Caught on Camera: Police release image of tow truck arson suspect
Toronto, Ontario — March 9, 2020 — Police in the Durham Region are asking members of the public for help to identify a suspect believed to have been involved in an arson attack on a tow truck. On Saturday, officers found a burning tow truck on Elizabeth Street, near Betts Road. Firefighters were able to […]
Valentine’s Day Vandal: Vancouver man steals, crashes BCAA truck
Vancouver, British Columbia– A Valentine’s Day incident in Vancouver involving a stolen tow truck ended with a 41-year-old in police custody. The man, who is accused of stealing a BCAA tow truck driver’s vehicle during the middle of a roadside operation, was arrested shortly after crashing the truck into one of Vancouver’s bike racks. He […]
Building Trust: Tips for dealing with customer questions about repair facilities
Concerned about your advice to clients being misconstrued? When towing and recovery professionals are criticized, it is often because they are accused of pushing drivers to visit repair facilities with whom they have a kickback arrangement. While not unheard of, not every recommendation provided is done so for financial reasons. Even towing professionals with agreements […]
Towing Tokers: CAA study finds young Canadians frequently drive high
Toronto, Ontario — Towing professionals might find dealing with millenials a little bit more difficult–and interactions with them a little more frequent–since the legalization of marijuana. According to a new study from the CAA, young Canadians frequently engage in dangerous behaviour involving the use of marijuana and automobiles. The findings are based on a poll […]
Two shot in Richmond Hill, likely related to GTA tow ‘turf war’
Toronto, Ontario — An adult man involved in the GTA’s towing sector and a child were shot in a Thornhill, Ontario parking lot Sunday night. Police say the issue might be related to an ongoing ‘turf war’ between members of the industry. A 30-year-old man was shot as he parked a vehicle in the Promenade […]
Tow sector under threat from ‘bad apples,’ says PTAO chief
Toronto, Ontario — After a series of arson attacks on tow trucks, a senior figure in Canada’s towing industry has warned of a group of a small group of “bad apples” threatening the industry and its professionals. Five tow trucks were recently set ablaze in the Greater Toronto Area, in the early morning of Dec. […]
Clear the Way: Edmonton calling on the government for new towing safety measures
Edmonton, Alberta — Alberta’s provincial government is being called on to approve new safety measures for tow truck operators after a man was hit responding to call in Edmonton on Friday. The operator was putting out traffic cones at the scene of an accident when he was clipped by the side mirror of a passing […]
Bylaw Blocked: ‘Chaser’ bylaw paused following backlash from towing community
Proposed towing bylaws in London Ont. have been halted following a meeting on Dec. 4. between London’s Community and Protective Services Committee. According to the committee, the proposed bylaw was introduced initially to “protect accident victims from aggressive business solicitation,” as reported by CBC. However, at Tuesday’s meeting, towers arrived at London’s city hall to […]
Slow Down, Move Over: New Brunswick the final province to add tow trucks to law
New Brunswick has become the tenth province in the country to adopt tow trucks into its ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ law—which until now, only included police, fire and ambulance in its coverage. The inclusion of tow trucks in this law has been pushed for years by the widow of Nova Scotian Frank Deschenes, a Mountie […]
Emergency Ignorance: Another roadside collision as drivers fail to slow down for towers
Toronto, Ontario — Just weeks after the death of Ontario tower Todd Burgess, who died in a roadside accident on Nov. 7, the Canadian towing community is reporting another near-fatal roadside collision on in northern Ontario. The incident was reported on Nov. 22 on Hwy. 11 in northern Ontario. Two tractor-trailers following the tow truck allegedly […]
