Can they see me?

 (The desensitization of the amber light)

Since the introduction of social media, news and information at both a local and global scale, have become more readily available at the click of a button. News we would typically never hear or see has enabled us in the towing industry to realize others across the industry face many of the same obstacles and experiences. As of late, more operators and owners have expressed great cries of help when it comes to the awareness of flashing amber lights on the side of public roadways. These attempts, although admirable, seem to be falling on deaf ears. The crux of the problem seems to come down to: can they see me?



On any given day, driving in high density areas, it is easy to see 5-10 vehicles. operating on roadways with amber lights activated. Whether these vehicles are postal service, construction, farm equipment or tow trucks, motorist are constantly being subjected to this visual distraction. With this constant over exposure, people have become desensitized to the importance, in the same way violence in the media desensitizes us to it. Constant exposure to a situation takes away the effect it has on us.

So, let's ask ourselves: how can we be seen? We need a new method to grab people’s attention. Some of these methods can be simple, while others somewhat more complicated.

The cone zone!

All tow trucks should already be equipped with pylons for dealing with roadside breakdowns. Simply adding some orange pieces of rubber to a roadside can help drivers "wake up" to the fact that this is not just another amber light flashing. Any way that we can catch a driver's eye more than just a flashing light and some hi-vis clothing will allow us to overcome the immunity of an amber light.

This is not a problem that will change overnight, however, as an industry filled with problem solvers, I'm sure we can find a way to overcome amber light and increase awareness of tow operators working roadside. So next time you are on the side of the road loading a car, ask yourself. Do they see me?

Shawn Michaud
Wm140989

Leaving a legacy. (Robert "Bob" Hoare)

Leaving a Legacy
By: Shawn Michaud


In September 2015 I decided to leave my hometown of Cornwall, Ontario and venture west to the small town of Port Perry. I was given the opportunity to work with a great man named Bob (Robert) Hoare and his family business called Brian's Towing; managed by his son and daughter in law (Lee & Rebecca Hoare). Brian’s Towing has a high work ethic and strives for exceptional customer service, all while keeping their rates fair in an area where price gouging seems to be more common than one would like to think.
Unfortunately in January of 2016, Bob Hoare passed suddenly. His loss was felt greatly within the community and family run business. Lee and Rebecca decided to carry on the business and have done an exceptional job at maintaining the morals and practices that Bob worked so hard to achieve. Bob would be proud.

Bob’ Towing Career:
Bob’s interest in towing started very young while still in school. In the late 60’s early 70’s Bob would spend his summers working for his uncle who owned a garage in the Port Perry area. Many times he would be sent out to pick up customers cars with the old Holmes wrecker that his uncle owned. It wasn’t until 1995 that Bob’s towing career truly took off and he began brokering with his partner Danny Sullivan for Diamond Towing in Toronto.  In his time at Diamond Towing, Bob was taken under the wing by a man named Ernie Quinn (Duff Diamond Towing). Over the years Bob looked back and gave much credit to the things taught to him by Ernie. In 2000, five years after starting his towing career, Bob was joined by his son Lee. Together they worked for Diamond Towing for another two years while they refined their skills and grew their passion for the towing industry. In early 2002 the decision was made for Bob to leave Diamond Towing and venture out on his own. After purchasing two trucks he began working with the CAA south central Ontario with his son Lee. By this time Bob’s passion and enthusiasm for the industry had grown exponentially. In 2005 he took the biggest risk of his career:buying Brian’s Towing in Port Perry. Bob put everything on the line financially to wander into this business venture with no idea what the future would hold for him and his new business.
I think it’s safe to say he did very well, and worked as hard on the first day, as the last.

Outside of work:
When he was working Bob was a very strict and clear on what he expected from his employees. Outside of work, he was a much more relaxed, kind and comedic man who was never one to miss an opportunity to crack a joke or make someone smile. He was a man who set goals and did everything he could to achieve them. Bob was an avid golfer and an active member of the community.

Although I did not get to work under Bob for nearly as long as I would have liked to, in the short time I spent with him I was able to realize that any person who invest the time and passion into something like Bob did, will without a doubt,put himself in the right direction for success. Ten years after the purchase of Brian’s Towing the company is as successful as ever. Bob’s legacy will continue on for years to come under the direction of Rebecca and Lee. Gone too soon, but never forgotten.

The Towing Epidemic in Ontario

The Towing Epidemic in Ontario.

More and more across the media we are seeing an increase in negative publicity towards the towing industry in the province of Ontario. Scenes of tow trucks racing to scenes of accidents and endangering the safety of the motoring public are becoming a daily sight. In my opinion there are many factors that play into this problem and I’d like to go over just a few.

Money: 

The amazing thing that makes the world go round. In our industry there are two types of tow operators, the ones who go to work for their pocket book and the ones who go to work for their customers. Don’t get me wrong towing is a job first and a passion second, that being said we do need to make money in order to survive. However there is such thing as an honest dollar and a dirty dollar. Just recently I had the “pleasure” of having an encounter with one of these Toronto style chasers. To say the least the experience was less than desirable. After stumbling across a 2 vehicle collision on my way home I as any tow operator would stopped to make sure everyone was ok. After my arrival and speaking to the customer of the only vehicle that needed to be towed a second truck showed up, the operator was not happy to see me there to say the least. After confirming with me that I was not leaving the wreck, he then proceeded to inform the customer that he would pay her insurance deductible if she would allow him to tow her vehicle. How you want to run your business as an owner is completely your business and nobody else’s, however when you don’t have the courtesy to check with the customer, who was elderly, if she was ok, if she needed to call any family, if she would like to sit in your truck to stay warm rather than on the side of the road. You are not working for the customer you are working for your pocket book. When we do not possess the skills to earn business we are forced to buy it.

Police Involvement:

 The media is quick to throw our industry under the bus so to speak, scenes of tow trucks driving dangerously, in and out of traffic trying to be the first to attend any motor vehicle collision. But why are they in such a hurry? In Ontario our provincial police in the GTA area are feeding into this dangerous practice. While attending an accident on my way to a roadside assistance call, right place right time, I again stopped to assist a motorist. Upon arrival I checked with the driver of the vehicle who ended up being from the Ottawa area and we made some small talk, never once was a mention of towing involved. As per usual a “chase” truck showed up just prior to the police, and began trying to convince the customer to use his services. Now this is where it gets fun, When the police officer began to deal with the towing of the vehicle he has just one question. Who was here first? As I was the first tow truck there the job was given to me and we made all the arrangements necessary to make sure the customer was taken care of. Now how does this make sense? The only factor that would decide who was to tow a vehicle was strictly based on a drivers efficiency to arrive at a wreck, whether it be stumbled upon or speeding to get too. Although we are responsible for our actions, this kind of disregard for anything other than first on scene attitude from police definitely encourages dangerous practices.

Lack of regulations: 

The towing industry has been a breeding ground for shady tow practices in Ontario. With a lack of provincial towing regulations companies have been able to take advantage of customers with little to no repercussions. The government recently has begun to introduce new laws to help curve these problems. The problem is in order to solve the problems of the few bad apples; many of the good apples will suffer. As stories of huge tow bills into the thousands of dollars for simple tows off the highway become more common, the negative image this brings affects even the honest of businesses. In my opinion there does need to be some sort of control on towing rates across the province, but these rates need to be evaluated in a region per region basis. As an industry we had many of chances over the years to self regulate ourselves before the government needed to step in. A task that should have been assigned to the Provincial Towing Association, Unfortunately this association has been nowhere to be seen on the matter over the years. This tends to happen when the president of said association is more worried about the growth of his towing business rather than the growth of our industry. For a man inducted into the towing hall of fame I would expect more.

There is no doubt that there needs to be major change in our industry, but this change will not happen overnight. There are too many different groups that need to come together in order for this to happen. So what can we do? We can have a voice; whether that is to our association, to our local police, or to our customers. We need to let them know this is not how we want to be known, this is not what we go to work for everyday. The good still outnumber the bad although that gap seems to be narrowing as time goes by. To my brothers and sisters who go to work for more than just themselves every day I encourage you to voice your opinion and demand change, before we become the minority in our industry.

Sincerely,

Shawn Michaud WM140989

Chasing: The Dirty Side of Towing

Chasing: The Dirty Side of Towing

Over the past 6 months I have focused most of my blog posts on the positive sides of towing. The brotherhood, the passion, and the legacy some have left behind. Today I want to focus on the part of towing most do not speak about to the general public. Chasing; The dirty side of towing! Chasing is truly a misunderstood and misused part of towing. Just like anything there is a right and wrong way to chase.

First, for those that do not know, chasing is actively engaging in police, ambulance, and fire department communication monitoring, this is done in order to know the location of a Motor Vehicle Collision (MVA) and to be the first tow truck on scene in order to secure the job. Chasing can be a very bad business practice if not done for the right reasons. A lot of operators who engage in chasing do it for one reason only, MONEY. A MVA generally pays more money than any other towing related jobs, what this means is more money in an operators pocket the more successful he is at chasing. This is a very dangerous practice when operators who only care about the money are involved.

When only money is involved, operators tend to disregard the safety of themselves as well as the general public. This is done by excessive speeding in order to be the first on scene. It also leads to bullying or deceiving a customer into many situations not necessarily in their favour (E.g. Towing a vehicle that does not need a tow, or choosing a body shop that may not be the most convenient for the customer) These things are done in order to financially benefit the operator, not to serve the customer. We are the professionals when it comes to dealing with accidents, so why wouldn't a customer trust us right? This is a sad practice that needs to be abolished in order for “TOW OPERATORS” to be truly seen as the professionals that we are.

Now, all that being said there is a proper beneficial method of chasing. In some cases tow trucks may have a shorter response time than emergency crews (while staying within reasonable speeds). This can prove to be helpful for situations such as, traffic control when a vehicle is located in a dangerous place, weather conditions where people are left stranded or that vehicles are disabled and quicker clean up times when emergency crews are finished with their job. A tow truck may even become a vital part of a rescue (E.g. Stabilizing a vehicle to remove a patient)

Chasing can be a black mark on our industry or it can be a added tool for emergency crews and customers. This all depends on the OPERATOR. We as an industry must stand together and remember that when the day is over and the dollars are counted we need to be able to look ourselves in the mirror. Will you be proud of the work you did today, or will you be part of the dirty side of towing?

Shawn Michaud

WM140989 

Leaving our mark!

LEAVING OUR MARK!

Every tow operator, just like every, customer is different. We are a unique bunch of people without a doubt. In my 3 years of towing I've come across many different type of operators, some I looked up to and others who made me want to run the other way. I will be the first to admit that I have broken the cardinal rule of towing: “Never speak badly about another tow operator, they are doing the best they can with what they have.” Although I am not proud of this, I can own up to it.

After much thought and many conversations with those close to me, I have decided to change my ways and focus on making a big mark I want to leave on this industry. Do I want to be remembered as the guy who bickered with this operator, or spoke badly about that operator? Not a chance. We have a short time in this world and life is about making the most of it, and leaving it better than how we found it.
The towing industry has enough problems without us fighting amongst ourselves. Competition can drive us to do and say some pretty silly things, “Did you see the way that operator tied down that car” or “what an idiot, he stole my call.” We have all been there before. What we need to keep in mind is that everything we say or do has an effect on not only our self-image but also that of the towing industry, from bickering with competition on the scene of an accident, to the language and manner in which we communicate with customers. This industry has taken many bad hits over the years and it’s up to us operators, the front line of towing, to change this.

So brothers and sisters of towing I ask you. What mark will you leave on the industry? Will you help elevate us to a new level of respect by educating instead of mocking, working together as opposed to fighting? Or let the public’s perception of us become a reality. I know how I will leave my mark, I hope you do to.

Shawn Michaud
WM140989

One to Remember

As tow operators we encounter many situations that have a negative effect on our physical, mental and emotional health. Getting a call out to a motor vehicle collision and not knowing the condition of the passengers can carry a heavy toll on our hearts. All too often we are left cleaning up the pieces of other people's mistakes. It can sometimes make us question our line of work and ultimately our passion for doing it. 

Then comes a situation like the one a team very close to me experienced.

The call comes in from our local police dispatch center. Vehicle roll over into a creek, driver pinned inside, fire department unable to extricate. Hearts start pounding with adrenaline and fear all in the same beat. Trucks become mobile in the blink of an eye. Once on scene the pressure and tension begins to build, working side by side with first responders to get the vehicle rigged and ready to lift. Everyone manages to stay extremely calm on the outside although clearly the fear of the drivers condition is running circles in the back of their minds.

Once the lift is done it's the fire departments time to shine. They work with precision to safely remove the driver, load him into the ambulance and send him away to the hospital. Without knowing the driver's condition, the job of removing the vehicle continues on... although you can see the distraction in everyone's eyes.

Then finally the news we have been waiting for comes: the driver is in non life-threatening, non life-altering condition. Hallelujah! At that point, I don't think there was a person onscene without a smile on their face. The tension and pressure has been lifted, and the faith in why we do what we do, is renewed.

We go through many bad days and experience many bad situations, but all that dissapears on days where you make a difference, a day that a team saves a life.

I am happy to report the driver is making a complete recovery and was even present at the scene the next day to witness the completion of the job.

Shawn Michaud
WM140989

Dispatching.... More than meets the eye!

Winter has arrived in eastern Ontario, and has it ever made its presence felt. With temperatures dropping to -26°C, call volume has no doubt increased for everybody in the area. I experienced a great lesson today that I want to share with other operators.

Today is about the dispatcher. This past week I had the opportunity to man the phones for an entire shift, which happened to be our busiest day so far this winter. Was it ever an eye opening experience! I've formed an all around new respect for what it means to be a dispatcher. As an operator, we normally only see the calls we are dispatched and don't realize the concentration and talent it takes to manage 3, 4 or even 5+ operators at the same time, while keeping ETA's down and driver efficiency up! Planning driver routes that are constantly changing with new calls appearing rapidly, phones never stop ringing. Not only is the amount of income rising - but so is the stress level. I cannot even begin to fully explain what our dispatchers face on a daily basis, but what I can tell you is that the work they do deserves the utmost respect!

Today was an great experience... remember boys and girls your dispatcher might not have it as nice as you think sitting at that desk all day. That being said, thank god my computer mouse was wireless or I might have tried to strangle myself with it a couple times. Hats off to all of you with the honour of calling yourselves a DISPATCHER! I think I'm going to stick to doing the actual calls. 

SHAWN MICHAUD
CORNWALL, ONTARIO
WM140989