Canadian Towing Professional by Media Matters

On Top of his Game

SPECIAL PREVIEW EDITION

How Joey Gagne of Abrams Towing became a legend of the industry!

LIVE ON THIN ICE Winter warriors save lives

COVER YOUR REAR END! How to protect your business from legal nightmares!

PLUS: TOW PROS REMEMBER fallen industry comrades Tow management software GETS AN UPGRADE THE SIX TRICKS to successful business growth PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS for the post-pandemic world and much, MUCH MORE

The Roll of Honour: The 30 Canadians shaking up the towing and recovery business!

We Don’t Just Sell in Canada... TRUCK

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CO.

TRUCK

EQUIPMENT

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We Service Canada

Western Canada

Ontario & Eastern Canada

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1-800-665-6126 comtruck.ca

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1-800-267-5522 cantow.ca EDMONTON

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1, 2021

06 On Top of his Game

ON THE COVER

How Joey Gagne of Abrams Towing became a legend of the industry!

Joey Gagne, CEO of

LIVE ON THIN ICE

PLUS:

Winter warriors save lives

COVER YOUR REAR END! How to protect your business from legal nightmares!

Abrams Towing Group

TOW PROS REMEMBER fallen industry comrades Tow management software GETS AN UPGRADE THE SIX TRICKS to successful business growth PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS for the post-pandemic world and much, MUCH MORE

The Roll of Honour: The 30 Canadians shaking up the towing and recovery business!

DEPARTMENTS WELCOME

By Darryl Simmons

HEROIC HIGHLIGHTS

By Gideon Scanlon

AFTERMARKET AFFAIRS

By Elizabeth Sargeant IN THE HEADLIGHTS

FEATURES

COACHING THE TEAM

Abrams Towing’s Joey Gagne

By Jay Perry PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, SIZE SHAME

By Gideon Scanlon

REFLECTIONS OF THE ROAD WARRIOR

COLUMNS

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!

Building up an effective fleet 19

ENLIGHTENING LIGHTS

TV’s Al Quiring and J.W. Speaker

2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 3

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

WELCOME TO CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL Dedicated to Canada’s Towing and Recovery Professional BY DARRYL SIMMONS

PUBLISHER DARRYL SIMMONS publisher@collisionrepairmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OREST TKACZUK orest@mediamatters.ca EDITORIAL DIRECTOR GIDEON SCANLON (905) 370-0101 gideon@mediamatters.ca

or too many years, Canada’s towing and recovery community has not been recognized for its work keeping Canada’s roads clear and its drivers safe. This magazine exists to help change this. Welcome to the first-ever issue of Canadian Towing Professional. What follows is an assortment of stories, many of which celebrate the inspiring business leaders and industry workers making a difference on Canada’s roads. By telling these stories, this magazine aims to take a leading role in spurring Canadians to rethink their prejudices of the tow community and recognize its vital role in the country’s well-being.

issue of our magazine could not have been produced without the support of many leading members of Canada’s towing and recovery sector. Its strength comes from the insights these leading industry figures provided to its production team. Our staff are grateful for the guidance that these industry figures provided and look forward to working with them in future issues. For more information about the Canadian Towing Professional, please visit towpromag.ca/subscribe. It is free and can be cancelled at any time. We are also delighted to invite you to get in direct contact with our editorial team, at 905-370-0101. Your insights about our

“If you share the dream of a Canada

that takes pride in the professionalism

and courage of its towing and recovery community, we look forward to hearing from you.”

Our coverage will also provide business advice that will help professionals ensure they are able to perform their duties as employers, roadside rescuers and first responders more effectively. As you will see in this issue, this magazine’s articles address key challenges and areas-of-opportunities for towing-sector businesses. It also seeks to offer realistic solutions and strategic insights—many of them simple, ingenious and easily adapted ideas—offering the opportunity for nearly immediate increases to profits. This opening

4 TOWPROMAG.COM

VOLUME 1 | Issue 1 2021

coverage and your thoughts on the industry as-a-whole are invaluable to us. If you share the dream of a Canada that takes pride in the professionalism and courage of its towing and recovery community, we look forward to hearing from you.

EDITOR ALLISON ROGERS allison@mediamatters.ca GRAPHIC DESIGNER YVONNE CORVERS yvonne@mediamatters.ca DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER CASSIE DOYLE cassie@mediamatters.ca VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING GLORIA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com INTEGRATED BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ELLEN SMITH (416) 312-7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT WANJA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com CONTRIBUTORS SAM HOUPT, ELIZABETH SARGEANT, JAY PERRY

Canadian Towing Professional™ magazine is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Canadian Towing Professional™ magazine may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions, statements appearing in this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by the publisher. PRINTED IN CANADA ISSN 1707-6072 CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT wRETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to: 317 Reid Street Peterborough, ON K9J 3R2

“We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada”

Canadian Towing Professional magazine is published by Media Matters Inc., publishers of:

ON THE COVER

REFLECTIONS OF THE ROAD WARRIOR Abrams Towing’s Joey Gagne on the truth behind his legendary rise through the industry BY SAM HOUPT

sk any of Canada’s towing professionals who Joey Gagne is, and you will get the same response—“a living legend.” What they won’t agree on is why. Some will point to his impressive career. At the helm at Abram’s Towing Group, Gagne has built up a family business into one of the best known—and most trusted—names in the auto-recovery and towing industry. Indeed, the story of how—at 19—he turned a $2,500 loan from his mother-in-law into one of Canada’s premier collision recovery and towing businesses has been told and retold so many times that different versions have an almost mythical feel. While his version may lack some of the drama of the industry epics based on it, the story is still impressive. “My parents owned a towing company, so I grew up around it and got hooked. When I was old enough to drive I drove a tow truck for them. Once I met my wife, she kept saying, ‘you’re always talking about tow trucks, why 6 TOWPROMAG.COM

don’t you buy a tow truck and start your own business?’” Joey’s version begins. “So, her mother lent me $2,500.” Turning the loan into the foundations of a business was no simple matter. For one thing, he found a tow truck that was going unused but needed to spend several months pestering the owner to sell it to him. For another, even after securing his tow truck, Joey knew very little about the business side of the industry. “I started blind. I was 19, and I thought I knew the business. It took me a little while to realize what I didn’t know. There was lots of trial-and-error.” It would be twelve years later before Joey’s fledgling business began the dramatic expansion regional campaign that turned it into the behemoth it is today. In the interim, however, Joey would work on building-up his reputation and looking into expansion possibilities. In 1995, this hard work began to pay off—big time.

“In early 1995 we opened a location in Mississauga, so that really got us into our initial jump into diversification,” says Joey. 1996 we had a contract with the Toronto police, which was a new type of business for us that helped us grow a bit more. We really just made sure we kept doing business with as many different people as we could.” “That winter, we started brainstorming for other cities to move into. Slowly but surely, it all started coming together.” Over the next two decades, Abrams Towing continued to follow the same strategic growth plan—developing relations with municipalities, police forces and clients, and entering into new Ontario markets. With 200 employees based throughout Southern Ontario—in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Hamilton, Windsor, Ottawa, Newmarket, and Burlington. Today, the Abrams fleet of 160 trucks is the

ON THE COVER

Gagne and his dedicated staff, standing next to one of his fleet’s signature vehicles.

largest in all of Canada, performing 200,000 vehicle tows per year. Of course, the team doesn’t just work on passenger vehicles. Its fleet also includes tri-axle trucks, 50-tonne heavy wreckers and even hydraulic float trailers. As the staff like to say, “We are ready for any size job – from motorcycles to motor homes and 18-wheel semis.” Joey, however, isn’t just celebrated for his inspirational rise to the top of the industry. Many people view his biggest contribution to the industry as being less about his individual success and more about his volunteer work with industry and external organizations. They simply point to his citation in the Towing Hall of Fame. While it mentions his

time serving as the president of the Ontario Recovery Group and of the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario, the curators were particularly impressed by his work representing the industry while working with government regulators.

“In 2014, Joey was instrumental in working with Parliament to craft Bill 15: Fighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Insurance Rates Act. This bill focused on regulating the towing and vehicle storage industry, and without input could have been a disaster for all,” it reads. Beyond his efforts on behalf of the towing and recovery community, Joey has also worked for a number of charitable causes. An active supporter of the Ontario March of Dimes, the Toronto Police Crime Stoppers, the Juvenile Diabetes Association, Joey is also a minor league hockey coach working with the Goulding Park Rangers hockey Association and the Whitby Fury Jr A hockey team. Of course, there is one last reason why Joey’s achievements

have earned him a ‘legendary’ status among Canadian towing professionals. Throughout his career, Joey has worked to modernize the public’s image of the industry. After a life in the business, Joey is well aware of the gulf between how people imagine towing and recovery professionals and how they really are. “There is a lot of confusion about who we are. The public hears a lot about negative experiences with tow truck drivers and they tend to generalize. People sometimes misconceive all tow truck operators as being big, burly guys on the shady side of life,”

2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 7

ON THE COVER

laments Joey. “Of course, when customers meet operators, customers are sometimes surprised by reality–our guys are really nice. The operators are providing them with great service and protecting them in bad situations.” This realization—that the more the industry is understood by consumers, the less likely consumers are to jump to easy stereotypes—has convinced Joey of the importance of getting in front of negative news stories about the industry. In interviews with the Globe and Mail, the CBC and the National Post, and many other

BUSINESSIN-BRIEF Abrams Towing Key Stats FOUNDED: 1981 EMPLOYEES: 200 FLEET SIZE: 160,

including tri-axle trucks, heavy wreckers and hydraulic float trailers ANNUAL OPERATIONS:

media outlets, Joey has explained the position of the mainstream towing community. When the story focuses on bad actors within the industry, Joey can be relied upon to share a simple message with readers. “It doesn’t matter if there are a thousand good guys to one bad guy, we all get painted with the same brush. It’s not unusual for us to be misrepresented, but that’s not who most of us are.” Whether members of the community revere Joey most for his herculean business accomplishment, work on industry associations and for charities, or his efforts to raise the profile of towing and recovery professionals—there is one thing all agree on. Joey is a guy who gets a lot done. Like all legendary heroes, Joey has relied on many others to pull off his big plans. There is one person he credits over all others for his accomplishments.

200,000

AREAS OF OPERATION:

Across Ontario, with teammembers based in Toronto, Mississagua, Hamilton, Windsor, Newmarket, Burlington

CHARITABLE CAUSES:

Ontario March of Dimes, the Toronto Police Crime Stoppers, the Juvenile Diabetes Association

8 TOWPROMAG.COM

Joey Gagne, the CEO of Abrams Towing Group in Toronto, Ontario.

"It doesn’t matter if there are a thousand good guys to one bad guy, we all get painted with the same brush. It’s not unusual for us to be misrepresented, but that’s not who most of us are.” — Joey Gagne “My wife,” he says matter-of-factly. “She’s been my rock and my biggest supporter all the way through. She encouraged me to start my business and helped me through thick and thin. She really helped me elevate the business to a level I don’t think I would have been able to achieve without her.”

WHO’S DRIVING

COACHING THE TEAM

Business leadership means bringing out the best in employees

BY JAY PERRY

ne of the 12 essential behavioural characteristics of leadership we teach is “leaders are good at giving encouragement, and they are never satisfied.” This is one of the toughest components of leadership and it requires tremendous skills to balance the need for improvement, even when things are good with keeping spirits high on a daily basis. What it entails is simple sounding, tell people they have done a good job and get them excited about doing even more. Of course, you can see that if one side of the formulae is not balanced properly things will go off-side quickly. What makes it critical is the fact that from the employee’s perspective there has always been a need for acknowledgment and recognition as the highest desired piece of what makes them satisfied, even over money!

Think of this as an athletic coach who speaks to the athlete about what they did correctly and where they are making improvements. The coach will then offer suggestions and, more importantly, ask questions that spark thoughts on how to go beyond the current performance level. The characteristic is balancing the celebration of success with motivation to improve. You can see where this could be simple or complex. A simple “thank you” can be appropriate or a big blow-out barbecue might be better, or a company event could be a way to celebrate to make people feel appreciated and create a desire for more of that type of recognition. On the other side of the scale is how to motivate people to want to do better. This is where the real skills are tested because you certainly do not want the message to be disheartening but rather

The coach will then offer suggestions and, more importantly, ask questions that spark thoughts on how to go beyond the current performance level.

One of the things that a lot of leaders have is the fear if they praise their people, they will become complacent, thinking, “OK, we are great. Let’s coast.” If done inappropriately this could be a result. The opposite could also happen with the employees feeling so dejected because there is no recognition of their efforts or, as one of our client’s workers told us in an interview, “It doesn’t seem to matter how much we do because they always want more.” The leaders were good at being never satisfied but not good at giving encouragement. With some coaching from us, the leader group was able to develop the right approach and improve morale and performance. This is where the skillset comes into play. It must be learned and practiced properly in a very balanced fashion to achieve the right results.

you want it to be optimistic and uplifting. As in a recent article by Gallup stated: “Managers play a huge role in your employees’ daily experience and engagement level. Give your people the kind of leader who will lift them up. Give them a coach, not a boss.” This is the attitude that will keep you the one who’s driving.

Jay Perry is the co-author of the book Success Manifesto with Brian Tracy and the founder of Ally Business Coaching, a process improvement and leadership development firm. He is also an education partner with California Coast University in Santa Ana, California. He can be reached at jayperry@a-b-c-inc.com.

2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 9

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL! Building up an effective fleet in an industry of individualists

stablishing a visual identity for your brand through your vehicles has other benefits. For one thing, uniformity provides a sense of professionalism to your operators--which will help you win over potential clients. Something about making your living on the open road attracts a certain type of rugged individualist into the auto recovery sector. If there’s one thing that individualists tend to avoid, it is working together--unless they believe it is to their advantage. Of course this means that the primary duty for fleet managers is creating a business model which makes it clear to operators that they are better off working with the fleet than competing with it. That might sound like herding cats, but there are a number of ways to make it clear to your team that they are better off working with you than competing against you. So how do you rally a bunch of independently minded operators around one banner? Here are a few ideas. Develop a recognizable brand If your fleet’s name is in the minds of drivers and partner business owners, your drivers will be better off. So how do you go about building recognition? It all starts with a paint job. Tow trucks themselves are excellent

10 TOWPROMAG.COM

advertisements--and, unlike billboards, they can be seen over much larger areas. Establishing a visual identity for your brand through your vehicles has other benefits. For one thing, uniformity provides a sense of professionalism to your operators--which will help you win over potential clients. The more clients, the easier time you’ll have convincing your operators of the benefits of being a part of a bigger team. There is another trick related to image uniformity to give the impression of increased professionalism. Fair warning, though, it might be harder to get your team behind you on. That trick? Uniforms. In truth, the pitch should be pretty simple. Ask yourself--and your operators--what impression they have of schools where the students wear uniforms compared to ones without dress codes. Most people agree that schools with uniforms seem more academic and the students better behaved than schools without them--whether or not that is actually the case!

Don’t go around measuring people for blazers, though. A simple, branded overall with safety reflector will be more than enough! Build broad connections Establishing connections are key to finding success in any industry—but, for tow truck businesses, they can be a matter of life and death. For growing companies, ensuring your operators have access to as large a market as possible means figuring out ways to establish the brand in the minds of people in the area-and that means getting the word about your business. One tried-and-true business practice is setting times to meet with local business leaders whose work dovetails with your own. In the towing sector, that means meeting with local collision and auto salvaging business managers, or lot owners. The goal of initial meetings with these business leaders should never be to walk away with a formal agreement. Instead, fleet managers should aim to do two things. The first: to make it clear that your company is eager to provide a tailored service to partner businesses. The second: to identify the ways competing businesses are letting these potential clients down--and working out ways to be better. At the end of the day, most businesses will make decisions based on what company makes

“Package delivery!” The magic words that let you get anyon to open their front door, provided you are wearing a brown polo and shorts.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

life easiest for them. Convincing them to give your business a shot to impress them means you have already cleared the biggest hurdle. Get Operator Buy-In Brand recognition is a good thing right up until the point that it isn’t. The more established a brand is, the bigger the risk is that someone on your team will sully it by doing something silly! Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot you can do to ensure that each member of your team is serving as an excellent brand ambassador. There are, however, a few techniques that could help encourage them to. The easiest is to establish some system

T o w i n g

a n d

which incentivises group success without holding back individual overachievement. The easiest way to incentivise, of course, is through paycheques. Many businesses offer a yearly bonus based 75 percent on individual achievement, and 25 percent on organizational success. Easy to understand, this ratio strikes a good balance between individual hard work, and co-operation. There is an even more effective technique, though it does come with an increased risk. At some high return investment companies, actual bonuses can be achieved by reaching transparently set individual performance targets, as well as by reaching organizational targets. In setting these targets, it is important the goals are realistic, but not a sure thing. If the targets seem impossible, they will actually serve to decrease morale. Too easy, and they will cause a dip in motivation. One way some businesses work around this balance problem is to set a sliding reward scale. The higher the target hit, the bigger the reward.

R e c o v e r y

N e w

EXPERT ADVICE: Nadeau’s Collision Service has been in business for more than 40 years in Peterborough Ont. Owners Kirk Edwards and co-owner Jenn Eggleton recently expanded into the towing industry. In order to highlight the new services offered by the long-time establishment, the owners painted an eye-catching silver and green design on their trucks, which are parked in front of the business while not in operation. According to Eggleton, making sure the the business’s is well-liked by the communities it serves takes more than catching the customer’s eye—as well-known is very different from wellliked. It begins with encouraging staff members to engage with the community on a personal level. “I think everyone here is personally involved and represents Nadeau's somehow in the community. Personally I live on a First Nations Reserve so I belong to the council,and sit next to the chief as a councilor. We're involved in all parts of the community.”

a n d

U s e d

H.R. Runciman & Co. Ltd. Sales, Service, Parts

5200 Dixie Road, #46, Mississauga, ON L4W 1E4 Tel 905.625.7222 • 1.800.361.6257 Fax 905.625.3790 • sales@runciman.com Contact: Gordon Godfrey • Joe Caruana • Kevin Godfrey

w w w.ru nciman.com 2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 11

DEDICATED TO QUALITY PRODUCES AND SERVICE

agle Towing and Equipment started in 1979 as a family business. Back then, the towing industry distributing company housed only one truck and one gas station. In 1985 the company became the only Ontario dealer for NRC Industries selling Canadian-made wreckers and car carriers. And eventually, the shop grew into a 15,000 sq. ft. facility housing a parts department, sales team and fabrication shop, located in Cambridge, Ontario. “With more 14 years of earned experience, we proudly understand the towing industry from bumper to bumper,” said Jack Poladian, operations manager at Eagle Towing. “Our goal is to provide tow truck operators with honest service and quality products. We strive to provide a unique customer relationship experience to the hard-working tow truck operators within the industry.” Poladian said Eagle’s Towing has been so successful thanks to true dedication by the owners Simon and Victor treat the business as a lifeline, always thinking about their next move and how to support their customers. In 2020, the company was among the essential businesses allowed to remain open amid COVID-19 lockdowns.

“We are fortunate to have a great team behind us. We were proactive with all our COVID-19 regulations. We implemented all the state practices and PPE right away. And we made sure to keep our doors open for the guys on the highway, risking their lives to the job,” said Poladian. Just a few weeks back, Poladian said they passed a COVID inspection with flying colours. Going into 2021, Eagle Towing has a lot in store. Lots of changes with NRC industries has brought a lot of changes to the equipment and model that NRC offers. In 2021, Eagle Towing will sell one of the largest rotators in North America, an upgraded version it calls a CSR85, and a new loader system that NRC came up with. Customers can also expect new products, changes in flatbeds and a lot of galvanized equipment— because according to Poladian, paint will slowly start to be phased out. Just last year, the company opened a brand new showroom up front, and now has a whole retail “fun section,” where they offer all of their stress changed binders and recovery equipment. The showroom is open for all customers to walk in and browse. All the new attachments and receivers for the heavy and flatbed towing are all on the shop floor.

“No one knows what’s going to happen, so we are just taking it day by day, working hard and trying to keep everyone as happy as we can,” said Poladian.

LIFTS

TOWING PRODUCTS

HTL 4000 Sneeker Wheel Lift SNEEKER LIFT

Stealth Unit DYNAMIC TOW

sneekerlift.com

dynamictow.com

Named for its subtle look, the Sneaker Wheel Lift is capable of lifting 1,550 kg (3,500 lbs) when fully extended, and has a 3,400 kg (7,800 lbs) tow rating. It has an engine-mounted, belt-driven clutch pump kit, a 12-volt electric hydraulic pump, and an air suspension kit. The Sneeker’s fully extendable stage stinger allows for retraction to go from one bumper to another. The three functions of the hydraulic system allow operators to perform labour-free wheel hook-ups. It is operated by a wireless radio signal remote.

The hauler Body Stealth is ideal for light-duty towing with underbody mounting, in-cab controls, and removable jaws. The unit has a hydraulic underbody wheel lift, making it ideal for dual rear wheel pickups. It lays flat on the ground for a low clearance hookup. The unit features in-cab controls, two toolboxes, three storage boxes, ratchets, straps, safety chains, tire spacer blocks and a tow light plug. Options include a remote camera, a clutch pump kit and frame support upgrades.

Heavy Duty Wheel-Lift ZACK LIFT

Forklift Wrecker by Minute Man Wheel Lifts MINUTE MAN WHEEL LIFTS

zacklift.com

minuteman1.com

Want to build a lift based on your specific needs? Zack Lift provides ruggedly constructed lifts designed to be as customizable as possible. Options include wireless remotes with rechargeable batteries and six or eight function winches. If a non-PTO/pump use is required, a 12V self-contained power system can be subbed.

Sometimes, the simplest design is the best. Designed with ease-of-use in mind, the Forklift Wrecker allows operators to quickly lift vehicles with a forklift. With no additional hydraulics required, the Forklift Wrecker immediately transforms a forklift into a vehicle lifter that secures itself around immobile vehicles in minutes. 2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 13

THE HONOUR ROLL

TOP OPERATORS

The towing professionals raising the profile of the industry

n this inaugural issue of Canadian Professional, the magazine has highlighted the work of towing professionals across Canada. From association leaders to operators who have helped raise awareness about the dangers faced by recovery professionals, the common theme among these figures isn’t just that they are all at the top of their game. The individuals included on this list are all working to improve the towing game for everyone.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

ALBERTA

Ronald Cowie Mundie’s Towing

Garry Leach United Towing Services

Ron Cowie has played a leading role in keeping Vancouver’s commuters moving ahead. In charge of a family business founded in 1976, Cowie has ensured that the Mundie’s fleet is among the best equipped in the country. With service across much of mainland B.C.’s south, Mundie’s offers an enormous array of services that urban commuters— whether or not they recognize it—rely on every day. Without Cowie’s work ensuring that it is there to tow the passenger vehicles, buses and semis, the metropolitan area would not be able to function properly.

Jamie Davis Jamie Davis Towing and Recovery

A founding member and past chair of the Western Canadian Automotive Business Association, and Jamie Davis Towing and Recovery in Hope, British Columbia. David is perhaps best known to non-tow pros for his work on television. He established himself as a leader in the B.C. and within the broader Canadian towing community long before his work on the Discovery Channel hit Highway Through Hell. Beyond his work in the industry and on the screen, the Towing Hall-of-Famer is known for his work raising awareness about the Slow Down Move Over campaign.

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An executive board member in the Western Canada Automotive Business Association, Garry Leach founded his business with just a tow truck and a dream. Six years later, the company’s fleet had grown to 55 tow trucks. It also became the first-ever towing company to go under contract with Manitoba Public Insurance. While still in his twenties, Leach served as the president of the Manitoba Automotive Trades Association’s towing director and as president. It was in that role that Leach became heavily involved in the drafting of Manitoba’s towing regulations. Today, Leach’s business has expanded into Alberta, where it is now based, and British Columbia, making it a primary towing partner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police over much of the Trans-Canada Highway. Outside of his work in business, Leach is a supporter of many community organizations and festivals. He has even served as the president of the Bow Valley Crime Stoppers Association. Despite being a Canadian, Leach received the American Towman Silver Star from the American Towman Show in 2014.

THE HONOUR ROLL

Geoff Tagg Tagg’s Extreme Towing & Boosting

After a car crashed into his winch line, Geoff Tagg, the owner of Tagg’s Extreme Towing & Boosting in Red Deer, became an advocate for tow safety. Now calling for the adoption of blue emergency lighting on tow trucks. He has spoken to newspapers about the dangers faced by towing professionals, and used interviews to ask drivers to remember that—in his words—“We just want people to slow down and take it easy, obey the law or pull over. We want to get home, too. We have families. We want to get home but we are out there, putting our lives on the line to help other people.” An early adopter of 24/7 service, Tagg’s Extreme Towing & Boosting has a reputation built on getting drivers home safely, and feeling respected. Tagg’s customer service talents have earned the business many five-star reviews. “Jeff was excellent. Courteous, prompt service what more can you ask for from a towing company. Followed up after and made it as seamless as possible. I am really impressed.”

SASKATCHEWAN Chris Kosty 24/7 Automotive

Using social media to share the more whimsical moments of life in the towing sector, and to prompt conversations about best practices in the industry, Saskatoon’s Chris Kosty is a prolific towing community builder. Through posts on a number of industry-related Facebook pages, Kosty has managed to start raise serious, thought-provoking conversations about everything from back-up alarms, to difficult customers and charging disputes. What makes Kosty’s work stand out—aside from his biting wit—is his willingness to discuss the moments most people won’t. In Kosty’s case, humility usually comes in the form of amusing anecdotes about his “smart-ass” getting him into trouble with outraged dimwits. While these stories always have humour, they also have serious messages as well. One post, in which Kosty describes a court case between a speeding driver and a towing pro whose chain ostensibly damaged the speeder’s car, Kosty ends with a gut punch. “I have to wonder why the court is even taking this seriously, or of our lives really do not matter to them. I have asked my friend to allow me to sit in on future court cases because I would really like to know what the judge says.” His work has gained him a following outside of the industry as well. In January, the CBC covered a story about his good Samaritan approach to a woman whose day could not have gotten any worse.

George Remple Low Cost Towing

As the president co-owner of Low Cost Towing in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, George Remple is known for his commitment to the business and to the towing community through his public support for new, safer lighting for tow vehicles. With yearly temperatures varying between 40 and -40 centigrade, the Remples have managed to turn inhospitable working conditions into a blue ocean space in the towing market. Online, the Low Cost team is praised for its commitment to customer service. “Best service I’ve ever had in my life! Always there when you need them thanks so much low cost towing you save my life,” wrote one delighted customer on the business’s web page. It isn’t just customers who have noticed the excellent service provided at the business. In 2016, Cindy and her husband George Remple were awarded the CAA Saskatchewan Roadside Assistance Award and Excellence. What sets Remple’s customer service work apart is his ability to quickly react to challenges. On March 21, as the coronavirus pandemic touched down in Canada, Remple’s skills came into clear focus. As nervous business owners across Canada released confusing mixed messages to customers, Remple wrote just one concise note. In it, he explained the new procedures that customers would follow in order to collect vehicles during the pandemic. “We are trying to take every precaution as a business to help stop the spread of COVID-19. If you are trying to get a vehicle released from impound, or collect items from your vehicle please call and we will try to accommodate this but please understand the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is our priority.”

MANITOBA Nick Roscoe Dr Hook’s Towing

Owner of Dr. Hook’s Towing in Winnipeg, Roscoe has been involved in the auto recovery sector for more than four decades. Founding his business in the 1970s, Roscoe has transformed it from a 10-person operation running six trucks into one with close to 100 fleet vehicles, and 125 employees. Roscoe’s success, he credits to three things. First, his focus on equipment investments allowed the business to establish a reputation for reliability—and earned the company a contract with Winnipeg’s government! Second, Dr. Hook was an early adopter of new approaches to the towing business, including computerized dispatching and 24/7 service. Third, he splits his duties with his wife, Julie, who leaves him to the day-to-day operations while she handles administration and accounting.

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THE HONOUR ROLL

ONTARIO Derek Didone County Towing

The vice president of the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario, Derek Didone has played a major role in efforts to raise the profile of the towing sector in Ontario and across Canada. The son of industry legend Derek Didone Sr., Didone’s involvement in the towing industry began when he was 14, and served as a dispatcher. After moving through the ranks of County Towing, he took on a leadership position, and is now serving as its vice president. In 2014, he was named a Towman of Recognition, and was elected to serve on the PTAO board. As a business leader, Didone serves as the owner of County Towing, to focus on strategic growth. With 18 highly trained staff members operating 25 fleet vehicles, the business has long provided light, medium and heavy duty towing and recovery services. Didone has also worked to diversify the businesses offerings, by offering services relied on by governmental organizations in Essex County. In fact, County Towing and Coxon provides traffic management services, manages hazardous materials transportation, and even employs a dedicated emergency response team coordinator. In 2018, County Towing purchased Coxon’s Towing in Windsor, a Canadian city directly south of Detroit. Since taking on his leadership role, County Towing and Coxon has moved towards environmentally friendly business practices. The business uses eco-friendly materials when available.

Larry Bartlett Bartlett’s Towing

For the past 30 years, Larry Bartlett has been one of Northern Ontario’s leading voices on issues related to the towing and recovery sector. A lifelong member of the towing and recovery community, he founded his company, Bartlett’s Towing, in 1988. A prolific blogger, Bartlett has urged fellow towing and recovery professionals to invest in upgrading equipment and providing up-to-date training for staff. He also played a pivotal role in developing new procedures to keep on-ice rescues on Lake Nipissing, one of the most unpredictable bodies of water in the world, safe for operators. These practices were used in the recovery of a truck that had fallen through Lake Nipissing’s ice sheet, and dropped more than 30 meters below the surface. He is also something of an industry pioneer, and is credited with establishing four-wheel drive off-road recoveries, bringing the first tilt and load into the North Bay-Nipissing region. A committed environmentalist, Bartlett has established his business as a leader in deep-water recoveries.

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Mark Graves Pine Ridge Services

Mark Graves is the president of the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario. A long term member actively involved in the organization’s efforts to solve shared problems facing towing professionals, Graves was named the Towman of the Year in 2017. Beyond his involvement in PTAO, Graves is also a board member for the Ontario Recovery Group. Joanne Graves, and Mark Graves founded Pine Ridge Services in 1998. Since then, the business has grown beyond its Thessalon, Ontario base of operations, operating a satellite office in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Pine Ridge Services provides light, medium and heavy towing, floating services, traffic control first response, and environmental remediation services.

Anna Godbout Godbout Towing

Anna Godbout is a member of PTAO in a leadership position at Godbout Towing in Kelowna, Ontario. When the Godbout family started the company in the 1980s, it had just two lightduty trucks. Today, Godbout Towing has grown into one of the most respected and largest towing companies in Northwestern Ontario. The Godbout name and number has become a known household in the area around Kenora, Ontario. Godbout has played a big role in bringing Godbout Towing beyond its work on highway recoveries. The business work closely with private organizations and governmental groups to manage abandon and illegally parked vehicles, tow impounded and seized vehicles, as well as perform off-road recoveries. The business has received praise for its safe management of high-stakes recoveries. Godbout has established emergency procedure for recovering even loaded transport trucks from lakes. With the Lakes around Kelowna flowing into the Great Lakes, it is difficult to overestimate the significance of Godbout’s work protecting the environment.

Tammy Vandenheuvel Preferred Towing

A long-standing member of the ORG and PTAO,Vandenheuvel is also involved in several charitable organizations. Beyond the towing sector, she is a professional child and youth worker, and recently purchased a building to serve as affordable, safe-housing units for homeless youth. Along with Gary Vandenheuvel, Tammy Vandenheuval founded Preferred Towing in Sarnia, Ontario in 1991. Over the next three decades, she has played a key role in building up the businesses fleet, taking it from just one light-duty wrecker to a 16-strong fleet of light, medium and heavy-duty wreckers, tractors, floats, rolloffs and disposal bins.

THE HONOUR ROLL

Andrew Vink Herb’s Towing

Andrew Vink is a long-standing member of the ORG, the Quebec Towing Association (APDQ), and is a current board member of the PTAO. A trained paramedic, Vink did not always imagine taking a leading role in the towing and recovery sector. As the grandson of industry legend Herb Vink Sr., Vink was one of six directors of Herb’s Towing. In the 2000s, he became involved in efforts to revive Herb’s Towing’s Cornwall, Ontario division. At the brink of collapse then, the Cornwall division has grown to employ 15 industry professionals.

Sal Fidele ABC Towing

Industry veteran Sal Fidele is a board member for the PTAO. He has served on the board of the PTAO since 2013. His work in the towing sector began in Mississauga in the 1980s. In 2000, he founded ABC Towing, which operates across Oakville and Burlington. While, in its first few years of operation, the company only offered light-duty towing, by 2003 it began to offer heavy towing recovery and float services.

Dennis Roberts TransCan Service Centre

Dennis Roberts is a PTAO board member, member of the Roadside Responders Association of Nova Scotia (RRA), a past member of the Towing and Recovery Alliance of Canada (TRAC), and of the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario (AARO), and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). Roberts has been a licensed automotive and heavy truck technician for more than 30 years. As the owner of TransCan Service Centre in Blind River, Ontario, Dennis’s business is a leading towing provider to the Blind River area and Highway 17 corridor between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.

Barry Money Terry & Marsh’s

PTAO board member Barry Money has been a member of the PTAO since 2005, and has previously served on the board of directors for the organization. He has also been involved with several other industry associations. As a business leader, Money owns Terry & Marsh’s in Barrie, Ontario. Since taking over, the business has grown to service all of Simcoe County.

John Paul Cruz JP Towing Service and Storage

PTAO board member John Paul Cruz began his career in the towing and recovery industry in the early 1980s. He aims to unite towers across Canada in order to improve the level of safe and reliable service provided to customers and the public. He previously served as the vice president of the PTAO. Within the industry, Cruz is determined to raise awareness of the need for formal training and professional standards within the towing and recovery industry. As the founder of JP Towing Service & Storage, Cruz has grown his business from a single-wrecker operation to one of Ontario’s most recognized brands. Cruz credits this success to his entrepreneurial candor, which allowed him to build strong relationships without sacrificing customer service.

Al Pinheiro Waterloo towing professional

One evening, Pinheiro heard that one of his friends in the police was involved in an active firefight between police and a man in a vehicle Pinheiro got behind the wheel of his tow truck. He then drove into the attacker’s car, giving police enough time to nab the shooter. “I knew exactly what I had to do – I had to make sure that it came to an end without anybody getting hurt or killed.” It later emerged that the shooter had been behind the killing of a stranger with a crossbow. Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin honoured Pinheiro for his actions.

Joey Gagne Abram’s Towing

Towing Hall of Famer Joseph Gagne has served as a president of PTAO on two occasions, and in a number of roles on its board. A noted industry advocate, Gagne has served as the acting press officer of the Ontario towing sector for more than a decade— responding to more than 30 media requests for comment from towing industry professionals. On the national level, Gagne worked with Parliamentarians to redraft a bill related to industry regulations. As a business leader, he has taken his business from a one man operation in 1983 to being Canada’s largest towing and recovery service provider. Beyond his work in the industry, Gagne supports a number of causes, including the Ontario March of Dimes, the Toronto Police Crime Stoppers, Sick Kids Hospital, Children’s Wish Foundation, Toronto Food Bank, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Juvenile Diabetes Association.

Stephen Ashworth PTAO CEO

Previously the president and CEO of the global association for business analysis – International Institute of Business Analysis, PTAO CEO Stephen Ashworth is a business executive who has brought an outside perspective to the work of the PTAO. Beyond his career, Ashworth has written articles covering governance, change management and strategic leadership.

2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 17

THE HONOUR ROLL

QUEBEC

ATLANTIC CANADA

Rejean Breton

Andrew Aker Capital Towing

As the president of the Association des Professionnels du Dépannage du Québec (APDQ), Rejean Breton works to raised the profile of the towing sector in Quebec. He took over the position in 2004, following the death of the founding president, Raymond Outlette. Under his tenure, Breton has help build-up the strength of the association membership list by focusing on delivering high-quality platforms for discussions. In 2015, Breton authored a new list of goals to guide the organization, which the membership approved without dissent. The move occurred just after Quebec implemented a move over law—a first of its kind in Canada. Last year’s Salon Provencial, the APDQ’s annual conference, brought more towing professionals together than ever before.

Pierre Laberge Laberge Group

The treasurer of the APDQ, Quebec’s towing professional association, Pierre Laberge is the president of the Laberge Group, which provides towing and roadside assistance services in Toronto, Montreal and Lachine. While APDQ’s funding comes, in part, from membership dues, the majority of its finances are collected through three fundraising events: the Raymond Ouellet Golf Open, the Elegance Contest ab=nd Technical Demonstrations of APDQ tow trucks and the Annual Congress and its National APDQ Salon Roadside Assistance. In his work as treasurer, Laberge has helped to keep the APDQ’s operations running efficiently, allowing the 25-year-old association to spread its message effectively.

Jean Paul Larouche Larouche Remorquage

Since 1979, the Larouche Remorquage team has provided Quebecers with the towing services they need to operate in the province’s merciless climate. Under the leadership of Jean Paul Larouche, who took over the company at the turn-of-the-century, the business has grown immensely, from operating a 10 vehicle fleet, to a 30 vehicle fleet. Honoured by the AllState Performers Club on several occasions, the business is also loved by consumers. Online, it isn’t just that the company is praised for its efficiency and customer service, but for its work ensuring that no customer is left upset. “Following an email that I sent to the company and which explains the problem, the team contacted me. They took the problem seriously… Congratulations to Larouche.”

Mario Mayer Remorquage My-Jo

In 1994, Mario Mayer founded a small towing business in Blainville, Quebec. A quarter-of-a-century later, Mayer’s business has grown to occupy a 50,000 square-foot facility, one of Canada’s leading providers of non-standard transportation. Outside of his work as a business leader, Mayer is also the current secretary of the APDQ. A position he was elected to by members. 18 TOWPROMAG.COM

Andrew Aker, a co-owner of Capital Towing, located just outside Fredericton, has become the face of the Slow Down, Move Over campaign in the province. Pursuing the issue in the press, Aker has urged both Progressive Conservative and Liberal governments to amend move over laws to include tow truck operators. As a business leader, Aker has been praised online for his caring approach to roadside recoveries. In fact, Capital Towing has long maintained a five-star rating in its online reviews on Facebook— and not because of a lack of reviews!

Paul Beaton Beaton’s Towing

The president of the Roadside Responders of Nova Scotia, Paul Beaton has long volunteered his time for the betterment of the Atlantic towing community. Beyond his work with the RRNS, Beaton runs Beaton’s Towing, which was founded by his parents in 1964. Located in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, the business performs operations in and around Halifax. In 2016, it received a consumer’s choice award, and was declared the best towing service in Halifax.

Chris Doucet Chris Doucet Repairs, Nova Scotia

Towing professional Chris Doucet frequently works with local RCMP detachments to provide the police with vital assistance in its investigations. In March, his assistance on a Cape St Mary’s, N.S. crime scene made national headlines. With his assistance in an underwater recovery, the RCMP were able to establish that no one had been harmed in the making of a video showing a vehicle plunging into the Atlantic.

Karen Ruggles Ruggles Towing and Recovery

Karen Ruggles serves as a board member for the Roadside Responders of Nova Scotia, and is a noted advocate for women in the towing sector. The daughter of industry legend Ralph Ruggles, who founded Ruggles Towing and Recovery in 1959, she was very familiar with the towing sect by the time Ruggles trained as a tow truck operator in 1991. Since taking command of the business, she has established its reputation as a market-leader in providing flat bed services for specialty vehicles and towing heavy-duty vehicles.

INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, SIZE SHAME Why fortune will favour towing businesses that invest in long hauls BY GIDEON SCANLON

ffering ‘friends rates’ might sound like a bad business philosophy, but, for mid-sized towing service providers looking to carve out a ‘blue ocean space’, there are advantages in certain situations. This month, one of the most respected papers on the auto repair sectors, the 13th annual white paper, A 2018 Profile of the Evolving U.S. and Canada Collision Repair Marketplace from the Romans Group LLC, made it clear that Canadian tow businesses may now be in a position to one such situation. In Canada, collision repair shops are—on average—smaller than in the United States. That is also true of the sector’s dollar value. The U.S. collision industry is 15 times as profitable as its Canadian counterpart—but there are only 11 American cars for every Canadian one. More interestingly, there are only seven times as many repair businesses open in the United States as in Canada. On a per-business level, the average shop in the United States is 2.4 times as profitable one up north. This shop size difference is key to understanding why Canadian businesses are not able to generate as much profit as their American peers. As a shop’s volume of business increases, their efficiency in making repairs also increases because those businesses have the means to invest in the latest technology, training and industry certifications. As they grow, they tend to drive less efficient businesses in their areas out of business. This is not happening as frequently in Canada as in the United States. While some larger facilities are able to thrive up north, they tend to be clustered in one of two places: around the outer edge of metropolitan commuter belts, or within mid-sized, regionally important cities. Within the more expensive downtowns, specialty shops can sometimes find their niche, but mid-sized locations are hard to spot downtown.

In more rural locations, small to mid-sized businesses tend to rule the roost—limited local demand being a cap on the market. With 8.75 times as many Americans as Canadians, living across a slightly smaller landmass, far more of the United States lies in the ‘Goldilocks zone’ for larger, better equipped facilities. In Canada, with its relatively dispersed population, smaller operators have a healthy niche. While these businesses may not be as efficient as bigger ones, their proximity to population centres often means they will be the most economically optimal place for a vehicle to be towed. And therein lies the rub—or, rather, the opportunity. Mid-sized fleet businesses that are able to establish business relationships with these premier businesses, have a distinct opportunity to expand their spheres of geographic control. By reducing the cost of long-haul rates, tow providers essentially increase the amount of territory it becomes economically efficient to tow a vehicle to a top-tier shop. As these businesses expand, the value of being a favoured—or formal—towing provider also increases. As smaller shops become less favoured, their doors close, leaving larger and larger areas of ‘blue ocean space’ for towing fleets. Of course, smaller towing providers—especially single truck operations— will also struggle to compete with tow fleets able to use the economics of scale to appeal to collision facilities and to auto insurers.

Gideon Scanlon is the editorial director of Media Matters, and the editor of Collision Repair magazine and Canadian Towing Professional. He can be reached at 905-370-0101.

2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 19

EXECUTIVE VISION

YOU DON’T KNOW JACK! Eagle Towing’s Jack Poladian on equipping an industry in transition

owing industry advocate Jack Poladian is the operations manager at Eagle Towing, Ontario’s only distributor for NRC Industries towing and recovery equipment. Poladian fills us in on how a family-owned company, kickstarted in the 1970s, is still booming today–and about what he wishes people knew about the industry.

Collision Repair: Over the years, Eagle Towing has expanded from a one-truck company to a fully functioning business in a 15,000 square foot facility, how? Jack Poladian: At the end of the day, it all comes back to true dedication. My family has put their heart, soul, and every waking minute into this company. Eagle Towing isn’t treated as a business, it’s treated as a lifeline and every moment Simon and Victor [co-owners] are

Eagle Towing general manager Jack Poladian between founders Victor and Simon Poladian.

CR: What do you think the future of Eagle Towing looks like?

CR: Nearly every industry faces some negative misconceptions–but it is a particular issue towing professionals face. How is Eagle Towing working to redefine the public’s conception of the towing business?

JP: Personally, I believe the future of this business is a bright one. Ever since I’ve been on board, we’ve increased sales by 300 percent, our service amounts have almost doubled, and we’re still pushing forward.

JP: Many people have misconceptions about the towing industry due to a few bad apples. They are ruining things for the good ones! But at Eagle Towing we hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we deal with a lot of tow

thinking about their next move and how to support their customers.

“If civilians could pull over and respect tow truck operators that would be great because, at the end of the day, everyone has a family and people risk their lives to help others in a jam. There’s nowhere in the rule books that says “you have to operate a tow truck,” these guys choose to come out and help no matter rain, sleet, hail, snow, or cars on fire!” —Jack Poladian

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HEROIC HIGHLIGHTS

The exterior of Eagle Towing’s Cambridge, Ontario facility.

Where Eagles Dare: A closer look at Eagle Towing in Cambridge, ON

“I want to say to all of them, be fair with everyone–It’s our job to do incident management and help others while staying humble. Do your best to do the best quality of work that you’re capable of.” companies where the owners have a passion for what they’re doing, care for their customers and employees. There’s so much good in the industry. We all want to change that persona that the towing industry has by doing good quality work, and making sure everyone’s equipment works right and feels safe. CR: What is one thing you wish people knew about working in this industry? JP: It would be nice if people acknowledge towers as a form of emergency response because there’s a lot of people who risk their lives waiting on the side of the road for help. If civilians could pull over and respect tow truck operators that would be great because, at the end of the day, everyone has a family and people risk their lives to help others in a jam. There’s nowhere in the

rule books that says “you have to operate a tow truck,” these guys choose to come out and help no matter rain, sleet, hail, snow, or cars on fire. We are on-site doing whatever they can to help. CR: For any collision repair business looking to expand into towing, what is one piece of advice you would give? JP: It’s tricky, because depending on what area you tow out of, collision repair companies and towing companies need to be segregated due to towing regulations. However, to collision repairers who really want to expand in this industry and can. I want to say to all of them, be fair with everyone–It’s our job to do incident management and help others while staying humble. Do your best to do the best quality of work that you’re capable of.

A family that owes much to Canada's towing community is makes good on its debt The Poladian family of Cambridge, Ontario, owes much to Canada's towing and recovery sector. In 1978, two brothers who had emigrated to Cambridge, Ontario from Armenia, founded Eagle Towing. While today, the firm may be one of Onrario’s best-known tow truck distribution companies, back then, it was a service provider operating alongside a humble gas station. Over the next forty years, Victor, Simon and their children poured their energy and ideas into the business. The dividends on their efforts were paid in full. Today, the company operates out of 15,000 sq. ft. facility, keeping their growing crowd of customers happy and drivers safe on the roads. It is the Poladian’s passion for their work that keeps them afloat.

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HEROIC HIGHLIGHTS

LIVE ON THIN ICE When death is a crack away, True North Track Truck’s Brandon Friesen doesn’t freeze-up BY GIDEON SCANLON

n the frozen-over surface of Lake Winnipeg, disaster struck. A pickup truck with an attached trailer broke through the ice and became partially submerged. With their community known for being one of the best ice-fishing destinations in the world, the citizens of Balsam Bay, Manitoba are all too familiar with this situation. When ice breaks and vehicles are involved, they know who to call. Brandon Friesen is the owner of True North Track Truck, a towing business that specializes in ice rescues. The brand has built up modified trucks with distinctive ice tracks. Just their presence is enough to draw crowds to watch vehicle recovery operations live, on thin ice.

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Friesen wasn’t sure that he’d provided much excitement to observers that day. By his standards, the job had been rather dull. But then he saw a Ford F-150 driving towards him—and over the now broken ice surface. “We rescued the truck without water damage but realized the ice was still too thin to safely work on the trailer. We’d need another week before it would be thick enough,” “While we were working, another truck appeared. The three gentlemen inside tried to cross the pressure crack open ice that the camper had caused.” The ice did not hold. Friesen watched as the vehicle dropped into the dark waters—with the three

Brandon Friesen is the owner of True North Track Truck.

HEROIC HIGHLIGHTS

“While we were working, another truck appeared. The three gentlemen inside tried to cross the pressure crack and open ice that the camper had caused.” —Brandon Friesen passengers trapped inside. With the cabin entirely submerged, the men struggled to free themselves. “The third guy felt he had another second before he would have drowned,” says Friesen. “Fortunately, we were right there.” Locals know just where to go for the best shows. Friesen often finds himself operating in the same areas with deceptively thin ice. In the aftermath of the rescue, Friesen issued a social media post warning would-be ice fishers of the dangers of deceptively thin ice. Unfortunately, the message did not reach one driver—who later drove right into a hole on the lake’s surface. His vehicle was left in a precarious position—its front-right wheel submerged as the cold air began to close up the lake’s surface. Fortunately for the driver, however, Friesen was there to pull off the day’s third and final rescue. “It’s simply our job to do incident management and help others while staying humble,” said Friesen.

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2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 23 21-01-26 10:38

ROADSIDE SAFETY

ENLIGHTENING LIGHTS TV’s Al Quiring and J.W. Speaker team up on roadside safety

f there’s one thing Al Quiring really wants to see his fellow towing professionals do, it is to take their personal safety more seriously. In fact, when asked what advice he would share with ambitious young people in the towing sector looking to build-up their businesses would be, he says: “Pay attention to what is coming down the road, and make sure it pays attention to you.” It is good advice. Being struck by a fastmoving vehicle during a roadside operation will end a career far more quickly than any particular business decision. The Highway Thru Hell star, whose profile on the show has increased significantly in its more recent episodes, has teamed up with U.S. manufacturer J.W. Speaker in order to promote his message—and to promote the company’s own lighting solutions. It is difficult to imagine a more charming pitchman. Even when promoting J.W. Speaker’s products, Quiring seems absolutely sincere. “The SmartHeat, is the cat’s meow for keeping the lens clear. I use the Model 8800 SmartHeat Headlights.” explains Quiring. “What is most important to me is that the

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SmartHeat lets drivers working in adverse road conditions spend less time outside of their cabs, where it is dangerous.” That’s not to say he doesn’t know his stuff. Even when taken by surprise by a question about the advantages of the SmartHeat lenses over halogens, Quiring doesn’t miss a beat. “A halogen light generates a lot of heat— most of which is directed inside, not onto the lens. That makes them a big power draw. With my lights, the SmartHeat technology is incorporated into the LED light itself. There’s also a grid pattern on the front, which means nothing is going to stop them from beaming clear down the highway.” The veteran road warrior, however, can only be held back for so long. “Look, whether it is a kid chasing a ball, or a herd of wood bison, I don’t want my truck hitting it,” Quiring says. “I could pay $15 for bulbs, but the investment is worth it.” It is clear J.W. Speaker has no interest in reducing Quiring’s famously frank style into a bunch of agency-approved sound-bites. In fact, long before he was a celebrity, J.W. Speaker had sought out Quiring’s input on product performance.

ROADSIDE SAFETY

“I wasn’t featured on the show too much until one episode, when I did something all of the crew thought I wouldn’t pull-off. I did... In fact, when I caught the director’s eye, it was the first time I’d ever used LED seeing lights, which J.W. Speaker had asked me to try out. By the time I got home, I had a set for my partner, Gord. I couldn’t let him go another mile without them.” —Al Quiring

“For towing and a lot of our other markets, we get out in the field. We identify what problems towing professionals, agricultural workers, mining engineers – are having, and then we apply our technologies to finding solutions,” says Gary Durian, engineering director at J.W. Speaker.

“I wasn’t featured on the show too much until one episode, when I did something all of the crew thought I wouldn’t pull-off. I did.” “In fact, when I caught the director’s eye, it was the first time I’d ever used LED seeing lights, which J.W. Speaker had asked me to try out. By the time I got home, I had a set for my partner, Gord. I couldn’t let him go another mile without them.” Quiring isn’t the only towing professional who has worked with the manufacturer to ensure the quality of its products. The J.W. Speaker team says it relies on the input of towing professionals and members of the other industries it creates products for, in order to make sure it is meeting the market’s needs. “For towing and a lot of our other markets, we get out in the field. We identify what problems towing professionals, agricultural

Highway Thru Hell star Al Quiring has teamed up with the team at J.W. Speaker to promote their solutions for towing industry lighting issues.

workers, mining engineers – are having, and then we apply our technologies to finding solutions. The SmartHeat itself was originally designed for forklifts,” says Gary Durian, engineering director at J.W. Speaker. Durian also says that the company’s relationship with industry members means it sometimes receives its best ideas from tow operators without even asking. “We are very proud of how many ideas come to us directly from industry professionals. They reach out to our customer care folks on a daily basis,” says Durian. “Recently, we were asked if it would be possible to come up with a light that shifts between white and amber, depending on a driver’s needs. It was simple to do, but it hadn’t been done before!” That idea led to the design of the Model 234 Flash LED Tail Lights with SmartHeat. The taillights are also available in five different

colour options: amber, blue, green, red and clear with programmable strobe patterns. The technology is exciting to Quiring, who had not heard of the colour-changing system, and the pair immediately begin bouncing application ideas off each other, and discussing emergency lighting conventions in different parts of the world. While the pair may have moved past their speaking notes, the exchange makes it clear why Quiring is the perfect person to pitch J.W. Speaker’s products. He shares the company’s passion for industrial lighting. He wants everyone to be as passionate about it as well. As he puts it, “We operate in avalanche zones, flood zones and–generally—in bad driver zones. You have to think about your lighting. You’ve got to check it, and adapt it if you want to get home.”

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AFTERMARKET AFFAIRS

SCANNING THE SCENE How the aftermarket’s value is being drained by high-tech tricks BY ELIZABETH SARGEANT

he value of undrivable vehicles could go up significantly if auto parts customers had access to the same vehicle scanning technology given to auto repair facilities. For towing professionals, this means that the value of their specialized cargo is not being realized to its full potential. “Because there’s no Interchange telling us what will work and what won’t work in other vehicles, recyclers aren’t taking these parts off of the car. There is a labour cost, and if there is no chance of recovering that by selling parts, then it is a dead cost,” says Pat Ryan, a services consultant at auto paint firm Akzo Nobel. It is a problem that Ryan first encountered in 2016. At the time, he wanted to do a project in which he and his coworkers would use the same type of technology that body shops use to scan cars in recyclers inventory, in order to determine which of the electronic components were still usable and resellable in a novel and efficient way. “We embarked on this project and ended up hitting a very big dead end. A lot of these components were ‘married’ to the car,” says Ryan. “When an auto part is married to the

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car, its technology is tied to the vehicle’s VIN number, leaving it virtually useless when reattached to a different vehicle.” While features such as door mirrors, tail lights, and lane departure warning modules seem to be easily reintegrated into new vehicles - ECM, PCM, and other core electronic components can not. For auto recyclers, this is nothing short of a disaster. “Every car being recycled has at least four or five of these major components alongside a whole series of micro-component. Some of them are marriable and some of them are not,” Ryan explained. According to Ryan, this isn’t only hurtful to recycler’s businesses, but to the environment. “It’s a tremendous environmental issue. We’re landfilling a whole bunch of stuff that really is recyclable so at this point in time without the Interchange and not being able to take these modules back to their original state it really holding us back.” As secondary beneficiaries of rises in auto parts prices, towing professionals could play a role in pushing for a resolution to the issue. “If industry stakeholders were to fund a project to solve this issue, the solution would be ahead.”

“Because there’s no Interchange telling us what will work and what won’t work in other vehicles, recyclers aren’t taking these parts off of the car. There is a labour cost, and if there is no chance of recovering that by selling parts, then it is a dead cost.” —Pat Ryan

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

BUILDING TRUST

Concerned about your advice to clients being misconstrued?

hen 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 with auto repair facilities may seek to provide sincere advice. One good way for towing professionals to avoid accusations of taking advantage of drivers is to provide information that is true, and not about any particular facility.

Here are some talking points towing and recovery professionals may find to be worth keeping in mind. What you can tell them:

It is their legal right to choose which collision repair

facility, just as it is their right to choose whichever towing service they would like to service their vehicle.

Insurance companies do provide recommendations to drivers about which repair facility would be appropriate to seek the services of.

Insurance companies recommendations can be

based on many factors, not all of them related to the quality-of-service the consumer receives.

Partner businesses are usually chosen for reputation, timeliness, quality-of

-repairs, ease-of-doing business with the insurer and ability to perform repairs at a discount in return for access to higher volumes of business.

While some auto insurers may describe repairs performed at

non-recommended locations as being not guaranteed by the insurer, most

auto repair providers do guarantee all procedures for the lifetime of a vehicle.

Many vehicle manufacturers supply lists of auto

repair facilities they have certified to repair their brands of vehicle based on their specified repair procedures.

These lists can be found online. Many OEMs provide referrals to auto repair shops. 2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 27

THE ROAD AHEAD

Operator Todd Burgess, 53, was struck and killed in the line of duty on Nov. 7, 2019

RALLYING FOR REMEMBRANCE

Why Canada’s Tow Pros Must Stand Together

BY GIDEON SCANLON

here is something wrong with the world. Until the towing professional community rallied together, Canada’s public news outlet’s online platform had given more attention to an unfortunate bear than the tragic loss of a towing professional and community leader. On November 13, 2019, a black bear was struck by a tow truck driver near Owen Sound, Ont. The news was reported by the CBC.ca in a November 16, 2019 article—two days later. In it, an Owen Sound Police community service reporter is quoted delivering the sad news. “When the police arrived on scene, they realized that the bear has succumbed to its injuries as a result of the collision.” On November 7, 2019, a driver struck and killed Todd Burgess, a towing professional working on an infamously dangerous stretch of road near Scugog, Ontario. The CBC website story on Burgess was posted on November 13, 2019—almost a full week after his death. The crux of the story wasn’t actually his death, but his funeral. During the service, more than 200 fellow industry workers had participated in a ride-through to draw attention 28 TOWPROMAG.COM

“There is a

perceived lack

of public interest in stories about

the dangers facing members of the

auto aftermarket

figures. There is a reader interest in

stories where tow

truck drivers strike

photogenic animals. This is unjust.”

to the dangers faced by towing professionals. My point isn’t to criticize the CBC for its coverage of the towing community. In fact, as news outlets go, it covers these stories well, fairly and with a balance not seen elsewhere. In fact, CBC radio reached out to us for advice on covering the issues that plague roadside operators, and indicated a desire to highlight the issue—something no other publication did. Nor am I foolish enough to throw stones in my own glass house. We also held back on running the story of Todd’s death until it was reasonable to assume his close friends or family members would have been informed. My point is that there is a lack of interest in covering stories about the dangers facing members of the auto aftermarket figures. There is a reader interest in stories where tow truck drivers strike photogenic animals. The towing community members who came out to raise awareness of the dangers facing roadside recovery vehicle worker s managed to redress this imbalance. They should be applauded. Only by rallying together will the towing be able to break through the public’s indifference.

ASSOCIATION CHECK-IN

ON YOUR MARK

PTAO president Mark Graves on uniting the aftermarket behind a common purpose

t has been a productive—if difficult— year for the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario’s president, Mark Graves. For one thing, press coverage of the towing industry in Ontario has paid special attention to the actions of a small group of criminals tenuously connected to the collision sector. While this might not sound like fertile ground for improving the towing industry’s relationship with the general public, members of the organization—

himself included—had accomplished something rather impressive. In each major story covering incidents related to this story, PTAO members had managed to share one key point with listeners—that these crimes victimized the vast majority of members of the towing profession—more so than any other group. For another, tow professional Todd Burgess was killed just outside Oshawa, Ontario, while performing a roadside recovery operation.

While the incident, naturally, struck close to home for many PTAO members, the accident also struck a chord with the general public. Unlike in many other situations, the news media began to cover the issue as if a person—rather than a member of a high risk profession—had died. Graves recently sat down with Canadian Towing Professional to discuss how the towing industry could work more effectively with other sectors of the automotive aftermarket .

Canadian Towing Professional: Tow

There has always been a symbiotic relationship between garages, towing companies and auto bodyshops. They have worked together for years, and I think we can build on that to make the roads safer for everyone.

MG: I’m not really sure. It is something that we have to sit down and discuss. We should sit down and figure out the issues collision shops are having. We know we all have issues with insurance companies--what they want to pay, and how they want to pay. Each company wants its own type of billing and infrastructure to be the one that gets followed. If we could work with the bodyshops to come up with some cohesiveness in the billing structure that works with the insurance companies, it would mean we all would get paid faster.

operators have found themselves painted in a bad light and the result of the malpractice of a few bad eggs. The coverage of these bad actors often has a rippling effect for the industries. What are the biggest public misconceptions about tow operators? Mark Graves: Well, the only thing that is

ever put out through the news is always the bad stuff. So there is a lot of fear and worry about what happens when you break down on the road. The vast majority of towers are good company and good people. They are in this business to helpt he public. They want to help you, even if a few bad stories can make that hard to believe!

CTP: Could each of these sectors work a little more effectively with one another? MG: I find that all of the industries are

would you say was the biggest change that has faced tow professionals—in relation to their work with other businesses in the automotive aftermarket?

very siloed. We could get a better working relationship and solve common problems collectively. We see each group as fighting their own battles right now, but if we worked together and fought collectively, we might have more success. If the organizations and associations related to towing, collision repair and auto garages could manage to get groups to come together., we could get a better working relationship. That would be in order to solve common problems.

MG: I don’t know that there has been any

CTP: What would you say was the biggest

CTP: As we begin a new decade, what

change one way or another.

of those shared problems?

CTP: What is PTAO focusing on for 2020? MG: We are working with a lot of different

groups and organizations, working on developing ways that everything can be standardized—practices and safety procedures. Our priority is always our operators. We’re really focused on keeping tow truck operators safe on Ontario’s roads. That’s the overall goal.

2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 29

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

EAGLE TOWING SHAKES UP THE INDUSTRY Much like any industry, tow truck drivers often face backlash for their line of work. From a distrust of the system to an accusatory approach that some take towards the person who just rescued their car off the side of the road, people in the towing industry don’t have it easy. But companies like Eagle Towing are working to make things better. Jack Poladian, operations manager at Eagle Towing combats misconceptions created by “a few bad apples” by holding himself and his staff to a higher standard from what they know. “Many people have misconceptions about the towing industry due to a few bad apples that are ruining things for the good ones,” Jack Poladian, Operations Manager at Eagle Towing told Collision Repair. “But we hold ourselves to a higher standard from what we know.” Poladian and his family’s history in the industry represents a side of towing that many choose not to see. Launching in 1978, Eagle Towing - a tow truck distributing company - housed only one truck and one gas station. Now in 2019, the company operates out of 15,000 sq. ft. facility, keeping their growing crowd of customers happy and drivers safe on the roads. It is the Poladian’s passion for their work that keeps them afloat. “It all comes back to true dedication.

My family has put their heart, soul, and every waking minute into this company.” Poladian said. “Eagle Towing isn’t treated as a business, it’s treated as a lifeline and every moment Simon and Victor [co-owners] are thinking about their next move and how to support their customers.” Not only is Eagle Towing changing the way people see tow truck operators as business professionals, but as emergency services. Poladian reminded Collision Repair that civilians must pull over when they see a tow truck operator heading towards a wreck,

considering the high-risk of car crash victims waiting on the side of the road for help. “At the end of the day, everyone has a family and people risk their lives to help others in a jam,” said Poladian. “There’s nowhere in the rule books that says “you have to operate a tow truck,” these guys choose to come out and help no matter rain, sleet, hail, snow, or cars on fire. We are on-site doing whatever they can to help. “ When it comes to Eagle Towing’s future as a business and as a key asset to the industry in Ontario, Poladian says Eagle Towing is only going up. Eagle Towing is in Cambridge, Ontario.

CAA CALLS ON ONTARIO To commemorate the province’s fourth annual Tow Safety Week, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) issued a call for the Ontario

government to prioritize towing industry regulations. CAA SCO issued an online statement calling for provincial regulations in the towing industry. The company CAA SCO is calling for towing regulation. calls the towing industry “problematic” due to long wait times, impolite interactions between towing operators and clients, and high towing bills. CAA SCO maintains that provincial regulation

30 TOWPROMAG.COM

remains an essential step in protecting the province’s drivers. It hopes the regulations would ensure Ontario’s motorists have certainty when it comes to towing services, regardless of when or where the province’s drivers require support. The company’s call-to-action echoes London, Ontario’s decision to craft a bylaw regulating the local tow truck industry, specifically “chaser” tow trucks. CAA SCO also recognizes that new regulations would likely improve any strained relationships between consumers and tow truck operators. The company said it hopes regulations will help the public gain “respect for the men and women who work hard to provide an important service on our roads.”

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

TOW-RONTO In early October Toronto launched a sixweek towing blitz in the city’s downtown core, targeting vehicles that are illegally blocking lanes during rush hours. On October 4, Toronto mayor John Tory announced that the city will be launching a towing pilot project to remove illegally parked vehicles from Queen Street. The project began October 7 and was scheduled to continue for six-to-eight weeks. During those weeks, Toronto tow trucks will patrol a 13-kilometre stretch, removing illegally parked vehicles between the Fallingbrook Road and Queen Street East intersection all the way through Roncesvalles Avenue and Queen Street West. The city has dedicated about $80,000 in funds the for the pilot project. Similar towing endeavours have launched in the past, but Tory has maintained that this project is different, as vehicles will be towed to spots on nearby sidestreets rather than an impound lot. That way, tow trucks will have can get back onto Queen Street to continue towing in a more timely matter.

If someone suspects their vehicle has been towed, they are advised to call the Toronto police non-emergency line, where they will be told the location of their vehicle. While the towing fee will be waived for Toronto’s offenders, drivers will be issued a $150 no-stopping ticket. “I think everybody in the city has felt the frustration of sitting behind a vehicle with its flashers on,” said Tory. “Traffic congestion that is caused by illegally parked vehicles is dangerous and frustrating.” In 2018, officials said that nearly 11,000 no-stopping tickets were issued on Queen Street during rush hours, forcing 2,400 vehicles to be towed. Tory said the city is targeting Queen Street based on its public transit accessibility; illegally parked cars and trucks have been hindering public transit vehicles, delaying

Toronto mayor John Tory launched a towing blitz on the city’s downtown core in early Oct.

them from completing scheduled routes in a timely manner. The city has also installed Bluetooth monitoring software on the street to measure traffic flow and determine the project’s overall effeciency. If successful, the project could become a permanent practice.

MAINTENANCE MERGER Two Alberta businesses—a towing company and a landscape maintenance company—announced a merger in mid-October, forming one of Canada’s largest municipal external service providers. The merger is between City Wide Towing and Recovery Service, a Calgary, Alta.-based towing service, and ULS Maintenance and Landscaping in Rocky View, Alta. ULS provides snow and ice management, garbage

collection, landscape maintenance and other related services to municipal and commercial clients across Western Canada. Signal Hill Equity Partners provided growth capital for the transaction. According to the companies, the new partnership will form a market leader in exterior services, with more than 500 employees and five operational hubs in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The new company will serve more than 30 towns, cities and

City Wide Towing and ULS Maintenance have announced a merger, forming one of Canada;s largest municipal service providers.

municipalities. The two companies said the transaction creates Western Canada’s largest diversified municipal external services company. “We are looking forward to working with ULS,” said Eytan Broder, CEO of City Wide Towing. “By partnering with Western Canada’s largest landscape maintenance and snow removal company, we are executing on our strategy of building a diversified national municipal and commercial services provider.” City Wide Towing has provided towing and recovery services across Alberta since 1963. Its services include towing, equipment transportation, boosting, lockouts, fuel delivery, tire changes and other specialty services in the surrounding areas. According to the company, it operates the largest towing and recovery fleet in Western Canada, providing services to various auto clubs, insurance companies, equipment rental companies, auto dealerships and municipalities. Established in 1989, ULS has provided year-round services in landscape design, construction, maintenance, and snow and ice management to clients in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 31

INDUSTRY ISSUES

owing 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 of 1,517 Canadians. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20. “The study’s findings regarding attitudes and perceptions tells us there is a need for more education,” says Jeff Walker, CAA chief strategy officer. “If you plan to consume cannabis, don’t drive. Make an alternate arrangement just like you would for drinking.” According to a CAA study, a quarter of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 35 admit to having driven while under the intoxicating effects of marijuana, or driving in a car with someone they knew to be high. Interestingly enough, more than 85 percent of young Canadians also accept that it is important to make plans to avoid driving after consuming alcohol. Just 70 percent, view avoiding driving while under the influence of marijuana is of less importance than while under the influence of alcohol. “Cannabis may impair your driving differently than alcohol, but the effect is the

PETAL TO THE METAL Young people driving high

same – decreased reaction times that can lead to collisions and even fatalities,” says Walker. Medical professionals agree. In fact, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse says that the use of marijuana

CAA chief strategy officer Jeff Walker. “The study’s findings regarding attitudes and perceptions tells us there is a need for more education.”

32 TOWPROMAG.COM

can cause altered perceptions of colours, time, impairments to co-ordination, thoughprocessing, memory processing, and mood control. It can also cause hallucinations, delusions and psychosis.

Marijuana can be imbibed in several ways, not all of which leave behind the tell-tale smell of the plant’s smoke. Vapes, enemas, baked goods and suppositories can all be used to get high discretely.

INDUSTRY ISSUES

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 of 1,517 Canadians. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

DEALING WITH HIGH CLIENTS According to the Canadian Criminal Code, driving while impaired by drugs—including marijuana—is prohibited. Penalties range from fines for first-time offenders, to life imprisonment in situations that lead to a death. The severity of a punishment is based on the amount of THC—the psycoactive chemical found in marijuana. Drivers with between two and five nanograms of THC per ml of blood face less serious punishments than those found to have more than five nanograms per mililitre of blood. While users may believe themselves to

be harmless and seek to convince members of the auto aftermarket not to report them to the police, towing professionals have a responsibility to act. Those who suspect clients of driving high should report the matter to police. “Impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death and injury in Canada,” the Department of Justice writes. “In 2017, there were more than 69,000 impaired driving incidents reported by the police, including almost 3,500 drug-impaired driving incidents.”

“Impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death and injury in Canada.”

PICKING OUT THE POT HEADS Identifying them may not be easy, even for roadside responders. In the past, most people smoked marijuana in rolled cigarettes known to users as joints or blunts. The smoke left behind a distinctive smell, often compared to that of a skunk. Modern alternatives to smoking marijuana, like vaping them through specialized devices, do not necessarily leave the tell-tale scent. The active ingredients can also be baked into food and even taken as a suppository or through an enema. There are other clues, however, that may allow roadside responders to identify people who have been driving high. The chemicals found in THC often leave the

whites of users’ eyes looking red, however, the substance is imbibed. Those under the affects of marijuana frequently laugh at inane events and often trail off mid-sentence during conversations. Users may also make use of an insider language in order to determine whether a roadside responder is involved in marijuana culture, and, thus, unlikely to report them for driving high. Within marijuana culture and, in some cases, more broadly, marijuana is known by a number of insider names. These include: 420, alfalfa, amnesia, astroturf, Aunt Mary, blaze, bud, chronic, Devil’s lettuce, ganja, weed, pot and Mary-Jane.

“There are other clues, however, that may allow roadside responders to identify people who have been driving high.”

2021 CANADIAN TOWING PROFESSIONAL 33

EVENTS

TOW YEAH! The Provincial Towing Association of Ontario’s 2019 Tow Show was a weekend to remember! BY GIDEON SCANLON

n September, the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario held its 2019 Tow Show in Kitchener, Ontario. Friday, September 20, 2019 kicked off in the morning with two training sessions on dangerous goods transportation and OPP traffic management. An open panel was then held for discussion with industry veterans from the OPP, MTO, CAA and PTAO itself. A sneak peek into the all-new show floor opened up in the evening, before the PTAO’s Annual General Meeting held the election for its board of directors. A welcome reception then provided towing pros not only with a chance to dine but also with the opportunity to network with others and chat about the day’s proceedings. Finally, the end of Friday night was reserved for the ‘Let the Light Shine’ event, which honoured those in the towing industry that had been injured or killed while at work. Tow operators and their families held a moment of

34 TOWPROMAG.COM

Tow truck operators from across Ontario gathered in Kitchener for a weekend of networking, training and all-around fun!

silence to reflect before trucks from all over the province flashed their lights on queue and lit up the night sky. Saturday began with registration for the day’s championship competition, designed to see who Ontario’s best operator is. The vendor display was now fully open to the public, with companies registering to display their products outside in further opportunities to network. Weekend attendees then spent the afternoon meeting with the stars of reality show ‘Heavy Rescue 401,’ for autographs, pictures and posters. Saturday evening winded down with cocktails and dinner in a semi-formal event. That is when PTAO held the second annual ‘Heroes of the Industry’ awards, where recipients were rewarded in front of the crowd for their heroic work in the line of duty. Along with the weekend event, PTAO also released a list of changes members would be seeing to the board’s leadership after asking what they would like to see. First and foremost,

Stephen Ashworth was hired as CEO of the organization, bringing with him years of experience in non-profit corners. Moving forward, a new electoral system has been put in place to allow members to be able to pick qualified candidates and support them through the nomination process. The board itself also underwent compliance training to better cooperate with members and help the group thrive. It also announced a new logo and slogan to go with it. The change in venue also comes after member consideration. The new location at the Bingeman’s grounds is a centrally located and larger space — by about 25 percent — than those that hosted previous years. It also comes with side attractions on-site, including camping, paintball, and other play areas for any kids in attendance. All in all, PTAO’s efforts can be summed up in their new slogan, to “Engage, Evolve, Elevate.”

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fter two decades in the auto insurance and towing sectors, Canadian Dara Carpenter set about finding a solution to one of the most pressing issues facing all areas of the auto aftermarket. “My years and experience dealing with the towing and insurance sector allowed me to build an industry niche and valued skill set which I could then put to use assisting companies that may be struggling to deal with the complex world of towing and storage,” said Carpenter. “By taking over the towing and storage file management process including

digital tool for towing management. It allows for claims adjusters, auto repairers, and auto recyclers to receive real-time updates on any in-progress tow. It also provides cost control tools and simplifies payment authorizations, allowing their clients to focus on their jobs and not the associated paperwork. “ReadyTow is a win-win tool for our insurers and aftermarket partners.” The success of the company is due in large part because of the dependable and loyal relationships E.L.C has created with industry partners but also because of the high level

E.L.C. OFFERS A SOLUTION-DRIVEN APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY, BEST DEMONSTRATED BY ITS READYTOW PLATFORM. THIS PLATFORM’S SOFTWARE IS MEANT TO PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH A ONE-STOP DIGITAL TOOL FOR TOWING MANAGEMENT. negotiations, we can limit cost severities and expenses.” In addition to the above E.L.C Dispatch Solutions Offers a fully customized solution to meet our customers’ needs.” In 2015, Carpenter founded E.L.C Dispatch Solutions not only to manage the logistics and dispatch of a tow throughout Canada and the U.S. but also to mediate between insurance companies and towing businesses, repair facilities, and auto recyclers in the automotive industry. E.L.C. mediates any unnecessary expenses and provides towing and storage logistics. Carpenter utilizes her in-depth knowledge and insider understanding of this industry to garner savings for her clients, guaranteed. E.L.C. offers a solution-driven approach to technology, best demonstrated by its ReadyTow platform. This platform’s software is meant to provide clients with a one-stop

of quality customer service and the success ELC has had mediating files on behalf of our valued clients. Carpenter is also well-known for her reputation as a leading female in a male-dominated industry. “I am proud that my partners trust me and know what I am capable of including unwavering ethics and reliability. Every time I get a new client, I know they’re coming to me because they were either recommended by clients or they know me because of my history and reputation within the industry.” 2020 was a year that hit everyone by surprise, and it was a scary time for business. Carpenter said that when the pandemic first hit, she had to act quickly to ensure the safety of her employees and vendors and the well-fare of their families which included rewriting company policies, procedures, with strict adherence to the governments’

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recommendations and expectations which allowed a “business as usual” environment. “This has proven to be successful in relieving any concerns for my employees and vendors which has successfully made my teams and clients comfortable into days climate.” Carpenter’s business goal for 2021 is to expand the current client base. E.L.C Dispatch Solutions is one of a kind, offering specialized expertise in the auto insurance and aftermarket industry. “We are not only about receiving an assignment from a client then dispatching and towing the vehicle. While that is of course one of our core duties, we are much more than that and provide a more robust list of services all of which save a client time and money, guaranteed. We manage a towing and storage file like it was our own and we tirelessly work to succeed for our client and in turn mitigate severity,” said Carpenter. “There is no other company like E.L.C., our extensive experience puts us above the rest.”

Canadian Towing Professional

Articles inside

IN THE HEADLIGHTS

AFTERMARKET AFFAIRS

ENLIGHTENING LIGHTS

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, SIZE SHAME

HEROIC HIGHLIGHTS

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL

REFLECTIONS OF THE ROAD WARRIOR

COACHING THE TEAM