Be Safe Out There: Wishes for Every Tow Operator
“Be Safe Out There”
Those are the words that Brian DeClesis tells every tow truck driver before he ends a call with them. “More than anything else, this is most important to me. The job tow men and women do is often underappreciated and most people do not realize the extreme dangers they face.”
DeClesis should know. He has been a part of the tow industry for over 35 years. Brian started out as a tow truck driver at 19 years old, moved on to owning his first truck and then to being the tow boss of his is own multi-truck tow operation.
The tow industry has been his passion and even after selling his towing company, he stayed close, working as a tow truck salesman for one of the largest truck dealers in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tristate area. Brian has brought that accumulation of experience and expertise into his latest role providing financing to towers at Specialty Vehicle Funding, based in Melville, New York.
In this brief Q&A Brian offers insights into his journey in tow
Q&A
Q: What’s the most important way in which you help towers?
BD: I tell them the truth. There is nothing more important. If I see an area in their business that may not be working for them, I tell them. At the end of the day, my goal is to help towers be successful.
- You now are in the truck financing part of the industry. What advice would you give towers to make it easier for the, to obtain financing and grow their business?
A: This may come as a surprise but it would be pay attention to credit, keep good business records. Many towers are unaware that they have major credit issues until they apply for financing to purchase a truck. Credit monitoring is a powerful that can be utilized to help you know your credit position before you walk into a dealer to buy a truck or reaching out to the financing company for a loan.
Keeping good business records. Lenders want to know that you can pay back a loan. The towing business applying for the loan must show good cash flow. I’ve seen owners of businesses without good bank record or accounting get declined because they can’t satisfactorily prove their income or cash flow.
It is unlikely you will get a loan for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase a truck without good records.
Q: Why do you end all your customer calls with “Be Safe Out there”?
A: Every week we hear of tow operators being hurt or even worse, being killed on the job. I’ve lost friends in the tow industry in the same way. To an industry outsider, it might sound cliché but to towers these are deep-felt and sincere words. Initiatives like Slow Down Move Over, the Survivor Fund, Spirit Ride and others are important to me. We need to bring greater attention to the problem and educate the motoring public.
