'Has a Wrecker Service Ripped You Off?'

By DON ARCHER

As I leafed through the October 2014 issue of "Land Line Magazine" (a publication that caters specifically to the over-the-road trucking Industry), an advertisement caught my eye. A couple of heavies were uprighting a tractor-trailer with a caption above that read "Has A Wrecker Service Ripped You Off?" I was immediately insulted and needed to know more.

I looked a little closer to see what company was advertising. Nationwide Towing & Recovery Group is an online subscription service that sells to the over-the-road trucking industry. They claim to offer "best-priced wrecker services" and will "help negotiate" overpriced tow bills.

Then I went to their website, NTRG4U.com, and found their mission statement: "To build a network of businesses who mutually benefit from a working relationship, that creates balance between the trucking companies 'in need,' and the wrecker service providers 'who serve.' "

Again, I was insulted by the implications and confused by the contradictions. First, to suggest that the work we do—providing towing and recovery services to the trucking industry—is not already mutually beneficial is a slap in the face. As for the contradictions, the ad in the trucker magazine was aimed at widening the divide between truckers and towing companies (asking if they'd been ripped off); while their mission statement suggested that their company's goal was to bring us together.

This had me questioning their integrity.

As I delved further, it was obvious that their plan was to lure towing companies in, pump us for information and use it against us.

On their website, trucking companies must pay to subscribe to their service; but for towing companies like you and me, it's free. They'll sign you up and put your name and number in front of their subscriber base for nothing.

Why?

One reason is they need a list of towing service providers who can do the work. But, the main reason is because you're required to give them a list of your service rates. Yes, that's right: to be searchable on their site you are required to give NTRG, a third party that owes you no allegiance whatsoever, all your vital information.

Of course, they say that none of your competitors will see your rates. But who knows what they do with it? Anyone can see how NTRG might use a not-so-well-rounded database of service rates to negotiate tow bills down to more "reasonable" amounts.

Even though NTRG says that they don't set your rates, you'll be competing against who-knows-what for calls.

Go to their site.

To be included on their heavy-duty listing, all you have to do is click the box that says "yes," with the explanation that by doing so you are stating your company is equipped to provide service to upright and recover semis based on an accompanying picture.

A guy with a sneaker and a J-hook can click "YES" ... and bring the averages way down, even if he refuses every call.

I can see how this might look like a lucrative deal to young, hungry towers in need of calls; but you've got to count the costs. And one cost that many in this category forget to count is opportunity.

What does opportunity cost?

It's the amount of money you lose when you cannot provide service to a cash-paying customer, because you've chosen to provide service to someone else at a reduced rate instead.

It's a fine line we all walk, but we already know how the motor clubs treat us. It seems NTRG is just another in a long line of companies looking to get a slice of our pie, and they'll only be successful if we work at reduced rates. Once they've got you on their radar and you're dependent upon them for calls, you'd better comply with their "suggested" negotiated rates, because they control the list.

Don Archer lives and works in Jefferson City, Mo., where he and his wife, Brenda, own and operate Broadway Wrecker, a 12-truck operation that's been in business since the 1950s. Email him at don@broadwaywrecker.com.