discoman:
Any update?You are fully entitled, to contact the highways and ask for copies of the notes the TO from HE put in his PNB.
At least it was a tax right off on the company … I just hope in the long run it didn’t cost you a unit etc.
Never trust the highways agency, approved contractors.
Did you see somewhere in the North of England, a recovery company was caught giving backhanders to the police?
Just a quick question, as the location of the vehicle is specific to response times, where did the vehicle end up with the rear drive axle wheels (Presumably nearside) detached - as in, in the carriageway or on the hard shoulder and clear of all lanes?
We are a big truck hire out-fit. We have just been done the same £4,000 for the job. The recovery out fit they got out by the highways did see the recovery out-fit we used has he got there and said quick I saw your guys coming let me get hold of it before they get here.
Thanks
Welly
In reply to these recent posts the truck was on the hard shoulder 200yds from the entry slip to Trowell northbound. The unit was forward towed into the services followed by the loaded trailer also… presumably by a unit supplied by Burrows Recovery
I was charged £4612.50 for this (£4500 +2.5% for paying by credit card)
One of my own units collected the trailer and Wards Recovery came from Leeds to recover the unit back to Yorkshire for £315 + VAT
My solicitor since sued my tyre contractor for my out of pocket expenses except for the legal fees of £1500ish (can’t recover those for small claims under 10k) and neither a penny for loss of earnings so I am ‘substantiality’ out of pocket
I have spoken twice to the area manager of the Highways Agency which resulted in my shouting down the phone in sheer frustration that my unit was NOT SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED…but he said it was (pen pusher who will never have even seen a photo) I said I have been completely ripped off by the H.A. and he said I haven’t…H.A. don’t make ANY money on these recoveries (if that’s the case then Ward’s must have made a loss of £4200 coming from Leeds)
I think it was Silver Surfer who wrote I should either sue the Highways Agency or write it off…
I’m not sticking up for my lot mucker, we don’t make a penny out of the recovery costs, that’s down to the recovery contractors. We just the instigate the recovery to get any breakdowns cleared.
As the vehicle was sat on the hard shoulder the HA had no reason to invoke an immediate removal, especially as the Police attended and weren’t bothered about the vehicle/location - you should of been entitled to up to 2 hours for your requested recovery operator too attend. If you asked/requested that the HA to instigate the recovery, you really don’t have a leg to stand on… Except
The normal practice of any recovery operation would have been to send a tractor unit to recover the laden trailer and a recovery vehicle to, rear suspend tow, the tractor unit after ‘turning’ the same (Casualty) around. These actions would arguably of led to the ‘substantially damaged’ category being charged. Now I can’t see how the HA/recovery operator can initiate the higher charge if they’ve done absolutely nothing other than front suspend tow the unit and trailer - thereby leaving the 'substantially damaged area ‘hovering’ whilst being towed - in reality and you’ll probably kick yourself now, if the tractor had a diff lock, you could of engaged this and driven the complete combination back to the services in exactly the same way as the vehicle was ‘recovered’ by a front suspend tow…
Please feel free to email/PM me as I do think you will be entitled to the charge being reduced to the correct £350 -
Finally Boss Hog, sadly you are incorrect the actual charge (Statutory Removal Fee) is charged by FMG to the haulier/vehicle owner/insurance company etc, this is NOT the figure received by the operator.
To give you an idea of the difference, on the first (primary) contract awarded to FMG as the ‘National Recovery Manager’, the lowest fee of £150 was collected by FMG whom then generously paid the operator, (whom if previously worked for the Police always collected the full amount of the Stat Fee, less a management fee) a mere £68.
Now the maximum Stat Fee of £6,000 was collected by FMG and the good old operator got… £3,200 - This was on top of FMG getting paid £13 million to run it… Must be a struggle!!!
Things have changed a bit since then, but I can assure you FMG are always on the winning side, allegedly some of the substantial difference goes back to the government… of course it does 
That was the old contract, we no longer pay for the recovery contract - from what I’m led to believe, the new contract is supposed to be self financing.
Without trying to go off thread, but in answer to Boss Hogg, the operator still does not receive the full fee charged by FMG.
I can guarantee you that the operator only ever receives £3,100 out of the £4,500 collected by your employer FMG - self funding… I’ll bet they struggle with that mark up!!
FMG isn’t my employer, Highways England is.