| Past
Issues |
September
2001 |
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Recovery |
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After years of disunity in the local vehicle towing and recovery industry, the re-emergence of the African Towing and Recovery Association (SATRA) will have significant benefits for industry players and the authorities alike writes Andrew Parker.
SATRA enjoys the support of the leading towing and recovery organisations in South Africa and is recognised by government as being wholly representative of the industry. In light of the proposed Tow Truck Act 2000 due for implementation sometime next year, this is indeed a heartening development.
Although the proposed Act - currently in the form of a White Paper for comment - has been widely welcomed, there are mixed feelings over some of the implications it holds for industry players. While some of these are discussed elsewhere in this feature, it appears that areas of accountability leave a lot to be desired and still require resolution.
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The Tow Truck Act 2000,due for implementation
in 2002, is a step in the right direction. |
For instance, Emden de Vos, chairman of the Eastern Cape branch of SATRA and MD of Port Elizabeth-based Valley Trucks, says while there is merit in the proposition that tow truck drivers may be obliged to have some knowledge of emergency first aid procedures, this is a potential minefield for the personnel on the ground.
De Vos says while he is sympathetic to the plight of understaffed ambulance, fire and traffic authorities who need all the help they can get, he is concerned as to potential problems that may arise should an injured person die or is left permanently disabled after being assisted by a tow truck driver.
Another concern, albeit not so ominous, is the matter of tow truck drivers getting involved in the salvage of hazardous goods.
"I agree tow truck drivers need to be aware of the different types of chemicals and their inherent dangers but the call to equip two trucks with all the necessary equipment to deal with these spills is beyond the financial means of many SATRA members.
"On top of this, in my experience, insurance companies would kick up a storm if they were faced with a claim to recharge a simple fire extinguisher used to put out a blazing truck. I seriously doubt whether they would be willing to pay out for equipment and materials used in a serious spill even if they saved vehicles, loads and even lives."
Staying on the subject of insurance, De Vos believes the South African commercial vehicle insurance industry, road hauliers and shippers need to get their respective houses in order and stop passing the buck when it comes to paying claims. It seems there are some serious miscommunications between the various players in the road freight business.
De Vos says it is not uncommon for a truck, trailer and the goods in transit to be insured by different insurance companies. That's three insurance companies involved with one rig and its load. In the event of an incident between two vehicles, you would have even more insurance companies involved. The sparks soon begin to fly as to who will pay what and who is to blame.
"The bottom line is that the towing and recovery truck operators are often left holding the baby. If, for instance, I get the go-ahead by an insurance company to move a truck, what must I do with the trailer and the load which are insured by different parties? I am wrong to leave it and wrong to move it. In any event, if I move a load I must provide a full inventory to the respective insurance company and become accountable for any loss or damage," he says.
In this respect, De Vos recounts a saga following an accident involving a truck hauling 30 tons of long-life milk packed into one-litre cartons. Needless to say, the cartons were scattered all over the place.
On their arrival, De Vos says it didn't take the local cops very long to weigh up the situation and start loading their vehicle with this unexpected bonus. It took even less time for the residents of a nearby village to join in with exuberance.
A bakkie then stopped at the scene and as fast as he could, the driver started loading up with cartons of milk - despite the pleas of the hapless truck driver. De Vos recalls that when the truck driver removed the keys from the bakkie, the owner simply carried on loading milk and then hot-wired his vehicle and calmly drove away. De Vos says by the time his crew arrived at the scene, there wasn't much left to do except move the damaged vehicles.
"And after all that, the insurance company which covered the load gave us a real hard time over the missing load. Can you believe they actually wanted to know what we had done with 30 tons of milk?"
