Joe MacDonald works out of the back of a 2011 Dodge Caravan, where he writes auto insurance appraisals for Plymouth Rock Assurance as one of the company’s 30-plus roving “Crashbusters.”
Joe MacDonald’s head nearly touches the ceiling of his office. His wastebasket is attached to the back of a chair with a bungee cord. His pens are tucked into a seat belt holder.
That’s because MacDonald, 56, works out of the back of a 2011 Dodge Caravan, writing auto insurance appraisals for Plymouth Rock Assurance as one of the company’s 30-plus roving “Crashbusters.”
MacDonald logs about 25,000 miles a year driving in and around Boston in his bright blue van, traveling to customers’ homes and offices, mechanics’ shops, and tow yards to assess the damage to their vehicles.
MacDonald’s mobility means customers often get money for repairs on the spot. Recently he went to a body shop in Mattapan, accessing the client’s claim on a laptop that snaps into his desk and using the VIN number to pull up a detailed rendering and cost breakdown of the vehicle’s components.
“Within two hours, this person had an accident, had an estimate, and had a check in their hand,” he said.
The biggest headache, aside from traffic and icy roads in the winter? Parking. He often has to get creative, leaving his van in the street while he jumps out to take photos.
“We’re always keeping one eye on the meter maid,” he said.
It’s particularly tricky in South Boston, a neighborhood where “everybody’s got their pitchforks and their torches guarding their parking spots,” MacDonald said, especially spaces that have been ‘saved’ with traffic cones or office chairs after a winter storm. He has handled several vandalism claims after cars were keyed or kicked in there, actions he imagines were the result of parking disputes.
The roving nature of his job has also given MacDonald some unique opportunities. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, he volunteered to drive his van to New Jersey to help other Plymouth Rock appraisers process claims.
To pass the time on the road, MacDonald listens to history podcasts and satellite radio. And when it’s time for lunch, usually leftovers or a ham and cheese sandwich from home, he pulls over and eats — where else? — in his van.
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