The most essential requirement of any towing company is a qualified and a reliable driver who will be able to navigate his way through all weather conditions and provide the rescue that customers want. This is regardless of the time of the day or night which at times makes a life of a tow truck driver very complicated and public as well. If you work in a small establishment where there only a few tow drivers, you will have to disclose your location at all times so that the person on call can be able to reach you when a need arises.
To remain relevant in the towing industry and to retain your position in the towing industry, there are some requirements that every tow driver must have and some of these are:
Training: All reliable tow truck drivers should have gone through formal training to know what towing is all about. They should also be trained in the basic driving skills so that they will know the rules that should be followed when driving through a highway or a busy road.
Besides the training in the driving of a tow vehicle, a tow driver should also have gone to school so that he will know the proper way of communicating with the clients.
License: A tow driver should have a valid commercial license before getting into any towing. There is a training that one has to undergo before this license which will be followed by a test. There are some states like Utah that will allow tow drivers to complete the test online so that they can qualify to become tow drivers.
Certification: A person who has an experience in towing can get a certification by going through a training organized by Towing and Recovery Association of America. One can choose to attend the training in person or have the training online according to his availability. A certificate will be issued after the training which can be used to ask for a promotion or look for a better paying job.
The certification is available in 3 levels which are termed as level 1, 2, and 3. For level 1, you will be required to have worked as a tow driver for the last 90 days and also meet all the requirements of state driving.
For level 2, you will be required to have a level 1 certifications and a one year experience as a tow truck driver.
For level 3, you will be required to have a certification showing you have gone through level 2 training and 2 years experience as a towing truck driver.
A tow driver who has all the 3 certificates will be in a better place of getting a higher salary and also a promotion in his current company. You should ensure that you follow all the traffic rules when driving a towing truck to avoid getting into the list of the high-risk drivers as this will ruin your chances of getting better employment. Having a good relationship with customers and the management of your towing company is the best way to ensure the security of your job as a tow truck driver.