CASPER - After several years as a certified counselor of adolescents, owner of a convenience store/gasoline station, and a single mom, Rhonda Hartford now owns Hartz E&F Towing, Transport and Recovery, Inc.
Hartford and her husband Rex, a retired Natrona County deputy sheriff, purchased E&F Towing in early 2009. They bought three trucks from a Gillette towing service that was just shutting down and along with E&F's trucks, the Hartfords were off to a good start.
Now, in addition to Rex and Rhonda, they have seven employees and 10 trucks.
Rhonda enumerated the type of trucks: two hooks (the traditional tow truck); three rollbacks, (the big flatbed rigs that draw the wrecked or disabled vehicle onto the bed); two medium duty hooks; and two heavy duty rigs that can tow big over-the-road tractors or motor homes or other large pieces of equipment.
The owners added a multi-purpose skid steer that combines a front-end loader, broom and forklifts used to clean up highways after a crash that leaves cargo or vehicle parts on the roadway.
One aspect of the business that Rhonda talked about with pride was her ability to hire two CLIMBWyoming graduates who earned their commercial drivers' licenses through the training program.
Dispatch always ready to call out services The company provides 24-hour dispatch services, with drivers taking home some of the wreckers so they can cut response time to a minimum.
"The drivers have to be in their rigs and headed to the scene of a crash or disabled vehicle no longer than five minutes after they're called," Rhonda said, adding that the telephones are forwarded to the on-duty dispatcher at night.
There are events that require everybody to turn out and work to provide extractions from wrecks or to clean up highways or load and haul away destroyed vehicles. One such event happened last year when a tour bus struck a wrecked semi-truck and trailer east of Casper.
The bus driver was killed in the crash. Both of E&F's heavy-duty rigs were called out to extricate the bus from the trailer and to provide towing services.
The company also provides 24-hour out-of-gas, dead battery, lockout and flat tire services. Jentry Hartford, Rex's son, drives the pickup to those calls. The service uses a high-tech tool system to unlock doors since the old Slim Jim doesn't work well on newer vehicles.
The company uses "master" keys that fit several brands of vehicles, in addition to specialized equipment that helps open locked doors. Employees need special certification to possess and use the equipment.
Challenges face owners, employees Owners and employees face many challenges, including trying to find out where people really are located when they call for towing services and what they need.
"We deal with a lot of foreign drivers who don't speak English very well," Rhonda said.
Other challenges include drivers who do not slow down for tow trucks that might be working a crash and be close to the traveled surface.
"People go by us at 60 miles an hour and really place themselves and our people in a dangerous situation," she said.
Another trial is paying the insurance costs for the trucks and drivers. "We do provide health care insurance for our employees," she said. "This is especially important for the single mothers who work for us."
All drivers and the owners are trained and certified at various levels. This is an important factor when the company is registered with law enforcement agencies and placed on the rotation for towing/crash services. "We also have a tipsy towing program," Rhonda said. "We'll take a drunk driver and his or her vehicle home at no charge rather than have them loose on the streets."
The only qualification is that the person's vehicle must be running. "We won't tow a disabled vehicle," she said.
Their program is part of the Towing Operators Working to End Drunk Driving (TOWEDD) nationwide effort.
Helping single moms CLIMBWyoming graduates Cari Bequette and Heather Jones met while working the early shift at a local discount department store.
"We had a lot in common being single moms and working to support our families," Jones said.
Neither woman had lived in Casper before they ended up in the same store. They knew they needed a break that would provide a better job so they could afford childcare.
They heard about a special program for single moms: CLIMBWyoming, which offers training to become truck drivers or welders among other careers. In addition to the career options, they learned about parenting, budgeting, nutrition and other life skills.
Both women earned a commercial drivers' license (CDL) through CLIMBWyoming. But, both found it difficult to be on call 24 hours a day as tow truck drivers.
A solution was at hand when Rhonda promoted Bequette to the dispatcher position and Jones to the office manager vacancy. They respond to an average of 25 calls for service every day, Bequette said.
"We need to be the most professional towing company in town," both asserted. "We go the extra step to take care of our customers whether it's giving them rides or making telephone calls for them."
And, both speak eloquently about CLIMBWyoming. "CLIMBWyoming taught us how to achieve our goals on our own. It's a great feeling to be able to buy a package of sodas at the grocery store and not have to use food stamps and be stared at by other customers, Bequette said.
As for expansion plans at Hartz E&F Towing, Rhonda said they eventually would like to construct a shop building at their property on Bryan Stock Trail so they could consolidate all operations.
"That will take a while before we will be in a position to do that," she said.
Wyoming Business Report Correspondent Tim Monroe lives in Casper and can be reached at news@wyoming.com.
