American Towing and Recovery Institute onThe Go
American Towing and Recovery Institute onThe Go
We are Honored to have the INA Towing Network as a sponsor
Uncover the secrets of building a robust towing and recovery network with insights from industry experts DJ Harrington and Wes Wilburn, joined by Wes's wife, April. Experience the warmth and familial bonds that define our community as we celebrate the dedication of our listeners and highlight the impressive reach of our podcast and social media platforms. With over 15,000 subscribers and a combined following of more than 30,000 across various channels, our commitment to providing quality content and fostering a supportive community shines through. The INA Towing Network joins us as a sponsor. Dive into heartwarming stories from recent industry events that underscore the camaraderie and resilience of our dedicated team.
Listen in as we reflect on the successes and challenges faced during the recent Tennessee show, where unpredictable storm conditions tested the mettle of our team, including Kim, April, and Margaret. We extend our gratitude to contributors like Misty Scarlett and Michael Lilly for their resilience. Celebrate the spirit of achievement with updates on successful auction benefits and Hall of Fame inductions that highlight the respect within our industry. Plus, get the latest on upcoming training sessions across various states with special advanced-level classes in St. Louis, offering unique opportunities for members of the Empire State Towing and Recovery Association. Don't miss the chance to stay informed and inspired by the towing and recovery community's ongoing journey.
Welcome one and all to the American Towing Recovery Institute podcast. Remember this is your podcast to promote safety, education, positive public relations and networking within the professional and business-minded towing and recovery industry. I'm your co-host, dj Harrington, better known as the Tow Doctor, and my other host is Wes Wilburn, over 40-year towing industry veteran, the founder of American Towing Recovery Institute of Fayetteville, north Carolina. He has produced and conducted training and certification programs for leading towing companies, equipment distributors, towing associations, dot, fire departments, rescue, as well as military installations across the United States. Wes has been published over 100 times in major towing publications published over 100 times in major towing publications. Wes has developed many courses, including the most recent awareness-level course for all responders that specialize in electric vehicles as well as hybrid, natural gas and hydrogen vehicles. Wes has provided insight as the main speaker for over 30 years at more than 900 training classes and has been recognized as one of America's greatest towing trainers. He is well known for his straightforward but down-to-earth teaching style.
Speaker 1:No-transcript Without further ado. Here's my dear friend and a great guy for our industry, wes Wilber Well.
Speaker 2:DJ, as always, you're too kind with your words and praise. I really appreciate it. And, of course, we want to thank all our listeners 15,000 subscribers and growing every week. Very humbling numbers. We're very thankful for the podcast audience, the feedback Like I've mentioned before, it's classes and whatnot. Different people come up and different people surprise me how they're listening and how well they know the program. So I need to identify some more of those people, get them on as guests and guest hosts and whatnot, to get some variety to this thing, DJ.
Speaker 2:what do you think?
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm with you and your wife, April, is such a sweet lady, Such a sweet lady. When I told her about one or two people I met at Chattanooga and I said you know, April, they would be such good guests on the podcast, she said, DJ, talk it over with Wes.
Speaker 2:And if Wes thinks it's a good idea, let's do it. So we got some good guests out the road. Kind of took away from Alita DJ. I was trying to get to introduce April as a guest guests.
Speaker 1:Out the road I kind of took away from Alita I was trying to get to introduce Naples as a guest today on the podcast.
Speaker 4:I need no introduction.
Speaker 2:Well, you do need to identify to the listeners that you're here today. How about that?
Speaker 4:I am here. I am here with you guys. You know how I introduced myself, not this much at this co-show, but how I've introduced myself in the past the easiest, the biggest shortcut. You know how I did it.
Speaker 2:Show.
Speaker 4:I'm West Wilbur's wife. That's how I introduce myself most of the time, because now they know me. There's so many people. It was really nice going to that show, uh, last week, because so many people know who I am.
Speaker 2:Now, um, it just feels like you're just and going to somebody's family home and it's very warm and embracing well, it's how the industries have been referred to as a family many times and the reunions that happen and the the uh communication that happens at a toe show is a great example of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's for sure. Well, everybody knows her now. I tell you that much.
Speaker 2:Oh, they don't. They need to go back to listen to last week's episode with her and Kim. They're going to have to make it up with the toe show floor, but yeah, she's on here. This week we're going to talk about a bunch of different things. One of the things we're going to talk about a little bit is we just want to be thankful for our different subscribers for the podcast and all the different folks that follow us on the different medias and whatnot. April's going to give us a little overview of that.
Speaker 4:As far as the podcast goes, we're over 15,000 on that. That's very substantial considering the niche market that the towing industry is in. But it just goes to show you you're going to follow good information, you know, and that's what people do and that's what we give.
Speaker 2:That's what and that's 15,000 subscribers. They say for every person that subscribes, it's probably a person that doesn't subscribe, but it's all measured by subscribers, which the the organization that we, that we go through for the podcast. It's like a subscription, I guess you'd call it. So, yeah, we have the 15,000 subscribers on the podcast and we add up all the social media together, the different groups on Facebook, instagram, et cetera, that's well over 30,000, probably more than that if you singled them out.
Speaker 4:If you count all of our Facebook pages because we have our ATRI Facebook, we have our podcast on the go, we have the one for the electric vehicle app, we have the Toys and Collectibles one With all of those combined on Facebook, yeah, that's probably a good number.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then my personal page as well.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I forgot about that.
Speaker 2:Like me as well, I try to stay in direct communication with people.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, we're thankful for the acceptance that we're gaining and we're going to focus more on this type of stuff. We haven't talked about how we've created a lot of video content for the show. That was a project my son Wesley worked on with the team here and they had a loop running that told you about what we did in training and all kinds of different things that we do and talk about and some public service announcements, etc. And we're currently breaking all that up for content for our YouTube channel, which I don't think we included numbers for that as well. But, yeah, we're trying to reach in all the different mediums out there and we're excited about it. Dj, we really are excited.
Speaker 1:Well, this is going to be a good podcast. After we take our break.
Speaker 2:You're going to talk about a new spot coming up, huh Big announcement Big announcement Hang around until after the break.
Speaker 4:We're very excited about that.
Speaker 2:Yes, we really are Hang around until after the break. We're very, very excited about this. Yes, we really are hang around till after the break.
Speaker 3:We'll be right back. The ev clever app is an app created for all responders and emergency service personnel. The ev clever app is the only app containing easy to navigate, quick links to access manufacturer suggested instructions for emergency situations dealing with electric and alternative fuel vehicles while on the side of the road.
Speaker 5:That includes hybrid, fully electric fuel cell, compressed natural gas and hydrogen buses and heavy trucks.
Speaker 3:These quick links are a convenient way to access information quickly. Convenient way to access information quickly.
Speaker 5:To date, we have a total of 789 passenger vehicles, over 181 heavy-duty trucks, and adding more every day thanks to our research team. You can go to evclevercom and use the code podcast2024, get a free 30-day trial and then after that you get 20% off.
Speaker 6:Information in this podcast is made possible by generous sponsorship from Henry's Wrecker, serving the community with quality towing and recovery for over 40 years. Henryswreckercom.
Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners. Of course you know you're listening to the one and only American in Towing Recovery Podcast, with Wes Wilburn, dj Harrington and his wonderful wife April as our guest today. This is going to be a special announcement day, but I want to remind all of you we're available on Spotify, itunes, pandora, stitcher the number one podcast in the world iHeartMedia, amazon or wherever you get your podcasts Now. Before we took our break, we said we have a special announcement, so I'm going to turn it over to our dear friend Wes and Wes tell our listeners about the new sponsor.
Speaker 2:Well, dj, it's a time of year that we're working on renewing memberships and also we're always looking for new memberships, and contact was made with the INA Towing Network, gay Rochester, and I'm happy to announce very, very happy to announce she has joined us as a silver member, joined us as a silver member. They are a transportation incident management specialist, targeting program development, training, implementation and management of risk migration solutions. They're basically a specialty transport company. Well, what do you know about them, dj? What do you want to? What can you tell us about them? What?
Speaker 1:do you know about him, dj? What do you want to? What can you tell us about him? I can tell you. I want all of you to know. Jay Rochester, who is the CEO of INA Network, is a dear friend of mine. She thinks very highly of Wes and April. April and Margaret from the Institute have been at her home in Florida. When they had the chef for the president came and cooked a meal for 30 or 40 industry experts.
Speaker 1:And April and I and Margaret were there. Gay Rochester is just a fine lady, but when I was in Florida one time visiting Gay, she had to leave and she said my DJ dropped me off at the airport and picked me up tonight at 8.15. So on the way to the airport I said where are you headed? She said Amazon is buying 700 new vans and I've been asked to go out because we do their towing. So Gay went out for the meeting and of course flew back in that night to Florida and she has a home in North Carolina and during the Florida Tow Show she leases a gigantic 12-bedroom home down there. This is a gigantic 12-bedroom home down there, but she is the person that cares enough about getting the best people towing. When we had people from Georgia on the program Wes, I sent her to podcast and now they're doing towing for INA Network. She looks for professional people in our industry, like your friend James Miracle professional people.
Speaker 2:The outlaw.
Speaker 1:Go ahead, peter. Yeah, and what she does is she caters to Home Depot, to Lowe's, to the American Red Cross. So she needs real customer service clients that will deal with her customers and that's what she does. She goes and interviews the best and that's who tows for INA Network and she is proud. She told me at the Chattanooga show. She said DJ, ina Network. And she is proud. She told me at the Chattanooga show. She said DJ, I am proud to be a sponsor for Wes Wilburn and the American Torrey Recovery Institute because he's a proud member of DRAA. And I said Wes is. And she said and I'm proud to be a sponsor, so that's.
Speaker 2:Go ahead. I'm sorry and that said, and I'm proud to be a- sponsor, so that's. Go ahead. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:And that's what we have. We have a lady who cares about the industry. Of course, everybody that was at the show saw the race car that was there, sponsored by INA Towing Network. If you're at the Ohio show, that entire display and the the evening of candlelight service and the the service that they had for all the lost members in our industry, both work in the white line and not work in the bright line. It was excellent and she's in a towing, sponsored the whole thing.
Speaker 4:I noticed when I was there, a few things that she sponsored.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, I don't want to say if you paid attention, but I've noticed for the last several years the network's names have been appearing more and more and she's noticed being involved with different sponsorship as they grew. So I got to give her hats off there. Just real quick to address a couple of things. We're proud to be members of Towing Recovery Association of America. I've talked about it several times on different podcasts. Need to get the new president on. We keep playing phone tag. It's as much my fault as anything, but I'm trying to get the new president on. We had Bill on a couple times, bill Johnson but he has since resigned.
Speaker 2:But, anyway, with all that being said, we proudly support TRA. I think I made it very clear on this podcast that I'm not saying anybody's doing anything wrong, but I think they've got the perfectly right approach to work. The relationships they developed in the 30 years or so of representation in Washington DC I'd say 30, over 40 now but the trust they've earned with the different regulatory organizations the DOT, the Federal Highway, et cetera, and Washington DC, and being able to talk to them on that level and interact on things. I know there was a little scare with things, but I think TRA does a great job with things. That's one of the many reasons we're proud to be a member of that. We're really proud to have Gabe be a member as well.
Speaker 4:I just want to say on a personal note with Gabe, because I haven't spent a lot of time with her, but the little bit of time that I have spent with her on a personal note, she's very down to earth and she's had her own struggles, as we all have had our own struggles. It's easy to look at somebody from the outside and say, well, what a fabulous life they live. And they might be living that fabulous life, but they also have. They also have their own things that they're going on too. And then she still, she still does what she does for the industry. So, on a personal note, I think that she's just amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know she's trying to get her knee operated on and she's gone through two or three other types of surgeries, so you'll see her scoot around on that little scooter of hers, and but she was there at the Chattanooga show and of course she supports the international museum, the towing museum, and her big kick, wes, is that over one loose nut.
Speaker 1:So she had to say that say over one lose none, which is the same as slow down, move over law, and she was the one who was pushing all the recognition, so that's why she came up with over one lose none. So she has an over oneorg that you can learn more about it.
Speaker 2:She has an overoneorg that you can learn more about it. Yeah, I noticed that as part of the information we got from her and I have great appreciation of that as part of their official mindset.
Speaker 1:I really do. Yeah, and she wants to represent all first responders. She worries about the people that are towing. She worries about the ambulance that are towing. She worries about the ambulance people, the firefighters. Your friend, ron Moore, she's interested in helping and she's very interested in cross-training firefighters, just like what you do, wes. She is so interested in that program that when she had the opportunity to sponsor this podcast, she jumped at it and said DJ, you tell Wes and April I'm in.
Speaker 2:So that's how this is all about coming about. Well, we're super excited to have her on board. I want to get her on for a podcast interview. I know that's not her cup of tea, but we're going to see what we can do with that. I think it'd be great yeah.
Speaker 2:I could have come on and talked a little bit more about the organization. I'm sure they've at some point. I know they've got a strong network, but the power could always go in a few holes. So that's an odd spot of people contacting it, which I think is already going to happen. But that's a whole other story.
Speaker 1:Why don't we take a break and run one of the very first INA network program commercials?
Speaker 6:TRAA, the Injured Drivers Fund and legislation that makes all of us safer are what makes this industry special. Ina towing supports all of this and more. When there is a need, gay Rochester is always one of the first to come forward and ask how can I help? The American Towing and Recovery Institute is honored to have the support of the INA Towing Network. Together, we all make a difference. Ina Towing Network. Together, we all make a difference. Ina Towing Network Simplified Solutions, superior Service.
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Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners. Of course you know it's the number one podcast, the American Towing Recovery Institute podcast. In the towing recovery industry, wes Wilburn, dj Harrington and April Wilburn on the special edition introducing a brand new and I hope you enjoyed the commercial the INA Towing Network. Now I want to remember, just like Wes says please like and review and share. The more people that hit the review button and the like button, the better it is for us. If you'd like to hear an industry expert, by all means, just dial 706-409-5603. That comes right through our podcast hotline and Wes and I in April will do our very best to get that person on the next podcast. All right, wes, I'll turn it over to you.
Speaker 2:Thanks, dj. You know we talked about the Tennessee show and I'm amiss for not mentioning several different things. First of all, I'd like to thank Kim, april, margaret for being the team that went to Tennessee manned the show, went into the eye of the storm, didn't know what they were getting when they got there Storm-wise. A couple years ago I mean, april won a similar deal when the storm came in. We were stuck there for like three days. Afterwards we couldn't get home because the interstates were shut down, gas shortages, so they went right back into. They didn't have that situation, but they didn't know if they were going to get stuck there or not. So I want to thank them. Misty Scarlett has always jumped up, helped the whole family. Michael Lilly his crew, helped at the booth, so I got to appreciate all them. Dj, you were a big help, as always, introducing and networking, and Godfather, all telling podcasts. You just put things together. So we can't thank you enough.
Speaker 2:I also want to take a moment and recognize the crew from the Toad Show that worked so hard Out of adversity, with Storm coming in on them the way it did Museum Group. They did an excellent job with everything. Their auction benefit went through the roof. I heard this year Money-wise which is a good thing All that money's being raised going to the survivor fund to benefit that. So that's nice to see. And of course, you had the Hall of Fame inductions Very well-respected class of folks this year. Congratulations to all the individual people that achieved that lifetime achievement. Hats off to them here at the American Toner Recovery Institute. So, as many of y'all know, I didn't attend the show. I'm doing training. I'm focusing on that a whole lot.
Speaker 4:April's going to tell you about where we're going to be alright, it looks like October 18th we're doing a three hour EV class at Woffco on Lake Station, indiana, and then the 19th and 20th, which is a Saturday and Sunday in October, we are doing a heavy duty with Rotator at Woffco which is a great class, because Kevin Farthing deals with a lot of steel coils and he's going to get us a coil to pick up, a real live coil.
Speaker 2:put it out of the stancho technique that he's perfected over the years, so it makes that an exciting class.
Speaker 4:In November the 2nd and 3rd, we're doing a light medium at Tom's 24 in Alcott, indiana. In November the 2nd and 3rd. We're doing a late medium at Tom's 24 in Alcourt, indiana. November 16th and 17th we're doing a two-day fire tower cross training with Ron Moore and Wes Wilbur in Sumter, south Carolina, at Sumter Wrecker.
Speaker 2:Okay, so then we go to 2025. Yeah, I got a bunch of good classes for 2025. I'm really excited about the season shaping up Already lined up.
Speaker 4:So January 24th we're doing that three-hour EV class in Lake Charles, louisiana, and then also in Lake Charles the 25th and 26th. The 25th we're doing a heavy-duty class and the 26th we're doing a light-duty class at Elite Towing at Lake Charles.
Speaker 2:That's the one-day version of each. It's been real popular. We're happy to bring it back.
Speaker 4:Then on March 7th we're doing the three-hour EV class and we're doing that with CP Rucker and Griffin Griffin. They're doing that together, that's in Opelika, alabama. And then the 8th and 9th of March we're doing a two-day heavy duty rotator in Opelika with CP and Griffin Griffin. March 21st, our three-hour EV class at Midnight Towing in Hickory, north Carolina. And then we're doing another two-day heavy duty March 22nd and 23rd in Hickory, north Carolina.
Speaker 2:And that might be slightly up there. I don't think they got affected real bad with the floods. We should take a moment mention our prayers for everybody that was affected by hurricane helene and the deadly floods in western north carolina. That's been a big issue, so we pray for everybody and anywhere affected, especially our friends in western north carolina, tennessee, etc right.
Speaker 4:April 4, on a Friday in the evening, we're doing a free three-hour EV course. Then on April 5th in Long Island as well, we're doing a light-duty recovery class. And then April 6th in Long Island we're doing a heavy-duty tow with some rotator.
Speaker 2:So that's the Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday is the light duty, the Sunday is the heavy duty.
Speaker 2:This will be hosted by All-County Towing and it's going to be sponsored in part by ESSRA, the Empire State Towing and Recovery Association, who created an excellent scholarship program. In addition to the early bird discount that you can receive by registering early, if you're a current member of ESSRA, any one of your people that you send to the class, you can apply for a $100 scholarship. So, basically, depending on when you pre-register or if you pre-register, it'll cut the price to the class in half, so that's an excellent benefit belonging to the Empire State Towing and Recovery Association.
Speaker 1:Hey April, I know that in May you've got some special going on. Tell our listeners more about it.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, this is going to be a real good one. Dj, we're doing a one-day advanced level light duty class May 2nd in St Louis, towing with Jay and I trucking. Russ Wolven will be instructing that class. Then we're doing a two-day heavy duty May 3rd and 4th, also being instructed by West Wolverine. And here is the big one, dj. Okay, may 5th through the 7th there's a three-day extreme advanced level light duty class. The instructors for that, the headliner on that one is not Wes Wilburn. Wes Wilburn is instructing that class, but the headliner on that one is Tom Luciano. So it's going to be Tom Luciano and Wes Wilburn doing that three-day class. Say that date again May 5th through the 7th.
Speaker 1:Tommy Luciano and Wes Wilburn act together.
Speaker 4:Together again. It's been over 15 years, it's. I think it's about time now, with this one here, we're doing this as a package deal. We're doing um, they're calling it a uh uh halloween special. The cutoff date for this special is november, the, though so just remember it's the day after Halloween, but regularly this package would be. This includes the class seats, hotel and meals. Okay, for this whole package, from May 2nd through the 7th, the package will be $3,263, even $3,263 even. You pre-register before that date, then you only pay $2,745.47. So that's a savings of over $500 for a great training event.
Speaker 1:Great training, history-making event.
Speaker 4:History-making event. Since Wes and Tom have been taking so long to do a class together, we decided to do that one in May that we just talked about. We're also going to do one in October up by Niagara Falls, so it's going to be like a great getaway to if you want to take a day or two before or after that to do this. Buffalo slash Niagara Falls is going to be a three-day thing, what's more, and Tom will be instructing that class too. Fantastic. And that's it for the classes. So far, we're still filling in the fall date, so anybody who is looking to host a class or put on a class, just give us a call and let us know that. Alright, so I'm going to wrap this up for Wes. He just stepped away taking a phone call, so I'm going to end it with DJ here. Dj, do you have any words of wisdom?
Speaker 1:Yes, I'm going to tell all our listeners you guys are the best and just go online and what's the phone number they need to call? April Tell them 910-747-9000. You got it. The American Tone Recovery Institute podcast is on the air Just 910-747-9000. Or you got a fax there. If you want a fax, 910-486-8930. That's right. By all means, it's real simple A-M-T-O-W-R-I dot O-R-G and we'll see you next time on the American Dome Recovery Institute podcast. Thank you.