Saw on the morning news that tow truck drivers are protesting the bill this morning.
So I read one article, learned about how if you’re injured in a car accident through no fault of your own that Bill 15 will see that you’re even more fucked than before, but nothing about how the bill relates to the tow truck industry whatsoever.
I’m familiar with how tow truckers are in cahoots with body shops…but what’s the connection here?
How are tow truckers in cahoots with body shops?
Tow truckers are being forced to be regulated under the Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR)
They’re mad because someone is finally trying to clean up their industry.
from an article:
The act allows people to pay for a tow truck by credit card. It will also require tow truck operators to provide itemized billing as well as information on rates, when requested. Operators will also need proper safety training.
under CVOR rules drivers will not be allowed to work more than 13 hours a day, to a maximum of 60 hours per week. The operators anticipate this will limit their ability to make money, especially during winter when a single tow can take up to four hours, reducing the amount of time available for other jobs such as boosts, lock outs, and flat tires.
-you get rear ended on QEW
-tow truck offers to tow you
-takes you to his buddy’s body shop
-buddy inflates bill for your insurer, and gives as much as 20% of the total bill to tow truck guy (15-20% is normal)
Interestingly most people have a 1% collision rate. i.e. 1% of insured Ontarians have car crashes
Tow truck drivers? 20%!
WHOA!
So they’re going from the old west to regulated-up-the-ass in one fell swoop.
I’ve long long believed that tow trucking should be regulated by way of publicizing and zoning. ie. this tow truck (of which the driver earns a salary and a ridiculous pension) covers this zone on a map of Mississauga. Eliminate the menace of tow trucks on the road.
Under my plan the tow truckers are covered - fuck they’re public employees now the lucky sons of bitches, and the cahoots with body shops can even carry on.
nope, cahoots with body shops can’t cary on, as the province and the insurers have designated repair centres, so the tow truck guys dont have that little trick it looks like
and they’re not getting pensions…where on earth did you read that???
under my theoretical plan they’re getting pensions.
Do you guys have the equivalent to AAA up there. It kinda protects you from tow truck driver scams. The only weird thing is there are some restrictions.
Yup, we have CAA.
For those reading , the above scenario does not apply to CAA members. CAA will tow the vehicle wherever you designate it to go. This scenario only happens when the person in the accident does not know jack about a repair shop.