speedthreshold and you get everything
going else, right, harshbraking, incidents, all that is
on it.
You know, I mean the biggest,the biggest for me, is the cell
phones and the distracteddriving in today's day and age,
(23:27):
because I mean those tickets areno joke.
Like if you get in ontario, ifyou get convicted of a
distracted driving, like of acell phone ticket or a handheld
device ticket, there is, Ibelieve, a one or a two-day
suspension of your license uponconviction.
That happens, yeah, like itdoes not just pay a ticket and
move on with it, like there is asuspension involved with it
(23:50):
it's short but it's stillinvolved and the insurance costs
and the increase and everythingwith that.
And then, not to mention ifthat cell phone caused, right,
like when that dash cam footage,that outward dash cam footage
at least, and even inward, wouldprotect that driver.
In that instance, here's thevehicle that popped out in front
of you.
Here is the fact that you werenot on a phone.
(24:11):
You were not.
I mean, she looked like she wasfalling asleep at first, like
she was quite relaxed.
But you know what I mean.
It can go two ways.
It can either validate thedriver or it can help convict
them.
Yep, the main.
I I'm a big believer that thepeople that do not want inward
facing dash cams is because theydon't do things that they
(24:33):
should be doing or they dothings that they should not be
doing.
Yep, because it's not a spytool.
And now I'm not saying thatthere isn't companies that would
use it as a spy tool, right.
But you know, most managers andowners, depending on where
you're at, don't have the timeof day to just randomly like I
still haven't figured out.
(24:53):
I think it's an extra featurethat I haven't unlocked that you
would have to pay for.
Extra.
That I have no interest in is alive view.
I I don't need a live view.
I don't need to go see what itis you're doing at that time.
My concern is for coachingwhenever there's an incident
that comes up, because, hey, youcan put all the policies you
want out.
You can put a policy of no cellphones right, no distracted
(25:16):
driving policy.
How are you enforcing that,unless a customer is calling in
because they spotted it, theygot a ticket or you witnessed it
yourself?
You cannot, yep.
So the policy is bullshit andit's just a piece of paper that
gives you a right, if you docatch them to, to take action.
But instead of that, how aboutactually being able to, you know
, monitor it and regulate itRight?
Speaker 1 (25:43):
So able to, you know, monitor it and regulate it
right.
So I think and this is goingout on a limb here and just from
what my personal experience isa lot of people that are against
the inward facing dash cams aresmokers that are smoking in a
company vehicle.
That is illegal, right, andI've had the conversation with
managers before where they say Idon't care as long as you don't
(26:03):
get caught and I don't see it,and as long as the truck doesn't
smell and no customercomplaints.
If a customer complains, thenthere's going to be hell to pay
and I understand that and Irespect that and I know it's
illegal and I have taken theonus because that ticket is a
driver ticket, not a companyticket, and I understand that.
(26:24):
Um, it's a workplace, so youcan't smoke in the workplace,
you can't vape in a workplace.
Yada, yada, yada.
I understand that.
Um, the cell phone thingsunfortunately, with our job, a
lot of drivers aren't set up ina way, or they weren't provided
or they didn't go out on theirown accord and get a proper
(26:45):
mount to mount a cell phone orwhatever the excuse is.
A lot of times we have to takecalls while we're driving.
A lot of times, dispatch mightsend a text with information
that you might need.
Um, sometimes the the towdestination might get changed
and the excuses that I've madeand I'm sure a lot of other
(27:07):
drivers have made is well, if Igot to do that, okay, right.
If that's, if that is thethreshold, if you are going to
(27:29):
lose 20% of your productivity,to be legal, right, that's the
law is you can't operate yourdevices while driving.
If that is what the law says,then in theory, the inward
facing dash cam is holding youaccountable, holding the company
accountable, and it gives theability to do that.
(27:50):
It's just like the smokingthing if you get caught, that's
on you, okay.
Well, if you got your cellphone in your hand and you get
caught, well, we, there's proofof that, right, you we can
either.
It's not just on you, though,that's on the company I know we
can confirm it or we can deny itif something bad happens
because we have that camera now.
(28:10):
I worked for a company previousthat had inward facing dash
cams and a lot of people coveredthem up.
The owner got upset when theinward facing dash cams were
covered up, and rightfully so.
But it wasn't a hill that hedied on Right, it wasn't a big
thing.
Obviously, if somethinghappened and they're covered up,
he was pissed that the only waythey could get a live feed into
(28:42):
the cabin of the vehicle thatwe're driving is if they're
sitting at home on theircomputer, bored and had nothing
better to do.
It's not something they couldpull up on their cell phone nice
and easy while they'rethemselves are going down the
road or just being nosy rightand at the end of the day at the
end of the day, it is theirequipment, it is their
investment.
(29:05):
You are their employee.
I don't think there's any senseof privacy in the workplace per
se that you are entitled to.
I'm not 100% sure on thelegality of that, but I highly
doubt that there's anythingillegal about inward-facing dash
cams.
You might have to sign off onsomething, maybe to for the
company to cover their ass.
I think companies could dosomething like that just to
(29:27):
avoid pointless litigation downthe road, in case someone is
real butthurt.
But uh, personally, do I likeit as on an individual level, no
.
Do I understand why the companydoes it and why they're
protecting their asset?
Yes, would I probably put aninward-facing dash cam in my own
(29:47):
tow truck if I had one,especially letting someone else
drive it 100% Just because Coveryour ass always.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
So I want to touch on a couple points that are there.
So, yes, there is the the youknow the productivity argument
that can be made.
Now, um, it depends on thecompany as well.
I can.
I can assure you, like the wayour trucks are currently set up,
I have a doubt.
I have a tablet mounted in thetrucks on every truck.
Every tow truck has a tabletmounted with all of the apps
that the driver needs googlemaps, uh, you know we're a big
(30:18):
fan of tosoft.
Um, all you know all that stuff.
It's all.
It's all mounted on tablet.
They can remove the tablet whenneed be to do calls and
pictures, whatever.
It's mounted right up in a goodspot, so yep.
As for the texting issue, um,you know, dispatch calling
whatever, first of all calling.
There's no reason in 2024 thatyou don't have a wireless
(30:38):
headset, a bluetooth orbluetooth in the truck or
bluetooth in the truck.
There is zero excuses that canbe made for that.
You can get them for 20, 30, 40dollars, like they're.
As a driver, that one would beone if they went.
Well, I don't have a way tothen go buy one like that, come
on.
But amazon, it'll be heretomorrow, yeah.
(30:59):
But a big solution to that iseven we have added in all of our
trucks radios, a full radiosystem, because although you
cannot operate a handheld device, you can use a radio, a
push-to-talk two-way radio.
Yep, yeah.
So push-to-talk, notnecessarily a two-way radio, but
, yes, a push-to-talk open-airradio, whatever you want.
So again, we're a littleprivileged in that sense.
(31:22):
Um, it was an investmentobviously we made for the
company.
It's great when trucks cancommunicate together and
dispatch can communicate withthem.
Do they use it as effectivelyas I would want them to?
God, no, still constantlycalling each other on cell
phones, dispatch calling thedriver, like there's still flaws
in the system that we need towork out.
But so to say that you wouldlose efficiency, not really
(31:44):
other than having to re-punch inan address and god, google maps
, is voice activated, for christsakes.
Like there is a mic button thatyou can say an address now,
concessions might play into thatand rural areas right.
It's a lot easier to say thishey, plain guy, you live in a
small town, you know a lot ofthose town roads are picked up.
It's very easy, um, you know toadjust things on the fly, um,
(32:09):
but if not, I mean pull overfive seconds, punch in the new
address and go.
I don't think.
I think I'm in a boat.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
I think I'm in a boat with a lot of people you're in
a boat all right, I embrace thetechnology to a certain extent.
I very rarely usevoice-activated stuff on my cell
phone just because I don't likeit right.
Why are you worried?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
about the government stealing your voice.
I hate to break it to you.
You have a weekly podcast wherethey can get everything they
need and more.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
I'm well aware.
I'm well aware AI could be ableto steal my voice and call my
mother and say I'm in jail andeat bail.
That's, that's a real thing.
That's happening, um, anyways,but I'm a firm believer in the
technology that we have, but Ialso don't like implementing all
these things in my life,because I'm at that point now
where I'm getting stuck in myways of what I grew up with and
(33:00):
I don't like change, and I thinka lot of people in the industry
don't like the change, andthat's where we're seeing these
issues of well, I've never hadan inward facing dash camera
before.
I've never talked to my phonebefore to change the address on
Google, and I understand that aswell.
But times are changing and theycould be changing for the
better or the worst, dependingon the path everything takes.
(33:22):
But you see that a lot Everyonewants to go paperless and we
can talk about that more laterand it's just.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
A lot of things are changing and it's if you embrace
it and what avenue you areembracing, and I think that's
where the hiccup lies for a lotof people well, and it's funny
that that is a problem in thetowing industry, and the reason
I say that is because the towingindustry is constantly pushing
(33:51):
new innovations, whether it bewith equipment, whether it be
with recovery techniques,whether it be with all that
stuff.
The towing industry is evolvingconstantly, you know, like
exponentially since itsinception, and so it's funny
that you know we talk aboutbeing stuck in the old ways when
you know how much everything ischanging as a whole in the
(34:11):
towing industry regulation.
You know everything else.
So, yes, it is something I wantto talk about.
Like, we have almost, almost,almost gone completely paperless
.
Yeah, we are so close to it.
I, recently, I'm I'm testingout with my drivers right now an
app that we created, um forcommission entries.
(34:32):
Right, that was one of the fewpaper things that the driver
still had in his truck where hehad a piece of paper and he'd
write down his calls like a runsheet, and I've now found a way
to make a very smooth um, youknow, web, like app-based setup.
Um, we're in the process.
I got a couple drivers tryingit out this weekend to see how
(34:53):
it goes.
Um, that is the problem as youstart to go paperless and and as
, start to evolve, like the dashcameras, like the.
You know what.
Ironically, the dash camera theone guy that I don't get cell
phone violations from is myoldest guy in the fleet Because,
again, they you know what Imean.
They weren't born to textingand driving.
(35:13):
They weren't you know what Imean.
Like it was if you had someonewho called somebody and he's got
you.
He has a headset, whatever,like it it's.
It's actually the newergeneration that's giving me more
of the problems with the newtechnology.
Um, but that being said, yeah,some of the older generation
towers coming in and you try andand and onboard them with an
application like tow soft, whichtow soft is is so user-friendly
(35:34):
from a driver's point.
It has its glitches, like likeeverything, it has glitches.
Sometimes our page doesn't load, a vehicle won't allow you to
impound it, whatever, like minor, minor, minor glitches.
And this is coming from a guywho does a ton of volume on
towsoft.
Um, you know, there is the oddthing it's gonna happen.
That being said, like towsoftis so user-friendly.
And, man, the guy who's notgetting caught on his cell phone
(35:55):
is also the guy that has a.
I mean, I hope you can see iton the youtube side, because on
my side it looks like a blurrymess you have going on there,
yeah, um, but the guy that's notgetting caught on the cell
phone is also the guy having ahard time with this technology.
Right, it's when you, when youcome from a generation where
(36:15):
technology you weren't born withit right, it came out when you
were in your later years, likeyou said, you getting set in
your ways in your late 20s yeah,are you 30, yet 28?
Then you are not setting yourways.
Shut the hell up, jesus christ,I'm 35 and I'm not set.
I think I'm 35, I think I'mmaybe 35 I don't know what I am
(36:36):
and I'm not even setting my waysyet.
I'm a very old man at heart.
I don't care.
You get set in your ways nowand that's when we worked at the
company together.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
The owner says you remind me of my grandfather when
I was 20?
Speaker 2 (36:51):
yeah, because I was an old man then because you're
lazy and stuck in your ways whenyou shouldn't be and you're not
up for change yeah, I don'tlike change.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
I'm just not a big change type of person and that's
okay.
I feel like a lot of people arelike that.
I think one of the issues is isthe world is evolving so fast
and that's why time just feelslike it's just going even faster
.
And I think a lot of people myage are like no, no, I don't
like, let's slow down and thisavenue or a different avenue,
(37:21):
because you just want somecontrol and the whole world just
seems so out of control.
You want to be able to controlwhat you do.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Yeah, I know, but at the same time, you have to
embrace innovation, the towingindustry as a whole, especially
if you're going to be in it.
You need to embrace innovationor you're going to fall behind,
and you're going to be in it.
You need to embrace innovationor you're going to fall behind
and you're going to be,unfortunately, like the company
in which we we work, that fellbehind and then eventually the.
You know the best option forthem was to to exit.
You've got to stay on top ofthings.
(37:50):
You've got to stay on top ofchange, whether it be in the
world or whether it be in theindustry.
It's the only way that you'regoing to move forward.
Right, we've said that before.
The towing industry is verymuch in a state where it's
either adopt or die, and so ifyou have this old school
mentality on you that you knoware stuck in your ways,
mentality where I've been doingthis for 20 years and it's
(38:10):
worked well, it's it's that yourthe clock is ticking well, I
think another thing I thinkanother thing is.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
So let's say you've been in business 30 years and
everything's been all hunky-doryand you, you've been making
consistent increasing and profit, just as inflation and
everything goes, and you've doneeverything with paper bill
copies and everything's justbeen all hunky-dory.
And then you, you see all thesenew things like ToeSoft and I
(38:41):
love ToeSoft, toesoft's a greatpiece of equipment.
Or you see differentinnovations like the dual-facing
, the inward-facing dash cams,and you're like okay, I make
let's say, the company makes$50,000 worth of profit a year.
That's a very low number, butanyways, you make $50,000 profit
a year.
That's a very low number, butanyways, you make fifty thousand
(39:02):
dollars profit per year.
And you're like well, if Ibring in tow soft and I get
these subscriptions for the dashcams, and well, those things
might not necessarily increasemy revenue anyway, it's just
taking away from profits.
And if you're a small company tobegin with you'd be like well,
it's been working fine, I don'treally see any profit being
(39:24):
added to my company.
Sure, it might make a couple ofjobs easier, it might save a
little bit of labor here andthere.
Investing in a bigger andbetter truck, like, instead of
getting a new Sentry or Jordanbed, I'll get a 20 TB NRC bed
(39:45):
and now I can frame fork things.
You can see where that is goingto potentially increase your
revenue In your company when anapp on your phone just might not
do the same.
And for a lot of these smallguys, I can see where they're
coming from and I respect that.
Of these are the numbers that Ihave, and that truck could
(40:07):
drastically increase my profitwhere this app or different
applications might not.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
Oh my God, that is a problem with a lot of the
industry.
It is.
You cannot look no, no, no, no,no, no, no, because your
situation that you just gave is100% the thought that is going
through people's minds at times.
The problem with that is it'sall wrong through people's minds
at times.
The problem with that is isit's all wrong.
You cannot look at an app liketoe soft, let's say and say,
(40:34):
well, it's not going to generateme any more revenue.
The argument I cannot make.
The argument on that one,you're right.
It will not generate you anymore revenue, right.
But to say that it won't affectyour profit is bull.
That'd be reason for it.
It's going to make some jobseasier.
No, it's going to make somejobs more efficient.
Right, it is going to take youradmin staff, whoever you have,
(40:56):
whether it be your dispatcher,whether you have a secondary
person in the ability to trackthese calls, see these calls, do
the billing on them, send theinvoices out to clients, put the
statements together.
All of that.
It is going to do that moreefficiently, which means it is
going to leave that time thatyou can either amalgamate that
position or give that positionmore responsibility.
You start to throw that in withwith geo tracking on the trucks
(41:21):
.
Not only now are you going,yeah, if I put a fleet tracker
on my trucks, well, it's notgoing to make me any more money.
It's not it could, but it'sgoing to cost you less money,
meaning you have to justifythese investments in that way.
You cannot just go well, I'm notgoing to make any more money if
I put fleet tracking.
No, you have to look at it, itgoes.
How many times do I have truckscrossing each other empty?
(41:43):
How can I be more efficientwith my dispatching?
Fuel prices are going up up.
How can I save on my fuel?
I can save my fuel by havingfleet tracking, by possibly
tracking idling time, bycalculating, you know, if I'm
leaving extra guys on call atnight and they're driving 20
minutes home every night incomparison to a guy who lives in
town.
There's all these things thatyou can evaluate through that to
(42:03):
offset the cost of the product.
But no one looks at it that way.
Everyone, everyone just looksat it as well.
I'm not doing this because I'mnot going to make more money
with it.
Well, at the end of the day,you can make more money with it.
It will not come in the form ofjust generated revenue, but it
can come in the form of profit.
It can be that you are spendingless in other ways because of
(42:25):
these products, right, okay,perfect example Can a cell phone
, a cell phone ticket and theincrease on the driver's
insurance for getting a cellphone ticket within the fleet
could be thousands of dollars.
Yep, right, thousands ofdollars.
Now I'm not saying the dash camscan fully solve it, but when
you start to retrain yourdrivers and give them the nudge
with the thing now I'm avoidingit.
(42:46):
You know, the argument wouldhave to be I'd have to avoid
getting a ticket because of thissystem.
That system can then offset.
Or if he does get the ticketand he's no longer insurable and
I have to relieve that driver,I need to bring in a new driver,
I need to train a new driver.
That comes with a cost, right,so can this system?
Right, you cannot look at it asthis system will not make me
(43:09):
money.
And I I'm not saying you needevery system.
I'm not saying you're atwo-truck operation that needs
dual-facing dashcams, fleettracking, tow soft.
I'm not saying that's realisticnecessarily for you, but what
I'm saying is, as you start togrow in five, six trucks would
be the threshold you need to.
You know what I mean.
You need to invest the money inthe right ways in in to to get
(43:31):
the right outcome that you want,and too many people the
industry has been so stuck inthat way of the exact thing and
what you mentioned.
I'm not buying that becauseit's not going to make me more
money and that is how you don'tinnovate, that is how you don't
grow and that is how you justcontinue in the same spot.
There I'm not saying you won'tgrow, but you're gonna grow and
(43:54):
now you're gonna be a 10 trucksand, oh shit, I gotta start
implementing this kind ofequipment, this kind of support.
You know what I mean.
If you can justify it, at thepoint that you can justify it
financially, is the point thatyou should start doing it,
because it'll help progress yourgrowth and really help elevate
you to the next level.
Speaker 1 (44:08):
You see that in everything like especially when
I was young and just gettinginto vehicles it's like, okay, I
could spend my money on gettingsome new LED lights for my
vehicle and make it look alittle bit nicer, I could get a
new set of mirrors and biggertires, or I could get a new
front axle, which the truckdesperately needs, and get the
(44:29):
four-wheel drive working, but noone will see that.
I know it's something I need todo, but no one will see it.
I can't show off right, and itcould be the same thing.
Speaker 2 (44:40):
There might be a little ego involved in that,
exactly.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
It's like I could go out and I could spend this money
that I've been saving up andget a new truck and make my
fleet look good, and I can showoff and beat my chest and be
like, oh look at me, I've gotbig tow truck.
Or I could make my existingfleet that there's nothing wrong
(45:03):
with better on the back end andbe more streamlined for all my
drivers, all my office staff,myself being the owner, and yeah
, it's.
All those things are goodthings and things that should
really be done.
But the new truck that canpotentially always make you
money has always been a more ofa priority, I feel like, because
(45:26):
it's something you can see.
It's like tangible evidence inyour hand, immediate
satisfaction.
I don't have to sit down andlook at numbers and say, okay,
well, is this more efficient.
I don't have to do the bookwork per se that no one really
enjoys.
I can go out there and do thoserollovers and tow two or three
cars at once and do the big coolthings that I can post on
(45:47):
Facebook and beat my chest somemore right, and you get that
with everything.
Do I buy a turbo for my car ordo I do fix the uh, the low
compression on cylinder one.
Well, if I put the turbo on,I'm going to really notice that
I've got low compression oncylinder one, but I got a turbo
now.
So you're going to buy theturbo first and then deal with
(46:09):
the repercussions afterwards.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
No, and that's the problem, and that is the view,
unfortunately, g, that you'recoming from, from a driver, and
I mean that with no disrespect,because anybody in their right
mind that is running a businessdoes not look at it that way.
And if you do run a businessand you look at it that way, you
won't be running a business forvery long.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
Well, I think some old guys are looking at it that
way still, and they are runningbusinesses I'm sure there is.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
Egos in the industry exist, right?
Egos in the towing industry aredefinitely a thing we've gone
over it before whether it betypes of personalities and
whatnot within the industry.
Egos, you know, egosunfortunately exist in the
towing industry and until theday that we can eliminate egos
in the towing industry, we maybe cursed to continue on with
the same pattern that we've beengoing through year after year
(46:57):
after year.
So, that being said, it was agreat talk.
We will check both of our egosat the door as we gracefully bow
out until next week.
Don't forget if you have anyquestions, comments, concerns
for the show.
Give us your opinion on thedash cams.
You can visit us attowinglifeca.
Um, you can email us at thetowinglife at gmailcom.
(47:18):
Visit us over on Facebook atthe towing life podcast.
Don't forget, if you were onYouTube, comment down below.
We always enjoy reading them.
We'll get to them again nextweek.
Uh, those that thought myopinions were off.
Thank you for those thatthought my opinions were on.
On behalf of myself and mywonderful co-host, mr Tomangie,
we thank you for joining us foranother episode.
(47:38):
Take care, toodles.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
I wonder how long this is going to take to upload.
I don't know.
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