The Tow Company Playbook for Handling Highway Incidents

1. Highways don’t forgive hesitation. When something goes wrong at 70 mph, the clock runs fast, risks multiply, and your crew becomes the thin line between order and chaos. A capable Tow Company doesn’t just move metal, it manages a live scene, communicates across agencies, protects lives, and restores traffic swiftly without cutting corners. That only happens if your team knows the craft, not just the steps. I’ve spent years on the shoulder and in the median, from quiet predawn tire changes to multi-vehicle pileups that swallowed an entire lane. The playbook below mixes procedure with scars learned the hard way. Use it to sharpen training, refine policies, and give your operators a repeatable, professional approach to highway incidents. The first promise: safety before service Every successful recovery starts by making the scene survivable. Motorists who have never stepped on a highway shoulder underestimate just how little room and time they have. New drivers freeze. Distracted traffic doesn’t notice flares. You cannot rely on common sense to keep you safe. Think in layers. Sight lines first, speed second, then space. If a hill, curve, or bridge abutment hides your truck and the disabled vehicle, you have to push your warning zone upstream. Where traffic runs above 55 mph and visibility is compromised, a second unit placed up the road with lights and a traffic arrow board is not a luxury, it is PPE for everyone involved. On a straight stretch with good daylight, cones and flares might be enough, but that judgment lives on your lead operator. When weather turns, the hazards double. Rain erases friction and muffles sound. Snow piles narrow shoulders and steal escape routes. Heavy fog changes your warning strategy entirely. Close up your working area, dim the light bar if it’s blinding drivers, and use a low-profile pattern that signals without dazzling. The silent briefing before the wheels stop Long before your truck arrives, your operator should have a mental picture of the scene. Dispatch can tee that up by collecting the right details: exact mile marker or identifiable landmark, number of vehicles, orientation on the roadway, any injuries, fluid leaks, and whether law enforcement is on scene. On the way in, your operator runs a quiet checklist. Approach from the safest side if possible. Drop the speed early and signal long. Scan mirrors, look for debris fields, watch gaps in traffic. Decide where to park, how to angle the truck to create a buffer, and which tools to grab first. That 15 seconds of headwork is what separates a smooth recovery from a scramble that invites mistakes. Staging and vehicle positioning that buys time

2. Your truck is both a tool and a shield. Park in a way that forces approaching drivers to move over, even if they don’t want to. On a right shoulder incident, angle the truck slightly left, rear towards traffic, creating a taper that nudges cars away. Leave escape space on the driver’s side if you need to bail out. Avoid getting boxed in by guardrails, concrete barriers, or soft ground. If you have a second unit, set it upstream where sight line and grade allow drivers time to react. Stagger vehicles rather than stacking them. If law enforcement is directing traffic, coordinate the cone taper with their cruiser placement. A short conversation saves repeated adjustments and exposes fewer people on foot. Managing the human side at 70 mph Calming a rattled motorist matters as much as rigging. I once helped a young couple with a shredded tire on a blind curve just past a bridge. They had done what manuals say, pulled to the shoulder, but their compact car sat half in the lane. The driver wanted to dig in the trunk for the jack. We stopped that immediately, moved them behind the guardrail, and secured the car with a quick snatch before dealing with the wheel. The entire recovery took under five minutes because we removed the human variable from danger first. Offer short, clear instructions. Don’t debate on the shoulder. If someone refuses to move to safety, involve law enforcement. Document those decisions later, not in the moment. Your tone should be steady, not stern. Fear makes people unpredictable. Calm creates compliance. Communication that keeps the scene moving Good highway work sounds like radio discipline and looks like choreography. On multi-vehicle incidents, someone needs to own the timeline. A Tow Company can take the lead once the medical and law enforcement priorities are addressed. Ask incident command three questions: when do you want a partial lane open, which vehicles move first, and where can we stage the removed units. Then give an honest estimate for each step. Inside your crew, keep words simple and repeat key instructions. Hand signals are underrated when the wind, sirens, and diesel noise swallow speech. Establish two or three that everyone knows: stop, take up slack, lift, lower. Use names when calling out commands to prevent two operators from acting on the same cue. Quick clearance without sloppy shortcuts Highway agencies in many regions track clearance times, sometimes with targets like 90 minutes for major crashes and 30 minutes for simple disabled vehicles. Meet those expectations, but don’t let the stopwatch run your rigging. Removing vehicles quickly is only professional if the equipment choices protect your operators and the motoring public. On simple tows, focus on reducing time exposed. If a sedan with a dead battery sits on the shoulder, skip the jump if the shoulder is narrow and traffic is heavy. Load it and go. Fifty extra seconds on scene to test a battery is not worth a sideswipe. For a pickup with a blown tire and enough room, a tire change may be reasonable, but only if you can place the truck to shield and set cones far enough back to move traffic. For complex recoveries, build your plan and stick to it unless something changes. If a loaded box truck is buried up to the axles in a soft median, rushing a winch job with marginal anchoring will dig you deeper while traffic stares and grows impatient. Take the time to establish a solid anchor, perhaps with a second truck or ground plates, and rig a snatch block for mechanical advantage. The extra two minutes of setup often saves fifteen minutes of wheel spin and rework. Gear that earns its keep Operators often ask what gear makes the biggest difference on highways. The truth is boring: reliable basics, redundantly stocked, checked daily. Lights that work. Cones that are bright and stable. Straps and chains that aren’t frayed. PPE that fits. Good boots with ankle support. Headlamps for night scenes so your hands stay free. A few items punch above their weight. Reflective incident command vests with large lettering cut down on confusion when multiple agencies show up. Battery-powered scene lights on magnetic bases help during night recoveries where headlights blind drivers. A compact spill kit with absorbent pads and drain covers lets you control small fluid releases before they wander toward a culvert.

3. Keep your arrow board and light patterns sane. Flashing everything at full intensity can create a visual wall that disorients drivers, especially in fog or snow. Use a slower pattern and consider dimming at night if your equipment allows. Working the shoulder: fundamentals that never go out of style Treat the shoulder as alive. Never turn your back to live lanes without a spotter or a mirror check. Stand upstream when possible, so if a vehicle drifts toward you, you see it coming. Keep tools consolidated and lines clean. A tangled strap underfoot has put more than one operator in the path of traffic. When connecting to a vehicle, keep your body outside the pinch zone. If the car suddenly rolls because the grade is steeper than it looked, your hands and feet need a clean exit path. Chock wheels with purpose, not hope. On icy shoulders, powered winches can pull the tow truck toward danger if you’ve not secured your footing and considered the pull angle. The first five minutes at a multi-vehicle crash Large incidents can overwhelm. The best operators narrow the chaos into a sequence. Here is a concise field rhythm that balances speed and safety. Establish a safe work envelope: position trucks to create a taper, deploy cones and flares upstream, and coordinate with law enforcement on lane closures. Walk the line: quickly identify vehicles that can roll, those that need flatbed, and those that are total immobilizations. Note fluid hazards and debris fields. Prioritize movement: open a partial lane by removing the simplest blockages first, then reposition for heavier lifts. Share your plan and time estimates with command. Rig with intent: choose attachments that avoid secondary damage while still being purposeful. If the clock is running hot, skip cosmetic concerns and focus on structural points. Stage removed vehicles: keep the shoulder clear by moving units to a safe off-ramp or designated lot, then return for the next task without clogging the scene. That short sequence, practiced in training, prevents paralysis when sirens outnumber hands. Documentation that protects you later Highway incidents create competing memories. A month after the event, the only neutral record might be your paperwork and photos. Train operators to take quick, relevant pictures: the initial position of the vehicle, license plates, VIN tags if accessible, tie-down points used, any pre-existing damage that could be misattributed. Capture shots that show the traffic environment and your safety controls in place. Ten well-aimed photos beat fifty blurry ones.

4. Write a narrative the same day while details are fresh. Include times, lane numbers, weather, special hazards, and who directed which decision. Use plain language. Document any refusal by a motorist to follow safety instructions. If law enforcement gave a specific order that affected your process, note it. Insurance, liability, and the line you won’t cross Not every request on a highway is worth the risk. I’ve declined on-scene tire changes in narrow construction zones where concrete barriers left no escape. Instead, we loaded and moved to a nearby lot. The driver wasn’t happy until I walked him to the white line and had him watch the wind wake of a passing semi rock the truck. He changed his mind fast. Make your https://bronco-towing.com/services/ red lines explicit in policy and train operators to stick to them. Clearances inside active lanes without a lane closure, climbing over a guardrail into the travel way, walking into a debris field during active traffic operations, or attempting a recovery beyond your equipment’s rating are all examples where no is the professional answer. If command pushes, explain your boundary and offer alternatives like additional units or brief lane control. Weather and timing: how the highway changes by the hour Rush hour dynamics differ from midnight operations. During peak traffic, short, decisive moves avoid secondary crashes. Consider deploying a second truck proactively to act as an upstream blocker. After midnight, speeds increase even as traffic thins, which means impact energy rises. Drunk and drowsy drivers show up. Lower the time your people spend on foot. Use more lighting discipline to avoid blinding oncoming traffic on empty stretches. Rain raises the crash rate and makes asphalt behave like glass. Place cones farther back, because braking distances increase. On snow and ice, vehicle weight moves differently. Winch angles need finesse or you’ll slide the casualty in ways you didn’t intend. Sand or salt beneath your feet can be the difference between a stable stance and a wind gust knocking you into live lanes. Equipment choices for complex recoveries Not every Tow Company runs heavy recovery equipment, but understanding the principles keeps you from overreaching. For rollovers, plan the roll carefully. Choose anchor points that share load across the frame rather than crumpling body panels. Use low-line winching to control the vehicle’s center of gravity. Airbags, if available, offer precise lifting without sudden shifts, but require space and trained hands. For electric vehicles, neutral isn’t always obvious, and high-voltage safety matters. Assume a compromised EV may be energized. Avoid cutting into orange cables or components marked with high-voltage warnings. Use skates or dollies if wheels are locked, and follow manufacturer guidance for tie-down points. If there is a thermal event, coordinate with the fire department for extended cooling and safe staging after removal. You cannot drown a battery fire in a minute and call it done.

5. Working with law enforcement and DOT partners Strong relationships make highway scenes smoother. Give officers quick, accurate estimates. Agree on a simple handoff for lane control while you move vehicles. Share photos when it helps clarify a decision. Recognize that their priorities differ: they’re thinking injury first, evidence second, traffic third. Your role is traffic restoration and safe recovery. When those priorities conflict, look for a sequence that satisfies both. For example, mark tire scuffs and vehicle positions with paint or photos before moving them, so the reconstruction retains information while lanes reopen. Department of Transportation units appreciate Tow Company crews that respect taper lengths and device placement. Ask before moving state assets like crash trucks or arrow boards. If you notice a safer setup, offer it as a professional suggestion rather than a correction shouted over wind and sirens. Training that sticks under pressure Classroom hours don’t carry you through a midnight rainstorm with a jack-knifed pickup. Repetition does. Build drills that mimic highway noise, wind, and the tunnel vision of flashing lights. Time your team setting a cone taper from a safe start point. Practice hooking and loading with gloves on in cold conditions, since dexterity changes. Run hand-signal drills with engines running so operators learn to read movement, not just words. Use post-incident debriefs as training fuel. What went right, where did we lose time, which decision felt shaky, and what equipment failed or impressed. Keep the tone solution-focused. Operators speak up if they know you value the learning, not the blame. Customer care that doesn’t slow you down Highway work compresses everything. You still need to give the motorist a clear path forward without turning the shoulder into a customer service desk. Offer a short script: we’re moving you and the vehicle to safe ground, then we’ll decide whether to tow to your shop of choice or our yard. Provide a business card quickly and promise a follow-up call within a set window. If personal items are needed immediately, fetch them efficiently, but avoid unpacking the trunk on the shoulder. Later, call back as promised. Explain charges plainly and note any ways you saved them time or protected their vehicle. A two-minute call turns a frazzled memory into a loyal customer who recommends your Tow Company after the adrenaline fades. The economics of doing it right

6. Highway contracts and rotation lists bring steady work, but margins shrink if you chase volume with sloppy process. The true costs show up in downtime after an injury, equipment damage from rushed rigging, and lost trust when agencies see you as a blocker rather than a partner. Track your scene times honestly. Look at the top quartile performers on your team and unpack why they run faster and safer. Often it is staging discipline and fewer steps, not heroics. Invest in equipment that reduces exposure time. A reliable flatbed with fast hydraulics, upgraded scene lighting, and a well-organized tool layout can shave minutes off every job. Over a week, those minutes become hours. Over a year, they become a reputation. Environmental awareness without drama Fluids spread, and the public notices. Keep your spill kits loaded and train operators to deploy them without fuss. If a tank leaks steadily, use drain covers to protect storm inlets. Bag contaminated absorbents properly and note it on your invoice and incident report. For major spills, call in hazmat support early rather than trying to DIY a problem that exceeds your kit. On soft shoulders and medians, tread lightly. Ruts left behind can become erosion channels. When possible, use existing tire paths and avoid spinning. If you tear up turf, let the responsible agency know rather than pretending it didn’t happen. Honesty beats a callback with photos you wish you had seen first. Aftercare for your crew Highway incidents wear on people. The adrenaline spike, the noise, the near misses that never make the report, they collect. Rotate tough calls among operators when feasible. Offer a quiet space to decompress back at the shop. A ten- minute cooldown and a cup of water does more than people admit. If a scene involved a fatality or a close call, check in a day later and again a week later. Peer support matters. So does a manager who sees the human beneath the uniform. A culture that makes good choices automatic Policies matter, but culture carries them. If your company celebrates close calls as war stories rather than warnings, your luck will run out. If you praise the operator who shaved three minutes by skipping cones, you are training the crew to gamble. Instead, reward clean setups, crisp communication, and safe clearances that earn compliments from troopers and DOT partners. Write down your non-negotiables, train them, and then live them. Bring new operators into ride-alongs with your best. Let them see the pace and calm that experienced hands bring. Give them permission to slow down when something feels wrong. A final word from the shoulder Highway work is humbling. The environment is unforgiving, the variables many, and the public’s expectations simple: make it safe and make it quick. A Tow Company that thrives on the interstate does the basics with discipline and the complex with a craftsman’s eye. You will never control the weather or the traffic, but you can control how you approach each scene, how you position your truck, how you talk to people, how you rig, and how you learn. That is the playbook. Build it into your training. Carry it in your trucks. Refine it after every shift. And when the radio crackles with a call at mile marker 118, you will roll out with more than lights on your roof. You’ll carry a way of working that brings order to the edge of chaos, one safe recovery at a time. Bronco Towing 4484 E Tennessee St Tucson, AZ 85714 (520) 885-1925