Admiral Beez
Superstar
Wouldn’t the fastest end to the tow truck war be for Queen’s Park to assign one firm to do it all, same as we do Ambulances?
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Tow trucks
- Thread starter Admiral Beez
- Start date
lenaitch
Senior Member
Only if you want to turn it into a publicly-funded service. As much as they like to tell the world they are an emergency service, they're not. It's a (slightly) regulated commercial industry. There are already approved companies for provincial highways in the GTA; TPS has their contracted companies, and still the battles go on. Organized crime has determined it to be a lucrative area to fight over.
BTW, Queen's Park doesn't dictate land ambulances. Municipalities are free to operate their own or contract it to a private company. I don't know if there are many contracted companies. Muskoka tried it but drew it in as a regional department.
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crs1026
Superstar
^As noted, the problem isn't only with controlling entry...that's already somewhat regulated. It's a matter of who gets the proceeds. Reportedly, individual operators and small companies are being "taxed" by criminal interests. The operator or company may be honest, but they get leaned on.
- Paul
- Paul
Admiral Beez
Superstar
I was sideswiped on the 401 at Markham Rd. a few years ago. The dodgy tow truck operator immediately swooped in to offer a tow. I said no thanks, that I’d called CAA for a free tow to my preferred body shop. The driver lied, saying you have to be towed immediately as you’re blocking a lane, to which I replied when the OPP come and tell me that, I’ll move. Until then, don’t touch my car, thank you. CAA was there to tow me away in 10 mins. My worry is for my young adult daughter who’s a new driver and would be intimidated into being towed to some scammer garage that demands a storage and release fee.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
Not necessarily. The city and province have assigned private contractors for snow removal. Do the same for tow trucks, with the companies having to bid on tenders, with only the winners allowed to operate on city or provincial roads. There’d still be organized crime and corruption, but no more than DoFo and the greenbelt developers.
afransen
Senior Member
Maybe a system where tow truck operators have to be pre-approved by insurance companies would make some sense. The insurance industry sure seems to know who the dodgy operators are.
lenaitch
Senior Member
A little different scenario. Those are contractors to perform maintenance work on and in relation to property owned by the municipality/province.
You collision on the 401 must have pre-dated the introducing of Restricted Towing Zones, mostly in the GTA.
Besides, the proposal is very urban-centric. The vast majority of the province, and the municipalities within in, function largely on the basis of small private operators. Towing companies and operators are at least regulated now, as opposed to the wild west it was before.
The organized crime and violence we are seeing in the towing industry is primarily and GTA and Ottawa area problem. We're not seeing it in Bancroft or Kenora. The recent round-up in Peel really had nothing to do with public collisions, it is all about stolen cars, insurance fraud and staged collisions.
I doubt the insurance industry really cares so long as it is not them being ripped off. They will pay claim bills and pass costs onto the policy holders. A few years ago, our daughter was involved in a collision. Being fairly unfamiliar with the area, I told her to have the car towed to the dealer. We later learned they didn't have a body shop so it had to be towed a grand total of about 9km to the body shop: $500 (in addition to the from-scene tow).
Besides, private, for-profit companies regulating other private, for-profit companies? There are a number of laws that would probably interfere with that. Years ago, police-related towing on the 400-series in the GTA was fairly-well managed by an 'association' of tow operators. It worked quite well. For the police, it was a one-number dispatch and the association balanced the work between member companies. The wheels fell off when they tried to restrict the number of members. Other companies complained the the federal Competition Bureau who determined that it was a restraint of trade.
Mr.Tang
Active Member
Fair competition is the core essence of our economic/social system. Creating a monopoly is likely to make it more expensive and less efficient/responsive.
JJTheJetPln
Active Member
The biggest issue with any suggestions to curb crime is the oversight to the changes being made. Who will oversee any changes, and hold the tow operators, and their businesses accountable? The police are doing what they can, but it seems like once they do something, there's already another organization coming to light.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
crs1026
Superstar
That’s effectively what the current dispatch system, which was introduced a couple of years ago, effectively does. It helps, but it doesn’t solve the problem of where the damaged car is taken, what invoices and charges then ensue, and how the money is divided up.
The average motorist is not well informed, and is not in a very good mental state to make assertive and informed decisions in the aftermath of a collision. It’s easy pickings for unscrupulous actors. CAA membership is a basic defense.
- Paul
Admiral Beez
Superstar
Agreed. The CAA app is very good as well.
CAA Mobile App - Request Roadside and Get Member Deals
Get roadside assistance, find Member-exclusive deals, collect rewards points on what you buy and earn CAA dollars with our mobile app. Download CAA app!
Just make sure you have it all set up and linked with your membership BEFORE you need it. Then it's just a push of a button to get a tow coming your way.
While you wait you can call your insurance company (the tel # will be on the slip) and ask your insurer where they want CAA to take the car.
nfitz
Superstar
Your broker perhaps. I wouldn't let your insurance company know until after you find out if it's worth it - or the other person simply wants to pay for the damage themselves to avoid the insurance.
Though if they don't like where it landed (and I've never really heard of that for a reputable shop, or had an issue), they'd pay to move it to wherever.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
You should always tell your insurance company in case you suffer losses later. For example, when we were rear-ended we felt totally fine, no air bag deployment and only a smashed up rear bumper cover. But a week later my wife began getting headaches and had to take a month off work. Thankfully she had disability coverage so the auto insurance wasn't involved but we made sure they were aware. And never take the other guys offer to pay for it privately - if he was a good character they'd be driving carefully in the first place.
Interestingly, when I called TD insurance for the repair, they said I could take it to either TD's branded bodyshop or any repair place I chose on their approved list. I asked the TD rep if he'd take his own car to the TD branded shop and he said no, take it somewhere else, lol. I highly recommend Don Valley VW, best body shop in town on any make or model.