Comments on: Ontario’s towing industry struggles under new regulations: PTAO cites gaps, unfair practices

By: Doug Nelson

Doug Nelson — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:11:16 +0000

As the executive director of the Ontario Recovery Group Inc. and the Canadian Towing Association I wish to put our two cents worth of input into the new towing regulations in Ontario on behalf of our board members, members and consumers. At one time I was the Executive Director of both the PTAO and the ORG and personally worked with the MTO on many tow truck issues including regulation of the towing industry. I continue to provide input in my new capacity as executive director of ORG and CTA.
First off it has been questioned why the industry needs to be regulated in the first place. The answer is obvious. Ontario motorists, trucking companies, insurance companies and just as important the professional tow companies have been abused for many, many years. When you factor in the hundred or more firebombings of tow trucks, firebombings and shooting up of law offices, half a dozen or so murders and tow company drivers being beat up on the side of the road by a chaser for responding to a customer call is it any wonder the government had to step in. Make no mistake about it, something had to be done.
Now that we are regulated lets look at what now controls the industry. Registration of all tow companies and drivers, storage facilities, commercial vehicle operator registration, consumer services protection through essential regulations, training and of course pricing. Let there be no doubt as a new regulation authority, like any new regulations there will be bumps along the road and adjustments to be made. Good operators have no fear of regulations, they have no fear of an even playing field. This is good for everyone!
The professional tow operators in Ontario welcomed the new regulations as it will place all tow companies on a path to regaining respect and societal acceptance. There has always been a “guilty by association” factor that plagued the entire industry. This single factor has been instrumental in the ability to hire new drivers and the industry has been in the crises mode for many years. Is it any wonder why.
The main issue to be resolved is the pricing menu we must use as it forces the integration of all factors to be bundled together, which is in our opinion not transparent. The professionals have always been fully transparent in pricing, and the consumer knows exactly what they are paying for. We expect this will eventually change as the government reviews and assesses the results of the entire program but for now it will cost every consumer a little more money than need be. We expect menu pricing will be opened up and promote full disclosure of why and what is being paid for. We encourage the government to do this.
In the end, our members and other honest and professional tow operators support the regulations and will continue to service the needs of all consumers with good service and the respect our customers expect from us. The regulations are NOT NEARLY as bad as some people try to make out it is and will improve the towing industry and consumer protection.

By: Doug Medlyn

Doug Medlyn — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 19:40:09 +0000

What Mr Gagne fails to acknowledge here is he has a section of road In the tow zone with the volume of calls he receives off that he may very well be able to reduce his rates based off volume and for the record he doesn’t tell you in this correspondence, if you break down or crash in the stretch you DO NOT get a choice of tow you must use his company. Us small town guys don’t get that luxury of being spoon fed multiple calls daily from the police and Mto. We are lucky to only get 20 a year from the., so therfor we have no choice but to charge a bit more to cover our operating costs.

By: James Davidson

James Davidson — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 14:54:54 +0000

I had no idea that an insurance company could refuse to pay a tow bill. The insurance company’s never give me the option at renewal to refuse to pay more money because i don’t want to pay for that accident we had.
Hey Government, try to get first responders to the voting people who need medical attention when the highway is still blocked because no tow guy will show up. Amazing.

By: Stephen Webster

Stephen Webster — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 09:43:58 +0000

We need gov insurance in ont like Manitoba and B C for all towing companies in Canada with the gov paying half of the insurance cost like farmers have for crop insurance in Ontario. In my opinion the current insurance model makes it very expensive and difficult for smaller towing companies and service providers and those that haul disabled people. I talked to several good well run towing companies and 2 or 3 I do not like. They have all told me that their biggest problem is both getting affordable insurance and getting paid correctly by insurance companies. Several towing companies in ont are ready to close in rural areas of ont if this is not fixed this would leave a huge gap in service in my opinion.