Tow truck drivers take pictures – Tow truck drivers offer roadside assistance and will transport vehicles that have broken down. They also help in making sure that traffic is evident on the highway. They also help in preserving order in most communities where they asked to tow any vehicle parked wrongly or ignore the “no parking” sign and “24 hours tow”.
While towing a vehicle, tow truck drivers need to be very careful and do it properly so that they don’t end up in the arms of the law. Some tow companies have policies to take pictures of the vehicle they tow.
Below are a few reasons why tow truck drivers take pictures of any vehicle they tow either damaged or a wrongly parked vehicle.
1. Tow truck drivers take pictures to protect themselves from Lawsuits by the owner of the vehicle for damage to the vehicle. The images are to be taken before and during the process of the towing. The pictures will show proof of any damage that was already on the vehicle before towing it and show that no damage was incurred while towing it and during inbound. They also take pictures of the vehicle when it’s time to return it too. All this for proof.
2. Tow truck drivers also take pictures of the vehicle they tow, especially if they are sent out for Repo or police impound tows for drivers arrested or illegally parked vehicles. They take photos of the vehicle to get the VIN and make sure they get the right car to the shop since it was called in by the police or bank.
3. Sometimes, owners of vehicles call tow companies to come to pick up their vehicle and take it to the shop for whatever reason while they go to work. Collecting address for the location is not enough. It’s better to ask for a better description and take pictures of the vehicle and VIN to ensure you pick the right vehicle. There is nothing worse than trying to decide which late 80’s Pontiac AMG you’re supposed to tow.
4. It is also required to take pictures as a tow truck driver to regulate trespass towing. Areas that are restricted and have the ‘NO PARK’ signs or the reflective red on white signs which means you have trespassed if you park your vehicle at such places. Tow drivers will have to take snapshots clearly showing the reason for the tow and the condition of the vehicle before the process of towing the vehicle.
5. In cases where a towing company is giving the job to enforce road and parking rules either for public roadways or private ones, the tow drivers may use taking pictures to start a countdown before towing the vehicle. This is also to serve as a warning to people and give the driver a certain period to get yourself in order before towing it.
There was a case of a tow truck driver who moved an illegally parked vehicle while the owner of the vehicle was across in a grocery store, he got to the vehicle and immediately tow the vehicle, after a few blocks he found out that there was a little kid in the vehicle and had to drop the kid a few blocks away. He succeeded in towing the vehicle but was later charged for child endangerment by the owner of the vehicle.
These above points should tell us why tow truck drivers take pictures and also the importance of taking photographs as a tow truck driver.