For Immediate Release

Missouri lawmakers respond to truckers calling out dodgy towing companies

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association applauds Missouri lawmakers for taking the first step in protecting truckers from unscrupulous towing and recovery companies.  The legislature recently passed SB 147, which contains towing reform provisions to address nonconsensual tows for commercial motor vehicles.

Nonconsensual tows are situations where a trucker is involved in an accident and law enforcement dispatches a towing company.  During a nonconsensual tow, there’s no opportunity for truckers to negotiate services and compare prices among multiple operators.

“Missouri is the Wild West for nonconsensual towing,” said Mike Matousek, Manager of Government Affairs at OOIDA.

“Dishonest towing companies can charge anything they want and there’s nothing truckers can do about it.  There is a real need for reasonable consumer protections for all truckers that travel on Missouri roadways.”

The new law creates a Towing Task Force that brings together state agencies, the legislature and the trucking and towing industries to develop recommendations for addressing concerns.

“Our goal has always been to develop rules that target bad actors in the towing industry while mitigating the impact those rules will have on those who do things the right way. We’d like to thank Tom Crawford at the Missouri Trucking Association, Missouri State Senator Lincoln Hough and Missouri State Representative Nate Tate for their tireless efforts. We look forward to starting the process of developing new rules and getting them implemented,” said Matousek.

SB147 does not impact consensual agreements between a towing company and a commercial motor vehicle operator, nor does it exclude the towing industry from being part of the solution.

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