Commercial Tow Truck Driver Bitten By Police Dog

A police dog sniffing for illegal drugs chomped the arm of a commercial tow truck driver, who had been hired to tow a vehicle suspected of containing hidden compartments full of drugs. The driver was not seriously injured, having been released from the hospital with only a few bandages.

The department would not release the canine's name, saying the matter remained under administrative review. "Right now we're looking at the conditions that were present and the dog's temperament," Capt. Mark Gagan said. "I would mention that in the past few days, this dog has helped the narcotics unit seize 4 kilos of cocaine and arrest an armed felon."

Why the dog bit the tow driver remains a mystery. Drug traffickers often modify cars to hide large amounts of contraband in door panels, the engine compartment or other spots. "They were raising the car to search under the engine block," Gagan said. "While the tow operator was raising the car, the dog walked away from the vehicle and approached the driver and two undercover officers."

The incident happened in Richmond California, about 7 p.m. in the Police Department's rear parking lot.

Police would not comment on the narcotics investigation.

Source: Tow Industries Week

Greenest Tow Truck Company in Queens

When we read this story of how a tow truck company is going to great lengths to save a tree we had to share it with all our friends of Berrier Insurance.

Tommy Cali owner of Cove Auto Towing in Queens, didn’t have the heart to cut down an in-the-way tree 32 years ago when he converted the enclosed front porch of his 27th Ave. home into an office for his thriving business. Now he has 50-foot tree growing through the middle of his desk.

Cali built the office himself, and may be the greenest building around. “Everything is recycled,” he said proudly. “The marble floor is chippings, stuff they threw out. The windows are from a building they knocked down.”

“You’ve got tons of people that pass by everyday. They stop and take pictures. It’s a family-friendly thing.”Cali was recently offered $2.6 million for his home, he says. But he worries that a buyer would get rid of the tree to develop the property.

A rough patch of ceiling surrounds the tree trunk. “I’ve been cutting and cutting around it,” Cali said. “The tree grew a lot.” “No regrets,” Cali shrugged. “All my customers love it.”

He’s been busy in recent days wrapping the tree in Christmas lights and plans to hang ornaments. “I want to get all the branches,” he said. “We’re gonna do the whole thing all in lights.”

To read more about this story visit the NY Daily News article.

Tow Truck Insurance: Tis the Season for Towing

It’s the first day of December which means that the holiday shopping season is in full swing, poor weather will be moving in, and there will be a lot more people traveling to grandmother’s house. We want to remind both drivers and our tow trucking friends out there to be super careful. If you have a tow truck company, make sure that your tow truck insurance is up to date for the holiday season.

Towing companies are seeing an increase in business as more people fill up mall parking lots, making for fewer parking spaces and more people parking where they aren’t supposed to. There is also an increase in parking lot accidents due to impatient or unmindful drivers trying to navigate the busy state of affairs. Its always a bad situation, no one wants their car towed, but people are more frustrated about getting their car towed during the holidays, so tow companies are more often then not casted as a villain out to make a buck. With winter conditions setting in and more people on the road obviously there are more accidents, so drivers need to remember that tow truck companies are actually there to help.

Missing Teen Found by Trucker

SPARTANBURG, SC (WSPA/WFMY) - A 13-year-old girl who met a man on the Internet weeks ago went missing Monday and was found by a very alert truck driver in South Carolina.

Alexandria Brooke Cagle, 13, went missing Monday after meeting a man on the internet who drove hundreds of miles to North Carolina to meet her, according to WFMY-TV.

Cagle, who is from the Burlington, NC area, was found near Spartanburg Wednesday with the man after being reported missing on Monday.

A towtruck driver, Beano Francis, was listening to a radio station when he heard a description of the car the pair might be traveling in.

A woman claiming to be the brother of Francis emailed WBTV on Thursday saying Francis lives in Shelby, NC and was driving to a Carmax dealership in Raleigh when he heard the radio information.

The next day, Francis was driving on I-85 on his way to a Carmax dealership in Greenville, SC when he saw a car matching the same description.

"Snap, soon as that car passed me, I mean he was right beside me, soon as he got beside me, I looked and I was like, that's the description. But when he passed me, and I saw West Virginia license plates, I thought this could be what I heard," Francis told WSPA-TV.

Francis followed the car as he directed authorities to it by cell phone. Police then found Cagle, who is from Alamance County near Burlington in North Carolina.

Tyler Ross Cole, 18, is facing charges of felony kidnapping, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and felonious larceny, WSPA reported.

Read more and view photos: http://www.wect.com

You guys are out there on the road a lot, and you really can make a difference thank so much to those of you who have helped those in need. In return we do our best for you, we specialize in commercial trucking insurance including tow truck insurance! That's not all we do though, we can also get you coverage for your motorcycle, ATVs, personal auto, and boats! Visit us at BerrierInsurance.com and call us for a quick free quote at 888-472-4915.

International Towing Museum

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga Tennessee is a true testament to the history of commercial trucking. An awe inspiring visit to say the least featuring restored antique wreckers and equipment, industry related displays of collectible toys, tools, unique equipment, and pictorial histories of manufacturers who pioneered a worldwide industry. Chattanooga is known as the birth place to the first wrecker, where it was fabricated and patented by Ernest Homes in 1916 establishing the Ernest Holmes Company. Visit the Museum in Chattanoogs’s historical downtown and you may get a personalized tour from Manager Frank Thomas, the man who knows all the best stories.



For more information visit their site International Towing and don't forget to check out our site too! We specialize in commercial trucking insurance including tow trucks! That's not all we do though, we can also get you coverage for your motorcycle, ATVs, personal auto, and boats! Visit us at BerrierInsurance.com and call us for a quick free quote at 530-823-800