Geri Roskopf’s Blog

Last November at the Waukesha, Wis., Christmas Parade, Darrell Brooks drove his SUV through the parade route, killing six people and injuring dozens. At his sentencing, I listened to several victims speak of their traumatic experiences caused by his actions. One woman’s story really stuck out with me because she still deals with PTSD among…

A salesman showed up the other day and wanted to talk to who takes care of our vehicle maintenance. I usually have them talk to my husband, but he was out on the road so I introduced myself and advised him I would give my husband the brochure and business card he had. He started…

I attended the Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame induction ceremony for the class of 2022. I can attest to the fact that it is a very fast-paced, emotional and humbling weekend for the inductees and their families, as I was inducted into the class of 2018. Each inductee is given a few minutes to…

I received a text from a friend that read: “I saw my first ever female tow truck driver today. Can’t believe it’s the 21st century and that’s the first time I’ve seen a girl tow truck driver …. Lol.” As the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything. I think the traditional roles for…

The 32nd Annual SourceBook for 2022-2023 in the September issue of Tow Times made me think of the Sears mail order catalogs I use to receive. Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, was founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck. It started out as a mail-ordering catalog company. At…

Ten years ago, I asked the Wisconsin Towing Association board members what advice they would give to other towers. The following are some of their responses. I believe they would hold true today: Always keep a positive image to make our industry look as good as possible. Train and certify your drivers, and give other…

Compassion is learned in suffering. Compassion is the concern for the suffering of others, and suffering is a state of undergoing pain, distress or hardship. When a tower is in dire need for help, it takes a lot for that tower to reach out to other towing companies for help. Recently, after it was known…

My granddaughter went to the state fair and was thrilled by a magician and his magic tricks — and that she was asked to be his assistant. Then she saw a juggler at an event at the local zoo. She told me how she took a bow after helping the magician with a magic trick,…

When opportunity knocks, you need to take advantage of that opportunity. That opportunity happened for my husband and I this past weekend. I was helping plan my family reunion, which happened to take place in July on the same day as our granddaughter’s birthday party. She lives in Indiana, so it didn’t work out to…

My son use to tell me that when he had a good night’s sleep he slept “like a rock” If you’re in the towing and recovery business, you often don’t feel that way. I spent three days watching my granddaughters and I can tell you, the next night I did sleep like a rock. Sleep…