Tow Professional Podcast
Navigating the Waves of the Towing Industry with Perry Beatty
Prepare to be swept away on an exciting journey with Perry Beatty, the mastermind behind Flowstop, Hazmat, and Responder Network. We'll navigate through his captivating life story, from his service in the Vietnam War to his launch into the towing and recovery industry, and you'll get a front-row seat to his problem-solving prowess as he tackles environmental challenges head-on at accident scenes.
Our conversation with Perry doesn't stop there. With a firm grasp on the significance of
cargo tank safety, he urges the adoption of correct procedures for transferring under
pressure and vacuuming from overturned vessels. His compelling advocacy for unloading hazardous liquids before righting a vessel resonates with the urgency of potential risks.
Get ready to enrich your knowledge as Perry breaks down hands-on learning experiences he offers in his class, and catch a glimpse of what's in store at his upcoming classes at the Midwest Regional Tow Show, North Carolina Show, and Tennessee Show in September. This episode is not just a chat with an industry veteran, it's a masterclass in safety and problem- solving - don't miss it!
Prepare to be swept away on an exciting journey with Perry Beatty, the mastermind behind Flowstop, Hazmat, and Responder Network. We'll navigate through his captivating life story, from his service in the Vietnam War to his launch into the towing and recovery industry, and you'll get a front-row seat to his problem-solving prowess as he tackles environmental challenges head-on at accident scenes.
Our conversation with Perry doesn't stop there. With a firm grasp on the significance of
cargo tank safety, he urges the adoption of correct procedures for transferring under
pressure and vacuuming from overturned vessels. His compelling advocacy for unloading hazardous liquids before righting a vessel resonates with the urgency of potential risks.
Get ready to enrich your knowledge as Perry breaks down hands-on learning experiences he offers in his class, and catch a glimpse of what's in store at his upcoming classes at the Midwest Regional Tow Show, North Carolina Show, and Tennessee Show in September. This episode is not just a chat with an industry veteran, it's a masterclass in safety and problem- solving - don't miss it!
Welcome one and all to the Toe Professional Podcast. This is your podcast. It's for the pros that have a need to know, that are on the go. It is truly the voice of the towing and recovery industry. I am DJ Harrington Yacogos, better known as the Toe Doctor, and the real host is the president. Publisher of Toe Professional Magazine, my dear friend Darren Weaver. Darren, we got a great guest today, boy.
Speaker 2:Man, let me tell you, not only a great guest, but a personal friend and a tremendous man of integrity in this industry Perry Beatty, with Flowstop, as well as Hasmat Responder Network, and oh, dj, this is going to be a good one. This is somebody that's got a passion for the industry and just loves talking to folks and helping them solve their problems, when it comes to whether it be training or products to get the job done. So it'll be a good one, man. I'm excited.
Speaker 1:Well, Perry, I could be the president of your fan club. I am proud to know you. You're a wonderful human being, a true asset to our industry.
Speaker 3:Thank you, dj. I can't wait to know You're going to make me go. I can't get out of the room. My head will be so large.
Speaker 3:But, thank you so much for the compliments. Guys Darren you know and DJ you know as well. I grew up in this business, started working with my dad in the service station and we had a couple homemade tow trucks. Back when I was a kid we bought our first factory, built record with our homes, for 40 in 1969. And I really thought we had arrived.
Speaker 3:But when I graduated from high school I was infatuated with towing and it was something I could do with my hands and see results and I don't mean to brag but that gum, I was good at it and law enforcement got a kick out about 18, 19 year old guy coming out there doing a job that a 40 year old man didn't have a clue on how to do. And there's been many a time I'd go out and work a traffic accident, car upside down, something like that, flip it back over and hook up to it. I'd have somebody step out of the crowd and go my gosh. You got here and we said Lord, look, they don't send a kid out here to do this. And said you did that Excellent. How did you learn it? And you know law enforcement that knew me would interrupt and say he's been doing this since his 11 years old. It's a natural for him.
Speaker 3:But anyway I got drafted during the Vietnam conflict, spent two years active duty in the military and when I got back my dad wanted me to come back in and help him. But I really had a passion for the towing business and didn't care to be tied down to the service station and he and I both had different views on that. He said you could make 11 in towing alone and five years later I bought his interest out and proved to him that it could be. But I had a drive and the desire to do it, which he enjoyed it, but he didn't have that same passion. So after the five years that I was back out of the military and bought the towing company away, started building it up Long about oh, I'd say, 15 years later, went out to work a heavy duty wreck that had a fuel leak and was told to stand down that they had a cleanup company come in because it was leaking diesel fuel and they couldn't have cross contamination with record service moving. So it was a good two and a half hours of a delay or waiting for a cleanup crew to get there, and what I witnessed once they did arrive. They spilled as much as they got and it was about the most unprofessional setup that I could have experienced. So you know, in baseball the man goes up to the plate and he gets three swings and misses before the umpire calls him out. So in doing all that, we had another mishap happen about 30 days later. Same crew come out three hours later and they did just a sloppy job.
Speaker 3:And then right after that, the third one took place and all these responses were holding us up. The meter was running, as you might say, for a taxi cab. We were sitting there, the law enforcement did not want us to leave and then summons us back because as soon as we drove off that cleanup crew it'd show up and then we'd have a tough time getting back on scene to get the vehicle. So nobody wanted to pay our downtime vehicle owner or insurance company. So I just seen right then, if you want it done, do it yourself.
Speaker 3:So I got my hazmat certification and over a period of five months I put another company together and in Charlotte, in the region of the Carolinas, referred to as the Piedmont. So I thought you know it would be better not to lock myself down to Charlotte and call this Piedmont Environmental Response Team and I shortened it up and used the acronym PERT. So all my advertising and so forth said have a spill, make it a PERT alert. And we had nine EPA agents in Charlotte and the fact that we were getting their boots on the ground 45 to 60 minutes after being notified is what really got us promoted up to be called as often as we were, and in doing so, we were experiencing spills getting in the storm drains and the EPA agents that worked our area we're keen on this because of our response time and we were getting called out to Spills that weren't related to traffic accidents. With all that being said, we had storm drain that were impacted. They said we want storm drain flushed out. We had no way to regulate the flow and the only pipe plugs out there on the market were made a rubber and that's a petroleum product and you run gasoline or diesel fuel in on that for about a half a dozen times. Eventually it's gonna eat it up and you're gonna have to buy another plug. So my way of looking at it was why can't you take a film of Urethane that will expand under air pressure and come back to its original size. So I sat down with some engineers that had that Ability to steer me in the direction that we needed to go, and so we made an inflatable Out of a urethane film and put a nitrile rubber sleeve around it for protection, and we called it flow stop. It does exactly what we want it to do it stops the flow. So we applied and got a patent on that Not quite 20 years ago, and I went to market in to emergency response companies, and a lot of fire departments have these across the country now, and so flow stop started off in 2009, and we toyed with another idea and came out with a sponge with a very fast drying chemical petroleum resistant resin, and the name on it is flow stop football, because it resembles the child's north football, and so, with wedding that, you can install it into a Void that's been poked in a saddle tank or a drum and In three minutes or less it's rock solid.
Speaker 3:Now the ambient air changes up the Pure time on it. But then we had people having to tear those in half. I said, can you make something smaller? So we came out with the next one, and that was called a golf ball. So we put these in different arrangements and I introduced the flow stop football for the first time at a tow show in November of 2013 and Doing so, I met for the first time the president of the Toan and recovery Association of Ohio, who was born gobel, and his lovely wife as well, and so in doing so, we we were able to talk to them All three days of the tow show, and Tina gobel came to me the last day of the show and she said why don't you, why don't you do Training and show us how to do this?
Speaker 3:Well, I had been discussing this with my wife for about 90 days about starting a program that certified Towers to do fuel spill cleanup, remediation and disposal. So on the drive back, my wife said that men said Tina gobel's question to you was validation. So I started at that point and Put together hazmat responder network and my target market is towing and recovery professionals. And Then I've added a few things to it as we've gone along, and I built simulators that represent cargo tanks, fuel haulers, chemical hauler and a Corosso taller, and they have working components on them that you find on the existing tanks today, and I have one set up that will rotate 90 degrees to simulate and overturn and the components on it or design the fail. So, with all that said, I make equipment that will Correct that at the same, that you can use before you upright an overturn tanker, and I give that instruction and show how that's all used and incorporated. So I offer a one-day eight-hour cargo tank awareness class as well. So In doing the training I had built Equipment when I got into this business 30 years ago.
Speaker 3:Nobody offered anything for roadside quick response, spell response. So I had to fabricate and make it as I went along to suit my needs. So whenever I got to training people were saying where do you get this, where do you get that? Nobody offered it. So I started building and putting things together that would help them out. So flow stop now has a Total line, not only pipe plugs and footballs but dome leg clamps for fuel tanker haulers, block locks, we pole kit, air drill kit, the vac pumps and one and two inch for hydrocarbons as well as chemicals. So we have a pretty strong equipment accessory line for roadside spill response and it's been real good. I love to see these guys go out and and do the work and if they hit a stump or have a question they'll call me. Doesn't matter. I'm still a tow truck driver at heart. I'll answer my phone 24-7 and discuss whatever they need to know. So I enjoy this and it's been a true blessing.
Speaker 2:Well, perry, I tell you I mean what what you're talking about is. It's phenomenal because it's like you say, it's a necessity. That that calls the ingenuity and the need for the products. And I think your story of how the training and how the need to start your own hazmat service inside the towing company was a way you created another line of income for the company by doing that. But let me do this listeners, we're gonna take a quick break. We're gonna come back, walk you through the different products he offers and we're gonna dive back into the training that's offered a hazmat responder. I've seen it and it is top notch, first-class training. So hang in there. We'll be back from the break in just a moment.
Speaker 6:We'll be back shortly, stay tuned for over 50 years, jordan has defined towing and recovery industry standards for performance, reliability and service. Jordan offers an extensive range of light, medium and heavy-duty records, carriers and rotators. Each truck offers superior engineering for strength and stability, reliability and versatility to exceed the expectations of a demanding industry you have been listening to tow professional on the go podcast every week.
Speaker 1:We do our best to bring your new informative episodes like this one. We Perry he's done a great job. Make sure you download and listen. We're available on Spotify, itunes, pandora, google Play, stitcher, iheart Media, amazon or wherever you get your podcast now. Just before a break, perry was talking to us about Tina. Would you be kind of Perry to tell our audience a little bit about Tina and those of us that are Christian faith and I have a believer we? I'd love to pray for Tina, if that's okay absolutely.
Speaker 3:She and bone are great folks, are great for the industry. I've got gotten to know them well since 2013 tow show that we met them at, and I just know that Tina experienced medical issues well over a year ago and it's been a long convalescence for and you know, my wife and I pray for them and without ceasing and anybody out there that's within the Christian beliefs and both believe in prayer. I just ask you all offer up prayers for Tina and her husband, bone without a doubt, without a doubt.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for that, perry and, like you said, that somebody that in and flu it's you helped you step in and help to encourage you and give you that affirmation that you were looking for from God, and yeah.
Speaker 2:God, we, just, we just ask that you, that you, you reach your hand out to bond, you reach your hand out to Tina. Let them fill your presence, touch her from the top or head to the bottom of her feet with a hundred percent healing. Touch, bond, give him straight, patience and empty during these times and help him get through this time as well. You know it's just as hard on the husband or the wife when our spouse is going through this. We just ask you, comfort him as well. We ask this in your name, father. Anything you'd like to say, dj, go ahead.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, justin well, all I know is our listeners, and Tina is a wonderful person, so my prayers are there, but I know as a listener. Could you please, perry, tell us a little bit? I know that the Midwest regional tow show is September 21st through the 24th at Robert Center in Wilmington Ohio.
Speaker 3:It is a great one, but I found out yesterday you're doing a class on Thursday, the 21st yes, we're doing a cargo tank class, cargo tank awareness class for tours that deal with tankers and we show them the proper procedure on transfer and product under pressure or drilling and actually vacuum it with a air diaphragm pump from the overturned vessel to a nurse tank so they can safely upright the overturned. The National Fire Protection Association, nfpa, as well as API, the American Petroleum Institute, highly advocate unloading class three, which is combustible and flammable liquids, from the vessel before uprighting and Sadly enough, there's some that are out there that'll do it and it's actually it's that I don't know. I'm trying to be cautious and saying this but sadly enough, one day this would be Something that's gonna backfire and and it's gonna cost equipment and lives, more importantly, people's life. If it's done and you introduce an ignition source to something like that, you're talking about a bomb and I just advocate that you don't do it.
Speaker 3:I'm a minority voice in this. You've got national presence saying don't do it, but some still go out there and do it. But we, we show how to safely Transfer. That requires grounding and bonding. We show that technique in our class Not the cargo tank class, but the has whopper class that we do and then we have an array of equipment that can be deployed as well, the safeguard while doing that.
Speaker 2:Now, perry, let me ask you this real quick. I'm sorry to jump in here, but going. I watched a class here in Birmingham at Will record service and From the class instruction to the hands-on, it's phenomenal. So let me tell you listeners, everybody gets hands-on instruction, gets to put their hands on the tools. You get to see the products that that that Perry engineered from, From from all of his products, from the stingers to the back pop. You get to use the drill and so on. To Back to this, so he shows you, everybody inside the class, hands-on how to how to do this. So tell us about some of the the products They'll be using in class, even from your, your catchpool and so on that you use to walk them through.
Speaker 3:Okay, well, with the cargo tank class, we show them. Show them how to transfer from one vessel to another. Using in our gas. We're actually using compressed air, which is a no-no, but for training purposes that's what we use out in the field. They would have to have like nitrogen, because compressed air has moisture or H2O in it and that can Be incompatible with whatever chemical and create an explosion or Create Toxic inhalation hazard. So you have to be very mindful of what you're introducing to the chemical on fuel haulers.
Speaker 3:That's a three, six tanks thick aluminum tank. Doesn't take anything to drill through it. Use a cut and tap and oil and have the unit grounded and bonded to the unit that's going to be receiving the fluid. All these are safeguards that are taught even when we do our has whopper class. Whoever hosts that Will provide us a damaged saddle tank, aluminum saddle tank, so all the participants get to see what the field is Drilling a hole in that tank for the purpose of but evacuating out the, the fuel that's inside before they do any upright. And If you have an overturn rig, you need to be mindful of that because once you hook to it, it's considered in your care, custody and control. So if you stand it up and a fuel tank drops off the side of it and starts leaking fuel, then they're gonna say you should have safeguarded against all that before you ever stood it up. So that's on you. So we just tell everybody hey, the best is to go ahead and drain it off Before you do your upright man that's fantastic.
Speaker 2:Well, guys, I want to tell you Perry's gonna be at the North Carolina show with this class coming up in September. He's also gonna be at that Ohio show putting this on, and he's also gonna be at Tennessee. So that's three opportunities throughout Throughout the area to catch this and take this class. And let me tell you, if you're an owner, you get your people trained in this. All it's gonna do is put more money in your pocket and then Perry has every one of the tools offered To make you a co-professional on the scene to get the job done. Simply, I'll push back over to you, dj. I'm sorry there.
Speaker 1:We had already a somebody Texas, then what time does it start? On the 21st Perry eight o'clock. So eight o'clock in the morning and they need to go to the Midwest regional tow show to register. Yes, sir, okay, that's what we needed to know. All right, we'll pass that out to our listeners. Why don't we take a fast break and we'll be right back folks with more of Perry and has that respondent that way.
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Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners, and I thank each and every one of you for listening to Toe Profession on the Go podcast. We have a great one. Perry has been a great guest. By all means, do us a favor if you'd like to hear another industry expert like Perry. By all means dial our hotline number here. Leave a message for Darren and I 706-409-5603 for someone that you'd like to hear on the podcast, and Darren and I will do our very best to get him here. Darren, let us turn it back over to you. This has been a great one with Perry from Flowstop, so I'll turn it over to you.
Speaker 2:Alright, fantastic. Well, hey, listeners, what I was saying before we went to the break is, like I said, there's three chances to get your drivers or owners for you to attend this. He's gonna be at the tow truck and trade show in North Carolina September, the 7th, through the night. He's also going to be at the Midwest Regional guys remember this is the 45th anniversary of the Midwest Regional tow show. Make sure you're there. Vendors, come on. This is the way we support our industry. We support our associations. It's only $950 for a 10 by 10.
Speaker 2:If you're thinking about it, spend the money. Be there and see the folks is one of the greatest family shows. Perry will be there and be putting on a class on the 21st, so make sure you look into that. And then also, he will be at Chattanooga putting a class on, so get your people in there. Let me tell you this is one of the most informative hand-on classes I've seen in a while, and every one of the students brag about it. It's phenomenal. So the. The next question I wanted to come back and ask you and for our listeners, perry, is tell us about the, the certification, and tell us about what happens when that certification is set to expire and the and the points there on.
Speaker 3:Okay, this is a federal government mandated course, meaning that it's good in all 50 states and US territories. And I have a lot of people come to me and they'll say I'm in Dustin's state but I'm right on the edge of another state. Can I to go into that state and do a cleanup? It's federal, it covers all your states and US territories. Okay, once you're certified has whopper technician, that is valid for 12 months, then OSU requires an eight-hour refresher on the anniversary within 30 days of expiration of that.
Speaker 3:So we offer a refresher course. A couple of a matter of fact we have the cargo tank awareness class serves as annual refresher, also incident commander, which gives the technician specialist status. And then we also have a generic regular refresher of the initial has whopper correct limb. So anyway, it's like driver's license they have an expiration date and it's up to the recipient, the technician, to keep up with it. So just we keep a couple Facebook pages up and we announce when we're doing classes in certain areas and everybody stays tuned in. That's doing the work and staying on top of their certification so it doesn't expire. So we have a good many come back on an annual basis getting their research.
Speaker 2:And let me remind our listeners also period that the digital issues are archived of to professional magazine of our listeners would like to go to toe professional, just to w professional dot com. Click on magazine archives you can pull it up and volume 12, issue one. Volume 11, issue one, volume 10, issue one. You can pick up the stories on has met responder network as well as the flow stop spill containment product line. There's been a contributor to the publication and there's some tremendous archived articles in there about the things that Perry has discussed just today on the podcast. So, listeners, make sure you go check those out and read up on it.
Speaker 2:I've heard so many people in the industry brag on this course, so it's it's certainly one you want to look into and make sure if you, if you want any information on the product, let me tell you this make sure you go to flow stopnet. That's just www dot flow stop dot net. You can find the full array of products there from flow stop. And if you want some information on has met responder network, that's www dot h a z m a t r n dot com. So has met r? N dot com is where you can find the website there or you can get Perry a call at 877-356-9767 and reach him as well. Perry, before we go any, any parting information you want to leave with our listeners.
Speaker 3:No other than just a site that man.
Speaker 2:I hear that I know you've got a passion for that. You've been a tremendous wealth of knowledge for me in the industry, a mentor in the industry, a great friend and a great Christian brother and Christian sister there from your life. Denise, this is a tremendous family we have and I'm honored to have them in this industry and know them. And let me tell you, if you haven't done business with flow stop or has met responder network, you owe yourself enough to just check out the products and what Perry is offering. It's phenomenal and it's something that can change the business for you because it adds another line of revenue to your business when you're, when you have your team. Has met certified, has Wapor certified. So everybody look into it and DJ anything.
Speaker 1:Before I close, no, my friend, I think this was a great one. And you're correct, perry and Tina, wonderful people.
Speaker 2:Without a doubt. So, as we're closing here, I just want to remind our listeners to keep Maui in your prayers. We've got a lot of loss there over in Maui. I know everybody's thinking about. Keep our great nation in your prayers, dear Heavenly Father. We just ask you, keep your hand on our nation. You keep your hand on our vendors, giving them tremendous insight, knowledge, like you've given Perry, to produce products for the industry that will enhance lives, provide wealth and safety in this industry. We ask that you continue to bless and protect our first responders, our men and women that are out there every day with a servant's heart. Bless them, prosper them, keep them safe and, as always, listeners.
Speaker 2:We appreciate you, we know we are the voice of the industry because if you we know to professional on the go podcast is right because one of the top podcast in the industry because of you. So keep listening. We'll have more great podcast like this. And let me reach out and say to my vendors if you're a vendor of to professional magazine, you're doing business with us. You want to get your products on the podcast, get the hot line of call, give me a call at 205-223-4548, darren Weaver, publisher and president, and let us know. If you're not a vendor and you want to find out how you can get on the podcast, call the hotline or give me a call at my number. We'll be glad to help you out and tell you how you can be a part of the number one network in the towing and recovery industry.
Speaker 2:Perry, thank you so much for your time on the on the show today and your, your wealth of knowledge and the products that you brought. We wish you great success in it and, dj, like you said, this was a great one. Thanks, listeners, until next time. We pray for your safety, you being prosperous and healthy, and until next time, god bless.