4 % FUEL SURCHARGE

According to the Department of Energy’s web site the average price of Diesel Fuel in the Midwest Region today is $2.314  per gallon.  You may sign up for email and monitor the price yourself if you would like.  The web site is:

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/wohdp/diesel.asp  

You may add 4% Fuel Surcharge to each non-consent tow for Hookup, Mileage and Work & Wait time.  Do not add the fuel surcharge to any other regulated fees such as Dollies, Rollback, or Storage.  This is not a mandatory fee.  You are not required to charge a fuel surcharge unless you decide you want/need to charge the fee to help with the increasing cost of fuel. 

As requested from:

OKLAHOMA WRECKER OWNERS ASSOCIATION

The DPS is introducing a bill to change the method wreckers charge for services.  It will be on an hourly service rate.  The DPS has agreed to let us carry the bill and we have agreed on the terms of use and many other areas that will be introduced/changed in the bill.  I will discuss this more fully in the next newsletter and at the meeting in Tulsa .  The meeting between the DPS and the legislative committee was very productive and both sides learned a lot about each other. 

However, we need some data.  The DPS has requested tow tickets for the last 6 months from wrecker services.  They need to compare an hourly rate versus the hookup, mileage, work & wait, and dolly/rollback fees.  We need the information also.  We don’t want to select a rate that isn’t profitable.  The hourly fees will start when a wrecker is assigned to a call and when the wrecker returns to its base or is assigned another call.  It doesn’t matter how far you drive since it’s an hourly rate.  We need to get an average price of a wrecker call.  We need a good mix of rural and metro area wreckers.  We also need to sort them by heavy duty, medium duty, and light duty calls.  We are only concerned with hookup, mileage, dolly/rollback and work & wait fees.  We aren't concerned with special services, the total fees on the ticket, storage, or any other fees, just the ones listed above for the comparision. 

You may redact or mark out any other fees or charges you have or even the storage and totals.  You may also redact the owner information, tag number, VIN or any other information you don’t wish to share (the DPS already has a list of law enforcement tows anyway).  Dates would be helpful.  If the call took less than an hour, especially if it’s around 30 minutes, that would be good information to have.  You may copy and submit these invoices or if you have a computer system that allows listing that may be helpful.  The bad news is we need this pretty quick.  I have about three wrecker services that have already gathered some information but we need more.  We want an honest average of the calls.  This information will help us in determining what the rate is needed for the different classes of wreckers.  Please mail the information to me at OWOA, Attn: Chris Puckett, 300 SW 29^th, Oklahoma City , OK   73109 .  If you prefer to fax use 405 631-3460. Email: okwoa@coxinet.net