Towers are individuals who are expected to move, transport and recover vehicles and/or objects that people break, leave in the wrong place or impale on other objects. Towers are expected to move the impossible, recover the most difficult and heaviest objects that you can think of at any time and under any kind of weather conditions.

This summer, there will be many tow shows conventions, schools, and other events that towers will attend. At these events one of the most of the most enjoyable activities for a tower is to stand around the towing equipment in groups, talking about all of the recoveries and towing, events that happened within the past year. Towers are very much like Tim Taylor. They are proud people that can do amazing things with trucks and equipment.

A proud tower will tell you he is the best, the quickest, and most knowledgeable around when it comes to towing and recovery of vehicles.

Several years ago, the Federal Highway Administration asked the towing industry to develop a tool and device to evaluate the skill level of tow truck operators that were providing service to law enforcement agencies along interstate highways. With much discussion and effort, towers from within the industry and the FHA developed a test called certification to evaluate the knowledge and skill level of the tower.

The year 1999 will bring the New Jersey tower to a new level - a more professional level as we see the New Jersey state police and many municipalities throughout the state require certification of towers that want to perform emergency response and law enforcement tows. The tower is entering a new era, into areas along with many other professionals such as Lawyers, Doctors, Firemen, Policemen and many other professionals which all have all have to pass tests and show they have the ability and knowledge to perform their tasks.

Law enforcement personnel, lawyers, OSHA officials, insurance companies and the public no longer are accepting the fact that just because you have been in the towing and recovery business for a long time and have the best and latest equipment available that you necessarily know what you are doing or what to do. When your house is on fire and the volunteer fire department arrives with their new state-of-the-art pumpers and aerial trucks, you hope and pray that they know how to operate the equipment. When they arrive you expect them to move quickly, and efficiently with the ability to put out the fire. No one wants to see a fireman fiddling with the controls and equipment as they try to figure out how to get the water out of the hose.

When the police face a hostage situation during which an individual is holding another individual by gun point, they will normally call in their best marksman in case shots have to be fired. At this time, you want the best and most accurate person in the department to be ready to take action if necessary. If l were the hostage victim, I would not want an officer that had not fired his gun in many years to possibly aim and miss what he was shooting at.

The unknown and new experiences can be very frightening. Just the thought of testing can make people break out into a cold sweat and get sick to their stomachs. Certification of the towing industry is not geared to eliminate or fail experienced,, knowledgeable towers. The proud tower who boasts they can do it all should be able to pass the certification test.

I would recommend studying the study guides that come with the certification test and/or attend the many schools that GSTA will be holding this year and in years to come. Proud, professional towers need to constantly upgrade their skills and learn the new techniques of the industry like any other expert and professional in their fields.

The New Jersey towing industry is moving into a new era. Don't be afraid of it. Welcome it. As the new Jersey State Police and many other law enforcement agencies and municipalities require certification of towers, the towers will become more respected and treated as professionals just as other trades have, once they were certified.

Let GSTA take your hand and help you through the certification process. GSTA and myself are committed to helping you get through the process. Certification requirements could change our entire industry for the better. If you think about it, it is everything that a proud tower has ever said and preached about, i.e. "I am the best" and "Only towers with ability and skills should be able to handle police work."