We are almost there!!! Thanks for your support. Remember to like, share, and comment!! We will get there!! It's not just me...it's OUR community that we've built!!! Thanks for watching and God bless.
You put out as many lights as you want. An extra light or two, and a few extra minutes compared lost life is nothing. Keep doing what you're doing. Be Safe, Jay
Sadly some idiots think that Time = Money is the be all and end all and not only encourage unsafe work practices, but often require them. I dont have time for people like that myself.
Love that you taught Talon how to run the controls. And really appreciate your kindness to strangers. You always remind us that others are just as important as we are. Bless your heart.
When approaching a site like this with my tractor-trailer I always try and get over. If I am unable to, then I slow down and put my four ways on and give short blasts on the horn to warn the Personnel working on the side of the road I am unable to get over. I hope that's appreciated, because as you know that's just about all you can do.
I always do the same. I slow way down in comparison to everyone else I see. I mean down to 30s and that's still fast I admit. But I always hit my hazard lights and nail the horn like a freight train, four concise blasts before reaching the scene so they know I'm coming and cannot move over from them.
The reason why people slowed down and moved over more was that since it was nighttime they couldn't tell if it was a cop or a tow-truck so they didn't risk it. Most people don't give a rats a** about tow trucks because they cant give people tickets. Its truly sad and I respect what you do every day to help others in need.
Safety must always come first. You can replace equipment but you can not replace a life. The more lights the better. Here in Alaska we are allowed to close lanes if necessary for safety. In this case I would have closed a lane. Here if someone does not move over and you can get a liscense plate # they can be fined a minimum of $500 for interfereing with an emergency vehicle. Once again safety comes first above all else. Stay safe and God bless.
Ron, you should NEVER apologize for safety. I'm retired after 44 years in the class 8 trucking industry, finishing up as a Terminal Manager. However, for the first 17 years, I was a heavy-duty mechanic, and spent countless hours out on the side of the road with breakdowns. The majority of the public have absolutely no idea how fast traffic is moving past you, or how much suction is involved from vortexes when they're going past at highway speeds. You have to do everything you can, and take every precaution you can, to keep safe when out there!! Love these videos, BTW -- great job, brother!!
Great idea with the flashing flashlights next to the cone. And those electric road flares are fantastic. Your way is the only way, on your job site. All your people return home safe and sound to their families every time. So your doing something right.
Todd Behrends they work great, speaking from personal experience (I have a 6 pack in blue, and now a 3 pack of amber batons too, because the flares were so effective)
Anyone that criticizes your highway safety protocol has never worked a highway scene. I'd take a fully involved structure fire any day over a highway call!!!
at around 28:39 text pops up saying the other driver was ok. Ron had gotten a text indicating a tow driver was hit while operating at the side of the road. Later he found the report was incorrect.
Congrats Ron your less than 700 till you reach 100,000 subscribers and you have done it with the most amount of respect and decency and kindness and may God bless you with this achievement before this Easter Sunday
lol I think the truck lost his sneakers.. or in this case.. work boots. Ron, I agree with you about the safety part of your job. You can NEVER have enough lights, especially at night. :) My philosophy is "light 'er up" and let the rest of the world eat cake. You showed great consideration for fellow motorists by not turning on the working lights while backing up, and you took it nice and slow. This was a difficult recovery, and you two pulled it off with Beast Jr. and a rollback. :) Keep safe and God bless. Glad to hear that no tow truck driver was harmed in their job today.
Ron, that traffic reminds me of the traffic here at home. After watching your videos for a couple of years, this tow appears to be the most dangerous one to date. God bless and protect Ya'll
Hi Mr. Ron. You towed me back in 2001 or 2, can't recall the date but It was a pleasure being towed by you. By far the safest tow I ever had. I was driving for a national fright relocation specialist company, we had the blue trucks.
I like how Ron makes the best of things even when there's been a minor error. He's there with the rollback, so he uses the truck to block and has an extra person to help. I don't even tow, but I learn a lot from Ron.
If I knew anything about towing I'd wanna work for you. Safety is my main priority when operating my rig and seeing you take it as seriously as you do is inspiration.
Amazing how you think outside the box to get the job done. Amazing how far Tallon has come from the first videos. So glad to hear that the other report of the driver being hit was wrong. May you and all your staff have a guardian angel looking over them at all times. Positive thoughts to all of you and your boys.
Hey Ron. Great video as always. What I used to do with those flares is put them under the cone. This way the flashing light pattern lights up the entire cone.
You and your crew do a Fantastic job Ron! I don't think some folks are aware fully of the "danger-factor" of your job...contending with large, heavy, often unstable objects, and the then added factor of moving vehicles driven by folks not paying attention. I commend your attention to safety....I retired from 26 years working in a state prison, and our goal was/is the same as yours.."Get myself, and everyone else home safely" God Bless Ron!
Outstanding video Ron, you use whatever safety measures you need to stay safe and don't let anyone tell you different. Stay safe and God bless you and your workers for all the hard work you do in helping to keep American highways safe.
I'd imagine red & blues would get a "fair" portion of people to move over; those that are aware of the laws & maybe actually have a soul in them and care about not wanting to risk harming other people. However - your arrow sign... When someone sees that, they don't know what the reason is for why they should get over. For all they know, there might be a giant steel block in the right lane. So, even if you have someone that doesn't care about other people - they will likely care about themselves, their vehicle. So they'll probably get over just to be safe. That being said, my sphincter has been clenched almost this entire video.
A problem like that makes a good reminder to pay attention to those wheel lugs. They are entirely too easy to overlook during a pre-trip. Look for shiny around them, or streaks, that could indicate that the rims are moving on the hub. In my younger days, I kept hearing a rumble-thump in what I was driving. I checked wheel bearings, tires, driveline. One morning while on the way to the rail yard for work, it finally revealed itself, when my left steer tire exited from the vehicle and went bouncing off into the woods on a road with roller coaster hills. Lost two nuts, and the rim pulled through the other three. Cost me a rim, a grease zerk on the lower ball joint, a tow, and at least 8 hours of work. And a pair of underwear. And it put me under obligation to look for another vehicle, because I'd told people that I intended to drive that one until the wheels came off... I fixed it and drove it some more, but I did eventually get myself a backup vehicle.
You know Ron, I think one reason why they moved over is that you made it look big with all those flares. I personally noticed that one issue is the lack of visibility and the apparence of "nothing there". All those flairs made it look like it was something very serious, and made it very visible. I would bet that with no flares they wouln't have moved.
Ron, don't you ever put safety below any priority. You have one of the most dangerous and tedious jobs there is, and you do it with the passion, drive, and selflessness rarely found in others. The respect that you show, yourself, your employees, friends, other drivers, people you have never met, and most importantly (my opinion), the dangers presented to you by your occupation are outstanding and masterfully handled. I have been watching you recover vehicles for the past two years or so, and I have to say, a day rarely goes by that I do not think of the lives put at risk every day around the world, and those that were lost because someone wasn't paying attention. Ron, I hope you never face the 'what if' question after an incident. Always take the extra step and the extra minute to put out a road flare, cone, drag the 5/8" chain instead of the 1/2" if you need it, and take care of your guys. Don't be lazy in your old age that is fast approaching because, for most people, that is what we do. Keep up the excellent work, and I can't wait for your next video. As my scoutmaster said years ago: "Always be prepared for the worst and hope for the best."
Ron, I saw something interesting on the highway today that I thought might be useful to you. You know those big portable orange signs that construction workers put out along the side of the road that say something like "Road Work Ahead"? Well today I saw a towing unit with a pinkish purple sign like that which said "EMERGENCY TRUCK REPAIR", and it was placed right up against the travel lane (not In the travel lane) so you absolutely had to notice it. I thought that might be useful to you when you have to tow semis and the semi is blocking most of your rotators emergency lighting from being seen by oncoming traffic. Edit: I forgot to mention that the sign was placed probably a couple hundred feet rear of the semi, to give ample warning obviously.
Ron Safety is KEY!! I think you need to spend the time and a few dollars for safety. All the Equiment can be replace. However you and your employees are more important. Everyone want to come home there families.
Hey Ron sense I have been watching your videos and even before if I see anybody especially emergency personal on the side of the road I try and move over to the next lane but sometimes it's hard to do that when you have someone in the lane next to you but if I can I most certainly will move over for safety of the people who are working to clean up the broken down car you have inspired me to think more about the safety of people on the side of the roads and for that I wanna say thank you.
Donald Romine I drive a semi that is 75' nose to tail. As you can imagine in heavy traffic it can be nearly impossible to move over. I've had my blinker going for 3/4 of a mile before and no one would let me over. Many truck drivers fail to do what I do but in that situation I will hug the left of my lane and slow to a crawl. I'll be dammed if I'm going to run someone over if they come walking out around the vehicle or trip and fall into the lane.
Donald Romine: Out here in the country almost all roads are two lane. So a breakdown or emergency will usually block one lane. That pretty much always means stop and wait to creep around in the clear lane. Virtually all the folks out here are good about that. With the light traffic here, it is no burden to wait a minute or two in order to keep others safe. So much better than city or freeway traffic........
Ron, you and your guys do great work and provide a lot of insight into the towing/recovery business that many people would not get elsewhere. Hopefully I can drum up a few subs for you throughout my various Mopar and Mustang FB groups. Thanks very much for the great video content, and an early congrats on making it to the hallowed 100K mark.
Very risky on the interstate. You sure have the equipment,all the toys so to speak, but very necessary for safety. I almost forgot, where were the state troopers???keep up the good work & God bless ...
Many years ago, when they was talking about making the law for the move over... Everyone but the professionals (and even then) was against. Until a journalist went with the police that was pro move over. They were on the highway. Police do his 'bullshit' of 'it's dangerous' and bla bla bla... fricking princess... Your job is dangerous! You signed for it! The police goes on and "look how close they pass beside us, one step and I get hit" and soon after... The cameraman shout WATCHOUT. The police just got time to jerk a bit forward and he got a massive butt slap from the car mirror, which actually broke off. That car of course did not stopped. The timing was almost perfect. The police succeded to say "That's what I was talking about" and made a sign to cut. Has the cameraman 'done his job right' (they ain't supposed to talk afterall, he basically scrapped the scene) the police would have been hit and seriously injuried or killed. He actually had to get stitches on his butt and couln't sit for many days. Since that day, the media opinion and most of the population changed for the move over. If it was not of that unscripted demo, it would possibly have never passed. Sometime life give you some weird sign by giving you a close call. On a related note... It happened to us, a close call. Life is really weird... Adults and toddlers in backyard, they ran toward the street, bus is comming... Start running, Bro happened to pass in car in the other direction, shout, toddlers freeze 1 step from the sidewalk, bus pass just beside the sidewalk to drop someone. 2 seconds. That is what saved them. Next day, we get the flyers, sale on hardware required for a fence. Next day, store visit to check the price. The store is a mess. That mess however made us discover some ideal hardwares that we did not know it existed, and made it better and actually slightly cheaper. On the way out, there is a sign for another promotion. We had a small budjet, since it was unplanned. We had 300$. With the sales and promotion and tax and all? Exactly 300.61$ No more close call since then. Heck, not even required to watch them anymore! Life is weird.
Mark Verloop sometimes state DOT will help,most DOT's have arrow board trucks that help but have limited hours,I said DOT because each state call them something different for MN it is called FIRST (Freeway Incident Response Safety Team)
So what if it's 1am? Ron's just posted a video. Bed can wait! I've just read that about 60 tow truck operators are killed whilst working at the side of the road each year in the US. That doesn't include any of the myriad of injuries. That's a shocking statistic. I'm glad the report was in error, but it sure is something to think about, and I bet it focuses your mind. That was a bit of a job for you both. I'm always impressed by how well you and Talon work together. It's almost like you can read each others mind, you're so in sync - a well oiled machine. I think, after reading that report on deaths in your industry, that we should *all* say a wee prayer to God to watch over all the tow truck crews around the world, doing what is clearly a dangerous job. If praying isn't your thing, just keep them in your thoughts. God bless to you and yours, from Scotland.
We had a tow truck driver killed on the side of the Southern Freeway, here in New South Wales, Australia last year. He was rescuing a young woman that had broken down on the side of the freeway when he was hit from behind and killed. It turned out that the hard shoulder did not comply with state government design criteria, but they still let people drive on it anyway!.
Love your videos Ron. And when it comes to safety, there is no such thing as too many precautions. God bless you and your drivers and have a good one sir
what would happen if you set one of the cones over the new led flashers, might be worth a try, it would be new so they might just slow down to see what it is..... just thinking ..... Or maybe a banner that read "" NAIL STRIPS IN USE MOVE OVER"
Dang, Ron! One cellphone talker not paying attention... Think I'll stick with lifting heavy stuff with cranes that are WAY off any highway. Great video, as usual.
Ron, I understand what you were saying about taking extra time to set up safe zones but, some agency's don't care. You are given a time limit from arrival to get anything and everything off the highway. If the officer on scene decides that you aren't going to be done by then, the next outfit on rotation is already in route to relieve you of the scene, and you are dismissed once they arrive. You get no pay, and your company is bumped down on the rotation list. So in some areas safety is a luxury, not a requirement.
I have heard about that. I understand the need for urgent clearing of a scene. What you are talking about, I believe, is crash scene where the police and fire services are there to protect the scene and provide coverage.....I could be wrong. IF that's the case, that is totally different than what I'm dealing with in this video. Here we are only towing a vehicle off the shoulder of the interstate and have to provide our own coverage. Thanks and God bless.
Actually it was in response to you saying that others were critiquing you on taking too long to do things. And no, I was referring to everyday tows and recovery's where an officer is on scene and calls in for the next available tow operator on rotation. You get into the "Hook and Book" mode on all scenes if you've ever been under that type of pressure when every second counts against you.
We get into some pressure situations here, but thankfully our local departments work with us, and other tow/recovery companies in our area, to help control the situation and make sure it is cleared safely and in a timely manner. Time is a BIG concern and I do understand the need to clear quickly. TIMS training is pretty clear. The only reason they pull a vendor off a job around here is incompetence, which could include taking too long to clear a scene. This is already a dangerous job. I just want me and my personnel to go home safely.
I think that the safety measures you take are definitely not overdone. Thank you for always showing the way things should be done. Stay safe and God bless.
I'd like to meet him someday, too. Just not with him coming to me on the side of the road somewhere, lol ! Of course, if I broke down, I guess that would be different. I just don't ever want to be on the needing end of a big ugly recovery from a ditch or a median.
Don't we all want to meet Ron, and possibly go out on a call with him? I've learned enough to be dangerous, if I wanted to help. Wouldn't want the man to loose his Christianity!!! So many questions, so little time!😂😂😂
Enjoyed watching you and Talon working this call and especially great that you are giving Talon more education on the job. That's not to say I don't like the rest of your videos - I love 'em all. Best wishes and prayers for you all. God Bless!
David Larson I got this on Amazon for $40plus tax. GOSTAR 3 Pack 16 LED Flashing Car Warning Light Rechargeable Safety Emergency Road Magnetic Base Car Boat Flare, 1 Quick Charge Car Cigarette lighter
This looked like a difficult one! I know my stress level would've been alot higher than normal on this particular job - night time, not able to front-tow, backing down the highway, truck larger than expected ... but you guys handled it like the professionals you are! Nice work! Those are some neat little LEDs there, those electronic road flares. Going to look into getting some of those for my wife, just in case, and a few for my car trailer. Never know when you're going to need them. Glad that was a false report you got there, too. We just had a guy lose his life a week or so ago up on 495 in Andover, MA. Hit by a drunk driver. Sure is a blood-boiler. Prayers needed for this man's family. Such a sad, tragic, and UNNECESSARY loss. boston.cbslocal.com/2018/03/21/dan-coady-funeral-tow-truck-procession/ May God continue to bless & protect you, and all those around you, Ron. Congrats on nearly 100k subs!! 👍
Great video as always. Glad to hear that the report of the driver was false. I’m not a tow operator, but have family in law enforcement and I get annoyed at people when they don’t slow down or pull over. Be safe out there and thanks again for all the great videos.
I remember that rotating lights from my fire department. Very handy little things. We used them too to secure our scenes on roads outside the city. Very useful but the box we had to charge them was a bit difficult to handle because of the wireless charging system you had the problem, if you didnt put them in right they didnt charge. Usually we put them on the ground, but i had the idea to put them on top of the cones like you did to make them better visible. We did this until we got some foldable traffic cones with a light in it who where very handy because they dont need much room in the truck and they have a light inside that lights up the complete cone. Like this: www.derfachhandel.de/bilder/produkte/gross/888.png And nice that you took care of that small oil spill there. But a idea for the binder: Put it in a bucked so you dont have to cut the bag open every time you need some. You just take the bucket, open it, take a small shovel and throw as much as you need on the oil. So you dont have the open bag in your truck after you used just a little bit like here.
Too bad that there is no such thing as what they do for railroad stuff: some explosive on the rails to warn the workers that someone is where they shouln't be. Would be nice I think to be able to set the cones and if someone hit one you hear a loud BANG instead of a quiet thump. It would give a few seconds of warning to look up and move, and also make the driver go back where he belong.
Your safety is first priority everyday all day .....especially on an Interstate.. Beautifully done Ron. I've been watching you since early when you first started on youtube, i absolutely love your videos brother .. keep it up
Ron I like that you take the extra steps it great to see a company that takes safety of its staff. You are doing the right thing of creating the safe work zones. I have friends who work in the industry and there are times that I would go out on the calls with them in my vehicle that carried cones and electro flares as well as an arrow stick. To keep them safe as well if it was a Personal Injury Accident I am an Volunteer EMT, so I would start treatment till the local EMS arrived. You are right you do lose too many tow operators out there. Keep up the great work.
Ron, I think you perform a service to emergency workers by providing their perspective to your viewers. I'm surprised you receive criticism for going the extra mile for everyone's safety. Hmmm...
how can you expect the unexpected when the unexpected is unexpected, doesnt that mean if you epect the unexpected that the unexpexcted was expected. Therefor you can never expect the unexpected
Got those battery flares myself Ron....in case of breakdown, they are really good....great job as always...professionally executed.....god bless you all out there....👍🇮🇲
@ Brody Mitchell Greetings from Scotland Talon is his son-in law . Ethan is his son. One of his early videos from "the money pit" has Ethan as a boy basically on a ride-along with his dad who was given small jobs (digging out sand moving wooden blocks etc) seem to remember a video of him as a young man driving a truck by himself (may have been someone else/a dream but IDTS) not an officianado of Ron's work but have watched a few CZcams videos on it.
Ron, God is everywhen so ALL prayers helped. Thank you for "Scootching"down. lol It did help. Thank you for all the safety tips and thank you for being there for those who need you. In every way. jim
love the video, i purchased 3 of the small strobe lights and use them on my work van, i will be showing my boss them and try talking him into buying some to lay out behind our parked vehicles whilst cleaning.
Glad you were safe, I'd wait till daylight! Maybe even Noon :) If I ever broke down out your way I'd be thankful to have such a professional as yourself.
Ron, God bless you for the job you do. People don't understand how dangerous your job is, it takes a man with nerves of steel to work the side of any road much less an interstate.
After seeing some of the items you use, I got some of them also. I love the retracting ratchet strap, rotating electronic flares on the way. Safety is paramount, and the key is always to grab the attention of drivers not paying attention. I am not in the business but have learned from watching your videos. I have seen some others putting videos up, but their equipment is not nearly as well maintained as yours.
I started watching one of your videos a while back and got hooked on the truck and your commentary :) Ron is great and I'd kinda love to get rescued by his team!! lol
Hey Ron from New Zealand you are doing a great job there. Glad to see that the Arrows on the truck help. Here in NZ we have a truck that goes out to this sort of thing and he parks back down the road with the arrow pushing everyone into the other lane. They also put cones in the lane beside the area where you are working so basically the arrow truck is parked in the middle of the lane and the cones go down the lane and past the incident area and then gradually the cones go back into the side of the road. Believe me it slows the traffic down as they have to use just the one lane. Take care my friend God Bless and Kia Kaha (stay strong)
Get Ron to 100k subs
We are almost there!!! Thanks for your support. Remember to like, share, and comment!! We will get there!! It's not just me...it's OUR community that we've built!!! Thanks for watching and God bless.
God Bless!
SLOW DOWN! MOVE OVER!
God bless Ron crew & all safety workers out there
652 to
Holy cow! When I started watching your vids (not too long ago) you had less than 10k. I think about 5k.
You put out as many lights as you want. An extra light or two, and a few extra minutes compared lost life is nothing.
Keep doing what you're doing.
Be Safe,
Jay
Jay Dighsx yes
Jay Dighsx that extra time and light could save a life
Sadly some idiots think that Time = Money is the be all and end all and not only encourage unsafe work practices, but often require them.
I dont have time for people like that myself.
Exactly
@@dancarlin5434 I know, right?
Love that you taught Talon how to run the controls. And really appreciate your kindness to strangers. You always remind us that others are just as important as we are. Bless your heart.
Absolutely
When approaching a site like this with my tractor-trailer I always try and get over. If I am unable to, then I slow down and put my four ways on and give short blasts on the horn to warn the Personnel working on the side of the road I am unable to get over. I hope that's appreciated, because as you know that's just about all you can do.
Thank you
I always do the same. I slow way down in comparison to everyone else I see. I mean down to 30s and that's still fast I admit. But I always hit my hazard lights and nail the horn like a freight train, four concise blasts before reaching the scene so they know I'm coming and cannot move over from them.
The reason why people slowed down and moved over more was that since it was nighttime they couldn't tell if it was a cop or a tow-truck so they didn't risk it. Most people don't give a rats a** about tow trucks because they cant give people tickets. Its truly sad and I respect what you do every day to help others in need.
PaulK117 The police needs to borrow a tow truck and conduct a blitz... go and catch them all.
In the words of Mick Dundee... Move over Dopey!
Evey tow truck company should own a fake police car to have a extra employee bring to risky scenes and park with lights on, lol,
Iirc in NC tow and emergency responders are treated the same.
@@BigDish101 3
@@BigDish101 That would be illegal
Ron keep up the great work, don’t listen to the haters. I’d rather play it safe with as much lights and safety cones as possible!
Safety must always come first. You can replace equipment but you can not replace a life. The more lights the better. Here in Alaska we are allowed to close lanes if necessary for safety. In this case I would have closed a lane. Here if someone does not move over and you can get a liscense plate # they can be fined a minimum of $500 for interfereing with an emergency vehicle. Once again safety comes first above all else. Stay safe and God bless.
Ron, you should NEVER apologize for safety. I'm retired after 44 years in the class 8 trucking industry, finishing up as a Terminal Manager. However, for the first 17 years, I was a heavy-duty mechanic, and spent countless hours out on the side of the road with breakdowns. The majority of the public have absolutely no idea how fast traffic is moving past you, or how much suction is involved from vortexes when they're going past at highway speeds. You have to do everything you can, and take every precaution you can, to keep safe when out there!! Love these videos, BTW -- great job, brother!!
Great idea with the flashing flashlights next to the cone. And those electric road flares are fantastic. Your way is the only way, on your job site. All your people return home safe and sound to their families every time. So your doing something right.
Put the flashing flashlight on the cone instead of next to it
Those rotating light is a nifty idea, makes for better warning.
Todd Behrends they work great, speaking from personal experience (I have a 6 pack in blue, and now a 3 pack of amber batons too, because the flares were so effective)
Edward chapman I got mine from amazon, sold under the brand Aervoe. just search for aervoe led flare, and it should come up.
awsome, thankyou
@@bigtrucker26 , I agree, picked up several from an auto parts store ( red in color ) cheaper in the long run vs regular flares.
If you want to see these taken apart and explained check out this video
czcams.com/video/9eN7e5_GtHI/video.html
Hi Ron stay safe and may God bless and protect you.
Anyone that criticizes your highway safety protocol has never worked a highway scene. I'd take a fully involved structure fire any day over a highway call!!!
Prayers for driver of the wrecker company.Stay safe Ron & Talon
I don't really know what happened to the driver :?
at around 28:39 text pops up saying the other driver was ok. Ron had gotten a text indicating a tow driver was hit while operating at the side of the road. Later he found the report was incorrect.
Congrats Ron your less than 700 till you reach 100,000 subscribers and you have done it with the most amount of respect and decency and kindness and may God bless you with this achievement before this Easter Sunday
lol I think the truck lost his sneakers.. or in this case.. work boots. Ron, I agree with you about the safety part of your job. You can NEVER have enough lights, especially at night. :) My philosophy is "light 'er up" and let the rest of the world eat cake. You showed great consideration for fellow motorists by not turning on the working lights while backing up, and you took it nice and slow. This was a difficult recovery, and you two pulled it off with Beast Jr. and a rollback. :) Keep safe and God bless. Glad to hear that no tow truck driver was harmed in their job today.
Ron, that traffic reminds me of the traffic here at home. After watching your videos for a couple of years, this tow appears to be the most dangerous one to date. God bless and protect Ya'll
Hi Mr. Ron. You towed me back in 2001 or 2, can't recall the date but It was a pleasure being towed by you. By far the safest tow I ever had. I was driving for a national fright relocation specialist company, we had the blue trucks.
Really glad There was no Driver hurt. Stay Safe watch your back.
wow it a good thing you came with the rollback so you can help Talon position for the tow and work zone
I like how Ron makes the best of things even when there's been a minor error. He's there with the rollback, so he uses the truck to block and has an extra person to help. I don't even tow, but I learn a lot from Ron.
Thank you Ron for taking the extra steps to stay safe!!
Your work attitude is awesome !! Being safe and not rushing the job in a dangerous way is the way to be.
I feel like I would get fired for throwing a cone at a car for not moving over
Fine job in a particularly dangerous situation. Those puck lights are amazing!
If I knew anything about towing I'd wanna work for you. Safety is my main priority when operating my rig and seeing you take it as seriously as you do is inspiration.
Thanks for the update that driver was okay. You are amazing. God Bless YOU ..Ron.
Congrats on 100k Ron.. almost there! :)
Amazing how you think outside the box to get the job done. Amazing how far Tallon has come from the first videos. So glad to hear that the other report of the driver being hit was wrong. May you and all your staff have a guardian angel looking over them at all times. Positive thoughts to all of you and your boys.
Hey Ron. Great video as always. What I used to do with those flares is put them under the cone. This way the flashing light pattern lights up the entire cone.
Thanks Ron and Talen, nice to see you 2 are Safe and best wishes to the driver that got hert 🙏
Stay safe out there Ron!! God bless
i hope you display the 100k plaque in the main office where you work to show off howmany people love your work and employees/co workers
It needs to go on the rotator
Poople
@@BenAran426 Get two - one for the rotator and one for the office.
You and your crew do a Fantastic job Ron! I don't think some folks are aware fully of the "danger-factor" of your job...contending with large, heavy, often unstable objects, and the then added factor of moving vehicles driven by folks not paying attention. I commend your attention to safety....I retired from 26 years working in a state prison, and our goal was/is the same as yours.."Get myself, and everyone else home safely" God Bless Ron!
Outstanding video Ron, you use whatever safety measures you need to stay safe and don't let anyone tell you different. Stay safe and God bless you and your workers for all the hard work you do in helping to keep American highways safe.
I'd imagine red & blues would get a "fair" portion of people to move over; those that are aware of the laws & maybe actually
have a soul in them and care about not wanting to risk harming other people.
However - your arrow sign...
When someone sees that, they don't know what the reason is for why they should get over.
For all they know, there might be a giant steel block in the right lane.
So, even if you have someone that doesn't care about other people - they will likely care about themselves, their vehicle.
So they'll probably get over just to be safe.
That being said, my sphincter has been clenched almost this entire video.
A problem like that makes a good reminder to pay attention to those wheel lugs. They are entirely too easy to overlook during a pre-trip. Look for shiny around them, or streaks, that could indicate that the rims are moving on the hub.
In my younger days, I kept hearing a rumble-thump in what I was driving. I checked wheel bearings, tires, driveline. One morning while on the way to the rail yard for work, it finally revealed itself, when my left steer tire exited from the vehicle and went bouncing off into the woods on a road with roller coaster hills. Lost two nuts, and the rim pulled through the other three. Cost me a rim, a grease zerk on the lower ball joint, a tow, and at least 8 hours of work. And a pair of underwear.
And it put me under obligation to look for another vehicle, because I'd told people that I intended to drive that one until the wheels came off... I fixed it and drove it some more, but I did eventually get myself a backup vehicle.
Dear Mr. Pratt & Talon. Thank you so much for the nice video. As always you do a tremendous good job.
Take care and God Bless You.
Love the flashing lights on you cones. Once again nice job Ron
You know Ron, I think one reason why they moved over is that you made it look big with all those flares. I personally noticed that one issue is the lack of visibility and the apparence of "nothing there". All those flairs made it look like it was something very serious, and made it very visible. I would bet that with no flares they wouln't have moved.
I wonder if he could set the flares on top of a few cones also.
I like the things you put ontop of the cones
Ron, don't you ever put safety below any priority. You have one of the most dangerous and tedious jobs there is, and you do it with the passion, drive, and selflessness rarely found in others. The respect that you show, yourself, your employees, friends, other drivers, people you have never met, and most importantly (my opinion), the dangers presented to you by your occupation are outstanding and masterfully handled. I have been watching you recover vehicles for the past two years or so, and I have to say, a day rarely goes by that I do not think of the lives put at risk every day around the world, and those that were lost because someone wasn't paying attention. Ron, I hope you never face the 'what if' question after an incident. Always take the extra step and the extra minute to put out a road flare, cone, drag the 5/8" chain instead of the 1/2" if you need it, and take care of your guys. Don't be lazy in your old age that is fast approaching because, for most people, that is what we do. Keep up the excellent work, and I can't wait for your next video. As my scoutmaster said years ago: "Always be prepared for the worst and hope for the best."
Ron, I really enjoy watching your videos.
Ron, I saw something interesting on the highway today that I thought might be useful to you. You know those big portable orange signs that construction workers put out along the side of the road that say something like "Road Work Ahead"? Well today I saw a towing unit with a pinkish purple sign like that which said "EMERGENCY TRUCK REPAIR", and it was placed right up against the travel lane (not In the travel lane) so you absolutely had to notice it. I thought that might be useful to you when you have to tow semis and the semi is blocking most of your rotators emergency lighting from being seen by oncoming traffic.
Edit: I forgot to mention that the sign was placed probably a couple hundred feet rear of the semi, to give ample warning obviously.
Ron Safety is KEY!! I think you need to spend the time and a few dollars for safety. All the Equiment can be replace. However you and your employees are more important. Everyone want to come home there families.
I learn so much from you I'm a tow truck operator myself you are the master of your craft
Ron thank you for sharing with us GOD bless everyone, from Kentucky
Hey Ron sense I have been watching your videos and even before if I see anybody especially emergency personal on the side of the road I try and move over to the next lane but sometimes it's hard to do that when you have someone in the lane next to you but if I can I most certainly will move over for safety of the people who are working to clean up the broken down car you have inspired me to think more about the safety of people on the side of the roads and for that I wanna say thank you.
Donald Romine you can always slow down. The law is slow down or move over.
Donald Romine 7
Donald Romine I drive a semi that is 75' nose to tail. As you can imagine in heavy traffic it can be nearly impossible to move over. I've had my blinker going for 3/4 of a mile before and no one would let me over. Many truck drivers fail to do what I do but in that situation I will hug the left of my lane and slow to a crawl. I'll be dammed if I'm going to run someone over if they come walking out around the vehicle or trip and fall into the lane.
@@troygray2884 I do both.
Donald Romine: Out here in the country almost all roads are two lane. So
a breakdown or emergency will usually block one lane. That pretty much
always means stop and wait to creep around in the clear lane. Virtually
all the folks out here are good about that. With the light traffic here, it
is no burden to wait a minute or two in order to keep others safe.
So much better than city or freeway traffic........
Ron, you and your guys do great work and provide a lot of insight into the towing/recovery business that many people would not get elsewhere. Hopefully I can drum up a few subs for you throughout my various Mopar and Mustang FB groups. Thanks very much for the great video content, and an early congrats on making it to the hallowed 100K mark.
I'm very glad no one was hurt, and y'all get my prayers anyway. Thanks, Ron.
Very risky on the interstate. You sure have the equipment,all the toys so to speak, but very necessary for safety. I almost forgot, where were the state troopers???keep up the good work
& God bless ...
Many years ago, when they was talking about making the law for the move over... Everyone but the professionals (and even then) was against. Until a journalist went with the police that was pro move over. They were on the highway. Police do his 'bullshit' of 'it's dangerous' and bla bla bla... fricking princess... Your job is dangerous! You signed for it! The police goes on and "look how close they pass beside us, one step and I get hit" and soon after... The cameraman shout WATCHOUT. The police just got time to jerk a bit forward and he got a massive butt slap from the car mirror, which actually broke off. That car of course did not stopped. The timing was almost perfect. The police succeded to say "That's what I was talking about" and made a sign to cut. Has the cameraman 'done his job right' (they ain't supposed to talk afterall, he basically scrapped the scene) the police would have been hit and seriously injuried or killed. He actually had to get stitches on his butt and couln't sit for many days.
Since that day, the media opinion and most of the population changed for the move over.
If it was not of that unscripted demo, it would possibly have never passed.
Sometime life give you some weird sign by giving you a close call.
On a related note...
It happened to us, a close call. Life is really weird... Adults and toddlers in backyard, they ran toward the street, bus is comming... Start running, Bro happened to pass in car in the other direction, shout, toddlers freeze 1 step from the sidewalk, bus pass just beside the sidewalk to drop someone. 2 seconds. That is what saved them. Next day, we get the flyers, sale on hardware required for a fence. Next day, store visit to check the price. The store is a mess. That mess however made us discover some ideal hardwares that we did not know it existed, and made it better and actually slightly cheaper. On the way out, there is a sign for another promotion. We had a small budjet, since it was unplanned. We had 300$. With the sales and promotion and tax and all? Exactly 300.61$ No more close call since then. Heck, not even required to watch them anymore!
Life is weird.
They are not allways able to be about its the same as UK police and highways agency to provide that buffer
Well it wasnt an accident it was breakdown so that could be why
I guess you're right. the troopers have a lot of ground to cover & there are far to few troopers. We need more officers.
Mark Verloop sometimes state DOT will help,most DOT's have arrow board trucks that help but have limited hours,I said DOT because each state call them something different for MN it is called FIRST (Freeway Incident Response Safety Team)
So what if it's 1am? Ron's just posted a video. Bed can wait!
I've just read that about 60 tow truck operators are killed whilst working at the side of the road each year in the US. That doesn't include any of the myriad of injuries. That's a shocking statistic. I'm glad the report was in error, but it sure is something to think about, and I bet it focuses your mind.
That was a bit of a job for you both. I'm always impressed by how well you and Talon work together. It's almost like you can read each others mind, you're so in sync - a well oiled machine.
I think, after reading that report on deaths in your industry, that we should *all* say a wee prayer to God to watch over all the tow truck crews around the world, doing what is clearly a dangerous job. If praying isn't your thing, just keep them in your thoughts.
God bless to you and yours, from Scotland.
We had a tow truck driver killed on the side of the Southern Freeway, here in New South Wales, Australia last year.
He was rescuing a young woman that had broken down on the side of the freeway when he was hit from behind and killed.
It turned out that the hard shoulder did not comply with state government design criteria, but they still let people drive on it anyway!.
Love your videos Ron. And when it comes to safety, there is no such thing as too many precautions.
God bless you and your drivers and have a good one sir
Ron, I admire your restraint when you encounter situations that were clearly human caused. I don't know how you do it.
Ron I think you need a big light board sign that says "Slow Down- Move Over NOW!"
He needs a blow up sheriff car :p
what would happen if you set one of the cones over the new led flashers, might be worth a try, it would be new so they might just slow down to see what it is..... just thinking ..... Or maybe a banner that read "" NAIL STRIPS IN USE MOVE OVER"
Hey Ron, love the posts. Keep up the narrative on the video's that's what makes it fun to watch, you're so good at it!
Awesome video. I have been subbed for a little over 2 years 😁 and have loved every minute of it.
Dang, Ron! One cellphone talker not paying attention... Think I'll stick with lifting heavy stuff with cranes that are WAY off any highway. Great video, as usual.
It only take a moment of inattention. Thanks for your support, my friend. Be safe. God bless.
Ron, I understand what you were saying about taking extra time to set up safe zones but, some agency's don't care. You are given a time limit from arrival to get anything and everything off the highway. If the officer on scene decides that you aren't going to be done by then, the next outfit on rotation is already in route to relieve you of the scene, and you are dismissed once they arrive. You get no pay, and your company is bumped down on the rotation list. So in some areas safety is a luxury, not a requirement.
I have heard about that. I understand the need for urgent clearing of a scene. What you are talking about, I believe, is crash scene where the police and fire services are there to protect the scene and provide coverage.....I could be wrong. IF that's the case, that is totally different than what I'm dealing with in this video. Here we are only towing a vehicle off the shoulder of the interstate and have to provide our own coverage. Thanks and God bless.
Actually it was in response to you saying that others were critiquing you on taking too long to do things. And no, I was referring to everyday tows and recovery's where an officer is on scene and calls in for the next available tow operator on rotation. You get into the "Hook and Book" mode on all scenes if you've ever been under that type of pressure when every second counts against you.
We get into some pressure situations here, but thankfully our local departments work with us, and other tow/recovery companies in our area, to help control the situation and make sure it is cleared safely and in a timely manner. Time is a BIG concern and I do understand the need to clear quickly. TIMS training is pretty clear. The only reason they pull a vendor off a job around here is incompetence, which could include taking too long to clear a scene. This is already a dangerous job. I just want me and my personnel to go home safely.
I think that the safety measures you take are definitely not overdone. Thank you for always showing the way things should be done.
Stay safe and God bless.
Ron, you and your men stay safe out there. God Bless you all!
Almost to 100k!!!!!!!!!!
Ron I agree with you I pray that a driver wasn't hurt/ killed.
Safety is always priority ! Your level of professionalism is top notch. Well done Ron.
Little pete is looking fabulous!! Nice and shiny!
hey ron love your videos i would love too meet you one day it would be awsome if i could go on a job with you. Thanks. God Bless.
I'd like to meet him someday, too. Just not with him coming to me on the side of the road somewhere, lol ! Of course, if I broke down, I guess that would be different. I just don't ever want to be on the needing end of a big ugly recovery from a ditch or a median.
Don't we all want to meet Ron, and possibly go out on a call with him? I've learned enough to be dangerous, if I wanted to help. Wouldn't want the man to loose his Christianity!!! So many questions, so little time!😂😂😂
Glad for your comment at 14:15. I was getting ready to suggest a large
lighted sign that reads
I HAVE A STINGER MISSILE - GET OVER OR ELSE! lol
Enjoyed watching you and Talon working this call and especially great that you are giving Talon more education on the job. That's not to say I don't like the rest of your videos - I love 'em all. Best wishes and prayers for you all. God Bless!
I love your safety methods for nighttime towing. When i was a repo-man i didn't have to do all that but it is a VERY good idea for tow companies.
Ron those strobe flares having a magnetic base on them makes them really awesome have to get me some of those. What brand are they?
David Larson I got this on Amazon for $40plus tax. GOSTAR 3 Pack 16 LED Flashing Car Warning Light Rechargeable Safety Emergency Road Magnetic Base Car Boat Flare, 1 Quick Charge Car Cigarette lighter
they sell similar ones on amazon
Believe those are Wagan FREDs, they make that style and a pro version. There are also quite a few others out there.
amzn.to/2Ggxi7Y
And the Emergency Services I work with here in Australia use these: bit.ly/2DYa1pv
Thanks to all who replied to me.
This looked like a difficult one! I know my stress level would've been alot higher than normal on this particular job - night time, not able to front-tow, backing down the highway, truck larger than expected ... but you guys handled it like the professionals you are! Nice work!
Those are some neat little LEDs there, those electronic road flares. Going to look into getting some of those for my wife, just in case, and a few for my car trailer. Never know when you're going to need them.
Glad that was a false report you got there, too. We just had a guy lose his life a week or so ago up on 495 in Andover, MA. Hit by a drunk driver. Sure is a blood-boiler. Prayers needed for this man's family. Such a sad, tragic, and UNNECESSARY loss. boston.cbslocal.com/2018/03/21/dan-coady-funeral-tow-truck-procession/
May God continue to bless & protect you, and all those around you, Ron. Congrats on nearly 100k subs!! 👍
Prayers for the family of the tow truck driver that lost his life 😫🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
aH railroad equipment my favorite! (love trains so getting double here) Thanks for all you do fell in love with the videos!
Great video as always. Glad to hear that the report of the driver was false. I’m not a tow operator, but have family in law enforcement and I get annoyed at people when they don’t slow down or pull over. Be safe out there and thanks again for all the great videos.
I hate those simple jobs that turn to a complete disaster. It screws up the whole plan, and makes things harder.
I remember that rotating lights from my fire department. Very handy little things. We used them too to secure our scenes on roads outside the city. Very useful but the box we had to charge them was a bit difficult to handle because of the wireless charging system you had the problem, if you didnt put them in right they didnt charge.
Usually we put them on the ground, but i had the idea to put them on top of the cones like you did to make them better visible.
We did this until we got some foldable traffic cones with a light in it who where very handy because they dont need much room in the truck and they have a light inside that lights up the complete cone.
Like this:
www.derfachhandel.de/bilder/produkte/gross/888.png
And nice that you took care of that small oil spill there.
But a idea for the binder: Put it in a bucked so you dont have to cut the bag open every time you need some. You just take the bucket, open it, take a small shovel and throw as much as you need on the oil.
So you dont have the open bag in your truck after you used just a little bit like here.
I got to say , the equipment this guy has is amazing , what a pro , hats off to you again sir .
I like the fact that in all your videos, safety is tops. Talon is really doing great in all the latest videos. Stay safe
no shortage of lights on that job lol
The more the better if it keeps them safe.
Too bad that there is no such thing as what they do for railroad stuff: some explosive on the rails to warn the workers that someone is where they shouln't be.
Would be nice I think to be able to set the cones and if someone hit one you hear a loud BANG instead of a quiet thump. It would give a few seconds of warning to look up and move, and also make the driver go back where he belong.
Rig a cone to fire off a shotgun blank if it's hit...
Torpedoes!!!!! Yeah buddy!!!! Sadly Friday night we had a flagger get killed on a highway job when a vehicle entered the work zone and hit 2 vehicles
Your safety is first priority everyday all day .....especially on an Interstate.. Beautifully done Ron. I've been watching you since early when you first started on youtube, i absolutely love your videos brother .. keep it up
Ron I like that you take the extra steps it great to see a company that takes safety of its staff. You are doing the right thing of creating the safe work zones. I have friends who work in the industry and there are times that I would go out on the calls with them in my vehicle that carried cones and electro flares as well as an arrow stick. To keep them safe as well if it was a Personal Injury Accident I am an Volunteer EMT, so I would start treatment till the local EMS arrived. You are right you do lose too many tow operators out there. Keep up the great work.
Ron, I think you perform a service to emergency workers by providing their perspective to your viewers.
I'm surprised you receive criticism for going the extra mile for everyone's safety. Hmmm...
Expect the Unexpected!
how can you expect the unexpected when the unexpected is unexpected, doesnt that mean if you epect the unexpected that the unexpexcted was expected. Therefor you can never expect the unexpected
Antwon, try and say that three times as fast. lol
Again, how creative and very informative. Look forward to more of your work. - Indianapolis Ray
Got those battery flares myself Ron....in case of breakdown, they are really good....great job as always...professionally executed.....god bless you all out there....👍🇮🇲
No tow is worth your life. It's just a dollar...not worth it.
Is talon your son?
He's my son-in-law. Thanks for watching and God bless.
Ron Pratt thank you for the reply sir. I just started watching your vids and can’t stop. Thank you!
son in law
@ Brody Mitchell
Greetings from Scotland
Talon is his son-in law . Ethan is his son. One of his early videos from "the money pit" has Ethan as a boy basically on a ride-along with his dad who was given small jobs (digging out sand moving wooden blocks etc) seem to remember a video of him as a young man driving a truck by himself (may have been someone else/a dream but IDTS) not an officianado of Ron's work but have watched a few CZcams videos on it.
Another Wonderful Job, by Rotator Ron and Talon.. WTG guys, and thanks for the update about the false alarm about the other tow driver...
Ron, God is everywhen so ALL prayers helped. Thank you for "Scootching"down. lol It did help. Thank you for all the safety tips and thank you for being there for those who need you. In every way. jim
love the video, i purchased 3 of the small strobe lights and use them on my work van, i will be showing my boss them and try talking him into buying some to lay out behind our parked vehicles whilst cleaning.
Glad you were safe, I'd wait till daylight! Maybe even Noon :) If I ever broke down out your way I'd be thankful to have such a professional as yourself.
Ron, God bless you for the job you do. People don't understand how dangerous your job is, it takes a man with nerves of steel to work the side of any road much less an interstate.
be safe out there ron i always go an extra step when im hauling stuff on are flatbed trailer
After seeing some of the items you use, I got some of them also. I love the retracting ratchet strap, rotating electronic flares on the way. Safety is paramount, and the key is always to grab the attention of drivers not paying attention. I am not in the business but have learned from watching your videos. I have seen some others putting videos up, but their equipment is not nearly as well maintained as yours.
Great video Ron thanks for sharing stay safe and God bless
I started watching one of your videos a while back and got hooked on the truck and your commentary :) Ron is great and I'd kinda love to get rescued by his team!! lol
Great video Ron nice to see your work keep it up mate
Hey Ron from New Zealand you are doing a great job there. Glad to see that the Arrows on the truck help. Here in NZ we have a truck that goes out to this sort of thing and he parks back down the road with the arrow pushing everyone into the other lane. They also put cones in the lane beside the area where you are working so basically the arrow truck is parked in the middle of the lane and the cones go down the lane and past the incident area and then gradually the cones go back into the side of the road. Believe me it slows the traffic down as they have to use just the one lane. Take care my friend God Bless and Kia Kaha (stay strong)
Another great job Ron you always think of safe that’s the best Always be safe and make it home alive. God bless you and your team .
Great videos ron! Have had that happen to us at work with an F550 service truck..mechanic said truck was too overloaded for the studs
Working in the CMV safety industry, I'm very much impressed with your safety consciousness!