In Demma v. Chicago 24 Hour Towing, Inc., the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois provided further clarification on the Motor Carrier Exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act. In this case, a group of tow truck drivers contended that they were not paid overtime wages as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act, which generally requires that tow truck companies compensate any employee who works in excess of 40 hours per week at a rate 1.5 times the normal hourly wage.

If you’re out and about on December 4, 2017, you may notice truckers out in force protesting the controversial ELD Mandate. One report says protests have been planned in at least 40 states in advance of December 18, 2017, which is when Phase 2, the Compliance Phase, of the ELD Mandate takes place.  

Thanksgiving is a day of thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us. As this year comes to a close, once again I find myself thankful to be a part of the towing community. The towing community has provided the privilege of meeting and working with people from all walks of life. Many of these people have become my closest friends.

The sale or auction of abandoned vehicles left with tow companies can provide a nice revenue boost for tow companies. Most states, including my home “states” of Kansas and Missouri (Kansas City is a border town), have a statutory lien procedure designed for this. If tow companies follow this procedure, they can obtain a “title” to the motor vehicle and sell it for a profit.