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In regards to HB662 Towing operators performed in police directed towing already currently are required to have TIMS (SHRP2) training, this is overseen by VSP. To require a approved training program be completed is absurd, tow companies do not always off the same type of towing service. Some tow companies focus on Illegally parked vehicles while others may be focused primarily on heavy duty towing and not light duty. Due to this vast nature and different companies needs we prefer to do our on in house training. This insures our employees do things the way we want them to do them. It is also a added un-needed expense in an already high overhead business and seems that with requirement after requirement being focused on driving employees out and making money off of newly required training. Most nationally recognized training programs do not perform recovery services at the level of expertise that our company does, we have set the standard for recovery performance at high level heady duty accidents and do not feel like a mandated class built to profit others should be law. Drug testing is also a mandate that should be left to the employer, as our company performs drug testing prior to hiring and CDL drivers are randomly tested it seems as the "Department" is again requiring tow operators to spend more and more money to provide a service that is already expensive to pay for and even more expensive to provide. In regards to HB 421 I believe the advisory board should also consist of tow company owners from recognized areas and meet every 6 months.

After reading both bills checked above, I disagree with the requirements of having to take classes on how to tow a vehicle or any type of recertification. I've been towing over 35 years without incidence, violations, or out of service tags. I also don't agree with limiting the amounts I am able to charge. Those fees are already regulated by the City of Chesapeake. The requirements to attend an 8 hour course prior to license renewal would put an undue hardship on my employee as well as my business. Between the two of us we have a combined towing experience of 40 years in a tow truck. Not only would this reduce the number of calls we would be able to take, but the cost of such requirements would be excessive in the current market. We work very closely with law enforcement agencies on a daily basis and are always updated on current laws as well as safety regulations.

These bills will destroy the towing industry. Times are hard enough already, with trying to keep steady employees/drivers on the road providing emergency road side assistance to the citizens of the state of Virginia. Most of us are just scraping by. A lot of us are owner/operators, running 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. These proposed ideas will destroy locally owned towing companies. We cant imagine what these proposed mandatory classes will cost, let alone having to either shut down for classes or work under staffed for them. we all do different types of towing, ie, repos, recoveries, insurance, accidents, impounds. We are all for safety, but are these classes going to show to to properly rig a car that is submerged in water? Rolled over in a field? In a tree? Most training is done in house for the exact reason that we all do/provide different types of towing services. The proposal in which the pricing should be regulated by the state and not localities seems like an over reach of power to us as well. The rates are set by localities for specific reasons, terrain, environment, locality population/accident ratios. The aspect and life of each city/locality is different. With everyone, not just towing companies, struggling with inflation, higher taxes, this is not a good idea. The average cost of tow trucks whether flatbeds or wheel lifts, has doubled if not tripled. Vehicle maintenance fees are gone through the roof with the cost of parts soaring higher and higher. We could talk all day on why these proposed policies will destroy the towing industry, because that's exactly what it will do. SO HOPEFULLY, NEXT TIME YOUR CAR WONT START OR YOU HAVE A BLOW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AT 1:30 AM, YOU'LL BE GRATEFUL FOR US. OTHERWISE, FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF.

Opposition to House Bill No. 662 I am writing on behalf of Metro Towing Company, Inc. founded in 1980. I strongly oppose House Bill No. 662 for many reasons. If enacted, this legislation would negatively impact both large and small towing companies in Virginia. This bill is not being brought forth out of a need to educated untrained tow truck driver but by people in the towing industry that want to make money on the backs of others towers. There are many types of training that are already in place. On the job training and job skills that are taught by senior staff and tow company owners happen daily. We want our driver to be successful and well trained more than anyone could because if they are not, we all suffer the consequences

The requirements for training in this bill are unnecessary and sets another hurdle for the tow industry to hire and retain employees. All tow truck drivers must have a drivers authorization document from DCJS. If a newly hired employee does not already have their DCJS card it is a lengthy process to apply and wait for it to be sent. In that time period all a company can do is train and wait for that to come in. The time and expense on further training beyond this is unnecessary. We do regular in-house training as needed. Tow companies nor their drivers are all the same. Some companies only repossess vehicles, some tow point to point like insurance towers, some only tow to insurance auctions, some only impound cars, and some do a variety of types of towing. There is not a one size fits all approach in towing. Incident management classes or recovery classes for a lot of the companies would not be needed. It is extremely very hard to hire and maintain drivers and passing this bill would put an undue burden on our industry as a whole. Make no mistake, this bill is not what the citizens of Virginia need to make towing safer or better. It is being brought forward by people in the towing industry that want to make money on the backs of others towers! This bill is not being endorsed by a locality, city police agency, or the Virginia State Police because there is an inability to provide professional towing services. In fact, tow company are held to a higher standard when towing for a police tow rotation and if that company was not able to provide an expected level of service they would be removed from the rotation list.

Comments Document

Please see the attached letter.

We do our own training in house. Most drivers have years of experience The only person asking for this is trying to make money off us!! WE are not all the same, repo, IPs, accidents, heavy towing, insurance towing, etc. all require different levels and types of experience. Who is going to eat the cost of the yearly drug screening and training courses? This is an undue burden on all of us!

Subject: Opposition to House Bill No. 662 I am writing on behalf of Willow Spring Towing & Recovery, Inc., a company with an established legacy dating back to 1941, providing emergency towing and recovery services in Virginia and beyond. Our founder, Woody Herring, was honored with induction into the International Towing Hall of Fame in 1991 and played a pivotal role in the founding of the Virginia Towing and Recovery Operators Association (VATRO). We wish to express our strong opposition to House Bill No. 662. If enacted, this legislation would adversely impact both large and small towing companies across the state. Our concern arises from the bill’s attempt to address an issue that, in our view, does not exist. The current laws and licensing requirements for towing operators in Virginia are already more stringent than those in any other state. The towing industry is inherently diverse, varying in fleet size, specialization, and geographical location. Attempting to implement a standardized training program that caters to all towing companies overlooks these inherent differences. Companies may specialize in law enforcement towing, towing to repair shops, or towing only salvage vehicles. This diversity creates a need for vastly different employee training needs. In addition some towing companies operate in either high-density traffic areas with many interstates and large highways while others operate in rural areas, making a one-size-fits-all training approach impractical. Moreover, the bill introduces challenges in designating instructors. Our company, along with many others, employs individuals with decades of experience in the towing industry, surpassing the expertise of potential instructors selected by an association. The vague criteria for vetting instructor qualifications further raise concerns about the efficacy of the proposed training programs. It is essential to note that our company and many others in the state already have robust safety measures in place, including roadside safety instruction, specific towing law training, continuous education to adapt to industry changes, and federally mandated drug testing. In conclusion, we firmly believe that the proposed legislative bill imposes unnecessary regulatory burdens. We advocate for maintaining the flexibility to design and implement in-house training programs tailored to our business needs, location, and towing specialization. This approach ensures immediate applicability, promotes employee engagement, and proves cost-effective compared to standardized, externally regulated training. We respectfully urge you to vote against House Bill No. 662, as it introduces unwarranted overregulation and burdens without addressing any current industry shortcomings. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Woodrow W. Herring III Vice President Willow Spring Towing & Recovery, Inc.

HB662 we are against this bill due to the fact that changing the requirement for training will decrease the efforts of drivers wanting to drive tow truck because of the upfront cost of obtaining a DAD card from DCJS that is already a 4 to 6 week process. the upfront cost on this will average around 2500 dollars just to get a DAD license to see if this is the career you want to have. i feel that DCJS should enforce the rules that are already in place for the DAD card before we could even think about adding any other laws to the DCJS to handle when they are unable to handle the ones they already have. This bill has been made up from compaines that provide training for towing and recovery operators to multiply there bank accounts and to have to pay for the same training every 2 years for a renewal would be absolutely absurd. Thank you again i am againt this bill HB662

I believe passing HB 662 will cause an already lengthy process of obtaining a DCJS authorization card to take even longer. I applied for a renewal on 10/6/2023 and I received it on 1/24/2024. I've been doing police-ordered towing for over 40 years we are currently governed by a local tow advisory board as outlined in state code 46.2-1217 and have been since 1995. I submit that if other localities in the commonwealth are having issues with untrained towers they should lobby their localities to form this advisory board to set local standards rather than a one statewide standard that could result in a serious delay in road clearance. There is also a state code 46.2-1233.2 that allows the formation of a private property advisory board to set standards for private property towing Stafford County has both. We already have the tools we need in the commonwealth to set standards and regulate towing locally.

I am George Mahone I own Skimino Enterprises LLC towing in Williamsburg Va I am the President of the Hampton Roads Towing Alliance and Chairman of the Legislative Committee for Virginia Association of Towing and Recovery Operators. HB 662 I oppose this bill as does the HRTA and Vatro this bill will impose a $2.000 to $2,500 increase per DAD card holder this increase will then passed on to your constituents as higher tow fees, This bill will also increases the number of illegal towers that are operating in Virginia today. This bill does nothing to increase the enforcement of drivers with no DAD cards. This Bill will make it 10 times harder to fined new drivers in a already limited market for drivers. This bill would make the light duty towers initiate drug testing which is something the heavy towers already do as it is required for CDL drivers, Light duty companies are not required to have a CDL drivers because they fall in a weight class of 26000 pounds or less and the random drug testing program with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is for CDL only Drivers and light duty drivers would not be eligible for this program. I believe this bill is set to do two things, Increase the training revenue for the trainers and drive the one man towers out of the business. please oppose this bill as it does nothing to promote the towing industry in Virginia. We must first have enforcement of our current laws before putting forth training requirements.

The requirements for training in this bill are unnecessary for the following reasons: 1. All tow truck drivers must have a drivers authorization document from DCJS. This process takes a minimum of 3-6 weeks before a person can legally drive a tow truck. During this period all a company can do is train the person which is what companies are doing. Training beyond this is unnecessary 2. Not all towers do the same type of towing. Companies that only repossess vehicles or tow point to point like insurance towers that only tow to insurance auctions would not need incident management classes or recovery classes. 3. It is already very hard to hire and maintain drivers. This will be an extra burden. 4. This bill is being brought forward by people in the towing industry that want to capitalize on training towers for a fee. It is not being brought by a locality or the Virginia State Police because there is an inability to provide professional towing services. In fact, if a tow company is found to not be able to do their job for a police tow rotation that company would be removed from the rotation list.