Tag Archives: Winnipeg Towing

The Value of Safety Training

The last 10 years has brought forward an emphasis on safety for workers resulting in multiple certification options. At Dr. Hook we have always been whole heartedly committed to the safety of our operators, as evidenced in our focal support of the Move Over Law.

Safety is not a one time investment and requires a continued focus. Recently, we had 40 operators attend a WreckMaster course and obtain their Level 2/3 certification. Wreckmaster is an internationally recognized leader in the industry training over 30,000 operators to date. This was a 2 day course which consisted of 8 hours of classroom and 8 hours of hands on field instruction.

In this level, tow operators will learn Recovery, Resistance, Towing Cars/Trucks, Up-righting and Upsets, with or without wheels. We show them how much effort it takes to move a car using different attachment techniques, how to incorporate predictability and efficiency and most importantly they learn how to use their equipment safely and efficiently.

We hope you enjoy a sampling below of the training, giving some indication of a day in the life of a tow operator. And we congratulate our team on attending and succeeding in this important training session.

Tow Truck Training

Which Would You Rather Do This Summer?

Mother Nature has shown ruled the summer thus far with an iron fist. The weather forecasters are raising our hopes that we will actually get to enjoy a typical hot Manitoba summer. Fingers crossed.

After the most brutal winter in history and the wettest spring in memory, do you really want to spend your time dealing with roadside breakdowns? Which you you rather be doing?

Our roadside assistance program offers guaranteed help when the unexpected happens. Sign up today.

 

Winnipeg Street Clearing, But….

If you saw a deluge of snowplows on the way to work this morning, there’s good reason – as of 7am today, Winnipeg has enacted a city-wide operation to clear residential streets.

As reported by the Winnipeg Free Press, clearing began with the plan to clear in anticipation of the spring melt. This plan will be moving forward over the next few weeks.

With this news comes questions by motorists, naturally, of whether their cars need to be moved from the street in advance of their zone being plowed. Some may have thrown up their arms in defeat to Mother Nature which blanketed Winnipeg once again Sunday night with a large sheet of snow and not shovelled off carpads or driveways, figuring the streets were just fine.

The good news is that an overnight parking ban is not in effect. Cars will not be ticketed or towed if they are found on residential streets while clearing operations are running.

That’s the good news. The bad news, however, is that by not removing your car you are hampering the city’s progress; so we still advise Winnipeg vehicle owners to move their ride, especially if you are parked in front of any drainage spots.

Winnipeg Residential Parking Ban Lifted, But…

The City of Winnipeg has lifted the residential parking ban.

To the delight of all Winnipeggers, plowing of streets down to concrete is all but done on side streets and we’re free once again to park overnight on front streets.

However, we’d still like to caution against this.

The unfortunate reality of parking in front of one’s residence, especially in the harsh winter conditions we’re currently in, is not the best choice to make. With regulations preventing one from extending a cable across sidewalks, plugging in from the front of your home is not an option.

As such, leaving your car on streets can mean a dead battery when you go out in the early morning.

Yes, we know the temptation – head in through the front door means less time scrambling through the garage, less noise to wake up everyone (if you have a creaky door like many of us do) and fewer things to possibly trip over, especially if you’re coming home in the wee hours (say like you will be doing in all likelihood on New Years’ Eve), but the reality is leaving your car without energy flowing in can mean a frozen four wheels in the morning, and no one wants to have to deal with that when we’re already late for work, the kids are howling or it’s just plain too damn cold out!

So with this in mind, Winnipeg, we highly encourage you to keep your car in your garages, on your car pads, or on your driveway where you can plug in.

If you do end up with a dead battery, Call Dr. Hook right away at 204 956-4665. We’ll help you get your car back in working order before you know it.

Stay warm, Winnipeg!

Remedies for Frozen Car Doors

If there’s anything worse than a back lane or street that hasn’t been plowed, making Winnipeg roads torturous, it’s not being able to get into your car in the first place.

We’re not talking about locking your keys in the car or forgetting them at the office after security locks up; instead we’re talking about that rather unfortunate where snow and ice have built up so much that you literally can’t open the door.

This is one of those cases where home remedies may be your best solution.

One of the tricks we always hear about  is using a hot air dryer to melt the ice buildup. It’s pretty practical if it can be achieved, but that can be hard to do if you’re parked away from a power outlet or, you know, have a hot air dryer.

So we crawled the web in search of some other handy tips for opening your car, and here are a few home remedies for your frozen four-wheel.

1. Praise Lifehacker for this gem – hand sanitizer, which seemingly everyone carries these days, can be used as a lock de-icer.

2. WikiHow offers up five suggestions (including our aforementioned hot air dryyer), the simplest? Push on your car door to break the frozen seal.

3. Catalogs.com, appropriately, has a variety of methods listed. Heating a key with a lighter, if available, isn’t a bad step.

Of course, lock de-icer is still the best solution, but if you don’t have this at the ready, then you now have some more solutions in your back pocket.

Stay warm Winnipeg!

Dr. Hook Part of Convoy That Helps Special Olympics

When a call comes from the Winnipeg community, Dr. Hook Towing answers with enthusiasm. We consider it an honour to help organizations throughout our city with their charitable projects that help others. Over course of the next few blogs, we’ll be sharing with you the stories of organizations who we’re happy to support in Manitoba.

The Manitoba Trucking Association has become known for being a true brotherhood in our province, and the kinship is never more visible in Winnipeg than at the annual World’s Largest Truck Convoy.

Taking place every September, the convoy brings together Manitoba companies in a site that is really something to behold.

Dr. Hook was proud to be part of this year’s convoy, which took place on Saturday, September 15. It was one of five concurrent convoys that took place across Canada, including events in Winnipeg, Halifax, Saskatoon, Paris, ON and Moncton, NB.

Across all cities, 351 trucks took part in the convoy and raised almost $200,000 for various charities. The Manitoba convoy alone saw 141 trucks, with more than $65,000 raised for Special Olympics.

Dr. Hook in the Community – Red River College

When a call comes from the Winnipeg community, Dr. Hook Towing answers with enthusiasm. We consider it an honour to help organizations throughout our city with their charitable projects that help others. Over course of the next few blogs, we’ll be sharing with you the stories of organizations who we’re happy to support in Manitoba.

There’s no question – education comes at a price.

As we’ve seen recently, the rising costs for post-secondary education are not going to slow down, so the opportunity to help students out is one we couldn’t pass up.

That’s why, this past February, Dr. Hook was a sponsor for Red River College’s entry into a skills Canada Manitoba competition, which saw students in skilled trades and technology to build a modified 1933 Ford car.

The car would go on to provide valuable experience for the participating students, while also serving as a fundraiser – lottery tickets were distributed for the opportunity to own the revamped ’33 model. The work by the students was also on display at World of Wheels and at several events over the summer.

“Our motto at Skills Canada Manitoba is supporting career development through education and technology, and we’re really excited that the students are going to be able use their education and skills working on this project,” said Maria Pacella, executive director of Skills Canada Manitoba, in an interview with Red River College.

To learn more about Skills Canada Manitoba, click here.

What to do if the “Check Engine” Light Comes On

Today’s automobiles are sophisticated machines.  The engine might provide the power, but at the heart of the vehicle is a computer monitoring numerous systems, making compensations for everything from engine temperature to exhaust temperature to the habits of the driver.

When the computer detects a condition that it cannot correct, it will inform the driver, usually by displaying the “Check Engine” light.

Many people don’t notice this indicator on their dashboards, or worse, they ignore it.  “Check Engine” could be displayed for anything from a loose gas cap to failure of a critical engine component that could, if not addressed, destroy the engine.

If your car displays this warning, find out why!  Check any other gauges or warning lights that your car has for other signs of trouble, especially concerning temperature or oil pressure.  Drive the car to a safe location and check to make sure there’s no smoke, steam, leaking liquid, or other signs of trouble.  If you’re comfortable doing so, check the oil level.  Be careful, components under the hood can be extremely hot, especially if there’s been a malfunction.

If you don’t find any signs of immediate problems, it’s likely okay to drive the car (preferably to a mechanic for service).  If you’ve found any of the above problems, or anything else that suggests that something’s not right with your car (noises, smells, etc.) then don’t risk damage – call the experts at Dr. Hook Towing and Recovery for roadside assistance.  A uniformed, trained professional will be dispatched to your location, and will be able to help diagnose the problem further.  If possible, you can continue your journey.  Should your vehicle require towing, Dr. Hook can arrange for speedy and safe transport for your vehicle to wherever you choose.  To reach Dr. Hook, Call 956-HOOK (4665) or Toll Free 1-800-561-4665.  To enroll in the Guaranteed Roadside Assistance Program, which assures speedy service even peak usage times, visit this link.