A Tennessee towing firm that had been illegally towing large rigs from the lot of a truck cease after the proprietor employed them has been on a rampage. The firm has continued to tow and boot semi vans, surprisingly with none authorized pushback. That is till just lately, when the tows caught the eye of state officers.
Memphis’ WREG experiences that complaints in opposition to A-1 Towing have gotten so quite a few, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security have develop into concerned. Both are working along with Memphis Police’s Criminal Investigation Division to look into the towing firm’s actions.
Those actions contain screwing over trucking firms and proprietor/operators of huge rigs. A-1 modus operandi appears to be fast and quick to get the money. The proprietor of 1 Alabama-based trucking firm described how A-1 towed considered one of their drivers inside minutes of them parking.
Church stated A1’s staff instructed him he must pay a $272 price to have the boot eliminated. He stated they tried to pay with a bank card, however A1’s instructed them time was up, they usually have been towing the truck. Church stated it value him over $4,500 to get the 18-wheeler again.
“I called A1’s towing myself and talked to a guy in dispatch, and I said, Greg, there is no need to tow the truck. Just tell me what you want, and we’ll be glad to pay your ransom. Just tell me what you want,” Church stated. “Nope, it doesn’t work like that.
Another trucking company owner out of Iowa described how their driver wasn’t able to find parking at a Love’s Travel Stop. So they parked in a lot next to the stop and hopped out to get food. Within minutes of coming back, the driver found A-1 already hooking their truck up to be towed. The owner admits the driver didn’t see the sign about no parking, but takes issue with the $2,450 they were charged to get the truck back.
“It’s crazy, and it’s not affordable. That is a semester of college for my daughter, and she is only in community college. It’s insane. And they wouldn’t take a credit card, just cash or a wire transfer,” they stated.
A-1 additionally appears to be violating Memphis’ booting ordnance, which states “the maximum charge for a boot removal should not exceed $50, a vehicle that’s booted cannot be towed unless the owner fails to contact the booting company within 24 hours, and a booting licensee must accept checks, cash, or credit cards.” A-1 has been charging truckers $275 to get boots eliminated.
In an announcement to WREG, A-1 Towing defended itself with the standard PR spill you see when you understand an organization or particular person has carried out one thing flawed.
A1’s Towing & Hauling operates on a strict protocol whereby we reply to service requests from people and corporations, together with our companies for parking compliance. Our drivers are dispatched from our yard to carry out these companies professionally and throughout the boundaries of the legislation. Any makes an attempt to depict A1’s Towing & Hauling as collaborating in unlawful towing, value gouging, or every other illicit actions are baseless and untruthful. A1’s Towing & Hauling has not violated any civil ordinance with the charges charged for booting. Sec 11-70-8 applies to passenger motor automobiles, not for industrial automobiles reminiscent of 18-wheelers, large rigs, or tractor-trailers throughout the City of Memphis. We wish to emphasize that A1’s Towing & Hauling takes buyer interactions significantly.
If nothing is finished, extra trucking firms would possibly cease doing enterprise in Memphis, greater than some have already got.
“We are going to tell our fellow brethren don’t refuel in Memphis, Tennessee. Let them go broke. Don’t fuel there. Don’t give them any business. Don’t do it. It’s not OK,” the proprietor of 1 trucking firm stated.
Source: jalopnik.com