RETAILERS THAT HAVE BEEN HURT
FROM RISING COSTS AND SLUGGISH
SALES.
>>> NOW AN NBC 5 RESPONDS INVESTIGATION.
THE PREDATORY REPUTATION
CHICAGO’S EARNING WITH SOME OF
THE NATION’S TRUCKING COMPANIES. >> DRIVERS CARRYING GROCERIES
AND OTHER CONSUMER GOODS ALLEGE
THAT THEY WERE TARGETED BY
CERTAIN CHICAGO TOWS COMPANYIES
IN A PLOY THAT HITS THEM FOR BIG
MONEY.
HERE’S LISA PARKER.
>> Reporter: THE STORY STARTS
HERE AT ONE OF THE CITY’S MANY VIA DUCTS.
TRUCK DRIVERS TELL US ACCIDENTS
HERE ARE BOUND TO HAPPEN, BUT WHAT FOLLOWS IN CASE AFTER CASE
WE FOUND IS A GROWING PROBLEM,
HITTING TRUCKING COMPANIES FIRST
AND THEN ALL OF US CONSUMERS
SHORTLY AFTER.
FOR A TRUCKING COMPANY, IT IS
AMONG THE WORST KIND OF NEWS.
>> OUR TRUCK GOT STUCK
UNDERNEATH THE VIA DUCT.
>> Reporter: PRECISELY WHAT
HAPPENED AT THIS OVERPASS ON
VALENTINE’S DAY TO A DRIVER WHO WORKS FOR THIS MAN, MARIO IS A
LOCAL IMPORTER WHO ASKED US NOT
TO REVEAL HIS FULL IDENTITY FOR
PRIVACY REASONS.
HIS DRIVER’S HAUL THAT DAY,
SPICY CHIPS FROM TIJUANA HEADED
TO CHICAGO SHUL VS UNTIL THE
SHOCKING DETOUR HERE, MARIO
SAYS, WHEN TOW TRUCKS SHOWED UP
MOMENTS AFTER THE COLLISION. >> THEY DRIVE CONSTANTLY IN AND
OUT OF THESE VIA DUCTS.
ARER
ARE.
>> Reporter: A TOTAL OF THREE
TRUCKS SWARMED THE SCENE CALLED BY WRECKER SERVICES, WHICH
HAULED THE TRUCK FROM THE SCENE
WITHOUT PERMISSION AND REFUSED
TO DISCLOSE WHERE IT WAS TAKEN.
MARIO’S DRIVER REPORTED HIS
TRAILER AS STOLEN TO CHICAGO
POLICE, STAYAYING HE TOLD WRECKE
HE DID NOT WANT THEIR SERVICES,
BUT THEY DROVE OFF WITH THE
TRAILER ANYWAY.
WRECKER SERVICES TOLD POLICE IT HAD AN AGREEMENT SIGNED BY THE
DRIVER TO TOW THAT TRAILER.
WHEN WE TRACKED DOWN THAT DRIVER
ON THE ROAD IN WISCONSIN.
HE TOLD US IN HIS FIRST
LANGUAGE -- "ABSOLUTELY NOT
TRUE."
SO, IF THE COLLISION AND THE
RUN-IN HERE WERE UNSETTLING, WHAT CAME NEXT WAS THE BIGGEST
SHOCKER, A DEMAND FOR $17,000.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT THE FEE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THAT DAY?
>> THAT DAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN
$500 TO GET THE TRAILER
UNDERNEATH THE VIKA DUCT.
>> Reporter: AN ALLEGED
SHAKEDOWN THAT ECHOES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
WE HEARD FROM OTHER TRUCKING
COMPANIES WHO FILED SIMILAR
COMPLAINTS INVOLVING A VARIETY
OF OTHER ILLINOIS TOW COMPANIES. >> AND BASICALLY OVERWHELMED MY
DRIVER WITH MULTIPLE TOW TRUCKS.
AND THEY PRESENTED HIM WITH AN OVER10,000 BILL.
>> THE BILL WAS AROUND 10 GRAND
AND THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AT THE TIME.
>> Reporter: YEAH.
>> SO, I WASN’T ABLE TO PAY IT
AND MY CUSTOMER’S CALLING ME,
LIKE, HEY, WHERE YOUR OUR
FREIGHT?
>> Reporter: AFTER COMING STATE
AND LOCAL POLICE REPORTS, NBC 5
RESPONDS FOUND CASE AFTER CASE
OF TRUCK DRIVERS DETAILING NEARLY IDENTICAL INCIDENTS.
>> IT WAS PAIN, MENTALLY,
EVERYTHING.
IT JUST HURTS.
>> OUR HANDS ARE TIED IN SOME
WAYS.
>> Reporter: WE ASKED THE
REGULATORS WHO OVERSEE THE TOW
INDUSTRY HOW THEY CAN STAKE OUT
THE VIA DUCTS AND CHARGE SUCH
HIGH FEES.
>> IT IS ILLEGAL FOR TOW
COMPANIES TO COME UP TO A VEHICLE, TO A DRIVER
UNSOLICITED, UNLESS YOU WERE
CALLED.
>> Reporter: AND YET WE KNOW
THAT HAPPENS, RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> Reporter: THE ILLINOIS COMMERCE COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGES
FEDERAL LAWS LEAD TO LOOPHOLES
BIG ENOUGH FOR ROGUE TOWERS TO DRIVE RIGHT THROUGH.
>> FEDERAL LEGISLATION PRE-EMPTS
A LOT OF OUR ABILITIES TO BE
STRICTER ON THE REGULATION HERE
IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.
>> Reporter: ICC CONFIRMS THE
TOW COMPANY IN MARIO’S CASE HAD
ITS LICENSE SUSPENDED BASED ON
UNPAID FINES LEVIED BY THE
STATE.
RECORDS WE DISCOVERED SHOW THAT SUSPENSION TOOK EFFECT FIVE DAYS
BEFORE MARIO’S VALENTINE’S DAY
TOW.
>> IT’S NOT JUST A CHICAGO
PROBLEM.
THOUGH CHICAGO, WITH THE
LOW-HANGING BRIDGES, DOES CREATE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PREDATORY
TOWING.
>> Reporter: THE AMERICA
TRUCKING ASSOCIATION REPRESENTS
THE INDUSTRY AND SAYS
POINT-BLANK, NEW LAWS ARE
NEEDED.
>> I THINK IT’S GOING TO TAKE THE WILL OF LEGISLATORS TO STEP
FORWARD AND ACTUALLY PASS LAWS WITH TEETH.
>> EASY TO THINK, AT THE INITIAL
LEVEL, WELL, THIS IS A PROBLEM
FOR TRUCKING COMPANIES AND
INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT HAVE
ALL THIS MONEY, LET THEM HANDLE
IT.
IT’S GOING TO FLOW RIGHT BACK TO
AMERICAN CONSUMERS.
AND THAT’S THE TRAGEDY THAT
WE’RE DEALING WITH HERE. >> Reporter: WRECKER SERVICES
DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR REPEATED
RE
REQUESTS FOR COMMENT. WHEN WE DID GET AHOLD OF SOMEONE
AT THE COMPANY SAID THEY WERE NOT SPEAKING TO ANYBODY AT NBC,