Pennsylvania Towing Association

Training and Certification

2008 - The Year of Driver Certification

This year, make a resolution to join other experienced Pennsylvania towers in taking the national driver’s certification test. PTA through a License Agreement with the Towing and Recovery Association of America will offer the national driver certification testing for Level 1 and 2. Tow company managers/owners can send their employees to a pre-arranged local site or they can arrange to have the test given to their employees in a convenient location arranged by the requesting company. PTA wants to make it as easy as possible for you to access the materials and testing sites.

The cost of the Level 1 testing is $100 per test for TRAA or PTA members or $125 per test for non-TRAA or PTA members. The charge for each applicant for Level 2 testing is $160 per test for TRAA or PTA members, or $200 per applicant for non-TRAA or PTA companies. Only one test level may be taken by a driver on one day.

A study guide is provided to the applicant after the fee is paid. Driver’s can refresh their knowledge by reading or studying the guide before the test.

The National Driver Certification Program will assist towers in enhancing the professionalism of the towing industry in Pennsylvania. If you are interested in this opportunity, you can pre-register by calling the PTA office at (717) 920-1333. The deadline for registration is ten days before the date of the test.

How They Know You Know

Reflect the detail of what you do - Prove to others who need to know that you do

We’ve been towing for years. Sure, we’re good at it. Just stand back and listen when a group of drivers get together. The tow stories are non-stop. You will hear scenarios of difficult one-of-a-kind recoveries and just how capable the driver was in accomplishing the recovery without additional damage due to his aptitude and skill. Stories are heard of vehicles in strange places -on a guardrail, down a steep embankment, in a river, crashed into a house. Odd and somewhat unfamiliar cargo needing rescue by the tow driver – live chickens, alcohol, Christmas trees, municipal waste, and, most recently featured in the Cable - a vibrating mechanism in the trunk spurring the PSP bomb squad. The tales of towing ability and expertise can go on for hours.

We have years of experience – we can tackle almost any recovery that comes our way; but how do we let others know what we know - or how good we are? How can we share the detail of the challenges of what a driver faces everyday. Often, it is necessary to prove to others who need to know that we can do it. Who are these people who need to know? They may be customers, state and local police departments, insurance company representatives, the Federal Highway Administration, or other towers and drivers themselves.

As the towing industry moves into the national spotlight with incident management and quick clearance initiatives, it is clear that mandatory certification for our industry is not far away. The December meeting provided an insight for the future of the towing industry. The bar has been raised and the towing industry must meet the expectations of those in charge of highway clearance. Future initiatives will reward those who have voluntarily taken the steps to be certified. Those who insist in “flying under the radar” by not complying with federal and state laws and not recognizing the importance of industry certification will miss out when Incident Management and Quick Clearance become laws of the land.

Yes, we can prove to others and ourselves just how good we are by an independent evaluation. In the towing business there is an un-biased certification which is nationally recognized as THE certification to have. The Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA) in partnership with state towing associations offers a national driver certification. After payment of a fee, study guides are available to review information that towmen should have mastered through experience and various training programs. The Pennsylvania Towing Association can arrange to administer the TRAA National Driver Certification test at your facility or at other sites throughout the Commonwealth.

PTA offers this opportunity to distinguish yourself and your tow company and stay ahead of the curve. If you and other industry members promote and demand certified talent, the professional image of the towing industry in Pennsylvania will be elevated, and Pennsylvania Towers will be in a good position when certification becomes mandatory. Owners should re-evaluate their business practices. Are you and your drivers certified? If not, why not get the edge on your competition and arrange for all drivers to be nationally certified. Call the PTA office to get more details. TRAA Certification is the sure way to let others know you what know, and keep ahead of the curve for incident management.