Tow Truck Turf War

moarmoto said:
Should we start a list of honest and crook tow trucks somewhere in the forum? Or will I get a visit from a tow company

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I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of the vultures that pick you up on the highway are shady at best. I threw an alternator pulley on the 401 in TO once. I pulled over to figure out what happened and quickly attracted a tow truck. He tried the hard sell, it is illegal to stop here, by law you must accept assistance from the first tow truck that shows, etc. I asked about price and he said because it was an emergency pick, prices started at $400 plus dollars per km. Frig that. Pulled the loose parts out so they didnt fly out and drove home.
 
Gary said:
He used the boatload of dirty money he made to open a bar in hamilton, stonewalls. ?
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Know someone that use to work there. What's coming out of the kitchen isn't always on the menu, apparently.
 
moarmoto said:
Should we start a list of honest and crook tow trucks somewhere in the forum? Or will I get a visit from a tow company
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I've used these guys - they're honest.

Diamond Towing LTD.

Diamond Towing LTD.is a family owned and operated business, proudly serving the Toronto region for over 45 years. Our experience and personalized, friendly service have gained us a reputation as a leader in the industry.
www.diamondtowingltd.com www.diamondtowingltd.com
 
The whole towing industry needs an enema.

Any business that is legally permitted to rape distressed customers will do so, and business that deal in large cash transactions will attract organized crime and corruption. We have both.

Municipalities have tried regulation, they don't have the punching power to enforce or oversee the industry. We need a provincial regulator with strict penalties for non compliance.

Towing can be an expensive undertaking. A truck costs $100k and insurance expensive too. That said, lots of Tow businesses operate with fair rates and practices —I’d bet they welcome regulation.
 
There's another tow-truck-related shooting on the news as I write this. Edit: Appears to be the same one referenced in post #25.
 
If CAA does not get there in time to tow from an accident, they will reimburse you for the tow fee if another guy takes it. (at least they have in my case)

You have the right to choose where you want it towed to. Regardless if the tow operator like it or now.

We for sure need some regulatory body looking over the industry. But if we leave it in the governments hands to come up with this it will take forever, cost a crap load of money and they will not accomplish anything.

I think that each geographical area should be monitored/contracted to a specific tow company. It would be their responsibility to be the first tow from the accident site to a safe location. At the same time, they could be given the opportunity to tow further, a shop of the drivers choice.

In some countries in Europe (Poland for certain), each highway is monitored by a tow company 24/7. The drive up and down the highway, sort of like the 407 guys do here.

If there is a crash on the highway, they are the ONLY ones that can tow your vehicle off the road to the next safe location. A rest area or nearby parking lot/shopping centre. It is then the drivers responsibility to get their own tow company to tow the vehicle to a shop or home or wherever. This is either an equivalent of CAA or private tow operator.

This way there are no vultures hanging around on on/off and ramps racing to the site and the accident site is cleared asap.

I have a friend who owns and runs an auto body shop through one of the repair networks. He has purposely opted out of accepting tow-ins as he does not want to be involved in the whole sketchy payback business. He is busy enough accepting regular insurance claims as it is.
 
oioioi said:
If CAA does not get there in time to tow from an accident, they will reimburse you for the tow fee if another guy takes it. (at least they have in my case)

You have the right to choose where you want it towed to. Regardless if the tow operator like it or now.

We for sure need some regulatory body looking over the industry. But if we leave it in the governments hands to come up with this it will take forever, cost a crap load of money and they will not accomplish anything.

I think that each geographical area should be monitored/contracted to a specific tow company. It would be their responsibility to be the first tow from the accident site to a safe location. At the same time, they could be given the opportunity to tow further, a shop of the drivers choice.

In some countries in Europe (Poland for certain), each highway is monitored by a tow company 24/7. The drive up and down the highway, sort of like the 407 guys do here.

If there is a crash on the highway, they are the ONLY ones that can tow your vehicle off the road to the next safe location. A rest area or nearby parking lot/shopping centre. It is then the drivers responsibility to get their own tow company to tow the vehicle to a shop or home or wherever. This is either an equivalent of CAA or private tow operator.

This way there are no vultures hanging around on on/off and ramps racing to the site and the accident site is cleared asap.

I have a friend who owns and runs an auto body shop through one of the repair networks. He has purposely opted out of accepting tow-ins as he does not want to be involved in the whole sketchy payback business. He is busy enough accepting regular insurance claims as it is.
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There are at least a few problems with contracted areas, so it's not a perfect solution. It basically excludes little guys as they dont have the fleet necessary to cover the contract (and in my experience, many of the little guys are good). It also drives the cost of the pickup to the moon unless locked down by government oversight (in which case, the competition for the area isnt much more than an illusion). If company a says they will pay the government 500,000 a year for the contract, they may charge $500 to get you to the safe location. Company b says they will pay the government $1,000,000 a year, they will charge the motorist $1,000. Which contract do you think the government will take? If the government says "you can charge $100 per tow", companie find a way to squeeze more out of motorists as they are used to much higher vulture rates (technology charge, dolly charge, etc).
 
Yes you are right that the small guys are usually the better ones. As in in almost any industry.

The scenario can play out the way you have described it. But I do think it can be worked out with a good model where it is fair and worthwhile for everyone.

There doesn't even have to be a contract with the government. Something like a rotating lottery. Every year, a different company is responsible for different areas. This way even the smaller guys can get a piece of the big delicious pie, while other years the bid guys get the crumbs.
If you want to be a tow truck operator in the province you need to server a certain area before you get to the big one.

Of course not everything is perfect and there is a loop hole in every system.
 
oioioi said:
If CAA does not get there in time to tow from an accident, they will reimburse you for the tow fee if another guy takes it. (at least they have in my case)

You have the right to choose where you want it towed to. Regardless if the tow operator like it or now.

We for sure need some regulatory body looking over the industry. But if we leave it in the governments hands to come up with this it will take forever, cost a crap load of money and they will not accomplish anything.

I think that each geographical area should be monitored/contracted to a specific tow company. It would be their responsibility to be the first tow from the accident site to a safe location. At the same time, they could be given the opportunity to tow further, a shop of the drivers choice.

In some countries in Europe (Poland for certain), each highway is monitored by a tow company 24/7. The drive up and down the highway, sort of like the 407 guys do here.

If there is a crash on the highway, they are the ONLY ones that can tow your vehicle off the road to the next safe location. A rest area or nearby parking lot/shopping centre. It is then the drivers responsibility to get their own tow company to tow the vehicle to a shop or home or wherever. This is either an equivalent of CAA or private tow operator.

This way there are no vultures hanging around on on/off and ramps racing to the site and the accident site is cleared asap.

I have a friend who owns and runs an auto body shop through one of the repair networks. He has purposely opted out of accepting tow-ins as he does not want to be involved in the whole sketchy payback business. He is busy enough accepting regular insurance claims as it is.
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GreyGhost said:
There are at least a few problems with contracted areas, so it's not a perfect solution. It basically excludes little guys as they dont have the fleet necessary to cover the contract (and in my experience, many of the little guys are good). It also drives the cost of the pickup to the moon unless locked down by government oversight (in which case, the competition for the area isnt much more than an illusion). If company a says they will pay the government 500,000 a year for the contract, they may charge $500 to get you to the safe location. Company b says they will pay the government $1,000,000 a year, they will charge the motorist $1,000. Which contract do you think the government will take? If the government says "you can charge $100 per tow", companie find a way to squeeze more out of motorists as they are used to much higher vulture rates (technology charge, dolly charge, etc).
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i would keep it simple, use a model like they do for taxis. Licence drivers and trucks, Published tariff, stiff penalties for violators. Govt Contracts invite corruption, furthermore where they are in place they are proven not to work.
 
Would Uber-tow be allowed? :p
 
Doesn't Quebec have this figured out??
I am sure there are solutions/examples out there already, just our government is behind on policy as usual.


Sent from the moon!
 
GP_RZ said:
Look out for Camel Towing in the GTA they are a bunch of douche bags hence the name.
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Isn't it "Kamil" towing?
And you know what they say:
"Ain't no tow, like a Kamil tow".

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Mad Mike said:
The law is toothless. It places rate fees in place by municipality however municipalities don't have the force to enforce.
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It was quite entertaining when they provided an itemized $4000 bill for a tow. I dont think that's what the politicians were hoping for when they drafted that law.
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