The Week's Features

Not all towman are onboard with the mayor’s plan

New clutch pump kit for 2019 GM, Navistar m-d vehicles

NFL’s Williams’ Dodge Hellcat Repo’d

Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver has more car trouble

Workplace Violence and PTSD

Employers have a duty to provide a safe workplace

Beyond the Limit

Owner wanted something that would “wow” everybody

Digital Edition

Events

Las Vegas, NV.
May 8-11, 2019

Tow Expo Dallas

Dallas, TX.
August 15-17, 2019

AT Exposition

Atlantic City, NJ.
Dec. 4-8, 2019

Don't Miss It!

With regulations constantly changing, this session explores the broad scope and reach of the OSH Act, which is where OSHA and related state agencies draw their authority from. It will also discuss the differences between state and federal enforcement and how in California the Division of Occupational Safety and Health-- CAL/OSHA--applies. Join Brian J. Riker for his informative session, “OSHA and the Towing Industry,” taking place during Tow Industry Week at the American Towman ShowPlace, May 8-11, at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

atshowplace.com

Translate Language

American Towman Magazine Presents the Week in TowingFebruary 20 - February 26, 2019

Inspired by NASCAR

By George L. Nitti

Some tow trucks are harder to replace than others, especially as they get older and the make and models disappear from the marketplace. Fox City Towing of Appleton, Wis., has a 1999 Ford F-550/Vulcan 892 that falls into this category.

"It would be hard to find another one like it," said owner Nicholas Van. "After 18 years, they rust out and become harder to find."

This beautiful electric-blue unit was purchased in the south where the paint job was customized, and then brought back to Wisconsin where its clean and elegant appearance now turns heads.

"It's a workhorse and my oldest truck and that's why we keep it up pretty well," Van said.

The unique flames on the hood turn gold, purple or blue depending on the sun. Coated with a special DuPont paint called Chrome Illusion, the colors change in the light.

"I'm a huge Jeff Gordon NASCAR fan," Van related. "He had a race car and it was done up in a Chrome Illusion paint. I call this unit the 'Jeff Gordon Edition Tow Truck.' "

"Most tow trucks are not painted like that because it is absolutely expensive," said Van. "It's about 250 bucks for a quart of paint."

As a result, it catches most eyes.

"It's a pretty sharp looking truck," he said.

As for Fox City's logo and the quarter-like moon that sits just under it, that inspiration stemmed from Van's stock-car racing hobby.

"I race stock cars in Wisconsin," Van said. "I sponsor myself. I wanted something to fit under the corner panel and I used that logo design, which has carried over onto this truck."

Van has his MBA, and decided he enjoyed towing for a living and has stuck with it since he bought his father's company in 2015.

As a result of Van's business background and other factors, the company is growing beyond expectations. He said that the American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas in May will be one of the targets in growing his company.

"A lot is happening in a short period of time," Van said. "I'm reinvesting and buying more equipment. Now I'm looking for our first purchase of a heavy-duty truck."

Brag @ TIW!
Should your truck be featured here? Send a few pics and your contact information to the editor at bdooley@towman.com. You might even be selected to go in print, too, in American Towman magazine!

Old-School, Clean Look

0-billwarnerandsontowingandrecovery circleville wv04 copy 71ff2

By George L. Nitti

There is nothing like a homemade wrecker to promote pride of ownership.

Family owned and operated Bill Warner & Son Towing and Recovery in Circleville, West Virginia, has, in part, thrived in the trucking and towing business through piecing together and building their own trucks.

One notable wrecker in their fleet is a 1997 Peterbilt 379 extended hood with a Century 9055 heavy-duty wrecker.

"We collected parts for several years before putting it together," said owner Bill Warner. "It was done in-house, drawing on three or four other trucks. When we started, we took it down to the bare frame. Then it took us seven months of sweat and blood to build it back up."

Winning third place in the Heavy Duty-Tandem Axle category at the 2018 American Towman Exposition Wrecker Pageant, the unit received attention for several outstanding features.

One includes its captivating and minimal paint schematic consisting of viper red and sable black. Those two main colors are brought together with a reflective vinyl gold stripe.

"It really lights up at night with that reflective lettering," Warner said. "I've always liked our colors of red and black. It gives it an old-school, clean look."

Clean is an understatement, as there are few graphics on the truck except lettering for the company name.

At night, lighting is another essential element that helps this unit get noticed.

"The glass lights all match and extend around the entire body of the truck," Warner said. "Behind the grille at the front of the wrecker are six strobe lights."

Its many customized components help it stand out. The brand new extended hood, the all-chrome grille, the reduced size of the sleeper and the extra compartment spaces help make this unit a winner.

"Even the backlights open up into a storage compartment," Warner said.

Although the time spent putting this wrecker together was long, Warner took great pride in building a road-worthy unit in-house.

"This is one of the best ones I've built," he said.

Brag @ TIW!
Should your truck be featured here? Send a few pics and your contact information to the editor at bdooley@towman.com . You might even be selected to go in print, too, in American Towman magazine.

Translate Page