Missouri lawmakers are taking aim at predatory towing, pushing a bill to protect truckers from shady practices.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is backing state efforts to shield truckers from predatory towing. The Missouri Trucking Association also supports towing reforms.
Missouri is one of several states trying to root out the small group of rogue tow companies that give the whole industry a black eye.
Fairness in towing pursued
The House Transportation Committee met Feb. 24 to debate what supporters call a fairness bill.
Rep. Dave Griffith, R-Jefferson City, is leading the push. He wants clear rules and a real way for drivers to fight back.
His bill would put the Missouri Department of Transportation in charge of overseeing nonconsensual tows of commercial trucks.
Griffith said other states have stepped up to stop predatory towing. He pointed to a new Arkansas law.
He said it is time for Missouri to do the same.
“I’m really a proponent if some other state is doing something right, we need to see if we might be able to do it,” Griffith said.
House Bill 1741
HB1741 would create a formal complaint process so truck owners, drivers, and insurers can challenge shady tow bills.
Tow companies would have to list key details on every invoice. Details would include who to contact, when the tow was called in, and when the truck arrived.
Each invoice would also tell drivers exactly how to file a complaint if they think they were ripped off.
Companies that break the rules could be banned from doing nonconsensual tows. Bans would be either temporary or permanent.
Ignore a ban? That could mean a $25,000 fine per violation.
Truckers could also request a specific tow company. Police would have to honor that request in most cases.
The bill would create a seven-member “Towing and Recovery Review Board.” HB1741 specifies that one member represents independent owner-operators.
Rules would be set for releasing trucks when fees are disputed. Per-pound charges on nonconsensual tows would also be banned.
Independent truckers in the spotlight
Griffith said the bill is aimed at protecting small, independent truck drivers.
“Independent truckers are really the ones that I’m concerned about. These are operators who may own only one, two, or three trucks,” he said. “If they didn’t buy enough towing insurance, and they have a huge towing fee, this could bankrupt them.”
He stressed that most tow companies play fair. The bill targets the few “bad actors.”
OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh told lawmakers that owner-operators have little defense when a tow company names its price. For small trucking businesses, those costs can be crushing.
“House Bill 1741 is the first step in safeguarding small-business truckers from excessive charges and unfair fees imposed on them by unscrupulous towers,” Pugh said.
Pugh also pushed back on the idea that drivers should just take their complaints to court.
“Really, the only people who make out whenever we go to court are attorneys,” Pugh said. “I think we all here know that.”
The committee did not vote on the bill. LL
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