A tow operator flagged down on I‑10. A man trapped under a semi. A rotator lifts, the team coordinates with fire and EMS, and a life is moved toward safety. That’s where our conversation with Hall of Famer Kevin Goodyear begins—not with chrome and horsepower, but with service, training, and calm decisions when seconds matter.

We trace Kevin’s journey from riding in tow trucks as a kid to leading a multi-faceted operation built on faith, grit, and community. He shares the mechanics and mindset behind a 500,000‑pound dragline recovery that ran through the night: deadman anchors, D8 bulldozers, thirty-eight lines, and five heavy wreckers working in sync. It’s applied physics under floodlights, where load transfer and line angles decide whether a plan succeeds. Along the way, Kevin explains how cross-training with fire departments, understanding PTSD, and building a culture of purpose keep teams ready for the hardest calls.

Beyond the roadside, we dig into the policies that shape daily work. Kevin makes a compelling case for state towing associations as the thin line protecting lien laws, rotation fairness, lighting standards, and move-over enforcement. He’s raising the next generation inside his own company—operations, marketing, and legislative advocacy—and tapping national 20 groups to avoid tunnel vision. We also talk vendor partnerships and why reliable support after the sale matters as much as a spec sheet. The through line is unity: compete in business, collaborate in the halls of advocacy, and present towing as the professional emergency service it is.

If you care about safety, professionalism, and the future of the towing and recovery industry, this conversation will give you tools, stories, and a clear direction. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what’s one standard we should all raise next?

A lifted truck tracking into oncoming lanes. A repo driver on hot asphalt, thinking fast. That’s where this story starts—and where real innovation in towing tools begins. We sit with JB Tow Accessories co-founder and VP of Sales, Jason Giddens, to trace the gritty path from first-week mistakes to thousands of field-proven tools making recoveries safer and faster.

Jason breaks down the real-world problem that led to the Fat Boy wheel adapters—wide tires, hard steering angles, and no safe way to strap. He shares how he and his team turned that sketch into a Tampa-built solution that’s now a go-to for operators facing big rubber and tight streets. Then we go deep on the Big Stiffy lockout tool: stainless steel to protect seals and paint, a stiffer rod and larger handle for leverage, and a lifetime warranty backed by relentless show-floor stress tests. If you care about durability, clean entries, and fewer comebacks, you’ll appreciate the why behind every design choice.

Beyond tools, this conversation is about service, safety, and unity. Jason answers every message himself and drives long routes just to shake hands, demo gear, and earn trust—because the towing business still runs on relationships. We explore practical safety moves operators can use today, like working passenger-side controls when traffic is hot, setting proper scene lighting, and investing in training that cuts liability and injuries. We also spotlight the power of community: small-town rotation group texts, blocking for each other on busy roads, and a shared commitment to the move over message that sends more people home at night.

If you’re a tow operator, dispatcher, or owner looking for reliable gear and a brand that shows up, this is your playbook. Hear how authentic content, better tools, and a customer-first mindset can elevate your operation and strengthen the towing community at large.

Subscribe, share with your crew, and leave a review to help more towers find conversations that put safety, service, and smart gear first.

A single button can change the way a tow fleet moves. We brought on Tony Pierce from EMCI Wireless to walk us through how Motorola WAVE PTX delivers true instant communication—push to talk with nationwide reach—so dispatch, drivers, and recovery teams stay synced without towers, repeaters, or the wait time of phone calls.

We dig into the gear that makes it work in the real world. Tony breaks down the rugged TLK 110 handheld with GPS and Bluetooth, the in-vehicle TLK 150 built for loud cabs and hands-free use, and the ultra-compact TLK 25 that pairs with Bluetooth accessories for low-profile comms. All three connect to the same cloud backbone used by the WAVE smartphone app and dispatch console, so you can form talk groups for heavy recoveries, night shifts, or regional crews and reach everyone at once with one press.

Safety and reliability sit at the center of the conversation. With GPS tracking, dispatchers can see trucks in real time, and an emergency button on the devices sends instant alerts when a scene turns risky. Audio stays clear over rotator noise and highway traffic, and encryption protects your communications. Because WAVE PTX runs on Motorola Solutions’ mission-critical platform—the same DNA trusted by public safety—you get uptime and voice quality that off-brand apps can’t match. EMCI Wireless adds live, personal support and device programs backed by 50 years of Motorola experience.

We also unpack the business side: subscription pricing per device, flexible purchase and lease options, and zero infrastructure to build or license. That means you can start with a few units, add more as your fleet grows, and avoid the hassles of sharing personal phone numbers with company contacts. Real fleets are already seeing faster dispatch, fewer missed calls, and calmer, safer recoveries.

Ready to modernize your communications? Check out ptanywh.com or call Tony at 954-376-3235 to get your team connected. If this conversation helped, follow the show, share it with your crew, and leave a review so more pros can find it.

What if your marketing didn’t feel like a coin toss? We sat down and unpacked how towing and recovery companies can stop guessing, aim their message at real decision makers, and turn print plus digital into results you can actually see. From building a verified list of owners and check writers to pairing ads with editorial that spells out features and benefits, we map the steps that move a prospect from curiosity to a confident yes.

We get candid about the print versus digital debate and why it’s the wrong fight. Print lives on the desk and cements brand memory with fewer touches. Digital boosts frequency, speed, and measurement. The real win comes when you combine them: a smart print presence that educates, reinforced by e-blasts and social that deliver transparent metrics—opens, clicks, and device data—so you can refine creative and targeting with each campaign. You’ll hear how we help vendors track results even when buyers say “I saw you online,” thanks to topic-specific editorial that anchors the response.

Beyond placements, we dig into relationship-first support: honest ad critiques that steer creative toward benefits and action, warm introductions to distributors on the show floor, and fast, flexible publishing choices that larger outlets can’t match. We also pull back the curtain on services many don’t expect from a magazine—booth design, video production, ad design at no extra cost, podcast features, social amplification, and print collateral like inserts, flyers, banners, and calendars. Plus, we highlight our work around TRAA Hill Day and why advocacy matters for every operator’s safety and livelihood.

If you’re ready to reach the right people, clarify your message, and measure what matters, this conversation gives you a practical playbook. Subscribe, share it with a colleague who handles your marketing, and leave a review telling us which tactic you’ll try first.

What if a few workflow changes could cut your average arrival time from 44 minutes to nine and reduce secondary crashes by 30 percent? That’s the lived experience industry veteran and Hall of Famer John Borowski brings to our conversation about modernizing towing operations with digital dispatch.

We dig into the real reasons teams resist new tools—fear of the unknown, comfort with paper and radio, anxiety over ROI—and show how unified software turns chaos into clarity. John breaks down integrations that matter most: seamless connections with motor clubs, police calls, GPS, billing, and reporting so jobs, photos, timestamps, and signatures live in one clean record. The payoff is immediate: calmer dispatchers, fewer errors, faster ETAs, and accurate invoices. For owners watching margins, a simple per-truck subscription with no upfront fees and a free trial lowers risk while surfacing cost-per-call, profitability by account, and the data you need to negotiate smarter.

Safety takes center stage. John shares how tighter dispatch, real-time tracking, and automated statuses helped DOT teams clear scenes faster and curb dangerous secondary crashes. With location visibility and dwell-time alerts, operators get an extra layer of protection and customers spend less time on the shoulder. We also tackle data security and compliance, explaining how audit-ready logs and access controls protect sensitive information while meeting agency and motor club requirements.

We wrap by celebrating John’s new book, Towing Through Time, and his upcoming column in Tow Professional Magazine—two more ways he’s investing in the industry’s future. If you’re evaluating dispatch platforms or still juggling paper logs, this conversation offers a clear blueprint to scale safely and profitably. Subscribe, share with a shop owner who needs it, and drop us a review with your must-have dispatch feature.

Proof beats promises—especially when an adjuster is deciding whether to pay your bill. We sat down with industry veterans Shelly Hawkins and Dennis McGowan to explore how modern towing operations turn documentation, telematics, and smarter software into real margin, safer scenes, and faster approvals. From factory-ready cameras and scene lighting to driver apps that capture four-corner photos and timestamps, we break down how to connect the truck, the operator, and the back office so the job record tells the full story.

We dig into the industry’s next chapter: consolidation driven not just by ownership, but by unified workflows. Shelly shares the operator’s view from accessories to software, while Dennis brings the builder’s lens on product strategy, showing how tow management systems now handle live dispatch, media capture, invoicing, lien letters, and impound-to-auction timelines. The result is fewer wrong trucks dispatched, less backtracking, and higher jobs-per-shift without adding headcount. We also get practical about AI—using large language models for consistent call intake, drafting recovery narratives, and decision support that suggests the right driver based on proximity, equipment, shift timing, and customer history. AI doesn’t replace people; it removes repetitive friction so teams can focus on safety, judgment, and service.

If your business runs on slim margins, the cost of not adopting these tools is higher than the software itself—lost time, missed jobs, and claims you can’t defend. We close with the launch of the Tow Trend Podcast, where Shelly and Dennis take on future-focused topics across trucks, accessories, software, training, safety, and legislation, featuring operators from first trucks to large fleets. Subscribe, share with your team, and tell us what technology changed your shop most. Your feedback shapes the next episode—rate and review to help more towers find the show.

Family legacy meets industry expertise at Austin Insurance, where the second generation of tow insurance specialists continues their father's tradition of hands-on, personalized service. Tyler and Todd Austin share how their father Rob built the business by actually visiting towing companies in person when competitors were simply mailing forms—a practice they proudly maintain today.

The brothers dive deep into the unique challenges facing today's towing professionals, from skyrocketing equipment costs to the shrinking pool of qualified drivers. They reveal troubling trends in the insurance market, including how some carriers now refuse to cover single-truck operations regardless of their safety record or years in business. This conversation offers rare insider perspective on how towing companies can navigate these challenges.

What separates this discussion from typical insurance talk is the practical, money-saving advice offered throughout. The Austins explain how smart documentation—from safety meeting sign-in sheets to comprehensive vehicle maintenance records—can dramatically improve your rates. They share a cautionary tale about a towing company hit by a tornado that discovered they had $40,000 in uninsured fencing, highlighting the importance of thorough coverage reviews.

Perhaps most valuable is their breakdown of essential coverages often overlooked by towing professionals: commercial auto liability, general liability, on-hook cargo, and garage keepers coverage form the foundation, but many operators miss critical protections like motor truck cargo coverage. They even warn how your social media posts might be undermining your insurance rates when underwriters spot potentially risky activities in your Facebook photos.

Ready to protect your towing business with insurance specialists who truly understand the industry? Contact Austin Insurance at 270-444-6818 or email [email protected] to learn how their decades of specialized experience can safeguard your operation.

Every year, the towing and recovery industry loses over 65 professionals on our roadways. What makes the difference between a safe operation and a tragedy? Often, it comes down to visibility.

Tim Cooper, Regional Sales Manager with Will-Burt Company, brings us deep insights into how proper scene lighting can transform dangerous roadside recovery operations into safer, more efficient processes. With over a century of manufacturing experience, Wilbert has developed the NightScan mobile elevated lighting system that's revolutionizing how professionals approach nighttime work.

Unlike conventional truck-mounted lights that create dangerous glare and blind spots, the NightScan elevates powerful LED arrays up to 30 feet above the scene, directing illumination downward to create stadium-like visibility. This positioning eliminates the common hazard of looking back toward blinding light sources during complex operations. As Tim explains, "If you can't be seen, you can't be saved."

The system's 360-degree positioning capability allows operators to direct light precisely where needed—whether illuminating a vehicle in a ditch, equipment on the roadway, or creating a safety zone around personnel. Weighing just 60-200 pounds depending on the model, these weather-resistant systems can withstand extreme conditions from Arctic cold to desert heat while operating on simple 12-volt power.

Beyond safety benefits, mobile lighting systems represent a revenue opportunity. Many towing companies charge $250 per hour with a four-hour minimum when deploying these systems, allowing the equipment to quickly pay for itself. As insurance companies increasingly recognize the value of proper scene lighting, more states are approving it as a legitimate billable service.

Whether you operate service vehicles, medium-duty trucks, or heavy rotators, proper scene lighting isn't just a luxury—it's a critical safety tool that ensures everyone working the white line makes it home at night. Check out Wilbert's lighting solutions at Will-Burt.Com or call 330-684-4000 to learn how you can bring this game-changing technology to your fleet.

Death shouldn't be an occupational hazard for those who stop to help others on our roads. Yet every week in America, a tow truck operator is struck and killed while simply doing their job.

Matt Spencer never imagined joining the ranks of grieving families until November 4, 2023, when his 25-year-old son Keegan was killed by a distracted driver on a Michigan freeway. Despite having emergency lights activated and being completely off the roadway, Keegan became another statistic in what Matt describes as a preventable epidemic. This tragedy transformed Matt from a second-generation tower with 45 years of experience into a passionate safety advocate who can no longer return to the profession he loves.

The conversation with Matt and Tom Parbs from Haas Alert reveals the shocking scope of roadside dangers. Beyond towing professionals, crossing guards, utility workers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers face similar risks daily. Most drivers fail to recognize how common behaviors—like adjusting dashboard controls or changing radio stations—constitute dangerous distraction. Without awareness and technology to bridge this knowledge gap, roadside workers continue to pay with their lives.

Hit While Helping, Matt's nonprofit organization, partners with educational initiatives like Flagman to teach K-12 students about roadside safety. Meanwhile, Haas Alert's Safety Cloud delivers nearly half a billion driver alerts annually through navigation apps and connected vehicles. These complementary approaches attack the problem from multiple angles: education for future generations and real-time warnings for today's drivers.

Throughout our conversation, both guests emphasize the need for industry unity. "If our industry can't band together on this issue of safety, what are we?" Matt asks. The passionate call for collaboration extends beyond towing to all roadside professions and even NASCAR, where Jeffrey Earnhardt recently raced a Hit While Helping sponsored car to spread awareness to new audiences.

Whether you're a roadside professional concerned about safety or simply someone who drives, this episode offers crucial insights into how we can collectively ensure those who stop to help others make it home safely to their families. Follow Hit While Helping on social media or visit their website to join this vital movement that turns heartbreak into lifesaving action.

The Great Wolf Lodge welcomes back the towing and recovery community for the 47th Midwest Regional Tow Show, and the excitement is palpable. As Bruce Bender, Executive Director of both the Midwest Tow Show and TRAA, reveals in this engaging conversation, this isn't just another industry event – it's a homecoming that attendees have been clamoring for.

What makes this show special? It's where the proceeds directly benefit the industry through legislative advocacy and support programs rather than corporate profits. The Injured Drivers Fund stands as a testament to the industry's commitment to taking care of its own, providing critical financial assistance to tow operators sidelined by injury or illness. This fund, supported by the show's popular auction, has become a model for other industries seeking to create similar safety nets for their professionals.

Family lies at the heart of this gathering, earning it the well-deserved reputation as the industry's most family-friendly event. While parents network and explore the latest innovations on the show floor, children enjoy supervised activities like the Little Towers Beach Party and Movie Night. The Great Wolf Lodge's water park adds another dimension of fun that keeps families returning year after year.

The event honors those lost in the line of duty through a moving Celebration of Life ceremony, complete with a Slow Down, Move Over awareness parade and candlelight vigil. This solemn reminder of the dangers towers face daily underscores the importance of industry advocacy and safety initiatives.

From hazmat training with Perry Beatty to specialized seminars throughout the weekend, the educational opportunities provide immediate value to attendees. Evening events like the spectacular truck Light Show, Texas Hold'em tournament, and Saturday night karaoke create the perfect atmosphere for building the relationships that form the backbone of this tight-knit community.

With September 25-27 quickly approaching and rooms at the Great Wolf Lodge filling fast, now's the time to secure your place at this industry cornerstone. Register today at midwesttowshow.org and join the family reunion that towers have been waiting for.