Some stories punch through noise because they’re more than stories—they’re proof. Manny lost a leg at the hip in a car crash, powered his way to the Paralympics as a competitive powerlifter, and now shows up on Oregon roads as a tow operator with a calm focus and a hunger to work. He loves being the person who brings relief at the worst moment of someone’s day, and he’s chasing a bigger future: a CDL, longer runs, and eventually heavy wreckers.

We sit down with Manny and Cody from AE Towing in Eugene to share what the job really demands—fast response on police calls, safe movement on tight shoulders, and the ability to rig and roll under pressure. The missing piece is a modern, custom prosthetic socket built for hip disarticulation. His current socket cuts into his skin within an hour, forcing him to rely on crutches during long shifts. That steals his hands when he needs them most. The right socket would change everything: safer transfers in and out of the cab, fewer skin breakdowns, more stable footing around traffic, and the endurance to handle five- to six-hour stretches behind the wheel.

You’ll hear how the towing community rallied—shop owners, vendors, and friends sharing Manny’s journey across TikTok and Instagram—and why a GoFundMe with a clear goal can unlock a full career. Beyond the gear and the grind, this conversation hits the core of towing culture: service, resilience, and the quiet pride of getting people home. Manny doesn’t want favors; he wants tools and a shot to prove what he can already do.

If this resonates, help spread the word, share the episode, and consider contributing to Manny’s socket fund. Subscribe for more stories from the towing and recovery front lines, leave a review to boost the show, and tell us: what part of Manny’s journey fired you up most?

A tow operator flagged down on I‑10. A man trapped under a semi. A rotator lifts, the team coordinates with fire and EMS, and a life is moved toward safety. That’s where our conversation with Hall of Famer Kevin Goodyear begins—not with chrome and horsepower, but with service, training, and calm decisions when seconds matter.

We trace Kevin’s journey from riding in tow trucks as a kid to leading a multi-faceted operation built on faith, grit, and community. He shares the mechanics and mindset behind a 500,000‑pound dragline recovery that ran through the night: deadman anchors, D8 bulldozers, thirty-eight lines, and five heavy wreckers working in sync. It’s applied physics under floodlights, where load transfer and line angles decide whether a plan succeeds. Along the way, Kevin explains how cross-training with fire departments, understanding PTSD, and building a culture of purpose keep teams ready for the hardest calls.

Beyond the roadside, we dig into the policies that shape daily work. Kevin makes a compelling case for state towing associations as the thin line protecting lien laws, rotation fairness, lighting standards, and move-over enforcement. He’s raising the next generation inside his own company—operations, marketing, and legislative advocacy—and tapping national 20 groups to avoid tunnel vision. We also talk vendor partnerships and why reliable support after the sale matters as much as a spec sheet. The through line is unity: compete in business, collaborate in the halls of advocacy, and present towing as the professional emergency service it is.

If you care about safety, professionalism, and the future of the towing and recovery industry, this conversation will give you tools, stories, and a clear direction. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what’s one standard we should all raise next?

A lifted truck tracking into oncoming lanes. A repo driver on hot asphalt, thinking fast. That’s where this story starts—and where real innovation in towing tools begins. We sit with JB Tow Accessories co-founder and VP of Sales, Jason Giddens, to trace the gritty path from first-week mistakes to thousands of field-proven tools making recoveries safer and faster.

Jason breaks down the real-world problem that led to the Fat Boy wheel adapters—wide tires, hard steering angles, and no safe way to strap. He shares how he and his team turned that sketch into a Tampa-built solution that’s now a go-to for operators facing big rubber and tight streets. Then we go deep on the Big Stiffy lockout tool: stainless steel to protect seals and paint, a stiffer rod and larger handle for leverage, and a lifetime warranty backed by relentless show-floor stress tests. If you care about durability, clean entries, and fewer comebacks, you’ll appreciate the why behind every design choice.

Beyond tools, this conversation is about service, safety, and unity. Jason answers every message himself and drives long routes just to shake hands, demo gear, and earn trust—because the towing business still runs on relationships. We explore practical safety moves operators can use today, like working passenger-side controls when traffic is hot, setting proper scene lighting, and investing in training that cuts liability and injuries. We also spotlight the power of community: small-town rotation group texts, blocking for each other on busy roads, and a shared commitment to the move over message that sends more people home at night.

If you’re a tow operator, dispatcher, or owner looking for reliable gear and a brand that shows up, this is your playbook. Hear how authentic content, better tools, and a customer-first mindset can elevate your operation and strengthen the towing community at large.

Subscribe, share with your crew, and leave a review to help more towers find conversations that put safety, service, and smart gear first.