$1900 Tow Bill

Big difference in gross negligence and a deliberate act, you're going to waste time and money if you take his check.

 

Back in '98 I was working on a bridge job, the foreman and crane operator decided to move the crane with swinging piledriving leads without the normal procedure that are acceptable methods (chain back the leads to the back of the crane, leave the outriggers out).

Outriggers sucked all the way in on this 100 ton truck crane, the operator in the seat and the oiler in the cab let out the clutch and the front of the crane lifted up about 5 feet. This caused the leads to get further away from the base of the crane and pulled the rig right on over. Wasted the whole crane and the leads.

Everyone got fired except me. I stayed and finished the job with a new crew and foreman. No one on the fired crew had to pay for anything even though it was gross negligence and stupidity that caused this crane flip.

 

Back to the 1900.00 bucks. Thats a NRC rotator wrecker. They had to lift and swing this. Towing is the wrong terminology. Recovery is. Once the boom goes sideways it gets expensive.

 

Plus they may have called in some cohorts from the towing yard who get put on the day's payroll as well even though they don't do jack spit.

 

Nah 1900.00 is about right for time, one guy and a rotator. Time starts at shop. Company I worked for years back was up to 875 per hour, first two hours, 475 after two. Truck and One operator. Anything else at according rate. This aint a winchout because you would rip the axles off. Lift, its gotta go up, level it out and rotate to solid land.

 

I saw a Swift trailer lifted out of the ditch like this by a rotator, the bill was only $550

 

I paid my drivers percentage. They would have been responsible for their percentage up to an agreed upon maximum. That is if it was something that was entirely their fault. I think it’s a good idea for drivers to have some skin in the game.

 

Ive paid out of my money to the Daddy at his desk many times for a variety of Boo boos decades ago. Sometimes he is a good Daddy and defers that 1000 dollar charge for another time. If I can stay off the beer and women long enough to raise that money. Ha.

I did not for a long time appreciate the small lessons in being a better driver that was paid for out of my pocket to cover the damaged stuff while learning to be a good driver that does not break stuff all the time.

 

Did ya do your happy dance when they got your trailer out??? LMAO