Towing Issues: Towing, awd vehicles, drive wheels

Question
I own a towing company. We also do Repo's and private property tows. I believe in taking responsibility for your actions when towing a vehicle. But there are people who no nothing about towing that will claim damage to their transmission weeks or months after the towing was done.  Is there anywhere a customer can go to hear the truth from a third party the is certified in towing?

Answer
Time is of the essence for any type of damage claims in any industry. Before any tow the operator should complete a vehicle inspection noting any damages (doesn't matter how minor), record the odometer and completely fill out the tow ticket including signature and date. Document everything, if the customer states that the vehicle cut off while driving and during your walk around notice fluid, odors, whatever note it on the tow ticket and bring it to the attention of the driver. As for your question the tow company can dispute transmission damage weeks or months later, especially if the odometer was recorded and the vehicle was driven hundreds or thousands of miles after the tow. Most ASE certified mechanics would agree if transmission damage was done by improper towing the result is usually immediately known as catastrophic damage would occur. The vehicle will not move, slip terribly or bind up and or make unusual noises. Some people like to play games and state a bogus claim and attempt to get the tow company to pay or be responsible for the real problem. The best course of action is documentation and also not to put yourself in that position. Don't tow vehicles on the drive wheels or use dollies on 4wd or awd vehicles because this will eliminate any false claims. We all know some vehicles can be properly towed on drive wheels and others can't but the the best course of actions is not to put yourself in that position in the first place. Another type of false claim is body damage. Photograph everything before you even hook up. Remember, CYA---Cover your assets, close enough ;)  As for third party information some tow operators use www.towspec.com for reference information. I have found that they are (if I had to put a percentage on it) about 90% correct.