How a Tow Truck is Born

Miller Industries, Inc. is the nation’s largest manufacturer of tow trucks and towing equipment. This month, some of us from Airport Towing had the opportunity to tour the factory 2,600 miles away from our Seattle area office in Ooltewah, Tennessee. The Miller facility is just outside the city of Chattanooga, where the first tow truck was invented in 1916 by Ernest Holmes. Today, Holmes is a division of Miller Industries. Miller also produces Century, Vulcan, Chevron, Challenger, Champion, Eagle, SP Series, Boniface, and Jige towing and recovery units.

Inside the Tennessee plant, tow trucks emerge from pieces of raw metal right before our eyes. Millers’ 100,000 square foot warehouse is their primary manufacturing facility where thousands of tow trucks are manufactured each year. Our personal factory tour led us through the plant to follow the production of units from initial parts order to final completion. Employees we encountered during the tour were informative and helpful, teaching us the true meaning of “southern hospitality”.

We began at the first step in the process of building a tow truck, where the appropriate sizes and amounts of raw steel are acquired and stocked. When a tow unit is ordered, Miller employees round up all the necessary materials from their stock within the warehouse to build the sub-frame and transfer the parts to a welding station within the facility. Nearly all of the steel acquired by Miller is American made and forged locally. After the necessary materials are assembled, a skilled welder begins joining the metal to create the structural support of the tow unit. Miller boasts that their low turnover of skilled workers has been a key ingredient in yielding a high quality man-made product for several years.

Once unit is structurally sound, the functional parts are attached. Following the final welding process, the conjoined pieces are bead blasted. Bead blasting is necessary because the welding process can leave rough edges and small debris. The process of bead blasting is defined as removing surface deposits by applying fine glass beads at a low pressure without damaging the surface. Workers move parts requiring blasting into a large enclosed chamber, and seal the doors so they can unleash thousands of tiny reusable beads to blast the fabricated unit.

When all welding and fabrication is complete for a single unit, the unassembled parts go into the painting process.

Miller has the capability of painting tow truck parts on site. Applying primer and paint before the unit is assembled is essential to eliminate duplication of effort and is important for a high quality paint job.

The last step in building a tow truck is final assembly. Anyone purchasing a wrecker body from Miller has the option of ordering the complete tow unit and installing it themselves, or ordering a factory install. The factory has a team of people who are dedicated wrecker body installers and are only required to mount the tow unit to the chassis. Of course, one catch is that anyone who orders a factory install is required to send the truck’s cab and chassis to Miller so that it can be married to the tow unit. Most tow truck operators have unique requirements for their trucks and require specific options and accessories. The installers are responsible for all aspects of the install, including mounting the wrecker body, connecting all wiring and hydraulics, and attaching additional parts and accessories, such as dollies, chains, cables, etc.

Many units that Miller produces are built from the ground up inside their Chattanooga factory. In some ways, Miller Industries operates like a classic American factory. The company primarily uses skilled craftsman to produce tow units. Few robotics can be found inside the factory, which are greatly outnumbered by human hands. As a result, Miller employs about 2200 workers, 300 of which are manufacturing tow trucks at their primary facility in Chattanooga. As advertised, Miller Industries is the largest manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment in the world. The company is an impressive consolidation of the greatest names in the towing industry, now working together to produce the most technologically advanced towing equipment available. Miller’s efforts in innovation, quality craftsmanship, and American made products are why we at Airport Towing have been loyal customers since 1988. Our company continues to seek the best products available so that we can better serve our customers and this month we were happy to learn how our equipment is built and what type of care and attention it gets before we put our name on it.

Car Auction 2/5/2010

Abandoned Vehicle Auction #400
Auction: FEBRUARY 5, 2010 11:00AM
Previews: FEBRUARY 5, 2010 8:00AM-11:00AM
301 S. Sullivan St, Seattle WA 98108
#	Year/Model	License/ID	Code	Description
1	99 HONDA CIVIC	866YKV	WSP-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
2	93 FORD AEROSTAR	968YMG	PLI-AB	MISSING PARTS, DENTS, DINGS
3	89 ISUZU TROOPER	092STO	PLI-AB	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
4	94 ISUZU RODEO	265AHA (OR)	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
5	93 TOYOTA COROLLA	JT2AE09E7P0024481	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
6	85 FORD F150	B28358L	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
7	92 FORD AEROSTAR	1FMDA11U8NZA84833	PLI-UNAUTH	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
8	93 NISSAN QUEST	203RVE	KCS-ARREST	GLASS, DENTS, DINGS
9	69 FORD F150	B73983G	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
11	93 FORD AEROSTAR	1FMCA11U3PZC79852	KCS-DWLS3RD	GLASS, DENTS, DINGS
12	96 CHEVROLET BLAZER	DWW960 (SC)	POS-G-AB	DRIVER SIDE DAMAGE
13	91 FORD ECONOLINE	691XMI	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
14	99 FORD WINDSTAR	103VFZ	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
15	91 TOYOTA PICKUP	A44481R	PLI- AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
16	97 FORD WINDSTAR	A59741Y	PLI-AB	FT END DAMAGE
17	98 DODGE DURANGO	478TWX	PLI-AB	FT END DAMAGE
18	73 DODGE TRADESMAN	B24431G	KCS-ACC	FT END DAMAGE
19	86 FORD F250	B42376D	KCS-ARREST	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
20	89 TOYOTA TERCEL	700ZDJ	KCS-BURGLARY	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
21	88 FORD TEMPO	785LZB	KCS-AB	GLASS, DENTS, DINGS
22	92 CADILLAC ELDORADO	731RMX	WSP-DWLS	GLASS, DENTS, DINGS
23	99 BUICK CENTURY	2G4WS52M5X1497185	KCS-WARRANT	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
24	93 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM	287RTO	KCS-DWLS	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
25	85 TOYOTA P/U	A06344W	KCS-DWLS	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
26	95 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO	224SLR	KCS-AB	MISSING PARTS, FT DAMAGE
27	04 DODGE STRATUS	913RKZ	POS-G-AB	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
28	98 BMW 528	WBADD6322WBW36743	KCS-DWLS3RD	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, GLASS
29	96 HYUNDAI ELANTRA	120TXG	WSP-ACC	FIRE CAR
30	95 NISSAN MAXIMA	871SLR	POS-G-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
31	91 CADILLAC DEVILLE	274RJP	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
32	95 BMW 325i	560RGF (TN)	POS-G-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
33	92 TOYOTA CAMRY	2TP4226 (ID)	POS-G-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
34	02 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER	808NCJ	PLI-AB	NICE BODY
35	00 CADILLAC STS	G653842 (IL)	POS-G-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
36	65 FORD FAIRLANE	552CZW (CA)	PLI-AB	NOT BAD FOR ITS AGE
37	95 BUICK PARK AVENUE	823XBA	PLI-AB	GLASS, DENTS, DINGS
38	99 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX	236UIX	WSP-AB	GLASS, FT END DAMAGE
39	97 SATURN SC1	207WPQ	PLI-AB	GLASS, MISSING PARTS
40	93 NISSAN 300ZX	075YKL	WSP-AB	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
41	90 HONDA ACCORD	627UKI	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
42	90 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD	009PSV	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
43	03 NISSAN ALTIMA	941VKD (AZ)	POS-G-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
44	91 TOYOTA CAMRY	199WKL	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
45	89 HONDA ACCORD	311YHC	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
46	96 HYUNDAI ACCENT	104TRF	KCS-AB	COLORFUL, FT DAMAGE
47	89 HONDA PRELUDE	152NDK	KCS-AB	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
48	93 HONDA ACCORD	968VBV	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
49	99 NISSAN SENTRA	119VXB	KCS-HIT&RUN	FT END DAMAGE
50	92 HONDA ACCORD	750RXP	PLI-AB	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES

Auction list subject to change. For more information including directions and rules, visit our auction page.

Towing Drunk Drivers = Saving Lives

A new law in Washington State could save countless lives by mandating that all persons arrested for drunk driving have their vehicles impounded and put on hold for 12 hours.

The law would officially be referred to as Hailey’s Law and a similar type of enforcement is already being used in New Jersey. It has been created in honor of Hailey French who was struck and severely injured by a DUI offender who had returned to her vehicle less than 2 hours after being stopped for possible DUI. Following her release by the police, the offender immediately returned to her vehicle and drove away, eventually colliding head on with Hailey’s vehicle while still under the influence of alcohol. The State of Washington was sued and forced to pay $5.5 million as a result.

Currently, law enforcement officers must separate the driver from the car in one of four ways: by impounding the car, by turning the car over to a sober, responsible adult, by turning the driver over to a sober, responsible adult, or by holding the driver in jail until he is sober. This leaves plenty of loopholes for drunk drivers. Even though a vehicle is impounded, it can be released immediately because towing companies have no method of checking a drivers blood alcohol level, nor the legal right to do so.

In September of 2009 3 people were killed in SeaTac shortly after the vehicle’s owner was arrested for DUI. Under the proposed law, the crash would never had occurred because the vehicle would have been impounded and held for 12 hours. Instead, another driver without a license drove the vehicle from where it was parked and picked up the drunk driver after she was released from police custody. The unlicensed driver drove the vehicle at a high rate of speed into the side of a warehouse, killing himself, and the accused DUI driver along with her brother.

House Bill 2565 has now been formally introduced in the 2010 session and could become a law sometime this year. Those sponsoring the bill include Representatives Ericksen, Simpson, Smith, Van De Wege, Sells, Orwall, Goodman, Morrell, and Moeller.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported that in 2008 alcohol impaired drivers were responsible for 233 deaths state wide, which is nearly half of all traffic related fatalities. The WTSC also reported that “motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for persons 1 to 34 years of age in the United States.”

Hailey’s Law will prevent many alcohol related deaths if it moves through the House of Representatives as it is expected to. Many other agencies are in support of the life-saving bill, including the Washington State Patrol.

Airport Towing been involved in the recovery of thousands of wrecked vehicles over a period of 21 years, many of which are alcohol related injuries and fatalities. Support of House Bill 2565 is one step closer to reducing the number of lives that are destroyed from impaired driving. It is one more check system that would be in place to prevent tragedy.

Car Auction 1/8/2010

Abandoned Vehicle Auction #399
Auction: JANUARY 8, 2010 11:00AM
Previews: JANUARY 8, 2010 8:00AM-11:00AM
301 S. Sullivan St, Seattle WA 98108
#	Year/Model	License/ID	Code	Description
1	99 CADILLAC SLS	441VQZ	KCS-DWLS	DENTS
2	77 CHEVROLET PICKUP	B74441G	PLI-AB	RUST, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
3	79 CHEVROLET BLAZER	895YWS	KCS-DWLS	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
4	83 NISSAN PICKUP	B76815D	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
5	98 CHEVROLET CAMARO	2G1FP22K3W2123758	PLI-AB	FT END DAMAGE
6	85 FORD BRONCO II	446PFV	PLI-UNAUTH	CLEAN
7	97 CHEVROLET ASTRO	884UKQ	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
8	86 NISSAN 300ZX	921LSS	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
9	99 TOYOTA COROLLA	474WJS	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
10	87 FORD RANGER	B00029K	PLI-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
11	93 FORD EXPLORER	136NXG	KCS-ARREST	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
12	99 DODGE DURANGO	291VIA	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
13	92 FORD EXPLORER	975ZFE	POS-UNAUTH	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
14	92 DODGE CARAVAN	968PVN	WSP-ACC	REAR DAMAGE
15	95 FORD EXPLORER	648SRH	KCS-DWLS	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
16	98 CHEVROLET PICKUP	A32006Z	KCS-30 DAY	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
17	92 FORD EXPLORER	505RXS	PLI-AB	GLASS, DRIVER SIDE DAMAGE
18	72 DODGE PU	B76194B	KCS-AB	TIRE, RUST, DINGS
19	76 CHEVROLET SP-VAN	504YTJ	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
20	95 DODGE RAM	B22938H	WSP-ACC	FT END DAMAGE
21	94 DODGE DAKOTA	A40079U	WSP-AB	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
22	92 HONDA ACCORD	271WJU	KCS-AB	MISSING PARTS
23	92 BUICK LESABRE	562RGH	WSP-ACC	REAR DAMAGE
24	91 CHEVROLET CAPRICE	821YKJ	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
25	00 FORD FOCUS	392SVE	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
26	92 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE	450VQF	KCS-AB	FT END DAMAGE
27	95 BUICK CENTURY	999WZY	WSP-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
28	94 FORD CROWN VICTORIA	418YZN	KCS-AB	TIRE, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
29	84 CHEVROLET CELEBRITY	274RJQ	KCS-AB	GLASS, DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
30	91 CHEVROLET BERETTA	678TOM	KCS-DWLS	GLASS, TIRE
31	89 VOLVO 245DL	059XAM	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
32	02 DODGE NEON	758SKX	WSP-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
33	90 HONDA ACCORD	462YNX	KCS-ACC	FT END DAMAGE
34	94 VOLVO 940	895RGH	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
35	95 DODGE INTREPID	1B3HD46T1SF551670	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
36	87 CHEVROLET CAPRICE	657YTW	WSP-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
37	88 TOYOTA CAMRY	346ZHP	KCS-AB	FT END DAMAGE
38	91 CHEVROLET CAPRICE	314KRX	KCS-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
39	94 HONDA CIVIC	824TLJ	WSP-ACC	FT END DAMAGE
40	03 MITSUBISHI GALANT	182WFX (AZ)	PLI-AB	TIRES
41	85 CADILLAC SEVILLE	42135DP	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
42	88 VOLVO 740	445XXS	PLI-AB	TIRE, GLASS, DINGS
43	01 HONDA CIVIC	317XMJ	WSP-ACC	FT & REAR DAMAGE
44	91 SAAB 900	630SCI	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
45	96 PLYMOUTH NEON	058XJZ	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
46	96 CADILLAC SEVILLE	103TMU	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
47	92 HONDA PRELUDE	528NQL	PLI-AB	FT END DAMAGE
48	83 FORD FAIRMONT	423XGD	KCS-DWLS	BRING A TUG BOAT
49	88 HONDA CIVIC	137YZA	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
50	91 ACURA INTEGRA	801PPT	WSP-STOLEN	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
51	91 LEXUS ES	409WGY	PLI-AB	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES
52	88 PROWLER LYNX	1099UO	PLI-UNAUTH	OK
53	79 CHEVROLET C60 BOX TRK	B31254L	KCS-ACC	DENTS, DINGS, SCRATCHES

Auction list subject to change. For more information including directions and rules, visit our auction page.