Higher wrecker charges may be moving to the City Council for consideration.
Updating Chattanooga’s wrecker ordinance started over a year ago initiated by owners of towing companies asking for a rate increase. Then Chairman of the Wrecker Board Bill Glascock took the lead in finding a solution to the complaints that would be fair to the business owners and to the public.
He worked with Mark Shackleford, owner of Shackleford Towing and Recovery, who was chosen to be the spokesperson for the Chattanooga wrecker companies. Any recommendation made by the wrecker board will then go to the Chattanooga City Council which has the ultimate authority to make a change to the ordinance.
Mr. Shackleford successfully arranged individual meetings with Chattanooga Council Person Raquetta Dotley to find a consensus. On Thursday morning, Ms. Dotley brought the wrecker board up to date on several proposed changes to the ordinance that regulates that industry.
New rates have been put together which the tow truck owners approve, she said. As the next step, those rates were given to the wrecker board members for their consideration and comments. The board members agreed that the item should be put on the next meeting’s agenda for discussion and public input before making a recommendation. Mr. Shackleford said he does not expect to see much opposition from the public because people do not generally call to ask about rates and do not complain until they get their car towed.
The current proposal includes moving daytime tows from $125 to $250 and night/weekend/holiday tows from $135 to $275. Daily storage would go from $15 per day to $35 per day.
The percentage of the proposed rate increase is significant, said Wrecker Board Member Dan Mayfield, but it is understandable since it has been 18 years since the towing and recovery companies in the city have gotten an increase. Increases are controlled by the city. Inflation has also had a negative impact on the companies.
Mr. Shackleford said that the new proposed city rates are lower when compared to the amount that the state highway patrol is allowed to charge for towing. And the new rates would be considered middle of the road with what Hamilton County charges, he said. City Attorney Emily O’Donnell noted that the companies regulated by the city have other sources of income, such as their storage lots where there is a charge to keep vehicles before the owner picks them up.
The next meeting of the Chattanooga Wrecker Board will be on Oct. 6.
Here is the latest draft of the proposed changes:
Sec. 35-160. - Billing and charges for district wreckers.
(4) The maximum charges for district wrecker calls shall be as follows:
|
|
|
Current
|
Proposed
|
|
A Class
|
Daytime tow
|
$125.00
|
$250
|
|
|
Night/Weekend/Holiday
|
$135.00
|
$275
|
|
|
Daily Storage (After 8 Hours)
|
$15.00 per day
|
$35 per day
|
|
|
Extra Winching
|
$50.00
|
$100/hour flat rate
|
|
|
A. Extra winching is for overturned vehicles and/orVehicles off roadway and down an embankment.Dollies (If wrecker is used)
|
$45.00
|
|
|
|
Dollies are chargeable only if a wrecker is used for the tow, not in cases where a rollback is used.There should be no extra charge allowed for a rollback tow.
|
|
|
|
B Class
|
Day time
|
$250.00
|
$550/hour
|
|
|
Night/Weekend/Holiday
|
$285.00
|
$550/hour
|
|
|
*Extra Winching
(Extra winching if for overturned vehicles and/or Vehicles off roadway and down an embankment).
|
$150.00
|
$300/hour
|
|
|
Daily Storage (After 8 Hrs) If picked up within in 8 hours
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
|
Proposed
|
|
|
A. Tractor
|
$35.00 per day
|
$70/day
|
|
|
B. Trailer
|
$35.00 per day
|
$70/day
|
|
C Class
|
Daytime tow
|
$425.00 per hour
|
$700/hour
|
|
|
Night/weekend/holiday
|
$500.00 per hour
|
$700/hour
|
|
|
Daily Storage (After 8 Hours)
|
|
|
|
|
A. Tractor
|
$35.00 per day
|
$70/day
|
|
|
B. Trailer
|
$35.00 per day
|
$70/day
|