Satisfaction has a price
Trading big trucks for a tow boat requires moving to a different flow
Personally, I don't know Ted Carr. But I post this to illustrate a point: what is it about this industry that requires a man to give up his time off for fishing and vacations? Owning a towing business should be an enjoyable profession, not an exile to the dock...Saturday, February 10, 2007
Ted Carr, 55, gave up trucking in 2003 to buy his own marine towing and salvage business....In addition to running the risk of abandoning an established career and starting a new business, Carr has had to adapt and sometimes sacrifice. [emphasis mine] He moved from Newberg to Sauvie Island to be near waterways. He has to be ready to respond 24 hours a day every day. He doesn't have as much time to go fishing. "That's probably the one thing I don't like," he said. "I can't take off and go fishing at the coast the way I used to."
Perks: "I enjoy helping people. There's a lot of satisfaction to taking someone's ruined day and making it better for them." Drawbacks: It's hard for Carr to take a vacation for more than a day or two because he is on call year-round. Pay: About $50,000 a year....What he charges: Vessel owners, who have prepaid an annual fee to a national service (similar to, but not affiliated with, AAA for cars), pay nothing for each tow. Others pay $165 an hour. Background: After graduating from high school in Long Beach, Calif., he held a number of jobs, including factory and gas-station work. Carr started driving a truck at age 21 and spent more than 30 years doing so. Family: Married to Nona, who helps in the business; three children.
