Tow trucks

[yukon]

Does anybody listen to to tow trucks? if so are they interesting or at all informative? I've tried different databases and different search methods. Haven't had any luck finding any listings. What's your experience ?. If you have info for Rancho cucamonga area hat would be great!
some of the tow companies are:
Pepe's
Martinez
Certified

[KCChiefs9690]

Originally Posted by yukon

Does anybody listen to to tow trucks? if so are they interesting or at all informative? I've tried different databases and different search methods. Haven't had any luck finding any listings. What's your experience ?. If you have info for Rancho cucamonga area hat would be great!
some of the tow companies are:
Pepe's
Martinez
Certified

I wouldn't say they are interesting, but lots of times they do talk to each other about road conditions and stuff like that. I wouldn't count on them as your primary source of entertainment though, lol.

[Thunderbolt]

In the past, I was able to hear a lot of towing companies from California, up here in Michigan, when the Skip is rolling in on 35 MHz. Most towing companies like to operate on the VHF and UHF bands, especially on SMR trunking systems. This allows them to lease airtime on a radio system that gives them wide-area coverage, but doesn't cost a lot of money to install or maintain on their behalf.

If you want to listen to a towing company in your area, the best way to determine what radio system they are using, is to examine the length of the antennas on their trucks. This is usually a dead give away as to what band they are operating on. Likewise, if you can see and examine what brand and model their mobile radios are, then you can make a good determination as to what radio system they use.

In areas that have a lot of snow and ice in the winter months, they can provide a good indicator as to how bad the storm is in many given areas. Likewise, if they are an "AAA" provider, they often give the AAA run number and that would give you an idea as to how many calls that "AAA" has processed in a 24 hour period across the state.

73's

Ron

[RolnCode3]

Nextel is common depending on your location. I've only heard one tow company (a closecall hit on a repeater), and got bored after just 1 or 2 calls...never listened to them again.

[yukon]

Thanks alot , I hadn't thought about the nextel option. That would make sense as to no radio traffic. Ron I will try and check out the radio and/or antenna option and try a little harder or longer to get a closecall hit. In the end like you guys say it may not be worth it , but for now it's at least something to do.

[brandon]

I have 1 tow freq plugged in for Gosch Towing. Pretty boring usually but I've heard a tow driver report a vehicle accident. Why did he report it? Because he was in it.
Thankfully nobody was hurt.

[YFZBOB]

Originally Posted by RolnCode3

Nextel is common depending on your location. I've only heard one tow company (a closecall hit on a repeater), and got bored after just 1 or 2 calls...never listened to them again.

My daughters friend, owns a tow-truck business. They use the NEXTEL GPS Tracking service to keep tabs on thier fleet. They quit using radio's a few years ago due to loosing a number of customers to another Tow-Truck service listening in on their service calls... It's a Dog, EAT Dog WORLD...

[Mick]

Hello. Here are some VHF tow frqs. active/heard in the L.A. Co. and Or. Co. area:

35.18 162.2 Vernola Tow, Norwalk
35.94 173.8 Tow co., W. Hollywood area
42.96 74.4 San Clemente towing
150.830 107.2 Frank Scotto Tow, Torrance
150.845 173.8 Tow co. Santa Monica area
150.845 114.8 Wilson Tow, San Berdoo?
150.860 100.0 Hamner Tow, Corona
150.890 136.5 Tow Co., No. Hollywood area
150.905 103.5 AAA “Inglewood” “170”
150.905 114.8 AAA Newport Beach
150.905 123.0 AAA Tow Woodland Hills area
150.920 186.2 AAA Tow Or. Co.; Corona; D.B.
150.920 118.8 Tow Co. Ontario area
150.935 107.2 AAA Tow Santa Monica area
150.950 146.2 Taxi Northridge area
150.950 118.8 AAA Tow, Foothill Ranch & L.H. area
150.965 136.5 AAA Tow Woodland Hills area
150.965 107.2 AAA Tow Irvine & Laguna Niguel area
150.9725 MOTO 04944 Tow Co. Lake Forest area
151.4975 LTR 004146 Tow Co., Sherman Oaks
151.5125 LTR 004085 Tow; LTR 004127 Tow
151.565 LTR 010087 Tow Company
151.655 118.8 Huntington Beach towing
152.135 LTR 017131 Tow Co.?
152.150 LTR 016075 Tow co.
152.180 LTR 016075 Tow co. Santa Monica area
152.675 LTR 007060 Tow?
152.690 LTR 008055 Anaheim/Fullerton Tow
152.720 LTR 006007 Norwalk area Tow Co.?
153.230 D466R Tow Svc Inc L.A., input is 159.93 D466
153.365 123.0 Tow Co. in Bonita, San Diego County
154.515 D223 Bitteto Tow “AME lot” “Grove lot”
154.570 D703 Bitteto Tow?
157.485 123.0 Foothill Towing, Monrovia?
157.515 71.9 Sierra Tow, Westlake Village
157.515 123.0 Tow co., Jack Gosch Ford Inc., Hemet?
158.310 127.3 Tow Co., Granada & Woodland Hills
158.385 LTR 004089 Tow Co.
158.385 LTR 004091 Tow co., E.L.A. area
159.795 MOTO 25456 Tow Co. L.A.
160.080 74.4R Towing co. L.A. (or 160.0725?)

Originally Posted by yukon

Does anybody listen to to tow trucks? if so are they interesting or at all informative? I've tried different databases and different search methods. Haven't had any luck finding any listings. What's your experience ?. If you have info for Rancho cucamonga area hat would be great!
some of the tow companies are:
Pepe's
Martinez
Certified

[yukon]

Thanks for all the great info

[Mick]

Hello. Here are some UHF tow frqs. active/heard in the L.A. Co. and Or. Co. area:

451.025 LTR 101010, Tow Co.
451.325 LTR ? Tow Co.
451.450 LTR 016056 Tow Co.
451.475 LTR 019065 Tow Co.
451.575 LTR 003096 Tow Co.
451.725 LTR 016056 Tow Co.
452.075 LTR 120215 Tow Co.
452.300 LTR 105155 Tow Co.
452.325 LTR 105025 Tow Co.
452.475 77.0 AAA Tow, Pomona/Montclair/Upland
452.525 186.2 AAA Tow in San Diego
452.525 114.8 Tow Co., Moreno Valley
452.5375 118.8 AAA Tow, simulcast w/452.575 186.2
452.5375 123.0 Tow Co., Hollywood area
452.550 114.8 AAA Anaheim/So. Co. Simulcast 452.60 123.0
452.550 151.4 Tow Co. “Santa Monica & Melrose”
452.575 136.5 Tow Co., Beverly Hills area
452.575 186.2 AAA Tow, Anaheim area Disp. Simulcast w/452.5375 118.8
452.5875 114.8 Tow Co. “Sepulveda” “MLK”
452.600 123.0 AAA Tow? Orange/Fontana Simulcast 452.55 114.8
452.650 123.0 AAA Tow
452.9375 LTR 120215 Tow Co.?
454.1250 LTR 117215 Tow Co.
454.200 LTR 107225 Tow Co.
454.200 LTR 107056 Tow Co.
454.300 LTR 104048 Tow Co.
454.600 LTR 117034 Tow Co. Laguna Beach area
454.7625 LTR 005004 Tow Co. Anaheim area
461.0625 018050 Tow Co., Downey
461.1000 74.4 Tow Co., Fontana area
461.425 103.5 A+A Towing, Pomona?
461.4375 88.5 Tow Co., Agoura Hills & Malibu area
461.500 173.8 Tow Co., Costa Mesa
461.675 LTR passport; Tow Co.
461.800 94.8 Tow Co., Elsinore?
461.8250 LTR 105100 Tow Co., Moorpark area
462.275 LTR 117034 Tow Co.?
462.375 LTR 005095 Base, Hemet area Tow Co.?, 005096 mobile
462.450 LTR 119215 Tow Co.
463.200 146.2 Tow Co. Whittier and Rosemead area
463.275 D465 James Fogelsong Tow, Glendora
463.300 D516 Panorama Towing Service, Santa Clarita/Sherman Oaks
463.3125 LTR 002025 Tow Co., BB City area
463.325 136.5 Tow Co., Gardena area
463.325 D703 Tow Co., Laguna Beach area
463.350 77.0 Davis Tow company, Crestline
463.475 LTR 118108 Tow Co., Riverside/Elsinore area
463.600 141.3 Hamner Towing, Corona? “Circle City Tow”
463.625 D311 Tow Co., Bakersfield
463.675 123.0 Tow Co., Santa Clarita
463.775 91.5 Tow Co., San Diego
463.850 151.4 Tow Co.
4647375 LTR 020159 Tow Co., Brothers or Statewide
464.8125 LTR 015163 Tow Co., Riverside area
464.900 167.9 Tow Co., Santee area
464.9625 LTR 010022 Tow Co., Ontario area
464.9625 LTR 010003 Tow Co.
471.225 LTR 005004 Tow Co.
471.225 LTR 005034 Tow Co., Corona area
471.2875 LTR 101010 Tow Co.
471.2875 LTR 101047 Tow Co.
471.325 LTR 014091 Tow Co., Colton area
471.350 LTR 014087 Tow Co., L.A.
471.4125 LTR 014010 Tow Co., S.J. Capistrano area
471.4875 LTR 120215 Tow Co.
471.6875 LTR 105081 Tow Co.
471.7875 LTR 114059 Tow Co.. L.A. area
471.8375 123.0 Tow Co., Santa Clarita area
471.8875 162.2 tow Co., L.A. & Burbank
471.9375 97.4 Tow Co., N. Hollywood area
471.9875 LTR 115132 Tow Co., Temple City area
472.000 LTR 018034 Tow Co.
472.025 LTR 002189 Tow Co.
472.100 LTR 003246 Lakeside Tow
472.100 LTR 003075 Tow Co., Or. Co.
472.125 LTR 006200 Tow Co., Irvine
472.3625 LTR 016056 Tow Co.
472.4375 218.1 Tow Co., San Fernando area
472.525 LTR 005145 Tow Co.?, Costa Mesa
472.625 LTR 005030 Tow Co., Or. Co. area
472.7625 LTR 116042 Tow Co., L.A.
472.775 LTR 107170 Tow Co.
472.8875 LTR 003246 Lakeside Tow
472.9375 LTR 105023 Tow Co.
472.975 LTR 018214 Tow Co.
506.575 LTR 002157 Tow Co., south Or. Co.
507.3375 LTR 113118 Tow Co.
507.5625 LTR 117170 Tow Co.
507.6125 LTR 117170 Tow Co.
507.7875 LTR 003043 Tow Co., Seal Beach
507.9875 LTR 113139 Tow Co.
508.000 LTR 001065 Tow Co. driver, 001070 Tow Co. dispatcher
508.0125 LTR 002072 Doug’s Tow Co., Costa Mesa
508.0125 LTR 002112 Tow Co.
508.025 LTR 003003 Tow Co., North Or. Co.
508.2125 LTR 016116 Tow Co., Riverside
508.2375 LTR 016116 Tow Co.
508.2625 LTR 016116 Tow Co.
508.3125 LTR 112052 Tow Co.
508.450 LTR 003157 Tow Co. “Lakeside”
508.5875 LTR 117170 Tow Co.
508.5875 LTR 115215 Tow Co., Anaheim
508.6625 88.5 Tow Co. “210 freeway”
508.7625 LTR 116078 Tow Co.
508.7875 LTR 006115 Tow Co., “I-5 & S/R 14”
508.7875 LTR 118080 Tow Co., Hollywood area

Originally Posted by yukon

Does anybody listen to to tow trucks? if so are they interesting or at all informative? I've tried different databases and different search methods. Haven't had any luck finding any listings. What's your experience ?. If you have info for Rancho cucamonga area hat would be great!
some of the tow companies are:
Pepe's
Martinez
Certified

[inigo88]

I was waiting for a jump from AAA a few days ago and it got me wondering about their radio channel plan... The truck that came was operated by a local towing company in AAA colors, and the driver had a small Mobile Data Terminal on top of the dash that he told me he got most of the call info on. He also had 2 radios, one was I believe VHF for the California State Automobile Association (CSAA) AAA dispatch frequencies, and the other was UHF for his company's dispatch which I believe is on a local LTR PASSPORT system.

My question is does anyone know the channel plan CSAA uses on the west coast, or is it broken down regionally? (With different areas of CA having different frequencies?)

I live in Northern CA just north of San Francisco in the bay area, and some locally used frequencies are 152.54 and 150.9575 (licensed locally as this freq but I've also heard AAA uses 150.965). Other local licensed freqs I haven't heard traffic on yet are 150.92, 150.935, 150.95, 150.9725, 452.575 and 452.60. The ones I do hear traffic on it's dispatch only about 90% of the time and dispatch simulcasts over multiple frequencies at once, so it's very difficult to distinguish which mobiles are using which freq since I hear them so infrequently.

It looks like a lot of those freqs are getting used by CSAA down there in LA too so I was just curious if there was some statewide channel plan CSAA used, and if so if anyone knows it?

[scaninforfun04]

First off, Northern CA and Southern CA are 2 completely different companies. The divide line is somewhere near Fresno ( not really sure).

Nothern CA (CSAA) Calif State Auto Assoc. all the trucks are independent contractors except for the Auto Guardian trucks. (S.F, SAC, OAKLAND, HAYWARD, SANTA CLARA, RENO AND VEGAS) they are owned nad operated by CSAA employee's. CSAA has a system installed into the CAD called AVL (Automatic Vehicle Locator) to TRY and send hte call to the closest truck (doesnt always work).

The calls will go over the MDC that sits on top the dash board and hte driver can do everythign he needs from there and never talk to a dispatcher unless he doesnt know it (MDC) very well or if there is a problem will the call.

Except in the areas where the MDC will not get out everythign is done over the radio or the phone. EX: LAKE TAHOE AREA.

Each area has a specfic radio that they go to EX: RENO AREA IS 3 and VEGAS AREA IS 4

Some dispatchers will disable the AVL system and either just assign the call to a tow truck or annouce it and wait for someone to answer up for it. One truck does not know what another truck is doing unless the driver has told them.

At night, one dispatcher will usually handle 5 or 6 different radios. If u listen to them one driver minght be in the sac area and hte other in reno area. During the busy times they TRY to break the radio's up and have one person doing one radio to handle the volume they will get.


Southern CA (ACSC) Auto Club of Southern Calif.

Every one is a indendent contractor. they also have MDC in some of there trucks and they will either get the call over that or the radio which every they are on at that time.

Also most the codes are the same however there are a few different ones from club to club.

Northern CA is club code 005
Southern CA is club code 004
And yes it does make a difference what code u are since SO CAL give there mbrs more miles free.
The reason i know all of this stuff is i work for CSAA here in reno area and i us to work in L.A. area for a few yrs.

[MtnBiker2005]

Right now ACSC (SoCal AAA) is using this MDC in Tow Trucks
ACSC does NOT use GPS Tracking or Credit card or Mic on the Mentor's.

Other AAA states uses the Mentor's also! > Photo
http://www.mentoreng.com/main/product.php?id=8

ACSC Tow companies has it's own area to cover!

ACSC MDC tells you:
Date,Time, Time Dispatch, Location of vehicle, Tow Destination,
T-Code, Type of Vehicle Color etc, and what time to get there by!..
Members First & Last name (So Driver knows it's a Male or Female)
Members Phone Number

The ACSC Battery Van/Truck that sales batteries doesn't use Mentors MDC.
Panasonic Notebook and other MDC unit (forget name)

10-94 Arrived at scene (in the area looking)
10-95 Arrived at scene, Can't locate member Call member out.
10-96 Knock on door
10-97 Arrived at scene with member
10-98 Completed Call #....

10-7 Out of Service
10-8 In Service
10-10 Out of Truck on Cellphone or Pager or some Phone number)

10-100 (Some tow companies uses these code for 'Bathroom break' step out of truck.
10-200 Only use on Tow Co. Shop Radios)

T-1 Flat Tire Good Spare (T-1A, T-1B)
T-2 Flat Tire No spare (Not use in ACSC Area anymore)
T-3 Battery Jump (T-3 with A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I. for Battery Sale Installed)
T-4 Fuel Delivery - Out of Gas (T-4A T-4B
T-5 Minor Mechanical (Wont Start)
T-6 Lockout *Keys inside Vehicle with you on the outside *
T-7 Tow (T-7A T-7B T-7C T-7D)
T-8 Collision (not use in ACSC area anymore)
T-9 Lock Smith

HOT CALL = Baby lock in vehicle or Car blocking Lane etc.
PA = Public Agency Call for the member for service.

AAA Does Roadside towing for BMW members,Enterprise Rental car,
LEXUS club members .

AAA Dispatchers for SoCal AAA
GOLF ### = San Diego Dispatch Center like 452.525 etc
YANKEE ### = Burbank Dispatch Center
HOTEL ### = LA Dispatch Center
(Radio console uses a T-1 line to the radio tower on the mtn peak)

ACSC Service Order Numbers!
The MDC computer system goes down around 2:am - 4:30 So the order number will start with 94### - 96### (hand written down on paper at Dispatch Center)
but day time when the MDC are working it will start from 00001(12:00.01am - 18000midnight

AAA SoCal (ACSC) has a new 'Telephone system' with lots of Bugs/burps in it..
With the setup(same with the old system) the members shouldn't wait longer then 3mins on hold
tell they get a dispatcher. If the member still on the phone over 3mins the call will be sent to another Dispatch center. (AAA Socal owns AAA-Texas,AAA-New Mexico,AAA-Hawaii, and another state.

[yukon]

MAN, you guys are full of GREAT info. thanks again

[MtnBiker2005]

Here are two cards I scanned in tonight.
These are the same cards they hand out to the new tow drivers for AAA Contract Station.

AAA-T-Codes.pdf

The other file is the list of Contract Station ICS numbers you might hear on the AAA Radio.

Later,

[mkewman]

anyone have frequencies for AAA towing companies in the sacramento area?

[pfish]

Originally Posted by mkewman

anyone have frequencies for AAA towing companies in the sacramento area?

Companies get contracted by AAA for their service. For example...Johnny's tow is a certified AAA service center..and as stated above by Bill, most companies use Nextel. I had to have them come jump me recently and the guy used his Nextel to ask the service center a question.

I did see a VHF antenna on the roof, but I saw no radio installed in the cab.

edit: i know you know they're 3rd parties, i just wanted to confirm the use of nextels

[wolter]

Originally Posted by pfish

edit: i know you know they're 3rd parties, i just wanted to confirm the use of nextels

Right. But they use them to talk with their own shop, not 3-A. There is no way that 3-A will have the numbers of all users of all 3-A contracted drivers necessary to communicate via PTT.

Try these for 3-A in the Sacramento/Elk Grove area:
150.905
150.92
150.935
150.95
150.965
150.975
150.9725
452.5375
452.5625
452.575
452.5875
452.6
860.6375

[FireMan16]

What is AAA on in socal,UHF ?

[pfish]

Originally Posted by wolter

Right. But they use them to talk with their own shop, not 3-A. There is no way that 3-A will have the numbers of all users of all 3-A contracted drivers necessary to communicate via PTT.

That's what I'm talking about.. AAA<->3rd party shop communications is done by land line. Many 3rd parties use Nextel's now to communicate with their own shop.