Driving Toward Fairness: Cracking Down on Predatory Towing and Championing Truckers' Rights

Imagine the open road as a safer place for truckers, free from the fear of predatory towing. That's the future I envision, and in today's conversation, we're bringing that vision one step closer to reality. We're celebrating a legislative win in Mississippi that's setting a precedent for the nation, cracking down on unscrupulous towing practices that target commercial drivers. As we reveal the nitty-gritty of the new bill, you'll learn how it's empowering truckers with regulated fees and a committee dedicated to fair towing oversight. But the fight doesn't end at the Mississippi border; I'm calling on you, our trucking family, to band together, share stories from your own states, and keep the wheels of justice turning for truckers everywhere.

Step into the cab as we shift gears to tackle another industry challenge—fraudulent activities that threaten the integrity of our roads. With the latest on Mexico-domiciled carriers and rampant documentation issues, we dissect the risks and underline the importance of vigilance. From proper CDL licensing to upholding the honor of the trucking tradition, we explore how each of us can contribute to a legacy of respect on the highways. And as we gear up for our special feature on the dynamic women of trucking, remember: this isn't just a podcast, it's a mission to merge the noble spirit of our forebearers with the evolving landscape of modern trucking. Join me, Walter Gallin, as we drive forward with pride and purpose on the Roland 18 Podcast.

Text me anytime with news, suggestions, and stories at (641) 990-5641. God bless, be safe, and keep it between the lines drivers.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:21

Good morning drivers. Welcome to Roland 18 podcast. I'm your host, walter Gatlin. I appreciate you folks listening to my podcast. It is going to grow. It is a brand new podcast and I'm really excited about it. I've already checked Google yesterday, even though I just started it this weekend, and I am already being shown on several podcast downloading sites, which is really cool, and I believe all of them are free, which is really good. I listened to it on Spotify yesterday. I'm going to be on iTunes shortly. I'm on Spotify, I'm on Pinterest, I'm on all kinds of different platforms, so I look forward to communicating with you folks, building a following, having a great time with this Trucker Life podcast. It's going to be great Within the next week. I'm very excited because within the next week, I am going to be doing a podcast on women in trucking and it's going to be a really sensational podcast because it's going to answer some questions, serious questions, that we have about the decline in women getting into trucking and what we can do as rational drivers to help combat this situation, because I believe women in the workforce, especially in trucking, is really good for us, and during that podcast, I'll explain why.

Speaker 1: 1:33

Now today's story is going to be about Mississippi. Yes, mississippi has cracked down on predatory towers who target commercial vehicles with the passage of a bill, and this is exciting because all over the country a lot of trucks and I know there's truck drivers out there that do the wrong thing, they park in the wrong area and they deserve what they get. But that's not the case for most truck drivers and that's why Mississippi had to come up with a bill. Mississippi lawmakers passed a bill that will provide new protections for commercial vehicle drivers from predatory towers. Now we know there's a lot of tow companies out there that want to make big bucks and they will do anything in their power to take a car or a truck and impound it. Well, a lot of states are putting a stop to that, especially Iowa as well. We have a couple of tow truck companies in Des Moines, iowa, that are predatory companies and people have gotten so mad about this that the legislators are starting to look at it. So hopefully they will come up with a bill like this SB 2635 and they passed it into law.

Speaker 1: 2:35

The new law increases protections for commercial vehicle drivers during non-consensual tows and regulates how much truckers can be charged for towing services. Under the new legislation, a commercial vehicle towing advisory committee made up of law enforcement and tow and trucking industry stakeholders will establish statewide maximum towing and storage rate for non-consensual tows, including those for private property, to be reviewed by the committee each year. Here's what else the law will do. It'll guarantee truckers reasonable access to their truck after a non-consensual tow. It guarantees truckers the right to request a specific tow company unless the company is unavailable. It makes it illegal for law enforcement or members of commercial vehicle tow advisory committees to receive compensation from a towing and recovery service for their privilege of being included on the tow list. In other words, no more bribes for tows, my friends, which is going to be a good thing.

Speaker 1: 3:36

It requires tow services to document the condition of the vehicle and the reason for the tow prior to towing. I would go one step further Take four pictures of each corner, one of each corner of that entire semi, or if it's pulling a trailer, both, and that way you know what damage. And that's with the tow truck in the vicinity of the picture, so they know that's the time they're hooking up. Make sure that picture has a date and time stamp. Most cell phones have that. Take four pictures so you know the existing damage on that vehicle. That's the only way we're going to stop the fraud.

Speaker 1: 4:09

It forbids towing a truck from commercial property without written permission from the property owner, which is awesome. Tow companies cannot tow from private property unless the property owner has posted the proper signage. So from now on on, tow companies can't say well, I know this owner and he doesn't like big trucks parked on their property, so we're just going to take it. No, it doesn't work that way anymore. Tow companies cannot tow from private property unless property owner has posted the proper signage. So it doesn't matter what the owner says, it doesn't matter what the owner tells the guy, it doesn't matter what letters he sent him. He better put some signs up. Otherwise you're getting your truck back for free and you may even be able to sue this tow company. Tow and recovery companies cannot use vehicle immobilization devices like a boot unless directed by law enforcement. That means truck stops and everybody else no longer allowed to use a boot on your truck, which could damage the rims. By the way, now the Mississippi Trucking Association President, hal Miller, stated predatory towing is an egregious practice that not only disrupts our state's supply chain, but also costs Mississippi truck owners thousands of dollars for each unwanted tow. We are grateful to Mississippi legislators for listening to our concerns about this unfair tactic and we thank Governor Reeves for swiftly signing this bill into law. We look forward to our continued partnership with our state leaders and for common sense reforms that promote justice, fairness and safety.

Speaker 1: 5:40

Now, if you don't live in Mississippi and you live in other states and you have laws or don't have laws about this type of thing, let me know. Send me an email, go to my website, mediaiowacom. Use the contact form. You can even send me a text. My number is up there for the world to see. Send me a text. Let me know what's going on in your state. Let me know what we can do to help you guys, because places like California, places like Philadelphia it's a never-ending story when it comes to predatory towing, and the only way to put a stop to it is to have people that care enough, like this, mr Hal Miller and his association, and the people of the great state of Mississippi. Because eventually you get to the point look, I only have so much money. We are in a trucking recession. I discussed that in my last podcast. We do not need any more expenditures than what we have right now and it's impossible and when you have people out there nipping at your ankles stealing from you these tow truck vile tow truck operators, it's crazy.

Speaker 1: 6:38

I was raised in the mechanic tow truck business. My dad had tow trucks. My dad had a six bay shop. I grew up in that. My dad was extremely fair with people. If he was told to go out and get a vehicle that did not belong on a certain piece of property, he did everything in his power to find that person. Before we told that vehicle under impound. Even if the highway patrol or the sheriff ordered us to move that vehicle, we tried to contact the people first, find out what's going on, is it broke down, what's happening? And my dad would not charge them if it was not done the right way by the police or by the state patrol. So that's just all there was to it. My dad was a very fair man when it came to towing. He even gave a lot of breaks to people who broke down in the middle of the desert, because we were out in the desert Mojave Desert of California and a lot of times people were traveling with their family. They just did not have the extra money and my dad would go the extra mile to either make that bill comfortable enough for them to pay it or eradicate that bill all the way. So my dad was totally opposite of these predators that go out there to steal your truck and make thousands of dollars for nothing.

Speaker 1: 7:42

It's crazy and you know what? You really can't even put it on the driver, because the driver gets paid generally by the hour and unless he's getting a stipend at the end, whatever, that's usually under the table and against the law, no matter what state you're in. But they do this to hurt people. The primary reason to do this is to make lots and lots of money. You know, there was another state that I read a report on. They were billing people hundreds of thousands of dollars for accidents. So they had to go file lawsuits. Finally they had to come up with the law. I forget the law number, I forget which state, but you see this happens all the time.

Speaker 1: 8:17

And if it isn't for these laws that are passed, like in Mississippi, you know you end up getting screwed the driver, the owner, operator, the company. And if you don't, you know, if you say, well, it's the company's problem, not mine. I really don't have to pay attention to that. You're wrong, because eventually, when their bottom line gets hurt, your bottom gets out of the truck because you lose your job, especially if you're the least senior driver there. So this is something we have to understand, ladies and gentlemen.

Speaker 1: 8:43

You're out there driving, you're out there making a living and I've always said this no matter what you do, you protect your company. If you don't own that truck and trailer, you act like you do own that truck and trailer. You protect that company Because the like you do own that truck and trailer, you protect that company because the more you do that, the more they're going to appreciate that. The more they're going to appreciate you, the more that you're going to have honor within yourself. You're going to appreciate yourself. It's just as simple as walking across a parking lot and passing a cup somebody threw on the ground, picking that cup up, walking by a receptacle, throwing it in there and going about your day.

Speaker 1: 9:16

It takes two seconds to help society, to help the world, because a couple of scumbags are out there making it bad for everybody. The vast majority of us drivers are awesome people. Let's start acting like it. Let's not give up because they say we have to give up. Let's do the right thing. And if you're a tow driver out there in any state and you're listening to this podcast and you appreciate the honor within yourself and the fact that you love yourself and you love the people around you and you love your job, and a boss tells you to do something that you know is not right, don't do it, even if it costs you your job. I promise you when that happens, a much better job will come your way. This is how goodness is rewarded. So don't leave it upon yourself to make a decision to keep a job where you have a thief for a boss, because that is not good, no matter what you do. Now CDL Life.

Speaker 1: 10:07

Cdl Lifecom put outa story that the feds plan to replace unified registration system with FMCSA registration system, and I believe they're doing this because there is so much fraud out there. There are. So Unified Registration System with FMCSA Registration System, and I believe they're doing this because there is so much fraud out there. There are so many companies out there that are registering fraudulently that they have to get to the bottom of it, and we know who they are. Any logical trucker that's been out there any length of time. You see them square stickers on them $300 Freightliners out there and you know darn well when they get to the other end that sticker's coming off and another sticker's going on. These people are not doing the right thing. A lot of these trucks out there a small percentage considering how many are out there, but a lot enough for me to be concerned are out there without insurance and quite a few drivers are out there without a CDL. I'm not going to get into specifics because of political reasons. I don't care about any of that stuff. All I care about is there are drivers out there. If you get tangled up with them, you're screwed.

Speaker 1: 11:03

Now the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, fmcsa, is considering doing away with the United Registration Program, urs in favor of a new online registration system. In favor of a new online registration system. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on April 19, the FMCSA proposed the replacement of the Unified Registration System with a new online registration system. The FMCSA says that the FRS will eliminate the need to file forms like the OP-1, the MCS-150, and the BOC-3, and these will be integrated into the online system. And, in layman's terms, in case you've never had to deal with this, it's like I said earlier it will cut down on registration fraud. It will cut down on the amount of people trying to license a truck for commercial use but it'd be fraud, fraudulently and they haul loads without the proper bill of laden and without a license and, like I say, they change their name when they get across the country or they may go make one or two trips and then do that even their insurance paperwork is fraudulent. Now it says, under the new frs, all forms described above will be integrated into the online system through a series of questions that will be asked using smart logic. New registrants applying for safety and or operating authority registration for the first time will have to go through this.

Speaker 1: 12:24

Existing registrants, entities that already have a USDOT number and or operating authority that are subject to FMCSA's registration. Mexico domiciled carriers that will operate beyond the US municipalities on the US-Mexico border and their commercial zones. Registrants seeking to process name changes, address changes and reinstatements of operating authority. For mortar carriers this line is critical because that's where they do this and that's how they get the fraudulent paperwork and a lot of the fraudulent information is changed after they print out the form and they do it by manipulation and then reprinting and stuff like that. So it is complicated.

Speaker 1: 13:05

Dot knows what to look for, but a lot of times they miss it and you have this unsafe, unlicensed, totally corrupt person out there scamming everybody and then taking a chance on wrecking and killing somebody with no insurance. Registrants, which are requiring to voluntarily suspend their safety and or operating authority registration, motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders that must designate an agent, and also designed agents and those entities providing proof of financial responsibility. That is the main concern. On top of the CDL license requirement, we have a lot of fraudulent people out there doing a lot of dangerous things, just like the towing companies, making decisions up on their own. You have to come up with the law to babysit the little boogers because, guess what? They have no moral values. They have no insides that tell them when to stop hurting people, and that's exactly why laws have to be constantly updated, because there's fraudulent people out there that scam and they learn new ways to scam. They learn new ways to hurt drivers, and it's okay for you guys to report anything suspicious that you see.

Speaker 1: 14:13

I recommend it highly because you're the one that's going to end up paying the bill, not the bad guy. Bad guys don't pay taxes. The bad guys don't pay social security. The bad guys don't pay insurance. The bad guys don't give a crap about renewing their CDL because they have a fraudulent one or they don't have one. The bad guys don't care about you. The only time they care about anybody is themselves, and that's when they either get caught or they get in a wreck and hurt and kill somebody and they face a lifetime in jail.

Speaker 1: 14:41

So if you guys see something out there that's wrong, doesn't look right, by God, you can even take a picture of it. Contact DOT in that state. Let them know the circumstance, let DOT do their investigation. I do it all the time. If I see something suspicious, I take pictures of it. I send it to DOT. I don't confront anybody. I'm not going to take that chance. I'm not going to let somebody shoot me. But you see what I'm saying. It's a dangerous world and you play dangerous games. You're going to get bit. Keep it under your hat, send it to DOT, let DOT handle it. Give them the time, the date, what you saw. They will decide whether or not it's important enough to go after it.

Speaker 1: 15:20

But we need to straighten up the trucking industry and the only way to do that is to start with the drivers, to start with the owner operators, to start with the company drivers. And, like I always said, it doesn't matter what you drive, whether it's a stick shift or an automatic, a Freightliner or a Peterbilt, none of that matters. We need to all start getting along. Bring this industry back to its honorable days, because there was a day when four-wheelers loved truckers. Back in the day, your arm would go numb, honking the horn at all the kids that wanted you to blow that horn. Today, maybe one or two a week.

Speaker 1: 15:55

Ladies and gentlemen, let's bring the honor back. Let's bring the honor system back. Let's be respectable to ourselves, to our families and to the people out there on the road. That is the main reason I started Roland 18 Podcast, because I want to get back to the good old days as far as the honor goes, but stay updated with the new life that we have today, because we can mix both of them and really have a great life. I'm Walter Gallin with Roland 18. God bless, be safe and, as always, keep it between the lines driver, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm.