During the storms of 2011, many towers have found themselves out of commission due to unfortunate accidents due to the roads being extra slick, limited visibility or just ignorance of people driving that have limited driving skills or are not comfortable with driving in the hazardous conditions. Over the course of the past five storms, it is estimated that as many as one thousand towers broke down or slid off the road. When issues like this arise for wreckers in Massachusetts, it is of the utmost importance that you have a dependable repair shop that can get you up and running quickly. After all, this is one of the most profitable seasons for tow truck operators due to the high volume of tows. Time is money, and if you are a one car carrier show, you are missing your window when your truck is broken down. Many experienced Jerr-Dan towers rely on their distributer to get them up and running quickly and at a reasonable price. Due to the manufacturer’s standards, there is no up-charging due to the situation; like gas stations jacking up the price during a blizzard, think how much more expensive BP is than their competition.

The most common issues can actually be prevented if your tow truck operator goes through a winter check list with their truck. Is there a spare winch cable under passenger seat with an Allen wrench in case the winch cable snaps? Is there a spare serpentine belt in the toolbox? Spare tire in case you pop it hitting a curb that was buried under the snow? A bottle of coolant, should you overheat? Anti- Gel Fuel Additive for those sub freezing nights you’re out? Bucket of Speedy Dry, Sand and Salt for traction? A flashlight with extra batteries and fuses for your truck, don’t they always break at 2am?

Even with this preparation, it is still impossible to be prepared for all issues that may arise while using your rollback truck. For example, if a tractor trailer clips you, you can prepare for that, but you can have a relationship with your JerrDan manufacturer that will ensure your tow truck gets up and running as quickly as possible. Otherwise your luck is the equivalent of shooting in the dark. The time you put in for your company when times are good, is what you get out of your time spent when times are bad.

Good luck out there and stay classy, New England.