BAD PAY/LONG HOURS/24/7??????

listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

duffytruck78 in Alexandria, Virginia said: your just at the wrong company or in the wrong area. I run in the md $70's for pay every year I run light duty 12 hour shifts 5 days a week and no on call.

I live in los angeles. i just turned 23 yrs and have a Class A license. I just made up my mind that the Tow Industry is for me after reading all the blogs....ANY ADVISE ON HOW TO GET STARTED...MY GOAL IS TO POSSIBLY BE AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR DRIVER IF THERE IS SUCH A THING BUT IF NOT JUST MAKE A NICE LIVING AS AN EMPLOYEE AT A GOOD COMPANY...I WANNA WORK 12 HOUR SHIFTS MON-FRI WITH WEEKENDS OFF.....SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE A NEWBIE SOME ADVISE

duffytruck78 in Alexandria, Virginia said: your just at the wrong company or in the wrong area. I run in the md $70's for pay every year I run light duty 12 hour shifts 5 days a week and no on call.

ive worked foe 14 different companies in 8 years. they are all the same..you got lucky and found one good one..there are alot more out there that are in my position. i know many. i've been from massachusetts to rhode island and now florida..and it seems worse down here then it does up north..i guess my next stop is l.a

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: ive worked foe 14 different companies in 8 years. they are all the same..you got lucky and found one good one..there are alot more out there that are in my position. i know many. i've been from massachusetts to rhode island and now florida..and it seems worse down here then it does up north..i guess my next stop is l.a or virginia.927

RaYmond Dent in Los Angeles, California said: I live in los angeles. i just turned 23 yrs and have a Class A license. I just made up my mind that the Tow Industry is for me after reading all the blogs....ANY ADVISE ON HOW TO GET STARTED...MY GOAL IS TO POSSIBLY BE AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR DRIVER IF THERE IS SUCH A THING BUT IF NOT JUST MAKE A NICE LIVING AS AN EMPLOYEE AT A GOOD COMPANY...I WANNA WORK 12 HOUR SHIFTS MON-FRI WITH WEEKENDS OFF.....SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE A NEWBIE SOME ADVISE

i've havnt seen to many independent contractors for towing. you might as well just start your own company.usually being a rookie you'll be real lucky if you get weekends off.most companies want you to be very flexible with your time. that includes working on days off if needed..if you say no to many times they'll just find someone else...but,the independents i have seen are in the repo business. its a hard thing to get into but its a harder thing once you want out..

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

you are not that smart look into d o t rules

i have driven tow trucks for over 20 years and am taking a break from it. i now drive a tanker in the oil fields of texas. this is not as good as towing. work 90 to 100 hours a week ticket time. constanly filthy. but as far as a union talk to the teamsters they are in the trucking business. i was a teamster mechanic / tow truck driver. we had the best benefits and retirement. but remember you have strikes and shut outs so becareful what you wish for.

tow truck is easiest job ever.....well,kinda. aaa is easiest...when u go get cars at auction...sometimes pain if u dont know chit cause cars that r in wrecks r harder to hook up (wheel-lift).ITS NOT A SECURE JOB.....but moneys there. screw union.....

i've been driving tow trucks since '94, we got the same conditions here in montreal exept 7 months out of the year we do it in 3 feet of snow!!! if you would like to trade with me, i'd be very hapy to! ;p my average work week is 80 hrs. i would love to find a towing company down south that would sign my papers so i could go work in the sun! i got a cdl.(a-z) licence with alot of expirience with flatbeds(car carrier), landoll, and tractor-trailers.

there is always openings for drivers. you just need to decide where you want to live. there is no perfect weather. snow sounds terrible. but try 115 degree heat for 5 months in a row. and it doesnt get below 100 til around midnight. or when it rains it floods. there isnt many palces that it is perfect. in the desert yo may have to do a recovered stolen car that they ditched in the middle of abunch of cactus. the re isnt many ways to get out with out getting stuck like a oin cusshion or maybe a water recovery in a canal they are fun and good money but the danger is the moving water. hours they may say 6am til 5 or 6 pm. but good luck work 5 days and do a minimum of 60 but usually about 80 plus. but you may have the weekend off. like i have said there is no perfect weather or hours. but that is towing 24/7/365 open all the time. if you are lucky you will never go to an accident of a friend that was killed. ya all have a good day.

thanks for the reply, heat does not bother me, what bothers me is finding an employer who will fill the i-140 forms to let me work in the u.s. :(

if you have a visa i am sure you can find work in az ca. once i heal from my injuries i am moving back to az and go back to work. there is a lot of repo work out there and its fairly easy stuff. in some ways better than some impounds.

where are you from? and what kind of visa do you have?

i am originally from Iowa but lived in az since 84 moved to texas in 2007 and i am ready to move back to az. i was taking home 800+ aweek driving a flatbed and was off every nite no weekends and never on call. had great insurance and benefits. you shouldnt have a problem coming to az as az has many visitors from canada.

if you have a cdl especially an a with any endorsements like haz mat then you should check out united road towing in phoenix. they are one of the biggest and they have offices in several states.

visitors from canada yes, but visitors from canada with the legal right to work in the u.s.???

finding a job is easy, getting a work visa isn't :(

nobody wants to sign the i-140 form to let me work and nobody wants to sponsor me for the same reasons, they are afraid to be responsible for what happens to me!

my sister married an american, his parents still lives near san bernardino ca. and they won't sponsor me for the same reasons!

there's gotta be a way i'm sure, until then, i'm f@#ked!! ;p

i would call united road towing in phoenix az and inquire. i would but i think my back ground would stop that. i am surprised family wont do it. i know i am in the middle of becoming a soveriegn citizen which will mean i can pretty much do anything wont have to pay taxes cant be sued and dont have to worry about traffic tickets either

i'll check out united road towing, thanks

what background are you and how do you get to be a sovereign citizen??

i am us citizen but if you go on one of the search places and look up sovereign citizen and see if they have a web site that is called discharge-debt.com/id73.htm then click on that it is a wild thing to see just howe corrupt the government is. we have been ran under a treasonus goverenment since 1933 and the IRS isnt even in the us it is based out side in another country. and the taxes we pay do not go to the national debt but to the federal reserve bank. as for social security. they say it wont be around in 30 years. Why? we give out hundreds of millions in grant money for stupid stuff. put that money towards social security and pay our seniors a little bit more. like they havent earned it. yep pisses me off but once i get it finished i will never have debt again. i will own my house or houses and never pay taxes on them. asthey cant legally tax me. it all goes back to what the original constitution was not what they have changed it to. so that the politicions can get their deep pockets filled. there are some other good companies to work for in the phoenix area. all city towing is another big one with good police contracts.if you go on line i am sure you can find them. the money is good as the valley of the sun has like 5 million population and lots of impuonds and repos and accidents etc.

d & m auto recovery in Virginia Beach, Virginia said: you are not that smart look into d o t rules

been there done that. anytime you say anything to an employer about dot rules and regulations u get fired.

that is true look into the dot rules and you will be unemployed. i have seen it happen too many times in az. you can do it secretly and not give your name. but sooner or later they will find out and they wont fire you just make it hard to work for them until you quit. Oil field work is the same. call osha or dot and you wont last too long. of course since my work related injury i dont give a crap. i have had 2 surgeries and will most likely need 2 more and lots of therapy and then i will probably not be able to do the kind of work that i have done and wont be able to even go back to towing. all because the owner of the co. wasnt honest enough to do things the right way. i wish you the best of luck..

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

yes lets get a union going. I am going through this now with the company I now work for. I am sure I won't have a job by the time it is all said and done.

duffytruck78 in Alexandria, Virginia said: your just at the wrong company or in the wrong area. I run in the md $70's for pay every year I run light duty 12 hour shifts 5 days a week and no on call.

i live in nova, what company do you work for?

first off better think first you have a JOB thats better then most people. I run my towing co. my employees have it made 8 hr days, no weekends and thanksgiving and christmas off. We do not do aaa however we do other motor clubs and guess what on top of the good pay cant get them to check a truck in.the truck comes in at the end of the day and the motor knocking or one of the rear tires is flat and or the money is short a driver tells the bass that the power, mother in law died, or dog thats why he was late today so what does it take to make a driver happy? oh i know no job

WOW 8 hr days? thats too short i wouldnt know what to do. but the weekends off and no AAA thats great. as for taking care of truck or equipment. thats enough to get fired for. thats your office and what makes your money and pays bills. Towing isnt for everyone. It isnt the easiest but its a good job and does pay well. i made anywhere from 50 to 60k a year driving a rollback in az. worked for a good company good benefits had good contracts and several police depts. You get out of it what you put into it.

Direct Towing out of Sarasota fl

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

its true we need a union for tow truck drivers no nyc towing companys pay on the books and so no over time and they want 12 hour shifts no over time no benefits none of that and they fire you when ever they want to or send you home couse its slow with no pay im going threw that right now my boss sent me home for three days couse i was talking about my lunch time as a worker i have a right to take my lunch wether its half an hour or hour this aint right and if they do pay on the books they only want to pay for 40 hours and rest cash so still no over time and if u leave on bad terms they dont want to give you your w2 at the end of the year i think we need to rite a letter to the mayor of congress somebody that will listen couse the towing assosiation dont care they just want your money and they dont do any thing for you and dont forget all the tickets truck inforcment gives us as drivers when we dont evan own the truck exp papers?

if you are getting paid ccommision then there is no over time and depending on the DOT where you are yes it is illegal to DRIVE more than 10 hours with out time off. But remember when you are not driving they can consider that out of cab time. i worked for a couple good companies in AZ and never had a problem. also pay issues need to be addressed to the dept of labor. they can take care of some of your questions and concerns. tickets are usually your responsability. do a pre trip and report problems as if owner doesnt fix and truck unsafe then cant legally fire you. if he does then get an attorney and file a wrongful termination lawsuit. IT does work.I live in a right to work state and if you check things you can keep employers honest porly maintained trucks can cost him business and not providing w2's is illegal check the laws you would be better to find a new employer

Take it from someone that just retired after 12 years of driving, DONT DO IT!!! Good luck finding a 12/5 job, they all turn into 16/6 jobs. Sometimes 16-18 hrs and 7 dasys aweek if its slow out.

RaYmond Dent in Los Angeles, California said: I live in los angeles. i just turned 23 yrs and have a Class A license. I just made up my mind that the Tow Industry is for me after reading all the blogs....ANY ADVISE ON HOW TO GET STARTED...MY GOAL IS TO POSSIBLY BE AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR DRIVER IF THERE IS SUCH A THING BUT IF NOT JUST MAKE A NICE LIVING AS AN EMPLOYEE AT A GOOD COMPANY...I WANNA WORK 12 HOUR SHIFTS MON-FRI WITH WEEKENDS OFF.....SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE A NEWBIE SOME ADVISE

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

All I can say is good luck, if you get a bunch of guys together at the tow shows and bring it up maybe. I just retired after 12 years of driving only due to a wreck that changed my views on the industry and my life- I would love to see an industry standard set and maintained nation wide! Why is it every other " independent contractor" across the nation gets to work his hours his way when we work 12,14,16 even 18 hrs+ 6&7 days a week with horrible if any benefits?

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

i know you posted this awhile ago but i still must say i agree i worked for a towing co. it was just as you put it low pay long hours and yes there should be a union formed,it can be a dangerous job even more dangerous when the trucks are unsafe as most were where i worked.

big mike in Elyria, Ohio said: i know you posted this awhile ago but i still must say i agree i worked for a towing co. it was just as you put it low pay long hours and yes there should be a union formed,it can be a dangerous job even more dangerous when the trucks are unsafe as most were where i worked.

I have worked in towing for over 20+ years the company i worked for in AZ had good benefits and you did work 12 hour days. not illegal. if trucks are unsafe then report to supervisor or owner if doesnt take care of take a few nots and if ever pulled over explain to DOT that you have told owner or who ever. and give name and date when you did. our company was pretty much on the up as we got regular inspections from the state and local police whom we had contracts with. this was in az and they were also serious about safety had regular safety meetings and they checked your trucks. if not in proper shape or clean it was your ass. we had a maint dept to repair outside of warrenty. if you have good experience look for a better job with a good company. as for a union contact the teamsters as they are the big union for truckers. I was a memeber. in good standing. Good luck.

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

tell me what i can do to get this off the ground. for years i have tried to bring this to the front but no one hears me

I am starting as an FSP driver for a local company. I have no prior experience. Looking for advice on this career path. I have read the other posts on this forum; but still think this could be a good move.

It is a good carreer. I made 50 to 60K a year as a roll back or flatbed driver. I had weekends off and usually worked maybe no more than 14 hours a day. this was for a company in AZ. but they paid good and had good benefits. and they took decent care of their trucks. Had a good safety program. As with any job there is good and bad. But if you like to be outside and not having someone looking over your shoulder all the time then this is the one.

pat in Lubbock, Texas said: It is a good carreer. I made 50 to 60K a year as a roll back or flatbed driver. I had weekends off and usually worked maybe no more than 14 hours a day. this was for a company in AZ. but they paid good and had good benefits. and they took decent care of their trucks. Had a good safety program. As with any job there is good and bad. But if you like to be outside and not having someone looking over your shoulder all the time then this is the one.

Thank for the feedback. Already took and passed the CHP class re: SOP. Will be learning "how to" tow next week, in order to be able to pass the CHP proficiency test. Been out of work for 2+years and just getting by on odd jobs and unemployment (which sucks). Definitely like the "being outdoors" vs locked into a desk all day.

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

I drive a flat bed and do AAA tows, about a hundred hrs a week plus on my long week, get paid abut 6 bucks per call, even a tire change only pays 6 bucks. A union would be nice, but you would just lose your job to one of the next hungry suckers that walks in there door before anything ever starts. Florida is a right to work state, wich actualy meens right to get fd over. most of the time i dont even make min wage,and you cant take them to court if you are paid commison. I am a single father with cust. and as soon as something better comes along im out.

Ive been in the towing industry for about 6 years now,the work in not hard once you know what U are doing. becomes pretty routine. but the hours suck i work about 80-100 hours a week. i run AAA, 4 different pd rotations, owner requests,a few dealerships and about 10 other motor clubs. i love the work hate the hours but the money is good i support a family of five and putting my wife tho collage. u just have to be a go gather. when you get the call go do it right a way find the quicks way to get it done so your ready to take the next one and keep your ETAs down to under and hour and u will have repeat cust. i make about 40 50 grand a year not great but my family dont want for notting.

i just started another job about 3 months ago and again i'm in the truck 12 to 18 hour a day..it wouldnt be so bad if aaa paid. but they dont. they ruined the tow industry.. when i started 8 or 9 years ago i made some pretty decent money.. but now it seems everyone has aaa or geico or signature or all state or cross country...granted all the others pay more than aaa but it still sux. still should form a union...the question is how

azjetboat69 said: i would call united road towing in phoenix az and inquire. i would but i think my back ground would stop that. i am surprised family wont do it. i know i am in the middle of becoming a soveriegn citizen which will mean i can pretty much do anything wont have to pay taxes cant be sued and dont have to worry about traffic tickets either

The last people that I would call is United Road Towing.

PRESS RELEASE
9-30-10

EEOC Sues United Road Towing for Discriminatory Medical Leave Policy

www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/9-30-10j.cfm

doesnt surprise me. when i quit in 2007 to work the oil fields they were always shadey. was a good place when it was fast towing be for they sold out to the scum..LOL

dell sounds like you treat your drivers good, I like many others have worked for alot of companys that dont understand burning your drivers to the ground is just unsafe. I never understood why some companys want there drivers to live out of the trucks and run 24-7 do u really want a guy never sleeping and transporting 100,000 dollar vehichles half tired a union would be nice but its time for these owners to wake up and realize the better conditions you give your driver the better your drivers gonna operate for you which in return shows up better in the long run for the company that bears your name!!!

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

Sorry bout those long hours but I wanted to comment on something you said us military works longer hours than anybody especially in the middle east and we are on call 24/7 be careful what you say, some people will find that offensive! But if your getting treated like that you need to find another tow company if you would like to start a union go down to your city hall and put it on a ballot to be voted on for a union!

How would a union benefit operators? I'm curious. I have been in road service since 2000 and worked for companies that pay per call which is poorly at best. It makes for a cut throat working environment.

as for a union to get started you wouldnt have to have it voted on on any ballot. that is wrong. I was in the teamsters for many years. find your local union that deals with trucking since towing is part of the trucking industry. But if you think your going to have regular 9 to 5 with great pay then your wrong. I was a tow truck driver in the union and out. you can make far more money out side of the union. and remember police depts dont want some one that will only tow when they want to. meaning set hours for a tow company wont get you a contract and most good companies run 24 7 365. so if you dont like your hours go to another company or find a new profession. I have worked 36 hours straight with out going home. yep since i have a cdl could be illegal but never went out the 100 mile radius. or what ever it is now. but i had a take home that week of over 1300.00 after taxes. so you want money or want to be broke. but reality is a union wont help other than hours. you might get 12 to 14 and hour and that aint crap. especially when you can make 1000. plus a week eaasy.

jojo24 in Norfolk, Virginia said: Sorry bout those long hours but I wanted to comment on something you said us military works longer hours than anybody especially in the middle east and we are on call 24/7 be careful what you say, some people will find that offensive! But if your getting treated like that you need to find another tow company if you would like to start a union go down to your city hall and put it on a ballot to be voted on for a union!

I don't want to get into a pissing match with anyone and I appreciate what military life is. SOme of us tow drivers have prior military service so we understand. I have been in towing and recovery for the last 11 years and have been on a 24/7 on call schedule, dodging cars and trucks in all kinds of weather without a choice in the matter, day or night. Sound familiar? Pleading that military service is the hardest is falling on deaf ears here, I have done both. It's realy no difference in the demands of the chosen job, we all have to dodge "bullets", as a tow driver those bullets are in tons instead of grains. A 2 ton (or 20 ton) vehicle can turn a human body into cream, nothing left except a few small puddles and bone fragments. Want to see pictures? Some of my buddies and I have seen 72 hours straight behind the wheel and on the job without sleep or meals. I just lost one of my best friends, hit by a truck while doing a recovery. He looked like hamburger, only identifable by the tats on his wrists and his boots. Sound familiar?

bobbyphenom in Tavares, Florida said: listen i want to find out about starting a union for tow drivers..we work the longest hours 24/7 for the worst pay and get treated like dirt..anyone with exp never gets paid like they should...and what other workers in another field are required to work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. you cant take a lunch 90% of the time...if you get a long night of calls one after another and dont get home till 5 in the morning and still have to go in at 6am..hows that legal???. i dont get how companies can require you to do this all the time and still not want to pay you...shouldnt there be some kind of laws on this?? carpenters have unions.teachers have unions.. steel workers have unions..they all get benefits/paid vacations/sick days/TIME OFF/401k/ and they get paid good..meanwhile we get nothing and none of them has the long druelling hours we do...no one works more than a tow guy..and working on strickly commission doesnt cut it either..HELP ME START A UNION..WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED???

Well my name is Russ and i totally agree with you us wrecker drivers should write a perposal for a wrecker union.You may email me at russ92801@hotmail.com thank you

Contact your local Teamster Union and Pension Fund Office. Talk to a delegate and have your co-workers agree to vote on a union. Thats it! Simple and clear. Example: New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut can call Teamsters Local 282 in Lake Success, NY and have a delegate visit your Tow Truck company to have a vote. Just make sure that you co-workers are willing and that the Boss doesn't find out until the delegate comes. That way, you don't get fired and they don't shut down the company.

its been awhile since i opened this conversation and i been reading every ones response.. i thank everyone for their opinions on this..and first off.. jojo 24 is right.. i didnt take into consideration what the military does and i thank you all for that. 2nd ita been 2 years since i first posted and nothing has changed... i moved back to new england have worked at a few other companies with the same results.. i recently was on workers comp for getting hurt on the job and now that i am back they are trying to get rid of me...same old same old..all i can do is keep getting the word out and keep getting info and opinions on this....thanks to everyone and keep posting

and i found this maybe it can help some of us in this situation.. www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/paying-employees-business-travel-on-call-30074.html cut and paste this in your address bar