RD401 - 2011 Annual Report Board of Towing and Recovery Operators


Executive Summary:
Mission & Objectives

The mission of the Board of Towing and Recovery Operators (BTRO) is to protect the public by setting standards of qualifications, training, and experience for those who seek to represent themselves to the public as towing and recovery experts and promoting high standards of professional performance for those engaged in the practice of towing and recovery.

The main objectives of BTRO are:

• To receive complaints concerning the conduct of persons and businesses licensed by BTRO and to take appropriate disciplinary action if warranted;

• To establish means and procedures by which BTRO may attempt to mediate and resolve, in an expedited manner, complaints filed against those licensed or otherwise regulated by BTRO;

• To establish the qualifications of applicants for licensure to ensure competence and integrity in towing operations;

• To examine the qualifications of each applicant for licensure;

• To license qualified applicants as Class A or Class B operators;

• To issue driver authorization documents to qualified tow truck drivers; and

• To revoke, suspend, or fail to renew a license for violations of statute or regulations promulgated by BTRO.

All this is accomplished by a Board consisting largely of towing and recovery operators, which allows for industry self-regulation (See. Attachment A for a list of Board members and committees as of October 2010).

The Board and its Committees met frequently since 2010 to address imminent issues, and to provide a mechanism for participation by consumers, licensed operators and drivers, and interested parties.

Summary of Fiscal Affairs

On October 15, 2008, BTRO began collecting and processing operator license and driver authorization document applications along with their associated application fees. Prior to that date, BTRO’s operations were funded with Treasury loans (See. Attachment B for overall budget information as of June 30, 2011). BTRO has paid back $260,400 of those loans to date, leaving an outstanding balance of $439,600.