One of his drivers, pulling a big liquid tanker, non-hazmat, had been in an accident. Luckily, all parties were OK, but the equipment not so much. In the aftermath, the owner was presented with a tow bill for the nonconsensual, police-ordered tow, occurring in Indiana. It just so happens the state of Indiana ranked No. 1 for the intensity of reported “predatory towing” events motor carriers shared with the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) as the organization researched the extent of outsize bills and other egregious practices -- and their impact on trucking around the nation.
ATRI's new, about-as-comprehensive-as-you-can-get report on predatory towing is out now. Find a link to it in Overdrive News Editor Matt Cole’s recent reporting on ATRI’s work. In this podcast, sit in on Cole’s attendant conversation with ATRI Research Associate Alex Leslie, who brought a variety of additional insights to the questions of just what owner-operators and small fleet owners can do to combat so-called predatory behavior when they see it.
[Related: Truckers carjacked, roughed-up by towing companies: Reports]
Identifying the worst of the worst amongst "bad actors" in towing and recovery ought to be simple, said Gary Langston, President and CEO of the Indiana Motor Truck Association, particularly those amongst the many private parking-enforcer towing companies serving as the blunt end of the parking shortage.
