Towing operation is seeking new team members...

TOWING POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

FULL-TIME DAY SHIFT and

PART TIME NIGHTS/WEEKENDS

• Experience preferred
• CDL (or ability to attain)
• Mechanical skills for repairs and maintenance of trucks/equipment
• Clean Driving Record
• Professional
• Customer-service focus
• Trustworthy
• Must have 10 minute eta (estimated time of arrival) to our office/shop while on-call
• Must be self-motivated
• Ability to multi-task
• Fast paced  
• Safety-oriented
• Flexible schedule
• Loyal and Dedicated to Company values

We have been providing friendly, hometown service to our community since 1948. Our family-first organization offers several benefits including disability/life insurance, company matching retirement plan, discounts, uniforms, and a focus on team development.

Application process:

You can fill out an application here-

Topel's Towing and Repair, Inc. Application for Employment

Or stop by 1110 South Main Street to pick up a hard copy.  Please do not call our normal business phone.  If you have questions, you can e-mail Tara at topelstowing@charter.net.

Memorial Day Memo:

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

 As we head into the weekend keeping our focus on a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered, please also keep the following in mind:

• Plan before you head out and during your trip:  Check your travel path at:

After all, the season after Winter here in Wisconsin...is CONSTRUCTION Season!

• Before you hit the road, the Car Care Council recommends conducting a vehicle inspection to help avoid the inconvenience and potential safety hazards of breaking down miles away from home.
    It will only take you 15-20 minutes!!
  ·         Check the brake system and make sure the battery connection is clean, tight and corrosion-free.
  ·         Check filters and fluids, including engine oil, antifreeze/coolant, windshield washer and power steering, brake and transmission fluids. Dirty air filters can waste gas and cause the engine to lose power.
  ·         Check the hoses and belts and replace if they become cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or show signs of excessive wear. These are critical to the proper functioning of the electrical system, air conditioning, power steering and the cooling system.
  ·         Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread. Underinflated tires reduce a vehicle’s fuel economy and uneven wear indicates a need for wheel alignment. Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots.
  ·         Check that the gas cap is not damaged, loose or missing to prevent gas from spilling or evaporating.
   
• Be sure your child safety seats are installed properly!   

   Click on the seat to learn more!

• This one is simple! It's just that sometimes we get in a hurry or forget...here's your reminder:

• If you're going to drink...DON'T DRIVE!

If you find yourself in a situation you hadn't planned yet you just need to get you AND your vehicle home, call US!  We will get you and your vehicle home safe for a small fee compared to thousands of dollars in fines and increase insurance costs, time in jail, or even having to live with hurting or killing others. 

• And last but certainly not least...Keep your eyes and attention to your most important task when you are behind the wheel...DRIVING! Do not drive distracted!

A very special thank you to all of the military members that have fought and continue to fight for and protect our nation from all of us at Topel's Towing & Repair,Inc.!

Working together to make traffic safety better...

 Have you been wondering about these?...

Or why you are seeing more of these on the roads?

 

 

Well...it's to prevent more of these-

Today I attended a TIME (Traffic Incident Management Enhancement) meeting in Madison.  The State of Wisconsin brings all divisions of emergency service providers (police, fire, ems, towing companies, and road project engineers) together to discuss ways to make Wisconsin a safer place to travel. 

I'll be honest.  It's not great for business. ;)  

But it is great for you, the citizens and visitors to Wisconsin.  

Since I have started attending these meetings several years ago, I can honestly say there has been a noticeable decrease in accidents in our county and towing coverage area. 

• Part of the initiative is to bring all members to a common understanding of Traffic Incident scenes.  
• The other part is to prevent accidents from happening in the first place.  

I know it it might not seem that interesting to most, but do think it is good to know the benefits we receive from paying our taxes.  It helps us better understand that there is a global perspective that is helping keep us safe.

Busy Beavers...

We've had some interesting recovery jobs so far this winter. Fortunately, while the guys are busy doing their thing, I've been able to catch up with them and capture some of them on film...

It was a snowy/dusty morning, but the roads were more slippery than they seemed. This Pontiac Torrent went around a curve and continued on into a drainage ditch. The driver was able to get out, was taken to the Columbus hospital and was discharged with just minor injuries.

I called this one An Unfortunate Series of Events, as the driver went off the Interstate, across a field, and this 2007 Honda Element burned before the fire department could get it put out. It was quite labor intensive to get this out of the field and all cleaned up. The driver of the vehicle was okay.

This one is Up Smith Creek (without a paddle!). The driver dropped off his co-worker, then lost it on the slippery bridge going into the driveway. He escaped without injury and should consider himself VERY lucky to have done so. It was an interesting plan and execute, as there was minimal room for our trucks to park and difficult angles to work with to get this Grand Prix GTP out of the creek and onto it's wheels before we could load it on the flatbed.

I struggle with the fact that other people's misfortune is our specialty, but at the same time realize that misfortune is inevitable. So if we can provide a service to assist with that, SOMEbody has to do it.

I realize more and more what a dedicated group of guys we have that are willing to put their own safety in harms way to recover these vehicles and so many more!

Yes...it is the law. And why? Why take the time to slow down or move over if you see flashing lights? Because it is my husband, my friend, my employee, my children's father, the father of other children, it is someone's son, daughter...

Have you ever been broken down on the side of the road, fearful to open your door because of all of the traffic zooming by? Well you are smart to be scared. All it takes is the young driver texting a friend (which I saw myself today, by the way-or btw for all you "texters")-to look away for one moment. Which is why this exists:

http://www.internationaltowingmuseum.org/wallofthefallen.htm
It is a wall located at the International Hall of Towing and Recovery located in Chattanooga, TN.

MISSION STATEMENT:
To honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to generate public awareness of the dangers involved in the towing & recovery industry and to permanently record and commemorate those involved in fatalities in the towing &
recovery industry.

IE: people killed in the line of duty while towing a vehicle.

So please help us to spread the word. We are not only talking about tow trucks, but police, rescue vehicles, fire trucks, and County Highway workers.

Pay attention and please take the time to move over or slow down. All it takes is one incorrect move-

for one of us to become "one of them."

The Car Took a Plunge

You just never know what a new day will bring...

Saturday morning we were dispatched out to the West side of Rock Lake for a car that went into the ditch in the wee hours earlier that morning.
This was as close as the medium-duty truck could get to the shore of the Rock Lake.Dan and Joe used an ice auger to drill holes in the ice to create an anchor. This would allow the vehicle to be pulled straight back, rather than at a hard angle.

Joe Hendricks pulls cable out from the boom.
A canoe was used to get near the vehicle. A hole had to be punched in the window to put the strap through to support the 2001 Buick LeSabre. It was a task to get the strap to stay in place beneath the wheels as they had a tendency to float.
Large ice chunks would get wedged in between the ice and the chassis of the car, which made necessary the use of a chain saw and many attempts to reposition the chains for proper support.

Both driver and passenger made their way safely out of the vehicle. The tow operators used the ice as an anchor, as the tow truck could not go onto the ice and the vehicle was at a poor angle to remove it from the ice heave that formed.




The job took about a total of 3 hours from the time the operators arrived to the time the vehicle was towed back to the storage unit. Fortunately, not one person was harmed in this entire series of events.

Way back when...

1948...When it all began!

One of the many valuable things we can take with us is memories. Our founder and chief, Cliff Topel was just comparing the difficult economic times in the 1930's (what we refer to as The Great Depression) to what our country is experiencing currently.

He told us of the "Bums" that rode the trains and would stop off here in Lake Mills. There was a camp in the woods by the lake, just off of what is now the Glacial Drumlin Trail. Sometimes, they made their way out to the Topel's homestead (what is now St. Paul's Lutheran Church & School), looking for food. Cliff said that his mom, Mabel, would feed some of them. "Not all of them," he told us.

A true reflection of days gone by and how truly blessed we are for all of the difficult times that the Topel family endured. The photo above is merely a symbol of a ray of hope that we have to make the necessary adjustments to our daily living. Out of such despair, emerged a legacy of memories that began at 1110 South Main Street, right here in Lake Mills!