I like how the officers and the tow operators show respect. For each other, for the driver, for the damaged vehicle, and even the business with the parking lot that could be impacted by the operations. It's a good example of how I'd like to be perceived.
My dad was an OTR truck driver for many years. Not sure why I'm fascinated by your videos but I can watch them for hours. I love your manners and your professionalism. Also I can tell you love things organized and everything to be in the proper place. Be safe & Be blessed.
That was impressive. Treated the car like it was your own, excellent operator knowledge of the machine's resources, and the only thing left is to teach it to cook. Thanks for showing how it should be done.
These videos are incredibly fascinating and satisfying to watch, despite having absolutely no connection to the towing industry. Keep up the good work Ron!
Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your patience. This channel has grown so rapidly that it is difficult for me to respond to all the comments. Rest assured, I will continue to attempt to respond to a majority of the comments when I have the opportunity. I have the business to run, family time, spiritual time, and videos to work on. I am grateful for everyone's support and appreciate your interaction. All of your comments are read even though I may not respond immediately. Let's keep it growing and I will keep it going! God bless.
Hi Ron, I think the majority of us know first hand about staying on top of multiple priorities! Will be so bold to state...never... ever... apologize for being busy!!! I subscribed approx. 4 months ago, and I've read the majority of posted comments. We, your viewers, respond with humor, sympathy, understanding, and friendship. Ron, you and your family (s) have become part of our families. We don't see them as much as we see you, but that's OK. We hear about them from time to time. To the point, we want to know about you, and by extension, your family. You are a decent man, an honorable man, and that's why, I think, you have such a following. A consummate professional, doing what he loves, and is willing to share with us. We thank you, and God bless!
Well done Ron and Mike, very neat. The customer can not be happier with the work you did. It's a pleasure to see this kind of professionalism. Greetings from another tow driver.
Hey Ron, as always another great video! Happy to see Mike again, as he hasn't been in the last few. So interesting to watch you interact with your crew and the different law enforcement personnel at the scene. Always friendly, but professional. Thank you again for sharing your life with us. God Speed.
Thanks Ron, that truck of yours is the business! That video would have been very different had it been shot here in the UK. The car would have been even more damaged by the time it got on the back of the truck, the police wouldn't have been so helpful and it would have been raining! Nice to see you cared enough to try and salvage what you can. And i love the way the local police handled it. Im new to your channel and im enjoying slowly watching your videos. As a truck driver I admire and respect your line of work and as an ametuer photgrapher respect the the time and effort in making these videos. Thank you.
Hey Ron, 1st off I am amazed at how gingerly that monsters truck can be, you lifted that car up like it was a precious heirloom. 2ndly I am not sure if there is any laws concerning the use of a child carrier after an accident here in Michigan and if there is when it was establish. But years ago when we had young children my wife was driving home one winter evening after getting the kids from daycare and hit a patch of black ice on the expressway and ended up in the median. Thank God no one was injured and actually because of the snow there was zero damage at all, well except the wife pride of course. But that night I went to the store and purchased two new child seats. I am a safety nut when it comes to the wife's vehicle and the kids like most husband's are. Well the accident did not appear to be no biggie but when I took out the old seats one of them had a crack in the plastic where the seatbelt goes. You would never in a million years think that there would have been enough stresses put on that child seat when there was absolutely zero damage to the vehicle and no one was hurt at all, heck the vehicle did not even need a front-end alignment. But that goes to show why they say once used render them inoperable and discard them and also never purchased used child seats you never know their history. Well another great video and fine job, that truck never ceases to amaze.. God Bless and stay safe.😁
Well said, your children are (or should be) the most important thing in your life, along with your wife, and you don't risk their welfare or safety in any way, shape or form!
Thank you for sharing that information and of course for the kind commentary on my video. I am like you, never can you be too safe where kiddos are concerned. God bless.
Crazy Craig's RC's and 3d - Thank you for you're insights on this subject. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY any parent would take the chance & put their children (or someone else's) at risk, by reusing those seats once they have been in an accident. Those who commented that they didn't think it was necessary to replace the seats, because no one had been in them at the time of the accident, and they don't see the need to have to replace them. Those people need to ask themselves what is worth more... the cost of a new car seat, or the cost of your child's life.
Hi Ron,you saved it from more damage.most wreckers would have just dragged it out.They need a guard rail there.Thats a road harazd.You could of put it in the road for a minute with the police there and gave them something to do. But you didn't inconvenience anyone that way.You are a class act.
Mr. Pratt, your professionalism, attention to detail, recovery skills, and legal knowledge never ceases to amaze me. You very diplomatically stated that car seats can not be used again once they have been in an accident. Very few folks can make that point without ruffling feathers. Looking forward to more videos. Please stay safe out there and God bless.
Another great job! Love how you pulled that SUV out of there without any more damage to the car or the bridge. All I can say about the woman wanting the car seats: "Bless her heart." So here's what I saw yesterday on I-90 just west of Cleveland. In Ohio. tow and recovery vehicles can only use amber lights, not red and blue and no sirens. On the side of the highway was a rollback with a broken-down vehicle loaded up. I didn't see it because he did not have the overhead amber lights on (!). Then he pulled out into rush-hour traffic which was moving at about 50-55 mph - WITHOUT A TURN SIGNAL! The driver ahead of me slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting him and so did I. After I got my heart rate back down I thought "Ron Pratt would never ever do THAT!!!"
Deb Brown ... Although certainly not intentional I firmly believe Mr Ron Pratt 'sets the bar for other tow drivers quite high'. Always a pleasure to view his channel.
the driver failed there for sure, without lights on, it's an ohio state law to slow down and move over out of their way when lights are on :) www.dot.state.oh.us/moveover/Pages/default.aspx
I believe I mentioned that I didn't see him b/c he didn't have his overheads on. 4 lanes of rush-hour traffic. Of course I would pull over - If I had seen him. Yes, I know it's the law in Ohio.
Mr. Ron although I no longer Drive track I enjoy watching your videos I've watched a lot of tow truck videos and you are the most informative I love you videos God bless you and everyone in your family again you're so informative on your videos
Thank you for sharing your work with us. It is so refreshing to find something that. apart from being interesting, is not just the rehashing of existing work and doesn't use any of the usual crass words like, "amazing", "unbelievable", "best ever" and which rarely live up to expectations. A beautiful bit of kit expertly used. Also very much appreciate your safe way of working.
Another very good and cleanly executed recovery! It's great to see the professionalism you project in each recovery you perform. Take care and God bless!!!
Your titles are getting better and better!! I laughed and settled down quickly to watch another "Day in the Life of Ron Pratt, Tow Truck Driver". When you said "ouch", I said to myself: "didn't feel a thing". lol Sad that the girl lost control of her van/suv, and it's a hard spot to get it out of, but you showed us all how it should be done. :) You may want to invest into a back-up beeper they use on transport trucks. I do believe it will save you remembering to blow your horn. Hope somebody went to look at the footbridge, as it looks like it was damaged from the accident. Don't want to see anyone get hurt from the bridge collapsing or falling over. Ooh boom cam!!! That was cool footage. :)
Dana Chappell Looked like old deterioration me... Such low impact.... Couldn't of Possibly... done damage like THAT... looks more like tree root tunneling under from that tree next to it. City needs to fix the tree root problem...and put new section on sidewalk in.
Thank you. I do have a back up alarm as well. This is increases the warning that the truck is moving. I think the damage to the bridge MAY have already been there as it is old, but I don't know for certain. I am so glad you enjoy the boom cam.
Hi Ron my name is Clarence and I live in PEI which is in in eastern Canada I watch your videos all the time I respect the lol you do out there the safety factor is unbelievable the way you teach the younger drivers is great I don't no how you work.in that heat sometimes anyway that's all for now be safe out there and God Bless
Ron, Once again I commend you on your professionalism. I truly treasure the working relationship that you and the city, county, and state police officers share. They always treat you exceptionally well and you treat them exceptionally well. The professional courtesy you all have with one another is exactly how things are supposed to be. I wish it could be like that everywhere. Your videos have taught me a lot as well. I recovered my pickup from my soon to be ex wife (not running) and as I know the tow driver he let me load and secure it on the rollback myself. Had to work it from a 45 degree angle to get to it. He said if he hadn't known better he'd have sworn I had been doing it for years.
Thank you so much for such kind comments. I am glad you find the videos enjoyable. I have worked really hard to build those positive relationships with emergency personnel in our area. We are all on the same team and have to watch out for each other. Wow, that's awesome that you were able to put your skills to the test. Congratulations! God bless.
Being from Canada, I find your presentation very refreshing with the mention of prayer for the accident victims and the absence of cursing. We could use more of this type of influence in all our T.V. shows up here.
One plus at least Ron - some shade was welcome I'm sure. Yet again a combination of skill and the adaptability of the rotator - got the job done. Almost surprised as to how relatively little damage occurred to the vehicle considering the ''plunge''! Another fine job Ron.
Beautifully executed job...I can see why you love that truck...but I'm inclined to believe it's more to do with your knowledge and skills than anything else...what I like most is the respect between yourself and those you come in contact with... Thanks for sharing Dave (from the UK)
That 1150R maybe cost 750,000+ but is worth every penny...amazing what that rig can do with an operator that knows what he is doing...another awesome video Ron.
2014 Google imagery shows that as a wooden pedestrian bridge, with 2 wooden utility poles. That rear view camera sure has great resolution! Mike must've had a heck of a time, rigging the sling, on that driver's side wheel. That Rotator sure is an awesome piece of machinery! @43:24... "Gotta catch up on my Facebook" I love the Boom Footage! As always Ron, great video!
That location must get a lot of accidents if a wooden bridge was replaced and a concrete one get that much damage in such a short time. No way did that car do all that with as little damage done to the car.
Funny story. I had my first wreck about 8 hours after getting my drivers license (this was before the current learner permit system we have now). Nothing bad, just missed a 90 degree turn, and dropped the front into a ditch. I still can remember (30+ years later), asking the tow truck driver to "Please be careful" and he looked me right in the face and said "You tore it up, and now you expect ME to be careful?" ... and he proceeded to rip my rear bumper cover off, wrap a CHAIN (not a fabric strap) around the crash bar, and bend the crap out of that pulling the car out. The actual wreck did no damage at all, but the extrication ended up TOTALING the car! It is great that you actually care about the car, and you can tell how much you care for the drivers and the LEO's. Amazing work. God bless!
If she bought ones that are like $150. I would want to reuse them too unless someone replaces them for free. Of course you should not be getting in a wreck in the first place.
I'd have to investigate that law some but imo, I understand it if a child was in said car seat then 100% it should not be used again but if there wasn't an occupant in the car seat there wouldn't have been any forces on the restraints. Just my 2 cents but not sure. God Bless.
Ron, I praise you for always having safety at the forefront of every part of your operation. When you got out of tator, and after Mike told you about the sign, the first thing you said was "you need gloves". You thought about Mikes safety before continuing. Of course, since Mike has a good trainer, he was prepared. 😊 Keep up the videos. I’ve watched hours of your videos. Thank you for what you do.
Once again, thanks for the great video! Love seeing that rotator in action, wish they had some of them up here in northern Wisconsin. The guy you have with you today did a great job too.
Ron Pratt.. I like how your very respectful and how you get the road cleared as quick as possible then you finish.. I was wondering if you would be able to do longer videos??
Enjoyed watching... I have been driving tractors and autos since 1951 .. 81 years old now.. all good. I am healthy and very active on RU-vid, and home all the time.. living in San Antonio, TX. when I was living in Virginia, and I was about 29 years old - I worked as a 2nd job some and helped a Wrecker person load and upload several times. I never had a Classs C license, but spent 20+ years in the US Army, and started driving Many vehicles BUS Size and license for them in 1959. I do love to drive, and I still drive.
Just started watching your videos. I like how professional and courteous you are. I'm a diesel mechanic at a Peterbilt dealer in O'Fallon. Nice looking rig. Didn't know the rotator could walk back like that
Hello neighbor and welcome to my channel. I appreciate your kind comments. I just work to treat others as I would like them to treat me. Old school philosophy I suppose. Thank you for watching and God bless.
I hope you had her remove the car seats her self. I would not remove them for her as I would not want ANY sort of responsibility or liability if she uses those car seats again!
It wouldn't matter either way. She is on camera being told they can't be used anymore. If she uses them then tries to claim other wise and sue ron, Case won't go far as she was told by Ron and police officers there they are not legal to use when involved in a crash.
At that speed, with no one in them, there was no damage to them. And unless you recorded the serial numbers, you have no way to know if she replaced them or reused them. That said, it's always best to replace any piece of safety equipment if there is any question of it's fitness. Insurance should cover their replacement. (age is part of the equation. I've known people to use the same baby seats for decades.)
jfbeam What speed do you know she was going? In that state which the MVC occured, do you know the specific law regarding car seats? When I said I would have the driver remove the seats it was not so I as a company can sure her, its so she can't come back and so me. Its here property and she is intitled to them I just do not want to be the one thay gave them to her as she could say in legal documents that I knew she was going to re-use the seats as I (mother) said I was and he gave me theml. I (mother) thought he would know if they are safe or not as he has more experience then I. Plus I was shacken at the seen and I was not thinking straight so I did not understand thay I could be or use the seats.
Hi Ron hooked is not the word for it I can't leave this PC. Watch you and your crew all the Time and love every min. of it. keep up the good work and God Bless you as well!!!
Haha, thank you for that. There are always so many troll comments viewers will never see as well. Keeping them off here has quickly become a full time job. Thanks for the laugh and support. God bless.
praying for you guys that have to stand w/ cars doing 70+ inches away b/c it's too much for them to move over,,but also, praying that you try not to let the invisible stress of dealing with those things you delete or don't show, get to you . I recall a few comments that hint at some of the things you have to deal with the aftermath of and know from experience that stuff will blindside you if you don't think or know to let it go (awkward wording, but you get me I'm sure) Be Safe, and Be Well.
I have been watching some of your videos for a couple hours now and i must say, you Sir are not only one of the most legitimately nice and caring of gentlemen i have ever had the pleasure of witnessing, but are also CLEARLY very well respected and loved by your co-workers as well as the community in which you operate. its very hard to find someone who cares and is willing to patiently mentor those below you on the totem pole. truly a blessed man, stay safe brother!
You certainly know your business, I never thought of doing a four point lift like that. The Rotator saves time and make things easier, everyone in the recovery business must want one.
CoinsAndHeartPieces the dumpster is in the front so it’s technically open to the public unless it’s in a closed section on the property then it’s a private dumpster
Thanks again Ron for another great video. In the UK, once the "Air Bags" / Side Curtains have been deployed the vehicle is an insurance write off. Thanks for the time lapse video at the end. Great to see you and Mike moving fast. God Bless you both.
At 8:11 it sounds like you have the "Old Spice Whistle" as an alert tone on your phone? I know this is a gray area, but if I were those officers I would have confiscated those child seats. She had confirmed accident with airbag deployment. In most states, child seats are to immediately be taken out of service regardless of how they look.
I recently stumbled across your channel by chance, just wanted to say thanks for the videos. I love these channels with professionals giving an insight into their trade with gopros, even if it's a field you wouldn't normally be interested in it's fascinating and you always learn something. Appreciate your professionalism, and as someone from northern Europe who has only briefly visited the east coast of US, the cultural differences and quirks gives it that extra touch. Cheers!
Not sure if it is still the same, but years ago had one involved in an accident, the mfg of the seat got all the info and overnighted a brand new one and wanted the one in an accident back so they could inspect it.
That's what I was thinking. I would have said no just for liability issues and let her pick them up from the shop once I looked up the law and cleared it. It's just like how a mechanic cannot let you leave with your car if it's unfit without signing about 5 waivers acknowledging that the mechanic and shop had told the customer that they cannot drive the car without it being fixed and any accident ensuing is their own fault for knowing their equipment is faulty.
LOVE your videos!!! And I gather your pucker factor when up about as much as mine did when you made your "Mike!! Don't get under it!!" comment!! And I was only watching. Well done!!
I really like the public spirit here... Calling in a heavy salvage vehicle to reduce the damage of a small salvage, good on you and your local police force :) Here in AU, a flatbed tilt tray would have just been called in, reversed up to he cars rear, and skull dragged it out straight onto the tray, disregarding any further damage. They call it an insurance tow... flat rate about $300-350. They just do whatever to get it out as quick as possible. PS. I have watched a few of your heavy salvage videos also, such as the bridge fail, the cotton seed truck, and a rollover (can't recall what he was carrying).... Your work is amazing. Kind regards, from a coach driver, who has only been towed once due to a breakdown in a reasonably safe spot. (when say reasonably, I was still out there in my high vis vest trying to make sure he didn't get run over)
Hey Ron, a Huge fan from the UK here, I just have a quick question for you. Why do you pull on the Airhorns from time to time? Is that to just warn the people around you that you are about to move? Keep up the Amazing work Ron.
McSTALLION YT noise in the area. That way it will get the attention of anyone who may be around so the can act accordingly. Sometimes people walking through and not knowing your intention will actually be hurt if you don't use your horn. A bid safety precaution.
Yes he honks to allert people that he is about to move. For safety reasons. Cause there are major blind spots on a truck that size when it comes to pedestrians
some insurance companies will replace the car seats after an accident. people have to check their policy. every state has different laws about the reusing of child car seats. I'm not sure what Wisconsin's law is. I dunno that all car seats have an expiration date on them. they cannot be resoled. after the expiration date there are places you can take them for recycling or just throw them out to the landfill. so she said she blacked out,i would almost bet she was texting. regardless of how the accident really did happen the girl is very lucky that the car didn't get wedged underneath that bridge. great work, nice truck and stay safe.
I don't really know all the insurance details with car seats. I hope they get replaced by her insurance as they are expensive. God bless and thank you for watching.
Hello Ron Pratt, just to say thanks for all the videos' posted on all of your recovery jobs. Also, to tell you that a tow truck driver in Victoria, Australia, has had an arm amputated by someone running into the back of his tow truck as he was doing a recovery overnight our time. You are always warning about people not slowing down and moving over, and we have seen on your videos' how close some people do get to the side of your truck. Well, this poor tow truck driver has paid the price of inattentive drivers or one driver in particular. Lucky he had a rear camera, so they know who did it. All the best from a rural part of Australia.
Sure, except in this case the law requires you not to use it whether it got hit or not. I personally do not like kneejerk blanket coverage laws like that. If the seat was empty, strapped in, and in a location that was not impacted, it is plenty tough and light enough to be 100% undamaged.
Once more Ron, a textbook example on how to lift a wedged car. And as a Norwegian, I must add that I'm glad you didn't encounter any trolls under that bridge :)
I find it interesting how me being in the crane industry, there are as many similarities as there are differences between a truck crane and a recovery vehicle. I didn't know you had the other two aux. lines. I like how you used the rolling blocks that way. very clever. Stay safe!
When we decided to upgrade to the Rotator I studied crane operation, rigging, calculating COG, and everything else I could get my hands on while it was being built. I had operated Heavy Tow/Recovery vehicles for 27 years prior to getting the Rotator and thought I knew a lot. This Beast opened up a whole new world for me and our company. I absolutely love it. Thanks for watching and God bless.