$43,000 Dollar for a 3 mile Tow.

A driver decided it was a late night and dropped off his flat bed trailer on the far East end of Seawall Blvd. A&A wrecker decided that $43,000 was a fair price, and billed the owner.

One night last week, Galveston police say a driver for Wellco Tank Trucks of Dover, Oklahoma, parked his trailer in the right lane of traffic facing westbound near the end of Seawall Boulevard by East Beach.

Tino Ordonez with A & A Wrecking said, “It was the trailer and the load. It was right in the lane of traffic.”

Police had it towed. Tino Ordonez was among the crews from A & A Wrecking.

“It was in a lane of traffic,” he said. “It was basically endangering everybody.”

But the owner of the truck says A & A Wrecking charged him by the pound. With the big bulldozer they were trying to deliver to the port, he says the towing company estimated the vehicle to weigh about 172,000 pounds, asking him to shell out $43,000 for the three-mile tow.

Mike Matthews with Wellco Tank Trucks said, “I thought it was extortion and I was pretty upset about it.”

A & A Wrecker tried to justify the bill.

A&A Wrecker Service in Galveston was next in line for the heavy-duty tow, company owner Noel Anderwald said. Although Anderwald said he was within his rights to charge $40,000, he reduced the fee twice.

“Legally, through the state of Texas and the city of Galveston, I can charge 25 cents a pound,” Anderwald said.

The tow was an exceptional one, taking eight hours, seven men and lots of vehicles, Anderwald said.

I can’t understand why it would involve so much to tow a trailer.  Usually whats involved is backing into it hithching it up and driving off, now more than 1 person and 15 minutes. I have some advice for A& A, “Just because it’s legal doesn’t make it right.”

Update 11/19/2010

Provided source link for second quote

About Liberty

Blogging is something I do for myself. I've been blogging since Sept. 2003, mostly about politics, guns, and observations about the word around me.
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9 Responses to $43,000 Dollar for a 3 mile Tow.

  1. RichieC says:

    You should do dome research before you blog. You said you “can’t understand why it would involve so much”, that’s because you don’t do this for a living. Here’s some advice for you, “Just because you can blog doesn’t make it right.”

    http://thepolicenews.net/(X(1)S(fvzeji45qwe5xibuubytic3i))/default.aspx?act=Newsletter.aspx&category=News+1-2&newsletterid=24474&menugroup=Home&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

  2. Liberty says:

    I used 2 different sources. KTRK and the Galveston Daily News. The reference you supplied wasn’t available when I posted. As a blog I also encourage responses and replies. This is a dialog. I conceded that the charge was legal, no one in the media ever claimed otherwise, but no one has made the case that it was moral to attempt to make these charges. It was a rip off. and embarrassment to to our fair city. I report and comment on on the facts as they are available to me. If you have a problem with the facts I’ve presented you should talk them over with sources I have provided.

  3. naomi says:

    Well apparently your sources only had one side. It wasn’t just a trailer and 15 minute to load. The driver disconnected the hydraulic lines moved the D10 dozer towards the front and the reason that is known is because the chains were loose. The battery on the dozer was dead because the key was intentionally left on. It was stored at the yard for 4 days with no charge and the wrecker drivers helped the driver load it also with no charge. So I think your sources are one sided. And for another thing the bill was never $43,000 or $40,000. I was there as these guys worked in the dark, the cold, and they were all exhausted. So my advice is stop being one sided in your so called sources and find the truth. That’s what most descent people here in galveston would do! RichieC we appreciate you learning the truth of what happen and not just what one side said.

    • Liberty says:

      Naomi,
      What you have issues with is my quoted text. (you know, the indented stuff in the article) As a blogger I comment on the news as it is available to me. If either you or richie wish to explain, I will gladly post your side.

      I still find what information you have provided, not convincing..
      Cold? this is Galveston. I don’t believe it ever got bellow 50 degrees here that night.. Connecting a hydraulic line and jumpstarting or charging the batteries on a bulldozer doesn’t sound like such a big deal to me. Nor does loading and unloading the equipment. It is self powered after all,

      We know the negotiated bill, was $11,000 and you claim the original offer was no where near $40,000 or $43,000 yet neither you nor RichieC will tell us what the original offer was , or why the Galveston PD, the owner, KTRK or The Galveston Daily news believes it was.

      If you want your side of the story told, I suggest that you tell it. You can tell it in a comment here, or send it to me in an email (I will post it). or go through some other media. The story as told in the police news leaves more questions than answers. though.

      • naomi says:

        For your so called blog its crap. You are just like the other people who start rumors. I tell you what I will be happy to let you do a ride along with my husband on a heavy duty tow! This was not just a dozer that tills your yard. This one stood taller than an 18 wheelers cab. And the negotiated bill was never $11000 either. I think your fact finding expedition is on a lost path. I will be happy to email a picture of the dozer and you can post that. I guess the picture in the police news wasn’t clear enough. You are trying to bad mouth this situation and make people question the integrity of this company and with the “fact finding” ways you have makes me question your blog. Why not try and talk to the owner instead of just listing the two so called sources. All you do is read the same thing everyone else read. Take a look at the comments again and you have people changing their tune. So if you want the real story you have my email and I will be more than happy to inform you on the correct information on this.

  4. naomi says:

    Oh by the way you can also go on to the tdlr website and read the state law that has to be followed and you can see A&A rates cause those public but there I go again telling you how to find sources. That count!! And not what you and everyone else read!

    • Liberty says:

      AS I’ve said before just because its legal doesn’t mean its right. No one quesdtioned whether the charge was legal. But whether it moral. I have talked to some wrecker operators and they all claimed that your company charged a huge amont of money for towing a trailer 3 miles even if you had to adjust the load. I repeat. Given the information as you have told us. The prices charged was exorbitant. You have done nothing to explain the ridiculous fees.. other than to claim they had to charge the batterys and reconnect a hydraulic line. yest it was big and heavy. Maybe A& A should stick to cars if they have to rip off people to stay in business.

    • Mike mike says:

      Bottom line, yall screwed this company. You have not said thing that justifies this. I have been in this business for 24 years. And yes Heavy duty towing and heavy haul since 1985. They crooks and eventually will be put out of business. Its companies like this that gives us all a bad name

  5. Liberty says:

    First of all, I didn’t start any rumors, I repeated and linked to well respected news media in this area. It may surprise you to learn that I have been involved with several complicated and heavy tows, but the story here is not about me, its about what happened and an accusation of a over priced tow. It was a D-10 yes it was a big bulldozer no one denied that. You are right your company didn’t charge $11,000 it was $15,300 they charged. Thats a lot of money !!!

    You claim my blog is crap, I offered you an opportunity to tell your own story, yet you offer no facts, other than vagueisms about “it was big”. If the facts are wrong complain to the Daily News or KTRK . If you want your side of the story told go ahead and tell it, If your not willing to explain the story and why it should cost so much than quit complaining.

    If you charge $100 dollars an hour for 5 people for 4 hours. and charge $1000 for the use of a tractor and any other equipment. That would come to $3000 .. I can’t see why it would take more equipment more people, or more money. But If you would like to explain please go ahead. If it would be easier to put it in an email or or a Word document please feel free to email it to me. I want let you post your side of the story. So far all you have to offer is hostilty and claims I’m wrong but no facts. If you aren’t willing to explain the story, you can’t blame me for not posting it.

    Maybe you can answer the questions.
    Where did the $40,000 or $43, 000 figure come from?
    What was the original offer?
    What would a reputable local company like Bosone Charge.?
    How much would an insurance company allow for such a tow?
    Does A&A routinely charge this much money for heavy tows?
    Was it really neccessary to unload the bulldozer from the trailer only to have to reload it ?
    What is you respnoce to Daily News Commenter T.A Jordan who does these types of tows all the time.

    I have listened to some of the negotiations between Mike and A & A Wrecker. Its more like extortion than negotiations. They want him to sign a waiver of suit for the lower price. This tells me they know their wrong but yet still want the money. If the price where right and with industry standard why are they afraid of a law suit?

    I have spoken with TDLR about this matter and per YOUR city ordinance which allows for these OVER the top fees their hands are tied. I have never seen charges like these allowed by any city in the state of Texas. These fees are not industry standard for our region. The City of Galveston should change these immediately. I have worked big rig accidents many times with trucks like Mike has, and I have never charged that kind of money to recover these units. These fees are CRAZY….

    I would ask that you make a trip over to A & A to discuss this matter face to face. For this type of tow in our region I believe Mike should have been charged no more than $3000.00 for this service. And for the City to allow for fees above that for an EXCEPTIONAL tow is not industry standard. Price by pound should not apply for this tow. Price by pound was put in place for recovery jobs such as a big truck rolled over on a freeway. You would charge by the pound verses per hour so the road would be open faster and to not have the wreckers on scene milking the clock on a per hour charging basis.

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