Tag Archives: emergency roadside assistance program

Dr. Hook Will Be Out in Winnipeg Tonight for New Years Service

While tonight’s festivities roll on, we do want to remind Winnipeg that New Year’s Eve comes with its challenges on the road, especially for 2013.

Most Winnipeggers, by now, know that there is an inherent caution that comes with travel on NYE 2013 – people for whatever reason will err in their judgement and unfortunately pull-overs by Winnipeg Police do occur due to intoxication.

We say this every year but it certainly bears repeating – if you have any, and we mean any trepidation of getting behind the wheel tonight, then we strongly encourage cabbing, using Operation Red Nose or finding a designated driver who has not consumed a single ounce of alcohol.

But the greater concern this year is the unseasonably cold temperatures. The unfortunate reality is that heading out to a party could mean not being able to plug in your car and coming out, at say 1:30am, to a car that won’t start.

If this situation does happen to you, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Hook Towing in Winnipeg. We will be on call for you tonight should you run into any problems and require our roadside assistance.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year celebration!

Emergency Preparedness: Keep Yourself Charged on the Road

There’s a classic scene that has been rendered somewhat cliche in Hollywood. A young couple is stranded on the highway with their hood up. The male is seated on a gas jug while the female stands with her thumb out hoping that a noble stranger will help them in their time of need.

This scenario was certainly the case for Manitobans just a couple decades ago, but thanks to cell phones, all it takes is a call to Dr. Hook, and the case for a happenstance handsome stranger to play the hero is obsolete.

Obsolete, that is, as long as you have your phone charged up and ready.

Let’s admit it to ourselves – as careful as we are with our smartphones, we can get caught up in our “other” activities like web browsing and gaming that drain our batteries and we’re at times left without being able to communicate; and whether you’re in the city or out on the highway, this is not an ideal situation.

With this in mind, it’s important that as part of your emergency preparedness, especially when you are embarking on a long highway travel, to have your phone fully charged and ready to go. Having a charger in your car and even a spare power source is a great way to ensure that you are good to go and are more than ready should an emergency happen with your car or truck.

Remember – your roadside assistance experts are always just one phone call away.

Be Prepared in Case You get Stranded

Dr. Hook can help you when you have a flat tire.The realities of highway driving are fairly fierce, but they’re a reality for a reason.

As difficult as it is to digest, there always exists the possibility of being stranded – either from your engine conking out, a flat tire or another emergency situation.

Given Manitobans propensity for travel-by-road, it’s integral that you be prepared should an urgent situation come about. Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure you have an emergency kit in your car – At minimum, you should have blankets for warmth, a flashlight with fully-charged batteries, jumper cables, an air compressor, tow ropes, some non-perishable food and other pieces. A power generator isn’t a bad idea either.

2. Load up your phone with the right apps – Calling Dr. Hook is the first step to your roadside assistance (made even easier by our mobile site which you should bookmark!), but a GPS app will make it easier to find you as well. Google Maps, for example, can pinpoint your location pretty accurately, making it easier for you to convey information to us as to your location on a given highway.

The most important thing to do if you get stranded, as simple as it may sound, is to remain calm. Human nature is to panic, but that doesn’t do you any favours in the longrun.

For more information on Dr. Hook roadside assistance, contact us or click here to register for our roadside assistance program.

Roadside Assistance Essentials when Faced with Cold Temperatures

Chances are, at some point in your life, you will experience a breakdown. Cars are extensive machines that occasionally, and for some models not so occasionally, malfunction. This leaves you stranded, hopefully, in optimal conditions. For some, you may have a breakdown in the dead of winter, in an isolated location. Fortunately, a roadside assistance company can fix most “break-downs” on the spot. The most important thing you can do to speed along the process of roadside assistance is “be prepared.”

The first thing to prepare is a kit that remains in your car at all times. Aside from winter essentials, there are assortments of tools that can help you get out of a bind, quickly. You will first need a manual for your car. These typically give step-by-step instructions on easy repairs, tire issues and mechanical troubleshooting. You will also want a small tool kit, including a wrench, hammer and screwdriver.

Always keep a first-aid kit and essentials kit on hand. Roadside assistance personnel can be magical with automobile issues, but they are not medical professionals, nor are they boy scouts responsible for keeping you fed and warm while fixing your car. Every car should have a days worth of water on board as well as food bars for long waits. Extreme weather conditions may require you to stock a warm blanket and/or extra clothing. Waiting in snowy conditions, in a car that will not start can get cold, quickly.

Be sure to have your own set of jumper cables. This one tool can prevent even having to call roadside assistance. Periodic checks of spare tires, jacks and other tools to change a flat can be your saving grace on a long, winter trip.

Know How To Jump Start Your Vehicle

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When faced with the dilemma of a dead battery, drivers need not fret. If you, unfortunately, do not have roadside assistance and a jump-start is required, the first step that a stranded motorist need take is finding the assistance of a working car.

Hopefully, your automobile is well equipped with your essentials for this dilemma. A few things that should be kept in your automobile at all times includes jumper cables, heavy duty gloves for hand protection, a flashlight with charged batteries, and the manufacturer’s owners manual. The owner’s manual will likely have a summary of the steps to follow for a proper jump-start for your automobile.

The Jump

1.  Protect your clothing and hands with gloves that should be kept in the trunk of your car.

2.  Open the hood of your car. Most models have a button under or near the steering wheel. Press the button, and at the hood of the car, release the latch. Use the lever/stick near the latch to keep the hood open.

3.  Be sure the working (donor) car is off yet near the dead car.

4.  Consult your owner’s manual for specific information regarding your automobile.

5.  Most cars have a positive (+) and negative (-) terminal on the battery. Affix the clamps accordingly in this order: dead car positive (+), working car positive (+), working car negative (-), the last negative should be clamped onto a piece of metal on the engine of the dead car. This will create a proper “grounding” for the jump-start.

6.  Start the working car. Wait 1-2 minutes. Start the dead car.

7. Unhook the cables working in reverse order.

8.  If the car is started and the battery light is showing on the instrument panel, it is time to seek a mechanic. There may be additional problems with your alternator or other mechanical parts.

Caution:

-Never jump-start a frozen battery.

-Never jump-start a cracked, broken or leaking battery.

-Be sure that the battery has the appropriate fluid levels in the cells. If water is required, add it accordingly.

-Once contact has been made with the battery and the cables, do NOT allow the metal parts of the cables to touch. This will create a spark.

-After a jump-start, allow the car to run for 10-20 minutes (driving or idling) to initiate a proper battery charge.

Roadside Assistance Program

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We pride ourselves on being the company that can give assistance in your time of need, therefore, our Emergency Roadside Assistance Program is the core of our company. We utilize our professional staff and our state of the art dispatch technology to bring you prompt and courtesy assistance. Whether it is a flat tire, running off the road, or trying to make it that extra exit without a fill-up. We’ve all been there, and we would love to be the one that you call on when help is needed most.

As with every aspect of our business, our Roadside Assistance Program exceeds the expectations of our clients, and we are rated higher than all of our competitors. At Dr. Hook, members come first, and always will. Our emergency and urgent services are provided with the utmost promptness and professionalism. Our trained customer service professionals answer your calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They dispatch your call and an exact arrival time is given. You are then greeted by a uniformed, trained professional, and treated to a first-class experience from start to finish. Our services include: changing a flat tire, refilling gas, dead battery jumps, or helping with a wrong turn into a ditch. These instances are daunting, and troubling for all of us, but they are a fact of life. We would love to be the ones to make your fact of life as easy as possible.