Published November 13, 2010

GALVESTON — When a tractor-trailer driver left in the street a rig hauling a 140,000-pound bull dozer bound for Venezuela, police authorized what amounted to a $40,000 towing bill.

The trucking company owner complained to the city, the mayor and police chief and told The Daily News on Friday he has second thoughts of bringing more business to the Port of Galveston.

Monday evening, Galveston police found a tractor-trailer hauling a Caterpillar D-10 Dozer parked in the street on Seawall Boulevard near Boddeker Road Drive.

With no driver in sight, police authorized the wrecker company on rotation to clear the roadway. Only the trailer was towed.

Mike Matthews, of WellCo Tank Truck of Dover, Okla., said other police agencies he’s dealt with normally call the trucking company before towing such large loads. He said Galveston police didn’t call him, which would have given him a chance to call his driver, who was at a nearby motel room.

“The trailer has a tag on the back of it,” Matthews said. “It takes three seconds to pull up the owner of the vehicle. We’re a 24-hour service. They call for a $40,000 tow and drag it to town.”

Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski contacted the city manager about the incident, saying this is the kind of business Galveston considers one of the three legs of the stool: the hospital, port and tourism.

Jaworski, in the e-mail, inquired whether the fee was reasonable and mentioned this was bad business for port customers.

A&A Wrecker Service in Galveston was next in line for the heavy-duty tow, company owner Noel Anderwald said. Although Anderwald said he was within his rights to charge $40,000, he reduced the fee twice.

“Legally, through the state of Texas and the city of Galveston, I can charge 25 cents a pound,” Anderwald said.

The tow was an exceptional one, taking eight hours, seven men and lots of vehicles, Anderwald said.

Police Chief Charles Wiley didn’t ask Anderwald to reduce the bill but told him to be prepared if the trucking company considered civil actions, Anderwald said.

Anderwald lowered the bill to $15,300, the amount his company was wired Friday along with a promise by the trucking company not take any further action against the towing company or the city. Anderwald is providing free storage until the company can take the dozer to the port.

“His driver dropped it in the middle of the street,” Anderwald said. “If police didn’t have it towed, the city would be liable if somebody ran into it and got hurt.”

Matthews told The Daily News his driver put reflective cones around the truck, but they apparently weren’t there when police arrived.

The driver chose the Seawall Boulevard spot through another driver’s recommendation, Matthews said.

When asked why his driver left the rig in a lane of traffic, Matthews said it was a dumb move.

“He felt like it was a dead end road,” Matthews said.

Matthews’ company charged $9,000 to haul the dozer from Kansas City, Mo., to Galveston.

The company is expected to claim the dozer and trailer Monday. Matthews missed his Friday deadline to have the dozer to U.S. Customs and Board Protection before it could be loaded on to a ship, he said.