A Tennessee towing company that had been illegally towing big rigs from the lot of a truck stop after the owner hired them has been on a rampage. The company has continued to tow and boot semi trucks, surprisingly without any legal pushback. That is until recently, when the tows caught the attention of state officials.
Memphis’ WREG reports that complaints against A-1 Towing have gotten so numerous, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security have become involved. Both are working together with Memphis Police’s Criminal Investigation Division to look into the towing company’s activities.
Those activities involve screwing over trucking companies and owner/operators of big rigs. A-1 modus operandi seems to be quick and fast to get the cash. The owner of one Alabama-based trucking company described how A-1 towed one of their drivers within minutes of them parking.
Church said A1’s employees told him he would have to pay a $272 fee to have the boot removed. He said they tried to pay with a credit card, but A1’s told them time was up, and they were towing the truck. Church said it cost him over $4,500 to get the 18-wheeler back.
“I called A1’s towing myself and talked to a guy in dispatch, and I said, Greg, there is no need to tow the truck. Just tell me what you want, and we’ll be glad to pay your ransom. Just tell me what you want,” Church said. “Nope, it doesn’t work like that.
Another trucking company owner out of Iowa described how their driver wasn’t able to find parking at a Love’s Travel Stop. So they parked in a lot next to the stop and hopped out to get food. Within minutes of coming back, the driver found A-1 already hooking their truck up to be towed. The owner admits the driver didn’t see the sign about no parking, but takes issue with the $2,450 they were charged to get the truck back.
“It’s crazy, and it’s not affordable. That is a semester of college for my daughter, and she is only in community college. It’s insane. And they wouldn’t take a credit card, just cash or a wire transfer,” they said.
A-1 also seems to be violating Memphis’ booting ordnance, which states “the maximum charge for a boot removal should not exceed $50, a vehicle that’s booted cannot be towed unless the owner fails to contact the booting company within 24 hours, and a booting licensee must accept checks, cash, or credit cards.” A-1 has been charging truckers $275 to get boots removed.
In a statement to WREG, A-1 Towing defended itself with the usual PR spill you see when you know a company or individual has done something wrong.
A1’s Towing & Hauling operates on a strict protocol wherein we respond to service requests from individuals and companies, including our services for parking compliance. Our drivers are dispatched from our yard to perform these services professionally and within the boundaries of the law. Any attempts to depict A1’s Towing & Hauling as participating in illegal towing, price gouging, or any other illicit activities are baseless and untruthful. A1’s Towing & Hauling has not violated any civil ordinance with the fees charged for booting. Sec 11-70-8 applies to passenger motor vehicles, not for commercial vehicles such as 18-wheelers, big rigs, or tractor-trailers within the City of Memphis. We want to emphasize that A1’s Towing & Hauling takes customer interactions seriously.
If nothing is done, more trucking companies might stop doing business in Memphis, more than some already have.
“We are going to tell our fellow brethren don’t refuel in Memphis, Tennessee. Let them go broke. Don’t fuel there. Don’t give them any business. Don’t do it. It’s not OK,” the owner of one trucking company said.