FLEET

32 november 2016 pr imemovermag .com.au 33

T o find out what’s behind

the success of long-standing

Tasmanian company, Launceston

Towing, spending some time

with owner Graeme Pitt in his modest

office is a telling experience: Looking after

a fleet of four tilt trucks, he manages the

constant surge of calls and correspondence

with stoic composure and relaxed

professionalism. As he organises his trucks

to perform vehicle pick-ups and drop-

offs, it’s hard not to think of someone

helping out a friend – and it’s just that

level of quiet confidence that has been an

important factor in the rise of Graeme’s

business.

But that’s only part of the story. A second

success factor has been a healthy degree of

stubbornness, he says, pointing out that

a Launceston Towing truck will only ever

carry cars and light commercial vehicles,

but no machinery, general freight, site

sheds or containers. “There’s basically no

money in that type of work and it can

cause lots of damage to the trucks,” he

explains. “I won’t do work that puts my

people or my gear at risk.”

As a result, the Launceston Towing trucks

are specifically designed and equipped for

light vehicle recovery and transport. “I like

to think that we are good at it and there’s

usually enough work that we can make

reasonable money out of it,” is Graeme’s

reasoning behind his policy.

The load capacity of each tilt tray is limited

by ability of the hydraulic tray equipment

to lift the weight of the towed vehicle

rather than the payload rating of the

truck. Consequently, the trucks are never

over-loaded and Graeme estimates they in

fact spend more than a third of their life

unloaded – ensuring there is always ample

margin to take on the next job.

With view to the fleet, Graeme can look

back on a typical tow driver’s biography,

starting out with Ford and Dodge jib trucks

and then moving on to Japanese tilt trays

before progressing to a 16-tonne DAF LF55

several years ago. “Unfortunately, we didn’t

have decent trucks all along,” he confesses.

“The first Japanese trucks we had were no

good once they were out of warranty. We

should have been able to get 800,000km

out of a truck doing this kind of work

without one engine rebuild, let alone two.”

Operating 24-7 in a place like Tasmania

brings home the employer’s obligation to

provide a safe work place, too, he adds. “I

am doing all that I can to make sure that

my drivers get home safely. Some jobs can

be testing, for example a 3am call-out on a

wet night in a remote area, especially when

you’re the only person there. As such, it’s

important that we give our people reliable

gear that will do the job safely.”

The climate extremes in Tasmania

also require effective heating and air-

conditioning, Graeme explains. Also on the

standard spec list are good seats that look

after the drivers’ spines, as well as driver

air bags for safety. A dual passenger seat to

accommodate the drivers of the vehicles

being towed is also a necessity in Graeme’s

area of business. “Looking at the spec, it’s

easier to buy a truck with all that included

rather than adding it later-on,” he explains.

“Our first DAF had all that and more when

we got it. It is easy and comfortable to

drive, with the air bag suspension being a

real bonus that allows us to raise or lower

the rear of the truck, which drastically

alters the approach angle of the tray and

proved vital for many late model vehicles

that sit very low to the ground.”

Graeme’s drivers can also raise the rear

suspension and put the tray over obstacles

like a low fence or a stump to access a

crashed vehicle. Lowering it, meanwhile,

provides a shallow approach angle that

allows the operator to achieve damage-free

loading.

After being impressed with the abilities

of his first DAF, Graeme says it was a

‘no-brainer’ to replace the next Japanese

truck that was due for retirement with

another Dutch unit, this time a 12-tonne

LF250 that was delivered in October 2015.

Graeme now intends to convert to a full

DAF fleet.

When travelling on Tasmanian highways,

trucks up to 12 tonnes GVW can drive at

the 110 km/h speed limit wherever it is in

place, he explains, making for a welcome

side effect. “The new 12 tonner it is just

so good. We can accelerate going uphill

OPERATING A TOW TRUCK BUSINESS IN RUGGED NORTHERN TASMANIA IS A JOB DEMANDING EXPERT KNOWLEDGE OF BOTH LAND AND EQUIPMENT. LAUNCESTON TOWING IS A COMPANY PERFECTLY ADAPTED TO THE NICHE. Story by Peter Shields

K N O W I N G T H E

NICHE

FLEET

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and keep out of the way of other traffic. It

drives like a car and you don’t have to fight

it all over the road.”

The mention of cars turns the conversation

to Graeme’s BMW 323 Targa Tasmania

rally car, in which he has competed in the

world famous rally five times since 2007.

The same dedication to preparation and

planning involved in his racing passion

is obvious across the rest of the business

– especially since much of Launceston

Towing’s work comes from transporting

vehicles for dealerships as well as road

service breakdowns.

Smash work, meanwhile, isn’t a big

factor in the current business mix – and

when it does, interaction is usually with

the insurance company rather than the

motorist. According to Graeme, modern

cars are more reliable than earlier models,

so they tend to not break down as

frequently. Then again, the complexity of

those same vehicles means that there are

less situations where they can be repaired

on the roadside – and that aspect of the

towing business continues to grow, causing

a new set of issues for Graeme.

In a lot of cases there is nowhere to even

hook on a winch cable anymore with

modern cars, he explains, which poses a

challenge to firstly get them onto the truck

and then securing them there safely and

without inflicting any damage. Graeme

typically overcomes this by using ISO-

certified wheel straps and by providing

comprehensive training for his staff – a

move much in line with his original

intention to build a market-leading

operation on every level. “I have seen a lot

of competition coming and going over the

years, but I have always found it better for

us instead of detrimental. They had the

mistaken thought they could come into

this game and do it for a cheaper price.

Yet, those types of blow-ins generally drive

business back to us rather than take it away

because of the way they operated.”

An early decision at Launceston Towing

was to insist on the use of gloves at all

times – not just to protect the drivers’

hands, but to prevent grease and dirt from

cables and chains making their way into

customers’ vehicles. Graeme was also

the first operator in the state to have a

remote-controlled tilt tray. “The move to

remote controlled gear was a commitment

to safety first and foremost, with the

additional benefit of speeding up the

whole operation, so it’s been a win-win.”

Safety vests and high visibility clothing

were also mandated prior to any authority

regulating it. Unsurprisingly, cameras are

also used across the business to record the

condition of vehicles prior to being towed.

Graeme says it is an essential requirement

when carrying out repossession work in

order to protect every party involved and

have positive proof of any prior damage.

He regards a series of detailed digital

images as better security than some of the

difficult to understand contracts financiers

tend to insist upon. In line with that,

forward-facing dash cameras are being

fitted to each truck, too, and Graeme

requires them to be wired into the ignition

circuit and fitted with a hard drive so the

drivers don’t have to worry about switching

them on or changing a low capacity

memory card.

Breakdowns or accidents are never

welcome events and the arrival at the scene

of an immaculate tow truck driven by an

expert operator should at least alleviate

some of the concerns of the affected

motorist, he summarises. “As long as we

have humans and cars in the same mix,

our services will be needed,” he concludes

– pointing to the special challenges both

land and equipment present. “It’s certainly

a niche, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t

deserve the same kind of professionalism

and commitment to quality we expert

everywhere else in trucking.”

“The climate extremes in Tasmania require effective heating and air-conditioning. Also on the standard spec list are good seats that look after the drivers’ spines, as well as driver air bags for safety.” Graeme Pitt Owner