American Towing and Recovery Institute onThe Go
American Towing and Recovery Institute onThe Go
When Towing Companies Put People Before Profit, Everyone Wins
Discover the revolutionary approach that's transforming the towing industry as Megan Bruns, Marketing Director at Cardinal Legacy Towing Group, shares how putting people first has created an empire of 200+ vehicles and happy, committed employees.
The cornerstone of their success? Treating tow operators as the first responders they truly are. While many towing companies struggle with employee retention and satisfaction, Cardinal Legacy has implemented concrete, effective strategies that benefit everyone. By virtually eliminating on-call shifts, they've removed one of the industry's most challenging aspects, allowing drivers to maintain healthy work-life balance and plan family activities without interruption.
Every driver receives their own dedicated truck—a simple policy with profound effects on pride, maintenance, and operational efficiency. Clear career paths provide structured advancement from light duty to specialized recovery roles through comprehensive training programs. When consolidating with other towing operations, they maintain original company identities while enhancing employee benefits, preserving both business value and human connections.
"Teamwork makes the dream work" isn't just a catchphrase here; it's evident in their comprehensive benefits package, recognition programs, and community involvement. As Megan explains, drivers who might resist routine midnight calls will "throw their cape on" for significant incidents—enthusiasm that speaks volumes about their pride and ownership in their work.
The partnership between Cardinal Legacy and the American Towing Recovery Institute represents a shared vision for the industry's future: professional, people-centered, and progressive. For towing company owners seeking improved retention, operational excellence, and sustainable growth, this episode provides a masterclass in building an organization where both employees and customers thrive.
Ready to transform your towing operation? Listen now and discover how putting people first creates success for everyone involved.
You're on the Train to Success with April and Wes Wilburn. I'm DJ Harrington, the co-host, better known as the Toe Doctor. We're all on our way to the town of proper towing and recovery, along with our producer, chuck Camp, in the studio. Don't go to the town of woulda, coulda, shoulda. You coulda had done this. You should have done that. Listen every week to thought-provoking wisdom from great guests iTunes, pandora, stitcher, iheartmedia or the number one podcast, or maybe Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts. Turn in on Wednesday and be turned on all week long. If you are a state association and want your announcements or upcoming state association news announcements or upcoming state association news, or maybe a co-show that's coming up, let us know. Our podcast studio phone number is 706-409-5603. I'm proud to be part of a great team at the American Dorm Recovery Institute. Let's make 2025 our best year ever. I will turn it to April Loomis.
Speaker 3:DJ, thank you so much for the intro. I would say you're too nice, but I think it's appropriate. We're pretty nice people. Welcome one and all to Tony News Now and the Tony News Channel. We have some great stuff to talk about and we have a great interview coming up.
Speaker 2:We're getting ready for a busy season, so I'm gearing up for that up. We're getting ready for a busy season, so I'm gearing up for that. Had Wesley's last day here as an employee. He's going on to bigger and better things. Still going to help his dad a little bit, but as needed. But that was a tough day emotionally yesterday, still a tough day emotionally today, but glad he's moving forward. He's been a huge help here and I'm excited for what his future holds.
Speaker 2:So, besides that I'm just focusing on, we're getting some activity for some of these classes going on. Got a little activity going on in Consolidation Corner. We got a great interview going on today.
Speaker 2:We're also we're talking to a trucking magazine, about maybe trying to interact with the towing industry with them. It's funny, our podcast a week ago was on the same subject and I really didn't see this thing coming, but out of left field my son Wesley. One of the last things he did was found a way to help us interact with this trucking magazine in a way to benefit us for selling some truck books that we have, in a way that's going to benefit them for gaining a little bit more information about the towing industry and again it kind of came out of that field that last week we interviewed cliff and joyce, partially out of kentucky, that are on a personal mission themselves.
Speaker 3:If you didn't hear that podcast, you really should listen to it we'll put a link down for it, um, when we push this out. And just let let's go back to Wesley just one more time. Wesley and Kim are moving to Tennessee and we're excited to see them go, but it's something that they've wanted to do and they're looking forward to it and they're excited.
Speaker 3:Wesley is still working for us. It's going to be on a part-time basis. He has been very instrumental at how, in last few years, and probably especially since cogan I would think he's worked for us before that too but getting helping us with the um, the marketing and the facebook and he's learned how to do. Um, he's been very instrumental in these podcasts as far as, like, doing the back part of this and sending this to chuck, uh and and then chuck, you know, finishes it up and makes it um, the magic happen. But if you've watched our commercials that we've done, if you've seen any of the powerpoints that we've done, what wesley has been, if not all of it- he certainly has yes, and kim as well.
Speaker 3:Kim is going to be working for us part-time. Kim kim hat does more for us than I. I think I even know that she does. There's so many little things that she does and so many little pieces that she puts together and then I I have the finished product when it's done. I I I don't always see all the intricate things that she does, but she's definitely going to be missed, as well as wesley physically not having them here and also with them just going part-time. As well as Wesley Physically not having them here and also with them just going part-time as far as like what we're doing. So we love you, Wesley and Kim. We wish the best of luck to you in your new life, but we still got you part-time. So, Wes, I'm going to switch it back over to you.
Speaker 2:We've got one consolidation corner to talk about. This one hits close to where I grew up as well. Owls Towing has been consolidated into the Valor Fleet Service Partners. Henry's Wrecker and Roadrunner in Northern Virginia are already consolidated together, and now they've got Owls that's joined together. Based in Falls Church, Owls Towing has been a provider in Northern Virginia for over 30 years, Headquartered in Leesburg.
Speaker 2:Fleet Services is a leading towing hauling provider. Mid-atlantic Valley Services offers 24-7 heavy duty to light duty towing, parking enforcement, truck repair, etc. It's a significant bonus that these organizations are working together. I'm fired up to be teaming up with Valerie. These guys know business and care about doing things right, just like we always have. I've known Fred and Dave for a long time. There's a lot of mutual respect there, so we wish them the best going forward and that was a direct quote from now yes, yes, it was.
Speaker 2:We wish them the best as they move forward and um any consolidators out there. You got information. Make sure you get us that press release so we can read it on air.
Speaker 3:So and I have a full disclosure on the Henry trucker service. That's my origin story, so to speak. That's where I came from. So when it comes, when it hits with the home, what's this great about that?
Speaker 2:so we got a busy upcoming schedule here and October 3rd to the 5th, niagara Falls slash, buffalo, new York, a three-day extreme heavy duty class. Myself and JT will be teaching a class and we're supposed to have a surprise instructor going to stop by and help teach the class. The following week will be the Chattanooga. We'll be at October 9th and 10th. We'll be at the Chattanooga two-day heavy duty class. That is a class you have to register for and pay for. The weekend class that is a class you have to register for and pay for. We can. After that, october 16th, on the Friday, will be in Kansas City for a one-day light duty. On the Saturday Sunday, that's the 17th and 18th of October, will be in Kansas City with a heavy-duty tone recovery class, lake Station. The following weekend, october 25th and 26th, two-day heavy duty rotator class. Then we'll be down in Enterprise, alabama, november, the 7th Fridays of one day light duty on a.
Speaker 2:Saturday, sunday that's the 8th of the 9th. It's a two-day heavy duty. Tone recovery class will be in Lake Charles, louisiana. Connie's favorite city will be down there in the 15th for a one day late duty. It's November the 15th. Just working in conjunction with the Tony and the Kelly professionals of Louisiana and on the the 16th will be in.
Speaker 2:Lake Charles again with the one-day heavy duty set that today class. On Saturday I do the off Sunday a heavy duty, one day class for two days to intend one of the other. You don't have to tend those. They before another December the 6th and the 7th. Today's light medium duty the only other light medium duty we're doing anywhere in the country at this point. First weekend of December is December 6th and the 7th in Naples, florida. And rest in hope Posting class. Give me a call. We've got some more dates we can put on. We've got a group of instructors that are anxious to get out there and share knowledge with y'all.
Speaker 4:T-R-A-A, 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 simplified solutions, superior service.
Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners. Of course, you know you're listening to the number one podcast in the towing and recovery industry Towing News Channel and I can't thank you enough. We have over 20,000 listeners. This would be a great one. Wes and April have really kind of led us through it. We've got a great podcast for you today. Every week we give you new informative episodes like the one you're about to hear. Make sure you download and listen. We're available on Spotify, itunes, pandora, stitcher, the big iHeartMedia, amazon or wherever you get your podcasts. Now I'm going to tell you Wes was nice enough to let me introduce. We're going to hear from Megan Bruins, who is Director of Marketing, and she's really involved. You know this is a person who's gone through college. She graduated from Linwood University and a Bachelor's in Business Administration.
Speaker 1:Been around a long time. Grew up in Missouri so you know you got to believe that part because everybody in Missouri's are good people. But she's now with complete auto body and repair and the cardinal legacy towing group and I can't thank Wes and April enough to get her on. This is a real asset. So without further ado, Wes and April, I guess you're going to introduce and get everybody to know Megan Bruins.
Speaker 3:Thank you, DJ, for everything that you just said. We really appreciate it and hopefully we've earned it. We have, on the podcast previously talked about our partnership with the Cardinal Legacy Group and we have worked hand-in-hand with the front part of what we do and the back part of what we do. The back part of what we do is the marketing and Megan Bruins is on with us today to talk about that with us. Megan, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 5:Hi, april. Thank you so much for having me Tell us a little bit about your background. Megan, well, I started back in January of 2005 working for a company called Absolute Technology and we sold next telephones. Back in the day, we also sold pagers. We had partnerships with DirecTV and a couple of other communication type devices all under one roof there.
Speaker 5:And once I left there, I went to work for Nextel Direct, which then became Sprint, and then I had found my way over to a communications place in our city which is right outside of St Louis, and that place was called Metro Park Communications, which they sold every piece of communication that every business of every size and every industry needed to be able to function.
Speaker 5:And that was how I met Kurt and Jeff over at Complete Auto Body and they actually hired me as a sales rep, which most companies hate their sales rep. They offered me a job instead, and here I am, so I've been here with them for about two years as a sales rep, started with them back in about 2018, when there was just a couple of complete auto body and repair locations and Kurt did own A to B towing at that point in time and watched them really was able to watch them grow by 2022. Bullen Services was one of our larger towing companies that kind of fell underneath the umbrella. Then, within another year, a&a Towing and Cardinal Towing became part of the group as well, and just recently this year we've also added Bald Eagle, that's down in Naples, florida, and Lasers Towing, which is out covering the Kansas City metropolitan area. So we've really kind of expanded our footprint.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. How many vehicles do y'all have now Do?
Speaker 5:we have. We have right at about 200 tow trucks and hauling equipment trucks, so that's a pretty good amount to where we can be just about anywhere at any time for any type of tow or recovery that's out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome. You guys definitely have a huge footprint around St Louis.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah, we do, and we've got so many different partnerships with a lot of the different police municipalities that are out there which they depend on us and me I've been married to a police officer now for almost 20 years and so that partnership between the two of them. There's so many people out there that just don't recognize tow drivers as first responders with our firefighters and our police departments out there, and that's a big piece of the puzzle. They need us there quick and they need it done right.
Speaker 2:It's awesome that your husband is involved in law enforcement. Thank you for serving Absolutely, oh absolutely. You are right, it's a super important partnership.
Speaker 5:tell us a little bit about that well, I mean, you got to think about some of the things our tow drivers see that are out there and that's that's why the training and and the Cardinal Legacy Towing Group partnering with with American Towing and Recovery Institute is so important to make sure that they're trained to where they're out there and they're safe and they're keeping our customers safe and they're keeping the police officers safe and the other drivers on the road safe and being able to clear it out in a timely manner to keep everybody moving and out there, being able to get to their jobs and home safely when they're done with their jobs.
Speaker 5:It's very important and it's amazing. I mean between, as you see, with all of the different classes that we're putting on throughout the years to help keep everybody safe and certified and know anything that's new that's out there that might keep it more efficient. It's the same on the police officer's side. They're constantly training and finding new ways to do it and more efficient ways to do it and use technology to help improve their jobs and the safety of others.
Speaker 2:And safety and training is not just something that's done when you know we do a formal class that's handled efficiently and briefly on a weekly basis. There, isn't it?
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah, it can be, depending upon what it is that's out there. There's just so many things that are going on and the trainings could be anything from shooter safeties in schools all the way to just leadership trainings to get people thinking as a team and as a whole and not just as an individual police officer or an individual tow driver. That's out there.
Speaker 3:And that's the critical thing too is that I think I'm an individual and you think you're an individual, but when you're working in a company like that, or really any company, you're not individual anymore, you're a team, and everything that you do has an effect and an impact on not just the person next to you but but many people right. What? One of the things that I've paid attention to is corner corner legacy group is that you guys are people first and oh absolutely people first.
Speaker 3:You're, you're going to take care of and you're going to do the right thing before, and then we'll look at the bottom line. Awesome, which is also important, but it's people first, and that is the one thing I admire about how everything has come together with what you guys do and what we do. That's why the partnership seems to be just so great.
Speaker 5:Right, right. And I'm sure, as you've learned, and Kurt has too, if you help your people, you help your bottom line. It all goes together. It all goes together, that's for sure.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Speaking of the bottom line, we've got to take a little quick commercial break. Can you hang around for the rest of the break? Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 6:For electric and other alternative fuel vehicles. We have developed an app that gives you all the manufacturers 411 for when that 911 happens. Whether you are a fire tow or police, we got you covered. To find the EV Clever app, go to your Apple or Google Play store for a 30-day free trial.
Speaker 3:We also offer the National Tow Operator Certification an independently sourced virtual testing program covering light duty heavy duty electric and alternative fuel vehicle.
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Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners. Of course you know you're listening to the Towing News channel and everyone from the American Towing Recovery Institute. We really appreciate each and every one of you and telling your friends about it. Remember to like, review and share everywhere. We are always welcoming you to this podcast. This is why Megan Bruins is doing so well today. But if you want to hear another industry expert, let April and Wes know the person. Just call us on our hotline number here at the studio 706-409-5603. And I want to tell all 20,000 listeners take out your pen. This is a real smart lady. She's really sharp. When I was looking at her bio, one of the things that caught me is she tells all new hirees. Teamwork makes the dream work and you can use that in your own business because this is a lady who knows how to bring groups together and, of course, the Cardinal legacy group. It is getting bigger and bigger as their footprint increases. This is a great guest and I'll turn it back over to Wes and April Wilburn.
Speaker 2:Go ahead, wes thanks, dj appreciate it. Of course, we do appreciate the listeners as well. Now, maggie, we talked about we want to do things for the people. Can you give me a couple of examples of what you folks are actually doing for the people? You know things that you're not wanting to do, but things that you're currently doing.
Speaker 5:Well, we definitely like to be better or at least, you know, offer more benefits when it comes to our employees wanting to come on board with us, and not only wanting to come on board, but stay with us. You know we don't. Training is is very expensive and and just finding employees in such a specific industry as as the towing world is, it's not something you can just, you know, kind of walk in off the street and decide you want to do it. It takes quite a bit of of training and background. So we do want to make sure that we offer the best benefits package that's out there so that we're keeping our employees happy, we're keeping them safe, we're keeping some money in their pocket as far as being able to keep their family safe as well and, you know, healthy and up to date on anything that they need medically.
Speaker 5:We offer them state-of-the-art equipment. We've got the best of the best out there. We keep our trucks new, we keep them clean and each one of our drivers has their own truck that they don't have to share. They can keep it, hopefully, as clean as they want, but if they want to keep sodas and snacks inside of it, they know that that's their space while while they're at work and and we were a part of so many different community events that that opens up doors to where, even when they're not working, they've got they've got events that they can go to with their families, you know, and we offer them plenty of time off to where they're not on duty eight hours a week, and then the two days that they are off and at home they're on call. We've eliminated most all of the on-call situations. Of course there are still outliers to where you know if you've got one of the big rotators or a specialty truck we might need to call you out if something crazy happens, but that's what they're looking for. You know they want that action.
Speaker 2:That's right. Folks don't mind being called out for that big wreck. It's the midnight tow that sometimes it's a little hard to get them motivated on.
Speaker 5:Right, right, but if you call them with something big, they're going to throw their cape on and off. They go. They're on the way, you know, no matter. Go, they're on the way, you know, no matter where they're at. So so, yeah, I'd like to think that that sets us apart and, and being a part of a lot of the employee engagement me and there's another gal, rachel, that works in the marketing department with us and we get to spend a lot of time with the employees and talking to them. We make sure every anniversary with us is recognized. We do shout outs for birthdays if that's what they're comfortable with on our Facebook pages. You're not seeing that with most other companies at all.
Speaker 2:No, it is just not the marketing department. All the different folks participate in that. It really shows how much folks care for each other. That's part of what attracted us to participate with you all. Something else you talked talk about training. We've talked about it on the podcast before, but we've got the permanent training facility that we're working on together. Folks have already purchased the real estate for that. Also, when we talk about training, yeah, we're talking about the weekend classes that we do.
Speaker 2:You know around the country that you folks participate in, but you all take it to a whole different level. One of the things that you folks participate in, but you all take it to a whole different level. One of the things that I like about the organization is there's an absolute career path. If you want to move up flight duty, telling the media duty, there's a path for you to have it laid out, some information you have to absorb, some testing, etc. But it's a clear path. I I don't really know of any other towing organization that has such a distinctive career path, thinking about employees today, tomorrow and beyond. So there's many things that you folks are doing to be proud of, in my opinion.
Speaker 2:That's why we're proud to be a part of it Right April.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. You know when, when everything was laid out for us and having all the conversations with, uh, with you guys, and knowing what you guys provide and what you do for your new employees and you're also you do consolidating when you take on a new enterprise, when you take, take on that business, when you take it on, you maintain the integrity of that business. The name stays the same. The employees stay one their lifestyle benefits from that because they get the extra benefits. If there's more pay, it could even be as much as a pay rate, the on-call thing. I'm going to just just touching that for one second. What was the tower? And I was a dispatcher for a company two different life lifetimes ago and two different, two different companies.
Speaker 2:Most of the listeners were not alive. When I was a tope, I was let frank.
Speaker 3:That's probably true. That's probably true.
Speaker 2:But an 88 or 89.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wasn't even born. Then there you go.
Speaker 2:Oh boy.
Speaker 3:So the on-call thing when I was a dispatcher, the number one thing that they had an issue with was can you run one more call? That was always the end-of-the issue with was. Can you run one more call? That was always the end of the day thing. Can you run one more call? And I hated that call. But the other thing that would put a strain on a family and I'm saying family because it's a co-operator in this job, but the family is involved in it On call, if you're on call as well as working all the other hours that you work you can't do anything.
Speaker 3:So eliminating as much of that on call part and giving shift work so they can schedule things, that is a big thing from my perspective.
Speaker 5:Oh, that's huge. That's huge and I can relate to that too, again, being married to a police officer. He worked 12-hour shifts, you know, split-plopping between days and nights for many, many years. And now that he's in the detective bureau he's back on call again and it's like, oh, I thought we kind of got out of the on-call thing, but you know, but it does make it difficult to plan vacations. Or you got to drive separate to kids' sporting events because they might have to go and all of those different things that that kind of family has to navigate already. So taking that burden off of them was definitely a huge relief, for a majority of our men, that's for sure, and women of course.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, absolutely Speaking of men and women, you all got a great management team. We need to thank Curtis, jeff Bauer, rob Aaron, adam, jp I know I should name names, I'm leaving people out, but there's a whole lot of people that make this whole thing work and we're just thankful to be a part of it.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we're excited to move forward with it too. It's been fun learning about the business that you guys have built, and now being able to partner with it is huge. We're going to do some really great things together.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, absolutely. Any parting thoughts you'd like to leave us with? Where can people find out more about your great organization.
Speaker 5:We do have the cardinallegacytoeingcom website up and running. It's a real basic page, but it explains who we are, what we're doing, gives a little bit more in-depth on each one of our towing companies that we've brought together under the Cardinal Legacy Towing Group, and it'll also springboard you to each one of their websites.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Well, megan, we can't thank you enough for being a guest today. We look forward to having you back on soon and again. We're just humbled to be part of this team and thankful to be interacting with quality folks like yourself.
Speaker 5:Absolutely Us over here at Cardinal Legacy, we feel the same way and thank you so much for having me. It's been a great joy.
Speaker 3:Awesome. Thank you, megan, and we'll be talking soon.
Speaker 2:For those that have followed me over the years know I'm not a big fan of public subsidizing anything, so I'm happy to see public radio going away. Here's CPR, our tribute to public radio.
Speaker 3:And CPR stands for Cancel Public Radio.
Speaker 5:CPR canceled public radio is brought to you by the American people. This week on Hot Air, John Barner from the Federal Reserve talks about the war on cash and the future of the US dollar future of the US dollar.
Speaker 4:The war on cash is moving into the tech area. Mobile banking is more popular than ever, and soon you will be able to deposit your cash using your smartphone. A new app is being released called Dizbernia. It is highly, highly controversial, and you must pass a safety class and be at least 21 years of age to access the app. Once you're approved, you will receive a specialized tray, gloves, eyewear and login credentials To deposit cash. You will lie it on the tray and, just like a check, take pictures of the front and back of the bill. After both serial numbers are recorded, within five seconds the bill will then disintegrate, taking it out of circulation. Experts say it will take maybe up to 10 years for all cash to be removed from the banking system. Cash will not be accepted anywhere after the year 2040. Thank you.