Business for tow truck drivers heats up as temperatures turn frigid

While the temperature may be dropping, business for tow truck drivers is beginning to heat up.

ABC Towing in Regina had responded to 633 calls since Dec. 1, with 70 of those being a customer who needed a boost to start their car. Twenty-two people called for a boost on Dec. 8 and they had responded to 13 calls before noon on Dec. 9.

“We get people who call us daily for boosts,” Bob Cook, a driver and manager at ABC Towing, said. “They don’t go get their battery fixed or they don’t get a new battery so we have to go out everyday. We boost their car, they go to work, they come home, the next day after sitting for 10 hours, it’s not charged anymore so yeah, everyday.”

Cook said as many as the first 30-40 calls they receive will be for boosts in the morning. He recommended people begin to plug in their cars once the temperature reaches -10 C.

With the weather changing, it can make the days long for some drivers.

“Tuesday or Wednesday, both days actually, I worked for 16 hours,” Cook said. “Yesterday in a one hour period, I did one accident tow and I did four boosts along the way to SGI.”

Of course, Cook isn’t complaining.

“Definitely good for business. Winter is good for tow truck drivers.”

Cook wanted to encourage people to slow down and move over a lane to give them room to work. He also wanted people to know that as it gets busier, wait times get longer so it’s important to be prepared for cold weather.